Welcome to The Sydney Russell School newsletter We find ourselves just past the half-way point of the half term and, whilst the Christmas decorations might be starting to go up, in school our focus is, as ever, on the curriculum. Children across the school are working really hard and I’m delighted to share how pleased teachers are with their engagement in lessons and the work they are doing. From “Did you have a good day?” to “What did you learn today?” Talking to your child about their learning, what they are doing in school and what homework they have enables our students to reflect on their learning outside of the classroom and school. It can help them process and make sense of what they are taking in day-to-day. As parents, we can often have our questions answered with a groan, a ‘Yep” or a “Fine“, but helping our children think and talk about their learning is so important. As starting points for these discussions, you might refer to the ‘theme’ of the half term for primary children and the book they are reading in class, or for secondary children using their timetable (which can be found in their planner) to talk through the day they have had and look at what’s coming up, what might they be learning next lesson? To take a well used phrase, ‘Every little helps‘. Have a good weekend. Mrs Cross Read the newsletter here