Abbey Lens Edition 2022-23 complete year

Our year in review

BB9Y LENS September 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Special Excellence Through Partnership

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2022-23 Year in review

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 office@abbey-jun.sandwell.sch.uk or office@abbey-inf.sandwell.sch.uk

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS September 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. One Excellence Through Partnership

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We’re back! 9th 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. Click here to link to our calendar 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/ 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. https://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/on-line- safety-information/

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 office@abbey-

jun.sandwell.sch.uk or office@abbey-inf.sandwell.sch.uk

BB9Y LENS September 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Two Excellence Through Partnership

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Abbey reporters! Sharing stories

WHAT’S THE NEWS? Our Abbey Lens shines a light upon curriculum, community and Abbey news. It’s a weekly journal illustrating something that has happened in our school. It enables children to write about their experiences and share with our whole community. We encourage families to share good news too. Whilst we can’t promise to publish everything, we welcome short submissions with a picture or two, to the email address in the footer. At the end of the year it’s great to look back on the experiences of the academic year. The story below came in during the last few days of the summer term and missed the last edition of 2021-22. STAR PERFORMER My name is Vanellope and I’m in year 3 (now Y4!). I am also part of Cashmore Dance school and currently a junior pupil at Junior Musical Theatre Class. In the last 2 weeks I have 3 big performance for Matilda-Revolting children, Grease and Oz the Wizard! The performance was in The Dovehouse Theatre. Really enjoyed it and looking forward for next term. [Ed - Well done Vanellope and a great way to start our new year of Abbey Lenses!]

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS September 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Three Excellence Through Partnership

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Scottish traditions! Y2 immersion day

GREAT SCOT!

Everyone in Year 2 had a fantastic day starting our Scottish related topic!

We took part in a range of activities including: making shortbread, Highland games, Crumble Tissue Nessies and drawing Highland Cows in the style of Steven Brown. We loved mixing the ingredients for our shortbread! When it was baked it was super good!

The Highland games was great fun and we especially loved ‘Tossing the Caber’.

Making our artistic Highland Cows in the style of the artist Stephen Brown and the tissue Nessies finished the day perfectly.

Thank you to all the children in 2J who helped to write this week’s story.

The real Stephen Brown art.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS September 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Four Excellence Through Partnership

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Trip advisor 10/10! Egyptian immersion

PORTALS TO THE PAST Last week, Year 5 was treated to an immersion day to kick off their History topic of The Egyptians. The best part of the day was when the presenter showed us how the Egyptians mummified people. She cracked through through the ribs and took out the organs. Did you know that the brain was taken out and fed to the dogs? Egyptian Day was amazing but we wanted it to go on longer! We would have liked to work with the lady more, Dr. Worrall. We would like to have spent time holding real mummified artefacts such as canopic jars and other Egyptian objects. Amazing facts part 1- We learnt that the Egyptians would worship the onion! Once you chopped it in half the Egyptians would think it was the Universe. Egyptian fact 2 - The stepped pyramid was the first built and the sun God was Ra.

Trip Advisor score? 10/10 because we got to learn about Egyptians, mummies and gods!

Who wouldn’t like people who worship onions Thanks to 5R who all collaborated on this story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS September 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Five Excellence Through Partnership

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Growing up Green! Community event

ARTS FESTIVAL I am a local Abbey mum and have organised a children’s arts festival celebrating action on climate change. It's called 'Growing Up Green' and I wondered if I could have a feature on the Abbey Lens today? Growing Up Green is a free Children’s Arts Festival happening in Bearwood that celebrates action on climate change as part of #TheGreatBigGreenWeek 24 September - 2 October 2022. There's so much to get involved with including eco messy play, a bird walk, tree trail, art activism workshops, performances, forest play, a toy swap and the launch of the Bearwood Welly Bank. There are sessions for children and families of all ages at Thimblemill Library, Warley Woods, Bear Bookshop and Bearwood Community Hub. The full programme is here: https:// www.growingup.green/bearwood Everything is free, come along and check it out.

www.growingup.green

Thanks to Remy & Theo’s for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS September 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Six Excellence Through Partnership

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Give small - help big! Harvest Appeal - donations to either office.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS September 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Seven Excellence Through Partnership

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The national loaf! WW2

IMMERSION On Friday 16th September, Year 6 immersed themselves in a WWII themed day. The children began the day by following a recipe used to make The National Loaf during the war, which they then baked on the afternoon after it had had chance to rise, filling the school with the delicious smell of bread. Throughout the rest of the day, the children explored WWII artefacts which included: gas masks, soldiers' helmets, ration books, newspapers and an evacuee's suitcase. These artefacts raised much discussion and fascination and Year 6 were able to create their own questions and predictions based around the artefacts. The children were then set the challenge of a World War II quiz where they learnt many fascinating yet shocking facts such as, ‘did you know that London was bombed for 57 consecutive nights during the Blitz?’ One of the most popular activities was, of course, playing the traditional games: dominos, pick up sticks, jacks, tiddlywinks and snakes and ladders. These were just some of the games that were played. To end the day, Mrs Sharp spoke to the children about Mr Sharp's 'Grandy' who fought during WW2 and what she learnt about one of our ex-pupils, during a trip to Normandy this Summer. Can you believe that the first person said to be killed on D-Day and a man considered to be a hero, with his photo displayed in Normandy, was Lieutenant Herbert Denham Brotheridge - a former Head Boy at Abbey? We couldn't believe it either! Overall, it was brilliant to see the children thoroughly enjoying the day and they all certainly looked the part dressed in their WWII costumes.

Thanks to Mrs. Yale for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS October 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Eight Excellence Through Partnership

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Kickin’ off! Football season begins

FOOTBALLIN’ GREATS On Wednesday 28 th September, Abbey competed in a Girls Football Tournament at West Bromwich Albion against schools from around the borough. The tournament was very well attended and it was great to see so many girls smiling and enjoying the beautiful game. The Abbey team were amazing throughout the competition, they showed off their football skills as well as their teamwork. They won 4 games, drew 2 and only lost 1 game all morning. For many, this was their first experience of a football tournament and it was brilliant! Well done girls!

Thanks to Miss. Hinton for the story.

E-BOOKS Did you know that you child has access to an E- book for free? For our youngest children, these books are matched to the sounds they are learning in class. Older pupils’ books are matched to their reading age, once they are fully secure in the sounds they have learnt. They can be accessed on most devices and PC/ Mac! We’d love you to check that you can log in and access the books. Using the physical books we send and these e- books for just ten minutes a day will really help develop confident and fluent readers. Please ask your child’s class teacher if you are not

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS October 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Nine Excellence Through Partnership

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We need you! PTA building back

FRIENDS OF ABBEY - PTA All parents are an automatic member of the Friends of Abbey Team! However, we are recruiting for more formal roles within our team and expanding our membership by recruiting active members. Friends of Abbey is a registered charity with the sole aim to provide experiences and resources for our children that would not otherwise be covered by school budgets. Whether this is playground markings, playground equipment, gym equipment, climbing walls, Now Press Play, stage curtains and many other beneficial resources or funded events such as the Platinum Jubilee Day we are committed to ensuring the children at our school get the very best! If you would like to be involved for half an hour, half a day or much more, then let us know what you are able to offer, and we would love you to join us. Whatever your skill set, we would love you to join us. On our website we have put the roles and responsibilities for the more formal roles, with an expression of interest form and contact details. The link can be found here Friends of Abbey (PTA) | The Federation of Abbey Infant and Abbey Junior Schools (secure-primarysite.net) Please be sure to take a look and send your completed forms by 9am on Wednesday 12th October 9am - 10am at our next meeting and AGM - held at the junior site. We look forward to working with you. 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 £1000 for our school - all for free clicks!

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS October 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Ten Excellence Through Partnership

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Pumped! Hands on hearts

DISSECTION Year 6 had the exciting opportunity to dissect a real lamb's heart. Whilst they thought we were joking at first, the reality soon hit them when they knew we were being serious and the hearts started to be delivered to their desks! So, they kitted themselves up with their safety gear and began to work! First, they labelled the external structures of the heart and spotted the 'aorta' and the 'superior vena cava' instantly! They were huge! Once the labels were complete, the fun part could commence - the dissection! They found the left and right ventricles, atrium, valves as well as the heart strings! They even put their fingers through the veins and arteries to understand the blood flow around the heart! What a better way to learn about the heart - than actually having a real one to dissect! A job well done Year 6!

Thanks to Mrs. Yale for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS October 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Eleven Excellence Through Partnership

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Open the book! Church visitors

ASSEMBLY Open the Book (OtB) offers primary school children an opportunity to hear key Bible stories told by a team of Christians from local churches, who present the stories during assemblies or acts of collective worship. Each presentation takes around 10–15 minutes and has formed a part of the assemblies/collective worship this half term. It is a three-year rolling programme with an additional, but optional year of material based on Christian values for schools. Abbey is lucky to have and welcome Reverend Jenni Cruise from St Hilda’s to lead a series of assemblies for our children. FOODBANK THANKS Thank you to all of our children and families who have generously donated to the local food bank. On behalf of everyone at Abbey and the community who benefit from the donations - thank you very much.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS November 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Twelve Excellence Through Partnership

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A dozen! It’s a goal.

WBA WINNERS On Wednesday 12 th October a team of aspiring footballers travelled to WBA to compete in a Year 3&4 girls football competition. The morning began with a warm up and a short training session with some of the WBA coaches. The team then took to the field to compete against other local schools. There were a few nerves as some of the girls had not played in a competitive match before, but the nerves soon turned to joy as they scored goal after goal. Eden Griffith (3K) came out top goal scorer with a huge total of 12 goals! The team won 7 and drew 3 out of their 10 matches and finished the day unbeaten! Abbey Junior proudly walked away with a medal for showing great teamwork. Well done girls! TOP 3 WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children record how they get to school each day on our interactive WOW Travel Tracker. If they actively travel to school, and by this, I mean walk, cycle, scoot or use a local Park and Stride, at least once a week for a month, they get rewarded with one of our collectable badges. It’s that easy!

We are currently 3rd in Sandwell!

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS November 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Thirteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Early start! Sunshine and sea.

CONTRAST Year 2 had an exciting trip to the beach in glorious sunshine, just before half-term. It was an early start, but all the children were excited and raring to go. As soon as we arrived at the beach, we completed the most important part of the day : packed lunch. Once the children were full, we ran down to the beach and started to play in the sand. There were sandcastles, roads, pictures and faces drawn all over. Then it was time to go for a ride on the donkeys. The children's faces were a picture as they went for a walk and then a trot along the beach. The children managed to work up an appetite for their final treat, so it was then time to go for a stroll along the Grand Pier- looking out for human and physical features along the way. They enjoyed a delicious whippy ice cream as they sat and looked out to sea. The children were a credit to the school with their excellent behaviour and it was lovely to get comments from passers by stating how well behaved they were. Thank you parent volunteers, for joining us and helping the children enjoy their visit.

Thank you to Mrs. Johnson for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS November 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Fourteen Excellence Through Partnership

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A grand time! Visiting theatre.

OH YES IT IS Our junior school children were visited by The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre for the day. Not only did the children complete an interactive workshop, they also managed to grab a sneak peek at this year's pantomime, Aladdin. During the workshop, they learnt about the history of pantomime; found out about some tricks of the trade (including the way good and bad characters always come on from a certain side of the stage) and joined in with some very catchy and very entertaining songs! After break, they watched part of the play and to say it was brilliant is an understatement! With lots of belly laughing and lots of cheering and booing, it's safe to say that the children, and the staff, had a fantastic time!

Thank you to Mrs. Yale for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS November 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Fifteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Warp & Weft! Workshop

WEAVING On Thursday 3 rd November, Year 2 held a parent weaving workshop. Everyone looked at the history of weaving and weaving around the world. The challenge was then to choose colours with meaning for a family tartan pattern linking to our Scotland topic. Everyone had great fun and it was fantastic to have parents in school again!

Thank you to Miss Stocking for the story.

DID YOU KNOW? The Abbey website has a whole range of resources to support children and families with mental health. This includes books, apps and practical resources.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS November 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Sixteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Bollywood ball! Bhangra Workshop

RHYTHM On Tuesday 8th November, the ‘Bhangra Man’ Sohan Kailey visited Abbey. Our Nursery and Reception classes clapped, twisted, skipped and jumped along to the rhythm of Bhangra music. There were shrieks of laughter as the children learnt the moves. Their Bhangra adventure began by discovering the magical box. What could be in the box? A hippo? Unicorns? Crocodiles? Or even a dung beetle? The children then had to search for the key. Once found, they were able to start their journey… The journey started at a farm. The children used the Bhangra moves to pick or dig the vegetables in the fields. Then, they travelled to the ocean and joined the Bhangra Pirates on the ship’s deck. The children had lots of fun joining in with the moves to scrub the ship’s deck and climb the rigging. All the children had the opportunity to dress in traditional Bhangra clothes and create their own dances.

They all had a wonderful time!

Thank you to Mrs. Bevan for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS November 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Seventeen Excellence Through Partnership

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Spoons! Victorian dolls

WORKSHOP The children in Year One have thoroughly enjoyed making a spoon doll at school this week. Many parents and carers joined in the fun, supporting their child in one of the two workshops. Children had previously designed their doll during a D&T lesson. They used their design to make their doll, paying close attention to colours, fabrics and materials that they included in their design. The final part of the D&T process will be to compare their doll to the original design and evaluate their success. Through their topic of ‘Victorians’, children are gaining a clear understanding of how their lives compare to those of children from the past. With many families living in poverty, homemade toys were popular gifts for Victorian children, including spoon and shoe dolls. Looking at the photos, I think the adults enjoyed themselves as much as their children! Here are a few messages from parents – there are too many to include and such lovely comments really makes it all worthwhile for everyone involved. Thank you so much to all of those who could attend and for making a memorable event for the children. “The spoon dolly shared experience with my daughter was fantastic. Well-organised, would love to do more of this.” “Lovely activity, fab resources and nice to be back seeing what our children are doing in school ! ” “Loved working with my child today.”

Thank you to Mrs. Donnelly for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS December 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Eighteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Jumping around! Energetic animals.

DUDLEY Y4 visited Dudley Zoo as part of their curriculum enrichment. We saw Lemurs jumping all over the place! They also showed magnificent balancing skills and got very close to us (not to mention the pooing too!). Soon after we went to see the Sea Lions which were both big but adorable. We were very lucky as we got to see a member of staff feeding the male. We also saw the energetic Chimpanzee. The Chimps swung and crashed into the windows which scared us a lot and made us jump. The Meerkats were super-cute and soft. Some were standing on rocks to look-out for birds. It was a great day and we would recommend the zoo! Thank you to Sophie T & Willow B in 4P for the story. FOOTBALL We played against other school teams from across the Black Country and had a fab morning! A tough first few games meant we got off to a slow start, but the boys persevered and battled on winning their final match 1-0 with a goal from Ollie Shorthouse. Well done boys! JUNIOR PARENT GOVERNOR Following an election, Clare Barter has been appointed to our Governing Body. Thank you to Neal Price for his four year contribution. An Infant election will be held in 2023.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS December 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Nineteen Excellence Through Partnership

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Festival of light! St Hilda’s church visit.

Y3 PERFORMING This term in Year 3 we are learning about ‘Light’ in Science, and about the symbolism of light, including who is important to us in our lives. We had the pleasure of being welcomed by our local church, St Hilda’s to celebrate Festival of Light. Children in Year 3 were excited to perform songs, poems, jokes and showcase their artwork to parents and carers. Children also shared how different races and religions use light as an important part to celebrate their festivals. It was a cloudy afternoon however the sun beamed through the windows of the church as the children sang the songs they’ve been practicing proudly to their grown-ups. Well done Year 3! You were all shining brightly that day. GRAMMAR PERFORMANCE Key Stage 1 had some exciting musical visitors to school on Friday. King Edwards Grammar School came along to showcase their musical talent. The Concert Party started with a viola and violin duet, followed by a fun trumpet and trombone duet. Finally, the clarinet took centre stage with a fascinating solo. We hope the visit will inspire our children into taking up their own choice of instrument in the future. It was great to also have feedback from the visiting teacher, who said our children were a ‘pure delight’.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS December 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty Excellence Through Partnership

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Special edition! Thank you.

MOVING ON We say a fond farewell to Mrs Broadbent, who leaves us next week to start her new, full-time job. Mrs Broadbent laughs when she reminisces how she was only going to stay at Abbey for two years and ended up staying here for fourteen years - because she enjoyed it so much. In that time, she has seen 3 headteachers, 3 different school buildings and worked with many, many children. She will be missed, but we wish her all the best for her next adventure!

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS December 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty one Excellence Through Partnership

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Wheely great! Thank you.

MOVING ON Year 5 and 6 were given an incredible opportunity to learn and play wheelchair basketball. They began by learning the basics of how to manoeuvre the wheelchairs safely. Once the safety talk was over, the children started playing some basic games to practice their control of the wheelchair. This proved a lot harder than what they thought initially and they hadn't even played basketball yet! 'Stuck in the Mud' was a real hit and got very competitive, even the teachers got involved! Andy taught the children the amended/ adapted rules for wheelchair basketball. One rule that surprised all, was instead of dribbling the ball, the children had to rest the ball in their lap and hold it with their chin whilst they manoeuvred the wheelchair. I think it shocked a lot of children how difficult it was to move the wheelchairs whilst trying to control the ball and play basketball- it required a lot of upper body strength! It was safe to say the children (and teachers) were shattered after their workshop! Andy and his incredible team at 'Make Change' do some amazing work within the community and bring people together by playing inclusive sport, activities and building on community inclusion and diversity. We would just like to thank them for the day as it was a very fun and insightful experience!

Thanks to Miss Humphries for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS December 2022 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty two Excellence Through Partnership

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Under the streets! Industrial revolution.

LIMESTONE 3K visited Dudley Canals as part of our topic learning about the Industrial Revolution. The day started with a workshop about the history of the Industrial Revolution and when/how the canals were invented. Children worked in teams to make a jigsaw which showed the journey of limestone which was taken from the caverns to make iron ore and finally chains in local factories. We also enjoyed looking at how small the space inside a narrow boat was for families. We couldn't believe that sometimes there could be 2 adults and 10+ children! We even had time to decorate our own plates which represented how to decorate the living space on narrow boats at that time in History. The day finished with a 45-minute narrow boat ride through the caverns. We were all amazed at the history underneath the streets of our city.

Thanks to Mrs Kaur for the story.

MERRY CHRISTMAS Wishing all of the children and families of Abbey an amazing Christmas. May 2023 be happy, healthy and peaceful.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS January 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty three Excellence Through Partnership

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Beaming! Bridge workshop

CONSTRUCTION Year 3 have worked incredibly hard to design and construct their own wooden bridge models. Having learnt about different bridges and how to make a strong structure, the children used this knowledge to sketch different bridge designs before settling on a final design. After a safety talk and practice on how to use the tools (junior hack saw and vice clamp), the children spent the morning measuring and cutting wood for the beams. With adults arriving in the afternoon, bridge construction commenced! The results were truly wonderful! A huge thank you to all adults who attended and a well done to all the children and their fantastic bridge structures.

Thanks to Mrs. Kaur for the story.

SHORT LIST I thought you would like to hear that two ex-Abbey pupils have made it to the short-list for Head boy and Head girl at Q3. Richard Okyne-Ampah and Florence Slade have made it to the final 6 boys and 6 girls and will find out soon whether they have been successful, but are already confirmed as prefects due to them being shortlisted.

We are very proud, whatever the outcome, and also proud to fly the Abbey flag!

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS January 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty four Excellence Through Partnership

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Antipodean antics! Australia Day

SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR The Year 2 children took a trip ‘down under’ on their return to school for 2023, to kick start their Australian topic. They arrived with their boarding cards and got comfortable for their flight to Sydney. As they travelled, they discovered some of the human and physical landmarks. On arrival in Sydney, they researched Australian animals to create a fact file and then made flags for their classroom. The afternoon was devoted to the work of Australian artist Pete Cromer. Children created incredible birds using his signature bursts of colour. The day was completed with stories from Australia.

Thanks to Mrs. Johnson for the story.

PERFORMANCE Thank you to you and the wonderful staff at Abbey for giving Aria the boost in confidence she needed to audition recently for the CBSO. Mrs Smith, Miss Hinton and Mrs Falconer have really encouraged and supported her. They have been amazing. Aria took part in her first Choral Christmas and was buzzing. She had a wonderful time.

Thanks to Aria’s mum for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS January 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty five Excellence Through Partnership

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Electric cuts! Y4 off grid

POWERING DOWN Just before we broke up for Christmas, Year 4 had a ‘no electric day’. We did practical mathematics outside; made placards and wrote a poem about the earth. The title was ‘Earth is Our Home’ and this was to help people think about the importance of climate change and using the Earth’s resources.

Thanks to Pippa and Zidane in Y4S for the story.

KEEPING UP WITH THE KIDS It can be exciting to have a new connected device or toy in the family at this time of year. And rightly so. The internet has enormous positive benefits for children. It offers creativity, social interaction, education and perhaps most importantly of all, play. But amid all the boxes and gift wrap, there’s a lot to remember to make sure any new tech is set up and used safely. Whether it’s a shared family console or someone’s new smartphone or tablet, it’s best to be prepared – by understanding the important settings and supporting parental tools available. It is equally important to be aware of age-appropriate platforms for children and the functions, controls and settings they can use to keep them safer.

Abbey’s website has some really useful guides to check on internet and gaming safety

https://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/on-line-safety- information/

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS January 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty six Excellence Through Partnership

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Proud! Young Voices

6000 SINGING The Abbey Junior choir were definitely something to be proud of when they attended the Young Voices concert on Friday 13th January. We all had an amazing time singing and dancing. The guest singer was Heather Small and she sang Proud and we joined in with the chorus. It certainly was a night to be proud of the choir that included over 6000 children!

Thanks to Miss. Stocking for the story.

[Ed - well done to everyone at Abbey and all the other schools who took part. A special thank you to my teachers for staying up late and taking the kids.] DIG IT! Internet and You Tube star Yasmin from 2G has been busy planting trees. She learnt how to do this with the assistance of James the head gardener at the National Trust’s Wightwick Manor.

The video can be viewed on You Tube at the link below. Well done Yasmin!

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS February 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty seven Excellence Through Partnership

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Ringing the bell! Magnificent moment

DETERMINED

Ruby in Y3 is about to ‘ring the bell’!

This is a significant achievement and a moment to be proud of in the battle against cancer. The end of treatment bell symbolises the end of radiation treatment and being ready to get back to normal life. Ringing the bell is a huge milestone for a child with cancer. End of treatment bells are put into hospitals by the wonderful people at ‘End of Treatment Bells’. Ringing the bell is a moment for the whole family to celebrate – an opportunity to reflect on what’s been an emotional and physical journey, and to think about the future. The end of treatment bell inspires children with cancer to persevere and it brings hope for the future when things are tough.

Thanks to Ruby’s parents for the story.

[Ed - well done to Ruby and the whole family. Everyone is so proud of you. The bell in the photo is a representation of the real event]

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS February 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty seven Excellence Through Partnership

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Ringing the bell! SPECIAL EDITION - SPECIAL EDITION - SPECIAL EDITION

DETERMINED

Ruby in Y3 is about to ‘ring the bell’!

This is a significant achievement and a moment to be proud of in her battle against leukaemia over the last two and a half years. The end of treatment bell symbolises the end of chemotherapy treatment and being ready to get back to normal life. Ringing the bell is a huge milestone for a child with cancer. Ringing the bell is a moment for the whole family to celebrate – an opportunity to reflect on what’s been an emotional and physical journey, and to think about the future. The end of treatment bell inspires children with cancer to persevere and it brings hope for the future when things are tough. Ruby’s journey has been challenging but her positivity, character, and humour has shone throughout. Her family are grateful for the outstanding support provided to them by Birmingham Children’s Hospital and all at Abbey Infants and Juniors.

Thanks to Ruby’s parents for the story.

Ed – well done to Ruby and the whole family. Everyone is so proud of you.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS February 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty eight Excellence Through Partnership

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Lithium Lulu! Sublime

PRACTICAL SCIENCE To accompany our topic of ‘Scientists and Inventors’, the children in Year 1 had a brilliant time being scientists for the day! A visit from Lithium Lulu, from ‘Sublime Science’, certainly inspired the children’s curiosity and thirst for knowledge about the world around us. With clever tricks and experiments around the themes of sound and air, the children were hugely engaged and wowed by the results. They also loved creating their very own pot of slime, observing the changes that took place as ingredients were added. Hope you were as happy when they brought it home! The children also carried out colour mixing experiments and explored gravity through the making and testing of helicopters – who could make theirs fall faster? We also took inspiration from our History lesson on Alexander Fleming and his discovery of penicillin. Using pieces of bread, we carried out our very own investigation and fair test to find out the cleanest surface in the classroom. We will be taking a look at, and recording the results soon – we continue to watch the mould grow!

Thanks to Mrs Philips for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS February 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty nine Excellence Through Partnership

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Sleep! Ballet lesson

OBE EXPERIENCE On Sunday Annaka in 5H had the chance of a life-time - to be taught dance by world class celebrity Wanye Sleep OBE! Wayne Sleep started dancing for the Royal Ballet when he was only 12 years old. He was later awarded for his contributions to ballet and dance by the Queen; has been in movies; TV programmes and on the radio. He is now the Vice President of the Royal Ballet. Annaka had an amazing time being taught ballet and jazz by Wayne Sleep and loved how funny he was.

Thanks to Annika’s mum for the story.

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BB9Y LENS February 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Twenty nine Excellence Through Partnership

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Be SMART! #Saferinternetday

KEEPING UP WITH THE KIDS! Safer Internet Day 2023 took place on the 7th of February 2023, with celebrations and learning based around the theme ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online’. Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the celebration sees thousands of organisations get involved to promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people. The Abbey Website has some great links to help keep up with the kids and the multi- faceted tech world that we all live in.

https://www.abbeyfederation.co.uk/on-

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BB9Y LENS February 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Thirty Excellence Through Partnership

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Wild! Jungle Masks

PARENTS START TOPIC The EYFS children were very excited to invite their parents/ carers to our ‘Let's Do It Day’ where we made jungle masks. Everyone got messy and creative to produce some inspiring and colourful animal masks. This was a very enjoyable way to start our topic 'In the Wild'. Thank you to all who came to work alongside their child, we all had lots of fun.

Thanks to Miss Harwood for the story.

STOP-DROP-ROLL

The Fire Service staff came to Abbey Junior School to teach Year 4 children about fire safety. Children learnt how fast a fire can spread, steps they can take to minimise risks, how to make an emergency call and learnt how to do the STOP- DROP-ROLL. Children completed a range of activities through discussion which included sequencing events, deciding where fire alarms should go, knowing the importance of escape routes, car safety and road safety. Children were also given the opportunity to ask Fire Service Staff questions about their careers. All children were thrilled to see the fire engines in school and were excited to take part in this event, as it was part of their Life Skills.

Thanks to Mila in 4S for helping to write this story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS February 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Thirty one Excellence Through Partnership

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To the moon! Rabbit

LUNAR NEW YEAR Last week Nursery were learning about Chinese New Year. They found out that this year is the Year of the Rabbit. They heard the story of how the years became named after the animals, found out how people celebrate, made dragons, practised mark making numbers and used their pincer grips to decorate a dragon. All the children also chopped peppers and mushrooms to help make a stir fry which was cooked by the adults. Many of the children held their knives correctly in one hand. The children also tasted their stir fry and some of them enjoyed it so much they had second helpings! Great job Nursery.

Thanks to Mrs. Gould for the story.

FOOTBALL COMPETITION

On Wednesday 25 th January a group of Yr5/6 girls travelled to Gospel Oak Academy to participate in a girl's football competition. Gospel Oak Academy's young leaders helped to run the event with support from their teachers, the local School Games organiser and The Albion Foundation. The Abbey team really enjoyed their morning. They played 8 games in total and after a slow start, they really improved and started scoring goals and winning games! A fantastic experience! Well done girls!

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS February 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Thirty one Excellence Through Partnership

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Over Cooked! Retirement

- SPECIAL EDITION - SPECIAL EDITION -- SPECIAL EDITION -

GOLDEN SPOON Today marks the end of an era at Abbey Junior School, as our school cook Elaine hangs up her apron and wooden spoon for the last time. After more than 6 years of cooking for students, staff, and visitors, Elaine is retiring, and the whole school will miss her. Her dedication and culinary skills have made her an integral part of the school community, and she will be fondly remembered. "Elaine has been a special part of the school for many years," said headteacher Dr. Kentish. "She has been a loyal and hardworking employee, and her presence will be greatly missed." Elaine's colleague and friend, Mr. Edwards, echoed Dr K’s sentiment. "I have been working with Elaine for the past 6 years, and she is an absolute joy to be around. She always has a smile on her face, and a kind word to say. She will be dearly missed. She’s like everyone’s favourite Granny and she makes a cracking bacon sandwich”

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS March 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Thirty two Excellence Through Partnership

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Park it! Campaign for safer streets

PCSO Working with West Midlands Police (PCSOs) and our local council, the Abbey Junior PCSOs are campaigning for Safer Parking outside of our school. After a number of 'near misses', the patrols aim to discourage unsafe drop offs in the middle of Barclay Road and remind parents where you can and cannot park by our school. With over 670 families arriving and leaving the school at the same time, we aim to keep the Barclay Road and Abbey Road junction free from traffic, stop cars from parking on the zig zag lines, stop cars from driving into Maurice Road and prevent cars from parking on the double yellow lines with yellow curb markings, between the hours of 8am and 4pm. Please help us to keep our children safe.

Thanks to Mrs. Flanagan for the story.

CRICKET COMPETITION On Thursday 2 nd February a group of year 3&4 pupils travelled to Tipton Sports Academy for a fun day of cricket. They enjoyed a coaching session with Staffordshire cricket coaches in the morning and then competed against other local schools in cricket matches during the afternoon. Staffordshire cricket coaches commented on the skills of the Abbey team and encouraged them to pursue cricket outside of school. Our Abbey team finished the day unbeaten and were presented with a wristband and medal each for their fantastic efforts! Well done team.

Thanks to Miss Hinton for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

BB9Y LENS March 2023 Vol 9: Issue No. Thirty three Excellence Through Partnership

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Poison & Venom! Animals invade Y2.

ADAPTATIONS On Thursday 26th January, Year 2 got a special visit from The Animal Man. He showed us some poisonous and venomous animals that live in Australia. He brought a tarantula, a scorpion, a cute kookaburra, a lizard, a poisonous toad and many others. It was fun and fabulous. “I held a giant snake. It took 11 people to hold it. It was really heavy and it kept on slithering” Savannah 2S. “I held the bearded dragon. You could stroke it going downwards but couldn’t stroke it back up. Its scales were too grippy like Velcro. This is so that birds cannot grab onto its tail when it’s hiding in between the rocks.” Luke 2S.

Thanks to Miss. Stocking for the story.

STAR TURN Children from Abbey took part in the ‘Starsteps Dance School show over the weekend, 4th February. The children spent all day at The Crescent Theatre and performed in 2 shows! Florry and Huxley Godden (4M &2S) took part and like many children performed 3 wonderful dances each in each show - ballet, jazz and tap dances. All the children were wonderful and so supportive and kind to each other. All the wonderful children performed so beautifully.

Thanks to Florry & Huxley’s mum for the story.

www.abbeyfederation.co.uk

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