This week’s newsletter for Rossall Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School.
Dear All
World Book Day provided an opportunity for the children to bring some of their favourite books into school. It was wonderful to see the celebration of literature in printed format and I was so pleased that some of the children were able to talk about and read passages from their books. We have a dressing up day later this term but it was great just to concentrate on the actual books, to show an appreciation for just how important reading is, and to understand what a life skill it is to simply immerse yourself in a story.
I was incredibly proud of Dawood and Muhammad who delivered a wonderful presentation about Islam as part of our Religious Studies lessons this week. The Year 6 children were fascinated in learning about the religion and the associated language, traditions and routines, asking lots of sensible questions.
It has been another incredible week of sport at Rossall. The girls’ hockey team went undefeated in their tournament, without conceding a goal, but still only ran out silver medalists – sometimes you can do no more! The athletics team performed wonderfully well on Wednesday evening at Blackpool Sports Centre, as they competed in the finals of the Wyre & Fylde area against ten other schools who had won their heats. They ended up finishing fourth – an exceptional achievement given the size of some of the schools they were up against – well done to all involved!
The 45th annual Rossall Invitational Rugby 7s Tournament that was held earlier in the day, was another superb example of Rossall being at the heart of the local and wider community. With teams from schools as far away as Harrogate and the Isle of Man, the tournament is one that always attracts the very best schools to participate in. Please read into the further Prep newsletter to read Mr Condon’s enthusiastic rugby report.
We look forward to welcoming a large number of prospective and current parents and families into School tomorrow for our Open Day. The buzz around school is palpable and I have no doubt that all visitors will be welcomed with the warm embrace that Rossall always offers.
Have a lovely weekend,
Mr M Turner
Headmaster of Preparatory School & Nursery
AJIS U11 Girls Hockey Tournament
What a fantastic start to the week! On Monday afternoon a squad of excited Year 5 & 6 girls travelled to Uclan Sports Arena to compete in the AJIS Plate Hockey Tournament.When we arrived we discovered we were going to play against six other teams. We knew it was going to be a challenge but we were feeling positive. After starting off with two 0-0 draws, the goals started to flow. We went on to win the following three matches comfortably. It was then down to the final match against Cheadle Hulme to decide the winning team. Our superb defence, who had managed not to concede a goal all afternoon, kept a clean sheet. The score was 0-0 on the final whistle, which meant that Cheadle Hulme had won the tournament on goal difference. We were so proud to return to Rossall with silver medals, as runners up of the tournament. Well done girls!
By Jessica & Xanthe
Wyre & Fylde U11 Indoor Athletics Finals
Our Rossall indoor athletics squad headed up to Stanley Park, Blackpool, on Wednesday evening to compete in the district finals. After qualifying earlier in the year, we knew we had our work cut out as we were now competing against the best teams from both districts. What an electric atmosphere it was, with many spectators there to enjoy the sporting spectacle. There were eleven teams in total, taking part in a multitude of field and track events. Rossall showed true team spirit and camaraderie throughout the competition, relishing the opportunity to represent school. We finished in an extremely respectable fourth position overall…well done Rossall! Well done also to Stanah School for winning the competition. Thank you to Lee Cadwallader and all the helpers for ensuring the event ran so smoothly. We are already looking forward to next year’s competition.
Rossall Prep School Shines at the 45th Annual Rugby Festival
Once again it was wonderful to host our annual rugby 7s festival this week and welcome teams from across the North of England and the Isle of Man to take part in an afternoon of U11 rugby
It was non-stop action, and the atmosphere was fantastic as the children competed in cup and plate competitions depending on their level of ability. The Rossall team played superbly, winning three matches and losing two.
The Grange School were victorious in the Cup, whilst The Buchan School from the Isle of Man were worthy winners of the Plate.
It really was a wonderful day of rugby, which saw the team, teachers, Year 6 helpers, catering staff and groundsmen come together to make this prestigious event such a memorable and special occasion.
Well done, Rossall!
Year 6
Each week Mr Condon and I are amazed by the level of commitment, enthusiasm and energy that the children bring to everything that they do.
This week Year 6 have truly surpassed themselves. We have hosted a rugby tournament, attended the Wyre and Fylde Athletics Championships, taken part in hockey and celebrated World Book Day. We have also managed to learn all about Ratio in Mathematics, rich and poor children in Victorian times and read all about the adventures of a certain ’Jemmy Button’. No wonder we are a little tired!
We have been fascinated and horrified in equal measure to learn about the different jobs poor Victorian children had to risk life and limb to do. Year 6 could not believe that such young children were made to clean chimneys, work in coal mines and suffer the terrible hardships of working in match factories. Initially we discussed the different chores that the Year 6 pupils are asked to do around the home. By the end of the lesson washing up, tidying their bedrooms and emptying g the bins did not seem too onerous.
We have had some interesting discussions about the morality surrounding the decision of Captain Fitzroy to take Orundellico or as he later became known, ‘Jemmy Button’ from his home on the island of Tierra del Fuego to become a gentleman in London’s high society in the 1800’s. We were all fascinated and saddened to learn about his story. The children have used this to write arguments for and against Jenny’s travel and adventures from different viewpoints.
Year 5
We have had a lovely week in Year 5. Mrs Roberts and I have been particularly impressed with efforts during all sporting fixtures and competitions – well done!
Their fantastic engagement throughout all English lessons shone this week, showing lots of their creative ideas towards our new book, ‘The Darkest Dark’. From continuing to use expanded noun phrases to including complex sentences in their writing, the children have loved setting the scene of a dark, wooden lodge in a forest.
Our Topic lessons this week have been Geography based with a focus on the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and the Equator. Year 5 carried out their own research on a country within the specific regions. They also studied the lines of latitude and longitude to find places on maps and atlases.
During Science, we have started to understand how day and night occurs with the rotation of Earth and the children have also enjoyed learning more about each of the planets during Rossall Rotation at the astronomy centre.
Year 5 showed a wonderful contribution to our ‘Being Responsible’ session in PSHE. We discussed what steps we should take when faced with a risky situation and how new opportunities and responsibilities can increase independence.
Year 4
This week, Year 4 have delved deeper into our new topic about Natural Disasters. In order to understand how these events are created and why they happen, we have looked into how the Earth is structured and the many layers that reside beneath our feet. The children have enjoyed creating playdough models of our amazing planet, ensuring all the different layers are included! Their enthusiasm and inquisitive nature has left us with an abundance of questions that we can find answers to over the next few weeks.
In English, the children have used their imaginations to travel to an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – the location of our new book. This has led to some fantastic descriptions of the setting including many fabulously written expanded noun phrases.
Our multiplication theme has continued this week, as the class have been tackling multiplying three numbers together. Their ever improving times table skills has once again supported this and the children are ready and raring for next week’s maths topic – division.
Pop Art has been the focus of our Art lessons this week. The children have learned all about Andy Warhol and his use of bright colours. They used his painting ‘Vesuvius’ as a stimulus for our latest creations which are now proudly displayed on our Year 4 corridor.
Year 3
Another busy and exciting week in Year 3!
We have continued reading the Big Blue Whale and have written our own Whale poems using commands, similes and onomatopoeia – these really made a SPLASH. We also went outside to measure how long a blue whale is, 30m, that’s the same length as the Prep school!
In Maths this week we are doing a unit on data handling. The children loved collecting data about the favourite fruit in year 3 and 4, and turning this into our own pictograms! We also learnt about bar charts.
For our Science we have started an experiment investigating what plants need – hopefully the plants we are using will survive the ordeal! In Topic we extended our learning about deforestation by doing a case study about the Rainforest to learn more about its climate, and we planned and performed our own Rainforest Weather Reports.
In Art, we did some painting and creating some beautiful under water artwork. We also had Rossall Rotation this week and our first session on the Farm! We also enjoyed World Book Day, sharing our favourite books and can’t wait for the dress up day in a few weeks.
Well done for a fabulous week Year 3!
Year 2
The days may be getting longer, but they seem to be disappearing quicker than ever! Another week has flown by and the Year 2 children have approached it with their usual enthusiasm and gusto. This week we have started a new topic in Mathematics, the class have been discussing 2D and 3D shapes. So far they have demonstrated a real ability at recognising and naming various shapes as well as drawing a number of 2D shapes. Our class book had us thinking about what makes a good hero this week, and the children are in the process of writing a letter to their heroes to explain why they aspire to be like them. Though Messi did get a mention you will be delighted to hear that family members monopolised the discussion.
We have now started to focus on our class Assembly next week, we have collaborated in writing our script, the fun aspects being added by the children, and prepared one or two things for your entertainment. However, the highlight of the week has to have been the change in Rossall Rotation. The class had the delight of going to the Rossall Kitchen and completed some baking whilst simultaneously thinking about where the Fire of London broke out!
Year 1
This week Year 1 have been learning and discovering new information about a huge variety of animals that live on our planet. It’s been so interesting to learn and read about animals we haven’t even heard of before, too! We’re doing so well at recognising what an animal might eat and we can classify them by their diet- well done children! Year 1 have worked hard to build on this knowledge, of what animals eat, and they can decide if an animal is a carnivore, a herbivore or an omnivore. Great thinking, Year 1!
In English we enjoyed guessing the plot of our story, ‘The Lion Inside’, and now that we have read the whole story we were pleasantly surprised at how the lion reacted to the mouse. Using this story we have been writing sentences and even questions linked to the two main characters. Year 1 asked some superb questions for the mouse- brilliant!
In Maths we are continuing to subtract numbers using different methods and strategies and we are super confident at doing so too. In Art we are looking at different types of animal face masks like; masks used in communities around the world and even masks used on the stage like in ‘The Lion King’. We can’t wait to design our own masks! To help us get creative and pay close attention to detail we have been discussing, followed by drawing, different animal prints. The results were fantastic, well done Year 1!
Reception
This week the children entered the classroom and found out that they had ‘visitors’. The visitors have left a suitcase. This gave the children a great opportunity to discuss with each other and ask questions: What has happened? What have you found? Who could have left this here? When do you need a suitcase? Shall we look inside?
The suitcase was packed with various travelling themed items that the hen in our new story ‘The Journey Home’ may need e.g. a map, a hat, big keys, wellies, umbrella, seeds and our new book. We opened the suitcase together and allowed the children to explore what was inside. This again prompted great discussion with questions and links to their own experiences: What would you need a map for? Would you pack this if you were going away? Who might pack these items? Where could they be going? We found our new book and used the front cover to discuss and predict: Why was this book in here? Who is this bird? Where might the hen be going to? Why? Although I think the egg provided the most excitement as the children began to work out what animal had hatched out and escaped … The predictions of what had hatched varied from a chick, a crocodile, a shark, a dinosaur, a snake and even a turtle. All very sensible guesses and super examples of animals that lay eggs.
We used our floorbook to record what the word ‘journey’ meant to the children and if they had ever been on one. We discussed if maybe the hen went on a journey like one of theirs? This led to the children creating their own maps of a journey that they have been on. Maybe you could go on a journey this weekend?
Nursery
“A child needs to move her body to prepare for learning”
This week in nursery we have been focusing on Physical Development.
The Sanderlings
The babies have been practising pulling themselves up onto the units ready for their first steps and some of the younger babies have started to initiate crawling with support from Miss Schofield and Mrs Beddis. The babies still enjoy going on their indoor slide, learning how to place their feet safely on each step until they reach the top where they work out how to place both legs over the bar to slide to the bottom. Outdoors, the seesaw has been an area of interest and the babies have enjoyed learning to make it move back and forth. To finish the week some of the older babies have joined in with The Sandpipers Bear Hunt Walk around the school grounds.
The Sandpipers
This week the Sandpipers have practised climbing and balancing, they are learning to use one foot at a time. The children have been on the outdoor swing and they have been pushing their friends, the children also found out that a bigger push means they go higher on the swing. Finally, the children have been learning about danger; they have assessed the garden for risks with the support of Mx Preston, discovered how to check for danger and the importance of safety.
Preschool
Preschool students have been strengthening their fine motor skills by using pegs and boards. The children have taken an active role in making playdough by using their hands to knead and stir the dough. In the garden, Preschool students have loved taking part in obstacle courses where they were encouraged to hop, jump and run whilst negotiating space safely. To strengthen their core muscles, the children have painted standing up.
Awards
Year 6
The award winners this week are:
- Finley Perseverance during Mathematics
- Oskar Independence during Mathematics
- Lex outstanding English and Drama
- Hugo outstanding commitment and determination
Year 5
Certificates this week go to –
5S: Jude and Seluleko for great engagement and contributions toward our Topic lessons.
5R: Rio for consistently being kind and polite to others. Poppy for fantastic efforts in English.
Year 4
In Year 4 this week our certificate winners are Dolly and Ralph for producing excellent artwork.
Year 3
This weeks certificates in Year 3 go to Zach and Larry for great work in Data Handling!
Year 2
Certificates were awarded to Rocco and Valencia for fabulous effort and understanding in Mathematics.
Year 1
This week’s certificates of Achievement in Year 1 go to:
Darcey for trying her hardest and for reaching her challenges in writing this week!
Nektarios for his effort and enthusiasm in sorting a variety of animals in Science this week!
Reception
This week’s certificates of achievement awards go to Joshua and Nicholas.
Joshua has become become confident during class discussions and is more willing to answer questions.
Nicholas confidently taught his friends about the tradition of ‘Martisor’, which celebrates the first day of Spring.
