The Chronicle

The Summer holiday will soon be upon us.

Below – please find a list of recommended Summer holiday adventures, learning activities and tasks you can undertake with your child.

Whilst the holiday is time to rest and relax, and all these suggestions are optional, it is essential that all children, across the school, continue to read so we recommend they register for the summer reading challenge (more information in the whole school document attached).

To explore our recommended activities, please click on the links below, as relevant to your child’s year group:

• WHOLE SCHOOL – Awesome Adventures for Summer 2020 – a range of activities suitable to all year groups, including 3 whole school challenges.  Whole School Link
  
  
• Moving to Junior 1, Junior 2, Junior 3 – Phonics review Junior 1, 2, 3 Phonics Review
  
  
• Moving to Junior 3 – suggestions for those children preparing for Junior 3 Moving to Junior 3
  
  
• Moving to Junior 4 – suggestions for those children preparing for Junior 4 Moving to Junior 4
  
  
• Moving to Junior 5 – suggestions for those children preparing for Junior 5 Moving to Junior 5
  
  

Moving to Junior 6 – these children have a range of examination preparation activities from Mrs Horan and Mrs Vaughan (current Junior 6 class teachers). These will be sent home in an envelope when J5 children are in school at the end of term. For those pupils who are not in school, work will be posted out. Given the impending entrance assessments, these activities are very highly recommended.

Reception, both at school and at home, have thoroughly enjoyed this week’s topic of sea creatures. As we explored the fantastic book ‘Commotion In The Ocean’, we discovered that the ocean is teeming with life, from small shellfish such as barnacles, to the large blue whale. 

The children discovered facts about their favourite sea creature (with the Narwhal being in the top ten) in addition to describing how ocean inhabitants move around. Have you seen an anemone swaying quietly? Adding to the watery theme, we made our own waterproof boats, checking that they floated rather than sank!

Maths has seen us comparing weights of items and understanding how we can use the terms such as ‘heaviest’ or ‘lightest’. We also thought about how to compare liquids in containers, again using the correct terms such as ‘half-full’, ‘empty’ and ‘full’. 

The wonderful sunny weather has also enabled the children to make the most of being outside, fingers crossed that the sun will continue to shine for our final week of Reception!

Across the school Maths has been a big part of pupils’ lockdown learning, from Nursery all the way up to the top of the school. The children and their teachers have found creative and inspiring ways to develop and practise their Maths skills at home. Whether numbers, shapes, quantities, angles, fractions or times tables, the children have approached their learning with enthusiasm and initiative. Maths is such an essential life skill for us all and an important stepping-stone to so many other subjects. Some of their many fantastic efforts are celebrated here in a Magical Maths Mini Movie, so sit back and enjoy the children’s super hard work!

This week Junior 6 have begun their end of year activities and rehearsing for their Leavers’ Service and Leaver’s Assembly – albeit a little different this year!  We have taken our rehearsals outside and it has been wonderful to hear and see the whole of Junior 6 singing their hearts out on the top lawn, accompanied by Mrs Olden on her keyboard.  Our school hymn ‘Here I am Lord’ has never sounded so special or poignant.

Some of the bubbles had their chance to explore the Forest School area and take part in some outdoor activities organised by Mrs Bhogal; they had a great time building dens, climbing trees and even found some treasure!  The other bubbles are definitely looking forward to their turn next week!

On Thursday everyone came to school in pjs with bed hair ready for our movie session.  We were, of course, armed with lots of movie snacks and for once we got to be greedy all on our own because our instructions were different from normal; this time we were not allowed to share!

It seems that J5 have caught the fitness bug with Fin having ran 9.5km at the weekend with his mum, and Jasper having walked 13km with his parents…the walk was actually 11km but they got lost along the way!  Each morning, when they are with their dad, Anabel and Rosa run a mammoth 7km. It’s not only running and walking that we love in J5, Izzy and her family cycled a staggering 27km on Father’s Day. Max, his mum and their friends went on a 7km bike ride, too. Well done everyone; you are amazing!

As previously mentioned, Maxwell is aiming to run/walk 100 miles for charity in July. This is what he is doing and why:

‘I have decided to run and walk the equivalent of 4 marathons during the month of July. This will be a distance of 104.8 miles!! I have chosen the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, as friends and family have suffered with cancer recently and I would like to raise money for all the amazing care they receive whilst having treatment. The doctors and nurses are superheroes and I would like to do my bit to help.’

Amelia and her family had an amazing day at Dudley Zoo. Here’s what she wrote:

On 21st of June I went to Dudley zoo in Birmingham. We had to go around the zoo twice as my brother needed to go to the toilet which was at the top of the hill and due to the pandemic, there is a new one-way system. My favourite animals were the snow leopard and the orangutan. We also saw penguins and sloths. At the zoo there was a lot of wild peacocks that kept chasing people. It was an amazing day, but everyone’s feet hurt at the end.

It has been another busy and productive week in J5R, in the hottest week of the year!  

Happy Birthday to Freddie and Joseph who celebrated their birthdays this week.

It was wonderful to see that Henry has been using his creative skills again this week. 

In science, the J5’s have used their independent research skills and then shared their findings, in a range of ways. They were asked to research and present their findings about a rainforest or an ocean creature of their choice. Some very impressive work was submitted across the whole 5!

Most of the year group is aware that Rosa is an animal lover, as is Anabel. They were both delighted when a new puppy joined their family a few weeks ago. This week they came across a poorly Thrush in their garden, and they kindly nursed it. Unfortunately, the thrush went to heaven, but it was lovely to witness Rosa’s kindness to try and nurse this poorly creature.

There has also been some impressive practical maths and design ideas from Jacob this week where he has been working on estimating and measuring capacity.  He also made a lovely dream catcher.

Junior 4 were welcomed back to school this week and have enjoyed seeing their friends and teachers once again. 

They have also been building upon their Viking work in History by finding out about the Viking gods in Drama! The children watched the stories and followed the scripts carefully to understand the Viking legends. The task this week was to then visualise the Viking realms where the gods lived. Imaginations ran rife as Junior 4 drew some wonderful creations.

Thank you for your patience and your continued superstar efforts this week, Junior 3. As your teachers worked both in school and delivering live lessons at home, you have continued to accelerate your learning and impress us with your ingenuity and passion for learning. This week we explored shadows in science, using a range of toys to find out how long and short shadows are cast, as well as which materials produce the best shadows. We have been up to more mathematical antics in the kitchen, measuring the capacity of a range of different containers and becoming much more familiar with litres and millilitres. As we march on in our topic on Ancient Greece, we have seen spectacular creations of pasteli, helmets masks and sensational sketches of Spartan soldiers. Onwards, Junior 3, the finish line is in sight!

Highlights from 3V:

Our first virtual school trip! Sincere thanks to Oliver and Mr Stringer for our wonderful virtual trip to Rainsbrook Woods – it was the trip of a lifetime. We were also treated to a visit to Lexi’s garden where we got to see wild bunny rabbits hopping about. We really enjoyed seeing all your delicious pasteli creations, getting messy in the kitchen with lots of measuring volume and reading some amazing Greek myths written by the talented authors of Junior 3.

Highlights from 3S: 

Our morning bops to song requests have woken us from our sleepy slumber! Grace even jumped on her kitchen table and had a dance! The week began with David tricking me with a photo of him and Mr Lamprecht…..it was Mr Lamprecht’s twin brother! Carter explained how to cook the perfect boiled egg and we shared Amalia’s excitement to travel back to Kenilworth having spent some time on the sunny Isle of Wight. Well done for all the amazing work you continue to produce, whether it’s estimating capacity or learning how to use personification, you’ve all demonstrated wonderful effort. I personally cannot wait to see you all AT SCHOOL (!!), on Monday.

Also, thank you to all of J3S for their wonderful card and lovely messages.

Mathletes for J3 are: Charlie and Joseph

Junior 2H and 2M have been so busy this week looking at fractions in maths and reminding themselves of all the English work we did since last September, so a journey of rediscovery.

The weather has been fabulous which linked beautifully with our Science activities of plants, flowers and trees, everything in full bloom – June really is ‘busting out all over’ as the song says.

Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist has been recreated with flair and imagination through portraiture and we have learned all about First Holy Communion, finding out what some of the J3 Catholic pupils will undertake next year – a little late but better late than never!

Fabulous to see many of the faces in school on Monday and Tuesday, socially distancing and catching up with all the news! J2 you were a pleasure to share 2 days with, thank you for your company.

Mathlete of the Week was Ellie in J2H

We still have a mix of pupils in school and at home, both are working incredibly hard and staying focused on the tasks set to them, which is highly commendable in these testing times. You can see Shuvan in the gallery photos in his work space concentrating hard!

Junior 1 have been busy this week.   They have researching extreme weather in their geography work and what types of weather we have in the UK.  They have learnt about the importance of being prepared for the hot weather.  Posters have been created to remind people of the need to SLIP on a t-shirt, SLOP on some sun cream, SLAP on a hat, SEEK some shade and SLIDE on a pair of sunglasses. Amelia produced a particularly colourful poster.

They have also been learning about what school is like in France and comparing a French school to our school. It has been amazing to see how many French words they know and were challenged to translate a number of French words and phrases into English – Evelyn work very well on this writing the English words clearly for Mme Tatton.

Lena has been working hard on her English and is reading books every day, showing great enthusiasm to catch up with the class.

Jessie (and her sister Grace) has been busy this week with school work and helping out with the highland cattle at home. She has not only been a huge help ensuring the cattle don’t escape but has kept up with her school work too! 

In Science this week we have been looking at amphibians. The class were challenged with making an origami frog which jumps along when you press it at the back. Mahnoor made a particularly good example and seemed to really enjoy playing with it! 

Mathlete of the Week is awarded to Lena and Josh received his Gold award this week - well done to both of you!

Exercise books belonging to Reception, Junior 1 and Junior 6 pupils who are in school will be sent home during the last couple of days of term.

Exercise books for Junior 6 pupils who are not in school, can be collected from the school office in the first week of the school holiday – please contact the school office before collecting.  

Exercise books for all other pupils will be retained in school over the summer holiday and returned to pupils to take home, in September.

Parents of any pupil who has items of school property at home are kindly asked to return resources to the school office no later than the end of the first week of the school holiday – Friday 10 July. Please ensure your child’s name is clearly noted on the bag containing returned items, alongside the name of the staff member who loaned the items to your child.