This week’s newsletter for Rossall Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School.
Dear All,
With each passing day, the sun shines a little brighter, the days are a little longer, and our optimism for summer grows a little stronger! The first mow of the lawns at the front of the Prep School, have created the questions of, “When are we allowed on the grass?” Unfortunately, the ground is still a little heavy but the hazy days of the cricket season, Wimbledon, and sports day are not too far away!
Whilst the ground was heavy underfoot, 10 teams from across the north of England, from as far as the Isle of Man, joined us on Wednesday for the 46th Annual Rossall Rugby 7s. It was a wonderful opportunity to watch some running rugby and I know that all the players thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon – particularly the chicken nuggets and chips at the end! A note of sincere thanks to Mr Condon for his boundless enthusiasm and organisation of what was his 25th anniversary of the event!
My sincere thanks to all those who turned up to our Afternoon Tea/Parent Forum on Tuesday. It was genuinely lovely to see so many of you. Whether there for the delightful sandwiches and cakes, or the discussions over car parking, School reports, playground equipment, Halloween discos or lost property, we listened, hopefully offered explanations, and certainly understood so much more. As for the timings of the meetings, we will endeavour, as always, to rotate slots to offer opportunities for different parents to attend.
Year 3 visited the SEA LIFE Centre in Manchester earlier this week. They had a ‘jawesome’ time seeing the sharks! As part of their topic “Protect the Planet”, the children participated in a workshop called “Sea Defenders” in which they learned all about how plastic pollution and overfishing affects the oceans. They thoroughly enjoyed the visit and seeing all the exotic species of aquatic life: the stingrays, sharks and turtles were particular favourites!
The Reception children enjoyed their first ever School trip off campus this week. Treasure hunting, brass rubbings and exploring the rooms of Leighton Hall was the order of the day and I was delighted to hear such glowing reports of their behaviour and interest in everything they saw and experienced. The world is one big adventure for our youngest Prep School members!
We are now on to the final few tickets remaining for both nights of our Prep performances of Mary Poppins Jnr. A reminder that once we are sold out, no more tickets can be made available. To avoid disappointment, please get them now! It promises to be a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious experience!
It has been a fun-filled world book day in the Prep School. All staff and pupils dressed as their favourite characters, many inspired by books that have turned into movies and vice versa. The children have taken part in quizzes and activities based around their characters and have thoroughly enjoyed bringing fiction to life!
Have a relaxing weekend.
Mr M Turner
Headmaster of Preparatory School & Nursery
Rossall Prep School Shines at the 46th 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 free flowing festive 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, making excellent progress throughout the afternoon, and scoring some outstanding tries.
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!
Young Seasiders Schools’ Arts and Crafts Exhibition
Cara and Ahill from Year 6 were selected as winners from Rossall for the Young Seasiders Schools’ Arts and Crafts Exhibition. All Year 6 children completed a piece of artwork, which is currently being displayed at Blackpool School of Arts. Cara and Ahill visited the exhibition this morning to view theirs and others’ artwork, and have their photo taken for The Gazette. Watch out for them in The Gazette on 14th March! We are very proud of their achievements.
Reception join School Council!
This week, Reception elected their School Council members. After volunteering in front of the rest of their class, the successful candidates were voted by democratic process. Congratulations to Pippa and Rafferty! They joined their first School Council meeting this week and are already making great contributions.
Easter Egg Appeal
As in previous years, the Prep School Council have decided that one of their chosen initiatives is to support the Easter Egg appeal for Blackpool Victoria Hospital Children’s Ward.
We are asking for donations of Easter Eggs or an alternative e.g. colouring books and pencils. These contributions really make a difference to the children who are unable to be at home for Easter. The deadline for donations is Monday 18th March. This appeal has proven to be really successful in the past and along with the contributions from the Senior School, we have exceeded over 1,000 donations!
Thank you on behalf of the School Council.
Mary Poppins Musical Tickets Available
Join us on Wednesday 13th, and Thursday 14th for a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious time as our Preparatory School present Mary Poppin’s Jr. So, don’t invest that tuppence at the Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank – buy your tickets now!
You can also pre-order souvenir merchandise until the end of term HERE.
Year 6
In English, we have continued our journey into the fascinating world of the Galapagos Islands. Using our knowledge of this unique ecosystem, we have written scientific accounts that go beyond the ordinary. Not only have we shown our knowledge of the animals and species that are endemic to the Galapagos Islands, but we have also incorporated advanced features such as colons, a variety of verb forms, and prepositional phrases.
In mathematics, our learning about fractions has been ongoing. We have delved deeper to master concepts such as finding fractions of amounts and multiplying and dividing fractions by integers.
In History, we have continued our enlightening journey through time. Continuing our exploration of royal residences, we have not only created informative leaflets but also engaging Google Slides presentations. We have discussed the impact of these historical sites on society today, particularly in relation to tourism. We have also begun to unravel the mysteries of the Industrial Revolution and explore the lives of some of its famous inventors, including the inventors of the light bulb (Thomas Edison), telephone (Alexander Graham Bell) and steam train (George Stephenson).
As we gear up for the much-anticipated Prep School musical, “Mary Poppins Jr,” our final week has been filled with excitement and anticipation. Costume fittings and rehearsals have added an extra layer of excitement as we prepare to showcase our talents on stage. We have been diligently fine-tuning our performances and stepping in time for it to become ‘practically perfect’!
Year 5
The class were still buzzing with excitement from our Tudor assembly at the start of the week, and they certainly enjoyed the opportunity to share their learning with the rest of the school and their parents through drama. They all agreed that in spite of their nerves, the thrill of performing on stage is amazing, and they cannot wait to support Year 6 in ‘Poppins’ less than a week away.
With the sun shining, we decided to take our Maths investigation on Perimeter and Area outside to the Rossall Square, where we set ourselves challenges to put our learning into practice. Armed with trundle wheels, pads and pencils, we measured every area possible. The focus of the children on each task was exceptional, as was the teamwork they showed to work together and complete their challenge.
Science has captivated our interest this week, and we were extremely grateful to Mrs Cohen for sharing her expertise at the Science Department, where we conducted a whole range of experiments on ‘Properties of Elements’. The class were in their element, and they enjoyed using the Bunsen Burners to heat Magnesium strips, Lithium, Copper, Sodium and Potassium; with all the amazing reactions (with the materials and on their faces) it was like Firework Night had come early!
Year 4
Our week in Year 4 began with a bang as it was finally time for our big volcanic moment – the eruption. After previously constructing the volcanoes, we carefully added washing up liquid, vinegar and water followed by the magic ingredient – bicarbonate of soda! We were certainly surprised and delighted by the reaction created when our volcanoes began frothing with ‘lava’!
Writing group play scripts in English this week has been our main task. We based the scripts on our book and explored the features that needed to be included: cast list, scenes, spoken parts and stage directions. Once our scripts are completed, we will perform them in front of each group.
In Maths, we have started our new unit about fractions. Our focus has been on looking at a whole, more than a whole and partitioning mixed numbers. Many challenging problem-solving questions have been attempted and it has been fantastic to see determination and perseverance shown by all.
In PSHE, we have continued to learn about online safety and what steps we should take if we encounter communications with a stranger online. We recognised the dangers and risks of what could happen if we engaged with strangers, especially on video/online gaming platforms.
World Book Day today saw fantastic costumes as usual! From cowgirls to Minnie Mouse and Harry Potter, we all had a brilliant day. We enjoyed reading the book ‘Mother Earth is Weeping’ along with taking part in online lessons, a number of quizzes and art.
Our Mary Poppins rehearsals are fully underway and Year 4 have been doing a brilliant job at performing their dance to their ‘Jolly Holiday’ song. We cannot wait to perform next week in the show!
Year 3
Our week in Year 3 kicked off with a splash this week as we visited the SEA LIFE Centre in Manchester! As part of our topic ‘Protect the Planet’, we participated in a workshop all about how plastic pollution and overfishing are impacting our oceans and we learnt how to be Sea Defenders! We loved seeing all the different aquatic animals, the stingrays, sharks and turtles were particular favourites! The Year 3s are even more inspired to protect sea wildlife and our environment.
Back in the classroom, in English this week we have been continuing to read the Big Blue Whale and learn more about these fantastic creatures. We learnt about some more conjunctions in particular how to use ‘therefore’. We also did some blue whale research and used this to do some non-fiction writing with sub-headings.
In Maths we have continued our learning about fractions with our motto: ‘Fractions are our friends!”, this week looking at fractions as numbers on a number line and equivalent fractions.
For Science this week we concluded our investigation into what plants need to survive and learnt the acronym LAWNS to help with this: Light from the sun, Air, Water, Nutrients from soil and Space! We are now in the process of reviving the plants from the investigation and making sure they can thrive again!
We also enjoyed some rehearsals for Mary Poppins and we are very excited for the show next week!
Rossall Rotation was amazing fun this week on the Farm. We loved checking in with the animals, seeing how the plants we planted last time are growing and also participated in a sunflower growing competition!
Finishing the week with World Book Day, with everyone in their awesome costumes and sharing our favourite books, was a real highlight of the year!
Year 2
It has been another fabulous week in Year 2. We have come to the end of our Maths unit on multiplication and division and the children have demonstrated a fabulous understanding of this tricky concept, not only completing tricky calculations, but also using lots of wonderful Mathematical vocabulary.
We have also been preparing for our class assembly next week, we hope to see you in PAS at 8.45am next Friday.
Our highlight of the week was our Art lesson with Mrs Payne, which we used to complete our “Fire of London” artwork, but this week we got double the fun as she also took us to the Rossall Kitchen for some Pudding Lane bread baking.
Only ten more sleeps till we break up for Easter and we have so much to do before then, we have a wish list and we will be working through it over the next two weeks!
Year 1
In English, we continued reading our class book. We learnt that Mouse is lonely and wants to make some new friends, but needs to find his roar. He is about to embark on his journey to find it! Where will he go? What will he see? We used our Rossall Rotation Beach session to create a journey map of the things he might pass or see on his adventure. It included watering holes, hills, mountains and craggy rocks. We had great fun!
In Science, we continued to describe and classify animals by their characteristics.
In Maths, we have started our new unit on Place Value. We have been learning about how many tens and ones are in a number using Base 10 equipment, and counting in groups of 10.
We also celebrated World Book Day this week. We enjoyed a character parade where we got to see everybody’s amazing efforts. We enjoyed lots of book-themed activities like spy the character and a World Book Day quiz.
Reception
On Tuesday, Reception were very excited to venture out for the day to Leighton Hall near Carnforth. This is the ancestral home of the world-renowned Gillow furniture family. The home is still lived in today and we were warmly welcomed into their home and enjoyed a full tour of the house by our friendly and enthusiastic tour guide, Pam.
We heard lots of funny and fascinating tales and the family’s ancestry meant there were plenty of pieces of furniture and paintings to enjoy. The children loved guessing what the unusual artefacts and objects were around the home. The children behaved impeccably and asked lots of questions.
The Main Garden, Walled Garden and Woodland walk offered the chance to explore, with plenty of space for the children to enjoy and let off steam. On the woodland walk, we followed bear footprints, spotted bears, hunted for minibeasts, found lots of tree faces, looked at the views of the Lake District and completed some brass rubbings of plants and animals you could find in the woodland.
The children thoroughly enjoyed their trip and can not wait to find out what we will learn on our next adventure in the Summer Term …
Nursery
This week in Nursery we have focused on Maths.
The Sanderlings
This week the Children in the Sanderlings room have been practising stacking objects of different sizes and learning mathematical language of size such as big and small. The children have also been looking at patterns through placing and lining up toys. In addition, the children have been building on their understanding of patterns by joining in and making predictions of what comes next in stories and songs. The Sanderlings teachers have also been encouraging the children to try and join in with actions during song and story time by pausing the activities to allow them time to think, speak and fill in the gap to guess what might come next. Furthermore, the children have played with a variety of wooden peg puzzles. Insert puzzles are great for building knowledge of shape, number and size and they provide a great opportunity to further children’s understanding, and fine motor and communication skills.
The Sandpipers
This week we have introduced the children in Sandpipers to the book of the month, ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle. The children have participated in a variety of activities relating to the story including exploring story stones that have allowed the children to put the story in order, count and recognise patterns. The children have also played a caterpillar matching game and learnt a new song that explains the life cycle of a butterfly in a fun way.
In addition, the children have enjoyed tasting different fruits relating to the story and they have been given the opportunity to cut up their own fruit using a child-friendly knife. The Sandpipers extended their learning by planting the seeds that they found in the apples and pears to further their knowledge of ‘growing’.
Moreover, we have introduced the children to Easter activities. So far we have been on Easter hunts around the nursery to find pictures of eggs to count and match to the correct numeral thus building on number recognition. Furthermore, the children have enjoyed making attempts at drawing basic shapes and numbers while practising their pencil control.
Pre-School
This week the Pre-School children have been very busy with various activities taking place. During keyworker time the children played an animal matching game with Miss Simms, took part in Mother’s Day crafts with Miss Emsley, did a maths activity with Mrs Gaynor and Miss Ward talked to the children about the things they love about their mums and helped the children to complete a related worksheet.
In addition, during a midday walk with Miss Simms and Miss Emsley, the children had a great time exploring the forest! During a circle time activity with Miss Simpson and Miss Bird, the children listened to the story ‘It’s OK to be Different’ by Sharon Purtill. Following the story the children took part in a group discussion about differences where the children were inspired to embrace their individuality and show kindness and acceptance of others regardless of their differences.
Furthermore, the children have enjoyed learning about the book of the month, ‘There’s a Ran-Tan in my Bedroom’ by James Sellick and Frann Preston-Gannon. The book shares an important environmental message about where the orangutan came from and the use of palm oil in an age-appropriate way through rhyme and engaging illustrations.
Finally, the children celebrated World Book Day where they were given the opportunity to share their love of books and their favourite story characters with each other through dressing up and taking part in fun related activities.
Awards
Year 6
This week, our certificate winners from 6R are Ahill for applying himself fully in all areas of school life, and Poppy for rising to challenges when faced with them. Our winners for 6S are Amelia for showing excellent initiative and leadership skills, and Seluleko for showing initiative and being helpful.
Year 5
This week, our certificate winners are Rocco and Sebastian for outstanding commitment and endeavour in all areas of the curriculum.
Year 4
The Year 4 certificates this week go to Marcel and Matilda for outstanding efforts, contribution and independence in Maths.
Year 3
This week’s certificates in Year 3 go to Valencia and Ayana for their wonderful participation in our workshop at the SEA LIFE centre.
Year 2
This week, our certificates have been awarded to Leale for making a fabulous start to Year 2 and Rossall and Nektarios for outstanding creative writing.
Year 1
This week’s awards are for Isabelle, for amazing creativity in Rossall Rotation, and Jasper, for fantastic effort in Maths and Writing.
Reception
This week’s certificate of achievement go to Pippa and Robbie. Pippa produced some exceptional artwork inspired by Yayoi Kusama. She completed her work carefully and even created repeating patterns. Robbie is trying so hard and takes his time to complete all his handwriting activities.
Well done to both children!
