Summer term Issue 4: 12th May 2023
Dear Parents,
This week began with the national celebrations for The Coronation.
In school, we welcomed the sunny weather and SATs week. It’s a huge well done to all our year 6 children who took their assessments this week. We are really proud of you. Thank you to all the staff and the parents who have also worked so hard over the past few weeks, months and years.
There have been a number of bikes and scooters that have gone missing recently. Please can you check at home to see if you have a rogue scooter or bike. Also, remember to lock them up when they are at school.
On Sunday it is Messy Church at St John’s, have a look at the end of the newsletter for more details.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Miss Crank Mr Bell
Upcoming Diary Dates
Reception
We have been learning about all different types of minibeasts this week in Reception. The children have spent time investigating snails, making guess “What It Is” leaflets about different insects and made they pictures of minibeasts using natural objects. In maths, the children have been exploring how 10 can be composed. We have used 10 frames, fingers up and down and double dice frames to help see the different ways 10 can be made with different numbers. For example, 7 fingers up and 3 fingers down. REMINDER: please don’t forget to check your child’s bag for new tricky word cards to practice at home!
Year 1
It has been a super, scientific week in Year 1. The children were exploring absorbency in their science lessons this week, and they had the opportunity to test and observe the absorbency of different materials. Each class selected their sample of materials to test and made predictions about which material would be most absorbent before testing this out. They learned about fair testing so they knew it was important to keep the amount of water the same (100ml) as well as the time in which we measured (1 minute).
Year 2
This week children in Year 2 have been competing against one another in an alternative, seated version of volleyball. The children progressed their skills from practicing throwing, bouncing and catching the ball with a partner, to competing in small teams. We used the benches as a net and awarded points for fair play. Great work everyone with lots of smiles!
Year 3
In Muriu class, as part of learning all about ancient Egypt, we wrote instructions on how to mummify a person. We discovered how important it is to sequence the steps correctly, using adverbs. In addition, we also thought about how our instructions should inform the reader of how to behave during the ceremony, although we did struggle not to giggle, we recognised that it was very serious in ancient Egypt.
Year 4
This week in science, we have been exploring circuits! We have learned the different components of a circuit and have experimented with bulbs, buzzers and motors, while enjoying the challenge of figuring out why a circuit isn't working and coming up with solutions to fix it. Next week we move on to making different types of switches.
Year 5
In year 5 we have been developing adverbials for dialogue by using action cards, acting them out and adding them to our speech bubbles before transforming our ideas into longer pieces of writing based on The Odyssey.
Year 6
This week in year 6 we completed the ‘test’ week part of our SATS. We revised, we worked and we celebrated our successes. All the children worked hard and we recognise that these tests are not the measure of who the children are. We look forward to continuing our learning journey knowing that we have done all we can to reach our potential. WELL DONE YEAR 6!.
Music this week…
We have some very talented musicians here at SJSC and on Wednesday some of the year 3 children were brave enough to share their piano skills during assembly. Well done to all of you!
Year 1 were thinking about pitch this week and recognising high notes and low notes with an instrumental focus on the flute.
Year 2 were creating movements to accompany Papagano’s song from Mozart’s The Magic Flute whilst year 4 were starting to look at The Trials of Fire and Water undertaken by Tamino.
Year 3 were learning a new song about Egyptian gods and goddesses whilst considering an Egyptian scale (which starts on D) and making an accompanying drone (a repeated pattern of notes).
Year 5 continued their samba lessons and showed excellent skills in following the many call and repeat rhythms we have now learned.
News from the Art Studio…
Last week, the art studio to a trip out to City Hall, to celebrate Jonny’s artwork being chosen as the borough winner of the 4Th Plinth Schools Awards. A great day out, made even more exciting by coming home via the cable cars over the Thames!
Love U SJSC Disco
Reminder that the School Disco is on 24th May
Details of the School Disco are now live on the Friends of SJSC website. There you will find information about tickets, timings, logistics and volunteering. It’s important to us that all children are able to attend and feel welcome. Please speak to the school office if you need support.
Stars of the Week Certificates
Stars are celebrated because they have demonstrated the school's values, or gone above and beyond. Well done to all our stars this week …
Other news this week…
Southwark Music Bulletin
• Southwark Music’s Saturday Centre is currently accepting applications for children and young people looking to learn an instrument and play in a variety of ensembles starting September 2023. For more info, click here.
• Southwark Music’s Jazz Festival is on Thursday 22nd June at 5pm at the Clore Ballroom, Royal Festival Hall. Seven classes from four different schools will perform pieces they have composed with Jazz pianist Pete Letanka, alongside some of the country’s finest musicians, with a theme inspired by the 18th century virtuoso violinist and conductor Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
• Are you an emerging artist in South London aged 18-25? Lambeth Sounds are offering one emerging act the opportunity to perform at Mighty Hoopla Festival on Saturday 3rd June 2023. For more info, click here. Deadline: Friday 5th May.
• The Royal Opera House invites children aged 7-11 to audition for Youth Opera programmes in July 2023. The programmes are free of charge for all members and no experience or knowledge of opera is required, just a love of singing and performing and an enthusiasm to explore and create opera with the ROH. For more info, click here. Deadline: Friday 9th June 2023, 12pm.
• Kinetika Bloco are inviting young people to their Summer Schools where they will learn new music skills or develop existing ones and join with many other young people to play music, steel pan, drum, or dance, and make costumes. For more info, click here.
• Join Trinity Laban’s Young Musicians’ Summer School aimed at musicians aged 11-17 offering a variety of performance-based, skills-building and mind-expanding workshop strands, guided by incredible musicians. For more info, click here.
• City of London Sinfonia present Divergent Sounds on 14th May at Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank Centre. Divergent Sounds is a concert that explores the experiences and identities for neurodivergent people in a neurotypical world through a new piece by composer Amble Skuse. Tickets are pay what you can and start from £1. For more info and to book, click here.
• Healthwatch Southwark and Community Southwark are looking for volunteers to join the Community Health Ambassadors Network. The Ambassadors are volunteers working to improve health and wellbeing in their communities, including facilitating music-based health promotion events in community groups. For more information about the Network and to join, click here.
Messy Church
Messy at St John’s, 3:45-5pm , this Sunday 14th May
Crafts, science experiments and food for all! All welcome!
Email me, curate@stjohnseastdulwich.org if you have any access or dietary requirements, we hope we can make this a space where all feel warmly welcomed and included.
Have a wonderful weekend - see you next week!