The Chronicle

This week in English, Junior 6 have brought our unit of work to completion by comparing the novel Northern Lights with the movie adaptation The Golden Compass and considering the similarities and differences in the characters, setting and plot. We had fun watching the movie and seeing whether our thoughts and predictions regarding what was going to happen were accurate or not. Hopefully some will be inspired now to read the whole novel and the other novels in Philip Pullman’s trilogy. In RE we looked at the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids and considered what Jesus was trying to teach us when he told the story. We thought about the metaphors in the parable and what we could do in our own lives during Advent to be as prepared as possible for when Jesus comes again. We are now really looking forward to Christmas and some fun times out of school with our family and friends!

Junior 5W have been trying to find ways to remember the 50 states of the USA in Geography this week. The children decided that singing them was by far the best way, particularly when repeated and sung faster and faster every time! The song also served as a challenging tongue twister which certainly put our vocal and diction skills to the test – timely practise for our LAMDA exams next half-term too!

Junior 4 ventured off to amazing India in their Geography lessons this week. They excitedly popped on their VR headsets and were transported to an array of Indian cities, bazaars and festivals and felt like they were actually there. They have also made sparkly Christmas cards, wrapped their Secret Santa gifts, and have thought of others less fortunate, by bringing in reverse Advent calendar donations. What a wonderful end to a term where all of Junior 4 have worked so hard and with enthusiasm. Merry Christmas to all!

This week Junior 3 have completed their investigation into which nappy is the most absorbent. After closely examining the structure and properties of disposable nappies last week, we set about planning a way to fairly test which one was the most absorbent. We felt this was a particularly useful investigation for Mrs Wheatley as she eagerly awaits the arrival of her new baby. We had to be very careful measuring our liquids and repeating our testing to ensure that every element of our test was rigorous and fair. The results gathered and recorded; we could proudly announce that the Naty Eco Nappy was the most absorbent which delighted us as it is also very environmentally friendly. Between all the investigating we have also been finishing our wonderful stories about The Secret of Sun and have enjoyed sharing a lot of festive jokes in class. Our class elf, Will, has also been keeping us entertained with his daily mischief. It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas …

Have a wonderful holiday everyone – keep warm and we will see you in 2023.

All the children in Junior 2 have been busy getting into the Christmas spirit this week. Mrs Burley, Mrs Bhogal and Mrs Thomas are so proud of Junior 2 for the performance in the Nativity; the children worked hard to learn the lines, and songs and blew us away with how well they delivered all their lines. Secret Santa brought some lovely gifts for all the children too. All the Junior 2 team would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Junior 1 have really entered into the spirit of Christmas this week. There has been lots of Christmas crafts, baking and cards to write, and our children have been like little elves getting everything ready for the end of term! Everyone is hoping Father Christmas will be visiting them on Christmas Eve. We have also been learning about the true meaning of Christmas and we have read lots of stories about the ‘First Christmas’ before writing about it in our books. It was wonderful to see how the children knew so much of the story from their own Nativity performances. We would like to wish everybody a joyful Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

This week Reception have been enjoying the festive season. They started the week with a visit to the theatre to watch Stick Man. They then made both teachers and parents proud in their Nativity performance. The rest of the week consisted of making Christmas crafts, watching the Panto and finally the class party. What a fun week, now it is time for a rest ready for more Christmas celebrations with family. Well done on completing your first term at Crackley Reception. Merry Christmas!

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