Celebrating a Fabulous Week at School
16-01-2026
From Phonics to Fluency: Unlocking the Power of English in Every Classroom
Hello Chiseldon families!
This week, you might have spotted something new in your child’s school bag—the brand-new reading and spelling records! If you remember when we chatted about the new homework policy and reducing screen time, I promised we’d return to good old-fashioned books rather than electronic records. Well, here they are! Spellings will be practised three times a week, with a special page for each day, plus a page to record daily reading. These books should last your child the whole year. Please remember to bring them to school every day, but don’t worry if they get left behind now and then—we’re all human!
Tuesday was a truly heartwarming day as we joined the School of Kindness for an online workshop with the fantastic charity 52 Lives (www.52-lives.org). We discovered that kindness is made up of three wonderful qualities: being friendly, generous, and considerate. We even learned about the science behind kindness and how it boosts both our physical and mental health—who knew being kind was such a superpower? We practised empathy by watching videos of kindness in action and shared kind words with each other in class. Then, we put our kindness into practice by creating thoughtful gifts for someone special who could use a little cheer. We wrapped up by reflecting on the inspiring quote, ‘Be the change that you want to see in the world,’ reminding us all that we hold the power to make the world a better place.
If your child wants to keep the kindness going, the School of Kindness has a free Kids’ Club packed with kind challenges, stories, activities, jokes, competitions, and videos. You can sign up at www.schoolofkindness.org/kids-club—it's a wonderful way to keep kindness alive at home!
A huge round of applause goes to our amazing choir who took part in the YV26 concert in Birmingham, celebrating 30 incredible years! What a fantastic experience for our pupils. I’m sure there were some very tired children (and parents!) yesterday. A big thank you to the staff who gave up their time to support this trip—you’re the real stars for helping create these memorable moments.
Finally, a big well done to our Year 1 pupils who completed their first phonics screening check trial. You all worked so hard, and this practice will help get you ready for the official check in June. Keep up the brilliant effort!
That’s all from me this week. Have a wonderful weekend and keep spreading that Chiseldon HEART—Honesty, Equality, Accountability, Respect, and Trust!
Stars of the Week
- Neptune Class: Daphne DM & Oscar S
- Saturn Class: Elsie A & Finley W
- Earth Class: Jaziel D & Esfa T
- Mars Class: Corey B & Ayesha M
- Jupiter Class: Freddie C & Vinnie W
- Mercury Class: George H & Leon N
- Venus Class: Tayla P & Alfie R
Amazing work, everyone! Keep shining bright!
Attendance Spotlight
Our school attendance stands at a solid 95.07%—well done to everyone making every day count! Special applause to Year 5 for achieving 98.26% attendance this week. Keep it up!
House Point Champions
St. George: Nathan K
St. Patrick: Corey B
St. David: Lucas L
St. Andrew: Mikhail S & Alyssa S
This week's winning house with 353 house points is St. Andrew. Well done to everyone in this house for achieving so much and for not receiving a single behaviour point! Super Stars.
What’s Coming Up?
Monday
Y6 have mock SATs week all week.
Martin Luther King Day
Tuesday
Y5/6 Football team play Lainsemead