PP2 travel into space
PP2 are learning all about space this term. Last week they were investigating the planets in our solar system. They can name all of the planets and they know some fabulous facts about them. After watching a clip from Stargazing Live the children re-created a solar system to show the order of the planets and the distances between them. They used objects to show the size of the planets beginning with a peppercorn for Mercury (the smallest planet) and a football for Jupiter (the largest planet). Grapefruits, kiwis and cherry tomatoes also featured as the other planets. The children used toilet roll to measure the distances between the planets with each square representing 16 million km! As you can see they all enjoyed the challenge.
PP2 at the Yorkshire Museum
PP2 jetted off for an exciting trip to The Yorkshire Museum in York last Thursday to support their study of “Space”. Their first challenge was to squeeze themselves through a tiny opening to enter the Cosmodome – a huge inflatable dome-shaped tent with images projected onto the roof – where they journeyed though the solar system and investigated each planet in close detail. Following this the children explored the 18th Century York Observatory and learned about the two hundred year old telescope which uses spider webs and impressive mechanical engineering to create a clear view of the sky at night through the sliding observatory roof. Having refuelled in the lunch room, the children enjoyed visiting the museum galleries, learning all about the history of the city of York before returning to school.
GCSE Art and Textiles trip to London
This year’s London trip was as action packed as ever! In search of inspiration for the GCSE set task Thornton’s Art and Textiles students descended on London for a whirlwind tour of the museums, galleries and sights of London. On Friday they studied natural forms and artifacts at the Natural History and V+A museums before seeing the eye-opening ‘East meets West’ exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, which was characteristically controversial and challenging. The Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall that evening proved to be brilliant inspiration for those who had chosen the Figures in Motion topic as performers dazzled us with incredible feats of contortion and daring. On Saturday the group’s first stop was the Tate Modern and the ‘Time, Conflict, Photography’ exhibition as well as ‘Sigmar Polke’ and the permanent exhibitions, which are always inspirational. After a boat trip and the opportunity to see many of the capital’s landmarks from the Thames the group went to the National Gallery, home to some of the most iconic works, and the National Portrait Gallery which is currently showing Grayson Perry’s ‘Who are you’ works amongst its permanent collections. Art student Pippa Cook gave her impression of the trip: “We thoroughly enjoyed the Saatchi Gallery it was culturally enriching and the modern art changed my perception of art for the better, and opened my eyes to the many forms of art. We had the pleasure of watching Cirque du Soleil, it was one of the best performances many of us had ever watched and firmly glued us to the edge of our seats. Some of the acts were gravity defying and made our hearts stop! All round the trip was most enjoyable for all of us; we managed to get a huge amount of inspiration and ideas from the trip, although our feet were quite sore by the end.” Rounded off with a little downtime in Covent Garden, the trip was a great springboard for the set task so watch out for the exhibition of the students’ work coming up in June!
Pre-Prep visit Jorvik
On the 20th January 2015 PP1 had a wonderful day stepping back in time to experience life as a Viking. The children had the opportunity to be archaeologist’s at Dig in York and before becoming time travellers as they went back in time at the Jorvik Viking Centre. The children had a super time but they were not impressed with the smells coming from the Viking village!
A trip to Flamingo Land Zoo
Reception and Nursery braved the snowy weather to visit the zoo at Flamingo Land as part of our Animals topic. They were very lucky to see some amazing animals, including lions, tigers, white rhino, giraffes, kangaroos and camels. The children did wonder how the camels, so used to desert climates, were coping in the frost snow!
PP2 visit RAF Dishforth
PP2 had an exciting morning at RAF Dishforth during the last week of the Michaelmas term. They learned about the different aircraft flown at the base and the challenges faced by the crew whilst performing a variety of roles. The children had great fun exploring a Lynx helicopter. A number of budding pilots were eager to take to the driving seat and familiarise themselves with the cockpit controls whilst others practised their skills with weaponry. They also learned about survival techniques and were able to try out some essential equipment. Many thanks to Mr.Woodhouse for organising a fantastic visit.
Form 1 travel through the Ages
On Thursday, the Form 1 children kicked off their topic on the ‘Stone age to Iron Age’ with a workshop. The children were treated to a whole host of artifacts and activities that brought the era to life. Weapons were wielded, boar skins were studied and cave art was drawn as the children became young archaeologists for the day. The children are looking forward to unlocking the mysteries of Stonehenge, looking at settlements and of course the advances in tools and weapons as metal became a useful resource.
Pre-Prep’s new outdoor learning area
The Pre-Prep children came back from their Christmas break to w whole new area of outdoor learning and discovery. A Perspex roof over the hard standing area that runs the entire length of the back of the green pavilion classrooms (housing PP1, Reception and Nursery) has allowed for a series of new role play and themed learning zones to be created, enabling the children to play and learn in this exciting new environment whatever the weather.
A first lesson in First Aid
After a snowy start to the morning with a football on the field, pupils in Saturday school came into the warmth of the classroom to learn about some basic First Aid skills. They thought about times they might need to help someone and also what to do if they think a friend or a parent has been badly hurt. The children then moved on to some practical skills, and had a go at using bandages. They tried putting bandages on the arm and the on the forehead, which was trickier as they had to make sure the patients’ eyes were not covered!
PP2 Trip to the Sugar Mouse
This term PP2 are reading stories by Roald Dahl and learning to write using his style. After reading the Giraffe, The Pelly and Me, PP2 went to visit the Sugar Mouse sweet shop in Easingwold to inspire them to write exciting and imaginative stories. The children used all of their senses to experience the delights of the Sugar Mouse, including tasting a scrumptious blue bonbon, some delicious ice cream and a yummy milkshake made from sherbet sweets. They enjoyed looking at the 500 different types of colourful sweets and recording all that they have seen, heard, tasted, smelled and touched. Finally, the children used their mathematical skills to choose themselves some sweets to buy and work out the cost. Everyone loved the trip and couldn’t wait to eat some of their sweets. Mrs Sample and Mrs Clarke are hoping that the children will be full of ideas for their writing after their visit.