Spring Term 2018. Issue 3 Well, here we are again at the end of another half term and as someone said to me yesterday, they didn t know where the time goes, it just seems to fly by. There is the old adage, of course, that time flies by when you are enjoying yourself which I can certainly attest to, however, sometimes we need to be conscious of what is going on around us, at the present time, in the now. People differ, some like something to look forward to, a holiday or special occasion perhaps, others look backwards; few of us live in the moment. Throughout childhood we press children to look forward, we are the architects of their thought processes. We tell them to put that item on their birthday list, for example. However, how many of us stop for a moment to think about the moment? I recently attended a Headmasters and Headmistresses conference, where the theme was: well being and keeping yourself sane! Every speaker took some time, in every session, to stop us from what we were doing, to look around and appreciate the environment and the people we were working with. I have to say, it gave me an insight and deeper appreciation of what was actually happening. It created a frame for the action and reaffirmed the purpose of that moment. I have taken this into my classroom, with startling results: refocus, realign and re-energise; it has been a revelation; I would urge you to try it out for yourself have a lovely break. Dates for the diary Monday February 26th Music Assembly (Parents welcome) Thursday March 1st World Book Day Check the School website for all events taking place. It is updated daily. Fulneck School, Pudsey, Leeds, LS28 8DS 0113 257 0235 www.fulneckschool.co.uk
Star of the Week Reception Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Daisy Varley. Romeo Devereux, Tara Rajput. Class award. Poppie Hartley, Diana Grigoreva. Graham Adair. Alexander Holt. Haisan Ali, Wakandira Sibanda. House stars Weekly Winners Early Years Juniors Lucas Dunbar Leigh-Taylor Arundale Bronze Star Awards Year 3 Hattie Newton, Piah Dunn-Morse, Poppie Hartley. Year 6 Isabella Gledhill. Silver Star Awards Reception Hamzah Ali, Sara Asim, Daisy Varley, Alexander Meichanetsidis. Year 1 Year 5 Year 6 Tara Rajput, Lois Atkins, Romeo Devereux. Ore Adedayo-Ojo, Sally Hallas-Fawcett, Kimberley Stewart, Leigh-Taylor Arundale, William Fletcher. Kaynat Qaisar.
This week Reception Class brought their teddy bears into school to help them with their maths work. The children firstly halved a bun with their cuddly friend and enjoyed eating it. After they were given a set number of sweets and had to find out what half the amount was by sharing them between themselves and their teddy bear. In essentials Unity, in non-essentials Liberty and in all things Reception Class have been busy baking this week in preparation for their bun sale. This was a huge success and the funds collected will be used for the children to have their very own fairy tale banquet next week, which they have spent this term planning and preparing for.
During this half-term Year 3 & 4 have been studying about Egypt including what was important to people in ancient times, where and how Egyptians lived, communicated and mummification. We have had great fun in the classroom recreating our own mummies, researching Pharaohs or Egyptian make-up and making our own Horus necklaces. The Y3 & 4 team have really enjoyed receiving the variety and quality of homework the pupils have been producing. If you get chance please do pop along and take a look.
To have a fantastic finish to our Happy Ever After? topic Reception class visited the Rainbow Factory. They took a journey with the storybird to the storybook kingdom where the wicked witch tried to put an end to all the Happy Ever Afters but the children helped the fairy tale characters by using their magic to defeat the witch. At the end of the day Reception Class enjoyed their banquet which they have been planning and organising throughout the term. Forest School have supported the RSPB s Great British Bird Watch this half-term. We have enjoyed bird spotting, bird crafts and painting ceramic bird drinkers.
On Friday the 26th of January the Leeds university brought their Astrodome to Fulneck and gave Year 5 and Year 6 a session on finding aliens both in our own solar system and in other galaxies, followed by a question-and-answer session. An astrodome is like an inflatable beach ball with a special projector. Students laid down on the floor and looked up at the stars. It was brilliant! Year 6 have been studying the lungs and circulatory system this half-term and last week they were treated to a lung and heart dissection demo. Although some students initially found it quite disgusting, most students eventually embraced the opportunity and got very hands-on! There is nothing like sticking your fingers into the various tubs to figure out how the heart works! Year 3 have been studying rocks this term and have been fascinated by different types of fossils! Several of the pupils have brought in wonderful specimens they have found around Yorkshire. Particularly impressive was Reuben s multi-layered ammonite specimen that was found in his garden! As part of the topic students have made their own fossils that we then painted. All images caught by our class photographer; Diana.
Congratulations to ISAAC CARVER (Y6) on his winning performance. La Trobe also reigned triumphant in the Early Years and Junior House singing. On the 2nd February the House Music competition took place. Weeks before lots of practising was going on. I was really impressed with the number of pupils that took part this year and the skills shown. They stood on stage with confidence and gave their personal best. Every pupil that took part in the semi finals did a fantastic job. The finalists Leigh-Taylor, Kiran, Sally, Jayven, Isaac, Kholood stood on that stage and did an outstanding job performing their piece. It was a really hard job for Mr Bouckley and Mrs Chamberlain, however overall Isaac won with his performance Well Done Isaac. Mr Bouckley started the House singing with a toss of a coin, on this occasion La Trobe won and Early Years started with great energy. Connor s performance of Three hats was amazing, however it was La Trobe that won. Things got seriously competitive with the juniors. La Trobe started the singing and again won! Well done to everyone in Connor and La Trobe, to Mrs Lewis, the instrumental teachers, Mr Bouckley and of course, Mrs Chamberlain. A fantastic and impressive House competition. Kiran Chera
Year 5 and Year 6 Creative Writing Competition Last half term, Year 5 and Year 6 took part in a creative workshop exploring the three major religions (Christianity, Islam and Judaism). Year 5 and Year 6 are warmly invited by Conor to now plan the next stages of the comic book and are invited to continue the story they were shown during the workshop. Year 5 and Year 6 know the characters and know the Story. Could you be credited with the nest stage of the story (part 4)? Entries need to be completed on Monday 19th February. Details for children to carry on the next stage of the story, have been shared via school post. ENTRIES TO BE PASSED TO MR MARSHALL
At the end of this half-term Fulneck Junior School said goodbye to Jennie Chamberlain, and hello to Charlotte Kitson. Charlotte will be starting vocal tuition immediately after half-term. Lessons will take place on a Friday and there are spaces available for anyone who might wish to start. Charlotte graduated in 2011 from the University of Birmingham with a First Class Honours degree in Music, where she specialised in Performance. In 2009 she was awarded the DipABRSM in Singing. She currently works full time as Choral Director for Wakefield and Pontefract in the Diocese of Leeds, where she has founded the new Bishop Konstant Youth Choir. A qualified secondary teacher, she also works as Singing Teacher for the Huddersfield Youth Choir and Fulneck School. For the previous three years Charlotte was the Choral Director for Bradford in the Diocese of Leeds, where she taught singing in 12 schools, founded the Bradford Catholic Junior Choir, and directed the choir of St. Urban s Church, Headingly. She has made solo appearances with the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Rodolfus Choir, Tatton Singers, Sheffield Chorale, Brixi Singers, and in opera at University, among others. A member of In Pace, the professional chamber choir of the Skipton Camerata, she was also recently honoured to sing semi-chorus at the premiere of Paul Spicer s commemorative work for the First World War, Unfinished Remembering, at Birmingham Symphony Hall. Charlotte s main claim to fame however, is singing as a backing vocalist for Russell Watson on Welsh TV and miming the Welsh National anthem very badly! A former member of Yorkshire Bach Choir, Rodolfus Choir, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, St. Chad s Cathedral Singers and Leeds Cathedral Choir, she has sung chorally on BBC Radio 2, 3, and 4, and Classic FM; and at the BBC Proms. In April 2009 she sang for the Bach St. Matthew Passion, as featured in the Channel 4 documentary, Alex: A Passion for Life.