As a school we have raised an incredible £1000 plus so far for Winston's Wish, our chosen charity for this year.  

And that doesn't even include the Year 6 sale this afternoon....

Thank you for all your generosity - and in particular those children who went the extra mile with some amazing individual 'Courageous Advocacy' fundraising.

Marathon Fundraiser:

On 23rd April, Miss Hotten will be running the London Marathon to raise money for The St John's Ambulance. The St John's Ambulance is a charity organisation that works throughout the country and is solely powered by volunteers and charitable donations. This wonderful charity provides specialist ambulance transfer to the NHS, local communities, and other healthcare providers. They also support events across the country and offer training courses in life saving first aid for adults and children. A little closer to home, St John Ambulance works closely with schools up and down the UK to help educate and equip children with essential skills.

I am sure you agree it will be very inspiring for our children and we would love to get them involved by working towards a marathon themselves between now and 23rd April. We will be putting up something for them to record their miles/km on the google classroom. They can run, walk, scooter, cycle, skip or any other active way they would like to travel to build up to the 42.195 kilometres (26.219 miles).

If you would like to support Miss Hotten's charity you can do so on the following link https://2023tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/freya-hotten/post/2739174 

Carl Rochford, Head of Sport

PTA Second Hand Uniform Sale:

There will be a second hand uniform sale taking place on the first Friday of term so please bring in donations when we return from the holidays.

Many thanks

Children In Need:  

"Royally Big Portrait":

Follow the link for this special art activitiy to mark His Majesty's Coronation:

Link to Easter creative initiative

School Lunches:

For the Summer term the new costs are as follows: 

Per Day:  £2.85

Per Week:   £14.25

Summer Term 1: £79.80

Summer Term 2:  £96.90

Per Term:   £176.70

All children should stick to either a school lunch OR a packed lunch for the whole half term please, unless there are exceptional circumstances. 

Please do not send in any sweets, chocolate or anything with SESAME OR NUTS.     

Thank you.

School Uniform:

Please remember to label everything clearly, including coats, water bottles and lunch boxes.  

We have so many items appearing in Lost Property each week that are unnamed.

Friends of Saint Cecilia's Spring Fundraiser:

An opportunity for St Michael's parents to meet and socialise with Saint Cecilia's parents.

The Friends cordially invite you to a Spring Social on May 19th from 7pm at Saint Cecilia's School:

Live bands + DJ + Free Canapes

Year group stickers on arrival. 

Silent auction including some incredible items:

Abou Kamara Fulham home Match Jersey

Brand new 55" LED Panasonic Flat screen

Tea at the IVY

++++ loads of other great items ++++++

Get your advance ticket today £5 p/p:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/t-moemaqe

Advance Ticket holders will be entitled to one free drink on arrival!

EYFS: Nursery & Red & Green Classes

We are coming to the end of another busy half term at St. Michael’s and our Early Years have had another wonderful half term of new learning and exciting events! All of the children have continued to work hard this half term, from our little learners at Mini. St.Mike’s to our reception children in Red & Green Class - we are always so impressed and proud of our youngest children! 

In Nursery, the children have been busy taking care of bean seeds that were planted at the beginning of the term. They have had to be very patient waiting for them to grow and making sure to water them daily - but not too much. They were also very excited by the arrival of the chicks! They learnt all about the life cycle, what they need in order to grow and survive and how to make sure they showed great gentleness when holding the young chicks. As a team, they decided to make several different enclosures to protect the chicks and showed great collaboration and innovation to ensure they would be kept safe! 

The children in Nursery have also been consolidating their knowledge of numbers to five and learning how to be an accurate ‘counter’. They have explored 2D shapes, used language to compare the weight of an object and built towers that are taller and shorter than others. Within small group phonics sessions they have learnt to identify groups of objects that begin with the same sound and how to blend sounds together in their heads to make words. The children have all been working really hard!

Our Reception children began their half term as explorers and thoroughly enjoyed dressing up in their best explorers outfits for our Explorers Day! We loved seeing the children so excited and engaged in their learning. Since our Explorers Day, the children have learnt all about maps, making their own maps of our EYFS playground and the weather. The children have built on their prior knowledge and led the learning into discovering what seasons are. We studied the seasons in the UK, what weather we would see in them and the children then created their own weather wheels. Each morning, they love to discuss the weather from what they have seen or heard! The children have also learnt about famous explorers such as Ameilia Earhart, where we were inspired to create our aeroplanes outside on small and large scales. The children finished our unit by comparing two countries and bringing in their own photos of places they have visited from around the world. It was lovely to listen to the children’s stories as they recalled some wonderful adventures they have been on! 

We are amazed at the fabulous sentences our Reception children have been writing recently! We have seen some super sentences with finger spaces, full stops and capital letters. The children’s literacy books show their own development and just how well they are getting on. It has been great to see them chunking longer multi-syllabic words and spelling them in our phonics lessons too. 

In Maths, we have been working hard on our number bonds to 10. The children have used lots of resources to create number sentences and develop an understanding of combining two numbers to make a whole. We have been impressed with some quick recall too! 

Chloe Fryer, Early Years Phase Lead

Lower Phase:

It has been all-go in Key Stage One! If you would like to see 120 hardworking children and nine hardworking grown ups - make an appointment to visit! 

Year One have been busy writing postcards inspired by a beautiful book called 'Sunflower Sisters' and have been pretending to be Samuel Pepys and write a diary entry about the Great Fire of London. They are learning how to use super sentences in their writing for different purposes. In mathematics they have been learning about numbers upto 50 and how to measure and compare length using a ruler. The children are dab hands at quickly spotting tens and units in a given number and can explain why it is important to use consistent units of measurement. In science, the children have been looking at plants. We can name various parts of plants and recognise many flowers and trees by name. If you need a tree identified or need to know if you have evergreen or deciduous trees in your garden - ask Year One!  In history, the children have been finding out all about the Great Fire of London, how the fire spread and how London has changed over time. We love finding out about how life was different in the past!

Year Two have been working extra hard on their writing skills and have learnt how to write a leaflet and fact file using their history knowledge about the Titanic. They have also written a persuasive letter trying to persuade people to look after their stationery - prompted by the book 'The Day the Crayons Quit'  In mathematics they have been learning about how to divide and multiply- keep working on remembering multiplication facts Year Two! In science, the children have continued to explore plants and what they need to grow. In DT, the children have been designing wacky windmills - with the idea of selling these at the school fair! Year Two also led a marvellous assembly about the Titanic and the changes that have happened over time because of what people learnt.  

Both year groups have been finding out about Easter in RE.  Year One have been asking the Big Question 'Why is Easter the most important festival for Christians?'  and Year Two have been asking 'How do Easter symbols help us understand the true meaning of Easter?'. Easter is the most important part of the Christian calendar because it holds the central teaching about Christianity. The children have enjoyed exploring these ideas and are growing in their understanding about what is important to Christians.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter break. Do make the most of the local library, park and the free museums and galleries in London to get out and about. We are so pleased with all of the children and their learning, they are growing in independence in all areas. Use this growing independence and share out the jobs at home!

Sharon Cunningham,  Lower Phase Lead

MIDDLE PHASE:

This half of the term has been action packed across Middle Phase. As we approach the Easter holidays, we can reflect on some of the highlights…

In Year 3, the history workshop all about prehistoric life was an absolute blast. Everyone came to school in amazing costumes and spent the entire day discovering how people lived during the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age in Britain, what tools were used and how they hunted and foraged for food. The workshop was very informative about developments in settlement, society  and farming as well as being really interactive; the children even had a chance to use bows and arrows out on the MUGA! It truly brought the history alive and everyone can still recall and link their learning from that day with confidence and enthusiasm.

In Art, it has also been lovely to watch children being inspired by Barbara Hepworth as they created their own sculptures. Children also enjoyed creating their clay pinch pots inspired by the Bell Beaker People. Science lessons have been ‘shedding light’ on light and dark!

In English this half term, Year 3 children have explored the story of The Tear Thief and, recently, have written a newspaper report based on the story.  World Book Day also generated lots of lovely conversations about different genres and authors that children are exploring or can access. Again, an opportunity to dress up and there were some wonderful ideas and creations on the day. Middle Phase held a ‘carousel day’ for the children to enjoy imaginative lessons in all four classes, linked to the book Zoo by Antony Browne.

In RE this half term, Year 3 children have been exploring the different roles of the characters in the narrative of Easter. As a school, we have looked closely at the Fruit of the Spirit in our collective worship with thought provoking and illuminating discussions. We have been focussing on being Courageous Advocates throughout Lent with collections for the foodbank, daily acts of kindness and raising money for Children in Need. Thank you for all your contributions.

Year 4 pupils have also been busy. In Science lessons, we have been learning about states of matter, and can now explain the different properties of solids, liquids and gases; knowing how one state can change to another by evaporation, condensation, melting and freezing. To discover this, we conducted experiments involving soggy socks(!) and plastic bags of water sellotaped to the window to emulate mini water cycles. This has linked nicely to our Geography learning about mountains and mountain climates, and previous learning about rivers.

In DT, we have been researching, designing and stitching outfits for our teddy bears. The children have really demonstrated great persistence with this as well as nimble fingers with threading needles and knotting threads. This idea was inspired by our book in English lessons, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and our Big Write describing the main character, a toy rabbit who wore fancy, custom-made clothes and shoes. To enhance our French lessons, we had a wonderful, interactive, storytelling workshop and the children were able to participate with confidence thanks to the use of repetition, costumes and props as well as catchy songs and music to help us join in with the language phrases.

Thank you to Mr Rochford and Louise for their fun PE lessons, clubs and dance sessions each week; it has been great to see all the children pushing themselves with sporting skills and collaborating with their dance routines. Mrs Minster has also worked hard to develop everyone’s musical skills and appreciation. Thank you to all of the Middle Phase team for their dedication and commitment, as always. On their behalf, I wish all of you a restful and happy Easter break.

Rachel Lee, Middle Phase Lead

UPPER PHASE:

Can you believe that Easter is near, the evenings are getting lighter, and the flowers are beginning to bloom! It has been a busy term in the upper phase but we are ending on a high after so many awesome events have taken place for our lent appeal. 

"In March, we celebrated World Book Day! During this phase, we focused on the love of reading and participated in various activities, such as book character biscuit decorating, role play, art, and a game of Quidditch. It was great to see so many children dress up and show their love of reading. Additionally, we held a reading for pleasure event, which was attended by many parents and grandparents. Moving on to our DT learning, a highlight for the year 5’s this term was making pizzas together as a part of their curriculum. The activity helped them to develop teamwork skills and a better understanding of nutrition and healthy eating. The fabulous year 6’s have brought their musical talents together to raise money for the pupil-nominated charity Winston’s Wish. The creative cohort put together an afternoon with a lemonade stall, bake sale, arts and crafts and a whole year group performance. It has blown me away that the year 6’s have embodied the term ‘courageous advocacy’. Another highlight was our careers day assemblies which included inspirational talks from an MP, counsellor, creative director, psychologist and a lawyer. 

In year 5, children enjoyed learning about forces in their science lessons. They have experimented with water resistance, air resistance and researched different mechanisms in real life. Additionally, the children have been engaged in our learning about Ancient Egypt in history. The children handled various artefacts and were able to understand the mummification process by mummifying a tomato. There are some budding computer science students in year 5 as they have explored search engines and which information is reliable. Some children have even begun exploring AI (artificial intelligence). The skills and knowledge the children are being equipped with now make me excited as I reflect on the citizens of our future communities. 

In year 6 the children enjoyed their DT learning about burgers! The children explored the history of burgers, conducted market research and taste-tested key components to discover what makes the perfect burger. This term, our budding geographers studied sustainability. The topic included answering questions of where does our energy come from and how can we protect the oceans. The children have had in-depth discussions about minerals, biodiversity and renewable energy sources. I hope that the children use the knowledge and skills they have been equipped with to find more sustainable ways to improve our world for future generations to come.

In summary, the upper phase has had a busy and exciting term, filled with various events and learning experiences. From celebrating World Book Day to participating in careers day assemblies, the students have been exposed to a diverse range of activities that have not only enriched their learning but also developed their creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. We look forward to continuing to build on these successes in the upcoming term.

As always I want to extend my thanks to the teachers and support staff in the upper phase. Without their dedication, time and effort none of the above would be possible. Thank you to the parents for their continued support of their children’s learning journey. I hope everyone has a safe, happy and enjoyable Easter, reflecting on the true reason for the season and of course eating a few cheeky chocolates. 

Adele Stewart, Upper Phase Lead

PE:

PE News

Well done to all of the children this half term who have been amazing in their tennis and dance lessons. They have worked really hard to progress with their skills and have a growth mindset. Next half term we will be doing striking and fielding with the main focus being cricket. It would be great if you could get out with the children over Easter to play some sports and give the children a chance to show you their development.

Year 6 Boys Football

Our boys football team had a final opportunity to play some games at Dover House Road last week. They played some amazing football in difficult, wet and muddy conditions and won all 3 of their games convincingly. A special thank you to the parents that allowed the children to get in their cars full of mud.

Celebration of PE and Sport

Spring Term we participated in 7 inter sports competitions including AEND and girls competitions with 67 participants across all competitions.

Success at competitions including a silver medal in the B competition for netball and quarter finals for girls football.

We ran a #LETGIRLSPlAY event that had approximately 40 girls from school playing with lots of praise for our year 5 and 6 leaders.

House captains, vice and PE ambassadors are doing a great job in clubs.

Extra curricular programs for sport in the Spring Term included 18 active clubs with 386 participants. All children in years 1-4 have now taken part in an active club with year 5 and 6 being targeted in summer term.

House competitions are working well and add friendly competition to PE.

We are on track on the school games website to get Gold again this year.

Carl Rochford, Head of Sport

Display Faculty:

Something that brings a smile to my face are the quotes that are often asked of the children, to then be part of a new display somewhere around the school:

In recent weeks the children have been asked ‘Why is it good to be you? These quotes are now on a display in the Lower, Middle and Upper phases.

A display entitled ‘The 5 C’s’ (courage, confidence, caring, collaborative and creative) has been revamped and relocated to the Year 4 cloakroom. 

In the Year 3 cloakroom is ‘Our Word Wall’, a wall covered with flowers and words that the children have described themselves as, and written in bright, bold colours. It is wonderful to read the amazing words the children chose.  

‘Courageous Advocacy’ in the dinner hall, is now complete with photos of the fun we had on

‘Red Nose Day’, and photos of the donated food that was brought in to be distributed locally by Wandsworth Foodbank. 

The most recent display is the Easter Service featuring fun photos of the children singing and of course Mrs Grant enjoying a delicious trifle, along with Mr Rochford and Miss Cunningham.

Happy Easter to you all,

Chris Worth

Display Faculty

SAS Group:

We have been sorry to say 'farewell' to two of our lovely SAS families this term, such is the nature of military life.

But we have enjoyed welcoming a new member and another is due to join us next term.

Lately we have been creating special cards for Mothering Sunday and Easter and enjoyed word searches, puzzles, games and more - including sometimes a little Friday afternoon edible treat too!

As we move into the Summer term we will be busy rehearsing for a very special part we will be playing in the King's Coronation celebrations here at St Michael's on Friday 5th May and we very much hope our military parents will be able to come and watch us perform.

Caroline Jopp, SAS Co-ordinator