Message from Mrs Balfour
I have a public announcement to make… next Wednesday 26th June is HOME CLOTHES DAY for all of the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children as a big collaborative well done for their outstanding work and progress this term! I hope that the children will enjoy choosing a suitably celebratory summer outfit (but one that is comfortable and practical for school, please!).
This week has been one of celebration and looking ahead in so many ways. The Year 2 Showcase was outstanding on Thursday. The children’s sparkle, energy and confidence made the Theatre buzz and Mr Evans, Miss Saville and I are very excited to think of these children on stage in future stage performances. Today’s Teddy Bears’ Picnic was truly special, a chance to bring Nursery and Reception children together in a spirit of sheer fun and friendship. Huge thanks to Josh Rose and his Keen Bean team for enriching Enrichment Week with go-karting, dodgeball and obstacle courses. This was a(nother) new initiative for this year and it went down a storm!
This is always a slightly strange time of year where the staff get a little thoughtful as they realise that their pupils are ready to fledge and move on. It is a sign of a job well done and the natural order of things but we find it hard to let go! Miss Lamptey-Senior has been saying for many weeks now ‘I am going to miss my class so much!’ and Miss Duncan yesterday said that she wished that she could stay with her pupils and move up with them each year. They echo the sentiments of every Form Teacher in the Junior Department. The pastoral bonds are very strong and the interactions between adults and children are special. That said, a year ago, the staff were also coming into my office looking pensive about saying their goodbyes and just look at the journey we have all shared this year! I know that the children will lead the way into their next year groups with the confidence, sparkle and energy, showcased so brilliantly by the Year 2 pupils.
Happy Weekend and I hope to see many of you at the Ball. Thank you so much, Friends of Edge Grove!
Mrs Balfour
Assistant Head (Junior)
Nursery
Today was the day the Nursery children and the teddy bears had their picnic! This week we have been brushing up on our bear facts, ready to share with the Reception children at our delightful picnic. The children now know everything from what type of fish grizzly bears eat, to where Paddington bear comes from. They had the most fabulous time with their friends, eating delicious picnic food and playing a variety of fun games.
Reception
What an incredibly exciting week Reception has had! From watching the Year 2 showcase to taking part in Keen Bean’s activity extravaganza and ending with our Teddy Bear’s picnic!
In Phonics, we have learned 2 more sounds (or and ur) and have been practising using them in sentences. In Maths we have continued our exploration of counting to 100 and beyond! What comes after 110??
There is lots of excitement regarding moving up to a new class and the children have been writing notes for their new teachers about what they wish for in Year 1. We have had some lovely and funny wishes ranging from “I wish for lots of learning” to “I wish to find bugs” to “I wish to make lots of friends”.
We are very proud of all the children and cannot believe that it will soon be time to say goodbye but until then it’s all about practising the song of the moment! Keep going Reception, Speech Day is nearly here!
Year 1
As we near the end of Year 1, we are operating in full-on author mode as we have rewritten our class story, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch, and have started to innovate our own versions. We loved using our imagination when changing the characters, the setting and, of course, those dreaded mustard sandwiches! We have revised and deepened our learning of addition and subtraction and we have continued to study the different parts of plants in Science. The highlight of the week would have to be our fun-packed Thursday where we enjoyed go-karting, obstacle courses and bouncy castle madness – it was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate not only our skills but also the Edge Grove core values.
Year 2
“This is the greatest show!” Need I say more? The children have worked incredibly hard this week with lots of enthusiasm to deliver the most heart-warming show. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as the children kicked off showcase season with a themed performance centred on ‘Stepping Up’. They delivered a heartfelt performance, singing with passion about their anticipation of moving into Year 3 and fondly reminiscing about their amazing time in the Edge Grove Junior Department and all the people who have helped them along their way.
Miss Saville said “Projection…passion…energy…and INSPIRATION…they had it all. So proud of you all, Year 2!”
Year 2 were also invited to a Year 3 assembly where they were free to ask questions about next year. To top it all off, Keen Bean put on an amazing array of activities for the children to enjoy after all their recent hard work. We were racing, driving, bouncing, throwing and sliding into the final two weeks of Year 2.
