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Junior News 15 October 2021 |
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As we approach the half term break, there is a marked difference in the weather which has become more “mists of mellow fruitfulness” over the last week or so, marking the move into autumn proper. Whilst pupils and staff alike are ready for the break offered at this point, it is noticeable that the community is still very much enjoying our refound freedoms. As a staff body we have been reflecting on the theme of ‘unlearning’ – the idea of deciding what positives from the Covid-era we can continue to take forward, and what ‘old ways’ of working we can leave behind. Something that is very clear is that a school needs its parents and pupils in the building, face-to-face as much as possible; this has been brought into sharp focus as we have welcomed back parents from every part of the school community to a range of events from Nursery Stay and Play, Junior School Class Assemblies and Parents’ Evenings, Senior School Welcome Evenings, our first Parent Talk of the year and, of course, our Whole School Open Day. There is no online platform that can replicate the experience of the thousands of interactions one has both verbally and non-verbally at these events. The small issues and questions that can be instantly answered and resolved without having a virtual ‘hands up’ on a screen whilst the host fails to notice it! I want to thank all of our parents, pupils and staff for giving their time freely to participate and engage with school, now perhaps more than ever, to reconnect and reset. Academically, the whole school has been purposeful and aspirational. As the Year 13 students polish their UCAS applications, the pre-schoolers experience their first ever Harvest Festival assembly. As the Senior School pupils prepare for their House Storytelling (in film for the first time) so the Junior School pupils have been considering the theme of personal character and what they feel represents a Northampton High School pupil’s best characteristics. With trips and visits back on the horizon we have already taken groups of students out to experience wider education, and more will come. Meanwhile we have not forgotten the many school experiences that transitional year groups, in particular, have missed out on and are carefully working on ways of ensuring these are made up for where we can. On a personal level, I would like to thank colleagues, parents and pupils for your kind and thoughtful messages and words of support over this half term. Northampton High School, right now, is exciting and thriving on new opportunities. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be leading a supportive and positive school which consistently demonstrates values of kindness and inclusion whilst demonstrating the individual spirit at its core; many schools claim to foster individuality but I think the High School walks that walk particularly well. I wish you all a very lovely half term break, whether you are taking the opportunity to travel or stay closer to home, I hope you get some family time and rest. Mrs O’Doherty |
Achievements |
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Each week in our assembly, girls are invited to share their achievements in activities outside of school. They are listed below for this week:
Playground Stars:
Also a big thank you to all the girls who have contributed ideas for playground games and decorations. |
Head's Commendation Awards |
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On Wednesday this week, we were delighted to honour another group of pupils for their efforts with the Head’s Commendation Award. Nominated by their teachers, pupils joined Mrs O’Doherty for a celebratory tea party ahead of receiving their certificates as a reward for their achievements. Congratulations to the following students who were awarded Commendations this time: Simangaliso N-M: They created the chant/rap for their House Brag (Selene), and the House went on to win! Sima also helped out on Open Day and spoke about her experience of Year 7 so far in the Senior Hall to parents and students. Amelie B: They created the chant/rap for their House Brag (Selene), and the House went on to win! Amelia N: For a wonderful piece of writing. Evie F: Selected for the U15 Loughborough Lightening Squad (Netball). This is AMAZING! Varnikaa S: She’s helping out at Classics Club, but also appeared throughout Open Morning and, given she only joined in Year 8 and did fast track Latin, did an absolutely sterling job in ‘selling’ the department and school to parents. Eve C: She not only works exceptionally hard throughout the day but she has been complimented by staff for her polite and calm manner; when another child in Year 1 or 2 is upset for any reason she is the first to go and comfort them. A very good role model for Year 2! Mrs Wilmot |
Messages for parents |
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Diwali 2021 It will be lovely to see girls wearing their Diwali outfits to school on Thursday 4 November. Dates for your Diary –
Just as a reminder, the GAP Club phone number is 07816 751456; please do keep this number handy, so that you have direct access to the GAP team should you need it. |
Class Assemblies |
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We are pleased to welcome back parents and grandparents to our Wednesday Class Assemblies, 8.35am-8.55am. Refreshments will be served in the Community Room from 8.15am. We do hope you will be able to join us.
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GDST Author visit with Jacqueline Wilson |
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Today, Years 4, 5 and 6 were extremely excited to be invited to meet Jacqueline Wilson, in the virtual world. It was a pleasure to hear Jacqueline talk so passionately about her love of books and the writing process, and we cannot wait to read her new novel, ‘The Primrose Railway Children’, inspired by E. Nesbit’s timeless classic. I am sure there will be a queue to read the signed copy, donated to our Junior School library! |
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A special mention must go to Angelie in 4N as her question was chosen as one of the few Jacqueline had time to answer – well done, Angelie! I hope this visit inspires all of the girls to enjoy a good book or two during the break! Mrs Fordham |
U9 Hockey vs Broughton Manor |
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Northampton High’s Year 4 Hockey team had an exciting end to their week last Friday, as they played against Broughton Manor at home. It was the first time participating in a Hockey match for many of the girls and there was a fantastic turn out of spectators to cheer on both teams. All of the girls put in a fantastic effort. This paid off towards the end of the first half when a surging attack saw the ball knocked into the goal by a Broughton foot. 1-0 Northampton High. Despite many near chances to follow from Northampton, and some impressive runs made by Broughton’s forward, the score remained 1-0. Northampton’s players and coach, were absolutely delighted with the result and look forward to their next match later in the term. Congratulations to Poppy who was selected as Player of the Match! Miss Wall |
Harvest Festival |
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On Tuesday afternoon Nursery, Pre School and Reception all came together to celebrate Harvest. We sang songs and listened to the story of ‘The Little Red Hen.’ We thought about how grateful we are for the lovely school lunches and the food we have available each day. Donations of tinned food were brought into school and we amassed over 70 items, which are being distributed to food banks around Northamptonshire. |
Nursery - Kipper Room and Elmer Room |
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We have had a very full week. We have tried leaf printing, with leaves that we collected from Forest School the week before. The girls have also created paintings with different autumn colours. They seemed interested in what colours they could make when they mixed all the colours together. “Oh no, colour gone!” Naavya told me. On Tuesday, the girls had another good Ballet lesson where we walked on our tiptoes like fairies, our hands turned into fireworks and our toes were very good. “Look I’m a fairy!” Danaya said excitedly. On Wednesday, we had some leftover shredded wheat in a tray with some farm animals, the girls were interested in the feel of the shredded wheat. “It feels like sand,” Miracle told me. The girls also seemed to be interested in the sound that the shredded wheat made when it was broken up. |
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Thursday was a fun day for the girls and their parents as we enjoyed our Stay and Play at Forest School, with lots of different activities for parents and children to enjoy. We used a magnifying glass to see what we could find around the forest, sheets to make dens, a variety of books to sit and read and a ladder to climb the tree. Finally, on Friday we went back down to Forest School for our weekly walk. We observed the environment on the way down and focused on our learning about senses. We talked about what we could hear and see, the girls observed the different leaves on the ground and on the trees and the cars driving past on the road outside the school. As it is half term next week, we hope you have a lovely holiday and we will see you all soon. Half term challenge: We shall be exploring ‘what is blue?’ If you have any items or materials, photos etc., that are blue or things that make you think about the colour blue we could use to create an interest table, please send them in for the girls to explore. |
Nursery - Pre School |
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This week in Pre School, we have been focusing on our feelings. Our story of the week has been ‘Owl Babies’ which has extended the girls’ thoughts to consider the feelings of others as well as themselves. “They’re sad because they want their Mummy,“ said Sahana. “He is scared because they are in the dark forest,” said Isabella. In French, we have been learning a simple exchange: “How are you? I’m good/not so good. “Ça va bien! (I’m doing good!)” said Anaya . Some of the girls loved pretending to be feeling unhappy! On Tuesday, Pre School joined the Reception and Nursery classes in the school hall for a special Harvest Festival assembly. Thank you again for your kind donations for the local food banks. |
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In the exploration area, the pumpkin that has been part of our Autumn interest table was cut open so the girls could explore the inside of it. There was a range of engagement in this activity, from feeling the sticky flesh to using the seeds for counting. “There is a hundred,” Ula speculated. We have kept a few seeds aside to see if we can grow our own pumpkin! Our trip down to Forest School was more of a treat than usual as we were joined by lots of our parents, a grandad, a nanny, and also a little sister. We all had a wonderful time and hope everyone got a good rest and a well-deserved drink afterwards! Have a great half term break, to those that are off for the next two weeks. |
Reception |
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This week we have been thinking about circles and triangles. We learnt about Kandinsky and his circle painting and then had a go at our own concentric circle paintings. We found out that triangles having straight sides meant that they could fit together without a gap, but circles being curved did not fit together. We enjoyed potato printing triangle shapes and making circle collages. More activities linked to the Goldilocks story have included looking at speech bubbles and thinking what the three bears were saying and then pretending to be Goldilocks and thinking how and what she would say to be sorry for what she did. While learning about senses we have focussed on our ears for listening. We played a listening game where you had to guess the sound, which proved to be very funny, especially the sound of someone blowing their nose! |
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Our letter sounds this week have been ‘c’ and ‘k’, two different letters making the same sound. Activities have included coiling caterpillars and making kites. It was lovely to be able to hold in-person Parents’ Evenings and feedback about how well all the class members have settled into their new routines and expectations. Wishing you all a relaxing half term break! |
Year 1 |
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We have had so many exciting learning experiences this week including working with Year 5 partners in our PE lesson, using musical instruments to make a composition about the weather in music – a highlight being taking it in turns to be the conductor and follow a graphic score, not to mention learning about emotions in French. The class should be incredibly proud of how they have settled into Year 1 and how hard they have worked, every day. We are all tired now from the effort we have put in and need a well deserved break. It has been such a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet parents this week and share the progress the girls are making.
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What the girls have said: “The Year 5 girl I did gym with was really nice.” Dulcie. Looking ahead: Addition and finding a part I wish you a lovely half term holiday. |
Year 2 |
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This week in Maths we have been using our number bonds to 10 and 20 to help us add and subtract a 1-digit number from a 2-digit number. In English, we have been working on our joined-up handwriting and thinking about words we can use to join sentences to help explain things. During Science, we used the iPads to find out about a nocturnal animal and write a fact file. |
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What the girls have said: “I have enjoyed learning with my friends this week.” Isabella. Looking ahead: After half term I would really like to move the girls on with their hockey by using the hard (larger) hockey balls. For this they will all need mouth guards (these must be moulded at home), shin pads and hockey socks. If they don’t have the correct kit they will still have to practise and play with the sponge balls! The first Wednesday after half term we have our trip to Milton Keynes Museum. The girls need to wear their school uniform and coat. They may bring a small snack in a disposable wrapper that can fit into their coat pocket; a packed lunch will be provided by school. Maths – adding and subtracting two 2-digit numbers. |
Year 3 |
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This week in Maths we have been practising column addition and subtraction. All the girls have been working carefully and methodically to solve many different calculations. In English, we have been working towards writing our own set of instructions ensuring that we include all the various features we have been learning about, including imperative verbs and prepositions, to help add specific detail. In Science, we learned about how fossils are formed. We matched some skeletons and fossil formations to their matching diagrams, and we even tried a little bit of fossil digging! In Humanities, we explored a virtual Iron Age hillfort. We thought carefully about what life would have been like living on a hillfort creating a storyboard to share some of the things people would have done in their daily lives. We also had a fantastic morning down at Forest School this week making our own natural paints. We created lots of different colours and pictures with them. |
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What the girls have said: “I have liked writing some instructions about how to wash a woolly mammoth.” Evette. Looking ahead: Class trip to Hazard Alley, Milton Keynes, Tuesday 2 November 2021. |
Year 4 |
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In Maths, we have looked at subtraction and making more than one exchange in 4-digit numbers. We competed to create the longest caterpillar in a halving investigation and identified the best type of number to start with. In English, we wrote a newspaper report about the siting of the strange Iron Man at the top of the cliff. We were really pleased with what the girls produced, they used features such as facts/opinions, quotes from witnesses, and catchy headlines. 4N even had a visit from one of the witnesses! In Science, we checked our understanding at the end of our electricity topic and produced posters full of facts and information. Finding out our parts in the Christmas play ‘A Midwife Crisis’ was a highlight of the week too. We had lots of discussions about how this will be a whole year group activity. We are supporting each other and everyone is on stage and acting for the whole performance even if they are not actually speaking. The girls have been asked to start learning their words over the half term holiday if at all possible. Rehearsals start as soon as we return to school. |
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What the girls have said: Looking ahead to next term: Dates for your diary: • Trip to Hazard Alley Tuesday 2 November. Girls will need to be in PE kit. This is the first Tuesday back after half term. All girls need to bring a small ruck sack to carry their lunch, including those who are having a school packed lunch We have had a great first half term with the girls, they have all settled well and are working hard. Wishing you all a lovely half term break. Mrs Smith and Mrs Shaw |
Year 5 |
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Wow! We made it! I can’t quite believe how much Year 5 have managed to pack into this half term – a charity event, a residential and a Class Assembly, not to mention all their lessons. We have had a wonderful start to the year and it has been great talking to the girls individually this week about how they think their learning is going. They had some really insightful and honest reflections which will enable them to grow as learners all year. |
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What the girls have said: “On Tuesday we helped the Year 1 girls with their Gymnastics lesson and we were doing balances and jumps. I was working with a girl called Eloise and Risara was working with Evie. We were using a hoop and a ball to balance and jump. I enjoyed the lesson because it was fun working with some younger girls and teaching them how to do the skills.” Maya. “I enjoyed researching Jacqueline Wilson with my partner because it was really interesting finding out about her and her books. The most interesting thing that we found out was that she wrote her first book when she was 9 and was writing stories when she was 7! When I found that out it made me feel really excited because if I really wanted to write a book at this age now, I would be way more confident.” Harriet and Jessica Have a wonderfully relaxing half term holiday, Miss Brandon-Jones |
Year 6 |
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It is hard to believe that half term is upon us already – doesn’t time fly? Reflecting on this half term Miss Taylor and I are incredibly impressed with the way the girls have settled into life in Year 6. They have embraced their leadership roles and strive to be the best role models that they can be to the rest of the school. This week we have enjoyed an array of challenging activities from learning about long division in Maths to furthering our understanding of interdependence, in Science, through the study of ecosystems in the Wild Area and dissecting owl pellets. |
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What the girls have said: “My highlight was when we went to the Wild Area in Science and did lots of different activities. My favourite one was dissecting owl pellets because we saw lots of different types of bones.” Mollie. Looking ahead: Wishing you all a wonderful break. Karen Fordham and Nicola Taylor
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GAP Club |
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The girls have helped to make play dough and then enjoyed exploring the dough to make wonderful creations, played games and made creations with mosaic. We have also been making the most of the light nights and playing outside. |
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What the girls have said: “Playing with the playdough.” Aria, Reception. If you need to contact GAP Club after 4.30pm please call the Gap Club mobile on 07816 751456. |
Raise Her Up - International Day of the Girl |
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To celebrate #InternationalDayoftheGirl, the GDST are delighted to have released a special episode of the #RaiseHerUp podcast, where they speak to writer & columnist Chloe Combi all about ‘Generation A’. Join us as we explore how this generation are navigating their way through adolescence amid the perennial themes and challenges of social media, independence, sexuality, mental health – and all as we rebuild after Covid. How do they see themselves? What does it mean to be a female member of Gen A? And what are our roles as educators, parents and carers in nurturing them? It’s a fascinating episode, we hope you enjoy it. Listen here, https://bit.ly/3v36jHl, or find #RaiseHerUp wherever you get your podcasts from. Mr Nash |
Reunited in song! |
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The Northampton High School Ladies Choir is delighted to be back singing together in person again after a long absence caused by COVID. Over the various lockdowns, the group kept in touch over Zoom and WhatsApp, and were proud to have produced a unique recording of a piece of music written for them based upon a poem by local poet John Clare. Group singing was one of the last activities to be allowed again so it’s wonderful to reconnect and reap the physical and mental health benefits of this activity.
The choir, under the leadership of opera singer and music teacher, Mrs Catriona German, meet on a Thursday evening from 7.30-9pm at the High School during term time and enjoy a mixed repertoire, depending on the season. Current focus is now the Christmas Concert which takes place at All Saints’ Church, Northampton on Wednesday 15 December. New members are always welcome to join the group which is currently a mix of parents of girls at the High School, teachers, friends, and friends of friends! There are no auditions and being able to read music is not a pre-requisite: just a love of music, friendship, and wanting to take some time out to enjoy singing. For details please have a look at our Facebook page (Northampton High School Community Chamber Choir) or email Rachael Eden. Kate Thompson |
Join our Team - Minibus Drivers required |
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We are currently looking to recruit two new minibus drivers to form part of our in-house transport team. With flexible opportunities to suit all, from casual employment to fixed-term employment, we would love to welcome you into the team. For more details, such as salary, hours, and key requirements, please click here. We hope to hear from you soon! Mr Hume |
Kings Camp - October Half Term |
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We’re delighted to be hosting Kings Camps activity camps again this half-term! Kings will be returning this October following a fantastic summer; getting children active, having fun and learning together. With Multi Active, Teen Active and Rookie Academy offering age appropriate games and activities for 5-17 year olds, Kings Camps is the place to be to keep your child active this half-term. With flexible cover between 8.15am-5.45pm, Monday 23 – Friday 27 October, it’s the perfect holiday cover. Due to group restrictions by age, places for 5 year olds are very limited, please call Kings Camps Membership Team on 0114 2632160 for the most up-to-date availability. For further details about camp please click here Mr Nash |
Term Dates 21/22 |
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Term Dates 22/23 |
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Northampton High School |
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