Message from Principal Lady Kirsty Grundy
Dear families,
Where has 2022 gone?
This last year has sped by and so much has been achieved by our children. There has continued to be many ‘firsts’, from our first Year 4 class and first set of Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs) in Year Two, to our first EYFS nativity with families allowed to watch in person since the end of COVID restrictions and Friends of STP Summer and Christmas Fayres.
And next year promises to be no different. At the start of February we will have our first residential trip to Kingswood Outdoor Activity Centre and Year 4 will take the National Multiplication Tests for the first time.
But for now, we look back on the highlights of the last half term.
Nursery
Theme:- Let's Pretend
During our 'Let’s Pretend’ theme, the children were excited to have an egg arrive in class. We later found out that it was a dragon’s egg. We had to search the school grounds for the dragon and found him on some CCTV footage. The children have learnt all about castles, dragons, Kings and Queens and have been on shiny treasure hunts. We were lucky to have a Kodály Inspired workshop where the children learnt new songs and rhymes. We enjoyed completing Children in Need activities and raising money for a good cause.
Reception
Theme:- Snap, Crackle and Pop
This half term we worked around the topic “Snap, Crackle, Pop”. We worked with the artist James Brunt to make natural leaf art outside and learnt all about the season of Autumn and the changes we see, nocturnal animals, bonfire night and then finally the festival of Christmas.
Year One
Theme:- Twist and Shout
During our Twist and Shout theme, we learnt all about different artists and genres of music. We explored using different instruments including boom whackers, drums and our voices. When learning about the Beatles, we listened to many of their greatest hits and learnt to sing I want to hold your hand. Learning about notation was such an exciting lesson, we used laptops to explore sounds and create our own graphic scores!
In Science, we learnt about different types of materials and their properties. Using Now Press Play, we had an incredible time following a story in headphones and acting the story out. We sorted objects into categories based on their material then, discussed how some materials are not suitable for certain objects.
Year Two
Theme:- Worth Repeating
Our theme for this half term, ‘Worth Repeating’ began with a visit from artist James Brunt. He worked with the children to create an impressive repeating pattern artwork on the playground, using natural materials. This inspiring day led to a whole half term of work focused on patterns, art and symmetry.
The children developed their sketching skills when creating observational drawings, learnt how to mix paint to create different primary shades and tints and experimented with different paper cutting techniques to create symmetrical art.
We have used our newest piece of technology, ‘Now Press Play’, to immerse ourselves into the world of audio and learned all about plants in Science by listening. Children also enjoyed investigating what plants need to stay healthy.
We have also had two focus days this term. In our Computing Focus Day, we used Scratch Junior on the iPads to create our own simple coding programmes. In our Music Focus Day, we learnt how repeating patterns can also be heard in music and created our own repeating rhythms.
Year Three
Theme:- Prehistoric Planet
We travelled back in time over 10,000 years this term to learn about life in the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. We kicked off the theme with our visit to live as Stone Age people at Edgmond Hall: making fire, building shelters and crafting flint tools. Since then, we have discovered all the technological developments of Prehistoric Britain: metalworking, trade, farming, the first coins and building monuments. We’ve made Bronze Age beakers, painted cave murals and immersed ourselves in Prehistory.
What a fantastic theme – we've enjoyed it immensely – ask us about what we’ve learnt!
Year Four
Theme:- Merlin
This half term, we have been leaning about the legend of King Arthur and many related stories, such as the help he received from Merlin the wizard, the Sword in the Stone, and the Knights of the Round Table. In one of our Explores, with a Design and Technology focus, we discovered what makes a successful fort or castle after looking at the fictitious Camelot and then real-life examples, and then we designed and made our own.
Times Table Rock Stars – is your child a Legend or a Hero?
Rapid recall of times table facts is vital to be successful in many areas of Mathematics and indeed for every day life. A statutory online times table check is also completed by all pupils in Year 4. To help cement and improve their knowledge of times table facts, we have invested in the online platform called ‘Times Table Rock Stars’, which the children can access at home and school.
Next term, children in Year Two, Three and Four will take part in a terrific tournament – the ‘Battle of the Bands!’
Pupil Forum Update
Our Pupil Forum will meet at the start of next term with Mr Collins. Last half term the Forum agreed to organise Children In Need activities and wanted a return of fundraising for Save the Children through the Christmas Jumper Day. They also helped organise a uniform and warm coat swap with Mrs Perry for families.
Next term, pupils will be working with Mr Collins to further improve lunchtime activities to make them more active and organise a Foodbank appeal.
Children in Need 2022
Once again we had lots of fun in aid of the BBC Children in Need Appeal, dressing in pyjamas, yellow and spotty clothing, working out our bodies and brains with Joe Wicks and raising an amazing £173 for the charity. Thank you again to our children, staff and families for your enthusiasm and generosity!
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire
Year 2 and 3 were treated to a special surprise on Thursday when the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire came to perform for them. The children were introduced to opera through a range of magical performances in Italian, German and English. We learned that opera singers are storytellers and can make you feel a range of emotions- some of the performances made us all laugh out loud! After the performance children had the chance to ask the performers questions and they thought of some interesting and intelligent questions. What a wonderful festive afternoon!
Attendance Awards
Our continued focus on good attendance, has meant that we have seen a high number of children achieving 100% attendance this term.
81 children have attended every day this term. Each of these children received a special certificate in Celebration Assembly on the final day of term and 50 Dojo points.
Christmas 2022 at Shireland Technology Primary
It really was the most wonderful time of the year this Christmas with NO restrictions allowing everyone to fully enter into the spirit of the festive season fully.
Christmas Jumper Day with Christmas Lunch & the Friends of STP’s Christmas Fayre
We kicked off our Christmas festivities in style with our annual Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day where everyone wore their best Christmas Jumper. We also had our delicious Christmas Lunch and at the end of the day it was our first ever Christmas Fayre organised by the Friends of STP which had fabulous attendance from families. In the process, we also raised £368 for Save the Children and £1,018 for Friends of STP.
Christmas Cinema Club
On Monday we had the return of the staff and pupil festive favourite, Christmas Cinema Club which was a wonderful cheerful treat for all! Our children cosied down in the dark to enjoy a hot chocolate and a cookie in front of a yuletide favourite film with their friends.
EYFS Nativity
The children have worked hard to put their nativity play performance together of “Whoops-a-Daisy Angel”. They learnt many songs and showed amazing confidence and pride in their play. Well done EYFS, you were all superstars!
Winter Wonderland Christmas Grotto
It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas, as our now legendary Christmas Grotto opened for business, with the jolly fellow himself in residence. This year Santa and his wife invited children to visit an exceptionally beautiful and breath-taking Winter Wonderland and had extra help from the sparkling Winter Fairy herself.
It was a truly magical experience for our children.
Christmas Sing-along and Parties
On our final days of Christmas, we all enjoyed our Class Christmas Parties and Festive whole school sing-a-long. What a marvellous way to get into the Christmas spirit and end a busy but wonderful first term.
Coming Up Next Term
Year 4 Residential
Year 4 will be visiting Kingswood Residential and Outdoor Activity Centre in Staffordshire. They provide unforgettable experiences and life-changing moments that allow children to learn, grow and challenge themselves in fun and exciting ways. This three-day (and two night) residential will give children a first opportunity to stay away from home and also to meet children from other Trust schools who are also attending.
Charlie and the Chocolate Competition for Years 3 & 4
Pupils in year 3 and 4 will be using their imagination to create a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inspired classroom creation. We will be working together as a phase to create a model which will entail children designing and creating a diorama. Our creation will even include baked treats! Just like Willy Wonka himself, there’s no limit!
Family Forum
Our next Family Forum is on Wednesday 19th January in the afternoon at 2.30pm till 3.30pm and run by Mr Donaldson and Mrs Perry. Our Family Forum is an opportunity to get a little more involved in what is happening in school and find out how we have responded to feedback from previous forums. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Safer Internet Week
As a Technology Primary, we are aware of the positive impact and possibilities offered to us by technology, but we are also aware of the risks and the need to keep our pupils safe online and our families informed. This year’s Safer Internet Week will be 6th – 10th February 2022.
Safer Internet Week will include sessions for pupils, families and staff to ensure we keep all of us safe and informed when using the internet. Keep an eye out for full details in the new term.
My Cultural Journey
Many of the children in Key Stage One and Two are already completing activities and gaining new experiences using their 50 Things to Do lists from the My Cultural Journey programme. We have seen photos of children visiting museums, going to the theatre, creating artwork, baking cakes and making sculptures and next term we will be giving out our Bronze, Silver and Gold awards next term.
Edulink One: Reducing our Carbon Footprint
As you know our pupils have told us through the Pupil Forum that they are very concerned about the school being more environmentally friendly. As such they have asked us to find ways of reducing the amount of paper we use as a school. The cost of paper has also risen dramatically with the paper mills in the Ukraine unable to operate. This is why the majority of our letters we send out on EdulinkOne or Class Dojo.
Finally
We thank staff and families, as ever, for continued support and warmth. We aim for our school to provide the best but also have the care and heart for us to be one big extended family.
Lady Grundy and #TeamShirelandTech