Summer 2018 Magazine

Meadowside Magazine

Issue 16 Summer 2018

Read about our amazing Skills Week.

Find out about this term’s achievements!

Welcome

to the Summer 2018 edition of the Meadowside Magazine. As another busy term draws to a close, the magazine highlights a few of the many activities enjoyed by pupils, (and staff!), including the Year 7 Residential, Summer Fair, Skills Week and a visit from the Vikings. Our new Pool is almost finished and the changing facilities are now complete. Staff will shortly be trained in the use of all the new equipment ready for use in September.

I hope you all enjoy the Summer break and would like to remind you that school reopens on Wednesday September 5th, 2018.

Paula Wareing Head Teacher

Merseyside School Council Our project to collect food and toiletries for The Charles Thompson Mission in Birkenhead has been a huge success.

All the schools involved in The Merseyside School Council enjoyed an amazing day at Liverpool Town Hall, including representatives from Meadowside.

Pauline Freeman

Bag2School Bag2chool raised an amazing ÂŁ53.20 for Student Council and Interact Club. Thank you for all your help. Next pick up will be in September.

Student Council members played an important role during the presentation/interview recruitment of three teachers.

This term, pupils in KS3, KS4 and Post 16 have worked on the topics great events and disasters. Some learners in KS3 have worked on their individual English targets while exploring non-fiction texts such as information texts, recounts and reports. They have continued to practise pencil grip control, develop their social communication skills by playing different board games, completed guided reading activities as well as speaking and listening tasks to improve their understanding.

Other learners in KS3 and KS4 are currently working on different types of talk and they are preparing oral presentations such as reviews and interviews.

In addition, pupils in KS4 and Post 16 have continued to work on the AQA Accreditation Step up to English, at their appropriate level. Y11 and Y14 pupils preparing this have already completed their assessment. Well done!

Pupils in Fusion Group have continued to develop their communication skills both in school and offsite. In school, they have looked at features of non-fiction texts and new practical tasks while working towards their individual targets. Offsite, they have visited a cafĂŠ and a local shop and they have practised their communication skills.

Mrs Ubeda

Music The highlight of this term has been performing at the Merseyside Music Festival, at Mill Green School in St Helens. This was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy music making with other schools and performing to an audience. Our group performed as the Signing Singers and included pupils from Year 7 to Post 16. One of the community songs was ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman. We will also be performing this at the Leavers’ Assembly at the end of term.

We linked to the school topic by looking at the song ‘London’s Burning’, about the Great Fire of London.

Pupils enjoyed singing the song in a range of ways: there were solo performances, group performances and we even tried singing it as a round. Pupils were able to play the melody on chime bars and keyboards, some playing along at the correct tempo with the backing track.

Pupils have also enjoyed making music in the weekly Music Club, at lunchtime. We are especially grateful to the families who have recently donated instruments to add to our collection, providing pupils with new ways to make music and express themselves. Thank you.

Mrs Hughes

Modern Foreign Language This term in MFL pupils have been learning about time and weather!

Some pupils have been learning new vocabulary including the days of the week and months of the year. They’ve learnt how to talk about the weather, its differing seasons and types of weather.

Learners have enjoyed trying out our new spinner games in lessons, which have helped

them to remember the new vocabulary they’ve learnt and create their own challenges!

Some learners are also preparing their own calendar in French by applying their new vocabulary knowledge and some ICT skills.

We’ll be celebrating “Bastille Day” again after last year’s success, where pupils tasted French food, joined in traditional French sports and even tried a traditional French dance!

Mrs Ubeda

As ever, the Maths Department has been really busy during the Summer Term. There has been lots of hard work and good learning taking place. TEAM group has been developing Maths skills through some new cookery lessons, where they weigh and measure ingredients using standard and non-standard measures, and use skills in timing to ensure nothing gets burnt! In addition to this, the TEAM group members sell their bakes to the rest of the school and use the money they make to buy ingredients. This way, they are learning to both handle money, and develop an idea of value.

Pupils in Key Stage 4 and Post 16 have been working towards gaining AQA Unit Awards and following their hard work, everyone is on track to achieve an award this year.

Fusion group continue to put Maths into practice in their weekly off site sessions and Sam and Lewis have begun to attend Woodchurch High School for Maths lessons, in preparation for GCSE work, which will begin in September. Both boys have been working hard at Woodchurch and their efforts are really paying off,; the teachers there are very complimentary and pleased with the progress they are making. Keep it up boys!

Star, Planet, Moon and Sun groups have been enjoying some practical Maths lessons this term. Planets had a particularly soggy session when learning about volume.

Everyone in the group was able to identify when a container was full, not everyone was able to stop pouring water into the full container!!!!!

Mrs Dunn

We have been designing computer games on different platforms, iPads, Desktop computers and mini laptops. Purple Mash offers great options for a range of game templates. Pupils especially enjoyed the 3Diy game, where the character can walk round an environment collecting items and avoiding certain characters or objects.

We started a feedback form, online, for pupils to ty out the games then feed back comments about design, difficulty and appeal.

We have revisited Kodu Gamelab, adding options such as 2 player games and scoring systems.

We linked to the whole school topic by making games related to the Royal Wedding, collecting crowns or wedding gifts for points.

Games design is one of the most popular topics and we have had games related to Harry Potter, Princess Peach and even Bradley Walsh!

We attended the Internet Safety Roadshow, in Liverpool and designed games with an eSafety theme.

Mrs Hughes

In April, Merseyside's leading Viking, Saxon and Norman re-enactment group (Wirhalh Skip Felagr) visited Meadowside for a whole school event. This was a fantastic event that involved demonstrations involving weaponry, clothing, food and pupils having the opportunity to use and try some of the resources that were brought to the event. This brought history to life with pupils learning of the impact they had when they lived on the Wirral and for some of the pupils they would be their ancestors.

On the 8th May we celebrated VE Day. This was a whole school event organised by the Humanities, Maths and Life Skills departments.

Pupils learnt about VE Day and its importance. Many pupils and staff dressed up in either clothes related to the 1930s and 1940s or in colours that represent the Union flag. Pupils participated in different craft activities, played traditional sports and party games and watched a movie in the immersive theatre and celebrated with a street party.

These events were both funded by Meadowside School’s HSA. Mrs Jones

In ILS lessons pupils have been learning about dangers in the kitchen, home and road safety.

KS4 and Post 16 have been completing their accreditation. KS4 also been making some healthy snack foods. Post 16 life skills food practical lessons have involved independent tasks making eggs, hot snack food, summer foods and making meals that pupils have chosen themselves.

Post 16 also made many of the cakes for the VE Day celebration Union flag inspired cakes and chocolate cakes (World War 1 no egg recipe).

Update: Life Skills cake sales held in the Spring Term raised enough money for pupils to make a charitable donation of ÂŁ89.13. Pupils voted to support Claire House.

KS3 lessons have involved learning about the environment: looking after it, protecting it and recycling.

KS4 and Post 16 pupils have been completing their accreditation. KS4 have been learning about Human Rights and Post 16 community organisations Mrs Jones

It’s been a very exciting and busy time this term in P.E. Key Stage 3 pupils have been taking part in athletics and tennis.

Acorn, Beech and Chestnut enjoying throwing, running athletics. They have also been getting ready for Wimbledon. at how to hold equipment, correct stance, hitting the ball over the net and how to play small games of short tennis.

groups have been and jumping, in playing tennis while They have looked

Fusion group has been taking part in games, focusing on playing together with a theme of athletics and football.

Key stage 4 pupils have been taking part in athletics , exploring throwing in more detail and how to throw for better height and distance.

Pupils from Key stage 3, 4 and Post 16 have taken part in the Everton in the Community ‘Olympic Day’ at Archbishop Beck tennis centre, Liverpool.

Premier Education were also invited into school and the pupils were able to try out fencing. They learnt how to hold the ‘foil’, correct stance, movement and how to compete against others. All pupils took part in what was a very fun and enjoyable day where the pupils learnt about a new sport.

Mr Stubbs

In Science this term Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils have been learning about evolution and inheritance in Biology, looking at where we came from and how we get different attributes from our parents e.g eye colour, hair colour, height etc.

In Chemistry, pupils have been looking at the uses of different materials and how we use them for different objects. They enjoyed experimenting with using different materials when thinking about protecting an egg from cracking when it’s thrown in the air.

In Physics pupils have been looking at light and sound, taking part in practical lessons where they could create a light box to refract light through a prism and create a rainbow.

Mr Stubbs

In PSHE this term pupils have been learning about relationships and keeping safe.

Key Stage 3 pupils have been taking part in lessons looking at different types of relationships and how these change over time and what they should expect from different and new relationships as they grow up.

Key Stage 4 and Post 16 pupils have been working with Paddy from Health Services in Schools (HSiS), working on keeping safe while in relationships and looking at how relationships change as you get older.

Mr Stubbs

TEAM learners enjoy a varied curriculum involving lots of offsite educational experiences.

This Summer Term TEAM pupils have taken on new challenges and tried more new activities.

Each week they visit Crosby lakeside and learnt to build rafts and sailed them successfully across the lake. They’ve also learnt how to row when sailing a boat requiring team work, communication and cooperation.

During their time at Dale Farm, they’re taught how to pot plants, prepare large areas for planting and contribute to the daily running of the farm, taking on directed tasks from staff at the farm.

Each week TEAM have continued to enjoy going to the Hive Youth Club in Birkenhead, where they have had the opportunity to socialise with one another and other children attending the club.

This year TEAM have made great steps in their learning and made new friendships along the way, well done TEAM! Miss Green

Pupils of Meadowside School have been working towards their Duke of Edinburg Bronze Award and have been undertaking various tasks towards the award.

Post 16 were given compass directions to follow in their groups and working as a team, they were able to navigate the area to the end destination successfully.

Pupils have also been around various supermarkets and garden centres to look at and price up different plants and accessories for our Sensory Garden in school.

The Post 16 learners at Meadowside have thoroughly enjoyed the activities they've undertaken as part of the Duke of Edinburg Bronze Award.

All of our post 16 participants have taken on each task with enthusiasm, followed instructions well and been an excellent team member.

Well done Post 16!

Di Ross

The topic for this year was Animal Care and Horticulture.

The students from Key Stage 4 and Post 16 took part in a range of offsite trips and welcomed visitors from various establishments to our school. Skills week this year focused on leaning about different animals in their habitat from the professionals that care for them.

The Rangers came to school and brought some amazing artefacts about wild animals.

We went on a visit to Dogs Trust in Huyton, with a special visit from the therapy dog. The students have been collecting donated blankets for the dogs.

Some students went on a visit to learn about Falconry.

Pupils were able to learn how to correctly handle and care for the owls.

The students went to the Hedgehog Rescue Centre, to meet the staff, who are all volunteers and learn how to administer medication as one of their roles.

Some groups went on a tour around Birkenhead Park, with one of the Rangers, learning about the wildlife there.

The students experienced an afternoon at Dale Farm.

At Northop College the students went into the small animal room, to learn about hygiene and how to handle and look after the animals.

At Woodchurch High School the students went on a visit to the Farm to learn about year round animal care.

The week ended with a morning of interview skills and in the afternoon the students all gave a presentation on what they had learnt during a very busy week.

We had a whole day at the Safari Park. In the morning we drove through the wild enclosures but missing out the mischievous monkeys!

Pupils learnt about Sealions and various reptiles as taught by the safari staff.

The week was a fantastic success that the pupils enjoyed. Special thanks to Ms Goalen and Katherine Magnall for organising it and to all the visitors and establishments that welcomed and taught our pupils.

Amazing Achievements Some of our wonderful learners have been just as

busy out of school as they have been in school. Since our last magazine, Olivia has enjoyed some work experience as both an airline pilot and an air stewardess, and used her Makaton skills to sign her Girl Guide Promise. Emma has worked hard at gymnastics, winning a 4th place medal. Maddison has won a trophy for her achievements on the Hive climbing wall. Leanne has worked really hard in her own time and gained a beauty qualification through The Hive. Great stuff girls!

Remember, if your child has any out of school hobbies or learns any new skills we want to know about it.

Send us a message on Class Dojo or write in the home -school book so that we can share the news with our whole community. By doing this, your child can inspire other young people to shine bright.

Meadowside pupils have done some amazing work this term. Lewis W wrote a piece on our whole school topic ‘Great Events and Disasters’. Seven pupils have worked hard in inclusion lessons at Woodchurch High School.

Below, Dan M has written a review of Dale Farm, researching the details and containing all the information required.

Well done to all our amazing achievers this term!

Mrs Dunn

Flair Flair learners have been enjoying walks up to the local park, and the shop and exploring our own school grounds for their community lessons. Whilst at the park they have experienced using the community gym equipment, going to the cafe and ordering their own drinks. They have even enjoyed watching some golf. We have also been buying snacks from the local shop and learning about money and turn taking.

Claire Albertsen

Fusion and Chestnut groups have been working on building a circus set which will include different circus performers.

Joshua was really good using a diffuser bottle to squirt dye onto frayed string.

Ella is learning how to hold her work with one hand and cut with the other , looking at the line she wants to cut not the tool.

Kayci was great measuring fabric strips to the correct length.

Amber is preparing to make a Trophy Animal Head.

It was good fun using the wadding to give form to the animal shape. We are going to cover the head in different patterned fabrics. Looking forwards to their finished products!

Ms Hoffmann

Chestnut Group has watched videos on cave paintings and have made some of their own using crunched up paper to look like stone, made paint using mud, have printed, used clay and lots of other different mediums.

Acorn and Beech groups have worked hard making their clay animal figures—we were all really pleased that no statue blew up in the kiln, a few legs and tails will need gluing but all pupils listened and understood that if the slabs were too thick or not hollow the clay would not be in one piece after firing.

Pupils have enjoyed clay portrait sculpture inspired by the artist Modigliani. Scott has completed his course work this year and Leanne has her second year to build her portfolio. Scott has worked really hard and his coursework was much admired.

Ms Hoffmann

Pupils from Year 7 took part in the ‘new starters residential’ at Barnstondale activity centre in March 2018.

They undertook activities including riding a zip wire, climbing up and abseiling down, woodland adventure courses, orienteering, night line, archery and bush craft.

Pupils worked to improve skills such as; working together as a team, independence and building individual self-esteem.

All pupils had a great, fun and safe time while at the residential, a big well done to all who took part.

Mr Stubbs

Thank you to everyone who came along to support our Home-School Association Summer Fair on Saturday 23rd June .

The hot weather meant that it was perfect for a barbecue so Adam, Dave and Di were kept busy all afternoon.

We were grateful for all the contributions we received from families, the drivers and escorts, staff and supporters of our school. This ensured we had well stocked stalls and lots of wonderful raffle prizes. As well as all the fun and games we were very lucky to be entertained by the Black Dragon Martial Arts Group who put on a fantastic display.

We are especially grateful to them and their families for coming along to support our Fair. It was good to see so many parents and carers helping out on the stalls as well as those who sent in some delicious cakes for the cake and cream teas stall.

Once we have covered the costs of the barbecue food, fuel and drinks etc., the event raised approximately £1,500 which H.S.A. will use to enhance learners’ facilities and opportunities.

H.S.A. Team

Key Stage 4 and Post16 have found it fascinating to learn how different faiths celebrate the birth of a baby, the different ritual when there is a marriage and how they deal with death and grief.

Ms Hoffmann

Chair of Governors: Bryan Douglas-Dala Vice Chair: Graham Spearing Governors came into school in the Spring Term for a Learning Walk. Stephen, Parent Governor, spent the morning with 16C for English, Computing and Careers. Bryan, Co-opted Governor, spent the morning with Planet group for English, Maths and Humanities. Marion, Associate Governor, spent the afternoon with Chestnut for Science, PE and Student Council. Graham, Co-opted Governor, spent the afternoon with Flair and Student Council. Jeff, Co-opted Governor, spent the afternoon with Fusion for Art and Maths.

Governors attended Skills Week for KS4 and Post 16. Bryan was involved with the mock interviews and commented on how well thought through job and career ideas are by some of the pupils and that the school had prepared pupils well for the interview process.

Stephen joined a group at Royden Park looking at outdoor work related to gardening and dealing with wildlife and the relevant opportunities for young people. He also met a former pupil from Meadowside who works on the Royden Park project, it was an enjoyable visit – a ‘hands on’ learning experience. Despite having an allergy Jeff came into school for the Dogs Trust visit!

Governors have been invited to attend the Summer Fair, Sports Day and the Leavers’ Assembly.

Pupils took part in the Meadowside school annual ‘Meadolympics’ sports day on Wednesday 27th June 2018.

Pupils and parents/carers were able to take part in activities including archery, new age kurling, boccia, outdoor and adventurous teamwork games, tri-golf, basketball, running, target games and having a nice relax with a cup of tea. Well done to all pupils taking part and especially to the winning team ‘PRIDE’.

MrStubbs

We’ve had a wonderful term here at Meadowside School and look forward to next term, welcoming students present and new back to school. We will be very sad to say ‘Goodbye’ to Julie Lawrence, who has taught at Meadowside for the past two years. We wish her well for the future!

An enormous ‘Thank You’ goes to Sharon, aunt of a past pupil. Sharon donated a massive bundle of equipment and resources for our Enterprise, DT and Craft activities.

They will be very much appreciated and put to good use!

Thank you!

Our website:

www.meadowsideschool.com

will be back online soon. We are changing providers and will have a brand new website in September.

Meadowside School.

Pool Lane, Woodchurch, Wirral. CH49 5LA

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Our magazine has been printed by Newhall Publishing for a number of years now and we would like to thank them for their generosity and continued contribution to our school.