Last week was filled with engaging experiences within the classroom, enriching moments on our beautiful grounds, and inspiring activities within our community.
The Lower School had a wonderful afternoon in the sun making mini living gardens. The children collected moss, wood bits, and stones for their initial designs before adding plants and a variety of seeds. Before long, these gardens were home to a variety of new residents!
Our Year 6 students were lucky enough to attend an unforgettable STEM day at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Gainsborough. The children were a credit to Burton Hathow and represented the school impeccably. Some of the highlights included a workshop run by the Red Bull Racing Team, where the children had their reaction times tested and explored material technology to understand how engineers design components of the car. They even got to try on Max Verstappen’s helmet, which he used during races. They also built their own rockets and tested them. Another engaging workshop, led by the RAF, demonstrated how computers simulate flight to help train pilots. The children particularly enjoyed learning about the brain and were amazed at how powerful this organ is. Mrs. Oldfield would be proud as they showed off their Spanish skills during a cross-curricular chemical experiment. We really value opportunities to engage with schools where some children may take their next steps. It helps motivate the students and gives them a glimpse into potential careers for the future.
Year 1 also enjoyed a rewarding trip to Bransby Horses. After a treat of ice cream, they had a talk with the experts who care for the horses. They loved learning about the different personalities of the horses and the daily care routines. They ended their visit with some quality time in the park.
We were treated with uplifting musical performance from our Year 3 orchestra. We are very proud at Burton Hathow that all pupils participate in this activity enthusiastically. Under the fine leadership of Mr. and Mrs. Nowell, the students are developing into talented musicians.
Lower School also presented their performance poetry in assembly this week. They demonstrated a sense of rhythm, clear expression, and confidence when sharing their poems with the rest of the school.
In sports, our U9s have been very successful in recent football fixtures, both home and away. We visited St. Hugh’s and managed to win both games, with scores of 4-1 and 7-2. At home, we faced Highfields and also won both games, 9-3 and 7-1. All the children showed great spirit and sportsmanship with their opponents. As a small school, we continue to impress with the quality and depth of our teams.
It has been another busy week in art lessons. Year 6 has been designing T-shirts using their painting skills; Year 5 has been completing beautiful sketches using their knowledge of perspective; and Year 4 has finished their hand puppet projects, using papier-mâché heads and designing clothes with resist-dyed cotton fabric. They have used a range of skills and developed original ideas and designs.
Finally, last week saw the culmination of our chess challenge! All participants played valiantly, and there was a nail-biting final round to determine the winners. Our runners-up were Oscar, Ethan, Toby, and Lottie. Our winners were Damian in Year 6 and Killian in Year 3. Congratulations to these individuals! I’ve been inspired by all our players, and as someone who enjoyed chess as a child, I’ve had my passion reignited by seeing the children play.
What a jam-packed week it has been, and there is no sign of the children’s enthusiasm slowing down as we enter the closing weeks before the Easter break.