Newsletter 07th February 2014Ja Dear Parents, Twickenham Academy has had another very busy week, which

h I hope you will enjoy reading about in this newsletter. Ross Davenport - Olympic Swimmer (written by Mr Roe) Twickenham Academy played host to Ross Davenport on Thursday a gold medalist Olympian swimmer who has represented Great Britain at the last 3 Olympics. Ross talked to the whole school assembly about his experiences, his successes in winning many medals and events, and what inspired him. The children were then encouraged to take part in a 4 set work out, consisting of running, push-ups, bunny jumps and star jumps. We all had a great time exercising to the music, and there are some fantastic videos and photos on the school website including action shots of some very happy children! Ross is the latest star to join the growing list of VIPs who have visited Twickenham, making us even prouder of our children and our school. Think Tank Trip (written by Ms McRobert) On Tuesday, Year 5 visited the Birmingham Think Tank. We stepped back in time to explore Birmingham and Britains past walking underneath a Spitfire and climbing on board an old steam locomotive. As part of our Space topic, we were enthralled by the lights and sounds of the Planetarium and impressed the tour guide with our Space knowledge! We also learned about space technology and the wonders of the human body. The childrens behav iour was exemplary. We look for ward to next months trip to the Safeside Centre. Primary Proms Symphony Hall (written by Ms Rogers) On Monday, 30 Year 6 children visited the Symphony Hall for the annual performance of the Primary Proms. This allowed the children the opportunity to experience live music in a major concert hall, and hopefully encourage their involvement in music. We danced and clapped along to a variety of music, including jazz and classical. Both staff and children had a wonderful morning.

Forest school sessions in Nursery (written by Mrs Webb) The ethos of the Forest School movement is to develop a respect for the natural world and an enjoyment of spending time outside observing, creating and imagining. The children in Nursery have enjoyed their sessions enormously and we hope that they will continue through Spring time and into the Summer, when our special garden spaces will be transformed with sunshine, greenery and wildlife. However, at the present time, the weather is a limiting factor to the amount of time we can stay out with small children. We want them to enjoy the sessions, not endure them, so we have taken the decision to suspend Forest School activities for the time being. This decision will be reviewed as the weather improves after half term. We will inform parents when the sessions are due to recommence, so that all children will have their muddy clothes ready for more fun. World Book Day Thursday 6th March 2014 (written by Ms Rogers) We will be celebrating world book day on 6 th March. World Book Day is a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and most importantly reading. As a way of celebrating our love of reading, on March 6 th we are inviting children to dress up as a character from their favourite book. We hope as many children (and staf f) will get involved. We cant wait to see your amazing outfits! All children will be given a token to receive a free book. Dates for the week Tuesday 11 th February:

Nursery trip to Spacehoppas Year 2 Maths Club 3:15pm-4:00pm Year 6 Forest Club 3:15pm-4:30pm Wednesday 12th February: Valentine Disco & non - school uniform day Year 1,2 and 3 2:00pm 3:00pm Year 4,5 and 6 3:30pm 5:00pm th Thursday 13 February: School Closed to everyone th Friday 14 February: Reception Class Fairytale Dress Up Day School closes at 3.15 for half term Academy Closure We will be closed on the following days: Thursday 13th February 2014 - Local Election/Polling Station Friday 28th February 2014 - Teacher Training Day Monday 31st March 2014 - Teacher Training Day Yours sincerely

Mrs H Mortiboy