Primary School Updates (10 December 2021)

Key Dates | Library Update | Primary Learning Highlights

Phase 3 (Years 5 & 6) Round-Up  

Dear Parents,

As we come to the end of a busy festive half-term, it is exciting to look back and reflect on the achievements of our students, the efforts of our teachers, and the real sense of community that has developed during our Virtual School Experience (VSE) across Phase 3 in Primary.

In terms of taking on whole-school responsibilities we began the half-term with our newly elected House Captains planning and delivering an online assembly for World Children’s Day 2021. Working alongside Ms. Carroll, the following students set a wonderful example to their peers: Angus & Chiyo (Hanoi), Eric & Cecily (Hue), Una & Gia Han (Saigon) and Kaden &Thanh Luong (Dalat). With the focus on kindness and resilience, students in Years 5 and 6 shared stories, created gratitude jars, as well as compiling song playlists designed to inspire, celebrate, and promote positivity in a global context.

The topics covered in our IPC lessons have been AD900 in Year 5, which involved exploring the ancient Mayan civilization, and geographical biomes and natural disasters in What a Wonderful World in Year 6.

Year 5 have been reading the novel Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell and worked hard to incorporate aspects of their learning in Art & Design as well as their fiction writing. When planning for non-fiction, the children have explored non-chronological reports on Emperor Penguins as well as creating their very own homemade blubber in Science to replicate how these majestic animals are able to survive in such inhospitable environments.

Year 6 have explored the Neolithic landscape of Northern Europe when reading Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver. Set nearly 6,000 years ago, the students have used the magic of this novel to inspire their narrative fiction. In non-fiction, our children used their IPC topic to inspire environmental activism and global warming as we wrote persuasive letters to President Joe Biden in the USA.

In recent weeks, Phase 3 have started to incorporate valuable social opportunities online in their Kumopsace lessons as well as help support our students through our weekly PSHE coverage as well as working closely with Mr. Labelle (Computing Lead Teacher) when looking carefully at E-Safety.

To help maintain social interaction and friendships, teaching staff have worked collaboratively to plan project days centred on Reading, Writing and Maths. These have involved stone age cooking, geography workshops with Year 9 students, team-based games, as well as, among other pursuits, the successful design and construction of miniature bow and arrows in STEAM lessons.

A particular highlight has been the weekly House Quizzes whereby students have mixed together across classes and year groups to compete in a fun and enjoyable environment online for points and prizes.

As we approach the winter holidays, we thank all our students and their families for their continued support and wish everyone a safe and relaxing festive break.

Craig Driver 

Phase 3 Leader

Key Dates

• Friday 17 December: Principal Assembly 9 AM
• Friday 17 December: Last Day of Term 1 
• Wednesday 5 January: First Day of Term 2 

Library Open for Borrowing

Please see details about borrowing books from our library below.

Please remember to complete this Health Declaration Form before you visit the school. 

Also please note that, in order to maintain social distancing, if there are too many students/parents in the library when you arrive, you will be asked to wait until some people leave. 

Primary Learning Highlights

What a memorable term it has been! There were so many cheerful memories and we have seen lots of accomplishments and progress made by our Primary students.

We couldn't be more proud. Well done everyone, keep up the good work and have a wonderful holiday!

Let's take a look back at what our Primary students have achieved over this term. Check out the top right corner of the video below to watch our playlist of all the learning spotlight videos this term.