Newsletter

February 2024

Principal's Welcome


Dear Parents/Carers


Once again, there is a great deal to celebrate within the academy! Year 5 and 6 have really progressed in their swimming during Module 3. It is such an important life skill so the pupils should feel proud that they have developed their confidence in a new stroke, built their stamina and have been resilient when they have found something difficult.


Another high from Module 3 has been the Year 4 visit to the O2 to take part in Young Voices. The pupils' were overwhelmed when they first walked into the arena and it took a while to sink in that they were about to be a part of one of the largest choirs in the world! The pupils sang their hearts out throughout the event and I am sure it will be a memory that will stay with them forever.

 

This module we have launched 'Skills Builder' in the academy. The aim is to develop essential skills, so this month we have all been developing listening skills. In February we will be developing speaking skills. Pupils have the chance to improve these essential skills in class assembly times and throughout their learning. We have all improved at being real listeners this month and I am sure they will be able to impress you at home too! If you want to find out more please explore this resource designed for parents and carers.


The pupils are all working so hard and I am pleased that you will have the opportunity to come into the academy to join us for Open Classroom next module to see this for yourselves. You will be able to look at your child’s books, displayed work and any other pieces of work to celebrate. You will also be able to discuss your child’s progress at the next Parent Consultations in March. Please see the dates section on your MCAS app for further information.


Thank you for your ongoing support with your child's education.


Mrs G Stangroom

Principal

Grasshopper Class

This module we have centred our learning around the theme of ‘Where we are in Place and Time’ focusing on how our exploration of space has led to lots of new discoveries!  We have loved learning all about what Space is and what we would find if we went into Space. We spent lots of time thinking about all the things we would need to take with us if we went into Space, because we realised we couldn't just nip back home or to the shops once we have gone up in a rocket! We also thought we might have found pieces of a rocket ship crash landing- we had to investigate and learn all about what Astronauts do in Space. We enjoyed watching the live feed from the international space station of Earth.  To find out some answers to our questions we decided to look in non-fiction books and on the internet. We learnt all about the difference between fiction and non-fiction and how to tell the difference. 


In phonics we have been learning to read and then write short captions and sentences all by ourselves- good writers always read back what they have written! 


In maths we have been furthering our knowledge and understanding on the composition of numbers to 5 and we have been learning all about numbers to 8. We have also explored simple units of measurement and when we might need these skills. 

Dragonfly Class

Year 1 has had a very busy and exciting module to come back to after the Christmas break. Bringing our favourite toys in on the first day helped us to learn how we play. We really enjoyed sharing the games we like to play and what we enjoy doing in our spare time. Miss Spittles then set Year 1 a mission to create a treasure map and program a Bee-Bot to find the treasure on their maps. The children did a fantastic job and wrote amazing instructions to tell others how to do it using verbs and time adverbials for the first time. The Bee-Bots were exhausted after avoiding the sea snake ponds, crocodile swamps, volcanic lava and more! Since then we were tasked with making our own puppets that other children would enjoy playing with. Thank you to the parents who joined us for our open classroom and helped us to create these. We had a lot of fun testing the puppets out by performing puppet shows to our friends. 

As part of our learning lots of Dragonflies found out what toys and games were popular when their parents and grandparents were younger. We were able to create timelines to see how toys have changed over time and the different materials that have been used. We further explored toys that were available during the Victorian times and were lucky enough to see and play with some of these toys in person. Dragonfly Class have done themselves very proud with all they have achieved this module. Enjoy your break and a well deserved rest!

Ladybird Class


Ladybird Class have been very busy with their learning this module. Our main focus for our inquiry learning has been using our historical skills to learn about The Great Fire of London in 1666. We have used our inquiry skills to find out about how the fire started and why it spread so quickly over London. We also used our understanding of chronology to sequence the events on a timeline. We explored a range of sources of information, including diary extracts from Samuel Pepys’ diary and objects that would have been used in 1666 to find out about what life was like in London then.  In D&T we looked at the style of Tudor houses and then used folding and scoring skills to make Tudor houses. 


In science we have been learning about the uses of materials and thinking about why materials are used for certain purposes. 


Our class text this module has been ‘The Crow’s Tale’ which is a ‘Just so’ story describing how a crow’s feathers changed from rainbow coloured to black. We really enjoyed the story and the beautiful illustrations. We have written our own ‘Just so’ stories about a range of animals, for example how an elephant got his trunk! The pupils have been very engaged in their learning and have worked very hard - we are looking forward to Module 4!

Spider Class


This module we stepped back in time to learn all about the stone age!   We really enjoyed learning about our prehistoric ancestors and how these early humans developed physically and mentally to eventually adapt into the humans we are today. As stone age people were unable to communicate through speech, they created incredible cave paintings which we imitated through using different grades of pencil and soft pastels. We explored different cave paintings which have been found and located some of these on the world map. These ancient pieces of artwork help to give an insight into life in the stone age. The stone age lasted for an incredible amount of time; over 2.5million years! Therefore it has been split into three different periods; Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic. It was during the Neolithic period (New Stone Age) that humans learnt to farm and create pottery. We re-created a stone age camp in which we all had our roles and responsibilities as well as designed, created and evaluated our own stone age pots.  We really enjoyed learning about the stone age!

Cricket Class


What a fast paced, exciting module we have had!  We kick started our learning by undertaking research about past civilisations.  We had some excellent discussions about sources of evidence and their reliability.  We wrote some high quality diary entries in the role of the warrior queen Boudicca  and have enjoyed roleplaying as Celts and Romans to help us understand how they may have felt. Finally, we have written some exciting screen plays on the digestive system, looking back to Module One and testing our knowledge on its different parts and their functions. We filmed these and put them into an iMovie trailer, becoming actors, actresses and directors all in one!


Without a shadow of a doubt, the ultimate highlight of this module has been attending the Young Voices 2024 concert at the O2 arena.  The children put on the most incredible performance and really did themselves proud.  Seeing the enormous smiles on their faces made the whole day worthwhile.  We would like to say a huge thank you to the children, parents, staff and volunteers for all of your dedication and support to ensure this event could go ahead.  Have a great February break and we look forward to seeing you all when you return for an exciting Module 4!

Ant Class


Ant Class have had another great module. Firstly, we followed some geographical inquiries, looking into the physical features of our local area, before expanding out to the rest of Kent.  We then went across the Atlantic to North America, focussing in particular on central American countries. The class have really developed their research skills this term, as they then found out all about the physical features in a central American country of their choice. We have written some extremely informative non-chronological reports to compare and contrast the physical features in Kent, with those of our chosen central American country.


Our class text, Rainplayer, has helped introduce our second inquiry, looking into the Ancient Mayan civilization and how they have used the natural features for defence throughout history. The class have enjoyed some Mayan art projects too, including sketching the Mayan gods before choosing one to create a sculpture out of clay.


We are now excited for Module 4, where we’ll start our inquiries into Space… we’re already having a brilliant warm-up to this with the fascinating Planetarium visit this week!

Butterfly Class


Module 3 has been a productive module learning about migration and different cultures around the world. The children began by reflecting on previous learning and focusing in greater depth on life in the Victorian slums. They produced well written diary entries from the perspective of a Victorian child. This progressed to the Industrial Revolution and looking at the reasons large amounts of people swarmed to London for work. The children have been studying historic periods linked to migration and why people migrated out of choice or otherwise. Our class text, ‘Four feet, two sandals’ has allowed the children to reflect on the hardships that others face and the importance of moral values. During our maths learning the children focused on percentages, decimals and ratios. The children have continued to work hard on their assessment skills and with hard work and dedication, they will continue to flourish. 

Sports Update


Swimming Mini Youth Games - 19/01/24

This module has been another successful one with regards to all things sporting!


The swimming Mini-Youth Games was a brilliant day, where the team were fantastic and kept their energy and motivation high, despite the large number of races they were taking part in! We had some amazing results and some very exciting races. Overall, out of the 34 schools, High Halstow came 14th, which is a great achievement. We are very proud of them!

Medway School Games Indoor Athletics Competition 25/01/24

Our next competition was the Y5/6 Medway School Games indoor athletics event. A large team of 19 athletes competed against 14 other schools during this very entertaining and energetic afternoon! The team did amazingly well, coming 5th out of all the schools.


Next module, we have a quiet competition schedule, with just the Year 3 & 4 indoor athletics competition to look forward to. 

Jazz and Baxter

When Jazz has been in the academy she has been busy improving her reading skills! She has been amazed at the number of pupils who have now achieved their '50 reads' reward! She has enjoyed working with groups of pupils to practise her tricks on the playground as well as enjoying time in the library listening to the pupils read and getting some well deserved treats! Jazz can't wait to read with some more pupils when they achieve their '50 reads' reward!

GOLD PASSES - Module 3


Congratulations to the pupils who were awarded a gold pass in Module 3  for showing exemplary behaviour.


Year 1:   Lucy, Annabelle, Jaxon, Mya

Year 2:  Olivia, Ellia, Rose, Aimee, George F

Year 3:   Finley, Demi, Noah M, Mia

Year 4:  Leo, Melissa, Charlotte, Martin

Year 5:  Thomas, Edward, Joshua, Chase

Year 6:  Jack B, Chloe, Harmony, Jack L, Sam, Beau

House Point Winners - Module 3



As winners of the House Point totals Lapwings are invited to come into school on Monday 19th February 2024 wearing their own clothes with the predominant colour being yellow.

CRAZY HAIR DAY - SHINING STARS CHILDREN'S CHARITY


Thank you to all the parents/carers who donated to the Shining Stars charity.  We have seen some fabulous hairstyles today from pupils and staff.

MEDWAY FOOD BANK


Thank you to all the parents/carers who donated items to the Medway Foodbank.  Your donations have been invaluable in enabling them to help those in need in Medway.

School Council


The School Council's chosen charities are shown below as well as the date that we will be raising money for them:-


EDUCATIONAL VISITS/VISITORS


Please make any donations promptly to ensure that these visits can go ahead so that all children can benefit from a varied educational experience.  If making a donation causes you a financial difficulty, please speak to the class teacher.

School Lunches

Please ensure you are checking your school lunch balances on the MCAS app.  Please settle any outstanding debts as soon as possible or speak to the office staff if any help is needed.

CONSIDERATE ROAD USE


We have had a number of complaints of dangerous driving and inconsiderate parking around school times.  Please allow yourself plenty of time to get to school, drive carefully through the village and consider parking a little further away and walking your child to school.  When parking please respect our neighbours, do not block driveways or park on footpaths, the zigzag lines or the crossing.

Reporting Absence - School Text Number


You can text the school directly on 0786 005 4448.  Please use this or the messaging function in MCAS if you need to report your child's absence from school.  For safeguarding reasons absences must be reported by 09:00am.  Please note that all TEXT messages will be read and acted upon but we are unable to send a response.


Learning starts at 08:45.  Please ensure that your child arrives at the gate by 08:35 to ensure a prompt start.


Dates for your diary


See Dates for your Diary 2023-2024 under Important Documents in MCAS - some dates may be subject to change so please check back regularly.

Term Dates 2023-2024

Finish: Friday 9th February 2024 , normal collection time.

February Break: Monday 12th February 2024 to Friday 16th February 2024

MODULE 4


Start: Monday 19th February 2024

Finish: Thursday 28th March 2024

Spring Break: Friday 29th March 2024 (Good Friday) to Friday 12th April 2024 


MODULE 5


Start: Monday 15th April 2024

Finish: Friday 24th May 2024

Early May Day Bank Holiday: Monday 6th May 2024

May Break: Monday 27th May 2024 (Late May Bank Holiday)  to Friday 31st May 2024

MODULE 6

Start: Monday 3rd June 2024

Finish: Friday 19th July 2024