22ND FEBRUARY 2021
Message from the Headmaster Dear Parents, A warm welcome back to everyone after the half term break. We are delighted with the news, following the Government’s announcement earlier this week, that all Cranmore pupils will be returning to school from Monday 8th March. We are looking forward to the pupils being back in the classroom alongside their friends and continuing to make the most of our range of extra-curricular activities.
surprise in store on their return from the Forest School in the form of a giant rainbow arching over the entire school. Looking ahead, next week we will be celebrating Book Week with a number of engaging competitions, activities and challenges running throughout the school. We are delighted to invite two authors to speak to the pupils virtually and I’m sure they will have some fascinating stories to tell. It will be particularly interesting to hear about the adventures of Matt Dickinson who has worked as a cameraman for wildlife and adventure documentaries.
This week Mr Hodgson encouraged everyone to push themselves to their limit during the HITT Club; I did notice some parents also participating, well done! Miss Moore has also set a number of exciting and challenging exercises for the Lower Prep pupils to complete.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone back at Cranmore very soon. In the meantime, I encourage our pupils to continue diligently with their final week of online learning.
The Nursery Children had fun making models from clay and investigating the first signs of Spring. There was an aesthetic
Mr Everitt
Have an enjoyable weekend.
Book Week activities: 1st– 5th March Dear Parents, Re: Book Week 1st – 5th March 2021 Despite this year’s being very different, we are still determined to celebrate Book Week virtually, and we are excited to have several enjoyable and educational activities planned to give Cranmore pupils the opportunity to have some fun with reading. Monday 1st March Book Week begins and pupils will be invited to enter a photo competition, ‘Guess the teacher’s favourite childhood book’, which will run all week. Pupils can continue to send in photos of themselves, ‘Reading in Peculiar Places’ for the competition. Tuesday 2nd March At 10.30am – repeated at 4pm - David Walliams is giving a virtual assembly to pupils across the country. Read more at: Join DAVID WALLIAMS for his AMAAAAAZING ASSEMBLY FOR WORLD BOOK DAY! - The World of David Walliams Wednesday 3rd March Matt Dickinson will be giving a virtual talk to pupils in Years 6, 7 and 8 about his work as a cameraman for wildlife and adventure documentaries, and his adventures on Everest. We will be following his Everest Challenge. Thursday 4th March – WORLD BOOK DAY All pupils and staff, from Nursery upwards, are invited to dress up as a character inspired by a book they have read and to send in pictures of themselves in costume. Friday 5th March A day of book-related fun in English lessons. We will also judge the pupils’ photo competition. Tom Palmer is still going to give a virtual workshop to Years 3, 4 and 5, but we have agreed to reschedule from 8 th March as we are going to be busy on that day. All pupils will receive a World Book Day £1 Book Token, which can be used to buy one of the ten specially published £1 World Book Day books, or can be put towards the cost of any other book at participating bookshops and supermarkets. The token is valid until 28th March. Happy reading!
David Walliams
Matt Dickinson
Tom Palmer
Mrs Hopkins, Head of English
Year 4 Science Fun Club - Stable Structures This week the keen scientists in Year 4 were investigating structural stability using marshmallows and raw spaghetti. The first structure that they made was a cube which, even though it had 8 marshmallows, one for each corner, was surprising weak, refusing to stay upright. Next, we added diagonal rods of spaghetti across the faces of the cube which transformed it into a stable shape. Cubes make strong building blocks if they have reinforced diagonals as they become a series of overlapping right-angled triangles and triangles are one of the strongest shapes.
Our final construction was two connected square-based pyramids which combined reinforced squares with isosceles triangles — this was super strong!
The key to all of this was to build fast enough to prevent the marshmallows from being eaten… screen shot below!
Mr Minikin, Head of Science
Year 3 creativity and art inspired by Paul Klee 3MP have been busy this week making information posters on India. They have also been creating artwork inspired by Paul Klee. I was also impressed by the work completed outside!
Mr Peach
The class has been making some excellent artwork this week - they were challenged to create their own Castle and Sun, inspired by Paul Klee.
Mrs de Almeida
Year 2 star baker for the NHS! Apple in 2RF has been baking for the NHS throughout lockdown - twice a week! Apple explained: “We bake on a Sunday and a Wednesday for the NHS. Last week we made brownies, Rocky road with marshmallow and home made honey comb (and lots of other stuff) and Millionaire shortbread.“
Apple’s Mum says, “Apollonia made the most amazing chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream icing which she made all by herself and iced all by herself on Saturday afternoon for this Sunday’s delivery. She is a fantastic little baker (when she doesn’t eat ingredients as she weighs it!!).“
Miss Freeman
Puzzle Club Fun!
Some very challenging puzzles were completed in puzzle club this week! Mrs Bowen
Year 1 create farm machinery! 1AB created some excellent farm machinery over half term. It was a project to finish off our topic on Food and Farming! They did a great job and I am so proud of them.
Mrs Bowen
Reception showing their love for Valentine’s Day
Reception learn about St Valentine’s Day
Before we went on half term, we talked about the meaning of St Valentine's Day and we would like to share some of the beautiful art and craft creations that the children made to share with their families. We are continuing this idea of love for our family during Lent as we try to complete an act of kindness for our families at home each day .
Mrs Hobdell and Mrs Stefano
Reception writing skills
Reception have had a busy but relaxing half term and we were very impressed with their 'News' writing on Monday. Their writing is beautiful and neat and accompanied with excellent illustrations to show us the activities they have been doing over their holiday.
Mrs Hobdell and Mrs Stefano
Reminder- Uniform Sale 1st to 15th March
School Blazer has announced a ‘Return to School Sale.’ Up to 1/3 off selected uniform lines, while stocks last, online only. Sale begins 1st March and ends 15th March 2021.
Nursery – somewhere over the rainbow! This week at Forest School the children enjoyed the milder weather and made hedgehogs from clay. They went on a walk in the school grounds looking for the first signs of Spring; finding daffodils and crocuses. At the end of the walk they had a treat when a rainbow appeared in the sky above the Nursery. In Science, we are concentrating on the human body and had a look at an X-ray before drawing around their body and identifying the various parts.
Ms Luke, Head of Nursery
Daily exercise— sports skills– rugby and football
Sport - HIIT Club with Mr Hodgson
Sport— planks, press-ups, virtual fixture vs Rokeby
For regular updates on sporting action, please follow: instagram.com/cranmoresport twitter.com/cranmoresport
Sport— Miss Moore’s Lower Prep Daily Mile challenge!
Lower Prep Daily Mile Challenge!
A Message from our Chaplain A reading from the Book of Genesis Forty days later Noah opened the window he had made in the boat. Then he sent out a raven. The raven flew from place to place until the ground was dry and the water was gone. Noah also sent out a dove. He wanted it to find dry ground. He wanted to know if water still covered the earth. The dove could not find a place to rest because water still covered the earth, so the dove came back to the boat. Noah reached out his hand and caught the dove and brought it back into the boat. After seven days Noah again sent out the dove. And that afternoon the dove came back to Noah. The dove had a fresh olive leaf in its mouth. The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
the Book of Genesis
Lent This week we continue thinking about the season of Lent. Ash Wednesday marked the start of Lent and was on the 17th February this year. In Lent we are called to think about our life in a deep and serious way.
Are there things we can give up or take up? Are there ways we can have a little less of something so that someone else can have a little more?
Loving God, we hear your call to all who thirst for a brighter future: Come to the water. Pour out your Spirit upon us and lead us to walk alongside one another. Let a desire for change well up within us. May we overflow with compassion and love. And as a stream wears away stone, may we reshape our world together to reflect your kingdom of hope for all. Amen
Here is the link to our Lenten Liturgy: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/cb425f0c-a856-48d7Mr Jakubowski, School Chaplain