8 March 2024
WORLD BOOK DAY AT NGHS JUNIORS
Wow! What a wonderful show of costumes from pupils and staff alike! As usual, we have seen a fabulous team effort across the Junior School with our whole school community entering into the spirit of World Book Day and rising to the challenge of devising outfits inspired by favourite children's picture books. Click on the gallery below to see the characters for yourself, and scroll down to see a list of winning entries chosen by Mrs Fowler and Mr Elkington for CREATIVITY and POSITIVITY!
Nursery to Year 1
Winner: Emily O'Donoghue (The Girl who Saved the Oceans)
Runner up: Tilly Smith (a pirate)
Runner up: Imogen Smith (Room on the Broom)
*
Years 2 to 4
Winner: Milly Bates (Funny Bones)
Runner up: Etta Bennett (Paper Dolls)
Runner up: Daphne Coldrick (Room on the Broom)
*
Years 5 to 6
Winner: Aaminah Sheikh (The Day the Crayons Quit)
Runner up: Sofia Mansuri (Saucepan Man)
Runner up: Annie Bennett (Medusa)
Reception and Year 1 visit Nottingham's new Central Library
Mrs Garton and Mrs Brown
As part of our creative approach to NGHS Juniors World Book Week, some of our youngest pupils visited Nottingham's brand new Central Library on Tuesday.
Reception and Year 1 enjoyed exploring the children’s section and finding a selection of big books, non- fiction and fiction titles, dual language editions, and picture books. There were also opportunities to try out different places for reading and even creatures to read to.
Story time and adventures in the library's immersive room were the icing on the cake; Reception learnt even more about dinosaurs, Year 1 went 'under the sea' with whales, and both classes loved the interactive curriculum-related games!
Above: Miss Taylor is one of our three NGHS librarians
A librarian's view...
We asked one of our own in-house experts for her opinion on the new Central Library:
"I had the pleasure of accompanying Year 1 on their visit, having very much looked forward to seeing what our city’s new library has to offer - and it didn’t disappoint! The large children’s section offers a great selection, including lots of wonderful new picture books in a variety of languages. There are also colouring and activity sheets (the library offers regular craft and play sessions), soft toys, and tree trunks stretching up around the main seating area. The staff were warm and welcoming, and in the midst of such an exciting week in our own school library, it was lovely to be able to relax whilst the girls shared a story.
For our students, the highlight of the trip was probably the immersive room, which came to life around us as a rainforest and then an ocean. Overall, I was incredibly impressed; I’ll definitely be going back."
Author and illustrator visits
Mrs Crabtree
On Monday, girls from Nursery to Year 6 took part in workshops with the children's book illustrator and author James Brown, and the author Frances Stickley.
Our visitors taught us about the process of making and publishing a picture book, and shared their latest books with us which we thoroughly enjoyed. There were then opportunities to create a book character with James Brown in a fabulous ‘draw along’. Girls of all ages thoroughly enjoyed their workshops and were suitably inspired!
Year 2 - learning outside of the classroom
Mrs Crabtree
Last Thursday's study visit to the Framework Knitters Museum was an opportunity for Year 2 to see the inventiveness and creativity of a craft that started in Nottinghamshire. A unique surviving example of a 19th century framework knitters’ yard, the Ruddington site has been restored as a living history museum - a perfect place for our girls to apply their learning about everyday materials from science lessons, and to deepen their understanding of life in the past.
Activities included watching a live demonstration of human-powered knitting machines, using vintage Griswold circular knitting device to create our souvenirs of the visit, exploring the factory floor, and touring two cottages to see how knitters and their families lived and worked in Victorian times.
Click on the gallery (right) to see pictures of Year 2 learning outside of the classroom.
EXPLORING SPACE 🪐
Mrs Crawshaw
Over the past few days, Year 5's Earth and Space science topic and World Book Day have come together with a super burst of CREATIVITY.
First, we identified and studied the phases of the Moon by building models to help explain its changing appearance over a lunar cycle. Then we all collaborated to create solar system-themed reading books for our reading buddies in Nursery and Reception. Well done for using your imagination and applying your learning in a very practical and generous sense, girls!
Checkmate! ♚
Mr Cox
Well done to our intrepid A team from Junior Chess Club who attended an away match in the Nottingham Schools League on Tuesday. This was a fabulous learning experience for Sofia, Alana, Beatrice and Nisa, who can be very proud of coming away with four great wins!
The final part of our three-week focus on extra-curricular clubs
(Please scroll down for more of this week's news items)
Y3-Y4 ART CLUB 🎨
Mrs Garton
Our Art Club for girls in Years 3 to 4 meets on Monday lunchtimes in the Junior School's art studio. This is a fun and informal group where girls work on collaborative and individual projects, experimenting with a range of equipment, materials and media.
The club accepts new and rejoining members at the beginning of each full term. For more information, email Mrs Garton o.garton@not.gdst.net.
MATHS IN MOTION 🏎️
Mrs Eggington and Miss Baker
By invitation only - based on mathematical assessment data, ability and recommendations from class teachers - girls join Maths in Motion from Year 4. Due to the complexity of this ongoing project, they are then expected to commit to the club for three years, with sessions lasting one hour and currently taking place before school on Wednesdays. Places are limited, although very occasionally new girls can join part-way through an academic the year.
Maths in Motion uses software designed to raise attainment and engagement in mathematics. Simulating the set up of a Formula 1 racing car, pupils encounter a variety of mathematical problem-solving activities to prepare their vehicle for a race. 'Race days' are very exciting as teams compete around circuits with virtual engines overheating, cars spinning off the track, and even running out of fuel due to miscalculations! Teamwork is vital, with girls of different ages collaborating to win.
String Orchestra 🎻
Mrs Seedhouse and Mr Skinner
This ensemble seeks to develop the skills and love of performing orchestral music in one of our most popular disciplines, and comprises pupils from Years 3 to 6 who study violin, viola and ‘cello - instruments in which we have an incredible following at the moment.
Girls who commit to String Orchestra perform at least twice a year, and are sometimes also booked for events outside of school. New members can join midway through the year, and are integrated into performances as soon as their confidence and proficency allow - sometimes this can be as soon as after just one term of tuition.
Quiz and Games Club 🤔
Mr Elkington
Members of Quiz and Games Club from Years 4 to 6 meet on Fridays before school. If your daughter likes solving puzzles, showing off her general knowledge and playing word games, then this is the club for her! Girls work individually and in teams on a range of challenges that are fun and engaging - our overall aim being to develop cognitive ability and their confidence in verbal and non-verbal skills, problem solving and reasoning. Additionally, it’s a great opportunity to widen friendship groups and to compete in a competitive and fun environment.
Quiz and Games Club has a bunch of very enthusiastic regulars who thoroughly enjoy their weekly get togethers, and who'd love to welcome new recruits! Please contact Mrs Sail or Miss Morley if your daughter would like to join, and she can start after the Easter holiday.
NETBALL NEWS
Miss Abbott
Our plucky Year 6 netball team recently travelled to Condover Hall in Shropshire for the GDST residential netball weekend, and had a fantastic time playing lots of matches, as well as enjoying outdoor and adventurous activities such as the high wire, abseiling and zipwire!
NGHS Juniors qualified for the Plate finals, just missing a place in the Cup competition by one place in their league after three wins, one draw and six losses. In the Plate competition, the girls excelled themselves, demonstrating RESILIENCE to win three games and draw one. This saw us tie on points for a place in the final, however we lost out on goals scored. So unlucky! 😔
At home this week, a mixed Year 6 team played host to Oakham School, and what a match it turned out to be! 0-2 down in the first quarter, we simply couldn’t score until the final quarter where we scored three goals to win the match! The third goal was scored just seconds before the whistle for full time. Well done to everyone who played, showing such POSITIVITY to keep going and eventually secure victory. 😀
This is an advertisment. It is not an endorsement by Nottingham Girls' High School or the Girls' Day School Trust. Any questions relating to safeguarding, safer recruitment and the provider's code of conduct for its employees should be directed to igolf in Nottingham www.igolfinnottingham.co.uk