Principal's Welcome

Dear Parents/Carers

The final newsletter of the year provides the staff with one last chance to celebrate the efforts of their class and to share with you some of the learning that has been taking place. Please take the time to enjoy reading about everything that has been going on.

There have been several whole school events this term. 

Active Week provided the children with chances to try new activities, demonstrate their skills and work as a team to do their best. It was wonderful to see the determination on the faces of some pupils (and parents!) during the races. Well done to the Redshanks for coming out as overall winners on the day for the second consecutive year. It was lovely to receive so many positive comments and emails about the efforts that go into running a whole day event. If you have any feedback to help us for next year please let us know via the office email address.

There have been lots of other sporting events this term, including the Medway Mini Youth Games Athletics event. This provided the team with an opportunity to compete against over forty other schools. Eight pupils represented the academy for the day and every child had their own successes.. We were very proud to finish in 3rd position at the end of the day with many of our pupils finishing in first position in their races and events. Once again, the pupils conducted themselves superbly throughout the day. Well done team High Halstow!  We also competed in the LAT athletics and cricket event against 14 other schools. We came second place in both events! 

Our Year 6 pupils completed their SATS assessments this year. They should feel very proud of their individual achievements. The progress that so many of them have made since the start of the year is phenomenal. The hard work and resilience they have shown will stand them in good stead as they move onto secondary education. They have also shown their talent as actors and actresses this term when performing Pirates of the Curry Bean to the whole school and their parents and carers. It was a wonderful show! I am sure you will join me in wishing them every success for the future.

It is also the time to say goodbye to two members of staff. As you know, Mrs Wilson has gained a promotion , nearer to home. We wish her every success for her future and know she will be greatly missed by everyone at the academy. She has made a huge difference to the pupils across the academy and will be greatly missed. Her new class is very lucky to have her! Additionally Mrs Ross is returning to her passion of teaching music. We may well see her back in the academy at some point in her new role. We all wish her success in her next chapter and thank her for her time at the academy.

We look forward to welcoming the pupils back to school on Friday 1st September. Please remember that pupils need to be in school by 8:45am each day. It is important that pupils are punctual so they can get a good start to the school day. The gates will be open by 8:35am.

I would like to wish you all a wonderful summer and will look forward to hearing all about the adventures that the pupils have had. 

Thank you for your continuing support as parents and carers-we couldn’t do it without you. 

Mrs G Stangroom

Spider Class

Module three has taken us back in time to the Stone Age!  Despite what we read in Michael Rosen’s poem, ‘I Was Born in the Stone Age’, early humans didn’t go to school and write on their rock using a rock then go home and ask their mums what is on the rock tonight. Instead we learnt how humans have evolved from ape-like animals to us, homo sapiens (aka wise man)! We created clay pots in a style similar to what they would have made during the Stone Age and we created our own Stone Age camp to help us gain inspiration to write setting descriptions. As early humans were nomadic, we used our geography skills to look at atlases and suggest countries which would be sensible to travel to in order to find food, shelter and water. We discussed how life would have been difficult for a person during the Stone Age and then looked at how the Iron Ages and the invention of farming would have made human lives easier.  The class has been extremely inquisitive during this module and it has been wonderful to have so many excellent discussions. 

It hs been a wonderful year with Spider Class and I wish all of the pupils an amazing summer. I look forward to seeing you all as you become Crickets in the new academic year!

Ant Class

Can you believe that Ant Class have come to the end of Year 5 already?! This year really has flown by. I’m so proud of every member of the class for the progress they have made and the memories created along the way.

This term we delved straight into inquiries around importation and exportation around the world, before focussing on South America. The pupil's South American geography has become very impressive! They not only learnt to locate the countries and capital cities, but we also looked into the climate there and the different vegetation belts and biomes.

The pupils have written brilliant setting descriptions this term, based around the Amazon rainforest. They have also, for the first time ever, written slam poetry about Fair Trade and performed their poetry by recording videos using Adobe Express. We will be hosting our own slam poetry show before the end of term!

Enterprise was a huge success for Year 5 - their funky shades sold out first! They got extremely creative when making these and very sensibly handled the hot glue gun.

What an amazing year we have all had Ant Class… well done for all your hard work, you are all superstars! Have a great summer holiday!

Butterfly Class

As we approach the end of the academic year, we reflect on the incredible journey Year 6 has had during our final module. It has been an eventful term filled with valuable experiences and remarkable achievements.

During Enterprise Week, the pupils came together and showcased their creativity and teamwork by creating adverts for the fruit punch they sold. Their entrepreneurial spirit was truly inspiring, and it was wonderful to see them applying their business skills in such a practical and engaging way.

In the realm of computing, our pupils have taken their skills to the next level by exploring the world of artificial intelligence. They have harnessed this cutting-edge technology to create stunning artwork depicting their future selves. Furthermore, Butterfly Class had the opportunity to participate in money workshops, where they gained valuable insights into financial literacy and the importance of responsible money management. Through workshops organised by the Restore, Reform, Respect charity, they have learned about shaping their future lives and the significance of making informed decisions.

In PSHE the pupils engaged in thoughtful discussions and thorough preparations for the challenges that lie ahead in secondary transition. By addressing their concerns and providing guidance, we have supported our pupils in building resilience and equipped them with the necessary tools to navigate this crucial phase of their educational journey.

Of course, our year wouldn't be complete without an outstanding production. This year, the children of Butterfly Class took on the challenge of  'Pirates of the Curry Bean' and demonstrated exceptional acting and communication skills. In summary, the pupils of Year 6 have exhibited enviable skills and an unwavering commitment to their education.

The pupils also enjoyed a three day residential at Carroty Wood where they enjoyed a range of activities and showed new talents and skills. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and how they have embraced the opportunities presented to them. They truly have made this year a memorable one and have set a high standard for future Year 6 cohorts. We wish them the best of luck in the future!

Active Week - Sports Day

Active Week commenced on 26th June this year. It was a busy, fun-filled week of running race heats, fun relays, football tournaments and of course…the main event… Sports Day!   The day went really well and it was so lovely to see every single pupil enjoying themselves.   Thank you to parents and carers who came to support us on this day, and for the lovely words of appreciation we’ve received since. We hope it was a memorable day (and week!) for all!

Sports Update

It’s been an extremely sporty couple of months!

Back in May, we had a girls’ football competition. They played absolutely brilliantly and finished top of their group. By the end of the morning, the girls finished in 4th place out of 16 schools (they lost out on 3rd place by one goal!) but were extremely proud of their achievements and had a lot of fun in the process!

Next up in May was the Year 5/6 cricket Mini Youth Games at High Halstow Cricket Club. Again, the team played fantastically well and had a really great day. The atmosphere was lovely, with really high levels of sportsmanship being displayed. Out of 38 schools, we finished in 8th position! We were so happy to be in the top 10, very well deserved!

No time to rest - straight after half term was the eagerly awaited football Mini Youth Games over at Anchorians. The team were outstanding, with referees commenting regularly to me that they were the best at working together as a team; a real compliment to the children considering they aren’t usually a team! We won 4 matches, lost 3 and drew 1, finishing in 14th position out of 38 schools. Definitely a day to be proud of! 

The athletics Mini Youth Games was earlier this month; another brilliant day. The team performed exceptionally well and it was a really exciting, enjoyable day. We were absolutely thrilled to finish in 3rd place out of 33 schools! The trophy is now standing proudly in our library! 

Just last week, we had the Leigh Academies Trust Athletics, held at Dartford Harriers Athletics Club. Despite the very high temperatures that day, it did not stop our 20 athletes from performing exceptionally well and giving 100% in every event. We were absolutely delighted to finish in 2nd place! The team celebrated with silver medals and a very large (and rather heavy!) trophy!

And finally… the Leigh Academy Trust Cricket event was earlier this week. We won all our matches, meaning we were through to the semi finals… we then won that match, meaning we were in the final! The final was a really close, exciting match, but unfortunately we lost by just a few runs. However, to come 2nd out of 15 schools, and take home another silver medal is an absolutely amazing achievement, and a brilliant end to a year of fantastic sporting achievements! 

School Council Charities

Thank you for supporting the various School Council charities this year.  Our last event, Team Seas Day - Sharing The Planet, raised £144.   

Julia and Remi

Chair and Secretary

Climate Change - Idling Competition

Please see article which was recently published in "Village Voices"

Uniform

Please ensure that pupils have the correct uniform, including a school rucksack or book bag when they return to school in September.  Pupils will be given a new school water bottle at the start of the term which will be used in the classrooms.

Save the Date

Meet the Teacher - Wednesday 6 September at 3.30pm.  Further details will be sent when we return to school in September.

Term Dates 2023-2024