Thursday 30 November 2017

Day 4 fun

It was great to arrive this morning and join two of our year 6 groups at Neath canal for some canoeing. The confidence on display was amazing and after a short practice they were soon navigating the narrow route along the canal.

Meanwhile the other two groups were conquering their fears down the caves- having an amazing time!

It was also lovely to help Millie celebrate her birthday this evening.
Tonight we are attempting to pack ready for a beach adventure tomorrow.
We will see you soon!

Happy birthday

A very happy birthday girl celebrating with 39 friends.

Wednesday 29 November 2017

Year 6 Residential Day 3

Another brilliant day has been had. It was canoeing and climbing on the agenda for today and despite the sun shining for us, it was rather chilly. However, the children rose to the occasion, with enthusiasm and ever increasing resilience and had great fun. We have just had a slap up meal of roast chicken (or veggie sausages) and apple upside down cake with custard and are donning our layers and warm weather gear to go on a night walk to a nearby castle. The energy levels amongst the under 12s are staggeringly impressive and there are lots of rosy cheeks.

All ready for bed.........


Tuesday 28 November 2017

Year 6 Residential Day 2

Sorry for the late post; it’s been a busy, but amazing day. Every child (and adult) challenged themselves and went out of their comfort zone to achieve something they weren’t expecting to. Two groups went caving and got posted through the ‘letter box’, as well as crawling through tight spaces and a lot of water. The other two groups climbed up cliffs and abseiled down. This evening was spent problem solving in groups. The teamwork has been phenomenal.


Good Morning

After a very quiet night (I’ve never uttered those words after the first night of a residential trip before!) everyone is refreshed and looking forward to today’s activities of climbing for two groups and caving (water levels permitting) for the other two. We are currently tucking into mountains of cereal and sausage baps. The sun has also made an appearance. Happy children and adults all round. 😀

Monday 27 November 2017

Happy Eaters!

I just received this photo from Kilvrough where all is reportedly going very well. There will be tons of photos taken there, which we will be able to share with you when they're back, but uploading them there can prove tricky! We'll do our best.

Not sure what was on the menu but they look pretty happy :)



Year 6 Residential Day 1

Year 6 have arrived, had a fire drill, eaten, had a tour, selected waterproofs and wellies, completed a muddy team building exercise and are about to have an evening meal. Everyone is smiling (even the adults) and also very tired, which we are hoping bodes well for a ‘quiet’ night. However, the evening is yet young and we have more activities before bed time.

We are not sure we will be able to upload photos this week, But we will keep the updates coming.

Friday 24 November 2017

Strictly comes to Cholsey!

On Thursday we had an exciting visit from Krystof and Natalia, two world class Ballroom / Latin Dancers! Both Krystof and Natalia perform all around the world and have even appeared on the Iranian version of 'Strictly Come Dancing'. They started the day by inviting two of their 13 year old students to perform some of their Ballroom and Latin dances in assembly. The children were mesmerized by their talent and many couldn't believe that they were only 13 years old! 

Following this, each class took part in a short workshop where Krystof and Natalia taught them some basic Cha Cha Cha and Waltz steps. 

There was an exciting buzz about dancing around the whole school, and it was lovely to see some of the children pairing up and performing on the playground at lunchtime. 

We are hopeful that they will be able to run an after school Ballroom and Latin Dance club for us starting next term.

Although they are based in London if anyone would like more information on the classes they run in Oxford each week please visit their website: www.krystofnatalia.co.uk or visit the school office for a flyer. 


















Wind in the Willows

Congratulations to the Year 3/4 children and staff on their excellent performances of 'Wind in the Willows'. The children and staff have worked incredibly hard over the last few weeks ensuring it was the best performance they could possibly make it. Well done everyone!












Tuesday 21 November 2017

Class Cup Winners

Sea Otters, Chameleons and Tigers are the first classes in their phases to win the new class trophies.
All week, staff were looking for classes who were lining up and moving around the school with care.
Massive congratulations to our first winners, who will keep the trophies in their classrooms for the week until we find out who are this week's winners.

Thursday 16 November 2017

Parents Evening - Thank You!

Thank you to all the parents who came in to see class teachers this week. It was lovely to see so many of you. The feedback we received has been overwhelmingly positive and we have passed it on to all the teachers.

Here are some of the comments left by parents:

A really informative meeting, felt that my daughters teaching really knew my child, very useful support at school and ways I can enhance my child's learning at home.

A genuinely lovely experience, I left feeling informed of how to help my son and pleased with his overall progress.

Wonderful feedback and very supportive and helpful

Teachers were also very positive about the experience and the support that they receive from you so thank you very much!


Recommended book lists

We often get asked to recommend age appropriate books. Below are some recommendations from literacy advisers and from Wallingford Bookshop. Ali, who works there, would be happy to advise you if you visit - mention you are from Cholsey school!

James’ Booklist


Great Picture Books
A Bit Lost by Chris Haughton
A Friend for Little Bear by Harry Horse
Again by Emily Gravett
Black Dog by Levi Pinfold
Chalk by Bill Thomson
Christopher Nibble by Charlotte Middleton
Courtney by John Burningham
Dogger by Shirley Hughes
Edgar Gets Ready for Bed by Jennifer Adams
Flotsam by David Weisner
Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs
Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Good Little Wolf by Nadia Shireen
Hairy Maclary books by Lynley Dodd
Hermelin by Mini Grey
Hogwash by Arthur Geisert
Hoot Owl- Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor
House Held up by Trees by Ted Kooser
How to Live Forever by Colin Thompson
I am the Mummy Heb-Nerfert by Eve Bunting
Instructions by Neil Gaiman
I Really Want to Eat a Child by Sylvianne Donnio
Kicking a Ball by Allan Ahlberg
Ladybird Picture Books- Fairy Tales
Mother Goose’s Playtime Rhymes by Axel Scheffler
Max by Marc Martin
Mr Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham
Mr Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown
Mr Wuffles by David Weisner
Mythological Monsters of Ancient Greece by Sara Fanelli
Night of the Gargoyles by Eve Bunting
Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton
On the Way Home by Jill Murphy
On Sudden Hill by Linda Sarah
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Peepo! by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Penguin in Peril by Helen Hancocks
Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins
Shh, We Have a Plan! by Chris Haughton
Slow Loris by Alexis Deacon
Sloth Slept On by Frann Preston-Gannon
Solomon Crocodile by Catherine Rayner
Speckle the Spider by Emma Dodson
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Drywalt
The Deep Dark Wood by Algy Craig Hall
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
The Green Ship by Quentin Blake
The Island by Armin Greder
The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris van Allsburg
The Paperbag Prince by Colin Thompson
The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan
The Selfish Crocodile by Faustin Charles
The Storm Whale by Benji Davies
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman
The Yes by Sarah Bee
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
Tuesday by David Weisner
Weasels by Elys Dolan
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sandak
Would you Rather… by John Burningham

Retellings of Classics
Robin of Sherwood by Michael Morpurgo
Beowulf by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield
Myths and Legends retold by Anthony Horowitz
Collected Folk Tales by Alan Garner
Stories from Shakespeare by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Orchard Book of Shakespeare Stories by Andrew Matthews
Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green
The Orchard Book of Swords, Sorcerers and Superheroes by Tony Bradman
The Oxford Treasury of Fairy Tales by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Odyssey Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds
Greek Myths by Ann Turnbull
The Adventures of Odysseus by Hugh Lupton and Daniel Morden
Atticus the Storyteller’s 100 Greek Myths by Lucy Coats

Classic Children’s Literature
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells
Charlotte’s Web by EB White
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Poetry
Where my Wellies Take Me by Clare and Michael Morpurgo
The Nation’s Favourite Children’s Poems – BBC
Classic Poetry selected by Michael Rosen
The Ring of Words by Roger McGough
Cautionary Verses by Hilaire Belloc
The Rattle Bag edited by Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes
New and Collected Poems for Children by Carol Anne Duffy
Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl
The Oxford Treasury of Classic Poems
iF- A Treasury of Poems for Almost Every Possibility edited by Allie Esiri and Rachel Kelly
Collected Poems for Children by Ted Hughes

Beautiful Non-Fiction
The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins
A Dictionary of Monsters and Mysterious Beasts by Carey Miller
The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzenberger
How to Keep Dinosaurs by Robert Mash
The Usborne History of Britain
Professor Stewart’s Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities by Iain Stewart
What Makes Me? By Robert Winston
Wholly Irresponsible Experiments by Sean Connolly
Gravity by Jason Chin

Traditional Stories
Tales from the West Indies by Faustin Charles
One Thousand and One Arabian Nights by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Thousand Nights and One Night retold by David Walser
The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor retold by John Yeoman
Grimm Tales by Philip Pullman
Book House Ancient Greek Myths
The Odyssey retold by Robin Lister
The Trick of the Tale by John and Caitlin Matthews
Aesop’s Fables retold by Alice Shirley

Great Contemporary Fiction
Not the End of the World by Geraldine McCaughrean
His Dark Materials books by Philip Pullman
Lyra’s Oxford by Philip Pullman
Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman
Montmorency by Eleanor Updale
Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror by Chris Priestly
Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
The Last Polar Bears by Harry Horse
Clockwork by Philip Pullman
Holes by Louis Sachar
Mouse Bird Snake Wolf by David Almond
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Ribblestrop by Andy Mulligan
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The Various by Steve Augarde
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve
Coram Boy by Jamila Gavin
Clockwork by Philip Pullman
Once by Morris Gleitzman
Diamond Brothers books by Anthony Horowitz
Young Bond books by Charlie Higson
The Magician of Samarkand by Alan Temperley



Wallingford Bookstore recommendations:
Picture books:
Oi Frog by Kes Gray and Claire Gray
Oi Dog by Kes Gray and Claire Gray
Quick Quack Quentin by Kes Gray and Jim Field
The Great Dog Bottom Swap by Peter Bentley and Mei Matsuoka
There Was An Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight by Penny Peter Klostermann and Ben Mantle
Green Lizards vs Red Rectangles by Steve Antony
The Queen’s Hat by Steve Antony
No-Bot – the Robot with No Bottom by Sue Hendra
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Dogs Don’t Do Ballet by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
The Book With No Pictures by B J Novak
The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
The Day the Crayons Came Back by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers
The Story of the Alphabet by Olvier Jeffers
Oh No George by Chris Haughton
The Crocodile That Didn’t Like Water by Gemma Merino
The Boy Who Cried Ninja by Alex Latimer
Lion vs Rabbit by Alex Latimer
Bears Don’t |Read by Emma Chichester Clark
I’m Going to Eat This Ant by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros






KS1 shorter chapter books:
Wigglesbottom Primary: The Toilet Ghost by Pamela Butchart
The Bolds by Julian Clary
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
Polly and the Puffin by Jenny T Colgan
The Extincts by Veronica Cossantelli
Buckle and Squash and the Monstrous Moat Dragon by Sarah Courtauld
The Jolley-Rogers and the Ghostly Galleon by Jonny Duddle
Mango and Bambang: The Not-a-Pig by Polly Faber and Clara Vuillamy
The 13 Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Captain Pug by Laura James and Eglantine Ceulamans
Squishy McFluff: The Invisible Cat by Pip Jones and Ella Oksted
The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans by Gary Northfield
My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish by Mo O’Hara
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephen Pastis
Witch Wars by Sibeal Pounder
Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sara McIntyre
Cakes in Space by Philip Reeve and Sara McIntyre
Pugs of the Frozen North by Philip Reeve and Sara McIntyre
Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell
Claude in the City by Alex T Smith
The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of Pig by Emer Stamp
Dinosaur Cove by Rex Stone


Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale
Knighthood for Beginners by Elys Dolan
Spy Toys by Mark Powers
Witch Wars by Sibeal Pounder
The Racehorse Who Wouldn’t Gallop by Clare Balding


KS 2 books:
The Parent Agency by David Baddiel
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier and Douglas Holgate
The Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig
Fortunately the Milk… by Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell
The Trouble with Mummies by F R Hitchcock
The Secret Hen House Theatre by Helen Peters
Beetle Boy by M G Leonard
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones by Will Mabbitt
Hook’s Daughter by Heidi Schulz
The River Singers by Tom Moorhouse
The Dragons of Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett
 Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse by Chris Riddell
Roof Toppers by Katherine Rundell
Dr Proctor’s Fart Powder by Jo Nesbo
Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens
The Last Wild by Piers Torday
Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford
What Not To Do When Invisible by Ross Welford
Eliza Rose by Lucy Worsley



The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine
Poppy Pym and the Pharoah’s Curse by Laura Wood


Year 6 suggestions:
Classics:
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Stig of the Dump by Clive King
Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliffe
The Sword in the Stone by T H White

Fiction:
Wonder by R J Palacio
Geek Girl by Holly Smale
Big Game by Dan Smith
Young Bond: Shoot to Kill by Steve Cole
Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell
Murder Most Unladylike by Robyn Stevens
River Singers by Tim Moorhouse


Parent Agency by David Baddiel
Ruby Redfort: Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child
My Brother is a Superhero by David Solomons
The Last Wild by Piers Torday
Time Travelling with a Hamster by Ross Welford

Historical:
Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell
The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine
Eliza Rose by Lucy Worsley
The Shadow of the Wolf by Tim Hall
Black Powder by Ally Sherick

Fantasy:
Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt
Reckless: The Petrified Flesh by Cornelia Funke
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
A Boy called Christmas by Matt Haig
The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig
Mortal Engines by Philp Reeve
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief
Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs






The Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Wings of Fire by Tui Sutherland
Skuldugerry Pleasant by Derek Landy
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
The Monstrous Child by Francesca Simon

Sci-Fi:
Maze Runner by James Dashner
Rain by Virginia Bergin
Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Itch by Simon Mayo

Graphic Novels:
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Young Bond: Silverfin by Charlie Higson
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
Corpse Talk by Adam Murphy
Pirates of Pangaea by Daniel Hartwell and Neill Cameron
Troy Trailblazer by Robert Deas
Tamsin and the Deep by Neill Cameron and Kate Brown
Lost Tales by Adam Murphy

Bunny vs Monkey by The Phoenix

Monday 13 November 2017

Remembrance

We held our remembrance silence today, accompanied by The Last Post and Reveille.

Friday 10 November 2017

5/6 Science

This week, years 5 and 6 have been looking at the centres of gravity  with the help of some glamorous assistants about how equal and opposite forces allow us to remain in a stationary position. 

Art Club

This week the children have put their acrylic painting skills to good use and have created some amazing flower pictures. Look out for the texture from their brush strokes and colour mixing. I think they're fab - hope you do to! Possibly some budding Van Goghs?











Saturday 4 November 2017

The Force is with them!

Years 5&6 have been learning about forces ; how equal and opposite forces make an object remain stationary. They then devised their own investigations to find out which ball ( different sizes and weights) fell fastest. Watch Brainiac if you'd like to see which fall first between a cooker and a pillow! The children had to work out how to make their test fair, often adapting their investigation as they went.









Dark Matter

Last week some year 5s and 6 children went to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories in Harwell for a Dark Matter Day. Dark matter is the stuff you can't see between stars but over 20 million dark matter particles can pass through 1cm depth of your hand and you don't even know it's there. Stuff is a good word to describe dark matter because no one has found it yet, so for the first activity, the children had to design, annotate their diagram and build their version of a dark matter particle. Have a look - see the interesting shapes.

They then learned how much data needs to be downloaded and programmed beebots to send the data from one location to the next.

They were also lucky enough to see the actual computer that sent Apollo 13 to the moon. It did look rather dated (from the mid 60s).
The highlight was being taken on a guided tour around the galaxy learning how to identify constellations, the stories behind them and then creating their own.
Edward said his favourite part was "the planetarium because we got to see a realistic dark sky". Sadly light pollution affects us so we don't get to see anywhere near so much, but do take a look into the night sky and enjoy the beauty of the stars!