ISSUE 5 18 MAY KNIGHT’S TALES “These photographs have been reproduced by kind permission of Gillman & Soame photographers and can be ordered by visiting www.gsimagebank.co.uk/chandlings with the login token chandlings2018.” WELCOME FROM THE HEAD “No man ever steps in the same immensely. Their days are busy and Scholarship success comes at the river twice, for it’s not the same they certainly make the most of the end of an exciting term, and I am river and he’s not the same man.” wide-range of opportunities! sure that you will enjoy reading This quote from Heraclitus, a Greek about the many events that have Importantly, the academic results philosopher born in 544 b.c. seems taken place. continue to be impressive with particularly apposite as I look back over 50% of our Year 6 children Thank you for making me feel so at my first term at Chandlings. Or gaining Scholarships and Awards welcome this term - I enjoy meeting first term back, should I say? to academically selective senior you at the gate each morning and Of course, during the intervening schools. They have demonstrated seeing your wonderful children years, there have been many their huge breadth of talent by bound into school. changes, as you would expect, achieving Academic, Sport, Art It is good to be back! however, the very heart of the and All Round awards. Their school has not changed. There is a exceptionally strong results were warmth and generosity of spirit that very well deserved after all of their Christine Cook still shines through. hard work, and it is wonderful to see what they have achieved. I would The children are as I remember also like to pay tribute to all the staff them: bright-eyed, articulate and whose dedication and commitment obviously enjoying themselves enabled each child to flourish. Abingdon School Headington School Pangbourne College 16 offers including 12 offers including 3 offers 8 Scholarships/Awards 2 Scholarships St Helen and St Katherine School Bartholomew School Magdalen College School 8 offers including 1 offer 11 offers including 1 Scholarship Bloxham School 4 Scholarships/Awards Radley College 3 offers including Matthew Arnold School 1 offer, 2 Scholarship/ Exhibition 1 offer Shortlisted for 13+ place Cokethorpe School Millfield School The Oratory School 18 offers including 1 offer 3 offers including 1 Scholarship Our Lady’s Abingdon 3 Scholarships Cranford House 3 offers including Tudor Hall 2 offers 1 Scholarship 1 offer d’Overbroeck’s Oxford High School Wychwood 5 offers 3 offers 4 offers including 1 Scholarship ISSUE 5 MAY 18 1 40 DAYS OF KINDNESS! The season of Lent began during our children actually did!). We will half term. This year, unusually, never know all the acts of kindness almost all of Lent fell during the which took place, but we know it school term, and the whole school has made a real difference. was challenged to mark it in true The whole of RD have worked hard Chandlings style: instead of (or as as a team to fill their kindness jar well as, for some) giving something and have voted for extra choosing up for Lent, children and staff did time as a reward. their best to do something kind for someone else every single Nursery talked about kindness day. We worked out that this and quotes from the children were would lead to more than 16,000 written on bubbles and displayed. kind acts within the Chandlings Here are a few of them: “Give community between half term and your friends cuddles.”, “Playing Easter! 2A led the way with their with your friends is kind.”, “Letting brilliant assembly on kindness - somebody play with the dinosaurs they had been making cookies for would be kind” and “You could neighbours, walking the dog and help Mummy and Daddy dust the even presented the office staff with house to be kind.” flowers. Year 5 suggested more things to do, anything from taking 3A were very proud of their own out the bins to treating your family Kindness Board. to a trip to a cafe (which one of ISSUE 5 MAY 18 2 FASCINATING FACTS LEARNT DURING STEM WEEK STEM Week started off with a Other competitions included a fantastic assembly introducing whole school Science poetry writing STEM. The children learned how competition, and each class was the STEM subjects at school are invited to take part in a class STEM used within some of the STEM quiz where they had to use their careers. Parents in STEM careers observational skills. The winning were interviewed and shared their class from each year have been interesting stories with us. Another rewarded with a picnic under their great assembly, which the children year group tree to take place thoroughly enjoyed, was an during the Summer Term. excellent ‘Potions Under Pressure’ show by Curiosity Box. We saw The week ended with some pop-up some interesting experiments with STEM stalls where the children met exploding rockets and learned parents who work in STEM careers about exothermic reactions. and learned about Space and how to care for the environment. The Pre-Prep children were treated to a session based on Money with A busy and fun filled week where the Mathmagician. The Nursery the children experienced some children were visited by the Mini amazing learning opportunities. Professor, they wore lab coats and found out about chemical reactions. There were two Science based school trips during the week. Year 4 visited Crocodiles of the World to learn about adaptations and habitats. They saw many types of crocodiles and even managed to touch an alligator, snake and tortoise. Year 2 visited Marwell Zoo and discovered different habitats. Despite the rain they saw many animals including a tiger and a kangaroo. There were some excellent talks and workshops run by parents and people who work in STEM careers. The children made some real satellites from a deconstructed diagram, they completed a grip strength activity, learned about a project to clear up space debris, thought about fusion, Maths and engineering, found out about robotics used in the car industry, and finally Year 2 and Year 3 learnt how to code through a jam sandwich activity. ISSUE 5 MAY 18 3 Big Science Event Eye and Cell Models All children in Years 1 to 6 took Years 5 and 6 were asked as part part in the ‘Big Science Event’, a of their homework to make a County competition run by Science model using any material they Oxford. The aim of the competition liked and to label it. Year 5 made is to encourage children to devise, some amazing models of an eye, carry out and communicate Science while Year 6 made some creative questions that interest them. Pupils plant and animal cells. There was worked in small teams in their a huge range of materials used Science lessons, to plan and carry such as papier-mâché, playdough, out their investigations. Each group polystyrene, clay and balloons. produced a poster based on their Some models were even edible! experiment. During the last three Well done to everyone for years we have had the opportunity producing such fantastic models of to represent Chandlings in the a very high standard. finals twice. Trebuchet Sundome Year 6 have been busy making a The Sundome from Culham Science trebuchet this term. In Science they Centre visited Year 5 to support learned about forces, levers and their Science curriculum. They how to calculate speed, while in really enjoyed their time inside the their computer lessons they created Sundome where they learned about plans of their models. In Maths fusion and the work that is being lessons they did some data analysis carried out at Culham Science and during their DT lessons they Centre. This linked two of their designed and made their tabletop Science topics and extended their trebuchet. A wonderful STEM understanding of fusion. project with some brilliant results. ISSUE 5 MAY 18 4 AMAZING ART AND DYNAMIC DT All children have been involved in of painting, sculpture and general lots of exciting making this term creativity going on within all year and have had opportunities to work groups and here are a few images individually or as part of a group. of some of the work. Year 6 have worked brilliantly In DT the Year 6 pupils created together to produce scenery and some fabulous handmade wooden props for their production of boxes, using tenon saws to make The Merchant of Venice and very strong joints. The boxes had should be really proud of all their inventive lid designs, making fantastic efforts and teamwork. them very eye-catching. Year 4 Meanwhile the whole of Prep made Vacuum Forming Chocolate have produced some wonderfully Moulds, and also made a wooden creative responses to this year’s Heart Test Piece made by hand, Young Art Oxford theme of using coping saws, rasps, and Journeys. There has also been lots sandpaper for the Jigsaw Project. ISSUE 5 MAY 18 5 Year 3 constructed String Art Projects, learning designing skills, and woodworking techniques using hammers and nails. During our school’s STEM week children in Year 1 designed and constructed Space rockets using recycled materials. Tim Peake would be proud of our skills! Year 2 children have further developed their sewing skills by designing and making their own hand puppets. As a special treat, they will have an opportunity to play with a real marionette that will be purchased from abroad over the Easter holidays. Year 3 have been working on their embroidery skills using advanced stitches to decorate their monster cushions.