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Junior News – 19 May 2023 |
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The GDST futures report suggests that “financial education could be a route to significantly break through the barrier to greater gender equality and opportunity for all.” The research underpinning this report clearly points to the impact financial education would have, and the acute need for it in our offer to our pupils. The full report can be found here. Last term, a group of Year 5 and 6 students enrolled in ‘Enterprise Club’ as part of our cocurricular offer. I had the privilege to lead this group, along with our Head of Business Studies in the Senior School, and the sessions provided opportunities for learning, growth and development for us all. The girls split in to three teams. A skills matrix was completed and they then elected their CEO, followed by all team members being allocated a role matched to their skill sets. Using models and resources from the Tycoon Enterprise programme (which is provided by Peter Jones who is best known for his role as a ‘dragon’ in the TV programme ‘Dragons Den’) the teams set about forming their businesses. The weeks that followed were a hive of learning, debate and collaboration which included the groups naming their companies, creating product ideas and implementing pricing structure. There were challenges for the girls that required them to negotiate, be resilient and problem solve. One of my favourite parts of the Tycoon Enterprise programme is the requirement for the teams to write business plans ahead of submitting their applications for a business loan. This process wasn’t straightforward and for all children, a new experience. Two of the three teams were successful in securing a business loan and the third were financially supported by operating a pre-order approach. The girl’s independence, teamwork skills and enthusiasm grew as the project progressed. Each of the teams paid back their loans from their takings and collectively they earned approximately £400 profit. They voted on what to spend the profits on and we’ve been able to swiftly make these purchases to enable them to see and benefit from their hard work. New beanbags for the library are being enjoyed by every class from Nursery to Year 6 and the new netball post on the playground has been a welcomed addition to the playtime provision. We are currently reviewing our Junior School curriculum to add in a progressive series of money management learning opportunities throughout KS1 and KS2, to ensure we are reacting to the needs our girls have for their futures. I invite you to consider opportunities you can engineer at home to discuss and model to your daughters for them to learn the necessary skills of money management. This of course needs to be age appropriate but it’s crucial that we actively talk to children about real life money management examples to assist their preparation for a successful future. Miss Hair |
Dates for your Diary |
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Class Assemblies (8.35am unless specified): Other Trips: Key Dates: Father’s Day Breakfast: Friday 16 June |
KS2 Forest School sessions: School Trips for this term: Swimming Watching Weeks and Galas: |
Junior School Sports Day Events |
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Junior School Sports Days this year will be held on the following dates: Nursery, Preschool and Reception – 7 June, 9.00 to 10.00am, to be held in Junior School. On arrival, please make your way to the Sports Field. All parents and families are welcome and we would love to see as many of you as possible cheering on your children. We look forward to welcoming you for a day of sporting fun! |
Upcoming Events and Notices |
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Holiday Club: If you wish your daughter to attend Holiday Club on any days from 30 May to 2 June, please could you book following this link. Thank you. Swap Shop: Our next Swap Shop events will be held on: Tuesday 23 May 3.00pm – 4.00pm in the Junior School Dining Room Friday 30 June 8.00am – 9.00am and 11.30am – 12.30pm in the Junior School Library After School Clubs: There will be no ‘Let’s Move’, ‘Beebots Coding’ and ‘Mindfulness Colouring’ clubs on Wednesday 24 May due to the Open Classroom Event. Girls will be able to attend Late Prep or GAP until 4.15pm if you are unable to attend the Open Classroom. |
GDST Athletics |
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A group of Year 5 and 6 girls were selected to represent the school at the GDST Athletics Rally, held at an athletics stadium in Nottingham today. It was an excellent competitive experience for the girls, wo all put maximum effort in to their races and fields events, embracing every element of the opportunity. A huge well done everyone! |
Times Table Rock Stars |
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Today we have celebrated our success in ‘Times Table Rock Stars’ of girls from Years 3 to 6, who have passed all the tables from 2 to 12; along with Rosie in Year 2 who only has the 12 times table to go. This is a wonderful achievement and will hopefully inspire others to keep practising. According to National Curriculum guidelines, by the end of Year 2the girls should have a good understanding of the 2, 5 and 10 times table. Year 3 then work on their 3’s, 4’s and 8’s with the remainder being covered by the end of Year 4. To pass a table in ‘Times Table Rockstars’, the girls have to get 80% correct and have an average speed per question of less than 5 seconds, which is quite a challenge but possible with lots of practise. A huge congratulations to all students who have hit this very impressive milestone! |
News from our classrooms: Nursery and Preschool |
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Thank you to the families who joined us last Saturday for our Stay and Play event. It was great to see the girls showing their parents around the Nursery, Preschool and Reception area. This week, physical development has been at the forefront of our activities. We have enjoyed exploring the ‘Tap Art’ set which involves holding a pin in one hand, the mallet in the other, then coordinating them both to attach a shape to the board. Fine finger control has been further exercised by making animal shapes from playdough using cutters. Outside, gross motor skills were needed to clean the blackboard high up on the wall. Listening skills continue to improve by playing games such as ‘What’s in the box?’ with musical instruments and noisy objects, and ‘Isn’t it funny how a bear loves honey’. Some of the girls have even taken it upon themselves to initiate these games; “No peeking!” said Sofia. |
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Over the last week it has really shone through just how far the girls have come with their writing skills and their determination when writing. We have written letters to invite our teddies to the picnic, and the girls have also created their very own lifecycle of a butterfly with wonderful illustrations and writing. Not only do the big smiles on their faces show how proud they were when receiving praise for their accomplishments, it also make us feel a great sense of pride too! Getting out into the sunshine and taking our school dog Betty for a walk has also been a highlight of the week. The girls followed our instructions to keep them safe outside in the school grounds, whilst also showing care when carefully holding Betty’s lead and directing her safely. Please remember if your daughter is attending on Monday morning she needs to bring a teddy with her for the teddy bears picnic! |
News from our classrooms: Reception |
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This week everyone has started their own Minibeast fact file. After looking at a selection of non-fiction books, the girls decided on the Minibeast that they would like to find out more about. They have drawn an accurate picture and written about its appearance; we will be continuing our fact-finding mission next week! We have also been learning about where Minibeasts live and their habitat. Some live underground, some in ponds, some under stones and some on leaves. |
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In Maths, we have started to learn about the operation ‘subtraction’, starting with First, Then and Now stories For example, First, I had 9 cakes, then Mrs Howell ate 3 of them, so now I have 6 cakes left. The class enjoyed making up their subtraction stories using things they could find in the classroom. We have also started a sewing project and a Rainforest diorama – more information to come! |
Year 1 PSHE Focus |
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Year 1 have been learning about the different types of relationships we have in our lives. They particularly enjoyed sharing with each other their immediate family members and appreciating that whilst everyone has different family groups, they are all special to us as individuals and connected with love. They have also considered friendships and the qualities they each value in friendships – some similarities and some differences were identified. As a class, they all really value their PSHE floorbook as a record of their learning. |
Year 2 PSHE Focus |
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Year 2 have been thinking about what makes a good friend this week. They discussed this in pairs, and then shared their ideas so we could record their thoughts in our class floorbook. Their thoughts ranged from being a good listener, to being kind and caring and to celebrating the success of others even if you are feeling jealous of them. |
Year 3 PSHE Focus |
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Year 3 put their communication skills to the test during Forest School this week. They needed to complete an alphabet scavenger hunt as well as gather leaves and flowers to create a piece of artwork using fabric and hammers. They needed to make sure they didn’t get too close to each other to avoid any sore fingers and thumbs! |
Year 4 PSHE Focus |
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Year 4 have been practising their assembly this week, which will be on the theme of jealousy. The girls have helped create the scripts and are now developing their performance skills. We have also discussed how and why friendships change, as well as how to manage our feelings when this happens. The girls then role played different scenarios and offered advice to each other. |
Year 5 and 6 PSHE Focus |
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This week, Years 5 and 6 took part in a web chat with author Chella Quint on the topic of menstruation, along with other GDST schools. Chella, who has written two books: Be Period Positive and Own Your Period, works to educate young people about periods. The pupils submitted questions and Chella answered these, in a sensitive and engaging way, helping girls understand how to manage their periods in a practical way and addressed misconceptions and myths surrounding menstruation. |
News from outside of our classrooms: Year 6 Osmington Bay Residential |
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At our Osmington Bay residential last week, Year 6 took part in a wide range of activities including team games, abseiling, problem solving, kayaking and orienteering in a beautiful location by the sea in Dorset. Although designed to be fun and exciting, these situations really challenged the girls and provided them with opportunities to work together, support each other and persevere to overcome challenges. |
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It was a privilege supporting Year 6 as they tried these new activities, conquered their fears, strengthened friendships and experienced a taste of independence away from home and, of course, had fun! Each and every girls behaviour was excellent and they were genuinely a pleasure to spend time with; we are so lucky to have a truly amazing group of resilient, brave, energetic individuals. Well done girls, we are so proud of you all! |
News from outside of our classrooms: Triathlon Event |
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Last weekend, a group of our pupils were inspired to enter teams into a triathlon event held at Oundle School. Being novices didn’t put them off, and they all bravely embraced the experience with determination and confidence. The Year 6 team, which consisted of Zoe, Maya, Risara and Harriet, raised an impressive £620 for charity. Great work, girls! |
Awards for this week |
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Star Learners of the Week – Zehra S, Evie I, Isabella B, Constance H, Anna H, Hester L, All of Year 5N, All of Year 6 Dancers of the Week – Lily P, Kinara B, Maya A External Achievements: Ella K – awarded a Gymnastics Level 10 Certificate and Badge |
Birthdays This Week |
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This week, we wish a very Happy Birthday to the following members of our Junior School family: Olivia H, Anne A, Dulcie S |
Dobbies Children's Activity Morning |
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Why choose a ‘made for girls’ education? – Wednesday 7 June |
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We are delighted to be hosting a special ‘In conversation with’ event, in which our experts will explore how a girls-only education can transform your daughter’s life. Drawing on landmark national research in The Girls’ Futures Report, our experts Dr May Lee, Head, and Dr Kevin Stannard, GDST’s Director of Innovation and Learning, will explore:
The event commences at 6.00pm with a drinks reception, followed by the ‘In Conversation’ event at 6.30pm. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and explore these vital topics with our experts. We do hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be an invaluable discussion with pioneering experts in girls’ education. Please click here to book your free tickets today. Mr Nash |
Northampton High School - Where girls learn without limits |
In Conversation With: Lorraine Whitmarsh |
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GDST’s next ‘In Conversation With’ event is with Environmental Psychologist and Portsmouth High School alumna, Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE. The event will take place on Friday 23 May, 12.30-1.30pm, via Zoom. The ‘In Conversation With’ events are open to all alumnae, Sixth Formers, staff, parents, and GDST’s Partnership and Outreach schools. The aim is to engage wider alumnae audiences from all over the world and promote the network and inspire both alumnae and current GDST students with a huge variety of speakers and topics. More information and sign up for your free spot, please click here. Mrs Wilmot |
Alumnae of the Year 2023 |
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We are delighted to announce that nominations are now open for GDST Alumna of the Year 2023. This special award recognises remarkable individuals and celebrates their inspiring achievements. To find out more and to make a nomination, please find a link to the nomination form here. Nominations close on Tuesday 23 May. Mrs Wilmot |
Community Sessions |
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Creative Arts Festival |
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Alumnae Reunion Lunch |
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External Sports opportunities |
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Term Dates |
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Northampton High School |
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