Dear DCIS Parents,
With Christmas just around the corner, and at the end of another busy term, it seems the perfect time to reflect on what has been happening in the Primary School.
We returned from our restful half term break straight into our busy UN Day preparations which saw the children busily researching the country assigned to their class, as well as making and collecting artefacts for their displays. The culmination of the week was UN Day itself with our annual parade and spectacular country displays down on the field. A big thank you to the teachers who supported to the children with their work, the parents who also helped to set up the displays and of course the Mrs Gray and Mrs Hyland who once again came up with the grand plan for the day!
We have had several other celebrations this term. Our Deepavali cultural dress-up day saw 2RB and 2SL, and 3CD and 3AS present their assemblies to staff, children and parents, sharing some interesting facts and stories with us all. Thank you to the students and staff for their collaboration and hard work on this. The DCA treated us to a spooky affair for Halloween, the school looked truly terrifying thanks to the creative decorations and gruesome costumes around the place. Thank you to the DCA for frightening us even more than last year! This year, we raised awareness of Remembrance Day across the school too. You may have noticed the sea of poppies in the corridors; our first ever red and black day was a huge success and we were proud to hand over a financial contribution to the British Legion. Kindness Week, which linked with House Day, got us all thinking of ways to look after each other and was a thoroughly thought-provoking week for us all. Thank you also to Miss Sanderson and Miss Lindars for planning World Children’s Day for us. It was fantastic to see the children take a lead with their learning as they became the teachers and shared skills with their friends in other classes.
Our trips continued this term with Year 1 taking part in drama workshops at Centre Stage and Year 2 visiting the National Gallery. There was great excitement as Year 5 headed off to Telunas for their annual residential, with Mr Odey and the Year 5 team. We were delighted to also send a group of children off to Ho Chi Min City for the South-East Asia NAE games led by Mr Carswell and Miss Hughes. As well as this, Mr Baines and Mr Northridge chaperoned a party of Y6 and Y7 students to the NAE STEAM festival in Bangkok. I know the children loved it – they were praised for their innovation, creativity and their impeccable behavior. Trips such as these take a great deal of preparation and planning – a special mention goes to Mr Odey for his work on the Telunas trip and to Mr Carswell for planning the NAE games and to Mr Baines for all the prep with the STEAM trip.  A great number of staff have given up their time to support the children – a great big thank you to each and every one of them for their dedication to the school.
We were delighted to invite our Year 6 parents into school for an Open Morning in which they found out about the transition to Secondary School. Our Year 6 children thoroughly enjoyed a day in Secondary, meeting the teachers and having a taste of secondary lessons and life as a secondary student.
Christmas crept up on us and once again the DCA sprang into action with reindeer, elves and some very familiar faced gingerbread people popping up around the campus! The lower primary nativities were amazing and well-enjoyed by children, parents and some lucky grandparents too. Both nativities were absolute bonanzas and certainly got us all into the Christmas spirit!
Wishing happy holidays to you all and for those who celebrate Christmas, I hope you enjoy the festivities.

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