This afternoon ( Wednesday 8th February 2012), at 2.45pm we all took part in a sponsored World Record Breaking attempt to raise funds for a national charity- SignHealth.
All children, staff and some parents/carers sang and signed to a new song called 'We sign to sing' . A small donation was suggested and any money raised will go towards improving the health and well-being of deaf people.
This was a great opportunity for pupils to practice a valuable skill, as well as raising awareness of deaf issues.
Thanks to Miss Scott and Mr Hampson for leading the school in this record breaking event.

Mrs Anderson
Photographic Link

KS2 children looked at how musical styles around the world have been influenced by the rock and pop music that came out of the U.S.A and the U.K in the 50's and 60's.
George, Keren, Giles and Tony from Gateshead Music Services taught the children about different musical styles and the countries they came from.
The workshop began with' We Will Rock You,' a rock song transformed rhythmically and melodically with a punjabi 'bhangra ' style beat.
Children then sang and played percussion instruments to African rhythms.
A Mexican cha cha cha style song in nine sections was introduced , this was quickly followed with a Spanish Flamenco.
An international flavour of pop music was illustrated with a Bruno Mars song in reggae style.
Calypso and gypsy music was enjoyed before the workshop finished with an appropriately titled Status Quo song..' Rockin all over the World!'
Our thanks to Gateshead Music Services for a fantastic,fun and valuable morning.

Photographs can be seen in our gallery..click here

National Storytelling Week is a week aimed at promoting the art of storytelling which is the oldest of the communicative arts. The week is aimed at increasing awareness of the art, practice and value of oral storytelling .
We have had a truly inspiring morning...In preparation for National Storytelling Week, all teachers planned, prepared and told stories to children from Nursery to Year 6. Some teachers used puppets, others dressed appropriately for the part, one teacher took advantage of the outdoors and told her story to children sitting around the campfire!
There was something to suit all tastes, from ghost stories to humourous tales , we catered for everyone!
The excitement in Swalwell School was summed up by a Reception child.."The morning flies by when you're having fun!" said Logan.

Mrs Anderson
Photographic link

Swalwell Parent, Teacher and Friends Association are planning a Talent Show. They are hoping to showcase the talents of Swalwell Primary School and are interested to hear from budding singers, dancers, comedians, jugglers, magicians etc. The date and time of the show has yet to be arranged. Watch this space!

As a school we have decided, once again, to take part in Sign2Sing. This is a World Record breaking attempt for the most people signing, in British Sign Language, the same song at the same time.
The attempt will be on Wednesday 8th February 2012 at 2:45pm.
We think this is a terrific initiative which will teach the children a new and valuable skill as well as raising awareness of deaf issues.
SignHealth, who are a national charity, dedicated to improving healthcare and achieving equal access for deaf people, are behind the event. They are hoping to raise some much needed funds to enable them to continue their valuable work. To achieve this they are asking for a suggested voluntary donation of £1.00 per child taking part. They do , however , want this to be as inclusive as possible, so any donation, however small, would be greatly appreciated. All Swalwell children will be allowed to participate whether a donation is received or not.
J Anderson

Stranger Danger is a magic show designed to teach children about the danger of strangers and what to do if approached by one. It is not just about teaching children who or what to avoid but also includes positive rules so that children know how to keep themselves safe.
On Monday 9th January, our children laughed and had fun whilst learning about how to keep safe. They now have an awareness of what it means for someone to be a stranger and to understand why they should not trust them.
Photographic link
J Anderson

All teachers and children wore their best nightwear for school today. Most brought along their favourite cuddly toy too. During the day we watched a DVD, cuddled into pillows, ate sweets, had our free milk and fruit, and had lots of fun playing games to celebrate the end of term and the start of the Christmas holidays.
Photos..Click here
J Anderson

Raffle Numbers.doc

Today our Year 5 class went to Holy Trinity Church to 'Experience Christmas .' Visual displays were set up in church, each one relating to some aspect of the Christmas story. Pupils were guided on a pilgrimage around the displays, and stopped at each one for story- telling and an accompanying activity.
The children were invited to engage imaginatively with the true meaning of Christmas.
All pupils enjoyed this memorable event and would like to thank Rev Adrian Thorpe and Matt Tarling for inviting us.
Photographic link

J Anderson

xmas party 2011.doc

Mrs Anderson took some Year 5 children to The Sage in Gateshead where monks from Tashi Lhunpo presented a workshop of dance, music and chanted prayer.
Faith, Abigail and Antony were all agreed that the workshop had given them an insight into the monks way of life.
The children will soon be sharing their knowledge with other pupils in a celebration assembly. They are our young reporters this week and were delighted to be able to write and publish their comments on the website.
Photographs

Our Young Reporters this week are...
Faith, Abigail and Antony

At The Sage I learnt hand gestures that the monks use in prayer. The gestures represent : water for drinking , water for washing, offerings of perfume, music, cake, light, flowers and incense. This morning was great because I got to watch the monks dance and then I got to learn the dance steps afterwards.
Written by Antony

When I went to the Sage seven monks did a dance.The dance was about defeating all of the bad spirits to welcome in the New Year.The thing I loved the most was the drum because it was nice and loud and kept the rhythm of the chants.The monks wear hats which are for wisdom, power and kindness.They also wear a skirt, top and shawl.
Written by Faith

When I was at The Sage seeing the TIbetan Monks I learnt how to do one of their prayers using hand movements. I enjoyed seeing the monks perform a chant , a dance and music. I thought the monks were fantastic - they have to learn so many different prayers and dances. It takes them at least 10-20 years to learn the prayers. I now know that Tibet is a very big country with large mountains, the highest is Mount Everest. They are a religious country. It is said the mountains are where heaven meets the earth!
My best bit was blowing in the long horn because I was able to make a sound out of it .
Written by Abigail

Tuesday gave us the chance to get in the festive mood. Parents joined us for a full, relaxing but productive hour making cards,calendars and yuletide decorations. Children were well supported by parents,many had attended this event in the past and commented on how much they looked forward to it. Our classrooms will soon be beautifully decorated for the festive period.
Photographs in gallery
J Anderson

Today, Abbie and John from Expo - Chef visited our school to help us explore the world of food and cooking. They showed us how to cook a variety of international dishes....Noodle Stir Fry from China, Meatballs from Italy, Gazpacho Soup from Spain and Curry from India.
The children enjoyed the demonstration and learnt alot about healthy eating - some lucky children had the chance to cook and all were happy to taste the food on offer. It is hoped that this workshop will inspire our children to eat even more healthily than they already do!
Photographs on the website
J Anderson

What will you be doing to help us raise lots of money for the BBC Children in Need Appeal?
We are asking children to wear yellow, spots or 'bear' fancy dress costumes, on Friday,
in exchange for a donation of 50p. Muffins will be on sale for 20p and a cake raffle will also be held...tickets 10p! Remember every penny we raise will help disadvantaged children and young people.
Photographs can be seen on the website gallery...Helping Others Album refers
J Anderson

...Matthew Graham and Jordan Jeffrey
We are members of the school council and we were chosen to go to a conference up at Whickham School with councillors from other primary schools.
The conference was about moving to Whickham School (transition).
Each school sent two children to represent their primary school.
We met and talked about what we want when we go to Whickham on taster day.
We suggested having two taster days and talked about wanting buddies from Whickham to show us around on the first day to keep an eye on us and help us make friends.
We were given notebooks and pens we found out about how many people go to Whickham ,how to raise money and a little bit about university,college and good exam results.
We made notes so that we can tell people in our school about it.
We thought it was really good and we were very proud and happy we were listened to .

written by Matthew Graham and Jordan Jeffrey

On Friday we will be attending a series of workshops delivered by Zoolab.
We will be finding out how animals survive at night and about the senses they need to function.
The sessions are informative, fun and educational and are suitable for all our children.
Photo Link
J Anderson

We have launched our British Poppy Day Appeal.
Children in Year 5 /6 are selling the poppies in school until 11th November ,pupils can purchase a poppy for a small donation .
Rememberance Day is a day to remember the end of the first world war and all who gave their lives then and since. Money raised from the sale of poppies is used by The Royal British Legion to help people of all ages and backgrounds who have served in the forces or are dependants of someone who has served.
Photographic link
J Anderson

This week we have been inspiring pupils to engage in money management.
'My Money Week' enables children to be actively involved in financial education in a practical, relevant way.

They have learnt about:

• money and making real choices


• spending and saving


• the importance of looking after money


• that people have choices about how they spend and look after their money


• the use of money in everyday life


• the different values and attitudes people have with regard to money

J Anderson

The Hallowe'en Disco is the first major event of the autumn term...It's that time of year when scary skeletons, vicious vampires and weird witches come creeping out of their crypts to attend a spooktacular evening in Swalwell.
Our PTA spend a great deal of time planning and arranging this exciting night to ensure everything is perfect.
This year's event was very successful, costumes were outstanding, dancing was terrific, face painters were well received and the food, as always, was superb.
A big thank you to Mrs Purvis, Miss Waugh, Mrs Mood, Louise Haswell, Libby Watson and Sharon Westlake for organising such a good event. Also a big thank you to Miss Foster, Miss Lawson, Mrs Anderson, Mrs Cunningham, Mr Hampson and Mr Fitzpatrick for giving up their time to help supervise it.
Congratulations to James Haswell from Reception class who was the winner of the fabulous Hallowe'en cake made by Rosemary, our retired cook .
Congratulations also goes to Corey Irving who won a family ticket to Blaydon Rugby Club's Bonfire and Firework Extravaganza ..His bonfire night picture was judged outstanding by Breakfast Club staff.
Our thanks to Rosemary and Blaydon Rugby Club for their generosity.

Photographs

J Anderson

xmas timetable 2011.doc

We asked Swalwell pupils to wear jeans for school today in exchange for a small donation to a charity which helps children whose lives are seriously affected by genetic disorders.
We were overwhelmed by the response - Well done everyone!
Photographs can be viewed by clicking here
J Anderson

On 11th October, David Souter, body fx fitness trainer came into school to help us raise funds through a fun and exciting Zumba Sponsorship Event.
Reception and Year 1 attended the first session at 1:30pm for 15 mins, Miss Lawson's class had the next 20min session and Y5/6 followed with a 30min session.
A special thank you to Libby Watson for organising this wonderful event. We are very grateful to all parents, friends, relatives and carers for sponsoring children and for helping us to raise over £400 in sponsorship money.

Photos ...click here
J Anderson

Parents evenings will be held on Monday 17th October and Tuesday 18th October. The evening will begin around 3:30pm and end around 6:00pm. A time will be allocated by your child's class teacher. We like children to share work and targets with their parents and teacher and would therefore be pleased if your child could attend the session with you.

Harvest Festival is a celebration of the food grown on the land. To celebrate this, the Rev Matt Tarling came into Swalwell Primary School to deliver an assembly based on psalm 107 which reminds us of all the good things God gives us. Everyone joined in with a prayer to thank the Lord for all he provides.

Photos - click here

Miss Lawson's class will be visiting Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum on Thursday 22nd September to learn more about this term's topic - The Romans.
Mr Hampson will be taking his class to the Hancock Museum on Friday 23rd September to see Ancient Egyptian displays and artefacts...this will link to their topic this term on Egyptians.
J Anderson

Children worked extremely hard with Mrs Cassidy to put together an afternoon of entertainment for our "Swalwell's Got Talent" showcase on Thursday 21st July.
All our classes sang their hearts out, danced superbly and wowed the audience who clapped and cheered the talent on stage.
A great time was had by all and we were very grateful for the positive feedback from parents and community members who attended the show.
If Simon Cowell was watching we are sure he would agree that Swalwell has more than its fair share of talented youngsters!
Photographic link
J Anderson

Despite heavy rain, there was an excellent turnout of pupils, parents and families at our Summer Fair.
Many people came along to sample the lovely food and drink, others came to enjoy activities, games and a wide variety of stalls.
Thanks to everyone who gave up their time to help.

Photographic link
Mrs Anderson

All our classes participated in a fantastic music workshop when musicians from Gateshead Music Services visited Swalwell. The workshop focussed on the music of Disney and we found out about the musicians and songwriters behind many famous films from the early "Tin Pan" era of Disney Studios to the huge blockbusters we enjoy watching today.
We had a great time singing along with many familiar songs, and even joining in the odd dance or two! We had a wonderful morning and lots of us were singing the songs all day!
Thank you to the musicians who played the electric keyboard, drums, piano, guitar and trumpet and to the singers who entertained us so well...We can't wait for the next Music Workshop!
Photos click here
J Anderson

Raising aspirations is about changing young peoples attitudes, building self confidence and increasing self awareness - it is about ensuring opportunities to stimulate and encourage children.
Amelie Addison, an ex pupil /world class cellist and Anne Marie Christensen, a violinist of the same calibre, performed in school yesterday.
The duo quickly built up a rapport with their young audience- they kept everyone motivated and engaged at all times. Children responded well to the music which was linked to a powerpoint presentation showing Amelie's rise to fame, from her roots in Swalwell to her performance at the Royal College of Music.
The duo not only entertained but delivered a powerful message to our pupils.
" With confidence, motivation and ambition you can be anything you want to be- do anything you want to do - be brave and follow your dream," they said.
A huge thank you to these two excellent role models for a most inspiring, enthralling and enjoyable morning.

Photographic link
J Anderson

We arranged for the whole school, including Nursery children, and staff to go to Teams Adventure Playground on Friday 1st July.
The trip should have cost £6.00 per child, however the school chose to subsidise the cost of this visit and offered it free to all children.
As well as the outside adventure playground, children took part in activities including nightline, treasure hunts, outdoor cooking on a fire pit, sports / games and problem solving. Younger children played parachute games and had a storytelling session.
Photographs

poster.pub

On Thursday 9th June, in conjunction with Gateshead School Meals Service, Mrs Hannon prepared and delivered a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Themed Menu. It consisted of;

Jack Sparrow-Burger with Seaweed Sauce
Captain Blackbeard's Carib- bean Bake

Shiver -Me- Timbers Sea Green Peas
Pieces of Eight Potatoes

Mermaid Cake and Ship's Biscuits

Elusive Fountain of Youth Juice

To support this menu children of Swalwell Primary School came to school dressed as pirates...Click here to see photographs of the occasion

J Anderson

We are working with Gateshead Council's Neighbourhood Officers and Gateshead Parks and Gardens Department to help make Swalwell look even better.
As part of this work pupils from Reception to Y6 will be offered a hanging basket (including bracket, pot compost and bedding plants) for their homes.
Most pupils ( if living in the Swalwell area) will have the materials delivered to their home by Gateshead Parks and Gardens Department.
Y5/6 however will be making their baskets in school and will be taking their own creations home hopefully by the end of next week.
If you do not wish to receive a hanging basket please let us know, otherwise we will organise everything for you and will let you know final dates as soon as these are available.
Mr Hampson

Take over days are good opportunities for children to take charge of lessons for a day. They give pupils a sense of responsibility and independence and enable them to see staff in a new light. The school has focused on' Mantle of the Expert' to develop the children's skills across the curriculum. This year our Year 5/6 took on the role of teachers and planned lessons for the rest of the school,based around Mantle of the Expert. Today pupils prepared, planned and delivered all lessons. They organised; dance, writing workshops, art and craft sessions, P.E and I.C.T lessons Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and can't wait for a repeat!
Photographic link
J ANDERSON

The sights and sounds of South Africa reverberated round Swalwell Primary School on Wednesday 4th May, when we welcomed a troop of tribal dancers.
Pupils were entertained in fabulous style when 'The Lions of Zululand' gave an hour-long performance of their traditional music and dance. The Zulu Warriors then enthralled the youngsters by running four workshops.
This was a fantastic opportunity for all our pupils to experience the art, dance and music of another culture.
We would like to thank all family, friends and carers who attended the special afternoon assembly. We are sure you will all agree that this exciting,international, colourful day which allowed our children to experience a taste of a completely different culture ended on an amazing high note.
Photographs can be seen in the website gallery...Click here

J Anderson

M&M Theatrical Productions,one of the largest touring children's theatre companies, came to Swalwell Primary School today to present an adaptation of Pinocchio. This colourful, heart wrenching, magical play combined classic literature, entertainment and important social messages like the difference between right and wrong, the importance of telling the truth and the message of Stranger Danger.
M&M Productions brought the "Magic of Theatre" to our school. The show was written from a child's perspective and had National Curriculum links.
Photographs - Click here
J Anderson

An Egg-citing week at Swalwell...We have had an Easter disco, a raffle, a cake sale, an egg rolling contest, an Easter egg hunt and a competition to see who could decorate the best paste egg.
Photographs of events are now in the website gallery...Click here
Winners have been notified and prizes have been collected...see the Friday Newsletter for a comprehensive list of winners .
Have a safe and peaceful Easter. School reopens on Tuesday 3rd May at 9:00am or 8:00am for Breakfast Club...We look forward to seeing you then.
J Anderson

On Thursday 14th April the school had a Royal Wedding Party to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Children came to school dressed as if going to a wedding.
The menu;
Westminster Abbey Sausage Rolls
Buckingham Palace Pizza
Wedding Procession Vegetarian Pizza and Sausage Rolls
The Bride's Bouquet of Sandwich Bites
Confetti Carrot Sticks
Dessert
William and Kate's Royal Wedding Cup Cake
with An Apple Juice toast to the Bride and Groom
Photographs can now be seen in the gallery..click here to view.
J Anderson

On Tuesday evening children from Nursery to Year 6 bopped the night away at our Easter disco. A big thank you to all members of the Parent Friends Teachers Association (PTFA)for arranging and staffing such an enjoyable event .
J Anderson

On Friday afternoon all children tested Fair Trade products and completed a survey on taste, texture and cost. The results of the survey will help us to decide the most popular product to sell in school.
We were one of the first Gateshead schools to sell Fair Trade products.
Geobars are on sale each Friday morning for 32p.
Photographs are in the gallery
J Anderson

It is with great joy we welcome back our Year 6 pupils today. They have been staying at Kingswood, an outdoor education and adventure centre. This experience has been a challenging, rewarding and enjoyable event for our children and staff .
Our thanks to Mr Melgar, Mrs Waugh and Mrs Lancastle -Smith for accompanying the children.

Photographic link
J Anderson.

On Friday 18th March, Red Nose Day, children came to school dressed in non - uniform. The penalty for not wearing uniform was 50p.
The school cook, Mrs Hannon, baked a cake to raffle and tickets were sold for 10p.
Mrs Hannon also made biscuits which were sold for 20p.
The day ended with a whole school 'Do Something funny for money ' assembly where children were encouraged to tell a few jokes or amusing stories.
All £186 raised has been sent to Comic Relief.
Photographic link
J Anderson

Children from many of the borough's schools were asked to perform at The Sage as part of the Gateshead Schools Dance Festival 2011. The festival has become an annual event in the Swalwell diary.
Dance is a physical activity, and it gives our children the opportunity to use imagination, improve health, boost confidence, to perform and to have fun.
The dancers were a credit to the school, they danced in time and gave a polished ,professional performance and should be congratulated for their hard work and commitment.
A huge thank you to Miss Gowland and Mrs Wheatley for organisation, support and costume design and to the students from Whickham School and Sports College for their help and guidance.

Photographs are now in the gallery
J Anderson

On Thursday March 3rd, we celebrated 'World Book Day 2011( the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK). It was great to see so many book characters in school . The children and staff came to school dressed as favourite characters from children's literature. We saw characters from Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and Toy Story to name but a few! All children were presented with special 'World Book Day' book tokens which they can use to buy reading books at local book stockists.
In the afternoon, we enjoyed visiting the school library where we had the opportunity to look at a range of reading books and where we could purchase some of the old reading matter. These books were brilliantly received by the children and all monies raised will go to charity. We would like to express our gratitude to parents and friends of the school for supporting us in our fundraising efforts and for continuing to encourage children to read at home.
Photographic Link
J Anderson

Last night, staff from Swalwell Primary School participated in a singing event at the Sage, Gateshead. Staff from eight schools in the borough took part in the music celebration which was part of the Sing Up initiative promoting singing and well being of staff and pupils in schools.
Staff from our school sang the Abba hit Thankyou For The Music.
Mr Hampson led the way for Swalwell and impressed all with his solo performance.
Our thanks to all those involved for making the evening enjoyable and entertaining.
Photographs

J Anderson

Our pupils exhibit high levels of interest in space related topics so you can imagine the excitement and interest a mobile planetarium brought. All children from Reception to Year 6 were educated in astronomy and space. A fantastic experience for young and old!
Photographic link.
J Anderson

This afternoon ( Wednesday 9th February 2011), at 2.45pm we all took part in a sponsored World Record Breaking attempt to raise funds for a national charity- SignHealth.
All children, staff and some parents/carers sang and signed the New Seekers hit "I'd like to teach the world to sing". A donation of £2 per pupil was suggested and any money raised will go towards improving the health and well-being of deaf people.
This was a great opportunity for pupils to learn a new and valuable skill, as well as raising awareness of deaf issues.
Thanks to Miss Scott and Mr Hampson for leading the school in this record breaking event.
Photographs can be seen in the helping others album on the website gallery.

J Anderson

Today pupils joined Belle, Scamper the dog, Mrs Potts, Luminaire, Gaston and The Beast in an M&M theatrical adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.
The pantomime offered children the opportunity to respond to performance and to appreciate traditional tales and fairy stories. It also illustrated the importance of issues such as the value of friendships.
Photographs can be seen in the gallery
J Anderson

On Wednesday 9th February 2011 at 2.45pm we will be taking part in a sponsored World Record Breaking attempt to raise funds for a national charity- SignHealth.

All children and staff will be singing and signing the New Seekers hit "I'd like to teach the world to sing". Money raised will go towards improving the health and well-being of deaf people.

This is an opportunity for pupils to learn a new and valuable skill, as well as raising awareness of deaf issues.
J Anderson

The curriculum says children should experience a range of musical styles and genres so we were delighted to welcome into school 2nd year foundation degree students from Gateshead College. They entertained pupils with a mix of popular music. The themes were weather and food and fitness. Children were able to sing, play musical instruments and ask and answer questions in relation to the topics. The workshop, with its good range of quality music activities, was aimed at children from Reception to Year 6. It is hoped that workshops such as this will encourage children to become actively involved in music.
Photographs are now in the gallery
J Anderson

After the success of last terms Parents Coffee Afternoon held by Mrs Brophy, Ms Westlake and Mrs Cunningham, the school have decided to hold another meeting. The meeting will take place on Monday 7th February 2pm till 3pm at the school. All parents/ carers are welcome. We would like to hear your opinions on what you like about the school and how we can improve.
Mrs Anderson

The next meeting of the PTA is on Thursday 27th January at 3:30pm in Nursery. A guest speaker who is going to help us relaunch the PTA and give us ideas on how to fundraise will attend.
We would love to see some new faces at the meeting...If you would like to get involved please just come along to the meeting or see Mrs Purvis or Miss Waugh at your convenience.
Mrs Anderson

A big thank you to Jessica, Sophie, Angel and Jake P for volunteering to be our Y5 Sing Up Champions. The four will be helping other pupils to sing in school. They will have two training sessions in school and then on Wednesday 16th February they will sing at the Dryden Centre in Gateshead.
Photographic link
J Anderson

Children from Reception to Y6 came to school dressed in pyjamas with their favourite teddy. They gathered in the hall at 1.30pm to watch a Christmas video and to share sweets. This was a lovely way to end term. Photos can be seen in the gallery.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you in 2011.
Remember all children return to school on Wednesday 5th January 2011.
J Anderson

Children had a brilliant time dancing and playing Christmas games at the Musical Monkeez Disco on Monday night.
Special thanks to Sharon Westlake and Andrea Plummer( volunteer helpers ) and to Mr Hampson, Mrs Anderson, Mrs Cassidy, Mrs Hall, Mrs Purvis, Miss Sanderson, Miss Lawson, Miss Foster, Mrs Wheatley, Miss Waugh, Mrs Waugh and Mr Fitzpatrick (staff ) for giving up their time to enable the event to run smoothly.
J Anderson

Swalwell's Christmas productions have wowed audiences. Considering the lack of rehearsals due to bad weather school closures, all our pupils still managed to give a polished, professional performance.
A big thank you to all parents, carers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and older brother and sisters who attended the plays and who continue to show support for Swalwell. Finally, a big thank you to all pupils in Nursery, Reception and Years 1 to 6 .You were fantastic and we are all very proud of you. Photographs can be seen in the gallery in the Christmas performances album.
J Anderson

Many thanks to all parents who made and bought cakes yesterday after the Christmas performance. We managed to raise £47 which will be put towards school trips for next year.
Mrs J Anderson

Rev Adrian Thorpe, the vicar of Holy Trinity has invited all the children in Swalwell School to enter a competition to design a christmas card for Holy Trinity Church Swalwell / St Cuthberts Church Blaydon.
Last year you may remember, one of our pupils, Caitlyn Cordon , was the overall winner . Her design was printed on a card which informed parishoners of the dates and times of religious services in our area over the christmas period.
This year Sophie Pears from Y5 was the overall winner. Runners-up were Roxanna and Chad from Year 1/2.Thank you Adrian for inviting us to take part in such an enjoyable activity and for awarding such super prizes.
J Anderson

Christmas performances will go ahead as planned this week even though rehearsals were limited due to school closure. Children and staff have worked extremely hard to put the productions together. We know that children will do their best and make us all very proud.

We look forward to seeing parents/carers and relatives at the productions;
Nursery/Reception performances will be held in the school hall on Thursday 9th December and Friday 10th December 9:30 am to 10:15am approximately.
Year 1, 2,3,4,5 and 6 children will perform their play on Wednesday 9th December 9:15am to 10:15am and Thursday 10th December 1:30pm to 2:30pm approximately.

Christmas dinner will be served on Wednesday 8th December.

Christmas Disco for Nursery, Reception and Year 1/2 children will be held on Monday 13th December 4:30pm to 6:00pm...tickets £2 - Please note that parents must accompany children to this party.
Christmas Disco for pupils in Year 3,4,5 and 6 will be held on Monday evening from 6:30pm to 8:00pm.

School parties will take place from Tuesday 14th December ;
Nursery /Reception -Tuesday14th December
Year 1,2,3 and 4 - Wednesday 15th December
Year 5/6 - Thursday 16th December

Christmas Pyjama Party / Toy Day - Friday 17th December
J Anderson

On Wednesday 24th November, in conjunction with Gateshead School Meals Service, Mrs Johnson prepared and delivered a Harry Potter Themed Menu.It consisted of;
Hogwarts Chicken Snitches
with
Severus Snape's Slytherin Tomato Sauce
or
Voldermort's Vegetarian Toad in the Hole and Gryffindor Gravy
Hufflepuff Peas and Potter's Pototo Wedges
Quidditch Cake and Weasley Juice
To support this magical menu, children dressed up as witches and wizards or came to school in non-uniform.

Photographs can be seen in the gallery
Mrs Anderson

As part of Neighbourhood Pride Gateshead Council have set aside funds to create winter hanging baskets for local residents. The Council asked if our Y5/6 class would like to explore the surrounding area / make these hanging baskets for Swalwell over the next few weeks .
The plan is as follows;
23.11.10 at 9:30am - plants and potting session at school
25.11.10 at 9:30am - meet at school then create sustainable flowerbeds before planting trees and bulbs in the local area...rearranged due to ice and snow..new date 11th January 2011
30.11.10 at 10:30am - visit Swalwell Fire Station...also rearranged due to severe weather...new date12th January 2011
1.12.10 at 2pm - PC Kate Pierce to visit school to talk about the community
2.12.10 at 10.00am - estate tour starting at Swalwell Community Centre
The children were very excited as the first of the sessions began with Deborah Tait and Steven Peareth, from Gateshead Council, and Lucy Goldsborough from the Gateshead Housing Company.
Photographs can be seen on the website gallery ..click
J Anderson

On October 6th 2010, four members of staff travelled to Poland to begin links with Poland, Romania, Turkey and Hungary. This week staff shared their knowledge and experiences with children in a week dedicated to Polish culture, food and history.
See photographs on the website gallery
J Anderson.

Today all children were able to watch a colourful, scary,humorous and very noisy production of Sleeping Beauty! The production is part of the schools Literacy enrichment programme - it comes at a cost of £200 to the school but children participated free of charge.
Mrs Anderson

On 9th November all children took part in a 'fun run' sponsored by Greggs the bakers.
Children were joined by a life size Pudsey Bear and a huge Gingerbread Man. The run was in aid of raising money for Children in Need.
We have been informed by Greggs that £327 was raised in our school...An absolutely fantastic amount!
Photographs on school website.

In addition to the fun run we held our own non- uniform fundraising day. On Friday 19th November children were asked to wear yellow, spots or dress as a bear and make a donation of 50p to Charlie Bear Cancer Foundation/ Children in Need.
Pudsey Bear iced biscuits were on sale at break time - priced 20p.
Well Done Swalwell ..we have raised another £60.
Website gallery has been updated to show more photographs of our special day.

Mrs Anderson

We have launched our British Poppy Day Appeal. Children in Year 5 /6 are selling the poppies in school every morning from now until 11th November ,pupils can purchase a poppy for a small donation .
Rememberance Day is a day to remember the end of the first world war and all who gave their lives then and since.. Money raised from the sale of poppies is used by The Royal British Legion to help people of all ages and backgrounds who have served in the forces or are dependants of someone who has served.
Amelia and Lauren, from Year 6, will be representing our school at a wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial in Swalwell on Sunday November 14th. Any other parents or children who wish to attend will be most welcome.
Photographs can be seen in the gallery...Helping Others album refers.
J Anderson

Parents evening will be held in school on Tuesday 2nd November and Tuesday 9th November 2010.This is an opportunity for parents to talk to staff about children's progress and attainment and to raise any concerns about behavioural, social or emotional matters. Children are encouraged to attend so that they can share work and targets with parents/ carers and class teacher. A timetable of appointments has been drafted, please book your appointment as soon as possible. If you are unable to attend on the allocated days we would be grateful if you could contact your child's class teacher to arrange another time.
J Anderson

On Wednesday 13th October, the whole school took part in a fun workout to raise money for LEPRA. We raised well over £800. A fantastic result!
This was a time to celebrate the fact that we have healthy bodies and a time to reflect on all those who have not. We realise how very lucky we are!
Photographs in the gallery
J Anderson

Jeans For Genes is a charity which aims to change the world for children with genetic disorders. Its annual fundraising event is on Friday 1st October.
We hope that as many children and staff as possible will wear their jeans for school and make a donation to the charity.
J Anderson

Today we had an assembly to educate us about Leprosy and LEPRA Health in Action.
Leprosy is an infectious disease of the skin and nerves which, if untreated, can lead to serious deformities. By supporting the work of LEPRA we can help to cure leprosy.
A fun workout fundraiser has been organised for October 13th and it is hoped that all those who participate will be sponsored.

J Anderson

Today, Monday 27th September, we welcomed Expo- chef, a healthy eating workshop, into Swalwell Primary School.
The chef showed the children how to cook a vegetable casserole, homemade burgers, salads and smoothies.
Pupils had great fun learning about healthy food choices. They helped Janine (the chef) to prepare and make the delicious dishes. Everyone was given the opportunity to taste the produce and meals on offer.
Photographs can be viewed in the gallery..click here
J Anderson

We have arranged for Phototronics to come into school on Monday 11th October at 3.30 till 6pm. This is not for school photographs, but for a fun, relaxed family photograph session. Please book a time with Mrs Cunningham or Miss Waugh in the school office.

Another proud moment for all Swalwell staff, parents, carers and relatives.
After a brilliant year - Year 6 wowed us once again when they presented a fantastic leavers assembly.
There was something for everyone- rapping, dancing and football skills. The assembly was about remembering the good times, sharing memories and future ambitions and celebrating achievement.
Thank you to everyone who attended the event - It meant a lot.
Year 6, the class of 2010, will be greatly missed!
Good luck and Best wishes to you all.
Photographic link to the gallery
Mrs Anderson

On Tuesday 13th July we closed the school and set off on our annual whole school trip. This year we decided to sample the delights of Saltwell Park. We set off from school at 9:15am in a convoy of buses.

The park with its gorgeous gardens, beautiful boating lake, pleasant play area, amazing animal house and marvellous maze was the perfect choice for our day. Children from Nursery to Y6 had a fantastic day...walking, playing, socialising and having fun. Thanks to all involved in making the day a memorable one for our children.