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Stone art: created by children in all year groups in the playground this week, experimenting with pattern and colour to create their own designs.
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Dear Parents
What an action packed start to the year! There’s been so much learning and activity that I can barely believe we’ve only been back for 3 weeks. It has been such a pleasure to welcome everyone back in after the summer: to properly meet and get to know our new teachers; to greet our new Reception children- whose valiant adjustment to the demands of school has made us very proud; to see how much taller the children have grown; hear about summer adventures; admire smart haircuts and shiny shoes, and above all, to observe as the children have settled into their new classrooms with their new teachers, a summer more mature and raring to go. The new pods (out break spaces in Years 1 and 2) have also been settled into very well, with a busy schedule of interventions and meetings. We’re delighted with them and look forward to some new furniture arriving to brighten them up.
We have had a whole school focus on moving safely around the school, particularly important for our new Year 3s, who are adjusting to going up and down the stairs to access their snazzy KS2 cabin. I have been impressed with the calm and composure which all pupils have demonstrated in whole school assemblies. Bravo!
This week’s Celebration assembly was a sea of denim, as we marked Jeans for Genes day -thank you for your contributions to our grand total of over £350 (still counting..)! Pablo awarded certificates to children who had taken on National Fitness Day challenges at playtime – see photos, and others were commended for prompt and committed responses to feedback to improve work; determination to approach homework with positivity; and English and Maths work. I do so enjoy gathering all the commendees in the office after the assembly, for an entry into the golden book and a special sticker! Chris, our new Assistant Head and Laura Jones, our new administrator, joined me in awarding stickers at this very special gathering, a lovely opportunity for them to start getting to know all of the children.
Taiba and I have already been busy touring a number of parents around this school, with our first Open Day for Prospective parents on Thursday morning, in which we toured a slightly larger group of parents. We know that the majority of our recommendations come from our lovely families and we thank you for spreading the word and recommending us.
Enjoy the weekend,
Ellie
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Taiba
I was pleased to see that you all share our enthusiasm for the new school year. September has well and truly begun, with children settling seamlessly into their routines. The opportunity to pop into classrooms has allowed me to see firsthand how well the children have embraced new topics. As we conclude the second week, we are so impressed to witness the dedication and enthusiasm displayed by both our children and staff. You only need to look at the boards to see just how much they have accomplished already.
Our recent welcome drinks evening was a great chance to connect with new parents and for them to gain insights into our learning environment and chat to staff. For those who are familiar with the Children’s House way, please do show them how we do things here!
In the newly refurbished downstairs classroom, the children are getting to know each other and forming bonds with the staff. There was a particular buzz as they engaged in sensory experiences with fresh mint, rosemary, and lavender. It was wonderful to see them so engaged with this and sharing their favourite scents.
Upstairs, the children delved into the concept of what makes them unique, and they certainly had a lot to share - from loving their legs and hands for climbing trees to liking their eyes for reading storybooks with siblings. Seeing staff model expectations and encourage language and phonics skills through sound discrimination games has also been inspiring.
Thanks for supporting Jeans for Genes! Our staff and children loved wearing jeans for a great cause.
We eagerly anticipate observing more growth and creativity over this half term and look forward to sharing the opportunities and experiences that lie ahead.
Have a great weekend,
Taiba
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Nursery Upcoming Dates
W/c 25th Sept - Harvest Week
Fri 29th - Mini Farmers' Market from 3:15pm in the US playground
W/c 10th Oct - Our Wonderful World Week - more information to follow
Fri 1st Dec - 50th Anniversary Winter Fair
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Upper School Dates
W/c 25th Sept - Harvest Week
Mon 25th - Reception - The Enormous Turnip show during the day
Fri 29th - Mini Farmers' Market from 3:15pm in the playground
W/c 10th Oct - Our Wonderful World Week - more information to follow
Fri 1st Dec - 50th Anniversary Winter Fair
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PE and Games News
Welcome to the PE section! Here I will be updating you about the different content and skills that the children will be learning in PE throughout the year.
We have started the year with excitement and eagerness to learn and enjoy new skills and sports. This week we celebrated National Fitness Day, learning about the importance of physical activity for our health and well-being. On Thursday the children had a go at a range of fitness challenges involving speed, coordination, strength, and resistance, showing great determination and sportsmanship. See photos below!
Starting with the little ones, the Nursery children have given me the best of welcomes, not only with their smiles but with their listening and attitudes to learning. We have begun working on spatial awareness and basic gymnastics, through games such as “The Bunnies and the Dog.”
In Reception, we have been working on gymnastic shapes together with spatial awareness and coordination through simple games.
In Y1 and Y2 children have been learning about the importance of warming up, how to warm up joints, laterality games, and spatial awareness, with games like Stuck in the mud 3 Areas.
Lastly, I want to thank Y3 and Y4 for their exceptional behaviour and adaptation to our new sports hall at the Britannia Leisure Centre. This first half term children will learn a range of Olympic events to be able to participate and compete in the Olympic Games of TCH. So far, we have been working on a 50m sprint, javelin throw, and long jump.
Please keep encouraging children to do physical activity outside of school hours to maintain a healthy mind and body.
Have a great weekend!
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Spanish
We are excited to start a new school year filled with learning and adventures in Spanish.
In Nursery, we have been learning basic greetings such as "Hola" (Hello), "Buenos días" (Good morning), and "¿Cómo estás?" (How are you?). The little ones are learning to greet and exchange kind words in Spanish.
During the first week of classes in the Upper School, we focused on learning classroom instructions. This foundation is essential for students to understand and follow directions in Spanish as we explore this beautiful language. This week Reception were thrilled to learn the song Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in Spanish. Music is a wonderful way to introduce children to the sounds and rhythm of Spanish. In Year 1, we have started to explore the exciting world of jungle animals, naming and describing different animals. In Year 2 and Year 3, we are diving into the world of geometric shapes. The children are learning about 10 different types of shapes and how to name them in Spanish. This will complement their learning in Maths. In Year 4, we have begun to explore the topic of weather, learning vocabulary related to the weather, which will enable them to describe weather conditions in Spanish. I am thrilled by the energy and enthusiasm our students have shown in these first weeks of classes. I hope you are as excited as I am about what is to come in our Spanish classes throughout the school year.
Martha
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Tech For Good
As we look forward to the upcoming weeks in this autumn term, we're gearing up for some exciting learning experiences. Here's a sneak peek at what each year group can expect:
Year 1: Our Year 1 will soon dive into online safety, where they'll discover safe logins, creating avatars, and understanding creative work ownership. They'll also start their adventure with grouping, sorting, and the world of pictograms.
Year 2: Year 2 is all about exploring the world of coding. They will be introduced to algorithms, collision detection, timers, and various object types. Online safety remains a priority as they refine their search skills and grasp the concept of digital footprints.
Year 3: In Year 3, coding will be the highlight as students learn about flowcharts, timers, and the power of repeat commands. Online safety will delve into safe passwords, effective online communication, and dealing with cyberbullying. Plus, they'll embark on a journey with spreadsheets.
Year 4: Year 4 will soon also explore the fascinating world of coding, diving deeper into IF statements, co-ordinates, and game design. Online safety will also cover phishing and plagiarism awareness. They'll also delve deeper into spreadsheets for practical applications.
But before we dive into these enriching lessons, let's not forget that summer holidays can sometimes lead to a bit too much ice-cream and screen time for children (and adults!). The new term is the perfect opportunity for families to break bad habits and reset healthy diets all around.
This can include screentime at bedtime and late nights. Families can struggle resuming bedtime routines https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/ free sleep charity phone helpline for families 7-9pm school nights.
For those concerned about online safety and screen time, we recommend parental control and monitoring tools like Google Family Link, Apple ScreenTime, and Microsoft Family Safety. Additionally, you can explore valuable resources on online safety at https://parentsafe.lgfl.net And https://www.internetmatters.org.
We're eagerly looking forward to these upcoming lessons and can't wait to see our students thrive. Let's make this autumn term a time of growth, discovery, and accomplishment!
Warm regards,
David.
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Year 4
What a great start back to the new academic year! Year 4 have been working incredibly hard, getting into their new routines and lifting themselves towards the Year 4 and sometimes even Year 5 expectations. Overall, their progress in just 3 weeks has been impressive and I’m sure we’ll continue to see this progress as the year continues. I must apologise in advance for the lack of pictures of the children this week – our class Ipad has only just arrived. I promise we’ll have more action shots in the next newsletter!
In English, linked to our Egyptian topic, we have been recounting (fictional) events from our exploration of Egypt. From a river cruise down the River Nile, to an exploration of an unknown pyramid, the children have really got to grips with the structure of recount text. For grammar, we have focused heavily on adverbials and expanded noun phrases. Our adverbs ad(d) to the verb, to describe when (time), how (manner) and where (place) the verbs happened. We’ve also started challenging our writing further by placing these adverbs at the front of sentences, followed by a comma. For expanded noun phrases, we have focused on two adjectives preceding the noun, also separated by a comma. Here is a great example of Clark’s work showing all of these grammatical features.
In Maths, it has been all about Place Value. Children should now be able to read numbers up to 6 digits (Year 5 objective) and compare and order numbers as well. We have been focusing heavily on securing the arithmetic processes alongside conceptual understanding, but the children are enjoying the challenge (and overcoming mistakes). One child today said “This has been my best Maths lesson, I beat the annoying questions.” Here is a piece of Allegra’s work, showing her process for ordering numbers in ascending and descending order:
In Topic, Year 4 have been learning about the different Egyptian gods and their significance to the Ancient Egyptians. Some children have decided that I am no longer called Chris, but Thoth, the god of writing and knowledge. We have also been locating Egypt on a map and then comparing it to the UK. Only one child managed to find the right continent for Egypt, with some guessing as far as Australia. I think map work will be a focus moving forward this year in Humanities! Here is some work from Romilly analysing the change of Ancient Egypt over time and suggesting reasons for the expansion/decline:
Routines are bedding in really well and I really am excited about what we can achieve for the Year 4 class.
Chris
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Year 3
What an exciting start to Year 3 it has been! Our children have been very busy getting used to all of the new routines and expectations in Key Stage 2 and let me tell you, they have certainly been rising to the challenge.
Our term began as Stone Age archaeologists. The children travelled back in time to the Stone Age and learned all about different areas of pre-history. They discussed what they wanted to learn this term and got their history hats on ready for their first trip to the Horniman Museum. We were the first class to be welcomed to the museum this school year, lucky us! The children explored the three areas of the Stone Age, the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and the Neolithic. They held 300,000 year old mammoth molars and learned about how Stone Age hunter gatherers crafted tools essential for their survival. At the end of their visit the took part in a prehistoric trail around the museum grounds.
In Science the children had a go at being apprentice geologists, carefully exploring and drawing different types of rocks and their features. They thought about suitable vocabulary to match each rock and discussed how rocks are made from a combination of minerals. They played the Hard Rock Challenge game and discovered how their rocks were similar and different ton one another. Sensible scientists indeed!
In Literacy the children had their first debate around the material that is best for trousers. We had team stone, team bush and team mud. Some interesting responses were given and the children listened carefully to one another before giving their own opinions. They have also written some beautifully descriptive character descriptions after reading the story Ug, Boy Genius of the Stone Age, full of similes, expanded noun phrases and conjunctions.
In Maths the children are now working with representing and partitioning numbers to 1000 and doing so with enthusiasm and pace.
The children have embraced life in Year 3 with gusto and I am excited to see what the rest of the term brings!
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Year 2
Year 2 have been absolutely incredible and have settled into their new year level so well. We have been working so hard to be independent and organised all whilst practising our agreement. I have been so impressed with all the children for showing such enthusiasm, energy and good behaviour for all their lessons during the first two weeks.
In Literacy we have been learning all about nouns and adjectives under our theme of Our Island Home. We went on a noun hunt around school and have been reading the Lighthouse Keeper’s lunch. The children came up with a huge list of all the adjectives they know and will be using them to nourish their sentences very soon!
In Numeracy we have been learning about place value and base 10. We had a challenge for the childrenwhich involved them first working independently on representing the numbers using cubes and then embarking on a group challenge where the children needed to work in a team! We have now moved onto looking at ways to partition other numbers, not just following the base 10 method.
In Science, we have been learning about things that are alive, dead or have never been alive. We have done this through role place and by asking scientific questions. We have also been busy using these scientific questions to get more information about animals and most importantly, sharing the facts and knowledge we have with others.
We also have some new friends in our classroom. We have some Indian Stick insect eggs, but are eagerly waiting for them to hatch (it could take a while!).
James
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Year 1
It has been a busy start to the term in Year 1! The children have got stuck into their new topic of ourselves, toys and games. They began the term by creating time capsules which they will look at at the end of Year 1.
In English, the children have read What makes me, a me?. After they compared themselves to animals, they then wrote some great sentences about what makes them, them. The class then learnt about adjectives, and we read Oliver’s Vegetables. The children described the vegetables they saw and when Oliver found them. Currently, the children are building on their sentence structure and adjectives to describe what they’ve seen on the journey home from somewhere – based on The Journey home from grandpa’s,
The children have been learning about the importance of place value in Maths. They have looked at how to represent numbers, count numbers and compare numbers. They have used Numicon, cubes and objects from around the classroom to represent the numbers. We are moving on to comparing numbers using symbols and will investigate the term ‘value’ in more depth.
In Science, the children have looked at the human body and how the senses are used through the body. They have drawn around each other, labelled themselves and explored the senses and how we use them. They have looked at how sound can be affected by things like distance and volume. This week we have written predictions about which condition will make it easiest for us to read letters from a poster and explored how sight can be affected due to certain conditions, like distance and light.
Eliot
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Reception
It is hard to believe that Reception have been in school three weeks, they have settled so beautifully it feels as though they have always been here. To begin their journey in Reception the children explored themselves. We looked at the stories ‘The Koala Who Could’ and ‘The Lion Inside’, discussed overcoming fears and the children created sensory bottles to help calm them if they are feeling anxious. They used their phonic knowledge to write about something they are excited to accomplish this year and something they wanted their new teachers and class to know about them. Reception developed their fine motor skills by creating patterns and their initials. Finally the class transformed themselves into butterflies, we discussed symmetry and worked hard to create symmetrical patterns.
The children then discussed their families and how each family differs but is ultimately the same, as they are full of love. Reception drew portraits of their families and attached them to food containers to make lanterns. The class also looked at the story ‘Every House On Every Street’, writing how it is our loved ones that make our house feel like a home. Reception used recycled materials to design their dream homes. They looked at the story ‘What We’ll Build’ and imagined what they would build and with whom.
This week the class began their exploration of the topic ‘Light and Dark’. We looked at the stories ‘Orion and The Dark’ and ‘The Dark’. The children brainstormed what they thought the dark would sound like, look like and feel like within the stories and how the stories challenged their preconceived expectations. The class created their own silhouettes by looking closely at their profiles. The children also created a shadow puppet theatre with portraits of themselves and their shadows, We explored the artist Jackson Pollock and used his artwork as inspiration when creating a background for our display and to decorate their shadow puppet theatres. In maths the children continued their exploration of symmetry and repeating patterns. We used a range of materials to create symmetrical transient art.
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Upstairs Nursery
What a busy first 2 weeks of term we all had Upstairs! The children have settled well into their new environment, have quickly learned the routines, and have started to form friendships. It has been wonderful getting to know them and finding out about their interests, likes and dislikes.
The children enjoyed celebrating what makes them special by creating their self-portraits using various art techniques to represent their features. The Picasso inspired ones revealed their awareness and knowledge of 2D shapes, as they carefully arranged them to make their picture. Playful exploration of loose parts also gave the children the opportunity to learn by trial and error and develop their creative thinking skills. The symbolic nature of Transient Art sparked the children’s curiosity and interest, prompting dialogue with peers and language development. It was wonderful to see the children observing themselves using mirrors and photographs and exploring facial expressions!
During our Philosophy for Children sessions, we encouraged the children to explore the possible answers to questions such as ‘What would it be like if we were all the same?’ and ‘Are people perfect?’. Here are some of their thoughtful comments:
Dylan: “It’s good to be the same and different – everybody has different hair.”
Lorelle: “It’s good to be different, it’s fun! You can wear nice clothes.”
Ivy: “It would be a bit confusing – we won’t know who Mummy and Daddy is.”
Iris: “We’ll confuse people and call everyone the same name.”
The children had lots of fun joining in with their first Dance, Spanish, Music and PE sessions. They demonstrated active listening skills and enjoyed opportunities to creatively express themselves in different ways.
Mihaela and Jess
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Downstairs Nursery
Welcome to the new school year! In the Downstairs Nursery class, the children have started our topic of ‘All About Me’ and are happily engaged in various activities that help with a sense of belonging.
They have been enjoying getting to know one another by sharing family pictures and discussing special moments. The children also loved the opportunity to explore their facial features by using a mirror and painting them on paper plates. This activity allowed them to observe and appreciate their characteristics. Don't miss the chance to admire their unique creations when you visit the classroom!
This week, we've focused on developing coordination and gross motor skills through an exploration of the five senses. With music, dance, stretching, and sensory activities, everyone has been keen to participate. Our hands-on approach sparks curiosity as they explore different smells, textures, and tastes. During our local walks, they're also learning to describe what they hear and see, strengthening their language skills.
Lastly, we have been reinforcing the rules of our classroom through circle time activities. The children are encouraged to use 'kind hands', 'gentle words', and practice 'good sharing'. We are proud of the positive behaviour and harmonious learning environment that’s emerging.
The Downstairs Nursery
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