ISSUE 82 • WINTER 2021
have a green christmas
stay safe this winter
www.familymatters-uk.co.uk
school news
WELCOME Hello and welcome to a very exciting issue of Family Matters! Not only is it almost Christmas, but we’re back from our hiatus! After spending the past eighteen months waiting for the all clear, we’re back in business and we’re so excited to catch up with you all. This issue is all about the upcoming Christmas season, with everything you need to keep happy, healthy and safe this winter, a little exploration of why we have New Year’s Resolution and our top tips for the perfect Christmas dinner! Plus we’re sharing all your news! We hope you enjoy this issue and have a wonderful Christmas and New Year, if you celebrate, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2022!
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How to have a more sustainable Christmas
Christmas around the world
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New books to read this Christmas
Why do we make new year resolutions?
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Carefully choose your Christmas tree. When it comes to trees, many of us use artificial trees that can be reused every year, which is better than replacing a tree every year, but to reduce your plastic waste, having a real tree is better. Not all real trees are created equal though, if you’re going for real over artificial this year, look out for trees that are FSC certified and reduce your carbon footprint by staying local. Once the Christmas season is over, some Christmas tree producers will take the trees back and replant them or you can take them to a recycling centre where it can be shredded and used in other products. Look out for local animal centres, including zoos and conservation centres, as they are always keen to have fresh trees as enrichment for the animals.
Decorate with the environment in mind. Much like Christmas trees, many decorations contain non-recyclable materials which end up in landfill when they are thrown away. Try using natural decorations like holly branches and pine cones from your garden or local park. You can also use LED fairy lights to lower your energy use and get solar powered outdoor lights for your gardens and windows.
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s a m t s i r
Ch
Forget about having a white Christmas, this year, go green and have an eco-friendly event! With everyone being a little more environmentally conscious these days, here are some top tips to make sure that your Christmas has a big impact on the family and a little one on the world around you.
Sustainable Christmas dinner We always go overboard and end up with too much food at Christmas. Try to reduce waste by making meal plans for using up any left overs and be as sustainable as possible when choosing your ingredients — such as getting your meat from local suppliers or checking its credentials when buying.
Look out for eco-friendly Christmas Crackers. Many shops are now offering reusable crackers that can come out every year. Alternatively, you can use crackers that don’t contain plastic or anything that isn’t recyclable.
Eco friendly Christmas cards. Rather than buying cards that are plastic wrapped or covered in material that can’t be recycled, why not make your own cards? You can reuse cards from the year before to make your own unique designs or get some card or paper and get creative! We all love receiving post but to really lower your environmental impact, rather than buying cards, make a donation to a local charity instead.
One way to be eco-friendly is to wrap presents using recyclable paper. Bows and ribbons aren’t biodegradable and neither is glittery paper. Why not use brown paper or reuse paper from previous years? You can even make your own tags using recyclable or reusable materials.
Do you have any other suggestions for an eco-friendly Christmas? You can leave your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter, @ukfamilymatters ukfamilymatters |
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Christmas
AROUND THE WORLD
We all have our own traditions when it comes to Christmas. Some families like to present each other with Christmas Eve boxes, others keep all gifts for the big day and others even have two Christmases split between different households. It’s the same all over the globe, here are what some of the other countries in the world do at Christmas — do any of these traditions take your fancy?
JAPAN
FOUR EYES ARE BETTER THAN TWO
Christmas is mainly celebrated in countries with a strong Christian or Pagan connections, so it isn’t widely acknowledged in places like Japan. In some parts of the country however, there are people who celebrate Christmas by looking out for Santa Kuroshu who has four eyes, two at the front and two at the back to keep an eye on naughty children!
UKRAINE HANGING SPIDERS ON THE TREE In the UK we usually hang baubles and tinsel on our trees but in Ukraine, they put fake spiders and webs on theirs! It is thought that this brings luck to the family and comes from an old folk story where a poor woman couldn’t afford to dress up her tree and so some spiders came and decorated it for her with their webs.
ICELAND HANGING WITH THE LADS In the 13 days leading up to Christmas, Iceland plays host to the Yule Lads, 13 trolls who visit children all over the country. Children are encouraged to leave their best shoes by the window and a different Yule Lad will visit each night with nice presents for the good children and rotting potatoes for the bad ones. 6 |
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AUSTRIA/ A VISIT FROM GERMANY KRAMPUS
While Santa is helped by friendly elves and magic reindeer in the UK, in Germany and Austria he has a different kind of helper. The story is that while Father Christmas visits the good children, his helper, Krampus, a hairy beast with horns and hooves sees to the naughty children. Let’s hope he doesn’t decide to visit us!
CZ
INSTEAD OF A PRESENT, REPUECH BLIC GET A FIANCÉ! In the Czech Republic, one Christmas tradition involves young, single women standing with their backs to the front door and throwing their shoes over their shoulder. If a shoe lands with its toe pointing towards the door, it means that she will get married in the coming year.
CHICKEN NOT TURKEY
JAPAN
A recent tradition that has started in Japan is having KFC! While we’re familiar with the fast food chain, in Japan they have a special Christmas menu that can’t be found anywhere else in the world and people love it so much, they place orders weeks in advance!
HIDE YOUR BROOMS!
NORWAY
In Norway, like much of Europe, it is Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day when all the action happens. In Norway in particular, Christmas Eve is considered to be more like our Halloween than our Christmas. Evil spirits and witches are said to roam the streets on this night, so families hide their brooms before they go to bed to keep themselves safe.
ROLLING TO CHURCH
VENEZUELA
Going to church is all part of Christmas, with Crib Services and Midnight Mass taking place to mark the event. In the UK, you would likely walk or drive to church but in Venezuela they go by roller skates! In the capital, it is tradition to roller skate to church throughout the Christmas holidays and main roads are even closed so no one gets hurt!
BEATING SWEETS OUT OF WOOD
SPAIN
A Catalonian tradition is to carve a small creature out of a log and place it on the dining table around a fortnight before Christmas. Over the next weeks, the creature must be fed with fruit, nuts and sweets. On Christmas Eve, the family beat it with sticks until all the goodies come out. TASTY FOOD
GREENLAND
BURN THE GOAT! Christmas is full of tempting treats and it is no exception in Greenland. Mattak is a Christmas delicacy made of raw whale skin complete with blubber. Another is kiviak, which involves a small bird being wrapped in seal skin and then buried for several months before being eaten. Yum.
SWEDEN
Since the 1960s, Gävel in Sweden have built a 13 metre tall Yule Goat which has stood in the centre of their Castle Square. However, since it started being displayed people have tried to burn it down and they have been successful 29 times! ukfamilymatters |
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He’s one of Santa’s top helpers but did you know these things about Rudolph and his fellow reindeer?
HOW W DO YOU ELL KNOW RUDOL PH?
Reindeer live for up to 15 years in the wild, domesticated ones can live up to 20 years. Reindeer can grow up to 1.2 metres tall. Reindeer herding is an ancient tradition in places like Russia, China, Mongolia and Scandinavia. Reindeer are farmed for their fur, milk, meat and antlers — which is used to create traditional tools.
Image: freepik.com 8 |
You can find reindeer in the arctic, the forests of Greenland, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, Canada and of course, Lapland where Santa lives! They are also found in North America, but there they are known as caribou!
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Unlike other deer, both male and female reindeer grow antlers. Male reindeer can have antlers that are up to 1.4 metres long! The points are known as tines. Male reindeer tend to lose their antlers in November, while female ones lose theirs later — so if you see Santa’s sleigh being pulled by reindeer that still have antlers, that means they are girls! Reindeers start growing their first antlers at two years old. Once they start growing antlers, they will fall off and regrow every year. A reindeer’s favourite food is lichen. It’s a type of fungi that can be found in open spaces on high ground.
Rudolph isn’t the only reindeer with a red nose, reindeer have lots of veins in their noses which heats up the air as they breathe and keeps them nice and warm! It can also give their noses a little pinkish tinge! Reindeer use their antlers to dig up the snow to find food. The tribe that Anna and Elsa visit in the forest in Frozen II is based on a real tribe that use reindeer to transport goods through the snow.
Reindeer spend almost half their lives in snow! Because it snows so much where they live, they have evolved to help them survive including being good at swimming, having hollow fur and cloven hooves.
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TOP TIPS FOR PREPARING THE PERFECT
Christmas dinner!
T STEP ONE — SOURCING YOUR MEA likely If you’re a meat-eating family, you will the for lar simi g need a turkey or somethin to order best also is It l. mea your centrepiece of know you l your turkey in advance, but not unti can You for. ing cook how many people you are or up ed pick be to it for then either arrange delivered ready for Christmas Eve. ts on a You can even get turkey or other mea check out or hers butc l loca budget, speak to your the best get to liers supp e onlin and supermarkets deal. chicken, If you don’t want turkey, you can use like. you t mea r othe any or duck, pork, beef options free t mea zing ama e som also are e Ther you who on the market these days for those of as. istm Chr n vega or n want a vegetaria sure to know For those of you doing turkey, make ing for — cook are exactly how many people you nd and no arou go to gh enou that way you’ll have e. excess wast depending Here’s an idea of what size you’ll need ts. on the number of gues 4-6 people – 3kg 8-10 people – 4kg 10-12 people – 5kg 12-14 – 6kg 16-18 people – 8kg meat that Some shops also sell smaller cuts of smaller for l idea — weigh between 1 and 2kg gatherings. ber of While it is important to take the num r you teve wha sure guests into account, make check and oven your e insid choose will also fit offer es plac e Som . have you ge stora h how muc are h whic s frozen turkeys or other meat joint have you sure e mak so al, usually more economic a ng havi re you’ If er! freez your in enough room it store to need fresh bird or cut of meat, you will ! able avail e spac gh in the fridge, so keep enou
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Making Christmas dinner can be one of the most stressful aspects of the day, especially when it is your time to cook or you’re in charge of the turkey for the first time. Here are some top tips for a memorable meal this Christmas.
STEP TWO — PREPARING THE MEAT If you go for a turkey, when you get it home or choose to defrost it, make sure to remove the giblets if they haven’t already been taken out and wash the cavity before starting to cook. To calculate the exact time you’ll need to cook your meat you need to know the exact weight, for instance, for those cooking turkey in a preheated oven, you will require 20 minutes cooking time per kg plus an extra 70 minutes. So, a 5kg turkey will need to cook for around 2 hrs and 50 minutes and then be left to rest before serving. Everyone likes to cook in different ways so make sure to take these processes into account when getting ready. For instance, those that want to marinate their meat will need to allow a different amount of time to those that are cooking with bacon or vegetables on top. Also remember what time you are planning to serve dinner to know when to get started. When it comes to creating something as large as a Christmas dinner, you will need to cook it for the correct time for its size. Too little and the meat is inedible, too much and it will be dry and tough.
STEP THREE — COOKING Once you’ve figured out how long you need to cook for be sure to keep an eye on it. Test the internal temperature with a probe thermometer if you have one. 60 You’ll know its cooked when it reaches will t mea the gh, thou y worr degrees. Don’t it. continue to cook itself when you rest
STEP FOUR — SERVING Once your meat is cooked, you will need to figure out how to serve it. Some people like to carve at the table , others like to do it in the kitchen and plate up. However you do it, here are some tips on how to carve a turkey: • Start with the drumsticks, then the wings. • Cut off the dark meat, following the direction of the bone. • Remove the breast meat and slice. • Carve the white meat in downward slices. • Once carved, don’t forget to remove the stuffing!
making friends Quick ways to make a new pal today 1
STEP FIVE — LEFT OVERS If you have any left overs, allow it to cool and then wr ap in foil and refrigerate. You ca n use the leftovers throughout the fol lowing days, for instance in sandwi ches or curries.
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Say something nice
Talk about your favourite hobby
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CHRISTMAS
Reads
To find out the best reads for the Christmas season, we spoke to the team at Libraries West, have you read any of these? Or added any of them to your Christmas list?
POPULAR FAMILY CHOICES
Paddington and the Christmas Surprise by Michael Bond
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs
The Unicorns Who Saved Christmas by Mary Winn Heider
Mog’s Christmas by Judith Kerr
The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Father Christmas and Me by Matt Haig
Hetty Feather’s Christmas by Matt Haig
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss
How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. Smith
NEW THIS YEAR
The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling
The Christmas Carrols by Mel TaylorBessent
The Night I met Father Christmas by Ben Miller The Good Bear by Sarah Lean
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The Miracle on Ebenezer Street by Chatherine Doyle
The Christmasaurus and the Naughty List by Tom Fletcher
Santa Gets a second Job by Michele D’Ignazio
Tinsel by Sibeal Pounder
The Christmas Pine by Julia Donaldson
This Christmas Eve, why not make the night as magical as possible by getting together and tracking Santa’s progress as he makes his way across the world? Every year, he takes off from his home in the North Pole and makes his way to all the good boys and girls around the globe. As you can imagine, it’s the busiest night of the year for him and his reindeer — he has over 75 million homes to visit!
Keep track
of Santa this Christmas
Of course, Santa won’t visit if you’re not asleep, so make sure to be in bed at the right time by following his progress online! As soon as he starts getting close to your home, make sure you’re in bed and the lights are out!
The Tudors:
Mick Peter:
A major new exhibition featuring 25 famous Tudor portraits.
A trail inside and outside the Holburne of amusing sculptures which appear to be drawings that have come to life.
Passion, Power & Politics 28 JANUARY TO 8 MAY 2022
Old Ghosts 14 JANUARY TO 15 MAY 2022
In partnership with the
Supported by an Arts Council England National Lottery Grant.
Image: © Mick Peter Studio Selfie
Image: Queen Elizabeth I by Unknown English artist, circa 1588 © National Portrait Gallery, London
Follow his journey by heading to www.santatracker.google.com
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- STAY SAFE THIS WINTER With shorter days, darker evenings and colder weather, it is much easier to find yourself in a spot of bother. Here are a few ways that you can make sure the whole family stays safe this winter. JOURNEY PLANNING If you’re using public transport, make sure you are aware of the route you’re taking and which buses or trains you’ll be using. Let someone know your route and what time you should be at home. Where possible, use e-tickets to avoid losing them and make sure you have enough money, either on a contactless card or in cash to pay the fare. Avoid any empty compartments on trains, sit near the driver on a bus if travelling alone and only ever use licenced taxis. Keep an eye on any luggage and be aware of your surroundings at all times — after all, everything looks different in the dark, even places you know well! If you’re driving, make sure that your car is well maintained and ready to cope with whatever the weather wants to do. We all know how unpredictable it can be here! Make sure you have adequate screen wash, oil and fuel to last your journey and if you have a spare tire, check that it is roadworthy before setting off. Keep an ice scraper, torch, up to date first aid kit, warm clothes and a shovel in your car and if you have them, take jump leads with you. You never know when you or another driver might need a hand. While it might be tempting to leave the engine running on a cold morning, don’t — there is a chance that the car could start rolling forwards or backwards and there is also a risk of theft if you leave your car unattended with the engine running. Depending on how new your car is, it should make you aware of ice on the road and dropping outdoor 14 |
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temperatures. You should always respond to weather warnings or dashboard lights and drive to the conditions of the road, especially beware of black ice and fog.
STAYING ACTIVE Shorter days doesn’t mean you have to cut down on your exercise routine, but it does mean that we have to be a bit more careful. If you’re exercising after dark, keep to well lit areas and wear bright, reflective clothing to make sure that you’re seen by motorists. Ideally, you should always go out with a friend, but if you do go out alone, make sure to tell someone your route and when you plan to be back. If you’re cycling, use lights when out after dark, in the rain or in cloudy weather. Also make sure to use your bell to make others aware of your presence. It is illegal to cycle in the dark without lights, so check that these are working before setting out. It is important to wear a helmet all year around, but especially so in the winter when conditions can be icy and dark. Similarly, if your children are going out cycling or skateboarding, ensure that they are wearing a helmet — it’s good practice for them and will keep them safe. We know that staying active and healthy is important but your safety is even more so. Keep an eye on the weather and if it is rainy or icy, give it a miss for that day.
GOING OUT WITH THE CHILDREN Kids are small and can be fast, which can cause issues if there’s ice and poor
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visibility. Keep your kids in brightly coloured or reflective clothing so they can be easily seen on the school run. Plan your route and walk in well lit areas wherever you can. Keep a hold on their hands, especially if they’re little and make sure to talk to them about road safety.
HOME SECURITY At this time of year, with potentially expensive Christmas presents being left at home, you could become a target for thieves. You can keep gifts somewhere secure or if they are under your tree, make sure that you lock all windows and doors and keep your house secure. You can prevent crime by leaving lights on or having other electricals on a timer to give the impression that someone is in. Speaking of Christmas gifts — while it can be tempting to go for a cheaper option, make sure that it has passed the relevant safety checks before buying it for your children. You can always check with Trading Standards if you aren’t sure.
KEEPING PETS SAFE If you haven’t already, make sure your pets are microchipped, so if they get lost, you can be reunited easily. Vets will microchip cats, dogs and even rabbits! When taking your dog for a walk in the winter months, make sure to wear reflective clothing and get a reflective collar/harness or light for them so they can be easily seen. If it’s very cold, consider keeping them home rather than taking them out for a walk, you wouldn’t want to be barefoot in the
snow and ice after all! For dogs that are elderly, have health conditions or generally feel the cold, you can buy jumpers and coats to give them a little extra warmth. While your dog might like jumping in puddles and rivers, make sure to keep them away from any ponds, rivers or puddles in the winter, the water will be colder than they might anticipate and any that are frozen over could easily break under their weight! If you have a cat, make sure that they have access to a warm environment, even farm cats and outdoor cats will need somewhere warm to spend the winter months. Make sure any bedding is away from draughts and is warm and dry. Before heading out in your car, make sure to check underneath for cats before starting the engine — cats have been known to take shelter under cars where it is warmer, particularly under
the bonnet where the engine is. Whether you have a cat or a dog, make sure to keep any antifreeze and rock salt away from them — they are poisonous to pets, so make sure to wash their paws if they have been out anywhere that might be gritted and store these items somewhere they can’t get to it. Outdoor pets will need extra bedding and their hutches or aviaries will need to be protected from adverse weather. You can get covers from pet shops, but be sure to check on them regularly to make sure that they have additional dry, warm bedding and that they are in a sheltered location. If the temperature drops below 15 degrees, consider moving them into an outhouse, shed or garage for extra warmth or even bring them inside. Just make sure they have plenty of room and can be kept in a safe and secure environment. Birds will eat more in
cold conditions, so make sure that they have access to plenty of food and water and ensure that their water doesn’t freeze over. If you have a pond, you’ll need to check your fish every day in the winter too. Check the surface isn’t completely frozen over as poisonous gasses can build up under the ice, however, don’t just break any ice as this can harm the fish, but you can melt it gently by placing a saucepan of hot water on the surface. Horses and ponies will need to have access to shelter, fresh water and will need waterproof coverings such as rugs or specially made coats to keep them warm and dry. Check water troughs are clear of ice and regularly check their feet, as too much mud can cause problems such as abscesses. When out riding a horse in the winter, make sure both you and the horse are visible by wearing reflective clothing.
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new year? WHY DO WE MAKE RESOLUTIONS AT
A
s New Year’s Eve rolls around, you might find people start asking you what your resolutions are for the coming year. It’s a tradition that we’ve grown used to but where did it come from and why are resolutions so important? Well, the custom of making New Year’s resolutions started thousands of years ago, but while these days we might decide that we want to join the gym or learn a new skill, the resolutions of yesteryear were very different.
New Year Resolutions were first popularised by the ancient Babylonians who were also the same people who started honouring the new year, though back then, it was celebrated in the spring time when they planted their crops. As part of their Akitu festival which saw in the new year, the Babylonians would make promises to their gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed from their neighbours. These promises are what we now know as resolutions. If they kept their words, their gods would bestow favour on them, much like how we believe that if we keep to our resolutions, we will have a good year. The practise was also used by the Romans who would make sacrifices to the God Janus with promises of being good for the coming year. Later, early Christians made the New Year a time for reflection when they would think back on their past mistakes and resolve to do better in the new year. 16 |
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Something similar also took place during the Middle Ages — at the end of every year, Knights would have to renew their vows and promise to continue to be chivalrous in the coming year. The promise had to be made while placing your hand on a peacock — live or roasted, your choice. The vow was known as the annual Peacock Vow
These days, resolutions aren’t seen as being a religious practice or requiring a peacock and are instead a way to encourage selfimprovement. New Year’s Resolutions as we know them were commonplace by the 17th century. One record, found in the diary of Anne Halkett, a Scottish writer, said: “I will not offend anymore.”
The most popular modern day resolutions include: Exercise more Drink less alcohol Quit smoking Learn a new skill Lose weight Find a new job Volunteer Read more Save more money
Are you making any New Year’s resolutions? Share them over on Facebook or Twitter, @ukfamilymatters
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LATEST SCHOOL NEWS
EVENTS
DIARY DATES
YOUR SUCCESSES
News and Reviews ANCIENT GREEK DAY AT TRINITY FIRST SCHOOL
Year 4 at Trinity First School organised an Ancient Greek Day as a way of launching their new history topic. The children loved dressing up as Ancient Greeks and they put their heart and soul into all the activities. The morning began with wreath making, learning about the Greek alphabet, designing Greek theatre masks and acting out a Greek myth. After a quick lunch, the afternoon continued with Greek Olympics and Greek food tasting. “It was such fun,” said Archie Webster. “I loved making the theatre masks", said Vinny Lock.
WESTBURY JUNIOR SCHOOL WELCOMES STONE AGE VISITOR
A NEW POND FOR WESTFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL
One of the wonderful things about Westfield Primary School is the way in which it uses outside space to teach the children about sustainability and bio-diversity. A few projects have been helped out by grant money from the Westfield Parish Council pot and the latest one that is coming to fruition is a pond in the grounds of the school. The ground was cleared of debris and pictured are children from Year 6 Garden Club removing the last of the small stones before the pond liner is put in place. The Parish Council gave a grant to the school to go towards a triple layer pond liner and wood to secure it. The children were delighted to find some small fossils when they were clearing the stones — it’s wonderful that they can continue to learn from such a great environmental project. They are looking forward to getting the pond liner in next term and seeing it fill with water.
Year 3 children at Westbury Junior School have been studying the Stone Age and were very lucky to have a visitor who showed the children how to knap flint to make a hand axe. Plus, the children were able to keep the Stone Age tools he made for each class while he answered all their questions. He even used an antler to create the perfect shape! Both staff and children were captivated watching him work! ukfamilymatters |
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AMAZING FUNDRAISING AT BISHOP SUTTON! Pupils and parents at Bishop Sutton Primary School have done a wonderful job fundraising over the last few months. The Smarties Challenge raised £300 which will allow the children to have a magical Christmas this year at school! If that wasn’t enough, the Spooky Halloween Disco raised a massive £670 which is amazing! The figure from the Halloween Trail hadn’t been confirmed at time of print but looks like it will exceed £300! The money from these two events will be combined and split between the classes so the teacher can buy essential items that pertain directly to their students. Well done everyone!
BUSY TIMES AT EVERCREECH C OF E SCHOOL Mulberry Class made clay faces on trees with natural objects during their outdoor learning. They also had a wonderful trip to Carymoor Environmental Trust. They looked for evidence to find Henry the Hedgehog. Sycamore Class have been learning about ancient Egyptian mummification. They had a lesson called 'mummification stations' where they did some little activities to practise the process. This included wrapping up cuddly toys in bandages, scooping out the inside of tomatoes and stuffing them and drying pieces of apple in salt. They enjoyed it and learnt a lot! The class then took part in a fabulous trip to the Tutankhamun Exhibition in Dorchester. They loved looking at the replica models of treasures found in his tomb, replica mummies and replica examples of the tomb as when Howard Carter discovered it in 1922. Their guide was very impressed with the children's knowledge and the great questions that they asked.
EVACUEE EXPERIENCE Willow Class from Evercreech C of E Primary School have been learning about the Second World War. To support this theme, they visited the East Somerset Railway so that the children could get an idea of how it may have felt to be an evacuee. The children learnt lots of interesting things about children and other people in the war. They were billeted and had a ride in the steam train, they fully immersed themselves in the experience by wearing clothing that resembled that of an evacuee. 20 |
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THANK YOU CHELWOOD ROTARY! Year 4 pupils at Bishop Sutton Primary School were very pleased to receive a dictionary each thanks to Chelwood Rotary Club. The Rotary Club work hard to benefit communities around the Chew Valley and other local areas, as well as overseas including recently in Yemen and Haiti.
ROMAN LEARNING AT SHOSCOMBE SCHOOL
SYCAMORE CLASS LEARN ABOUT GEORGIAN BATH Sycamore class (Year 5 & 6) at Shoscombe Primary completed their recent History unit about their local area and more specifically about Georgian Bath and Bristol. Firstly they went to No. 1 The Royal Crescent in Bath, where they learnt about life in a Bath town house during the Georgian period. Having such an excellent museum on the door step brought that period alive. They tried on examples of clothes worn at the time, as well as learnt to write with quills and seal their hand written invitations with wax. The second visit was to Bristol and the New Rooms, the oldest Methodist building in the world. The Methodist Church was started here by John Wesley. He was a man who was prepared to stand up for those who didn’t have a voice at the time and shine a light on issues many didn’t want to deal with, which was a powerful message for the children. Having learnt about the horrors of the Slave Trade it created balance to hear about John Wesley, who fought to spread the truth about the reality of the trade and protested enough to ensure it ended. He certainly inspired the children to think carefully about the history of our local area.
AUTUMN TERM AT ST. JOHN’S Pupils at St. John’s Primary School have been focussing on this term’s Christian Value of Peace, culminating with a day of Remembrance on 11th November. Pupils and staff observed a minutes’ silence at 11am and spent the day learning about the World Wars and the importance of Remembrance Day. Pupils throughout the school, including the nursery, participated in activities including making poppies, writing poems and decorating trees with hand-print poppies.
Years 3 and 4 at Shoscombe Primary School visited the Roman Baths as part of their local history theme, the Romans. Whilst there, they explored artefacts and decided what they were used for, took part in a shopping challenge using Roman coins and artefacts of the day, dressed up in togas and built bridges, created mosaics using tiles and completed puzzles of Minerva. The pupils also had a tour of the baths which included the new gym. All pupils thoroughly enjoyed using the audio guides and were full of facts and anecdotes at the end of the school day. ukfamilymatters |
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AWARD-WINNING MID-SOMERSET SCHOOL CELEBRATES A COMEDY SCOOP Ashcott Primary School was chosen as the only school in the country to hold a press conference with comedian and writer David Baddiel. Mr Baddiel is famous to many a footie fan for his ‘Three Lions’ soccer song, which has become the unofficial England football anthem since 1996. Ashcott Primary School was given the opportunity to interview him about the publication of his new children’s book ‘(The Boy Who Got) Accidentally Famous’. During the Zoom press conference, Mr Baddiel gave the Ashcott pupils an exclusive reading from his new book before answering questions ranging from his own school days to what he really thinks of that football song! Ashcott pupils said they were thrilled with the opportunity to interview Mr Baddiel, which came through its Press Club — a lunchtime extra-curricular club that produces its own ‘Ashcott Compass’ newspaper every half-term. This edition’s current guest editor is Year 6 pupil Eleia, who is already a big fan of David Baddiel’s writing, having read every one of his nine children’s books. “It was mind-blowing to interview and hear one of my favourite authors,” she said. The Ashcott Press Club were given the chance to interview Mr Baddiel by First News, the children’s newspaper, which earlier this year crowned ‘The Ashcott Compass’ the national primary school newspaper of the year — for the second time.
LANTERN MAKING AT ST JOHNS The children at St John’s had a wonderful day with local artist, Amanda, in conjunction with Yeast Scrapstore!The children made and decorated lanterns for the Glastonbury’s Frost Fayre and they absolutely loved it. Yeast Scrapstore regularly work with St John’s to help bring out our children’s creativity. From large resources to encourage role-play in the playground, to smaller craft resources for classroom use. The school look forward to the next arty project!
WELLNESS AT WELTON SCHOOL Towards the end of last term, Welton Primary School in Midsomer Norton celebrated their first Wellness Week, which involved a weeklong focus on how to keep our bodies and minds healthy. Children took part in a range of physical activities as well as looking at how to look after their teeth and the importance of getting the right amount of sleep.
SPONSORED WALK Staff, children and parents from Year 6 at Westbury Junior School completed a sponsored walk to the top of the Westbury White Horse. It was a challenge but the children showed amazing resilience and reached the top in record time, ready to enjoy the wonderful views over the town. The school are raising money to subsidise the cost of coach hire for their residential trip later this term and so far have raised almost £800!
WOW
WOW
Arthur Achieved his Level 1 swimming.
Poppy Achieved her primary ballet grade.
WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT
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