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The Voice of st leonards

Friday, 13 May 2022

Stepping on Stage

It has been a wonderful fortnight of performing arts performances in the Primary Years Programme. Last week, children, parents and staff were treated to two fantastic performances of the Year 6 production of Peter Pan, and this week our LAMDA pupils staged a showcase ahead of their external examinations. Then there were the fantastic musical performances at the Grandparents' and Relatives' concert. The performances just keep rolling on, with Informal Concerts next on the agenda.

The excitement and nerves that we see in the children's faces before they step onto the stage are just the tip of the iceberg. Drama productions provide pupils with the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones and to develop their spoken fluency, vocabulary, memory and recall skills, and confidence. Drama also nurtures friendships and close bonds: the weeks of rehearsals which precede the performances are filled with laughter, learning and personal growth as the cast and crew work together to overcome challenges and obstacles, and to perfect their productions. Last, but by no means least, Drama develops creativity and helps the children to view things in new ways and from different perspectives. It is for all these reasons, that the performing arts are an integral part of our educational provision here at St Leonards. Being part of a play or performance is an immensely rewarding experience, and sharing these moments with peers and loved ones makes these events even more special.

Congratulations once again to all our young actors and musicians, and special thanks to Laura Stewart, Fiona Love, Sally Shiells, Paul Shiells, and Eva Walker for all the support, encouragement and time that they give to allow our pupils to dip their toes into the performing arts and flourish as learners and individuals.

Duncan Barrable, Head of Years 4-6

Year 1

Mindful Moments

MINDFUL MOMENTS | To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, Year 1 read Moody Cow Meditates, a story about Peter the Cow who did not have a good day. To help him, his grandfather created a mindfulness jar for him to help him meditate and think away all the bad things of his day. Inspired by this story, the children then made their own mindfulness jars with different coloured glitter to represent thoughts, feelings and urges and then enjoyed some mindful moments in the classroom.

Sand Sculptures

SAND SCULPTURES | This week, as they tuned into their new Unit of Inquiry which focuses on the properties of materials, the Year 1 pupils headed to the beach to create homes for the three little pigs. The children's designs were wonderfully creative - some had pools, some were high rise, and some were like a settlement. Lots of fun was had by all, and the children displayed great teamwork skills!

Year 2

Telling the Time

TELLING THE TIME | The Year 2 pupils have been learning about time using both analogue and digital clocks. Discussions about 'o'clock' and 'half past' the hour led to the children making a sundial outdoors on St Katharines Green. The children marked the centre of the sundial with a plaque labelled 'Stand Here!' and then came out every hour to mark the position cast by their shadows, thus enabling them to place numbers on the sundial and tell the time using their shadows!

Pool Party

POOL PARTY | The Year 2 pupils enjoyed a pool party in their swimming lesson this week!

Minibeast Hunts

MINIBEAST HUNTS | Over the past few weeks, the Year 2 pupils have loved tuning into their inquiry and have embarked upon a number of minibeast hunts around the school grounds and on the beach. Down at the beach, the pupils discovered all sorts of new marine creatures in the rockpools - everything from tiny crabs and fish to anemones and winkles.

Year 3

Houses and Homes

HOUSES AND HOMES | The Year 3 pupils have made a great start into their final inquiry of the academic year, focusing on homes under the transdisciplinary theme of 'where we are in place and time'. The children looked at houses from across the world, and then grouped them into various different categories, such as: old and new, cold and hot climates, and animal and human. They then chose their favourite and least favourite house, before synthesising their findings in a piece of reflective writing.

In Year 3, the big question of the week has been what makes a house a home - in other words, is a home made of bricks or hearts? After a thought-provoking and moving conversation, the class decided that houses are made of materials like bricks and mortar and that homes are where the love of your family is. Below are some of the pupils' reflections:

"Where you go with your family is your home." Stellan
"The house is the outside of a home, and the inside of your home is love because your family is with you." Olivia
"Home is where love is, and love is eternal." Serena
"Your home is special - it is made of hearts instead of bricks." Catherine

Last, but by no means least, the pupils have started building some fabulous structures with the class' new Kapla building blocks. Great work, Year 3!

Year 4

Thankful Thoughts

THANKFUL THOUGHTS | To mark Mental Health Awareness Week, the Year 4 children have got stuck into a number of different activities to promote their mental wellbeing. The children discussed the importance of staying connected with each other and family members, taking the time to notice their surroundings, and keeping their minds and bodies active. They also made new leaves for the class mindfulness tree, noting down the acts of kindness that they had encountered throughout the week and the things that they are grateful for.

Year 5

Whittling and Wellbeing

WHITTLING AND WELLBEING | At the end of last week, the Year 5 pupils made the most of the summer sunshine and spent time planting a variety of flora and watering the wellbeing trail, and also whittling adventure sticks around the fire pit. What better way to round off the week, and to kick start our activities for Mental Health Awareness Week?

This week, the children developed new skills to help them when they feel anxious or overwhelmed. They had a great time practising their 'whale breath' and 'up and moving' activities!

Daring Debaters

DARING DEBATERS | The Year 5 pupils continued their debate series this week and, tying in with our school-wide focus on Mental Health Awareness Week, the selected topic was the benefits and dangers of technology.

To get the pupils thinking, we welcomed CAMHS staff to lead discussions with the children what activities can help boost our mood and what we can do when we feel down to help ourselves. The discussions were truly fantastic, with a range of insightful comments made by the children. The pupils then focused on the question 'Can technology impact childhood negatively?'. The children had great fun researching this topic and presenting their cases, as well as rebutting the arguments of their peers.

All in all, it was a fantastic activity and the children demonstrated excellent listening, speaking, critical thinking, research and teamwork skills - great work, Year 5!

Year 6

Birthday Celebrations

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS | The Year 6 pupils enjoyed a class party to celebrate Kevin's birthday this week, complete with some tasty treats. Many happy returns to Kevin!

Taking Action

TAKING ACTION | For the ‘action’ part of his PYP Exhibition Unit of Inquiry, which focused on the relationship between physical and mental health, Alex C spoke about the importance of exercise in the Years 4-6 Assembly this week. He is also taking action by running a 10km race to raise funds and awareness for Sport in Mind tomorrow. It has been great to see Alex share his inquiry findings to help others - please click the link below to partner with him in supporting others.

Push and Pull

PUSH AND PULL | This week, the Year 6 classes began a new Unit of Inquiry which focuses on migration. The children have looked at the push and pull factors which cause groups and individuals to migrate. In 6P, the pupils considered the possessions that they would take with them if they were forced to migrate. Looking ahead, with a focus on geography and history, the children will inquire into migrations of their own choice in order to produce a learning walk about migration - after the great success of the PYP Exhibition, we look forward to sharing this final presentation with you before the Year 6 pupils embark upon the MYP!

Maths and Mindfulness

MATHS AND MINDFULNESS | In Maths, the Year 6 pupils have been creating images and problem solving using angles. They have also used a variety of games to improve the speed and accuracy of their mental addition and subtraction. After the busyness of the previous week, the pupils have also enjoyed taking some time to engage in mindful practises - all in all, it's been a wonderful week!

Spotlight on Sport

Most Valuable Player

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER | Congratulations to Grace and Catherine who received the Most Valuable Player Award in their PE lessons!

Friday Festival

FRIDAY FESTIVAL | At the end of last week, Years 6-8 had great fun at the Friday Festival organised by some of the Senior pupils as part of their CAS project. The children took part in dodgeball, rounders and capture the flag!

Clifton Hall Cricket

CLIFTON HALL CRICKET | The U10 boys' team enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of cricket against Clifton Hall this week. Congratulations to Ewan W and Jonathan S who were named top batsman and bowler respectively!

Tennis Tournament

TENNIS TOURNAMENT | Congratulations to all the pupils who represented St Leonards at the NEF Tournaments at St Andrews Tennis Club this week!

The Year 3/4 team comprised Bella H, Thea S, Teddy C and Harrison L.
The Year 5/6 Team comprised James W, Cara L, Bella T and Monty W.

Cartwheels and Handstands

CARTWHEELS AND HANDSTANDS | At the start of this year, Miss Coyle launched the St Leonards Gymnastics Club. The pupils initially focused on developing their fundamental skills, including the splits, bridges and handstands, and have now moved onto practising cartwheels, round offs and some tumbling preps! Very excitingly, we now have some new equipment which the pupils are putting to good use, attempting sequences such as handstand flatback vaults and handstands on the beam. The children are looking forward to building on these skills in the coming months, and have their eyes peeled for upcoming competitions!

Other News

Budding Beekeepers

BUDDING BEEKEEPERS | Clad in their protective clothing, our budding beekeepers enjoyed tending to our colonies earlier this week - not all classrooms have four walls!

Grandparents' & Relatives' Day

GRANDPARENTS' & RELATIVES' DAY | It was wonderful to welcome guests to our annual Grandparents' and Relatives' Day! The children had a wonderful time showing their loved ones around the campus, serenading the guests with some fantastic musical performances in St Katharines Hall, and enjoying a delicious afternoon tea in Restaurant 1877 complete with scones and strawberry tarts. Thanks to Mrs Arkwright and all who ensured that the event was such a success!

Summery Snack

SUMMERY SNACK | The pupils enjoyed ice lollies as a tasty afternoon snack this week - summer has arrived at St Leonards!

Mental Health Awareness Week

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK | This week, we participated in the nationwide Mental Health Awareness Week, seeking to raise awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental health and the practical steps we can take to address it. Throughout the week, we encouraged pupils to make the most of our holistic wellbeing provision at St Leonards, whether that be our mindfulness clubs, the healthy food served in Restaurant 1877, the Wellbeing Trail or time with friends in the playground.

In assembly, the children in Years 1-3 learned about STAR (stop, take a breath and relax) and the breathing techniques which can help them to calm down, tap into how they're feeling and be a star of their emotions, whilst the pupils in Years 4-6 learned about the mental health benefits of exercise. It has been great to see the pupils embrace the aforementioned strategies and spaces, and also take the lead in sharing their thoughts and experiences with their peers

Charity Film Night

CHARITY FILM NIGHT | Years 1-3 enjoyed pizza and a fun film night and, in doing so, raised a total of £345.00 for the RNLI. The children watched the animated Disney film Luca, in which a young sea monster boy who is able to assume human form while on land, goes on a summer adventure. Great fun was had by all... below are some of the children's reflections!

"The film is fun and exciting! I liked the place where they ride the motorbike in their imaginations." Albert
"I liked it when Luca first tries to walk and keeps falling over!" Luna
"The movie makes you feel like you're actually there!" Niamh

Thanks to Mrs Beebee and Miss Fisher for organising the event!

Upcoming Events

Total Lunar Eclipse

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE | Did you know that May's Flower Full Moon combines with a total lunar eclipse? The sky is set to look simply stunning on Sunday night... why not keep an eye out?

St Leonards Presents

ST LEONARDS PRESENTS | You are warmly invited to the Senior students' production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which will be staged in The Byre Theatre next week. Tickets can be booked via the link below - we hope to see you there!

Awful Auntie

AWFUL AUNTIE | Looking ahead, St Leonards is excited to be bringing the David Walliams family classic, Awful Auntie, to St Andrews this summer, adapted for the outdoor stage by Heartbreak Productions. The show will be performed on Big Field on 3 July - think picnics, cosy blankets and plenty of fun! Full details including ticketing are included on the flyer below.