Headteacher: Mogg Hercules (MBE) Newsletter date: 16.11.18 www.dallingtonschool.co.uk Volume: 37 Twitter: @dallington1978 Issue: 174 Facebook: Dallington School

Forthcoming Events The Mogg Blog The AbBlog I sincerely hope that you were We had another successful very pleased with the packs of weekend at The Independent Christmas cards designed by Schools Show, celebrating our your children. Did any of you difference amongst the other Year 4 Theatre Trip happen to see how great their schools. There were wonderful Thursday 22nd designs looked on mugs this educational talks to attend too - 2 – 4 p.m. year? I would think that more do come along next year! people will be choosing that gift Years 5 and 6 Theatre Trip next year! Friday 30th 12:30 – 5 p.m.

UN Theatre Trip Four weeks to go until the carol Thursday 6th December concert and I’ve just written the final number. Does anyone LN Theatre Trip You may not be aware that fancy joining our band? Please Friday 7th London is very lucky to have at get in touch... least 5 outdoor ice rinks during Christmas Carol Concert the Christmas period. St James’ Church Some of them have already Wednesday 12th December opened. Your child may find this Doors open at 5 p.m. a great way to get into the Concert starts at 5:30 p.m. festive mood even though it is still November, but I doubt that Autumn Term you will see me there! ends at midday As you are probably aware, we Friday 14th December have produced a book about the history of our school and copies are currently available. Social Media Dallington School London’s Outdoor

@Dallington1978 Ice Rinks Hyde Park Winter Wonderland Hampton Court Palace Dallington School Winterville Clapham Common Smartphone App Skyline Skating at John Lewis Free to download iTunes App Store Oxford Street Dallington School – Skylight’s Rooftop Wapping The First 40 Years (£20) Instagram Please ask at the office for your dallingtonschool1978 copies which can be added to your invoice. Lower Nursery Upper Nursery Year One Our children have made some The last few weeks have seen November is a month full of lovely friendships, already talked the introduction of the children celebration and commemoration about visiting each other’s writing their names for self days: Bonfire Night and homes after school and spoken registration. It has been lovely to Lillianna’s 6th birthday, Diwali about meeting up at weekends watch so many parents helping and Remembrance Sunday. as well. This is so encouraging! the children to do this in the There is also Thanksgiving, This month the children enjoyed mornings. We encourage the which is an American learning about the Hindu festival children to learn to use lower celebration. of Diwali and each child made case letters, so please support World Kindness Day, on the their own diya (a small this at home. 13th, was marked by by sharing candleholder that we made from Writing has also featured heavily some of our kind acts, which salt dough). The part of the with the children making posters ranged from “cuddling my friend Diwali story that the children for the Children in Need cake who had fallen over”, to “helping seemed to enjoy most, was sale. The event covers many the teachers when they don’t hearing about the 10-headed other aspects of the curriculum ask for help”. We will be looking demon king! Imagine that! too. From thinking about the role at the British Red Cross of charities and thinking about Kindness Calendar to see if others and using literacy skills to there are other ways in which write for a reason. Fine motor we can engage in random acts skills developed through making of kindness. bunting and maths was involved Our current work on the in the cooking that we did, as Digestive System has proved to well as developing an be a source of wonder and understanding of money by hilarity for all the children. selling biscuits. A taste test led to some Thank you for all your support. interesting questions about what happens to the food that we eat. The children learned about our We discussed the dangers of food’s journey from the mouth to candles when they are lit, with the stomach, through the their hot flame, and how we intestines, and then they took must always ask an adult to help part in a rather different kind of us when wanting to light the “out of body experience” - candle involved with this. making fake “poo”! We will be focusing on the With less than 40 days to go Skeletal System next week and until Christmas, (as if you The children have also been welcome any parents interested needed a reminder!) here in very interested in using the in being a Guest Speaker about Lower Nursery, we have already construction equipment recently, this subject. started making decorations that as well as using boxes, tubes Alas, we say goodbye to Ada we can hang on a Christmas and other materials to create who is leaving Dallington this tree. Sadly though, they are not with. Through these activities we week. We will really miss you! for eating! are exploring all the It is so sad to see you leave, but Characteristics of Effective we hope that you enjoy your Learning as set out in the Early new school and know that you Years Curriculum, from will be an asset to your new exploration and being involved Year 1 group. Please come back and concentrating to thinking to see us soon! critically and solving problems. Whether you celebrated Clean The children have been busy Your Refrigerator Day on the selecting materials, trying 15th, or on a more serious note, different ways of attaching them World Peace Day on the 17th, Indy painted her Christmas decorations together using glue or sticky we wish you all a wonderful and very carefully. tape. peaceful week and weekend!

Barney, Cathy and Christine Ambika, Christine and Sue Angela and Paula Year Two Year Three Happy Birthdays “Let there be Light!” is our topic Year 3 has been inquiring into All these children were born in focus this half term as the days how ‘transport makes lives November, the 11th month of the shorten and the nights draw in… easier’. The children have been year. Strangely there are also 11 We celebrated and learnt about finding out how and why children on the birthday list! ‘Diwali’, the Hindu Festival of transport has changed over UN – Finley Light. We learnt how families time. In the first week back after Year 1 – Lillianna celebrate good conquering evil the half term, the children looked Year 3 – Isobel, Alexander in the story of Rama and Sita at various pictures relating to Year 4 – Theodora, Avalon, with the defeat of the ten- transport and needed to think …………..Emily, Georgina headed demon Ravana with the critically by asking themselves Year 5 – India, Alex aid of Hanuman, the leader of what they ‘see’, ‘think’ and Year 6 – Arlo the monkeys. We created our ‘wonder’ about the images. own books and made delicious This week we visited the London Indian coconut tiffin sweets. Transport Museum, and whilst In geometry we explored there, the children participated in traditional Rangoli patterns and an interactive workshop called investigated symmetry and two- ‘London Moving’. In the dimensional shapes. workshop we joined Professor We are also exploring Light in Katie and looked behind the Science and learning about its scenes of London’s transport properties through first-hand and the science that makes it all Friends of experience and investigation. work. We have made a dark cave in This field trip and the topical Dallington which to experiment with learning have been building The AGM had a great turnout and torches, mirrors and different knowledge and skills towards so many volunteers. We voted in materials. their summative assessment Co-Secretaries Beeker & Mine. which is to design a city with Thanks to Sophie for her help For Remembrance Sunday the transport links. over the past two years. whole of Transition learnt about Thank you also to everyone who why we have this special day Maths has seen us looking at came to and volunteered at each year and that it is 100 measurement and how a October’s FoD Book Swap. years since the end of the First knowledge of mm, cm, m and It was a great afternoon and we World War in 1918. km can be used to design a city. raised over £100. Together we participated in a two-minute silence and each Several Halloween discos are child made a poppy for the happening in the basement soon. construction of a poignant Party on! tribute wreath, which is on Email us to get involved: display in our classroom. [email protected]

In Literacy we have been  Friday 23 November focusing on improving our FoD Year 1 Disco writing. We learnt that every sentence should have a subject,  Friday 30 November a verb and an object. FoD Year 2 Disco

In Art we are currently designing  Wednesday 12 Dec our own London transport FoD Christmas Party Later in the term we will also images, which was inspired by After the Carol Concert in the learn about Hanukkah and an exhibition at the transport Crypt of St James’ Church Christmas and have started to museum. learn our new songs for the Homework is always due on Carol Concert. Wednesdays.

Eileen and Ann Brad and Wendy Year Four Independent Schools Years Five & Six Year 4 has been on an Show We were all lucky enough to inspirational trip to Harry Potter visit the Oceania Exhibition at Last weekend found our school World, where we looked at the the Royal Academy of Arts, as booth as busy as ever at this sets used on the films, and saw part of our ‘Oceania and the year’s Independent Schools how many of the special effects Pacific’ topic. The children saw Show, held in Battersea. and animatronics were created. all sorts of incredible things from Many parents, from around the This trip got us in the mood to ancient artefacts to modern world, found their way to our create our very own Hogwarts installation art pieces. Here is corner, eager for information professors. Here are some of what they have to say about about a school that offered a them: their experience: very different educational Professor Asparagitch “I enjoyed looking at all the experience to other schools Teaches: Dragon Capturing paintings and sculptures, and all present. Many came to us Age:61 of the art in general. It is so having heard great things from Appearance: small, fat different to our kind of art!” – their friends, some attracted by humungous belly, enormous Oscar the fact we are non-selective potato-shaped nose, red-faced, “I really liked the boats room and yet others by our burn marks on face and hands. because of how amazing and celebration of childhood, Character: amazing at magic, detailed they all were.” – India creativity and curiosity. kind and understanding. “I loved the tapestries because The show also offered diverse He was trained by a famous of their beautiful designs and opportunities for Dallington dragon catcher called The how they made the thread.” – colleagues to network with other Dragon Master. His Favourite Sofia schools and educational service move is to pour a sleeping “The paddles were made of providers, some of which may potion into the dragons food. – wood and had many beautiful soon blossom into exciting Toby details in the carving.” – Azure partnerships. “There was a huge and beautiful piano that had been carved to It also afforded us the chance to make lots of different pictures.” – participate in numerous Johan Professor Foxtail presentations by notable Now, when you hear ‘Professor speakers, with topics ranging Foxtail’ you think “Does she from the future of independent have the tail of a fox?” Well, the schools’ curricula, the attributes answer is interesting. She has of a great school, to the need for smooth brown hair, orange schools to prioritise children’s robes, purple eyes, small thin mental health and wellbeing. spectacles and a lovely warm “I really enjoyed watching the We look forward to welcoming smile. She utterly adores toffee! big projection as it showed so the many families who signed up She has a very cute and cuddly many different things all at once. to visit us in the coming weeks flying fox which can be a scarf in My favourite part was the painter and to sharing with them our the winter. She does not need a trying to swat away a fly.” – Josh vibrant school community. key to open the door of her “I found the exhibition amazing. house. She simply answers a My favourite thing was the chief riddle to get in. – Davids mourner’s costume.” – Tayto Professor Sun is four feet tall, “The whole exhibition was wears a yellow dress and an amazing but my favourite orange cloak, with a golden objects were the sculptures of ribbon in her hair. She teaches gods. Some looked like they had her students how to make shark teeth!” – Sami Equally, we have to constellations – groups of stars “I liked drawing the metal owl acknowledge Dusty’s pulling that form a recognisable pattern. because it looked like it was power - she was the envy of our She uses her golden ribbon to covered in tortured souls. They neighbouring booths, as children find bioluminescent plankton to were actually feathers!” - Theo make potions. – Iona and parents alike, stopped to give her a cuddle and then stayed for a chat. Catherine and Sam Mogg, Sophie and Janet