YN 2024

2024 YEAR BOOK

A visual insight into our Year at NHIJS

CONTENTS

WELCOME AND SCHOOL COUNCIL

DAY TRIPS AND RESIDENTIALS

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

OPPORTUNITIES IN SCHOOL

FAREWELL TO YEAR 6

STAFF ARRIVING /LEAVING

Starters:

Mrs Claire Newbold Teacher of French or Spanish

Leavers:

Clair Bailey KS1 Teacher

Clare Bruce Head of IJS

Mollie Andersson EYFS Teacher (maternity cover)

Anna Pearce IJS Teacher

Ben Mercer Gap Year Student

Joe Rowson Gap Year Student

Welcome

Dear Parents, Governors and Friends of the School,

Since joining Nottingham High Infant and Junior School in February 2024 as Interim Head, a number of parents and colleagues have asked me the same question. “What it is like working at the Infant and Junior School?” or “How are you finding it?” and I hope that as you read the pages and articles within this publication you will get a sense of how busy and brilliant each day at NHIJS really is. Mr Cordy, our Deputy Head Pastoral, often uses the expression that at NHIJS, “every day is extraordinary” and he is absolutely right. I have marched with Norse Gods and Goddesses, read stories with EYFS under the sea, and listened to a pupil recite Pi to an impressive number of decimal places. Every day at NHIJS truly is extraordinary, and every lesson brings the wow factor to our pupils, whose thirst for knowledge is second to none. It is my hope that these pages will give you a mere flavour of what life is like at NHIJS, and to look back on another spectacular year for the school. Whilst NHIJS is unashamedly a school with a true sense of achievement and excellence, it

is also a school which lives out the values of empathy towards others. The warmth of welcome I received from pupils, parents and colleagues alike took me quite by surprise. It is my great privilege to serve Nottingham High Infant and Junior School until January 2025 when Mrs Polly Bennett, our new Head, arrives. I am enormously proud of your children each and every day for their enthusiasm, their kindness and the way in which they bring their whole selves to school each day. Furthermore, I have every confidence that Mrs Bennett will be just as impressed as I have been. I very much hope that you enjoy the collection of work, photographs and stories in this Year Book and that it will be something that your child treasures for years to come as a memory of their wonderful time at NHIJS. I know that I will treasure mine.

With warmest wishes, Mrs Angharad Simpson (Interim) Head of the Infant and Junior School

2

BEAUMANOR HALL

On Friday 23rd February, Year 2 all arrived at school, not in their uniform but dressed as Victorians!

Everyone looked fantastic and were wearing a variety of Victorian costumes, ready for a day at Beaumanor Hall. The children were going to experience life as both a Victorian servant in a large house, and a Victorian child in school. Once we had arrived, the children were immediately separated into boys and girls, with the boys told to remove their hats and that is was now their job to hold the doors open for, and escort the girls wherever they went! After their very important snack, half of Y2 left to experience life as a servant in the hall, whilst the other half were told to line up ready for hand inspection before entering the classroom. Year 2 worked together to dress the children of the family (mannequins), they also learnt how to iron, fold and wrap garments in Victorian times. They experienced

how clothes were washed before washing machines, and were amazed at how hard the work was, especially using the mangle. In the classroom, the children were taught the rules of a strict Victorian classroom and took part in a Maths lesson using slate and chalk. They then had the opportunity to practise their copperplate handwriting using an ink pen and inkwell. Despite some wet weather arriving they also had the opportunity to play with a wide range of Victorian toys and games, the cup and ball tournament became quite competitive! Everyone had a fantastic day and after experiencing life in Victorian times, were very happy to return to school and their modern lives.

YEAR 3

CENTRAL LIBRARY

This half term Year 3 visited the brand new Nottingham Central Library. We were made to feel very welcome by the team who got us in the festive spirit with a story before the children were able to peruse the extensive variety of literature and find a quiet place to enjoy. Year 3 were the first group of children who were able to fully explore the immersive 3D story zone which was a great experience, but don’t take our word for it, here is what the children themselves had to say:

“I really liked looking through all the books, there was just so many to choose from”

Amaal M

It was really good, I loved it when the dinosaurs came right towards us!”

Tara N

YEAR 3

HINDU TEMPLE

In Year 3, we look at the religion of Hinduism in great detail during our R.E sessions. In order to bring our learning from inside the classroom to life, we embarked on a trip to our local Mandir to see what else we could see. It was a fantastic opportunity for the children to be invited into such a wonderful place of worship, learning lots of things from the people who know best! Exposing children to different cultures and ways of life is what makes this trip so amazing, here’s what the children had to say:

“I enjoyed listening to all the stories and facts about the Mandir and Hinduism because it was really interesting.”

Roshini

“I loved walking around the temple and seeing all the statues and pictures because you wouldn’t normally see them unless you pray in the Mandir.”

Abi

RESIDENTIAL

YEAR 3

On Tuesday 14th November 2023, Year 3 set off on their first ever trip to the adventure venue: Mount Cook. The bus journey was as noisy as a herd of elephants and you could feel the excitement in the air! Our first experience was learning about Roman clothes and armour, which was fascinating. Afterwards, we ventured outside and faced and faced a war using our Roman armour and I loved creating a shield wall called a ‘testudo formation’ with my friends.

We were so lucky with the weather this year, it stayed warm and dry all day.

Thank you to all the amazing staff, teachers and parents who made the day so special.”

to see a video from our trip!

NEWSTEAD ABBEY

Newstead Abbey is a historical building located in a wonderful park. You can learn about lots of things to do with Ada Lovelace and the very cheeky Lord Byron. The building was decorated so nicely. When we arrived, we left our belongings in a safe place. We then watched a presentation about Ada Lovelace. She was an interesting and clever mathematician. She was one of the very first computer programmers. She was very good at coding. Coding is where you type a set of instructions that a computer can follow. In 2024, coding can be used to make software, apps for a phones, and even make video games. It’s like a computer language. My favourite moment was playing with sticky notes on different size grids. We made a large portrait of Ada Lovelace using only sticky notes. It was really fun seeing the wonderful picture being made. It was like putting pieces of a jigsaw together and looked amazing when it was completed.

Then we learnt about Lord Byron, who was a poet. His poems were often quite cheeky and he had 3 chickens, 4 horses, and lots of other animals. He even had 7 girlfriends, yuck! At the end of the trip, I was so proud of Mr Moss and Miss Griffiths for putting this trip together. I learnt a lot of interesting facts that day and would definitely recommend to my friends and family to take a visit. We even had a go at making our poems. My groups poem was, “We’re surrounded by tall trees and covered by a blue sky. We are a part of nature and love it so much. We should study more about nature and care for our environment. If we could all respect the nature around us, the world would be a better place.”

I would love to go again and learn even more about coding and more about Lord Byron’s poems.

Harman L

The night before the trip, I was excited because I knew we were going to Mount Cool to learn about Romans. The bits that I was looking forward to most was dressing up like a Roman soldier and marking army formations. When we got there, we helped each other to dress up like Roman soldiers. Then we marched in pairs to make formations with our shields. One of the funniest bits was when we were peeking through the shields. The man was shooting foam arrows at us but he said he was planning to shoot arrows with fire on them but that would be fatal. After lunch, I felt happy and ready for the activities. Then we made carts in teams. The last activity was making pouches using awls and mallets. My favourite part of the day was making the cart with my team.”

Sanjay

POEMS WRITTEN DURING OUR POETRY WORKSHOP AT BOATSWAIN’S TOMB

Flowers bloom and Loveliness overflows the gardens.

Overflowing With Earth’s Radiance.

Secretive, Evergrowing, Everlasting, Deep into the Soil.

The fresh green grass sways in the cool breeze. Under the overgrown trees is the perfect place to be. The jewel-coloured Spring flowers bloom as the sun comes out on a new day and the grass under my feet feels as soft as a cosy bed.

YEAR 4

Y4 STEAM club took part on the Festival of Science and Curiosity at the Council House in Nottingham. The took their prototypes of a sustainable building to the schools symposium where they spoke to children and adults from different schools about their designs. The children were also fortunate to have architects from CPMG Architects to come to the Council House and the children discussed their projects with those in the industry. A super opportunity for our pupils.

YEAR 4

NEW WALK MUSEUM

The Year 4’s went to Leicester New Walk Museum in December and it was very exciting! It was to enhance our learning for Humanities.

The first activity we did was the Egyptian workshop; this involved dressing up as Pharaohs and Egyptian villagers.

We also carried out pretend mummification, where we took out all the organs of a stuffed toy body. The ‘heart’ had a scarab beetle put on it and then it was wrapped in linen and replaced back in the toy body.

We carried out some drilling, this required two people, one to steady the drill the other to turn the bow drill arrangement. This created holes into wood which simulated making jewellery.

Our next task was to formulate an Egyptian timeline, to show the beginning of the Egyptian era and the end of their reign.

We then sorted out the different types of food the Egyptians ate and did not eat! Such as pizza and oranges.

We discovered that in the adjacent room there were mummies! They were in coffins and we learned about one particular mummy that had died at the age of 19 due to an infection from a wound on her leg.

After lunch, we went over to the Wild Space which had real stuffed animals in glass cases with facts of where they were from. Some of the locations were North America, the Sahara desert and the South Pole. We were able to crawl in tunnels which showed the underground habitat of various animals, such as foxes, badgers and moles.

Next stop was the gift shop! Here there was plenty of choice of Egyptian, dinosaur and fossil merchandise to buy.

Our last destination was the dinosaur gallery. We studied bones using a magnifying glass, and saw the Rutland dinosaur which was a diplodocus. A class photo was taken with the Rutland dinosaur before we left on the bus back to school.

What a great trip!

Alexander F

YEAR 4

Year 4 went to visit Lincoln Cathedral as a school trip on Tuesday 30th of April. We had been learning about ‘Religion & the Environment: How and Why Should We Care for Our Planet?’ in our Humanities work that term.

The Cathedral, which was built in 1072, was an enormous and impressive structure. We all went outside to see the full view and it was amazing! It was so tall that my head was dizzy looking up to the sky! First we had a guided tour of the building and learnt many fascinating facts about its history and construction. One particularly impressive feature was the famous stained glass windows.

After this, we had a workshop where we worked together to construct a replica of the famous ‘Dean’s Eye Widow’. We were divided into groups and we did other activities such as ‘seed bombing’ in the Cathedral grounds.

My favourite part of the trip was making a model of the Lincoln Cathedral in the Learning Zone area. I would recommend this trip because you learn a lot

to see CPMG architects talk about the projects

YEAR 5

THE SPACE CENTRE

On Thursday the 25th of April, the whole of Year 5 went to the Space Centre in Leicester to study the planets. Last time we went was in Year 3 and at that time we were studying rockets. It was really good fun looking at all the exhibitions that they had on the ground floor, as well as the activity we had after lunch. The activity was to make a moon wheel that you could use at night to see what stage the moon was at. The facilitator of the session gave each class a moon chart, which was very nice of him. The part that I most enjoyed though, was the cinema. Whilst we were watching it, it made you feel that there was nothing to support you. It was like you were there in the moment. It was amazing. There was also a gift shop which had lots of toys. We did not spend anything, but it was really good. By the time we got back to school, we were so tired from having so much fun, we just sat down and watched a movie. This has been my favourite space trip so far.

Yash V

WW2 ADVENTURE AT BEAUMANOR HALL YEAR5

I want to share my exciting Humanities Trip to Beaumanor Hall for a themed day of World War 2 on March 13th. Our entire year dressed up in WW2 outfits because that was the theme we studied this term.

When we arrived, our first activity was codebreaking in a place disguised as a farmhouse. Inside, there were radios broadcasting German codes. We had to pay close attention to the letters coming out of the radios to break the codes and discover what the Germans were planning. It was really fun because we worked in teams of three. One person listened and shouted out letters, another wrote them down, and the third was the messenger who took the notes to the group breaking the code. We all swapped roles so we could try different parts. The messages revealed where the next bombings would be and where the Germans planned to meet.

Our second activity was writing a postcard to our families, pretending we were alright and settled in a new country. After that, we received menus and had to pick ingredients for a meal. Because of rationing, we could only choose one tasty item. We went to a fake store with a small amount of money to buy it.

After lunch, we all went down to a shelter where people would have hidden from the bombs. It was so cold down there, and in WW2 times if you needed the toilet, you had to use a bucket.

The leader of the group showed us gas masks, including one for a baby, which was really sad because if parents didn’t pump enough air in, the babies could have died. We then had to be quiet while she played the sounds of bombings so we could feel what it was like for people during WW2. Even though it wasn’t real, it was so scary. It made me feel really sad thinking about all the people who died and how scared they must have been in the shelters.

We exited the shelter and headed back to the bus. It was a great day because the topic is really fascinating, and I wish I could go again.

Anoushka P-T

YEAR 5

ST PETER’S CHURCH

When we arrived, the volunteers invited us in with a warm welcome. Then, they lead our group to a narrow, spiral staircase. We were told to count how many steps there were; eventually, I lost count. To my surprise, there were fifty stairs. At the top was the bell tower. The lady told us about the bells and explained how to make them ring; though, she was not allowed to ring them. Then, we got to poke our heads out the door to the roof and look at all the history. Next, we went on to the next section to talk about the stained-glass windows and their stories, which lead us on to making our own stained glass window design with paper. After, we talked about South African slavery and their upsetting stories. We got to try juicy sugarcane. We ended the day with a discussion about the history of Nottingham. Overall, St Peter’s is a wonderful place.

THINK

AUTUMN TERM

EYFS

Reception have been working on Friday mornings in the outdoor garden 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, spring bulb planting, 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 were also taught how to made a shelter and put their knowledge to the test with a water test to see if they remained dry.

YEAR 2

Year 2 have been looking at food and the basic needs of humans. They mixed their own dough and made bread twists around the willow canes. We then did some orienteering around Lovell House gardens and had a go on the slack line, to improve our balance and posture.

YEAR 3

Year 3 had a day on the school climbing wall where they practiced their climbing skills. They also had a go on the bouldering wall to improve their balance and techniques when climbing on the wall. We played some climbing games with them too.

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 6

Year 6 had a full day of climbing and orienteering. They split into three 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.

One class was having a go at climbing the big Beech tree over by the Wellbeing centre using harnesses and prussics. The other class were in the Arboretum completing the orienteering course that is set up in there. They then swapped activities.

FROM BIRD FEEDERS TO TARGETS OUTDOOR EDUCATION DAY

I want to share my amazing outdoor educational day we had at Lovell House and Seniors. This special event happened on March 4th 2024 and included all Year 5 students, with each class participating on different days. Our class, 5A, had our turn on a beautifully mild and sunny day, and it was unforgettable.

We started our day in the outdoor garden at Lovell House making bird feeders. First, we carefully sanded the rough wood to ensure there were no spikey bits. Then, we placed some sturdy netting on the wood to shape the bird feeder. Hammering the nails was quite challenging because we had to be careful not to hit our fingers! I decorated mine with felt tips in black and pink which were my friend’s favourite colours. It was great fun because I'd never made anything like a bird feeder before. Creating something with nails and a hammer was a really great experience!

Afterward, we took a well-deserved break and played with the Lovell House toys. Riding the tiny toy bikes and scooters downhill was hilarious.

Next, we had lunch, and then we moved on to archery in the old gym at the senior school. First, we learned how to hold the bow and arrow properly and got to shoot at the target. Some made impressive shots, while others missed completely, but it was fun for everyone.

Later on, we played an exciting game where each colour on the target represented an ingredient to make a cake and we had to try and get all of them. For example, blue was water, and hitting white meant starting all over. It was tense and competitive as we aimed for the bullseye, which represented eggs. Even though we didn’t manage to hit the bullseye, it was interesting to imagine our cake without eggs!

Everyone had an extraordinary day, and I can't wait to have another adventure like this!

Anoushka P-T

On March 4th, 2024 5D had our Outdoor Education Day at Lovell House. We made bird feeders, learned how to fold mesh so that it was not dangerous and how to hammer nails into wood (this was quite tricky because I kept hammering the sides of the nails and they just wouldn’t stop bending!). I think that the best part was when we sanded down the wood using sandpaper. It took a while and felt so smooth, it was super fun. I missed the Archery on this day because I was in the IAPS swimming gala at Repton School. I wish I had been there to experience the Archery with my friends. They all said it was so much fun. Nottingham is famously the home of Robin Hood so our school proudly prioritises Archery for the children in NHIJS!

CHARITY GUIDE DOGS

Our School Councillors had a very busy time in April organising fundraising for our chosen charity. We decided to raise for the Guide Dog charity. We had a special day where the staff and children could “Break the School Uniform Rules.” Lots came with unusual hairstyles, silly socks, odd shoes etc. I, myself, dazzled in a pair of shocking pink tights, much to the children’s amusement! The Councillors held a competition to design a poster representing the charity. Although this was an optional activity, there were lots of super entries. Thankfully I was not the judge. Mr Fear came to Lovell and judged with the Councillors. It was a very difficult decision. They decided to choose a winner from each year group. Those winners were Isaiah Hoyte in Reception, Anna Shinie in Year 1 and Eva Lancaster in Year 2. Congratulations to the winners, and a massive thank you and well done to all participants.

We had a very special assembly with visitors from the charity. Her name was Barbara and her gorgeous dog, Harry who was very well behaved. The children asked lots of interesting questions. The visit was a huge success and the children absolutely loved meeting Harry. We raised a massive £471.50! Thank you to everybody for your generous donations.

I very much look forward to working with the new School Councillors in September.

Mrs Tyrrell

Some of the quotes from the children:

I loved Breaking the School Rules Day. It was funny.

I liked it when I got to stroke Harry. I came to school with blue hair.

It was good when I sat on the stage during our assembly.

I liked meeting Mr Fear to judge the competition.

I enjoyed judging the poster competition.

PEOPLE WHO HELP US

This half-term EYFS have been learning all about ‘People Who Help Us’. This was very fortunate because the children were greeted by a crime scene in their classrooms in the first week. Someone has stolen all of the sweeties and we needed to get to the bottom of the crime. The children measured the footprints, took photographic evidence and wrote down lots of clues before we rang Nottinghamshire City Police. The police officers came to School in their police car, answered all our questions, let us sit in their police car and then solved the crime. It was Mr Cordy! During the second week, all our teddy bears were feeling poorly and had bandaged themselves up. Luckily our school nurse was able to come down to EYFS to teach the children how to keep their bodies healthy and what to do of they hurt themselves. In the third week, the children walked up to the Junior School ready to be greeted by their surprise visitors - the Nottinghamshire Firefighters. They were shown the firefighter’s uniform and different equipment before having a tour around the fire engine and finally practising their fire fighter skills by spraying the water hose.

Mannat

Kartar

Ophelia

YEAR 1

BRACKENHURST

READING CAFES

Year 1, 2 and Reception had a reading café during the term! This is where you bring your adult to the library and read with them. It is really fun and I would recommend it 10 out of 10! I read lots of books and we talked together. We had lots of fun and it was really exciting too! I sat on a beanbag and chatted with my friends whilst reading. I am a reading ambassador and I got inspiration for more books and things in the library. I would really like to attend the event again!

During the Autumn term, Year 1 were excited to attend a Fairy Tale day at Brackenhurst Agricultural College. The children were involved in retelling the story of Jack and the Beanstalk in the walled gardens. The children loved dressing up and joining in with the story. This was followed by activities including making their own plant pots to plant a bean, picking the green beans growing in the vegetable garden and being nature detectives. After lunch, the children were involved in the retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and completed a fantastic wolf creation using natural materials they could find in the woods. Finally, the children acted out The Three Billy Goats Gruff and were very enthused to be able to create their very own clay trolls head with added features using natural materials. A great day was had by all the children and staff.

YEAR 2

ROBIN HOOD VISIT

YEAR 2

CHOCOLATE WORKSHOP

On Monday 27th November, Year 2 arrived at school to find out that they would be having a very special morning. They would be taking part in a chocolate workshop with a real chocolatier! Year 2 had the opportunity to not only learn the story of chocolate from bean to bar and handle cocao nibs and cocoa butter but to also make their own chocolate lollipops and moulded chocolates with a delicious filling inside. They took an active role in melting, tempering, moulding and decorating their chocolates and everyone had a fantastic, delicious and rather sticky time!

It was so much fun making our own chocolate and I learnt lots of new things.

Isla It was really fun because we got to make our chocolate any shape we wanted.

Anika

Year 2 arrived in school to find that a very special visitor was sitting in the classroom waiting for them, to much excitement and many questions. 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 day taking part in a very active and informative workshop about the ‘Legends and rebels of Nottingham’ followed by an assembly at the end of the day where Year 2 had the opportunity to ask and discuss any questions.

They learnt about the origins of Nottingham, the beginning and end of the English Civil War and the links to Nottingham and Newark castles. They practised their Viking counting with their loudest voices whilst role playing rowing in a longboat. They also explored 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 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 day, they were brimming with ideas and knowledge and did not want Robin Hood to leave!

Mrs Williams

SHERWOOD PINES TRIP

I loved learning about how important trees are

Margot M-M

I liked listening out for different types of birds

Samu U-B

I enjoyed finding out how old the trees were at Sherwood Pines

Lana S

The Gruffalo trail was lots of fun

Maryam G

EASTER

EGG HUNT

We had to crack the code to find the message to collect our eggs

Josh B

We had to hunt the code down, it was really egg-citing!

Isaac F

YEAR 4

CHEMISTRY

YEAR 2

DNA WORKSHOP

The children took part in a Science workshop that challenged them to test their investigative skills. Ultimately, they needed to find out who had stolen 2M’s squirrel!

They examined their fingerprints under microscopes, attempted to extract ‘DNA’ from fruit (which represented their blood) and had a go at building DNA strands using Lego blocks. Afterwards, we found out that Mr Miller had stolen the squirrel and looked at the separation in the fruit mixture after the experiment.

4

ANCIENT EGYPTIAN DAY

YEAR 4

ESCAPE ROOM WORKSHOP

When I woke up, I was really excited because it was Ancient Egyptian day, so I got out of my cosy bed and got ready, into my Egyptian dress that was a sparkly black and golden in colour. I could not wait to see what everyone else was wearing. So then I ate my breakfast quickly and we drove to school. When we arrived at school, I saw everyone nicely dressed up in their Egyptian clothes. They all looked wonderful in their costumes. Then when the bell rang I was curious about what we were going to do for Ancient Egyptian day. When we went into the classroom we took the register then went into the hall to do some workshops. There were lots of stations to do an activity. A lady called Miss Ryder came to help with Egyptian day, then she told us that we were going to make lots of different things to impress the Queen so that we could become the Mae Ra. Next, Miss Ryder told us to walk around and see what to do in each workshop. Now it was time to make the items!

Firstly, I went to a table where you make canopic jars. At that station you mould a pot then add a lid. It was used for putting people’s organs inside of when they were dead. After I had finished that activity, I went to do the next one, which was painting. What you had to do was put water on the card so that the paper would stick to it and then you could start painting after it had dried. Another station was soap carving. I really enjoyed that one, because you were able to use the tools to carve a pattern. After that one, I made some bread, which was my favourite. What you had to do was pour the right amount of water into the bread mixture and then shape it and then when you got home you could cook it in the oven!

At another station you could write your name in ink on papyrus which is Egyptian paper. Then I went to a table where you make a necklace out of clay and string. The steps were to mould a shape and make it quite thick, then pierce a hole through it and carefully thread the string through it, then knot it and it’s complete. Next, I made Egyptian perfume. I mixed up some nice smelling spices, then moulded a pot and put it in the pot with some wax. In Egypt, it is so hot the wax would melt from the pot onto your skin and you would smell lovely.

After lunch, we went into our classroom and our teacher told us we were doing a show so we split up into groups. There was a Pharaoh and Queen, then we were told our roles. As well as just a performance there was a feast. So then everyone practised. I was a servant along with a few other people. The performances were the Apis Bull, Isis and Osiris, the wax crocodile and the dance of the Nile. My favourite ones were the Apis Bull, which was about a bull who could tell the future, so you would ask it questions and it would move in a certain direction and it would then give you the answer. Isis and Osiris was about a Pharaoh who has a jealous brother that wants everything that Osiris had but Osiris’s wife Isis had a special power that was when she slept she had dreams about the future. In between each performance, we had items of Egyptian food such as bread, olives, grapes and cheese. It was really delicious!

I had a wonderful day, and I wish everyday was Ancient Egyptian day! Maya A

CAROL CONCERT

On Friday 15th December the whole of the Junior school took part in the annual Junior School Carol Concert. There were 2 sittings one at 9:15 and one at 14:15.

The Concert had a range of different performances from the children and staff and is one of the many things parents look forward to but this one I think is the most anticipated because it’s near Christmas, so it brings some extra buzz and spirit to the place. The event was held in the Player Hall, which is a magnificent, grand, and very tall hall. This is important because the size of the hall helps to carry the sound of the singing and music. It also means there is a lot of space for the audience to sit and that there can be loads and loads of parents.

Mrs Kawalec and Mrs Ford set up the singing and Music while Mr Simpson and Mr Crossland help organise the readers and manage how the concert flows. The readers are the children who have written about their culture and what they celebrate. The theme this year was Home many children wrote about what is so important to them about this. There was a real variety some people talked about how they celebrate Christmas at home, others spoke about their traditions at home such as Diwali and some people talked about how lucky we are to have a home, people who don’t have a home and homelessness.

TRIP TO THE PLAYHOUSE

The Infant School thoroughly enjoyed their trip to Nottingham Playhouse. They joined in with magic spells and helped Gretal to find Hansel in the dark woods. The witch turned out not to be so bad after all. We were all glad that she had a happy ending.

The singing and music began with the sound of Jin Chen’s voice bringing the hall to silence as he began Once in Royal David’s City. I think the top 4 performances were the Year 3 and 4 Choir who sang Love Shone Down, Year 5 and 6 Choir who sang Winter Carol, Chamber Choir who sang Carol of the Bells and the Staff Choir performance which was We wish You a Merry Christmas. All 4 performances were thoroughly enjoyed by the audience, some of whom were moved by the children and adults wonderful singing. The applause was also defeaning. My personal favourite was the Year 3 and 4 Choir performance, I love this tune!

The Concert ended with Mr Simpson giving many thanks to the many helpers,

Children and adults. A receiving plate was then passed around for people to put money into to raise money for a charity called Footprints which tranforms

The lives of children with mobility and communication difficulties and empowers families with disabled children. I can’t wait till next year!

Herbie F

We went to the playhouse to watch Hansel and Gretel, it was awesome! We loved dancing at the Witches party!

Valentina Z

to watch the Grandparents Sing Along!

GRANDPARENTS SING ALONG

The Grandparents’ sing-along was on Tuesday 19th December. The event took place in the Junior School Hall, where tables were set with black tablecloths and Christmas decorations. Over in the corner was hot drinks and mince pies. We sang a lot of songs, a mixture between Year 3 and 4, Year 5 and 6 choirs, Chamber Choir and we all sang songs together, ending with we wish you a Merry Christmas. The Grandparents’ sing-along was a huge success, and we had the best audience to help us along.

Nicole C

CHRISTMAS AT JOHN LEWIS

EYFS

MET

SANTA

He received the letters we wrote to him and delivered his reply along with a present for us all for being such super stars! Santa read us a story and then sang a song with us before the Reindeer got grumpy sat on our roof. We offered Santa some carrots from our snack plate to give to the reindeer but he declined!

Chamber Choir was invited to sing at John Lewis again this year. We sang lots of fun songs ranging from Carol of the Bells to Once in Royal David’s City. It was very festive, and everyone’s Christmas head bands bobbed around, whilst cheerful children in the audience shook the merry bells that Mrs Kawalec had handed out. It was so sweet to see the children in Lovell House conduct us whilst we sing our hearts out. I was enormously proud of myself and the whole choir. Everyone was full of yule tide energy, we had a wonderful crowd, and for being so brilliant, John Lewis kindly donated biscuits to us, yum yum. It was my final year in Chamber Choir before moving to seniors and what a great last year it was!

Sebastian C

CRAFTERNOON

Year 1 thoroughly enjoyed having their parents visit for their 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. The activities included making snowman decorations, Christmas trees and a creative station to make your own creations! What a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

YEAR 2 NATIVITY

Year 2 brought the magic and sparkle of Christmas to their spectacular performance of ‘I’m Gonna’ Shine!’

All of the children performed beautifully as they acted out the story of the very first Christmas. As with all the best nativity plays, however, our production included some twists in the tale! Parents watched sheep and shepherds perform a choreographed dance, stars twinkling across the stage in formation and a festive solo from a heavenly angel. A truly enjoyable time was had by all, as the children’s voices filled the room with Christmas cheer under the sparkle of fairy lights.

The ‘Walk like an Egyptian’ dance was really fun Monte L

All of the stars did a fabulous dance to ‘Sparkle & Shine’ from the film ‘Nativity’ Akira M

I enjoyed being Mary and performing my lines Luminar C-R

The angels spoke with real confidence Emma R-R

We loved singing all of the wonderful songs

Vinnie G

POETRY PLATE

VISITING POET

BEN MACPHERSON

On Monday 1st July, IJS were treated to a day with poetry legend Ben Macpherson. Ben is a local performance poet, author and playwright. He’s a big name on the local Arts scene and is one of the organisers of Nottingham Poetry Festival. He has performed across the country, as well as on BBC radio. Much of his previous work in schools has been on behalf of UNESCO, with Nottingham as one of UNESCO’s City of Literature.

Ben worked on memory poems with Years 1 and 2, simile rallies with Years 3 and 4, enjoyed a metaphor mixup with Years 5 6, and ended the day with story telling chants and questions with Reception!

What an amazing day! Thanks for visiting us, Ben!

WORLD BOOK DAY!

I Know That I’m At School…

When we use colours we love to paint, When we’re waiting for fun school trips, When there’s football on the bottom playground, Then I know that I’m at school.

When we have to break down difficult phonics, When my mates have all the drama, When we’re trying everything at sports day, Then I know that I’m at school.

When there’s so much information we’re confused, When we speed around playing tag, When we get so much variety, Then I know that I’m at school.

When we see our favourite teachers, When the bell rings and it’s home time, When we move up, When we move forwards, Then I know that I’m at school.

By Year 1 & 2 Summer 2024

Nottingham High School Juniors

With a little help from Ben Macpherson

CAREER DAY

On STEM day, the first presentation was from a children’s psychologist named Dr Vohra. I really enjoyed this session in particular because I felt like I learnt a lot and the facts were interesting. For example, if you say something unkind to someone it can stay with them for a long time and unpleasant comments can build up overtime and negatively affect them. She also explained that watching screens before bed is not healthy because it can damage the part of your brain that helps you to achieve good sleep. If you do not get adequate rest, your concentration will be impaired. Overall, I thought the day was very helpful and I learnt a lot, I am looking forward to next year’s STEM day.

STEM

CAREER DAY

On Wednesday 15 May it was STEM Day. STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Maths. On STEM Day people who do a range of different jobs from a range of different backgrounds in these subjects came into our school and talked to us about their jobs and what their work includes.

I had a lot of fun listening to and learning about the different people and what their jobs require them do.

One of the lessons I particularly enjoyed was meeting a lady from France who worked in Spain, France and England. During that lesson we did 4 different activities

1. We drew the intestines and digestive system,

2. We added colour to paper and that added to water and see how the colour spreads and the water changes colour.

3. We attempted to build parts of our bodies out of Lego and

4. We looked very closely at different animals.

My favourite lesson was when one of our visitors talked to us about video games!

In that lesson he told us about the company he worked for and showed us the steps their company takes when making the amazing games for the children to enjoy. He had brought in a game set for us to try and make our own video games out of the different objects from Mario kart, it was so much fun! At the end of the session we gave us each a bag with the logo of the company on it and some very cool stuff inside.

The day before STEM day everybody was excited because we were so looking forward to the amazing day. Also, on STEM day we were given a see-through pack with a pencil and a pad to write down all the things we were exploring and learning about, I enjoyed showing my parents the drawing of a cell I had done and explaining each of the parts that made up a cell.

THANK YOU MRS SETHI for organising a brilliant STEM day!

Herbie F

PRIMARY SCHOOL CHOIR FESTIVAL

On Wednesday 20th March 2024, our school hosted a new festival for primary school choirs. Our Chamber Choir took part.

As soon as we started, I could feel the excitement bubbling inside me. We did our first song ‘Rhythm of Life’ and it was a tense but fun song to learn. The harmonies were lovely! After that we sang ‘Power in the Music’, which all of the choirs sang. It was brilliant!

Ni Ni

Our children loved taking part in the festival and really enjoyed singing on stage in front of others and found it very supportive. They also loved being the audience for the other schools and loved hearing different songs. It really developed their resilience and built their confidence to sing in front of an audience.

Miss Pownall-Brown, Teacher Brierley Forest Primary School

Our children loved participating in the Choir festival. It is the first time that we have done something like this, and it was very emotional and humbling for us to see the pupils perform alongside the other schools, as our school is based in an area of very high deprivation. The children were in awe of your school and thought the stage was magnificent, ‘like a theatre show’ is how one child described it. The children want to continue and improve so they can be as good as some of the other schools were, which is so reassuring for us, as it has raised their aspirations for themselves.

Mrs Atwal, Headteacher Oakwood Junior School

I liked it when they zipped their coat up making the sound with their voices.

Anna

I liked Evergreen because they told a story using the instruments.

Burhanuddin

I liked it when they dressed up.

Melia-Jade

My favourite part was when I heard the bird.

EVERGREEN WORKSHOP

On Thursday 7th March 2024, all of the pupils in Year 1 & 3 enjoyed a music workshop called Evergreen.

The musicians who lead the workshop were called Greg and Jenny.

The workshop was about a little bird called Sky who had hurt her wing when the terrible North wind was on it’s way. Greg and Jenny played their instruments beautifully while telling the story. Some of the instruments included, Recorder, Ukulele, Cajon and Melodica.

The story had a moral which was to share and not to be selfish.

My favourite part was the ending song “Will you keep me warm in your branches.”

It was so fun and I wish I could do it again!

Benedict

Aurelia S

Oliver C

YEAR 3

YEAR 4

YEAR 5

INGRAM CUP

During the week beginning 22nd April 2024, the preliminary rounds of the Ingram Cup took place. Once again, we had a huge number of entries and, out of 205 Junior school pupils, there were 169 entries! This was a record number and such a fantastic effort. The ten highest scoring musicians, from each year group, were selected to go through to the finals which took place on Thursday 2nd May 2024. Once again, the standard was exceptionally high across all year groups. Congratulations must go to all of those pupils who took part and particularly to the following pupils who won their finals.

YEAR 6

1st Suren Turner

Piano – Trease's

YEAR 6 SPRING

2nd Sebby Caulton

Violin – Trease's

3rd Zoe Zeng

Piano – Ball's

YEAR 5

1st Henry Armstrong

Voice – Tonkin's

2nd Cameron Simpson

Piano – Tonkin's

3rd Dominic Stevens

Saxophone – Tonkin's

YEAR 4

1st Rosie Mao

Piano – Hardy's

2nd Maya Alva

Voice – Hardy's

3rd Audrey Wang

Piano – Trease's

YEAR 3

1st Austin Ling

Piano – Hardy's

2nd Ni Ni You

Harp – Trease's

3rd Adam Amirthanathan

Clarinet – Ball’s

YOUNG VOICES

On the 21st of February 2024, we arrived at Sheffield Arena for one of the most exciting days of the year, Young Voices! This is where over 100 schools come together with about 5,000 children to be the biggest school choir in the country.

The day started excitedly, with everyone rehearsing the songs in the school hall. We were then placed into groups by Mrs Kawalec and all the children and teachers gathered all their belongings. We then all walked to the bus as fast as we could, so we could arrive on time at the Sheffield Arena.

The journey took about fifty five minutes and we had great fun on the bus but we couldn't wait to arrive.

The time thankfully went really quickly and when we arrived we walked to the entrance of the Arena and queued up for about fifteen minutes.

Excitedly, we got into the Arena and we went straight to our seats so we could eat our lunches. After that, the people who needed the toilet went to the toilet with a member of staff.

In the Arena we sat close to the top at an angle looking down and after we had finished our lunch, David the conductor came onto the stage. We started the rehearsals with “Matilda Medley”. We then sang all the songs and rehearsed them to perfection, waiting for the concert to go live. We could hardly contain our excitement!. We were all trying to look out for our parents, but the arena was packed with thousands of people so we all struggled to see them. We all knew they were out there somewhere watching us.

Then it started, the music blaring, the flashing lights, all the children screaming with excitement. The first set of songs we sang was “Pop Medley '' which was my second favourite of all the medleys we sang that night. Soon after, Urban Strides came on the stage and started to dance. They are all exceptional at different types of dancing. Urban Strides are the people who practise

and perform in front of lots of different Schools. They reminded us of some of the sign language from the “Moment”. Although I'm not very good at sign language, I gave it a go as I love to try it and get better at it.

The next song was called “Matilda Medley” my all time favourite. The highlight for me of all the songs we were singing this year. My favourite part goes like this: “We are 2 are late for you we are revolting”. Then it was “Walking Medley”.

After singing these soooo loudly and nearly losing our voices, the incredible Nandi Bushell came on who plays the drums like a true professional. Nandi is only 13 years old but due to her amazing talent, she has played with the biggest band in the world. Nandi mostly plays rock music and is one of the most talented musicians I have ever seen. This section ended with ‘’Get on board’.

Then we had an explosion onto the stage which was Mc Grammar! He used to be an English teacher in middle school and he was passionate about wanting to help teach English in a different way. So he wrote raps to teach children some great teachings. He performed the World Book Day Song which was all about a free token, to get a free book and telling children to enjoy reading.

Then another cracking medley that was themed with Moana songs which we sang some in a different language and did fun actions. It was so many of the children’s favourite medley. I dont know of anyone who doesn’t enjoy the Moana songs!

I absolutely loved this day, as I love singing and dancing with my friends and this is now my 3rd time at a Young Voices Concert and they never get boring. They are such an amazing experience that I will remember forever. If anyone is thinking of taking part in next year’s Concert, if you love singing, dancing, an electric atmosphere, a great day out with fantastic friends and teachers, then you need to book on. I’ll definitely be seeing you there.

Anoushka P-T

For my Young Voices review I have chosen to interview my mum who came to watch the concert in Sheffield this year with my dad.

Herbie: What was your favourite part of the show?

Mum: My favourite part of the show was walking into the big arena, the lights had just gone down, it was dark, but you could still see the children and you could hear them all cheering. This was the third year I've been to this show and every time this happens I always get goosebumps.

Herbie: What was your favourite song this year?

Mum: Oh, this one’s easy, my favourite was a sky full of stars by Coldplay. We love Coldplay in our house, we went to see them live in concert last year and it reminded me of that, such a brilliant song.

Herbie: What does it feel like to be part of the audience?

Mum: It's really exciting, you hear your child practising the songs before the performance, and having been to the shows previously you know that it is just going to sound amazing when you hear thousands of children all singing together, so there's a real sense of anticipation and excitement as you look for your child in the audience and watch them singing with all their friends. It's a lovely experience, it's also very nice to sit with the other parents from school and of course it's great to sing along to the songs

Herbie: What stands out in your memory the most?

Mum: The most memorable thing which stands out for me was the young drummer, at one part of the performance she did a spectacular performance where she performed a medley of songs with some other artists. Her drumming skills were phenomenal. Each time I thought she was about to stop, because she’d been playing for so long, she just kept going. Her energy was incredible, and her drumming was outstanding, so impressive. We stood up and applauded and whistled so hard when she finished.

Herbie: How loud was it!?

Mum: It was pretty loud! The loudest thing around me, however, were the parents. Whenever the children started singing the parents cheered, shouted, and clapped so loudly. We were all so incredibly proud and happy for them that they were having this amazing experience.

Herbie: What would you like to say to the children and people involved from school?

Mum: You all did an incredible job; the children were so well behaved it's a long day and it takes a lot of energy to travel to Sheffield, do all the performances the practises and the actual show. you should be really proud of what you've achieved. Also, a big thank you to Mrs Kawalec, Mr Abdy, MRs Dunn, Miss Griffiths, and everyone who supported and made it happen. It’s a great event and experience for the children and parents alike.

Herbie: Thank you it sounds like you had a brilliant time.

Mum: We really did!

MASTERCLASSES

On the first Tuesday of the second spring half term, I was very pleased as the whole of the junior string ensemble got to attend a masterclass with the worldfamous musician Braimah Kanneh-Maison.

We decided to play a piece called Skating Snowmen, as this piece also happened to be the same song from this year's 2024 junior spring concert-as we didn't have much time to prepare another song. He mainly tried to teach us how to play with more feeling and expression throughout the piece. We also looked at the dynamics of the song and being able to reach the standard of a good crescendo and diminuendo.

Sadly, we only had roughly half an hour to play with Braimah, but we had a great time, and I would really love to do it again!

Seher S

S

On Tuesday 25th June, we had our Year 3 Showcase and it was amazing! It was a big performance in front of all of our parents and the other children. I was a bit nervous but also very excited because I couldn’t wait to show off everything we did in the rehearsals. My mum came to see it. When I saw her in the audience I felt proud because she could see me.

The best bit was when the parents did the Kahoot quiz. Everyone was shouting at their parents to win and it was as loud as a foghorn!

Dilan U

I had to say the first line of the whole Showcase and I was very nervous but I did it with a smile on my face because Year 3 are the best year group in the world! The best bit was singing Viking Warrior because I really like the rowing actions. Filming with the green screen was kind of funny and I liked all the Marvellous Mistakes. It doesn’t matter if you go wrong because you can just keep trying and never give up. That’s what we do in Year 3! We never give up!

Garvit S

On the first day of rehearsals, I was really nervous to speak out loud to everybody in Year 4 and I didn’t know what I needed to do or bring. Luckily, we got things sorted out like words and actions for the songs, Note to the audience, Tutankhamun, and It’s time to fly.

As newsreader Two, I had an important job of sitting on the stage saying most of the lines (it was really nerve racking to be sitting in front of all of the parents!). In the showcase, there were different groups and sections, such as weather reporters, candidates, science reporters, the story of Osiris and newsreaders and more! The newsreaders and different candidates had to wear a tie; I wore this bright blue tie which made me stick out like a sore thumb to the people at the back!

Finally, after all of the rehearsals, it was the big day! The dress rehearsal! Firstly, we did a dress performance to the WHOLE school! I was so nervous and seeing all of them through the door was a little embarrassing but we did a great job in my opinion and I think some of the Year 5s were singing along to Tutankhamun! Finally, we reached the end of the performance and were ready for the next day.

I walked into school actually feeling okay because I knew we were going to smash this performance and if there were to be any mistakes (which I knew there weren’t going to be any mistakes, parents would not know because they would not know our lines or if there were any mistakes! My mum came to the second performance and I couldn’t stop smiling- we finally finished and we were amazing!

Naina K

LEAVERS

YEAR 5&6

PRODUCTION

After months and months of preparation, dedication, and hard work, Y6 put together a fantastic, jaw-dropping Performance of My Son Pinocchio. Everyone made such an effort, and, in the end, it was worth it. We worked so hard together to put such an excellent performance together. We spent time memorising lines, trying on costumes and sorting mics so everything would run smoothly. After many run throughs, tweaking little bits here and there, we performed for pupils during our Dress Rehearsal in the morning, and it went perfectly.

Finally, the night came, it was time to perform for the parents! The atmosphere was full of an excited and nervous buzz as we all got ready backstage. The air was filled with parents chattering, ready to watch their children blow the stage away as the spotlight fell upon them. The lights dimmed. The music changed. The audience was swept into a quiet hush. Flashing lights and twinkling music filled the air, signaling that the performance had begun! We took the audience on an adventure that began with one single wish. It was lively and exhilarating, full of incredible acting, overpowering singing, and unfailing smiles. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, the time flew by and before long it was the end of our showcase. We were exhausted and empowered as the curtains closed. We left the parents thrilled to the core as they clapped and cheered. We made unforgettable memories of the performance!

Iyla K

Picture this: spotlight on you; audience holding their breath; then, you start singing the most beautiful song, and the audience erupts into applause! You're practically basking in glory...

Well, that’s what happened to Year 5 and 6 on Monday 11th June. Except, maybe not AS dramatic...

After weeks of rehearsals, singing, dancing and acting, the time had finally come to show off their masterpiece – Pinocchio Jr.! With classy casts, spectacular singing, dazzling dancing and astounding acting, Year 6 really gave it their all. All the audience were amazed at such talent, and we received some marvellous compliments. Challenges may have occurred, but Y6 faced it like it was nothing.

Safa M

ART, DT & CREATIVE WRITING

ARTWORK

IAPS IART

As part of our Junior School Art sessions, we have been working on creating our entries into the IAPS iArt 2024 competition. The theme for this year's competition is 'Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together', a translation of the Olympic motto to celebrate this summer's games.

We were able to submit one entry from Year 3/4 and one from Year 5/6. Last year one of our pupils was awarded ‘highly commended’ in the Year 3/4 category and had her art work pitched to the local press.

YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION

This prestigious competition is hosted by the Royal Academy of Arts, London. All children were able to take part and get creative. The children took their inspiration from their own personal areas of interest and could create pieces in any form. We submitted over 40 applications from our school.

BOX MODELLING COMPETITION

As part of our Art and Design and Technology curriculum, the children of Lovell House took part in a box modelling event. We challenged the children to make something that moved out of recycled materials kindly donated by our parents. The children got really creative with the materials and loved the freedom to create what they wanted! Many of the ideas were well thought through and resulted in some fantastic pieces, including modes of transport, robots and various animals. The children explored different technical ways of joining their pieces together and so their designs were robust and well put together. Overall, it was a fabulous event and much fun was had by all!

CREATIVE WRITING

Kissing Kate Backstory 1 Kissing Kate Backstory 2

BY XXXXX

Many years ago, in the blossoming oasis town of Green Lake lived a spirited young woman by the name of Katherine Barlow, later known as Kissin’ Kate Barlow. As a child she had a vast interest in books and stories, and she wanted to share her love for them with other people, hence she became a teacher in the town of Green Lake. The school was very humble and only had one rundown room with water leaking through the cracks in the wood of the small building. Nevertheless, she still tutored adults and children alike, but she still also made delectable spiced peaches.

There was just one problem, Charles “Trout” Walker. Everyone called him Trout because he had this incurable foot fungus that made his feet smell like Trout. In all of Katherine’s classes Trout was one of the only students that weren’t eager to learn so he was always messing around in her lessons. She was sure the only reason she came to his classes was to any her. That’s what she thought until one day as she was walking home Trout ran up to her from the schoolhouse. Trout tapped her on the back as she was walking. “What do you want,” Katherine said, obviously annoyed by Trout’s behaviour in the class. “How would you like to take a ride on my boat this evening, you don’t even have to row it,” Trout said proudly. “No Trout I would not like to have a ride on your boat” Katherine replied stubbornly. “What?” Charles said quizically “No one says no to me.” “Well I believe I just did,” Katherine said walking away smugly.

“You’ll regret this,” Trout said under his breath The next day, Trout was nowhere to be seen in class. A smile flickered on to Katherine’s face. Trout Walker was gone. Her class was perfect without Trout’s annoying remarks and interruptions and the day got even better for everyone else as well because it was the day when Katherine made her ever-popular spiced peaches. She had planned to get going right away so she walked to the spiced peaches by the lake but all she saw of them were ashes. “No!” she wailed. The peach trees had been reduced to ashes and there was only one person who could have done it, who would have done it. Charles “Trout” Walker. “Ha Ha Ha,” that was the noise Trout Walker made as the peach trees burned down to his feet “I told you Katherine, you should have ridden with me,” Trout said to himself. Later that day, Trout was lounging around in his manor waiting for Katherine’s reaction. Trout smiled, this was going to be a bad day for Katherine Barlow.

Crash! The sound of breaking glass echoed through the hallway of the manor, The Walker Manor. The Butler came rushing to the broken window, “What the-,” that was all he managed to say before he was knocked out. It was safe to say he would have a blistering headache when he came to. Katherine slipped into the main kitchen narrowly missing a vase on a side table. She picked up a knife just in case she came across anyone else. She walked to Trout’s room.

Knock Knock Knock. “Come in” called Trout. The door creaked open to reveal Katherine standing there with a gun pointed at his head. She stepped forward as Trout stumbled back. “Ka- Katherine w- what a lov- lovely surprise,” Trout said nervously. “Hello,” she replied, a malicious tone to her voice. Bang! Trout bellowed in pain as he clutched his left leg, his hands were red. Katherine pulled out a knife and stabbed into Trout’s wound. Trout almost passed out from the pain. That was for my peaches and this is for me. She aimed the gun at Trout’s head and fired. Trout’s head exploded, his brains splattered on the wall of his room. Flecks of blood covered Katherine’s face. She fired again in each eye sending white bits flying across the room, but Katherine wasn’t done. She

BY IYLA K

Many moons ago, Green Lake was green and had a huge, glittery and sparkly lake. This was no ordinary place, it was where palm trees stood tall and proud, the moon shimmered and shined, and everyone was happy. It was a small town with one teacher who was kind-hearted, full of positivity and courage. She taught with passion and used to love reading books as a child. Her name was Katherine Barlow. Trout Walker was a rich, greedy man who hated school, there was one left in town, and he was determined to get rid of it. So, he created a cunning plan! He pretended to like Kate Barlow and Kate liked him. Everyone loved Trout Walker. Once, Trout Walker took Kate to his hug boat and they went up and down the river. As Kate stepped out, she noticed a box hidden under a mat by her foot and slipped it into her pocket. Trout Walker didn’t notice because he was too busy counting his money and showing off!

At home, Kate read the letter and she was heartbroken and shocked! She had realised that all Trout wanted to do was get rid of the school and needed her to sign a contract, so he was tricking her by making her like him so she would sign the contract. The next day Trout met Kate when she was teaching. She told Trout to go away because she was teaching her class. Everyone in the class gasped in awe at Trout. Kate went outside to sell more of her famous Spiced Peaches and Smooth Cream. She was about to eat one when Trout walked up to her. She told him again to go away and Trout got angry, he took a knife out of his pocket and threatened her. Kate’s lips turned cold, she whipped her head away and spoke full of hate. She ran home furious, seeking revenge. Her heart had turned cold, and she sold her books for weapons. Kate saw Trout and pretended to apologise a few days later, she played along pretending she had a gift for him. Trout smirked as he strode over importantly. As he came closer to look, he saw it was a knife in her hand, it was too late... She gripped the dagger-like knife driving the knife deep into his poisonous heart. She was not done; she wanted the rest - His money. Greed and revenge had got the better of her. A girl that she used to teach was watching nearby and told the town. They plotted to kill Kate Barlow and called her rude names. So, Kate fled that night, not forgiving them. The night she fled; she had killed the young girl (Whose name was Kiss). She applied a fresh layer of bright red lipstick and planted a kiss on the poor girl's head.

She did not feel guilty, nor did she care what Kiss’s parents would feel when they saw their daughter murdered. In fact, she felt satisfied. It was the only thing that seemed to fill the hatred in her heart so, she killed everyone she thought reminded her of Kiss Love and Trout Walker. She travelled and was thought to be not a Cowboy but a Cowgirl! She murdered everyone with the same knife that was known to be The Knife of Innocent Blood. Each person she killed, she kissed with her bright red lipstick, so everyone knew that Kate had visited. One person had shouted “Kissing Kate has visited!” The name stuck, even though Kate had been drained of love and hope. She killed her family and visited Green Lake. There she murdered everyone, turning everywhere into the first School for Training to Work with Kissin’ Kate. Later, she returned to see how her school was getting on and saw the luscious grass, big, beaming sun and ripe coconut tree. But the worse thing was that the lake had dried up and instead of her school was the words engraved in the sandy dirt ‘RevengeGod will punish you!’ Kate never returned, when she was 39 years old, the people of Desert Oasis killed her when she attempted to kill their Tribe Leader. She was originally going to be left stranded in the desert, then they decided she should be burnt, then stoned before finally deciding to do what she did to thousands of other people. They murdered her and the Tribe Leader applied a fresh layer of red lipstick and kissed her head. Do you feel sorry for her? I don’t! Did anyone from her Murder School continue her legacy of killing? Kissing Kate Barlow, to this day, remains as a dent in history. She was the murderer

Blue

By Isaac

One sunny day; while eating his favourite food (cheese and peanuts). Barnabus sat on a stick while watching the other creatures play dob: a game the giants played. Bob (the giant purple octopus) would chase the others around the park and if he managed to touch them, they would be the chaser. Bob currently was chasing Leaf; a living leaf with little arms and legs and a cute little face. Barnabus looked out into the distance, he looked past the shimmering, sparkling lake and his gaze landed on the mountains he smelled the salty sea water coming from the lake and he could almost taste the mouthwatering donuts. He heard the streets bustling with giants and people in funny cars trying to get people to buy their produce. As he sat there the grass tickled him and the wind gently brushed through his hair, he thought about what else the outside world had to offer. Pip had told him stories about other labs that some creatures were transferred to. He wondered if any failed projects were still there. So, he stood up and said,

“I’ve been thinking; are there still creatures in the other lab?" he said to his fellow creatures.

“I’m not sure,” said Jeff; a fluffy little bear with yellow fur, "why don't we find out?” So off they went. They walked for an eternity: it felt like years, but then they saw the giants getting on a vehicle,

“I wonder if that could take us there?” pondered Jeff,

“Only one way to find out,” said Barnabus before hopping on.

“I hate it when he does that” said Furtle; a furry turtle (surprise) then they all hopped on after Barnabus. They found Barnabus hiding under a chair.

“I have to make sure the giants don’t see me,” he told them in a faint voice. Suddenly, something dropped down from above them.

“W-w-what's that?” asked Furtle

“I think it is called a croasant no um croissant yes that’s it,” Barnabus told them, "You eat it,” and so by the time they were there they had a new favourite food.

“WOOOOOOOW,” Barnabus was awestruck at the sight that lay before him. He thought he had seen everything the outside world had to offer but he was terribly wrong. The lab was huge, standing 5 stories tall (666 feet 3 inches) it had a such a grand entrance with a giant sign saying, your ideas our creations at PETS ARE US.

“Can we have some more quwason?” asked Jeff “For the 100th time NO!” so they went inside. Once inside they saw two corridors, one said LAB, the other STORE. Just then they heard a barking noise echoing down the corridor labelled LAB. ARK ARK ARK!

“That way,” Barnabus commanded. They all sprinted down the hallway as fast as they could till, they were out of breath.

“Need pant pant quwason,” Jeff panted

“NO!” bellowed Barnabus,” we are right at the door lets rescue that creature,” so in they went. When they entered the saw scientists surrounding a cage in the cage was a scaley animal. It had a long slender body leading to a tail with a small head filled with rows and rows of teeth. It had a round eye with a dilated black pupil. The creature’s arms were long and slender with webbed fingers. It lashed out at the scientists as they approached it. The creature changed its colour when the scientists approached it turned red with a deeper strip along its side. When the scientists left it returned to its neutral colour: grey with a strip of dark blue. Barnabus opened the cage, big mistake, the creature lashed at Barnabus scarring him with his razor-sharp claws. The other creatures stared in horror: blood was dripping from Barnabus’s cheek.

“NO!” screamed Jeff,” what have you done?”

“How was I supposed to know you weren’t a threat?” replied the creature,” wait a minute I think I know you *gasp* Barnabus!”

“Blue?” Barnabus enquired looking at the creature.

“You remember me, oh no what have I done let's get you fixed up,” Blue told him. Just as Blue had finished patching Barnabus’s mark they heard voices.

“The cage’s open,”

“RUN!” Blue barked. Then they sped away.

“What took you so long?” Blue laughed. He had whizzed past them going at least 100 mph, “so this is the outside world,”

“Just you wait till you try pizza,”

“Is that food all I've had is olives and croissants,”

“Lucky,” said Jeff, clearly jealous.

“Anyways,” said Barnabus, “dob, try catch us,”

“Easy,” replied Blue, “dob,” “Dob,”

“Dob.” So they all lived happily ever after. Well other than Jeff who wanted more croissant.

Dung Beetle Jewel Beetles

Dung Beetles are fascinating creatures rolling dung around and being the strongest insect on the planet. These species are mostly found in grassland, forests, farmlands, or deserts, and they live for 1-3 years. They come from the scarab beetle family or scarabidae.

These dung beetles have large round bodies, usually quite a dark colour, six legs, long wings, which hide under protective covers (elytron/ elytra), and some may have a metallic hue to their shell. Each of these beetles grows from 0.5cm - 3cm. Some males have large horns with which they use to push and pull male competitors, for a female dung beetle.

Diet:

As well as rolling it, dung beetles also eat poo. Dung beetles eat the liquid from animal dung, specifically omnivores or herbivores. However, some dung beetles eat poo from carnivores, while others feast on mushrooms, carrion, which is the decaying flesh of a dead animals; and decaying leaves and fruits.

Life Cycle:

The life cycle of a dung beetle is quite simple. First, the female makes a nest of dung balls, which make an egg. Thirdly, after the egg is made, it turns into a larva, which is the third stage of the lifecycle. After that, they turn into pupas. The final stage is turning into the new adult, which is the start of being a beetle.

Fun Facts:

1) Did you know there are three types of dung beetle; rollers, tunnellers and dwellers.

2) A roller can pull 1141 times its own weight, which is the same as a human pulling six full double decker buses.

3) They use the milky way to navigate.

4) Some species can bury dung 250 times their weight in one night!

5) They are strong flyers, and they fly at 18 mph.

Conclusion:

Dung Beetles are fascinating creatures and yes, they can be used as pets, but that means that you need to use your knowledge to keep them, and their habitat, safe.

Jewel beetles are some of the most appealing arthropods to ever exist. They belong to the Bubrestidae family (a special family of beetles) with over 15500 species known in 775 genera. They have flourished on this planet for millions of years and are famous not only for their divine appearance, but also for being able to endure the harshest conditions. Lots of Eastern countries, such as China and Japan, use their shells as pretty jewellery, most commonly put on necklaces.

Appearance:

Jewel beetles have a sort of shape similar to an elongated egg. Their shells hold very bright and glossy hues which are created because of the microscopic texture of the shells which then refract light, giving them their magnificent iridescence. They come in a lot of colours such as purple, blue or green.

Diet:

Jewel beetles usually feed on dead tree branches and burnt leaves. They also consume things like pollen and nectar, similar to other beetles. They also help clear large fallen branches on roads or paths in forests.

Habitats:

Buprestidae can be found in most continents –every continent except Antarctica. They live in on large plants like bushes and trees, also being the birthplaces of many larvae. Mostly they live in jungles, forests, and mainly woodland.

Survival:

Jewel beetles have an incredibly special type of vision called Infrared vision. This means they can see heat signatures from things such as flames and forest fires. They also have exceptional sense of smells and can smell burning wood from over 50 miles away! If a jewel beetle does spot a forest fire using their evolutionary senses, they will slowly travel towards the recent inferno. Once they reach it, the fire might already have been extinguished by natural causes such as rain or wind so they can thrive in the charred area of the woodland. They naturally feed on the remains of burnt trees or leaves.

Overall, jewel beetles are amazing and spectacular insects with shiny shells and smart senses. Unfortunately, they are being hunted down by humans to use them or their shells as pretty decoration but if we try to protect them and their homes, they can prosper like they have done for millions of years.

Alex P

Hockey A team vs Ratcliffe September 2023

Year 3 and 4 Hockey vs Highfields December 2023

HOCKEY

Hockey team vs Ratcliffe September 2023

Year 3 and 4 Hockey vs Ranby November 2023 U10 and U11 House Climbing January 2024 U11 Boys IAPS Hockey January 2024

Year 6 Hockey Hill House March 2024

CROSS

COUNTRY

My favourite fixture was cross country because I love to run and especially long distance running.I loved the cross country fixture because cross country is one of my favourite sports, I loved the cross country tracks and one of my favourite tracks was the really muddy tracks because I love to run on muddy tracks. After a few of the races we got cookies, juice and crisps and they were very tasty. Cross country running was my favourite fixture because I get to run with my friends and the team, and thats why my

was

Kerem

This year, Cross Country has been full of team spirit and I am very proud of the effort everyone has made. We boost each other with our upbuilding comments. The buzz of nervousness and excitement adds to the atmosphere and experience. It has been a challenging year, however we have persevered with our team of young athletes. We never give up and try our hardest at every event, even when we are feeling exhausted. The events this year that the Girls Cross Country Team have won are: Cross Country Festival Wollaton (we have come 1st for the last 3 years which is a great achievement), Highfield School, Ranby House School and we were crowned Nottingham City Champions! Nothing beats the smiles on our team's faces when we hold up the wooden plaque. It makes all the effort worthwhile. County Cross Country was a hard race but the team did exceptionally well to qualify. Looking back, I will never forget the race at Twycross School. The running fields were so muddy that we were slipping and sliding all over the place. It was like we were running through a swamp of super glue and it felt like the race went on forever… I remember the mud being so deep and squelchy, I nearly lost my trainers a few times like some of the other children did! When we finished, we were literally covered in mud from head to toe!

Throughout the autumn term, a few boys and girls represented the school in cross country from Year 5 and 6 for 3 Saturdays at Berry Hill Park, Mansfield. One Saturday, it was so cold that the lake was frozen over and some of the course had to be changed. We were all shivering in our T-shirts, especially the people that weren’t wearing skins or gloves. Berry Hill has a few long and steep hills which is why I think I personally find this course the hardest and it’s usually so cold. In fact, I can recall my hands and feet being so numb even after completing the races! House Cross Country is a school event that I look forward to every year. Family and friends gather to watch their children take part in this exciting event. This year, there was a Wolf Race (non-competitive) which you could run with your friends, and a Challenge Race for those who were competing for a medal. This change was good because you could choose which race you wanted to participate in, which made the event less daunting for some children. It’s exhilarating to see so many supporters cheering everyone along as they approach the finish line.

I look forward to the cross country season next year!

Iyla K

Outreach Cross Country

SWIMMING

By Mrs Whittamore (unless stated)

ESSA FIXTURE

This is my favourite fixture so far. This year, our school had the chance to compete in the ESSA swimming fixture. I was really excited and a bit nervous because, even though I’m in Year 5, I got to swim with the Year 6 team.

Everyone on our team participated in two relays. The atmosphere was amazing, with cheers that filled the air. When it was my turn to swim, my heart was pounding. As soon as the whistle blew, I jumped into the water, focusing on doing my best.

The races were tough, and we all felt the pressure, but our team spirit kept us going. We encouraged each other and worked together, which made a big difference. We gave it our all in every race.

In the end, we finished in second place. At first, I felt a little sad because we were so close to winning. But then I realized how much we had accomplished as a team. Our hard work, perseverance, and support for each other were the most important things.

Competing in the ESSA swimming fixture was an unforgettable experience. It taught me a lot about teamwork and resilience. I’m proud of what we achieved together, and I know that with our team spirit, we can do even better next year!

George

ESSA REGIONAL REPORT

On Friday 19th April, 2024, 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 from each relays event would be allowed to go through to the National Swimming Finals at Ponds Forge in Sheffield. The competition was tough but both our Boys and Girls teams performed exceedingly well, knocking seconds from their team practice times in the each of their events. Our Girls team came 5th out of 9 schools which was a fantastic achievement but unfortunately just missed out on a place in the National Finals. Our Boys team did make it through, coming second in both the freestyle relay and the medley relays). Amazing performances from both teams as well as the added bonus for everyone to meet Eva Okaro, who had just been selected to represent Team GB for Swimming in this year’s Paris Olympics! Totally inspirational!

ESSA NATIONAL FINALS

On Saturday 15th June, Max G, Thomas R, Shrey SB and George Z proudly represented the School and the East Midlands at the 28th 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, beating many personal bests and the team knocked 5 seconds off their qualifying time! We came 22nd in the country on the day.

The second event was the freestyle relay. There was much determination and the team swam superbly, knocking four seconds off of their qualifying time. They were pleased to break into the top 20 nationally by coming 18th (and only missed out on the top 16 by 25 hundredths of a second!)

As always, the competition on the day was phenomenal but it was a fantastic atmosphere (there was even some dancing on poolside!) and an amazing experience for everyone. Well done to all of our swimmers! So proud of you all!

IAPS SWIMMING GALA AT REPTON SCHOOL

On Monday 4th March our U11 Boys and Girls Swimming 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. Seven Independent 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 was some fantastic swimming in the relays and in the 50m individual events against some very strong competition. Special mentions must go to Max G for being the fastest U11 boy in the 50m backstroke in this round and George Z who was the second fastest U10 boy for 50m breaststroke on the day. All of our swimmers were exceedingly well behaved, polite and well mannered towards everyone they met and super supportive of each other in their races. Well done everyone-a great gala!

THE SWIMMING GALA AGAINST RATCLIFFE

Swimmers from the A and B U11 and U10 boys and girls teams were very excited to be representing the school at a home gala against Ratcliffe College. It was a great opportunity to practise for the IAPS regional round (with plenty of 50m races!) as well as giving an opportunity for many of our school swimming club swimmers to compete in a highly competitive environment.

We knew from our previous away fixture that it was going to be a great gala with some very close races. And it was! Final scores:

Both Ratcliffe and NHIJS drew with 107 points each! Well done to everyone and thank you to all the super supporters.

YEAR 3 AND 4 INTER-HOUSE SWIMMING GALA

On Tuesday 4th June, the Yr 3 and 4s were very excited to follow on from Yr 5 and 6s Inter House Swimming Gala. There was amazing swimming from absolutely everyone and as always, there was such fantastic support for each other and super encouragement from the spectators on the balcony. The races were very close, as was the scoring.

The results of the Year 3 and 4 gala are as follows:

1st place: Trease’s with 50 points

2nd place: Hardy’s with 45 points

3rd place: Ball’s with 44 points

4th place: Tonkin’s with 35 points

These were then added onto the scores from the Year 5 and 6 gala which gives an overall result for the Inter House Swimming 2024:

1st place: Hardy’s 133 points (House Trophy)

2nd place: Trease’s 124 points

3rd place: Tonkin’s 120 points

4th place: Ball’s 97 points

Well done to everyone!

SWIMMING GALA V RATCLIFFE COLLEGE

On Tuesday 28th 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. Despite a few nerves, everybody really rose to the occasion, especially those who were filling in for absent pupils. The competition was tough but there was some fantastic swimming with some close finishes. The final score was 112 points to Ratcliffe and 118 points to NHIJS-the closest it has ever been! There was a great atmosphere and super sportsmanship shown from all involved. Well done to all of the swimmers-a great team effort! Thank you to Ratcliffe for making us feel welcome as always and providing such excellent competition-we always look forward to our galas against Ratcliffe.

SWIMMING GALA V RANBY HOUSE

On Wednesday 6th March, the U9 and U11 Swimming A teams were delighted to be representing the school in a home fixture against Ranby House. U9 team were especially excited as for many it was the first time they had represented the school at Swimming and we also had three Year 3s in the team! The races were really close with some fantastic swimming from everybody! It was a such a super supportive atmosphere and it was particularly pleasing to see the U11’s looking after and supporting the U9’s in their first gala. Final Scores:

NHIJS Boys’ teams combined score: 59

Ranby Boys’ teams combined score: 46

NHIJS Girls’ teams combined score: 58

Ranby Girls’ teams combined score: 49

Overall scores: NHIJS: 117, Ranby School 95.

ESSA Finals

ESSA

ATHLETICS

THE ATHLETICS FIXTURE

The athletics fixture was wholesome when we got there. We did long jumping, threw the beanbag into the hoop, skipping with hula hoops ,speed bounce and even short sprinting!

My favourite event was the speed bounce because it's a little bit more competitive as you want to have more jumps then the person who is speed bouncing next to you.

I found the hoop skipping a bit trickier because my feet constantly would hit the hoop but it was very fun.

In the short run we ran there and back and in the middle there were obstacles that we had to try and get through including a hurdle to jump over and a small mattress layered on another to go under and we tried to go as fast as possible.

In the bean bag throw ,the hoop nearest to us is 1 point, the second nearest is 2 points and the furthest is 5 points!

The long jump was also quite challenging as you had to jump a further distance than usual with no run ups but I really enjoyed the long jump as I was trying a different way with no run up.

The athletics fixture was not only fun but sporty and we did a lot of fun sports like short sprinting, hudling, bean bags and long jump

FIXTURE AGAINST RANBY HOUSE

This year, I was lucky to get the opportunity to participate and represent our school in Rugby against Ranby House. We all were very excited and motivated for that particular match as we were representing our school. I personally love Rugby as I think it is a fantastic game that teaches us discipline and how to work as a team. Moreover, it develops so much confidence as it relies on communication and we have to shout loud to our team members. On the day, we all had our spirits high and our teacher Mr Moss and Mr Abdy were supporting and guiding us to grab the victory. I must admit that our opponents were great in the game and very soon we all knew it is not going to be easy. Although everyone gave their best and I learned that’s what sports are all about! In spite of our trying best, we sadly lost but still we all enjoyed the game and we all learnt that It was always good to keep trying and never give up. We will keep working hard on our game and I am sure in our next game we will be the winners.

CRICKET

Hi, I’m Anoushka, and I’m 10 years old. I recently had an amazing experience playing in a cricket match, and I’m excited to share it with you!

On Friday, 17th May, we had the U10 Kwik Cricket Festival at our school's playing fields on Valley Road against Mellers Primary School.

One of the best parts of the day was batting. I love batting because it's really fun! There’s nothing like the thrill of hitting the ball and running between the wickets. It was even more special because I got to enjoy this experience with my friends. Representing our school together made the day even more memorable.

Playing cricket isn’t just about the sport; it’s also about teamwork and friendship. We all supported each other and had a great time on the field. The excitement of the game and the joy of being with friends made the day unforgettable.

I’m already looking forward to our next cricket fixture! Cricket is a fantastic sport, and I feel lucky to be part of such a wonderful team.

Anoushka P-T

On Friday the 24th of May our school had an U10 Kwik Cricket Festival at Highfields. It was so fun and it was even more fun because my friends were there in the cricket fixture! My team was called the Lions and the other team for Nottingham High School was called the Tigers. We played against so many different schools and it was a great opportunity because we discovered what needed improving in our cricket skills and what we could do to make them better. At the end, we got cookies and juice boxes, but best of all we got the player of the match medals. I got a medal for player of the match/the best batter but you could have gotten a medal for best bowler too. I’m so excited for the next fixture and I hope that we can play those schools again. There were two back to back matches on that day and luckily it was very hot and sunny. I think that the hardest match was the first one but I guess that stretching your abilities makes you better at the things that you are not so good at.

Lara

U10 Boys’ Cricket vs Ranby House June 24

U11 Cricket vs Birkdale

U9 Cricket vs Ranby House

U11 Boys’ Cricket vs Twycross House June 24

U10 KWIK CRICKET FESTIVAL

U11 Girls’ City ChampionsCricket