Godstowe News - Summer Term 2021 07/04

Spring Term 7 May, 2021

Weekly Awards

Headmistress' Letter Dear Parents, It has been a busy week after the long weekend. Our theme has been wellbeing and how animals can help us.

In Tuesday's assembly Mrs Lake introduced Sue Cook, who spoke to us about Mares Community Farm in Old Amersham and the animals there. She explained how they provide therapeutic support for both adults and children who can benefit from the calming influence of spending time with animals.

The Uppers have completed their field work this week too, with one group going to the Rye yesterday and the other today.

Many thanks to the staff who took the girls and I am so pleased that the weather held out as well - just about!

It has been so promising to be able to send out a letter this week about Sports Day, and even the very first off-site sports fixtures for some of the older girls.

Watching the Fourths’ rehearse for their

Artwork Arabella Mia S Amelie S Claire L

end of term production actually felt quite

Accelerated Reader

emotional as we begin to remember just

Reader of the Week - Isabella P

how life at Godstowe should be.

Boarders of the Week Highlands - Yimika Walker - Rosanna Turner - Charlotte

We are looking forward to our animalthemed mufti day to help raise funds for

Sports Stars

this wonderful local charity.

Skye Alice Kiana

Godstowe wins BSA Boarding Award We're proud to have won the 2021 BSA Boarding Award for 'Supporting Junior Boarders'. This is a wonderful accolade for our amazing boarding team who go above and beyond to ensure that our boarders are immersed in an enriching and nurturing environment. The award recognises Godstowe's exceptional provision that puts the wellbeing of the girls at the heart of the boarding experience.

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Lucy Jessica Bella

Friday Badge Saskia Skye Freya School House Shield Franklin

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Claire Gillett, Head of Lodge Hannah Smart, Head of Nursery Dragons arrived in Nursery this week and we have really enjoyed exploring the topic! The children enjoyed hunting for shape jewels to help fill the dragons’ cave and they also loved making paper cup dragons. We have also been learning about how to count on from a random number and how to write the numbers 1-20. In Phonics our sound of the week was j for jigsaw and the children made some very colourful jigsaws. Another favourite activity this week was baking on Tuesday when children made delicious chocolate chip shortbread cookie.

They loved taking them home to share with their families.

Beginners have been learning all about caterpillars and butterflies. We enjoyed reading the story of the Very Hungry Caterpillar and using our writing skills to retell the story, thinking carefully about the days of the week and the different foods he ate on each day. We have enjoyed doing lots of caterpillar-inspired artwork too. In Maths, we have continued our exploration of numbers, thinking carefully about the numbers 12 and 13 this week. Well done everyone.

Fieldwork for Middles and Uppers Middles made the most of the school environment for microclimate fieldwork on-site last week!

Kindergarten is continuing to enjoy their

Transition has been continuing to work hard

Rainforest topic. They learnt about the structure of rainforests, identifying the different characteristics of the 4 layers and describing what types of plants and animals are found in each. In Art and DT they are using this

at the Fractions topic in Maths, identifying halves, quarters and thirds and putting fractions in order of size. We are revising the 2 and 4 times tables in order to find a half and quarter of another number, and will

knowledge to create a rainforest collage as well as using the inspiration of Henri Rousseau's famous composition "Tiger in a Tropical Storm" to create their own tiger picture. In Literacy the children have started learning about writing instructions and soon realised the importance of detail and clarity when asked to guide a classmate around an obstacle course. In Maths, we are focusing on counting up to 100, forwards and backwards, as well as counting in

be starting to learn the 3 times table, in order to find a third of a number. Our History topic this term is The Great Fire of London. We have started by looking at differences in homes, transport and streets between modern life and that of the year 1666. In Science, the next life cycle we have been studying is that of a chicken, and we enjoyed using magnifying glasses to look at the structure of an egg this week!

10s, from any number. Any practice whilst in the car would be very useful!

The Uppers have had fun this week doing Geography fieldwork at the Rye where they investigated rivers for their CE project. Working in groups they were able to measure river characteristics such as width, depth, velocity alongside bedload size and shape at two different river sites. Using this data they were able to make comparisons and show how a river changes downstream.

Excellent Music exam results We are very proud of the 32 girls who have passed their ABRSM exams this spring. All of the girls achieved their certificate, eight with Distinction and 13 with Merit. This is an outstanding achievement, especially impressive as the girls have been learning their instruments remotely for the last 12 months.

Congratulations girls! Read more here.

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Boarders' Corner

written this week by Highlands House After the long May exeat, it was great to welcome our boarders back to school on Monday evening. It was clear to see that all our girls had had a funfilled weekend as spirits were high and everyone returned rested and looking forward to the school week!

Weather-wise, it has been quite a mixed week but I am delighted to report that our boarders have made the most of the sunny spells and have been out enjoying the fresh air, albeit on school site, playing tennis and badminton, not to mention making a den in the Highlands’ garden.

A highlight of the week here in Highlands was our Wednesday treat when our Gap student, Miss Dallow, dazzled us with her baking expertise and served up two fantastic Victoria sponges, not to mention some scrumptious apple cake. These culinary delights were devoured in record time while we watched an episode of The Great British Bake-Off. As the working week came to a close, forthcoming examinations were on our boarders’ minds and it goes without saying that we wish each and every one of our girls huge success in these!

WEEKLY QUIZ! 1. What will Muslims be celebrating on 13th May in the UK? 2. What is the name of the sacred book of Islam?

Last week's answers: 1. England 2. England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France & Italy.

This week’s Young Climate Warriors challenge focuses on the impact of clothing on climate change. The textile and clothing industry emits more carbon than international aviation and shipping combined, yet in the UK, we buy more clothes per person than any other country in Europe!

If the fashion industry continues on its current path by 2050 it could use more than 26% of the carbon budget associated with 2oC warming.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation

This week’s challenge encourages children to tidy out their clothes cupboards so that they can remember what they already have - before they ask to buy something new.

Maybe this requires a new way of thinking about clothes – valuing them for how they were created and for the personal ‘story’ behind a tear or a stain?

There is a short TedEd animation to watch on the ‘life cycle of a t-shirt’ and some crafty ideas to repair or upcycle old clothes with funky patches or homemade tie-dye.

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