Reading Week 2015

Reading Week!

 

 

A spectacular week of fun and educational reading activities, visitors and visits!

 

We started the week with a visit from illustrator Garry Parsons.

 

 

 





Millie - Year 3 - The illustrator drew some really interesting pictures!

Reece - Year 4 - The illustrator was brilliant. He had a vivid imagination!

 

 

On Tuesday we had a visit from Author Jack Trelawny! He told us about his books and what it was like being an author!

 

 

Victoria - year 1/2 I can't wait to read my Jack Trelawny books.

 

Lucy - Year 4 - His animal creatures were really funny!

 

Frankie - Year 6 - He had some good tips about becoming an author.

 

 

On Wednesday we had an inspirational story teller visit called Phil.

 

 

Tye - Year 5 - I really liked all the different voices!

Olivia N - Year 3 - He had so much enthusiasm!

Winni - Year 3 - His stories were excellent and really funny!





Throughout the week every class visited Hornchurch library!

 
 





Mia - Year 4 - I loved going to the library they have so many different books!

 

 

We also swapped and read with other classes. We called this reading buddies!

 

Madison - Year 6 - It's great to read with other children in the school!

 

TJ - I wish we could do reading buddies every day!

Our week finished with an amazing reading showcase and reading picnic on the field! Thank you to year 6 for selling refreshments and all the parents that came along and joined us.

 

Overall it was a brilliant week. Children were excited and inspired to read!

 

There's was lots of fun activities! - Frankie - Year 5

 

Elliot - Year 3 - I loved going on Bug club in ICT!

 

All the workshops have been brilliant! - Harry - Year 6

 

Lacey - Year 4 - I loved all the activities I did in class.

 

It's been really exciting - Lexi - Year 1/2

 

I got to be a pirate - Arghhhh. It was the best! - Leo - Year 2

 

Awesome - Daisey - Year 1/2

 

 

Year 6 At the Imperial War Museum!

Year 6 took a trip to the Imperial War Museum in central London last week!

We went to discover more about what life was like during the Second World War, which has been our topic this term.

We looked around the many and various exhibits, and saw everything from Spitfire planes and bombers, to ration books, a real-life Anderson shelter, many types of weapon, boats, and even a full-size V2 rocket!

We also had a very informative, and emotional, talk from two people who had lived through the experience of being evacuated. Mike and Lucy had very different experiences of evacuation; Mike spent the entirety of the war with one family, and he was able to see his family regularly. Lucy, however, moved through six different billets, and she and her sister were even separated from their brother.

It showed us how lucky we are to be living in peacetime.

We had a great day and learned an awful lot, thanks to Lucy and Mike!

Year 6's Trip to Parliament!

Year 6 Visit to the Houses of Parliament.

Year 6 visited the Houses of Parliament in Westminster last week!

After an early start on a brisk Tuesday morning, we emerged at Westminster right under the watchful eye of Big Ben. There were lots of policemen to ensure our safety, and we all had our bags checked on the way in. It wasn’t unlike going to the airport…

Once inside, we had a few minutes to look around Westminster Hall, which we discovered had been built 900 years ago! It wasn’t exactly warm, so as soon as our guides arrived, we set off.

We wound through a maze of exquisitely decorated corridors before arriving at the Queen’s Robing Room. There, we learned that the colour of the carpet in the Houses of Parliament denotes who has control of that area; if it is blue, it is run by the monarch; if it is red is run by the House of Lords; if the carpet is green it is run by the House of Commons.

After looking around HRH’s Robing Room, we entered the House of Lords. The carpet was crimson, as were the leather-bound seats, while everything else in the room seemed to be made of glittering gold! There was an enormous throne which stretched right to the mezzanine level, where we learned the Queen sits for the state opening of Parliament. She doesn’t sit there for too long, however, as the crown is too heavy for her!

After watching the Passing of the Speaker (currently the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, we finished our tour back at Westminster Hall.

To our surprise, we were warmly greeted by the MP for Hornchurch & Upminster, Dame Angela Watkinson DBE MP.

Dame Watkinson was thrilled to discover what Suttons students had learned, and she posed for a few photographs with us before she had to dash off!

After we left the Houses of Parliament, we headed to St James’ Park to have our lunch. On the way there we stopped outside Downing Street, although we weren’t able to spot any members of the government!

 

 

We also walked past Buckingham Palace, and although we knew the Queen was in (because the Union Flag was flying), we didn’t manage to see any members of the royal family!

 

 

We headed back tired but full of new knowledge, with a much greater understanding of the history behind Parliament, as well as how democracy functions in Britain.