Week Ending 3rd 2009

Woburn Safari Park - whole School trip, Thursday 2nd April

Week Ending 27th March 2009

This week Rabbits met their new class teacher, who will be joining us in the summer term. Both parties were very excited!

We now have a bird hide in our grounds. the children will finish it off by adorning it with camouflage leaves and twigs. Thank you to our Year 4 pupil who thought of the brilliant idea! So you see, wishes do come true. we try hard to accommodate the children's ideas and hence we get enthusiasm and commitment from them.

Year Four children are busy sketching ideas for their copper sculpture, and have already thought of some wonderful original ideas. Watch this space to see which design is chosen.

Another amazing change occurred in our School on Wednesday - the P.E. cupboard was transformed into an Egyptian tomb! This explains why our head teacher shrieked in fright, as she went to set up some equipment, only to be faced by a mummified body!!

The School is full of Easter bunnies and chicks... not the fluffy varieties; just wonderful Easter card designs. On Thursday, key stage one children had an "Easter Parade" - it was like being on the set of "My Fair Lady", as the wonderful hat creations strolled by!! There is even a wonderful Easter tree in Hamster. They also now have their very own "Mud Pie Menagerie", outdoors, and indoors, they have a magnificent mural, in the entrance. It depicts a garden scene, and if you look closely, you will see that the flowers are little hand prints. well done Hamsters! We are hoping to have a patio set to complete the entrance area.

Next week, lots of news about our Woburn Safari visit...

Week Ending 20th March 2009

If you are a Mum, please do not read this first paragraph! On Friday, the children could purchase a gift for their Mum, to give on Mother's day. The children found it hard to choose, as there was a lovely variety of gifts - edible, jewellery, toiletries, plants - all gift-wrapped. This week, everybody has been busily making Mother's Day cards, ranging in shapes from daffodils, tea-pots, hearts and dangling beads.

Yes Mums, you may start reading from here!

Our pond is looking wonderful again. We had forgotten how large it is! Lots of the children have already visited it, and some Badgers even rescued "Brian the Frog!" The next stage is painting the fence and shelter.

Our allotment is now planted with potatoes, leeks and carrots. The children have also planted nasturtiums, as a decoy from the vegetables, for all the munching, crunching predators out there! Rhubarb and strawberries are also flourishing, and our cook is looking forward to using them in her splendid desserts. How many of you out there saw our cook on television? Yes, once again, first prize for her delicious Italian turkey main dish. Well done! Next year, she is hoping to use mostly School-grown produce, so keep up the gardening children!

And now, a warning for all the animals at Woburn Safari Park! We are all visiting at the end of term, and looking forward to producing art work related to our visit next term.

Week Ending 13th March 2009

We finished the week by celebrating "Red Nose Day". Everyone wore something funny - staff made the children laugh due to the jokes they wore on their outfits... are you ready? "What do you call a donkey with three legs?" "Wonky!" Can you manage another???!! What initials are used for a hungry horse?" "M.T.G.G."

Children dressed in funny outfits, and it was hard to know which direction they were travelling in, as clothes were worn back to front!

Our pond is on its way to being rejuvinated. It is inhabited by many frogs, who are now happily hopping in and out , and using the new "beach" areas, as landing stages. The next phase, is to paint the fence and shelter, and put up information posts to inform the children about ponds and pond-life.

Afternoon subject this week has been science. Badgers have investigated magnets and springs and culminated their topic by making "chair and band" catapaults! Rabbits have been looking at contrasting areas. (Watch this space to discover how tall their bean plant grows to.) Squirrels have thought about "Forces", and discovered what makes vehicles move more quickly / more slowly. Hedgehogs are refurbishing their mini-beast garden... so creepy-crawlies LOOK OUT!

Week Ending 6th March 2009

The most flamboyant and exciting day this week was definitely Wednesday, when staff and pupils celebrated our World Book Day, by dressing as birds! The costumes were magnificent, with many species from foreign lands, linking to our Global Learning work. The children were treated to a talk and display by "Birds of Bray" (Look out for an article in the local press!).

On Tuesday we celebrated the achievements of many children, in Sharing Time. It is a time for invited parents to share not only their own child's/children's achievements, but also applaud the other children from all classes.

Wednesday was the evening for our Governors' Meeting, when plans for the next academic year were made.

Outside, our allotment is being gradually filled with vegetables and fruit. Our water butt is in position and we are continuing to compost daily. The next outdoor project is the rejuvenation of our pond and refurbishment of the pond shelter. After that, the children are to help design and camouflage a bird-hide. If anyone out there has a pair of binoculars that they could gift to the School, we would be most appreciative!

Week Ending 27th February 2009

Time is flying by - the end of the first week back after half term already! Key Stage one children have been concentrating on Samuel Pepys and the Great Fire of London. We now have many "millionaires", who gained the money by answering correctly many questions, on the programme "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" Great Fire of London edition!

Key Stage two children have made their tie-dye fabrics into money containers, in many styles. Some are to be gifts for brothers, sisters or mothers... sorry Dads!

Some children have been planting in our new allotment. The fruit and vegetables are to be used in the kitchen - so five a day will be no problem!

Our whole school trip for this year has been arranged - more details soon...

Next Wednesday, we are holding our "World Book Day". The theme is birds, and everyone is invited to come dressed as a bird and bring a book with facts or a story about their chosen bird. "Birds of Bray" will visit, and we are very excited about watching them fly.

Hope you saw the lovely History Day photos in the Dunstable Gazette and Leighton Buzzard Observer.

Week ending 13th February 2009

A wintry start to the week, but as always, our School made the most of the situation. Our children discovered: why some ice shapes moved more easily than others / how to play tennis over an "ice net" / which ice statue was the tallest - even encompassing our whole School target for maths this half term.

Our younger children have been studying floral art, and now understand how to print in the style of Georgia O'Keefe. We also had a printing session incorporating "Barge Rose Art". Key Stage two children have linked their art to their Egyptian theme on History Day. The children examined an Egyptian version of the "Cinderella" story, and then worked in groups to create panels of decorated fabric, retelling the fairy tale (Bayeux Tapestry eat your heart out!)

Friday was History Day - a wonderful day when our children had fun dressing up as characters from the period of history being studied in their classes. Many children had made items for their costumes - Egyptian necklaces and bangles / kings' and queens' crowns / bakers' hats and flames. Can you guess our three topics? Don't panic is you see a few rats around ... they originated in 1666!

Have a lovely half term break!