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Picture in the playground created by Ottilie and Freya.
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Dear Parents,
Under 3 weeks of term left to go and there is a real buzz in the air! The creative arts are taking centre stage, with rehearsals under way for the end of term concerts and classes preparing art works for the Winter Fair and the 50th anniversary celebrations.
Without giving too much away, the art for the 50th anniversary celebrations has been inspired by the children’s feelings about being at The Children’s House. Pupils have thought about the experience of being at this school, choosing one word that expresses this for them. What would your word be as a parent? Each class is also working on their own projects, some relating to the architecture of our unique learning spaces, some to the history of the school and the nature of learning. Art has been inspired by artists as far ranging as Kandinsky, Lubiana Himid and Hukosai and there’s been paint, crinkly cellophane, and lots of gluing. There has also be some digital documentary making. All will be revealed at The Winter Fair!
The staff here really are a wonderfully creative team, and I wanted to share news from one in particular – Bronia. Bronia is a very talented creative artist and storyteller, who works as a TA throughout the Upper School two days a week. Her company, One Moment In Time Storytelling, travelled to Europe last month to perform a puppet show that has been enjoyed by many of the younger pupils at The Children’s House.
The Company were invited to perform The Enormous Turnip at the annual Festivalul International de Teatru in Lasi, Romania The show played at three venues across the city, and was seen by approximately 200 children.
The traditional story is well known in Romania, where the title literally translates as ‘Giant Radish’. This was an exciting opportunity to encounter the work of other storytelling and theatre practitioners from around the globe, and to have the show translated live on stage into the beautiful Romanian language. All in all, a grand adventure for a tiny, hand-crafted cast of puppets, that all pack down into a single suitcase. See photos!
Last week was Anti bullying Week, and you may have seen the photo of everyone showing off their odd socks in assembly on Friday (photo below), celebrating diversity. Mindfulness colouring at breaktime offered children a choice of sheets about kindness, and pupils engaged in age appropriate discussions about bullying, how we can promote kindness and what to do if we think someone is being treated unfairly. In Key Stage 2, older pupils discussed the difference between banter and making fun of others, thinking about how this might impact on others.
Following on from this, staff at the Upper School discussed our newly updated Behaviour Policy (on the website), sharing, as we always do, ideas and reflections, ensuring fairness and a consistent approach through the school.
On the weekend of Junior Eurovision, two of our very own musicians played for us in the Celebration Assembly this morning: Well done to Evie and Michael, for renditions on the piano and electric guitar: Stars in the making.
We’re feeling particularly celebratory in the office today, as I have just received an email from the DfE granting our material change, meaning that our application to increase the age range of pupils to 11 has now been approved.
Have a wonderful weekend
Ellie
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I'm delighted to share the updates on what we have been up to over the past couple of weeks. The photos below speak for themselves - all the children are happily immersed in their learning at the Nursery. Downstairs they have been learning about "People Who Help Us," by role playing vets, nurses, doctors, and firefighters. It's been incredible to see their enthusiasm as they gain valuable insight into these important jobs.
In Pre-Reception class the children learned about the nocturnal world of animals. Discovering the features and habitats of these creatures, they engaged in well planned hands-on activities, such as measuring animal footprints and cooking owl biscuits. It has been lovely to hear the children enthusiastically share interesting facts about nocturnal animals during snack time.
Our staff have been at the forefront of creating an environment that nurtures learning and growth. Through observations of their work over the last fortnight, we've seen them actively implement strategies to support children's language development, critical thinking, and social and emotional well-being. It's wonderful to see their commitment to providing the best possible education on a daily basis.
We are excited to share that Islington will be assessing our teaching practices next term. Our goal is to be recognised and added to the register of good practice by summer. We're confident that the team’s passion and hard work will shine through during this evaluation.
Have a great weekend,
Taiba
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Upper School Upcoming Dates
W/c 27th Nov - Parents' Evenings
Fri 1st Dec - 50th Anniversary Winter Fair
Fri 8th Dec - Christmas Party (more info to follow)
Weds 13th Dec - Christmas Concert 2-3:30pm
Thurs 14th Dec - End of term 12pm
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Nursery School Upcoming Dates
Fri 8th Dec - Christmas Party (more info to follow)
Fri 1st Dec - 50th Anniversary Winter Fair at the Upper School
Thurs 14th - Christmas Concert 10:30am
Thurs 14th Dec - End of term 12pm
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Combining two of this term's themes - balance and rocks, the children have been engaged in the activity of stone balancing during their playtimes. Coordination, patience and teamwork all played a part in their explorations. The record so far is 8 stones in one tower!
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Anti-Bullying Week: Say No to Bullying!
This fortnight, our main focus has been on creating a friendly and inclusive atmosphere. Bullying, which deliberately hurts others, is something we're actively discouraging. It can leave people feeling sad, scared, or left out. Instead, we're encouraging open speaking out if someone is unkind. Being consistently kind to our friends is another big part of making our school a thriving community. Rather than using labels, we're concentrating on behaviours, understanding that everyone can learn and grow to be kinder. Together, we're like a team choosing kindness. If someone seems sad, let's be there for them.
Our school is a happy place for everyone!
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Art and Design
We have enjoyed malleable art in the form of clay. Everyone squished, rolled, shaped and cut out Christmas shapes in preparation for the creation of ornaments or elements for card and picture making in the run up to the festive season.
They are now in the process of being prepared for the final sparkles to be added. Everyone is excited at the prospect of adding bling.
Lines, tones and gradients were the focus of our study in the theory of mark making.
We started with evenly spaced concentric circles, horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines which evolved into shapes such as squares and diamonds. This progressed into creating tones with lines using sketching techniques such as hatching, stippling and scribbles to make a gradient of tones.
On completion they are encouraged to make their own design in their sketchbooks incorporating some of the mark making techniques they have just learnt.
Years 3 and 4 did the same project using ink.
All of the classes had the opportunity to display their work and had great discussions about their expectations, commenting on each other’s pieces and giving constructive opinions about whether the objectives were met.
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PE and Games
As we approach the end of the winter term, I am thrilled to highlight the students' remarkable progress in Physical Education. Their dedication to developing coordination, balance, and sportsmanship has been truly inspiring.
In our Nursery program, our youngest learners have been spinning around in different ways; using their feet, hands, backs, and even bellies. They have been exploring various movements to enhance their coordination and balance. Games like "Cross the River" have captivated their imaginations, making physical activity an exciting adventure.
Our Reception class has concluded a period of massive improvement in balance and gross motor coordination. Engaging games such as "Crocodile" have played a pivotal role in refining their skills. Moving forward, they embark on a new phase of learning, exploring a world of diverse jumps.
In Year 1 and Year 2, our students have been mastering the art of balance, taking on increasingly challenging tasks. They've successfully navigated a variety of obstacles, showcasing their skills, as you can see in the pictures below. Beyond individual accomplishments, they've also embraced group games, such as "Dodgeball-balance, or Piranhas" where dynamic balance is key to dodging a ball while standing on a bench.
Finally, we have some exciting news from the hockey field! Our Year 3 and Year 4 students, having already consolidated fundamental skills such as dribbling, passing, and ball control, have taken their learning to the next level by incorporating two new skills to their repertoire: aiming and tackling.
These sets of skills have allowed them to play 1vs1 and 2vs2 games where they have been able to demonstrate their learning, highlighting their growth both athletically and educationally.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead!
Pablo
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Spanish
Hola a todos,
We want to share how much fun the past two weeks have been in our Spanish classes. In Nursery, the little ones are learning Christmas songs and practising a super song they'll share soon.
Reception has been fantastic, decorating their room with a display about jungle animals. They have worked hard, and their creativity shines through.
In Year 1, you can already feel the Christmas spirit with the songs they are practising. It is going to be great!
To make things even more exciting, Y2, Y3, and Y4 are preparing a special surprise. Soon, we will get to see them showcasing their Spanish in an incredible way! They are thrilled to share it with all of us.
The magic of Christmas is alive in our Spanish classes. We are sure you will love the presentations the kids are preparing with lots of love.
Stay tuned for more exciting news and festive events in our beloved school.
Martha
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Tech For Good
Reception: Our youngest learners are making leaps in digital confidence. They've become adept at signing in and out independently, demonstrating a keen understanding of eSafety agreements on the spot.
Year 1: Exploring computer activities, Year 1 is engrossed in sorting items through engaging 'Grouping' activities. These exercises lay the foundation for essential computer skills.
Year 2: Year 2 is elevating their skills by creating programs featuring interactive buttons. This hands-on experience enhances their understanding of basic programming structures.
Year 3: Taking a more strategic approach, Year 3 is now planning scenes and algorithms before incorporating them into their programs. This forward-thinking method instils problem-solving skills.
Year 4: Building on their foundation, Year 4 continues to delve into advanced aspects of computer programming. They are mastering the art of making computers repeat actions and understanding decision-making in programs.
Online Safety Reminder: For parents and caregivers, we recommend tools like Google Family Link, Apple ScreenTime, and Microsoft Family Safety. Ensuring a safe online environment for your children is a shared responsibility.
Click here for useful resources and check out Internet Matters for additional online safety tips.
David
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In the last newsletter, we shared our historical adventures at The British Museum. This time, we get to share another expedition, but of the musical variety. On Tuesday, Year 3 and 4 visited The Barbican to attend a special retelling of the story of Diwali by the London Symphony Orchestra. The orchestral leaders took the time to introduce and explain the lesser-known instruments to the children before the storytelling began. Unlike usual performances, the children we encouraged to dance, sing and engage with the orchestra as they play. After fighting my teacher instincts and allowing the children out of their seats, it was beautiful to watch the pure excitement, curiosity and joy emanating from all the faces of TCHS pupils. As well as experiencing the performance as spectators, the children also performed ‘Jai Ho’ by A. R. Rahman alongside the orchestra. A special thank you to Olivia, our wonderful music teacher, who worked so incredibly hard to prepare the children for this performance. It really was an all round musical spectacular. Due to the number of children from different schools in the auditorium, it made it difficult to take pictures without including other schools, but here are some photos from the day.
Back in school, the creativity continued, with Emily beginning the Winter Fair art projects with the children. Without revealing too much information ahead of the exhibit, the children have started to take the designs to reality. Below, you can see the children applying a base layer of paint to their creations.
For the past two weeks, Year 4 have really been driving forward with their X tables. Whilst ultimately X table facts must be memorised, we are also able to explain the concepts within times tables with the children. One of these is commutativity – that multiplication can be completed in either way to produce the same result. For example, 2x9 = 9x2. This can be incredibly helpful for children learning their X tables as when they come across a fact they don’t know, they may be able to ‘flip’ the fact around and answer using a fact that they do know… I may not know my 9s, but I know my 2s, so I can answer 2x9 quickly. We also discussed multiplication as ‘lots of’ and repeated addition. 4x3 = 3+3+3+3 = 12. The reason that we use multiplication rather than repeated addition is because it is much more efficient. As always, please continue to push the X table practice at home – little and often will yield the best long term retention. Below is a sample of Maths work form the last two weeks highlighting some of the work from lessons.
We hope you all have a great weekend,
Chris and Emily
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Year 3
Year 3 have been getting stuck into their most recent Stone Age lessons all about Stone Henge. They looked at various theories for its existence, such as a healing place, a music venue or even a burial ground. Evidence for these theories was collected with questions still remaining written alongside before creating their very own Stone Henge model out of... biscuits! The children used different kinds of biscuits to create the bluestones, sarsen stones and lintel tops before joining them to create trilithons (meaning three stones in Greek!). They did such a good job they were even allowed to eat some of the leftovers on the way home.
Our PSHE focus this week was all about anti-bullying. The children came into school last Friday in their odd socks to demonstrate that we value and respect each other’s differences. We talked about what it means to be a “bystander” and an “ally”, as well as what to do if we spot bullying happening, who to turn to, or what to say if we feel uncomfortable in a certain situation.
More excitement ensued this week with our much-anticipated Key Stage 2 trip to the Barbican to watch the London Symphony Orchestra perform the story of Diwali and the Ramayana. The children had been practising the song ‘Jai Ho’ all term and were thrilled to be able to sing and dance alongside many other London schools, as well as the fantastic LSO, accompanied by extra special guests on the tabla, sitar and the Indian percussion, showcasing more traditional Indian instruments.
Alongside the theme of Diwali, the children read some Indian folk tales and myths, before acting out and retelling the story of the “Tiger Child” using their best storytelling tips. These included sound effects, facial expressions, interesting body language and voice projection. They performed their plays and listened to each other so well, finishing by giving each other compliments and tips, all in the style of Strictly! 10/10!
As our end of term draws near, we are looking forward to celebrating our Winter Fair by showcasing some art pieces from across the school. Year 3 decided to go digital and will be creating a short documentary, interviewing a handful of heads, past and present, as part of The Children’s House 50th Anniversary celebrations. The children were incredibly excited to ask questions about their time at the Children’s House and how much it has changed. We can’t wait to see what the final piece will look like.
Aisha
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Year 2
With Christmas fast approaching, Year 2 has been focussing on collaboration and teamwork. I have been so impressed with everyone’s patience, calm and kindness towards others over the last two weeks.
For the school’s “Odd Socks Day” our PHSE lesson focused on re-calling our understanding of bullying. We had a wonderful discussion and talked about some tricky subjects. Some of the children were very brave and share different things that were important to them. Everyonein the class listened and provided support and love where necessary. The togetherness and understanding of Year 2 made both myself and AnaPaula so proud.
In Literacy we have been looking at extending our sentences using adjectives and similes. We created a long list of different similes that we could use and many of the children were excited to know that they already use them in their speech and writing! We also looked at speech marks, which has brought their writing of fables to life! We practised using the speech marks with the 66 and 99 method and have been exploring how we can change our tone and voices when reading out loud phrases or sentences that have speech marks.
“A really wonderful job” James shouted excitedly.
?The first term of Numeracy is always very “number heavy” and there was a?quiet?sense of relief as we entered our Geometry unit. The children reviewed their previous learning?from?Year 1 and have started to name, identify, and count the sides and vertices of 2D and 3D shapes.?We will be moving into ‘lines of symmetry’ next week.
In Topic, we have looked into the life of Ukiyo- e artist, Katsushika Hokusai. Year 2 became art connoisseurs and worked in pairs to look in detail at one of the Hokusai’s most famous prints. The children were tasked to listen to each other and to suggest their opinions to the question prompts all about ‘The Wave’. We all agreed that we loved this picture as it has many hidden details that Hokusai added in. We also wished that we could see the original as Hokusai presented his original painting on woodblocks (which is what Ukiyo-e means). As a class we have collaborated to design a huge version of “The Wave” as we believe that this represents our school and class. We will be collaborating as a class to produce our own poem next week!
Finally, I would like to add how incredibly impressed I have been with all the children for their initial efforts with learning and practising for the Christmas show. The children’s energy and enthusiasm is infectious and we are having such fun getting ready for the 14th December.
James
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Year 1
It has been another busy couple of weeks in Year 1! The children have continued to work hard and produce some amazing pieces of work.
In Literacy, we have read the story ‘The Polka Dot Horse.’ The children have used adjectives and conjunctions to write character descriptions. Some have had a turn at hot-seating and being one of the characters from the story. The whole class recreated the story through drama and I was very impressed with how many actors we have in the class! We also began to look at making inferences about a character and the children showed a real ability at thinking about how a character would be feeling and the thoughts they might have. Finally, they have sequenced and planned the story on a story mountain. They will use this to sequence and create their own story. In Literacy over the past two weeks, we have also started looking back at how we can correct our work and make it even better by upleveling our language. I have to say, I was so impressed with the different ways the children were thinking back over and improving their work.
In Maths the children have explored shape. They began by refreshing their knowledge on 2D shapes and their properties. They then went on a 2D shape hunt to spot all the shapes they could see around the school. Then we have started to look at, name and explore the properties of 3D shapes. The children have shown a good understanding of vertices and naming other common properties of 3D shapes. Finally in Maths, the children used their amazing knowledge of shape properties to sort 2D and 3D shapes. They showed a great aptitude at finding more than one way to sort the same shapes, even if it wasn’t obvious!
In Topic the children have begun to look at how we sequence things chronologically and continued to write about their favourite toy. First, the children had to order some key dates from toy history in groups and then say which year was the oldest. They showed a good understanding of what chronological order meant and were able to put some simple dates in order. The children had a great time writing about their favourite toys again and couldn’t stop telling me about all the amazing toys they have and how they could describe them.
As part of Anti-Bullying week last week, in PSHE, the children thought about different ways we could stop bullying from happening in our school and what to do if we see any bullying happening. They all knew exactly what to do and were very kind to each when they spoke about it. We also looked at what being proud meant to them and how it feels to be proud. There was unanimous agreement that it was a great feeling to be proud. I also told each child how proud I was of them, which is a lot!
Over the next few weeks, we will be getting ready for the school Christmas concert, creating our own Polka Dot Horse story, and finishing off our topic about toys. I also look forward to seeing you all during parents evening next week to talk about your child’s progress!
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Reception
Over these past two weeks Reception have continued their exploration of space and have looked closely at the moon and the planets of our solar system. We imagined we were writing holiday brochures for the moon and developed our persuasive writing by discussing reasons to visit the moon. The class looked at a range of non-fiction books to write facts about the moon. We drew ourselves as astronauts and created a sliding picture to demonstrate the phases of the moon. The children have been exploring subtraction during our maths lessons, we have learnt the symbol minus and have subtracted numbers using concrete and pictorial representation.
This week the class looked at the story ‘Here We Are’ and developed a set of ‘rules’ that we should all follow to ensure a happy and kind planet. Reception created their own solar systems using mixed media. We used our phonics to write about a planet we would like to visit. The children used their estimation skills to predict the amount of time it would take us to travel to each planet within our solar system. We discovered it was quite a bit more than we had initially believed! Although we have had an amazing time exploring supernovas, galaxies, the moon and our solar system these past few weeks, we came to the conclusion that Neil Armstrong was most definitely correct when he said, ‘no matter where you travel, it’s always nice to get home’.
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Pre-Reception News
Last week, we learnt about nocturnal animals and discussed how they are adapted to live in the dark. The children looked at various non-fiction books and really enjoyed finding out facts about owls, bats, badgers and leopards, to name a few. Feely bag activities, where children had to identify a range of objects by touch and use exciting vocabulary to describe the objects, as well as listening to recordings of nocturnal animal sounds and linking these to pictures, encouraged the children to think about the senses that animals would have to use if they could not rely on their sense of sight.
Light, dark and shadow explorations continued throughout the week as the children raised to the challenge of organising a shadow puppet show and, after carefully drawing and cutting out their shapes, skilfully used rainbow torches to make up their own stories inside a den, using story language such as ‘Once upon a time’, ’next’ and ’in the end’.
The Gruffalo story was used as a stimulus to teach children about measuring using non-standard units as they used unifix cubes to measure and compare animal footprints. It also provided an opportunity for them to develop their creative thinking whilst using playdough and natural materials to create a dream forest for woodland animals.
Anti-bullying week provided us with an opportunity to delve deeper into exploring kindness and what it means to be a good friend, a theme we have continued to focus on this week. Through the use of Persona Dolls, children have recognised and identified emotions and injustices, problem solved to find solutions and explored strategies to help friends when they are feeling sad, worried and nervous.
“If someone is feeling sad you can give them a hug – that will make them feel better.” Eliza
“You can do this [pulls a funny expression] because that will make them feel better –it's funny!” Felix
“I share my toys with my friends!” Shane
We are looking forward to seeing what learning adventures the next couple of weeks will bring!
Mihaela and Jess
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Downstairs Nursery Newsletter
Last week, the children explored the topic of ‘People Who Help Us’. We investigated this topic through role play, circle time and small world activities. We extended language and vocabulary around the different equipment used in various roles and discussed the importance of keeping healthy. Learning about this topic helped children to make connections between themselves and the outside world.
This week we focused on our families. We looked at the children’s family pictures and identified similarities and differences between different families and among family members. The children made puppets of family members and created lovely family portraits. They used blocks to measure each other’s heights, comparing how tall they were. We also discussed kindness and how we care for each other as well as touching on extending a helping hand to those who are less fortunate.
The Downstairs Team
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