Birds Tag

The students in Year 1 have been studying the topic Earth and Space in their science lessons. They have learnt about the planet Earth and how it is made up of mostly water and that there is not much fresh water on our planet.

We looked at ways we use water at home and how best we can save water. Although they are too young to remember how close we came to ‘Day Zero’, many of the students have learnt to use water sparingly. They were able to come up with a number of ways to save water as well as spot the places where people waste water.

The water saving game was a big hit with the students.

Ann Cordner
Year 1 Teacher

It was a very early start for our Foundation Stage students this past Friday, as they came to school bubbling with excitement for our Outing to the Artscape Theatre.

The Magic Key took us on an adventure to a castle on a huge recycling island. Kipper, Biff and Chip needed our students’ help, because King Recycle had lost complete control over his Kingdom and he forgot the password of the recycling machine. His daughter, Princess Dauphine, was also captured and turned into a bird.

Kipper and his friends figured out all the secrets and Princess Dauphine magically turned back into a princess when the clock struck twelve and the recycling machine started working again.

The production focused on the importance of recycling, encouraging the students to do their part to keep planet earth clean.

Here are some amazing ways to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle:

• Avoid the use of disposable goods, such as lighters, paper cups and plastics.
• Purchase products made from recycled materials. 
• Use cloth bags when buying groceries or reuse grocery bags.
• Instead of using plastic wraps, use resalable containers.
• Instead of using paper cups or bottled water, use coffee mugs or personal water bottles.
• Avoid goods that are over-packaged
• Learn to reuse products in different ways. 

It was a fantastic adventure, enjoyed by all.

Martie van Dyk
Pre-Reception Teacher

“Reuse the past. recycle the present, save the future” – Unknown

In KS1 Arts and Crafts Club, the students have been making use of recycled goods to create a beautiful flower to welcome the start of Spring.

Teaching students about spring helps to develop life skills, observation skills and promotes a love for learning and nature. Helping children notice and celebrate the signs of spring is a wonderful way to sharpen their observation skills. This helps students to learn how to focus, to be present, and live in the moment. Observation skills help people become better writers, scientists, and global citizens. Using nature to teach these skills can shake children and parents alike out of the rut of the normal day-to-day life.

Using recycled goods such as bubble wrap and bottle tops help students realise that these items are goods and not waste. We can reuse them for Arts and Crafts activities, not allowing them to be thrown into bins or left lying around on the floor around us. Teaching students to reduce, reuse and recycle (the three R’s) can create a ripple effect on the lives of their loved ones around them.

We encourage students and parents to continue trying to follow the three R’s.

Year 1 Teacher
Erin Hierse

We have been learning about wild animals in Foundation Stage over the past 2 weeks. The students have been so excited about this topic and some have even been bringing their favourite animal stories to share with the class during story time.

As a class we learnt what it means to be a wild animal and why it isn’t a good idea to keep a wild animal as a pet. We also discussed how wild animals are different and how they are adapted to their habitats and the food that they eat. Food chains were also discussed. We learnt that all plants are producers, and all animals are consumers. The links in animal part of the food chain were broken down into herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. We even touched on animals and other organisms that fulfil the role of decomposers, so that the circle of life continues making nutrients needed for plants to make food.

Our students have also done some amazing art work over the past 2 weeks. They have really enjoyed making lions, giraffes and elephants. We have certainly learnt a lot during the course of this topic and are looking forward to learning about extinct animals – dinosaurs in our next theme.

Bronwen Nuthall
Reception Year Teacher

A very excited group of Year 1 students left school to visit Intaka Island on Thursday, 25 August. After a brief introduction to the origin of Intaka Island and the eco system found there, the students set off in groups to explore this small island in the middle of our busy city. Intaka Island’s wetlands and canals demonstrate how engineering and natural processes can be used to improve the conservation of water.

The students took a walk around the island learning about the medicinal plants and seeing how many animals and birds they could spot from the ‘hide’. We were extremely lucky to walk past a freshwater crab and to spot a Pied Kingfisher and a Malachite Kingfisher.

A highlight for the students is the boat ride on the canals, spotting the birdlife and some pets in the gardens of the townhouses.

Intaka island is a wonderful example of sustainability. They use solar power energy, energy through the use of a wind turbine and various bio digestive systems to supply their own gas and wormery’s to create their own compost and liquid fertilizers. The students learnt all about recycling, compost and the importance of sustainable living. The students also learnt how Intaka Island uses their own grey water and black water system to sustain their building and plant life.

It was a fun, interactive and very informative outing, which you can see from our photos!

Ann Cordner
Year 1 Teacher

For the past two weeks, the Foundation Stage has been learning about countries of the world. We ended off this very interesting theme on Friday, 12 August by having a dress up day, each class dressing up in their chosen class’ country’s traditional dress and bringing a plate of eats representing the country of their  choice.

The teachers decorated their classroom doors representing the country they had chosen and the classrooms were decorated with the students’ art, flags, lanterns, etc.

Great excitement filled the air as the students arrived at school on this rainy, cold morning, dressed in their brightly coloured outfits and bearing plates of tasty treats to share.

All the Foundation students went around to the different countries with their ‘class made’ passports in hand and learnt interesting facts about England, Australia, America, France, Italy and China. Their little passports that they made were stamped in each new country they visited. The students learnt something about each place for example what traditional food they eat, historical monuments, the country’s flag, language they speak etc.

After touring ‘around the world’ the children worked up a healthy appetite and got to choose food to taste from the different countries displayed outside the classrooms.

There are many different ways for children to learn about different cultures around the world. By trying different activities, they can explore all parts of the world without even leaving the classroom. This was a fun way for the students to learn through an all–immersive experience and the ultimate way to share with the students the amazing people of the world and their diverse cultures!

Cindy Nunan

Pre-Reception Teacher