Latest News

Summer sun at last....

Fri 28 Jun 2019

We have really enjoyed the blast of sunshine to end this week, we have chatted to the children in assembly today about sun safety, the need to use sun lotion and drink plenty to stay hydrated as the temperatures rise over the weekend.

We are so impressed by the efforts of the children and staff involved in The Lion King production, to see what has been achieved in just over 2 weeks is inspiring. Letters have gone out to enable you to order tickets and we don't think you will be disappointed. We are having our technical rehearsal after school on Tuesday and then Wednesday is show day. We appreciate your support in ensuring all the pupils can attend the out of school rehearsals and shows. Not only have the children learnt about what it takes to perform and put on a show but they have also realised the importance of believing in themselves and trying things that may at first feel totally beyond their comfort zones. The positive relationships and team work shown by everyone are really important life skills that we know will serve our Short Woodies well in the future.

Reception pupils Harry and Oscar picked up their Young Engineer awards. They were 2 of the winners from 48,000 entries with their ideas of how to create a water pump to wash hands while at squirrel school and a bird feeder that uses lasers to identify how much food should be dispensed to prevent large greedy birds eating all the food.

We are really proud of them and they really enjoyed their afternoon at Coventry University with family and Short Wood staff collecting their awards.

The PTA discos were a real hit on Thursday evening, the children (and many of their outfits) sparkled, it was lovely to share their smiles and laughter and see them having so much fun. We are really grateful to the group of PTA members who volunteer their time to arrange and support these events. They are currently planning the Prom for our Year 6 pupils, they welcome new faces so please contact Marie Duce at school if you feel you can offer some help.

The last few weeks of term are really busy, next Thursday we will be welcoming the pupils who will be starting in Reception in September. They will get a chance to visit their new classrooms and meet some of the members of staff they will be working with. The following week as our Year 6 pupils visit their new schools we will be introducing our remaining Short Woodies to their class teachers for next year. Whilst this is an exciting time we are aware that it can feel tricky for some, please do come and talk to us if you have any concerns.

Next week Snapchat theatre are in with their production which teaches the children about internet safety. This is aimed at Year 5 and 6 pupils to compliment the work we do in school. With the summer holidays ahead we want our pupils to be really aware of how to keep themselves safe and how to seek support if they are worried in any way.

Our Golden leaf winners have shown a range of talents and skills this week and demonstrated true Short Woody traits such as determination and resilience, whether it is writing the most amazing story, solving a tricky puzzle of adventuring in a cave. Well done to all of you - we are really proud of you.

Growing excitement..

Fri 21 Jun 2019

Excitement is growing as the preparations for our production of The Lion King are well under way. Everyone working with the children are really impressed with how hard the children are working on learning their lines and the words to the songs. We have some amazing acting and singing talent, the show is going to be brilliant. Everyone is having so much fun putting it together. Letters will be sent home next week with details of how to buy tickets. We are selling tickets this year to help us cover the costs of the license for the performance. Thank you to everyone who is supporting us to make this a great event, especially those helping us with costumes and ensuring children can attend the after school rehearsals and performances, so much hard work has already gone into the performances, the children are truly shining.

On Monday this week we had a film crew in school capturing the work we have done using Calm Brain. We were recently nominated for, and won, an Energize award for whole school improvement and we were the county winners. This means we have now been put forward to the West Midlands region. Using Calm Brain has such a positive impact on the children and staff in supporting their emotional health and well being, we have even had reports from previous Short Woodies that they have used it during their exams this year.

Early Years had a visit from Martha's dad this week who came in his ambulance to explain all about his job and to allow the children to look around the ambulance. It was very exciting and he children have been keen to share their learning.

As a school we are introducing ParentPay from September, this is a secure website that will allow all payments to be made online or anywhere you see the PayPoint logo. Many schools are using this system and we hope it makes payments more efficient. There will be drop in session next Wednesday (26th June) for anyone who would like some support in signing up.

The school had a visit from Michelle Parker this week, from the local authority. Mrs Parker visits us twice a year, this was a really positive visit. She enjoys being able to see the learning experiences at Short Wood and is always full of praise for our Short Woodies, they were keen to share their learning and made our tour around school delightful.

At the swimming gala on Monday evening we were in 8th place. Thank you to everyone who supported this event. Next week we have children competing in a rounders tournament and a dodgeball competition.

Congratulations as always to our Golden Leaf winners this week, we are delighted with you and your efforts.

Sports Day washouts!!

Fri 14 Jun 2019

This week was perfect for our water loving creatures in and around Short Wood but created disappointment across school as Sports Days have had to be postponed. Our field is totally water logged - in fact it could be mistaken for a second pool in school at the moment. We are hoping to rearrange the days for later in the term as they are a highlight of our sporting year and provide a chance for many to shine as well as an opportunity for fun and enjoyment as house teams come together to be the very best they can be.

Despite the weather, our Year 6 adventurers have not be deterred as we have teamed up with the Arthog outreach team to go out canoeing, caving or climbing. The pupils were given a choice as to what their final Arthog adventure would be and have really enjoyed themselves. There are all sorts of other great experiences and activities planned for the rest of this term for the Year 6 Short Woodies before they go off to the next stage in their education.

Rehearsals are well under way for a production of The Lion King which we are planning to put on later this half term. It is a new kind of production for us as a school, we are being supported by The Schools Arts Trust, there is a lot of excitement building. We have been really impressed by the children's commitment and attitudes towards making the production a success. We will be advertising how you can buy tickets shortly.

Mrs Harris and Mrs Butele were asked to share how Short Wood have developed the creative curriculum at the school this week at a conference attended by schools across Telford and neighbouring authorities. It was a lovely opportunity to reflect and talk to other professionals about the curriculum offer at our school and how we ensure all pupils are given a wide range of experiences and opportunities to shine. It is always a pleasure to share how Short Woodies show such enthusiasm for their learning. The use of Calm Brain was of particular interest to many other schools. We are also really proud of Mrs Saunders who is currently working towards a PhD. She has been invited to Liverpool this week to share her research.

Our annual PTA Ladies Pamper Evening is planned for Thursday June 20th. Tickets are available from the school office for £3, this includes entrance and a drink on arrival. Treatments on the night are available for between £5 and £10, as well as a number of stalls. This is always a relaxing way to spend an evening, please come along to support this event if you can.

Thank you to our Key Stage 1 choir for their beautiful performance during assembly this morning. Well done to our Golden Leaf winners this week, we are really proud of you.

Eid Mubarak

Fri 07 Jun 2019

It has been lovely to welcome everyone back for the final half term of the year (where did that year go?) We want to wish everyone celebrating Eid Mubarak, even if it is a little belated. We look forward to holding our annual Eid lunch next Thursday where the children are all invited to wear their new clothes or party wear to share in this lovely occasion.

While the children have enjoyed an extended half term the teachers have been working on the latest curriculum developments during the PD days. We have been exploring ideas and developing skills related to STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This involved teachers creating and testing their own vehicles. History was another area of the curriculum we have focused on. We have been looking at how we can develop our topic themes and staff have had some fabulous ideas as to how we can present the learning for our pupils in innovative and engaging ways.

Yesterday we had a visit from Luke Temple, an author who has visited us before. The children always enjoy his presentations and this visit was no exception. This afternoon he has been in school signing books for children who have purchased them.

We have sent details of how to register for Parent Pay in preparation for September. This is a way many schools use now for making payments, it is convenient and easy to use. Please get yourself signed up as soon as possible. If you have any queries please contact our office staff who will be happy to help. Please remember payments will not be able to be made via Parent Pay until September.

In response to requests from parents we have extended our breakfast club provision. We are currently trialling opening at 7.30am to support parents. If you are interested in taking up this new offer please speak to the office staff.

We have a busy term ahead with lots of trips and visits, sports days and a family event at the end of term, dates will follow shortly.

Congratulations to our golden leaf winners this week you are all brilliant and we know you will continue to shine this term.