Articles
Some of the learning experiences enjoyed during Summer term by Roe Green Junior School students.
Mini Marathon 20th, April 2024 by Chhaya 6G
The Mini Marathon is an annual event that draws around 14,000 participants to Westminster, London. This year, on Saturday, April 20th, 2024, 30 children from Roe Green Junior School took part in the event.
Our running numbers were distributed in envelopes along with four pins on the Thursday before the Mini Marathon. These numbers were to be pinned onto the shirts we would wear on the day, and a form on the back provided essential information in case anyone got lost. We were required to wear running clothes with our numbers pinned on.
On the day of the mini marathon, the children assembled in front of the school near the car park, ready to run. Parents who wished to accompany their children were permitted to do so. We began walking to Kingsbury Station at around 12:15. Upon arrival, we entered the station in small groups, and after everyone passed through, we boarded the Jubilee line, waiting for the next train to arrive.
The trains were not too busy as it was still morning/noon. We travelled from Kingsbury to Westminster, a journey of 14 stops. Our school teachers, Mr. Patel, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Leeming, Mr. Best, and Miss Byrne, accompanied us. At Wembley Station, we saw a familiar face, Miss Loosemore, who joined us and provided us with wristbands containing important information. The train ride took about 45 minutes, and upon exiting the station, we were greeted by the sight of Big Ben. We walked through the busy streets of London for around 15-20 minutes.
Upon arrival, we had approximately 45 minutes before the run began. After a restroom break, we spent the remaining time warming up with jumping jacks, lunges, and jogging. We took photos with everyone, including parents, teachers, helpers, and all the students who participated.
Later, we entered the pen and waited for our wave or school name to be called. Meanwhile, Joe Wicks led us in a 5-minute warm-up. After our second warm-up, it was nearly time to approach the starting line.
A few minutes later, we started running. The course was one mile long and circular. Upon finishing the mile, we received our medals, and water bottles, and then gathered in the blue circle zone to wait for everyone to complete the run.
After the race, we were provided with light snacks. The children whose parents were present left with them. The trains were busy due to a football match at Wembley Stadium, making space on the trains scarce. After waiting 15 minutes for a less crowded train, we managed to squeeze into one. Once we reached Wembley Station, the train was mostly empty. We returned to Kingsbury, and by then, most of us were tired. Parents picked up their children, and everyone left for home.
Let's Take a Peek at Curriculum Fortnight!
Curriculum Fortnight is a special two-week event where each year group works on projects related to climate change. Each year had a unique focus: Year 3 explored under the sea, Year 4 delved into the earth, Year 5 focused on on-the-ground issues, and Year 6 looked above the earth. At the end of the fortnight, on June 17, 2024, parents were invited to visit their children's classrooms to see the amazing work that had been done. The whole school put in a lot of effort, and the parents were impressed by the student's creativity and hard work. There were also performances in the hall featuring brave students from each year group. Year 3 performed an Under the Sea dance, Year 4 shared an underground story, Year 5 presented wonderful poems, and Year 6 showcased their work on planes. Additionally, there was an eco-warriors assembly focused on climate change. In this article, you'll read about the experiences of students from each year group. (By Sebastian 6R, Indiya-Rae 5G and Eliza 4R)
Year 3:
Year 3 learned about life under the sea, studying various fish and marine creatures. Their presentation included a dance to the song "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid. They learned choreography and put on an amazing performance. The students showed great courage and patience, practising their dance until it was perfectly in sync. Their loud and clear singing, combined with their coordinated dance moves, left everyone in awe. (By Indiya-Rae 5G)
Year 4:
Year 4's topic was "Under the Earth," with a focus on volcanoes. Each class created a large volcano and worked on smaller projects that included fascinating facts about volcanoes. The students were enthusiastic and their projects were impressive. (By Eliza 4R)
Year 5:
Year 5 focused on the theme "On the Earth." They worked on projects related to food waste, solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity, fast fashion, and deforestation. For food waste, each class made a food waste iceberg, a cargo plane, and a cargo ship. For solar power, they created solar panels and solar-powered cars. For wind power, they designed and built wind turbines. For hydroelectricity, they wrote informative paragraphs. For fast fashion, they created graphs showing the CO2 emissions of clothing companies and made paper clothing designs with these graphs. For deforestation, they wrote poems and built models of healthy and deforested forests. Selected students read their poems during the performance. (By Carla 5S)
Year 6:
Year 6 studied the topic "Above the Earth," with 6R focusing on birds. Some of their activities included making a whooping crane model covered in paint samples, painting flamingos and flowers for display, bird watching, and keeping a journal of the birds they observed, such as blackbirds and magpies. (By Alessia 6R)
The next day, an assembly was held where each year group performed their presentations again for those who missed them. The presentations were educational and enjoyable, teaching everyone more about the world and climate change. It was an amazing experience that everyone enjoyed, and we all hope to continue this tradition every year! (By Indiya-Rae 5G and Eliza 4R)
Curriculum Fortnight Year 3
Under the Sea
Curriculum Fortnight Year 4
Under the Earth
Curriculum Fortnight Year 5
On the Earth
Curriculum Fortnight Year 6
Above the Earth
Sports Day by Eliza 4R
On the 11th of July 2024, we had our annual sports day. All Year groups took part in different athletic races. We had to sign up for two races each. I signed up for swimming, skipping and long jump. I had to sign up for three races because nobody would see me swimming.
Everyone worked so hard practising for this amazing event. The race scores would be marked on the field as that is where sports day would take place as it is nice and big. The day before sports day, all the people running had to go to the centre on the field to practise and get trained by Mr Dunn, Head of PE.
The next day was the day everybody had been waiting for - SPORTS DAY!!! We came into school wearing our class colours: R’s were Red, G’s Green, J’s yellow and S’s Blue.
In the morning, I took part in swimming. I was swimming with a girl in my class called Alexandra. I hope my scores will be good in swimming, I think I came 2nd or 3rd.In the morning, I took part in swimming. I was swimming with a girl in my class called Alexandra. I hope my scores will be good in swimming - I think I came 2nd or 3rd.
After lunch, in the afternoon, we all had to tidy up the classroom, put everything in our bags and carry our water bottles and chairs to the field so we could relax while watching the other races take place. All the adults were with their children’s class cheering for them and showing them support. It was my turn for the second race - skipping, I was skipping with a girl in my class called Parisha, I was very nervous thinking I would come last but believed in myself. When I heard the whistle I ran for my life whizzing through the tracks, I made it - I came second! After, there were many other races like relay, bat and ball, beanbag throw and many more!!
Everyone had an amazing time on sports day but was still very nervous about who would win!!!
Welsh Harp by Jaswini 6G
This year, 3S went on a trip to Welsh Harp, and as usual, they had loads of fun. Upon arrival, they placed their belongings down and the entire class, including teachers and parent volunteers, were led into a forest. There, they had the exciting opportunity to observe beehives, which everyone found fascinating. However, one downside was the overwhelming presence of bugs and insects, which everyone, including students, teachers, parents, and even the workers, found bothersome.
Despite the bugs, the rest of the activities were highly enjoyable. The children made butterflies out of flowers, which was as cool and entertaining as it sounds. They also went bird-watching and spotted a few woodpeckers pecking at the trees. Following that, they participated in a map puzzle, which they found quite fun. After these magnificent activities, they took a break for lunch, which lasted about fifteen to twenty minutes.
Once lunch was done, a kind and knowledgeable worker shared some important safety information with the group. She showed them areas to avoid during future visits due to potential danger. The trip was a wonderful experience overall, and they travelled back and forth by bus since Welsh Harp was nearby. They returned to school around two-thirty or three in the afternoon, slightly delayed due to a longer lunch break and waiting for the bus.
Judging by all the fun activities, this trip was extremely enjoyable. I strongly suggest that if you ever have the chance to visit Welsh Harp, you should definitely go!
The MTC Test by Judy 4G
The MTC Test can be scary, but at the same time, it is quite manageable! When I took it, I was pleasantly surprised. To help you prepare, the test gives you three practice questions before presenting the 25 real questions. Unfortunately, you won't know your score until you receive your report. The test doesn't take long, but the difficulty of the questions fluctuates. The last few questions are easy, while the middle ones can be more challenging. However, if you know your times tables well, the test will seem easy. For those still learning their times tables, it might be a bit tougher, but don't worry—it will be over before you know it!
Ms. Bryne will call you to the Music Room to begin the test. The questions aren't too difficult. Some people may find it tricky, but if you are in Years 3, 5, or 6, you don't need to worry because the test is only for Year 4 students. We have been preparing well, and as someone in Set 1, I felt confident about getting 25 out of 25. Many of us were nervous, including me. Some people were so anxious that they thought they might get 0 out of 25! Ms Harji helped us practice during lunchtime using TTRS (Times Tables Rock Stars). We practised for about 10 minutes, and then we had a competition to see who could get 25 out of 25. No one managed to do it during practice, and I got 24 out of 25, which made my hands tremble and my mind go blank!
On the day of the test, I was really scared. Set 1 went first, followed by Set 2, then Set 3, and finally Set 4. Some people think that if you get a bad score, you'll be punished, but your teacher will probably just encourage you to practice your times tables more. Whether you find it easy or hard, just try your best! The test covered most of the following times tables:
- 11 times tables
- 3 times tables
- 9 times tables
- 6 times tables
- 4 times tables
These were easy for me, but they might not be for everyone. For example, some might find the 6 times tables challenging. A lot of people who didn’t know their times tables well ended up getting 25 out of 25, while some who usually get perfect scores might have gotten 24 or 23.
Wait! Did I mention my score? I got 25, thank God! I was relieved when my teacher told me the score, and many people were shocked as I moved from Set 1 to Set 2. My friend Eliza, the smartest girl in Set 1, sadly got 24 out of 25. I felt sad for her. The whole test was easy for me, but it was challenging for some others. Interestingly, my twin brother also got 25, just like me! We'll see how next year's Year 4 students perform.
Amazing Art Trip to Kingsbury High School by Eliza 4R
On Friday 5th July 2024, Year 4 went to Kingsbury High School for an art and computing workshop. 4R and 4J did art while 4G and 4S did computing.
We came into school at normal times and got ready. We got into our groups and left the school at 10:30 am. We walked from the school to Kingsbury Park, where the entrance to the Lower School was just in front of us. Everyone had to walk in rain and wind which was terrible - it's supposed to be summer!!!
We walked around the huge school until we arrived at the Art Room. Teaching us were Year 9 students who were amazing at art! We were organised at different tables where we had different table leaders. First, we were given a sticky paper with a famous art picture; I was given the Mona Lisa with my name on it. Second, we were shown a PowerPoint about how to be safe with the art supplies. Then we were given a little card where we had to draw our favourite thing to do. We had a few minutes to do that. When our time was over they put some of the drawings on display. Our main topic was making pop-up cards for our teachers. There were measurements on pieces of paper that we had to cut, fold or decorate. We were shown many examples of pop-up cards that Kingsbury High School had made. Everyone was given art supplies on their tables like glue sticks, coloured pencils, pens and outliner pens! Also, we had drawings on blank paper that we could cut out and colour. We made a pop-up vase card for our teachers and we could fill it up with many different flowers that we like. Once we had done a little bit of our pop-up cards we were asked to walk around so we could have a look at everyone's progress. All of the cards looked amazing with heartwarming messages inside for their teachers.
After that, it was time to go back to school for our lunch. We had such a great time drawing and colouring at the high school especially if some of our students got taught by their older siblings! All of us were confused when walking around the huge building! We found our way out and walked back. We got to finish off our cards later on in the day and gave them to our teachers, which they loved! We couldn't stop talking about the trip during lunch and the rest of the week!
We hope to visit Kingsbury High School again or even get a tour if that might be our High School!
Gordon Brown by Darsh 5R, Indiya-Rae 5G and Carla 5S
On Monday, May 13th, 54 children from Year 5 gathered in the lunch hall at 10:00 am. Ms Loosemore stood at the front, waiting for the remaining parents to arrive and say their goodbyes. Once everyone was inside, she talked to us about the golden rules of the Gordon Brown Center (GBC). The fourth rule was particularly amusing: "Take care of the old people (AKA the teachers)." While we waited for the delayed coach, we played some games to pass the time. We started with "Captain’s Coming," which is like Simon Says but with commands like standing up straight and saluting when "Captain is coming" is called. Then we played "Silent Ball," which was a bit frustrating because everyone passed to their friends, so not everyone got a turn. Finally, the coach arrived, and a huge cheer erupted. Parents helped load the coach, and we boarded, filling it from front to back. As we left, we waved goodbye for the last time for five days.
Once on the road, it felt like a typical school trip, but we were heading away from home and wouldn't see our parents and families for five days! During the first hour, some people played games or coloured. We passed many famous landmarks like Twickenham Stadium and Brentford FC’s G-tech Community Stadium. The journey seemed to drag on through grey, dismal London with almost no greenery, through what felt like ten motorways. Suddenly, the scenery changed to lush greenery with bright sunshine overgrown grass, trees, and flowers. It was calm and peaceful as we left the bustling motorway for the green countryside. After a two-hour trip, we finally arrived safely at our destination in Hook, Hart. Excitement filled the air as we got off the coach, marvelling at the beautiful scenery and buildings. We were greeted by Nikki and Juliet, our guides for the stay. They directed us to a building where we unpacked our suitcases and clothes into two dormitories—one for boys and one for girls. We picked our beds and bunkmates and then started to unpack. Our meal schedule was announced: breakfast at 7:30 am, lunch at 12:30 pm, and dinner at 6:00 pm.
After unpacking, it was time for lunch. Our morning guide, Nikki, announced that we were having burgers. We ate for half an hour and then were given an hour of free time. Afterwards, we split into groups for activities, which we would switch in the afternoons with Nikki and Juliet guiding us in the evenings. On the first day, our afternoon activity was the same as the morning one since there was no separate afternoon activity. Here are the activities we did during our stay:
- A scavenger hunt using a map and coordinates
- Feeding animals
- Climbing rock walls with levels of easy, medium, and hard
- A death drop, where you jump from a high podium with a harness on
- Bonfire night
- Making our fire and popcorn over it
- Laser tag
- Blindfold challenge
- Low ropes
- A tour of the Gordon Brown Centre
- Building a den and resisting a "big storm" created by Miss McLeod and Mr Leeming with water guns and a big bottle of water
The trip was an exciting adventure filled with various activities that challenged and entertained us. It was a memorable experience that we will all cherish.
Grease at Kingsbury High School by Chhaya 6G & Jaswini 6G
"Grease" at Kingsbury High School took place on Wednesday, March 20th, 2024. The children in Year 6 had a brief three-hour visit to Kingsbury High School to watch their production of "Grease the Musical." Originally made in 1978, "Grease" captivated the Year 6 students as they enjoyed an extraordinary performance by the Year 7 and Year 8 students of Kingsbury High School.
The Year 6 children left their school building at around 9:15 to attend the show. Upon arrival, they lined up near the doorway of Kingsbury High School, waiting for about ten minutes. They noticed other local schools arriving as well. The line eventually began to move, and as they entered the performance hall, they saw rows of chairs arranged before a stage set like a theatre, with a massive brown floor and red curtains concealing the young actors. They settled down quietly, waiting for the show to begin. The headteacher of Kingsbury High School welcomed them warmly, looking very pleased.
The production kicked off with a song and a dance, accompanied by a live band of four to five musicians at the front. The show ran for around forty minutes to an hour before the interval, which provided a much-needed break halfway through. The students found it very entertaining. During the ten-minute interval, they had time to use the restroom, drink water, and relax briefly. After the break, the show resumed, continuing to engage most of the audience, although some students were disappointed by the omission of a small peck on the cheek, which they had anticipated.
As the show concluded, Mr. Thomas, a teacher from Kingsbury High School, delivered an interesting speech. He spoke about looking forward to welcoming the Year 6 students who would be joining Kingsbury High School in September 2024 and congratulated all the students who participated in the production for their hard work and dedication.
After the show, the Year 6 children walked back to Roe Green Junior School for lunch. Although the walk was a bit long, they managed it well. Despite being exhausted and tired, they had a fantastic time, and many expressed a keen interest in participating in future productions once they joined Kingsbury High School.
My SATS Experience by Sebastian, 6R
The Weeks Before
As SATs approached, our teachers increased our workload, pushing us harder to ensure we were prepared. They were determined to help us pass, and I felt confident about my chances.
The Weekend
The weekend before SATs was stressful and nerve-wracking for many of my classmates, who spent most of the time studying. Being generally smart, I only focused on grammar and a bit of math. Despite feeling a bit nervous, my mom advised me to stay calm and not stress, as it would only make things worse. On Sunday, I went to bed early to ensure I was well-rested for the tests.
Monday and Tuesday
After a good night's sleep, I got ready for the long day ahead. I arrived at school early and chatted with my classmates about SATs. Once in class, we prepared our stationery and waited for Ms. Loosemore to bring the grammar and spelling tests. She gave us an encouraging speech, and we started the grammar test at 9:15, which lasted 45 minutes. It was easier than I expected. After a short break, we took the spelling test at 10:20, which was also fairly easy. I successfully completed the first day of SATs.
On Tuesday, I woke up early again and followed the same routine. Ms. Loosemore brought the reading test, which started at 9:30 and lasted an hour. Reading is my strength, so I felt confident and finished every question. I made it through the second day of SATs with ease.
Wednesday and Thursday
I woke up a bit later but quickly got ready for the third day of SATs. In my math set, Ms. Loosemore brought the arithmetic test, which I found fairly easy. After a break, we took the reasoning test, which was more challenging, but I managed to get through it with only a minor mistake. I completed the third day of SATs.
For the final day, I woke up early and arrived at school promptly. In our math set, Ms. Loosemore brought the second reasoning paper, the hardest of all the math SATs tests. Despite making a few silly mistakes, I carefully checked my work. I was relieved to have made it through the final day of SATs.
Looking back, I realize how much effort we all put in, and I'm proud of my accomplishments. I wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavours!