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Mr Applegate

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What an exciting half term we’ve had in Year 2!

We started the half term by learning fantastic facts about the Great Fire of London. We now know when and where it started, why it spread and how London changed after the fire. You’ll be amazed by the details that your children will be able to tell you about what happened in London in 1666! We have carried out lots of arts and crafts linked with this topic and are really proud of our displays. In English, we have written some amazing diary entries in role as one of the many Londoners who took on the job of fire fighting. We thought about what it would have been like to be there and how challenging it would be to leave your home, fearing for your family, and then to stay and fight the fire without proper fire fighting equipment. 
 

 

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Here are some super examples of the writing that the children produced for our first unit of writing, based around surprising journeys ‘Coming home’, and then our diary writing based on the Great Fire of London. We are incredibly proud of their work. They thought carefully about the thoughts and feelings of the characters and used lots of exciting vocabulary and techniques from our writing rainbow.  
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In recent weeks, we have linked some of our art work to winter and have created some stunning pieces using different patterns, colours and techniques. We used both paints and pencils to create these pictures and enjoyed making them. 
 
 
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In our RE and art work, we have thought about the surprising journey that the nativity characters went on during the very first Christmas. We used paper and paste to make the 3D structure of our figure and then pasted the face and costumes using fabric and paper. We are really pleased with the results. We will be bringing these home tomorrow. 
 
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We hope you will agree that the children did a fantastic job with their efforts for our Christmas Nativity story ‘Hey Ewe’. They worked so hard and we hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed performing it for you! Thank you also for attending our Carol concert around the Christmas tree. We loved performing our Makaton carol ‘Away in a Manger’ and having a live audience, despite the wet weather. 
 
Thank you for all of your help and support this term. It has been a real pleasure to get to know you and your children. We wish you a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year! Enjoy the break and we look forward to seeing you all in January 2022! 

Year 5 Learning Update – Autumn 2

What an amazing half term the children have had! It has been jampacked with our North America learning and some children have completely blown us away by learning the 50 states of the USA off by heart too! The children have fully immersed themselves in all aspects of their learning, from Maths to English, to PE, Science and DT. We are really proud of everything that they have achieved in the last seven weeks. 

Maths

We have covered multiple topics this half term in Maths but we have been especially proud of the children’s work on area and perimeter. Knowing the difference between the two is tricky enough but the children have mastered this! Then, from working with rectangles, to compound shapes and then from working with labelled shapes, to shapes with unlabelled sides, the children’s mathematical knowledge has improved tenfold and they have succeeded in cracking many challenges. Here are some examples of excellent Maths work on area and perimeter which is beautifully presented too. 

 

English 

The children have been absolutely exceptional in English too. We begun the half term with a poetry unit (unconnected to North America). We spent lots of time exploring The Highwayman poem in English and Book Club before reading the Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson. The children then used this book to inspire their own poem, applying all their lense work from the previous sentence stacking lessons. Here are two examples of superb poems!

After this poetry unit, the children then spent time looking at the structure and language in a travel brochure. We looked at how to persuade someone to visit England (with no mention of the rain, of course!) before writing our own travel brochure for Mexico! Here are some beautiful examples – we word processed the neat copies today!

 

Design Technology

The children have absolutely loved design technology this half term! They have spent time researching the different tribes of North America before designing a weaving pattern that could be used by a particular tribe. The tieing of knots and the tricky weaving was very fiddly at times but have a look at the stunning designs created! We are so impressed with the children’s creativity!

 

Art

The last piece of learning we would like to share with you is art! Although we haven’t quite finished the final independent piece (a map of their own country), we had to celebrate the children’s creativity in their naive artwork. The children have studied various artists this half term and then replicated these styles – using coloured pencils and fine liner – before drawing their own maps independently. Here a few sketchbook examples for you to see. 

 

All that leaves us to say is Merry Christmas from the Year 5 team! We have had a wonderful half term with your children and were particularly proud of their performance at our Carols Around the Tree service. Thank you also for all your donations to our Christmas secret mission – hopefully you will enjoy seeing our video very soon. See you in January 2022!

 

 

Fantastic learning in Year 1

What a great end to the Autumn term in Year 1. The children have loved our project all about the polar regions and enjoyed learning all about the different animals they would find there. Over the last couple of weeks, the children have made some great clay tiles with different polar animals on.

Christmas is definitely being enjoyed within the year group with lots of artwork inspired by the season and the children are really excited about the holidays and the party tomorrow.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support with your children and their learning. May you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We hope you all enjoy the break with your families.

Year 1 Team

10th December Newsletter – Christmas update, staffing news and more!

A note from Mr Applegate

  • On Friday, we have our FOSM Christmas party – please give generously as it’s our only Christmas fundraiser. Thank you! Thanks to Dave Payne for his party creativity and video fun! Buckets for donations on the gates. Children can wear a Christmas jumper- homemade, decorated or purchased!
  • The Christmas spirit has truly set in at St Mark’s! The Years 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 children sang so well at our carol events this week – as did the adults! YR&6 has been rearranged for Weds 15th, 5-6pm.
  • The children are also busy recording a special Christmas surprise for you. They should be emailed out next week!
  • Ask your child about our Christmas Joke Advent calendar!
  • INSET day – Tuesday 4th Jan 2021! First day back is Weds 5th Jan.

Mrs Alsey’s Success

I am very proud to announce that Mrs Alsey, one of our Deputy Head Teachers, has successfully secured the headship at Tadley Community Primary School. She will be finishing at St Mark’s at Easter, taking up the helm in the Summer term.

Mrs Alsey has been at St Mark’s for 5 years, and we have worked together at another school for the previous 5 years. Throughout that time, she has proved to be an excellent leader, making a positive impact in all areas of school life. Her dedication to children with additional needs is outstanding, and along with the St Mark’s team, she has led huge improvements to our Bridge provision.

We are grateful to have Mrs Alsey’s sense of fun, attention to detail, and deep care for our children and staff, and she will leave a strong legacy at St Mark’s in so many areas. It is also worth stating that Mrs Alsey is affectionately known as our “Chief Medical Officer”, and deserves much appreciation for our Covid risk assessments and understanding of the ever-changing government guidance.

I know you will join me in sending her huge congratulations, and wishing her every success in her new role.

Christmas at St Mark’s!

Christmas Cards – If your child would like to send cards to other children in our school, please bring them in by Tues 14 Dec. Remember to put the recieving child’s name and class or year group on the envelope!

Christmas Lunch – Thursday 16th Dec (already ordered) Please send your child in wearing their school uniform.

Christmas FOSM Party – Friday 17th Dec- bring a donation for FOSM, enjoy a brilliant party!

Christmas Jumpers – Friday 17th Dec – whether homemade, decorated or purchased, wear them today!

Changes in PE days for Spring Term

After Christmas, every year group will be changing their PE days. Below are the new PE days for each year group.
 
  • Monday – Year 6
  • Tuesday – Year 1 and Year 5
  • Wednesday – Year 4
  • Thursday – Year R
  • Friday – Year 2 and Year 3
 These will start on the first week back, so Year 4 will need to be in PE kit on the first Wednesday back (5th January)
 

Immanuel / St Mark’s Kempshot Services

Sunday 12th December
10.30am – Nativity Service (St Mark’s, Kempshott)
6.00pm –  Carols by Candlelight. (Immanuel)

Christmas Eve. (24th December
3.00pm –  Crib Service (Immanuel)
11.30pm – Midnight Service (Immanuel)

Christmas Day
9.30 – Christmas morning service (St Marks (Kempshott))

Road Safety Update

Further to our message last week… if you’d like to petition the council for a zebra crossing here, please contact Cllr Stephen Reid here (he knows about this!).

Upcoming Dates for your diary

  • INSET Day – Tuesday 4th Jan. First day back Weds 5th Jan

Vacancies at St Mark’s

We are looking for 2 friendly, reliable and enthusiastic people to join our amazing cleaning team.

Hours of work are 3.30pm to 6.30pm Monday to Friday with an hourly rate of £9.25 per hour.

If you would like to apply for the position please email the school office for an application form at adminoffice@st-markscofe.hants.sch.uk

Breakfast Club Vacancy – New post 

We are looking for someone to provide high quality care and supervision for children at our Breakfast Club
Hours of work are 7.45am to 8.45am Monday to Friday with an hourly rate of £9.62.
 
Please email adminoffice@st-markscofe.hants.sch.uk for further information and application form.
Immanuel Christingle Facebook Post
Cribservice
carols by candlelight
emotional cup
Christmas opening hours 2021-0000

Star Learners

Star Learner Awards:

  • Year R: Georgia, Andrew, Amy
  • Year 1:  Max H, Alvaro, Marco
  • Year 2:  Jamie, Maya, Callan
  • Year 3:  Liam, Chloe, Jasper
  • Year 4: Gabriella, Myla, Elouise
  • Year 5: Charlie R, Emilia, Eva
  • Year 6:  Igor, Travis, Gemma

Rock Stars 

Best effort of the week:
  • Year 3: Freddie, Ewan, Tomasz, Benjamin
  • Year 4:  Chloe Me, Jack Daw, Elizabeth, George H
  • Year 5: Sophie G, Irebami, Zach, Ava
  • Year 6:  Joseph H, Issac B, Harry, Igor

Most active class players:

4PG & 4H with 67% of the class playing!

Numbots best effort:
  • Year1: Zachary A, Amaira, Ayaan
  • Year 2:  Lucia, Mimi, Connie

Star Reader Awards:

  • Year 1: William, Theo, Thomas
  • Year 2:  Jacob, Robyn, Camila
  • Year 3: Jack W, Jack K, Thea
  • Year 4: Charlie B, Jas, Harry C
  • Year 5:  Marcus, Amelia S, Dylan
  • Year 6:  Freya, Erica, Nyle

FOSM – Support Our School!

About FOSM

The ‘Friends of St Mark’s’ (FOSM) was formed early in the life of the school. All parents are automatically members and our committee organises social events for children and adults and fund-raising events such as Key Stage discos, Easter Egg Hunts and Summer Fun days.

Over the last few years the ‘Friends’ have donated money that has contributed towards extra resources to benefit the children at St. Mark’s which has included playground equipment, books for the school library, and general school funds. We are now a registered charity, too. Charity number: 1188879

Join our Facebook group here.

Regular Notices

Latest Posts

A Quick Reminder for Year 2!

Tomorrow, Friday 10th December, Year 2 are recording our Christmas Play 'Hey Ewe'. We have said to the children that they may come in wearing their costumes, but if their costume is thin or could get dirty, they may wear clothes underneath to keep them warm such as leggings and a long T-shirt. They may also bring their costume in a bag to change into if you would prefer. We will be having lunch times and playtimes as normal. 

We are looking forward to sharing our play with you. The children have been having lots of fun and have been working so hard. We are very proud of them all. 
The Year 2 Team
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