The whole world is battling with an issue of immense scale and unprecedented human
impact and our thoughts are with all who have been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. At Meadowside we are taking immediate steps to evolve our wellbeing programme, approaches and tools to support the mental health and wellbeing of our community in tackling the additional challenges posed to their mental health and wellbeing-both in the immediate and in the future. We are emphasising the thought: BE KIND to one another. This magazine was originally due to be published in March but COVID-19 stopped us in our tracks. To celebrate the work put in by our staff and pupils, we are publishing this online. We look forward to resuming many of the activities once again, when the pandemic eases and we are safe to continue offering a
rich and varied curriculum.
Head Teacher
Paula Wareing
Meadowside School Council & Interact Club Student Council At our Student Council meeting in January, Kayleigh was elected as our Vice Chair Person.
We also welcomed Mo Wilkins (Governor) to our meeting.
Merseyside School Council Next term would have been fund raising for our chosen charity �Baby Basics�. Pupils, staff and dignitaries from each school would have attended Liverpool Town Hall in May this year. Bag2School Next Bag2school pick up will be TBC Thank you for all your support. Interact Club (Rotary) Gordon from Rotary helped our pupils to plant these beautiful purple crocus in Queens Park, Hoylake and Meadowside School. Pauline Freeman Learning Mentor
Music
Pupils in KS3 enjoyed working on music from the Philharmonic Orchestra Scheme’ Our Global Vision’, which focused on music with an environmental theme. This included Beethoven’s The Storm, Raymond Scott’s The Penguin and a signed song written last year called People of Tomorrow. We especially enjoyed our visit to the orchestra, to hear the pieces being played live! Some of our improvisations included exploring metal instruments, such as the thumb piano and the bell tree. There were instruments we’d never tried before such as the flexatone and the chime plate. We also explored music to move to, with lots of great moves in the Chestnut Group! We have enjoyed learning some new signed songs, guided by Singing Hands’ demonstration videos. We have added a new signed song to our morning repertoire, Try Everything, from Zootopia. We plan to upload more signed songs to our YouTube channel– Signing Singers. Mrs Hughes
Science We have been having lots of fun learning about plants, electricity and rocks (yes fun learning about rocks!) in Science this term. Beech group has been learning about the movement of electricity through a circuit, and how we can use static electricity to do ‘magic tricks’, like moving a stream of water and a tissue paper character without touching them! Some groups were very lucky to be joined in their lessons by Pete our Caretaker. He kindly prepared lots of resources and taught us how to wire a plug. We were amazed to see what goes on inside our electrical appliances and had a go at wiring the plugs ourselves. It was fiddly, but we all concentrated really hard on completing the job. Chestnut group was fascinated when exploring soil. They knew that they might find some stones in soil, but were surprised to find worms and other bugs in the samples they collected. Acorn group is learning about erosion and weathering and was shocked to see houses falling into the sea, in videos about costal erosion. Pupils in 4V and 4C have been working hard towards their accreditation and qualifications, they have been learning about things which are alive and not alive, and the 7 ways we could tell. Mrs Dunn
Environmental Education Pupils in the 14-19 Environmental Education group finished off their first pieces of accreditation with a rainy trip to Vale Park, and a local second hand shop. The group were more than impressed with the sculptures they saw at Vale Park which were made from salvaged and recycled materials. Pupils have made beautiful colourful trees in the school grounds, from the old plastic you kindly sent in. Some time ago, you may remember that we advertised some notice boards on Class Dojo, that the pupils made, by upcycling old picture frames. Some of these are still available for sale at £5 each. If you wish to buy one, please send the money in to school with your child. We have made a great start to the Spring Term topic, ‘Water and Weather’. Pupils are learning about drought and the impact of dry weather. They have carried out research into the weather in different countries and worked collaboratively with peers to make presentations to the rest of the group on what they found out. Pupils have also been learning about the symbols used to represent the different elements in a weather forecast. Keep an eye on Class Dojo for forecasts from Meadowside’s very own weather men and women.
Mrs Dunn
Art Elm and Chestnut groups completed their 3D painting inspired by the British artist Jim Dyer who painted his paintings in the Amazon Rainforest. Pupils learned how to grade colours to give a sense of depth to their jungle landscape. They also learned about background, middle ground and foreground in a landscape. Acorn and Beech groups studied the primitive artist Henri Rousseau. They ‘windowed’ in on a small section of his painting, scaled it up to ‘home in’ on how the artist layers, shades and colours. They used his photocopied painting to make a 3D collage. Pupils have had lots of praise for their completed art work. Well done all Key Stage 3 pupils.
Ms Hoffmann
D&T
Acorn and Beech groups completed their balancing bird mobile toys.
They enjoyed using the electric fretsaw to cut out their bird shapes. They also liked choosing the coloured fabrics to decorate their tropical birds. They found threading the nylon threads fiddly to do. They were all pleased with their final product but they decided that using fabric made less wing movement than plain varnished wood.
Chestnut and Elm groups have also completed their
balancing
toy
based
on
the
Amazon
Rainforest. They were all thrilled that the jaguar successfully balanced on the tree branch. Pupils are now planning to make a 3D freeze based on their homes they will be called Elm
Street and Chestnut Street .
Ms Hoffmann
BONJOUR!
This term we learned about animals! Pupils have been learning and revising basic vocabulary, including greetings. We learnt new Makaton signs for different animals and we have enjoyed singing and signing along to many songs. Pupils learnt to say and sign “I have� in French and they have used this in short conversations about pets. Pupils are next going to learn about francophone (French speaking) countries and cultures.
Mrs Ubeda
MFL
English This term, pupils in KS3 have worked on poetry and persuasive language to develop their speech, language, communication, reading and writing skills, leading up to the celebration of World Book Day on 5th March. This whole school event was a great success and pupils really enjoyed it. They shared a variety of stories in lessons and joined in a whole school assembly where they received a book token. Pupils in KS4 have focused on functional reading and writing, especially the use of capital letters in documents and in the environment. Some pupils continue to work towards Entry Level Certificate in English. Learners in Post 16 have continued to work towards different qualifications, such as units for the Unit Award Scheme, Step up to English Entry Level Certificate and Functional Skills. They also helped during World Book Day and acted like true role models for the rest of the school. Mrs Ubeda
Fusion
Learners in Fusion group have enjoyed another great term in school. We have been wowed with a range of different science experiments, including getting our hands dirty trying to grow different plants from seeds, exploring the wonders of static electricity and creating a range of electrical circuits. We are currently working hard on an Art/ DT project where we are designing our own town. So far, we have created town maps and have successfully built our first set of buildings. In Music we have been learning about the orchestra. We have explored a range of different pieces of music and created our own additions to the original pieces. Reading and communication has been a very important part of this term; we have loved sharing a range of stories and poems together. We have enjoyed learning about Chinese New Year by finding out how and why it is celebrated each year and tasting some traditional Chinese food using chopsticks. We have also learnt about Shrove Tuesday as part of our Christianity topic and of course, made our own pancakes. Life skills has been interesting this term as we have been learning about different types of clothing. We have learnt to fold, fasten and look after our clothes as well as which clothing is most appropriate for different weather.
Mrs O’Connor
Citizenship The Citizenship topic for KS3 this term was Government and Democracy. Pupils in 7CU focused on taking turns and being together as a group. They practised handing out their own books to the rest of the class and sharing resources, such as a sensory story while learning about the Houses of Parliament. Their favourite part was listening to Big Ben and learning that this is the name of a very important clock! They also loved watching a video of the opening of Parliament and spotting some of the elements they had been learning about! They managed to find the Houses of Parliament, the Prime Minister and the Queen! 7CU are looking forward to doing some role-play activities to consolidate their learning. Pupils in KS4 have been looking at Finance and budgeting. They looked at essential items to buy each week and worked out the cost of planning their own week. Pupils in Post 16 discussed elections and voting. As some pupils are over 18, they shared their personal experiences of the voting process.
Mrs Hughes
Life Skills Key Stage 3 The topic this term was Clothing: types of clothing, fashion, appropriateness, dressing skills, fasteners, wash labels, washing, ironing and mending clothes. We also explored the environmental and Human Rights issues associated with making, producing and selling clothing. Key Stage 4 This term’s topic was Healthy Eating. Lessons have involved learning some basic nutrition, finding out how different nutrients can help the body function and making healthy food products. Some of the foods that pupils have made include: flapjacks, cereal, fruit salad, pasta salad and stir-fry. Pupils have made products that are delicious and healthy in addition to developing their practical cookery skills. Post 16 Pupils have been making a range of savoury and sweet bakery items. The topic this term is the Maroon CafÊ and has involved pupils making and adapting recipes to be suitable to make within a specified time, in large batches, that can make profit and be sold in school to raise money for charity. Making so many cakes in a limited time to sell within the allocated lesson time means skills such as communication, teamwork, organisational skills, good hygiene practice, practical and presentation skills in addition to maths skills (measure, time & money) are included in this topic. This topic may also link to future college course and/or work. Mrs Jones
RE KS3 Who are the Saints associated with England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales? Why are they Saints? What is the link between saints and flags? Pupils have been learning about saints along with places of worship, special events such as baptism, getting married, Easter, Lent and famous people such as Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King. Lessons have involved stories, research, discussions, or craft with Christianity as the focused religion this term.
KS3 Making pancakes for Shrove Tuesday !
KS4 World Religions is the topic studied this term. Pupils have been finding out facts, beliefs and festivals associated with the six main religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Pupils have also been completing their AQA accreditation. Post 16 Fact finding, comparing beliefs, life events between the main religions and looking at moral issues associated with religion such as the 10 commandments is the focus of the Religion & Moral Issues topic. This term pupils have also been completing their AQA accreditation based upon either comparing religions or focusing upon one religion. Mrs Jones
Maths During the first half-term, KS4 and 5 developed their skills in multiplication and division. They have worked on different techniques to apply multiplication and division to problem solving. KS3 have been learning about subtraction, using number lines, counters and column subtraction. In the second half-term, KS3 are learning about fractions, applying this to objects and quantities. They are also learning about reflection and symmetry and have been enjoying using mirrors to identify lines of symmetry and to reflect patterns.
During this term we have also been trialling a number of different online Maths apps and websites. Pupils have responded well and have enjoyed the use of ICT within their Maths lessons. Mrs Charmley
Computing
During the first half-term, pupils learned about how to select suitable apps and software for managing text and images. They have experimented with and reviewed a range of different apps such as Notes and Inkflow. Pupils have learnt about using the App Store to search for apps suitable for different scenarios and how to consider different rating and reviews from other users. They have also considered whether apps will be free or have a cost to purchase them and that free apps may in fact have additional costs to pay within the app to unlock particular features.
During the second half term we are focusing on ESafety. Pupils are identifying different methods of technology for communication and considering the pros and cons of each. Pupils are identifying the key risks and lesser known risks to being online and how to respond appropriately to these risks. Mrs Charmley
Residential In December some Year 7’s and other pupils who were new to the school, took part in the residential stay at Bendrigg Activity Centre in Kendal in the Lake District. Two Post 16 pupils also attended as role models for positive behaviour. They took part in lots of different activities including archery, big swing, indoor and outdoor caving, outdoor nature walks, zip wire, fire lighting, tepee time, climbing and abseiling, football, sensory room activities, preparing and serving food and independent living skills. ALL pupils had lots of fun on the residential while working towards their own individual learning outcomes.
Mr Stubbs
P.E. This term Flair group has been carrying on with their MATP, (motor activity training programme), where they have been given opportunities to practise skills that will prepare them for sport without comparison to others. The focus was on achieving their personal bests. They then went to a MATP challenge day event at Lansbury Bridge School, St Helens in January with EitC (Everton in the Community). Post 16, Key Stage 3 and Fusion groups have been taking part in dance, looking specifically at African dance to drum beats following a clock pattern. Pupils have worked on their hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness and maths skills by reading an analogue clock. Key Stage 4 pupils took part in outdoor and adventure activities, specifically looking at teambuilding games. They have had to work together to solve problems or compete against others while developing their leadership and communication skills. Pupils also took part in swimming lessons, continuing to look at their water confidence, different strokes, different floating positions, keeping safe around the pool, getting themselves ready for a swim, routines and personal hygiene Mr Stubbs
PSHE In Personal, Social and Health Education, Key Stage 3 pupils have been looking at different types of relationships in their lives and how they might change, the difference between good and ‘toxic’ relationships, consent and why we need it, and how we can keep a healthy mind. Flair group continued to look at their physical self and how taking part in physical activities can help keep them stay healthy. They have been preparing for swimming and P.E and what they might need to have i.e can they find their swim bag or hold it ready. They have also been looking at getting along with each other and friendships in lessons. Post 16 Post 16 pupils have been taking part in their PSHE lessons with Jackie from HSIS (Health Services in Schools). Pupils have been learning about relationships and sex education, looking at being safe when in a relationship both emotionally, and physically (safe sex and sexually transmitted infections, and how to prevent these from happening) .
In CPR club pupils have been looking at what to do in an emergency situation if they find someone hurt, looking at rescue breaths, chest compressions and putting others into the recovery
position safely. Mr Stubbs
Pupils have been taking part in lots of different and exciting after school activities this term including swim club, CPR Club, Fit to Dance Club, and Football Club. The clubs are a chance for pupils to take part in a new activity, or to improve skills already developed in school time.
Flair Pancakes and fun ! Learners in Flair made the most of Pancake Tuesday by sampling different flavours to decide which topping they liked best. The lemon, chocolate, cream and banana were all tasted and the perfect combinations chosen ! Levi liked all the tastes and Josh did a great job of squirting the cream onto his pancake. Mason loved the sensory box of green things to get busy playing with. Amaan has chosen which of our songs always make him smile his lovely smile !
Mrs Brown
Work-Related learning Activities to help support our Year 14 leavers make a successful transition to their chosen college or post-school provider have continued this term. Leavers enjoyed a visit to Wirral Metropolitan College to find out about Horticulture facilities.
Dale Farm We place a strong emphasis on work related learning. Each week a group of learners aged 14+ visit Dale Farm in Heswall to undertake Horticulture work experience. Michael helped to empty the woodstore where the logs had been drying over the Winter.
Jenny Wright
Work Experience
Several pupils are supported to attend work experience placements every week. Holly & Lauren experience work as yard assistants/stable hands at West Wirral Riding School where they groom the horses and clean the yard. Eight pupils go to Heswall Day Centre each week. The service users really enjoy having them there.
Scott’s work experience takes place in the British Red Cross Shop where he serves customers, prepares stock for the shop floor and helps with displays. Kayleigh attends Holy Spirit Primary School where she works with a Dance Teacher from Clare Mount College to help pupils in Years 1 & 2 to do a ‘warm up’ and participate in their dance classes.
Woodchurch High School
Meadowside and Woodchurch High Schools work in partnership to offer an inclusion programme to some of our learners.
Individual Meadowside pupils are supported by one of our Teaching Assistants to join classes of Woodchurch High School pupils studying English, Maths, Science and Art. Learners in 16V and a few from Key Stage 4 attend Art lessons at Woodchurch High School for a Mixed Media project. We are very grateful to Woodchurch High School for the opportunities they offer us.
Jenny Wilson
Staffing News We have three new members in our school community. This term Sean and Lisa have joined us as Teaching Assistants. Our lunch–time Supervisor Mel is now also working as a Teaching Assistant. In March, Stella was recruited as our Aquatics Assistant; she will be taking most of the swim lessons throughout the week, working closely with our P.E. Lead Mr Stubbs.
Thank you We are extremely grateful to Newhall Publishing for their continued support in printing our magazine each term.
We would like to thank all at New Directions for their generous cheque for school funds.
The Life Skills Department would like to say a big thank you to Kuhn Rikon who have kindly donated a range of colourful kitchen tools and gadgets such as can openers, graters, peelers and jar openers. These products are designed to support various practical tasks and will help to support many pupils at Meadowside to complete kitchen tasks more independently.
Our website www.meadowsideschool.com is updated regularly with our latest information and news. We are also available on Twitter at Https:// twitter.com/meadowsidech49 and Facebook at https://facebook.com/ meadowsideschoolwirral
You can also contact the Office on (0151) 678 7711 Meadowside School, Pool Lane, Birkenhead, Wirral CH49 5LA