Tuesday 26 January 2010

You'll never guess what happened next ...



What a fun day Year 4 had yesterday! Year 4 were very lucky to have Chris Davies from Scratch in, to re-tell stories about Jesus' four miracles. The children had to work in groups to re-tell the stories using collage. Much fun was had by all!

Year 4 visit to Hillier Gardens



Last week, Year 4 had a fantastic time at Hillier Gardens! Year 4 learned a great deal about habitats and the environment linked to our topic 'What's it worth Planet Earth?' The children also learned some new skills including weaving.

Well done Year 4!

Friday 22 January 2010

Princess and the White Bear King







We learnt about the book 'The Princess and the White Bear King' and the Arctic. Look at our great displays in Year 2!






Look at our amazing island project homework!


We read the book 'Snail and the Whale' and created this display in our base!




We made working lighthouses!



HAITI APPEAL!!

A Big Thank You to everyone who sent in donations for the Haiti appeal.
We raised £400.00
Well done!!!

Thursday 21 January 2010

A Perfect Day for Maths Masterclass

Maths Masterclass had its first meeting this afternoon and showed that they can get points for the most complex ways of making a particular number. There were extra points for using decimal numbers, fractions and brackets!

(However, they found out that Points Don't Make Prizes... perhaps next time!)

They also demonstrated their ability to identify, draw, name and describe the properties of a range of common quadrilaterals - can you?

And they were left with a Masterclass Challenge:



Are you up to the challenge?

Wednesday 20 January 2010

Sweet, Sweet Fractions



4MM have been having fun with fractions. They were finding fractions of numbers using groups of sweets as their 'whole'. If they found all the fractions accurately, or could explain why they couldn't, they were able to keep one of the sweets.

What motivation! Fantastic Fractions 4MM!

Governors in School

Some of the school governors spent today seeing our school in action. In the picture from left to right are Jackie Kerwood, Peter Clapham, William Handley-Garland and Richard Wilson.



Judy Short also came but had to go before we took the picture. They went to lots of lessons and learned all about the catch-up programme and had a jolly good lunch. The Governors learned about the 'helping H' (ask your child about it)!!! They were singing sensations at the school singing assembly!!! Lewis and Rishab showed them how the e-City learning portal works. You'll hear more about this exciting project soon!

by Amie and Conor, Year 5

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Haiti Earthquake - Emergency Appeal

UPDATE: We have paid in over £700 today to the appeal. Thank you so much for your support and concern. We will let you know a final figure in the next newsletter and here on the blog soon.



On Tuesday 19 January, we are having a non-uniform day to raise money for the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Haiti Earthquake Appeal.



Today, we have spoken to the children about the terrible disaster in Haiti.

We would like to raise as much money as possible to help.

We normally ask for at least £1 for non-uniform days, but if you can afford more, please send in what you can.

We will also have a collection in the office for visitors.

(Advice from Children's BBC if you are upset by the news...)

The Travel Team tells you a story...

The Totally Travel Team has been learning the Green Cross Code off by heart, in the same way that everyone has been learning stories off by heart in their classes.

After the next Committee Afternoon, we will be teaching the code back in our own classes so that everyone knows it off by heart too - with actions!

We made a quick video to share how far we got!



We also used the Tales of the Road website to try out some games and activities we will be recommending to our classes...

You can watch one of the TV ads here and try the activities yourself by visiting the site:

Thursday 14 January 2010

Year 4 have been Recycling!



Year 4 have had an amazing time making scarecrows today and yesterday. We were lucky enough to have an environmental artist come to school and work with the children. Many skills have been learnt, from sewing to making compost.

Excellent work Year 4, we are all very proud of your team work and dedication!

Schools Open

We seem to be through the worst of the weather now.

Both Oakwood Schools will be open as normal and we won't be posting daily updates unless the weather gets worse and we need to change this.



Thank you for your continued support and kind comments during the last couple of weeks!

Extra Clever Maths!

Year 3 have been working really hard on our new maths curricular target, which is to Estimate, Calculate, Check.

We use an Extra Clever Cloud for our estimates and to help us remember important information. Our jottings and annotations also help us keep track of our calculations and remind us to check our work by looking back at our estimate.

Have a look at this video, created by Alice and Abbie, which shows you how we use our ECC rules in addition.


Wednesday 13 January 2010

Year 1 message

Year 1 would like to say ......
Be careful in the snow because you might fall over!

The Jolly Postman...




In Year 1 we have been learning about 'The Jolly Postman'. Here are our paintings of some of the houses he visited....

Year 1 Fish


We've got fish in Year 1. These 2 are called Frank and Spike...

Super Space School!

Year 5 ventured into the world of space last week. We designed AMAZING Aliens,were lectured by Commander Barrett and had a space-tastic day!!!



Here are our 3 top facts

  • Russians were the first people get out of the earths atmosphere and in to space.
  • The Apollo 13 was a near disaster.
  • Space craft is built in stages.

By Conor and Amie 5LD

WEDNESDAY 13 JANUARY - Open as Normal

Both Oakwood schools continue to be open as normal.

This means the Junior School will open at 8.50, with a normal start time of 9.00am.

We know that journeys may take extra time today - please take care, as it may still be icy under the snow.


School will finish at 3.15pm.

Please also make sure that your children are dressed up warm for the day - there's going to be a chill wind! Boots and trainers are fine to wear in, but please bring school shoes to change into.

Please keep to the gritted paths as parts of the site, including the playgrounds, are still icy. The temperatures are due to rise considerably on Thursday and Friday, so this should see a thaw.

Thank you.

Tuesday 12 January 2010

TUESDAY 12 JANUARY - Open as Normal

Both Oakwood schools continue to be open as normal.

Children are expected in school at 9.00am and school will finish at 3.15pm.

Karate is ON! Orchestra is ON!

Please keep to the gritted paths as parts of the site, including the playgrounds, are still icy.

Thank you.

Sunday 10 January 2010

MONDAY 11 JANUARY 2010 - Open as Normal

Both schools will be open as normal on Monday 11 January.

Although there is still some ice on certain pavements and roads, the weekend has shown that the vast majority of people have been out and about, taking care with their journeys.

This means that the Junior School will be open from 8.50, with a normal start time of 9.00am.

We will expect all children to be in school by 9.30 at the latest. Children arriving after this time will be marked late.

Please use the paths from Sandpiper Road and Plover Close, as these will be clear and gritted. We will try to clear other paths to the side gates during the day if possible.

School lunches will be as normal, but if the playgrounds are still icy, we will have break times indoors. Kidz Club will be open both before and after school.

Because of the improvements in conditions, school will finish at the normal time of 3.15pm. We anticipate no need to pick children up early.

Thank you for your understanding!

Please Note: The Y6 Parents' Meeting about the End of Key Stage Tests (SATs) which was due to take place at 5.30pm has been postponed and we will let you know a new date.

Friday 8 January 2010

EXPECTED OPENING - Monday 11 January 2010


Thank you very much if your child was in school today, Friday 8 January!

We were fully staffed and a very large number of you felt you could make the journey safely into school with your children. Obviously, we understood that conditions were still bad in certain areas, so there were many children not at school today.

Monday 11 January 2010

It's not possible to give you definite news about school opening on Monday 11 January until fairly late on Sunday afternoon.

If the weather doesn't get any worse and we are open...

We will open at 9.30 and expect all children in school. The late opening will be to allow more time for everyone to make a safe journey to school. We will expect all children in school. We need to get back to normal as soon as is safe and possible, and the weekend will give you time to plan how you will get your children to school. If we are open on Tuesday, we would plan to start at the normal time (8.50am).

We will have the main path from the entrance on Sandpiper Road gritted. We are only gritting the main path because supplies of grit are low, and the city cannot guarantee to deliver more. By gritting one main path, we make the grit last as long as possible.

We will close at the normal time (3.15pm) but allow children to be picked up any time from 2.45pm - this allows a longer "school run" time if Sandpiper Road is still icy.


If the weather gets worse...

If we have to close, we will try to let you know by 6pm on Sunday evening.

We will put an announcement on this website and on the school answerphone. On Sunday afternoon, we may not be able to get the information updated on the city's School Closures List or Radio Solent.


If the weather gets worse over Sunday night, and we have to make the decision to close early on Monday morning, we will try to make the decision by 7.30am. Again, this website and the school answerphone will be updated and an announcement will be made on Radio Solent.

Thanks for all the support and kind words of the last few days - they are much appreciated!

Your children can access E-City with their school email username and password. This has a range of activities which can be used at any time, but particularly if the school is closed! Details here...

Learning at Home



We have put many learning activities on E-City.

This is available to all pupils, logging on with the same username and password that they use for their school email.

Inside, you will find lots of educational activities, links to interesting and important websites, photos and pictures - including some linked to the weather we are having!

It's a good way of keeping your child learning if they can't get to school or the school is closed.

Oscar and Sam in the Snow

I was very disappointed that school was closed on Thursday, but SAM and I made the most of the time by making snowmen!



Later on, we had a hot drink and logged onto E-City and did some school work! You can too - just use your school email username and password!

It was good to back on Friday!

LIMITED OPENING FROM 9.30am - Friday 8 January 2010

We plan for both Oakwood schools to be open from 9.30am on Friday 8 January 2010 in a limited capacity.


Please listen to Radio Solent in the morning, check this website, or phone the school in case this changes.

Staying Safe:
  • Whether your child comes to school or not on Friday is your decision and you are best placed to judge the conditions and safety of your journey.
  • Please bring your children to the main school doors.
  • We would not recommend allowing your child to walk to school unaccompanied.
If you feel it best not to bring your child in and would rather keep them at home, please do so.

Opening:
The schools will open later at 9.30am. This gives staff and pupils extra time to make a safe journey to the school. Please don't bring children to school before 9.30am. However, if you have to bring children in later than this, that's fine.

Closing:
The schools will both close at their normal times. However, please feel free to pick up your children earlier than this if you wish or you think it would make your journey easier. We will operate the same system as we did on Wednesday.

Lunches:
We anticipate being able to provide a normal school lunch service.

Breaktimes:
It is likely that breaktimes and lunchtime will be indoors on Friday, as we cannot completely clear the playgrounds of ice. Please keep to the cleared paths on site.

Kidz Club:
Kidz Club will not be open either before or after school on Friday.

Why are we opening?
Most of the teachers anticipate being able to get to work on Friday as the major roads are currently clear. Staff local to the school report being able to get around with care. We realise that many of you face problems if you are not able to go into work because the schools are closed for several days, and it's possible for us to open again tomorrow in this limited capacity. Once you have brought your children to the school doors tomorrow, they will be safe and warm.

Will we be open next week?
The forecast for the weekend is for no thaw and more snow on Sunday. This means there is a strong likelihood that we may need to close or have limited opening again next week if conditions stay bad.

Thank you for your continued support and understanding.

Thursday 7 January 2010

SCHOOLS CLOSED - Thursday 7 January 2010

Updated - 6am - Thursday 7 January

Both Oakwood Infant and Junior Schools will be closed today, Thursday 7 January 2010.

We've decided to close because the extremely cold overnight temperatures, down to -6°C, have refrozen the snow and slush from yesterday completely solid. We can't guarantee to make our playgrounds and paths safe today. Additionally, the local councils haven't gritted side roads and pavements making journeys unsafe even if you are walking.

As we said earlier, whatever the decision, it will inconvenience some of you, but we hope that the early notice we gave yesterday meant you have been able to make alternative arrangements more easily.

Watch this space for news about Friday! Stay safe and warm!


There is a Southampton City Council page detailing school closures.

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Smiles in the Snow!

Thank you for your support and understanding today!

The decision about whether to keep the school open in bad weather is always a tricky one and, whichever way the decision goes, it will always inconvenience some people, so apologies if you were affected.

We have to consider a number of points:

  • do we have heating?
  • is the school site safe?
  • do we have enough staff?
  • can staff and pupils get to and from school safely?
  • what the weather forecast for the day says
  • advice from the City Council

Taking all these points into account early this morning, we made the decision to open. All staff were able to come into school, the building was warm, Martyn Barrett and Gary Chafe our site managers had cleared and gritted paths and the majority of our pupils walk to school. City Council advice was to keep the school open if possible, and it was possible!

As you can see, everyone made the most of the snow...

The forecast for continuing snow today and freezing temperatures overnight may mean it's a different story tomorrow, but keep your eyes on the website, listen to the school answerphone or check Radio Solent or the City Council for information.

Thanks again!

Robin Hood spotted at Oakwood!

We had a fantastic start to 2010 as Robin Hood came all the way from Sherwood Forest to join us for the afternoon!

M and M productions put on a great performance of Robin Hood. We loved Little John, who was a crazy bear, and Hazel, who made us laugh with her terrible singing.

We sang along with 'You're the one that I want', 'All in this together' and 'You're so lovely' (but Maid Marian changed the words to UGLY, hehe!)

Luckily, it all turned out alright in the end, as Robin rescued Maid Marian from the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and we all went home with smiles on our faces!

Written by Megan, Sam, Kia and Ashleigh

Year 4 Weight Watchers!

Year 4 have been learning all about weight and measures in maths yesterday. They have been estimating, ordering and sorting using practical methods. Lots of fun and learning was had by all. Imogen said "the suitcase would weigh less at the airport if you had no luggage in it." Adam estimated "I think the t.v will weigh about 10kg but it depends how big it is."

Well done Year 4!

SCHOOLS OPEN - Wednesday 6 January 2010

Oakwood Junior School will have an early lunch today (Wednesday 6 January) at 12.00.

If you would prefer to pick your children up at any time during the day, please come to the office and do so.

If you think your journey to pick up your child will be difficult, please set off early and pick them up before the end of the day.

Please keep your eye on the website or phone the school as there is the likelihood that the school may be closed tomorrow, Thursday 7 January, if the snow continues and doesn't clear overnight.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

Severe Weather Warning



As you may know, the Met Office has given warning of what they call "a high risk of an extreme weather event" in Hampshire and surrounding areas. Although it is not clear how badly this will affect Southampton, heavy snow is likely, meaning that staff and pupils may experience difficult travelling conditions on the morning of Wednesday 6 January 2010.

Oakwood Infant and Junior Schools will remain open if possible but if conditions mean that it is unsafe for staff or pupils to come to school, then we may need to close.

We will make this decision as early as possible on Wednesday morning and information will be available here on the blog, the school answerphone, BBC Radio Solent and Southampton Online. You may also receive a text message from the school, but our text provider has said that there may be a delay if lots of schools are using the system at the same time.

If the schools are open, we expect children to be in school as normal, although we appreciate they may be late.

Thank you for your continued support!

Monday 4 January 2010

Tremendous Trolls

Year 3 spent some of the Autumn term learning the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. The "terrible, grumpy troll" is a very gruesome creature! Our topic this half term is Brutal Beasts and Beastly Battles, and what better way to start the term than to make a terrifying troll!

First of all, we thought about some descriptive features a troll might have. Warts, webbed feet, talons, horns and spines were some of our ideas.

Then, we drew sketches of what we thought our trolls might look like.

We finally brought our trolls to life using clay! We learned how to mould the clay, blend it and use clay tools to create effects.