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Friars Flyers Februrary half term 2019

Fire Safety talk

On Wednesday 6th February, Stuart from Essex Fire Brigade (who also liaises with Essex Police) visited Year 6 to go through cyber safety with them. With the children, Stuart spoke about how to keep themselves safe when using social media, their use of privacy settings, not sharing too much personal information online - after all they wouldn't give out personal information to people on the street - and what their digital footprint is. The children were also actively encouraged to ask their adults to look at what they are doing on their mobile phones.

It was a great opportunity to remind the children that whilst the internet can be a great tool for homework and sending messages to friends, unfortunately, the internet also has quite an unpleasant side to it.

Please talk to your children about what was discussed.

Year 1 walk to the park

Year 1 have recently enjoyed a cold walk around a local park to explore seasonal changes. The children used a range of senses to observe natural features and changes, listened carefully for common sounds and explored how the features felt; recording their findings in a table. All the children engaged in discussions about their experiences at the park and wrote sentences about their observations. This experience enabled the children to list nouns, adjectives and verbs related to the park during the winter and have used these words to create poems. The visit was a language rich experience that has enthused the children in learning about winter as well as inspiring them to draw and paint wintery pictures.

We would like to thank so many parents for accompanying us on our walk.

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Chinese New Year was brought to life at Friars Primary School and Nursery when they were visited by a real Chinese Dragon. The children were treated to a traditional dragon dance which was accompanied by loud rhythmic drumming. During the dance, the children fed the dragon with red envelopes containing a silver coin and one child got to feed the dragon a cabbage which it promptly spat out all over them! The red envelopes are said to bring good luck. The children thoroughly enjoyed the show and you could hear exclamations of, “It was amazing” and “I nearly got eaten!” as they left the hall. The dance really inspired the children for their week’s learning all about China. It is a really exciting week where the children will eat Chinese food, learn some of the language, find out about Chinese history and create Chinese items in DT, including terracotta warriors and puppets representing the signs of the New Year!

Year 5 history re-enactment

We immersed ourselves in Tudor life for an afternoon when we experienced what it would have been like to live within the 1530’s as peasants. Mrs Axelson and 2 of her colleagues, who regularly take part in re-enactments, came to work with us. Tents were set up, along with a campfire for cooking, on the field. The children were able to examine many items including clothing: hats, helmets, tabards and chainmail as well as weaponry including arrows, longbows and knives. The knives would have had a multi-functional purpose for defence as well as for every day use. We watched the archers in action and they had a competition to loosen 10 arrows on target within a minute. We were led to believe that arrows were shot however this was not so. Loosening or to let go of the arrow from the bow was what it was known as. We thoroughly enjoyed this. The children were lucky enough to try on some of the hats and helmets. We learnt that it would have been disrespectful not to have worn a hat or to have covered your head at this time in history.

The pottage (vegetable soup) that was slowly cooking on the campfire and smelt delicious. The children were informed about the ingredients that would have been used- home grown swedes, carrots, onions and any other root vegetables but not potatoes! Did you know that carrots didn’t used to be orange? They used to be purple or white. Rarely did they eat meat, only if their landowner was feeling generous.

The Pottage

The children finished the afternoon by going inside the tents to examine how much living space they would have actually had. It turned out to be very little.

We all had a brilliant afternoon. The children, who already had some understanding of life as a peasant, felt that they really understood how tough life would have actually been. We would like to say an immense thank you to Mrs Axelson and her colleagues.

sports round up

This half term.....

Dinner menu

Week one

  • Monday - Homemade cottage pie with gravy, cheese and potato pie, sweetcorn and salad bar, iced cherry chocolate slice, fresh fruit or yoghurt
  • Tuesday - Homemade sausage and bean casserole, ravioli, carrots and salad bar, marble sponge and custard, fresh fruit or yoghurt
  • Wednesday - Roast pork with apple sauce, quorn sausage, roast potatoes, mixed vegetables and salad bar, strawberry ice cream, fresh fruit or yoghurt
  • Thursday – Chicken and sweetcorn pasta, jacket potato with tuna or cheese, garden peas and salad bar, assorted biscuits, fresh fruit or yoghurt
  • Friday - Beef burger in a bun, quorn burger in a bun, chips, baked beans and salad bar, jam doughnut, fresh fruit or yoghurt

Week two

  • Monday – Sausage roll, crispy vegetable bake, creamy mash, green beans & salad bar, rice pudding & jam
  • Tuesday – Homemade chilli con carne, jacket potato with baked beans and cheese, 1/2 a jacket potato, baked beans & salad bar, jam sponge & custard
  • Wednesday – Roast chicken, cheesy ravioli, roast potatoes, mixed vegetables & salad bar, ice cream tub
  • Thursday – Sausage pasta bake, neapolitan pasta with crusty bread, sweetcorn & salad bar, cherry pie & custard
  • Friday – Cod fish fingers, vegetable fingers, chip, wholemeal spaghetti & salad bar, warm waffles with ice cream

Available daily

  • Cold packed lunch
  • Cool milk
  • Chilled water
  • Wholemeal and white bread
  • Fresh fruit and yoghurt

Reminders

Please remember

Dates for the diary

  • Monday 25th February - KS2 choir Southend Makes Music rehearsals & performance - 7pm
  • Wednesday 27th February - KS1 Cross country at Garons - 12.30 - 2.45pm
  • Thursday 28th February - Girls' Netball B team vs. St Georges - 3.20pm
  • Friday 1st March - Dance Festival at Garons - 9 - 12noon
  • Monday 4th March - Friday 8th March - Book Fair
  • Monday 4th March - Yr 3/4 Sports Hall Athletics at Garons - 9 - 12noon
  • Tuesday 5th March - Yr 5/6 Sports Hall Athletcis at Garons - 9 - 12.30pm
  • Wednesday 6th March - Yr 5/6 Girls' netball competition at Garons - 9.30 - 3pm
  • Thursday 7th March - Ash Wednesday assembly with David Pierce
  • Yr 4 Chance to Shine Cricket
  • Yr 5/6 Boys' football vs. Milton Hall (away)
  • Monday 11th March - Friday 15th March - NFER tests
  • Tuesday 12th March - Table Tennis vs. Chalkwell Hall (home)
  • Wednesday 13th March - Owls open session - 10.30 - 11.30am
  • Robins open session - 1.45 - 2.45pm
  • KS2 Boys' football vs. St Pierre School (home)
  • Thursday 14th March - Netball B Comp at Alleyn Court - 4 - 5.30pm
  • Friday 15th March - Reception height, weight, vision and hearing checks
  • Monday 18th March - Friday 22nd March - Nfer tests
  • Tuesday 19th March - Yr 5/6 Girls' netball vs Our Lady of Lourdes - 3.30pm (away)
  • Thursday 21st March - Southend Diving Yr 2/3
  • Isle of Wight meeting - 3.15pm
  • Friday 22nd March - Yr 2 Infant Music Festival - 12.30 - 3pm
  • Tuesday 26th March - PTA Mother's Day sale during the day
  • Wednesday 27th March - EYFS Disco - 1.30pm
  • Yr 1-2 Disco 2-3pm
  • Yr 3 - 4 Disco - 3.30-4.30pm
  • Yr 5-6 Disco 4.45-5.45pm
  • Thursday 28th March - Portico Spelling Bee final Yr 3-6 finalists
  • PTA Mothers Day sale after school
  • Friday 29th March - PTA mothers day sale after school
  • Tuesday 2nd April - Parents Evening - 3.30-5.30pm
  • Portico Football Competition at Hamstel - 3.30 - 4.30pm
  • Wednesday 3rd April - Yr 5/6 Hi-5 Netball at Garons - 9-3pm
  • Parents Evening - 3.30-7.30pm
  • Thursday 4th April - KS1 Portico Tag Rugby competition at Hamstel
  • Friday 5th April - Break up for Easter

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