News from the Middle Department

Message from Mrs Greenwood

It has been wonderful to see the children returning to school this week so full of energy, positivity and enthusiasm for everything that lies ahead of them this term. They have been fabulous ambassadors for the School in the way they have welcomed Mrs Doyle (3D), Mrs Routledge (4R) and Miss Bailey (4B) with open arms, and really helped them settle into their new roles this term. I know that Mrs Doyle and Mrs Routledge already feel very much a part of our special Beechwood family.

Looking ahead, you will have seen elsewhere in the newsletter that we are ‘opening up our Year 3 and 4 classrooms’ from 0800-0900 on Friday 27 January for parents to come and join us. Your children in Years 3 and 4 will look forward to sharing their work with you, and it will also be an opportunity for you to touch base informally with your child’s Form Teacher before our Year 3 and 4 parent consultation meetings later this term, and to visit the Art, DT and Music Departments where the children will also delight in sharing their ongoing projects with you.

At the end of this term, Mrs Balfour will sadly be leaving us to take up a new position as Head of Pre Prep at Edge Grove School; she has been a wonderful Head of Year 5, ensuring that, along with her team, the children’s academic and pastoral journeys have been as smooth, enjoyable and memorable as they can be, and also a very highly valued colleague. There will be time for us all to say farewell nearer the time, and I know that it will be very much business as usual in Year 5 in the meantime for what promises to be an action-packed Lent Term at Beechwood! I hope to be able to confirm who will be stepping into Mrs Balfour’s shoes for the Summer Term in the next couple of weeks.

I wish you and your family an enjoyable weekend.

With best wishes,

Mrs Greenwood
Head of Middle Department

This week in Year 3

Welcome back!

The Year 3s have returned to school after the break full of beans and keen to share their Christmas stories.

It has been a full week, with lots of new clubs and activities and for our new boy, Alessio, it was a whole new school! He has settled in brilliantly and the children have welcomed him with their usual enthusiasm and warmth. Our other new addition to Year 3 is 3D’s form teacher, Mrs Doyle, who is already bringing lots of new ideas and laughter to her class. We are very lucky to have such a strong and talented Year 3 team.

English

We have been looking at poetry this week and focusing on different aspects each day. One of the poems was by Simon Pitt, entitled ‘At the End of School Assembly’, which linked the name of the teacher with the way their class moved. The children had lots of fun playing with language and miming the movements and even linking it to our science topic on Forces!

Here is a selection of some of our favourite lines:

Mr Moon’s class dashed quietly off

Miss Lollypop’s class roller skated out

Miss Mad’s lot tiptoed out silently

Mr Spy’s Lot sneaked out

Miss Tortoise’s Lot w…e…r…e….s…o…o…o…….s…l…o…w..

Mr Anti-Science’s Class slipped out without friction

Mrs Charleston’s lot danced across the hall.

Mr Confused’s class just….. wandered off

Mr Computer’s lot signed out!

News Year’s Resolutions for 2023

Year 3 also took the time to think about two things that they were proud of from last year and one thing they were going to try not do do. They also looked to the future and thought of two people they would like to get to know better and three aspirations for the forthcoming year. Their hopes for this year were interesting and varied and included:

To get scouted for Man City
To play more tunes on my flute
To tidy my room more
To learn to do a cartwheel
To learn how to rock climb
To tie my shoelaces quicker
To get in the top team for cricket
To make new friends
To gain a star badge
To become a better friend,
To be more active,
To get better at doing homework,
Not to be afraid.

Open Classroom Session

The children are very proud of their work and would love to show it off! With this in mind, we would like to invite you to come to a drop-in Open Classroom session on Friday 27 January between 0800 and 0900. The children will be able to show you a selection of their work and you can have a chat with the Year 3 team. You will find your own personal invitation in their book bags with the details.

Children’s Society Fundraiser

Many thanks for the money raised for the Children’s Society last term. The children really enjoyed dressing the tree with their baubles, which made the courtyard look very festive. We raised a total of £159 which will help young people by counselling and supporting them through their most serious life challenges.

This week in Year 4

Happy New Year from Year 4! This week Year 4 have welcomed two new teachers Mrs Routledge and Ms Bailey to their department. Both have been made to feel very welcome by everyone.

Year 4 have also started new topics in Science and History. In Science we are learning all about teeth and in History we are studying the Aztecs.

Year 4 have also spent some time looking ahead and discussing what they are looking forward to in 2023. School disco, sports fixtures, our trip to Alymerton are all just a few of the very exciting things that Year 4 have to look forward to this year!

Open Classroom Session

The children are very proud of their work and would love to show it off! With this in mind, we would like to invite you to come to a drop-in Open Classroom session on Friday 27 January between 0800 and 0900. The children will be able to show you a selection of their work and you can have a chat with the Year 4 team. You will find your own personal invitation in their book bags with the details.

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Routledge
Head of Year 4

This week in Year 5

Happy New Year from the Year 5 team!

In spite of the gloomy weather outside, the children have returned to school full of warmth and chatter and are enjoying the new topics in the classrooms, Emil play rehearsals and new sports and games rotations.

In Year 5 Geography this term, we are taking the long trip from Europe over to Brazil to continue our learning. The children are already well-informed about the Amazon rainforest following their lessons in Year 4 so now they can expand and deepen their understanding of this varied and interesting country that covers a vast amount of South America.

In Art this week they have been putting their technical skills to the test, painting using blocks and strings and have come up with some wonderfully creative results, as you can see below:

We start by looking at the different regions and landscapes of Brazil which will then lead onto climate patterns. In addition to the physical geography of the land, we will also explore urbanisation, push and pull factors and the significant economic differences and challenges that affect so many Brazilians. We will then return to the rainforest to find out more about the indigenous people that inhabit this tropical wilderness and also how humans rely on the rainforest and the effects of deforestation in recent times.

Finally, if time allows, we will explore life and culture in Brazil and the reasons why it is a fantastic tourist destination.

It is a wonderfully rich topic that the children thoroughly enjoy and we hope that, come Easter, you will be inundated with requests to change your holiday plans for the Summer!

As you know, the children have also been preparing for their first Year 5 exams next week. We have spent time in class together discussing exactly how the exam sessions will run and working hard to ensure that the children feel as calm and positive as possible. There is certainly no need for hours of revision over the weekend. They children have been revising in class with their teachers and have sensibly followed revision guidance in prep time too. They key thing is to learn how to take tests or exams well. We will support them in this on Monday and Wednesday next week.

With best wishes for the weekend

The Year 5 Pastoral Team

From the Middle Department Library

Space Blasters: Suzie and the Moon Bugs by Katie & Kevin Tsang

Space Blasters is a great new series following STEM heroine Suzie. Suzie sees herself as an inventor however things don’t quite go to plan. In the first novel (, her Super 3DTV Gizmo went a little awry and blasted her into her favourite TV show, Space Blasters where it was down to her to save the universe. In ‘Moon Bugs’, the second in the series, Suzie’s happily exploring the Space Blasters universe when it again falls upon her to save the day. Cue hilarious antics, and fun-filled adventure.

Katie and Kevin Tsang’s latest creation sits midway between their Sam Wu adventures and the Dream Realm, with occasional illustrations, making the series a fun, engaging read.

Head’s Commendations

Congratulations to this week’s recipients of Mrs Cussan’s Commendations:

	Nurture	Inspire	Engage
Year 3	-	-	Jack B, Louis L
Year 4	Sasha L	-	Maria D, William F
Year 5	-	-	Kasper LB, Emilia GS, George M