Molehill Primary Academy Newsletter
Term 6 2023 -24
Principal's Welcome
Thank you so much to our entire community for your unwavering support across this academic year. We are very much looking forward to our next adventures at Molehill! Watch this space for more renovations taking place over the Summer break!
We are immensely proud of our pupils this term, who continue to approach every challenge with resilience, determination and the ambition to strive for the best! Most importantly, they are kind and caring individuals who help each other to be successful. We are also incredibly proud of our staff who continue to provide them with a wide range of wonderful opportunities, going above and beyond on a daily basis.
If you haven't already, we'd encourage you to go and see our very own Lana Sheepway on the heart of Kent Art Trail. This is a free event and may be something fun for you and your family to take part in over the Summer holidays.
Everyone at Molehill wishes you all a wonderful summer, filled with happiness and adventures.
Mrs Laura Smith
Principal
PYP Inquiry
Little Moles
As we finish the final term of the academic year in the Little Moles classroom, we reflect on the wonderful journey of learning and growth our children have experienced. One of the key themes we focused on was recycling. Through various activities and discussions, the children have learned the importance of recycling and how it benefits our environment. They engaged in hands-on activities such as sorting recyclable materials, creating crafts from recycled items, and understanding the recycling process. This has instilled in them a sense of responsibility and awareness about their impact on the planet.
In addition to our environmental education, we have been diligently preparing some of our children for the transition to ‘big’ school. Whether they will continue their education at Molehill or move to other schools, we hope they leave with the skills and confidence needed for this significant step.
A highlight of the term was the class assembly presented by the Little Moles to the whole school. The children showcased their learning about being resilient and moving forwards to the next step of their journey, demonstrating remarkable confidence and enthusiasm. Their ability to stand up in front of an audience and convey their message was truly impressive and a testament to their growth over the year.
Throughout the term, the children have made tremendous progress both socially and academically. They have built strong friendships, developed their communication skills, and shown a keen interest in learning new things. Their curiosity and enthusiasm have been a joy to witness.
As we conclude this term, I extend my best wishes to all the children for their future endeavours. It has been a pleasure to see them grow and thrive, and I am confident they will continue to do so in their next educational adventures. Congratulations to all our Little Moles for a fantastic year!
Kangaroo and Koala Class
This year, Kangaroo and Koala class embarked on a transdisciplinary exploration of the theme "Sharing Our Planet." Our journey began with the inspiring story of One Plastic Bag, which ignited curiosity about plastic pollution and its impact on our environment.
We delved deeper into the issue, investigating the consequences of plastic waste, particularly on our oceans. Through the captivating story 'Someone Swallowed Stanley', children developed a profound understanding of the dangers faced by marine life. To foster a sense of responsibility, we engaged in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for reducing plastic consumption and protecting our oceans. To enrich our learning, children conducted research on fascinating sea creatures, culminating in the creation of informative riddle booklets. This project not only deepened their knowledge but also developed their literacy and creative skills. As the year drew to a close, we reflected on our experiences and eagerly anticipated the challenges and opportunities of the upcoming year.
Key Stage One
This term, Key Stage One children have become inventors! They have been exploring the central idea 'Inventions create change and can lead to new possibilities'. They have learned that an invention is the creation of something totally new. They have learned about the importance of inventions and the ways in which significant inventors from the past have been risk takers during the process of creating their inventions. During the term children have learned about the inventors; George Stephenson who invented the first steam engine, Louis Braille who invented a combination of raised dots called braille to help blind people read, Alexander Graham Bell who invented the telephone and Ole Kirk Christiansen who invented Lego. Within their DT lessons the children have learned about the different parts of inventor George Stephenson's steam train, the Rocket and about the uses and features of different vehicles. They have learned about wheels and axels and became inventors to create their own vehicles. The children were also inventors as part of their Science STEM focused week, exploring the features and construction of the Guildhall Museum and working collaboratively in teams to create their own structures strong enough to hold 1kg weights. All Key Stage One staff are incredibly proud of the children's hard work this academic year. It has been a pleasure to watch the children grow in confidence and to become knowledgeable learners.
Lower Key Stage Two
This term LKS2 based their learning within the transdisciplinary theme ‘Sharing the Planet’. The Central Idea was ‘Balancing rights and responsibilities is crucial to the health of the planet’. Children began by researching and comparing sustainable and unsustainable resources and how they are distributed. They recognised the problems caused to the environment, loss of habitats and how species could become endangered if unsustainable resources were not respected and protected. This was reflected in the work they did on the book ‘The Great Kapok Tree’ which included writing a variety of texts. Year 4 Science complemented this work on the topic of Living Things and Their Habitats addressing the problems caused when habitats are changed. Children also studied the history of Mote Park and visited the park in the final week of term to see how this environment has changed over time and linked this to fieldwork in Geography and observational drawings in art. They have all worked incredibly hard this term and their work shows just have far they have come since September. Well done LKS2 on all your amazing achievements this year.
Upper Key Stage Two
This term, Year 5 and 6 have embarked upon some fantastic learning journeys. Year 5 have been investigating social justice and how important our impact on society is under the central idea: Governmental systems and decisions might promote or deny equal opportunities and social justice. Both Kestrel and Falcon class have explored different types of discrimination and how views have changed throughout history. As well as this, they have unpicked current legislation ensuring they understand the rights of people today and also suggesting how legislation could be improved to further eradicate discrimination. Pupils have been using their skills as historians to investigate crime and punishment throughout British history and looking at the changes in attitudes towards people, linking this back to their inquiry. Both classes have had a fantastic end to their school year, embarking on a journey through persuasive writing, higher level reading and also combining their knowledge of art and the digital world to create new and innovative designs, which campaigned for social justice. Coming towards the end of the academic year, it is imperative that we highlight the success of the year 5 mocks and the fantastic outcomes of all of the children, preparing them well for their next adventure into Year 6.
Warm Welcome
To staff who are joining us, we formally welcome you on behalf of all members of the Molehill community!
Miss Isaacs
Hello everyone!
My name is Miss Isaacs and I am thrilled to join Molehill as the new Reception teacher for Kangaroo class. I have a passion for early childhood education and a background in swimming teaching, volunteering and as a Learning Support Assistant for Little Moles in the previous academic year. I am dedicated to creating a nurturing and engaging learning environment for our youngest learners. I look forward to getting to know all of you and working together to support our wonderful students.
Mr Tennant
I am very excited to be joining Molehill in September. I have had quite a varied career up to now. I began teaching in Prague, where I taught English and then helped set up the first two international schools in the city. Subsequently, I came back to the UK and taught Years 1 and 2 in London. After this initial stint in teaching, I took another path and worked for a growing media company in central London, becoming Operations Director. After going on to start a couple of companies of my own, I decided to go back into teaching, which I did in 2023. I’ve worked in both secondary and primary schools but have a real passion for Key Stage 2.
I have two children, both now at secondary school and love being out in my garden or watching them playing for one of their football teams. Our house is quite football mad. I also love cooking and drama. I’ve acted and directed on the stage over many years and was even involved in a film set in Kent and Sussex last year. I have very much enjoyed my visits to Molehill so far and have been so impressed with how well-behaved and interested in learning all the children are. I can’t wait to get started with you in the new academic year.
Fond Farewells
To the staff who are leaving this summer, we would like to express our sincere thanks for your hard work and dedication throughout your time with us. We wish you every success as you embark on the next chapters of your life and I know you will take with you fond memories from working at Molehill.
Miss Fenn
After a successful year at Molehill, Miss Fenn is leaving us to broaden her experience in a new post. She has been a valued colleague and friend and a very popular teacher with pupils. She has created a supportive classroom atmosphere and worked tirelessly to improve outcomes for the children. She will be missed by us all but we wish her the best of luck as she continues on her career path.
Miss Hill
We bid a fond farewell to Miss Hill, an invaluable member of our team whose dedication and hard work have transformed our nursery into the thriving, welcoming place it is today. Her passion for teaching and nurturing young minds is evident in the warm and inviting environment she has created, where children experience their first steps into education. Miss Hill's commitment to her pupils is reflected in their outstanding outcomes. We will miss her greatly but wish her every success in her new school.
Miss Kennard
Miss Kennard has been an invaluable part of our school community. Although we congratulate her on her upcoming adventure at a new school, we are extremely sad to lose someone who has been an integral part of the successes of our Key Stage 1 and EYFS pupils at Molehill. Miss Kennard, your dedication and kindness have made such a big difference to the children's lives. We'll always treasure the wonderful memories and the joy you've brought into our classes, as well as the care, attention and many many ice packs you have provided us with! We wish you well for the future; your new school will be very lucky to have you!
Miss King
Whilst Miss King has only been with us for short while, we are so grateful for her hard work, positive attitude and proactive approach to every situation. We wish her every happiness for the future.
EYFS Garden Upgrade
Our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) garden has undergone an exciting transformation! We are delighted to offer our young learners an enhanced outdoor environment that prioritizes learning through play. Our belief in the significance of outdoor education has driven us to create a captivating space where children can explore, discover, and develop their imaginations. Filled with engaging features and educational opportunities, our revamped garden is a place where every child can feel inspired and excited to learn. We are thrilled to see how our current EYFS children are enjoying the space and eagerly anticipate the creative ways our new Reception class will utilize it.
VID-20240630-WA0024~3.mp4Just Three Notes
This term, Years 3 and 4 have been learning about ‘minimalism’ in music. Inspired by the music they have listened to by Steve Reich and György Ligeti, they have been working on their own compositions. Using their chromebooks to compose simple melodies from a few rhythms and just three notes, the children worked on their notation reading skills. In groups, the children then layered up their simple repeating melodies to create more complex compositions. Performing these took a lot of concentration to ensure the children stuck to their own part and kept the beat going as a group. They have worked really well on this and amazed Mrs Tulloch with their musicality.
STEM week at Molehill - Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths 8th July 2024
This term children took part in STEM week activities using recycled materials. The focus was on engineering and architecture with each key stage using a famous landmark in Kent as a starting point. KS1 children researched the Guildhall Museum in Rochester while KS2 focussed on Rochester Castle. Children studied the structure, design and materials used in each building. In both key stages, children investigated the strength of differently shaped structures; KS1 looked at different pillars while KS2 looked at the shape of castle towers. The children enjoyed making versions of these buildings using the variety of shapes they had identified as the independent variable. The final part was the test when weights were placed on the buildings to test their strength. Children experienced Science in a real-life context and were amazed by some of the results!
Sports Days
Our Sports Days were a fantastic success! We are so pleased that so many of our parents were able to join us to celebrate their children's sporting achievements. We were delighted with the number of adults who also wanted to compete themselves; it was great to see their enjoyment of sport and physical activity shared with our whole school. What fantastic role models they are!
Little Moles Graduation
The Little Mole Nursery Leavers' Graduation was a delightful and memorable event, filled with joy and laughter. The fun-filled afternoon featured a variety of activities that kept everyone entertained. The children enjoyed having their faces painted with vibrant designs, playing the classic hook-a-duck game, and decorating delicious biscuits.
The highlight of the afternoon was the graduation ceremony, where each child proudly received their certificate scrolls, marking their achievements and growth during their time at the nursery. The atmosphere was festive with lively music adding to the excitement.
Overall, it was a wonderful celebration of our little graduates, creating beautiful memories for both the children and their families. We wish all our children who are moving onto 'big' school all the best.
Year 5 LAT Mathematics Tournament
This term, Year 5 took part in a fantastic opportunity to show off their mathematical ability by competing in a trust wide, maths competition. All 15 of the Leigh Academy Trust primary schools took part and over 650 pupils competed in teams to be crowned this year's champion mathematicians. All of our students showed off their talents and the competition was extremely close, with 4 pupils in Kestrel class earning a spot in the finals. All of the children had a fantastic time using their teamwork and communication skills and enjoyed continuing to crack the problem solving section after the event had finished! Well done year 5!
Safety Day
At annual Safety Day this year we warmly welcomed a team of Community First Responders to our academy. They delivered a First Aid Workshop to all of our pupils. The curriculum across the whole day centred around keeping safe and teachers were able to use a range of resources from our National Online Safety programme to reinforce the ways in which pupils can stay safe online.
Composing for Protest
Years 5 and 6 have been thinking about advocacy and writing songs to fight for a cause they felt passionate about. Inspired by suffragette Ethel Smyth’s anthem ‘March of the women’, the children composed chants with a strong marching beat, to which they then added a melody. Each class then combined their individual chants in different ways to create a class composition. Eagles wrote a powerful message of defiance to Rishi Sunak (then prime minister) about maintaining sufficient school holidays. Kestrels wrote a determined anti-racism song about equality for all people. And Falcons wrote a wonderful anti-bullying song, advocating kindness and care for all.
Ukulele Festival
On 27th June, Year 5 took part in a Ukulele Festival at Oaks Primary Academy. The children joined with other budding ukulele players to rehearse and perform a final concert of some of their favourite songs from the past year of ukulele lessons, including ‘Three Little Birds’ and ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’. The children played brilliantly and represented Molehill so well, making all their teachers very proud. Well done Year 5!
National Childhood Day
In June we collaborated with the NSPCC to firstly recognise National Childhood Day. On this day all staff and students took the opportunity to have fun together, building relationships and trust. The weather was kind to us so classes enjoyed playing together outside.
Later in the month we held virtual assemblies with the NSPCC which aimed to empower children to 'speak out and stay safe' giving children the skills to speak out against abuse and neglect. These assemblies were then followed for Years 2, 5 & 6 with workshops that reinforced this message. We hope that by educating our children to speak out and stay safe that no one in our community suffers in silence.
The NSPCC's website has a Parent Hub with lots of really useful advice about Early Parenting Skills, Managing Family Life and a section on Friends and Relationships. Please visit it here: NSPCC Parent Hub
Choir Festival
On Monday 15th July, the choir had their final performance of the year as part of the Maidstone Cluster Choir Festival. The choirs from Langley Park, Oaks, Tree Tops and Molehill all joined for a special end of year musical celebration at St Martin’s Church. Each choir sang a song of their own choosing and joined to form the Cluster Choir to sing a selection of songs together. Our choir’s performance was absolutely outstanding and the sound the Cluster Choir made together was breathtaking. Mrs Tulloch couldn’t have been prouder of them all.
Let's Build a Bridge
Our Year 5 and 6 children participated in an engineering project with the Rochester Bridge Trust and FM Conway in Module 6. Utilising their knowledge of maths and science, the children built a bridge large enough for them to walk across, supported by engineers.
With each participant holding a different role within the project - ranging from project manager to highways operatives and health and safety officers - the children demonstrated their logical thinking skills, problem solving skills, teamwork and communication skills. Although the children enjoyed constructing a bridge, one of their favourite aspects was wearing full PPE, wearing hard hats, safety goggles, high-visibility jackets and gloves, as if they were on a real construction site. The children who were health and safety leaders ensured all pupils - and adults - were working safely and responsibly.
It was a fantastic day, enjoyed by all of the children, learning about engineering principles in a practical way. This fantastic opportunity also enabled children to experience and apply principles of Design and Technology in a real-life scenario, working as a team to consider the design and design features, their placement within the structure and how this would contribute towards a successful and safe product.
Attendance
We are very pleased that our whole school attendance this year continues to improve over last year with more children being in school every day.
The children who attend school everyday in a week have been receiving 5 positive behaviour points. This has increased the overall house points for their house considerably and the winning house has celebrated together. A raffle was held for all the children who received attendance points and names were randomly selected during our Celebration Assembly. Children with a higher number of points received multiple entries to the raffle giving them a greater chance of winning.
Our aim for next year is to improve our whole school attendance to above the school target of 96%. For this we will need your support by sending your child to school every day possible and on time. Over 32% of absences this term alone was due to children going on holiday. If we can decrease this next year our attendance would improve significantly.
The majority of our children have excellent attendance and we thank you for your continued support.
Year 6 Primary Years Programme Exhibition
Year 6 have had a very busy final term at Molehill. In between all the final term activities and secondary transition, they have also been putting together an Exhibition. The exhibition is the showcase at the end of the PYP. It is a chance for pupils to work with more independence and combine all the skills they have learnt throughout their PYP journey in one final Inquiry. This took place on the morning of the final day of term.
The Central Idea behind this year’s exhibition is: 'Financial decisions can affect communities and make a difference in the world'. From this, children created their own lines of inquiry in small groups, linked to a UN Sustainable Development Goal to enable them to research a theme they were most interested in. The children began their exhibition by researching and understanding their theme and the impact this is having on our planet before considering how financial decisions made by governments and the individual can make a difference to people's prospects.
After showcasing their exhibitions to pupils from other Academies within our Trust cluster, our children shared their work with their parents and carers on the final day of term. It was a fantastic experience for our pupils to take ownership of their learning, guiding it in directions of their interest and presenting their findings by sharing their knowledge and encouraging others to make changes for the better of the world and communities around us.
F.U.D.G.E Day
The EYFS and KS1 team welcomed all our father figures, uncles, dads, grandads and everyone to our father's day celebration. The children got to spend the afternoon with their Dads celebrating them and thanking them for all that they do.
Play
Our Year 6 end of year performance of "I'm an eleven-year-old, get me out of here!" was a great success. The children embraced their roles and really embodied the characters they were playing. The children had great fun adapting the script to tailor it to their experiences at Molehill and the performance to parents and carers on the penultimate afternoon of term culminated a great year for our Year 6 pupils.
Colour Run
Our Colour Run was a vibrant celebration of our children's hard work and achievements this year! Children and Parents of all ages had a fantastic time running, laughing, and getting covered in a rainbow of colours. It was a truly unforgettable experience filled with joy and excitement. Thanks to the incredible efforts of the Friends of Molehill PTA, the event was a huge success, raising valuable funds that will directly benefit our children. The cake sale was also a sweet treat, with the community generously supporting our cause. We're already looking forward to next year's Colour Run!
EYFS trip to Joss Bay
Little Moles, Kangaroo and Koala classes all enjoyed their trip to Joss Bay. The children have been gaining a deeper knowledge and understanding of the environmental impact of humans on the environment and we used the opportunity of visiting one of Kent's best beaches to help learn and share together all the knowledge and skills that we have learnt these past two modules. The children enjoyed building sandcastles and dipping their toes in the water. We ate our delicious packed lunches whilst trying not to let the seagulls steal our sandwiches and finally we enjoyed an ice cream before heading home. A perfect Summer trip to round off a successful school year.
Summer Reading Challenge
Take part in the Summer Reading Challenge!
You can find out more here:
https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/
Road Safety
Kent County Council’s Road Safety Team have been delivering this year a programme called the Kent Road Safety Club. The Road Safety club's purpose is to make our younger road users safer and to instill from an early age key road safety awareness, knowledge and behaviours. We have been lucky enough to have this programme delivered to all our children focusing on key objectives that were appropriate to each year group from reception class through to Year 6, and are based around the Kent Road Safety Club's code to...
• STOP at the kerb and wait
• LOOK and LISTEN for traffic
• THINK about what to do
• CROSS the road safely with an adult, looking and listening all the time.
Please take time to read the information booklet on the programme so you can reinforce the strategies your children have learnt:
An Important Message from the EYFS Team!
We are always busy creating and planning exciting projects. Please help us out by not throwing away any of these items, we would love any you may have.
Little Moles Nursery
You can apply now for a space in our Little Moles Nursery
Parents are able to claim 15 free hours a week across 38 weeks in the year, with eligible working parents able to apply for up to 30 hours. You can find out how easy this process is here.
More information, including an application pack, can be found on our website.
Attendance
Attendance at school is vitally important.
If your child needs to be absent from school FOR ANY REASON please contact the school as soon as possible on the 1st day of absence, clearly stating the reason for absence. If you are unable to do this, please reply to the text or email sent to you. As a final resort please send a note to school with your child on their return to school.
Tel: 01622 751729
Email: contactus@molehillprimaryacademy.org.uk
Text: 07860054135
Uniform
Thank you to all parents who make sure children attend the Academy wearing full school uniform.
Please be reminded of our Uniform Expectations below as set out on our website: https://molehillprimaryacademy.org.uk/parents/academy-uniform/
We have a Facebook Page!
Like our page and follow us here: