Bulletin 23.03.07

Independent School
Girls Aged 2½ - 16
Hayes Bromley Kent

Junior Pupils in Design Technology Lessons

Teacher Assistance in a Mathematics Lesson

Latest Bulletins

BASTON BULLETIN

A fortnightly report of events in the School

23 March 2007

NEWS FROM THE EARLY YEARS . . .

Our topic for this week for all three classes was ‘Spring’. Typically, the weather then changed from the beautiful sunshine of the previous week to arctic conditions resembling Winter once more!It is very difficult for the teachers to be explaining the weather changes associated with Spring when this happens!

We have two special events next week and we hope to welcome as many parents as possible to both occasions; our Easter Hat Parade will take place on Wednesday 28 March in the Main School Hall at 8.45am; and on the last day of term at 9.00am the Parents’ Association are holding a Sponsored Welly Boot Walk in the grounds of the Early Years Department. This is an opportunity to get fit as well as to make money for resources for the department!

Early Years Merit Certificates In Week 10 Merit Certificates for working hard were presented to:

Reception: Francesca Pullen

UKG: Amelia Waterton

LKG: Tate Hayles

Junior School Merit Badge Winners

For Week 10:

Year 6 Larelle Sheikh

For working hard on her ‘Rousseau’ art work

Year 5 Alexandra Lilley

For good achievement in Science test

Year 4 Victoria Woodrow

For making an effort to be on time for school - and hard work in drama

Year 3 Lauren Seamons

For trying hard and making big improvements with hand writing and presentation

Year 2 Helena Prested

For very imaginative work in ICT

Year 1 Billie Allen

For trying really hard with her reading

The Wise Owl was awarded to Year 2 in Week 8 and to Year 5 in Week 9 .

BIFF AND CHIP TO THE RESCUE! Do you have any Oxford Reading Tree books that you no longer need? We would love to have them to expand our class reading schemes. Please hand any books to your Form Tutor - thank you.

MAINTENANCE UPDATE Following on from the observations made in the ISA Inspection Report, we are pleased to be able to bring you up-to-date with the recent modifications to the school premises. Room 2, which can be found by the front hall in the Main School, has been decorated and will become a Resource Room for private study, with reference books and several new networked computers. The conservatory area, off Room 2, has been gutted and Mr Chappell and Mr Wimble are in the process of replacing the roof in order to make this a functional and habitable space. This will then become a waiting area for parents and visitors alike. It will also lend itself to a small function room for serving refreshments.

AMAZING AND MAGICAL GOO! Last week Baston’s Young Scientists, from the Junior Science Club, were classifying substances based on their state of matter. Is toothpaste a liquid or a solid? What do you call water when it becomes a gas? The Club ended with girls creating their very own tub of ‘mystery goo’ to take home. Based on a recipe using water and cornflour, the girls created goo which took on the properties of a solid when struck or hit, yet turned ‘liquidy’ when left to run! How strange! Girls enjoyed a competition whereby the goo had to be passed around the group without letting it run away!

Due to the Junior Music Recital there will be no Science Club next Monday 26 March. Science Club will continue after the Easter break until Summer half term.

GINGERLOCKS—A LESSON TO BE LEARNED Many congratulations to Year 4 who presented their Assembly play ‘Gingerlocks and the three Bikies’ to parents and school on Thursday and Friday of this week. In this modern version of the fairy tale favourite, Gingerlocks decides to disobey her parents and then finds herself in difficulties. Fortunately, the Bikie family befriend her, which results in a happy ending; Gingerlocks then realises the wisdom of listening to her parents! Victoria Woodrow as Gingerlocks gave an excellent performance as the wayward daughter. Her concerned ‘parents’ were Annabelle Lancaster and Molly Ironside, and the ‘Bikie family’ were played by Jessica Corney, Georgina Farrell and Lauren Bird. Narration was provided by Millie Dolke, Holly Haydon and May Teverson. All the cast remembered their lines beautifully and gave a superb performance which was very much appreciated by both parents and children alike - and especially their Form Teacher, Mrs Richards. Well done Year 4!

STUDY SKILLS DAY On Friday 16 March, the Learning Performance Group took various year groups on a journey into the mysteries of effective techniques used to increase their memory skills; and with the Key Stage examinations looming just around the corner it couldn’t come at a more opportune time.

Years 2 to 4 took part in the first session of the Study Skills Workshop. The girls had great fun playing team- activities, problem-solving and word-association games to improve their memory. They were introduced to different techniques to help them to remember a myriad of things. They even got physical with a ‘Brain Gym’ where they exercised both sides of their brains at once! It proved a most enjoyable and beneficial morning.

Years 5 and 6 experienced two hours of fun and action, remembering important details when revising. They even learnt how to remember the first 10 elements of the Periodic table!

Years 9 to 11 were given ideas on how to make learning facts easier and more fun! In one session the girls were given 12 words to remember. In order to do this they had to make up a story, using the words, in the correct order and then recount it without notes. It is not easy! Several of the stories were worthy of publication! Another session had the girls remembering sequences such as the planets and creating a rhyme out of the initial letters. The session was fun and hopefully worthwhile particularly to those about to do some serious revision in the Easter holidays.

LSO SUPERSONIC! On Monday 19 March, Years 7 and 8 went to a London Symphony Orchestra Concert at the Barbican Centre. Not only did the girls hear the orchestra play but they also took part in the world premiere of a piece written especially for the concert entitled “LSO Supersonic”.

IT’S A FAIRTRADE The Juniors donated their £1 to Red Nose Day last Friday 16 March and RED was seen in a whole variety of places! A RED BOW TIE certainly added a touch of class to the Baston uniform, while ONE red sock a more quirky effect! CHARLIE and LOLA were the hosts for the Junior Assembly informing everyone about Chocolate trees - sorry, Cocoa trees and how hard the Cocoa farmers worked in order to produce the FAIRTRADE bars of chocolate. Also, how FAIRTRADE T-shirts could be bought - the Baston example was modelled by Mrs Simner! Break time couldn’t come soon enough for some of the girls who rushed with their 20p’s to buy a Fairtrade chocolate cake or a ‘Red Nose’ cake. Thank you for your support. Our efforts raised £74 for Red Nose Day.

BROMLEY FESTIVAL 2007 Well done to all the girls who took part in the Bromley Festival during March. All girls were awarded certificates on the piano as follows:

Age 7 beginners

Georgina Ward Year 3 Honours & Silver Medal

Age 7 set pieces

Georgina Ward Year 3 Merit

Grade 1 Class

Eliza Bassett-Bowes Year 5 Merit

Alexandra Lilley Year 5 Merit

Age 12 and under beginnners

Georgia Charman Year 5 Honours & Bronze Medal

Aaliya Viccary Year 5 Merit

ON THE BUSES and trains and tubes . . . Transport for London visited Years 5 and 6 on Wednesday this week in order to equip the girls with sound advice and knowledge in relation to the various transport options obtainable in our illustrious capital. The girls took all the advice on board and found the visit very helpful.

SPORTING NEWS . . .

13 Mar Netball: U11 v Bishop Challoner won 5-2

Netball: U13 v Cator Park lost

14 Mar Netball: U10 Tournament at Merton Court

Five schools took part in a Round Robin netball tournament. The U10 team finished equal 2nd on points but were, unfortunately, pushed into 3rd place on goals.

15 Mar Mini Tennis: Yr 3 v Farringtons

Year 3 played a mixture of singles and doubles. A total of 25 matches were played and Baston girls won all 25 matches! Very well done girls!

22 Mar Mini Tennis v Farringtons

4 girls from Year 3 and 6 girls from Year 2 played a mixture and singles and doubles. In the 25 matches played, Baston won by 14 matches to 11. (Farringtons’ team included 3 boys!)

BASTON SKI TRIP 2007

Our very best wishes go to the 22 girls and 3 teachers who will be flying out to Sugarloaf, Maine in the USA for the Baston Ski Trip!

They will be flying out on

Wednesday 28 April

and will return the following Wednesday 4 April

Happy Shushing!!

A Very Happy Easter

to everyone at Baston

School Crest