Early Years ‘Pirates and Princesses’

Early Years thoroughly enjoyed a Pirates and Princesses Celebration Day which, as you can see from the photograph, was deemed to be a great success.  Many thanks to all who made costumes, painted faces and generally entered into the spirit of the day.  Mrs Hester looked great in her tiara! And Mrs Horne was a scary pirate!

Nursery Strawberry Picking

Nursery children enjoyed good weather for their trip to Thurloxton Fruit Farm last week to pick strawberries!

The staff there were most welcoming, encouraging the children to sample raspberries, tayberries, loganberries and blackcurrants as well as strawberries! It has to be said that strawberries remained firm favourite with most of the children!

Many thanks to all at Thurloxton for allowing us to visit and to our parent helpers for accompanying us.

                               JOSEPH SUCCESS!

Wellington School's Joseph Choir has made it into the list of the Top 21 rated choirs selected by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Howard Goodall in the last stage of the BBC1 Joseph Choir Competition. Lord Lloyd Webber and Howard Goodall were incredibly impressed with the quality of all the choirs. 'The standard of entries has been exceptional and is a credit to the dedicated music staff at the hundreds of schools which entered. It is also extremely encouraging to see such talent and enthusiasm from the pupils' said Lloyd Webber. Howard Goodall added 'In truth any of these excellent 21 choirs would have been worthy winners'.

Wellington's Director of Music, Andrew Trewhella said 'This is fantastic news. I couldn't be more pleased or proud of what Team Wellington has achieved. The children were all a joy to work with through the rehearsal and recording stages and, moreover, they have been incredibly patient through all the trials and tribulations of the past weeks. I should like to thank them all individually and collectively, as well as their families for unstinting enthusiasm and support. This result - national recognition - is richly deserved and an achievement of which we are all extremely proud'.

The choir, made up of pupils from the Junior School and the Prep Year is photographed above. Congratulations!

                    Nursery and Reception Pop Ins

Parents, grandparents and friends came to enjoy the sun and fun in the Nursery and Recpetion classes and garden on Monday 11th June. The children loved meeting Sam the rabbit and Biscuit and Jack the gerbils. They had the chance to lissten to stories, explore some of the toys and feel what it is going to be like in September when they really will be in Nursery and Reception! Everyone was then able to stay on and play at the SummerFair. We are looking forward to welcoming you all back on Friday 22nd ~ 1-2pm. We can't promise the juggling with fire entertainnment or the hot dog stand next time though!

The Nursery visits Killerton

Nursery children had a lovely day at Killerton on Friday 8th June in warm sunshine! Well protected with sun cream and hats, we walked through the grounds, spotting squirrels and rabbits on the way.

The Bear House was fascinating, particularly when we realised that a REAL bear from Canada once lived there! We also saw the Ice House where people once kept food before fridges were invented. It was rather dark but we all very bravely went inside for a look!

We ate our picnic and enjoyed some ball games and the play area before we came back to school. Many thanks to our parent helpers, Mr Holland and Mrs Jones and also to Mrs Bowles for coming with us.

Special day for Robert

Last Monday, 4th June, was an important date for Robert Hill in Year 3C as this was the day when he was christened in the school chapel. He can be seen standing to the right of Rev. Hellier who performed the ceremony.
Everyone in his year group was present to witness this special occasion, including Year 3 class teachers. Mrs Eaton-Jones, Deputy Head and Mr McFaul, Headmaster attended the christening service by way of support for Robert, whose decision it was to take this step of faith.
Also present were Robert’s parents and godparents who can be seen standing at the back. Robert’s uncles, aunts and grandparents were in chapel and enjoyed the singing by the children accompanied on the guitar by Rev. Hellier. The children recited a poem about water just before Robert was presented with his baptismal certificate. After the short service everyone was entertained to tea and cake on the lawn.

Minibeasts in the Nursery!
 

The Nursery was alive with minibeasts just before half term as the children enthusiastically investigated snails, slugs, worms and butterflies amongst others! Minibeast hunts were undertaken with enthusiasm and we experienced the true awe and wonder of watching caterpillars change into Painted Lady butterflies. One of our photographs shows the moment when the butterflies were released!

The beautiful butterflies on display in the classroom were made by using prints of our hands and feet to make the abdomen and wings.

On Thursday all reception children were treated to an afternoon of printing with Roy Cooney (Ruby’s Grandad)
The children drew their own pictures and traced them onto a printing plate. Lots of strength was needed to make a good impression of their picture on the plate so that the ink would lodge in the grooves. Mr Cooney (very wisely!) inked the printing plates from each child. The plates went into the press with a damp piece of paper to pick up the print and each child tuned the printing press handle to make their own print.

A big thank you to Mr Cooney for taking the time to come and share his skills and expertise with us. We all really enjoyed seeing the press work and making our own prints.

France

Last week Year 5 pupils from Wellington Junior School set off early on wet and windy Monday morning by coach to cross the Channel en route for Dieppe and their five day visit of Normandy. Fortunately the choppy sea and blustery weather did not effect the journey which took them via the Tunnel to France.

The visit began with a trip to Rouen to admire the beautiful old city and the cathedral made famous by Claude Monet in his many paintings of the west façade. The 15th century charnel house of Saint Maclou was particularly interesting and unusual! Other architectural gems included the city hall, the old clock and the modern Jeanne d’Arc church built in the square where she was burned at the stake.

On a historical note the children also learned specific details about the Second World War as they visited the only successful beach landing at Sainte Marguerite sur Mer. (This was a reconnaissance sortie in 1942 prior to the D-Day landings further along the coast at Arromanches.) The group saw the only remaining launch site of the infamous V-1 rockets. A visit to the Musée de la Resistance et de la Deportation in Forges les Eaux completed the historical sessions of the stay.

There was a visit to a traditional farm where Neufchatel cheese is made and pupils really enjoyed the French fare each evening at dinner. Many of the children rose to the challenge of tasting snails and declared them to be very tasty!

During the trip they made use of their French in practical everyday situations such as buying lunch at the market in Forges les Eaux, postcards to send home and crepes or pain au chocolat at the Bowling alley.

One of the many highlights was a guided tour of a bison farm (hardly typical of Normandy, but great fun when you are in a 4x4 army truck!) Of course for many the opportunity to be together with friends, to skim stones on the beach, to play a variety of sports and to experience life abroad was fabulous.

Wherever they went they were complimented on their excellent behaviour and their obvious interest in all they saw. 

Easter Bonnet Parade

Term at Wellington Junior School ended in true Easter fashion in every sense of the word. The main focus in the final days of term has been the celebration of Easter in all its guises. Easter eggs have been painted, cards made, Easter cookies baked and we were particularly delighted to see those who could come to our Chapel Service on Tuesday when Rev. Hellier, Chaplain, made us feel very welcome - as he always does.

The parade of Early Years Easter bonnets was of the usual high standard and surely many Mums and Dads had sleepless nights beforehand adding finishing touches to the creations! Thank you for sharing your creativity. As you can see styles ranged from the rustic to the exotic! Happy Easter

Hoodwinked – a brilliant show!

What do Robin Hood, Tarzan, Lumberjacks and lots of corny jokes have in common? The answer is absolutely nothing! - except that they all appear to be integral to the success of this year’s Key Stage 2 production called Hoodwinked.

All the children from Year 3 upwards have relished the opportunity to dress up and appear on stage. Despite their young age they have risen to the challenges of the show. They have responded to the discipline required of rehearsals and performances, waiting for cues and in some cases learning to ad lib if necessary.

It was clear from the obvious enjoyment on the children’s faces that they did not mind the energetic dance routines. Not to be outdone by the dancers, the chorus certainly sang lustily!

Those who played major parts certainly deserve credit for the way in which they held it all together, delivered lines, songs and jokes clearly and with excellent timing. 

It has been a demanding week but the children have given their best.

Hoodwinked has been a tremendous success from so many points of view.

Thanks go to Mr Hitchin, Mrs Edwards and all the team of staff in KS2, teachers. LSAs, parents who helped with costumes and make-up and to Mr Tricker at the Senior School for the fabulous scenery which he created seemingly from nothing - and virtually overnight!

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Some revolting peasants                              

                                                                                                                            The Sheriff and his henchmen

Marion and her ladies

Fair Trade Fortnight

March 5th -16th was designated as Fair Trade Fortnight at Wellington Junior School. Staff and pupils were enthusiastic in their support of the venture, guided by Mrs Spicer (Head of PSHE). As part of our series of events during the fortnight two visitors from Exmoor Zoo came to school on Tuesday 6th March. One was called Steve, who told us about the Madagascan Rain Forest and the issues encountered by the people trying to make a living from the land as well as about the dangers of over-exploitation of the rain forest areas which are being lost to cultivation. The other was a human-sized ring-tailed lemur!

Mrs Reader organised a coffee morning and tea party in aid of Fair Trade and invited parents and staff to come and buy a wide range of food and gifts. This was well-supported and it is hoped to build on this year’s success in the future.

On Wednesday 14th & Thursday 15th Early years & KS1 held Tea Parties and Poetry events for parents and of course Friday 16th was Red Nose Day! Mrs Spicer organised a hamper of Fair Trade produce to be raffled. Our sincere thanks go to Exmoor Zoo, Clipper Teas and the Co-op for donating the prizes.

The children sold tickets for the raffle at the playground entrance and at the tea parties.

Train-spotting at West Somerset Railway.

Nursery children had a great time watching the steam train at Bishops Lydeard station. They saw how the levers in the signal box moved the tracks, enjoyed the model railway layout and had lunch in the sunshine. As ever they were beautifully behaved – a real credit to their teachers!

Fair Trade Fortnight at Wellington Junior School.

As part of Fair Trade fortnight pupils at Wellington Junior School were treated to a visit from Exmoor Zoo.  Each year the pupils at the school raise monies for different charities, the children do a presentation and vote for the charities they would like to support. This is very good news for the Island of Madagascar.  Every year for the past 6 years the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria raise money for a different conservation campaign. This year's campaign "Arovoko i Madigasikara" , I protect Madagascar,  was chosen by the children who have already raised a staggering £350 to help Madagascar’s fragile environments and people, who are known as the Malagasy.   Exmoor Zoo’s Education Officer, Stephen Eddy, said "it was a phenomenal effort by the school and we just had to go and thank them personally. We were allowed to join the children during morning assembly and tell them about the Island, its wildlife and people and the trouble all are currently facing.   Any one interested in the Eaza madagascar campaign can find out more by e-mailing the zoo educatexmoorzoo@btconnect.com or visit www.eaza.org

Reception goes wild!

Miss Murray’s Reception classroom at Wellington Junior School has seen several transformations during the past few weeks as the children have travelled around the world exploring different countries.

They have “visited” Mexico, Greece, Italy, Hawaii on their trip around the globe.

This week palm trees suddenly sprouted and all sorts of exotic plants appeared where the shop had been.

We have also had a sudden influx of wild life including lions, bears, zebras and snakes!

But never fear…everything is under control!

World Book Day at Wellington Junior School

As it was World Book Day on Thursday, 1st March Mrs Beaupré, Librarian at Wellington Junior School,  did a special assembly about books. Headmaster, Harry McFaul joined her in sharing current favourite books and also childhood favourites with the children. Mrs Beaupré then asked everyone to indicate their favourite book for her display in the library and invited parents to add their favourite childhood titles to the card.

She is currently drawing up a list of top ten children’s books and comparing what was popular a generation or so ago! Some parents have risen to the challenge with enthusiasm in this bit of fun!

Here are some of the children in a corner of the library showing off their cards and drawings with their favourite characters. Librarian, Mrs Beaupré, is delighted at the response from the children in sharing their favourite books.

Wellington Junior School pupils have stars in their eyes!

The pupils pictured above have all enjoyed considerable success in the world of performing and visual arts as well as within the classroom. Tabitha Salisbury (back left) has had her painting selected to be displayed in the reception offices of the Independent Schools Inspectorate in London. Fredric Cooney (back right) has recently been selected to sing in the National Children’s choir while Lara Adkins (front left) has been offered a place to perform in Sleeping Beauty with the English Youth ballet in June. Alice Cambridge (front right) has performed on stage in a number of pantomimes locally. Fredric and Alice will soon be taking the lead roles in the school production called 'Hoodwinked'.

Bore Da on St David’s Day
There was a very Welsh flavour to the Nursery on Thursday 1st March as Mrs Tipping’s mother came in to help the children celebrate St David’s Day. They were able to dress up in traditional costume and make welsh cakes. Daffodils were painted and they all enjoyed the dragon stories. Thank you Mrs Farrow for such a wonderful day!

Celebrating Valentine's Day!

As part of the Personal and Social area of the Early Years curriculum, children in the Nursery at WJS have been celebrating Valentine’s day by talking about people we love and making beautiful cards.
Delicious heart-shaped biscuits have been baked, iced and taken home to give to loved ones. The children have also enjoyed reading stories about people who are special to us.

Very special Valentine wishes to you all!

U10 Girls on hockey tour

Nine girls and three members of staff set off on a fresh Saturday morning for the annual U10s Girls' Hockey tour.This year the girls travelled to the Salisbury area where they played matches against girls and mixed sides. Saturday evening was spent at Romsey Rapids and although weary on their return to school on Monday, staff and children agreed that they had had a fantastic time. Many thanks to Sam Dinham, Emma Murray and Lisa Waples for making the trip such a success. Even warmer thanks from the Staff to the girls for making this the best tour ever!

Nursery classes at Wellington Junior School enjoyed a marvellous visit to Sainsbury’s in Taunton Town Centre. The visit came alive for the three and four year olds as they were able to operate the tills and taste delicious fruits!

Possibly the best part was a trip to the store’s bakery where they watched jam put into doughnuts and were then able to dip their own in sugar!

The children were presented with a beautiful basket of fruit as a souvenir of their visit. This went down very well at 'milk time' the next day! Wellington Junior School are most grateful to the staff of Sainsbury’s for a lovely morning. The children learned  so much and had such a delicious time doing so... Thank you.