Michaelmas December 2023 End of Term Beechwood Park Lion

The Beechwood Park Lion Michaelmas Term 2023 beechwoodpark.com

Contents Page 4 Message from Mr Pritchard Page 5 Message from Mr Bullock Page 6 Woodlands Page 8 Reception Page 10 Year 1 Page 11 Year 2 Page 13 Year 3 Page 15 Year 4 Page 18 Year 5 Page 20 Year 6 Page 21 Year 7 Page 24 Top Form Page 27 Computing Page 30 Design Technology Page 32 TPR Page 33 Music Department Page 35 Art Department Page 38 Sports Department Page 40 Boarding Page 43 Charity Page 46 BPSPA Page 50 Library Page 52 Christmas Holiday Camps Page 53 Snow White Panto

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MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER Dear Parents, Family, and Friends of Beechwood Park, After a bumper week of Christmas celebrations, we have now reached the end of the Michaelmas Term at Beechwood Park School and my first term as the school’s new Headmaster.

The past few weeks, for me, have been about relationship building, listening, understanding and mild tweaking! Beechwood Park’s tremendously warm, vibrant, and friendly community have made Zoe and I feel very welcome. It has been a pleasure to work with the staff team this term and to meet and engage with our exceptionally supportive parents.

Of course, the best bit of the term, by far, has been getting to know the children, and what fabulous children they are… From the youngest learners in our Woodlands Nursery to our oldest Year Eight pupils in Top Form, Beechwood Park children genuinely stand out from the crowd with authenticity, care and confidence.

As a school, we are academically ambitious for all our children, and we seek to blend that daily with an unwavering focus on kindness, care and confidence. We are a school that values and promotes tradition alongside innovative learning. Helping children to live happy, healthy, successful lives is what we are all about…

Beechwood Park is creating 21st century learners and principled citizens with a caring sense of adventure, and I am thrilled and delighted to be playing a key role in that direction of travel.

Our school is a very exciting place to be part of and I am already looking forward to welcoming everyone back in the New Year.

It therefore just remains for me to thank you for all your support this term and to wish you and your family a, very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

MESSAGE FROM MR BULLOCK Deputy Head (Academic) and Chaplain

Academic Report – Michaelmas 2023 This term has been one of extremely successful transitions; as well as a new Headmaster, four new Academic Heads of Department joined us in September.

Mrs York, in leading the English department, has already introduced a new spelling scheme and it has been wonderful to see pupils actively practising spellings using the Spelling Shed online platform.

Mrs Gbedemah’s experience has been very evident as she has taken over as Head of Maths. She has a deep grasp of how pupils make best progress, confirmed by a consultation visit from the White Rose Maths team.

Mrs Waiting has taken over as Head of both Future Skills and PSHE and has been integral to pupils’ preparation for senior school assessments.

Mr Sadler, as our new Head of Digital Learning, has been inspiring pupils in computing and it has been wonderful seeing pupils staying behind at the end of lessons, asking for more - a sure sign of success.

Overall, it has been wonderful to witness pupils engaging so well in lessons and making great progress through the term.

As part of our continual professional development, members of staff undertake learning walks and their feedback, this term, includes: ‘The lessons I witnessed were action-packed, and I would love to have been a student in one of the classes’; ‘Pupils were engaged and excited about their learning’; ‘Great evidence of group work and collaborative learning’; ‘The lesson was made so much fun and encouraged everyone to use their imaginations and elaborate with detail.‘ I hope that this gives a flavour of many wonderful and inspiring lessons this term.

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WOODLANDS This term the Woodlanders have enjoyed working outdoors.

We have adventured in the forest, listened to stories, hunted for creatures, and made s'mores on the fire.

Everyday the outdoor classroom changes and there is always a surprise. We can’t wait to do more of this in the New Year.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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JUNIOR DEPARTMENT RECEPTION Reception have enjoyed a fun-packed Half Term which has included a variety of learning opportunities both indoors and outdoors. We loved visiting Woodlands for a shared celebration of Diwali; we found out about how Hindus celebrate and then had a chance to make our own creations.

The children worked incredibly hard to learn their lines, songs and stage actions for their Nativity Play; we loved seeing their speaking and listening skills developing alongside their growing confidence, culminating in a wonderful performance to our families. Christmas Decoration Day was lots of fun and a chance to develop expressive art skills as was our ‘Make a Paper Bag Puppet’ activity. We have enjoyed Forest School sessions and loved the chance to collect Autumn leaves for sorting and pattern making to support our Maths development.

Earlier in the half term we were very excited to have a visit from one of the children’s Fathers who works in the toy industry and spoke to them at length about his exciting job; this fitted in perfectly with our ‘Old and New Toys’ topic. We are super proud of the progress that everyone has made since September from learning to read to trying a variety of foods and from zipping coats to making new friends.

Happy Christmas from Reception!

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JUNIOR DEPARTMENT YEAR 1 Year 1 have had another very busy and exciting half term!

On the very first day back we were wowed by a visiting planetarium and enjoyed learning all about light in a fun and practical science workshop. We used this as a stimulus for some Literacy and Science work on Light and Dark. Later in the term, we also welcomed some feathered friends to learn more about nocturnal animals.

We have enjoyed reading and writing lots of Traditional Tales this term too. A visiting author, Alice Hemming, came into school to read us her book 'The Leaf Thief' and the children then invented their own characters. In our Maths lessons, we have begun adding and subtracting using practical equipment and have also sorted 2D and 3D shapes by their properties. The star in the crown of this half term has to be our Christmas Performance 'It's a Miracle!'.

The children made us so proud with their singing, dancing and acting skills and as you can see from the photos, they had lots of fun. In the final week of term, the children were excited to take part in a festive shopping experience; applying their money skills by visiting Year 3's Christmas stalls. Well done Year One! Enjoy your Christmas holiday and we look forward to more adventures together in the New Year.

From the Year 1 Team

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JUNIOR DEPARTMENT YEAR 2 It's hard to believe that Year 2 crammed in so much this half term all whilst building up to their Christmas Production of ‘Baubles’. It was a joy to see the children shine as they performed in front of parents, which reflects their progress during the term. Evidence of being able to follow instructions is quite literally in the Christmas cakes that the children weighed, mixed (complete with wish), decorated and quite possibly have eaten by now!

Our topic ‘Celebrate Britain’ guided us as we learned about Remembrance Day, Guy Fawkes, Diwali and of course Christmas. Questions abounded as our understanding of the World Wars grew as well as during a talk about Diwali from Soham and his parents. In Science our topic on materials culminated with an investigation to find the best material to make a waterproof umbrella for a gingerbread man – always an important skill to have up your sleeve! Maths stretched our understanding of place value as we focused on addition and subtraction, building our skill of exchanging a 10 stick for ten 1s. As we build our maths mastery, the children know that answering the teachers’ cries of ‘Why?’ or ‘Prove it!’ is as important as filling in an answer box.

In November, French Day saw us metaphorically pack our suitcases, board a ferry and land in France ready for an adventure. ‘Merci beaucoup’ to Madame Fairburn for organising a French Shopping experience where the children tested out their French skills on some very impressed shopkeepers! Whilst visiting a ‘French Café’ and a break time snack of ‘glace au chocolat ou à la vanille’ caused much delight, it was the Eiffel Tower challenge of building the tallest tower that created the most yelps of joy.

A huge thank you must also go to green fingered Mrs Lynch who gathered, snipped and prepared foliage and ribbons before guiding us to make the most beautiful Christmas table decorations complete with candle. A bright end to our term!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Year 2 Team

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MIDDLE DEPARTMENT YEAR 3 The end of an excellent term is fast approaching and we would like to congratulate the Year 3 children on the hard work and wonderful growth in independence that we have witnessed as the term progressed.

We have had an action-packed term of learning: English Year 3 English kicked off with a blast. We have explored a variety of genres from fictional writing based on Flotsam, to non-fiction writing about the Egyptians. The children have had many writing opportunities and have incorporated drama tasks to extend all of their English skills. They have truly shown what brilliant learners they can be. We have been impressed with how well Year 3 have adapted to using the Accelerated Reader scheme with strong progress demonstrated by the end of this term. What a great achievement!

Christmas Cracker Year 3 performed their sparkling “Christmas Cracker” last week. All the hard work of learning their lines, songs and dance routines came together, as they shared the fun of Christmas along with Year 4. Wearing fabulous Christmas costumes, the audience was in for a treat with superb acting, dancing and singing! It was a great start to the festive season and you could see by the smiles on their faces the children felt proud of their perfor Science show, hands on Science experiments, a visit to the Mars Rover and a workshop where they will make their very own magnetic field jar. As a team we are really looking forward to this trip and know that the children will love every aspect of it.

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STEM Centre Trip Next term, Year 3 have an exciting new trip to the STEM Discovery Centre where they will be consolidating all of their learning on magnets and forces. A letter will be formally sent to parents in the new year but Year 3 should expect: A live Science show, hands on Science experiments, a visit to the Mars Rover and a workshop where they will make their very own magnetic field jar. As a team we are really looking forward to this trip and know that the children will love every aspect of it.

Forest School Year 3 have been very lucky to have had the opportunity of a number of Forest School lessons this term, including a special festive session with the whole year group, including, of course, hot chocolate and s’mores. It was so lovely to see them in a different learning environment and watch their creativity and collaboration grow.

Finally We would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful Year 3 parents and carers for the excellent support you give to your children and to us and we know that we are very much a partnership. The Year 3s have all worked very hard this term and deserve a well-earned rest.

Wishing you a wonderful, joyful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all in 2024.

Warm regards The Year 3 Team

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MIDDLE DEPARTMENT YEAR 4 We had an ‘out of this world’ start to this half term and a ‘cracking’ finish! Year 4 have had a wonderful half term filled with lots of fun and learning. Here’s a summary of our ‘best bits.’

Space Day We started this half term with an exciting visit from the Planetarium. This inflatable dome, filled with projections of the Universe was enjoyed by all. The children loved learning about the different constellations, locating various planets and learning interesting facts about them from an expert.

In addition to the light show inside the Planetarium, the children were also fortunate enough to take part in their own Space workshops. These workshops, in smaller groups, gave the children a deeper insight into how science concepts such as day and night work, using fun soft toy planets!

Using our knowledge from this day, as well as our many science lessons, we then took a closer look at the planets and recreated them from plasticine. The children loved working out which colours to use, but also thinking carefully about scale. Be sure to look for the photos of our creations!

Forest School Our first Forest School this half term was as individual classes and we were challenged to work collaboratively with members of our class that we do not usually work with. We were put into small groups and we had to make our own shelters using many of the skills that we had learnt previously in Forest School. We all rose to the challenge and made super shelters as well as learning important teamwork skills.

Our second Forest School, happened on a very cold and crisp Friday morning. The whole of Year 4 ventured out into the Forest together, we were all wrapped up in our warmest clothes and admired the beauty of the Forest covered in frost - it was like a story book picture! When we got to the Forest, Mrs Le Bas lit a fire so we could make S’mores which were delicious. We were also given ‘free time’ in the Forest to play with our friends, some of us made more shelters and others played games together.

Thank you Mrs Le Bas for our wonderful Forest School sessions this term, we look forward to them so much and enjoy them immensely!

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Anglo-Saxon Helmets In our history lessons, we got creative! After investigating who was buried at the Sutton Hoo, we looked at some replicas of artefacts found there. Then, we had a go at making our own helmets fit for a king like the one buried at the Sutton Hoo. Take a look at some photos of our fabulous work.

Christmas Cracker We ended the term with a BANG! The children performed with excitement and enthusiasm in the middle department's annual Christmas Cracker. They have been working so hard in their music and drama lessons to put together this performance for you and we hope you enjoyed it. It really was just like a Christmas Cracker, full of fun and some silly little treats. From silly Christmas Quizzes, to songs about little Christmas Trees and even some Latin thrown in for good measure! Well done to each and every pupil in Year 4 for all their hard work - they shone so brightly on the stage and the Year 4 team were very proud!

Thank you to Mrs Hegarty and Mrs Jarvis for all your time, energy and expertise in organising and putting on a wonderful performance!

Thank you Thank you to all the staff who have supported Year 4 this term, we really do appreciate all your hard work.

Thank you parents for your continued support, we couldn’t do our jobs without you! Thank you children for always working hard and being the best that you can be. We hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing Christmas holiday, enjoying quality time with your family and friends.

We are looking forward to an action packed Lent Term with our residential trip to Ufton Court in January.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Best wishes, The Year 4 Team

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MIDDLE DEPARTMENT YEAR 5 In Year 5 we have continued in the second half of the term to squeeze as much as we can out of each and every day.

The Year 5 pupils have settled more into the routines of Year 5 and have enjoyed spending time in the labs at Beechwood, looking into a variety of experiments around the topic of forces. We have had a few pupils get a little wet in the discovery of upthrust but it was all in the name of science, and the pupils were fantastic.

Another highlight this half term was our visit from the author Steve Cole, he had the pupils in hysterics and motivated them for their 500 word challenge, where we saw some magnificent entries.

We have had lots of LAMDA performance and music exams that we await the results of, but in my unbiased opinion Year 5 rocked! Matilda rehearsals, have been well attended by Year 5 and we can’t wait to see the finished article.

The fun continues in the new term, when we begin with our residential and a delve into how evacuees settled in the countryside during World War 2. We leave Beechwood Park on Monday 15th January and return on Wednesday 17th January, please ensure all medication is in school for the Friday before (12th January). We also have Forest School fun and discos to look forward to on Friday 19th January. So a fun filled week that starts the term with a bang!

Thank you to all staff and parents for all your hard work this term. We hope you all have a wonderful, well - earned rest.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year From us all in Year 5

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SENIOR DEPARTMENT YEAR 6 BBC Short Story Success!

Year 6 embraced the thrill of storytelling in the national BBC short story competition. Engaging in the art of short story writing during English lessons, our talented writers crafted compelling narratives, complete with fascinating plot twists and moral tales. We're thrilled to announce that Beechwood Park School has shone brightly in this competition, with several Year 6 students advancing to the next round.

Congratulations to our budding authors – we're super proud of them!

Forest School Adventures Discovering the wonders of nature, Year 6 engaged themselves in Forest School activities. From crafting Christmas tree decorations with snowflakes from nature to creating lanterns with tracing papers and outdoor materials, our students demonstrated creativity and teamwork. Dens were built, and the delightful aroma of hot chocolate and marshmallows filled the air around the campfire, providing a unique and memorable outdoor experience.

Drama Delights: Matilda Takes the Stage Year 6 students are enjoying the spotlight with their ongoing drama production of Matilda. From learning lyrics and dance moves to intense line run-throughs, the stage is set for an extraordinary performance.

The excitement is palpable, and we can't wait to witness the magic unfold!

Mathematical Marvels: Barvember Challenge In the world of mathematics, Year 6 tackled the Barvember challenge with enthusiasm. Using bar models to break down mathematical problems, our students honed their analytical and problem-solving skills. It's inspiring to see such dedication to mathematical mastery!

PSHE Insights: Kindness and Online Safety Year 6 delved into essential life skills through PSHE lessons, focusing on kindness and online safety. These discussions equip our students with valuable knowledge and foster a culture of responsibility and consideration.

Latin Odyssey: Language and Mythology Exploration Embarking on a linguistic and mythological adventure, Year 6 delved into Latin studies. From conquering 1st and 2nd conjugation verbs to exploring 1st declension nouns and captivating myths such as Theseus and the Minotaur and Perseus and Medusa, our students are unlocking the secrets of ancient civilizations.

As we celebrate the achievements and growth of Year 6, we extend our gratitude for your ongoing support. Stay tuned for more exciting developments in the upcoming term!

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SENIOR DEPARTMENT YEAR 7 Year 7 have been working on architectural model making using OpenAI image generation to create hybrid genres of architectural style. Terms like 'apocalyptic modern house' or 'Brutalist Solarpunk skyscraper' were used to create images to base physical models on.

The results were pretty incredible and it was clear they enjoyed this topic a lot!

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SENIOR DEPARTMENT YEAR 7 In English this term, Year 7 enjoyed 'Mr Owen's Pocket Book' which was a one-man WW1 performance from Rupert at Redheart Theatre Company. This was definitely a highlight of the term as the pupils are still talking about it.

In Science lessons Year 7 were learning about density and had some fun with liquids of different densities.

There has also been a lot of testing of substances for our latest topic on acids and bases. In the last lesson before the holiday the pupils made some red cabbage indicator.

An important event for some of Year 7 was a trip to St Georges Park (the England football training ground). There was a football tournament and some fun activities. All the pupils had a great time created some fantastic memories together.

The Christmas Fayre was enjoyed by the Year 7 pupils whether it was running a stall, eating sweets or doing some Christmas shopping!

The Christmas concert had many Year 7 pupils involved in it. Two of the highlights were the saxophone ensemble of the Eye of the Tiger and the BLO rendition of YMCA. On specific days of the week one pupil in Year 7 has had the opportunity to achieve a point for Year 7 which then means that we can colour in a square on the Super 7 reward chart. We will hopefully complete the chart in Lent term and have a reward!

Many Year 7 pupils have been off for Sports scholarships at schools and sitting senior school entrance exams. We all hope that there will be some good news over the holiday!

All in all it has been a successful and busy half term with lots going on we are all looking forward to a rest over the Christmas break ready to start back in the Lent term fully charged!

From the Year 7 Team

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SENIOR DEPARTMENT TOP FORM The Top Form have had a brilliant half term developing their skills in lots of different areas of the curriculum.

Here are a few of the highlights…

In Art they enjoyed creating graffiti murals exploring graffiti fonts, shadow and highlights, collage and paint pens. Look out for these eye-catching designs on a wall near you soon!

In DT, Top Form have been working on product design using image generation tools to inspire new ideas.

Their work had to be a type of desk lamp and include concrete as a material. Using these terms they generated images using OpenAI to see what sorts of shapes looked good. They then had the task of reverse engineering those images to work out what sort of mould they would need to make in order to pour concrete and include their LED lights (which they soldered themselves). Just look at their amazing creations!

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In Science the pupils have been learning about chemical reactions and undertaken lots of practical experiments using a range of equipment.

In English - Top Form have just completed their study of the play Refugee Boy by Benjamin Zephaniah and pupils gave presentations on the author in their English lessons. Sadly, the Birmingham-born poet passed away that week, making Top Form's wonderful presentations on his life even more poignant.

This term, we had the pleasure of hosting Redheart Theatre Company once again for the wonderful presentation of 'Gothic Tales', which enriched the students' understanding of the Gothic genre and was a horror-filled delight just two days after Halloween.

Our fantastic musicians impressed us all at the St Cecilia's Concert. As always the Top Form percussion ensemble got us grooving. I wonder who recognised the Beatles song?

The 1st XI football team had a brilliant time at St George’s Park and achieved the best Beechwood Park result ever in the tournament. Go team Beechwood Park!

We have also been entertained by some fantastic LAMDA performances.

Top Form enjoyed a much deserved well-being session in the woods with Mrs Le-Bas. What a treat to finish around the campfire with a hot chocolate and a s’more.

Congratulations Top Form, on making the most of all that Beechwood Park has to offer this term. We look forward to seeing you refreshed in January, ready to take your learning to the next level and raring to take on even more challenges and new experiences!

Mrs Hegarty, Head of Year 8

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COMPUTING Dear Beechwood Parents, As we deck the halls and jingle our way towards the festive season, there's an air of excitement and anticipation among our children. Christmas, a time for giving and receiving, often brings with it a host of new gadgets and devices for our young ones – many of which provide access to the vast world of the internet.

While these gifts can offer educational and recreational benefits, they also present challenges in ensuring our children's online safety. It's a common misconception among many parents that they have a firm grasp on keeping their children secure online. However, the reality can often be quite different. Our children might not be as safe as we think they are in the digital world.

To address this crucial issue, I have attached an Information Sheet on Keeping Children Safe Online This Christmas. This resource is not just a guide; it's a crucial reminder of the 'Safety Net' messages that every parent and guardian should really be aware of.

I invite you to download this information sheet and share it with your family, friends, and any other caregivers. This guide is a cornerstone in our commitment to ensuring a safe online environment for our children during this festive season and beyond.

Moreover, I understand the importance of continual learning and adaptation in the ever-evolving digital landscape. To this end, I am also excited to offer future training opportunities for parents on this vital subject. If you're interested in learning more about what 'Safety Net' entails and wish to stay updated on upcoming training dates, please Click Here to watch a short, informative video.

Your engagement and proactive approach in this matter are invaluable. Together, we can create a safer digital space for our children to explore, learn, and grow.

Wishing you a safe and joyous festive season!

Mr. Sadler Head of Digital Learning

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COMPUTING As you may be aware, Apple's iOS 17 comes with an innovative feature that allows devices to automatically connect when brought close to each other. This feature, while beneficial for certain uses, might not be suitable for all your usual day-to-day scenarios. To maintain a safe workflow and ensure the security of our data, I recommend turning off this feature on your devices.

Here's how to disable it: Open Settings: Tap on the 'Settings' icon on your iOS device.

Tap General: Scroll down to Air Drop.

Tap Air Drop: Within this section, look for the new feature ‘Bringing Devices Together’.

Toggle Off: There should be a toggle switch next to this feature. Simply switch it to the 'Off' position.

Confirm Changes: If prompted, confirm your choice to disable the feature.

Please ensure that this is done as soon as possible as Apple have been a little cheeky leaving this on by default, as opposed to giving us all the options and telling us about it a user. I hope this helps.

Thank you, Merry Christmas and have a wonderful New Year.

Mr Sadler Head of Digital Learning

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DESIGN TECHNOLOGY It has been a busy term in the DT department, with a fresh batch of Year 3s, finding their way around the workshop, a team of eager Lego Engineers working hard on the IET First Lego league robotics competition, a wide variety of independent projects being worked on during our open lunchtime sessions and a surprise entry to the national pi-wars robotics competition by a group of gifted and brilliant Year 5s.

Year 3 have all been working on Lego robotics, thanks to the very generous gift of a set of new Lego Spike educational kits from the BPSPA. These kits have been designed by Lego to allow kids to easily understand hardware, coding, interactions and problem solving. The pupils have quickly adapted and were building fairground rides using colour sensors, motors, buttons and all coded by themselves.

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Year 4 have been starting on the skill of 3D construction techniques, with the topic of architectural card modelling where they designed and built their own dream houses. Year 5 have been building our always popular and chaotic slow-bots. Walking robots that introduce them to circuit building and problem solving.

And Year 6 have been tackling Computer Aided Design and are now confident in designing for the 3D printers and the lasercutter!

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TPR The TPR topic this term, for the Middle and Senior Departments is Theology. Year 3 have looked at the early life of Jesus and some of the stories he told.

On the run up to Christmas they made an individual Christingle, most of which made their way home with sweets still attached! They finished the term with a Nativity project, which was greatly helped by the school assemblies and performances.

Year 4 have covered the Creation story including Noah’s Ark. Their final creative piece of work is to make their very own ‘Rocking’ Noah’s Ark, as displayed in their classrooms. They followed this with some amazing Tower of Babels, the highlight appears to have been a Mr Wood Lego tower of Babel game, I must get this on Amazon.

Year 5 have studied the life of Abraham and his descendants, up to and including Joseph. They very much enjoyed watching the musical ‘Joseph and his amazing Technicolor dream coat’ – some are still humming it this week!

In the Senior Department Year 6 have studied six stories of Jesus in detail. They have examined the differences between stories and parables and were amazed at how the least likely people ended up trusting in Jesus. Several pieces of excellent work were displayed, of Comic Strips of the Story of the Good Samaritan or the Rich Young Man. Year 7 have begun their analysis of Old Testament stories and have begun their essay writing journey.

They have discussed the dilemma of punishment versus forgiveness and made some startling observations of how these are still issues today in the 21st Century. They have ended the term looking at the very thorny problem of the awesome responsibility our leaders and modern day ‘celebrities’ have in setting a good role model for others.

Year 8 have been analyzing the world changing work of Dr. Martin Luther King and stories from the Old Testament, applying what they have learnt in response to some very challenging Common Entrance essays. They are wrapping up the year with their own interpretation of the story of King David and Bathsheba story. This will be presented to Year 7 in the New Year and hopefully will be good enough to celebrate with some Headmasters Commendations.

On a final note I am pleased to announce that Otto, Year 8, has come third in the Regional Lions International Peace Poster competition, for his amazing poster on the theme of dreaming of peace. His poster will be on display in March at the District Convention.

FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT It has been another very busy term in the Music Department at Beechwood Park!

Our regular Friday lunchtime concerts have continued this term, providing pupils with a relaxed and friendly platform to develop their performing skills. There have been an outstanding 102 performances played over 12 concerts in total!

We had our first ‘St Cecilia’s’ concert in November, featuring 16 out of our 28 ensembles we currently have at Beechwood Park, with 100 pupils from Year 3 to Top Form. They entertained us magnificently with a huge variety of different performances and our new ‘Beechwood Park Light Orchestra’ provided pupils, and audience, with the opportunity to sing (with actions) along to YMCA! Our choirs have also been very busy, providing music for all services within school throughout the term, a real highlight being the very magical Carol Services where all choirs (Year 3 to Top Form) played an important role in providing extra carols and descants with their very beautiful singing; and wonderfully supported by our fabulous Brass ensemble for the Senior Service. The Chamber Choir in particular have been very busy recently with their visit to Flamstead Church to lead their Advent Evensong and then singing carols in the Forest School to potential parents; it is such a joy working with these enthusiastic singers - they have managed to learn a staggering total of 10 anthems this term along with various other carols, responses and descants!

We currently have 275 pupils learning instruments at Beechwood Park, and many of these have been making some outstanding progress in their individual lessons this term. We received some truly superb results in the ABRSM and Trinity exams taken by some pupils in November - from pupils in Years 3 to Top Form, taking grades Initial to Grade 5, 6 pupils passed, 22 passed with Merit and 21 passed with Distinction.

All this fabulous achievement alongside normal class music lessons and the co-curricular theory, music tech and podcast activities, the Junior nativity performances, and a Year 3 & 4 Christmas Cracker!

A huge ‘well done’ to all pupils for all they have achieved this term and the great progress they have all made, and a very big ‘thank you’ to my wonderful team of music staff who work tirelessly to make it all possible. We look forward to our Year 2 pupils starting their ‘Music Experiences’ next term and our annual Music Competition!

PRESTO PRIZES Week 9 Thomas P TIG for brilliant work towards your exam.

Joe P 6JG for excellent practice and good progress towards your exam.

Jack B 4R for excellent practice on your drums.

Jovan S 6SA for great work towards your exam.

Seb T 5D for amazing prep for your exam.

Adam E 4P for good progress over half term.

Week 10 Naomi G 4R for excellent work on your articulation.

Teddy W 4P for amazing playing on the trombone.

Sam R 4P for your fantastic practising and progress with both the Guitar Ensemble tunes and his Debut Grade repertoire.

Theo B 4P - For super progress with the trombone and effort in lessons.

Week 11 Joshua G 4R for exceptional progress with performing your Grade 1 Electric Guitar pieces.

Olivia C 5K for outstanding exam preparation and enthusiasm for learning.

Stella R 5D for consistent focused work both with your practice and in lessons.

Olivia W 4B for excellent hard work and amazing progress.

Week 10 Naomi G 4R for excellent work on your Week 12articulation.

Teddy W 4PAnnabel for amazing on theexam trombone M 5Kplaying for excellent preparation.

Sam R 4P for your fantastic and the Guitar Ensemble and progress.

Alessio G 4R for yourpractising dedication to progress practisingwith andboth his lessons.

Both resultingtunes in excellent his Debut Grade repertoire.

Alex R 7JW for fantastic guitar playing and exam preparation.

Theo B 4P For super progress withand thetransformed trombone and effort in lessons.

Oliver G 4B for excellent preparation commitment.

As a result, you are playing with confidence and focus in lessons. Bravo!

Magnus G 5B for persevering with developing good breath support for improved tuning.

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FROM THE ART DEPARTMENT This term in the Art Department has been a busy one! Early in the term, several year groups ventured down into the pottery cellar to work on various ceramic creations: Year 4 completed detailed texture tiles, Year 6 built stunning coil pots and Year 5 modeled practically perfect pumpkins! Meanwhile, Year 7 worked impeccably in teams to produce impressive ceramic subject-themed clocks for some of the departments around school. Year Three kicked off their time in the Art room with some under-the-sea inspired foam printing, following some drawing in their brand new sketchbooks. They have also made a pottery teacup, and prepared Collograph plates that we are looking forward to printing next term. Talking of printing, it is important to mention the huge success that is the new press, funded by BPSPA. It has been installed for a matter of weeks, yet it has already been used by the whole of Year 6 for their Crustacean Collographs and by everyone in year 5 in the Experimental Printing project. It has been a fantastic addition to the art room - significantly increasing productivity and enhancing the learning of the pupils. Year 5's printmaking project has seen all sorts of weird and wonderful methods, including the use of Lego, recycled paper and pipe with string... Every week we have expanded on the processes because of sharp and innovative ideas from the young artists.

Meanwhile, Top Form dived into the tricky art of reduction lino printing, with some really high quality results. They are now in the midst of their Graffiti project, and are working dynamically with a range of materials and techniques to create their own wall of art.

Bruce has enjoyed his time in the art room more than ever! He has loved meeting all the new faces in Year 3 and elsewhere, and enjoyed constant cuddles and strokes. He made an impromptu visit to 3O one Friday afternoon which ended in a 'how to draw Bruce' tutorial! He has had lots of fun at forest school with different year groups, too. We have recently restarted his portrait gallery, Tate Bruce, and there are already 7 wonderful entries spanning from Year 2 up to Year 7!

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FROM THE ART DEPARTMENT

For regular updates on the latest creations from the Art Department follow Instagram @beechwoodparkartdepartment

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This term has been the first time we have welcomed an Artist-in-Residence at Beechwood Park, and Isabel Bly has had an amazing effect on the department and pupils in so many ways. Her Friday club has been very popular and its attendees have produced some stunning work, whilst she has been quietly inspirational to all the pupils who have loved seeing her developing her own creative practice, particularly in pottery. Behind the scenes she has taken charge of the kiln and all the firings, as well as completing countless other tasks to help Mrs KB around school with a great sense of style. She leaves us at the end of term and we wish her all the best, whilst looking forward to welcoming Hope Ling in the same role next term. It is not just the pupils who have been busy - the staff were lucky to enjoy a fantastic two-part pottery lesson from Izzy after school, and are the proud owners of some very smart mugs! A huge well done to all the pupils for their enthusiasm, cooperation and most of all creativity!

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SPORTS DEPARTMENT We’ve enjoyed an excellent term with football and hockey being the main sports this season. We have played over 140 fixtures and have been lucky with the weather, having only one or two cancelled. We cross our fingers that it stays that way for the Lent term! In football, the Colts A team were runners-up in the Regionals and have now qualified for the ISFA National Finals, which we look forward to in May 2024.

The 1st IX enjoyed a weekend at St. George’s Park at the Prep4Sport Challenge Cup. They experienced the life of an England footballer from playing on the amazing pitches to relaxing in the hydrotherapy pools and even came away with some medals. Year 3 and 4 House matches were a real highlight, the children loved having the opportunity to show off their new-found skills to parents and compete against their friends.

The Sport for All programme consisted of pupils learning the art of kickboxing this term. It was great to see these children work hard, learn new skills and be presented with varying coloured belts at the end of the term, acknowledging their success.

We have had lots of fun and success on the hockey pitch. Our U11A girls’ team have played really well this season. They were in the toughest pool at IAPS Regionals, including the National Championship winners, and ended up winning the Bowl competition with an exciting golden goal. They went on to become Hertfordshire County Runners-up and qualified to represent the county at the U11 East Regional Finals which meant a fun trip to Norfolk, finishing in 10th place. The U10s finished the season with an exciting 5a-side festival and the U10As with a thrilling indoor tournament at Haileybury. The U8s and U9s have improved so much and enjoyed their fixtures. Hockey ASAs have been great fun too and will continue next term. It has been fantastic to hear that lots of Beechwood players are enjoying their hockey outside of school at St Albans HC, Harpenden HC, and Berkhamsted & Hempstead HC. As well as our regular fixtures, the Beechwood Park ski team have been busy. The season started on the piste of Welwyn with the ESSKIA Regionals. Notable performances were Lilly finishing in 2nd and George F and William S finishing 5th. Both teams then performed well at the National Schools' Southern Indoor Open Race at Hemel, with the U12 girls finishing 3rd and the boys’ team finishing joint 2nd. Henry F won silver in the U12 boys. Following their success Lilly B, Henry F and William S, from Year 6, have been selected for the ESSKIA (England Schools’ Ski Association) training squad and invited to an international training camp; a fantastic achievement. William and Henry have also competed in some additional races with William winning bronze at two rounds of the NSSA National Schools’ Outdoor Championships at Brentwood and at Swadlincote and Henry placing 4th. We are all looking forward to the school ski trip to Austria in March.

We have already made the transition to rugby and netball and we can’t wait to get stuck into these sports next term, plus cross-country and swimming. Perhaps a rugby ball or a netball post might appear on some Christmas lists for Santa.

Wishing all our Beechwood Park families a very Merry Christmas.

The Sports Department

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Photo highlights from the Sports Department Beechwood Park Lion Page 39

BOARDING FROM MR GRIFFITHS What a term of boarding it has been! We have 52 boarders in total, including 26 new boarders who have all successfully settled into the boarding house, this number includes 7 Year 5 boarders, our youngest boarders. In a standard week we welcome 150 pupils to the boarding floor. That is a lot of tuck!

This term we have carried out the chip shop hike, had a giant bonfire, welcomed back popular games from the past such as Lions, had a roller disco, carried out the Colditz championship and also had the Boarders Christmas Feast.

Next term we look forward to welcoming 4 new boarders to the boarding house, we also have an action packed activity program with Laser Tag, a trip to Bedford Planetarium, and a Murder Mystery Night to look forward to, along side our usual boarding routine.

What a term it has been, bring on 2024!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

From the Boarding Team

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BOARDING FROM MRS HARRIS We simply want to say a huge thank you for all the lovely cards, messages, words and gifts given to us on the arrival of Freddie. Mark and I have been so overwhelmed with the support from the Beechwood Park community and it means so very much to have an amazing network of support shown to us each and every day.

A massive thank you from us and a very happy Christmas (you’ll have to excuse the lack of cards this year!)

Rachel, Mark and Freddie x x x

Alfred James Harris Shields (Freddie) was born shortly before 19:00 on Wednesday 29th November, weighing 8lb 6oz.

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CHARITY MR WOOD Beechwood Park have had another successful Half Term with the following charitable efforts.

Christmas Presents for the Children’s Storehouse Thank you for all the presents you kindly donated to the Children’s Storehouse project run by Hemel Hempstead Vineyard Church. These presents, along with those already sent direct to the church, will offer parents of children in the local area the chance to pick a present for their child(ren) for Christmas. Thank you so much for your generosity, each of these gifts is a present that the child would otherwise not receive. With the cost of living crisis it is heartening to know that we can support other families in our community who are in need. Extra thanks go to the Form Reps who helped organise gifts on behalf of each form, making this a really easy way to support this wonderful cause.

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The Royal British Legion collector was amazed that we had sold so many poppies and stationery items. Thank you for your support with this.

Christmas Jumper Day On the 13th December we invited our Children to wear their Christmas jumpers for a £2 donation, all proceeds went to Save the Children. Together we managed to raise a staggering £901 for this wonderful charity.

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FROM THE BPSPA Yet another fun-packed term! It feels like the term has gradually built momentum like a snowball gathering snow. It has reached a crescendo at the end of term, with everyone ready for a much needed rest after a non-stop few weeks.

The BPSPA has done lots this term, including two big events, which we hope you enjoyed. Our Fireworks Night proved very popular again, with the added bonus this year of a stilt walker and fire entertainer before the spectacular fireworks lit up the sky around Beechwood Park. This year we brought back the Guy competition too, with King Charles, a Fork Surfer and Strawman taking the prizes, amongst a great set of entries.

Our other major event was of course the Christmas Festive Fayre, which was a joyous extravaganza - a vibrant mix of young entrepreneurs (please see page 50 for details and photos), fun activities, parent and staff helpers, external stallholders selling beautiful gifts, lots of food & drink, Santa and much more. A cliche perhaps, but it felt like a celebration of everything wonderful about the school community. As well as festive cheer, you helped raise over £7,600 at the fayre for Luton & Dunstable Hospital Wish List, Keech Hospice Care and school projects. Thank you to everyone who got involved - and particular thanks to Louise Lynes and the organising team for an amazing day.

Earlier in the term, we welcomed new parents in Woodlands and the Junior Department to school. We held a ‘welcome to the year’ tea party at the start of the year - an early chance to meet new faces and to catch up with older faces! Our family photo day in September went down well with those that booked in.

We continue to coordinate the Dressing Up Box - reusing children’s costumes for key school dressing-up events. We held another fun wreath-making event and we coordinated a Christmas card project for any children that wanted to design their own cards. Finally we ran a Reverse advent calendar, with many of you kindly donating food and toiletries for local food banks and a women’s refuge.

We sadly had to cancel the quiz and curry night for Woodlands and Junior department, but the good news is that we have a ‘whole school’ quiz and curry night now on 3rd February instead. Next term, as well as the quiz, we’re holding several discos for different year groups, as well as the Short Tail Trail Activity day on 16th Feb, of which more details to follow soon. Looking further into 2024, key dates for your diary for the summer term include our Picnic on the Lawn (outdoor cinema) on Sunday 19th May, the Summer Ball on Saturday 29th June for parents & staff, and Fun Night on Tuesday 9th July for all the family. Please do your sunshine dances for all our summer events, to keep the rain away!

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Don’t forget that you can order BPSPA merchandise, including jute bags, bobble hats and water bottles, via https://www.bpspa.shop/. We will have new items in stock soon. Please keep a regular eye on the website, as it’s the place for volunteering opportunities too. We rely on your help, so please do volunteer if you can whether it’s a bigger role like organising an event or being on the committee, or simply volunteering for a 30 minute slot on a stall at an event. A big end of term thank you to our brilliant BPSPA Committee, to Miss Macpherson for her help liaising with school and to all the parents, guardians and staff who have helped in so many different ways this term. A festive thank you too to our parent reps for all their support. I’m really pleased that there are more male reps this year.

Our first BPSPA meeting of next term will be 8.30am on 25th January, in the Drawing Room or via Zoom.

Please join us! We’ll also be holding an informal BPSPA drinks and nibbles evening for parents and guardians on 8th Feb in a pub, for an opportunity to meet others, shape BPSPA plans and find out what being on the Committee or being a rep entails. Please do get involved with the BPSPA. Chat to any of the Committee or get in touch via BPSPA@beechwoodpark.com.

I hope you’ve had an enjoyable term, albeit against the backdrop of a stormy outside world.

Wishing everyone a fun and peaceful festive period.

Dan Crossley BPSPA Chair

Half of the money raised by the Young Entrepeneur stalls has been spent on buying 119 presents from the Children's Christmas Wishlist at the Luton & Dunstable hospital. The presents range from baby teething rattles to wireless bluetooth headphones to Paw Patrol racing cars. We know that they will brighten the day of the children who receive these presents. Louise Lynes is working with the Luton & Dunstable Hospital to determine the best use of the remaining money. This will be shared with you at a later date.

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CHRISTMAS READING FROM THE LIBRARY Adventures of a Christmas Elf by Ben Miller (7+) Father Christmas needs a holiday. He isn't feeling well and someone seems determined to ruin the festivities. It's up to Christmas Elves, Tog and Holly, to find a way to deliver the presents on time and bring the Christmas magic back for everyone.

A festive adventure that will take you round the world in a laugh-outloud race against time with a heart-warming message of teamwork, and the perfect stocking filler for all the family to enjoy this Christmas.

The Miraculous Sweetmakers by Natasha Hastings (9+) Set in 1683 when it was so cold that the Thames froze, and the inhabitants of London were able to hold a fair on the thick ice, this novel weaves authentic historical fact with a glorious ‘baddy’ in the shape of Father Winter.

When her brother dies from an asthma attack Thomasina’s life becomes grief laden and much harder, as she must work in the family bakery in his stead, whilst also looking after her ailing, bed-ridden mother. Overwhelmed with guilt at Arthur’s death Thomasina is tricked and drawn to a mysterious magician who promises her that he can bring Arthur back. In return she will lose all her memories of Arthur – temporarily – a small price to pay, she thinks.

Of course, the magician is a trickster who takes her memories whilst seeming to keep moving the goalposts of the promised results. This is a fascinating tale, packed with period detail that will appeal to budding historians, whilst also creating a strange and alternative Frost Fair, seen only at midnight, full of wonders and mysteries, but with many hidden threats.

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The Ice Children by M.G. Leonard (9+) M. G. Leonard, the award-winning bestselling author of the Adventures on Trains series and Twitch, dazzles in this future classic with a powerful message at its core.

At the stroke of midnight on the dawn of December, five-year-old Finn Albedo is found frozen in the city park standing on a pedestal of ice.

His heart is beating, he is smiling serenely, but no one can wake him.

Finn's big sister, Bianca, suspects that the beautiful sparkling book Finn got from the library has something to do with it, but the book has vanished. Does the tall mysterious stranger who first discovered Finn know more than they will admit?

Each day, more children are found frozen and Bianca realizes she's running out of time. Her quest to discover the truth and rescue her little brother hurls her into a fantastical winter wonderland, full of beauty and danger, where all is not as it seems. Can Bianca save her brother and the other Ice Children before they are forever lost?

Gorgeously illustrated in black-and-white throughout by Penny Neville-Lee this hardback is a perfect gift for boys and girls of 8-12.

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CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY CAMPS

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SNOW WHITE In the Abbey Theatre, St Albans, Jan 13th and 14th And in the EMC, Harpenden, Jan 25th -28th 2024 It’s off to work we go! The Hurst Children’s Theatre Group are back in their traditional January slot with their traditional Panto –this time, Snow White! As usual, they will have their own spin on the old yarn, not least Princess Ana from Frozen who keeps turning up in the wrong story!

Snow White will have to face the evil Queen with the help of her friends and young Elves – collectively known as the National Elf Service. The Well Fairy will watch over proceedings which include flashes of magic, a talking mirror, a whole chorus of Jesters, the panto Dame and the evil Bad Bert with his trusty sparrow, Jack!

The boisterous cast of 100 children will knock your socks off with their unrivalled singing - making the World a better place for 100 minutes or so! Old songs, modern songs, some rock n roll and of course an audience singalong, will have you toe-tapping your way all the way home with a smile on your face.

This Pantomime is suitable for all ages and a wonderful outing for all the family. There are currently seats available for all performances, but they often sell out, so book now! For tickets, see our website: www.hurstchildrenstheatregroup.com We hope to see you there!

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