Primary Newsletter November 2012 English

NOVEMBER 2012

THE PRIMARY NEWSLETTER

Primary News from the Pupils and Teachers of King’s College, Alicante

Rocket Museum Head of Primary Message November has been a very busy and exciting month in Primary and I have to compliment the children on looking so smart in their winter school uniforms.

This month the children have enjoyed a whole host of activities including: school trips, a Year 2 Rocket Museum, a Non-fiction poster competition, a Year 6 Transport Museum and of course preparations and songs for our December Christmas Shows.

Mrs Gandhi and I were delighted to receive a huge number of outstanding contributions to the Non-fiction poster competition. After much deliberation and discussion the judges have awarded the top prizes to:

• My Non-fiction Journey by Isabel 3M • I Like to Take a Walk in the Clouds by Blanca 3M • The Water Cycle by Arnau 3P • A Dolphin´s Life by Marina 4O • India by Virginia 6G • India by Neus 6G • India by Mark 6G Congratulations to all of the poster winners whose winning entries have now been displayed in the school library. We do invite you to come and take a look at their beautiful work.

The prize draw winner of the Nonfiction book titles which were posted in the special library post box goes to Caytana from 4J. Well done, Cayetana!

Year 5 must also be highly praised for their fantastic 6 Country project homework which adorn the corridors outside their classrooms. I am very impressed by the colourful, high quality posters. Well done Year 5!

I must also mention the amazing rockets prepared by Year 2 and the outstanding transport vehicles built

by Year 6. We certainly have some very talented children in the school.

A huge WELL DONE to all the children for their hard work this month! Lovely to see you enjoying your learning!

Miss Lubaczewska Head of Primary Pag e 1

Nursery Topic on Food The Nursery classes have been talking about their favourite food. They have been making food from dough and painting food they like to eat. They have been fantastic cooks, waiters and waitresses in the cafes they have made in their classrooms. Well done, Nursery!

Early Years Reminder

Please could we remind you that all the children´s clothes and coats must have their name on to avoid clothes being lost. This includes the change of clothes bag that all the children in Nursery and Reception need to leave on their peg. If your child is changed at school please can you ensure these clothes are replaced in their bag the following day. Many thanks for your help.

Reception Vegetable Garden The Reception children have been planting vegetables in their garden area on the playground.

Each class has been taking it in turns to water them and take care of them. We are very pleased with how well they have been growing with all the rain we have been having. We are looking forward to tasting them soon, when the vegetables are fully grown.

Pag e 3

Non-Fiction in NOVEMBER

The world, Climate Change, Space, Countries, Dinosaurs, Castles…

November 2012 is National Non-fiction Month in British Schools, so here at King´s College Alicante, we also decided to devote a whole month’s focus to non-fiction literature.

Children have been encouraged by their teachers and from viewing posters around school to visit the school library and particularly head for the non-fiction section to read more books from this section.

Children have been given the opportunity to complete a form expressing their favourite non-fiction book and why they like it so much and to then place their answer in a post box provided in the Library. Our Librarian told us “This has been a great success. So many children have posted information about their favourite nonfiction book in this special box... she went on to say that the most popular book that children have highlighted is: “A World of Festivals: Divali”

NON-FICTION COMPETITION In addition to this, children were given the opportunity to enter a poster competition. Posters could illustrate their favourite non-fiction book or books or their favourite non-fiction topics or a topic and theme they are studying now.

Entries will be displayed in the Library and the winners are shown on the front page of this newsletter.

Mrs Gandhi the Key Stage 2 Literacy Coordinator said, “I have received some fantastic posters… I am delighted that many children are reading non-fiction literature which not only improves their English but also their knowledge of many facts on different topics…

Good luck to all entrants!”

Miss Lubaczewska Head of Primary told us, “It is important that children are enthused about reading non-fiction as much as fiction and I am delighted that so many children in school have responded so positively to non-fiction November.”

Drawing and Writing Competitions

The school held its first Book Fair of the year on Thursday, 22nd November. The library was very busy, as many parents and pupils came to visit.

Students from Y2 to Y9 participated in a drawing and writing competition. The winners of each year group chose a book from the book fair.

Congratulations to our lucky winners: • • • • • •

Year 2T: Álvaro Year 3P: Katherine Year 6G: Kyla Year 7G: Irene Year 8D: Marta Year 9M: Pablo

Well done to all of them and many thanks to all students who participated.

Thanksa also to all parents who visited the Book Fair and bought a book, as the school received many free books.

November Book Fair

Pag e 5

Year 4 Visits

El Clot de Galvany This term the Year 4 children have been learning about national parks, what they are and why they are so important. After studying ecosystems and the fauna and flora of the region Year 4 went to visit El Clot de Galvany.

El Clot is situated between El Altet and Santa Pola.

The area is of great environmental value and attracts many small birds and interesting wildlife. During the trip the monitors explained the rules for how to behave correctly in the protected areas so that we preserve the plant and animal species.

Quotes from Year 4: “The monitor showed us some of the different types of plants and flowers.” “ We thought we saw a huge tree but the monitor told us it was in fact a big bush.”

“We saw the bunkers that were used during the Spanish war, this is where they kept the bombs and where the fired their guns from, the bunker protected them.” “ We were taken inside the bunker, it was a little dark and there wasn’t much space.”

“We saw lots of ant houses and houses of foxes.”

“There were a lot of mushrooms.”

“We went on a walk and took photos of plants and animals.”

Pag e 7

Year 5 Greek Day Pupils and teachers sported chitons for Year 5´s Greek Day, which supported learning in History, while further enthusing them about the Ancient Greek world. The day began with an Olympic Games PE session, which was followed by the making of Greek Jewellery and Masks. For lunch, the classes enjoyed a wonderful banquet with Olives, Feta cheese, Moussaka and figs all on the menu.

Greek plays were then enthusiastically rehearsed, before the charasmatic performances were later shared between the classes. A fantastic end to a fantastic day.

Pag Pagee 11 9

Year 2

Rocket Museum

Pag e 11

WATCH OUT WATCH OUT…

LITTER PATROL ABOUT! This month has seen the introduction of the Primary Council Litter Patrol initiative organised by the Health and Safety Sub Group. Building on the success of last year’s litter collection rota on the Key Stage 2 patio area, the Council has now introduced high visibility litter patrols.

Every week children from each year group, including Year 2 in Key Stage 1, take on the responsibility of being Litter Patrol wardens.

Their job is to ensure that children respect their play area in school and place rubbish in the bins provided and pick up any litter left on the patio or inform a teacher if the litter needs professional attention.

Initial feedback from staff and children is that the scheme is a real success. Kyla from Year 6 said “I have been a Litter Patrol warden and I felt very responsible; I speak to other children and remind them nicely to use the bins and not to drop litter.”

Mrs Pilkington the Health and Safety Sub Group teacher said, “The Litter Patrol people are doing a great job; children are using bins and taking more pride in their school environment.”

The Health and Safety Sub Group are looking at other ways of improving the patio environment.

Diwali in Early Years The Early Years have had lots of fun learning about the festival of lights called Diwali. We have read the story of Rama and Sita and have been making diva lamps with clay. The Reception children made traditional bread called naan bread. We especially enjoyed tasting it when we took it home! Yummy, yummy!

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THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS Over the years, King´s College Alicante has encouraged children to celebrate world festivals and Diwali is one which the children adore. Through our special assemblies, children are reminded of the traditional story of the adventures of the Hindu God Rama and his wife Sita, who were banished to the jungle for many years, where Sita was abducted by the demon God Ravana. Children are reminded about how Rama with the help of Hanuman, a monkey God, slays Ravana and saves Sita.

Children are aware that this conquest is symbolic of good winning over evil and when Rama returns back to his hometown, people light little Divas (candles) to guide him back home and this symbolises leaving darkness and entering light.

This year children have made Mendi patterns, Rangoli designs, made Nan bread, learned how to Bollywood dance and dressed up in Indian clothes to name but a few of the activities.

Carol Collingham, Reception Teaching Assistant said, “The children loved getting stuck into Nan breadmaking. It was a great success.”

Lorena (Year 6) told us that she and her friends Neus, Alicia and Marina loved dressing up in Indian clothes and choreographing an Indian dance to the popular Indian song Jai Ho. The girls performed their dance to great applause in the Year 5/6 Assembly.

Jimena from Year 5 expressed, “I loved watching the girls dance with their Indian costumes and sparkly bindis… Diwali is a fun festival!”

Mrs Pilkington, Year 3 teacher, who led the Year 3/4 Assembly on Diwali said, “This is a wonderful festival which children absolutely love. There are many creative ideas which include art work, dance and even Indian cuisine and I am delighted to see so many of these have taken place in school this week.”

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Year 6 Transport Models

On Friday 30th November Year 6 displayed their amazing transport models at the Transport Museum event for parents. Some of the models have remained on show in the library and school office area. Please do take the time to come and view these incredibly crafted models next time you are passing the school office or library.

Every month we will be featuring information and news regarding the Governance and Management of the school. This will, I hope, make parents, staff and pupils more aware of the strategic leadership and management of our own school and the King´s Group in general. This month we are featuring an introduction to our General Manager, Ms Elena Benito.

Ms Elena Benito has been the General Manager of the King’s Group since 2011. Previous to joining our Group, she worked as CFO for Zed Latam, and Finance Director for Monsanto in Spain and Portugal. Ms Benito trained as a Chartered Accountant at Deloitte in both Spain and the UK, and is a member of the Spanish Institute of Chartered Accountants. She holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the San Pablo CEU University of Madrid, and a degree in Law from the UNED. She gained her MBA from ESADE in 2009.

Ms. Elena Benito, General Manager Elena visits the school regularly, holding meetings with the senior members of staff and is in direct contact with Mr Laidlaw, our Headteacher on a regular basis.

She reports to the Chairman of King’s Group and is responsible for implementing Board policies and ensuring that practice throughout the Group is consistent with all Board decisions.

Important Dates December 5 - Year 1 Robot Museum in Siesta Hall at 4.00pm December 11 - Year 1 Christmas Assembly in Sports Hall at 9.30am Year 6 Football Tournament in Murcia - two teams of 10 December 12 - Year 2 Christmas Show in Sports Hall at 9.30am December 13 - Nursery Concert and Santa’s Grotto from 9.30am December 14 - Reception Concert and Santa’s Grotto from 9.30am December 17 - Year 5 Show in Sports Hall at 2.30pm December 18 - Christmas Fayre at 3pm for Year 3-Year 6 December 19 - Christmas Parties December 20 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL School reports can

be accessed on-line

Glorieta del Reino Unido 5 Alicante 03008 Spain www.bsalicante.com email: carlos.lazaro@kingsgroup.org