At last, the grass has turned green again. Whilst this has meant a few wet breaktimes and lunchtimes, it certainly feels as though the seasons are beginning to shift. After a rather unique summer, normal service appears to have resumed, with the evenings drawing in surprisingly quickly. In much the same vein, it has been another “normal” and action-packed week at Whitehill.
We have enjoyed three educational visits, welcomed the return of singing assemblies and PE lessons, and seen some fantastic learning taking place across the school. The term is already flying by and, as I continue to learn more about Whitehill each day, it remains an absolute delight to be part of such a wonderful school community.
The week began with a kindness assembly, where two Year 6 pupils re-enacted the memorable finish-line scenes from the 2017 Dallas Women’s Marathon. Accompanied by a stirring rendition of Chariots of Fire, we explored how acts of kindness, both large and small, can have a powerful impact on others. The pupils reflected thoughtfully on the importance of empathy, support and community.
On Tuesday, Mrs Burniston launched our Junior Leadership Team programme, introducing pupils to the democratic process and explaining the role they can play in shaping school life. We are looking forward to the hustings next Thursday, when candidates will have the opportunity to present their ideas and perhaps take the first steps in their political careers!
Wednesday saw me joining Year 3 for an exciting day at Wymondley Woods. The pupils immersed themselves in bug hunting, den building and leaf rubbing activities. Although the woodland was rather dry, we still managed to discover a variety of insects and plenty of spiders. The dens created would have made Ray Mears proud, and the children demonstrated excellent teamwork, creativity and resilience throughout the day. Not content with simply constructing shelters, many groups even added seating areas to their woodland homes. The peaceful surroundings did not remain quiet for long, however, as the determined efforts to create leaf prints transformed the woods into a lively outdoor workshop! Well done to all of Year 3 for representing the school so brilliantly and thank you to Mr Denney and everyone involved in organising the visit.
Year 6 have also been out and about this week, with Kahlo Class visiting the Henry Moore Foundation on Wednesday and Wilde Class following on Thursday. After a guided tour of the stunning grounds and sculptures, pupils completed observational sketches inspired by Moore’s work. Staff at the museum and members of the public were highly complementary about the children’s conduct, enthusiasm and engagement throughout the visit. Well done to all of Year 6 and thank you to Mrs Bryan and the accompanying staff for making the experience possible.
Back in the classroom, there has been no shortage of high-quality learning. In Year 3, pupils have been studying the work of Bridget Riley, producing informative biographies and exploring her distinctive artistic style through their own creative responses. The resulting displays are both vibrant and eye-catching. Year 4 have been putting the finishing touches to their “All about us” books demonstrating their illustrative and writing talents. Year 5 have taken advantage of the nice weather to have a scavenger hunt around the school site – the clues all related to topics they will be studying during the year. A great way to be active and find out about what future learning has in store. In Year 6, pupils have begun their study of Antarctica, which is very much up my geography street! They have already impressed me with their knowledge of the continent, its unique environment and, of course, the many species of penguin that inhabit the region.
We have also settled back into one of Whitehill’s much-loved traditions: singing assemblies. This week’s highlight was a rousing rendition of Eye of the Tiger, enthusiastically performed by pupils across the school. A huge thank you to Mrs Jarmon for leading these sessions with such energy and enthusiasm.
We finished the week with our Achievers’ Assembly, celebrating the many successes of our pupils. Following Aztec’s success as last week’s Class of the Week, congratulations go to Voyager, who earned the accolade this week through their excellent attitude, effort and teamwork. For the second week running Fire has taken the House trophy (well done!) – surely one of the other houses will catch them up next week?
It has been a busy but immensely rewarding week. Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope everyone enjoys a restful weekend, and we look forward to another exciting week of learning, achievement and opportunity at Whitehill.
Have a wonderful weekend.
