I Opened a Book
"I opened a book and in I strode. Now nobody can find me. I've left my chair, my house, my road, my town and my world behind me. I'm wearing the cloak, I've slipped on the ring, I've swallowed the magic potion. I've fought with a dragon, dined with a king and dived into a bottomless ocean. I opened a book and made some friends. I shared their tears and laughter, and followed their road with its bumps and bends to the happily ever after. I finished my book and out I came. The cloak can no longer hide me. My chair and my house are just the same, but I have a book inside me." Julia Donaldson
As a teacher, one of the greatest delights is seeing the awe and wonder in children as they slowly fathom the joy of reading, unlocking the magical code which allows them to explore the fictional worlds created by authors, or indeed to learn more about themselves and the world around them through travel guides, biographies, science or history books. This process is not always easy: there is pleasure and pain in the process of decoding and deciphering the words. However, as the weeks, terms and years unfold, we have the pleasure of seeing each and every child grow in their comprehension of sounds, words and sentences, enabling them to access and enjoy an increasing variety of texts.
The ability to lose oneself in a good book, to see the characters in your mind's eye and feel mildly bereft once a story ends is a very special thing, as is being able to write down your imaginary adventures to share with others. In a society surrounded by incredible technology, it is so important to enable our children to have the time, space and opportunity to explore the art of both reading and writing for pleasure. These skills are inextricably linked; they take time to develop and even longer to secure. As we get older, the simple pleasures of reading and writing are often pushed to the bottom of our ‘to do’ lists. Amidst the busyness of parenting and life, how many of us model setting aside time to cosy up with a good book? Reading often feels like a luxury that many of us may not feel able to afford, but in doing so we miss out on so much.
As March approaches at some speed, so too does World Book Day, an event that we thoroughly embrace here at St Leonards. It is a real opportunity for pupils, parents and staff to share the love of books, both fiction and non-fiction. With all this in mind, I challenge you to put down your devices, turn off the TV and snuggle up with a good book over the holidays: immerse yourself in dragons, wizards, mysteries and other adventures, or even delve into some non-fiction or a picture book. This month, as we focus on being open-minded in the PYP, let’s try new authors, ask friends what they are reading and set ourselves the challenge to read more and revel in the joys and pleasures of slowing down and immersing ourselves in a good book.
Claire Boissiere, Head of Years 1-3
Year 1
Super Swimming
SUPER SWIMMING | The Year 1 pupils have been developing their swimming skills over the past few weeks: they have learned to swim widths, put their faces in the water, do sitting dives, and even head to the deep end without noodles! This week, the pupils enjoyed a fun swim with Miss Dawson and Mr Parsons, complete with an inflatable pink flamingo and water pistols - it was a fantastic and fun finale to the half term. The children are now gearing up for a sponsored swim to raise funds for the RNLI - further details to follow in due course.
Dinosaur Den
DINOSAUR DEN | The Year 1 pupils had great fun in the playground this afternoon creating a dinosaur den and a turtle home - it is always wonderful to see the children's imaginations at work, both inside and outside the classroom!
Year 2
Making Machines
MAKING MACHINES | This week, the Year 2 pupils have had a fantastic time investigating more machines. First, the pupils furthered their understanding of the structure of a pulley system by creating a simple fixed pulley. They then applied their learning by using junk modelling materials to create castles that incorporated a pulley system, such as a moveable drawbridge.
Later in the week, the children focused on levers. They used a balance scale to measure the mass of different items, including non-standard units of measure and then explored levers further by making catapults and firing them across the classroom!
Here are some of their reflections on using levers as a measuring tool.
"If one side goes low down it is heavier, if it is high up it's lighter." Roddy
"The leaves in my tub weighed the same as nine lego bricks." Frieda
"When you are trying to measure the weight of something, you need to make sure that the bar is level. Then they are equal." Ellen
"My finger is the fulcrum of the lever. The scales balance over it." Flora
Excellent work, Year 2!
Year 3
Hip Hip Hooray
HIP HIP HOORAY | Three cheers for Grace who was this week's recipient of the PE trophy, in recognition of her fantastic teamwork skills!
New Vocabulary
NEW VOCABULARY | Did you know that vertices is the mathematical term for corners in shapes? This week, the Year 3 pupils have learned lots of new vocabulary, including vertices, polygon and quadrilateral. They have looked at the properties of 2D shapes and found that the polygons have the same number of sides as vertices, and therefore that a circle isn't a polygon. Last, but by no means least, the pupils enjoyed playing outside and inside to familiarise themselves with the names of 2D shapes and their properties. Fantastic work, Year 3!
Creative Calligrams
CREATIVE CALLIGRAMS | As part of their inquiry into electricity, the Year 3 pupils created some superb shape poems. The children were inspired by lightning bolts and light bulbs - there are certainly some bright sparks in Year 3!
Year 4
Oh Yes It Is
OH YES IT IS | Inspired by their inquiry into expression, the Year 4 pupils channelled their creativity into a fantastic pantomime performance of Cinderella. The children wrote their own words, sourced some fantastic costumes, and then shared their production with Years 5 and 6 in the Auditorium. Three cheers for our talented thespians!
Light in our Lives
LIGHT IN OUR LIVES | The Year 4 pupils shared their knowledge of light with their peers through a series of fantastic presentations this week. The presentations made connections to the world around us, and explored how light helps us in our everyday lives. Well done, Year 4!
Year 5
Smashing Similes
SMASHING SIMILES | This week, the Year 5 pupils have been focusing on how to add detail to their writing through figurative language. The children came up with some imaginative similes, with 5P taking inspiration from Mother Nature on the beach. Well done, Year 5!
Year 6
International Development Insights
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSIGHTS | This week, to conclude their inquiry into Non-Governmental Organisations, the Year 6 pupils were delighted to hear from St Leonards Mrs Gibson about her expertise and experience in the field of international development. She spoke to the pupils about her work for Population Services International (PSI) in Malawi, South Sudan and Tanzania, and emphasised the role of teamwork in the organisation, which helps people access medical supplies in remote parts of the country. In addition, Mrs Gibson outlined the different roles in an NGO and gave the children an insight into the bidding processes that the organisations have to go through to secure funding. It was a fascinating talk, and the pupils even managed to put their note-taking skills into practise! Thanks again to Mrs Gibson for taking the time to speak with the pupils.
Fun with Fractions
FUN WITH FRACTIONS | Year 6 had lots of fun with fractions this week! The pupils enjoyed working together to consolidate and develop their fraction knowledge and skills through a variety of hands-on activities - some groups even created new games to practise multiple skills at once!
Other News
Colourful Clothes
COLOURFUL CLOTHES | Today, the Junior buildings were awash with colour as the pupils proudly donned their Island colours - green for Mull, blue for Skye, red for Lewis and yellow for Harris - and, in doing so, raised £185.00 for the RNLI. Over the course of this academic year, the pupils are hoping to raise enough for a new lifeboat at the local station in Anstruther. Watch this space for more fundraising events and initiatives!
Momo the Monkey
MOMO THE MONKEY | The Years 3-5 Mindfulness Club is affectionately known as 'Momo the Monkey'. This term, the pupils have discovered their breath using pinwheels and bubbles, explored attention skills and body awareness through movement, and cultivated sensory awareness through games and art. The group really have had lots of fun, and are excited to build upon these new skills next term!
Informal Concerts
INFORMAL CONCERTS | Congratulations to all the pupils who performed in the Years 1-3 and Years 4-6 Concerts this week. As ever, the concerts were a fantastic showcase of our pupils' musical talent and there were some excellent individual and group performances.
Stunning Skies
STUNNING SKIES | Many thanks to Miss Clements for sharing this beautiful photograph of the Harbour with us!
Celebrity Cyclist
CELEBRITY CYCLIST | At the end of last week, we were delighted to welcome world record-breaking cyclist and athlete Josh Quigley to St Leonards. Josh currently holds the Guinness World Record for the Greatest Distance Cycled in One Week - 2,179 miles cycled in 7 days - and gave two inspirational talks to our pupils. Through his world record attempts, Josh has raised over £30,000 for charitable causes, including the Feeding Communities project run by our caterers Thomas Franks, which sees nutritious, freshly-cooked meals distributed to those in need in the local community. Many thanks to Josh for taking the time to come and visit us! You can find out more about his adventures at the link below.