Holiday Challenges

These summer holidays we are keen to support our community in having a brilliant time with their families, but also keeping up their reading and writing habits to stop the 'Summer Slip'. Studies have shown that you can lose up to 30% of your learning over the summer holidays! This happens especially in students aged around 10. To help with this, join in on some of our following competitions and activities that will help keep your brain active in between times you are spending relaxing and having fun (which is also very important)! There are some very cool prizes to be won too in some competition elements... Read on to find out more!  

Summer Reading Challenge

Over the summer, Ms Fisher has set the middle school a reading challenge. To participate, all you have to do is read a book, then write a review on it!  Postcards were given out last week on which to write the reviews. If you need more of these, or have forgotten to bring yours home, you can find a copy by clicking here. If you're not able to print this though, you can write your review on a piece of paper, clearly labelled with your name and the name of the book you've read. Bring in your reviews and 'post' them in the box that will be set up in the school library. 

Stuck for what to read? Browse through the recommended reading lists below for some ideas. You can choose any books, even if they're not in your age band.

8-9 year olds - Book Recommendations
9-10 year olds - Book Recommendations
10-11 year olds - Book Recommendations
11-12 year olds - Book Recommendations
12-13 year olds - Book Recommendations
13-14 year olds - Book Recommendations

Lucky winners will be drawn out of all the postcard reviews entered and will go on a trip to Foyles with Ms Fisher. There, they will be able to choose a book for themselves for free, and a second title that will be purchased and added to the school library. Get reading everyone!

Another challenge we are setting our Middle School reading champions is to take a picture of themselves reading in an unusual spot! Making sure you are not being unsafe, find the strangest, most creative place to read and take a picture, ensuring that the cover of your book is easily seen. Send these pictures in to Ms Kyrk via email (akyrk@school21.org.uk) or bring them in printed on the first day back to postbox outside Ms Kyrk and Ms Silvain's office to be in the chance to win. The most creative entries will be displayed on our We Love Reading wall and will be in the draw to receive an amazing book prize as well! 
*No photoshopped images will be eligible! Must be authentic interesting reading spots!

Finally, we would also like your help putting together a 'welcome back' newsletter for the new year about all the adventures the Middle School students got up to over the holidays. We'd love lots of stories about where you went, who you saw, what you did - along with 1 or 2 pictures to go with your stories. Mimi in Y5 has sent in a recent adventure she's been on as an example of what we are looking for to include in this special edition of our newsletter. 

If you're having a quite holiday, don't worry! You are also welcome to write about a dream holiday adventure that you'd like to go on one day. For this challenge, you CAN get creative with your pictures and create some that show what your incredible holiday would look like! You might visit an alien planet, an imaginary location from your favourite book or film, or be the first to step foot in a remote part of our planet, like Antarctica or the Amazon Rainforest! 

Any stories should be sent to Ms Kyrk at akyrk@school21.org.uk before Thursday 12th September to be included. 

Happy adventuring, everyone!

Last weekend I went to Copenhagen, which is the capital of Denmark. While I was there, I visited the National Museum of Denmark. In the prehistoric section of the museum, there were many artefacts that I had learnt about either in my History of Medicine project or my class book called Wolf Brother. I am including a few photos below.
The first photo is of an auroch skeleton, from 8600 BC. The auroch is a huge, elephant-sized extinct species of wild cattle that inhabited Europe, Asia, and North Africa. It is said to be the ancestor of all cattle.
The second picture shows two trepanned skulls from 3000-3500 BC. Trepanning is a treatment used in Stone Age times, as a cure for headaches or head injuries. A hole was drilled into the skull and some kind of coin or a piece of stone or wood would have been used to cover the hole. It may have actually worked because it relieved pressure, but it was probably believed that it was releasing evil spirits.
The third shows animal teeth also from the Stone Age period that most likely would have been used in a necklace. It was amazing seeing all these things that I had learnt about at school in person and it helped me have a much better understanding of them. I had a great trip and I learnt a lot of interesting things about Denmark!
                                                                                                                                                      - Mimi, Year 5

Annual Awards 2019

We finished off the year with our first Annual Awards Ceremony on Friday where students from across the school were recognised for our value of excellence in our curriculum areas of Head, Heart and Hand. It was a wonderful way to finish the year and we offer congratulations again to all those who were nominated and voted as winners on their achievement. Thank you to all the parents, carers and family members who came along to support.

Excellence in the curriculum of 'The Head' 

Year 5: Akshaya, Gabriela, Ryan WINNER: Daisy
Year 6: Freya, Sameeksha, Isabel, Alyssa WINNER:  IK
Year 7: Amalia, Sahmara, Rafee, Zayn WINNER: Denisa
Year 8: Aliyah, Blagovest, Calla, Oliwia, Vilius, Zak WINNER: Angelina

Excellence in the curriculum of 'The Heart'

Year 5: Georgie, Fay, Deanna, Natas WINNER: Emre
Year 6: Adil, Ahron, Darius, Jacky, Jessica, Laila E WINNER: Abdi
Year 7: Daria, Denis, Faiza, Jasmin, Yahya WINNER: Elizabeth
Year 8: Oscar, Zen, Adrijus, Sania, Niamh, Mahdi WINNER: Julian

Excellence in the curriculum of 'The Hand'

Year 5: Alexia, Musa, Senenti WINNER: Nyla
Year 6: Jeneil, Nela, Cleona, Munir, Aaliyah, Zara, Freya WINNER: Eleanor
Year 7: Povilas, Kevin N, Burhan, Smilte, Erich WINNER: Sion
Year 8: Randa, Yusuf M, Mo, Laura, Baqir, Sumana WINNER: Ilham

Student of the Year: 

Faiza, Ilham, Elizabeth, Angelina, Adrijus, Randa, Sahmara, Nayeemah, Oliwia, Deimante, Julian
WINNER: Blagovest

Recognition Board

For the final time this year, here is our recognition board for this week! We squished everyone onto one board and had it shining throughout the week. Have a restful, safe and happy summer holiday everyone! See you in September for another #middlestrong year!