Autumn 2013

Well um..this is embarrassing. It has been quite a while since I blogged here. The Autumn term has been a busy one and I won't lie it has been a hard one too. But within all of that there have been lots of wonderful moments and I will just share a few highlights and start 2014 blogging properly.

This term we have been working with a very inspiring consultant on how we are delivering our Literacy and our curriculum as a whole. It has been an exciting journey but not without its problems that we have had to iron out. As Subject Leader for Literacy I have been working hard to support my colleagues and doing what I love best- talking books! I have also been working hard on developing myself in the role but more on that another time.

Talking of books I have been sharing a lot of books with my class (as if that's anything new!). Our highlight class read this term has been You're a Bad Man Mr Gum by Andy Stanton which the children loved! Loved as in we could have read the book the whole day and the children would have been quite content. We are currently working our way through the Red House Children's Book Award shortlist  ready for voting on 24th January. We have also spent a wonderful term looking at Into the Forest by Anthony Browne and getting absorbed by a variety of fairy tales as we became ambassadors for the Fairy Tale Kingdom.

The chicks from the Summer term are now huge and laying eggs. I will have to share pictures soon! Our Christmas Production was amazing and although the getting there was hard work the finished performances were amazing! It just felt like an eternity that my classroom was a mess due to it being prop storage space. And we had a lot of props!

We also had a Pyjama and Bedtime story night which had an absolutely overwhelming turn out from children and their families. Book Week was a great success with theatre companies and dance companies and our book fair raised a record amount of money so I could buy new books for the classrooms!

There is so much more I could say and so much more I wish I could say but I won't, I will end by saying have a wonderful 2014 and here's to education. Here's to remaining positive and keeping on working for the people that matter, the children.

Take care,

Kelly Dotty

End of the Year Musings

I cannot believe that the term is over and another academic year ends. Yesterday, with a tear in the eye, I said goodbye to a most wonderful class and now the hustle and bustle has ended I am sat here in the classroom reflecting on what a super year we had. The end of a year is always a strange time, wrapping up with your current class and eager to savour the last moments with them but also needing to prepare for the next year, the new class and excitement for the year ahead. I have a slight change next year, instead of a straight Year 4 class I will be teaching a mixed Year 3 and 4 class so need to adjust my thinking from the end of Year 4 to just left Year 2!

I am so excited about the year ahead, we have been working with a Literacy consultant about developing our Literacy curriculum and I am going to continue working with a super teacher who will also have a Year 3/4 class. I get to stay in my lovely classroom and the Chicks return after the summer after their holiday away on the farm! And obviously more chances to share some super books!

So onto working on this rather empty looking classroom, making it a super learning environment for September. And then onto the holidays, have a good one everyone!

Kelly Dotty