GRADE 1s MEET THEIR BUDDIES! The Buddy Programme involves pairing Grade 1 pupils with Grade 5 pupils. The first meeting is such a wonderful event for both the Grade 1s and the Grade 5s. A lot of thought goes into pairing up the children and it is wonderful to see them working and chatting together.

This week the children worked together, they drew a person and labelled the body parts, made chatterboxes, read stories and played games. The morning finished with the Grade 1s having lunch with their buddies.

VOLUME 02: 24 JANUARY 2020

MUSIC LESSONS Music lessons are well underway, and we look forward to watching our new musicians flourish. Pictured here is Nia O’Carroll enjoying her first flute lesson.

NEWS FROM THE ART ROOM Toyota Dream Car Contest: All children in Grade1-7 are taking part in the Toyota Dream Car Contest. They have started to brainstorm ideas during their art lessons, but we would also like to encourage all parents to visit the website and help your children to develop their ideas and designs. The prizes are amazing, and the children are all very enthusiastic! https://www.imperialtoyota.co.za/article/entries-open-for-the-14th-toyota-dream-car-contest Also, ‘Creative Caterpillar of the Week’ goes to Carla Hodges in Grade 3 for showing confidence in her imagination and creative ideas! A note from the Art Department: I hope the children have all enjoyed their first art lessons with me. While I have mentioned a few of the exciting new plans to them, I am thrilled to be sharing some of the changes that I plan on making to the Art Department throughout the course of this year with you. It is my goal and intention that the children are given every opportunity within the art lesson time to develop confidence in their creativity and find their unique artistic ‘voice’. In order to achieve this, I plan to move towards a more choice-based and process-focused classroom, that can be as flexible as possible in providing whatever your child may need to help them explore their creativity. With less pressure on the final outcome of work, I hope the children will be more willing to experiment with materials and make mistakes, which will essentially allow them to be at the centre of their own learning. I am in fact hoping to move towards less of an instructional role and more of a facilitative one, providing each child with a studio space filled with exciting materials for them to explore in their own way. Continuing with the move away from outcome-focused work, I have decided to replace the Artist of the Week with the Creative Caterpillar Award for JP and Art Star award for SP pupils. The focus of this award will be on anything special done during lesson time and not always on a completed artwork. Lateral thinking in order to solve a problem will be celebrated! An exciting addition to the art experience will be the use of technology in art lessons, as this is undeniably where the future of art-based careers lie. We will be trying our hand at various digital art applications in design, photography, editing and stop motion animation to name a few. This focus on technology will begin in the Senior Phase as I am sure they are well practised in the art of painting, drawing, ceramics and other forms of fine art by now and are craving something different! I have also introduced the weekly brainteaser to help get the children to think ‘Out of the Box’. This will be displayed every Monday and the names of pupils that submit correct answers by Friday will be added to the big draw for a few prizes at the end of the term. I trust I will have your support in these changes and that you look forward to seeing how your children choose to express themselves over the course of the year as much as I do!

- Ms Lisa Boshoff

OAKWOOD AFTERCARE BAKERS The Oakwood Aftercare children had great fun “baking”.

CONGRATULATIONS! • Congratulation to Vida and Daniel

Eriksson, and Zoe in Grade 000, on the birth of baby Oliver on 15 January 2020.

• Congratulations to Lindsay and Scott Kelly, Rio-Trent in Grade R and Cruz in Grade 000, on the birth of baby Jett on the 20 January 2020.

GRADE 3 DISCOVERIES The Grade 3s found owl pellets under the Grade 3 jungle gym. After dissecting it they found bones, ribs, a skull and fur. They came to the conclusion that the owl must have eaten a squirrel! Our campus allows for great adventure and exploration!

GRADE R SWIMMING The Grade R girls enjoyed their first swim of 2020 in the school pool on Wednesday. Miss Mac provided a fun-filled lesson using noodles, penguins and ducks. The children felt confident in the shallow water with their teachers alongside them. It was so much fun!

GRADE 3 SELF-PORTRAITS The Grade 3s have been busy with Self-portraits, including things that they love about themselves.

NEWS FROM THE BEE CLASS (GRADE 000) It was all smiles in the Bee Class with Friday Smiley T-shirt day.

FREAKY, FRUITY, FRIDAY What is better on a hot, summer’s day that a Freaky, Fruity, Friday lunch?

GRADE 1 Grade 1 have been learning the sounds s, a, t, and p. They then worked out what they could write. In Maths we are looking at numbers 1 to 10 and playing games.

GRADE 6 BYOD It has been very exciting for the Grade 6s as they start to make use of the “BYOD” (Bring Your Own Device) programme.

GRADE 4 NEWS The Grade 4s have been studying the 7 life process that determines whether something is living or non-living. We investigated whether something that appears to be non-living can be revived. By observing bean seeds and yeast under favourable conditions, we concluded that some living things are in fact dormant and can be revived. The yeast will be used to bake yummy bread rolls!

FUN IN GRADE 00 DORMICE The Dormice have had a great time in class, enjoying birthdays, playdough fun, building and hugging friends.

SPORTS NEWS CRICKET NEWS Cricket at Somerset House has started off with huge excitement. Our Grade 1s have had their first practices and are eager to start their matches. We have also had some very exciting news regarding two of our senior boys. Last year Aidan Hughes and Joshua van Kerckhoven were selected as part of the Helderberg Zonal Cricket Squad. They will now take part in the next round of the U13 WP Cricket Trials. These trials will take place on Friday the 24th and Friday the 31st January at Radloff Park. Good Luck to both players. Here are some pictures of the children enjoying their mini-cricket sessions.