Sitton Spelling

I have recently taken part in a professional development day on the Sitton Spelling program we have adopted. I would like to share the important features of this program and how it will benefit your child(ren).

1.This program teaches children how to spell and proofread. This is an essential skill for writing well.

2.The children learn the words in a meaningful context and not by a set list each week that is memorized and then promptly forgotten.

3.The children are expected to write the priority list words(set by year level)accurately every time they write no matter which curriculum area they are working on. They have access to these list words so they can check for accuracy each time they use them. Having high expectations and offering consistent support teaches children that spelling matters ALL of the time; not just on a spelling test.

We will be re-assessing the children's ability levels very soon. Feel free to stop in and check your children's results at the end of January.

See you soon!

Literacy Bags are on the Loose

I am so happy to be swarmed in the morning by children who are eager to collect a new literacy bag to take home and explore.
Earlier in the year we trialed the Literacy bags with Reception, Year 1 and Year2 with a very positive result. We then started to make literacy bags for the children in year 3 through 6.
We have 20 bags in active circulation and 5 more in the development stages!
Your feedback would be GREATLY welcomed! Please let us know what you like and dislike and be sure to share your good ideas too!

Happy reading!

Reading Day

It was a hive of activity throughout the school for Reading Day!
We had an early morning assembly to launch the start of the Whistling Duck Book Award event.The teachers then selected one of the books to share with their class to get things going.The children are welcome to sign out the books and take them home for independent reading. The children are keen on collecting the colourful wristbands that come from reading and reviewing a Whistling Duck Book.
They were encouraged to record their independent reading in a log and return it to Mrs. Powery as part of the Surviving With a Good Book incentive program.
We started Buddy Reading today and it was fantastic! The pictures show just how engaged the children were in the experience.The idea is that the children visit another class with a book that they can read independently. The children choose a buddy and sit down to enjoy the story each other has to share. At the Junior level they were provided with a bookmark that had the queues for a perfect buddy reading session including " thick " question suggestions. Over the course of the day I had a lot of feedback from both staff and students about the experience. This is a positive first step to making this a regular segment( 15 mins.,once a week) in the literacy program at North Side.

Joanna Clarke Award Ceremony

Last night we attended the award ceremony for the Joanna Clarke awards - we were one of 5 finalists for this award for innovation and excellence in education. Unfortunately we did not win but our congratulations go to John Gray High School, whose project for raising literacy levels for all school leavers, was the ultimate winner. It was a great pleasure to meet Ms Joanna Clarke herself - a great educator whose passion is still children and their development into sound citizens. The award is sponsored by DMS and we are grateful to them for this opportunity to share our innovative ideas and for their support in pushing the education agenda forward.

Reading Day T- Shirts for Sale

Today notices were sent out regarding the annnual reading day t-shirt sale. The theme this year is Books Fall Open, We Fall In . All t- shirt orders need to be turned in to classroom teachers by Friday October 25th. Sorry no late orders will be accepted. Education wekk is the last week of November and we will be celbrating reading on Wednesday November 26th. More details will added shortly about the in-school reading events for that week. Be sure to call the school office if you have questions or would like us to send a duplicate notice home.

Jolly Phonics

Buying the Jolly Phonics Resource Kits has been money well spent in my opinion! It is so encouraging to find a resource that is easy to use across any year level to meet students needs and see results in a very very short time. Jolly Phonics helps children to master phonics and grow in confidence in their reading ability.

Follow Up From Joanna Clarke Presentation

On Tuesday evening I presented our book crossing idea to the Joanna Clarke panel. We will hear back by Monday October 13th if we were successful in getting a grant. Stay tuned for more good news!

Literacy Bags Launched

A notice went home with the children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 this week to gain permission to sign out one of 12 new Literacy bags. Please sign the permission slip, return it to the classroom teacher and I will help your child select a Literacy Bag that is of interest to them for the week. Happy Reading!

Joanna Clarke Award of Excellence

North Side Primary submitted and application in July to be considered for the Joanna Clarke Award of Excellence. Our objective is to have the children read and rate a selection of books according to their age group.
The next task is for the children to complete five simple steps.First of all read a book, then rate it based on enjoyment level, then sign on to bookcrossing.com to register the book and finally complete a book drop.
What is a book drop?
We would travel into town with all of our books that we have read, rated and register and drop them in obvious, public places. People will happen along and find these books, pick them up to see if they could return it to the rightful owner and discover there is a message inside saying this book has been left( released) for them to read. They can sign onto the website and state where they picked it up, read it, rate it and drop it again. These books have the potential of travelling the world!
Our students can track their books on the bookcrossing website and see just where in the world a great book can be found.
Our date to present our literacy project is October 7th.
We hope to be able to share good news with you very shortly of our success!

Starting off the school year on the right foot

You might have noticed that you child has been bringing home a new reading book. This new resource, Rigby Star, is a welcome addition to our reading room!
Each week the classroom teacher selects books for your child at a" just right" reading level for their ability. This makes reading in class and then again at home in the afternoon, a very pleasant activity for children. Our goal is to foster a love for reading for purpose and for pleasure .
Happy reading!