Simba - Summer 2015 by Bablake

Simba

Summer of Rounders 2015

DIARY DATES

Kare Adenegan Inspires Bablake

SEPTEMBER

Monday 7th September AUTUMN TERM BEGINS

Tuesday 15th Year 6 Parents Information Evening 4.30 Thursday 24th Year 4 Parents Information Evening 4.30

BJS U9 Rounders Team, Winners of the Croft Tournament Despite an early set back of cancelled matches due to inclement weather at the start of the term, the sun has shone on the Bablake rounders’ teams as we approach the end of the season, and everyone can be proud of many fine achievements. Against tough opposition, the U11A team reached the semifinal of the Rugby school plate competition and were narrowly denied a place in the final by Fairfield School. In local fixtures, they have defeated teams from Warwick Prep, Eversfield and Crackley Hall and were very unfortunate to lose the match against our Senior U12A team. After taking the lead in the first innings, we suffered an injury to one of our key batsmen and lost the match by a creditable 15 ½ - 18 rounders. The U11B team secured a convincing victory over Crackley Hall and won a closer match against Bromsgrove Prep this term. The highlight of their season was a fantastic 14 ½ - 9 defeat of our Senior U12B team. The U11C won their first match

of the season against Bromsgrove Prep and after taking the initiative in the first innings against KHPS lost a very close match, 19-21 rounders. The U10A team squad show great promise and are already familiar with tactical play. This was evident in their 17-5 and 16 ½ -9 victories over Eversfield and Saint Martin’s Schools, followed by a more recent 18 ½ -11 defeat of KHPS. The U10B team has competed with great enthusiasm in matches and recorded a fine 23 ½ - 22 victory over an Arnold Lodge U11/10 A team and continued in the same vein with a memorable 17-15 ½ win against KHPS. The U10C team won their first match 21 ½ - 18 to give a clean sweep in this age group against KHPS and in doing so, all of our Year 5 girls played in either the A,B or C team. The U9 teams have had an excellent season and are fulfilling the potential shown as Year 3 pupils. The A team defeated teams from Arnold lodge, KHPS and Eversfield in their early matches, before competing in their first

ever rounders’ tournament at The Croft. They beat all opposition in their group section to qualify for a semi-final place against Eversfield B. After a nervous start, the team emerged as victors and progressed to the final against KHPS. The final did not disappoint; a tense and exciting match ensued for both players and spectators alike. The final whistle blew with the score: Bablake 5- KHPS 3. Bablake had won the tournament! Congratulations also to the U9B team, who defeated KHPS 17-15 in their first match. We wish them luck in their forthcoming match against Arnold Lodge A team. Thank you to all team players for such great performances this season. It has been a pleasure to teach and coach such enthusiastic pupils, and umpire the teams in matches. Many thanks also to parents for your invaluable help and support throughout the term. Inter House Rounders Winners Yr 6 and Yr 5 Churchill Yr 4 Nelson Mrs Reed, Mrs Dodd, Misses Young & Shorter

Friday 25th Year 5 visit to Foxton Locks OCTOBER Saturday 3rd Open Morning 9.30 to 12.30 Thursday 8th Year 5 Parents Information Evening 4.30 Thursday 15th Year 3 Parents Information Evening 4.30 Friday 16th House Cross Country 2.00 Informal Concert 4.15 HALF TERM HOLIDAY Monday 19th October to Friday 30th October NOVEMBER Saturday 14th Coventry Schools Boys Cross-country @ Keresley Grange Saturday 28th PA Christmas Fayre DECEMBER

Tuesday 15th Year 3 & 4 Nativity Bablake Theatre Thursday 17th Carol Service @ Coventry Cathedral 7.00 Friday 18th TERM ENDS 11.40 Short Reports to Parents

BABLAKE JUNIOR SCHOOL SUMMER 2015

Kare Adenegan with Year Three Bablake Junior Children This has been a year full of effort and achievement. If we look back to September we can see so many signs of progress. Along the way we have been suported and inspired by others. We were delighted to welcome Kare Adenegan into Assembly earlier in the term. Kare used to be a pupil at the Junior School and is now in Year 9. Kare has faced many challenges in her life and has not let these get her down. Kare has cerebral palsy which has meant she has to spend a great deal of time in a wheelchair. Determined to make the most of her opportunities and by working very hard Kare has become one of Britain’s leading disabled athletes. Kare talked to us of overcoming her challenges and making the best of life. She was inspiring. We hope to see her in the Paralympic Games in Rio and we know she will do herself, her family, Bablake and her country proud.

Year 4 Condover This term the Year 4 pupils went away on their first residential to Condover Hall. It is always a challenge being away from home on a school trip for the first time and despite a few wobbly starts, each child matured and developed through the experience. A little bit of rain could not dampen their spirits or excitement. All the pupils must be commended on the way in which they soldiered on, braving the elements. Each day revealed more adventures and challenge, these included abseiling, tunnelling, low

Cross Country in the Summer ropes, climbing, trapeze and Conquest, where even some of the teachers got involved in the laser action! There was no chance to get bored in the evenings as our brilliant instructors organised a mini-olympics and a camp fire to keep the entertainment going for as long as possible. It was certainly an experience that we won’t forget. Special thanks must go to Mr Holder, Miss Love, Miss Fennell and Mrs McElligott for making this trip such a success.

Bablake Cross Country Runners at the Joe O’Brien The Joe O’Brien community cross country event saw hundreds of Coventry children competing in memory of PC Joe O’Brien, a great stalwart of the Coventry running scene. There were over forty Bablake runners and everyone put in a tremendous effort to secure the boys visiting team trophy and come runners-up in the girls. This meant a joint team victory for BJS. The Coventry Schools Girls event followed the next

weekend and as ever everyone gave their all. Over thirty girls from Bablake entered the races and the B team emerged victorious in their event from amongst twenty six schools whilst the A Team also ran very well to come home third from over thirty school teams. This was a great end to the season – everyone has run hard and the Bablake runners have once again shown great determination.

Year 6 Maths Games keep the Dice Rolling

Year 6 pupils have produced some spectacular Maths board games this term. Several were on display for Open Morning and big hit they were too. Perhaps commercial fortune awaits…certainly much fun and a good time was had by all.

My Magic Box

Summer Cricket Report 2015

Bablake Under 11 Cricket Team, County Champions

I will put The Magic Box by 4L

Cricket at Bablake Junior School continues to go from strength to strength with 65% of matches being won. Training for the Under 10’s and Under 11’s started at Christmas this year and all the hard work has certainly paid off.

I will put in my box The swish of the most golden hair, floating through midnight air. The bloom of the first frozen flower in the simmering sky. The gurgling belly of a silver statue standing on Saturn.

The Under 8 team have made massive improvements this year especially as most of the boys have not played cricket before. They narrowly lost to Bilton Grange and King Henry VIII but the B team did manage a fine win against Bilton Grange. The Under 9’s have to be the “team of the year” having been unbeaten at football all year they were also unbeaten at cricket! They have played with great concentration and skill and have some real talent throughout the team. The Under10’s have been the surprise package this year and have only lost one game – a narrow defeat against Warwick. They have learnt that bowling good lines and length will give you rewards and powerful batting will score you lots of runs. Well done. The Under 11’s are Warwickshire Champions for the second year running and should be really proud of their achievements. They have performed exceptionally well all year and have a real enthusiasm for the game. The real highlight was beating King Henry VIII by 131 runs in a 20:20 fixture!! Well done to all the teams. Mr Benfield Team

Played

Won

Drawn

Tied

Lost

Abandoned

Under 11 A Under 11 B Under 10 A Under 9 A Under 9 B Under 8 A Under 8 B

I will put in my box A salmon’s sigh in the rumbling river as it leaps the waterfall. A rapid racing rabbit flying freely over the Atlantic Ocean. A glimmering, gold garden arising from luminescent Alaska. I will put in my box Two turquoise whispers spoken in Punjabi. The last laugh of a llama. And the first breath of a Pegasus. I will put in my box An eighth day in the week and white coal. An aeroplane driving along the road, And an ambulance flying in the sky. My box is made of carpet, metal and stars. With gems on the lid and clouds in the corner. Its clasp is fashioned from a dragon’s claw. I will ski in my box. On the high peaks of Mount Everest, Then descend to base camp, to catch my breath and indulge in a hot chocolate.

Year 4 visit to Naul’s Mill Park

Year 3 enjoy finding out about their Local History Silk Ribbons This term we enjoyed two excellent visits to our local museums. First of all, we went to the Herbert Museum to take part in a ‘Made in Coventry’ workshop about Coventry’s silk Ribbon industry. Some pupils were chosen to act out the process, starting from the silkworm’s job, going right through the techniques used by the Coventry weavers then to the wealthy ladies who wore their ribbons in the style of Queen Victoria.

Year 4’s Geography topic this term is ‘Our Local Environment’, which has given us the chance to learn a lot more about Bablake and its surrounding area. Going to visit Naul’s Mill Park was particularly helpful since it allowed us to put our geographical skills into practise!

Ellie Hart in 3F took the part of the beautifully styled lady. She comments on her experience, “In the words of Queen Victoria…We are VERY amused by the clever Coventry weavers’ skills!” Cars through the decades

We worked in groups to complete an environmental quality analysis (EQA), soundscape and descriptions of various zones of the park, skills we had already used within the grounds of Bablake. We did disagree on some points but generally we felt that the park had the potential to be a welcoming and enjoyable place to visit, if the negative points of litter and graffiti were dealt with. In particular, we were disappointed that the boating lake was not full of water, especially when we found a number of endangered newts there! We will be writing letters to the council about our findings and recommendations.

Lady Ellie wants her ribbons!

On yer bike!

We also had a brilliant time at the Transport Museum, where we took part in a Cycle workshop. It was interesting to see how the cycle has developed from the aptly named bone shaker to the modern day style we are so familiar with. We all got to try to ride a wonderfully maintained tricycle, this includes the poor, unsuspecting parents who had kindly given up their day to help us on the trip. Luckily they were all very proficient cyclists! Oliver Healy pointed out some of the dangers to be found if you dared to ride on a Penny Farthing. “If you suddenly braked you would land HEAD FIRST on to concrete, so we better not try this!” We enjoyed a tour around all the cars of the last century. It really is amazing that the museum has preserved our city’s precious heritage so successfully. The Jaguar cars were very popular with us all and our Year three future motorists have now keenly chosen their preferred mode of transport! These visits have all helped to bring this term’s studies to life and we thank all those parents who were able to accompany us. We are grateful for all your help and support.

Thanks Mom, you’re a star!

Bicycles and Cars

Golfer George takes the Bronze!

The Normans!

George Halstead put together a fantastic round at the National Prep Schools Tournament to clinch third place and the bronze medal in the Under 10s category earlier in the term. Playing at a Championship course, George was delighted to have played so well and was very happy with his 36 stapleford points. He hopes to play even more golf as he gets older.

Donna and Stuart ‘Stormin’ Norman and their new addition, Seren. Arianna is clearly feeling the strain!

Bablake’s Got Talent!

Black Country Museum

Another stunning show highlighting the many fantastic talents amongst the Bablake pupils. These pictures are only a taster of the many spectacular performances that featured in the show.

Ding-a-ling! The school bell jangled loudly and out strode the tall, forbidding headmaster, towering over the anxious children. “Single file!” he boomed in a deep ferocious voice. Our hearts were beating wildly. We stood up straight like an army of soldiers in formation. Full of emotion we walked into the strange immense classroom and sat timidly with our hands behind our backs, waiting fearfully for what was going to happen next. Sola Olomolaiye 3P

The canal boats that people lived in were very small. The baby slept in an open drawer. The children had to sleep on the floor or share a bed. The Mum and Dad slept at the back of the cabin. They all had live, sleep and eat in a very small space. Most of the boat was used to carry coal. Robbie Billings 3P Kate hits the high notes!

First Aiders at School!

Kate Sexton has only been playing the violin for a few months and yet she has just recorded some of the best marks ever seen in her Grade 1 exam. Kate scored 146/150! Kate was inspired to play the violin by her strings experience with Mrs Scott-Burt as part of the carousel of instrumental teaching in Year 4. A lifelong passion now lies open before her.

Miss Shorter has brought first aid training to Bablake and it is hoped many pupils will be able to take part in the termly Red Cross certificated course. It is very good to see the pupils learning these most important life skills.

I thought that canal boats in Victorian time had engines. Now I know that in tunnels people used to push along the walls with their legs! Finley Heath 3F Along the slanting street there was a sweetshop which everyone was attracted to because it sold sherbet which was multi-coloured and sweets called jaw breakers. Daisy Bell 3P It was extraordinary to see exactly how people lived in the olden days. Scarlett Costley 3F

Learnpads at the Pre Prep

Children in Reception thoroughly enjoyed working with the new Learnpads

Year 2

Butterfly Release, ‘Let them go......’ Year 2 have been learning all about life cycles. From growing sunflowers to watching the transformation of caterpillars into beautiful butterflies! The children have enjoyed studying the stages of the life cycle journey. They have been patiently waiting for the tiny caterpillars, who started life no bigger than a grain of rice, to begin their incredible metamorphosis. Now the adult butterflies have emerged from their chrysalis they are ready to fly…time to release them into the natural world.

Kindergarten enjoyed visiting Hatton Farm as we covered New Life & Life Cycles. The children also had a fantastic time at the Coventry train station to cover the transport topic.

Year 6 go to Sea at Calshot

Scherherazade “Scherherazade”, this year’s end of year production, takes its name from the brave and clever girl who narrates the 1001 Arabian tales. In the story, the ruler of the land, the Sultan, has been cursed and cruelly marries a new bride every night only to have her slain in the morning. Scherherazade devises an ingenious plan where she offers to be the new wife so that she can captivate the Sultan with her stories and leave him so entranced by her words that he spares her life for one more day… Arabian tales seemed a perfect choice for our current Year 6 as the stories offer the potential for magic, mischief and mayhem! Our journey towards the production started early in the year when we considered the talents of the children and how they could be woven into the play. Rehearsals then started in earnest and we explored various theatrical techniques and styles of performance. Luckily, the tales we told allowed us to be quite ambitious in our choices of presentation and we had slapstick, shadow puppetry, freeze frames, mime and lots of physical theatre. In terms of dance there was Bollywood, tap, jazz, ballet and rock and roll on offer! The stories were further enhanced by a variety of songs; we even had a singing cave! From start to finish, Year 6 have been utterly marvellous. There is a dazzling array of talent within the group and it has been wonderful to see that come to the fore. Every single child in the Year acted, sang and danced; it was a real team effort. Seeing them all on the stage together in the finale was a rather special moment when tears of pride were shed. There’s something so immediate and alive about theatre – the visceral contact and communication with a live audience. I know it’s an experience the children will remember for years to come – their special moment in the spotlight when so many admiring eyes were on them – and of course, it’s just the start of many magical moments to come in their school careers…

Admirable Art at the Bablake Exhibition