World Book Day Celebrations

Once again, everyone had a super time celebrating World Book Day.

So many different book characters arrived for the special Infant and Junior assembly, ranging from James Herriot to a Year 6 sized World Atlas! It was great fun to see staff dressed in their characters too, including a yoghurt stealing ‘Burglar Bill’ and Sir Edmund Hillary, fresh from his famous ascent!

A highlight of the assembly was a visit from ‘The Tiger who Came to School’; a Heritage version of a much loved favourite which was adapted and beautifully illustrated by Miss Carter. All the children loved following along to the Tigerobics!

The day continued with many book related activities. Lower Prep were busy writing about their book character and making their own picture story books, as well as creating bookmarks decorated with pictures from their favourite stories. Upper Prep made amazing tiger book marks and worked collaboratively to write and illustrate group stories. Year 2 were also inspired by the visit from the tiger and in small groups wrote their own story of an animal visiting school, thinking about the funny and exciting things that would happen. They also made lovely tiger finger puppets.

In the Junior school there were book quizzes a plenty as well as our traditional book treasure hunt which this year saw the children seeking out the clues for a book read in each class during Literature or Read Aloud. Year 6 particularly enjoyed writing mystery stories. In Art, children made some beautiful illustrations of some poetry.

There were also some special moments when children from different classes joined together to share their favourite books or in some cases stories they had written. Older pupils also came and supported younger pupils with their reading books. Thank you to the parents who came into school to read some of their favourite books to the children too.

We would also like to extend our thanks to Adam Larkham who came to speak to the children in UP and Yr 2 about being a book illustrator and showed the children how he would go about drawing a knight on horseback. The children were then each given an original illustration from ‘The Story of Chocolate’, a very popular book in the Infant School.

The Senior School were also embracing the day with pupils sporting a variety of costumes from St Trinian’s naughtiest school girls to Tom from Beastquest in Year 11 and a variety of Mr Men in Year 10. The winners of the best costume competition were Toni M as Coraline in Year 7 , Emma L in Year 8 as the Demon Dentist and Catherine R in Year 9 as Cinderella. The winners of the staff Heroes and Villains matching pairs competition were Maisie E, Isabella B, Betsy C and Toni M in Year 7 and Georgia H, Emily C and Sheila S in Year 8. Who could imagine Mrs Rowland as the ruthless Miss Trunchbull from Matilda, Mr Burden as the dark Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter or Mr Fletcher as the scheming Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes?

Benedictine Monks for a Day!

Upper Prep and Year 2 enjoyed a combined trip, by train, to Ely Cathedral where the children experienced what it would have been like to live for a day as a Benedictine monk. On arrival the children were shown to the ‘Chapter House’ where they were told about their day and promised to take a vow of silence. They put on black robes, tied with a belt with three knots to indicate the vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. Hoods remained down unless ‘a brother’ had not acted as he should have done and needed some time for self reflection.

Silently, in two straight lines, the children moved around the Cathedral, experiencing the daily cycle of rest in the ‘Dormitory’, prayers and worship, meal times in the ‘Refectory’, communal meetings in the ‘Chapter House’ and working for the benefit of all. As no talking was allowed the children learned hand signs to indicate more bread, cheese and ale. They worked on illuminated lettering and found out about the use of herbs for medicinal purposes and relieving bad smells.

After an amazingly quiet morning, the children enjoyed chatting with their friends over lunch. They had a tour of the Cathedral’s monastic buildings; the once covered walkways, the Infirmary, the Dormitory, the Guest House, where the Chapter House would have been, the Prior’s Chapel and the beautiful and intricate carvings on the entrance doors into the Cathedral itself, finalising the trip at the statue of Etheldreda who established the first monastery at Ely.


Nursery Rhymes Crimes

Year 5 became a jury and Year 6 became barristers, clerks and ushers when The Hall was transformed into the Nursery Rhymes Crimes division of the Courts of Ely and Cambridgeshire and Goldilocks was put on trial for criminal trespass. Crown v. Goldilocks is a mock trial created for Heritage ten years ago by Rachel Mariner, who serves as the Judge.

Susu Scott played the nosy neighbour with no fondness for bears, Rhys Williams played Papa Bear, Helen Alexander was a penitent Goldilocks and Fiona Fletcher was the incompetent but loveable arresting officer with a bear allergy. The witnesses were questioned by the barristers, closing arguments were made and the jury deliberated, finding Goldilocks guilty. She was sentenced to one week without honey.

This enrichment activity is designed to acquaint the children with the adversarial process of the courts, the rule of law, oaths, witnesses, testimony and the work of jurors.

This is the fourth time we have run the trial and the third time Goldilocks has been found guilty.

Year 11 Work with The Besom in Cambridge

On Saturday morning a group of Year 11 pupils, together with Mr and Mrs Fletcher and Mr Brealey, worked together to clear the garden of a lady who needed help as part of a Besom project. It was raining at the start of the day and the garden was a jungle of brambles.  However, with everyone working steadily together, the whole garden was cleared by the end of the morning.  The sun came out and everyone celebrated with a hot drink and  a snack. Besom is a Christian charity that helps people make a difference.  It provides a bridge between those who want to give time, money, things or skills and those who are in need.  It ensures what is given is used effectively.  The service it provides is free.

A big thank you to Anna B, a School Prefect for her vision in mobilising this project and to the whole team who gave up a lie in and worked so hard all morning.

 

An Owl Box for ‘Minnie’

The Junior School Council were delighted to welcome The Raptor Foundation and The Cam Conservancy to Junior Assembly together with special guest ‘Minnie,’ a one year old barn owl!  Following on from our Environment Awareness Day, initiated by the School Council and supported by the whole school, Heritage raised enough money to buy a new ‘Owl Box’ which is going to be put on a pole in Clayhithe, Waterbeach.  The children were told how much the owl box would help support the owl population and especially protect the owl babies!  Minnie delighted everyone, of course and we look forward to hearing news about who the first residents in the owl box will be!