Week Ending 11th September 2015

Welcome to the new school year at Eaton Bray Academy!

We are very excited about all that we have got planned in the coming months, and are delighted to welcome lots of new children, and some new staff who have joined us as we start the new term. Over the summer holiday, the school had something of a "face-lift", with shiny new doors and windows having been fitted.

We also have new interactive whiteboards in Rabbits and Foxes Classes, and a wonderful new projector and pull down screen in the hall, which will give us plenty of opportunities for exciting assemblies.

Our new Head Boy and Head Girl have been elected, and an enthusiastic School Council is in the process of being formed.

Head Girl and Head Boy 2015/16

We have all been enjoying a bit of late summer (early autumn?) sunshine this week, none more so than our new Hedgehogs, who have had lots of fun with water play and their new "pick and mix" kitchen.  They have all settled in beautifully, and are quickly getting used to the routine of Big School!

On Wednesday we all celebrated an important milestone for Great Britain, when the Queen became the longest serving British monarch in history.  Rabbits marked the occasion with a special royal art lesson, where the children painted portraits of Queen Victoria, using lots of gold paint!

Choices has started this week, with a variety of activities on offer, and EBA Enterprise has taken off again, with craft items and tasty homemade produce being made.  Following a visit from a university student, who raised lots of money last year for an overseas challenge adventure, the children have thought of lots of fantastic ideas for their own fundraising!  The Enterprise allotment has flourished over the summer, with herbs and vegetables in abundance, including an enormous butternut squash that was cooked, and served for lunch on Thursday.  It was delicious!

A busy week in store next week, with a return trip to Kidzania taking place on Thursday for all the children in Years 1 to 6.  The following week will see a trip to Bletchley Park for our oldest classes, and Bikeability training for Year 5.  Then a Key Stage 2 Sports Day, to take up to the end of September.  We hope the sun continues to shine for a few more weeks!

Week Ending 17th July 2015

The final week of the 2014/15 school year!

The week started with Sports Day for the youngest children - Hamsters in the morning, then Hedgehogs, Otters and Squirrels in the afternoon.  The weather was rather damp and drizzly at times, but that didn't put the children off, nor the parents, who enjoyed spectating from under the cover of their umbrellas!

It's been a week of hellos and goodbyes.  On Tuesday we had an induction day for new children due to start in Pre-School in September.  Everyone is looking forward to getting to know the new children.

On Wednesday, our Year 6 children, who are leaving us to go to Secondary Schools in September, had a special celebration trip to Wicksteed Park in Northamptonshire.  They had a wonderful fun day with the Year 6 teachers and Mrs Hounslow (who is apparently a bit of a troublemaker on the dodgems!)

On Thursday morning we had a Leavers Assembly for the Year 6 children, which parents and carers were invited to attend, then the children had a tea party with a special "Goodbye" cake, made by our very own Mrs Healy.

We are so very proud of our first Year 6 group - they have been a real credit to the school this year, and we wish them all well in the future.

Thursday afternoon was great fun for all the children in the Main School, as they hosted their own version of "The Voice" talent show, complete with judges in swivel chairs, certificates for the participants, and several renditions of a certain song from the film "Frozen"...

On Friday, we had a special assembly to say a fond farewell to Mrs Norton, our Senior Teacher, who is retiring having taught here since 1989.  A whole generation of Eaton Bray children have passed through Squirrels Class over the last twenty-five years or so, and will have lovely memories of their time with Mrs Norton.  

Beautiful hand made cards and gifts were presented from each class - most having chosen green, Mrs Norton's favourite colour - and a book of memories to "Squirrel" away.  It is the end of an era for Eaton Bray Academy, and we all wish Mrs Norton a very happy retirement.

We hope that everyone has a wonderful enjoyable summer holiday, and we look forward to seeing everyone in the new school year.  Don't forget - the children are all back on Monday 7th September, except new Hedgehogs, who start on Wednesday 10th.

Week Ending 10th July 2015

What a busy, busy week - perhaps the busiest week ever for Eaton Bray Academy!

Saturday saw the village carnival, when schools and community groups from around the area got together for a colourful procession through the village.  It was a lovely day, enjoyed by all.

On Monday, parents of children in Badgers class were invited in to school for a special French Breakfast.  They enjoyed croissants, brioches, pains au chocolat and fruit juice.  The children had the opportunity to use some of the French vocabulary that they have learnt, and were delighted to serve their parents in "Le Cafe Francais"

Also on Monday, we had the first of two visits to Kidzania, for children in Reception, Year 1 and 2.  What a fantastic, but very busy place!  Children had the opportunity to experience the world of work in a child sized town - they were able to be doctors, chefs, hairdressers, shop assistants, fire fighters, racing car mechanics...  The "money" they earned could then be spent in the shop.  For more information about Kidzania please click here.

While the younger children were away, Year 4 children enjoyed a sports session with a parent who takes part in triathlons, who kindly gave his time to coach them in shot put and other athletic skills.

Staying with sport, on Tuesday, a group of our Year 5 children went to a Sports Festival at Queensbury Academy in Dunstable.  Here they took part in various sporting activities, including football, hockey, javelin and hurdles.

On Wednesday, it was Key Stage 2 children's turn to go to Kidzania.  There was additional excitement for these children, when having arrived and eaten an early lunch, the fire alarm went off, and the whole of Kidzania and the Westfield Shopping Centre had to be evacuated!  Apparently, a suspected WWII bomb had been unearthed at a nearby building site, and the whole area was cordoned off while the police and bomb disposal experts dealt with it!

Our children were all very sensible and extremely well behaved while this was all going on, and waited patiently until we were told that it was safe to return to the building.  In the meantime, many of the other school parties that had planned to spend the day at Kidzania, had gone home, so our children found that they had the place almost to themselves!  This meant no queues, and lots of time for activities for everyone to enjoy!

A very exciting day, and we even made the national papers!  Can you spot us in the Daily Mail?

Please enjoy a slideshow of photos from both days at Kidzania:



Thursday was Open Day, when parents had the opportunity to come in to school and look at the work their children have been doing over the course of the year.  This was followed on Friday morning by our "Meet the Teachers" session, when parents and children were able to spend some time with the teacher that they will be with next year.  It was lovely to see some new faces, both children and teachers!

On Friday, our EBA Enterprise children got digging and labelling and put all the finishing touches to their products, ready to sell at the EBA Farmers' Market that was set up in the playground after school.  The market was a wonderful success, and many products sold out very quickly - especially the onion marmalade (which looked delicious...)  A wonderful end to their year of enterprising activities!

Week Ending 3rd July 2015

Our Family Fun Day on Saturday was an enormous success!  Thank you to everyone who attended.  Please enjoy a selection of photos which show some of the exciting activities that were on offer.

 

Some people may have been unaware that on Monday, it was International Mud Day!  Hamsters Class celebrated this special event, with lots of muddy play, and the opening of their new "mud kitchen".

Please visit www.worldforumfoundation.org to find out more about International Mud Day, and the principles behind this idea.

On Tuesday evening, a group of our oldest children had the opportunity to perform in a Musical Celebration Concert, at the Grove Theatre in Dunstable.

Children from across Central Bedfordshire demonstrated the musical skills they have learned and developed over the year - our Year 5 and 6 children have all been learning the ukulele, and performed for their parents.  We also had contributions from individuals who have been learning other instruments; trombone, violin, recorder...

What an entertaining evening, made all the more enjoyable for our children, by pizza for tea back at school, between the afternoon rehearsal and the evening performance!

We have experienced some of the hottest weather for a decade this week, and in true EBA style, our children have continued to work hard and be productive both in the classroom and on the sports field, in spite of the heat.  

Key Stage Two children enjoyed a day of rugby training and an inter-schools tag rugby tournament, organised and hosted by the Dunstable Rugby Club.  Rabbits went on Monday, and played well enough to reach the semi-finals, losing only after extended extra time, to the eventual winners.  Badgers Class' turn was on Wednesday, when the temperature hit 30°.  They managed to stay cool, reach the final... and lost by just one try!  Well done teams.

Rabbits had great fun in the classroom this week, creating cartoons using an online resource called toondo.com.  The cartoon below provided a welcome reprieve from the stifling heat!

Our EBA Enterprise children were back in the kitchen on Friday, chopping and slicing vegetable to make red onion marmalade, spiced pickled beetroot and carrot relish to sell at their EBA Enterprise Farmer's Market.  Do come along on Friday 10th July, 3.30 - 4.00pm, when a selection of wonderful home-grown and home made products will be on sale.

The Village Carnival is tomorrow.  Watch out for us as we "sail" past on our Titanic themed float.  (We hope to float, not sink!)