Abbey Lens a year in review 2019-20

BB6Y LENS September 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. One Excellence Through Partnership

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Hello! 6th Year of our Abbey Lens

MEET THE STAFF Fun, short videos that introduce some of our staff. http://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/whos- who/ CALENDAR OF EVENTS Planned out for the year, including a link to add the dates to your smart device. http://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/diary/ grid/2017/09/ OUR CURRICULUM A detailed guide to the national curriculum and how we tailor it for our children. http://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/parent- guide-to-the-national-curriculum/ KIDS’ ZONE Educational based games that change every month supporting many areas of the curriculum http://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/special/ kidszone/ CLASS PAGES Year group pages and lots of great events that our children have taken part in. http://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/topic/ class-pages ON-LINE SAFETY Advice and guidance for parents on keeping our children safe in the ever growing technological world. http://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/useful- links/

Have you got a paragraph of good news to share? Write in under 100 words, attach a picture and your story may be published.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk All submissions to of fi ce@abbey-

jun.sandwell.sch.uk or of fi ce@abbey-inf.sandwell.sch.uk

BB6Y LENS September 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Two Excellence Through Partnership

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Keeping safe On-line information

THINK YOU KNOW? We would like to share some websites, that are useful for parents that contain a wealth of free information and resources to help you keep your child safe online: http://parentinfo.org/ https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ https://parentzone.org.uk/ https://www.internetmatters.org/ https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping- children-safe/online-safety/ A new mobile game, ‘Harry Potter: Wizards Unite’ has been launched and dubbed as the new ‘Pokemon Go’ there are a few safety considerations that parents need to be aware of. Parentzone has published an article with top tips. https://parentzone.org.uk/article/harry-potter-wizards- unite-what-parents-should-know-about-mobile-game Safeguarding children online is everyone’s responsibility. Here are a few tips that might help you to protect your child. If you would like further advice or support then please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher, or our ICT guru, Mr Oakes. • Are parental controls set on your broadband and on all devices including PCs, tablets, phones, TV, gaming devices? • Talk regularly to your child about how they can keep safe online and what to do if they are worried about something. • Are your online accounts’ passwords protected so only you know them? • Does your child use Facebook or other social media and messaging apps? • Set your homepage to a child friendly site and ensure, if your child has an account, it has strict parental controls. • Make sure children are online in a place you can keep an eye on them. • Ensure children only have access to age-appropriate games, fi lms, TV programmes. • If your children use on-line gaming or chat, keep reminding them that those who purport to be children, may not be.

Have you got a paragraph of good news to share? Write in under 100 words, attach a picture and your story may be published. All submissions to of fi ce@abbey-jun.sandwell.sch.uk or of fi ce@abbey-inf.sandwell.sch.uk

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS September 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Three Excellence Through Partnership

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Archaeologists! Exploring history

EGYPT On Friday 6th September, it was Y5’s Egyptian Day. ‘Doc’ came in, he’s an archaeologist. First he talked about how Egypt civilisation started and showed us lots of artefacts. We had two different activities in the classrooms, one learning and using Egyptian measurement and the second playing an ancient board game. Finally, we got to see and learn about the ceremony to mummify an Egyptian Pharaoh. We also got to play an Egyptian game knocking down fake animals (5P won). Unfortunately the day had to end and ‘Doc’ had to go. Thanks to Phoebe K, Ella B, Jessica H and Kadiyatou T for the story. BABY ITEMS Do you have any baby carriers/slings or other baby items you could donate to help new mothers currently based in Greek refugee camps? We are collecting baby items to support an emergency call from Lesvos via Hope and CARE UK Charity (Refugee aid NW). In September, so far, over 100 babies have been born in the camp, and provisions are running extremely low. They’re in need of: slings/carriers, bottles, blankets, clothes, sleep suits, snowsuits, prams/buggies, nappies, wipes Can you help to spread the word or donate items? A container will be going out in the fi rst week of October so time is short. If you can help, items can be dropped off at Thimblemill library in Bearwood by Friday 27th September latest. Thanks so much!

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS September 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Four Excellence Through Partnership

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War! Exploring history

WW2 At the beginning of the new term, Y6 went to Weston Park to learn about what life was like to live in Britain during WW2. When we arrived we were welcomed by three kind volunteers who were going to show us a glimpse of life back in 1940s wartime Britain. First we went into the hall and acquired our gas mask boxes that we needed to carry at all times. After that, we went went to see a dirty cramped Anderson Shelter before receiving our ration booklets and watching a short fi lm. When we fi nished, we went back to the hall to have our lunch. Having fi nished our lunch, we went back upstairs to learn about gas masks and make medals out of clay. With our medals safely in our bags, we tried on some WW2 clothing. This was really fun and we had a superb time. Thanks to Katherine W & Thomas A for the story. BE S.M.A.R.T Can you help us by reinforcing our e-safety messages? The Abbey website has a host of useful links and two ‘buttons’ on our homepage. We want all of our children to know about and act on the ‘safer internet messages’. Please take some time to help our children stay safe by talking about good internet habits.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS October 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Five Excellence Through Partnership

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Light! Community procession

REFUGEE Come to the ‘Procession of Light’ on Saturday 19th October, from 5pm. There will be food, music, poetry and stalls in aid of Bearwood Action for Refugees. All this will be taking place by the fountain in Warley Woods. At 6pm we will sing and walk with our torches, through the beautiful woods and the trees will be covered in thrilling lanterns. All ages are welcome and it’s amazing fun! See you there and remember to bring your torch. Thanks to Eliza in Y4 for the story.

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BB6Y LENS October 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Six Excellence Through Partnership

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Spuds! Community help

PEELER POWER Joshua in 5F has been volunteering for Bearwood Action for Refugees’ Community Lunch, making lots of lovely apple crumbles and being a champion potato-peeler! As well as lunch prepared by volunteers, a number of local organisations volunteer their services to run workshops such as music, drama, storytelling, yoga, play and crafts for our guests. If you're part of a local organisation who might want to run a workshop, please contact bearwoodactionforrefugees@gmail.com

Thanks to Joshua’s mum for the story COMEBACK KIDS

Abbey Junior football team have started their football season with two away games against Holy Trinity and Lightwoods Primary. Their fi rst game together saw them trail 3-0 in the fi rst half to Holy Trinity. A slow start but the boys were not giving up. The second half saw the team galvanise and romp to a 5-3 victory! Away at Lightwoods again saw the home team get into an early lead, leaving Abbey 2-0 down at half time. Once again the team fought hard and played some exciting football. They scored early in the second half to start yet another comeback and Captain Tayler Robinson scored a fantastic last minute equaliser to ensure Abbey remain unbeaten! Final score 2-2. Well done boys!

Thanks to Miss Hinton for the story

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BB6Y LENS October 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Seven Excellence Through Partnership

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Topic taster! History time.

BLAST FROM THE PAST A trip to the Black Country Living Museum proved to be a great introduction into year 1’s topic - The Victorians. Each class had a super time exploring and comparing modern day toys to those that children would have played with, in Victorian times. Visits into the houses, the sweet shop and the chemist, to name a few, provided the children with a wealth of information and an opportunity to ask and answer history based questions. A trip back in time to what it would have been like in a Victorian school room was both enlightening and entertaining. We think Mrs. Goldie and Miss Rouse will think twice about wearing nail polish to school on our Victorian dress up day in December! Thanks to Mrs Phillips for the story.

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BB6Y LENS October 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Eight Excellence Through Partnership

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Community Spirit Working to support others

SMETHWICK FOODBANK HARVEST APPEAL Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. A simple box of food makes a big difference, with foodbanks helping prevent crime, housing loss, family breakdown and mental health problems. Schools, churches, businesses and individuals donate non- perishable, in-date food to a foodbank. Large collections often take place as part of Harvest Festival celebrations and food is also collected at supermarkets. Abbey is supporting our local food bank and even one donation can make a difference. Last year we collected over 1000kg of donations and our local foodbank was really appreciative. Let’s see if everyone can bring in one item. FUNDRAISE FOR FREE We need your help! If you shop online, please could you sign up to easyfundraising to support our school? It’s a really easy way to raise money for us – you just use the easyfundraising site to shop online with more than 3,300 well known online stores like Amazon, Argos, John Lewis, ASOS, Booking.com, eBay, Boden, and M&S. When you make a purchase, the retailer sends us a free donation, at no extra cost to you. We want to raise as much as possible, so please visit our new easyfundraising page at https:// www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ abbeyinfantjuniorsch/ and click ‘support us’. Since October 2018, following these links has raised £175 for our school

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS October 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Nine Excellence Through Partnership

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Park nicely PCSO work

PAINFUL PARKING Our new recruits of Police Community Support Of fi cers (PCSO) have started.They will be working hard this year to help our school and the community. One of their roles is to promote safer parking around our school at arrival and collection time. We have over 700 children and families who attend our school and we need our parents and carers, who use a car to travel to school, to know about the parking restrictions and safety measures that we have in place. If you breech any of the restrictions and don't follow the rules of the road then you are in danger of causing injury or fatalities to a child. Our Junior PCSO have been on patrol this term and during their operation, they handed out advice lea fl ets. For those drivers who are breaking the law, we have passed on vehicle registration numbers to the police.Here are some helpful tips if you travel to school in a car: Double yellow lines - no parking at any time. Those with the additional line that is drawn on the pavement indicate that there is no stopping and no parking for a drop off. A single yellow line means that restrictions are in place. There is no parking here between the times indicated on the sign. There is no parking between 8am and 4pm near our school. The zig-zag lines and message clearly indicate that there is NO PARKING - this is to keep the area clear and improve visibility, so that children can cross the road safely.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS October 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Ten Excellence Through Partnership

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Food origins! Where does it come from?

GET PICKING This week, Year 3 have had an amazing time at Hatton Adventure World! They packed so many activities into one day. From picking their own sweetcorn for tea, to feeding the cute guinea pigs a crunchy carrot. The day started by visiting ‘Snakes and Tails’- where we all had the opportunity to hold a giant boa constrictor. He was huge and very heavy. His skin was very smooth. We also met a very friendly chameleon who loved to be stroked. We then went to the falconry centre. We met Cobweb, the barn owl. Lots of us had the opportunity to hold him with the special falconry glove. He fl ew so close to us – he was probably showing off a little, to try to get as much food as possible. Next, we went to the fi elds where we picked our own sweetcorn. The children noticed that they looked so different from when they have seen them in the shops. We then had the opportunity to feed the animals- goats, donkeys and pigs. One of the donkeys we met was 60 years old – possibly the oldest in the country. He was very noisy! The children were then able to stroke and feed the super cute guinea pigs. The baby guinea pigs were all squeaking! We all had a fantastic day out and learnt so much about where our food comes from and how to care for animals. Thanks to Miss. Bevan for the story.

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BB6Y LENS October 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Eleven Excellence Through Partnership

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Guinness! World record holders.

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BB6Y LENS November 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Twelve Excellence Through Partnership

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N.E.W.S! Never Eat Shredded Wheat.

INTER-COMPETITION On Tuesday 22nd October 2019 Year 5 and 6 took part in a day of competition. Working to earn points for their houses; Morris, Jordan, Moore and Seaton. The theme of the day was ‘teamwork’, one of the key values or soft-skills that we teach through PE & school sport at Abbey and across our curriculum. Orienteering was the chosen activity for the day. The children had worked together to complete an outdoor orienteering course using a map and an indoor challenge using a compass. Whilst the children raced around together in a bid to complete each challenge, it was clear that they needed no encouragement to give it their all. The competitive nature of our Year 5 and 6 children was clear for all to see - and so was the enjoyment on their faces! A fantastic day from start to fi nish with all four houses amassing whopping score totals. House winners for the say were: "Orienteering was really fun!! It was nice to have the chance to try something new and do things we wouldn't usually do. I want to do it again, I can't wait!" MW Year 5. "I enjoyed working with people that I wouldn't usually work with. We worked well as a team and used good communication skills to listen to each other and make sure everyone had a fair say. It was really fun competing against children in our own school." KW Year 6. Thanks to Miss. Hinton for the story. Y5: MORRIS Y6: MOORE

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BB6Y LENS November 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Thirteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Go West(on)! Oh I do like to be beside the seaside.

CONTRASTING AREA On Thursday, Year 2 visited Weston-Super- Mare as part of their Katie Morag topic. We arrived in Weston and did the most important thing fi rst… had lunch! A little bit of a difference to our normal lunchtime though, as we ate our food on the promenade looking at the sea. Once fi nished, we all went onto the the beach to play in the sand, run around in the sea air and of course have a ride on the donkeys. This was so exciting! Following on, we left the beach and walked up to and along the pier, pointing out human and physical features on the way. After a long walk up the pier, we had a well deserved ice cream at the top! Last but not least, we couldn't visit the seaside without having some chips. We walked back to the sea-front and enjoyed the lovely view of the sea again whilst eating them. Overall, the children, staff and parent helpers all had a wonderful day and there were smiles all round!

Thanks to Mrs. Yale for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS November 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Fourteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Thursday night fever. Dancing fun.

DISCO FUN The autumn half-term fi nished with hundreds of children enjoying Halloween themed discos on both sites. An amazing myriad of creative costumes added to the atmosphere. Dancing and having a great time helped to cheer everyone up at the end of a wet week. HARVEST ASSEMBLIES Children revelled in performing our chosen Harvest songs during split year-group assemblies. Parents generously donated items of food for our local food-bank. All contributions are very much appreciated by the school and the food-bank. Our local food bank reports that it is busy as ever and the demand continues to rise. Thank you to all our children and families for helping and giving. BLUE PETER BADGE Congratulations to Erin in Y3! She has been working hard and has been rewarded with a Blue Peter badge! Blue Peter badges can be used to gain free entry to over 200 Blue Peter attractions through the UK.

Ask Erin about her Norwegian Forest Cat- Darth Vader - when you see her!

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS November 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Fifteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Net-aware? https://www.net-aware.org.uk/newsletter/

TEAM The NSPCC and O2 have ‘teamed up’ to create a whole host of resources to help parents understand the vast range of apps and games, where children can access chat and share their on-line digital footprint. The picture images are the current top 49 accessed on-line content in the UK for our children. The net-aware website contains great advice on supporting and checking our children to be safe on-line. One approach the NSPCC/O2 are using is the T.E.A.M tactic for home. Talk to your child regularly about what they’re doing online and how to stay safe. Let them know they can come to you or another trusted adult if they’re feeling worried or upset by anything they have seen. Explore your child’s online activities together. Understand why they like playing certain games and make sure they know what they can do to keep themselves safe. Agree your own rules as a family when using sites, apps and games. Manage your technology and use the settings available to keep your child safe. If you need support doing this, you can visit an O2 Guru in- store or call the Advice Line on 0808 800 5002.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS November 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Sixteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Special people! EYFS workshop

SMART DAY Nursery and Reception had a wonderful time during their Smarty Arts Workshop celebrating what was great about themselves and making some new friends. They talked about why they were special and what was special about their new friends. They moved in lots of different ways including: dancing, running, jumping, skipping and they even pretended to swim! The children counted and sang about animals as they jumped off the ‘trampoline’ and butter fl ies on their fi ngers. A fantastic time was had by all! Thanks to Mrs. Gould for the story. COMMUNITY SPIRIT Ella from 4S has been litter picking around the woods. She has done this herself, with her Nan, because it will help save the environment. She started it when she went to the woods and saw rubbish on the fl oor and thought this might endanger the animals. She started by just picking up 3 pieces of rubbish every day and it has just carried on! Thanks to Ella for the story.

[Ed - Well done Ella, a great example to everyone!]

EVEN MORE SPIRIT On the 14 th November 2019, 13 th Smethwick Brownies got together and did a 'Bring and Buy' sale for ‘Children In Need’. In total, we successfully raised £50 including extra donations from family and friends. The money has been given to ‘Children In Need’ and we hope it will help many children across the UK. A number of children across Abbey attend 13 th Smethwick Brownies and they all helped to ensure we reached the jaw-dropping total. Thanks to Amelia D in 5P for the story.

[Ed - Well done Amelia and other Brownies, another great example to everyone!]

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BB6Y LENS November 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Seventeen Excellence Through Partnership

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Zulu! The Mighty Zulu Nation visit Abbey

HIGH ENERGY The Zulu Nation were really good at dancing and their singing was really loud. The children enjoyed their show and were laughing a lot. They were very impressive. They impressed the children with their clothes too. I would really like to thank them for coming to our school.

Thanks to Martha in 2J for the story.

BHANGRA As part of our ‘Celebrations’ topic, Reception took part in Bhangra Dancing with Sohan! They practised their dance moves to different music. They had lots of fun. They even copied different puppet animals dancing. The children were excited to dress up in special clothes and they looked lovely.

Thanks to Miss. Saghir for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS November 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Eighteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Eatwell! What makes a good plate?

BALANCE On the last day of Autumn 1, Year 3 were visited by nurses who talked to them about the ’Eatwell Guide’. We have been studying healthy eating during our Topic this term - ‘All About Me’. The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. The nurses explained that you do not need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try to get the balance right over a day or even a week. The nurses said that most of us still are not eating enough fruit and vegetables. They should make up over a third of the food we eat each day. We should aim to eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg each day. Choose from fresh, frozen, tinned, dried or juiced. Fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fi bre. We learnt about the correct portion sizes. We talked about how carbohydrates give us energy; protein helps to repair our muscles and fi sh has omega 3, which is good for our brain. Dairy food is a sources of calcium, which is good for our bones and teeth. We need some fats in our diet – but not too much!

Thanks to Miss. Bevan for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS November 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Nineteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Outdoor adventure! Year 6 residential trip.

CHALLENGE YOURSELF The fi rst week of November saw Year 6 pupils away from home for the week, staying in North Wales. Plas Gwynant is at the heart of outdoor education and adventure in the Snowdonia National Park, North Wales. Based at the foot of the highest peak in Wales, the centre combines the power and magic of the natural env i ronment wi th the cha l l enge o f adventurous activities to inspire young people; helping them to recognise what they are capable of achieving.

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BB6Y LENS December 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty Excellence Through Partnership

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Slumber fun! Roald Dahl theme

MARVELLOUS MEDICINE "On Friday, Year 4 had a slumber party. We did lots of fun activities including: a visit to granny's house (the theme was George's Marvellous Medicine). There was also a Charlie and the Chocolate factory sweet race. We also had a treasure hunt. We were so lucky, we had hot chocolate and cookies and then fi reworks to end the night. Year 4 all got to wear their nice, warm pyjamas. At the end, we were really sad to leave, but relieved that we were away from that horrible granny!” Thanks to Keavagh, Hannah and Ella in 4S for the story. SAFER STREETS Thank you to all the children across the school for taking part in Road Safety Week 2019. This year the campaign encouraged children to think about how they walk, cycle or travel in cars to school safely. The children were engaged as road safety issues that affect them directly; such being a good passenger in a car; using the green cross code and parking with consideration near the school . The Abbey Junior PCSOs were joined by PCSO Pardoe and PCSO Bagnall for a safer parking patrol. We complete these patrols to offer a regular reminder to our parents and carers about safe parking near our school. The zig-zag lines outside the schools and the double lines, with curb marking, cannot be used for drop-offs or parking during the school day. Let’s continue to work together to provide a safe environment for our children. Thanks to Mrs. Flanagan for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS December 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty one Excellence Through Partnership

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Be a buddy! Not a bully.

ODD SOCKS On Tuesday 12th November, Abbey held Odd Socks Day to support Anti-Bullying week 2019. Pupils wore ‘odd socks’ to celebrate what makes us all unique. Whether it is verbal, physical, online or in-person, bullying has a signi fi cant impact on a child’s life well in to adulthood. Together with the Anti-Bullying Alliance, Abbey pledged to show simple acts of kindness; showing compassion; smiling; being a good friend; listening to others and stopping to think before we say a hurtful words. Or hitting ‘like’ on a hurtful social media post, can create a safe and happy school, for everyone. At Abbey we have two anti-bullying messages; ‘Be A Buddy Not A Bully’ and ‘Abbey Let’s Start S.T.O.P’. The STOP message helps us to have an assertive phrase; ‘STOP! I don’t like that’. S.T.O.P helps us to de fi ne bullying; Several Times On Purpose and it helps children to decide what to do if they feel that they are being bullied; Start Telling Other People . VOICE OF AN ANGEL On Friday afternoon, I sang the ‘aaah ahh’ bit in the snow fl ake scene of The Nutcracker with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, as part of Ex Cathedra Academy of Vocal Music. I had to wear all black and go down into the orchestra pit to sing. I will be singing in a couple of the matinee performances at weekends – if you go along to the ballet, listen out for me singing! If you’d like to be part of this fantastic experience next year with me, you can search online for Ex Cathedra Academy of Vocal Music to fi nd out about my choir. Thanks to Sopie-Rose in 3MW for the story.

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BB6Y LENS December 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty two Excellence Through Partnership

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Victorian Doll Making together

GETTING STUCK IN Year 1 had a fantastic time on our ‘Be Brave Day’ - creating their Victorian spoon doll. The children used their mock designs and replicated them alongside their parents with great enthusiasm. Both children and parents were very imaginative and creative, using various pieces of material, sequins and lace to create their dolls. The atmosphere was great, as children and parents got stuck in to bringing their design to life.

Thanks to Miss. Gill for the story.

GET READING! Miss. Bevan (David Walliams’ favourite teacher) managed to scoop a message for our Y3, in- between fi lming news events for his latest musical. How she did it remains a mystery and she’s probably Y3’s favourite teacher too! See the clip at https://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/abbey-blog/

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BB6Y LENS December 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty three Excellence Through Partnership

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Victorious Role play day

GETTING STUCK IN Children in Year 1 have enjoyed a fun-packed Victorian experience. During the morning sessions, Miss Gill transformed into the ‘Baker’ and worked hard with the children to produce a tasty bread roll to enjoy at home. Mrs. Donnelly became the strict Victorian teacher - ‘Miss Donnelly’ (female teachers were not permitted to marry). The children practised Copperplate handwriting and copied stitch work, to produce a fancy sampler. Some children understood the joke about her wooden ruler named ‘Victoria’, as she was a wonderful ruler! Miss Hinton was the disciplined P.E teacher who put the children through their paces with traditional Victorian drill practice. After lunch, the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed with children enjoying playing parlour games; working together to make paper chains; playing with wooden toys and producing their own stick puppets. A big thank you to all of those who made a huge effort to make this a splendid and truly memorable day for all – including parents, who dressed their children in brilliant Victorian costumes.

Thanks to Mrs. Donnelly for the story.

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BB6Y LENS December 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty four Excellence Through Partnership

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Boccia KS1 ball battle

TEAM COMPETITION On Thursday 5th December, KS1 hosted a competition day. Each class was divided into their house colours and took part in a new sport called Boccia. Boccia is a Paralympic sport, similar to Boules. A ‘jack’ is played onto the court and teams battle it out to get their ‘Boccia balls’ closest to the jack. At the end of the game the winning team get points for every ball they have closer to the jack than the opposing team. The children really enjoyed learning about the diversity of the Paralympics and how the game of Boccia is played. As soon as the competition had begun the enthusiasm and excitement was clear to see. The children cheered each other on and played with big smiles on their faces. At the end of the day the children came together to fi nd out which house scored the most points. All participants received a sports award for their efforts.

Well done KS1! Scores:

Year 1: Joint 1st place - Red, Yellow & Blue. 2nd Place - Green

Year 2: 1st Place - Yellow. 2nd Place - Green. Joint 3rd Place - Red & Blue

Thanks to Miss. Hinton for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB6Y LENS December 2019 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty fi ve Excellence Through Partnership

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Crib service Travelling Mary and Joseph

ADVENT The school linked with St Hilda’s Church and joined the Bearwood journey for Mary and Joseph. To mark the long journey made by Mary and Joseph, as they travelled to Bethlehem, local residents have taken their very own Mary and Joseph on a journey across Bearwood. The travelling fi gures are journeying from home-to home during advent and photos of their travels will be used in this year’s ‘Crib Service’. School children and their families are invited to this child- friendly service for carols and a story to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Tuesday 24th December at 3pm at St Hilda’s Church.

Thanks to Mrs. Flanagan for the story.

MEET THE PRESIDENT Kurts made a visit to the London Latvian Embassy to meet the president of Latvia. This was to showcase what experiences our family have been sharing in England. It was massive honour for our family to have been invited to go and meet the president. I’m a teacher for local Latvian community kids. We came up with a project to work together to decorate the main Christmas tree in the Latvian embassy. Eight Latvian schools from all over England took part. Children made beautiful decorations for the Christmas tree and none of the children knew that the president would surprise them! It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and as a family our cultural background is very important to us. It was a lovely experience for all of us. Especially for Kurts!

Thanks to Kurts’ mum for the story.

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BB6Y LENS January 2020 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty six Excellence Through Partnership

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Theatre Icy acting

SNOW QUEEN Year two had an exciting trip to the Old Rep Theatre last week to watch The Snow Queen. They thoroughly loved the show, clapping and singing along to all of the songs. Year 2 were on the edge of their seats as they followed the children on their journey to stop the Snow Queen carrying out her evil plan.

Thanks to Mrs. Johnson for the story.

NURSING HOME At Beechcroft, we sang Christmas carols to the elderly. We sang songs like: Sparkle and Shine, Little Donkey and Jingle Bells. But that wasn't all we sang. We had a few volunteers who played their instruments to accompany the music. We had a violin, guitar and a trumpet. The elderly loved it and smiled with glee. We asked the elderly to sing along to Jingle Bells. We had some speakers to introduce the songs. We had a wonderful time singing to them. After we fi nished, they gave us a drink and a tub of sweets to say thank you. It was extremely lovely to share our Christmas spirit. Thanks to Sawyer, Olivia and Alice in 4V for the story. [Ed - Y4 also raised money by baking and selling cakes. The money was used to buy hygiene products at the request of Beechcroft Nursing Home, wrapped and delivered as presents - well done Y4]

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BB6Y LENS January 2020 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty seven Excellence Through Partnership

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Caricatures! New topic sketches

DRAW IT

On Wednesday 8 th January, Year 3 had a visit from Chrissy Marshall, a.k.a. ‘Sensible Pencil’. Chrissy is ‘one of Britain’s best live caricaturists’. He was invited into Abbey Juniors to help to open Year 3’s new topic for this term, ‘Superheroes’. First, the children went to the hall, where Chrissy showed them how to draw cartoon faces. He made it look so easy! The children had a go too, looking at a selection of different facial features. Later on that day, Chrissy did workshops in the classrooms, showing the children how to draw a superhero. He started off by drawing a simple stick man, then adding details. In each class, with the children’s help, he created a ‘Class Superhero’. In 3B, he created ‘Super-Bevan’ a female superhero who has elastic arms that can reach to every corner of the classroom! In 3K, he created ‘Super Sushi’ who has the powers of fi re and ice and can help the climate. In 3MW, he created ‘Super Scooper’, the hero who cares for the planet by picking up litter and throwing it all into a special portal that can recycle all the rubbish! The children were really enthused by the experience and have been using the ideas they have been given to create a fantastic display featuring their own Superheroes!

Thanks to Mrs. Bevan for the story.

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BB6Y LENS January 2020 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty eight Excellence Through Partnership

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Antipodean antics! Animals help learning

TOUCH IT Last Tuesday, Year 2 had lots of animal visitors in school! To start our Australian topic, we learnt about animals which would be most commonly found in Australia. We also had the opportunity to hold and stroke them. Everyone was very brave and enjoyed meeting some amazing animals, including: a kookaburra, snakes, a turtle, a tarantula, a lizard and scorpions! We are all very excited to learn more throughout our Australian topic!

Thanks to Mrs. Yale for the story.

KICK IT In September, I started playing football for Perrywoods United FC. We worked hard, playing in different positions and learning new skills. I helped my team to get to the fi nal by scoring a goal. Then it was time for the ‘Winter Cup Final’, Barcelona vs Roma. I brought my elf teddies for good luck. At the end of an exciting match it was 3-2 to Barcelona. Barcelona took the win. Yeah, we won like Lionel Messi.

Thanks to William in 3MW for the story.

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BB6Y LENS January 2020 Vol 6: Issue No. Twenty nine Excellence Through Partnership

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Voices combine! Charity performance

SING IT On Wednesday 15th January, the junior choir participated in Young Voices. This is a concert which takes place at Resorts World Arena where lots of different schools join together to form one, united choir of more than 6000 people! Our children sang beautifully, danced away, behaved amazingly and were brilliant role models for our school. We performed a range of songs, some of which were sang alongside famous singers including Ruti, a winner of The Voice, and Tony Hadley, former lead singer in Spandau Ballet. The children also got to dance with Urban Strides, whose performances left them in awe! Thank you to all of the parents who managed to go and support the children at the concert and even join in at times! A fantastic evening had by all and well done to all of the performers!

Thanks to Mrs. Yale for the story.

PLAY IT AGAIN (AGAIN!) Bonneeve Braich-Bains (5F) achieved a distinction in her musical theatre grade 2 exam with an amazing 98/100. We are very proud of her.

Thanks to Bonneeve’s mum for the story.

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BB6Y LENS January 2020 Vol 6: Issue No. Thirty Excellence Through Partnership

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Slime! Sublime Science

EXPERIMENTATION Year 1 had a fantastic Science day! The day ‘kicked off ’ with a gross investigation to fi nd out where the dirtiest place in our classroom was. We used a slice of bread to wipe the area and we will then observe over time which slice of bread becomes the mouldiest. As the day continued, the excitement continued! We began creating different experiments which consisted of making lava lamps, helicopters and creating colour changes. We saved the best ‘till last and investigated the effects of air, as we watched rockets fl y into the sky and listened to how air travels through objects to create different sounds. To top off a fun- fi lled day we made slime! Thanks to Miss Gill for the story. FORE! On Thursday 23rd January, Year 3 & 4 had the opportunity to represent their 'Houses' in a Tri- Golf competition day. Each class took part in a variety of golf activities and worked hard to score as many points for their house as possible. For many, it was something new that they had never tried before. Some had previously taken part in a golf after-school club and a handful had made use of our local golf club at Warley Woods. All of the children really enjoyed the golf, being active and competing with their friends. The competition was run by Year 6 leaders who helped organise the activities and keep score through out the day. They were very enthusiastic and great at helping the year 3 & 4 children improve their skills. A fantastic day all round! Winning houses: Y3 - Morris and in Y4 - Jordan

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BB6Y LENS February 2020 Vol 6: Issue No. Thirty one Excellence Through Partnership

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Masks! WW2 workshop

FINISHING THE TOPIC Just before Christmas, we took part in an inspiring WW2 workshop where we made gas masks and the boxes that people had to carry them around in. We used these the following week when we dressed up as local evacuees. As one of our activities, we tried to fi gure out how to use a fi re extinguisher from the olden days- simply a pump. We played games such as coin-toss, hop-scotch and marbles. During the day, we entered the basement to hear the sounds of bombers and air-raids taking place. We even tried to learn the different engine noises of British and German fi ghters. Thanks to Camille, Kayleigh and Katherine in 6V for the story. 5,4,3,2,1…BLAST OFF Last week, year 5 went on a trip to the NSC (National Space Centre). There was a life-size rocket called Thor, which had 60 years of fl ight. There was a glass lift where you could get a closer look at the rocket. At each level, there were lots of interesting things on display, including: a piece of the moon; shooting water rockets game and a place to look at the stars. Thrilled and excited, amazed and exhilarated, the planetarium was a 360 degrees cinema where we watched a short fi lm called 'Astronauts'- this was our favourite part of the day. After eating, we went to a workshop where we learnt more facts about the solar system and we got to make phases of the moon wheel. Lastly, there was a gift shop with so many fantastic souvenirs including actual space food! We had such a great day and learnt so much. Thanks to Ella B, Jessica H, Olly M, Lewis T, and Jessica Q for the story

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BB6Y LENS February 2020 Vol 6: Issue No. Thirty two Excellence Through Partnership

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Hair we go! Hair today and gone tomorrow

CHARITY CUT

Olivia Crockford of 4RC had been growing her hair for some time but decided that she wanted a change. She asked her Mom and Dad if she could have it cut short and decided to donate the long locks to charity to help children who suffer from hair loss due to illness. Olivia had 13" cut off, which was placed in a bag and sent to 'The Little Princess Trust'. We are all very proud of Olivia and now she has less hair to fi t under her swimming cap.

Thanks to Olivia’s dad for the story.

MAN OF THE MATCH

I started playing for Tividale Colts in August. I was really excited to start playing matches and I’ve made lots of friends in the team. On Sunday 26th January; we had to play in the pouring rain, on a very muddy pitch. But I was so pleased that not only did I score, but I also got Man of the Match.

Thanks to Reuben in 4RC for the story.

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BB6Y LENS February 2020 Vol 6: Issue No. Thirty three Excellence Through Partnership

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Open the book! Volunteer assembly

WARLEY CHURCH Over the past year, the children at Abbey have been entertained by our friends from Warley Baptist Church. Our lovely volunteers come along to an assembly each half term. They dress up, bring props and present stories through drama and narration. The children get a chance to be involved too! The project is called ‘Open the Book’ and it offers children an opportunity to hear key Bible stories, consider the message in the story and

make connections to their own lives. Thanks to Mrs. Flanagan for the story. REAL LIFE SCIENCE

Year 1 enjoyed an exciting trip to Birmingham’s Thinktank last week. There were lots of exhibits to see and hands-on activities to explore. A popular feature was the newly modi fi ed ‘Mini-Brum’ area, where the children’s life skills were put to the test – negotiating, communicating, problem-solving and working as a team. The trip enriched the children’s current learning about ‘Famous Scientists and Inventors’ and prepared them for the Summer term, where we will be learning more about our bodies and animals. Many thanks to our staff and kind volunteers who helped to look after us on the day.

Thanks to Mrs. Donnelly for the story.

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BB6Y LENS February 2020 Vol 6: Issue No. Thirty four Excellence Through Partnership

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# Free to be! Safer internet 2020

ONLINE IDENTITY Abbey signed up for ‘Safer Internet Day 2020’ on the 11th of February. This year’s theme celebrated with the idea ‘Free to be’ – looking at identity online. Safer Internet Day aims to inspire a national conver sat ion about us ing technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively. Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the celebration sees hundreds of organisations get involved. The focus is to promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. Each year at Abbey, we use Safer Internet Day to explore a new area or theme that is important to the young people we work with every day. This year we are exploring whether young people feel free to be themselves online. We will explore how young people manage their online identity, and how the internet shapes how they think of themselves and others. We want Safer Internet Day 2020 to celebrate difference and help us work towards creating a truly inclusive internet.

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