Back in Time!

As Oakwood Junior School prepares to become part of Oakwood Primary School in January 2014, we've found these old photos of the building being constructed back in 1978.

The school opened as Oakwood Middle School on 1 September 1978.



As you can see, it all looks a bit bare - the trees and bushes on the site are not as mature as they are now!

There are also some photos from lessons - do you recognise anyone? If so, please get in touch: info@oakwoodlive.net.

(You can also go back to 1984, and have a look at the Junior School Prospectus!)

Year 6 Prom

Year 6 said their first goodbye at 3.15 this afternoon, but now they are back for their Leavers' Prom.

These Photo Albums will come alive during the evening!

Arriving



Enjoying



Groups



Departing

Our Last Few Days...

We've had a very exciting last few days of the summer term...

Firstly, we were wowed by Oakwood's Got Talent and all the acts from every year group - and especially a surprise act making use of Miss Patchett's dressing up box. It's a bit blurry, but see if you can work out who it is...!



We also had our final Celebration Assembly at which we paid tribute to our Sports Personality of the Year, our House Point Winners, our 100% Attenders, our winning sports teams and our nine Pupils of the Year.

Here are Oscar and Sam guarding the trophies!



And we also said a temporary goodbye to Mrs Latto, as she starts her maternity leave! We wish her well!

The House Cup

This year, the House Cup is awarded to...

Aurora!

This is the first time they have won it since 2008!

This year, they have also "done the double" by winning Sports Day too!

Many congratulations to them!

Year 6 Leavers' Service

We were joined by Trudi from Lordshill Church for our Year 6 Leavers' Service this morning.

As is tradition, Year 3 pupils had made special clay candle holders for Year 6 and they presented them during the service. The candles were lit and Year 6 sung.



Trudi blessed the candles and wished Year 6 well on their way.

Another rite of passage for our leavers and a really magical moment.

Year 6 Storytell their Goodbyes!

Year 6 have rewritten The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes and learned it off by heart.

It tells the story of their time at Oakwood Junior School, and was included as part of their Leavers' Production last Wednesday.



We present it here in its entirety.

Teddy Bears' Picnic - The Movie! (U)

The Teddy Bears' Picnic film from the Year 6 Leavers' Production is now available to view online!

A Sweltering Summer Showcase Spectacular!

Performers braved the heat of the Central Hall to put on a fantastic summer concert on Saturday night!

We were represented by our Songsters Members, and by our Showcase drummers who got everyone dancing, even in the heat.



The concert also features the wonderful Showcase Orchestra and the Southampton Rock Choir.

Many thanks to Alex Pope and his colleagues and also to our very own Pink Ladies, Jane Patchett, Joy Larder and Elaine Vaudin!

Team Oakwood do it again!!

Oakwood's cricket  team spent the morning at Oasis Academy today as they were competing against two teams from Fairisle and Shirley Warren in the Oasis Academy Lordshill Family Cricket Project.

All of the teams have been receiving training from the Oasis sports leaders in the build up to the tournament but today was the big day.

Nine pupils made up the year five team representing Oakwood, teams played in a round robin event before Fairisle and Oakwood contested the final - Oakwood prevailing by 13 runs.

Oakwood have now won the event for three years running!!

The Oakwood Legacy Arena

As part of the Olympic Legacy's committee pledge this year we decided we wanted to bring the overgrown and abandoned area at the top of the playground back into use.
Many years ago it was the home of several mobile classrooms but now it has a new purpose!

The Legacy committee donned their gardening gloves and set to work in October - clearing leaves, mud, brambles, overgrown trees and plants. It was finally cleared for use in January and all children in the school have had the opportunity to use it at break and lunch times.

We wanted to further the use of the area, so armed with a sports grant from Solent University and a community sports charity donation from Testlands Support project - and a little bit extra from school we have been able to build The Legacy Arena.

You will no doubt have noticed it being built this week and the majority of the work is now finished. It is now ready for use as a great place to play sport and games. During the summer holidays we will be having some basketball posts fitted, which will give us a great facility which all children will benefit from! It is big enough for 2 basketball courts/netball pitches/mini football pitches or just about any other sport!

Teddy Bears' Picnic!

After lots of designing, cutting, sewing, more sewing, primping and preening all Year 6 teddies are now complete. We think they have done a fantastic job-take a look!

Paint the World Home Learning Project

What a beautiful day for an art exhibition!

The top artists of all time were represented with a range of work from Leonardo Da Vinci to M.C. Esher. Year 3 have had great fun imitating their style, learning facts about their lives and sharing their own knowledge with the rest of the class. With all this budding talent, surely it's only a matter of time until one of Year 3 is showing their own art work all over the world!

Team Oakwood - Inaugural Lordshill and Redbridge Sports Day winners 2012-13

Last weeks scorching sports day gave team Oakwood's athletes the perfect preparation for the inaugural Lordshill and Redbridge Sports Day hosted by Fairisle Junior School. Competing to get their name on the trophy first were; Oakwood, Fairisle, Heathfield, Newlands and Redbridge.

Oakwood's athletes completed against children of the same age from each of the other schools on eight different events earning points as they went. To complete the competition sprint races in each of the age groups were held; Oakwood had runners in the Y3/4 boys and girls and Y5/6 boys and girls events and came away with winners medals in three out of the four races!

What a fantastic result for team Oakwood! Well done to the twenty four pupils who did so well.

A Final, Final Farewell...

Year 6 amazed us this evening with their leavers' production called New School, New Curriculum...

They imagined what the school would be like if it were run by different members of staff, they showed us what would happen if the teddy bears took over for a day, they looked back on their time in each of the Year Groups and they said thanks you to their parents and teachers.



Along the way, we heard how the Oakwood family is getting even bigger, we were invited to share Mr Wills' passion for cakes, we heard an absolutely brilliant (well, perhaps not!) rendition of Mr McPhillimy's accent, we heard that Mr Taylor likes things TIDY and we saw a range of masks which are guaranteed to give us nightmares.

The House Captains shared their memories and told us how proud they were of their houses and their time at Oakwood.

All in all, a very poignant evening...

...and the very final Year 6 Leavers' Production from Oakwood Junior School*.

(*Next year will be the first from Oakwood Primary School!)

A Career in the Merchant Navy!

Year 6 experienced the lifeblood of the city of Southampton last week when they spent a day in the docks on Whitchallenger and Apex.

Whitchallenger is an oil supply ship, which travels up and down the English Channel, sometime further afield, to refuel other vessels. You can see where it is right now!

Apex, and her sister ships, Phenix and Vortex, are tugs which guide larger ships up and down Southampton water, mainly for the Fawley Oil Terminal.

The crews of both vessels gave everyone full guided tours, talking about life on board and how everything (including a kitchen, a gym and a larder) fits on board, alongside the engine room and the bridge!



The crew also talked about life at sea, including navigation and knots! The scientific principles of floating (not sinking) and how to clean up oil spillages were covered too. And, of course, everything was perfectly safe and we got to try out some of the fire retardant safety gear!

A huge thank you to the crews of both ships, the Southampton Shipowners Association, and particularly to Ashley Jenkins of Whitaker Tankers and Nick Jeffrey from Solent Towage for organising this unique opportunity for Oakwood pupils!

Introducing our final 2012-13 club of the month

Wow! That was some way to finish off our 1^st year of Oakwood’s ‘Club of the Month’ programme!

July’s ‘Club of the Month’ was optional, but 172 pupils (and quite a few staff!) made the short journey to the Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre for a day of fantastic activities.

Each of the six groups of Oakwood Children had a different itinerary, trying out a number of the following activities; Hockey, Football, Golf, Tennis, Tug of War, Cricket, Rounders, Karate, Athletics, Biking, Archery, Tryathlon, Ringoing and tobogganing - each of the activities was run by a local club, organisation or coach and were designed to showcase the fantastic facilities we have just up the road.

All the children who came had an absolutely fantastic day and were even given a medal and goodie bag before leaving.

One group even had a visit from Southampton's Mayor on the ski slope.

What was your favourite activity?

A Super Sticky Sweaty Sports Morning!

Monday was, perhaps, the hottest day of the year so far but, prepared with sun cream, hats and lots to drink, we all went up to the Oakwood field for our Sports Morning!

We held a round robin competition, where all children compete in all events to earn points for their house.

We then held House Relays which add to the final scores.

This year, Aurora triumphed with 438 points!



We then had individual sprint races for our elite runners, identified in their PE lessons.

We finished off with a picnic for family and friends on the field. A really fantastic day!

Special thanks to

• Mr Ackland for his faultless organisation
• TMC for their helpT
• The wonderful pupils from Oasis Academy Lord's Hill

...who all worked really hard to make it a success!

Remember it's Sports Morning 2013 tomorrow!

Remember tomorrow, Monday 8th July, is the last ever Oakwood Junior School Sports Morning!

We hope to get under way just after 10:15am if all is well. It's predicted to be another scorching day so please make sure your child

• puts on sun cream at home
• comes to school with their water bottle
• brings (AND WEARS!) a hat

If you child is particularly sensitive to the sun, longer slevees/longer shorts will offer better protection.

Children can come to school in their PE kit bearing their house colours;
Arcadia = Green
Oriana = Red
Oceana = Blue
Aurora = Yellow

Don't forget that parents/grandparents and friends are welcome to stay after the morning's competition for a picnic on the field - but remember to bring the food!

 

A Few Extra Photos From Knapp House!!