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Junior News 16 October 2020 |
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Dear Parents and Guardians We are incredibly grateful to be back in school and to reunite our whole school community, albeit in ‘bubbles’. There are obvious benefits of being able to teach face to face, no more so than to properly reconnect with all students and colleagues and to enjoy this shared experience. We have, however, been practising and testing our blended learning approach with teaching classes face to face, simultaneously teaching students who are having to study at home due to the need to self-isolate with the family. These new practices make us all more dynamic in our teaching, and more confident in delivering polished lessons to students over a mix of platforms. Our students have adapted exceptionally well to each challenge they face and we are incredibly proud of their versatility and spirit. This term there has been a real outpouring of concern and affection for Mr Bailey following his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. This news has understandably shaken us all and we have been overwhelmed by the kind and loving messages from students, parents and staff alike. Many of you have asked how you can help and I have, in turn, discussed this with Mr Bailey. He is delighted that the school community will raise money for Challenge 24 for Pancreatic Cancer UK, which you can learn more about below, and he sends his love and thanks to all. We will continue to keep in touch with Mr Bailey and his family, and are with them every step of the way. We are grateful to Mrs Marissa Davis for stepping in as Interim Head of Junior School on a part-time basis to support staff, pupils and their families during this time. I know Mrs Davis looks forward to getting to know the pupils and their parents in due course. You will have read my letter about Mrs Headley, our Director of Finance and Operations, and her early retirement. Mrs Headley helped steer our school for over 8 years with impeccable finesse and unstinting commitment. We are sorry to say farewell to her, but we know that she leaves us in the capable hands of her experienced teams. You will see below a few photographs of just some of the projects Mrs Headley has led during her time with us. As the government guidance now allows, I would like to confirm that from Monday 2 November, we expect all students from Reception to Lower Fifth to return to school in full school uniform (full winter uniform for the Junior School girls), including the correct shoes. Those in Upper Fifth may either wear full school uniform or clothes adhering to the Sixth form Dress Code. Further detail and additional information on this can be found below. Pupils from Nursery to 6.2 have had a very full term and I am sure, at this stage, that both students and parents are now ready for a well-earned rest over the half term break. I hope you and your daughters enjoy a break together and we look forward to seeing everyone back in school relaxed and revived, ready for another exciting term. Keep well and best wishes, Mrs Caroline Petryszak |
Winter School Uniform |
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Please be aware that after our half term break, week commencing Monday 2 November, girls will need to come to school in winter uniform. |
Challenge 24 for Pancreatic Cancer UK |
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In support of Mr Bailey and his recent diagnosis, we have decided to get involved with Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month which is this November. The theme for the month is Challenge 24, because 24 people die from pancreatic cancer in the UK each day. We are encouraging staff, pupils and parents to join in with this challenge to raise awareness and funds for Pancreatic Cancer research. Challenge 24 is all about doing something for 24 days, 24 miles, 24 hours or whatever works for you. Maybe you could be sponsored to walk a mile a day for 24 hours, or run a marathon over 24 days, read a book a day, give up something you love for 24 days. Anything goes. |
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We have set up a Northampton High School Team page on the Pancreatic Cancer UK fundraising site and would encourage you to either:
Our Team Page can be found here. On Thursday 19 November, which is Pancreatic Awareness Day, we will be asking pupils and staff to wear Purple and donate £1.00 via the fundraising site. Purple is the colour of the charity. During the afternoon of 19 November we aim to get the students involved in some fun sporting events to raise awareness too. Mrs Adele O’Doherty |
Uniform reminder |
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A reminder that from Monday 2 November we expect all pupils from Reception to Lower Fifth to return in full school uniform, including the correct shoes. For Senior School students, blazers can be worn under the updated government guidance, but there is no expectation that you will purchase one over half term if your daughter does not already have one. As the weather turns colder and we are still aiming to get fresh air into classrooms, we are permitting pupils in all year groups to wear either their school PE jacket or long-sleeved top over their uniform if they do not have a blazer or if they are in the Junior School. No other jumpers, hoodies or coats should be worn in school. Pupils in Upper Fifth can either be in full uniform or clothes which adhere to the Sixth Form dress code. They should not be wearing a mixture of the two. I would like to take the opportunity to remind you of our expectations in terms of hair colour, make up and nail varnish/extensions/colour. It will be really good to see our pupils looking their very best after half term. Mrs Adele O’Doherty |
Thank you so much, Mrs Headley! |
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This week we were sorry to say farewell to Mrs Anne Headley, our Director of Finance and Operations over the past eight years, following her decision to take early retirement due to ill health. Mrs Headley joined Northampton High School in September 2012 and has made an enormous contribution to the running of the school during this time. Highlights include the extension of the Nursery provision, an extended and refurbished pavilion, a fully refurbished swimming pool and plant room, installation of a fitness suite, significant investment in our catering facilities amongst many other projects – some of which are pictured below. |
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Mrs Headley has worked tirelessly to ensure that the school is safe and compliant in the face of Covid-19 and we extend our collective appreciation for everything that she has done for the school over the years. Mrs Amanda Wilmot |
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Dates for your diary |
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Monday 19 October to Friday 30 October: Half Term |
Achievements |
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Each week in our virtual assembly, girls are invited to share their achievements in activities outside of school. They are listed below for this week: Karate LAMDA Scouts |
FoNHS: Clothes Recycling |
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A reminder about our clothing recycling facility at school. We have teamed up with Starlight Children’s Foundation, a charity that brightens the lives of seriously and terminally ill children, so that for every kg of clothing and other items recycled, Starlight receives 10p and FoNHS receives 20p. Through our recycling efforts over the last seven years, we have raised nearly £3000 for FoNHS so a huge thank you to everyone who uses the facility – over 5.5 tonnes of items going to good use (and possibly saved from landfill) and a huge boost to FoNHS funds at the same time, and we are also supporting Starlight’s incredible work with every kg of items we recycle. So if you can, please do consider using the recycling facility whenever you have a clear out. The collection “bank” is bright yellow and is situated on the pathway alongside the Junior School car park. The recycling company accepts all men’s, ladies’ and children’s clothing, paired shoes (tied together please), handbags, bags, ties, belts, towels and bedlinen. Any uniform carrying school or team logos is not accepted. Please put all items in a plastic bag before depositing them in case the bank is not watertight. Thank you very much. FoNHS |
Nursery Kipper Room and Elmer Room |
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This week we have been exploring different sensory activities. We have used flour, pretending it was snow with some of our Artic animals and also made different marks in some clay. The girls have been very active especially on Monday when they did their PE lesson. They did some balancing on a beam and practised different ball skills. The girls also enjoyed ballet on Tuesday where they showed very good listening skills and followed Mrs Windsor’s instructions well. We went to our new library to take some books home. Our story of the week is ‘Listen, Listen’ which is a story about what we see and hear through the different seasons. We went on our weekly walk on Friday down to Forest School with Mrs Waters. Reminders:
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Nursery Pre School |
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This week in Pre School we have been very busy participating in a range of activities to develop our senses. The girls used their senses on a walk around the school where they listened, looked, touched and smelt different things. The highlight was Betty joining us; the girls got to hold the lead and help take Betty for a walk. We have observed the girls showing an interest in play dough. Another favourite was music so we combined the two for a play dough disco. This is a different approach for helping the girls develop their pincer and palmer grip, helping them gain the skills for writing. The teachers had fun as well. The girls have shown an interest in their own name cards this week. After half term we will be setting up different provocations of mark marking activities to help them gain the essential skills for writing. You could create your own name card for your daughter at home so she can begin to recognise her name and the letters in the name. Also when out and about, or even in your home, you could talk about different print you see in the environment. Please can we remind all parents that girls should not be bringing toys or teddies in to school. If your daughter attends Forest School please bring along some spare socks with their spare clothes, as these often get muddy and wet while having fun jumping in puddles.
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Reception |
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This week we have been investigating the pentagon shape, the colour blue and the number 5. The girls have been experimenting mixing different shades of blue to paint their five fingers on one hand! They have practised the number 5 formation and sorted shapes according to how many sides they have and made ‘pentagon pictures’. We have been finding out about one of our senses – our fingers for feeling. The girls experienced different objects in a feely box and had to use describing words about how it felt, without saying what it was. Our phonics this week has focused on the letter sounds ‘g’, ‘o’, ‘c’ and ‘k’. Activities included writing ‘g’ in gloop, threading ‘c’ curly caterpillars and making ‘k’ kites. A highlight of the week was having a class visit from Betty and reading her stories. Thank you to everyone for joining us for Parents’ Evening, it was lovely to be able to speak to you and discuss how your daughter has settled into Reception after her first six weeks of full-time school. Wishing you all a relaxing and restful break. |
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Year 1 |
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Highlights In our English this week, we have been learning about Bossy verbs and we have used them to help us write some instructions. We have learnt how to write instructions, including a title and subheadings to help us organise our writing. We had a go at writing instructions for how to wash our hands and we even made some jam sandwiches and wrote instructions on how to make them. We have been working hard in our maths lessons and have been practising our number bonds to 10. In science, we have taken part in another experiment to work out which material would be best to make an umbrella for Ted. In geography, we have been looking at seasonal changes and we are now all very confident on the different seasons and what weather they typically bring. In our gymnastics this week, we had to find different high and low ways to travel around apparatus and then show one of our balances when we got to a mat. The girls have all worked really hard this half term and I wish you all a lovely break. What the girls have said: “I enjoyed dribbling the ball with our feet in PE.” Emily |
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Year 2 |
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Highlights: This week we have continued work on addition and subtraction in maths and we even played some maths games which helped us to practise our skills. We had lots of fun playing different games which looked at making odd and even numbers and number bonds. In English, we have been looking at instruction writing. We have explored the different features of a set of instructions and at the end of the week we made jam sandwiches! We had to think carefully about each step and afterwards we worked hard to remember to include the different features in our independent writing. What the girls have said: “I liked hockey this week and learning how to tackle.” Leah and Cristina |
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Year 3 |
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Highlights: This week, in maths, we have been continuing to add and subtract with exchanges and learning to spot patterns. In English, we have started a new book called ‘The Tear Thief’ and have been finding similes and metaphors. We also had great fun at Forest School climbing trees, finding transparent, translucent and opaque objects, making shelters, weaving wool and playing with clay. What the girls have said: “I liked Forest School when we looked for the transparent, translucent and opaque objects.” Poppy Looking ahead to after half term: After half term we will be continuing with addition and subtraction of 3-digit numbers, reading ‘The Tear Thief’ and exploring forces and magnets. |
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Year 4 |
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Highlights: In maths we practised subtracting 3 and 4-digit numbers with and without exchanges. In science we wrote the conclusion to our teeth (boiled egg) investigation and learnt about food chains. In English we planned and wrote our ‘Tar Beach’ story. What the girls have said: “I liked doing swimming on Monday because we got to do my favourite stroke which is breaststroke. To be able to glide across the water you had to squeeze your legs together.” Zoe Looking ahead to after half term:
Wishing you and your families an enjoyable half term break. Mrs Shaw |
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Year 5 |
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Highlights: This week in English we started reading ‘Robot Girl’ by Malorie Blackman. Girls had a great time comparing the different characters and doing some acting activities in order to expand some pieces of speech. There were some really good ones e.g. “Why does it look like that?” I asked… scrunching up my face in disgust. “Like what?” he snapped… furiously, his voice raising in confusion and looking like he might explode. We had a great humanities lesson researching the work of the Salvation Army in order to show how some Christians put their faith into action. Girls were really impressed with the range of different activities and support that they offer. In science we completed our ‘Living Things’ unit by looking at the life cycles of lots of different mammals and in maths we have been working really hard on column addition and subtraction. What the girls have said: “This week I enjoyed doing our English lessons on ‘Robot Girl’ and adding on to the sentences that were in the book. I also really liked doing the Venn diagram about Maisie and Claire where we had to compare their lives and think about similarities and differences. It was good listening to everyone’s ideas and then writing them in my own words.” Ellie “I enjoyed drawing and colouring a poster for World Food Day. This year people are thinking about food for everyone, especially because some people can’t afford food or are finding it difficult to shop because of the pandemic. They are celebrating food heroes like farmers, bakers and shop assistants. We also talked about the Hope Centre in Northampton that gives food and shelter to homeless people.” Mollie Looking ahead to after half term:
Dates for your diary: Tuesday 3 November – computing (ensure devices are fully charged) |
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Year 6 |
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It is difficult to believe that it is already half term and that Autumn is now in full swing! The girls have made a fantastic start to their time in Year 6 and it has been wonderful to share their successes and offer advice on next steps in their learning, during our discussions with you this week. It would be great if the girls could keep revising their multiplication facts and read daily, during half term, as these skills will be highly beneficial to them now and going forward into Senior School. As always, the girls have fully immersed themselves in the curriculum this week and have enjoyed a range of topics including learning about the importance of a balanced diet in science, using factor pairs to work out division sums in maths, completing our first book of the new Literacy Curriculum- ‘The Arrival’ by Shaun Tan – and starting our new mixed media project in Art entitled, ‘How Wild is Your Garden?’ Highlights of the week: “I really enjoyed the coding in computing – I created a game with a fish and bubbles. I programmed the game so that if you clicked the bubbles they disappeared. If you clicked the fish it said hello!” Isla M “I really enjoyed creating a seascape in art using acrylic paints. I also enjoyed playing hockey and learning to play a chromatic scale on the piano in music.” Fern “I really enjoyed debating about whether we should choose Sparta or Athens to live, in humanities. I chose Sparta because girls were given more freedom and were far more respected than in Athens.” Eloise “My highlight was activities and drama about a book called, The Arrival.” Sima “My highlight was computing because we were all trying to code to make objects underwater move up and down!” Emily “My highlight is hockey because we did a class match. It was 0-0 but we still did really well!” Daisy We would like to congratulate all the girls on their new leadership roles and look forward to listening to their ideas and developing their roles as the year progresses. Wishing you a good half term! Karen Fordham and Nicola Taylor
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Term Dates 20/21 |
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Term Dates 21/22 |
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Northampton High School |
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