Habs Weekly - Junior School edition - Friday 23 September

Head of Junior School’s Message

Mrs L Flynn

This week I have spent some time reading with our new Rainbow pupils as they settle into life here at Habs. The book that I chose is called ‘The Lion Inside’; a wonderful picture book in which a mouse decides he would like to learn to roar like the lion, who appears confident and strong, as he doesn’t like the feeling of being small and quiet, believing that to be heard he needs to be more like the lion.

His first challenge is to find the courage to approach the lion so that he can seek advice on how to roar. After taking a risk to do this, the mouse learns that the lion is in fact terrified of mice and so the mouse must find his own voice to befriend him; he learns how to speak out and draw on his own ‘lion inside’ without roaring loudly, staying true to his nature.

The start of an academic year presents each pupil with new and exciting opportunities to find their ‘lion inside’, to seek out those moments in which they need to take a risk and be courageous. Be this through the greater levels of independence afforded to them by moving up into a new year group, taking on new responsibilities for personal organisation through learning at home, by committing to extend and challenge themselves in a curriculum area they find trickier or by exploring a new activity within the ACE programme.

In the Junior School there are many ways in which pupils are encouraged to find their voice within, just as the mouse did in the story. In lessons, pupils are encouraged to question, debate and discuss ideas, children in Years 3 to 6 have dedicated oracy sessions; our assembly programme has been expanded so that all classes perform an annual assembly to the school and their parents; within house and phase assemblies students are supported in leading on the content delivered; development of our charity programme across all year groups (more on this from Mrs Hayes in the coming weeks), all of this sitting alongside plays, concerts, performances and the extensive ACE programme.

Whether through discussion, reflection on tasks undertaken, family games, taking turns in the playground or performance opportunities, please see the Tooled-Up section to discover some resources that will help you additionally support your child find their ‘lion inside’.

Looking ahead...

Please click here to read a letter regarding collection for our Harvest Festival. school

Harvest Festival

Year 5 Suntrap Forest Education Centre trip

TRIP INFORMATION

As part of our work on rivers, Year 5 will be visiting Suntrap Forest Education Centre on Thursday 29 September. Please can parents give their consent on EVOLVE and complete the lunch request form by Monday 26 September. On the day of the visit, pupils will need a named water bottle and a snack that is free from nuts and sesame. They should wear warm, casual clothes (full length trousers please) that can get muddy or wet. A hooded waterproof jacket and extra jumper is also essential, as is a pair of Wellington boots and spare socks in a named carrier bag.

School in Action Morning

SENIOR SCHOOL TASTER LESSONS

As part of the transition process, from Junior to Senior School, we have planned an exciting opportunity this term for your child to sample life in the Senior School.

The Year 6 pupils will take part in one of four special ‘taster’ lessons with some of our Senior School staff. Parents are also warmly invited to hear talks from key members of the Senior Leadership Team whilst lessons are taking place. The School in Action event will take place in the morning of Tuesday 4 October, for more information please refer to the letter you received on 22 September.

Looking ahead...

Family Friday INFORMATION

Last year, Family Friday provided an opportunity for students to share all the things in school that made them proud and the Junior School enjoyed welcoming family members in to visit classrooms and celebrate learning.

In Rainbow, these will take place weekly unless otherwise advised, and for other year groups, they willtake place as follow:

Friday 14 October 1, 3 and 5

Friday 18 November 2, and

Directly after the Family Friday events, we will be holding some information sessions centred around topics that are important to specific year groups and we are pleased to have welcomed many of our Rainbow parents in for the first of these today, focusing on phonics and supporting reading. Specific details of these sessions will be shared in the newsletter closer to the time. school Group

Rainbow Parents’ Evening

BOOKING INFORMATION

Rainbow parents are invited to make an appointment to meet with their child’s class teacher to discuss how they have settled into Rainbow on either Monday 3 October or Thursday 6 October, between 4pm and 6pm. Each appointment will be 10 minutes long and these will take place in the Rainbow classrooms.Click here to see how to book.

Reminders

Assemblies

DATES

4 Aesc: We are excited to invite 4 Aesc parents to our class assembly on Monday 3 October, 8.45am to 9.15am, in the Performance Space. Please enter through the DT doors, located beyond the Junior School playground. We are all looking forward to you joining us for this event.

4 Aleph: Class assembly has been re-scheduled, due to the original date coinciding with Rosh Hashanah; it will now take place on Monday 21 November, 8.45am to 9.15am, in the Performance Space.

Parental Information Evening

MARILYN HAWES

Please click here to read a letter regarding an upcoming parental information evening on the safety of young people both online and offline. This will take place on Thursday 6 October and will be on Zoom. This is a Senior School talk that we believe is of relevance to Year 6 parents and those who have older children.

Reminders

Parent Handbook LINK

The Parent Handbook for this academic year is available on Firefly and via this link.

Wraparound Care

Information about our Wraparound Care provision can be found in the resources section on Firefly and in the Parent Handbook. Please use this link for quick booking access. MONDAY 26

Please click here to view our EYFS and KS1 menu.

Please click here to view our KS2 menu.

Our snacks list remains the same as last year and as published in the Parent Handbook. Please note that we are a nut and sesame free school; it is imperative no food containing nuts or sesame seeds is brought on site. Student Voice will be surveying our whole community regarding snacks in the coming weeks, and any changes will be published accordingly.

Over the course of this academic year, all pupils will have the opportunity to present as part of their class in an assembly, to which all parents and guardians are warmly invited. (Please refer to Looking Ahead section and calendar on FireFly for upcoming assembly dates.)

Whether it is through House Poetry (coming up later this term), class discussions and presentations, taking prospective parents on tours around school or making your point of view heard effectively in the playground, we believe it is a privilege to provide opportunities for our pupils to reflect on their different styles of speaking out, and to practise through conversation and presentation.

You might like to look at some of these suggestions to see how little things your child’s oracy also.

• What

• Mercer:

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Important information

Academic Enrichment

IMPORTANT LINK

Following the success of our enrichment lessons over the last two years in the Junior School, Academic Enrichment is being taught to pupils from Year 4 to Year 11 and is designed to stretch students beyond the curriculum. Students will study six short courses over the year, each lasting a half term. They will also hear from exceptional speakers over the course of the year, like Dr Peter Lovatt who spoke on Monday 12 September about the positive impact of movement on memory and problem solving.

Click here to read an outline of what each year group will be studying.

Reporting Review

IMPORTANT LINK

Last year, the Junior School undertook a reporting review and we are grateful for the input from both parent and staff working groups, representing a wide cross-section of our community. Together, we looked at the purpose, format and timings of our reporting cycle.

Click here to see the new reporting schedule.

Cornflower Assembly

Friday afternoon assemblies are always a time of joy and celebration in the Junior School. Our weekly Cornflower Assembly celebrates individuals who have particularly demonstrated ways in which they have embodied our school values: Courage, Curiosity, Community and Ambition. Without fail, the pupils in our school community celebrate the successes of their peers, as well as take time to reflect on the ways in which they have, themselves, taken risks, wondered why, supported others and aimed high. We cherish our Cornflower Assemblies, and hope that you enjoy celebrating weekly with us too.

Ambition

We set our sights high in terms of what we want to achieve as individuals and as a community, in and outside the classroom, aspiring to achieve our full potential in whatever we put our minds to.

Ayla (Rainbow Red) Adeyeni (1 Orange) Avni (2A) Athena (3A)

Aggie (5 Aleph) Zoe (6 Aesc) Laila (6 Aleph) Sky (6 Aleph)

Courage

We believe in the courage to face challenge, embrace opportunity and step out of our comfort zones to grow and become our best selves, whilst also having courage in our conviction, remaining true to our moral compass and what we believe is the right thing to do.

Hannah (1 Green)

Sarah (2A) Annabel (3A)

Livi (4 Aesc) Maanya (4 Aleph)

Community

Since we were founded, we have had an inherent responsibility to our diverse internal and wider community and continue to dedicate ourselves to nurturing it and supporting each other to be our best selves.

Zivah (Rainbow Blue) Audrey (Rainbow Blue) Lara (Rainbow Red) Rosalyn (1 Orange) Keria (2 Alpha)

Anusha (3 Alpha)

Lyla (4 Aesc)

Kourtney (5 Aesc)

Kathleen (5 Aleph)

Demeera (6 Aesc)

Curiosity

In a diverse world, we believe that growth comes from not standing still. We are driven by an unending desire to learn and improve, not standing still and having an open and enquiring mind to anything we face.

Ava (1 Purple) Georgiana (2 Alpha) Kasi (3 Alpha)

Eva (5 Aesc)

School Community

Pupil awarded British Citizen Youth Award 2022

Congratulations to Moksha (2 Alpha), who has been awarded the British Citizen Youth Award 2022! This is a national award that recognises outstanding young individuals for their selfless acts of kindness and their positive impact on society, to be held up as role models to their peers. Mosksha will be felicitated at the Palace of Westminster, London in October.

Year 3 Team Building morning

Year 3 enjoyed a fun and engaging team building morning. Undertaking a series of communication tasks, team members practised communicating their ideas and finding solutions to a range of problems.

Rainbow and Year 5 buddies

Year 5 and Rainbow were delighted to meet their partner ‘buddies’ last week. They enjoyed getting to know each other, ahead of Year 5 helping with lunch duties each day.

Year 5 Netball

On Wednesday, Year 5 took part in a fun afternoon of Inter House netball matches in preparation for this year’s netball fixtures. They played in teams of six and rotated positions in each match, giving them an opportunity for a well-rounded experience and developing their understanding of every role on the court. The event was a huge success and the PE Team would like to express their thanks and congratulations to everyone who participated.

Years 4 to 6 Inter House cross-country

On Tuesday 20 September, Years 4, 5 and 6 participated in the Inter House cross-country competition.

All pupils showed excellent courage and ambition as they completed the course. All of the pupils said that they felt proud of themselves as they crossed the finish line. Huge congratulations to all of the students who took part in the first House event of the year.

Particular congratulations go to the following students who finished 1st, 2nd or 3rd overall in their year group:

Year 4 – 1st, Eloisa, 2nd Lia, 3rd Niamh.

Year 5 – 1st Rio, 2nd Summer, 3rd Charlotte. Year 6 – 1st Joy, 2nd Amelia, 3rd Gia.

The combined Year 4, 5 and 6 overall House results were:

4th place Puffins

3rd place Chameleons

2nd place Seahorses

1st place Aardvarks

Thank you to all of the pupils and staff whose energy and enthusiasm enabled this to be a very enjoyable and successful event.

Staff news

Introduction: Mr Sean Browne

We are delighted to introduce you to Sean Browne, who will be coaching the Year 5 and 6 football squad, trials for which are taking place this week and next. Mr Browne has a wealth of coaching experience, both in the UK and America, and has worked closely with youth development squads for Premiership teams. He is really excited to build upon the football already established here at Habs and aims to give students the opportunity to challenge themselves and develop teamwork whilst enjoying sport and making memories.