Issue 2 - Friday 6 October 2017

Junior, Infant and Pre-School Newsletter Issue 2 Friday 6 October 2017 Dear Parents I was delighted that there was such a good turnout to our Parents’ Social Evening and I hope that you found the information given to you by the form teachers useful; I also hope it was an opportunity to talk and get to know other parents. Thank you also to everyone who supported our Macmillan Coffee Morning and to Mrs Rowley for her inspiring talk about the work of this fantastic charity. I am delighted to inform you that we raised a total of £563.26.

Last week I spent 24 hours with our J3s at Bushcraft. I was proud to see them challenging themselves and improving their team work and resilience skills. The weather was very wet on the first night but this did not curb their enthusiasm! Well done to them all; I am sure that it is a memory that will remain with them for a long time! Of course, there are lots of photographs and tweets to have a look at on our Facebook, Twitter and KGS Flickr page! I would like to express my gratitude to the fantastic staff who joined the group; they were full of energy and enthusiasm and without them we would not be able to offer these opportunities.

Thank you for this morning’s many donations for our harvest collection, which have now all gone to very deserving homes in the Kirkham area. I took five of our school officials down to the food bank so that they could gain an insight into how a food bank benefits families in need.

Congratulations to our sports teams who have been busy over the last few weeks. You can read more about their achievements in a variety of sports later on in this Newsletter.

We said a fond farewell last week to Steve Smith, our Caretaker, who has been with us since 2006. We wish him and his wife, Jeanette, all the very best as they start their new life in the UAE! A couple of requests please! The car park continues to be a source of frustration but this is often due to the inconsiderate few. Please do not park anywhere other than the allocated places and please make use of The Willows Catholic Club as an alternative parking area.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Annette Roberts

Mrs AS Roberts Headmistress

Follow me on Twitter: Annette Roberts @KGJShead

At Pre-School we are learning about our bodies and our favourite foods. We read the story of ‘Stick Man’ and invited the Stick Family to set up a new home in the family tree just outside Pre-School. The children did paintings of themselves and the Stick Family and learned that their bodies are very similar.

The children are also learning about different types of foods and have started looking at the initial sounds of some of their favourite dishes. Making a face on a biscuit with some sweet ingredients helped them with their counting skills. They now know they can use numbers when they talk about themselves.

Mrs Blanco-Bayo

Thank you to Mr Vernon, our Guitar teacher, who joined us for our morning assembly on Friday 22 September and gave a demonstration to the children and staff. There is a video from his performance on our KGS You Tube and Facebook pages.

If your child(ren) would be interested in learning how to play the Guitar, please speak to Miss Stewart or Mrs Taylor in the school office.

Last Friday’s Macmillan Coffee Morning was a huge success! The cupcakes were both stunning and delicious! Everyone enjoyed the morning, having a catch up with friends over a cup of tea or coffee! The children all enjoyed a cake and a drink during the morning, too. A fantastic £563.26 was raised. Thank you to parents and friends for supporting this very worthwhile cause.

On Monday 2 October, the J4 Table Tennis Doubles Final took place after school. Well done to the winners, Harvey Barber and Taran Mathauda and to the runners up, Ewan Huck and Grace Livesey.

International bestselling author and former Irish Children's Laureate, Eoin Colfer, joint author Andrew Donkin and illustrator Giovanni Rigano visited Kirkham Grammar School on Monday 2 October to celebrate the publication of their new graphic novel 'Illegal'. ‘Illegal’ is the story of Ebo and Kwame and their torturous journey from North Africa to seek a new life in Europe. Pupils from KGS and local primary schools enjoyed listening to the authors talk about how they created this extraordinary story of the very real plight of migrants and asylum seekers.

Pupils bombarded the visitors with questions to gain tips on how to get started as a writer or an illustrator. The children left the event buzzing with excitement and eager to start reading the novel.

Thank you for visiting KGS!

It was lovely to welcome our School Chaplain, Reverend Bunday into school today for our Harvest Assembly. Reverend Bunday spoke to the children about where their donations would be going, which this year, is the local Foodbank in Kirkham. Thank you to all who donated food and toiletries and a special well done to Jack and Henry DawsonGerrard who persuaded their local Morrisons and Spar to donate to our appeal!

On Wednesday 27 September, the J3 pupils, along with Mr Lewis, Mrs Case, Mrs Tickle, Mr Stewart and Mr Brookes travelled to Cholmondeley Castle in Cheshire for the annual Bushcraft trip!! As soon as we arrived we had a drink and a snack and then we were straight into the first activity, Predator…we were all very excited!! We all got covered in mud, it was like we had had a mud shower! The strangest part of the trip by far was that there wasn’t even a proper toilet and the only shower we had was the rain! We learned all about traps, some basic first aid skills, how to make and start a campfire and even made our own survival bracelets! We all loved every minute of it and were very sad when we had to leave after lunch on Friday. Congratulations to Sam, Henry, Amelie and Leoma who were very brave and ate the salmon’s eyeballs! Also well done to Lola Sidani, Morgan Cuthbert, Amelie Singleton and George Godbold who were chosen as tribe winners for their contributions during the trip. We would like to say a huge thank you to all the teachers who came with us and also the group leaders at Bushcraft for an amazing three days! Last but not least thank you to our parents for letting us go!

By Hattie Brooks (age 9)

After a few weeks of rehearsals, five KGJS pupils took part in a Britain’s Got Talent Audition last Sunday at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool. Alexa Anderson, Grace Livesey, Eva Berry, Olivia Noblett and Charlie Wiltshire, along with pupils from other local primary schools, performed ‘Golden Days’ produced by Simon Cox. They now have a few weeks to wait before finding out if they have made it through to the next stage of the competition! Good luck to you all!

In Science, I3 have been learning about forces. We found out that we use a force every time we move something, change its direction or change its shape. We recently explored the forces of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ with scooters, hockey sticks and balls, Play-Doh and by blowing small marshmallows with straws. This week, we carried out an experiment with a toy car on a sloping track, using three different materials as the track surface. We wondered which surface would be fastest (smooth, rough or carpet) and we measured the distance travelled by the car each time. We knew our test was fair because we only changed one thing - the surface. We predicted correctly that our car would travel the greatest distance on the smooth surface.

Mrs Brown & Mr Butterworth

We said a fond farewell to Mr Smith, our Caretaker, who has been with us since 2006. We wish he and his wife, Jeanette, all the very best as they start their new life in the UAE!

Just a gentle reminder that children are welcome to bring in a snack for their breaktimes, however, we ask that chocolate, crisps and sweets are not brought into school.

Thank you.

Kirkham Grammar Junior School entered all four teams in this year’s championships. The conditions were good underfoot but very windy. As always, Rossall organised a very good event and, as a school, we appreciate the time and effort put in by all their staff. Preparation for this year’s event has not been ideal as much of our training has had to take place on the astro as our field has been very wet due to the poor weather conditions for most of September. However, all athletes have worked really hard in training which has taken place at lunchtimes on a Monday and Wednesday. Over 20 schools took part with more than 120 competitors in each race. Every pupil selected ran well and gave it their all.

U11 Girls Results (Team Position 2nd of 20 schools) Georgia Nicholls Lily Hunt Frankie Margerison Evie Mellon Eva Berry Alexa Anderson Megan Rollinson

6th 12th 14th 21st 29th 38th 42nd

U11 Boys Results (Team Position 2nd of 20 schools) Harry Case Mason Wilkins Harvey Barber Charlie Wiltshire Jensen Stott Oliver Kollard Teddy Bowker

10th 13th 14th 29th 30th 33rd 59th

U10 Girls Results Lola Huyton Isabel Tuck Lola Cooper Zara Gilchrist Lucy Jones Leoma Gill Nikita Murthy

13th 25th 43rd 44th 50th 67th 74th

U10 Boys Results Harry Marsh Alex Davies Callum Sumner Christian Taylor-Thompson Oliver Littlechild Bertie Jones Dylan Misell

10th 11th 48th 57th 62nd 72nd DNF

As you can see there were some very good performances and to come in the top 25 is exceptional!

Congratulations to the U11 boys and girls who came 2nd in the team events (and the girls only just missed out on first place by one point!) but also to all of our runners...we are very proud of your performances.

On Saturday 16 September, Kirkham Grammar Junior School hosted a morning of Rugby at UCLAN Sports Arena, on their fantastic artificial pitch. This was the first of four Saturdays involving Kirkham, Fylde, Preston Grasshoppers and St Mary's Hall and it was the turn of the U11s to display their Rugby talent on a glorious sunny morning. All teams played fantastic rugby and were a credit to their clubs and schools. Kirkham managed to win 2 out of 3 matches and all the boys played very well in their first fixtures of the season. Harry Ribchester ran and tackled very well and James Shuttleworth tackled everything that moved!

Ben Firth covered every inch of the pitch and was fantastic in defence, with Harry Case running well in space and gaining in confidence as the morning progressed. Ewan Huck was very powerful in his first game for the school. Rory Conlon was also playing his first game having only joined in September and his performances will be a real asset to the team. Mason Wilkins was very effective in space as he possesses great speed and is starting to understand the game. Jensen Stott linked well in attack and his defence was solid. Oliver Kollard was outstanding in defence and never gave up. Harvey Barber was very elusive with ball in hand and worked hard in defence.

Overall a very pleasing start to the season.

On Tuesday 19 September, KGJS U10s travelled to Sedbergh to play Rugby.

Both teams played well but in the end it was a convincing win for Kirkham.

The following players scored tries; James, Christian (3), Jenson, Will (2), Harry, George and Alex (2). Thank you to all the parents who came along to support and well done to all who played.

On Saturday 23 September, KGJS hosted their second Rugby tournament of the season and this time it was the turn of the U10s. Once again, Fylde, Preston Grasshoppers and St Mary’s Hall took part. All of the matches were played in a tremendous spirit which epitomises the rugby culture that exists between all the teams taking part. For all teams it was their first experience of having a scrum and many lessons were learned by players and coaches. KGJS were very pleased with their performances in which they won two and drew one out of their three matches played. George Godbold ran well with the ball and his passing and tackling improved throughout the morning. Jenson Crompton again tackled everything that moved and Alex Davies was superb with the ball in hand and his tackling was excellent. Callum Sumner is without doubt the most improved player in all areas of the game. Freddie Stott had a solid game and is playing with greater confidence. James Singleton continues to work really hard and made some important tackles. William de Klerk was very elusive when put into space and his tackling is improving. Christian Taylor-Tomlinson ran very strongly and is developing a greater understanding of the game. Harry Glanfield linked well in attack and his defence improved. Michael Gillett made excellent progress in attack and his defence was very strong. Overall a very pleasing performance in all games. KGJS would like to thank all of the teams for making it such an enjoyable morning of Rugby.

On Saturday 30 September, KGJS U9s took part in their Rugby Festival at UCLAN Sports Arena. Again, Fylde, Preston Grasshoppers and St Mary’s Hall took part and everyone played 3 matches.

For all teams this was their first experience of contact Rugby and all players loved it!!! Oliver Littlechild ran very well with the ball, although he needs to run in a straighter line!! Henry Allison tackled everything that moved and passed the ball very well, Bertie Jones scored some good tries and tackled well and Tom Bellamy gained in confidence with every game. Ethan Davies worked really hard and made some good tackles and Jack Dawson-Gerrard ran with great determination and was one of the best tacklers. KGJS drew one and lost two from their three matches but played really well in all games. The best tackling award went to Henry Allison and the best runner with the ball went to Bertie Jones and Jack Dawson-Gerrard. Thank you to all of the parents who have come along to support over the last few weeks!

U11 Girls Hockey v AKS The U11s played their first Hockey match on Saturday 23 September, away at AKS. Kirkham set up strong, quickly passing the ball down the field and attacking as a unit. Grace Livesey sent a first time pass to Alexa Anderson who drove the ball down the right to Captain, Lilly Jones, who managed to send a hard ball to Evie Mellon who put it into the back of the AKS goal to make it 1-0. AKS came back, moving the ball well and making it hard for Kirkham to retain possession. Evie and Lilly worked well in the middle, applying pressure, but AKS came through to equal the score at 1-1.

Kirkham didn’t let this affect their game and they strung a number of passes together in the middle of the field to create space. AKS managed to pick up a loose pass, resulting in them going ahead 2-1. A half time change to the team saw an exciting first appearance for Georgia Nicholls at left back and a change of goal keeper. Kirkham were set up ready to go again for the second half but AKS came out with added energy, winning a long corner and scoring quickly from the whistle to make it 3-1. Kirkham continued to work well, with Georgia working hard in defence and gaining possession for Kirkham. After a series of good passes from the Kirkham girls, a well struck ball with power into the corner of the goal made it 3-2. AKS pushed players up, gaining possession quickly and attacking into Kirkham’s defensive circle. Kirkham applied pressure a little too late this time, making it easier for AKS to shoot to make the score 4-2. Kirkham went away from their first fixture with lots of positives and look forward to their future training sessions. Player of the match was Evie Mellon. Well done to all!

U9 Girls Hockey v AKS The U9 girls also played their first match of the season at AKS on the same day as the U11s. The first goal was scored by AKS but Kirkham were determined to equalise and Emily Greenwood quickly scored a goal to draw level. Just before half time, AKS scored a second goal and after a quick break, scored a third and the game ended 3-1. All of the Kirkham girls should be commended for their grit and determination. The improvement seen in the second half of play is very promising for future matches. Well done to all who played and to all the parents who came along to support.

U11 Girls A & B St Mary’s Hall Netball Tournament Well done to our U11 A & B Netball teams who played in the St Mary's Hall Tournament. Thank you to our hosts for an excellent tournament. The results for the A Team were as follows; SMH won 5-1, Highfield lost 5-2 and Wilmslow won 8-3. The results for the B Team were as follows; St Mary’s Hall lost 3-0, Wilmslow won 3-2 and Highfield won 4-1.

These will all take place next week on the following days:

Thursday 12 October J3 House Cross Country

1.30pm

Monday 9 October Pre School Fun Run 1.30pm I1 Fun Run 1.40pm I2 Fun Run 1.50pm I3 Fun Run 2.00pm All of the above runs will be held on the KGJS field.

Friday 13 October J1 House Cross Country

1.30pm

Tuesday 10 October J2 House Cross Country 11.45am J4 House Cross Country 1.30pm

All the Junior House Cross Country races will take place at the Senior School. All parents are welcome to come and support but please may we ask you to sign in at the Junior School before going over to KGS. A suitable place to watch is the area next to Summerlee Hall. As conditions may be wet, pupils on this occasion do not need to wear their predominantly white trainers!!

It is always lovely to hear about the children’s achievements outside of school. The children have certainly been very busy over the last couple of weeks!

Well done to Gabriella Wise (swimming), Isabel Tuck (Triathlon), Leoma Gill, Amelie Singleton and Leoma Gill (Run Preston 2K event), Bella Goodman (dancing), Poppy Hunt and Lily Hunt (Ribble Way Fun Run), Jessica Rose (swimming), Sarah Chatwin (cornet), Poppy Benson (swimming) and Poppy Pickervance (Music Theatre).

On Thursday 28 September, the J4 children enjoyed an exciting selection of French inspired activities. All the children came into school wearing the colours of the French flag and started their day with a delicious French breakfast - croissants and crêpes! They then took part in a French quiz, developing their cultural knowledge of the country. After break, the children worked in groups to design a French themed T-Shirt. There were some very chic designs! Finally the morning ended with teams of children competing to build the highest Eiffel Tower using only newspaper, tape and a stapler - ooh là là!!

Thank you to Madame Simpson for organising such a wonderful morning and for all the parents for helping with costumes.

Bravo J4!

On Friday 29 September, the I2s visited Towneley Hall, linked to their ‘Houses and Homes’ topic. We have already been learning about the different sorts of houses such as ‘detached’, ‘semi-detached’, ‘terraced’ and ‘cottage’. We have done a tally chart to find out which type of house teachers live in and looked at the features of different houses. We have also enjoyed painting some wonderful pictures of imaginary homes. At Towneley Hall, we looked around the extensive gardens and woods, even meeting some very friendly squirrels. We learned about autumn and the changing seasons and then finished with some worm charming! After a quick lunch, we split into groups and had a look around the house, even going down into the cellar and up into the attic. It was very interesting to find out what life would have been like living in the house as a servant. It was fun dressing up and learning about some of the utensils used in the kitchen. We also went into the barn and had a look at some of the implements that were used in homes of the past. We quickly established that household jobs would be very tedious. Our day ended with the bus breaking down, but we quickly turned this into a positive with some extra time to play in an enclosed part of the garden with two footballs given to us by our guide Mike. A great day was had by all and certainly provoked more understanding and thought about homes from the past.

Thank you to Mrs Copplestone and Mrs Knowles for accompanying us on the trip.

Well done, I2!

Mrs Aldeen & Mrs Rowlands

During their English lesson, the J2s have been using ‘magic finger editing lights’ to improve their stories. There was also a great deal of excitement on Wednesday when they used visual resources to practically find out the fraction of a number.

Well done, J2!

Can you work out where this photo was taken within the KGJS grounds?

The image above (from the last newsletter) can be found at the front of school by the entrance! Well done to all who managed to locate it!!

Saturday 7 October - U8 Rugby Tournament, Preston Grasshoppers 9.30am-10.30am U11 Netball & U11 Football v Birkenhead (H) 9.30am Monday 9 October - Infant & Pre-School Cross Country/Fun Run 1.30pm

Tuesday 10 October - J2 House Cross Country 11.30am J4 House Cross Country 1.30pm Thursday 12 October - J3 House Cross Country 1.30pm Friday 13 October - J1 House Cross Country 1.30pm Saturday 14 October - U11 A & B Boys & Girls Hockey v Cheadle Hulme (A) Tuesday 17 October - Online Safety Day Wednesday 18 October - U9 & U11 Girls Hockey v Sedbergh 2.30pm Parents Evening, 4pm-6pm - No Infant or Junior Late Room Thursday 19 October - Parents Evening 6pm-8pm

Friday 20 October - Half Term begins at 3.45pm Monday 6 November - School re-opens Thursday 9 November - U11 Rugby v Sedbergh (A) 4pm Pre-School Parents Evening 4pm-6pm Friday 10 November - U10 & U11 Football & Netball v The Buchan School (H) 12.15pm