Oaks Primary Academy Newsletter

Dear parents and carers,

I hope you have enjoyed the mid-term break, especially as we have been blessed with mostly good weather during this time. For the staff and pupils, this was a particularly well earned break. After a year and a half of the world being turned upside down, we returned in September to embrace the new normality. As is always the case at Oaks Primary Academy, normality was rooted in excellent behaviours by the pupils, excellent learning and teaching and great collaboration between us all which enables all these great things to happen. It has been wonderful to be able to see and meet with you all in person again and the impact for everyone is clear to see. All of this has been verified in the recent PYP and Ofsted inspections and I can now confirm that it is official:

Oaks Primary Academy is an Ofsted oustanding IB World School.

We look forward to seeing you all next week.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Tipple

Ducklings Update

Ducklings class had a really busy first term exploring the nursery environment and making new friends. We were very excited to be invited to our first whole school assembly during the last week of term; we performed a song all about Autumn and displayed some Autumnal pictures we had made using natural resources.

The children have brought home their learning journals for the first time to share with you.

Please return the journals on the first day back to nursery.

Reception

Robins loved learning all about Spain and saying a few Spanish phrases. The children made Flamenco dancers using liquid paint, Spanish flags and paper fans. In our final week of Term 1, we focused on the signs of autumn and went on a walk around the school to spot the different features of autumn. We found chestnuts, different coloured leaves and pine cones. We collected the natural items and took them back to the classroom to make some art. The children were amazed by leaf rubbing!

Year 1

Sparrows have had a very busy but fun-filled end to the term. In Maths, we have been ordering numbers from least to greatest using objects. In Phonics, we have been recapping lots of different sounds and applying them to our reading. As part of our inquiry, Sparrows wrote some brilliant book reviews on the story of 'My Wobbly Tooth Must Not Ever NEVER Fall Out' by Lauren Child. Sparrow class have also been amazing artists by creating some fantastic pieces of autumn art. They used a range of materials to create their masterpieces including tissue paper, paint and colouring pencils.

Year 2

During the last week of term, Blackbirds have been putting the finishing touches to their inquiry. They have written their own narrative to show how services have an impact on the town we live in. I have been absolutely blown away with the incredible projects brought into school this week. It has really shown how well the children have had an understanding of their inquiry this term. I have loved watching the children present their projects to their peers in an extremely mature manner. We are so proud of everything they have achieved. We cannot wait for another inquisitive term after a well earned break! Well done Blackbirds!

Year 3

Year 3 have had a very busy few weeks. They have made Stone Age jewellery from clay, conducted a three day experiment about how exercise affects their learning and written the ending to their class book, Stone Age Boy. Woodpeckers have also excelled themselves in Spanish, producing paintings in the style of Salvador Dali. On top of all of this, Woodpeckers have shared their fantastic homework projects which included homemade games, yoga and huge posters about the importance of healthy meals. Well done for a fantastic term, Woodpeckers!

Year 4

It has been a fun few weeks in Blue Jays! Firstly, we had Spanish week and tried some Spanish delicacies such as olives and chorizo; there were certainly some funny looking faces in the classroom. We were proud of ourselves as we were risk takers in trying new food. In our inquiry, we looked at the volcanic eruption in La Palma and discussed how citizens will be migrating to another place but may also return once their homes are re-built, we then questioned whether they would be considered as refugees as well as evacuees. In addition to this, we decided to create fundraising events to raise money for La Palma and presented our ideas to the class.

We have been having fun in our music lessons by learning the A and B note on the recorder, we have been practising really hard and can't wait to learn more notes and songs. In our P.E, we have been developing our ball skills to then apply them to Netball and we have also learnt the rules and position to play the game.

Year 5

Kingfisher class have been incredibly busy over the past couple of weeks. Our Central Idea, Human economic activity can shape and impact communities and the environment, has come to an end and to celebrate this, we did a homework project exhibition where the pupils shared their hard work with the rest of the class. We celebrated National Spanish Day last week where we learnt about the artist, Picasso and tried some typical Spanish food.

Year 6

In the last week of term, we made sculptures of acorns using clay which we will hide around the school grounds for pupils to discover. To decide on what we would make, we made a list of autumn objects and we had a vote to choose our favourite. Once our clay acorns are dried after half term, we will paint them with different designs and colours before hiding them. (We have been inspired by the multiple Elmers that were hiding around Maidstone!)

On the last Wednesday of Term 1, we had an Autumn Celebration and for this, we wrote autumnal poems which some of us read at assembly. We enjoyed watching the rest of the school's performances too. Recently, we have been extending our learning to our full potential and have learned how to do long division. It looks daunting but once you get used to it, you can fly through it if you follow the steps. During this whole term, we have been enjoying our class novel No Ballet Shoes in Syria which focuses on the story of refugees. The story has really drawn us in.

Key Dates for Term 2

Please see below key dates for Term 2:

25th October - 5th November: Half Term

8th November: Beginning of Term 2

8th November: Breakfast Club starts

8th November: Olive Dining - Themed Menu - Fireworks Night

8th - 11th November: Remembrance day Poppy sale

10th November: Friends of Oaks EGM (2.30 pm)

11th November: Swimming for Years 3 and 6 resumes

11th November: Reception 2022: Open Evening (4.30pm-5.30pm)

15th November: Nasal Flu Immunisations (Years R - 6)

19th November: Children in Need - more details to follow shortly

24th November: Parent Consultations - more details will follow shortly

30th November: Reception 2022: Open Afternoon(2pm-3pm)

9th December: Valley Park Panto for the whole school

10th December: Christmas Jumper Day

15th December: Christmas Lunch for staff and children

17th December: Last Day of Term. Whole Academy finishing at 1.30 pm.

Christmas Performances - more details and dates will follow shortly

PE