Year 1
Year 1 had a fabulous time visiting Windsor Castle as part of their exploration of knights and castles. We were so excited to see that the Royal Standard flag was flying, which meant that the King was in the castle! We are sure we saw him looking through one of windows of the castle keep! We enjoyed a very exciting workshop on how to become a knight, how to behave and what to wear. We then had a tour of the castle, looking out for all the different parts of a castle we had learnt about. We were amazed to see all the shields of knights on the ceiling, the armour for the horses and what we could see peering through the arrow slits!
Year 1 have also been learning about different materials in Science. We went on a ‘rock walk’ and looked for different types of rock around the school grounds. We discovered that not all rock is the same. We used our magnifying glasses to look for tiny details and used adjectives to describe what the rocks felt like and what they looked like. We thought about where rock comes from and how it is made.
Year 2
Over the Diwali weekend, I took part in my first Bharathanatyam performance known as a “Salangai Pooja”. My sister Arya (2P), Meena (3S) and Mia (2P) also took part. Translated literally, a “Salangai pooja” means the “Blessing of the bells”. This is so Lord Ganapathy (the Hindu elephant god) can bless our dance bells that we wear around our feet. Bharathanatyam is a South Indian classical dance form. In the picture we are dressed in colourful dance costumes with traditional jewellery and “salangai” bells on our feet. It was a special evening that we shared with our family and friends.
Written by Avanna S 4S.
Year 3
Last Friday, 3S performed our class assembly to parents, teachers and some pupils. It was a brilliant assembly, and included some speeches about some inspirational black women that we had learnt about for Black History Month and also lots and lots of fun facts about the water cycle. This has been our topic for this term and we have learnt so much that we wanted to share. We dressed up as clouds, water droplets, sunbeams and newspaper reporters to share our learning and we loved standing up and singing for the school. We can’t until next year’s class assembly! Thank you for watching us!
On Tuesday the 14th November, Year 3 went to Bough Beech to learn about the water cycle in more detail. When we arrived, we visited the reservoir and went down a dark, deep tunnel to look at the pipes and see how water travels around. We saw lots of huge metal tanks and learnt that these collect our rain-water and keep it safe so we don’t run out. We learnt that we have to save lots of water. At the start of the day, we were shown a little empty jar and then the staff at Bough Beech showed us how even little drips of water, if they are left for a long time, can fill the glass up by the end of the day. This taught us that we have to be careful of even little leaks. We caught raindrops in our mouths, splashed in puddles and spent lots of time in the fresh air! We had a wonderful day!
By Jinhui S, Siena C
Year 5
On Thursday 9th November, Ms Ahmed gave a wonderful, inspirational talk about the Five Pillars of Islam. The afternoon started off with an entertaining and thorough explanation of the first Pillar – Shahadah. We were told that this means to commit to believing in One God and that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last prophet. According to Islamic belief, this pillar is the start of a journey and a way of life. With a few simple words, it can transform your life and character.
The second pillar of Islam was explained to us next – Salah – which is the Arabic word for prayer. Muslims pray 5 times a day. You are expected to pray at different points of the day, before dawn, midday, afternoon, after sunset and the night prayer. There are also many other voluntary prayers. This is the daily connection to God which keeps you on the path to goodness.
The third Pillar (Zakat) requires you to give some of your money savings to any charity that will help poor people in need. This is after you have met your own needs. The purpose of this is so that you can share your money as a way of showing gratitude and make you less greedy. It also gives us the opportunity to assist those who need it more than us. You pay the zakat (2.5%) on your extra savings.
Fasting is the fourth Pillar – Sawm. This is especially done in the special Muslim month, Ramadan. Muslims believe this improves our patience and helps us feel others’ pain. Ramadan is about becoming closer to God, being a better person and giving lots of charity.
Hajj is the 5th pillar of Islam. Many will most likely do this once in a lifetime. This is when you make the pilgrimage to Makkah and visit the Kabbah. You perform many rituals which relate back to Prophet Abraham and his wife and son Prophet Ismail. Over there, people all wear white apparel to show that, to Allah, they are all equal.
At the end of each explanation of a Pillar, Ms Ahmed would always find time for bursting questions and answered all of them. Overall, the talk was fascinating and informative and taught everyone many more facts than Year 5 were expecting!
By Hemya B and Myra G 5S
Year 6
On the 24th of November, Year 6 went to the Sutton Life Center/ First, we learned about transportation and how we can stay safe on the trains and the bus waiting spots and how we can get on safely using out Oyster Cards. We were taught by real life police officers, and it was a great experience to be able to talk and interact with them.
Next, we learnt about healthy relationships with your friends and family including items you love. This is very helpful for our future lives with other people. We also learnt about our personal space and distance from other people and to be brave enough to tell, even your friend, off if they treat you badly repeatedly.
After that, we studied the safety and hazards of when fires are near you. We were also taught about the hazards in your room that can cause fires to erupt. For example, overcrowded circuits near plugging stations, candles left near windows and matchsticks and cigarettes. Additionally, we learnt what to do if a fire broke out when you are asleep in your room. We must crawl on the floor as the smoke rises and block the gap under the door with a blanket. To tell if the fire is close by, use the back of your hand to touch door handles so you don’t burn your hand. If it is cold, the fire isn’t close by but if it is hot, go to your window and shout as loudly as you can “FIRE”, not “help” as this could mean anything.
Next door was the room where we learnt about healthy food and eating each day. Children our ages are only supposed to have seven cubes of sugar per day and more limited food with less sugar, salt and fat. If you eat too much, there is a chance of getting type 2 diabetes and mood crashes when you feel sick and dizzy for no reason.
A few steps down we visited a model railway room where we sat on benches which would be at the train station. Did you know that a part of the rails contains a huge surge of electricity which can jump three meters and can be fatal if you were to fall on the track? It can also stick to you like a magnet from the electricity. Usually on a train station there will be a key point where there is an emergency and information button for help.
Finally, we met someone who worked for the NHS. She showed us the Dr ABC: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Calling 999. We also experienced the state of the recovery position if you were to find someone unconscious. You should se the Dr ABC and put them in the recovery position whilst dialing 999.
In conclusion, Year 6 had the golden opportunity to be able to experience this trip to the Sutton Life Center. We really enjoyed it and had a great and memorable time.
Written by Emily Y, Olivia T and Mari K
