THEECHO ECHO ECHO
Christmas 2016 Edition
Shaping the Future Our Progress so Far!
In 2014 ‘Shaping the Future’ was launched as a joint St Margaret’s and St Mary’s initiative, highlighting our plans for the next 10 years. Projects for both schools were included, all of them designed to make sure that we remain at the forefront of education in an ever-changing world. So much progress has already taken place in terms of development and, whilst both schools are already enjoying the benefits of the fullsize astroturf, tennis courts and offsite pitches, at St Margaret’s we have built additional changing rooms for our senior pupils, added the soundproofed drum studio, revamped our entrance and offices and enhanced our first aid facilities for the children.
But it will also enable us to extend the range of sports we offer: badminton, volleyball, basketball, cricket nets and possibly even a climbing wall. Meanwhile the enlarged dance studio and the multipurpose room will mean that we can provide alternative venues for activities such as fencing, dance and yoga. The Sports Complex will undoubtedly enhance sport for all our pupils.
Looking to the immediate future, our Vision for Sport is at the centre of our ambitions. We believe that sport and an active lifestyle are essential not only for good physical health but for building a range of important skills and attitudes. It encourages teamwork, resilience and a competitive spirit. And with this in mind, we are working hard towards the construction of a Sports Complex designed to strengthen and support our breadth and depth of sport. The hall within the Complex will be suitable for team sports when the weather is inclement: indoor hockey, netball, tennis, skills based activities for rugby – the list is endless.
We are fortunate to have the support of philanthropic friends and a committed team of Governors. So far, nearly £1.6 million has been received in pledges and donations, and the governing body has pledged a further contribution of £250,000, bringing our campaign total to just over £1.85 million. With the support of parents, grandparents and friends, we aim to raise the final £500,000 so that the pupils at St Margaret’s and St Mary’s will shortly be able to enjoy all the benefits that the new Sports Complex will bring.
Welcome to the Christmas Edition of The Echo As I write, we are enjoying the first proper winter weather of the season; the ground outside is white with frost and the children’s faces smile out from underneath their layers of warm clothing and this season’s must have accessory – the St Margaret’s bobble hat! The warm days of September seem a very distant memory, but as we have negotiated our way successfully through the term the children have undoubtedly ‘grown’ in every way. Their triumphs have been many and in all aspects of
school life, and their willingness to strive towards continual self-improvement has been an absolute joy to witness. As Christmas creeps ever nearer, and amidst the excitement of the festive season, I know that everyone will relish the opportunity to relax and recharge their batteries, as they begin to look forward with eager anticipation to the delights of the spring term. In the meantime, I send you and your families my good wishes for a blessed and joyous Christmas, and a peaceful and happy 2017.
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Maths Treasure Hunting for 5S Amazing Autumn Poetry in 1P In 1P the children have all embraced the Autumn and have had great fun outdoors exploring the changes of season. They then brought their creative minds back inside and used the information they had gathered to write their Autumn Word Wall, which supported them to write their fantastic Autumn poems. Here are some of the lovely, descriptive words that have appeared on the word wall: yellow, red, bright, golden, scrunchy, shiny, brown, glistening, gold and rustle. Keep up the enthusiasm 1P!
During October, the children in 5S made the most of the late Autumn sunshine to take their learning outside as much as possible. In Maths, the class enjoyed following treasure hunts linked to all areas of their learning. They took particular delight in setting out the clues, hiding them in very tricky places! The children used the school grounds to help them with their learning in all sorts of areas of Maths: fractions, area and perimeter, measuring, times tables…even place value and co-ordinates. Now the winter weather is here, perhaps the children will move to a Science focus, and investigate which material provides the best waterproofing and insulation!
6G ‘Blitz the Blitz’ The children in Year 6 were excited by the arrival of a special visitor (Mrs Gibson’s mother), who came to tell them about her memories as a child during WWII. They were enthralled by Mrs Stephenson’s incredible story; she was just 5 years old when the war started in 1939. She began by retelling her life story as a young child who was evacuated from London with her brother and mother. Her family decided to bring her back to London during the time known as the ‘phoney war’ and it was during this time, whilst hiding in an Anderson shelter, her house was hit by a bomb. Once the children had finished listening it was time for them to participate. They asked many questions about the difficulties experienced during this time: schooling, rationing, evacuation, hospitals and how families recovered from the war after 1945. Mrs Stephenson said, ‘I hadn’t expected so many thoughtful questions. The children were just delightful!’
4NC Digestion Rap! The children in 4NC have been learning all about what happens to their food after they have eaten it! The class traced the digestive system onto T shirts to see where each place was in their body, and then investigated exactly what happened as the food passed through. The children then looked at their teeth, learning about their different functions and how, together with saliva, this is the first step in breaking down food. Everyone discussed the effects of acid in the stomach and the long journey through the intestines where first nutrients and then water are absorbed. Finally, the children learnt a poem to help them and also looked at different food groups and what they contribute to the body by performing a rap!
3R’s Outdoor English Extravaganza
Kindergarten go Exploring in Space!
During Culture Week, Year 3 became ‘at one with nature’ in their Comprehension lessons. The text suitably linked to the great outdoors and the children worked in pairs, not only to answer questions from the teachers but also to generate questions of their own about the text. Their inference skills were developed when thinking of their own questions and how many marks they should be awarded; we are all looking forward to seeing these skills transferred to their written comprehension tasks. By the end of the session everyone agreed that they wanted to build their own Bug Boutique and were shocked at just how much they had learnt!
This term, the children in Kindergarten have been exploring ‘Space’. They used resources from junk modelling to make their own control panels in the space rocket and made their own planets using paint and a salad spinner! They enjoyed dressing up as astronauts and loved acting out the song ‘5 Little Men in a Flying Saucer’. The children used the interactive space tablet and books that they had brought in from home to learn facts about space. On 17 November the children were lucky enough to watch the launch of the Galileo satellites and everyone joined in to count backwards from 10 to lift off - it was amazing to see. They then created their own space rocket using the soft play, and were able to make a rocket big enough for all of Kindergarten!
Pizza Pattern Work in Reception The children in Reception C have been trying hard to independently complete and create a range of patterns. They persevered well with making 2-factor repeating patterns, using colours or objects. Whilst celebrating Divali, the children had great fun creating Rangoli patterns in the natural environment. Working in pairs they were also given the challenge of focusing closely on instructions to decorate pizza bases with their very own Rangoli patterns. The patterns looked and tasted fantastic!
5G Enjoy Marvellous Mary Rose Earlier in the term the children in 5G and 5S had a fantastic day visiting the Mary Rose. The museum has recently re-opened and the children were amongst the first to see the ship fully revealed to the public and protected from decay. There was time to investigate the museum to find out all about the crew, which included a dog, now known as Hatch. The children were able to handle exhibits including replica longbows and some of the doctor’s tools. In the education centre the class learnt about life on board ship for both the officers and the humble crewmembers. There were distinct differences in the clothing and equipment that the two groups used. For example, the officers had colourful costumes made from fur and velvet while the crew only wore dull colours made from linen cloth. Finally, the children were split into groups and became gunners. They tried out a gun drill led by the gun master who called out all the orders. The teams performed this task really well, priming and loading the gun with shot. Take Care… Fire!
THEECHO ECHO ECHO
CHRISTMAS 2016 EDITION
2J are Electric! Lights on in 1H! In Science, the children in 1H have started their learning on Light and Dark with a Light Hunt! They have been able to identify artificial sources of light and were excited to find them around the school and record their findings. They have explored different ways light can be made and have learnt about British Scientists who helped with these inventions. By working as a team, the children were able to identify natural light sources and are beginning to use scientific vocabulary to explain their ideas.
This term in Science the children in 2J have been learning about electricity. To start the programme they had great fun going on an ‘Electricity Walk’ finding what items around school use electricity. They realised that a lot of everyday items require electricity, including computers, lights and iPads. They then had to find out whether the items used batteries or mains and how we can find this out. The children also enjoyed investigating how to make a bulb light up by creating a simple circuit using wires, a battery and a bulb. Great excitement was had adding in a switch or a buzzer to their circuits! The class then used this skill to ‘illuminate’ their lighthouse structures, which they have been busy making in Design and Technology.
6C Evacuees Year 6 enjoyed a fantastic day at STEAM earlier in the term as part of their studies into WWII. Everyone, including the St Margaret’s staff and the staff from STEAM dressed as either evacuees or adults of the 40s. The displays at STEAM were specially transformed to recreate the era of the Second World War and there was a superb collection of original artefacts and authentic costumes from WWII for the children to enjoy and try on, as well as a meticulously researched reconstruction of a public Air Raid Shelter and an Evacuation Carriage. The day was organized into five interactive workshops and all of the experiences were delivered in different styles, providing a range of diverse learning opportunities, including role-play, simulation, story-telling, dressing up, speaking, listening and questioning, empathy, observation, imagination and reflection. The different activities included meeting the ARP Warden, where the children listened out for the air raid siren and the All Clear and took cover inside the public shelter. The children learnt how to pass the time through the long and terrifying night and everyone had an absolutely wonderful time.
www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk How Illuminating! Lighthouses in 2T 2T have been learning about lighthouses. The children were excited to read ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’ and think about how a zip wire could be used to carry a basket across the sea to the lighthouse. The class visited the local play area to see how a zip wire was made and the children then worked hard to make a model of a zip wire going to a lighthouse. They used different joining skills, learnt to work collaboratively and how to make a structure stable. In Art, 2T used their colour mixing and collaging skills to expand a picture around a lighthouse scene. In History, the children learnt about the famous lighthouse keeper’s daughter, Grace Darling, who helped her father row out in stormy waters to rescue sailors from a sinking ship; the children have written a news report to tell of this heroic story. The term ended with the children using their scientific skills and knowledge of electricity to put a light in their lighthouses.
3H Archaeologists at Avebury The damp weather did not deter the Year 3 children’s enthusiasm for finding out more about this prehistoric monument. The children revelled in the opportunity to get close to their ancient ancestors and especially in being able to touch the incredible sarsen stones they worked so tirelessly to arrange. The class learnt that Avebury is the largest henge in Europe, leaving Stonehenge in its shadow.
It consists of two separate circles, standing within the Great Circle. The children were all in awe of how this magnificent henge was constructed. Everyone demonstrated fantastic questioning skills and really wanted to find out more about the artefacts they saw in the museum. A wonderful experience for all!
The Anglo-Saxons Invade 4B! On Friday 18 November, Year 4 excitedly boarded the minibuses en route to Salisbury Museum. The trip was a culmination of their studies into the Anglo-Saxons invaders. Prior to the visit, the children in 4B had taken part in activities ranging from creating iMovies about Anglo-Saxon entertainment, looking in atlases to find Anglo-Saxon place names and composing song lyrics for an assembly performance. At the museum the children slipped into the role of detectives and worked out what and why certain objects were buried with a Saxon warrior and also analysed some artefacts. They then learnt about an Anglo-Saxon funeral and ended the day being detectives again looking for clues in the museum. Year 4 will be sad to say goodbye to the Anglo-Saxons, but are looking forward to saying hello to the next invaders to Britain… the vicious Vikings!
www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk LEGOLeague Animal Allies The First LEGOLeague Challenge is a worldwide competition with more than 28,000 teams of pupils aged 9 to 16 participating. This year’s challenge is called ‘Animal Allies’ and it is all about our furry, feathered and finned friends. Who knows what might become possible when we learn to help our ‘Animal Allies’?! As part of a joint Computing/DT competition project, the challenge facing Year 6 was to invent an innovative solution to solve a problem between animals and humans. The children spent quite a while discussing their ideas and listening to each other. Eventually, they developed an idea called ‘Ultrasonic Bird Bolt’ (UBB). This device harmlessly deters gulls by emitting a sound that cannot be heard by humans. The intention is for it to be put in outside places where humans want to eat without being hassled by our feathered friends. The children wrote to various coastal town councils for their opinion and their replies were very positive. The other part of the project was to solve a series of demanding Robotic Missions all revolving around the topic of ‘Animal Allies’. Firstly, a team of Lego model builders had to assemble the complex missions and then they had to design and construct a suitable robot.
When the strategy for achieving the missions was finalised, the team had to program the robot with EV3 software. As you can imagine it took many hours of programming and debugging in order for the robot to complete the missions. One of the hardest was to make a pulley system with gears that would enable the robot to be completely suspended on a ‘wall’. On 15 December, a team of ten Year 6 pupils, enthused by their solid background of research and programming will set off to the University of Birmingham to compete against a selection of other primary and secondary schools. Win or lose, we know they will do their best and at the same time have a fun and educational day out!
EcoOL Learning Outside Outdoor Learning in Reception has been kickstarted this term with weekly Eco/Outdoor Learning (EcoOL) school sessions. Every Friday morning our ‘Creative Explorers’ travel by minibuses to a local woodland area and farm. During EcoOL school the children engage in a range of cross-curricular activities which help them to consolidate their understanding of all 7 areas of learning. These engaging and challenging sessions also provide the children with opportunities for demonstrating and developing effective learning skills through different styles of learning.
Success on the Rugby Pitch U8 and U9 Boys The U8 and U9 Rugby teams have had a fantastic term on the games field. They have shown the ability to transfer the skills they have been learning in lessons and apply them to competitive fixtures. In lessons they have been focusing on positional play and moving the ball into a space. They have worked hard to organise themselves in defence and put pressure on the opposition to turn over the ball. In November, the U8 boys took part in the Bath Schools’ U8 Tag Rugby Festival held at Kingwood. They showed excellent support play which resulted in them drawing one and winning three of their four matches. Their hard work and determination throughout the term has culminated in an unbeaten season. Between them, the U8s and U9s have managed to achieve an outstanding unbeaten run of 17 matches. This is testament to their energy, enthusiasm and the desire to work hard. We now look forward with much excitement to Hockey in the spring term.
The activities often involve the use of natural objects found in the forest. Activities which the children have enjoyed so far include: making non-fiction books, decorating picture frames, creating Rangoli patterns using playdough, building mock campfires, visiting farm animals, building shelters for small world characters and creating 2D shapes. There is undoubtedly so much fun for everyone!
St Margaret’s Preparatory School, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 0DF Tel: 01249 857220 Fax: 01249 857227 Email: office@stmargaretsprep.org.uk Website: www.stmargaretsprep.org.uk