Lent Half Term Beechwood Park Lion

Contents

Page 5: Message from the Headmaster

Page 7: Message from Mr Bullock

Page 9: Co-Curricular Triumphs

Page 10: Our World Book Day Celebrations

Page 15: Matilda The Musical JR.

Page 22: Science Week at Beechwood Park

Page 27: Woodlands Nursery Welcome Ducklings

Page 30: Junior and Woodlands Easter Competition

Page 34: Year 2 Visit Kew Gardens

Page 38: Year 7 Visit to the British Museum and The Globe Theatre

Page 41: Update from the Sports Department

Rugby Festival (Page 42)

Netball Tournament (Page 45)

Bridgewater Cross-Country Event (Page 48)

Dressage Success (Page 49)

Former Pupil Success Stories (Page 51)

Page 52: Update from the Art Department

Page 57: Update from the Music Department

Page 59: Charity Update

Page 61: Update from the Library

Page 67: Update from the BPSPA

MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Beechwood Park Lion.

I hope you enjoy browsing through this special edition of our newsletter, as we share with you the plethora of events that have taken place at Beechwood Park this term Another wonderfully busy, exciting, and productive term draws to a close and there is a lot to celebrate, in the pages ahead.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the children, staff, and parents for a fantastic Lent Term, and I look forward to welcoming you all back in April, when we shall start the Summer Term together

In the meantime, I wish the school ski trip children and staff lots of success, as they depart for an adventure in the snow, and wish all our families a well-deserved restful and relaxing Easter holiday.

Best wishes,

Mr Pritchard

MESSAGE FROM MR BULLOCK

This term has been one of excellent achievements academically; the Top Form, in particular, have amassed seven academic scholarship awards: well done to Benedict B (Merchant Taylors’) Mattie J (Oundle), Isaac C and Thomas P (St Albans), Chloe I (St Columba’s) and Arisa T (St Francis). Adaptive computer based assessments have also shown how well our pupils are doing with highest scores to date in the GL’s NGRT (English comprehension) and the InCAS developed ability Combined with the joy of seeing your children learn so positively through the school, it has been a term of endeavour

From Year 1’s new ‘wheels, wings and other things,’ including the visiting ATV (enjoyed by everyone passing it on the drive), to bubbles, Pi day and assembly activities during Science Week, to all Senior Department pupils performing in French in ‘on s’amuse’, to the ‘Heroes and Villains’ of World Book Day and Sam Sedgman inspiring us, to Matilda and Roald Dahl themed lessons, to Year 6 Macbeth workshops, to visits to Kew, the STEM Discovery Centre, the British Museum, the Globe Theatre, and North Watford Mosque, and academic residentials at Ufton Court, this term has truly been brimful of academic excitements.

From Mr Bullock Deputy Head (Academic) and Chaplain

CO-CURRICULAR TRIUMPHS

Despite being an incredibly short term, there has been so much to celebrate in the co-curricular departments of the school From the everyday accomplishments in class, to colours earned and scholarships awarded It never fails to astonish me the endless bounds of creativity, enthusiasm and pure talent that our pupils possess This is evident in our very youngest children all the way to our Top Formers. In the final assembly of term, we celebrated the children at the top of the school, who were awarded co-curricular colours for making outstanding contributions to co-curricular departments; demonstrating an excellent attitude at all times, showing exemplary team spirit, being role models in all that they do and performing at the highest levels The way that we develop our pupils' interest and talent in these areas is to provide them with plenty of opportunities to discover and explore their passions throughout their time with us at Beechwood Park. Whether that be a day of Art during a curriculum collapse day in the Junior Department, competing with the LEGO team at the weekend, taking part in the school musical, Matilda Jr, whether on stage or helping with props, costume, tech and lighting or simply dancing into School on a Friday morning We provide moments throughout the school week for our budding musicians, artists, designers, actors and athletes to experience success This is all complemented by our varied and exciting trips and visits programme which has been in full swing this term Year 4 and Year 5 were immersed in History during their time at Ufton Court, Year 1 have been learning hands on about a myriad of vehicles in their transport topic ranging from unicycles, tanks, classic cars and even a double decker bus, to their own bikes and scooters Year 7 visited the Globe and learnt about the Roman Empire at the British Museum and Year 2 extended their learning on different plants and habitats when they spent the day at Kew Gardens And this is to mention but a few! Not forgetting the 50 skiers who are jetting off bright and early tomorrow morning to Austria

I am hugely proud and delighted to share that the following pupils have accepted co-curricular scholarships to their Senior School of choice:

• Charlotte D - Drama Scholarship to St Albans High School

• Eleanor P - Drama Exhibition to Berkhamsted

• Serena R - Drama Exhibition to Berkhamsted

• Hector G - Music Scholarship to Haileybury

• Albie S - Music Scholarship to Berkhamsted

• Lilly B - Sports Scholarship to St Albans High School

• Josie D - Sports Scholarship to Haileybury

• Mattie J - Sports Exhibition to Oundle

• Kai K - Sports Scholarship to Haileybury

• Rory L - Sports Scholarship to Uppingham

• Joe P - Sports Scholarship to Haileybury

• Olivia S - Principal Sports' Award to Queenswood

I hope you all have a lovely Easter holiday and return refreshed ready for a Summer term filled to the brim with more amazing opportunities

Miss Macpherson

Director of Co-Curricular

OUR WORLD BOOK DAY CELEBRATIONS

OUR CELEBRATIONS

What a fantastic week we had at Beechwood Park marking the national celebration of reading, World Book Day.

During the week the English department ran book speed dating activities with their pupils recommending their favourite books to each other Our Podcast team took the opportunity to chat with some of our teachers who shared insights into their favourite superheroes, villains and cherished childhood books

We welcomed the acclaimed author Sam Sedgman, who spent the day delivering superbly exciting workshops with years 4-7, as well as talking about the inspiration behind his new book ‘The Clockwork Conspiracy’ during assembly and signing over 100 books for those who had purchased one His visit was a great success and hugely motivating

On World Book Day itself, staff and pupils dressed up as their favourite Hero or Villain, and both the Main Library and the Junior Library were transformed into expansive bookshops. Excited pupils had the chance to purchase from the sale and they bought an amazing £5222 33 of books earning the school £3133 40 of Rewards with Scholastic which is fantastic Thank you to everyone who took part

MATILDA

We are incredibly proud of our Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical Jr. cast of pupils from Years 5 to 8 for all their hard work and commitment to the production. They worked tirelessly for six months on some really challenging musical theatre songs and dances, performing the final shows with passion, flair, unwavering energy and phenomenal characterisation. Thank you to Mr Gambrell and his tech team of Year 7 and Top Form pupils for their technical wizardry in creating the backdrops and for designing and running the sound and lighting so professionally. To Mrs Jacques for creating and coordinating an array of stunning costumes, with incredible attention to detail – particularly the hand-sewn Crunchem Hall badges, for making the beautiful Acrobat and Escapologist dolls and that incredibly tempting (but sadly inedible) chocolate cake! Thank you to Mr Fox, Mr Wood, Miss Ling, Mrs Murphy and Mrs Kelway-Bamber for all your hard work on creating the eye-catching set and props too. What a team!

School productions always bring out the best in Beechwood Park pupils and we loved every minute of every rehearsal. It has been wonderful to see our pupils enjoying exploring new ideas, making new friends across year groups, growing in confidence and building their resilience. What an experience!

From Laura Hegarty and Jane Lodge

Your feedback

“Huge Congratulations”

“Just a note to say a HUGE congratulations on the show tonight. It was utterly fantastic and we were totally blown away by how talented the cast were. I can only imagine all the hours you must have put in!”

“It was amazing”

“Thank you very much for the show. It was amazing. I really did feel like I was in the West End watching Matilda!! Congratulations to you and your team for such a wonderful production.”

“Every single child was amazing”

“We absolutely loved the performance this evening!! It was very clear how much work had gone into the production and every single child was amazing. Huge congratulations to you and Mrs Lodge and all of the staff who were involved.”

“We felt like we were in the West End”

“Your show was second to none, such a huge amount of work, so beautifully sung and acted. We loved every moment. The children are all such a credit to you and your hard work/passion. They are so blessed to have you, we all are. ”

SCIENCE WEEK AT BEECHWOOD PARK

BRITISH SCIENCE WEEK

British Science Week, run by the British Science Association, is a ten-day celebration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, featuring entertaining and engaging events and activities across the UK to help raise awareness and spark enthusiasm in people of all ages

At Beechwood Park we kicked off the week with an interactive, engaging assembly from Mr Pritchard all about science.

Pupils across the whole school then enjoyed a bubble experience in their science lessons during the week. Bubbles provide the opportunity to study science concepts such as elasticity, surface tension, chemistry, light, and even geometry Pupils engaged in processes such as observations, investigations, challenges and discovery, when blowing and studying bubbles.

There was also a science poster competition where pupils were asked to produce a poster on an area of science that they felt passionate about There were many entries and these have been displayed in the STEM corridor The standard was extremely high and the topics chosen by the pupils were incredibly varied The top ten posters were chosen, and from these ten, a first, second and third were picked by the Science Department teachers. All pupils that produced a poster were awarded a credit for their House and the top ten commended posters received a certificate. The top three were also awarded a rosette.

The week ended with a whole school bubble blowing session just before morning break where all the children (and adults) had lots of fun with bubbles!

DUCKLINGS

Woodlands have been lucky enough to watch the hatching and development of 5 gorgeous ducklings over the past two weeks. The children have learnt to care for, handle, clean(!) and observe all that is involved in this process They have asked curious questions and learnt new vocabulary, such as 'drake', 'eggtooth' and 'incubator'. For many, the favourite part of the experience was teaching the ducklings to swim, and for others it was learning that ducklings go to the toilet everywhere!

With thanks to the knowledge and resources provided by Incredible Eggs, the ethical provider of highwelfare hatching kits, our Woodlanders have experienced the wonder of new life first hand

BABY DUCKLINGS

JUNIOR AND WOODLANDS EASTER COMPETITION

JUNIOR DEPARTMENT EGG COMPETITION

All children from Woodlands and the Junior Department were invited to decorate an egg, of any shape or size, or create a scene using a number of eggs as part of our Easter competition The idea behind the competition was to inspire creativity and we hoped that it would provide a focus for some quality family time at weekends whilst the weather was inclement! After some feedback about the amount of single use plastic that last year's Easter Hat competition generated, we hoped that this would be an opportunity for more recycled and natural materials to be used, thereby being kinder to the planet. The standard and amount of entries (124 in total) was staggering, bolstered, I am sure, by the promise of 2 House Points for every entry and 10 House points for the winner from each class

The judges found it an incredibly difficult task to choose our winner and runners up but in the end they awarded the prizes to the following children:

Woodlands Green Class Winner: Maisie M

Woodlands Green Class Runner up: Isabel B

Woodlands Orange Class Winner: Ivy D

Woodlands Orange Class Runner up: Jayla O

Reception Blue Winner: Eleri C

Reception Blue Runner up: Ethan M (joint effort with his brother Rory from 2CW)

Reception Red Winner: George M

Reception Red Runner up: Jemima B

Reception Yellow Winner: Harry C

Reception Yellow Runner up: Emilia G and Margot P

1JD Winner: Max C

1JD Runner up: Alexander G

1O Winner: Teddy E

1O Runner up: Oscar P

1W Winner: Evelyn A-C

1W Runner up: Millie T

2B Winner: Sophie R

2B Runner up: Zoe P

2CW Winner: Eloise F-C

2CW Runner up: Jacob G & Mabel W

2LW Winner: Felicity F

2LW Runner up: Joshua M

Highly Commended: Bradley B & Jago S

EGG-CELLENTDESIGNS

YEAR 2 VISIT KEW GARDENS

YEAR 2 VISIT KEW

Year 2’s Kew Gardens amazing adventure was a day of new experiences…giant cacti in an even larger glasshouse, humid rainforest in the Palm House, a bird’s eye view of 3000 plants reaching for the glass in the Temperate House, the Treetop walkway (don’t look down!) and the awesome Children’s Garden (playground!) The visit was full of wow moments that broadened our experiences, and when we got up close and personal with our senses, we smelt, felt and inspected different species (although not the cacti!) in each distinct environment, enforcing our learning about how plants adapt to their habitats.

Whilst the teachers clocked up 8 kilometres we suspect that the children walked, or should we say ran further; watching them explore the different areas of the Children’s Garden pushing their bodies as they climbed and jumped whilst managing their own risk showed how much their confidence has grown in Year 2

YEAR 7 VISIT TO THE BRITISH MUSEUM AND THE GLOBE THEATRE

This week Year 7 spent the day in London, for a combined visit with the English, and Languages Department They visited the current major exhibition at the British Museum: Legion Life in the Roman army. It helped them to appreciate how integral a part of Roman society the army was. They also became aware of how multicultural and ethnically diverse the army was. They had a fantastic opportunity to see first hand many original artefacts such as the legionary shield, the crocodile armour and some of the famous Vindolanda tablets. Pupils had fun engaging in some immersive activities! Next stop, we travelled to the Globe Theatre, to understand more about life in Elizabethan London and the pupils took part in a Romeo and Juliet drama activity to enhance their understanding of one of Shakespeare's most famous works.

From Mrs Anderson and Mr Cook

B r i t i s h M u s e u m , L o n d o n

UPDATE FROM THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT

RUGBY FESTIVAL

Beechwood Park held their annual Rugby Sevens Festival on Friday 8th March where 8 other teams were welcomed for an afternoon of exciting, attacking rugby

The standard of rugby was very high throughout and it was fantastic to see the Beechwood boys leading the way and showing just how rugby should be played. The group games were action packed and full of drama and despite each half only being 6 minutes long, there were lots of twists and turns.

After a tight first half, the boys came away with a 7-4 victory against Heath Mount and in the following game against Berkhamsted found themselves 4-1 down at half time A superb second half display led to a 6-4 victory. A slow start against Aldwickbury B team followed but once the boys got going they managed to come out 7-1 winners This meant that a victory against York House would ensure that Beechwood Park won the group. Things were going to plan at 2-0 up but two quick tries from the opposition ensured a dramatic finish. With the last play of the game, York House had the ball close to their own try line and managed to get it wide to their winger All he had to do was beat our last defender to have a free run to the try line. Captain, Joe P, flew up out of the line and deciding not to make the tackle, targeted the ball instead, ripping it out their possession and in the process diving over the try line to score the winning try.

The group success lead to a match up against Westbrook Hay who had won their group After a disappointing performance to Westbrook Hay earlier in the season, the boys were determined to right the wrongs Beechwood Park played the better rugby in the first half but two breakaway tries from Westbrook Hay meant that the score was 2-2 going into the second half. A big defensive performance was needed... and that is exactly what the boys delivered. It was by far the best team display that they had put together, barely letting our opposition out of their own half, forcing them back towards the try line and into many mistakes. One of those mistakes gave Angus C the chance to score the winning try, meaning the game finished 3-2 The levels of effort, physicality and skill produced in that game were exceptional and the boys showed real desire and determination throughout.

It was an excellent day’s rugby capped off by the season’s best performance. It is always our attacking rugby that shines through but the defensive side of the game was what saw us through in the end. The good attacking rugby that the team plays is best demonstrated by the fact that in the 5 games, they scored 26 tries with 9 different try scorers.

A special mention must go to Charlie W who was awarded our player of the festival, not only for his excellent performances but for also demonstrating the RFU’s TREDS values.

Squad: Joe P, Angus C, Charlie W, Kai K, Niky S, Kasper Le Bas, Ronan G, George M, Jamie M and Josh R

NETBALL TOURNAMENT

it’s been a jam-packed second half of term for our Beechwood Park Netball teams and one full of memories! We have had ASA’s bursting at the seams, weekly fixtures, lots of Year 3 & 4 tri/quadrangulars and House Matches. With over 100 fixtures played this term there is lots to talk about. Our House Matches were a buzz, with Stewart taking the win in both the Year 3 & 4 and Year 5 & 6 competitions. We also had two boys Netball matches against Heath Mount and are looking forward to playing Edge Grove next term.

The U10A team secured bronze medals in the plate at the U10 Haileybury tournament. They improved greatly over the day, and it was brilliant to see them bring their skills together when they took 3rd place Our U11A team went to IAPS regionals. In a very competitive group, the team placed 2nd. They won their quarter finals to make it to the semi-finals. In a close match, they unfortunately lost out to the eventual winners However, the standard of Netball they played was wonderful

We finished off the season with our U11 Netball Tournament and what a way to end the season 16 teams from across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Middlesex came together and it was an event not to miss. Music creating an enjoyable atmosphere, cakes fit for a wedding and Netball competitive enough for a regional event We had two mixed teams play, showing Beechwood Park Netball at its finest!

Our U11B team had some close group games, full of flying interceptions and some remarkable long-bomb shots. They very narrowly placed 3rd in Group B and then went into the knockout stages with a point to prove! Winning their first knockout game and then narrowly losing their second, they played off for 11th and 12th place A superb final win meant they placed 11th overall, shining against some opposition A teams

The A team were a force to contend with Playing in the strongest group in their group games, they secured three wins to top their group and progress into the top half of the knockout. They won their quarterfinals 100, with some lovely flow to their gameplay They then went on to play a very strong High March team in the semi-finals, who had qualified for IAPS Nationals and placed 11th in the UK the day before. With some nailbiting Netball they won the semi-final 7-6. Into the final…and what a game of Netball! Facing MK Prep who they had lost to earlier in the season, 30-14, they knew MK Prep were going to be a challenge However, MK Prep did not know how much our U11A team had improved! The ball went back and forth, goal to goal for the full 14 minutes, resulting in a 6-6 draw This then meant the game went to two minutes of extra time The Beechwood Park crowd was growing with the oh’s and ah’s of sport resonating. At the end of extra time, the score remained a draw at 7-7. This meant golden goal was instated…the next team to score were to be crowned Beechwood Park Netball Tournament 2024 Champions Interception after interception, some great feeds into the circle, two shots on goal which just bounced off the rim, it was tense! With the tension building, there were calls for calmness and composure from the subs, Beechwood Park were playing without fear and then came the third shot in Golden Goal time. The ball hadn’t left our attacking end, and this was the moment…up the ball went and swoosh through the net! The crowd went wild, the team were ecstatic and what a sporting moment for Beechwood Park School Netball Beating National finalists, earlier season losses, and remaining steady with a sizeable crowd. This team had an incredible journey over the season, and it has been wonderful to see their growth, they got the fruits of their hard work being crowned champions at this tournament. The way both teams handled themselves, their teamwork and how they showed such grit and determination was outstanding. A truly memorable event.

BRIDGEWATER CROSSCOUNTRY EVENT

Well done to all our Beechwood Park runners who took part in the Bridgewater School CrossCountry event, held at Bridgewater Primary School in Berkhamsted on Saturday 9th March. We had 23 runners take part and had some great results on a short and speedy back field course Special mentions to our individual medallists, Olivia S (Y6) bronze, Alex F (Y4) silver and William W (Y3) gold! We also had some team success with Y3 Girls (Saffi S, Maya E & Sophie C) and Y5 Boys (Bo H, Sam S & Will F) winning bronze and Y3 boys (William S, Harry B & William W) winning team gold! A big thank you to all our Beechwood Park supporters too on a fantastic sunny morning of sport. Fingers crossed for less rain next year and more cross-country races!

From Miss Hamilton

DRESSAGE SUCCESS

We were delighted to be able to field an unheard of TWO dressage teams for Beechwood Park at the NSEA County Qualifier on 16th March This is a first for the school and what a fabulous result with Beechwood Park School coming 1st and 2nd in the Hertfordshire County section.

We had Beechwood Lions Team 1 (consisting of Nicole I, Chloe I and Rory L) and Beechwood Lions Team 2 (Frank and Euan H and Florence and Cecily D). Our Beechwood Lions Team 1 WON the County Team section and attained the title Hertfordshire Team Dressage Champions in their Prelim class. I’m utterly thrilled to be able to take them to the NSEA National Championships representing Hertfordshire at the National Hickstead Championships in May

All of the children rode well beyond their years starting with a young Euan H who rode an analytical and mark scoring test and cut a heart warming figure in between the boards, coming an individual 7th and just nudging ahead of his brother, Frank on Morgan in the marks. A special mention should be given to Cecily D who showed maturity beyond her years, remaining as cool as a cucumber when a bolting horse disrupted her mid-test. Her sister, Florence D rode her first ever test on her new super smart pony, Crispie This is such an exciting partnership and we’re looking forward to seeing them progress together at NSEA. Nicole I rode a super clean Dandy really accurately and her sister Chloe rode a seriously cracking and smooth test on a fabulous dressage pony called Lilli. The Squad finished with Rory and a super shiny Roxy and they rode a lovely quiet smart and accurate test which enabled them to top the Hertfordshire individual section, winning the title of Hertfordshire Dressage Champion in the Prelim section

From Mrs Laing

FORMER PUPIL SUCCESS

Recently, we've been hearing of the continued sporting success of some of our former Beechwood Park pupils

At STAHS - Holly Gamble, Kate Plunkett and Ella NewtonSmith were part of the Netball STAHS U16A team who made it through to the National School Finals at Loughborough and went on to win Bronze in the Sisters n Sport National Finals! Also, captain Kate has made it into the Saracens Mavericks pathway and Ella has made it onto the Surrey Storm pathway. Fantastic!

Also from STAHS Isla McLean and Evie Simpson helped STAHS win the Division 1 title at the National Schools' Lacrosse Tournament.

For Haileybury - Cameron Black has been part of U16 rugby team who won the Herts County 7s tournament In the pool Adeola Akande has continued to star She is the Herts League Final Champion in butterfly and the medley relay squad. She also helped the Haileybury medley relay squad become National Champions - and in a record time!

From Repton - Last year's Y8 Sports Stars Eloise and Anna Webster have had great success in their first year at Repton school. They made it to the U14 Tier 1 National Final at the Olympic Park Eloise even got to lead out the team as captain In a tight game they just missed out on gold with Epsom winning 1-0 but an amazing start to their secondary school!

We are always delighted to hear of past pupil sporting success and love to share and celebrate it We are sure there is more out there that we haven't yet heard about! Well done everyone!

UPDATE FROM THE ART DEPARTMENT

ART DEPARTMENT

Year 3 have been learning about blending, using oil pastels. Instead of 'colouring in' areas up to the line, we have talked about moving the pastels across the join so that you cannot see where one colour ends and the other begins. This is a challenging concept at first but the Year 3 pupils have attacked the task with enthusiasm and determination! It will stand them in good stead for many future projects

In Year 4, Jackson Pollock sand painting has been well underway We have scaled down Jackson Pollock's work a bit (!), and used PVA glue with coloured sand to create some spectacular and dynamic pieces. Some Year 4 classes have yet to do this - this will happen next term, no-one will miss out!

For Year 5 the journalling project has now come to an end - so many brilliant sketchbook pages have been filled. Highlights from this half term have been creating our own fonts and learning to do graffiti. Hopefully pupils have learnt how drawing can be a good way to unwind and support their mental health

Year 6 have worked tirelessly to finish their crystal drawings, which are truly awe-inspiring The range of media used, the attention to detail and the determination in completing them have really impressed Mrs K-B. In addition, many of the pupils have finished their perspective fruit bowls which were started in Year 5 It has been satisfying ensuring that the hard work did not go to waste, and the results are also brilliant.

In Year 7, most pupils have now finished their cubist self-portraits, which are very good likenesses. The colour combinations are effective and the pupils have used shading to give the work a multifaceted appearance. Year 7 are now working on some studies of the school's architecture in the style of John Piper, which will be continued next term.

Top Form's recent work has been based on the sculptures of Barbara Hepworth, which has led to some amazing drawings both in and out of the sketchbooks Prior to these they worked on Beechwood Park's first drypoint printing project (thanks to the awesome new press). This is a technical and complicated process, and we were so lucky to have the help of Miss Ling, our artist-inresidence, throughout these lessons

Art Clubs have taken place across the year groups, with Years 5 and 6 working on some new mixed media House banners (still in progress), keep an eye out for these in the Great Hall next term! Miss Ling's artists have continued to thrive, and the exposure to different and exciting techniques each week has been highly beneficial, as well as great fun Mrs Murphy continues to provide the Year 3 and 4 Artists with fantastic creative opportunities each week - all in all our pupils are so lucky with all the expertise they have access to!

Year 4

Year 5

Y e a r 7

Y e a r 8

UPDATE FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

PRESTO PRIZES

Emily B 3O - for good concentration and fantastic progress on the trumpet!

Benedict B TIG - for excellent attitude and progress towards overcoming technical challenges at Grade 5

Felix S 3D - for some incredible hard work at his grade 2 pieces over the holidays

Joe G 5B - for great attitude and hard work in his lesson

Louis S 3P - for excellent practising and progress with his Guitar playing.

Florence D 5K - for excellent practice.

Eddie R 3O - for musical playing and fantastic progress from practising his guitar daily.

Ethan G 4R - for focusing on improving his technique and overall progress towards performing his Grade 1 pieces with the backing tracks

Charlie H 4P - excellent progress on the drums and a great attitude. Well done, Charlie!

Lulu M 5D - well done for working so hard on your drums, Lulu You're really making good progress

Jack B 4R - some excellent work recently, Jack, and you have a great attitude Well done!

Harry B 3O - you have worked really hard recently, Harry, and you're making excellent progress Well done!

Bo H 5D - really great work towards your exam Well done!

Sam B 6SK - excellent progress, Sam Your marimba playing is sounding great!

Robert V-T 3O - for excellent progress

Annabel D 3O - for amazing flute progress, beautiful sound and great understanding of new ideas.

Miles D 4B for wonderful practising progress with his Grade 1 guitar pieces.

Bruno P 3O for wonderful progress with reading music and performing his pieces on guitar to the backing tracks

Rock School exam results CONGRATULATIONS

Ethan G - Electric Guitar, Debut Grade - pass

Samuel R - Electric Guitar, Debut Grade - pass

Joshua G - Electric Guitar, Grade 1 - merit

Farran H - Acoustic Guitar, Grade 1 - merit

Eddie P - Acoustic Guitar, Grade 1 - merit

Findlay P - Electric Guitar, Grade 1 - merit

Hugo S - Electric Guitar, Grade 1 - merit

Magnus W - Electric Guitar, Grade 1 - merit

Shoma L - Electric Guitar, Grade 3 - merit

CHARITY UPDATE

CHARITY

BEECHWOOD PARK smashes £2,500 target for KEECH HOSPICE

After the amazing effort of the pupils doing their walks in and around Beechwood Park, parents and the wider school community have been extremely generous and enabled us to surpass our £2,500 target This meant that both a tortoise and a hare sculpture could be delivered to the school into Mrs KB’s creative hands, ready to be turned into an amazing piece of art. As we wait for the sculptures to be finished, we look forward to seeing them installed as part of the Luton sculpture trail and the Top Form is looking forward to seeing them in place when they ‘walk a bit more’ on the trail in the Summer Term.

Stop Press

During the Matilda performance we raised a staggering £455.69 in donations which means we have now raised a grand total of £3,507 for Keech Hospice. Thank you for your generosity.

World Book Day bonanza

Pupils and staff alike always look forward to World Book Day and this year was no exception The costumes across the school were sensational and the many photos on the day show the depth many had taken in researching their characters. The donations by parents and staff for dressing up were all in aid of the World Book Day Charity and together we have raised a magnificent £974, almost twice our target!

RED NOSE DAY

Because this event always falls in either the weeks before, during or after World Book Day, we just support Red Nose Day by selling their famous red noses. This year we sold 100 noses, adding £200 to the Comic Relief total of £38.6 m!

Next term we will be working on our rewilding project for Re:wild More details to follow about this green fingered endeavour, but expect the air to be buzzing after we plant super-pollinators in and around the school site and further afield!

Thank you so much for your continued generous support of charities close to Beechwood Park’s heart.

Mr. Wood

UPDATE FROM THE LIBRARY

EASTER HOLIDAY READING RECOMMENDATIONS

The Rhyming Rabbit By

Find your Happy By

Emily Coxhead

A variety of emotions are mentioned in this book, including anger, worry and shyness

Each emotion comes with small tips and tricks that any child could easily use in real life to help make themselves feel better and to also help them to embrace the emotion. In particular, the page about feeling sad and the encouragement given to talk to someone trusted is a particularly important one that could strike up many conversations and support children’s emotional literacy

Julia Donaldson

The Rhyming Rabbit loves to make up entertaining poems, inspired by everything he sees, but the other rabbits don't appreciate his talent for rhyme. Sad and lonely, the Rhyming Rabbit sets off one starry night all on his own - will he ever find someone to share his poems with? The Rhyming Rabbit is a clever rhyming adventure from the stellar picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks, creators of What the Ladybird Heard With brilliant rhyming verse and bright and distinctive illustrations, this story is a delight to read aloud.

Spyder

By

Matt Carr

The Fixer of Broken Things By Julia

Patton

The main character is Bea, the fixer of broken things, and she is good at it. When adults around her seek help with fixing their broken things – even with an enormous spaceship – she responds with, “Don’t worry!” and off she goes and fixes it, and they love her for it Everything is going well, until Bea comes across a small item that she cannot fix, no matter how hard she tries. All those that she has helped seem far too busy with their working machines, and so she is left on her own to work out what to do, except she cannot find the solution even though it should be so simple Sadness is encapsulated in Bea’s failure as she withdraws into her workshop and closes it The value is not in her skill though, and others recognise that And so she learns how it is the people around her that count.

Created in Matt Carr’s signature comic-book style with a palette of bold primary colours, this entertaining story follows Spyder, a secret agent arachnid whose codename is 008 Spyder is sent on a highly important mission to save one boy’s birthday cake from the destructive intentions of an uninvited Bluebottle. The text is full of puns but the humour is perfectly pitched for adults and children alike. It was wonderful to see that the secret agent was female (because why wouldn’t she be?). There are oodles of extra details to spot, such as the various images on the screen of the agent’s spy gadget and the spider webpage at the end of the book

The Friendship Bench

By Wendy Meddour

Tilly moves to a new home by the sea. She’s sad to learn that her precious dog Shadow is not allowed to go into her new school on her first day. Tilly faces the challenge of a new start alone At playtime, the teacher notices that Tilly is alone and suggests trying the Friendship Bench A boy already occupies the bench and the pair form a bond as they work together to transform the old, broken bench into something beautiful

The Nothing to See Here Hotel

By Steven Butler

Welcome to The Nothing to See Here Hotel! A hotel for magical creatures, where weird is normal for Frankie Banister and his parents who run the hotel. When a goblin messenger arrives at The Nothing to See Here Hotel, announcing the imminent arrival of the goblin prince Grogbah, Frankie and his family rush into action to get ready for their important guest But it soon becomes obvious that the Banister family are going to have their work cut out with the demanding prince and his never-ending entourage, especially when it turns out the rude little prince is hiding a secret... The first book in a fabulously funny series by bestselling author Steven Butler, with a host of whacky characters brought to life with illustration from the wonderful Steven Lenton!

Hercules by

Tom Vaughan

An Alien in the Jam Factory By Chrissie Sains

The first book in a hilarious, jam-packed new adventure series starring Scooter the inventor and his top secret alien sidekick. Scooter McLay's cerebral palsy affects how quickly he can move his body, but his hyper-creative brain is a constant fizz of brilliant ideas He spends every day inventing top secret recipes and machines for his family's jam factory There's just one thing missing a pet, to share it all with Or better still, a friend. When a tiny alien named Fizzbee crashes through the factory window, she might just be the answer. Now it's all hands on deck, as they team up to save the factory from dastardly neighbour Daffy Dodgy..

If Hercules Braver is going to survive his new secondary school, he has to live up to his name, fast. He needs to become strong and tanned and popular, like a Greek hero. Not weak and pale and unpopular, like a Greek yoghurt. But his bid for popularity ends up saddling him with a set of impossible tasks ... like cleaning out the monster-riddled school pond, facing up to the school bully and finding the headmaster's missing cat Then Herc's charming, impressive birth dad turns up after years living in Greece, and Hercules thinks his problems are solved. With God-like strength and awe-inspiring powers, could his dad even be ... the real Zeus?! And will Hercules learn what it truly means to be a hero?

Jack Splash by Tom Daley

Jack really wants to impress his diving coach dad there's just one problem Jack is the worst diver in the worst diving team in Damp Bottom, England But when a new kid starts at school with magic swimming skills and an eagerness to share tips, Jack's luck might be about to change. But when Jack's new friend gets into trouble - and the fate of a secret world hangs in the balance - it's up to Jack and the rest of his diving crew to save the day Sometimes it's not about winning, it's about helping your friends when they need it the most, it's about team work

The Wonder Team and the Forgotten Footballers by Leah Williamson

Loosely based on one of Leah Williamson's big inspirations, the Dick Kerr Ladies and their brave protest against the ban on women's football, The Wonder Team and the Forgotten Footballers is a fun adventure that comes from the heart

When Leah discovers a mysterious time capsule with her two best friends, she opens up a whole new world of adventure! Transported a hundred years back in time, Leah, George and Mimi make an unexpected discovery – women’s football has been banned!

Along with their new friend Dot, Leah and the team must work together to make sure the allimportant Championship Cup final still goes ahead. But with a mysterious figure working hard to ruin the team’s chances, Leah is in a race against time to put the clues together and catch the culprit before it’s too late! A time-twisting adventure from Lioness Leah Williamson, captain of the Euros-winning England team, written with debut author Jordan Glover

Wonka by

Onyeka and The Heroes of the Dawn by Tola Okogwu

Solari – children with superpowers – have always been native to Nigeria, but Onyeka and her friends have been alerted to one hidden in England. Tasked with retrieving the young Solari, they successfully complete their mission, arriving safe and sound back at the Academy of the Sun with Tobi in tow. Tobi’s identity and superpower remain a mystery, until a breadcrumb trail leads Onyeka to the truth But someone else has uncovered the secret, and unlike Onyeka, they don’t have Tobi’s best interests at heart Can our superhero save the day once again?

The extraordinary third book in the action-packed superhero series.

Sibéal Pounder

Before Charlie, before the Chocolate Factory, comes a story of invention and imagination Ever since he was a child, Willy Wonka had dreamed of making chocolate and sharing it with the world. As a young man, he arrives at the world-famous Galeries Gourmet, determined to change the world one delectable bite at a time. But hounded by a trio of jealous chocolatiers, and tricked into a lifetime of washhouse drudgery, Wonka will need a little luck and a whole lot of magic – along with some help from a few friends – to fulfil his destiny This delicious tale of dreams, friendship and chocolate is based on the major motion picture, Wonka.

Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold

Journey to the heart of the jungle in this unforgettable adventure from the author of bestselling and prize-winning The Last Bear, Hannah Gold

Silver Trevelon’s parents aren’t happy. They haven’t been happy since the nursery they decorated started gathering cobwebs, waiting for the baby brother or sister that never came So when Silver’s dad is invited to paint at a turtle rescue centre in Costa Rica, she hopes it’ll be just the adventure the family needs Under the hot tropical sun, Silver settles into life at the animal centre She even witnesses a rare sighting of a leatherback turtle nesting on the beach. But when the turtle’s eggs are stolen, events take a dark and dangerous turn.

Can Silver and her new friends track them down before it's too late? It’ll mean journeying into the heart of the jungle and uncovering long-buried secrets

Pirates of Darksea by Catherine Doyle

Deep in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, where the full moon rests on the horizon, lies a secret kingdom called Darksea. Ruled by the Pirate King, Captain O'Malley, Darksea's tranquil waters have, of late, been haunted by an invisible and deadly monster - a monster that is eating the once-beautiful islands in gigantic bites On the other side of the horizon, at his home in Galway, Max Reid and his family are battling a different monster. His big brother Christopher is in hospital and getting sicker - and his parents have begun to talk of miracles. Then one night a loud, bright red parrot taps on Max's bedroom window, carrying an invitation from the pirate king. Captain O'Malley needs a new crew member for a dangerous quest; and the reward is everything Max has been hoping for But in Darksea, not everyone is as they seem When Captain O'Malley's secret threatens to upend their mission and destroy Max's chance to help his family, Max realises he's going to have to navigate much more than he bargained for.

The Clockwork Conspiracy by Sam Sedgman

A locked-room mystery packed with rooftop chases, hidden codes and mindbending science, The Clockwork Conspiracy is a must for fans of the Adventures on Trains series and Sharna Jackson's High Rise mysteries

Aspiring inventor Isaac Turner lives with his dad, the horologist in charge of Big Ben. But when his father vanishes from the belfry on the night the clocks go back, leaving behind only a smashed pocket watch and a cryptic message, Isaac determines to find him Hunting a trail of clues through London's landmarks, Isaac uncovers a sinister plot in the gears of government and embarks on a race against time to save his father - and time itself An action packed, thrilling adventure from start to finish.

Skandar and the Chaos Trials by A F Steadman HEROES AND UNICORNS AS YOU’VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE. The epic adventure continues . . .The Island always wins…

Skandar and his sister Kenna are finally both at the Eyrie, but tensions are high To survive their third year of training, Skandar and his friends must complete a series of terrifying trials across the Island’s elemental zones. Friendships, allegiances and rider-unicorn bonds will be pushed to the limit – only the strongest will make it Meanwhile Kenna’s forged bond to a wild unicorn has left her alienated and alone And when a terrible discovery puts the future of the Island in peril, all fingers point in one direction As dark forces assemble, Skandar must decide how far is he willing to go – for Kenna, and for the Eyrie.

Get ready for unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious unicorns in this highly anticipated adventure that will keep you reading after lights out! Don’t miss the unputdownable new book in the international bestselling SKANDAR series.

Northern Soul by Phil Earle

Skulduggery Pleasant: A Mind of Murder by Derek Landy

SIX YEARS AGO, THE UNIVERSE ENDED When it restarted, blinking back into existence, it brought with it a darkness that remains hidden from the mortal population.

A week ago – fuelled by unimaginable hatred and unstoppable rage – a masked sorcerer killed one of those mortals. Then he killed another. And another. With their time running out, Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain must work to solve the puzzles the killer leaves behind before more innocents die, embarking on a journey that will force them to deal with the apocalypse they failed to prevent the first time around.

A bone-shaking new trilogy begins – the latest adventure in the bestselling Skulduggery Pleasant series.

From award-winning author Phil Earle comes the hilariously agonising account of one teenage boy’s disastrous attempts to win the heart of the cool new girl at school

Marv’s fourteen and his life is simple. There’s football. And his best mate, Jimmy. Perfect. Nothing else matters until a new girl at school called Carly crashes into his life For Marv, it’s love at first sight, his emotions flipped upside down, as he knows a girl like Carly will never notice him

He needs help – lots of it – but when it miraculously arrives in the shape of a musical idol from the past, Otis Redding, the path to Carly’s heart proves anything but easy

First love is unforgettable, and poor Marv is about to learn this the hard way – him, and his northern soul

UPDATE FROM THE BPSPA

BPSPA

Following on from our successful quiz night and discos before half term, this short second half of term has been slightly quieter from a BPSPA perspective. We’ve been mostly liaising with organising teams to get things set up for a busy time next term

Children in the Junior Department are in the process of producing some brilliant portraits which will be used to create a Junior Department tea towel - online pre orders for these will open after the Easter holidays. Woodlanders will also be producing their own portrait tea towel and will begin work on theirs next term. Please look out for details on how to order. Big thanks to Mrs McIntosh, Mrs Pritchard and all the teachers involved for helping facilitate this

We have lots of fun to look forward to next term: Picnic on the Lawn (for children, parents/ guardians and staff), the Summer Ball (for parents and staff), Fun Night (for the Beechwood Park community) - and the ever popular BPSPA ice lolly stall on Fridays after half term. In the process, we’re hoping to continue to raise money for important causes next term We’ve totted up what you helped raise through BPSPA activities this term and amazingly it comes to over £6,500 Thank you!

Traditionally the big fundraiser next term is the Summer Ball, where we hope your generosity will raise lots more. Proceeds from the Ball will be split 40% school projects, 20% Keech Hospice Care, 20% DENS and 20% WheelPower DENS and WheelPower are charities chosen by pupils, staff and parents this term Both charities will be doing school assemblies in May, so the children can learn about their vital work WheelPower is running a charity bike ride on 9th June, starting and finishing at Stoke Mandeville Stadium If you’d like to join fellow Beechwood Park adults and children who can safely ride 25km (or more) and raise further funds for WheelPower, please contact BPSPA@beechwoodpark.com

So, lots to look forward to AND lots of opportunities for you to volunteer – whether on the next Committee, organising events or helping on the night Please do get involved As we’ve said before, the fun and the fundraising can’t happen without you! Click on the link here for more details

Wishing you a great break over the Easter holidays. From the BPSPA team