In our school assembly on Monday we were introduced to the School Council and Eco Committee. Recently appointed pupil representatives shared with us how they will work across our school community to effect positive change. Our School Council and Eco Committee members inspired us to consider ways in which we can bring about improvements to our school, as well as adjusting our behaviours to be more environmentally conscious and friendly. Next week, the School Council will be helping make resources for an upcoming Mental Health Day and I look forward to working with the pupils to see what projects and ideas evolve over the coming year.
Cambridge Poems
Reflecting upon our immediate university city location, Year 7 pupils have been studying poetry this term and were tasked with writing poems about Cambridge. Specifically our young poets were invited to focus upon the use of metaphor and personification as literary devices. As you can read from the following two submissions, Year 7 skilfully embraced this task to create some wonderfully evocative poetry.
Year 5 Bookmarks
As part of their English homework, pupils in Year 5 have made a selection of beautiful bookmarks which Miss Johnson, our librarian, was delighted to review when the children visited her in the library this week. From bright, sparkling page markers, to wild animals and even a soft felt covered Wyvern, the children demonstrated their wide-ranging creativity to design and craft these wonderful bookmarks and I am sure they will get plenty of use between book pages.
Library Time with Year 8
Reflecting further upon our inspiring library, this morning I joined a Year 8 English class, who as well as indulging in some delicious break time treats, shared with me their love of the library and their favourite books. Among the titles recommended were ‘The Falcon’s Malteser’ (Anthony Horowitz) for a comic mystery to introduce the reader to the Diamond brothers. Another book which came highly recommended was ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ by Charlie Mackesy. Our Year 8 pupils explained this book invites us to reflect upon the need for kindness, compassion and understanding.
Fostering a love of reading from a young age is so important and at St Faith’s we are extremely fortunate to have such a welcoming and stimulating library space for our pupils from Foundation to Year 8, to delight in the pleasure of books. Every pupil visits the Library at least once a week as a timetabled session when, under the guidance of their teacher and the school Librarians, they may choose books to borrow and read.
World Heart Day
Books are a great way to keep minds active and of course a healthy body is equally important. With a focus on physical health, Pre Prep marked World Heart Day on Wednesday with a visit from Elivia Mumford, a nutritionist from our school caterers Chartwells. Elivia used the familiar story of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ in an interactive session, to emphasise the importance of healthy eating to keep our bodies, and especially our hearts fit and strong. Year 1 thoroughly enjoyed their lesson and were even able to eat their work afterwards – a truly memorable way to learn!
Year 2 Science
Staying in the Pre Prep, Year 2 have been learning about inspirational and influential people which inspired discussions about significant scientists and their notable contributions. Year 2 went on to learn about what it takes to be a scientist and the particular skills that a scientist may need. The children enjoyed practising how to be scientists by conducting exciting experiments that use every day ingredients from the kitchen. Year 2 then had a go at predicting what might happen based on their newly acquired knowledge and experience of similar investigations. They also worked on refining their observation skills and using scientific vocabulary to specify the exact outcomes of the experiments.
As the school week draws to a close and we enter into October, the weather has now turned distinctly autumnal. Of course with this season comes shorter daylight hours, so may I take this opportunity to remind our pupils, especially those walking to school or travelling by bicycle, to ensure they are wearing high visibility clothing and that bikes are fitted with lights.
With the darker evenings and more time indoors, this week our Year 8 pupils have reminded us that now may be the perfect time to discover a really good read.
Wishing you a very happy and safe weekend,
Dr Crispin Hyde-Dunn
