Oakfield Social Media Channels:
Do please share the newsletter with your nearest, dearest and complete strangers too! Help spread the Oakfield word!
Subscribe to our YouTube channel - we really want to get to 1000 subscribers so subscribe now!!:
Our Twitter feed is here - subscribe now!
As usual please log on to the Parent Portal and remind yourself of all the important updates and messages that have been posted this week.
Note from our Head
I am extremely proud that this week sees the launch of Oakfield's participation in the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award, further details of which can be found below in this newsletter. This will be an exciting opportunity for the children to learn and understand more about what it means to develop a global perspective and to take their place and find their voice as global citizens.
Global citizenship for our children here at Oakfield means developing young people who are aware of the wider world and its issues. We want to help them take an active role in the local community, as well as regionally, nationally and globally and work with others to make planet Earth a more sustainable, peaceful and fairer place in which to live.
We hope that taking this first step to join the Rights Respecting School Award will encourage and inspire our pupils to develop the knowledge, understanding, values and skills necessary for engaging with the world around them. Crucially, we want them to believe that they do indeed have a voice and can be empowered to act, influence and make a difference, challenging intolerance and ignorance and championing diversity and inclusion.
I hope that you will also be excited to travel with us on this new journey and share our commitment to this wonderful initiative.
Moyra Thompson
World Children's Day and RRSA Award
Today, on World Children’s Day, we were delighted to launch the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award at Oakfield!
UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights, and we will be joining a community of over 4,500 schools in the UK working on the Rights Respecting Schools Award.
Right Respecting Schools across the country have reported that that the Award has many positive impacts including improved relationships, wellbeing and self-esteem. The Award recognises a school’s achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into practice within the school and beyond.
Today we had a very successful launch, taking part in World Children’s Day activities across the whole school. In Early Years and Key Stage 1, children have been thinking about the difference between ‘wants’ and ‘needs’ and talking about their ideas. In Key stage 2 pupils have been thinking about the global challenges we face, and the steps we can take to look after our planet and all who live here.
We really hope that you will be able to support our school on our journey towards becoming a UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School. You can find out more about UNICEF, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Rights Respecting Schools Award from the RRSA website:
OAKFIELD STAFF CONTACTS
We believe that some of you may wish to know more about Oakfield Prep, understand our provision a little better and maybe even have questions related to specific subjects. If you have any questions please feel free to email the relevant staff member below and they would love to hear from you!
- Director of Studies (general enquiries about the curriculum): Ms Walker - email jwalker@oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk
- Director of Music: Mr Howes - email showes@oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk
- Head of Art: Mrs Fidler - email lfidler@oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk
- Director of Sport: Mr Bower - email lbower@oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk
- Head of English: Mr Allen - email nallen@oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk
- Head of Maths: Mr Hancock - email ahancock@oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk
- Club Administrator: Ms Lea Schiavo -- email lschiavo@oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk
UPPER FOUNDATION
Dear Parents/Carers,
This week we have been looking at musical instruments from around the world. We looked at how they are made and played and named different parts of the instruments. In Art, the children made their own instruments using recycled materials. It was brilliant to see their creativity and independence. We had a marvellous visit from Education Group where the children were taught how to samba dance and listened to Brazilian music. Then the children were introduced to African Djembe drums.
In Maths we have been looking at positional language. The children have enjoyed taking part in an obstacle course in the classroom, using language such as under, on top of, behind, in front of and beside.
With best wishes,
Miss Treppass and Mrs. Barrett Nnochiri
The Upper Foundation Team
Year 1
International Day
On Tuesday, Year 1 celebrated their own International Day. The children looked fantastic in all of their outfits, representing different parts of the world. Thank you all for making such an effort!
The children took part in different activities: they made strawberries and cream, painted their own Rangoli patterns and explored different dances and music from around the world.
How about trying to make your own Rangoli patterns, using different materials.
Check out the great photos and fabulous fashion show below!
Year 2
Science
Watch out for the Slime!
Year 2 had the most hilarious Gooey Science Workshop on Tuesday this week. We learnt about how materials have different properties and states. We got to make our own slime and looked closely at all the different components. Some of them were smelly and small. We were professional scientists for the day and wore goggles to fit the part!
'It was stinky’
‘So fun to play with’
‘Mine became slime so quickly because I was stirring it so well’
YEAR 4
SCIENCE
Year 4 had lots of fun in Science this week looking at plaque on their teeth! They chewed plaque revealing tablets and identified where there was a build-up of plaque. They then brushed their teeth for two minutes and chewed another tablet to check that they had brushed their teeth thoroughly. We discussed the importance of brushing our teeth for two minutes twice each day.
YEAR 5
On Wednesday, Year 5 went back in time to visit the Victorian era. In the morning, Oakfield welcomed chimney sweeps, household maids, street children, school children and a handful of wealthy Victorians, including Sherlock Homes and Emmeline Pankhurst!
After a morning learning the 3 R’s in a very strict Ragged School setting, we all tried Oakum Picking; one of the dreaded jobs at the Workhouse. We couldn’t believe that inmates at the Workhouse would do this for up to 8 hours a day; we found it difficult after only 20 minutes!
After break, we took part in a Victorian drill and after some drama, we made homemade butter by hand churning cream, as the Victorians would have done; it took a lot of effort but we ended up with 3 jugs of buttermilk and some butter to take home.
Lunchtime looked very different, as the school hall became a workhouse and we ate in silence. Some of us summoned up the courage to ask; ‘please Sir, can I have some more?’
The afternoon was filled with Christmas decorations made out of dried citrus fruit and Christmas cards, which were first sent during the Victorian era. We loved our day in costume and took home lots of homemade souvenirs from our journey back in time!
YEAR 6
Science
Y6 have been investigating the amount of vitamin C in different fruit juices using starch and iodine solution! Vivi even joined us virtually from home. Well done Year 6!
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES
See below some photos from Clubs this week. Don't forget to sign up for Clubs for next term by this Thursday 26th!
To sign up email our Clubs Administrator Lea on lschiavo@oakfield.dulwich.sc.uk
SPORT
Dance
Year 1 and 6 had a great time dancing in their separate PE Lessons in the hall this week.
ISA Limitless Skills Challenge for KS2
Thank you to ALL who have taken on the challenges set over the last 2 weeks. Oakfield is currently in 3rd place on the Schools’ Leaderboard. There is still time for more children to enter so go for it everyone. Have fun. There are no limits in what we can achieve.
King Edward's Witley Online Chess Tournament
I am delighted to invite you to a King Edward’s Witley Rapid on-line Chess Tournament taking place on Saturday 5 December. To register email boxoffice@kesw.org by next Friday 27 November.
This event is open to pupils of all ages and promises to be fun and exciting. Virtual trophy prizes will be awarded.
ISA Design a T-Shirt Competition
There are just a few days left to enter! The ISA T-Shirt Design Competition is a great opportunity for pupils to work to a brief in creating a sporting t-shirt that represents the ISA values. Pupils are invited to design the images for the Limitless t-shirt which will then be used as prizes for our National competitions. Show off your awesome graphic design talents by creating a one-of-a-kind t-shirt with an ISA Sport theme
The competition is open now and deadline for submissions is 26th November. Good luck!
Credits:
Created with images by geralt - "offer hand handful of" • Joseph Chan - "Firework on a rainy day testing out some new techniques" • Rana Sawalha - "Travel. Learn. Teach" • Evgeni Tcherkasski - "Challah" • Willian Justen de Vasconcellos - "The sunset from Gibralfaro Castle" • AlbanyColley - "toothbrush toothpaste dentistry" • RonPorter - "victorian kitchen gas light copper utensils" • WikiImages - "orange juice juice vitamins" • JESHOOTS.COM - "untitled image" • pasevichbogdan - "dj club party" • Lysander Yuen - "untitled image" • Stacy Marie - "untitled image"