Dear Howley Families,
Welcome to our final newsletter of this half term.
It was lovely to see so many of you at our Parents' Evenings and to have the opportunity to share and celebrate the progress your children are making. The positive relationships we have with our families are so important, and we really value working together to help every child become the absolute best they can be.
Not only have you shown your support at Parents' Evening, but our families have also been out in force to help our Reception children make their Christmas cards, support Year 1 on their local area study, and work with our Year 6 children to create superb poppies in readiness for our Remembrance display. Thank you for all your support with these events and the many ways you contribute to school life here at Howley.
We have much to look forward to next half term as we move towards the festive period. We are incredibly grateful to our PTA, who are busy behind the scenes making preparations for some exciting activities and events over the coming weeks. Their hard work and dedication help create such special experiences for our children, and we are incredibly lucky to have their support.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing staff team. Their commitment, care and hard work every day make such a difference to the children and families in our school community.
I hope everyone has a lovely half-term break and makes the most of the opportunity to pause, rest and recharge those batteries, ready for another busy and exciting half term ahead. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday 3rd November.
Take care and stay safe in this stormy weather.
Best wishes,
Miss Lewis
Reading around Howley
Accelerated Reader
We are already on our way to almost doubling last month’s results so please keep encouraging your child to read and quiz over the half term holiday too. So far in October, as a school we have read 657 books and 5,231,225 words - which is amazing!!
Your child can access their account using the following link:
https://global-zone61.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/6702136
and log on using their username and password. You will also be able to see how close they are to achieving this half term’s targets by clicking on the ‘progress’ icon at the top of their home page.
Frightfully Good Reading Challenge
The Literacy Shed have created a fun reading challenge for half term with a spooky Halloween theme.
Download for free: https://www.literacyshedplus.com/en-gb/browse/free-resources/more-resources
Author Visit
A group of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils had a fantastic time meeting the author Jessica Townsend on the 8th October to talk about her latest book in the popular 'Nevermoor' series. The event was held at The Earls High School and organised by Dudley Children’s Book Group. Our children were absolutely captivated by Jessica and her stories about her childhood, inspirations for writing and the sheer amount of ideas that were bubbling in her head as she wrote her books.
Reading with your child at home
Reading together isn’t just about getting the words right. It’s about building confidence, developing understanding and making reading something children genuinely enjoy.
From predicting what happens next to discussing new words and sharing opinions, the simple tips below can make a big difference:
Odd Socks Day
Next half term is Anti-Bullying Week (16th-20th November) and Odd Socks Day (16th November). As part of our celebrations for Odd Socks Day, we would like to invite the children to take part in a fun photo challenge at home.
This year, we are asking children to be creative and take a photograph of their odd socks in an unusual or surprising place – odd socks in odd places! This could be anywhere around the home or garden, for example:
- Reading a book on a bookshelf
- Sitting at the dinner table
- Hanging from a plant
- Riding in a toy vehicle
- Relaxing with a favourite teddy
- Any other imaginative location they can think of!
The aim of the activity is to celebrate the message of Odd Socks Day: that we are all unique, different and special in our own way.
If your child would like to take part, please email their photograph to info@howley.dudley.sch.uk marked for the attention of Miss Adams by Friday 6th November. We will share the pictures on the screen in the entrance hall.
Participation is completely optional, but we hope lots of children will join in and have some fun getting creative at home.
Thank you for your support,
Miss Adams
(PSHE Lead)
Harvest
Thank you for all your generous harvest donations. They have been collected by Sandwell Manna House Pantry, one of 120 Pantries all over the UK.
Pantries bring people together around food, soften the impact of high living costs, reduce your shopping bills and give people some much-needed financial wriggle room. They’re also places for local people to meet and chat, lighten the load together, and share ideas that can start making change happen.
For a small weekly subscription, families can have access to food that will often value £15-£20 or more.
You can find more information at this link: Sandwell Manna House Pantry | Your Local Pantry
