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Junior News – 23 June 2023 |
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This week, we enjoyed celebrating our annual Arts Festival, ahead of our showpiece school musical performance of ‘Wizard of Oz’ next week. I have found myself reflecting on how grateful I am that we are part of a school community who deeply values the arts. Sadly, I have experienced firsthand how some schools, especially primary schools, have reduced the amount of time, investment and therefore the importance on the arts. Primary/Junior School teachers have the ability to spot a spark of talent in pupils from a young age. They have the power to guide children and create opportunities for them that they may otherwise never encounter. Here at Northampton High Junior School we demonstrate our commitment to the arts with 4 lessons a week, two specialist classrooms for Art and DT lessons, on average 12 arts clubs a week and celebrations such as the Arts Festival. Drama, Music, Art and Dance allow children to express themselves and develop a greater understanding of the world. Teaching the arts has the power to engage, inspire and challenge pupils, allowing them to learn new skills and to use their creativity to design. |
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For me, the arts brings brightness and joy to the world and for some pupils it can shape and define who they are, fuelling their imagination and igniting their creativity. Our arts curriculum provides our pupils with many transferable skills such as critical thinking, understanding and respecting different cultures, thinking in depth, understanding how to make and learn from mistakes and emotional literacy. It is widely agreed that an education that combines the arts with science, technology, engineering and maths prepares our young people for creative industries which require both artistic and scientific skills. I feel honoured to be able to provide our girls with this balance of opportunities and I am intrigued as to the career paths they will take in the future. I have frequently observed children, from all years across our Junior School become completely absorbed in drawing and painting, creating work that is completely unique to them. I enjoy noting their pride and self-belief in their final creations. Our Junior School exhibition in this week’s Arts Festival provided a platform for a large amount of work to be shared with visitors and celebrated in this public forum. If you managed to visit, I am confident you will agree that the standard and range of art was impressive and worthy of celebration. If you were unable to visit, please do arrange to do so over the coming weeks as we have moved the displays to be positioned around the Junior School for your enjoyment. Miss Hair |
Dates for your Diary |
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Class Assemblies: Key Dates: |
KS2 Forest School sessions: School Trips for this term: |
Upcoming Events and Notices |
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Open Classroom: With the opportunity to visit school for the Arts Festival, parents are being welcomed to request a meeting following the end of year reports and the sending of the girls’ exercise books home as there will be no open classroom event. Swap Shop: Our next Swap Shop event will be held on Friday 30 June, 8.00 – 9.00am and 11.30 am – 12.30pm in the Junior School Library. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 Sports Day: 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. Swimming: The last swimming lessons of the academic year for Reception to Year 6 will be week beginning 3 July, therefore the children will not require their kits to be in school in the last week of the academic year. Prize Giving: We will be holding a prize giving ceremony for Junior School on Wednesday 12 July, 8.45 – 9.30am. Prizes will be awarded to children from Years 3 to 6 for various academic and pastoral achievements and recognition. Parents of prize winners will be invited to this event in the coming weeks. We are looking forward to celebrating these achievements together at the end of the year. Women’s England vs Sri Lanka Cricket Match, 12 September: You will have received an email this week sharing with you a fabulous opportunity for your daughter to attend this match at Northampton County Cricket Ground. One of our parents has very generously offered to sponsor a box for us to facilitate a group of interested Junior School families to experience this opportunity together. If you would like to secure places for your family to attend this match ,please email junioradmin@nhs.gdst.net as soon as possible as spaces are limited due to the box capacity. |
Medical Information |
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All things sunny….. We are seeing a lot of students now with hay fever related symptoms. Please could I encourage you to purchase over the counter medication to help with any symptoms. Any products you want us to administer, please complete a consent form available from Junior School reception. We have received concerns about certain sun creams containing ‘almond oil’ which is of concern due to students with nut allergies. Please see the information linked here, which hopefully offers reassurance to parents. Mrs Dunkley |
News from our classrooms: Nursery and Preschool |
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The Nursery girls have been expressing their creativity this week, and they have used the Nursery resources to support their role play and small world play. The girls have explored the musical instruments and used shapes to create patterns and pictures. Students have also used various resources from the craft area to create sunshine pictures. In Maths this week, we have been recognising and writing numerals and matching quantities which the girls really enjoyed taking part in At Forest School, we played some games including ‘one, two, three where are you’ in the long grass. |
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The whole school topic for this week has been ‘expect the unexpected’, and what a week we have had in Preschool! From the teachers having a ‘sleep over’ and leaving their beds and breakfast things out, to flying books hanging from the celling. One day, the girls’ name pegs in the cloakroom got all muddled up and they had a new peg for the day and during snack time the teacher came out wearing funny hats! The girls dressed up as pirates on Thursday and enjoyed looking for treasure in the garden. Their favourite unexpected surprise by far has been to all join in with a funny dance when we hear music playing. We have had many confused faces (mainly thinking – what are the teachers going to do next!?) but it has been a very fun and exciting week; one we hope they have enjoyed telling you all about. |
News from our classrooms: Reception |
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This week, we have been expecting the unexpected each day! One day the class enjoyed their snack in the staffroom, they have changed seating plans, chose their own reading book and were allowed to dress up in a costume and change their name for the day! Some totally unexpected events! In Maths, we have been using our shape knowledge to recreate shapes with cubes and to rotate shapes to fit and fill in an outline with the correct shapes. All good problem solving skills. |
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We have been thinking about moving on and reflecting on what we have liked and learnt in Reception. Our writing sessions this week have been focussed on this, with many choosing ‘writing’ for one of their favourite activities. ‘Barnaby Bear’s travels to Brittany’ inspired us to then make a ‘Brittany Brochure’ for visitors to show them where to go and what to see. The class have been working on some self portraits, an ongoing project which will be completed hopefully for the end of term. Please keep practising the tricky words with your daughter as this will help with reading and spellings. A few minutes a day will make a huge difference. |
Year 1 Forest School Focus |
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Year 1 loved the challenge of a colour hunt. Pupils had to search for different colours that could be found naturally in the forest. Some of the colours were easy to find, however, some colours were a little trickier to find and required some perseverance. Earlier on in the term, Year 1 enjoyed creating pine cone ‘bees’ using yellow and black wool and felt wings. |
Year 2 Forest School Focus |
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Year 2 had a fantastic time reading maps to locate different features around the forest. We then used the maps during a team game of ‘Hide and Seek’ which was great fun. Earlier this term, Year 2 also enjoyed pressing flowers and leaves into clay discs to create ornaments. |
Year 3 and 4 Forest School Focus |
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Year 3 joined Year 4 and enjoyed hunting for natural objects to create a collage design. We also had a wonderful singalong session together and sat around the fire circle in the sunshine. |
Year 5 Forest School Focus |
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Last week, Year 5 joined forces with Year 1 for a fun-filled session in the sun. Activities included getting into groups to make human ‘snakes’ and playing ‘hide and seek’. A great time was had by all! |
Year 6 Forest School Focus |
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Year 6 worked hard to manipulate clay into disc shapes and press wild flowers such as cow parsley and leaves into the clay, leaving the imprint. As you can see, the impression of the plants is clearly visible, creating an effective piece of art. |
News from outside of our classrooms: Arts Festival |
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On Tuesday evening, our Junior School Hall was filled with a vibrant celebration of creativity and talent. Every girl, from Nursery to Year 6, had pieces on display that they should be incredibly proud of. They say a picture paints a thousand words, well we had about 500 pieces of artwork on display, which goes to show that the girls in this school have a LOT to say for themselves! |
News from outside of our classrooms: Unexpected Cross Curricular Week |
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The cross curricular week wasn’t in itself unexpected, but it was indeed packed full of unexpected events. The week opened with Miss Hair being interrupted in assembly by a pantomime cow – now that was indeed unexpected and made everyone smile! The girls themselves were inspired and a group of Year 6 pupils, in liaison with Miss Hair, planned their own unexpected events for some staff which brought many a giggle! The week has been engaging, inclusive and memorable – all factors we are committed to ensuring our education experience is at Northampton High School but we are looking forward to returning to the expected next week! |
News from outside of our classrooms: Year 5 Everdon Trip |
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Too Wet to Study Water? Year 5’s River Study nearly ended up as a walk in the woods when the rain poured down on Tuesday morning but, by the time we arrived at Everdon, everything looked brighter. We set off to a small tributary of the River Nene where we split into three groups. Each group in turn worked at measuring a cross-section of the stream, or drawing the shape of its winding meanders. Almost everyone’s favourite was timing a ball bobbing along between two markers to see how fast the water was flowing. This involved everyone rotating doing the different jobs – as starters, callers, timers, or ball catcher. The most exciting job required leaning out over the water holding a net while perched on a small muddy step inches above the fast-flowing current, whilst secured by a rope held safely by another member of the team!
The rain started again and the drawing group crawled under the shelter of a large tarpaulin. The water level rose by 11cm and the third group had to be very careful whilst measuring to ensure it didn’t come over their wellies! Then, the sun came out and we got back together to net all sorts of mini-beasts. With only a few wet feet, we all walked back to the Centre for a well-earned lunch, a quick run around, and a farewell to our wonderful hosts, Cathy and Juno. It is always a real pleasure joining the girls and helping on their school trips. They are enthusiastic, polite, and display a lot of background knowledge. Maybe their teachers had set that for homework! For more pictures of the Everdon Trip, please click here. Mr Roger Brandon-Jones |
News from outside of our classrooms: Year 6 'We Are One' Wimbledon Trip |
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On Tuesday 20 June, 6 girls were selected to go to Wimbledon Common, then Wimbledon High School. The point of the trip was to wrap up our ‘We Are One project’. Our teacher, Mrs Cartlidge chose those who she, and Miss Hair, thought would benefit the most from the trip. We travelled to London on the Underground and tube trains with Miss Page, and Mrs Cartlidge. Once we arrived at Wimbledon High School, we took a school minibus to the common. Before the ceremony began we did orienteering with our Year 6 Wimbledon High tour guide. We then walked back to the school and were welcomed into the auditorium along with the other GDST schools. We had recyclable lunches and then received another welcome from the head of Thoughtbox, Rachel Musson. We did some ice-breaking activities, mixing with students from the other schools.
We had a workshop-like activity with Cindy Forde, author of ‘Bright New World’, Founder of Planetari, speaker and influencer in climate change. We did a mini workshop called ‘Dare to Care’ in which we first walked around the hall, finding pairs, then 4s, then 8s, to say something kind to a complete stranger. We then watched a couple of videos about kids in climate change and went climate shopping. We had 6 items that we had to rank with smiley faces for climate, personal, and social benefits. With all of that in mind, we ordered the products from best to worst. We then went back home via all the trains we previously went on. Ellie, Year 6 |
News from outside of our classrooms: One Tree Day |
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Our highly motivated Year 5 eco warriors engaged with the recent project to support ‘One Tree Day’ with their typical enthusiasm. Mr Earp was very pleased with their commitment, and we are pleased to share that they successfully raised approximately £110 for the cause. Thank you, of course, to all children who enthusiastically bought and ate cakes from the cake sale as well! For just £1 you could help the cause and plant a tree – https://www.justonetree.life/. |
News from outside of our classrooms: Beachborough and Brackley Triathlon |
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On Sunday 18 June, Annabelle R and Zara J both completed the individual Beachborough and Brackley Triathlon at Stowe School. It was their first ever Triathlon and they loved the experience! The event included a 150m swim followed by a 2k bike and then a 1k run. Well done to both girls on this fantastic achievement. We look forward to hearing about their next event. |
Awards This Week |
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Star Learners of the Week – Amelia C-L, Annabel W, Ella K, Iman S, Eve C, Eloise C, Eliza A, Lily C, Harriet S, Harini S Times Table Rock Stars Certificates – Rosie B, Amelia K External Achievements: Marine A – achieved Gymnast of the Week and passed Level 11 and 10 badges |
Birthdays This Week |
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This week, we wish a very Happy Birthday to the following members of our Junior School family: Zara J, Iman S, Ellie, Cristina S-R, Rayna N, Isabella B, Isabelle L, Luisa P, Amelie C, Caoimhe H-T |
GLK Gymnastics |
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FA/Girlguiding Football Sessions |
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Northampton High School - Where girls learn without limits |
Children's Activity Morning at Dobbies |
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Community Sessions |
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Wizard of Oz |
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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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