|
|
Junior News – 6 October 2023 |
|
In the week of ‘World Teachers Day’, I have found myself reflecting on my own career choice, and path, to date. In the recent Good Schools Guide review, I was quoted as quipping that I ‘came out of the womb a teacher’ when asked when I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Whilst this was a mere quip, it is indeed true that I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t want to be a teacher. I was the child who role played taking a register with my teddies, taught my dolls very hard Maths strategies and encouraged friends to pretend to be teachers in our make believe school on the playground. |
|
Some family members (particularly my sister) may have described me as a bossy child, which I of course detest, but if there is any truth in that then I have channelled this trait to support my career of choice so it can’t be that bad! When I take time to consider my motivation for this seemingly destined career choice I conclude two things – motivation and inspiration. I have always been motivated to help others and I have been fortunate enough to be inspired by some truly excellent teachers in my earliest years of my own education. From my first nursery class, I was fortunate enough to be taught by staff who I connected with and was inspired by. Perhaps my motivation to help would have been guided in a different career direction if my role models had been different, but the combination of my deep set motivation and my experiences with wonderful teachers combined to create a strong drive for me to teach. I can remember watching Mrs Linstead, my Year 1 teacher, lead our spelling test one week, praising us as we did well, spreading genuine smiles to those she praised and thinking – ‘I’d like to do that!’ I recall struggling to learn my 7x tables at the speed I wanted to, and Mrs Webb kindly giving her time at playtime to explain it in a different way, encourage me and celebrating my success once I achieved it. My commitment to teaching hasn’t waivered, and I had a profound moment only this year when a university friend decided to leave teaching and asked me what I would choose to do rather than teach. I was genuinely stumped! Appreciating there are many transferrable skills, I can’t imagine ever being as motivated to commit to another career. I have decided not to think of an alternative – hopefully I will never need one – as my commitment to teaching is lifelong and that’s ok too! I will be eternally grateful for the colleagues I have worked with in my career – kindred spirits, inspirational and encouraging, many of whom have become friends. Teaching is certainly a privilege and World Teachers Day has given me a reason to pause and be reminded of this. Miss Hair |
Upcoming Events |
|
Autumn Term Holiday Club for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 |
|
Bookings close next Friday for the October half term holiday club for pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. We are pleased to be able to offer childcare during the two week October half term and part of the Christmas holiday, 8am to 5pm, at a charge of £39 per day. We have a limited amount of spaces available and would encourage you to secure your places as early as possible to ensure we have availability. Please see the following links: – October Holiday Club: 08:00-17:00 (Monday 23 Oct to Friday 3 Nov) Bookings will close one week in advance. Should you need extended care during the holiday dates, the following daily sessions are also open for bookings: Early Session – 07:00-08:00 (includes Breakfast) and Late Session – 17:00-18:00 (includes Tea) If you wish to pay for any of the above via Childcare voucher or Government Tax Free Childcare Allowance, or have any further queries then place contact nhsaccounts@nhs.gdst.net, and for any support with booking the sessions you require, please contact junioradmin@nhs.gdst.net. |
Uniform Policy |
|
Following a review the following changes will be in place from next week to the uniform expectations:
Thank you for your cooperation. |
News from our classrooms: Nursery and Preschool |
|
This week in Nursery we have been celebrating the Moon Festival, with a wide range of activities including painting, play dough and the story of the week ‘Bringing down the moon’. At Forest School the girls had to think about how to move safely across an obstacle course. The water tray has been filled with water and a range of sensory food including lemons and apples to entice their senses. Mark making in shaving foam was a new experience for the girls, and we used different vocabulary to describe the texture of it. |
|
The girls were very excited to visit Betty the school dog, and we talked about being gentle when around our pets. In Preschool this week, we have embraced the changes in our outside environment. The girls filled their bags with Autumn treasure they found when they were out and about with their families. ‘Our family and us’ continues to be interesting, and we have all worked hard creating our family tree pictures. Some extreme weather has sparked the children’s interest, especially thunder and lightning, and we have read books about the weather together. We have looked at and used words that describe size, and have used them during our play with small world and messy play. Our awareness of initial sounds is developing well as we look at items in our environment and the sounds they make. We have played and explored lots outside and we took Betty for a walk across the fields and had a snack on the grass. |
Reception |
|
This week we have been focusing on the tricky word ‘I’ and using it in sentences about ourselves. Our sounds have been ‘g, o, c and k’ and curly caterpillars and kites have been some of the activities. Our Maths learning has been comparing capacity and pattern. |
|
|
|
In our topic work, we used our fingers to describe how something felt and enjoyed the feely box activity. We also looked for different textures whilst we were at Forest School. Have a try at home to describe how an object feels without saying what the object is. |
Year 1 Humanities Focus |
|
Year 1 are continuing their learning about our school and the surrounding area. The class located Northampton High School on a giant map using Google Maps and our Clevertouch board. We unjumbled the school address and stuck it in order on the front of an envelope. This was very tricky but we got there in the end! |
Year 2 Humanities Focus |
|
This week the Year 2 girls have been exploring London on a map. They have written directions from different London landmarks using North, East, South and West, and counting the squares on the grid. For an extra challenge, some of the girls planned a route that would visit several famous landmarks in one go. |
Year 3 Humanities Focus |
|
Year 3 have been History detectives this week, and investigated some Stone Age artefacts. They used non-fiction books to work out what they thought the artefacts were made from, what they were used for, and what this tells us about life during the Stone Age. |
Year 4 Humanities Focus |
|
This week, the girls have been using Google Maps or Google Earth. The girls explored the various different landscapes found across the U.S.A, and have written descriptions of them. For an extra challenge, some of the girls also compared two different landscapes looking at their similarities and differences. |
Year 5 Grafham Water Residential |
|
|
|
This week, Year 5 have been on their Grafham Water Residential – we hope you have enjoyed following our adventures on social media over the last 3 days! We are looking forward to sharing our achievements with you in our Class Assembly next Wednesday morning – and in our Junior News report next Friday! |
Year 6N Humanities Focus |
|
6N found out about life in Sparta in Ancient Greek times during their Humanities lesson this week. The girls were shocked at how babies were left on a mountainside if they were not healthy, and boys went to train to be warriors at age 7 for 13 years. We then started making comparisons with life in Athens, and practiced making Greek urns with clay. Next week we shall be debating who had the better life. |
Year 6H Humanities Focus |
|
6H practised their note-taking skills whilst watching videos about life in Sparta during the time of the Ancient Greeks. They then worked in small groups to create questions that could be answered using the information gathered. By the end of the lesson, they were starting to make some accurate comparisons with life in Athens at the same time! |
News from outside of the classroom: Year 6 Maths Conference to Oxford University |
|
On Wednesday 4 October, 6 amazing Year 6 mathematicians were selected to go on a trip to Oxford University along with other GDST schools. Firstly, we had a lecture from Alison Kiddle, who inspired us about the beauty of Maths all around us in the natural world. After a short break we enjoyed a speech by Joely To, a third-year university Mathematics student, who has set up ‘Pioneer Maths’ to encourage females to study the subject, followed by a fun activity about geometric shapes. Then we had a refreshing lunch, swiftly followed by an intriguing activity where we used a compass to create perfect(ish) circles in a pattern. Our last session was looking at the sculpture exhibition around the university, and we had to choose one of them to sketch. Unfortunately, our trip came to an end and we walked proudly out of the building knowing the experience would stay with us for life! Aurelia, Sakinah, Diya, Avelyn, Angelie and Anna |
News from outside of the classroom: Caoimhe places 5th at World Championships |
|
On Saturday 30 September, Caoimhe and 13 other dancers from her Irish Dance School travelled to Kent to compete in the Open platform Irish Dance World Championships. Caoimhe had three dances to perform on stage and at only 8 years old, did an absolutely marvellous job! We are proud to share that Caoimhe completed her Premier reel, Beginner reel and Light jig in front of three judges and a packed hall of parents, dancers and teachers. Finishing in an incredible 5th place overall, she was delighted to stand on the podium to receive her trophy. Caoimhe has been dancing for 18 months and this is only her third Feis. We are constantly amazed by our talented student body and we would like to share our warmest congratulations with Caoimhe on this huge achievement. |
News from outside of the classroom: Book Fair |
|
We invite you to come to our Book Fair in the Junior School foyer, from Monday 16 to Thursday 19 October! Books can take you anywhere in the world; Lapland with Father Christmas, solving an enigma in old fashioned London, or to the furthest reaches of the galaxy – You can go anywhere if you are just willing to open a book! The age range of the books on sale will be from Nursery to Year 6. To pay for books, parents will go to the office and receive a QR code on a slip of paper which will take you to a website where you pay. |
|
When the Junior School students recently completed our online survey, updating the selection of books in the Junior Library was a popular suggestion. We will earn commission from the books sold, and hope to raise sufficient funds to purchase some new ones. The money will go towards new books aimed at encouraging children to immerse themselves in the joy of reading. The Book Fair will run in the mornings from 8.00 – 8.30am and in the afternoons from 3.30 to 4.00pm. Junior School students and their parents or guardians will be able to purchase books of their choice. The Book Fair will also be available during Parents’ Evening on Thursday 19 October from 3.00 – 7.00pm. We hope to see you there! Emma B and Hazel G |
News from outside of the classroom: World Teachers Day |
|
Teacher Appreciation Day is a significant occasion celebrated worldwide to honor the hard work, dedication, and impact teachers have on the lives of students and society as a whole. This day recognises the invaluable contributions of teachers and acknowledges the vital role they play in shaping future generations. On Wednesday this week, we came together to celebrate our fantastic team of teachers. Asking the children to consider what their teachers were good at and what impact they have on them, was a joyful and straightforward task for the pupils – there was no delay in their responses or their keenness to show their appreciation! |
News from outside of the classroom: Languages Talk |
|
Following on from European Languages Week, Years 3 and 6 welcomed Mrs Price into our classrooms to talk to us about the importance of learning a different language. She spoke of her move to England to be an au pair, and how she had to learn the language quickly to understand the family’s needs. Mrs Price also talked about Germany, and then taught us some German phrases. I wonder if any of the girls can remember any of them! We wish to say a huge thank you to Mrs Price for a very interesting and informative talk. |
Awards This Week |
|
Star Learners of the Week – Pearl P, Zehra S, Iman S, Mayu, Maya R, Cora S and Asmi S External Achievements: Ishani S – awarded Wildcat of the Week at Football |
Birthdays This Week |
|
This week, we wish a very Happy Birthday to the following members of our Junior School family: Molly J H, Constance H and Annabel P |
What's On - Autumn Term |
|
|
Community Sessions |
|
|
Children's Activity Morning at Dobbies |
|
|
Rock Concert for Year 5 and above |
|
To book your tickets, please click here.
|
Athletics Club - Autumn Running Club |
|
|
Musical Theatre and Acting Workshop |
|
|
Term Dates |
|
|
|
Northampton High School |
|
