St Mary's Primary Academy - Folkestone

Summer Fayre:
The weather is looking good for our Summer Fayre tomorrow. We have lots of fun activities and games to take part in as well as the usual tombola and raffle stalls. Everyone is welcome, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow.
If possible, please can we ask that you bring along loose change to spend as we have limited change available, thank you.

Year 3 -Forest School:
Yesterday in Forest School, the year 3 managed to dodge the showers and get outside for an enjoyable Forest School session.
During the session they had a visitor, Councillor Jackie Meade came in to help them plant some tomatoes and some marigolds . The marigolds help to protect the tomatoes from pests but also look pretty too. The children also harvested some radishes and watered the plants, the peas, carrots and sweet peas that are growing nicely in the raised beds.
The children then got to spend time in the Forest School area. There was a lot of work and problem solving but also a lot of fun going on.
Some of the children played camouflage hide and seek, while others made some super recipes. Some of the children were hard at work moving the wood chippings to create a pathway.
One group of children began to investigate gutters with water. They decided that they wanted to create a dam to stop the water draining down the tube. They couldn't quite stop it but spent a long time trying out different ways of stopping the water.
Great teamwork, perseverance and problem solving year 3 well done.

Year 4- Ukulele:
What a great Ukulele lesson Year 4 had this morning. They had to focus and listen very carefully to the notes being demonstrated before playing them back. Well done Year 4.

Year 1-Forest School:
The year 1 children were really lucky this afternoon to have what surely must be the start of some summer weather.
They really made the most of their time in the Forest area to take part in a range of activities.
We were able to get the parachute out for the first time this year and the children got to play some teambuilding games.
In the Forest School area, they were busy with the gutters channelling water into a bucket. They created dens and did some climbing. Some of the children were more creative and used circles of wood and palm drills to make some spinners, whilst a few others used mud paint to create some leaf pictures.
Forest School provides so many opportunities for the children to build important skills, whilst enjoying the wonderful outdoor environment that our school is fortunate to have.

Year 2 - Forest School:
Although the weather is still very changeable, the year 2 children had a fantastic Forest School session in the lovely warm sunshine.
They really made the most of it and it was great to see their wellbeing and involvement in their activities so high.
The children loved using the gutters to create a water track and seeing how much water they could catch as it went down the gutters.
Some of the children show great team work and friendship as they worked away at creating their own mini obstacle course. They really persevered to get it just right.
Other children spent a lot of time in imaginary games building dens for their character, while others created some wonderful recipes in the mud kitchen.
A wonderful opportunity for the children to build important skills, whilst enjoying our amazing Forest School area.

Our Charivari Day costume club is starting creating today! There are 14 places left. If you know you can make it to Charivari Day on 13th July and are in years 3-6, please do sign up to this lunch time club on Arbor!
We look forward to seeing you.

Important Information-Arbor Update:
The Costume Club will be available to book from 6pm this evening.

Charivari Day - Costume club
We have an exciting lunch-time club for years 3 to 6! If you know you will be attending the Charivari Day on 13th July and would like to participate in the parade, sign up to our new club on Arbor to make yourself a costume for this special community day. Please note, Strange Cargo have given us enough material for 30 costumes only, so places will be given on a first-come, first-served basis on Arbor. It is also important to note that if you sign up, you need to be available on 13th July to take part in the Charivari Day.

Year 3 - Design and Technology:
In Year 3 DT lessons this week, we have been planning and designing our own mini greenhouses that we will make in a few weeks time. Yesterday, we used a mini saw, sandpaper and a hot glue gun to start to create some of the materials we will use when we build our greenhouses! Year 3 did so well with applying their previous knowledge of other greenhouses for this lesson and worked carefully and safely when using the materials, well done Year 3!

Year 4 - Science:
Yesterday, year 4 created simple circuits using a homemade switch. The simple circuits were created using a light bulb, cables (with crocodile clips), batteries and a homemade switch. The switch was made from household materials (pegs, cardboard, copper tape and paper clips) and the children followed simple instructions to create them. We had a lot of fun!

KS1- Polite Payment Reminder:
Please can we remind KS1 parents to make their payments as soon as possible for the trip to Wingham Wildlife Park.
Thank you

Summer Fayre:
We would like to thank everyone for the donations we have received for our Summer Fayre next Friday.
There is still time to donate prizes for the tombola and games.
Event like this are only possible with your amazing support.
The money we raise all goes towards supporting trips and events that benefit the children in the school.
We are all keeping our fingers crossed that the sun shines brightly for this very special occasion.
We look forward to seeing you all next week.

Year R - Forest School
This week in forest school, the year R children listened to the story of the 3 Billy Goat's Gruff. They then used their time in forest school to build some bridges across the river to act out the story. Some of the children made the billy goats and trolls from mud and used them to retell the story. They had a lot of fun trip trapping over bridges.
The children love using their imagination in Forest School and today was no exception, with unicorns and fairies hiding all over the Forest School and being fed special unicorn or fairy food. There was also a very special campfire over which the children were cooking. The sausages smelt delicious!
Another great morning for the year R children.

Year 4 - Art:
This week we have started our topic on Relief Sculptures during Art. We learnt all about what relief sculptures are and talked about the different specific terms, depending on whether the art is raised a little or a lot from the flat surface. We then used clay to have a go at creating this ourselves. We used both techniques - adding extra clay to our flat surface and carving into our flat surface. The children had so much fun doing this and spent a great deal of time paying attention to detail and ensuring they used their hands and the clay tools to smooth the surface, as well as making sure they got the shapes they desired. As you can see from the finished pieces, the children did a tremendous job. Well done, Year 4!'

Year 1 - Origin of Food:
Italy Class had great fun this week finding out where our food comes from. With their partners, they shared their favourite fruit and vegetables and thought about where and how they grow. In preparation for making a healthy fruit salad later in the term, the children practiced their skills of chopping, tearing, slicing, mashing, grating and chopping using a range of kitchen utensils.

First Aid- Year 6:
On Wednesday, the year 6 children participated in a first aid session led by Neil, our community warden. They began by using squeaky hearts to discover how fast a heart beats. Following this, they were introduced to the DRAB protocol, which stands for Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing. The children learned about the importance of seeking help and practiced applying their knowledge using a resuscitation doll. This session was highly valuable for the children and will be repeated to ensure that all year 6 students have the opportunity to participate.

Just a little reminder.

Summer Fayre - Raffle Tickets:

Child's Watch Found:
Last term, a child's watch was found in the school playground. Please contact the school office for more details.

Important Information-Arbor Update:
The Costume Club will be available to book from 6pm this evening.

Charivari Day - Costume club
We have an exciting lunch-time club for years 3 to 6! If you know you will be attending the Charivari Day on 13th July and would like to participate in the parade, sign up to our new club on Arbor to make yourself a costume for this special community day. Please note, Strange Cargo have given us enough material for 30 costumes only, so places will be given on a first-come, first-served basis on Arbor. It is also important to note that if you sign up, you need to be available on 13th July to take part in the Charivari Day.

Year R - Forest School:
This week in Forest School, the children had a real treat. They had hot chocolate and popcorn. They were so excited and amazed to see the popcorn popping in the popcorn maker.
It gave them the energy to enjoy a fun session, packed full of their favourite activities.

Year 3 Forest School
This week in Forest School, the children started the session with a couple of challenges.
The first challenge was the rope line up challenge. The children had to hold onto a rope with both hands. they then had to get themselves into the order of their birthdays, but they had to keep at least one hand on the rope at all times. To be successful in this challenge they had to communicate well with each other. They got there in the end!
The second challenge was a simple knot relay. They each had to tie a knot onto a log as quickly as they could . This time it was only a single knot so for most it was quite an easy challenge but it was great to see the teams cheer on and support their team mates if they were struggling. Next time it will be slightly harder, a double knot!
After their challenges they were able to spend some time in playing in Forest School. The rain did not deter them and they had a great time choosing a range of activities.

Year 1-Forest School:
The year 1 children had a super afternoon at Forest School this week. They played hide the colourful caterpillar to see which caterpillars were the best at hiding from the birds. They also played a game of hide and seek using a camouflage jacket and a hi viz jacket to see which was the most camouflaged in our forest.
They always make the most of their time in the Forest School and Monday was no exception. There was great excitement with all the minibeasts they are now finding under all the logs and lots of lovely recipes were being cooked up in the mud kitchen.

Year 2 - Forest School:
In addition to all our usual Forest School activities, the year 2 children were set a challenge.
They had a tray full of colourful caterpillars (all cardboard!) They had to find out which caterpillars would survive the best and work out why. They did this by hiding the caterpillars then sending their friends out to go an find them. They were able to work out that the green and brown caterpillars would be best at surviving because they would be camouflaged against the grass and earth. They also played a game of camouflage hide and seek. the children had a camouflage jacket and a high viz jacket. They soon worked out that the camo jacket was the best for hiding with.

Year 6 - Forest School:
Last week in Forest School, a group of year 6 children had an opportunity to help out in Forest School. Kitted out with protective gloves and a pair of secateurs, they were set the task of cutting back some brambles and pulling up some nettles. They all worked really hard and managed to do a really good job. The reward for this was to spend some free time in the Forest School area. They chose to light some small colander fires. Unfortunately this was not as easy as they thought it would be, because a lot of the small wood was very wet after the rain. However, they did manage to get a few of the fires going.

Year 4- Electrical Circuits:
Year 4 have been applying their scientific understanding of electrical circuits whilst creating a working product. The children collaborated brilliantly and began by making complete series circuits to ensure a bulb would light. They then built these circuits into model lighthouses, ensuring that the materials they used to build them were chosen for a specific purpose (transparency, or strength for example). Well done Year 4!

PTFA-Newsletter:

Netball tournament:
Today, a group of children from Year 5 and 6 took part in a netball tournament at the Three Hills Sports Park.
We are delighted to announce that they came 3rd and all took home a bronze medal.
Well done everyone, we are super proud of you. 👏👏👏👏

Year 2 - Sponsored Walk:
This week at St Mary’s, all of the children are taking part in a sponsored walk to help raise vital funds for Kodeni School in Burkina Faso.

For their sponsored walk, the children in Year 2 walked down to the beach and drew pictures of the Burkina Faso flag in the sand. The also designed some sand schools.
Well done Year 2

Just a little reminder that Thursday is our 'Wear It Green Day.'

Wear It Green Day- Thursday 23rd May:

World Weather Watch:
During November our Global Councillors, Forest School, Year 1 and Tiger Class have been collaborating with schools across the world for the annual World Weather Watch project.
We've had some amazing work in from many of these countries, where all are experiencing extremes of weather linked to Climate Change.
At St Mary's we've recorded the weather and made kites. We learnt the Spanish words for our art work on the 4 Seasons and for our weather wheels.
We've looked at and compared the temperatures sent in from our partner countries, we've come to the conclusion that although it has been very wet here in Folkestone, in some countries like Finland, it is too cold at minus 31c and too hot in Malayasia, where Agop our adopted Orangutan lives.
This work links to many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) but in particular SDG 13'Climate Change.'