We are Southfield's Community Council. We are Courtney Hughes, Olivia Hutchinson, Shannon Boote and Caitlin Howe and we are all in Year 5.

The Community Council work together with councillors from Shaw Wood and Tranmoor to improve the environment and the local community.

On the 4th of July we went to Tranmoor Primary School to meet two very important people - Member of Parliament RH Rosie Winterton and Elsie Butler Councillor. Here is a picture of us meeting them - we felt very proud!

Mrs Winterton listened to our proposal for the Community garden and was impressed by our thoughts and feelings on how to develp this area for the community.

We proposed a sensory area to go into the Community Garden for people with special needs, crunchy pebbles, wind chimes, plants with different textures and signs written in braille. Guide dogs will also be permitted in the garden and there will be a tap to provide water for them to drink.

Our next task is to design a logo for the Community Council and the finished product (including video, powerpoint etc) will be taken by RH Rosie Winterton to the Houses of Parliament in London!

Watch this space to see how we do in the competition....

It's official! Southfield are at the forefront of using Information and Communications Technology to enhance our learning!

Following an extensive external assessment, Southfield has been awarded the prestigious ICT Mark by Becta, the British Education Communications and Technology Agency, the government funded body responsible for promoting the use of ICT in Britain's schools and colleges.

The award recognises the school's success in developing the strategic use of ICT in both administration and across the curriculum. Parents will have proof that their children are attending a school at the forefront of modern technology.

Richard Hall, Senior ICT Consultant at Doncaster Local Authority said "Armthorpe Southfield Primary should be congratulated on this wonderful achievement. This demonstrates the excellent ICT management and teaching that is taking place in local schools."

Mrs Cairns commented "We are delighted to be awarded the ICT Mark. It recognises our positive approach to ICT and the benefits it is bringing to our children. We believe that ICT can be used in every aspect of learning and that it is essential our children are equipped for the modern world."

Neil McLean, Executive Director for Educational Practice at Becta said "Armthorpe Southfield Primary thoroughly deserve the accolade of an ICT Mark. They clearly demonstrate how important it is to take a holistic approach to using ICT in schools. Their investment in new technology has contributed to substantialo improvements in learning."

We have been creating our own podcasting radio program. We have used 'Podium' software. If you have this program please click on the title above to listen.

This is our first attempt. Watch this space for more information about our club next year...

Massage in Schools Programme (MISP)

Miss Duffin (Year 2) is leading Southfield forward in using massage in schools which is quite a new concept in modern day society. Although massage in some native and traditional cultures, is as old as mankind itself!

This child-to-child massage programme has been developed as an inclusive whole school strategy for reducing children's stress levels, aggression and bullying. The MISP is a well-structured yet simple programme.

The clothed, peer massage is:

• for children 4-12 years old
• given and received with the child's permission
• given by the children, to each other
• on the back, head, arms and hands
• 10-15 minutes twice a week
• all children ask permission from each other before they start and say 'thank you' to their partner at the end.

The programme is an effective tool for improving child mental health and has had positive benefits for the children participating, such as improved concentration and increased confidence.

Children are empowered to make choices and they develop respect for the needs and feelings of others.

Members of the school community and parents have been consulted by Miss Duffin, before implementing the Massage in Schools Programme, which links to other aspects of the Southfield curriculum.

Positive touch activities also contribute to our teaching and learning styles.

Benefits of the Massage in School Programme

Studies and observations have shown that:

• children became calmer and have improved concentration
• children have more confidence and increased self-esteem
• it teaches children to respect others and leads to social inclusion
• there is a reduction in bullying and aggression
• emotional health improves
• it helps children recognise 'good' and 'bad' touch
• children show improved motor skills
• it encourages visualisation and kinaesthetic learning
• children are encouraged to make choices
• cooperation improves as children work in pairs and in groups
• there is a calmer classroom environment - the teacher benefits from all these aspects
• massage is fun!

Children's quotes:

"I like doing the massage because it is calm and gentle."

"Since starting the massage I do not get bullied because I am friendlier."

"When I give massage I feel good because I feel like I have helped someone relax."

"Massage makes me feel happy and I have loads more friends."

"Since doing massage my handwriting is better!"

Teacher's quotes:

"Children enjoy it very much. It creates a calm environment and children become more careful about the way they behave towards others. They are more thoughtful and considerate. Parents and other staff can also see the benefits..."

Ofsted quote:

"If you have a child leaving school with high self-esteem then the education system has achieved its greatest goal. The Massage in Schools Programme (MISP) helps with this objective."

Roger Brown, OFSTED Inspector.

If you are interested in finding out more about our Massage in Schools Programme then please see Miss Duffin in Year 2. Photographs of the children doing massage will be posted to this site soon...watch this space.

Our out of school club at Southfield is very popular. We are called Southfield Kids Club.

We do lots of activities at our club to keep the children entertained before and after school, as well as during holiday playschemes. Some of our regular activities include:

• Making jewellry
• Sewing crafts
• PS2, megadrive and Nintendo (as well as TV and video)
• Hamma beads
• Dressing up
• Bikes
• Drawing and Painting
• Outdoor games
• Toys and activities
• Dolls House and Toy cars
• Cards
• Keyrings

...and much, much more!

If you would like any further information about Kids Club and the activities we do then please pop in for a chat during opening times (featured below along with prices)

Breakfast Club:   7.30-9.00am - £3.00

After School Club:   3.00-5.30pm - £5.50   or   4.00-5.30pm - £4.00

Playscheme:   Full day: 8.00am -5.00pm - £17.00

Half day: 8.00am - 12.30pm  or  12.30pm - 5.00pm - £9.00

During summer playscheme kids club can only open 3 days per week - every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 8am-5pm. PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE!

In addition we have a Little Explorers Play Group, every Tuesday 9.10am - 11.10am - £2.00. This includes drink, snack and activities.

No booking necessary, please come along and join in with the fun!

Our annual KS2 Christmas concert was a huge success. The children pulled out all the stops to ensure that their lines were delivered to perfection and their costumes and singing were of top quality. Below are some pictures of the children during one of the sell out shows.

As you can see the concert was extremely colourful and with a variety of characters including angels, devils and the obligatory donkey, much fun was had by all!

On Friday 12th October, we held our annual Harvest Celebrations.

As usual, Mrs Richardson made the hall look splendid and all of us brought parcels full of fruit, vegetables and other goodies! There was a fantastic turn out on the day of family, friends and the local community.

Below are pictures of us dancing, singing and celebrating! We enjoyed ourselves so much and are really looking forward to the Christmas concerts, where we can perform for you again!

Here are some pictures of our children enjoying school life. To find out more about each of our classes and the teachers in them, click on the class pages.

These are some of our Foundation Stage children. As you can see they are having lots of fun doing a variety of activities...

Learning through play in Year 1...

Year 2 are demonstrating their balancing abilities...

A very happy Year 3!

Year 4 enjoying a creative curriculum...

Year 5 have something to smile about in the library!

The Year 6's having great fun...