Super Separating in Year 6 Science!

Year 6 had a fantastic time separating mixtures and solutions this afternoon!

We had to choose the best equipment to separate:

1. Sand and cold water
2. Soil and leaves
3. Warm water and sugar/salt

We had to decide to use filtration, evaporation or a sieve. Oli, 6CD, concluded that "sieves are really good for separating different sized solids, filter paper separates liquids from solids easily, and evaporation can be used to separate solids which have dissolved in a liquid."

We also discussed the EFFICIENCY of separation methods. We decided that you could separate tea leaves from tea water by evaporation but it wouldn't be efficient - "the tea would go cold and you wouldn't be able to drink it immediately" realised Cameron. "It would be more efficient to use filter paper" he decided.

Take a look at all the super scientists in year 6!

Festival of sport for Year 6 pupils

26 lucky Year 6 children took part in the Oasis Academy Multisports Festival last Wednesday. Shirley Warren Primary and Fairisle Junior also brought groups of Year 5/6 pupils to take part in the event organised by Jon Cook of the Southampton Sports Partnership.

Activities included badminton, trampolining and a game of Kwik Cricket.

It was a great afternoon of sport!

Every child is to receive a medal in a school assembly in recognition of their participation.

We hope that there will also be an article about this event in the Summer edition of the Southampton Sports Partnership newsletter.

Make the jump!

On Tuesday, Lee and Scott, skipping coaches from Skip-Hop, came to Oakwood to get our pupils skipping for fun and fitness.

Every class took part in a skip-hop workshop where they learned a selection of moves, including individual moves, double-dutch, long rope, and partner skipping. To finish the day off, there was a whole school assembly with a floor show of the skills learned during the day, performed by children chosen from each workshop.

Every child received a sticker to show appreciation for their participation. Winners from class competitions received certificates.

We hope that the data collected from the competitions will be put forward for ‘virtual competitions’ to compare our results with other schools and youth groups.



We will also be encouraging children and adults to skip for fun and fitness, and to re-introduce traditional skipping games back into the school playground and lunchtime activities.

Many children have already bought skipping ropes and are using them in school.

If you would still like to buy a skipping rope, please bring your order and cheques, made payable to "skip-hop Ltd" by Friday 27 March. Speed skipping ropes are £3.50. Special adult ropes are available at a cost of £4.50 each.

If you would like more information about skip-hop, you can visit their website.

We are really glad to say that everyone had a fantastic time skipping!

Flashy New Wipe Boards!

In Year 3, we have had some very different whiteboards!

Before, we had old boring whiteboards that got dirty and broken. They also got scratched and the pen marks got smudged in.

Now, we have new ones and you can slip papers in and they don't break! If Miss Dowle says "Please get a Talk It, Solve It sheet," you can put it inside the whiteboard and you don't need to write on the paper. This means that you can use the Talk It, Solve It again. That will save on paper and trees and on photocopying.



The plastic on the new whiteboards is transparent,and the outside of the whiteboards is a special stitched plastic that has been sewn in.

There are 5 different colours: pink, blue, yellow, green and orange.

We really think they are amazing!

by Liam and James

Ngutana-Lui...

Hello!

How is everyone at Oakwood? I hope Spring is in the air for you all now. I'm still having trouble with the heat here in Brisbane....I wish I could lie in the trees all day like the koalas do!

Yesterday I had a very exciting day as I accompanied my hosts on a school excursion to Ngutana-Lui, an Aboriginal and Islander Cultural Studies Centre. Ngutana-Lui is the aboriginal word meaning 'to learn'.

I had a fantastic day learning all about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. I had a go at throwing a boomerang (I wasn't very good!) They made it look so easy! I had the opportunity to hear the didgeridoo. It was interesting to learn that only the men are allowed to play this. I also got to learn about some Australian plants which the aboriginals use as medicine and watch the kids have their faces painted.



Next week I am going on school camp! I am going to a place called Tallabudgera on the Gold Coast. I think I am able to go canoeing, raft building and use the rope swing bridges in the trees. I can't wait!

Bye for now,

Oscar.

Radio BTTF

Yesterday, the Back to the Future committee created our very own radio show! We interviewed all of the committees to find out what they were up to.

Check it out below

Do Something Funny for the Money!

Oakwood had an amazing day raising money for Comic Relief!

Funny red noses...line-dancing...wearing pyjamas to school...just a few of the hilarious activities completed to raise money for such a good cause!

Well done to everybody who wore fantastic 'funny clothes'. Many of the costumes were simply outstanding and some special mentions need to be made - Liam in year 3 made everybody smile by wearing girl's clothes, Jai in year 4 was hilarious as Andy from Little Britain, Ben in year 5 made a great 118 118 man and could be heard saying "got your number!" all day long, finally Zoe in year 6 looked egg-cellent as a chicken!

In the afternoon, we had a celebratory assembly and line-danced as a whole school in the playground. It was an impressive sight as you can see below! We continued the celebration in the hall by watching some of the group dances designed to raise money for Comic Relief and shared some of the work that had gone on in class. Year 6 made some ingenious silly sketches of themselves pulling funny faces for Comic Relief!


In total, we raised a massive £301 for Comic Reflief! Well done Oakwood!

Totally Travel - THINK!

Today in our Totally Travel Committee, we looked at how we could get friends and parents to "THINK!" about Road Safety.

We watched two short road safety videos - you've probably seen them :

1. A man is driving his car to work in the morning and he arrives at a junction. He looks right and then he looks left and he doesn't look right again. He pulls out, but there is a motorbike which smashes into his car. We decided this could happen to a normal pedal bicycle. The message is "Take longer to look for bikes!"
   
2. There is a group of teenagers who are messing about on their mobile phones. One of them walks into the road without looking or listening carefully. A car crashes into him and he is very badly injured. The message is that "55 teenagers are hurt every week because they are not paying attention." We decided this might also happen if you were listening to your iPod.

We made comic strips which told the story of the videos which we can put on the newsletter for parents - Watch out for them!

We also went out onto Sandpiper Road and looked at all the danger points. We found lots:

• No pavement at the end of Sandpiper Road
  
• You can't see round the bend and the cars come fast
  
• There is a T-junction at Woburn Road and you can't see round the corner
  
• There are lots of of cars parked, especially at home time
  
• There is a vehicle entrance to the Community Centre

We also found lots of safety points:

• There are Zigzags to stop cars parking
  
• There is a "20 is Plenty sign"
  
• There is space for a lollipop lady
  
• There is a triangular School Sign
  
• There are model children to remind drivers that children might cross
  
• There are yellow barriers
  
• There is a disabled space
  
• There is "Pedestrians Only" sign

Next time, we are going to remember these and mark them on an aerial photo. You could try to spot them on the photo below... (You can move around on the map and zoom in...)



Remember to take care around the school, especially on the roads!
by the Totally Travel Team!

Operation Super Library!

Have you visited the library this week?

Although the 'Excellent Curriculum Team' think our library is great, we think we can make it even better. We have been working very hard all afternoon to think of interesting ideas to improve our library. We want to make it a place that all people connected with the school can use and enjoy.



Here are some of our ideas so far:-

• decorating the library with colourful pictures, mobiles, rugs, bean bags and sofas.
  
• linking the library to our school website so that parents and children can see what is in the library from home.
  
• having different reading literature such as comics, newspapers and magazines to read.
  
• having laptops in the library available for children to watch movies -operated on a system like computer passes.
  
• after school library slots so that parents can access library with their children.
  
• getting children in the school to choose the new books i.e trips out to Waterstones etc to look at the new books available.
  
• competitions like 'reading champions' or 'design a mural/ banner' for the library.

If you have any great ideas please let the ECT team know.

Watch this space for further developments!

by Connor and Daniel

New Governors Please!

HELLO!

We are the School Council and we are on a mission to find two new school governors!

Today, during Committee Afternoon, we interviewed Mrs Larder, a school Governor, to find out what a School Governor's job really is!

She explained that a Governor is someone who really cares about the children at OJS and voluntarily gives up their time to check that we are being given a good education and that we are happy and healthy at school!

The Governors meet every six weeks to discuss things like; how we spend the school's money, who we want to work at the school, how well we are all learning at OJS and what experiences we are being given.

All the staff and parents already on the Committee are really friendly – Mrs Larder explained that all a new Governor needs to bring is enthusiasm to help our school be the very best it can be!

SO...COULD YOU BE ONE OF OUR NEW SCHOOL GOVERNORS PLEASE?

We can’t wait to hear from you, please speak to Miss Denton or any one of the School Council members if you are interested!

Thank you for reading this,
The School Council

Harvey
Taylor
Rebecca
Charlotte
Olivia
Ben
Billy
Chloe
Aimee
Ben
Angela
Connor
Matthew
Kaitie
Courtney
Ewen
Joel
Carina

Anyone for Tennis?

Look out Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer- Year 3 are the tennis stars of the future!

Our tennis coaches, Tom and James from David Lloyd, are already impressed by their skills and enthusiasm.

Thanks to their expertise and brilliant coaching the children are serving and rallying like professionals. Their eye hand co-ordination has greatly improved.



Wimbledon 2020???

Oakwood Post Office

Oakwood School Office transformed today into Oakwood Post Office!

All children have been busy thinking about their future, and researching information about different professions. They are then writing letters to somebody who does that job, to find out a bit more information, and in particular, how that person uses reading and writing in their work. This is to help us celebrate World Book Day which is Thursday 6 March.

The children were given some money to take to the "Post Office," where they then bought their stamp (but only after telling the Post Office staff how much change they needed!)



Over the next few days, after perfecting their letters, everyone will be walking to the local post box to send their mail.

Hopefully, we will be receiving some replies very soon. Watch this space!

PS A very big thank you to Mr and Mrs Worley for manning the Post Office today!

A Day out at Sea World

Just thought I'd let you know that because I've been such a good bear working hard in my new school, my hosts took me for a special day trip to Seaworld yesterday on The Gold Coast. It was such fun!

I went on a ride called The Bermuda Triangle and I took a ride on the log flume and got very wet!



I had a very yummy lunch and I also met some of my relatives...

Back to school tomorrow!