June 2023

19 Buckden Roundabout June 2023 School & Pre - School BUCKDEN CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY ACADEMY May 2023 The start of the Summer Term has got off to a flying start and having two bank holiday Mondays it feels that May half term will soon be upon us. We celebrated the Kings Coronation on Friday 5 th May with all the children dressed in red, white and blue for the day, they all looked very colourful. We enjoyed a picnic lunch which was originally planned to be outside, but thanks to the British weather we moved it into the school hall. Luckily by the after- noon the sun was shining and the children had lots of fun play- ing games, painting, singing and dancing and face painting, we all had a right royal time. Our reception children recently enjoyed a fantastic day at Pax- ton Pits where the children had the opportunity to pond dip, hunt for bugs, bird watching and explore the plants and trees surrounding the Ouse valley. Children, staff and parent helpers had a lovely day making wonderful memories with lots of learn- ing in a fun environment. At the time of writing our Year 2 and Year 6 children are work- ing hard on taking their National Curriculum Assessments (also known as SATs). All the children involved are doing their abso- lute best and we are very proud with how the children are tak- ing all the tests in their stride. Especially our Year 6 students who had to conform to strict exam conditions, they will be re- warded with ice lollies and an afternoon of fun games on the playing field at the end of the week. Straight after the Easter holidays our Year 4s went on their an- nual residential trip to Grafham Water for a fabulous 2 night – 3 day stay. Children exhausted themselves with some exciting experiences and took part in activities such as canoeing on the reservoir, biking along the water front, indoor climbing, ar- chery, bush craft, high ropes and orienteering. Staff and chil- dren came away with lots of happy memories, along with a suitcase full of muddy clothes. Our Year 4s have been very busy as following on from their Residential they had the opportunity to take their Level 1 Bikeability test. The children worked really hard, specifically on their balancing and signalling and showed tremendous resili- ence when challenging themselves throughout the Bikeability session. Children left feeling positive, prepared and excited to cycle safely in the future. As a school we recently took part in the Sky Arts competition and we are very proud to say that six children from Buckden Primary have got through to the winning stages, which will now be featured on the Sky Arts Television Channel. The artwork will feature either within an episode of Portrait Artist of the Year on the 21 st June 2023 and/or within an on - air gallery that will run on Sky Arts across the week of 19 th – 23 rd June 2023. So please keep an eye out for our budding artists work, and well done to all the children who participated in creating their wonderful pieces of art. As a school we would like to say a huge thank you to our PTA for funding the refurbishment of the school pond. We would also like to thank the parents, pupils and staff that helped over the Easter Holidays to clear the pond with some professional help from Butterfields Ponds and Gardens. There is still a little work to be done but we are hoping very soon that classes will be able to visit the area and participate in the some nature studies. May was always destined to be a lively month in Preschool. On Thursday the 4 th , we had a Royal Tea Party to celebrate the upcoming Coronation. The children were invited to dress up if they wanted, and spent the week icing biscuits, making their own spectacular crowns, and singing the National Anthem! They also had red, white and blue foam for mark - making and sensory activities, red, white and blue paint spreaders, and cupcake cases to make playdoh versions of tea party treats. The water in the waterplay tray even got a sparkly makeover, and pouring and measuring resources helped the children de- velop their motor skills and learn about capacity. Our small world tray outside was transformed into our own version of Buckingham Palace and its grounds, thanks to a castle, courti- ers, and a grass mat! This special week inspired follow - on interests, so we provided building blocks, tape measures and visual sources to help the children construct their own castle, and a fruit tea activity with a tea set. And, maybe inspired by the sight of police officers at the Coronation, the children were role - playing as police offic- ers, so Allan Ahlberg's 'Cops and Robbers' was chosen as a Book of the Week! Other activities included a bamboo ball run that the children could build (with some assistance), and a new maths game. This requires the children to select characters with tongs to match colour and quantity information on dice, aiding numeral recognition, understanding of quantity and colour, coordina- tion, and turn - taking. As summer approaches, we will be looking at holidays and travel, and helping our older children prepare for the move to 'big school'. Are You Looking for a Volunteering Opportunity? If the Big Help Out made you wonder about volunteering op- portunities, then have you considered joining our committee? Volunteering is a great way to give something back, make new friends and try new things—and it's always looked on favoura- bly on CVs when applying for jobs! (Continued on page 21)