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The Voice of st leonards

Friday, 31 March 2023

Opportunities to Shine

This week we have revelled in performances from both our Year 2 and Year 6 children displaying - not for the first time - the multitude of talent, enthusiasm and passion that exudes from all of our children. These events follow on from informal concerts, sports fixtures, class celebrations of learning and in-class presentations - what a term we have had! I could go on, but the main take-home is that our children are given the opportunity to shine in so many different areas and that for me, and indeed for all at St Leonards, is so very crucial.

The week of 13 March was Neurodiversity Celebration Week. This is an area that is very close to my heart. Our understanding of everything under this umbrella term is continually developing but what we must remember above all is that we are all the same but we are different. Mercifully different. Our perception, our understanding, our hobbies, our talents are all wonderfully diverse. For some, however, this makes the very business of attending, much less achieving at school a challenge. As educators, we strive to allow our children to flourish, and develop into whoever and whatever they may be. Every child is on their own learning journey and each child will encounter their specific challenges and celebrations on the way.

“To empower neurodivergent students to achieve their potential, schools need to recognize and celebrate our many strengths and talents that may not be showcased in the traditional classroom environment, such as our creativity, innovation, ability to think outside-the-box, problem-solving skills, unique insights, and perspectives, as well as our perseverance and resilience.” - https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/

The PYP allows every child to take ownership of their own learning. As we witness our Year 6s preparing for their PYP finale with their Exhibition in May, we see first hand that cherished diversity in glorious technicolour. As parents and practitioners we must recognise, embrace and celebrate the differences we all have in order that we do not unwittingly deter the dreamers, pioneers, change makers, future business leaders, adventurers and discoverers from their own unique path.

At St Leonards we celebrate the individual, we look for what enthuses and inspires our children, and we work with them, at their own pace to allow them to reach their full potential.

Learning is not a race; it is an adventure, an exploration and an opportunity for children to really discover who and what they are. Who are we to tell them any differently? To be neurodiverse is not a label of which to be ashamed, it is another facet of the glorious individuality to which we should all aspire.

Claire Boissiere, on behalf of the PYP Leadership Team

Island of the Week

The scores are in and this week knocking Lewis off the top spot is...Harris! Well done to all those who have worked extra hard this week to earn those all important Island points.

Year 1

Fabulous Flute

A big thank you to Miss Chisholm who visited the Year 1 pupils this week to introduce them to her flute and piccolo. Miss Chisholm played the part of the mice in the Gaspard's Foxtrot, an exciting concert piece that the children have been learning to play in their music lessons with Mrs Shiells!

Easter Story

Rev Beebee visited Year 1 to teach the children all about Easter and the story of Palm Sunday. The children created palms in advance and waved them as they listened to the story. The children learnt about the events during the week of Easter including Good Friday where Jesus was placed on the cross, and Easter Sunday, with Jesus' resurrection from the tomb. The children were also introduced to a piece of purple cloth to symbolise the robe that was placed on Jesus, as well as a replica crown of thorns. The children couldn’t believe how sharp it was!

1C

Easter Nests

This week, 1C supported by Miss Barclay, made the most amazing Easter nests, decorated with Mini Eggs and a fluffy chick. The children had fun breaking up the chocolate before melting and mixing in the cornflakes. They then placed their mixture into cupcake cases and put them in the fridge. Whilst their sweet treats were setting, the children created colourful baskets to take their yummy treat home. Great work 1C!

Easter Bonnet Making

In preparation for their Easter Bonnet Parade on Thursday, the children started to create their crowns, adding lots of lovely Spring decorations including chicks, eggs, flowers, rabbits and carrots galore!

Bunny Drive

1C had great fun playing Bunny Drive! The children enjoyed waiting for a roll of a 6, then a 5, then a 4 and so on until their bunny was built. Whoever made their bunny first, won the game. Great counting and anticipation 1C!

1P

'We are going on a Bear Hunt'

This week 1P has been exploring the story We're going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. The pupils loved retelling the story using their creativity to demonstrate with puppets and loose parts. The pupils also had a go at rewriting the story to go on their own hunt with different animals. Watch below Andrew’s and Anya’s wonderful renditions!

Around the World

As part of the pupils’ current Unit of Inquiry, Toys, the children have been exploring games from around the world. The pupils have been using their research skills to find out what games get played in other countries. The children worked in groups to find out how to play these games and then taught another group the rules of the game. Thank you to Bertie and Flora who brought in Petanque (a French game) for them to play.

Year 2

No Normal Fairytale

This week, the children in Year 2 celebrated the end of their Unit of Inquiry into Stories from around the World by putting on a performance inspired by many of the traditional tales they have read in class. The performance, titled No Normal Fairytale was created by the pupils who suggested scenes, costumes and props. The children’s hard work paid off as they performed their fantastic play during Tuesday’s assembly to their fellow peers, parents and staff members. See below some of the children’s reflections from this experience as well as photographs from the production. Outstanding work Year 2, you should be very proud of yourselves!

Year 3

Data Handling

This week, Year 3 went down to East Sands Beach to collect a variety of loose parts.

The children then returned to school with their collections to determine how best to handle and interpret what they had found. The children decided to categorise and sort their objects into groups to see what they had most/least of.

They then discussed various ways to sort the data and started to create their own graphs in the sunshine. Great work Year 3!

Rhino Adoption

On the back of the conversations they have had in class about climate change, loss of habitat and hunting animals, Kostas and his family decided to adopt a rhino through WWF 'Adopt an Animal' scheme.

Kostas proved to be a good communicator and a caring person as he presented to the class a PowerPoint presentation and explained why he wanted to help the rhino. He also made a board game and did a quiz with his classmates. Each child also received an activity pack to take home with a colouring page, wordsearch and more. Thank you so much Kostas!

Easter Bonnets

In preparation for the Years 1-3 Easter Bonnet Parade on Thursday, Year 3 designed and created their own Easter Bonnets before showing them off in class. Take a look below at their colourful creations!

Wish you well!

It is with a heavy heart that we share that today was Alberto’s last day as he moves to Spain. We will all miss him very much and wish him the best for the future!

Year 1-3 Easter Bonnet Parade

The Year 1-3 pupils showcased their very creative Easter bonnets with a parade around the playground on Thursday. The place was awash with chicks, eggs and Easter bunnies, and there were so many imaginative designs on display. Congratulations to all who took part - it was a fabulous way to conclude the Spring Term!

Year 4

British Fencing

Huge congratulations to Hayder who won gold in the Youth Development Series (YDS) Edinburgh U9 Competition last weekend. Such an outstanding achievement!

African Art

This week, Year 4 have been investigating African designs and were inspired to create their own cards with Miss Neave. The pupils were tasked to use a limited colour scheme to try to keep within traditional colours. Great work Year 4!

Stop Motion

Year 4 have been busy preparing their backgrounds to use for their Easter Stop Motion production. It is wonderful to see the students increasing their technology skills through different online platforms and tools.

Year 5

Howe Rugby

Huge congratulations to Thea and her teammates who took part in the Howe Rugby tournament and managed to win the competition!

Sunshine Stories

The Year 5 pupils made the most of the beautiful sunny Spring weather on Monday, taking their reading books outdoors and finding a warm spot to settle down and enjoy stories galore!

Year 6

Letter from David Attenborough

Maya, Eleanor and Elena wrote to David Attenborough as part of their PYP Exhibition on Climate Change. They were extremely excited with their handwritten reply from the man himself! David Attenborough wrote to the children giving them ways that they can take action against climate change. The girls and their fellow classmates are absolutely thrilled! Take a read of the letter below!

Year 6 Presents

A round of applause for the wonderful Year 6 cast of Olivia who performed in the Auditorium this week to a captivated audience. This brilliant and innovative show, set in Victorian times, traces the steps of Olivia, played by Issy M, from downtrodden orphan to star of the stage. All of the Year 6 pupils performed the feel-good production effortlessly, remembering their lines and giving their all. A highlight of the show were the solo performances sung beautifully by some of our students. Well done to all the cast and crew for brilliantly taking this show from page to stage!

Easter Egg Hunt

Our thanks to the St Leonards Parents Association for organising a fabulous occasion on Saturday. The Great St Leonards Egg Hunt took children and parents all around the school grounds in pursuit of chocolate treats, followed by face painting, a raffle and games. Delicious cakes and burgers were provided at the PA Café and BBQ. Such a wonderful day of celebrations raising funds for the Head’s Wishlist!

Construction Club

Pupils have been busy at work in Construction Club, building some wonderful creations out of lollipop sticks, jenga blocks, coils, bottle caps, toy cars and animals. What a brilliant way to settle down after a busy day!

Birthdays

Andrew Z, Isobel B, Phoebe F, Ellen M, Idar P, Patrick TI, Reuben V and Layla K, we hope you have a wonderful day during the Easter holidays.