DRUMBEAT SCHOOL Weekly Newsletter Dear Parents and Carers I had great pleasure in presenting our Brockley leavers and Year 12s their awards and qualifications. It was a great evening and the students were a credit to Drumbeat and the staff and parents who work so hard with them. Please take note of all the events for your calendar coming up to Christmas as things get very busy and we don t want you to miss anything. We will put home learning topics in the newsletter periodically so that you can work with your child at home. We have a lovely section added this week on things to do and the autistic friendly events that are on in the capital. Have a good weekend. Marie Neave Executive Headteacher Dates for the Diary. Monday, 20 November Staff Training Day (no school that day) Tuesday, 21 November Coffee Morning (Brockley) at 10:00 Topic: Benefits from Age 16 What is your young person entitled to? Friday, 1 December Kangaroo Class Stay n Play at 9:15 Thursday, 7 December Christmas Grotto opens (Downham) Tuesday, 12 December Students Christmas Lunch at Downham Wednesday, 13 December Students Christmas Lunch at Brockley Thursday, 14 December Brockley Showcase from 10:30 12:00 Friday, 15 December Primary Show from 10:30 at Downham Friday, 15 December Christmas Fair from 12:30 at Downham Wednesday, 20 December Last day of term School will close at 1pm. Wednesday, 3 January Students back at school Drumbeat School & ASD Service 1
Christmas Events at Drumbeat Parents and Carers are invited to attend the following Christmas events: 14 December Brockley Showcase 10:30 Brockley 15 December Primary Christmas Show 10:30 Downham 15 December Christmas Fair 12:30 Downham Drumbeat School & ASD Service 2
Presentation Evening 2017 On November the 9 th we held a presentation evening on the Brockley site. This was for last year s Year 11 s and those students who have just left. Former student, Stevie Hayes spoke at the event, sharing what he has done since leaving Drumbeat. Parents, students and Governors attended the event. All the students were presented with a portfolio of certificates that they had achieved. They had accomplished a range of qualifications, including Entry Level English and Maths, AQA until awards and Duke of Edinburgh awards. Katy Donnelly and Marie Neave presented the students with their certificates. We are all very proud of their achievements! Drumbeat School & ASD Service 3
Sports leaders at Primary Panathlon competition Students from the Brockley campus acted as sports leaders and helpers at the annual Primary multi sports competition that was held at Conisborough College this year. Students supported the Panathlon charity by assisting younger children in sport through helping to add up scores and explaining the rules to children. They all conducted themselves very well and gave a very good impression at the event. Well done to all students that took part. A big thank you to Mark, Cherelle and Vondell for supporting them at the event. Drumbeat School & ASD Service 4
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Tesco have chosen Drumbeat for its Bags of Help scheme. This means we will receive a sum of money based on how many votes we receive. Voting will take place in the following Tesco stores during November and December 2017. 2345 BELL GRN CATFORD EXP SE6 4LG 2253 CATFORD SE6 4JU 6495 CATFORD RUSHEY RD EXP SE6 4AS 6048 DEPTFORD HIGH ST EXP SE8 4AF 5444 DOWNHAM BROMLY RD EXP BR1 4PB 2556 FOREST HILL EXPRESS SE23 3PE 2596 GROVE PARK EXPRESS SE12 0DU 5509 HITHER GREEN LANE EXP SE13 6UR 2821 LEWISHAM SE13 7PY 5513 LEWISHAM WAY EXP SE4 1UY 2826 LOAMPIT VALE EXPRESS SE13 7TG 6740 MARINE WHARF EXP SE16 7UD 5729 SYDENHAM EXP SE26 4QJ 6843 SYDENHAM ROAD EXP SE26 5QF Please ask your family and friends to vote for Drumbeat. To vote, you will need to make a purchase within store of any value. You will receive one token per transaction and it's not necessary to purchase a carrier bag in order to receive a token. To prevent lost belongings, please label all of your child s possessions especially coats, jackets, sweaters and shoes. Drumbeat School & ASD Service 6
Downham Christmas Fair The Downham Christmas Fair will be held on Friday, 15 December from 12:30pm. We would greatly appreciate donations of the following items: Any unwanted teddies, in good condition please. New or nearly new toys, games, puzzles and books. Cakes and biscuits Please could you drop these at the reception by Friday, 8 December. Thank you for your continued support. Drumbeat School & ASD Service 7
This Term s ideas for Home Learning for Primary Kangaroo Class The topic for this term is Winter. Please look out for information from the class teacher about how to support your child at home with this topic. Tiger & Crocodile Classes The topic for this term is Celebrations. Please try 1 or 2 of the following ideas to support your child with this topic. Looking at family photos of your child when they were a baby and growing up. Reading the story of Kipper s Birthday Party with your child. Engaging in counting songs, when you are out and about, as well as when on your own laptop, tablet or IPad. Noticing the signs in the environment to show that we are getting ready for Christmas; tree, lights and stars. Zebra, Panda, Giraffe, Lion and Leopard Classes: The topic for this term is My Universe. Please try 1 or 2 of the following ideas to support your child with our topic. To listen to the story of Alfie and the Space Rocket. Becoming aware of recycling; at home and in your local environment. Sing songs and nursery rhymes about journeys, homes and travel. To use words associated with prepositions when at home as well as out of the home; up, down, in and out. Weekend It is always great to hear what your child has done at the weekend, so that we can talk about this. Please feel free to send photos and items related to where you have been, such as leaves from the park or a cinema ticket. Reading Your child has a reading folder with guidance notes about how to support with reading at home. Please support reading regularly at home and inform the class teacher what you have been doing. Drumbeat School & ASD Service 8
Leopard Class This term the Leopard class has been lucky enough to go horse riding. Everyone is very confident on the horses and we have all had a lot of fun. We hope the weather doesn't get too wet and cold. We are cooking on a Tuesday morning. We first decide what we would like to eat and then we go to the shops and buy the ingredients. When we go to the shops we are allowed to use the scanners (it is great fun). When we are back at school we use the ingredients to make the food. So far we have made pizza and rice crispie cakes. Drumbeat School & ASD Service 9
Zebra Class Zebras are working hard and having lots of fun at school. The students have made some lovely artwork to mark celebrations like Halloween, Bonfire night, and Remembrance day. Everyone enjoyed our Halloween assembly, especially Wrap the mummy game. There is some fantastic counting and understanding coin value going on in maths lessons and excellent reading and sharing books with peers and adults in literacy. Zebras like to keep fit! They love dancing during our morning exercise routine and they are showing growing confidence in water during their swimming sessions. Continued on next page Drumbeat School & ASD Service 10
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Jubilee Class Jubilee Class has had another busy week. We worked hard to make poppies on a display for Remembrance Sunday which was shown in the reception area. We have been working on 2d and 3d shapes in Maths and continue with our theme From page to screen in English looking at the Wizard of Oz. In communication we played dress up and we had to ask for the items we wanted to try on. We shared our talking with an adult and the rest of the class though it was very funny to see us dressed up. We all liked the hats. Drumbeat School & ASD Service 12
Issue 47 17 November 2017 Waterloo Class Waterloo went on a trip to Home Park Adventure Playground as a treat for one of our students, Hamza, who managed to get 20 stars on his reward chart. The children spent time playing games together, managing risk, using communication skills and enjoying themselves. Some of the children climbed up really high and used the rope swing, even some of the adults were scared! Continued on next page Drumbeat School & ASD Service 13
Issue 47 Drumbeat School & ASD Service 17 November 2017 14
Bongo Class Bongo class have been working on visiting a public library over the last half term. We have built up to visiting the library to borrow books and CD s. The students have worked extremely hard at this and have been able to travel to and from the library and take part in reading activities with a lot of success. We have now moved on to using a shopping list and have been creating our own lists based on different recipes. The students are progressing well visiting local shops and purchasing the ingredients they need to complete their recipe. This has helped to support our work in maths about using money to pay for items. We have also used the tuck shop as a great opportunity for the students to experience making purchases. Drumbeat School & ASD Service 15
The Natural History Museum will be running Dawnosaurs Early Mornings for families with members on the Autistic Spectrum. The next event is Sat 18th November booking opens 26th October 2017 http://www.nhm.ac.uk/events/ dawnosaurs.html Science Museum Early Bird events The museum opens at 8.30 on a Saturday morning exclusively for families with members who have an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC). The rest of the museum opens at but some galleries remain open just for Early Birds till 10.50am. Families are welcome to stay on afterwards. Free and suitable for families with children under 15. Dates for 2017 are: Saturday 9th December. Bookings can be made by calling 020 7942 4000 If you would like to receive a reminder that bookings are about to open, please email: familyprogrammes@sciencemuseum.ac.uk and we ll add you to our Early Birds mailing list. The museum runs special family events for children and their families involving art workshops and inclusive storytelling. There are none currently scheduled but check their autism page below. There is lots of support information on their website including a pre-visit visual booklet and a virtual tour of the museum. They have a quiet room and Sense backpacks which are available for free from the information desk and contain ear defenders as well as toys and maps. http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/article/making-sense-autism/ Are you thinking about taking up cycling this school year? Maybe one day a week for your commute or even just for leisure. Whether it's for fun, fitness or you just want an easy way to get around, there's lots of help available from Lewisham council to get you back in the saddle. If you live, work or study in Lewisham, finding out if cycling suits you has never been easier. 1. Cycle Loan Scheme : For only 10 you can borrow a quality bike for a month. We include a helmet, bike lock and high visibility vest so you're ready to ride. And if, at the end of the month, you want to buy your bike, we can offer some great discounts. A free two-hour cycle lesson can be arranged through the Road Safety Team. 2. Free cycle lessons : Are available so whether you're a complete beginner or just want some tips to get you back on the road, you'll find help and support. Adults can book one free two-hour one-to-one session covering on- and off-road cycling. 3. Cycle Maintenance Courses available Introduction course: Don t know a thing about bike repair? Don t worry! This course is for the complete beginner. You will get an introduction to tools and learn about adjusting the bike to your height, preventative maintenance, fixing a puncture and changing brake blocks. Basic Course: This is for people who can fix a puncture but would like to learn other handy skills such as gear indexing and splitting a chain. If you live or work in Lewisham, these one-day courses cost only 10 (unsubsidised courses cost 60) For more information contact: www.lewisham.gov.uk/myservices/transport/cycling/ Drumbeat School & ASD Service 16
Night Owls Night Owls enables young adults who have Autism to come along and enjoy the Museum free from the hustle and bustle of the general public. On selected Saturdays across the year we open the Museum exclusively to pre-booked Night Owls guests from 18.45 until 21.30. As well as the chance to explore the galleries, there are lots of fun workshops and exciting demonstrations to enjoy. All of these events are completely free and suitable for young adults between the ages of 16 25. You can see a Storify on events here https://storify.com/autisminmuseums/night-owls-science-museum-16-25yr-olds-28- nov-2015 The next one is planned for Saturday 2nd December 2017, booking opens Friday 3rd November 2017. For further details and new dates please see the website http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/plan_your_visit/ events/other/night_owls St. Paul s Cathedral For Disabled Access Day Saturday 11th March 2017 St. Paul s Cathedral have a whole day of events including for the first time an early relaxed opening for families with #autism from 8.30am for more details please see the website https:// www.stpauls.co.uk/accessday2017 Tower Bridge We visited this event as a family and had a really good time a blog on our visit is here https:// tinctureofmuseum.wordpress.com/2017/08/04/tower-bridge-autism-early-opening-july-2017/ Autism Friendly Early Opening mornings when Tower Bridge will be opening its doors early for children with autism and other needs, as well as their siblings, families and carers. Families will be able to explore the Exhibition and Engine Rooms in a calm, relaxed atmosphere and also take part in a family craft activity if they wish. Also available will be our family trail, which visitors can complete at their own pace. Download our visual story to help prepare for your visit. Autism Friendly Early Opening will take place on the following dates: Tickets are no longer on sale but new sessions are being developed. If you would like to be notified as soon as future dates go on sale please sign up for our newsletter below. For any questions about the event please contact learning@towerbridge.org.uk or 020 7940 8397. Tower of London No specific autism events but they do have a great visual guide for parents and carers with children and people on the autistic spectrum. V&A Museum of Childhood The museum runs special family events for children and their families involving art workshops and inclusive storytelling. There are none currently scheduled but check their autism page below. There is lots of support information on their website including a pre-visit visual booklet and a virtual tour of the museum. They have a quiet room and Sense backpacks which are available for free from the information desk and contain ear defenders as well as toys and maps. http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/article/making-sense-autism/ Drumbeat School & ASD Service 17
Drumbeat Family Forum Coffee Mornings The Coffee Mornings are open to all Drumbeat parents and carers. Please attend as many as you feel relevant to you. Date & Time Site Theme Led by 21 November at 8 December at 12 January at 26 January at Brockley Benefits from Age 16yrs What is your young person entitled to? At aged 16 there are a number of changes to benefits you may already claim to claim, for example if you receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) this will be replaced by Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Similarly you can claim for Education and Support Allowance ( ESA). This workshop will give you information about how to make a claim and tackle difficult questions. Downham Using visual supports at home make & take session At Drumbeat we believe that using visual supports can help a child to learn, communicate and become more independent. We understand that it can be hard to make pictures and symbols at home and also understand the best way to use them. Would you like a set of visual instructions for home to help your child get dressed by themselves? Do you need a communication board to help your child talk to you whilst you play together? Then come along to our make and take session where you will be able to take home lots of different types of support as well as talk to the therapy team to design visual supports that are right for you and your child. Downham Money Management So Christmas is all done and dusted and we may have overspent more than we should. This session will look at how we managed and budget our funds and keep on track. Brockley Growing up & Relationships (Boys) This session is aimed at parents of older students and will include an overview of puberty. This will be followed by a workshop on relationships, including how to keep safe when out and about, developing independence safely and the challenges of developing relationships. There will also be some information on keeping safe online and what parents should look out for. There will also be time for questions and discussion within the group. Hannah Robinson Drumbeat Speech & Language Therapist & Rosie Hallett Drumbeat Occupational Therapist Sheryl & speaker Andy Brown Sarah Mitchell Katie Denton Drumbeat School & ASD Service 18
Date & Time Site Theme Led by 31 January at Brockley Growing up & Relationships (Girls) This session is aimed at parents of older students and will include an overview of puberty and periods. This will be followed by a workshop on relationships, including how to keep safe when out and about, developing independence safely and the challenges of developing relationships. There will also be some information on keeping safe online and what parents should look out for. There will also be time for questions and discussion within the group. Sandra Taylor Sarah Mitchell Katie Denton 9 February at 23 February at 9 March at 27 April at Downham Meeting sensory needs at home How do your child s sensory needs show in their behaviour at home? Always on the move? Refusing to get in the bath or shower? Problems tolerating normal household noises like washing machine or hoover? Come along to this session to find out more about sensory difficulties for children with autism, and share ideas for things to try at home to make everyday life easier. Brockley Meeting sensory needs at home As young people with autism grow into adulthood, sensory behaviours can change and families may need to find different, more age appropriate ways to support these; the young adult who wants to walk around naked at home, teenagers still sleeping in bed with parents etc. Come along and share your experiences and ideas for dealing with teens and young adults sensory needs at home. Downham Support services in Lewisham what s available to you? An information morning for parents to gather information regarding services for available for families with disabled children. Downham Helping your child with their eating Lots of children and young people with autism have difficulties with eating and drinking from a young age, leading to some of them having very limited diets. This workshop is for you if you would like to make some changes at home to extend the range of foods your child will try, and to find out about our approach to feeding difficulties at Drumbeat school. Rosie Hallett Drumbeat Occupational Therapist Rosie Hallett Drumbeat Occupational Therapist Sheryl & speaker Rosie Hallett Drumbeat Occupational Therapist 11 May at Downham Puberty for Girls Puberty can be a challenging time for any young person including young women with Autism. At Drumbeat we use tailored made individualized systems to help support students understanding, and the practical management, of the changes that happen to the body. This session will offer practical examples and ideas of tried and tested methods to support families and young people to cope with such changes. Bryony Bowen Head of KS3 Rachel Fisk School Nurse Drumbeat School & ASD Service 19
Date & Time Site Theme Led by 18 May at Downham Puberty for Boys Puberty can be a challenging time for any young person including young man with Autism. At Drumbeat we use tailored made individualized systems to help support students understanding, and the practical management, of the changes that happen to the body. This session will offer practical examples and ideas of tried and tested methods to support families and young people to cope with such changes. Bryony Bowen Head of KS3 Rachel Fisk School Nurse 23 May at Brockley Mental Health & Teens with ASD Mental illnesses like anxiety and depression are more common in teens with ASD than in the general population, but the mental health of young people on the autistic spectrum is often overlooked or misunderstood. Come along to this session to find out more about how to recognise signs and symptoms of common mental health problems, how to respond to and support your teen if you are concerned, and where and when to seek extra help. Dr Emma Mahoney Clinical Psychologist 8 June at Downham Benefits do you know what you are entitled to? A workshop for Downham and Brockley parents looking at Benefits entitlements and how to go about making a claim. Sheryl & speaker 20 June at Brockley Communicating positively through behavior All behaviour has a purpose and can sometimes be your child's only way of communicating their needs and feelings. Through discussion in this session, we will look at how to get a better understanding of your child's unique behaviours including the ones that can be more challenging. Dr Emma Mahoney Clinical Psychologist Dear Parents We are asking parents to log onto the Ofsted site, Parent View, and tell us what you think of our school. Ofsted ask schools to promote this with their families. If you don t have a computer at home or would like some help doing this, please ask in reception. The link to the site is below https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/login?destination=give-your-views Many thanks for your help with this. Drumbeat School & ASD Service 20
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