Dear Families,
Welcome back to the half term that leads us into Christmas! I hope that you were able to relax a little over the break.
I do have quite a number of pieces of information to share with you today.
Firstly, another thank you. Our many shoeboxes have been blessed and they will soon begin their journey to make a difference to families less fortunate than ours. I am sure that children will recognise their wrapping or their wrapping paper, hidden amongst the pile. As a result, they will be fully aware of the treat inside and the care that went into choosing these items.
Thank you too to all the volunteers who support us in doing this in both our schools. We know that our children get a great deal out of this activity.
You may remember from a previous newsletter that we have decided to adopt a specific and named strategic to underpin our behaviour management strategies. This approach is underpinned by a behaviourist called Paul Dix and is outlined in his book “When the Adults Change, Everything Changes”
We have taken this decision because it very closely mirrors what we already do across the federation; with some very minor tweaks. It ensures that all adults are responsible for ‘noticing and acknowledging’ the behaviour we want to see. It also strips back any previously perceived rules to three simple statements; Ready, Respectful and Safe.
We have decided to launch this through Positive Noticing Day on Wednesday 13th November.
We will be spending some time during the day thinking about the power of positive noticing. It is simple, practical, and highly effective. Being positively noticed by others builds self-esteem, supports behaviour and promotes good mental health.
We will be encouraging pupils (and staff!) to positively notice one another.
We encourage families to join in at home too. You can write positive notes for family members on luggage labels, post it notes or pieces of paper. We know that children who are positively noticed by their parents/carers are happier, healthier and more resilient and secure.
You may wish to use Positive Noticing Day as an opportunity to start daily positive noticing in your home. You can create and share positive labels as a family and save them – stick them on the fridge, the back of the door or put them in an old picture frame.
Here are some ideas from the website to get you started:
- ‘I noticed that you put your plate by the sink, that’s really helped me this morning, you are very thoughtful, thank you’
- ‘Doing your homework without me asking shows real independence. I love the determination you are showing’
- ‘You are so good at sharing with your sister/brother. You are such a kind person.’
- ‘I noticed that you were really kind to X at school today. That made me really proud of you’
- ‘Thank you for putting your clothes in the washing basket. I notice that you are following the routine and remembering it perfectly. You are really trying and I appreciate it.’
We hope you enjoy the day, and we want to say that ‘we notice you’ and the effort you make to support your children, engage them in learning and enrich our school community! Thank you.
You can find out more about positive noticing and Positive Noticing Day at
https://www.positivenoticingday.com/
We are in no way introducing this approach because of concerns that behaviour is or has become an issue. Ofsted recognised Behaviour and Attitudes as Outstanding in both schools. It remains something we are very proud of. However, with adults and pupils moving between our settings frequently, this named approach gives really clear guidance for all and can thus can provide a further layer of security of all our children regarding expectations. This is especially supportive of our neuro diverse children and those who have experienced trauma.
It is of course Remembrance next week and, as always, we intend to mark this in an appropriate way. Both schools will be having a period of silence and prayer at 11am. We would encourage children and adults to wear poppies in memory.
I know that there have been activities for our children to enjoy, planned by our PTA and FOWS. This week has been the turn of Sand Hutton; a fun disco on Thursday evening. Our children had a great time as always. At Warthill, there is further cinema night to look forward to. Look out for information about this from FOWS.
I know that some of you have seen the article in the Yorkshire Post recently.
If you haven’t seen this, please click the link. I approached York Press about sharing this and they explained that they wouldn’t be able to, so I have written my own article which I hope they will publish, singing the praises of Rural Schools and citing the article/study. Keep your fingers crossed that they agree to print this! It focuses on the academic excellence seen in many smaller rural schools which can often be overlooked in favour of celebrating pastoral care and inclusivity. These are, of course, values very close to our hearts but one doesn’t exclude the other.
And finally, with Christmas Jumper Day around the corner, the Sand Hutton PTA collected a number of jumpers. Should your child want to take part and you don’t have a jumper, please let us know and we can pair your child up with a jumper of the right size, at no cost to you.
With every best wish,
Beverley Pawson
Headteacher
Sand Hutton and Warthill Federated Schools