Year 2 recreated their own seasonal episode of Top Gear this week as they road tested their homemade Santa Sleighs on various surfaces and slopes. Which one would travel the furthest, which one faltered on a rough surface and would any of them survive the rigorous challenges? As the children fired questions at each other and made observations about the results they noticed, some excellent science learning unfolded - Santa Claus take note! The children were ably assisted by The Jolly Postman (who also shared the tricks of his trade at this busy time of year) and Magic Grandad (aka Mr Chaplin). The menorah candles were proudly in place in the Pre Prep library as we prepared for Hanukkah. Miss Gold shared her own family experiences of celebrating this festival in assemblies throughout the week. Miss McDonald has been teaching Spanish to all three Reception classes this term as part of our of World Languages rotation and they always have such a happy time together - Feliz Navidad!
Each classroom in Pre Prep has a fairy door and at this time of year the naughty elves visit and get up to all sorts of mischief. Pre-School were astounded to find that their elves seem to be able to climb Christmas tress and smuggle snacks; what an absolute delight to see their little faces each morning as they discover what has happened whilst they were sleeping. Creativity inspires the children to direct their own learning; as they explore themes they are encouraged to apply the skills they have acquired throughout the term. Whether that be writing persuasive letters to Santa or snipping snowflakes to test fine motor skills, the productivity I have seen would rival the most industrious of elf workshops!
Year 3 - Year 3 have been working extra hard this week, not only supporting Year 4 with their excellent pantomime, but also completing assessments, as well as continuing with their normal studies. In science, the children have turned their attention from rocks to soil. They have been exploring the character of Roger Rock and finding out how he turns into Simon Soil. In topic, Year 3 have used Oreos to show the different types of tectonic plate boundaries. Why not ask your child if they can explain (through the medium of chocolate biscuit!) the difference between divergent, convergent and transformative. Many thanks for all the reverse advent calendar donations we have received so far. Our boxes are looking very full and festive indeed!
Year 4 - The pantomime is fast approaching and rehearsals have been in full swing this week. The children have impressed us with their enthusiasm for the show; knowing their lines and songs well. We are sure you will enjoy the show next week.
The highlight of the week was Roman Day. Children had the opportunity to re-enact key moments in Roman History and enjoyed playing their roles. They worked in teams to complete a Roman quiz, learning many new facts along the way. The afternoon finished with the children examining Roman artefacts including armoury and roman coins.
Thank you to everyone for their contributions for the reverse advent calendar. These will be well received.
Year 5 - The Christmas holidays are fast approaching and Edge Grove has started to transform into a winter wonderland. Year 5 have been bringing in their donations for the reverse advent calendar this week and there was much excitement about the Christmas fair at the weekend.
In English the children have been reading Act 3 of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. In small groups the children acted out different scenes from the play and some of them were even ambitious enough to read their lines in Shakespearean language. Year 5 impressed their maths teachers with their understanding of analogue and digital clocks. The children were then challenged to solve maths word problems using time. Year 5 were able to get a sneak preview of the Year 3 and 4 pantomime by acting as an audience for them during drama lessons. In science lessons the children continued to evaluate an investigation about air resistance that they had completed last week. In history this week Year 5 were plotting key events in the demise of the Kingdom of Benin, using a Fortune Graph. These events led to Benin being forced to become part of the British Empire in 1897. During the task the pupils discussed what made the British want to take control of Benin as well as the resistance the people of Benin put up.
House spirit was raised this week with the children taking part in some inter house competitions during games lessons. Lower prep will not wait with great anticipation to hear the final result. 5ST were sadly unable to perform their form assembly to the rest of the school. They did however manage to record their Hanukkah assembly so the rest of the school could watch their fantastic performances during form time.
Year 6 - With the Christmas season now upon us our reverse advert is well under way, with the pupils creating form group gift hampers for children supported by Watford and Three Rivers Refugee Partnership. Attached you can see a photo of some of the generous donations given so far.
Year 6 should be commended on how well they have adapted to learning from home this week. They have shown resilience and determination and we thank them for their mature approach towards this short period of online learning. However, a change of scene does not mean a change in schedule and year 6 have been keeping up to date with their learning via online lessons. This week in English they have had the opportunity to share their descriptive writing tasks with the class. This has also developed their evaluative skills as they shared feedback in order to improve each other's writing.
In science, the pupils have been revising the topic of energy via the use of a trigger word sheet, in order to prepare for their end of topic test next week. In Geography they have been writing letters or newspaper articles uncovering the truth behind Bangladeshi sweatshops. In Games, those taking netball completed Serena Guthrie’s netball specific workout, those without netballs improvised, even a dog toy was used! The pupils taking Rugby took part in a fitness session and reflected upon what is important for Rugby by making word clouds.
Everyone at Edge Grove is looking forward to seeing the Year 6’s in person as soon as possible to enjoy the run up to Christmas.
Congratulations to our fabulous business entrepreneurs in the Upper School who, in their companies, have worked so hard in the run up to Saturday’s Christmas Fair. We have been so incredibly impressed by the creativity, enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by the teams through the process of developing, marketing and producing their final hand-crafted gifts! On Saturday, their stalls were packed with eager customers snapping up bath bombs, snow globes, bracelets, keyrings, hand made cards and more. The children worked brilliantly in their teams, as well as individually leading their own area of responsibility.
Between them, Year 7 and 8 have raised an incredible £1324.47 for the Watford and Three Rivers Refugee Partnership! Congratulations to everyone, and we look forward to announcing the winning companies in the end of term assembly next week.
It has been fantastic to see the enthusiastic and dedicated way the pupils have embraced the start of the rugby season. We have enjoyed working on the pupils handling skills and starting the introduction to contact rugby. Unfortunately Year 6 were only able to have one session however the way they have embraced the online lessons and the excellent discussion about what makes a good rugby player bodes well for the season ahead. No match reports this week due to fixtures being cancelled but you can view a few photos from this term's hard work in all sports here.
Luke and Keavy competed in the British Open Tae Kwon Do Championships last weekend in Manchester. Keavy finished first in the Female U14 A class for patterns and second in that class for sparring; Luke finished second in the Male U14 A class for both patterns and sparring. What a huge achievement from both of you - well done!
We have been so busy this week preparing for the many upcoming festive shows. We have been so impressed with all the pupils' enthusiasm, from our littlest pupils in Pre-School through to Year 8, and we can't wait for you to see them all in action.
Also, well done to Anna and Amelie who are currently starring in the Radlett Centre pantomime 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!' We are very proud of them making their professional debut!