Year 6 Weekly Blog 08.09.23 'Be brave, take risks and allow the unexpected'

Welcome to Year 6!

What a week we have had! There has been such a warm and friendly buzz of excitement, anticipation and enthusiasm over the last two days in Year 6. We could not be happier with how the children have returned to school for their final year at Our Lady’s. We have spent a lot of time over the past two days talking about leadership and our vision for the year ahead. We have shared a beautiful story with the children called The Invisible. A tender story about how we all belong in the world. Please click on the button below to read the story

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Welcome to Year 6 2023!

We can’t wait to welcome you all back to school for a VERY exciting year, full of challenges, fun learning and service. The classroom is ready for you all to step in to and I know as soon as you come through the door, you are going to make such wonderful leaders of the school. This is your final year at Our Lady’s- let’s make it the best one yet, where we achieve everything we are capable of, love and celebrate one another and serve the school through inspiring all of our younger pupils. Don’t forget to send all of your House Captain Speeches in, your deadline is next Thursday- I have already had a few sent which are wonderful!

Next week we will be focusing on our leadership roles within school and how our two new virtues (curious and active) will be at the centre of these roles. We will be applying for the jobs we would like, looking at how WE can make a difference in our school and looking at some inspirational leaders of the past.

Don’t forget to come equipped with your own pencil cases, making sure you have all you need in there.

Indoor PE days will be on a Monday. On these days you need to make sure you wear tracksuits but also have a pair of shorts either under your trousers or in your bag to get changed in to.

We will not be starting Indoor PE the first week back.

Outdoor PE is on a Wednesday, our first one is on Wednesday 6th September.

Art in on a Friday- please remember to bring in your art tops to stop your uniform from getting paint on- we will keep this in our trays.

Homework- will go out on Friday afternoons, the same time as the weekly blog, and will be due in the following Thursday.

You are all invited to our Induction evening on Wednesday 13th September. This will be much different to last year, starting at 3:30 and finishing at 5:00. We would love for your child to show you around their new classroom, and for you to become more familiar with our school. You will also be able discover more about the exciting opportunities and topics that they will be learning during their time in Year 5. We will be in the classroom to answer any questions you may have! More information, such as important forms that will need completing will be available soon so please do keep checking the Year 5 page.

Important Notices:

Please make sure all coats and school uniform is labelled- let’s get off to a good start.

Don’t forget to keep those house captain speeches coming in!

We can’t wait to see you all on Monday and hear about your holidays!

We will welcome Marsden (Kenilworth Road entrance) and Harcourt (St Patrick’s Road entrance) at 8:45am and Bamber (Kenilworth Road entrance) and Plessington (St Patrick’s Road entrance) at 8:50am.
Enjoy your weekend,
Mrs Harrison, Mrs Webster and Mrs Barker

Our school ... our class ... is richer because of you

What an emotional but beautiful week we have had in Year 6. It is always sad to say goodbye, but my goodness, are they all so ready to spread their wings and fly at High School! It has been such a privilege to have taught Year 6 this year and we have loved every minute being with the on their magical journey. They have risen to every challenge, worked their socks off and showed so much love and compassion along the way. They will all be greatly missed by everyone at Our Lady’s.

It has been a week of celebrations and goodbyes. After a beautiful leavers mass for our Year 6 and dear Miss Hodges, we made our way to complete our crazy golf, chippy lunch and then the parachute games the children have been desperately asking for. The ice cream’s Mrs Gregan treated us to were also wonderful. We had so much fun altogether- Harriet sadly you were too poorly to come and missed you but you were there with us in spirit!

Wow, what a performance! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was amazing! We are so proud of them all…

Today was a perfect way to end their primary school journey … this morning the staff performed their very own ‘professional’ pantomime of The Wizard of Oz. Such a lovely way to thank all of Year 6 for the time they have shared with us.

Finally, the Year 6 team would like to thank you all for your continuous trust and support throughout the year. We have loved reading all the children’s cards and kind words and really appreciate any gifts we have received, although the real gift has been to teach all of your beautiful children. Thank you.

Have a wonderful summer and remember what Mrs Gregan said… ‘once an Our Lady’s, always an Our Lady’s’ so please do stay in touch.

Year 6 Weekly Blog 'the earth is what we all have in common' so let's look after it!

Happy Green Eco-Day everyone! Thank you for your donations!

It is another busy week next week, with the play. Most of you have ordered and received your tickets now. The show starts at 6:30pm and will be approximately 2 hours long. The children need to arrive at school at 6:10pm, to get changed in to their costumes. They all look fabulous in their outfits, thank you so much for making such effort. Here is a sneaky peak at rehearsals …

This week in class, we have discussed the arguments for and against home-schooling- a topic that was raised in our class novel. Our Maths and Geography has continued. During PE, this week we partnered up with some of our Reception friends, and made a game up for them to develop their fundamental skills. Year 6 loved it and were so lovely with them all.

Our ‘Castle Hodges’ has now been opened and we had a lovely blessing, naming and opening ceremony as a whole school, with who better to cut the ribbon, than our very own Miss Hodges! It is safe to say, the castle is a huge hit amongst all ages and Year 6 are relieved that it has been built just before they have left, as apparently this was their idea in council!

On the last day (Thursday) we thought it would be lovely if the Year 6 parents came to collect your children at the later time of 2:15pm, this gives more time on the playground to say your goodbyes and to take any pictures that you may want to take of their final day at Primary School.

We are all looking forward to the leavers day out next week! It is imperative that all children MUST have a bag with them, containing plenty of fluids, a snack, hat and sun-cream. They may also need a waterproof coat as it is so unpredictable at the minute. They are able to wear their own clothes on this day, however please could we be mindful of the appropriateness of outfits as they are attending mass first. Sensible shoes for walking must also be worn.

Reports have come out today with the children, I hope you enjoy reading and reflecting on them, they have so much to celebrate from their time at Our Lady’s but like everyone, always something to take away and learn from. The most important part of your child’s report, is the one written by us, as their teacher. We celebrate the WHOLE child, not just their performance on one day, so please let this be your focus and not the SAT’s results. SAT’s results are in the pack, so please have a good look at them along with the explanation- the standardised score on reaching expected for all papers was 100. Remember, results from a test never define you as a person, just look at what they have all achieved this year- there is so much to celebrate and be proud of!

Well done to Max and Asher

Wow Max, eyes are drawn to you while you are on stage. Your enthusiasm, confidence and delivery is infectious. Thank you for working so hard on your character, and doing your absolute best on stage! You know every single word of the songs and remember all of the dance moves- we are so impressed!

Asher, you are such a gentleman and an absolute pleasure to work with in the hall, as you push yourself daily out of your comfort zone to give your very best and you are doing amazing! We are so proud of the confidence you are showing! Likewise, in the classroom, you show great independence and focus- what an all rounder! Thank you.

Intentional and Prophetic Butterflies

This half term we will be on the lookout for all the children that are intentional in the choices they make, thinking about the impact this has on the world and others around them. We will also be spotting children who are prophetic, who do good deeds and who stand up for that is right. This week we thank Evie for being intentional and prophetic.

This week we have the following children helping to take the younger children to their class:

Jack James Jacob M Jacob O

Final Notices:

PLEASE BRING X2 PLASTIC BAGS IN TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY READY TO BRING BOOKS HOME

A letter has gone home today about a grown up talk on Monday, please have a read of this over the weekend and if you have any questions just give me an email.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory performance: Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th July at 6:30pm. Children to arrive at 6:10pm.

Spare school shirts (not to be worn) for signing need to come in to school on Tuesday 18th July and be kept in trays until ready for signing.

Leavers Mass Wednesday 19th July 9:30-10:30am followed by the leavers day outing.

Thursday 20th July- Break up at 2pm.

Year 6 Weekly Blog ‘If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change’.

What a busy week we have had in Year 6. We’ve managed to keep all of our learning going whilst finally finishing our play. Next week we will be running all the way through, making small changes and improving what we have done. There are still some children not fully familiar with their lines, please spend time this weekend going over their parts, making sure they know all their lines off by heart with the right expression. They have had their scripts for 5 weeks now and there is only one week to go! Most have booked tickets now, so these will also be sent out some time next week. Most costumes are not put together, could I please ask that anything they need to bring from home is brought in to school for Monday? Thank you.

This week we have continued our learning in Geography, where we have looked at countries, cities and towns that make up the UK. In Science, we finished our learning around fossils and classified living things. Our transition learning continues, this week our focus has been on whether we have a fixed or growth mindset and what we can do to change our attitude. On top of this transition preparation, all children have now been for a visit to their new high school and all have come back positive, looking forward to their new chapter, with of course some nerves. We have spoken in class about these feelings and how we need to share them with the people around us. We will of course, be discussing this in more detail over the next two weeks.

Our final DT groups completed their ‘Come Dine With Me’ experience and I have to say the desserts looked delicious. Here is a few pictures over the last few weeks, you can see just how much they have enjoyed this …

Leavers Day

As we approach the final two weeks of the school year, the celebration of our Year 6 children is at the forefront of our minds. Over the past 7 years, the children have grown into young people who are ready to fly. Young people who know how to be the change that they want to see in the world. They could not have achieved this without the love and support that they received from their school community, and more importantly, their family. For this we thank you.

On Wednesday 19th July, the whole school community will come together at the Leavers Mass to celebrate the class and Miss Hodges, who is sadly retiring in summer. This will take place at 9.30am in church.

Following the mass, the children will set off on their day of celebration. They will be walking down, along the beach, to Fairhaven Adventure Golf and Adventure Playground, where we will stay and have lunch and games for the afternoon. We will then head back to school for the end of the day.

There is just a small charge of £5 for the day, we will subsidize the rest and this will be on parent pay on Monday.

Next week we will finalise arrangements and what your children need to wear and bring with them on the day.

Well done to Grace and Saul

Grace, you are such a calming influence on our class. Your little acts of kindness and consideration goes a long way, as you discreetly help those around you. You are always a cooperative learning partner, that supports and encourages others- thank you.

Saul what a pleasure you are to teach! You are working hard independently in class but most of all we love your positive attitude and fantastic sense of humour, so thank you for making us laugh daily! 

Intentional and Prophetic Butterflies

This half term we will be on the lookout for all the children that are intentional in the choices they make, thinking about the impact this has on the world and others around them. We will also be spotting children who are prophetic, who do good deeds and who stand up for that is right. This week we thank Max for being intentional and prophetic.

This week we have the following children helping to take the younger children to their class:

Jessica Stephanie Mason India

Final Notices:

‘Green Day’ on Friday 14th July- please bring a pound and wear green to help the Eco council raise money for new general and recycling bins- thank you!

Please can costumes start to come in next week.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory performance: Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th July at 6:30pm.

Year 6 Weekly Blog 30.06.23 “Don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he wanted.” Charlie Bucket: “What happened?” Mr. Wonka: “He lived happily ever after.”

Dancing, singing and laughing has most definitely been the theme for the week this week in Year 6! You are in for such a treat with their end of year play. When I watch them on stage now, I can’t believe some of them are the same children that started the play 3 weeks ago. Their confidence has grown so much and are now so much more comfortable on stage that they are bringing their characters fully to life! This week we have more or less completed the play, with just the final scene to go, so next week we will be running from the top all the way through each day, to tweak any changes we may need to. Please make sure Year 6 spend some time this weekend going back over all of their lines, thank you. On Monday, we will be starting to try on our costumes to ensure children have got everything they need, so please make sure all items they need arrive in to school by this time if needed. If you have not heard about costumes as yet, then you will on Monday! This is a long process, so bear with us. Thank you to all those who have sent in costumes and items already!

Year 6 have been so busy in class too, during play rehearsals, they have continued to work hard on their class novel ‘Skellig’, looking deeper in to the text by answering some tricky comprehension questions. Maths fluency and reasoning has continued with puzzles and problems and the children have started their transition lessons, where we talked about how we choose our own attitudes and reflected on what we need to do to be a ‘kid awesome’ and become success learners!

Year 6 have excelled in their jobs around the school this week and the teachers have been praising them on their support within the classroom, in fact I think they wished they were in there permanently. They have sat with the children in their class at lunchtimes to help keep the noise levels down, they have been supporting them in their work, reading with children and even building towers in Reception…

Such a shame about the weather on Wednesday, typically the sun was shining the next day! Don’t forget the new date for Sports Day is 12th July, 1:30pm.

Well done to James and Hollie-Rose

Hollie-Rose, you are so pro-active and hands on, always ready to help when needed and see what needs doing! You are such a caring learner partner, thank you for always having patience and showing love to your classmates- you make our class a happy place to be!

Wow James, you astound with just how resilient and determined you are at learning all of your lines- and you have tons! Not only do you come prepared, clearly having practiced your expression and understanding of what you are saying but so much enthusiasm! You are a joy to work with on stage and that smile is contagious! Thank you for making my job as director so much easier.

Intentional and Prophetic Butterflies

This half term we will be on the lookout for all the children that are intentional in the choices they make, thinking about the impact this has on the world and others around them. We will also be spotting children who are prophetic, who do good deeds and who stand up for that is right. This week we thank Christian for being intentional and prophetic.

This week we have the following children helping to take the younger children to their class:

Jacob O James Jack Abi

Food Technology

On Monday the children doing dessert will be cooking. They have a list of a few ingredients they need. The following children are going to be making the food:

Group 1:Harriet, Holly, Jacob M, Kai

Group 2: Jacob O, Julia, Stephanie, Thomas, Mason

St Bede’s Transition

Children are being picked up at 9:20 by members of staff from St Bede’s and will be dropped off back at school just before pick up time. Children all need to bring £2.40 for their school dinner- please don’t forget.

Final Notices:

St Bede’s Transition Day: Tuesday 4th July and LSA transition day Thursday 6th July

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory performances: Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th July at 6:30pm.

Leavers Mass Wednesday 19th July 9:30-10:30am followed by the leavers day outing.

Thursday 20th July- Break up at 2pm.

Have a lovely, restful weekend.


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tickets

Tickets are now ready to go on sale for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. There will be three performances that you can buy tickets for:

Monday 17th July - 6.30pm

Tuesday 17th July - 9.30am

Tuesday 17th July - 6.30pm

Each family will be offered 3 tickets that can be used across the performances, not 3 tickets per performance. For example, you may request 1 ticket for Monday and then 2 tickets for the evening performance on Tuesday.

There will be a waiting list for any additional tickets. Tickets are £3 each - the maximum you need to pay on Parent Pay is £9. Please complete the form below indicating how many tickets you require. Please complete the form if you feel like you will require additional tickets. Do not pay for these yet.

Year 6 Weekly Blog 'Happiness in the highest form of health' Dalai Lama

Another fantastic week was had in Year 6, the weather has been wonderful and we have been making the most of it! The children are working so hard both in the hall, in the classroom and around the school. We couldn’t be prouder of their independence and maturity. The play is coming together beautifully, children haver come much more prepared for each scene, as they have clearly been practicing their words and songs! We can’t wait for you to see it.

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Amazing opportunity for budding actors!

An exciting opportunity is on offer at the Grand Theatre that you may be interested in. Between 26th-29th July, they will be hosting a free Musical Theatre workshop day for children aged between 11-17.

 

You’ll get to learn songs from your favourite musicals with expert practitioners and have your say on the arts in Blackpool.

 

Here is the digital invite and document that provides more information…

 

Places are on a first come first serve basis. Please share this widely with any young person you think might be interested. They can register their interest here: https://forms.office.com/e/tCdqJH4Z4P

Day 4 Water Parks

We have had another fun filled day in the Lake District. The sun has shone down making the day even more cheerful! We have just had our pizza, wedges and banoffee pudding and now we have gone off to practice our talents ready for tonight’s show!

Mrs Harrison and Mr Cornwell’s group have been on an adventure day, walking up a peak. It was a lot of hard work and climbing but once we were at the top we were taken away with the beautiful view!

Mrs Hotchkiss’ and Mr Nay’s group have been sailing all day on the lake…




Mrs Mather, Mrs Gregan and Mrs Barker’s group have also been on an adventure day…


Water Parks Day 3

Another beautiful day - continuing on our adventures! We have had visitors you may have noticed over the last two days… Mrs Gregan, Miss Forster and Mr Cornwell (who is staying for the rest of the week) have come to join us on our adventures and cheer us on !

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Water Parks Day 2

What an amazing day we have all had! After a surprisingly calm and restful night’s sleep, the children were up and ready to go this morning. We have been so proud of how all the children have eased in to their new routines and embraced every opportunity they have been given. There has been incredible team work, acts of bravery and a steely determination to try new activities.

Mrs Mather’s group today, enjoyed a lovely canoe across the lake to do a spot of climbing up a rock face. Then this afternoon, they had a lovely swim in the lake!

Mrs Harrison’s group had a wonderful walk up the ghyll this morning and then in the afternoon faced their fears on the ‘leap of faith’ challenge and balancing on top of ladders.

Mrs Hotchkiss and Mr Nay’s group this morning went for a relaxing sail in the morning and then climbing in the afternoon!

We really could not ask any more of these children, they are giving everything such a good go, but most importantly working as a team and really looking after to one another.

What a pleasure they are to take away! They will most definitely sleep well tonight after such an active day!

Water Parks Day 1

We have arrived and we couldn’t have got off to a better start. After a very excited lunch, the sun shone and we got ready for our afternoon activities.

Mrs Harrison, Mrs Hotchkiss and Mr Nay’s groups were having a relaxing afternoon, gently canoeing back and forth across the lake.

Whereas Mrs Mather’s group mastered the art of kayaking, but the biggest thrill was most definitely jumping off the Jetty in the late afternoon sunshine. You may have heard the squeals of delight all the way back in St Anne’s!

Tea tonight was chicken burgers and chips, followed by a beautiful sponge pudding and custard!

At the moment, they are outside orienteering. We think everyone will sleep well tonight, ready for another fun day tomorrow.

I am so sorry, but we are having problems with the Wi-Fi and I am unable to put the photographs on but I will continue to problem solve this and hopefully get them up as soon as I can!