HWA Blog - 6.12.24
This week, we have started the ‘Countdown to Christmas’ and we have a number of key events taking place over the next few weeks:
Pastoral and Year 11 academic Parents’ Evening – Tuesday 10th December
We are pleased to invite you to our Pastoral Parents Evening, which will be held on Tuesday 10th December. This evening provides an opportunity for you to meet with your child's class/form teacher and discuss their progress, well-being, and any concerns or questions you may have. We highly encourage all parents to attend this informative and supportive event. Please ensure you book an appointment via your Arbor account.
Primary Christmas Nativity – Thursday 12th December at 1.30pm
We are thrilled to announce that our Primary Christmas Nativity will be held on Thursday 12th December. Our children have been rehearsing daily to bring you a delightful and memorable Nativity: The Honky, Tonky Donkey.
Christmas Jumper Day, Christmas Dinner and Christmas Markets – Wednesday 18th December
To get into the festive spirit, we will be holding a Christmas Jumper Day on Wednesday 18th December. Children, young people and staff are welcome to wear their favourite Christmas jumpers along with their regular uniform. Additionally, we will be serving a delicious Christmas dinner to continue the festive cheer.
Christmas Markets – Thursday 19th December
Finally, we will be holding our Christmas Markets and this has always been a big success as the children and young people love the range of activities we have. There may also be some special visitors to school to help celebrate Christmas.
School closes for the Christmas break – Friday 20th December
School reopens for the new term – Monday 6th January 2025
Let’s see what some of the classes have been doing starting with Mr Leeson’s PE sessions…
"During this half term we have started some new topics/sports in PE. EYFS and Key Stage 1 have been focusing on our fundamental skills. We have done this by demonstrating our agility, balancing, coordination and fine and gross motor skills. We have been doing this by taking part in a variety of circuits with support and attempting to progress on to completing the circuits without support. We have also been developing our catching skills by catching different sized balls from small distances.
Our Key Stage 2,3 and 4 students have started their new topic of trampolining. For many of them this is their first time experiencing trampolining in school which has created lots of excitement, nerves and fun. Each class has been progressively working through the trampolining framework. We started by getting used to our surroundings and being able to bounce with control. We then progressed on to performing some straddle, pike and tuck jumps. We then were able to perform half and full twists. Currently we are attempting to perform seated and front drops. This has been an exciting and scary experience which all students have enjoyed and embraced.
Students have engaged really well in PE and have had a positive attitude to learning. We have motivated each other exceptionally well and pushed each other to achieve their best during lessons."
Now to Miss Young’s form…
"Our class has been really busy this week! In English, we have been immersed in the Reading Vipers comprehension scheme, focusing on key areas such as Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, and Sequencing or Summarising. Our theme has been the timeless classic, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We delved into the origins of the story, explored Mary Shelley's remarkable life, and examined the cultural context that underpins her work, greatly enriching our understanding of the text.
In Maths, we recently wrapped up our unit on representing data. Despite the challenges posed by this topic, I am thrilled to report that our students did really well in their assessments! Special mention goes to Christopher and Oliver, who have made tremendous strides since the beginning of the academic year.
Our Science lessons sparked insightful discussions about smoking and the dangers of nicotine addiction; we are now shifting our focus to nutrition. Meanwhile, in History, our analyses of sources on Oliver Cromwell fostered lively debates, allowing the children to articulate their thoughts about this historical figure's legacy.
In our EHCP lessons, we concentrated on personal targets, and I am proud to see everyone making steady progress. The dedication and hard work demonstrated by our class this week is truly commendable! "
OYG (6.12.24)
Now to Miss Bouttell’s form…
"Form 11MBL have been working hard over the last few weeks, completing their GCSE MOCK exams. Each student has displayed excellent resilience and confidence, using their strategies to get them through.
During Maths, our new focus has been on types of number and sequencing. The students have been understanding the difference between factors and multiples and understanding primes and how to express a number as a product of its prime factors. The students contributed well to the lesson answering questions out loud, then working independently in their booklets.
In English we have been preparing for our GCSE’s reading over different texts from an anthology. The students have read aloud to the class and answered questions on the text, while outlining different techniques they have spotted, such as rhetorical questions, personification, triplet etc.
During Science we have been discussing scalars and vectors, then we moved onto calculating moments. The students had to first identify what a moment is, then identify the measurements needed to calculate a moment. Each student then took part in an experiment to investigate the turning effect of a force, using specific equipment.
During RSE this week we have been discussing parenting. The students discussed as a group what parenting means, what it might look like and the values that come to mind when thinking of parenting. Each student made good contributions, and they spoke about their family dynamics.
In Geography we have just begun the new topic of hot deserts. The students have been labelling deserts on a map and then describing their location. They then looked at the difference between weather and climate and where able to describe the climate of a desert, giving reasons why is it the way it is. "
MNL (6.12.24)
Now to our amazing SUPER STARs and HWA We are Inspiring STARs...
Mrs Lerigo’s STARs of the week is Everyone in Reception for amazing sitting, signing and singing during the dress rehearsal.
Mrs Lerigo’s HWA We are Inspiring STAR is Nevaeh for inspiring us with her signing of Honky Tonky Donkey.
Mrs Sutcliffe’s STAR of the week is Albi for a great week back at school this week and using amazing communication!
Miss Sutcliffe’s HWA We are Inspiring STAR is Jack for inspiring others with his super science skills and super signing this week!
Miss Oakley’s STAR of the week is Eliora for excellent signing whilst practising for our Christmas show.
Miss Oakley’s HWA We are Inspiring STAR is Harry for being a positive member of the class and spreading happiness everywhere he goes.
Miss Bailey’s STAR of the week is Jack for all-round fantastic week – wonderful engagement and playing well alongside his friends!
Miss Bailey’s HWA We are Inspiring STAR is Noel for modelling good behaviour and engaging in his learning with enthusiasm.
Mrs Quinn’s STAR of the week is Roma for a great first week in her new class.
Mrs Quinn’s HWA We are Inspiring STAR is Cody for accepting help from a new adult in class.
Miss Pietraszewska’s STAR of the week is Diana for using polite manners when asking for something. Well done!
Miss Pietraszewska’s HWA We are Inspiring STAR is Harrison for being engaged in our Nativity practice. Well done!
Mr Corrigan’s STAR of the week is Mysha for some wonderful independent work in maths this week.
Mr Corrigan’s HWA We are Inspiring star is Simisola for being really brave in the Nativity practice.
Mr Corrigan’s WOW moments go to Matthew, Kai, Faiha and Lewis. Well done!
Miss Tootill’s STAR of the week is Alice for working hard all week.
Miss Tootill’s HWA We are Inspiring STAR is Derry for inspiring others to try their best in lessons and the Nativity.
Miss Gittins’ STAR of the week is Lewis for fantastic singing in music.
Miss Gittins’ HWA We are Inspiring STAR is Caitlin for excellent contributions in English.
Miss Matthew’s STAR of the week is Jack for making progress in a personal EHCP target.
Miss Matthew’s HWA We are Inspiring STAR is Blaire for making lots of progress in Guided Reading and moving up a stage.
STARS of the Week (6.12.24)
Scientists of the week is Caitlin from Miss Gittins’ class.
Next Monday afternoon, I have the full Governors meeting, which I always look forward to, as I get to showcase the hard work of the children, young people and staff at Hollinwood Academy with the Governor’s. I will feedback to families next week in my blog.
We have a busy week with our girls' sporting activities alongside our annual Pantomime trip to see Mother Goose at Millgate Arts Centre, Delph – we can’t wait. I hope you have a lovely weekend too.
Mrs Millard
