Literacy

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The Spring Term saw Elms delving into the diary of anxious teenager Adrian Mole as he struggled to cope with outbreaks of spots and his parents’ marital troubles.

Adrian Mole’s Parents by Uttara Nair

Pauline and George Mole

Adrian Mole’s parents are quite careless and irresponsible. They don’t seem to care about Adrian Mole. They are also alcoholics and always keep on smoking. I guess that is one of the main reasons why Adrian Mole is un poco loco. He tries to get their attention but they are too busy in their own gloomy life to take any interest in their child’s life. They are so careless that they didn’t even realize that Adrian was reading magazines that are not age appropriate like the Big And Bouncy. Even after they found out about the magazines all they cared about was the phone bill that he had hidden and not about the inappropriate articles he was reading. They were also so busy doing nothing that they didn’t even name the dog!! His mom had moved in with Mr. Lucas but after some months she came back to Adrian’s dad. I actually feel sad that Adrian has such negligent parents and no adult to look up to.

Adrian’s friend Nigel by Liam Coetzee

Nigel’s role in the story is as Adrian’s best friend. They both go to the same school. Nigel has a very modern large house with an amazing room. It has everything, a stereo, spotlights over his bed, an electric guitar and a colour television! Adrian goes on Nigel’s racing bike. It has a water bottle, a milometer, a speedometer, a yellow saddle and very thin racing wheels. It is the coolest bike ever and Nigel does not even truly appreciate it. Nigel and Adrian do lots of things together. They like to watch movies and go out to buy things. They both unfortunately also like the same girl, Pandora. Pandora has lovely hair and becomes Nigel’s girlfriend. This makes Adrian very mad with his friend Nigel. Pandora is Adrian’s lost love!

Adrian Mole’s Character by Lila Monnet

Adrian says he is an intellectual and he dislikes the dog. He is in love with a girl named Pandora and has a bad relationship with his parents.

Some enjoyed his naïve accounts of the goings-on at home and at school while others were less appreciative. Nevertheless, they got to know the Leicester youngster who was Britain’s most celebrated teenager before the arrival of Harry Potter.

The would-be intellectual makes numerous references to literature throughout his diary, only to reveal his ignorance. “I read a bit of Pride and Prejudice, but it was very old-fashioned. I think Jane Austen should write something a bit more modern.”

Elm, like the rest of the school, were captivated by the incubating eggs and then by the chicks that emerged from them. They produced poems and pictures and built runs with activities to keep them entertained. They also researched the murky world of egg production, the various methods used by farmers and the terminology that we encounter in the shops: battery (cage), free-range, barn, organic – what do all these terms mean?  

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Elm discovered that the reality of ‘barn’ and ‘free-range’ egg production bears very little resemblance to the images of rustic farmsteads and grassy meadows that they conjure up.

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“E-BAOBAB ” – Someone’s rubbish, our treasure

There is a lot of Mathematics in growing trees, especially if they are made out of plastic! On our “eco-friendly / e-baobab” mission we estimated, calculated, measured and looked at the different possible solutions for “growing” our tree.

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The key to our e-baobab tree is the simple concept of ‘No Rubbish, Only Resources’. 

Our E-Baobab project challenges the modern-day single-use culture, ‘Buy today and throw away tomorrow’. It teaches students to see value and potential in everyday objects. It also teaches them to build and construct, and to think about how things work. It involves project-based learning and the construction of useful or fun devices using recycled materials the children have helped to source themselves. These projects not only allow the children to use their re-cycling imaginations, they teach them about construction, carpentry, mechanics and engineering.  The challenge of constructing something from old or used materials is motivating because it has a bigger purpose behind it. As the students become aware of the problems, they become engaged in the solutions, as they learn that something used need not be useless.

“Pensez au tri! Jeter vos détritus à la poubelle!” Instructions for recycling are so misleading that we thought we had to do something about it.

Our message is that it is never too late to start to make changes, and that together each one of us can help to change the world. 

We like to think that we are putting the ‘éco’ into ‘école’. Thank you to all the FISP families for their amazing input during this project and a big round of applause to Elms for their dedication and hard work.

History

The theme was Generation Games and had us reflecting on how societies around the world treat the elderly and what our attitudes are to old people. Elm were overwhelmingly appreciative of the older people in their lives, particularly their grandparents.

To encourage recognition of older people’s lives and respect for their experiences, often things that are totally outside of our own, we had a first-hand account of what it was like to be in Berlin when the city was divided by the Wall. Unsmiling soldiers with machine guns at the checkpoints, searching the car for smuggled goods on the way in and smuggled people on the way out; shabbily dressed people and poorly stocked shops on the Eastern side, people afraid to be seen talking to foreigners.

The children were rightly shocked; how could a wall have been built to divide a city as everyone stood by and watched? They learned how it was constructed, why it was built (to keep people in rather than keep people out) and of the brave men and women who escaped and those who didn’t.

They learned how it came down in 1989, more by accident than design.  They enjoyed the anecdote about people handing the East Germans bananas, a highly prized commodity that was all but impossible to come by on the Eastern side of the wall.

Pupil’s wrote diary entries in the persona of someone living in the East when the wall came down.

Geography

Birds are returning from over-wintering in warmer climes, and we decided to investigate their annual journeys around the world, many of which are extraordinary feats of endurance.

We discovered that bird migration is fraught with dangers and that many birds who set off do not return. When we looked into the list of dangers migrating birds face, we discovered, as usual, that humans play a major role, through light pollution from cities, glass in high rise buildings, wind turbines and destruction of habitat.

Pupils chose a bird and tracked its migratory path on a map, noting the countries traversed. It is incredible to think that the swallows arriving in France have been on an epic journey, on routes that might pass through the Sahara Desert or along the west coast of Africa or the Nile Valley.

Mathematics

We worked on recording, describing and analysing the frequency of outcomes of simple probability experiments involving randomness, fairness, equally and unequally likely outcomes. Elms constructed and interpreted various data tables, charts, and diagrams, including frequency tables, bar charts, pie charts, pictograms, line graphs, and scatter graphs (correlation). Elms can clearly distinguish between positive and negative correlation, identify if it is strong, moderate or weak and understand that all outliers are not taken into consideration while drawing the line of the best fit. We then dived deeper into construction of pie charts and calculated desirable percentage and number of degrees for the specific group of data. We also worked on calculating the ratio and proportion and then solved various problems that involved these.

Egg project: Mathematics ( Statistics)

Linked to our “Egg project”, we created our own hypothetical and real problems based on our incubator and then constructed various graphs to represent our findings. In algebra, we closely looked into linear equations and then learnt how they could be represented geometrically. We substituted random values in these equations which subsequently helped us draw: y=x, y=x-1, y=x-2 and what they represent. We were quite lucky with our little chicks as nearly all of them hatched. In reality, our final linear equation was y=x-3, where x (x=13) was the number of the eggs in the incubator and 3 the number of chicks that did not hatch.

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Science –“Egg project”

How to train your chicken in 30 days?

Elms created different training facilities that enabled them to observe, stimulate and love their new fluffy friends even more.

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Science / Biology

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We started this unit by using microscopes to study cell structure and their functions and then compared the main parts of the animal and plant cells. We closely looked at the chick embryo development and then followed them on their 21 day journey.

Elms compared the respiratory systems of humans and chickens and then pinpointed the similarities and differences. We were intrigued by the complexity of the chickens’ respiratory system where they get two doses of oxygen for the price of one breath.

We discovered how a spirometer is used to measure the volume of air inhaled and exhaled. Elms then discussed Tidal, Residual, Inspiratory and Expiratory Reserve Volumes and how they differ in men and women and the altitude that they live on. We also learnt about the similarities and differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration and how they produce energy. We used a virtual model of a chicken and followed “that egg in the making” and were egg-static to discover the main stages of egg development (fertile and infertile).

ICT

ICT lessons have provided pupils with the principles of technology information and computation, which have been applied through programming. Computing enables pupils to become digitally literate; in other words, they are able to express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology as well as being active participants in a digital world.

Elm class have started developing coding and programming skills to create their own video games by using “Scratch”, a programming language that develops mental skills.

They have made several kinds of video games around the egg-exciting IPC theme of this fourth term, “ Eggs”.

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First, they started exploring and discovering the Scratch world. Little by little, they began to develop their own ideas and conclusions in order to make specific actions. For example, to move the sprite up and down, they had to use the Y-axis; to move the character right and left the X-axis had to be used. As can be seen, computing has deep links with mathematics, which allows pupils to apply their maths knowledge.   

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Once they had acquired the basic principles, Elm class went deeper, trying to improve and make their video games more complex, adding score bars, special variables to double their score, obstacles, background music, sound and pop-up messages.

Finally, they ended the term with a creative project called “Video game week” during which they showcased their capability, creativity and knowledge of computer science, digital media and information technology.

The aim of this week was to share their games and to explain how they were made. Each pupil presented their game and explained the code process. 

 The presentations ended with a Q&A session.

French/French IMYC

Spanish

VALENCIA, BEAUTIFUL CITY

This term we focused on sightseeing: What kind of sights and attractions can we find in a city or town?

I presented my home city of Valencia. We did a little research and we found loads of interesting facts about this beautiful Spanish city: Plaza de toros, Miguelete, ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias, the old part and the modern part.

While learning about these sights and buildings, they practised using adjectives, such as: Viejo, tradicional, nuevo, moderno, tranquilo, popular,…

WE TRAVELLED AROUND SPAIN!!!

I gathered pictures of some emblematic cities of Spain: Barcelona, Madrid, Galicia, Salamanca, Sevilla, Mallorca, … These photographs were placed around the classroom and pupils had to travel around and guess which city they were visiting. The task was the following: Guess the name of the city and its location and describe it using at least five adjectives. They collected all the information in their notebooks as though putting together a guidebook. Once they had all travelled around the cities, they shared their information.

WE ARE GOING ON HOLIDAY!!! WHAT DO WE NEED?

We reflected on the different places that you can visit when on holiday: the mountains, beaches, forests, … Then we brain-stormed about which things to pack for that “excursion”. Pupils came up with lots of ideas, for which they learned the Spanish words, thus broadening their vocabulary.

QUICK ROUND OF SHORT QUESTIONS.

At the beginning and end of each class, we always spend a few minutes on ‘short questions’. I pose them questions that they have to reply to, briefly and clearly; for example: ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?, ¿Qué has hecho hoy?, ¿Cuál es tu serie/película/comida favorita? Afterwards, pupils note down all new vocabulary.

Literacy

This term Elm read George Orwell’s Animal Farm. They followed the events of the animals’ liberation and subsequent subjugation with interest, sadness and indignation. They observed how the literate animals very quickly exerted influence over the less educated and able and how greed and selfishness destroyed the dream of sharing and equality. e made the connection between the animals in the story and the real people and events they represent. We learned also about the difficulty George Orwell had in getting a publisher to print the book, considered controversial during a time when Britain needed Russia as an ally against Germany.

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Allegory/Political Satire

“Some animals are more equal than others.”

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Elm dabbled with a bit of political graffiti

Elm have been following the progress of the Vendée Globe and have put together a newsletter on this most exciting yacht race that takes place every four years.

Presentation by ELM CLASS

In addition, we have been looking at the differences between formal and informal language, and the different situations in which we use them.

History

In History this term Elm looked at the role of competition in business and the economy. They observed global giant Apple and noted that its products are not made in the US but in China. Why? To benefit from cheaper labour and to keep profits high and costs low. They learned about the working conditions of the people in the Apple factories, their low pay and long hours. All this to set the scene for the Industrial Revolution in 18^th century England.

Elm learned that prior to the mid-1700s England was a rural society with most people living in small villages and towns. They learned about the innovations in the weaving industry that ended the skilled handcraft industries of agricultural England and led to migration out of the countryside into rapidly growing cities. They then studied the terrible living and working conditions of the poor and the exploitation that led Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels to write the Communist Manifesto.

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Geography

 In Geography we looked at why certain regions developed rather than others, looking at natural resources such as coal and iron ore. We looked at the rivers and the network of canals built to transport materials to the burgeoning industrial cities.

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“E-baobab” project

We discussed very important environmental issues and tried to do our part to make our world a better place. We shared our ideas on why and how people use and waste plastic and don’t even think that they harm our environment. There is a lot of Mathematics in growing trees, especially if they made out of plastic! On our “eco-friendly / e-baobab” mission we estimated, calculated, measured and looked at the different possible solutions for “growing” our tree. We experimented with the pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal and octagonal rings in order to construct the separate layers of our solid plastic tree. The children then rolled up their sleeves, used collected plastic/plastic bottles and  created their own ‘ECO-BRICKS’. We practiced presenting our findings in front of our peers and then adapted the speech accordingly for the younger audiences.

If you had 400 plastic bottles, what rings would you use for your tree?

How high would it be? How would you arrange them?

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Teaching Birch and Walnut Classes how to use the basic 2D shapes in our E-baobab construction. Adapting the language to the audience, explaining our method and important construction steps.

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If you would like to build your own E-Baobab tree, all calculations are provided. Save the planet! Make that big difference! “Mathematical calculations by Roger, Uttara and Jean. Presentation by Uttara.

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Mathematics

Algebra: Expressions /Formulae/ System of equations

We worked on simplifying algebraic expressions, used simple formulae and wrote formulae from the problem to identify how they could be applied in real life. Elms practiced plotting straight line graphs while carefully building the table of values for the equations. We also built, analysed and interpreted real-life graphs. We worked on solving problems while substituting specific values into expressions and formulae and then further dived into algebra while finding solutions for the systems of equations.

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Science

FORCE, ENERGY and WORK

We solved various problems to find out how FORCE, ENERGY and WORK are related. We looked into the three laws of motions and then reenacted the experiments that were later used in our film. The children designed their own experiments with the travelling objects that can or cannot change their speed in different conditions. We calculated the average speed and the acceleration of an object and then tested, compared and calculated unknown variables. The children formulated hypotheses, practiced planning their investigations and made predictions. After carrying out their investigations they made accurate measurements to gather data to test their hypotheses. They identified patterns in the results and drew conclusions based on the evidence. On a few occasions they had to retest their findings and suggest ways in which their investigations and working methods could be improved.

“Newton’s Laws of Motion” – Directed and edited by Joshua Fisher

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“Three Laws of Motion” – RAP- Dedicated to Sir Isaac Newton by Elm Class

What is all this commotion?

About the 3 laws of motion,

If you need a solution,

Just ask Isaac Newton!

Who is Isaac Newton?

And why do I care?

All that I know,

Is that he had grey hair.

So who is this Newton,

And what did he do?

Is it this guy with the toucan,

Whose shirt is quite blue?

Or is it this artist who painted the crown?

Or am I being such a big clown?

Pretty please tell me now,

I heard it was sold for 80 million pounds.

The first law states,

The objects’ fate.

The exact words,

Are for the nerds.

The objects in rest,

Will remain at rest.

And the objects in motion,

Will remain in motion.

They call it Inertia,

But what could it be?

Look back at the previous verse,

And then you will see.

Second law of motion,

All that comes with it.

Objects’ mass times the acceleration,

To find the force put out upon it.

The third law of motion clearly states,

For every action there is an opposite reaction.

How birds fly in the sky?

Because if they fell, they would surely die.

Vendee Globe/ Remote control Boats

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For those that do care,

And want to see.

There are some boats,

That sail at sea.

Remote control boats,

And free sailing yachts.

Thanks to the Buoyancy,

They are staying afloat.

We used some recycled materials,

And nothing was bought.

Sailing is quite challenging,

And not as easy as we thought. 

ART/Design and Technology

Pinball Machine construction project and recycled material art

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Design/ Plan/ Estimate/ Measure/ Cut/Drill/ Attach/ Check/ Fix

It does not fit!!! What did I do wrong?? How do I correct my mistake???      I can do this!!!

The children also used standard measuring units while working on measuring length. We worked on estimating, measuring, cutting and hammering our wooden materials for our Pinball Machine.  It was evident for the children to spot their mistakes and realise where they went wrong. We could clearly see why it is important to measure and remeasure and only then cut it once.

Pinball Machine: Blue prints and 3D models/ mechanism

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ICT

In ICT lessons we have been learning about hardware and software components that make up computer systems. We learnt how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system and discovered a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including how to protect our online identity and privacy.

Goals that have been achieved during this term:

– Understanding the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems.

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– Knowing how to use the technology safety, which includes gaining knowledge about viruses and how to avoid them.

In order to have an overview of all this information, we created mind maps about viruses, by using an online software called Canva.

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– Being able to recognise inappropriate content and knowing how to report it.

– Understanding how to protect your online identity and privacy by role playing, placing them in real context and situations.

Based on the cross-curricular approach, which develops our skills and knowledge through interconnected topics, we created calligrams about morality, as well as, e-books about IPC themes (cooperation, communication, thoughtfulness, adaptability, resilience) in order to present them to Birch and Walnut class.

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In order to enrich our creations, we used the augmented reality on the characters of our stories.

Walnut and Birch class experienced an authentic 3-D illustration.

Spanish

During this term, Elm students have been introduced to the following contents:

Vocabular:

-classroom objects: identify and name them (lápiz, pizarra, profesora, bolígrafo, libreta, libro, pegamento,…).

– the weather (¿ Qué tiempo hace hoy?, including the season of the year).

– the days of the week (¿Qué día de la semana es hoy?, ¿ Qué día de la semana fue ayer/será mañana?).

-family (madre/padre, tío/tía, primo/prima, sobrino/sobrina, hermano/hermana) and farm animals.

Grammar:

-singular and plural (ad -es or -s, depending on the ending of the word).

-male and female (including articles: el/la/los/las).

– how to make short sentences (subject, predicate, verb and verb complements).

-to translate into Spanish, English sentences (and the other way round, including vocabulary seen).

-adjectives, which we have applied to the vocabulary already seen (el perro grande, el conejo saltarín, el caballo marron).

Speaking:

-answering and asking questions related to objects (¿Cómo es esta mesa?, ¿Cómo es esta casa?).

-to introduce themselves (Hola me llamo…. Tengo …. Años y estoy…).

-to introduce someone.

Writing:

-Descriptions

-Dictation to review vocabulary and grammar

French

IMYC: Discovery, Curiosity, Development and Competition’

This half term, the Elm class children went sailing around the world while following the Vendee Globe race. We learnt many interesting facts about 33 solo skippers, campaign they support, missions they carry out and challenges that they are facing.

It was an inspiring event that taught us a lot about courage, physical and emotional strength, team-working, exploration and adventure-seeking. The children followed the position of the boats on a daily basis, analysed their speed, weather conditions, built graphs for clear understanding and made their own conclusions. We also learnt interesting facts many sailors that were very happy to share their own experiences via daily podcasts.

Literacy

This term Elms let their imaginations run free and wrote creepy Halloween-themed stories and Christmas stories. We looked together in class at famous story openings and the art of capturing the reader’s attention at the outset. We looked at the importance of building up atmosphere and describing setting and character.

We finished the novel There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom by Louis Sachar. We were all happy to see Bradley find his feet and leave behind his self-destructive behaviour, thanks to the subtle guidance of school counsellor Carla. This book was really appreciated by the whole class, even the less keen readers were eager for the next instalment of Bradley’s troubled school days. As you know, we are enthusiastic followers of the Vendée Globe round-the-world yacht race, which has captured all our imaginations.  In November we were lucky to have zoom interviews with two experienced sailors, Joshua Bradfield and meteorologist Jean-Baptiste Chauvet who are only too aware of the dangers and difficulties facing the Vendée Globe skippers.  They shared with us some of their own sailing adventures as well as the practicalities of preparing for a voyage and the eventualities to be ready for. They also answered our questions, including what to do in a storm, their scariest and best moments at sea, and the marine life they have encountered. Joshua Bradfield’s account of being rescued by the French Navy and having to sink his damaged yacht left a lasting impression on us all! All good material for our upcoming Vendée Globe newsletter.

Vendée Globe

Zoom Call with Joshua Bradfield/Sailor

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Zoom call with the Meteorologist

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In keeping with the theme of circumnavigation,  we have been following another trip around the globe, Jules Verne’s classic Around the World in 80 Days. We are enjoying the adventures of the mysterious Phileas Fogg and his long-suffering butler Passepartout, pursued by the determined Detective Fix who is convinced that Fogg is a master criminal.

Mathematics

Area of Trapezoid, Rhombus, Kite, Circle and Compound shapes

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The children learnt how to calculate the sum of the interior angles by using a formula or by drawing lines from the same vertex in order to create a number of triangles. We solved some simple and complex algebraic equations in order to find the missing angle in various 2D shapes. Using our knowledge of calculating the Area and Perimeter of simple 2D shapes, we learnt how to calculate the area, perimeter and circumference of more complex compound.

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Angles in Parallel Lines and Polygons

We worked on constructing triangles using SSS-(side-side-side), SAS –(side-angle-side) and ASA-(angle-side-angle). We know how to use the compass, ruler and protractor to indicate provided angles and sketching lines and know how to use this information in order to construct the desirable triangle.

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Science /Design and Technology

(Float/Sink/Buoyancy force/ Vendée Globe)

Students learnt about Archimedes’ Principal through the story of the “Archimedes and the golden crown”. They discovered about the density and displacement to the king. Elm students learnt about forces that act upon an object lowered in the liquid via experimenting with the different objects of different density. They also experimented with the objects of the same density lowered into the liquids of different density and how it affects where the objects will float in the liquid. We also experimented with the objects of different shapes and observed how it affects how they float or sink in the liquid. Based on this knowledge we created our own boats made out of the recycled materials and we will let them sail in our own “DEEP BLUE” of the swimming pool.

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ART with Mariana Gonzalez

“This term we worked from the theme of the Vendée Globe. The maritime context in which this regatta takes place, proposed us to work with watercolour. The relationship with water, colour and imagination were an important part for the children in this workshop. The artist seen this time was the great British watercolourist: William Turner.”

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Fantastic Plastic

Joshua Fisher (Middle School student) created an animation to teach his younger peers why plastic bad

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We don’t want this plastic to float in the Ocean that is why we have made our Plastic Fantastic sculptures

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History and Geography

Pupils learned about oceans through the Vendée Globe competition in History and Geography class this term. The Vendée Globe is a non-stop sailing competition for solo sailors which takes place once every four years. The Vendée Globe event was our entry point into learning more about the mysteries of the ocean.

Elms learned to identify the different oceans and continents, about the various characteristics of the ocean which affected the Vendée Globe sailors such as the doldrums, gyres and fast winds of the Southern Ocean, and learned to present a specific characteristic or phenomenon of the world’s oceans. We learned about the machinations of ocean currents, the direction of ocean currents and winds around the globe, how oceans affect weather and climate patterns across the world, and how wildlife in the ocean is affected by pollution and global climate change.

We created a podcast to educate people on all the different aspects of the ocean, from pressure to the Coriolis Effect to the acidification of the ocean. Pupils researched their topic in further depth via and recorded their voices on a computer to later publish as a podcast with various episodes. Please listen to your heart’s content and enjoy!

Learning objectives achieved this term: We learned to…

– understand the characteristics which separate an ocean from other bodies of water such as lakes or seas

– identify and locate the different continents and oceans of the world

– understand how heat allows ocean currents to rise, salt allows ocean currents to fall and how the two can interact together

– show on a blank world map the direction of wind and ocean currents through an understanding of the Coriolis Effect, the interaction between high and low pressure, and differences in density due to the fact that heat rises and cold sinks

– predict how climate change may negatively impact oceans through acidification from higher temperatures among other effects

– appreciate the dangers of our use of plastic and its negative impact on ocean habitats

– learn about the extremes of the oceans in terms of changing climate patterns, hurricanes and other forms of extreme weather

– identify and observe different marine wildlife and understand how these animals interact with / compete against one another for food and living space

– organise a presentation on a topic about the ocean into something simple, structured and informative

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ICT

This term we tied our ICT in with our history and geography. We played some games from NASA to better learn ocean currents and the complex relationship that can be created from currents, heat and salinity. We also used the Internet to do further research on an assigned ocean topic. Using this research, pupils presented their topic by researching an ocean topic in great detail, writing out what to say, and finally recording their voice to create a podcast episode. Check out the podcasts in the history and geography section.

Learning objectives achieved this term: We learned to…

– create a podcast in which a specific ocean topic was described by individual pupils so as to describe the oceans more holistically

– research material using a variety of reputable websites and sources

– organise online research and classroom input into notes and later structure them into a presentation

– learn the basics of Audacity as a means for recording voices

“E-Baobab” project

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Linked to our Eco project we used our maths skill and tried to estimate and calculate how many bottles we will need. (It all depends how high we want to go… but it looks like 600 bottles if we want to go high enough) Calculated the circumference of the tree and then the heights.

“Your rubbish – our treasure”

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Involving our local community

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For Armistice Day on November 11, we looked at how the day is commemorated around the world, in particular Europe and Britain.  We discussed the importance of remembrance and recognition of those who lost their lives in the two world wars, so many of them very young. We learned about the origins of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance in the UK and US and the beautiful poem that inspired it, In Flanders Fields.

Trip to the Château de Monte-Cristo

To support our French Curriculum and our study of the “Les Trois Mousquetaires” novels by Alexandre Dumas, Oak/Elm Classes visited the Château de Monte-Cristo located on the hill of Port-Marly. Dumas lived in the castle for a short period of time to escape the turmoil of the city when he was at the height of his fame. The children enjoyed his marvelous gardens and had a quick peek into château d’If where he wrote his masterpieces.

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“The magical Christmas Jigsaw“

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Elms had a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate their creative side while making costumes, dancing, singing, creating props and performing on the stage during our Christmas Show.

Thank you and well done to all the Elm class students for their outstanding dedication and hard work during our « The magical Christmas jigsaw!» performance

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Enjoy your holiday!

 Best wishes,

Mrs. Harrington and Mr. Kralka

“Community, Identity, Risk and Courage“

We are very different,

But we can all work as one.

Fantastic work, Oaks and Elms,

Work truly well done.

We can watch,

We can follow.

And good ideas,

We’ll borrow.

We can listen,

And we can dance.

We perform well together,

Together we prance.

Mathematics

 During this unit, we worked on finding percentages of amounts and fractions of numbers. We revised rounding whole numbers and decimals and converted percentages, fractions and decimals.  We practiced finding the equivalent fractions by multiplying/dividing the numerator and denominator by the same number and then converted mixed numbers and improper fractions. The children can confidently carry out four basic operations with fractions and know how to find the LCD (lowest common denominator) or when they need to simplify their fraction. We also worked on solving various problems with % increase and decrease.

Mixed number,

And improper fraction.

Are two best mates,

You can switch them around at 1 : 1 rates.

Banana bread,

 and Pavlova cake.

You need to know fractions,

If you are ready to bake.

Adding and subtracting fractions,

With the same denominator.

Surely it ain’t difficult,

So don’t use calculator.

When adding fractions,

With denominator that ain’t the same.

Find your lowest common denominator,

Divide, multiply then add,

And you are on the fraction wall of fame.

Based on gained knowledge we constructed and interpreted various data tables, charts and diagrams, including frequency tables and pie charts.  We solved different statistics problems involving percentages, amounts and degrees and then practiced   constructing appropriate pie charts.

Different numbers,

 and different shapes.

Compare those fractions,

And put them in their place.

Percentage increase,

What is that all about?

It’s not complicated,

Keep calm and don’t shout.

Just take your original price,

Calculate your percent.

Add them together,

 and you will have your new price instead.

Just check that your number,

 is bigger than you had before.

In real life you won’t be happy,

Because you’ll pay more.

And that’s your percentage,

Percentage increase.

Just check one more time,

Be cool, eat your cheese.

Science

 We built on our prior knowledge and understanding of electrical circuits and explored the relationships between current, voltage and resistance, considering how these concepts are applied to everyday life. We constructed different electric circuits, practiced measuring and calculating resistance, voltage and current according to Ohm’s law. We learnt about “Lighting Africa” project and “The boy who harnessed the wind” story that clearly demonstrate that we need to put our ‘thinking caps’ on and help to solve some energy issues around the world. We compared different ways how electricity is provided to rural communities, discussed their sustainability and effectiveness. We then built our own inventions that maybe one day will change the world.

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Remember those days,

When you were hot in your mask.

No one can deny,

What a demanding task.

But look what we have made,

We call it ‘invention’.

Will blow some fresh air,

And you will get some attention.

Electric circuits,

With those two spinning propellers.

Life is like a game of chess,

While you guys playing checkers.

Art

This term, we learnt about Andy Warhol, Banksy, JR and Dana Ellyn and then closely looked into their artwork that evidently raise different political, cultural, commercial and human rights issues. We discussed what we liked, disliked about their work and tried to explain what it reminded us of or what links we have made with the other artists.  We looked further into their work to find a deeper meaning and then expressed our own artistic style with the clear message. 

‘Educating our kids about freedom of expression through art helps them learn and talk about ongoing issues, and it gives them a voice in telling our governments that it is never too late to improve.’ Banksy says.

‘Banksy demonstrated how law enforcement is more occupied with keeping the walls clean from his art than dealing with the real issues that concern the safety and well-being of real people.’

The main lesson to take from Banksy’s artwork is to always take advantage of an opportunity, take risks, and explore your creativity.

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Art/Spanish Class with Mariana Gonzalez

Dans l’atelier d’espagnol par les arts du mois de septembre, les enfants ont fait la connaissance d’une artiste peintre mexicaine: Frida Kahlo.

Dans l’atelier créatif les enfants ont d’abord réalisé plusieurs exercices autour du portrait et de l’autoportrait et ils ont compris le contexte dans lequel Frida Kahlo a réalisé son oeuvre picturale.  Ensuite, dans les cours de langue espagnole, les enfants ont appris le vocabulaire qui a entouré la vie de Frida.

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France Miniature

FISP students on their monumental discovery of France! Have you ever visited 117 French monuments in one day? We did! They were right under our feet. We walked through some of the most beautiful villages, picturesque castles and enormous ports, spotted some zooming trains and even lived through the Fort Boyard experience. La vie est belle.

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Musée Promenade/Machine de Marly

We visited the Musée Promenade, where we discovered many interesting facts about Machine de Marly and how King Louis XIV managed to have a large water supply for his fountains at Versailles without electricity. We explored different models of this engineering marvel, discussed the similarities and differences and how it had evolved with time. 

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Batteries, switches,

Light bulbs and motors.

Just give us some time,

 and will invent some new rotors.

Producing electricity,

For our greener planet.

Enough of pollution,

We know you can’t stand it.

For Edison, and for Tesla,

And the boy who harnessed the wind.

Let’s do something together,

And let’s reduce our carbon footprint.

Machine de Marly ,

And those fancy fountains in Versaille,

It is good to be curious,

And ask questions like WHY.

Candle making workshop

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IMYC Goals- rap

Literacy

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We have been reading the novel ‘There’s a Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom’ by Louis Sachar.

We have enjoyed the story about the insecure bully Bradley Chalkers. While funny in parts, the story is poignant and encourages the reader to question why Bradley behaves the way he does.

Besides analysing Bradley’s behaviour we have looked at the other characters in the book, in particular new boy Jeff Fishkin who becomes Bradley’s only ‘friend’, and school counsellor Carla who sees through Bradley’s aggressive exterior to the lonely boy inside.

We have written diary entries from the point of view of these different characters.

Another theme this term has been ‘Community’. We have discussed what defines a community and have looked at different kinds; geographical, national and cultural, religious and ideological. We have thought about the kinds of communities we might belong to, and written poems about our Elm class community.

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We have read ‘There’s A Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom’ together in class out loud. This helps with pronunciation, diction and expression.

Spelling tests have been held weekly, reviewing high-frequency words as well as those that we encounter in reading and the pupils’ own written work.

The class acted out short scenes from the book in which different characters meet Carla, the school counsellor. The scenes reveal the individual personalities as they open up to Carla.

In the forest, the children recreated scenarios depicting Bradley being bullied by his ‘friend’ Jeff and the group of girls from the story.

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Dance workshop