Follow us on our Oakfield social media platforms to see so much more great Oakfield content over half-term!
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
Dear Oakfield families,
I have had many opportunities over the last week or so to speak with parents, including those with children in Year 6 regarding applications to senior schools and the different assessment and interview processes.
A theme that has run through these conversations is the importance of continuing to ensure that happiness and wellbeing remain at the heart of the children's experiences at school and at home. A strong foundation of inner happiness, self-esteem, security and enjoyment will enable the best learning, progress and development to follow naturally on from this base. It is true to say that a happy child is a learning child, and it is also important to remember that the praise and feedback that we give to children should focus on the effort and hard work that has led to an achievement, and not just on the outcome itself.
A recent study by Sevenoaks School in collaboration with Harvard University looking at how young people flourish, found that a particular set of activities and mindset can support this within school settings including:
- Exercise
- Wonder
- Volunteering
- Acts of kindness
- Use of humour
- Connecting with nature
- Healthy sleeping and eating
- Gratitude
- Social activities
- Mindfulness
Continuing to weave these elements into the offer we as a school make to our children will help them to develop as happy, healthy individuals who are self-aware, empathetic and resilient when they encounter challenge and new experiences as they grow.
Wishing you all a happy and healthy upcoming half-term break.
Moyra Thompson
Birthday Broadcast
We have 2 broadcasts to share and lots of birthdays to celebrate!
SPORT
Check out all our sporting news and updates by following us on Facebook, Instagram (both @oakfieldprep and @oakfieldprepsports) and Twitter! There is so much amazing content going up all week, every week such as news about our very own BMX superstar!
Please see a couple of match reports from some sporty Oakfield souls below too:
YEAR 6
In Year 6 Humanities, we are learning about global conflict. This week we ordered key events from WW2 into chronological order and used this to create our own time lines.
YEAR 5
It is always great when learning escapes the classroom and goes searching for further inspiration and even better when it comes back into school to inspire others. Nati did exactly that last weekend and went off with her family to Tate Britain to explore the Cornelia Parker exhibition.
Cornelia is known for her stunning suspended sculptures, gravity defying objects, which seem to freeze a moment in time. Nati and I discussed sculpture and how it can impact an environment, creating magical spaces and bring a sense of awe and wonder.
After her gallery visit, Nati's creative fire was lit, and she went home to create this interesting collage piece, into which she has introduced additional colour. You can see how she has repeated the colours, picking up on the different tones to create a unity within her piece.
Thanks Nati.
YEAR 3
Studious learning in Year 3 on their humanities topics. Well done Year 3 on great individual and collaborative learning!
YEAR 2
The Year 2 children had another fantastic week!
Our talented scientists asked the question: Can materials change shape? To help us answer this scientific question we decided to conduct a simple test. The children worked in pairs to test how much force was needed to change the shape of materials like paper, card, aluminium foil, metal paper clips and wooden skewers. We learnt new scientific vocabulary and used it well during the lesson. Our target words were: solid, squash, bend, twist, stretch. The children enjoyed sharing the results of their simple test with the rest of the class at the end of the lesson.
In line with our topic of ‘Uses of Everyday Materials’ the children participated on a science workshop on Friday at school. We learnt how different materials can be mixed together to make slime. It was so much fun to be able to learn from our crazy scientist visitor!
In English this week we looked at the shape poem the mouse tells in this half-term’s text Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. We discussed what shape poems are and looked at some more examples from other authors. The children did a fantastic job later in the week when it came to writing their own poems. We have some fantastic poets in Year 2!
YEAR 1
The children have been thinking about seasonal changes and they enjoyed a scavenger hunt around Belair Park to spot clues that it is now Autumn.
UPPER FOUNDATION
Upper Foundation were so lucky to get a visit from Dr O'Brien last week. The children were told about the many types of doctors and the jobs they undertake. She showed us some of the equipment she uses when seeing patients and how important it is to look after our bodies. The children asked some fantastic questions, and as a result we have many aspiring to become a doctor in their future careers!
The children also worked as a team to produce a pictogram on the IWB.
They looked at their friends’ eyes and discussed the colour of the Iris. They then selected their photograph and put it next to the correct colour eye. The most common colour iris in UFLS was brown.
We then wanted to know which type of brown was the most common, light or dark. So the children with brown eyes moved their picture to the closest colour brown.
They all found this engaging and enjoyed participating as a group.
LOWER FOUNDATION
Lower foundation have been exploring the magic of Autumn by scooping up pumpkins into bowls and engaging in imaginative play using the playhouse.
COMPOSER OF THE WEEK
Dear Sonic Investigators,
This week we travel close to home, listening to the music of Shirley Thompson OBE. Thompson is a Londoner of Jamaican descent, and has written numerous works reflecting her experiences, as well as the stories of people with whom she has come into contact. These include works such as Memories In Mind, an operatic work that weaves in stories of women who moved to the UK during the Windrush period. Other operatic works include Sacred Mountain: Incidents in the Life of Queen Nanny of the Maroons - which is conducted by Thompson herself - and reflects the battles of Queen Nanny as she led the Maroons of Jamaica against the English in the 1700s.
Whilst both of these works are operatic in nature, and can require a specific taste to fully enjoy, Thompson's work has also taken a more mainstream format. She has composed many works for film and TV, including the theme song to the late 80s cop drama, South of the Border. She has also created more recent works for the Women's Euro 2022 competition, including a concerto for orchestra and football tricks.
Finally, the lovely Semprice Sempre, a work for string quintent, is a joyous listen, performed by the Her Ensemble.
Thank you to Miss Francis for her recommendation. If you have a composer that you would like featured as Composer of the Week, please do let me know.
Happy listening,
Mr Howes
Director of Music
ROLL OF HONOUR
Max E (Year 3) - for showing great care and commitment to their work in Art
Daniel Y (Year 3) - for showing great care and commitment to their work in Art
BEYOND THE OAK
Netball Club
If you are free in the October Half Term come along to Miss Emily's Netball Club! Open to all in Years 4 and above, even ex-Oakfield students. Meet new friends, have fun and learn lots of Netball skills!
Play the Stage
"Play The Stage and Miss B are back for October half term bringing you 2 fun-filled weeks - 17 - 21 & 24 - 28 October - of singing, dancing and acting; perfect for children aged 4 - 11!
Mr Adepoju's Football Academy
Credits:
Created with images by olyina - "Cupcakes for birthday" • Pixel-Shot - "Set of sport equipment on floor near color wall" • WDnet Studio - "Grunge map of the world on an ancient vintage sheet of paper" • Philip Steury - "Row Of Messy Colorful Paint Brushes And Containers On Isolated White Background - Creativity Concept" • Krakenimages.com - "Beautiful african american toddler sitting drawing using paper and pencils on desk at kindergarten" • olenakucher - "Girl in fairy tale park with tree in spring" • Mumemories - "bookshelf straight class in library" • Drazen - "Happy African American female doctor on a healthcare seminar." • RomixImage - "Beautiful maple leaves in autumn sunny day in foreground and blurry background in Kyushu, Japan. No people, close up, copy space, macro shot." • angelo.gi - "macro photo of a music sheet " • Bits and Splits - "On Red Carpet Vip and Celebrities Concept" • detshana - "Air clouds in the blue sky background"