From the Head
Dear Parents and Carers
What a brilliantly busy week we’ve had at St Olave’s!
In our St Olave's Year of Reading, January is all about setting inspiring reading goals for 2025 and encouraging our children to explore new and exciting genres. I am also thrilled to announce that our new second library is now complete and open! The children are excited to visit and discover even more books to enjoy.
We are eagerly looking forward to next week, when most of our Upper School children will head to the O2 to perform as part of the Young Voices choir. It promises to be a truly unforgettable experience for them and we can’t wait to see their talents shine on such a big stage!
Next week in assembly, we’ll continue exploring our world map and take a trip to Scotland. The children will learn all about Robert Burns in preparation for Burns Night and explore some Scottish traditions. Be sure to look out for our Scottish tasting table next week, featuring haggis and other treats! The children are making me so proud; trying lots of new dishes on our tasting tables expertly prepared by our chefs using seasonal produce from our allotment. Take a look at our Instagram page to see our Beetroot and Sprouts tasting tables!
Wishing you all a lovely weekend, and I look forward to seeing you next week.
Kind regards, Miss Holloway
The week ahead...
Lunch Menu
Safeguarding Team
This week at St Olave's
House Meetings
The House Captains and Vice Captains led an engaging and thoughtful House Meeting to mark World Religion Day on Thursday, showcasing their leadership. They began by explaining the purpose of the day: to promote understanding and harmony among people of different faiths. The captains presented key facts about various world religions, highlighting their common values of kindness, respect and compassion. Interactive activities encouraged participation, including group discussions on the various religious symbols and practices. They concluded with a reflection on the importance of celebrating diversity, leaving their peers inspired to embrace inclusivity in everyday life.
Pupil Achievements
Huge congratulations to Aarna in Year 6 for passing her Grade 2 guitar exam with distinction this week, we are all very proud of you!
Notices
Young Voices 2025
With the concert just a week away, we have been busy with rehearsals, and finalising details for the event. We have distributed almost 200 tickets to parents this week! What an amazing amount of support for our children.
You will soon be receiving a letter with information about what is needed for your children next Thursday, as well as an event information sheet published by Young Voices and the O2 with details more specific to the venue.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me or the school office if you have any questions or concerns. It is going to be fantastic!
Warm regards,
Ms Tyler
Lost property/missing uniform
Several children have lost items of uniform, and we have a few items that have no name on so we are unable to return it. Please can you check that all your child’s uniform has their name on it.
If your child has been lent any clothing/underwear by school recently, please can you return it as we are very short of supplies.
Thank you very much.
Nursery
What a busy week it has been in Little Acorns. In Special Group Time, the children have been learning about the sound 'm', making a collection of objects beginning with m and having a go at writing the letter in the tray of paint. When writing the letter we say ‘down Maisy and over the mountain and over the mountain’ and we have noticed that the word mummy has 3 m’s in it!!
Elsewhere in the classroom we have had a lot of fun rolling marbles down the chute. We discovered that when we did this they had a tendency to roll all over the classroom so we came up with some ideas to stop this happening. Some children built a wall around the marble chute with the wooden bricks and others used the egg trays Chef Andy had given us to trap the marbles and stop them rolling away. Great problem solving Little Acorns!!
Reception
Where has this week gone? The days and weeks are whizzing by but time flies when you’re having fun!
This week, we have been learning about space and rockets. The children have absolutely loved creating their own rockets and hearing stories read by astronauts that are in space. There were so many questions about things floating which sparked a fantastic conversation about gravity.
We have read the story ‘Aliens love underpants’. We used this opportunity to expand the children’s vocabulary. We have learnt the meaning of the words ‘breeze and expand’. We have incorporated these words into our day to day conversations. This activity also sparked some incredible and creative ideas as the children created their own alien and planet, thinking of codes that make magical things happen to their picture.
One of the children brought in a shark’s tooth. The children were so impressed and intrigued. We researched which shark this tooth could have come from. We came to the conclusion that it was from a lemon shark and found out lots of facts. Did you know, a baby shark is called a pup?
We had a fabulous time in the library and we loved listening to lots of stories read by our fantastic librarian, Sally.
We hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
Year 1
We have had another fun filled week of learning in Year 1. In English, we have been looking at different stories that have been shared orally, rather than written in books. We have retold the traditional Chinese story of the Dinosaur and Dragon and The House That Jack Built and looked at the features and benefits of sharing stories through word of mouth. The children enjoyed writing their own descriptive sentences of animals that could defeat the dinosaur and discussing their favourite stories and their reasons why.
In maths, we have begun our topic on Place Value to 20. We have been identifying how many tens and ones there are in numbers up to 20. Please feel free to continue to practise this at home. The children have begun to look at different ways to make numbers using a variety of combinations of amounts. This allows them to begin to consolidate their understanding of the value of each number.
Our Geography topic this term has begun by looking at the countries that make the United Kingdom. We were very impressed with the childrens’ knowledge of which countries are included and their capital cities. The children have labelled their own maps and we will continue to build on this over the coming weeks. In Science, our new topic is Exploring Everyday Materials. We have discussed the materials used to make things in our classrooms including wood, metal, fabric and plastic. We are beginning to differentiate between man-made and natural materials. We are sure the children will be keen to share their learning with you, whilst looking at materials used in your homes.
We hope you have a restful weekend, ready for another busy week of learning!
Year 2
Well, there’s no denying that it’s been a monster of a week for Year 2! Our Spring term learning is well underway. The children have been demonstrating confidence and resilience as they complete their daily tasks. They have been full of excitement in our English lessons, thoroughly enjoying our focus texts, ‘Not Now Bernard’ and ‘There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon.’ The events in these classic stories led to some thoughtful discussion and comparison, which the children channelled into their writing. We even had time to try out a range of conjunctions when building sentences and chose suitable adjectives when describing our own imaginary creatures.
We continued to learn about extreme weather in our geography lesson. It was winds on a monster scale - hurricanes and tornadoes. The children were fascinated to learn about these and learned some interesting new vocabulary as we found out some facts. Thunderstorms are soon to be discovered - a research task will be coming home soon. Our science work included a practical experiment to test the stretchiness of materials. Predictions were made and nylon came out on top.
In maths, our lessons have focused on recognising, selecting and comparing coins and amounts of money. We have used our knowledge of counting in twos, fives and tens to help us count groups of coins and are looking forward to visiting the local shops soon to put our skills into action. Please give your children some coins to sort and count at home and encourage them to read prices when they are out and about. The children are making good progress with learning the two times table and are starting to see the link to repeated addition.
We hope you have a great weekend.
Year 3
Another week has flown by in Year 3. This week we have been busy, really getting into our Spring topics. We started our new topic ‘Animals, including Humans’ in Science, by looking at different food groups and what they give to our bodies. This was fascinating and the children loved talking about what they ate and whether it contained enough carbohydrates, proteins or vitamins and minerals. We look forward to continuing this topic next term.
Continuing with the theme of food, Year 3 had the opportunity to take part in cooking lessons this week and created scrambled eggs on toast. The children loved this simple and effective meal - perhaps they could show adults at home how it was made!
In Maths this week we have been finishing off our topic of multiplication and division. To help us calculate with digit numbers we have used a part whole model that splits numbers into tens and ones. This allowed for easier calculations. Although this topic is tough, we are pleased to see the children persevering and improving. Keep up the good work!
Fantastic Mr Fox continues to be our focus text in English and we are fast becoming fond of our furry protagonist. This week we read up to Chapter 3 and (spoiler alert!) were shocked to find he has lost his tail! We can not wait to find out what happens next. When we have completed this text, we will be writing our own version so we have been highlighting and practicing writing dialogue to use in our own work.
Finally, in History this week we used the drama technique ‘hot-seating’ to act in role as a child from a different time. The rest of the class then behaved as interviewers, finding out all they could about this child’s fascinating life and how it is so different from the childhoods that they are experiencing. I am sure we are all glad that unlike the character ‘Henry’, we don’t have to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week at only 10 years old!
Year 4
It’s been a very active week in Year 4 with the start of our swimming lessons! As if they weren’t excited enough about swimming, for some children it was their first trip in our school minibus! The children had an excellent assessment session and will begin their group lessons next week. Please remember that all children need swimming hats and that all uniforms are named. In maths, we have been reviewing how to multiply and divide by 10s and 100s, remembering it is not just a matter of adding or taking away zeros but being mindful of place value. In English, we have begun our Myths and Legends topic. We read two books based on Scottish folklore, and discussed a dilemma that one of the characters had to solve. We have started to draft a persuasive letter to convince them of the right choice. The children have really enjoyed talking about mermaids and other mythical creatures.
Our humanities topic for this term is Rainforests and we had a great introductory lesson, making note of what we already know about rainforests and what we are hoping to learn. The children were eager to share their knowledge and enthusiasm - it is going to be a great topic. We are looking forward to our trip to the O2 next Thursday for Young Voices!
Year 5
Another busy week has flown by in Year 5! In maths, the children have worked extremely hard in understanding how to use the long multiplication method to multiply 2, 3 and 4 digit numbers by 2-digit numbers, and then apply this to solving a range of problems. In English, we have identified cohesive devices in reports such as; topic sentences, adverbials, conjunctions, pronouns and ellipsis. We have thought about how we can use them to write cohesively in preparation for drafting and writing our non-chronological reports next week.
In history, we have enjoyed delving further into the world of Ancient Egypt. We have explored how hieroglyphics were used for reading and writing, how the Egyptians may have travelled and what they traded, we then had a go at creating our own model boat and tested whether it would be able to float. Later on in the week, we learnt about the importance of pyramids, why they were built and who built them. We were very surprised to hear that when Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered untouched, it had over 5000 precious items!
We hope you have a lovely weekend.
Year 6
This week in Year 6 has been full of engaging activities and new learning. In English, we continued studying Romeo and Juliet, focusing on part two of the story, and the children thoroughly enjoyed a role-play session acting out the lively fight scene between Gregory, Sampson, and Abraham, developing their acting skills in the process. They also showcased their creativity and deep understanding of Romeo and Juliet by choosing their own unique ways to celebrate the story. Some stepped into the shoes of Romeo or Juliet, crafting heartfelt love letters, while others embraced the fiery perspective of Tybalt through dramatic diary entries. A few even reimagined the play as a compelling narrative, leaving us thoroughly impressed by their imagination and dynamic writing.
In History, we began our exploration of World War II, discussing the causes of the war and working collaboratively to create a timeline of key events leading up to its outbreak. In Science, the children investigated the effects of exercise on heart rate, measuring their beats per minute (BPM) before and after activity and discussing how exercise impacts the body.
Finally, they have been developing their debating skills, exploring key language such as rebuttal, proposition and opposition. They particularly enjoyed playing 'Rebuttal Tennis,’ a dynamic game where pairs took turns making statements and skillfully countering their opponent’s points, showcasing their quick thinking and reasoning abilities. After the game, they formed teams of three and engaged in spirited debates on the motion: "This House believes that sports stars are good role models for children." The discussions were lively and thought-provoking, with participants passionately presenting arguments, counterpoints, and examples to support their stance. We look forward to developing these skills further next week!
Sport
EYFS have continued with their dance lessons this week as we have moved around using lots of song based moves, for example; the wheels on the bus. We have also used lots of animal movements to dance along with too.
Lower School last week looked at the word 'agility' - what this meant and how we use it in sports. This week we focused on the word 'coordination'. We gave examples of coordination and how we can use it in different sports. We played the ice cream game which helps us with our hand-eye coordination when bouncing the ball and catching it in the cone.
Upper School continued this week with their topic of disability within sport. We focused on seated volleyball and how this is an inclusive sport, which caters for everyone. We had great fun playing and learning about this game.
Outdoor Learning
This week the weather has been slightly warmer so the children have been able to venture to the allotment to observe the birds and trees as well as collect items to put into their matchboxes. At lunchtimes, children have been helping to collect the last of the leaves on the beds to make our leaf mulch. Several classes created a poster highlighting what the allotment looks like in January. Over the next few months, they will document the changes that occur as we approach Spring and Summer.
Languages
Another fantastic week from our linguists all around school! In Early Years, both Nursery and Reception carried on practising words for family: the children played memory games and they really enjoyed the story of “Bouchle d’Or et les trois ours”. Year 1 has reinforced the vocabulary for family and practised phonics in French - extremely impressive work from all of them! Year 2 learnt the words for the different parts of the face and to use “j’ai” to talk about the face.
In the Upper School, Year 3 children were really engaged last week and this week they did even better, remembering all the core vocabulary and playing charades and memory games about weather. Year 4 revised types of instruments and learnt the conjugation of the verb “jouer” so the children could say which instrument people played.
In Spanish, Year 5 started the new topic of 'family': the students revised the conjugation of “tener” and they talked about brothers and sisters. Year 6 children have also started the new topic, 'school subjects', learning the core vocabulary, which they applied straight away to a translation task. In Latin, Year 6 children followed Flavious and his family who planned to travel to York - or Eboracum - for a day of shopping. We reinforced the structures of sentences in Latin and revised the different parts.
Design & Technology
Year 3 Electronic Posters
Year 3 explored the design cycle and created mind maps that will help them identify a topic to research for their posters.
Year 4 Slingshot cars
Pupils in Year 4 attached the axles and sling shot hooks to their cars. They also took the opportunity to customise the shell of their chassis.
Year 5 Wooden Bridges
This week Year 5 pupils tested physics by reinforcing, bending, folding and rolling paper to make weight bearing bridges.
Year 6 Steady Hand Games
This week Year 6 pupils wired up the circuits for their steady hand games and tested the difficulty of the game.
Music
In Wednesday’s assembly, the children said ‘guten tag’ to our Musician of the Month, Ludwig Van Beethoven. We listened to Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and watched the orchestra play, taking note of the different families in the orchestra and instruments. We took inspiration from one of Beethoven’s quotes, ‘To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.’
In Singing Assembly, the children in Year 4 performed their body percussion rainforest soundscape to the rest of the school. In their lesson this week, we continued to expand the range of body percussion sounds we could make and composed our own body percussion pieces.
Year 5 started their new topic, ‘South and West Africa’ on Monday. We learnt that in South Africa there are 11 different languages spoken, including Xhosa, a language which includes a series of 5 click sounds. We listened to ‘Qongqothwane‘ (also known as ‘The Click Song’) by Miriam Makebe which includes the clicking sound. We then went on to learn a traditional ‘call and response’ South African song in the Ndebele language called ‘Shosholoza’.
Year 6 started their World War 2 music topic which links to their class topic. We listened to the WW1 and WW2 songs, ‘We’ll Meet Again’ and ‘Pack Up Your Troubles’ and made comparisons between them. We also looked at a real newspaper from 5th March 1941 and took inspiration from articles, discussing how people would have felt and reacted to music during WW1 and WW2.
Year 3 learnt what a pentatonic scale is this week. They also learnt what a ‘zither’ was when listening to a traditional Chinese piece of music called ‘Jasmine Flower’. The children used keyboards, xylophones and glockenspiels to play a pentatonic scale using, C, D, E, G, A, C1. Then they rearranged these notes to make pentatonic melodies as a class. The children will be composing their own pentatonic melodies next week, inspired by Chinese New Year celebration music.
Year 2 learnt 3 traditional folk songs from the British Isles, ‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean’, ‘Lavender's Blue’ and ‘London’s Burning’. We discussed where in the British Isles each song originated from and why. The children also discussed what the lyrics could mean. Year 1 thought carefully about how music can be used to represent the environment. They listened to ‘Storm’ from ‘Peter Grimes’ by Benjamin Britten and focussed on how the music created a soundscape of the sea and the storm.
Nursery and Reception children thought about why actions might be important when we are singing. We discussed how they can prompt us to remember lyrics but also make a song accessible to those who may not be able to hear very well. We learnt to use Makaton signing to ‘sing’ 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' and then went on to create our own actions for ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’.