Nottingham High Infant and Junior Yearbook 2022/23

2023 YEAR BOOK

A visual insight into our Year at NHIJS

TO OUR RECEPTION CLASS OF 2022/2023

This year as a school we all picked a charity to support, it's called Toilet Twinning. The aim of Toilet Twinning is to get everyone who cannot afford a toilet to use one. To twin a toilet, you need to give £60 to charity, for one toilet to be twinned, this means that the charity makes a public toilet. It's extremely important to twin a toilet because then everyone can use it.

Without toilet twinning, those people cannot afford a toilet; they cannot use one. A toilet will always be a right people should have, but in some countries that’s not the case. That is why we give our help to this charity. Over this year the school has raised £1800 for this amazing charity, resulting in 30 twinned toilets to aid different countries!

What else does charity committee do?

Charity committee also set up different events on special dates for example on the King's Coronation, the charity committee set up games for people to play you had to pay £1 to play one game and the charity committee would add up all the money and then buy how many toilets we have left.

Gurpreet L and Charlotte T

This year, we requested a few ways to improve our school in order to make it a better learning environment for children. We make pupils/our peers suggestions our priority and we try to put forward as many ideas as possible. We also host some school competitions. Here is a brief overview of what we did to put forward some ideas:

1. We put Pupil Parliament books in each classroom to collect ideas. At any time, a pupil could go to it and write an idea onto it.

2. We would bring the book into a meeting, every so often, on a Thursday to present and write appropriate ideas on a shared document on Google Classroom.

3. Finally, we filter the suggestions before presenting our ideas to SMT.

Suggestions included: more books, friendship bench, water fountain for every year group, higher fences, fences round grass, culture day, cricket set, mindfulness space, cricket stumps, more cubby holes in the music area and more playground equipment.

We say thank you to the teachers including Mrs Dunn, who organises Pupil Parliament itself. The pupils also gave brilliant ideas to make the school a better place.

Yi Yi Y and Jin Chen L

ECO WARRIORS

This year, the Eco Warriors have been talking about a couple of things. At the start of the year, we were talking about how to do our part in saving the environment and the world that we live in today. The idea we came upon first was the basic ‘Turn the lights off’ campaign. We all made a poster that we put into all the classrooms and corridors to remind people to TURN THE LIGHTS OFF when they leave the room.

Another thing we did during our time as Eco Warriors, was plan to create a bottle cap mosaic. We made posters telling everyone to bring all their spare bottle caps (milk caps, coke, lemonade, and water bottle caps etc.) to highlight the importance of reducing plastic waste.

Freddie M and Eisha H

DAY TRIPS & RESIDENTIALS

PUPIL PARLIAMENT CHARITY COMMITTEE

YEAR 1

BRACKENHURST

Year 1 had a fantastic day out at Nottingham Trent University’s Brackenhurst Campus. We acted out different fairy tales and some of the parent helpers joined in too! The garden was beautiful and we picked lots of beans and found lots of different plants. We planted some magic beans and we are hoping that they grow very tall. Using a range of natural resources, we made our own wolf masks and some terrifying trolls. We can’t wait to go on more trips again soon. The teachers were very impressed with Year 1’s behaviour and enthusiasm for all of the activities.

TWYCROSS ZOO

On Wednesday, 19th April, EYFS enjoyed a day out to Twycross Zoo! We followed Mrs Smallwood as she led us on a huge tour of the zoo where we got to spot goats, snakes, owls, zebras, tigers, rhinos, chimpanzees and even the elusive Gruffalo! It was such a fun day and we had a welldeserved sleep on the coach coming back to school.

YEAR 1

ATTENBOROUGH

NATURE RESERVE

WHITE POST FARM

EYFS We were very lucky to have White Post Farm come and visit us with some of their smallest residents! They brought some rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, snakes, beetles, snails and lizards. We had lots of fun touching the animals and using adjectives to describe how they felt.

Year 1 had a great visit to Attenborough Nature Reserve, and they returned to school with lots of new facts all about how the animals are cared for at the Nature Reserve. They ensured they were careful when pond dipping, quiet when bird watching, and they were investigators during the tree identification activity. During the pond dipping activity Year 1 caught a newt! They found a centipede during the minibeast hunt and saw a Swift falling from the sky during the bird watching. It was a lovely warm day and the rain held off! What a brilliant day we had!

BEAUMANOR HALL

Ahoy there! Year 1 had a great visit to Beaumanor and they returned to school as a fully trained crew of pirates! They ensured that their sea legs could handle long voyages on the obstacle course and practised their team working skills whilst solving pirate puzzles. Don’t tell anyone, but they were invited to a secret pirate air and they ate Scary Stacey’s ginger biscuits. What a fantastic day!

YEAR 3

MANDIR

On Monday 26th June Year 3 visited a Mandir. It linked to our learning because we had been looking at Hinduism in R.E. My favourite part was when we were told about the background of all the Gods and the which symbols are the most important and the meaning that they have within the religion. Because of this trip, I want to find out more around different Gods and hear other stories about them.

Edward L

YEAR 1 & 2

SOUTHWELL MINSTER

On Tuesday 13th June, Year 1 and 2 excitedly boarded their coaches bound for Southwell Minster, they were all proudly wearing their shields which would show them their route around the different workshops. They were off to take part in a series of workshops which made up a brilliant morning organised by the Minster called ‘Time Travelling’. When we arrived, the children were met by their leaders holding their shields aloft and then took part in a lovely welcome service and sang one of the songs so beautifully that they had been practising in school. They then split into their groups and enjoyed the rest of the morning moving around the Minster taking part in a wide range of activities based upon the Minster as a place of worship. They all had a wonderful morning and the workshops ranged from taking part in a wedding, a christening, exploring the clothes worn to studying the beautiful architecture of the Minster and finding the beautiful signature carved mice! We finished our morning off with a lovely service and were presented with a very special candle as a reminder of our lovely morning spent ‘Time Travelling’.

YEAR 2

SUDBURY HALL

On Monday 20th March Year 2 excitedly clambered on to the coach ready to head to Sudbury Hall Museum of Childhood for our Victorians day. We were all looking forward to a fun and interesting day. We were greeted by Eve and Liz who looked the part dressed as a Victorian teacher and the children immediately knew that this was going to be a great day. We got ourselves organised and half of the group went on a tour around the toy museum focusing on all the beautiful exhibits featuring Victorian toys, Year 2 were sent on a Victorian toy hunt and they had to decide if it would be for a rich or poor Victorian child based upon the materials. The children all had the opportunity to see some very special exhibits and learnt lots of information about how toys were used for learning in Victorian times. The highlight of our tour was definitely when the children could pretend they were chimney sweeps and climb up, then slide down the dark chimney and everyone was very brave! The other half of Year 2 experienced life in a Victorian classroom, the boys put on their waistcoats, the girls their pinafores and all

had to have their hands inspected for cleanliness and pay their penny to enter the classroom. The children all experienced a very different type of classroom to that of the one they are used to in Year 2 and found it fascinating but also a little bit daunting with its very strict rules and punishments! They all tried using copperplate writing on their slates and did a great job. We all swapped over at lunchtime and Year 2 continued to have a fantastic day and could not believe it when the day was over as it had gone by so quickly. A special thank you to our parent helpers who were great, and like the teachers may have spotted the odd toy they played with as a child in the museum!

NEWSTEAD ABBEY

We learnt about Lord Byron and all the things he did, like write poems! He also had a lot of animals, like bears, dogs, cats, monkeys and peacocks. Byron brought his pet bear to school since you were not allowed to bring a dog to Harrow. Byron was spooky and he liked to tell ghost stories. We also learnt about Byron’s daughter, Ada Lovelace. She was a famous mathematician! We learnt all about coding and decoding. We made codes out of 1s and 0s.

I liked that we got to spend time playing too. When we went to the playground, we saw topiary and found out that this is when a bush is cut into shapes.

Tara N

POEMS WRITTEN DURING OUR POETRY WORKSHOP AT BOATSWAIN’S TOMB

As green as grass which lies on stones is moss. With petals as white as snow are daisies.

As quick as a flea, as black as the void, as cute as a button is an ant.

As still as a stone, as clear as crystal is water.

Hasnain (3G), Omar (3G), Benjamin T (3G)

YEAR 3

MOUNT COOK

Year 3 went to Mount Cook, an adventure centre in Matlock. We dressed up as Romans and had a miniature battle against each other with foam swords, shields, bows and arrows. My favourite activity was playing archaeologist where I excavated a horseshoe, bone and even some teeth on bones! A Roman soldier showed us ancient weapons which was not as much fun because I had to sit quietly. Lastly, we engineered a cart with wood and rope strong enough to ferry Miss Griffiths around! I came back home all mucky and wet, but feeling joyful and exhilarated.

Om K, 3G

to see a video from our trip!

We went to Newstead Abbey on Tuesday 27th June. It was amazing! My favourite bit was the peacock with colours as bright as the sun! We also wrote poems and we became real poets by writing about the world and how we feel. We learnt about Lord Byron. He died when he was 36 and he had a friend called Percy Shelley who died when his boat sank. It was all really sad for them. Percy Shelley’s wife stayed alive though and she is famous for writing Frankenstein. Wow! Impressive!

Isher L

Trees, trees, I wish your leaves Would tumble down to enjoy The scent of mint.

Wind, wind, Blowing our hair like a fan. Your powerful breath will make Piles of sand, Flying up in the air and plummeting down.

Flowers, flowers, Vibrant colours catching your eye, As easy as looking at polished gold.

Roots, roots, Solid wood, Holding our trees As stable as pins. Nikhil (3M), Aveer (3M) and Arjun (3M)

TWYCROSS ZOO

Year 4 went to visit Twycross Zoo on the 28th March. We were split into groups and our first task was to visit the animals. We managed to see some giraffes, meerkats, rhinos, giant turtles and penguins. After lunch, we had an amazing workshop where we learnt about rainforests and the dangers that they are under. We then went to see some more animals including tigers, Bonobo’s orangutans and gibbons. Year 4 really enjoyed the trip and we were lucky to see such an range of animals at the zoo.

Shaheer K

YEAR 3 & 5

THE NATIONAL SPACE CENTRE

On the morning on the trip I was very excited, because I love everything to do with space. Everyone on the bus was really excited, so the journey felt quick. When we got there, Year 3 stayed in their classes, which was great, because we could share our experiences with friends. My class did the rover workshop first, which was fun, as we got to programme the rovers to move around. We saw the big space rocket, which was amazing, to actually see a space rocket with our eyes! We got walk beside the space rocket to the different levels, which displayed different information about the space rockets and there were a lot of activities to do.

I really enjoyed my trip to the National Space Centre, as I got to learn about space and share it with friends.

Aveer M

DAY 1

The residential was really fun because we did canoeing. When we did the race we got stuck in the reeds before we even got to the start line! But we didn’t give up and we had so much fun!

Alexander F

SCAN ME...

The youth hostel was great because of the amazing food and I liked that we got to play games together in the evening. We all brought boardgames and card games with us for Games Night and I brought my Avocado Smash game! It was great to be in a room with my friends and the beds were very comfy.

Sophie

S

DAY 2

YEAR 3

CONKERS

I really liked the canoeing, especially when Balls House won the race! We canoed with Mr Crossland up a canal and it was really hard because it was windy so we had to row very hard against the wind.

Ethan Z

I loved Conkers because they had an amazing obstacle course. We had to go through it with buckets of water and the best bit was going up the tower and down the slide with our buckets. We did really well so we only got a little bit wet. I liked sleeping in bunk beds at the youth hostel with my friends.

Hansie R-G

My favourite thing was the canoeing and we also went to see a 4D movie. The movie was about a bug that wanted to fly. There were special effects like splashes of water and we wore 3D goggles so everything jumped off the screen.

Hasnain W

NEW WALK MUSEUM

ARRIVAL

On Tuesday 6th December Year 4 went to the New Walk Museum in Leicester. When we arrived at the New Walk Museum, we split up into 2 groups which were half of 4W in each group with 4A and 4C. We had been studying the life of Ancient Egyptians in class and this was an opportunity to look at some real artefacts and to learn new things.

MORNING

Our first activity was to find out what the Ancient Egyptians used to eat using a plate puzzle. We had to join the correct pieces together to get our answer. It was tricky at first but eventually, we managed to solve the puzzle using teamwork. Next, we had to mummify a fake person and take out the organs apart from the heart. The organs were put into canopic jars which the Egyptians believed would protect them in the afterlife. After that, we also got to dress up as Ancient Egyptians and put on fake death masks. I wore a death mask and a broad necklace. Finally, we used bone drills that the Ancient Egyptians used to create amulets.

LUNCH

Eventually, we had our Lunch. I had a Marmite sandwich, water and crisps. We had our lunch in the Council Meeting Room within the museum. I chatted with my friends and wondered what we would be doing later.

AFTERNOON

In the afternoon, we went to the shop. The limit we were allowed to spend was £5. I bought 3 pencils that I could use in school. The pencils had pictures of hieroglyphs and a shiny, gold death mask. Next, we went to see the famous Rutland Dinosaur and completed our booklet where we had to sketch the Rutland Dinosaur. The dinosaur was humungous, and I enjoyed sketching it. Finally, we went to the Geography biomes section. We live in the Temperate biome, and we had a chance to explore and research other biomes such as the Grassland, Dessert and Rainforest biomes.

SUMMARY

I really enjoyed this trip, and I would recommend this trip to other schools and visitors. There is lots to do and see and I enjoyed all the activities that we did. Here is a famous quote: “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere” by Chinese Proverb. It is important to learn more and more every day, because it makes you feel happy, proud and want to do more. I enjoyed this trip very much.

Burhanuddin G

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN WORKSHOP

STUDYINGBIOMESWORLD

YEAR 4

THINK TANK

Year 4 and 6 went on a trip to the Think Tank and learnt a lot about how Science is used in our everyday life. We looked at animals, how the body works and even loads of mechanical things and how you can see things in a scientific perspective. We got to explore things on the inside of the building and the outside.

We discovered loads of different animals and how they used to look by observing a statue or skeletons in resin or not. We looked at their habitat and how they would have lived and how they would survive in whatever habitat they would belong in. We also then looked at some animals that we can hold and stroke like we got to look at a fox and some teeth from herbivores, carnivores and even omnivores. We then also went into the theatre and looked at some chemical science and we saw how the magic in movies work like invisibility, flying, colour changing and loads of other things and then we saw different coloured fire, fireballs and loads of fire mixing around in a plastic bottle for a birthday surprise for the people that had birthdays soon.

Then, soon enough we went into the science gardens where there were strength activities, water activities, weighing activities, and even racing activities, (but most importantly team activities!)

MUMMIFICATION!

I loved the wheelchair races and the strength one where you raced against someone to see who could pull themselves to the top on a chair first! We all had a wonderful time and I really do recommend going there if you like having a lot of fun and if you like Science!

Bluebelle CR

WORKSHOPACTIVITIES

This term in Year 4 I went on an exciting school trip to the Think Tank Education centre in Birmingham. There were lots of zones to do and so many different activities. My favourite zone was the Science garden. I really enjoyed the chair in which you could sit on and pull a rope, this allowed you to raise yourself in the seat. I used all my strength to pull myself up. When I reached the very top I was very proud of myself. I also went on a giant hamster wheel! It was so much fun, it wouldn’t stop so I had to jump off it.

I would recommend others to visit Think Tank education centre it is a fun place to learn all about science.

Joshua S

THE NIGHTINGALE CENTRE, DERBYSHIRE

On Wednesday 14th June, we arrived at the Nightingale Centre; everyone was so excited! We put our heavy bags down, then found out what the fun activities were. We were divided into groups and got ready to start. My group's favourite activity was clue searching. The way it worked was you were given a photo of somewhere around the Nightingale Centre and you were also given a map; we divided ourselves into groups and named ourselves then carefully listened to our instructions. We would find the place on the picture and mark it off on the map. After that, you were to go to Miss Dakin who had the answers and would tell us if it was correct or not. If correct Miss Dakin would give your team a point. My group was a three with Miranda B and Rose C, we were called Watermelon Girl Power.

Later, after completing archery, bush craft and orienteering, it was finally time to find out which rooms we were in! Everybody loved the pair or people who they were with, including the six people in the all boys dormitory.

WEDNESDAY 14TH -

FRIDAY 16TH JUNE 2023

We had a yummy dinner and a long breaktime then finally, it was time for bed.

The next morning, we were up nice and early to enjoy a delicious cooked breakfast and head back onto the bus to get us to Teggs Nose. Teggs Nose view was incredible as we climbed up a steep mountain to the top. When we had reached the top we all had a drink as it was very hot and we were tired after the walk. The main activity that we did was abseiling. We had all of 4W and half of 4C doing abseiling and although everyone was scared, you had a choice to do climbing first then abseiling or the other way around. The instructors were so supportive and as they lowered you down, all of your negative energy would drift away in seconds! You even had the chance to not take part if you didn’t feel like it but everyone gave it a go. As I was lowered down, I had major butterflies so I looked down which was the worst idea. The instructor lowered me down a little more and I could hear in the slight distance, all of the animals like birds chirping and squirrels scampering. My friends were at the top,

chanting my name, which gave me boost of confidence as I leant back and climbed down.

We had already completed orienteering and had our sandwiches so we headed back on the bus to the Nightingales Centre. We enjoyed a scrumptious dinner and another long break time before we went to bed. After all the fun and excitement, we headed into our rooms, had a shower and went to bed. Me and my roommate, Sofia S found it a little hard to get to bed as the room next to us kept on talking, but in the end, they settled down and we were all able to get a good sleep before we set off in the morning to Eyam.

The next day, I was filled with mixed emotions. I was sad that today was our last day, but I was excited that we were going back to school to see our family and siblings. We had our last cooked breakfast which was, once again, delicious. We said goodbye to our rooms and then shortly after, packed our bags and got onto the bus. It wasn’t long before we arrived at Eyam and got into our groups.

The first thing that we did was we went to look at the first houses that the plague was infected into. Eyam was a very brave village as the people and leaders running it decided to isolate themselves so that the plague didn’t spread. After that we went to the museum to look at the history of the plague. It was very interesting and we got to watch a video and look at statues. Then after we had some free time to look around the museum, we got to use up our spending money on some souvenirs and then reunited with the rest of Year 4 to enjoy a yummy picnic. Sadly, after everyone finished we said goodbye to Eyam and got on the coach to go back to School. I really enjoyed the Year 4 residential and I am sure that everyone along with me did too. I was nervous at first but in the end I really enjoyed it!

Amrit J

CRANEDALE

On the day of the residential, everyone was super excited! It was just like last year when we went to Derbyshire. We all got on the bus and once the bus started moving, I started played a top trumps game with some of my friends. I saw lots of beautiful places like grassy fields with lots of fluffy sheep when we were getting nearer to Cranedale. It took a long 3 ½ hours to get there.

We were excited and curious to know which rooms we were in and I was pleased to know who I was with because they were all my best friends. Once we had unpacked everything and settled in our rooms, we went in a minibus to the place where we did the river study. We could go in the river and some of us had short wellies and their socks got a bit wet. We measured the width, depth and the velocity (the speed) of the river.

Once we got back to the centre, we could take a shower and have some free time to play. There was a place called the barn where there were board games, table tennis, table football and comfy chairs. On that day, I played tennis with my friends outside. Then we had our delicious dinner which was tomato soup and a chicken/ Quorn wrap and the Cranedale staff members were really kind! After dinner, we went to one of the classrooms to do some work about what we did in the river. We talked about the source, mouth and lots of other vocabulary about rivers for some recap. We also learnt a bit about the river Humber (in Hull).

At the end of the day we were all tired and it was time for bed. I don’t think many of us slept properly because it was really fun but also strange having friends with you.

In the morning, when we woke up, we read a book until a teacher came to wake us all up. It was easier waking up early there than waking up early at home.

After we had our scrumptious breakfast, we got ready to go to the beach to do rock pooling. The sea was called the North Sea. We learnt about erosion, how caves are made with erosion and we even went in a

The food was amazing at Crandedale – they treated us like Kings and Queens.

Suren T

The beds were extremely comfortable and relaxing to be in.

Samyuktha V

small cave! The cave was dark and it was a bit scary as it was very small. In the rock pools, it was really slippery because of the seaweed. We needed to find some different sea creatures and some of us even found a crab and tried holding it!

When we got back to Cranedale, we had our free time and had a shower. I had lots of chitter chatter in our room with my friends. Just like the day before we were all tired after a long day when it was bedtime. I slept a bit better the second day because I was more comfortable.

Some friends felt homesick but this didn’t stop them from persevering and having fun.

Hawah R

The staff were very knowledgeable about their activities and they worked hard so we could have a good time.

Ibraheem A

We had a great time in the minibuses singing to the music.

Silvana D

On the final day we needed to get up quickly and start to pack because it was the last day. We had our yummy, scrummy breakfast and put our suitcases in a room, ready for when we come back. In the minibuses, we went to a forest to play the survival game.

In the survival game, there are top carnivores, small carnivores and herbivores. The top carnivores need to get the small carnivores and the herbivores, the small carnivores need to get the herbivores and avoid the top carnivores and the herbivores need to avoid the small carnivores and the top carnivores. All the different animals get different amounts of lives and if you lose all of them, you need to go to the graveyard which is where we all were at the start. Near the end, the humans (teachers) start to come in and if you are still alive they can take away your lives. This game really helped us understand how hard it is for animals to survive with lots of other creatures.

When we got back to Cranedale Centre, we got our bags and got on the bus to go back to school. I wish we could stay longer because we had such a great time together. Unfortunately, that was the end of our trip. We reached school at 3:30pm in time to meet our parents.

Overall, I think this was a wonderful experience with my friends and I can’t wait until next year’s residential!

Avani K

The atmosphere was friendly and homely. They were very welcoming.

Charlotte T

SCAN ME...

to see a video from our trip!

YEAR 5

BEAUMANOR HALL

Year 5 had an exciting opportunity to visit Beaumanor Hall for an Evacuee Experience day. The day was full of educational activities that allowed us to immerse ourselves in the lives of World War II evacuees.

We arrived at the hall in the morning, dressed in costumes from the era, this helped to set the scene for the day and gave us a sense of what it would have been like to have been an evacuee during the war.

One of the first activities of the day was code breaking. We were given messages to listen to and had to decode them using a code-breaking sheet. This demonstrated the importance of communication during the war and how messages needed to be kept secret from the enemy.

After code breaking, we were introduced to the concept of rationing. We explored the types of foods that were available during the war and learned about the importance of making meals stretch.

The highlight of the day came in the form of a simulated air raid. We heard an air raid siren and had to quickly make our way to an air raid shelter. Inside the shelter we experienced the sounds and lights of a 'real' air strike. This activity helped us to understand the dangers and fears that evacuees faced during the war.

The day was a great success, and we left with a newfound appreciation for the sacrifices that were made during the war.

Year 5 Team

YEAR 6

LEICESTER COOKERY SCHOOL

Our trip to Leicester Cookery School was excellent. It was fun, engaging and hands-on. But our day wasn’t all about cooking; we also had a workshop about Indian culture and religion.

For our cooking, we made chapatis, which are Indian flatbreads. The tutorial at the beginning was engaging and precise, so no one made a mistake. Also, we made Indian treats that we took home to share.

In the workshop, we started with an Indian story. Next, we learned to tie turbans and apply tilaks. In the end, we listened to Indian classical music.

It was a memorable experience; this was the first time we cooked anything at school. Everyone enjoyed all the activities and had a lovely time. This trip was well-planned and engaging so we hope to have another journey like this one!

Jin C

YEAR

6

CONISTON WATER

On Monday 19th June, the first day of our residential we stopped at Quarry Bank Mill which was a major part of the industrial revolution (1760 – 1840). We learnt much about the cotton spinning and the process. Children were awfully hard workers at Quarry Bank Mill. We arrived at Coniston Water and settled in very well for the next day.

On the next day we went gorge scrambling in Church Beck with a stream flowing down us. We then went Kayaking in Lake Coniston Water.

On Wednesday, my class went to the Ruskin Museum and took a ferry to Brantwood to learn about John Ruskin and the Bluebird project.

On Thursday, my class went to climb the Old Man of Coniston which is 803 metres tall and at the peak, we could see Blackpool Tower and the Irish Sea.

On our last day, Friday, we went to Trentham Monkey Forest with lots of Monkeys.

Overall, this was a particularly good trip, five days is a good amount of time for this place, and it was exceptionally fun.

Carter S

YOUNG VOICES

The start of our day began with rehearsing the songs in the school hall. We were then placed into groups by Mrs. Kawalec and then soon after the teachers and pupils got their belongings together to take to the concert and walked to the bus as fast as we could, so we could arrive to The Sheffield Arena on time.

The journey took around fifty minutes, and when we arrived, we walked to the entrance of the Arena. There, a man came and asked some of us some questions. For example “What is your favorite song in Young Voices.”, and “Do you think you will enjoy this?” - Our answers were being recorded. Excitedly, we got into the Arena, and the people who needed the toilet went and the people who didn't waited with their group leader. Once we were ready and everyone was together, we walked into the Arena excitedly. In the Arena we sat close to the top at an angle facing down, and after a few minutes, David came, who was the conductor. We started by singing “Over the Hills and Far Away”. Soon after we sang “Just around the River Bend” and a little while later a few beatboxers came. They showed us some basic beatbox sounds for us to try and copy. I was not the best at beatbox sounds, however I really enjoyed trying.

Soon after, the Urban Strides came! Urban Strides are the people who practice and perform in front of lots of schools. They are exceptional at different dancing and singing styles.

The next song was called “Proud” which I thoroughly enjoyed. Afterwards, one of my favorite songs came and it was... “MESSAGE”! My favourite bit went like this “What ya going to do with ya energy?”.

After, Anna Phoebe came on, who plays the violin, and is a famous performer, having played with many celebrities. She played a mixture of songs and I thought she was extraordinary.

Our turn came after Anna Phoebe, and we sang “Sing from your Heart”. My favourite part of the lyrics is “There is a light inside, light inside, light inside” and I would wave my little light in the air side to side.

After Sing from your heart was “Milliagantics” and my favourite part of the song is where the schools sing “The Elephant” because this is my favourite animal, and it makes me feel great.

After Milligantics was was Trolls Medley which has all the trolls' songs in it. Trolls Medley is one of my favorite songs as well!

Next was...Don’t worry mashup! My favourite part of the song is “Cause every little thing’s, going to be alright”.

Finally, it was “Rockstar” which is also a song I relish in Young Voices. It was the best in my opinion of all the Young Voices songs!

I loved this day so much as I sincerely love singing, and it made it was more fun as my friends were around me. There were about 120 schools total in the arena, which is a lot according to me. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience, having my mum and brother there also made it complete. It was nice to be picked up by them and share our best bits in the car and afterwards we grabbed a cheeky KFC on the way home!

I would recommend Young Voices to anyone who enjoys singing and dancing!

Aishani G

AUTUMN TERM

EYFS

Reception have been working in the outdoor garden on Friday mornings and have participated in activities such as fruit tasting, minibeast hunting, making minibeast hotels, scavenger hunting, making bonfire night fireworks, hedgehog awareness days building hedgehog shelters, creative cooking in the mud kitchen and using the “go find” activity cards.

YEAR 1

Year 1 have been cooking popcorn and marshmallows on an open fire, after talking about fire and how it is made. We discussed the fire triangle and what it means, and what three elements are required to produce a fire. They learned about fire safety, how to control the fire and how to extinguish the fire safely. They also had the story of superworm and then they made clay models of the characters from the book which they left out to harden.

YEAR 2

Year 2 had a full day at Go Ape and Sherwood Pines. The class was split into two and half went on the Go Ape aerial course where they had to walk around the course approximately 7m in the air. The course is contained with the woods and uses the trees to provide the anchors for the various aspects of the course. It is a continuous wire system where once on the system you have to navigate to the end to be removed from the system. The other half of the year group went on a treasure hunt with in the grounds of Sherwood Pines following the Gruffalo trail to discover various types of animals on the trail using the maps provided. They also looked at the flora and fauna of the woods and discussed their findings. After lunch they swapped activities.

YEAR 3

Year 3 had a visit to the Nottingham Climbing Centre to participate in climbing, bouldering and caving. They split into three groups and each had 30 minutes participating in each activity. Bouldering involves climbing without ropes on short distances above the floor level and then climbing back down. They learned how to safely assist each other on the climbing using harnesses and belay devices and they all enjoyed the cave system where they went through a maze of tunnels.

YEAR 4

Year 4 had a day at Lovell House, using the grounds of the school for an “escape room” challenge and a fire challenge. They worked together to complete the “escape room” challenge to win the components for the next challenge. The fire challenge consisted of making a fire with a fire steel inside a Kelly Kettle to boil water to produce a hot chocolate drink.

Both classes completed this challenge over the course of the day and were successful.

YEAR 5

Year 5 spent the day climbing up to the top of Mam Tor (The Shivering Mountain) in the Peak District on the outskirts of Castleton. They learned about the history of Mam Tor and the fact that it is still moving at approx. 0.25m per year, though this relies on rainfall over the winter periods. They then went underground to visit Treak Cliff cavern to see the Blue John stone mined from here. Here they learned about the mineral called “Blue John” and how it was formed hundreds of millions of years ago.

YEAR 6

Year 6 had a full day of climbing and orienteering. They split into two classes one climbing and bouldering on the school climbing wall where they learned about safety, rules of climbing, correct fitting of harnesses and helmets, how to safely belay and also how-to boulder safely.

The other class were in the Arboretum completing the orienteering course that is set up in there. They then swapped activities.

SPRING TERM

EYFS

Reception have participated in activities such as planting spring bulbs, squirrel appreciation day, activity cards, hedgehog day, leaf art, planting crops and playing in the mud kitchen.

YEAR 1

Year 1 have been making bird feeders and learning about the different types of birds in the garden. They also participated in the RSPB Schools Big Bird watch for 2023 and recorded all the different types of bird they had seen within the school garden.

YEAR 2

Year 2 had a full day of different activities, including Orienteering, Slackline and Bouldering games. They also learned about the Fire Triangle and how to make bread. The year group was split into two and did half the activities before swapping over. They all had a go at making bread dough with flour and water and then proceeded to cook it on an open fire.

YEAR 3

Year 3 spent the day at Perlethorpe Environmental Centre learning about minibeasts and wildlife. The year group was split into two and half did the minibeast hunt in the woods, which included looking under logs and rocks and in trees for minibeasts. The teams used an identification sheet to help them to identify and catalogue their finds. The other half did a river study, where they learned the “Perlethorpe Shuffle” to disturb the bottom of the river and then capture any creatures that were disturbed within their nets. They then used identification charts to identify their catch. We even had some fish and a pair of mating toads!

YEAR 4

Year 4 had an amazing trip to the Peak District Mining Museum, where they learned all about the history of lead mining in the Peak District. The museum, situated in Matlock, has a vast amount of history from the local area and the children were encouraged to look and touch some of the exhibits. We also had a mine tour by the experienced miners who took us underground to Temple Mine to discover the vast array of passageways and workings beneath the town of Matlock. They had the opportunity to ‘pan for gold’ while at the mine area and several children found “gold” while doing this

YEAR 5

to see a video from our trip!

Year 5 spent the morning learning more about the birds that live in this country and visit so many of their gardens during the year. They also learned about the cycle of life and why so many birds migrate to warmer climates and how climate change is affecting the populations of the birds. They also made their very own bird feeders to take home to encourage more birds to visit their gardens. This was followed by an archery and hot chocolate / slacklining session.

YEAR 6

Year 6 had a full day of activities starting with Pewter casting. They all had a piece of cuttle fish bone to make a mould for a piece of jewellery that were to cast from pewter. They all designed their own items using sharp knives and craft knives. When they were happy with their design they then watched as the molten pewter was poured into their moulds to set. They also designed and cooked their own spaghetti lunch using a Trangia stove. Ingredients included mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, cheese, and of course spaghetti.

SUMMER TERM

EYFS

Reception have participated in activities such as fruit tasting, barefoot walking, cloud watching, the Plastic Bag story, ice cube activities, summer solstice, learning about insects during World insect week, practising writing their names in the mud and playing in the mud kitchen.

YEAR 1

Year 1 have been to the Attenborough Nature reserve to participate in pond dipping, woodland wonders and bird watching in the bird hide.

Pond dipping involved collecting creatures from the pond with fishing nets and placing them into bowls for identification. The woodland wonders enabled them to find and identify different species of woodland creatures and mini beasts. We even found a small newt! Bird watching helped them to identify and recognise many different varieties of birds living on the nature reserve.

YEAR 2

Year 2 had a full day at Brackenhurst Outdoor Education centre learning where food comes from. During their visit they produced flour using whole grain wheat and a Quern stone to grind the corn into flour. They also learned how to make fresh apple juice using a macerator and press, how to produce cream cheese with whole milk and how to make butter with fresh cream.

YEAR 3

Year 3 had a multi activity day based on the high school. The day consisted of 5 different activities which the students moved around on during the day. The activities included climbing on the school climbing wall, using Kelly Kettles to produce hot water for Hot Chocolate, orienteering around the school grounds using maps and orienteering markers, first aid and the night line on the front lawn.

YEAR 4

Year 4 had a half day on the main high school grounds on the slack line on the front lawn, climbing wall and an environmental project based in the classroom. They rotated around the three activities during the morning before going to valley road in the afternoon for their sports session.

YEAR 5

Year 5 spent the day at Walesby Forest where they participated in the rifle range. This was using air rifles and firing down the range at the paper targets. They also had a session on the laser tag, which was located in the woods and they had to work as a team to defeat the opposing team. Then they were climbing a very wobbly pole to the top and abseiling back to the ground. The last session was the climbing wall where they all had a chance to scale the climbing wall and abseil back down.

YEAR 6

Year 6 had a full day of activities at Carsington Water where they engaged in a splash session and raft building. The splash session involved them using stand up paddle boards and sit on top kayaks and paddling out in to the lake to participate in lots of different challenges.

The raft building saw them connecting two canoes together with poles and ropes and then learning how to manoeuvre their craft across the lake as a team. They then had various challenges to attempt to complete as a team. They all had a go at jumping into the water too!!

OPPORTUNITIES IN SCHOOL

PEOPLE WHO HELP US VISITS

In the Autumn term, EYFS were thinking about who is in our community and we had visitors from local firefighters and police officers, as well as a dentist, Dr Kiren and doctor, Dr Phillips. We learnt how to contact someone for help, how to perform CPR and the importance of brushing our teeth as soon as we wake up.

ENVIRONMENT PARENT WORKSHOPS

YEAR 1 & 2

ART WORKSHOP

On Friday the 26th May, Year 1 and 2 were incredibly lucky to meet and work with the very talented Chris Oakey to complete a willow weaving workshop. He bought the base pods and then demonstrated how to hold the small pieces of willow, like a recorder, and place them in to the base. The children worked really hard and thoroughly enjoyed this ‘hands on’ learning. It was fabulous to see the self-confidence and teamwork skills the children displayed across the year groups! The willow pods can be found on the Lovell House lawn and are being used by the children during breaktimes, when they work outside or just to sit in and read.

YEAR 1

We had beautiful weather for our Environment-themed Parent Workshops at the Infant School. Families took part in pebble painting, printing and drawing in our outdoor classroom. The children enjoyed showing their parents our school grounds and we look forward to seeing how far our positivity pebbles travel!

YEAR 2

LEGENDS OF NOTTINGHAM

On Thursday 8th June, a very special visitor arrived in Year 2 and the children were very excited to see him. He came with his bow and arrows and jaunty green hat with a feather in. “It’s Robin Hood and he’s come to school!” one of the children exclaimed. Year 2 spent the rest of the morning taking part in a very active and informative workshop about the ‘Legends and rebels of Nottingham’. They learnt about the origins of Nottingham, the beginning and end of the English Civil War and the links to Nottingham and Newark castles, practised their Anglo- Saxon

counting and of course, the story of Robin Hood and his many impersonators who used his name to get themselves out of trouble which is how he got such a reputation! They also learnt about amazing innovators such as Ada Lovelace who showed determination against stereotypes of the time and the children were amazed to find out that she was one of the earliest developers of coding! All in all, Year 2 had a brilliant morning, they were brimming with ideas and knowledge and did not want Robin Hood to leave!

YEAR 2

CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP

On Friday 11th November, Year 2 had a very special visitor called Lisa who is a real chocolatier. They had the opportunity to handle cacao pods and learn the process of how chocolate is made from bean to bar, including handling real cacao butter which smelt and felt wonderful! It took Mrs Williams back to her childhood and the Milky Bar kid! Year 2 then transformed into chocolatiers themselves, creating individual chocolates by making and setting the chocolate shells, putting in the fillings and then sealing them with more chocolate. The children were very creative and some decided to mix chocolate to create a marbled effect for their shells. They also made chocolate lollipops, learning how to set the stick carefully. They were then able to decorate these and they looked absolutely wonderful. All of Year 2 had a brilliant day and there were definitely some budding chocolatiers amongst them for the future.

The best thing was sneaking bits of chocolate into my mouth!

Adam A

YEAR 2

ENVIRONMENT PARENT WORKSHOP

The best bit about making chocolate was eating it afterwards!

I liked pouring the chocolate in to the mould and the chocolate was dripping down in to the mould.

I loved doing the individual chocolates because there was cake and chocolate.

Anaya B

YEAR 3 & 4

THE YOUNG SHAKESPEARE COMPANY’S VERSION OF HAMLET

On Wednesday 1st March 2023, Year 3 and 4 went to the Junior School Hall because some special visitors were coming to perform Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Firstly, Hamlet must figure out who killed his father and that’s when we got engaged.

After a few minutes of thinking it was time to share our answers. Later on, our friends got involved (This was probably the most exciting for the people who were on stage) Sienna was Polonius, Abyayan was Rosencrantz and Isher (from Year 3) was Guildenstern

The end involved a lot of blood because all the main characters fell dead!

Overall, we think this was an exceptionally satisfying performance from the incredibly amazing actors.

Aryaman G

Khush M

Harman L

YEAR 4

BEATBOXING

Year 4 went to the Music School to practise some beatboxing! We were excited because we loved it! The beatboxer was there and beside him were loads of microphones.

First, we did some beatbox battles. Once, I came up against Max. The audience counted down their 3 favourite musical instruments and Max and I chose freestyle. I made very complicated patterns and had fun doing and watching the battles!

Next, we used microphones to create sounds, one by one. I made a snake noise. He also taught us new sounds and we copied.

I really enjoyed beatboxing!

Sofia S

YEAR 4 MATHS WORKSHOP

On Thursday 12th January, 4A had a Maths workshop in our school hall. We were all really excited! When we got there, we saw 4 big boxes so we were split into 4 teams. I was with Milan, Kiran, Clarissa and Aaryan. Together, we tried to open the box but there were so many padlocks to open! There were some maths clues and we worked out the answers to the padlocks! It was a real challenge to open the box but by using the Maths clues and by working as a team, we managed to work it out! It was a really fun task to do.

Sofia S

YEAR 4

URBAN STRIDES

In the Autumn Term, Year 4 spent the day in the School Hall to do some dancing, 4A and 4W went to our School Hall to do some dancing. One of the Urban Strides members came to teach us some skills. We told her some of our hobbies and I said Art and Gymnastics. Next, we copied her dance moves. I did really well! When she raised her hands, we had to move 3 metres away. At the end you had to move around like a letter. My favourite part was freestyle because you got to do your own moves. I had lots of fun dancing, and it made me so excited for Young Voices!

Sofia S

YEAR 4

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DAY

On Thursday 22nd September, Year 4 arrived in the Junior School hall dressed up in their fine Egyptian costumes, ready for an exciting and informative day learning about ancient Egypt.

When all the excitement had died down, Miss Ryder began our day by setting the scene of an Egyptian market place and explaining all the interesting activities we would be able to take part in. My favourite activity in the morning was soap carving, and because I like arts and crafts I really enjoyed carving intricate designs on the soap. Of course, the ancient Egyptians carved on stones so I just imagined it was stone. My

design was a carving of the pyramids in Egypt. I was very proud of my work.

During the afternoon my favourite activity was the big feast, full of delicious foods which were eaten in ancient Egypt such as yummy bread, creamy cheese, juicy grapes, strong olives and delicious red wine (but just Ribena for us!) I also really enjoyed performing in front of the royal family. They were Milan as pharaoh, Sienna as Nefertiti, Sophie and Tega as guards, Dominic as general, Joshua as the maiden and Burhanuddin as the royal food taster.

I really enjoyed this fascinating day of fun learning.

YEAR 5 & 6

ALADDIN

Have you ever had blue paint splashed across your face to make you look like a mystical being? I have! This year our play was based on Aladdin and I landed the role of the flamboyant Genie. Unable to contain my excitement, I trouped to the Founder Hall with the rest of my class 6C. After months of practice this was the first of three shows that we were going to perform. Blue paint on my face, a golden lamp tucked safely in my waistband and giant butterflies in my stomach!

As the music began, I took my first step onto the stage, my heart leaping with joy. Seeing the anticipation of the audience, my face lit up as I opened the scene with Arabian Nights. In every scene, all of us gave a phenomenal performance enchanting the eager crowd. Before I knew it, the show had come to an end and we were greeted with rapturous applause. The other cast from 6H also gave an awesome performance. Most importantly we all had lots of fun transforming into a penniless nobody who becomes a noble somebody i.e. Aladdin, a headstrong Princess Jasmine, a warm-hearted Sultan, a villainous adviser, and a host of outstanding characters. It was a special experience which will stay in my heart for a long, long time.

Victoria O

to see a video from our trip!

On the buildup to the night, after all the practices, I was excited to perform our play for the first time in front of an audience. More than anything else, I was looking forward to going on stage!

Suddenly, all the lights came off. It went pitch black. A buzz of music filled the air. The funny ‘genie’ started to walk on to the stage and she looked amazing! She had a blue cloth wrapped around their head, and an epic sea blue waistbelt hung from their belt. After admiring the genie’s costume we started singing Arabian Nights.

In the middle, I was shocked by the superb costume of Jasmine, the princess from the palace. She was followed by the Sultan, King of Agrabah. Suddenly, the evil two companions walked onto the stage and the parrot’s costume awesome!

The play was a roaring success and enjoyed by the children and parents.

Ishaan D

YEAR 6

SPANISH PLAY

The play ‘La Personalidad’ was about a boy, Fernando moving from High School to University, who is nervous about making new friends. He changes parts of his personality every day (clothing/ sports/ music taste etc.) so that his new class mates like him. He then realises that he just needs to be himself. It made me realise that you should not have to change yourself in order to be liked. If someone only likes you because of the way you dress or the music you like, they are probably not a good friend. I found the play very enjoyable and even if it was all in Spanish, I was able to follow it well. Their acting skills were also amazing. Me encanta la obra porque es muy divertida y bastante útil. India GS

YEAR 6

ANCIENT BENIN WORKSHOP

On Wednesday 25th January 2023, a man called Steve (our workshop leader) came to our school to tell us about the Kingdom of Benin. It was a very intriguing experience, and I learnt a lot about how the Edo people used to live and work. Steve was a drama king, and he let us act out the jobs of the people from the Edo era. He told us about the gods that they worshipped what their specialty was, like Osana Buer was the creator god and he created the world and everything in it. The way that Steve taught us about The Benin Kingdom was really effective as he kept asking us questions about what we had already done, and he kept repeating the questions so that they stuck in our brain. Overall, it was an amazing experience and younger years should look forward to it.

Mani S

YEAR 6

INDIAN DRUMMING WORKSHOP STEAM CLUB STEM AWARDS STEM DAY

In the second half term, on the week of the 31st of October of 2022 at Nottingham High School, Junior School pupils did an Indian drumming workshop that taught them a small introduction to Indian drumming. Some played on a jembe or djembe, while others played a dhol in pairs. To learn how to play the drums you follow what the instructor says, you do not read from a piece of music like you would with a piano. The teacher, Mr Singh from Primary Workshops, called out where we should strike the drum by singing a song. The students would play the notes depending on what words he sang and what he told them. Indian drums are very verbal and communal instruments. Everyone really enjoyed the opportunity to have a go.

Emma R

YEAR 6

SCIENCE QUIZ NATIONAL FINALS

This year, we were lucky enough to get through to the National Online Science Finals! The quiz can be taken by every school but we ended up getting through to the finals after passing through the local and regional rounds. It is a hard test of your knowledge and I recommend it because it gets your adrenaline pumping and it is very exciting! The host was kind and funny and the questions ranged from bones to sound waves! I am super excited for next year and feel very proud.

Ben S

YEAR 6

LEAVERS CELEBRATION

On the 29th of June Year 6 had their leavers celebration, a joyous event that happens every year to celebrate the Year 6 pupils and to remember their time in the junior school. This year, like all the ones before it, was a fun and joyous way to say goodbye to the pupils and it will be a memory that sticks with Year 6 for years to come. It included pictures from every child’s first day at school compared with a photo of them now, references to Aladdin and the residential and some wonderful singing of “I want it that way” by the Backstreet Boys. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I hope it is just as magical for the children who have the opportunity to do their year 6 celebration next.

Tanvi K

YEAR 3 & 4

Year 3 had a whole day of STEM activities. We started the day by going to the hall for a talk by Water Aid. We were shocked to hear that 771 million people can’t access clean water. Half of us built a mini tap out of wood and materials led by design manager from our class. The other half were judges, looking out for great teamwork. Next, we learned how we could be a great engineer, just like Iron Man! We ended the day with a cool science experiment, making and melting our very own indoor snowmen. We had so much fun!

Edward L

YEAR 5 & 6

The STEM Day was all about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths. There were four talks: a talk from WaterAid, SevernTrent, a lawyer and a dermatologist. The first talk we had was from SevernTrent a water company that helps keep our water clean and clears the sewage before making it drinkable again. During the talk she held a competition on who could filter the water the cleanest. Our group came third in the contest. The next talk was from a dermatologist, and she told us everything about our skin. Afterwards, we had a talk from someone from WaterAid who told us about the importance of water. Then, we had the lawyer and during the talk she held a mock trial to show us what would happen in court. My overall favourite was the talk from the lawyer because I really enjoyed the mock trial.

Ethan A

YEAR 5

During the Spring Term, the objective of Year 5 STEAM Club was to package an item of our choice. We learned how to create models and were able to make our own packaging at home. After producing our own packaging, Mrs. Sethi and Mrs. Auterson asked us to make a PowerPoint to go alongside our packaging. At the end of term, we were all very excited because the business owner of Catering 24, Charlie Dean, came to watch our PowerPoints and give us feedback on our designs, as well as showing us some packaging from her company. Overall, this term has been really fun, and we all advise if you get the chance, have a go at STEAM club!

Safa M and Nicole C

The STEAM Club took part in the CREST Awards this year, and all members of the club achieved a Bronze Crest Award: Here's an example of one of the certificates and a photo of the AI prototypes the pupils created: We were also listed as finalists for our STEM Programme in the 'Muddy Awards' and we also won a a TT Education Community Collaboration Award in recognition of our STEAM Club.

CONNECTED WEEK

SENIOR SCHOOL LIBRARY

This is 4W when they went over to the Senior School Library and were shown how we are all connected to the school. We learnt about the history of the school and looked at the registers from 100 and 200 years ago!

OUTDOOR CLASSROOM MUDDY AWARDS

This is 4W connecting to nature via Art work. We took them to our Outdoor Learning Classroom and did some bark and leaf rubbings and created some art work.

We received Highly Commended for our Pastoral Care in the ‘Muddy Awards’.

CREATIVITY CUP

We have a creativity cup every year and everyone takes part. There are form winners and the overall winner for the school. The judges are Miss Thorpe and Mr Cordy who walk around the school to look at all the pupils’ work.

Each year there is a new subject to create things related to it. This year it was “I am Connected” which is linked to the Pastoral Road Map. There is a special assembly where they announce the winners. We had an opportunity to look around at each other’s work and I get inspired every time. I think this is a great challenge to set, I look forward to next years subject.

Yash V

YEAR 2

CAROL CONCERT

This year, Carol Concert’s theme was Joy. It took place in the Player Hall at two different sittings – 9am and 2.30pm. The concert comprised of readers, choirs, including the staff choir! The Carol Concert was a extremely fun and made me feel connected to the people around me who were listening and watching. It had a multicultural theme that involved children talking about how joy is expressed in different faiths and cultures. It was a super start to our Christmas celebrations.

Nicole C

SCAN ME...

to watch a video of the concert!

YEAR 2

GRANDPARENTS SING ALONG

The day before our final day of the Autumn Term, we entertained our grandparents by organising a Grandparents Sing a long! This is where Grandparents came to watch their grandchildren sing Christmas songs sung by the Year 3 and 4 choir and Year 5 and year 6 choir. We sang a range of songs – some emotional and some happy and gentle. It was a lovely way for our pupils to see their grandparents if they hadn’t seen them in a while!

India G-S

CHRISTMAS CRAFTERNOON

EYFS YEAR 1

We enjoyed having our parents in school to create some winter crafts. We made some beaded snowflakes, snowmen stress balls, pinecone bird feeders and the parent's favourite: melting snowmen cookies. We finished the afternoon by singing 'Suzy Snowflake,' 'Let's Rock to get Ready for Winter' and 'Skidamarink-a-dink-a-dink.'

Year 1 thoroughly enjoyed having their parents visit for our Winter Craft Afternoon. They impressed their parents with all of the work displayed in their classrooms and everyone had chance to make some lovely decorations and art work together. Whilst the parents enjoyed some refreshments, Year 1 got ready to do some performing. They sang a range of fun Christmas songs and left everyone with a fabulous, festive feeling for the rest of the day!

YEAR 2

JOHN LEWIS CHOIR

On Sunday 4th December 2022, the Chamber Choir had the most magical Christmas experience ever, singing in John Lewis! I was so excited but slightly nervous to sing and perform in front of so many people.

The audience were entertained as we sang a collection of classic Christmas carols alongside some modern festive songs. My favourite was ‘O Holy Night’ and I even noticed a few parents shedding a tear!

At the interval we were so delighted to receive some refreshments but also some lovely Quality Street chocolates from John Lewis. The whole chamber choir were so thrilled to see our school name ‘ Nottingham High’ printed on the box!

It was such a lovely afternoon, thankyou John Lewis. I definitely feel very Christmassy right now!

Josh K

YEAR 4

YEAR 3

INGRAM CUP

YEAR 6

YEAR 5

Hello my name is Henry and I am in 4C. I was also lucky enough to place first in the Ingram cup finals! The Ingram cup is an annual event in March. First off, I personally think, it is a great experience for instrumentalists, who want to perform in front of lots more people in the future. You can play any instrument you want, you can even play two and stand more chance, of getting through to the finals! The two instruments that I chose were, piano and voice. When I sing I feel free, and I usually sing along to my favourite songs by my favourite artists. For example, Queen, Elton John, and Billy Joel. Those are just three of many more that I like.

I have learned that even though you might be nervous, you have got to keep trying. I did some calm breathing to keep my nerves down. My favourite performance was somebody who played the timpani drums, an instrument that I had only heard of once. I have chosen this performance because, even though there were only two drums, it painted a picture in my head.

Henry A

YEAR 2

CHRISTMAS SHOWCASE

Year 2 all brilliantly performed in their Christmas performance of ‘Children of the World’. Everyone sang beautifully and spoke with clear voices remembering their lines perfectly. All the children thoroughly enjoyed singing a wide variety of songs and leant how to say ‘Happy Christmas’ in four different languages. They looked super in their costumes and used their props so well. We chose this play as it linked to the ‘I am connected’ part of our Pastoral Road map and the children learnt how children of the world celebrate in different and similar ways. They also learnt, and perfectly performed dances linked to Africa, China and the USA. All of the Year 2 teachers were so proud of them , well done.

SCAN ME...

to watch a video of the showcase!

PJ & WELLBEING DAY

MANSFIELD MUSIC AND DRAMA FESTIVAL

The Mansfield Music and Drama Festival was on Monday 20th of March. I went there on a bus with year 3s and year 4s. The year 5s and year 6s had a separate bus. It took place in a luxurious theatre. There were loads of other schools competing from different year groups and each year group competed against the same year group from a different school. When it was our turn to perform it was a bit nerve-racking but we worked as a team and proved to be quite successful. All that practice paid off! The other songs were extraordinary too. This experience was absolutely amazing! We won two first places and a second place!

Lara S-S

WOODWIND & BRASS TEATIME CONCERT

This was my first teatime concert, so I was a bit nervous because I did not want to make a lot of mistakes in front of a large audience. But, before the concert, all of those nerves were gone. I was just really excited to be there to perform to everyone. I had chosen to play the French horn version of “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi. It was a challenging piece, but I like to challenge myself. I hope it went well.

After the sixth performance, it was one of my fellow French Horn schoolmate’s turn to perform. But she was nervous and then stage fright kicked in. I knew the piece that she was planning to play rather well, so I asked her if she wanted to do a duet. She accepted it and we did the duet performance near the end. I thought it went rather well and it was probably the most enjoyable moment of the concert, as I was able to help a fellow school mate. Overall, the concert was a fantastic experience for me and I wish I could take part again.

Ethan A

POETRY PLATE

Despite not getting into the individual finals, the Poetry plate was a wonderful experience either way because we still had a chance to perform our class poem in the final. Our class poem was called ‘The Spider and The Fly,’ by Mary Howitt. This was the first time I have ever done a class poem before, so I was a little bit nervous even though I was not one of the main narrators. However, it was an enjoyable experience to do a class poem and perform my own choice of poem in the heats. After we performed in front of our parents on a Friday we had to perform again in front of the whole Junior School once we came back after the weekend.

Ethan A

SPRING CONCERT

The Spring Concert was one of the two concerts in the year. This was the only concert, before the Summer Concert, so I was excited about it. I was in two performances- Horn Quartet and Swing Band. I managed to see most of the performances in the rehearsals apart from the Infant Harp ensemble. Even though I wasn’t able to see any of the performances at the concert (apart from the performances that I was in) I knew that the concert would be great. My performance was the second performance, and I tried my best to produce the highest standard I could do on the pieces. The concert was a super

SCAN

ME...

alice in wonderland

WORLD BOOK DAY

On World Book day, we dressed up in costumes from the book Alice in Wonderland. Many children wore a variety of costumes and some of us wore the same outfit! There was a book swap in the hall where we could wrap a book that is in good condition and swap it using a book token. There were clues on the back of the book so we could choose which book we would like. In the atrium there was a book fair where we could buy books and stationery. It was a good opportunity to have in a school environment. Overall, World Book Day was enjoyable and an interesting day.

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ME...

Alex P

SHOWCASES

At the end of the year, children in different year groups have taken part in a showcase to highlight the wonderful work they have done over the course of the year.

SCAN ME... YEAR 3 YEAR 1

Parents and carers recently visited school to watch the performance of Year 1’s Guide to London. The children put on a fantastic show with lots of singing, dancing and acting. They took the audience back in time to 1666 to learn all about the Great Fire of London and how the fire started in Pudding Lane. They recommended galleries, landmarks and shows to visit and the audience even got to meet a famous artist. The children shared one of our favourite stories, The Queen’s Knickers, and shared some of their own fantastic writing. As a finale, the children invited the audience to join in some dancing and singing. Well done to all of our talented Year 1 actors and actresses for their hard work.

SHOWCASE

On Tuesday 20th June, we had our Year 3 Music Showcase. Our parents were really proud of us. We all performed our own instruments and all of us remembered to bring them into school that day. I was playing the flute and my teacher was Mrs Jones. Towards the end, we heard all the music teachers play an Aladdin medley and that was my favourite bit because they were really good on their instruments. I liked the performance because I saw how much we have learnt in Year 3. I’ve learnt a lot but I didn’t know that until we did our show and I was really proud of myself and I was proud of my friends.

Sehej S

SCAN ME... EYFS YEAR

1

This week Year 3 performed their showcase, all about the things they have learnt throughout the academic year. Our showcase was a mix of a video which we had filmed a few weeks before, and singing live for our parents. It ended with an awesome Kahoot quiz, which was interactive for the parents. They might have done half decently if they tried just a bit harder! My group were scientists, teaching the Norse gods all about space. My favourite fact was that you need multiple layers on your astronaut suit so that you don’t get burnt by the sun as you get closer to it. There was also some great comedy that got the parents laughing. I really enjoyed performing in front of our parents, we all did the best we could. With all the harmonies it was tricky to remember when your group was singing, but we managed to pull through as a team. I enjoyed singing the Viking warrior song the most, when all three harmonies were sang at the same time, it sounded so amazing it rattled shivers down my spine.

It felt a bit embarrassing because my parents eyes were locked on me throughout the show, but I could tell by the expression on their faces they were supporting me. When we had finished the final showcase I was ready to run out and celebrate with my friends. After all the hard work we had put into practicing and remembering all the lyrics we deserved a treat.

I am so glad we had such amazing teachers that helped us with the tech, the rehearsals and giving us the confidence and motivation to absolutely blow the parents away. Mr Moss and Miss Griffiths definitely deserve their summer holiday. I wonder what amazements Year 4 will bring?

Hunter C

This year we have been learning different instruments such as; trumpet, clarinet, flute and using our own vocals. I chose to play the trumpet and even though I have only been learning it since October, I felt very confident about performing in front of people in the showcase. My favourite part was when I did my solo and got applause from the audience, it made me feel great. This concert has inspired me to potentially be a professional trumpet player when I am older!”

Rex C

to watch the showcases!

EYFS

YEAR 4

SHOWCASE

On Thursday 22nd June, we performed our showcase to the parents after weeks of practice. We had to have lots of rehearsals, and the day before we had our actual performance, we had a dress rehearsal in front of some of the classes.

The showcase is to show the parents what we have learnt this year. There was acting, dancing, singing, weather reports, speeches, an election vote, a poem, and other amazing things.

It felt wonderful to perform. I could not wait but, when the show began, I felt strangely nervous! I liked the whole showcase, but my favourite was the election. Sadly, we could not vote. The vote was about the Pastoral Roadmap’s rosettes: I am emotionally intelligent, I am me, I am empowered, I am connected, I am ready to learn, and I am happy and healthy.

There was a slight twist in the vote. All the rosettes are as equally as important as each other, they are needed for a good and happy life. So, the election was a tie! All the rosettes achieved 62,715 votes!

Everyone had at least one part to play, and we also had to learn the six songs: Tutankhamun, It’s Time to Fly, Go the Distance, Was Gibt’s Zum Fruhstuck (a German song), Note to the Audience, and the Rainforest. My favourite song was the German one.

When I saw my parents, my tummy was full of butterflies, yet I could not wait! After the performance, I felt glad, and I was also very exhausted!

I hope I have the chance to perform another show like this one!

Wanfei X

SUMMER FESTIVAL

to watch a video of the showcase!

On the 6th July, we had our annual Summer Festival on the front lawns and the quad area of the Senior School. The festival was a relaxed summer evening of music for Junior and Senior children and their parents. We started with the Y3 and 4 choir and then our Y5 and Y6 choir. This was in the quad. Our Junior ensembles played on the main stage and the evening was concluded with a finale. There was delicious food and drink to have on the lawns with our parents. It was a wonderful way to end the year! Isher L and Esher M

CREATIVE WRITING

YEAR 3

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION FROM DREAM GIVER

The creature flies from child to child without making one single sound. His head is as bald as an egg. If you feel his skin, it will feel as dry as sandpaper. He can go into dormitories, houses, flats and hotels to give dreams to sleeping children.

If you see this creature, you will notice he has protective goggles and they are secured tight behind his ears. These ears are like swirly snail shells.

If you bump into this creature, you will think you are dreaming. His fingers scuttle like spiders and he has a crooked nose that looks like he broke his nose twice.

By Amelie V

SETTING DESCRIPTION FROM DREAM GIVER

When the boy regained consciousness, he scrambled to his feet so he could figure out where he was. But as he did so, all he could see was a mysterious, sunlit woodland as far as the eye could see. The soft, velvety grass was as thick as a brand new carpet. The air was clean and crisp. If you saw it, you would immediately be awestruck and dumfounded. It was the most incredible sight you could ever see. It was just amazing!

The boy could see the sun-kissed, babbling brook racing over the rocks and the vibrant butterflies flying through the canopy. The smell of the dazzling, rose-pink flowers was extraordinary! Suddenly, the boy had the uncomfortable feeling he was being watched. He squelched through the damp moss and by then there was a rank stench that filled the atmosphere, following by a deafening silence. As quiet as a graveyard, it was! Just then, he looked up to see chiselled, stone faces that looked like there were thousands of years old and then, what seemed life-threatening to him, was a warrior skeleton lying up against a tree, dead. The next thing he thought was, “if the warrior is dead then what can an unarmed boy like me do?”

When I think back to that night, the night I was assigned to investigate that fateful case, I still can’t believe the scene that met my eyes........

YEAR 5

As I entered the scene, I immediately gaped in awe and apprehension of what might happen. Skinny, bare trees towered over the clearing in a perfect dome. As my wide eyes panned to the right, I suddenly saw a rusted car, sitting idly with one door ajar. As I touched the broken, smoking bonnet, a cold sensation spread through my fingertips, up my arm and into my wildly beating heart. As I looked up into the wing mirror I gasped in horror. There was a hand, an unmoving hand.... I turned the mirror, and saw small patches of deep, red blood! Time stopped. My heart skipped a beat. Had a murder really happened here?

Looking around, I spotted a smoking pile of wood on the ground. As I stepped towards it, I realised this was not just random bits of wood. There was a scorched crucifix wedged between the ashes! I mused, ‘Why would someone burn down a crucifix?’ Then, a howl pierced the air around me! I spun around dramatically, only to find the eerie noise that sounded like a blackboard being scratched by fingernails was coming from an old rickety church, being overlooked by a glistening full moon. I took a sharp, shaky intake of the crisp, misty air. This was truly, truly, terrifying. I had been to scary places, but this was nothing like anything I had done before. Then, without warning, I heard a woman’s scream, loud and clear. I jumped to my feet. What was going on?

By Suren T

By Annabel C

YEAR 5

The Mystery of Johnny Hollow

ROSE BLANCH

BY ELISE

Detective Casey Investigates

Aaghh! Crash! Bang! Squawk screeched the ravens.

“Just what I need on my day off!” exclaimed detective Casey, as she stormed off to find out what was happening. By the time she arrived there was a crowd of people, like a swarm of bees attracted by a beautiful flower. In the center of it all was a handful of bricks, some rubble, and a crazy journalist. Just when Casey thought things couldn’t get any worse...

Bang! Thousands of pallid faces stared at the boy (only about 8 years old) who was shot.”

Whoever you are show yourself, "commanded the officer in charge.

Suddenly a voice boomed, "I'll give you what you asked for,” from all around Bang! Bang! Bang! From all sides Crash! Sirens were sounded! Armed forces were called! Phone calls were made!

From up above a helicopter’s blades spun faster and faster than ever. Boom! The land was barren and desolate except for a couple of bodies but through it all Detective Casey had lived!

Out of thousands, millions of people Casey had lived, not because she had a special defense, but because she had hope!

Hope, she would and have a future Moral: always have hope, it may save you.

By Samyuktha V

THE SPIRIT RULER

There is a king that rules the spirits, He is very harsh and cruel. He absorbs the life of beings, And thinks it is cool.

He battles the green man at night, And ruins the dreams of all. He destroys happiness with all his might, And makes morale fall.

He turns creatures into slaves, And betrayers into dust. He didn’t need to try and rule the world, But he thought he must.

He has a horse made out of bones, Which he uses to travel at speed. He steals precious things Out of pure greed.

His loyal servant bargest, Foolishly grovels at him.

He stupidly follows his orders, His name is the Midwinter King.

By Jin C

YEAR 6

Floodland: Zoe’s Diary Entry

Dear Diary,

Today I woke to Spat kicking me in the ribs. I had slept on a narrow wooden pew and used a mouldy hassock as a pillow. It was extremely uncomfortable. I had had nightmares that night, but I still slept for a long while.

“Get up, I want to talk to you,” were the first words I heard this morning. I opened my eyes and saw Spat. He wanted to talk for some reason. He thinks that I'm a spy and he doesn’t trust me. I don’t know why, it's weird. I went with him, but I stayed alert the entire time. Spat was dangerous.

“I know you're a spy no matter what Dooby thinks. He’s not doing his reputation any good. I’m going to persuade him that you’re up to no good and then you will be disposed of!” shouted Spat.

“I’m not a spy no matter what you think. I don’t know anything about Pigs or Dogs or Cats. I barely even know anything about Eels,” I desperately replied.

Spat jumped on me, “you filthy rat, I’ll tell Dooby and I promise you he’ll believe me. I just know it! You won’t get off this island alive! I’ll make sure o...”

“Or not. Get off Zoe now! Or maybe you’ll be disposed of.” Dooby had walked right as Spat had got out his few weapons. He had saved me.

I took this as a chance to leave. I was going to find Lyca, my boat, and leave this island, Eels Island, for good. As I was going outside, I heard, “Where are you going, Zoe?”

It was William, the man Dooby said was a little crazy. Had I been caught? What was I going to say? “Oh, I’m just going out for a walk around the island.”

“I mean where are you going and where did you come from?” said William.

“Oh, well I’m really happy to be an Eel. It’s nice enough. Since Dooby says it, I should probably do i... I'm from Norwich,” I said awkwardly.

“I thought Norwich was gone,” replied William.

“It’s almost gone but not yet,” I answered. “Off you go on your walk then,” answered William.

As soon as I was through the gates I ran. When I finally stopped, I wasn’t sure where I was but I knew that the island was small so it would be reasonably easy to find Lyca. I walked for a little while before I found where I had been thrown to the ground by Dooby, Spat and Munchkin. I knew where to go from here. When I got to where my boat should have been I got a horrifying sight. Lyca wasn’t there!

I suddenly realized what had happened and why I had been watched by Molly and Sarah and why the gatekeepers hadn’t stopped her. I also knew who had my boat and I was going to get Lyca back, but for now I was trapped.

By Emma R

YEAR 6

The 12 gifts of the goddess

By William A

Who is the goddess?

The goddess was a rabbit that was searching for worlds and found podkins world, however the world was encoated in darkness and evil. Ruled by a beast called Gormlec. She challenged this beast to a battle with her sister. The first of the challenges being a simple game called foxtail. Being very skilled at this, gormlec lost the first challenge. The second was Nixha’s challenge, the goddess’ sister. She challenged Gormlec to an archery challenge, unsurprisingly Gormlec lost. However, he chose the last challenge, of course he chose a fight. And he won, so it was a draw, after a deal was made and gormlec went to the underworld, leaving the sisters were in charge of the overworld. Who were the twelve gifts given too and why?

There were 12 main warrens when the magic gifts were given to each of the burrows. First of the gifts was a dagger named starclaw, it is made from copper and can cut through anything except iron. The gorm are trying to get every gift for supposed power. The leader of the gorm scramashank wore a copper pot which turned into a spiky doom when he was transformed into a gorm. The third is a copper sickle that can tell you what is good and bad by glowing red or blue.

What is the situation of the gifts now?

The gorm are currently searching for all the gifts to get hold of them and destroy them to be able to gain power of all the warrens. When mumbury warren gets attacked podkin and his siblings have to run for their life and protect themselves with starclaw. The copper pot sits now on the leader of the gorms head as a twisted iron helmet.

The three well-known gifts

Starclaw is the first of the twelve that were given by the goddess, it can cut through anything except iron, and was kept hidden by podkins father. The copper pot is owned by Crama Scramashank but is now in control of the gorm because he is possessed by the pot. The copper sickles came from red-water warren, and it has the ability to go red when near something poisonous, and blue when near something good. It is now owned by a God within the woods.

Podkins life before his warren was attacked.

Podkin was an irresponsible rabbit who did not care however his smart and hard-working older sister does not understand why she cannot be the leader instead of podkin. Podkin is supposed to take lessons to help him be a better chief, however he much prefers to roll around in the nice flowery meadows. When the gorm attacks he must become responsible and protect his little brother Pook and listen to his older sister Paz.

The next nine gifts of the goddess

The fourth gift from the goddess was a fire bow, it shoots an ordinary arrow and when landed the arrow incinerates

a ring around the enemy creating an impenetrable wall of furious fire. The bow originated from a forest of witches, but the creator is Unkown.

The spear of carrots, when jabbed with this weapon you shall experience extreme hunger and pain, not only doing this, it creates a wound from where you were attacked, it also glows red when danger is near. It originated from a burrow which a rabbit pondered on when digging.

If you find yourself ever in danger there is a cloak of healing and invisibility, however it is a two-piece set, you need the hood and cape, but without either of these the effects will not be any help. It came from a carpenter who needed it to cure his son with a terminal illness called carrotitus.

The Quiver of quills, to go along with the fire bow, the quiver of quills holds an infinite number of arrows, and it is also weightless, however the quiver glows when near a betraying person. It comes from Godstone Moore and was found in the river floating peacefully.

The scythe of safety gives you safety from starvation because anything farmed with this tool will grow back the next day. It originated from a hill in Godstones where a farmer was struggling with farming the mass number of crops. He made it out of wood and iron however, no other rabbit has even gone near it.

The sword of accuracy, every swing will penetrate the enemy's sword a lot like starclaw it has the ability cut through anything except iron, but it is weightless so long journeys with the weapon will be easy. Bobkin stole this weapon from a mage who was fighting a losing battle against a dangerous dragon, and he brought it to his local pub called the spanner.

The spade of digging. When excavating with this spade, you shall not tire of the arduous work because the spade regenerates your energy after every dig. It originated from a war because a rabbit could not get away fast enough. Sadly, the rabbit did not get away, but the spade was dug up by a kitten when podkin was young.

The lantern of levitation. When holding this item, you will have the ability to levitate 2 meters of the ground. It will also fly you on the way to your destination. (slowly). However, when holding this item, it will slowly burn your hands on a different scale depending on how fast you want to go.

Conclusion

To conclude, I think that Podkin is going to need all the gifts of the goddess. However, the gorm will stop him from doing this in some kind of way. And because starclaw can't cut through iron, Podkin will be forced to run away with his little brother and sister. The gorm will most likely gain control of him in one way or another. I think this because, if the gorm didn’t create a disruption, there would be no point in Podkin having to flee his warren. So, they would have to stop him in some kind of way to keep the tense and also to make the story more entertaining.

The 12 gifts of the goddess

Introduction:

The twelve gifts were special objects with magical properties, given to various warrens at the start of time. The goddess was called Estra, the bringer of life and she also had a sister called Nixha, the goddess of death. At the time, a god called Gormalech ruled the earth, poisoning the earth with iron. Then, Estra and Nixha came down to the earth and challenged Gormalech. In the end, there was no winner. What would they do? They decided that they would make a deal called ‘the balance’. This meant that the Goddesses ruled the world above and Gormalech ruled the underworld. When ‘the balance’ was made – at the start of time – Estra distributed the twelve gifts to the twelve original warrens. Each gift was given to the chieftain of each warren: Munbury received a dagger called Starclaw, Cherrywood had a copper sling shot, Ivywack had a copper sword, Silverock owned a bow and arrow, Redwater received a copper sickle, Nettleton was given a locket, Oakfire was gifted copper teeth, Goldenbrook had a golden pocket watch, Sandywell received a copper pot, Boneroot had a pair of x-ray glasses, Applecross received reflective armour and Deepdell had chainmail.

Weapons:

Starclaw is hidden with the chieftain of Munbury warren (who is currently Podkin), it can cut through anything but iron. Munbury warren was attacked by the Gorm, and the dagger was hurriedly given to the son of the chieftain, Podkin, who is now the chieftain. The former chieftain had pretended that his well-known sword was the gift, however, it had always been Starclaw.

It is said that the Copper slingshot is still safe in Cherrywood warren, this gift can be pulled back infinite amount so it can fire extremely far. Sadly, the copper sword from Ivywack that can separate any liquid as if it were a solid object and the bow and arrow from Silverock that can shoot through anything until it reaches the target is in the greedy, grasping hands of the Gorm.

Tools:

The copper sickle which can glow red if something is poisonous and blue when something is good is in the safe hands of Brigid, the witch, originally the Princess of Redwater warren. She and her family were forced to flee Redwater after one of her father’s guards overthrew her father, the chieftain, becoming the Chieftain of Redwater warren. Nettleton’s locket can put out any fire when opened. It is possibly taken by the gorm, since they have invaded the Nettleton warren. Oakfire’s teeth that can bite through metal are apparently still safe in Oakfire warren. The pocket watch - from Goldenbrook - that can rewind time and pause it whereabouts are unknown.

Armour:

Sandywell’s copper pot was last seen with Crama. Unfortunately, Sandywell burrowed too deep into the ground, and were taken over by Gormalech. Crama is now called Scramashank, the leader of the Gorm and the copper pot has not been seen since. Now, Sandywell is called Splinterholm and the land around it is rapidly being destroyed and poisoned and polluted with iron.

Boneroot’s x-ray glasses can see through anything, from seeing through a secret to penetrating a mountain however, they have not been seen recently. Luckily, the reflective armour, which can reflect any wound of the wearer on to the enemy, that belongs to Applecross is still worn by the chieftain of Applecross. Deepdell’s chainmail’s (that can change size depending on who is wearing it) whereabouts are unknown.

Conclusion:

The 12 gifts are all being closely protected by the remaining warrens while the Gorm are still hunting to place their hands on all the gifts. For an unexplained reason, the Gorm are trying to take all 12 gifts for a menacing scheme.

Gormalech has broken ‘the balance’ and come to the surface of the earth. And someone needs to help...

By Victoria O

I will put in the box, The laughter of a newborn, The swish of a black cat’s tail,

The warmth of a Mexican heatwave, I will put in the box the whispers of trees in the wind,

The anger of an erupting volcano, The explosion of a dying star,

I will put in the box, The deafening roar of a thousand lions, The flames of an elderly dragon, The reflection of the earth’s most prized possession, The aroma of a thousand spices, I will decorate my box, With the colour of Midnight, With patterns made from the rarest golds, With a light so piercing it outshines a thousand suns.

By Adrian O

The Magic Box

I will put in the box

The spell of a magic wand on a whimpering victim, Dust from a dancing deer’s feet on a summer sunset, The crackle of flames from a campfire.

I will put in the box

A scarecrow with twinkling eyes, A bite of the most delicious golden apple, A sudden spout of water from a whale.

I will put in the box

The magical lamp of a genie, The last breath of a royal, The first laugh of a newborn baby.

YEAR 6

ENGLISH POEM

When the winter fades away, You may see a calm blue jay, Resting on a branch, Adorned with blossoms, Just like fireworks of bright colours.

The sweet smells of flowers blooming, As they wake up to the same air, That a baby lamb will breathe.

You may see butterflies, As the days warm up, Flying to see the April showers.

By Amber R

I will put in the box

An invisible cape and a violet sky, A vampire on a candy floss cloud, And a fairy in a haunted house. My box is forged from platinum, ruby and burnt ashes, With moons on the lid and flames in the corners

I shall ski in my box

Upon the great slope with snow tumbling down, Then stumble down to the black ice at the bottom, And skid laughing back to the top.

By Clemmie R

SPORT

CROSS COUNTRY

CROSS COUNTRY SPORTING FIXTURE

The Cross County was on Thursday 17th of November and I was delighted to be selected. There were 4 teams, an under 9 girls and boys team and an under 11 girls and boys team. We went on a bus to Highfields and arrived in the pouring rain. We all warmed up and met 5 other schools who we were racing against. The race was 1.2km and it was very muddy and hard to run. When I started I was cold and nervous, but I was determined to do the best for my team and school. We did really well, Nottingham High School won 2 trophies!

Anouskha PT

HOUSE CROSS COUNTRY

The Cross Country Event took place in the wet and muddy Wollaton Park on a cold and windy afternoon. All of my house groups were there to compete the teachers were there to support us. I felt excited and very nervous because it was my first time, but after a big and loud whistle was blown, I did not have any time to think about anything except to shoot out like bullets with everyone else. But soon after I got very tired after climbing a big slope, I felt so tired that my legs weren't listening to me anymore that I nearly fell over on the way down the slope. I even had to walk to save my energy for a while but my supporters kept saying "Tonkins go Tonkins!" and "Well Done!", that really kept me going and made me feel a lot braver. It was a pity that I didn't finish on top but I was very proud of myself running for so long and I tried my very best to finish at the blue line. It was such a challenging and encouraging event and I really enjoyed it!

Grace X

Last Friday, the whole of the Junior School went to Wollaton Park to take part in our House Cross Country. Year 3 ran first, followed by Year 4, 5 and 6. The house I was representing was Hardy’s. This was my second cross country race but I still felt nervous. The advice from my dad was to follow the fastest runner and follow his running technique. I attempted to do this but he was too fast for me! I am a sprinter and not a long distance runner. At one point I wanted to stop and have a drink but I knew that I had to keep on going because there was somebody behind me.

I came 8th (better than what I did in Year 3) and I was extremly proud of myself.

The overall winner for the house shield was Hardy’s! I was really happy that we won for the second year in a row.

Yash V

HOCKEY

We went to Highfields Hockey centre to practice passing and dribbling - we even played a hockey match against each other. It was really fun! Year 4 travelled by bus. When we got there we played a game called King of the Ring. It is a game where if you are the last one in the ring with your ball you win. Then we did some passing to a partner and then a hockey match. My team won because the ball got passed to me I turned and dribbled took a shot and scored. It was a wonderful experience!

Cameron S

MY FIRST HOCKEY FIXTURE

We went to the Hockey Centre on a cold and wet day. We grabbed our long hockey sticks and even though the weather was rainy, we felt excited.

The first game started, everyone chased the ball, but nobody got a goal. The second game started, we learnt how to work as a team and we blocked the goals. The third game started, we blocked goals, we tackled each other, we scored goals, we kept our hockey stick on the grass; we were like professionals at hockey.

I loved my first hockey fixture -it was full of fun and it felt safe. Everyone tried to keep the hockey stick below their waist, to avoid hurting each other. It was a friendly match, and I loved being with my teammates. Although the weather was not perfect, it was still the best Hockey Fixture for me.

Janice W

HOCKEY FIXTURE AGAINST THE ELMS

During October, Mrs Dunn took a team of 11 girls to The Elms for a hockey tournament. We had a goalie set, and the girl who was to be the goalie was Hawah. It was quite fun to put all the kit on her. Now, the funny thing is that our school does it differently from the other schools, because we do netball when the other schools do hockey, so we haven’t had any practice. But, of course, we still tried our best. We drew some, we lost some, but unfortunately we didn’t win one. In the end, it went a bit over time because the other schools had to do penalties. Finally, it was time for the presentation. We all gathered round, and the winner was Fairmont primary school. But, since we had participated, all the girls in the group still got certificates.

Safa M

SWIMMING

ESSA REGIONAL REPORT 2023

On Friday 21st April, 2023, our four fastest swimmers for the Girls and Boys teams travelled to Repton School for the East Midlands regional round of ESSA (England’s Schools Swimming Association). All of the children were keen to perform well as only the fastest top three schools (out of eight schools) from each relays event would be allowed to go through to the National Swimming Finals at Ponds Forge. The competition was tough but both our Boys and Girls teams performed exceedingly well, knocking between six and eight seconds from their team practice times in the each of their events. There were two heats for each event which made it really tense! Our Girls team were so close to qualifying for the National Finals, however our Boys team did make it through (coming second in the freestyle relay and third in the medley relay). Amazing performances from both teams and many personal best times were also set-well done to all!

HARVEY HADDON NOVICE GALA

On Wednesday 24th May, we were proud to take part for the very first time in the Harvey Haddon City Schools Novice Swimming gala in Nottingham.

Eleven excited pupils from the NHIJS travelled to Harvey Haddon Sports Village to participate in lots of confidence building swimming events against other schools in the city of similar swimming capabilities. It was an amazing gala with lots of support and encouragement for the individual and team events. For many of our selected children, it was the first time they had represented the school on an away swimming fixture and they were so proud and happy to do so, enjoying the whole experience immensely. They all participated exceedingly well and out of the seven schools that attended, NHIJS were thrilled to come third and be awarded medals. Well done to everyone!

ESSA PRIMARY SCHOOL NATIONAL FINALS

On Saturday 17th June, William H, Theo C from Yr 6 and Max G and Thomas R from Yr 5 proudly represented the School and the East Midlands at the 27th ESSA Primary School National Championships at Ponds Forge in Sheffield. Just by qualifying at the highly competitive regional round, we were already amongst the top 24 schools in the country.

The first event was the medley relay where we swam really well, resulting in being in the top 20 schools. Their second event was the medley relay. The team swam superbly and came 21st nationally.

As always, the competition on the day was phenomenal but it was a fantastic atmosphere (we particularly enjoyed it when everyone on poolside was dancing YMCA during the build up to the event!). It was an amazing experience and enjoyed by everyone. Well done to all of our swimmers-keep up the fantastic swimming, especially the Year Five’s ready for next year!

YEAR 5 & 6 SWIMMING GALA

Years 5 and 6 Swimming Gala On the 23rd of May, Years 5 and 6 held a swimming gala. From each house, every person would compete in at least one event, if not, more. The gala was run by Mrs Whittamore, and there were individual races, relays and medleys. At the end of each race, the results were added up, and at the end, there was, of course, a winner and a loser. The Year 3 and 4 results will be added to the Year 5 and 6’s, to make the final results. But the winner of the 5 and 6 gala was Treases, Tonkins came second, Hardys finished third, and Balls, unfortunately, landed last. But they could be redeemed in the Year 3 and 4 gala, so we will have to wait and see what happens!

Safa M

IAPS SWIMMING GALA AT REPTON SCHOOL

On Monday 6th March our U11 Boys and Girls teams travelled to Repton School to represent our school in the National IAPS swimming competition. This was just one of the 25 regional rounds of Independent Schools taking place up and down the country. Several schools participated at Repton School, swimming against each other, but mainly against the stopwatch, as all of the swimmers’ times are sent off and ranked into order nationally for all the Independent Schools in the country who enter this prestigious event. There were many second and third places both in the individuals and in the relays. All of our pupils swam exceedingly well, pushing themselves to perform their absolute best but also showed excellent sportsmanship by supporting spontaneously, not only each other but other swimmers in other schools, including the para swimmers. So proud!

SWIMMING GALA V RATCLIFFE

On Tuesday 21st February, Swimmers from the A and B U11 and U10 boys and girls teams were highly excited to be representing the school at a home gala against Ratcliffe College. It was a great gala with some very close races and a fantastic, supportive atmosphere. Particularly well done to those who represented the school for the first in a Swimming Gala. Final scores:

1st NHIJS “A” team with 100 points

2nd Ratcliffe A team with 59 points

3rd NHIJS “B” team with 51 points

4th Ratcliffe B team with 45 points

Well done to everyone and super preparation for galas in the future.

SWIMMING GALA V RANBY HOUSE

On Tuesday 28th February, the Yr 6 and Yr 4 Swimming A teams were thrilled to be representing the school in a home fixture against Ranby House. The Year Fours were especially excited as for many it was the first time they had represented the school at Swimming. Right from the start, it was clear that the races were going to be close but all of our swimmers swam exceedingly well. After the brilliant medley relays, the scores were announced: 47 points to the NHIJS Boys teams, 38 points to the NHIJS Girls team, 35 points to Ranby Boys and 30 points to Ranby Girls. Well done to everyone! It was a such a super supportive atmosphere and it was particularly pleasing to see the Year 6s looking after and supporting the Year 4s in their first gala.

SWIMMING GALA V RATCLIFFE COLLEGE

On Tuesday 29th November, there was great excitement at NHIJS as it was the first away fixture for the Swimming U10 and U11 boys and girls Swimming Teams for this season. After a decent warm up, the races got underway. There were some close finishes and lots of really good positions. The final score was 97 points to Ratcliffe and 132 points to NHIJS. Well done to all of the swimmers, particularly George W who swam up for the Year 5 team and other swimmers who stood in for injured people-a great team effort! Thank you to Ratcliffe for making us feel welcome as always and providing such excellent competition-we are already looking forward to the return fixture!

HOUSE CLIMBING

NETBALL

LOVELL SPORTS DAY

I enjoyed the side to side jump competition!

K

At Sports Day, I liked meeting the Sixth Formers who were helping us. The lolly pops at the end were good too!

RUGBY

Year 4 were invited to a rugby festival in Loughborough and this was my first rugby fixture. I was feeling positive and excited about being in the contact team. We played 3 matches, won the first 2 and lost the last one. The ground was muddy, soggy and extremely wet. At the end of the festival, I was covered in mud and injuries, but I had lots of fun.

After the fixture we were very hungry and the host school treated us to hot dogs and cookies! When I got home my mum ran me a hot bath to soothe my aching muscles.

I loved the egg and spoon race, it was really hard but I won!

Sports day was an exciting day! I liked winning lots of stickers

Oliver U

I loved the beanbag toss because I scored in the 3 point hoop twice!

I loved the running race because I was the fastest and I won!

I really liked the javelin throwing because it was lots of fun. I also liked the egg and spoon race and the hurdles

Ezra

Eva L

Ajai S

Oliver W

Aria L

Max K

Yash V

JUNIOR SPORTS DAY

On Friday 30th of June 2023 it was NHIJS Sports Day. The Races, Throws and Jumps all happened after lunch. When we got there, all our parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts came to watch us with a nice cup of tea. The Throwing activities were the Shotput (a heavy ball), Howler (I rugby shaped ball) and a Discus (a frisbee like disc).

The Jumping activities were the Long Jump (a run-up jump to get the furthest), High Jump (the same as long jump except you need to jump higher) and the Triple Standing Jump.

The running races like egg and spoon and 3-legged races were fun, but the tough ones were the relays and sprints. They wore out the people who took part in it, but they did it for their house.

Overall, the New Sports day was fun and enjoyable.

Rishi S