Visit from Olympic Medalist Jo Jackson!

Spring 2014 Edition

Visit from Olympic Medalist Jo Jackson!

Spring 2014 Edition

Inside theMayorʼs Parlour!

Our trip toLudlow Castle!

New interview with a teacher,original artwork and more!PLUS

Inside Victoria Park

Primary Academy

An Olympian called Joanne Jackson

came to our school to help us to

conquer some fi tness challenges

which helped us to keep fi t and raise

money for our school and other

charities. The fi rst challenge was

called ʻSpotty Dogsʼ, it was similar to

power walking and defi nitely made

us sweat! The second challenge

was a ʻLeg Driveʼ, you had to pull

your legs up to your chest. The third

challenge was ʻPress upsʼ. I found

these incredibly hard and I felt

drained out after doing them! The

last one we tried was ʻStar Jumpsʼ,

we had to jump while we pushed our

hands and legs out as far as they

could go (what an effort). I enjoyed

the event and I look forward to

hearing how much money our school

has raised.

By Usmaan Hussain - 6W

The sponsorship form consisted of: name, contact details, amount of money pledged and a signature. 50% of the money raised will go towards buying new P.E equipment for our school, 25% of the money will go to various athletes to help them to buy new training equipment for forthcoming championships and the other 25% will be sent to various charities to help people with disabilities. We were told that if we personally raised £5 or over we would get a postcard sized photo of our visiting athlete (Joanne Jackson). If we were fortunate enough to raise £30 or more, we would receive a SIGNED A4 photo of our athlete. I proudly raised £5.15!

By Mohammed Kashif - 6W

VISIT FROMOLYMPIC MEDALLIST JOANNE JACKSON!

VISIT FROMOLYMPIC MEDALLIST JOANNE JACKSON!

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On Friday 7th March, Joanne Jackson (2008 Olymic games 400m Freestyle Bronze Medalist) visited VPA to share some successful sports tips with us. It turned out to be a very exciting day as she helped us to persevere in our sponsored sports challenge. After that, she shared with us in a special assembly about her life as a child and when she was growing up; including her successes and failures – it was truly inspirational. While taking part in the sports challenges I became very tired; however, my favourite challenge was the ʻspotty dogʼ. It had a very funny name and it was a really fun activity to take part in. Joanne Jackson explained that she always gave 100% in swimming. She went on to say that when she was in secondary school she swam 600m a day, 300m before school and 300m after school. She was very determined in her approach to being a professional swimmer. Her dreams came true by always giving 100% in whatever she did; she advised us all that we should keep following our dreams (whatever they are) and to accomplish our goals we should ALWAYS give 100%.

By Sara Saeed - 5B

We were all excited as soon as we came into school. Class by class we went into the hall to begin our circuits. Jo (Joanne) had arrived! We were all introduced to her. We started off with each circuit - fi rst spotty dogs and then the others followed on. I was sweating – we covered each challenge over 1 minute so in total we were working out for 4 minutes! We then had an assembly with Jo; she informed us about her childhood and her super career. She explained how she became an Olympic swimmer. We had such a great time and the main message I took away with me from all of this is; to persevere and not give up- give everything 100% - I enjoyed listening to Jo she was full of inspiration! I would like to say a very big thank you to Mr Blackwood (Year 5 teacher and PE co-ordinater) for organising the super event.

By Armaan Ashfaq - 5B

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LudlowCastleLudlowCastle

We had a fantastic day on Tuesday 25th February 2014. The whole of Year 5 went to Ludlow Castle; this trip was organised as part of our Nicer topic entitled ʻCastle Attackʼ. We travelled there and back by coach; the journey took approximately 1hr and 30 minutes, we saw so many different animals on the way and we were all very excited!

As we arrived, Mr Blackwood explained that we needed to be sensible; particularly as there were many members of the general public in attendance. It was most important that we followed his instructions as we were there representing our school. Soon after that, we entered the castle and roamed around the castle grounds; we had a lot of fun. We explored the secret passageways; in one of them we noticed a dead rat, which in fact, freaked me out! Following that we made our way up to the top of the castle and saw our friends and classmates down on the castle grounds. To reach The top we had to climb up approximately 50 steps!!!

Once we had made our way back down to the foot of the castle, we then had our picnic lunch in the picnic area. I was so pleased as I was particularly hungry (all that fresh air I think). My lunch was scrumptious; we waited until everyone had fi nished before moving on.

Next, we had a long walk to the river which was quite tiring for me (as I only have little legs). However, for Mr Blackwood it was quite an easy task! While we were there we looked at certain diagrams and information on the visitors boards; Mr Morrish joined us and shared this information with us. Finally, we had to walk up a long, steep hill as we made our way back to the castle where we visited the gift shop on our way out. We then waited for the coach as it was unfortunately time to leave.

I would defi nitely recommend this place of interest to my family and friends!!!

By Armaan Ashfaq - 5B

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On Tuesday 25th February 2014, Year 5 went on a trip…

To begin with, it was a lengthy ride but it was well worth it. To our surprise, as we were getting off the coach, we saw Mr.Morrish! I stopped and thought for a moment, “What is Mr.Morrish doing here?” I was quite surprised. As I stood at the side of the coach I could see, right before my eyes, a remarkable landmark (Ludlow Castle). The ancient castle grounds were quite spacious however; they were quite muddy as well. The curators of the castle informed us all that we could meander around the grounds by ourselves! I had previously heard that Prince Arthur had died at Ludlow Castle so, I just had to investigate and I did - forthwith. If we hadnʼt have been able to roam around the castle grounds by ourselves, I doubt that the day would have been as much fun as it was. I noticed that the grounds were very picturesque and tranquil, what a lovely sight to behold.

During my investigations I found a dark and gloomy pathway that had numerous steps to climb. Looking up from the bottom of the steps, it seemed extremely daunting to have to climb to the top. Two of my friends decided that they were going to attempt to climb this steep, monstrous staircase. I decided I would too (without my friends knowing). Mr. English (my teacher) had decided to make his way up the steps too. As we were climbing, Mr English and I decided that we would scare my friends.

While they werenʼt looking we shouted, “BOO!” They jumped with fright! Both Mr. English and I couldnʼt help but to burst out with laughter. Clearly, it was very funny to us but, it was obvious it wasnʼt to them! Once I reached the top I felt a GREAT sense of achievement as there were so many steps to climb. It was well worth the effort as the view was sublime.

It was at this point, that I realised it was almost lunch time as I had begun to feel quite peckish! Lunch was defi nitely calling for me! I then began to make my long journey back down the numerous amounts of steps; it was only then that I had noticed how uneven they were! We ate our lunch outside together with our friends.

The other Year 5 class (5B) then went off on a walk with Mr. Morris whilst we went to the gift shop. After that we swapped over. We went to the river and saw where Wales and Ludlow fought. We then went to look at another part of the castle; where long ago the people from inside the castle attacked their enemies without being discovered. Once we arrived back at the main part of the castle, we knew it was unfortunately time for us to make our way back to school. We had a lovely day visiting Ludlow Castle and we learned a lot of new things. We defi nitely had fun and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

By Jaskirat Kaur - 5E

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How To Use A Goblin Trap

Like a tornado of ferocity, a goblin is a defi nite problem. You can GUARANTEE that all of your issues concerning goblins will be resolved by following this set of simple, yet effective, instructions and your dreams of being free from the goblins clutches will fi nally come true. To allow this mission to work you will need:

6 Gigantic Boxers (Fighters), 6 Litres of Potent Sea Salt, A Patch of Fake Grass, A Bucket of Tomato Puree, A Bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate

Instructions:

1. Initially, the operator will need to carefully dig a deep hole (ditch) which is approximately 5 feet deep.2. Next, gently place the artifi cial patch of grass over the ditch; making sure every bit of the hole is covered.3. Afterwards, place the chocolate on the grass. Subsequently, ʻhurlʼ yourself under a tree while you wait (out of sight) for the ghastly goblin to arrive.4. As the goblin attempts to grab the chocolate from the grass, he will automatically plummet into the ditch below.5. At this point, the goblin will be transported underground.6. As the goblin reaches the void of the dark, damp underground, it will be carried to A door by 6 gigantic boxers; as a result, he will be engulfed with a potent mixture of tomato puree and salt (very harmful to goblins). Consequently, he will be rendered incapable of fi ghting back as the powerful concoction penetrates the goblinʼs skin. If the goblin survives this ordeal he will be reduced to an incapacitated creature. Only use this trap once as repeated use will reduce the effectiveness of the apparatus.. By Naeem Mahmadi - 6A

CREATIVE

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WritingUltrons Last Stand

The golden sun rose into the open sky whilst Blade and Wolverine went looking for ruthless criminals around the kingdom. Their only mission in life was to obliterate Ultronʼs secret laboratory.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wolverine caught sight of one of Ultronʼs Hench men. As a ferocious lion pounces on its prey; Wolverine swooped on Ultrons Hench man. He tortured the brute and forced Ultrons sidekick to tell him where the secret lab was located. His jagged claw sliced through Ultrons Hench mans fl esh, like a hot knife slicing through butter.

When they arrived at Ultronʼs camoufl aged labotoray, Wolverine appeared to have a sneaky smile upon his face as a witch about to cast a deadly spell. Blade knew something was wrong. Suddenly, Wolverine turned on his fellow companion like a ʻTetrisʼ snake.

Blade yelled, “Iʼll take you all on!” He shot Wolverine in the stomach without being aware that Ultron was behind him…

In retaliation, Ultron shot a bullet at Blade. As nimble as a Ninja he dodged the bullet. Blade, like a deranged psycho, sliced Ultron into pieces. He then annihilated the laboratory; the air was fi lled with the smell of death.

The world remained in complete danger as the wicked Wolverine was still alive...

By Usman Hussain - 6W

The golden sun rose into the open sky whilst Blade and Wolverine went looking for ruthless criminals around the kingdom. Their only mission in life was to obliterate Ultronʼs secret laboratory.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wolverine caught sight of one of Ultronʼs Hench men. As a ferocious lion pounces on its prey; Wolverine swooped on Ultrons Hench man. He tortured the brute and forced Ultrons sidekick

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pieces. He then annihilated the laboratory; the air was fi lled with the

The world remained in complete danger as the wicked Wolverine was

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Mayor’s ParlourOn Thursday 6th February 2014, VPAʼs School Council members went to the Council House in Oldbury to visit the Mayoress of Sandwell. We travelled on our school minibus to the council house and back. When we entered, what seemed like a ʻBIG HOUSEʼ, we were all slightly worried. Just after we had arrived, a man called George met us and escorted us to the Mayorʼs room (The Parlour). We entered and there waiting for us was the Mayoress whom we referred to as Madam Mayor. She was wearing a gold necklace which had the names of previous Mayors engraved on the back; it also had the coat of arms for Sandwell situated on a separate piece of the necklace.

As soon as we had all entered the parlour we were served with a cup of squash and a bar of chocolate. We then had chance to ask the Mayor some creative questions. We learnt so many new things whilst these questions were being answered. We then talked about the different Mayors who had held the post in the past.

After that, we walked into a room full of items made from gold (donʼt worry, we werenʼt even tempted! There were gold maces, necklaces and many more ornaments which belonged to the Mayor. We got to dress up while we were there; I dressed up as the Mayor. I wore a long robe and a necklace and the other members of the School Council wore gloves and held a mace.

We then proceeded to the Mayorʼs offi ce where she undertakes all of her daily duties. We saw so many things that were owned by the Lady Mayor. We were able to hold the keys which the Mayor uses to open new buildings with. Mrs Mahal took some great pictures of us during our visit; some of which can be found on the school website. Finally, we walked into the Mayorʼs Chamber; this is where all of the formal meetings take place. We were allowed to sit down and the Mayor sat in a very special chair. We were informed about who sits in certain chairs and about what happens in this particular room.

Unfortunately, the time had arrived for us to leave. We were all a little sad as we had encountered such friendly people and we had received such a wealth of information. Much to our surprise, we were all presented with a little gift bag from the Mayor on behalf of some of the other people who work there.

On our way out we got to have a look at the Mayorʼs car which is a sparkling Jaguar. It was in fabulous condition with its very own private number plate. What a wonderful experience this visit was – we have been so fortunate to be able to have a ʻsneaky peakʼ inside the life of the Lady Mayoress of Sandwell.

By Armaan Ashfaq - 5B

Mayor’s Parlour

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VP - UNI VP - UNI

In VP UNI I took part in the Japanese course. I enjoyed it a great deal. I learned a lot of interesting facts and more importantly I learned how to speak a little bit of Japanese. VP UNI is a week where children between Years 1-5 take part in learning about different activities such as: Rockets and Explosions, Cake Decorating, Street Party, Mandarin and many others. We all enjoyed it immensely.

I know that ʻka nichi waʼ means ʻthank youʼ. If you say it to a teacher you will need to say, ʻka nichi wa gozaimasʼ as this is a polite way to address an adult. I really enjoyed tasting some Japanese lollies. VP Uni is a really fun way of learning.

By Sara Saeed - 5B

On Monday 20th January 2014, the excitement all started during assembly. As we sat patiently, we could see that Mrs Dhesi obviously had something exceedingly important to tell us. She announced to all of the pupils that we were going to have another fun week of VP Uni!!!

At fi rst, we froze like statues as though we were made of unbreakable ice so that we could take the news in. Then the excitement took over and we could not stop talking! We were pleasantly surprised that VP Uni would be going ahead again! She informed us of the various courses in which we could be involved. There were lots of different types of subjects which we could choose from; some which were mentioned were: Japanese, Taekwondo, Dance, Street Party, Cake Decorating, Romans, Mandarin, Rockets, Explosions and Drama. She gave us a short time to think about what we would like to do. After we had given it some thought, Mrs Dhesi

explained that although she would try to arrange that we took part in our fi rst choice, this may not always be possible. We chose to take part in the Japanese course. We didnʼt really know what to expect other than we might possibly learn some of the Japanese language. On Monday 27th January we started our course. It turned out to be an extremely fun course and the members of staff who came into school to work with us were extremely friendly and patient. It was really good fun and we got to learn lots of new and fascinating Japanese words. We learnt a few words such as; Konichiwa (hello), Minna- san (everyone), Arigato (thank you) and lots more. We had a lot of fun in VP Uni and we would like to do this more often. We really enjoyed trying out new things; itʼs a great way to learn!

By Rupinder Kaur and Jaskirat Kaur - 5E

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VP Gallery

Joanne JacksonBy Iqra & Prabhjot - 6M

Tools to kill a goblin By Hassan Ali - 6A

Mayorʼs ParlourBy Armaan Ashfaq - 5B

A selection of artwork from the talented VP Zine team

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Q1 What made you decide that you wanted to become a teacher?A1 I love learning and I wanted to encourage children to have a love for learning too.

Q2 Where did you start your teacher training?A2 I started my training at two schools in Birmingham: Anglesea Primary and St Francis Primary.

Q3 Which year groups have you taught in? Which is your preferred year group to teach and why? A3 I have taught in Years Reception, 2 and 5. I do not prefer one year group to another as they are all very different. Q4 What is your favourite food and drink and why do you like them?A4 I havenʼt got a favourite food as I like lots of different foods. My favourite drink is lemonade but I donʼt have any particular reason for this choice.

Q5 Do you have a hobby? If so, what is it? Why do you enjoy this activity?A5 I like listening to music and seeing and hearing my favourite artistes live on stage.

Q6 Which foreign countries have you visited? Which is your favourite and why?A6 I have been to: Jamaica, France, Spain, Italy, USA, Germany and Antigua. My favourite holidays are ones where the beaches are nice; I love beaches!

Q7 If you could visit a foreign country that you have never been to, which one would it be and why? A7 I would love to go to China due to all the technology that they have in that country.

Q8 We know that you have recently returned to VPA after having some time off. There was a particular reason for this; would you kindly share with our readers the reason for your long term absence?A8 I was away from school from March 2013 to January 2014 as I had a baby boy in April 2013. His name is Kyrie – he is now ten months old!

Interview conducted By Kashif Mohammed - 6W

Interview with Mrs MontaqueInterview with Mrs MontaqueMrs Montaque is one of the teachers from Reception. She has recently returned to school after spending some time away from VPA whilst on Maternity Leave.

What is your favourite food and drink and why do you like them?

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See more online!

Mirror image! Mirror image!

Can you finish off the line

drawing of the swimmer?

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