Hilltop Residential Day 2

After rising early to sunshine and blue skies (some of us earlier than others), we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast of cereal, toast, bacon, hash browns and beans. 

Our morning activity focus was climbing and teamwork. The instructors helped us put on harnesses and hard helmets, then we worked in two groups. One group was on the climbing wall, the other playing a crate stacking game. Could you work with your partners to build the crates, climb on the crates and then ring the Bell of Victory?  Climbers had the treat of knocking down the wall afterwards. 

We all learned loads of different climbing terms, including belaying and grigri. We also learned lots about moving out of our Comfort Zone and into our Stretch Zone. This is what Hilltop is all about  – being the best we can be!

After a lunch of the most delicious jacket potatoes with a choice of filling, and then a homemade flapjack, we ventured into the wood for our bushcraft session. Bushcraft is all about surviving and thriving outdoors. It’s also about campfires!  But to make campfires, we needed to collect the wood first. Our leaders explained to us about what a fire needs to burn and also how to light a fire. Caution – always try this at home WITH an adult. 

Once our fire was warm and crackling, we had a veritable feast of marshmallows, hot chocolate and popcorn in an amazing contraption made from two sieves. 

The afternoon was pretty chilled and a great alternative to the climbing in the morning. We also remembered to tidy away and ‘leave no trace’. 

Thank you Hilltop, for another delicious dinner, and a scrumptious pudding. 

We had a really clear evening and saw lots of stars. We also played an intriguing game, which involved finding a chain of UK train stations, running from board to board and avoiding the mole hills and rabbit burrows. Well done, Year 4s – more great team work. 

We are really thinking this group is one of our best ever – they have been such a delight to take. 

Congo Y4 Residential

And the Fressingfield Class of 2023 (Year 4) has finally arrived at Hilltop!  The sun shone and the welcoming faces of the Hilltop staff also beamed sunny smiles. 

This year, unlike others, we were in the Seaview area. This is bright and light, with a beach hut theme. 

After a packed lunch where the children all seemed to have packed lunches double the size of the Fressingfield staff’s, we set off to be hard-hatted and harnessed up for the zip wire. This one, of course, is bigger and better than most. 

After a couple of rides each, we warmed up on the agility course to prepare for the assault course. Ellis our leader showed us how to camouflage our faces with mud. We reckoned this was a gentle introduction to mud, as some of the activities on the course had a distinctly wet and muddy theme!  Despite this, everyone managed to stay dry and we all emerged on the other side. 

After a leisurely, but filling, supper, it was back outside with torches, jackets and partners, to play Owls and Mice (a bit like hide and seek) in a very large – and dark – forest. How exciting was that!  

Tomorrow (Tuesday), the forecast says mild and dry. Most of us have gone to bed rather tired, but dreaming of bacon butties for breakfast!

Holiday Homework Project

What an utterly amazing effort from all our Fressingfield families!  Our ‘optional holiday homework project’ has resulted in you all bringing into school literally dozens of the brightest, most original and certainly awe-inspiring Christian symbols we’ve seen in a long time!  It will take us quite a while to put all of these up around school. 

Many, many thanks to adults for supporting our children in this lovely project. 

Please keep your eyes peeled when you’re next in school, and see how many of these symbols you can spot.

Waste Recycling

Congo Class has had an amazing session with a local Waste Recycling Officer. Sam showed us a really informative video, talked about what we can and can’t recycle and then played some great games with us. The children were so enthused by this topic, that they have asked to organise an assembly AND a competition!  Watch this space for more information. 

Meanwhile, for more information, have a look here:

https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/planning-waste-and-environment/waste-and-recycling/my-bins/what-can-i-put-in-my-recycling-bin

https://www.north-norfolk.gov.uk/tasks/environmental-services/what-goes-in-my-bin/

SHUFFLE UP DAY 

The children had fun with the teachers in their new classes last Thursday and Tuesday. Each teacher approached the morning in slightly different ways, but with the aim of getting to know the children and to start to build and prepare for next year. Some classes produced some fantastic work for their book covers, others focused on art work and others began to think about the rules they would agree for their class charters to ensure each child receives their entitlement to Articles 28 Access to Education and Article 29 Aims of Education under the United Nations Charter for the Rights of the Child. 

Thank you to all of you who attended the Get-To-Know-You Class Meetings over the last two weeks. These were established following your feedback as part of the Communications Survey at the start of the year and were a really useful and important way to share our class expectations, routines and forthcoming events. Here are the powerpoints for those that weren’t able to attend.

SUMMER SERVICE, CUPS and Y6 LEAVERS’ ASSEMBLY 

On the last day of term the whole school went to the church for a celebration of the school year and to recognise those whose achievements have especially caught the eye this term. The service was really uplifting with a song to sum up the year from Colorado Class; a brilliant rendition of Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside from Danube, a song about looking after our planet from Waveney, a brilliant rap about the class members of Congo Class, written by the children themselves, and a moving leaving song from Yangtze Class. Thank you Rev Susan for hosting us.  

Those receiving certificates this term were: 

Reading Certificates and Book Vouchers: Verity Scott, Ernie Godbold, Sol Hunt, Bepe Biasi, Reuben Rankin, George Powell and Martha Dinsdale. 

Attendance Cup and Book Vouchers for 100% Attendance: Arieanna Ria, Liam Durrant, Chloe Martin, Bella Martin, Lydia Baskerville, Oliver Oldridge, Oscar Broadley, Amelia Oldridge, Jayden Durrant 

Mrs Tuthill’s Award for Politeness and Good Manners EYFS/KS1: Harper Chrystal 

Mrs Tuthill’s Award for Politeness and Good Manners KS2: Arthur Smith  

Mary Webb Art Award for EYFS: Rosa Mortimer 

Spice Award for Art in KS1: Phoebe Lake 

Spice Award for Art in KS2: Charlotte Cooper 

Lomax Trophy Sports Award: Levi Bennett 

Contribution to School Life Award: Chloe Martin 

Mrs Fenning’s Award for Progress in EYFS: Harry Goodwin 

The Fox and Goose Award for Progress in KS1: Darwin Mack 

The Chase Cup for Progress in KS2: Eden Scott

DODGEBALL, Y6 LEAVER’S BBQ & WATER FIGHT 

As is traditional at Fressingfield Primary School, the Year 6 Leavers were invited to challenge the Teachers in a game of rounders as a special leaving treat on Wednesday. However, in a (rain enforced) break from tradition, the rounders match became a giant indoor Dodgeball competition. For those that haven’t played this game before, rest assured that it is a game of no little jeopardy. The game is won by hurling balls at your opponents in an attempt to hit them between the shoulders and the feet. Needless to say, this gave both teams plenty of opportunities to exact revenge for any perceived injustices we may have felt over the seven years we have all been together in the same building! And, needless to say, despite never having played the game before, the teachers trounced the Year 6 children to maintain our 100% record of winning these tournaments.  

The match was followed by a BBQ lovingly prepared by Mr Schwier and Mr Davey under a tree in the pouring rain with burgers contributed by Mrs Tooley and Mr Schwier’s sausages.  

And the afternoon finished with the – also traditional – water fight. The children claim to have ‘won’ the water fight and it’s true that Mrs Waring and I were soaked to the skin. But, I don’t think there was a dry patch on any of our 19 opponents, so honours even is probably a better way to describe the outcome.  

It was a great afternoon. We will miss you Year 6s.  

DARWIN ROCKS 

Darwin, the Father of Evolution, was honoured at Fressingfield Primary School this summer as the children in Key Stage 2 presented their Summer Performance: Darwin Rocks! All the children in Key Stage 2 were involved in some from or another – either as Victorian Londoners, native Fuegians, sailors and officers, scientists, our ancient (unpronounceable) ancestors, or stage hands. And the children were also involved supporting (the wonderful) Mrs Foster with the musical accompaniment. 

And what a fantastic event it was: the children’s performances were awesome; the singing was more heartfelt and lustier than ever; and the acting was superb. 

We were especially impressed by the children who took on the challenge of singing duets or solos. So, well done Chloe and Amelia for a beautifully performed ‘Two Creations,’ to Daisy and Bella for a moving rendition of ‘Life Will Find A Way,’ and – astonishingly – Levi who knocked our socks off with a funky rendition of ‘The Groove Of Evolution.’ Epic! 

As always, we would like to acknowledge the contributions of everyone who worked to make our performance such as success. First and foremost, thanks to Mrs Foster whose piano playing ties the whole show together and elevates our performances to a higher level; she gives up so much of her time to learn the songs, help with rehearsals and on the evenings of the performance themselves and we are extremely grateful. Thanks this year to Carmen Wright who provided our fantastic backdrops – they were great. Thanks also to Mrs Drax and our team of Teaching Assistants – Mrs Scott, Mrs Waring and Mrs Tooley – who helped with tickets, props, stage management and everything else on the night. Thank you to FOFSA who provided refreshments on the evening. Thanks to all who helped with make-up on the night – we loved your creativity. And, finally, thank you to all the parents who provided fantastic costumes, supported the children to learn their lines and ferried children to and from school each evening.  

We hope you enjoyed it all as much as we did. With thanks from Ms Perry, Mrs Buckenham and Mr Leicester.

SPORTS DAY 2023 

There were absolute scenes (as the sporting cliché goes) here at Fressingfield Primary School on 7th July as the children competed for their teams in our Sports Day. 

The children competed in their houses: Apus (red), Aquila (Green), Columba (yellow) and Cygnus (blue) for the honour of being crowned Sports Day Champions.  

A range of track and field events took place through the afternoon, with points being available for all competitors in all competitions. But it was the track events that were most hotly anticipated and which drew the greatest crowds.  

Each year group took part in shorter distance sprints, a longer distance race around the whole field, a team relay and, of course, an obstacle race.  

Congratulations are given to all the children for competing with a sense of purpose and enjoyment and also for being so encouraging of each other. Well done all.  

At the end of the afternoon, once all the points had been counted by Mrs Drax, the colours on the winning trophy were Aquila’s. Well done Green Team.