This week’s newsletter for Rossall Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School.
Dear All
Sport was very much back on the calendar for the Prep pupils this week and we most certainly had some glorious weather for our fixtures against AKS. Both football and netball were on the card and I was thoroughly impressed by the sporting performances of the children, but also the incredible sportsmanship and attitude displayed during the matches. What an exciting start to the sporting season!
The Year 1 children have been extending their learning by taking a trip out of School to Abbeystead estate with a focus on their Science and Topic work. The children were using their skills to navigate the estate, build a tree (with all the various parts in the right places), and most certainly enjoyed worm charming and Pooh sticks!
This was the first of numerous excursions, trips, residentials and visiting speakers that make up our extended curriculum that provides enrichment at every level. Well done, Year 1!
Finally, our first representatives from Years 1 to 6 met for the inaugural Pupil Voice of 2024. Children spoke with Mrs Trippier over a working lunch to discuss numerous topics including wellbeing at School, their ‘like and dislikes’, and what they would change if they were in charge. A very productive first meeting!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Mr M Turner
Headmaster of Preparatory School & Nursery
Extra News:
What a glorious afternoon of sunshine and sport we had on Wednesday afternoon, down the Fylde coast at AKS. This was our first fixture of this academic year, and the netball squad were ready and raring to go! We played two closely contested matches, resulting in one win-4-0, and one loss- 2-1. The progress the Rossall squad made was phenomenal! Well done to all the girls that took part. We are already looking forward to our next fixture in two weeks time!
It was wonderful for the U11 Football Teams to kick off their season with a trip along the coastline to AKS for a triangular festival of friendly matches.
Rossall played some scintilating football and showed a great deal of promise for the forthcoming season battling admirably and creating a host of goal scoring opportunities against AKS and Westholme.
Well done to all those children who represented the school so impressively.
Year 6
The sun has shone brightly this week making our magnificent campus look beautiful. On the way to lunch, I ( Mrs Kenmare) was chatting to the children, when a Year 6 pupil said, “ I am so lucky to come to such an amazing school!” Looking at the blue sky, the majestic buildings and listening to the happy children, I could not agree more.
We have had another productive week in the classroom. Year 6 continues to enjoy delving into our books, ‘Star of Fear, Star of hope’ and ‘Friend or Foe’. Both books tackle the subject of World War 2 in very different ways. The children are thoroughly enjoying reading and predicting what might happen next in the fast-moving, exciting plots. We have been working on adding the passive voice, expanded noun phrases, fronted adverbials and dialogue into our writing. Mrs Scott and I have been impressed with the results.
Our Topic, ‘Peace and Conflict’ links seamlessly with our texts and encourages some excellent discussions around the Blitz and the evacuation of children from cities.
The children continue to enjoy visiting the art room and their World War 2-inspired work is looking incredible.
In Science this week, we’ve been shedding some light on how to answer questions using evidence! Through a series of exciting mini-investigations, we formed hypotheses about how different materials interact with light. We tested which materials block light and cast shadows (opaque), and which ones let light pass through without creating shadows (translucent) — en-lightening stuff! We also explored and identified different light sources, both natural and artificial. Who knew learning about light could be so illuminating?
Year 5
The Rossall Square truly is a magical place to explore, and with the sun shining gloriously over the Archway, Year 5 took their learning outside to develop their Mathematical knowledge on measurement. This was an enjoyable experience for the children to further their understanding of place value, but also an opportunity to develop their ability to work together and share their mathematical knowledge.
Now three weeks into the term, I am so impressed and proud of the way the class are working together, and supporting one another in class with praise for each other’s work. The enthusiasm from all the children to read out their creative writing in front of their peers or share their thoughts is very impressive, and has created an extremely positive environment.
Dance, Music and Drama have been a big hit this week, and with auditions for this year’s production taking place, I am confident we are going to have a whole cast of Year 5 children performing in the spotlight come next Easter!
Year 4
What another fantastic week it has been! Year 4 has been diving into some great lessons about our teeth and the roles they play in the digestive system. The children have been learning all about the different types of teeth we have—incisors, canines, premolars, and molars—and their unique functions. It’s been wonderful to see their enthusiasm grow as they discovered how each type of tooth plays an essential role in our ability to chew and speak. We’ve had a good giggle giving each of these teeth their own special characters and personalities to help the children remember their roles.
In addition to our science topic, Year 4 has been delving into history, specifically the Anglo-Saxons. We engaged in thoughtful discussions about the reasons behind their arrival in Britain. We posed questions about their battles with the Picts and why they chose to settle in the land rather than returning home. It sparked some passionate debates and allowed the children to reflect on the significance of cultural exchanges and the impact of migration on society.
We finished the week with some fun in English and demonstrated our SPaG knowledge with a Kahoot on Nouns, Adjectives and Verbs. It was great fun and brilliant to see so much excellent knowledge being applied to both tricky and short timed questions! Well done everyone!
As always, a big thank you must be given to all the parents for their ongoing support with what’s been a very busy start to term. I can’t wait to see what next week brings!
Year 3
We’ve had another amazing week in Year 3!
In English, we continued reading our book Seal Surfer. For this, we created a ‘KWL grid’ (know, want to know, learnt) and watched some videos about seals to uncover more about these fascinating creatures. We also looked at using interesting verbs to describe a seal’s movements, before selecting our own animal to write about.
For Humanities, we consolidated our learning about the seas that surround the UK and then explored the different features we see at the coast, thinking about how these vary around the country. We then used these features to create acrostic poems.
In Maths we are reaching the end of our Place Value unit, this week we have looked at the number line up to 1000, comparing and ordering three-digit numbers. The children worked together to create their own number lines, showing brilliant teamwork and collaboration.
Well done Year 3!
Year 2
Another action-packed week in Year 2 and once again the children have risen to the challenge and put in their best efforts.
Early in the week, the children had a visit from one of the nursery staff so that they could ask their own questions about how babies are cared for as part of our science lesson. They asked some mature questions and even learnt how to change a nappy (using a doll, not a real baby!). Some very caring and considerate efforts!
We then set up our own desert island in the classroom and discussed what we would need to survive. The children decided, quite sensibly, that water and food would be much more important than toys and games!
Later in the week, the children enjoyed the usual PE, music and dance lessons. I know they are enjoying these sessions and developing their skills and confidence!
Year 1
This week we enjoyed a visit to Abbeystead. The aim of the trip was to use the woodland environment to support our learning in Science and Topic. We became animal detectives finding clues to discover who had stolen Cyril the Squirrels nuts. We used compasses to follow directions, learn about what different woodland animals eat and follow footprints. We sat by the river to create a sound map, listening to all of the sounds we could hear around us, and our highlight of the day was playing ‘Pooh Sticks’. It was the best day ever, according to Year 1!
Meanwhile, in class, we have had lots of wonderful writing. We have been using and applying our phonics to our English work to help Mr Forgetful, from the lost and found office, who needed help to organise all of his animals that had been found. We needed to use our phonics to write labels and create an inventory for him to use.
In Maths, we have been finding 1 less, finding fewer than, more than or the same as a given number.
After looking at where we live, we have been thinking about maps, what we need them for and how they can help us. We have been drawing our own sketch maps of school, thinking carefully about the buildings and places that we might see and use to help us find our way.
Reception
You may have heard your child talk about ‘The Gingerbread Man’. We have had an exciting few days as we have found footprints in our classroom and some ingredients to make Gingerbread Men. Luckily images of the Gingerbread Man have been caught on the school CCTV cameras around school!
He has been in the swimming pool, in Chapel, in the Nursery and even in Mr Quartermain’s office! He has even been appearing around the Pre-Prep building. Who knows where he will turn up next?
The children are excitedly planning ways to catch him and have painted pictures of what they think he looks like. We are also creating lots of ‘Wanted’ posters, their first independent attempts at using their new phonics knowledge to write some adjectives about the Gingerbread Man.
Nursery
In Sanderlings we have been encouraging the babies to express their feelings, make their own choices and show awareness of likes and dislikes. Some examples are selecting their own resources trying a variety of foods and taking turns. Some of the older Sanderlings have been helping to look after the younger babies, by helping with comforters and sharing books. In addition, The Sanderlings have also enjoyed a 1st Birthday party this week, complete with balloons and party hats!
In Sandpipers the children have been talking about their feelings and the people they love. In addition, the children have been discussing empathy and how they can show this. A lovely activity the children enjoyed this week was caring for the babies and enjoyed bathing them in the water tray. The Sanderlings were also treated to a trip to the Sensory room to explore all the different lights and toys. This was a calming experience for the children after a busy day! Following on from this and linking to the book of the month, ‘Fairy Tales’, the children enjoyed some home learning. They all made their very own sock puppets and enjoyed putting a show on for the Practitioners and their friends.
We have welcomed Miss Heatley to our Pre-School family. It has been lovely seeing the children form bonds with her. Our focus this week has been PSED, we have spoken about friendships, feelings and families. The children have enjoyed exploring the Rossall School grounds on the hunt to find where Goldilocks may be. A lot of the children think she is hiding in the Dining Hall! We enjoyed teacher time with Miss Ward where we looked at numbers and shapes. On Thursday it was time for one of the children’s favourite activities of the week, cooking class with Mrs James. On the menu this week in the Rossall Kitchen was a yummy apple crumble. The children did so well listening to instructions and paying attention to each ingredient being used. What a fantastic week!
Awards
Year 6
Seb and Alfie for showing commitment and independence in their Home Learning tasks
Ethan for excellent contributions to class discussions, particularly in English and Mathematics
Henry for his dedication in English, especially for sharing his ideas and using ambitious vocabulary
Year 5
Matilda for outstanding effort to improve her writing skills.
Joel for outstanding contribution in group work and leadership skills.
Year 4
Derrick – for always asking brilliant questions and sharing your own experiences with the class, inspiring others to further their own learning.
Rupert – for completing and producing brilliant home learning tasks, demonstrating intrigue and interest in the exciting topics covered. Well done!
Year 3
Bow For demonstrating a fantastic attitude to learning, including the work you are creating at home.
Yuha for fantastic contributions to our discussions in maths this week.
Year 2
Izzy – for great contributions in all her lessons
Theo – for his great maths work all week
Year 1
This week’s awards are for Dotty, for being a kind and caring friend and George, for super writing in English
Reception
This week’s certificates of achievement go to Sophia and Monty. Monty is an excellent role model to all the other children in the class. He has also thoroughly enjoyed helping his friends with their Maths work too. Sophia has demonstrated fantastic understanding in our Maths work this week. She has confidently sorted a variety of objects and could say how she had sorted them.
September Tennis Programs with Top Tennis Coaching
We have a range of tennis programs on offer for players aged 6+ happening at Rossall School this term.
Our popular Before School Programs return from Wednesday 4th September (Year 3 & 4 – Wednesdays, Year 5 & 6 – Fridays) as well as a range of after-school programs to suit all abilities.
Contact Nick Arnold for more information:
07789 956147
*Bookings are essential prior to attendance of your first session. Visit our Bookings Page for more info