Ancient Greece Comes to Birch

This weekend, Birch Class are encouraged to research and produce something to show to the class based on our topic of Ancient Greece. We have been looking at some of the Greek myths surrounding the Gods and heroes, but some more examples can be found here:

Jason and the Argonauts
The 12 Labours of Heracles
Theseus and the Minotaur
Icarus and Daedalus
Perseus and Medusa
Pygmalion's Statue
King Midas and the Golden Touch

The children may produce a factfile, an annotated drawing or painting, a sculpture, a poster, a retelling of a story, or a poem. Some useful links are here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/schoolradio/subjects/history/ancient_greek_myths

https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/history/greece/greek-myths/


Good luck Birch Class!

Team-building in Birch Class

Yesterday, Birch Class were set an activity that demanded an understanding of all 4 of our Rs: resourcefulness, reflectiveness, resilience, and reciprocity.

The task was simple: in groups of 3/4, build the tallest tower possible using polystyrene cups, a piece of card, and a pair of scissors in 10 minutes.

Put into groups with other student that they wouldn't normally work with, Birch Class demonstrated coolness under the pressure of time. There were some fantastic designs and approaches to the task which showed a great deal of teamwork, resourcefulness and patience. Our growth mindsets were really tested.

As we work towards are target of being kind and polite to everyone we meet, this task really showed the students who were able to work successfully no matter who they we paired with.

Olivia B enjoyed this team-building so much that she was prepared to give up her iPad time for it! Great enthusiasm Olivia, and great reciprocity Birch Class.

Spelling Bee Tomorrow

Dear Parents,

Tomorrow morning will be the third and final spelling bee for pupils this academic year. The full word lists were sent out at the beginning of the year. However, tomorrow's heats will involve all children taking part and putting their spelling skills to the test with randomly chosen words taken from a specific subset from the overall lists. These subsets are included below:

Key Stage 1 words (Y1 and 2):

dresses	enemies	everyone	everywhere
tomatoes	libraries	playground	queen
watches	airport	everything	whale
friends	without	basketball	bike
berries	somebody	footprints	spy
hobbies	anything	forever	towns
factories	forgot	anyone	trees
cried	lucky	popcorn	stick
married	face	barefoot	asleep
prettier	herself	rainbow	newspaper

Key Stage 2 words (for Y3,4,5 and 6):

Hyphen is a short line used to connect parts of compound word.	Kettle is a metal container in which to cook foods.	Lucid means easily understood; completely understandable.	Meagre is deficient in quantity or quality.	Myth is a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero,
Icon is a picture, image or other representation.	Khaki means dull yellowish brown.	Luminous is radiating or reflecting light.	Mechanical is having to do with machinery.	Nausea is sickness at the stomach, especially when loathing food.
Illegible is hard to read or decipher because of poor handwriting.	Kidnapped means being stolen, abducted or carried off by force.	Macabre is gruesome and horrifying.	Memoir is a record written by a person based on personal observation.	Necessary is being essential; indispensable.
Incite is to stir, encourage or urge on.	Knead is to work dough into a uniform mixture.	Machete is a large, heavy knife used to cut underbrush or sugar cane.	Metaphor is a figure of speech applied to something to which it isn't literally applicable	Nephew is a son of one's brother or sister.
Incognito is to have one's identity concealed.	Knowledge is acquaintance with facts, as from study or investigation.	Magnificent is making a splendid appearance or show.	Miscellaneous is of mixed character.	Nocturnal is of or pertaining to the night.
Inevitable is something that can't be avoided.	Knuckle is a joint of the finger.	Maintenance is the act of keeping things in good order.	Mischievous is maliciously or playfully annoying.	Novice is a person who is new to something.
Inflammable is capable of being set on fire.	Labour is productive activity for the sake of economic gain.	Malaria is a disease characterized by chills or fever, caused by the bite of a mosquito.	Miserable is very unhappy, uneasy or uncomfortable.	Nurture is to feed and protect.
Influenza is a viral, acute, sometimes epidemic disease.	Ladle is a long-handled utensil used for dipping.	Malice is the desire to inflict harm on someone.	Mistletoe is a plant used in Christmas decorations.	Nutritious is providing nourishment, especially to a high degree.
Invincible is incapable of being conquered or defeated.	Laugh is to express pleasure audibly.	Margarine is a butter-like product made from refined vegetable oils.	Moccasin is a shoe made entirely of soft leather.	Obese means very fat or overweight.
Irritable is easily irritated or annoyed.	League is a unit of distance, usually about 3 miles.	Marina is a boat basin offering dockage and other service for small craft.	Moderator is a person who presides over a discussion.	Oblivious means unaware of.
Jaguar is the largest cat in the western hemisphere.	Lecture is a speech read or delivered before an audience.	Maroon is a dark brownish-red.	Modify is to alter partially, to amend.	Obvious is easily understood or recognizable.
Jealous is feeling resentment against someone because of success of advantages.	Legible is capable of being read or deciphered with ease.	Marriage is when a man and woman decide to live legally as husband and wife	Monarch is a hereditary sovereign.	Omission is the act of omitting.
Journal is a daily record.	Leisure is freedom from the demands of work.	Martyr is a person who suffers death rather than give up religion.	Monitor is a student appointed to assisted in the conduct of a class.	Opaque is not allowing light to pass through.
Juice is the fluid that can be extracted from something.	Length is the longest extent of something from end to end.	Massacre is the unnecessary killing of human beings, as in a war.	Mortgage is repayment of money borrowed to buy property.	Operator is a person who runs a machine, apparatus or the like.
Karate is a method of self-defence.	Lieutenant is a military rank.	Mauve is a pale bluish purple.	Mosquito is an insect that bites, some passing on certain diseases.	Orchestra is a group of performers on various musical instruments.
Kayak is an Eskimo canoe.	Lightning is a brilliant electric spark discharge.	Mayonnaise is a thick dressing of different ingredients.	Muscle is a tissue, the contraction of which produces movement.	Orchid is a flower of a plant of temperate and tropical regions.