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Junior News 21 January 2022 |
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Last week, in our third Parent Talks event of this year, we were lucky enough to welcome an extended member of our GDST family to speak to us on, ‘How to talk about Sex and Sexuality with your child and teenager’. Emma Gleadhill is a high-profile trainer, working on psychological wellbeing and healthy relationships in the home, in schools, and in the workplace. She works with parents and parenting groups at schools and in corporate settings. Her talk focussed on issues surrounding talking about sex and sexuality with your children, which for many is a daunting task! Having, ‘The Talk’ with your own children is not on everyone’s list of favourite conversations and might be avoided or skirted around to reduce those uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing silences, where all members of the conversation want the ground to swallow them up. Emma explains that, ‘The landscape of modern attitudes and approaches to sex and sexuality can feel like very difficult terrain for parents, who may have had limited role-modelling in how to approach such topics from one’s own childhood and teenage years’, and so it is vital that parents learn not to feel shame about this being a tough topic to handle. She highlighted some of the many vital reasons why these conversations are so important for children, both boys, and girls, and identified the main stumbling blocks and the impacts that can have for the future understanding of children and adolescents when it comes to matters around sex. Usefully, Emma’s talk did not just focus on the theoretical information behind conversations about sex and why they are important but also gave numerous tips about how to have these conversations. Often, starting the discussion is the hardest part. It is not necessarily something that you want to discuss around the dinner table. But her encouragement to avoid shying away from opportunities to start a conversation was inspiring, and food for thought for me as a teacher, as well as the parents in the audience. As a member of the Pastoral Team, I cannot recommend this talk enough. It is enlightening and thought-provoking in so many ways, and fortunately, we were able to record the session so you can catch up with it at your convenience over the next few weeks. The recording will be available for a further 3 weeks and is a must-watch for all parents who are nervous about this aspect of their child’s personal development. Whether your child is 7 or 17, there is something here for everyone. Recording; please use the access code: nw*umz2R Our next talk in the Parent Talks series, on Gender Identity, takes place on Wednesday 2 February and we will be holding it in person, in the Senior Hall. We look forward to seeing you there. Have a super weekend. Miss Kneen |
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: Mollie – achieved a distinction in her LAMDA exam.
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Playground Stars |
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Last Friday was a cold but bright, sunny day and all the girls played on the astroturf together. Safiya and Vivienne – showed the younger girls new games to play and helped them with their skipping. Thank you. Aurelia and Sakinah – with spring not far away, the girls made an Easter egg picture using some of the playground equipment. The girls from Key Stage 1 joined us on the astroturf on Friday. Eve – made different patterns with twigs she found on the playground. Caoimhe – organised the Key Stage 1 toys and games away, ready for putting back. Cora, Hester, Cordelia, Eliza, and Poppy – made a great job of tidying away. At the end of lunchtime all the girls joined in for the Okey Cokey and we finished off with the Conga which was great fun! |
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/family members 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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White Rose Maths |
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White Rose Maths, which we use in school, have just produced an app recommended for Years 1 & 2, which is free to download. We would recommend this for your girls to use at home for extra practice. Mrs S Dadge & Mrs E Shaw |
Breakfast Club and Late Prep/GAP Club Bookings |
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Just a reminder that if you wish to book Breakfast Club or Late Prep / GAP Club for your daughter, please can you ensure you complete the Google form which is sent on Wednesday for the following week. |
Nursery - Kipper Room and Elmer Room |
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This week in Nursery we have talked about the seasons and different kinds of weather, thinking about what clothes we wear when it’s cold outside, remembering to put on our coats and hats when we go out to play. The girls have been further exploring performing on the stage with different materials and methods. Lara sang a solo of ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ with her hand-made microphone using the construction materials. |
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During PE this week the girls selected different items such as balls, hoops, skittles, and quoits to explore what they could do with them. We practised our throwing and kicking skills, as well as rolling the hoops and jumping between them. We also practised our fine motor and Maths skills, threading pasta onto spaghetti and counting how many we pasta pieces we had. |
Nursery - Pre School |
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In Pre School this week, the girls have been continuing to explore the story the ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’. We learnt last week that milk can come from goats, so we thought it would be nice for the pupils to get the chance to try a variety of different milks including goat, coconut, and soya. Some girls liked the alternatives more than others. We used our imagination to make trolls using a variety of different materials to go on our display. The girls joined in with a yoga session based on trolls. The girls were really engaged in this activity and kept focused throughout. We thought we would enjoy the frosty weather and went for a walk across the fields. On the way back to Pre School, we walked in front of the school so we could learn about road safety and how important it is to stop, look and listen when approaching a road. |
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What the Girls said: “It tastes like cow’s milk”. Annabel Next week we will be exploring ‘The Tiger Who Came To Tea’ story as we will be celebrating Chinese New Year soon, and it’s the Year of the Tiger.
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Reception |
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Our new text this week is another traditional tale, ‘The Enormous Turnip’. We enjoyed the story and joined in with repeating phrases. We then had to think about who the characters are in the story and draw them, the setting and what happened. In Dance/Drama, we retold the story to music and actions, having to listen really carefully to find out what to do. Our material focus this week was wood and we found out how it is made from trees. The girls were all shown how to hammer in a nail safely and to keep concentrating whilst hammering. They all made a picture out of only wooden objects and could choose an activity to do if it was made from wood. In Maths, we have been combining two amounts and making pairs of numbers. In Phonics, our new sounds have been ‘sh’, ‘ch’, and ‘th’. The class have been attending the whole school assemblies and have risen to the expectations required to get organised quickly and calmly.
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As a reminder, the school day starts at 8.30am. If you arrive after 8.35am then please go into school through the main entrance, in order for your daughter to be registered. As the weather at the moment can be chilly throughout the day, please can you ensure that your daughter has her navy school hat and some navy gloves in school. |
Year 1 |
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It has been such a cold week with our back playgrounds covered in ice each morning. It still amazes me how enthusiastically Year 1 bound into the class and eagerly get on with their ‘jobs’ of organising the numerous belongings needed to fulfill the activities of the day. This morning Evie said to me “Mrs Purvey-Tyrer, have you done YOUR jobs? It’s assembly this morning and we need to hurry up!” The classroom literally lights up every morning with the girls’ excitement and stories to tell before we start the day in earnest. |
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What the girls said: “In Humanities, we learnt about the generations in a family”. Priyana “I loved making the Queen’s family tree”. Iman Next week: Maths – assessments and then starting our new unit ‘addition and subtraction within 20’. English – identifying verbs and writing instructional sentences Have a lovely weekend! |
Year 2 |
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This week we have had unusual things appearing in the classroom. The girls have been asking lots of questions about the furry lump and the suitcase in their English lessons! They have learnt to use question marks and their curiosity to imagine what they mean and where they have come from. In Maths, they have been learning about equal groups, using the multiplication symbol, and starting to learn their 2, 5 & 10 times tables. During our Science lesson, we identified items that needed electricity to help them work. We then sorted them into using mains electricity or battery power. |
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What the girls said: “I enjoyed English this week when something furry arrived and then a suitcase appeared. We had to write questions about them.” Elouise “I enjoyed making little flying saucers in Art and DT this week.” Grace B Next week: English – we find out more about the unusual objects from last week and write about our own experiences. We will write letters in role as a character from our class book. Maths – odd and even, sharing equally and dividing Science – how can we stay safe around electricity? |
Year 3 |
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This week in Maths, we have been exploring division, including division with remainders. Some of the girls have also been really enjoying the lunchtime Times Table Club run by Mrs Smith. It’s great to see the girls loving their learning so much! In English, we have looked at imperative verbs and contractions. In Science, we investigated magnets this week and completed a scrapyard challenge to sort magnetic materials from non-magnetic materials. In Geography, we studied some cities in India, and we researched the human and physical features of each one using maps and iPads to find information and learn more. We spent a morning at Forest School too, it was lovely to be outdoors. The girls enjoyed building some dens and obstacle courses. |
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What the girls said: “Times Table Club is really fun!” Amber “Forest School was good.” Annabel “We liked the games in Maths for dividing.” Cristina & Leah Looking Ahead: Maths – Money Science – Testing magnetic strength Art – The Indian Elephant Festival |
Year 4 |
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Highlights: In Maths, we used place value counters and part-part-whole models to help with our division calculations. In English, we created noun phrases and incorporated them into a letter. In Science, we investigated the melting point of chocolate and related this to how the movement of the particles changed. 4N spoke so beautifully in their Class Assembly on Wednesday that some people were moved to tears. Mrs Shaw was very proud of them.
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What the girls have said: “I enjoyed going to the Science Room and melting chocolate.” Anna “I liked doing PE with the Sixth Formers. We played lacrosse. I named the ball Gerald.” Priscilla “I enjoyed English, writing our letters to a Winter’s Child.” Artemisia “I loved Science too, we took the temperature of water and melted chocolate. I really like experiments, they are fun.” Lily Looking ahead to next week: English – Writing a sequel to Winter’s Child – Spring’s Child. Maths – Understanding that area is measured in squares, making rectilinear shapes. Science – Observing the processes that cause water to change state, ice cube investigation. Dates for your diary: Wednesday 9 February 4H Class Assembly. Wednesday 9 February Forest School. |
Year 5 |
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Highlights: We’ve had a great week in Year 5 – I could tell you about all the lovely Maths lessons and starting a new book in English and learning about Anglo-Saxon settlements, but I suspect the girls will have just one thing on their minds when it comes to writing their own highlights: making bread! Ah well, I’ll ask them to tell you about Beowulf next week! |
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What the girls have said: “I enjoyed doing breadmaking because when I put my hands in the dough it was really mucky and sticky. The bread went on my fingers and it made my fingers really messy… I liked it because I don’t really do it that much.” Emily “I enjoyed making bread and kneading the dough, and it was fun actually making the dough instead of getting it ready-made and just putting it into rolls, it was fun putting the ingredients in and watching it rise.” Avleen “I really liked making bread because we had to knead the dough and that was really tricky and quite hard. It felt sticky to start with, but when we had worked it for a bit it became soft and fun to work with, like slime! The bread tasted a tiny bit salty, so next time I think we should do one teaspoon of salt instead of two.” Ellie Dates for your Diary: Week beginning Monday 7 February – Y6 Play in a Week. Year 5 girls are supporting as evacuees and land girls, and should be starting to think about their costumes as well as learning song words (on FireFly). |
Year 6 |
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This week we have immersed ourselves in a range of exciting activities that have really made us think, including thinking about ultimate questions like ‘What makes me, me?’. We have also enjoyed continuing our study of ‘The Promise’, thinking about the way in which the author and illustrator create atmosphere and build tension in their writing. In Art and Design, we have been experimenting with an array of stitches in preparation for starting our cushion designs. Next week, we look forward to continuing our exploration of light in Science, investigating decimals in Maths, and much more. Please remember to start bringing costumes in on Monday for our production, ‘Treachery at Traitor’s Quay’. |
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Highlights of the week include: “I really liked doing the translations of shapes in Maths because I like plotting points on a grid.” Adn “I enjoyed learning how to sew different types of stitches. My favourite is cross stitch because I understand how to do it and it looks pretty.” Bethany “I have really enjoyed studying ‘The Promise’ and the discussions we have had about the importance of the acorn and its symbolic meaning. I also like thinking about how to use similes as fronted adverbials to describe the atmosphere created in the book.” Felicity Have a good weekend! |
GAP Club |
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We have had another lovely week in Gap Club. We have created collages using upcycled magazines, material, and beads with the air dry bread dough we made last week. On Wednesday, we decided to start making a Chinese Restaurant ready for Chinese New Year. We then developed it adding lanterns and menus as the week progressed.
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“I’ve really enjoyed doing some colouring.” Millie Year 1 “Eating the food.” Varnikha Year 4 “I’ve enjoyed cutting out of the magazines.” Emily Year 5 |
Parent Talks |
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Thank you to those parents who joined us for our recent Parent Talks event, on the subject of ‘talking about sex and sexuality with your growing child and teen’. If you were unable to join us live for the event, we are delighted to be able to share a recording with you, which can be accessed by clicking here, and using the access code: nw*umz2R On Wednesday 2 February 2022, from 6pm to 7.30pm, we will be hosting in school an event for Senior School parents (however parents of Junior School pupils are most welcome to attend) on Gender identity and young people. Refreshments will be served from 5.30pm. In a society where young people are freer than ever to express their true selves, this session considers how the school deals with gender identity issues, how parents can support their children, and why gender identity is an important topic for us all today. There will also be opportunities to ask questions. To book your place, please click here. Should you wish to see the full details of our 2021/22 Parent Talks programme, please click here. Mrs O’Doherty |
Join Our Team - Minibus Drivers Wanted |
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At Northampton High, we are proud to have a pristine fleet of school minibuses, and we are very excited that this will be expanding in 2022. We are therefore looking to appoint several drivers for transporting pupils on morning and afternoon school runs, Monday to Friday. If you are interested in joining our team we would love to hear from you.
For more information and to apply please click here. Mr Nash |
School Blazer Sale |
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Term Dates 21/22 |
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Term Dates 22/23 |
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Northampton High School |
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