Newsletter Issue 04
Message from The Headteacher
We're already at the end of week 4, and the end of summer too. If 2020 has had any positives one of them must be the amount of sunshine we have had, even though we may not have been able to enjoy it as we may have wanted to.
Hollickwood remains COVID free. We are aware of cases in local schools and, of course, we all must remain vigilant and adhere to all the control measures that are in place. Our measures mitigate the risk but, obviously, cannot completely remove it. Thank you for your ongoing support in the mornings and at the end of the day. Please continue to minimise contact and maintain a 2 meter distance whilst waiting outside.
School life is almost normal, however we really miss singing together and my guitar is gathering dust as we are not able to hold singing assemblies or run a choir at the moment. We have decided to replace the usual class parent meetings with an information presentation that will be sent out to you next week.
Parent consultations will not be possible in the usual way either, we will instead have individual 10 minute phone calls on either Monday 19th or Thursday 22nd of October. More detail on this to follow.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Focus Subject of The Week - Spanish
Spanish is our Modern Foreign Language. Although it is not statutory in key stage 1, we start in year 1 with short sessions based on speaking and listening, songs and games. Key stage 2 classes have an hour of Spanish lessons each week. They create dialogues, write these up and perform them to the class. Here is a brief overview of what each class is focusing on this term:
Mae Jemison - greetings, how are you? what's your name? numbers to 20, colours
Walter Tull - as above plus numbers to 50, days of the week, months of the year
Anne Frank - revisit the above plus maths vocabulary and a focus on letter sounds
Stevie Wonder - modes of transport. weather, countries
Frida Kahlo - food and drink, likes and dislikes, simple past tense
Malala Yousafzai - weather, countries, rivers, simple future tense (going to be...)
Try and practice with your children at home!
Hugh Vivian
Headteacher
Year 4
A surprise visitor came to Year 4 on Tuesday. Roman General 'Maximus Smithus' led the children in a march around the playground before telling them that they were now Roman Citizens. They have been set an enquiry challenge: How can we prove that the Romans invaded Britain? We will keep you posted as they search for clues and uncover evidence.
Year 5
As part of our enquiry question: ‘What if you went above and beyond?’ Year 5 have been looking at their collective responsibilities when challenging racism and inequality.
The children discussed disagreements and conflicts within our local community and in the wider world. They thought carefully about how misinformation and misunderstanding can also be the cause of problems between groups of people - which can cause concern for adults and can worry us too.
We understand that people don’t always get along but we should be kind and respectful. Sometimes, people forget that it is other people’s differences that make them unique and special.
We love that we are all unique! Some of us love 80’s music, Minecraft, singing and football. Some of us do not like hot weather, the colour pink or cheese! We all have different interests, likes and dislikes and everyone and has an identity that is dependent on many factors.
Race is one of those factors. Year 5 agree that everyone should be treated with equity, where people are treated fairly. We do not accept racism and thought about how we would challenge and ensure that we are race conscious.
We can:
Talk to our friends and family about race and racial inequality.
Be aware of racism, where it occurs, how people speak to and about others and how they treat them depending on their race.
Make sure that when we talk about race we are using the right words.
Research all of our facts carefully to make sure they are true.
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value, no matter what their colour.” Maya Angelou
Our Wonderful Volunteers
Evgenia has been volunteering here for several years. She supports learning in the classroom, mostly in key stage 2. 
Linden is part of the gardening team at Hollickwood, she has been giving her time for many years, both during school hours and outside of them.
Susan is also part of the gardening team, as well as her paid role supporting children with reading and the knitting club.
Tim has brought his ideas and enthusiasm to the gardening team too and has been an integral part of the fantastic work they do.
Khateera is supporting learning in year 2 this year, having previously helped out in year 6, invaluable support.
Janice has been helping out in Reception, much appreciated! 
Christina has joined the team this term and is supporting learning in Frida Kahlo class.
We should also mention our Governors, who receive no financial reward for their hard work in supporting and challenging the school.
Our sincere and heartfelt thanks go to all of them.
We can always accommodate a few more volunteers - please let us know if you could give any time.
Hugh Vivian
Headteacher
For more information download the full newsletter in PDF format >>