Friday 28th May 2021

Good afternoon Everybody

What a busy end to Term 5 we have had. Much fun was had this week learning to ride our bicycles safely, both on the playground and then on the roads. Congratulations to everyone on achieving Level One and on many of you for progressing onto and also passing Level Two. A big 'Well done' also to those of you who learnt to ride a bike and handle it confidently - it was a challenge, but you all rose to it fantastically.

On Monday we were visited by Sir Linkalot himself - Andrew Salmon - who showed us how spelling can be fun and easy using his fun videos. We all enjoyed joining in and learning how to spell a variety of words including the very tricky onomatopoeia!. Remember to use the Sir Linkalot app to help you with any words you find difficult - especially those on the Years 3 & 4 and Years 5 & 6 lists. 

It must also be said that the results of this week's spelling test covering some Year 7 words were excellent. You are clearly all making a great effort to learn your spellings and this is evident in the number of sweets being given away each week!

We have been very creative this week, drawing some wonderful pictures of sunflowers inspired by Van Gogh's famous paintings. We used pastels for this with some amazing results. Our pictures will be entered into the The Gardening Society Show in the summer in memory of Mrs Clayton who used to come into school and listen to us read and who herself was a keen artist. A selection of our artwork is on display in the hall and can be seen in the photos below. Thanks must go as usual to Mrs Vincent for patiently showing us how to create our own masterpieces.

On Thursday and Friday mornings we joined in with two online events put on specially for KS2 children by the famous Hay Book Festival. On the first morning we joined the famous scientist and presenter Dr Robert Winston who talked to us about some amazing inventions, including the first airplane, IVF (we saw a tiny baby developing inside the womb and were astonished to find out that we have gills before we have lungs!) and a tiny camera the size of a pill which can be swallowed and which sends back images of a patient's esophagus, stomach and intestines for a doctor to look at - some of us found this rather revolting to watch! Science really is amazing!

Friday morning saw us joining another presentation, this time by the author Patience Agbabi, who read to us from her latest book, The Time Thief, which is about Elle, a Leapling (so-called because she was born on 29th February) who can travel backwards and forwards through time. We really enjoyed listening to her and joining her at The Guildhall Museum in Rochester, Kent, where she showed us some objects mentioned in her book such as an hour glass, a Lamborghini car and a tea caddy. We never knew that tea was once very expensive and only drunk by wealthy people who kept it safe by storing it in a tea caddy with a lock and key.

It is unbelievable to think that Year 6, you have only one more term left at Elham School before you move on to your new secondary schools. Where has the time gone?

We hope you all have a wonderful half-term break, that you enjoy lots of great activities in the sunshine which is forecast and that you return in June excited about all the fantastic events we have planned for you in your final term here.

Best wishes

Mrs Godden and Mrs Short