Y E A R  4

The children in Year 4 have had a very successful and enjoyable year, with many of them excelling in their academic studies or achieving high standards in music and sport. We would like to congratulate all of them.

IIn the school examinations, Anna came first in 4R and Michael first in 4I. James Thomas and Jake won prizes for progress and effort whilst Ellie and Melissa were awarded prizes for their presentation. Luke won the cup for Literacy Progress. All of them received book tokens from Mr Richard Green, the President of the school.

A large number of boys and girls represented the school in football, cricket, athletics, rounders and netball, playing schools in Croydon and beyond. In timed trials, Toba and Sorcha achieved the best times in Year 4 over the school cross-country course. The Year 4 athletes for 2007 were Saskia and Toba, who were awarded their trophies on Prize Day. They both then took part, with Theo, in the recent Croydon Schools Athletics Championship, held at Croydon Arena.

Almost all the children have gained awards for swimming this year and several have also taken part in inter-school swimming galas. Shakirra was the runner-up in Backstroke at the Croydon Schools Swimming Championships and Max came fourth in the Freestyle.

Many children in Year 4 have shown great musical talent this year and Leo, Ignacio, Sarang and Nicole have passed examinations with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Ignacio achieved Distinction in Grade 1 Piano and Nicole Distinction in Grade 5 Violin, an amazing feat for one so young. Not surprisingly, Nicole also won a prize at the Beckenham Music Festival and was awarded the Junior Music prize.

A large number of children offered to represent their house in the Inter-House Music Competition in June, which was judged by our Chaplain. Emily and Nicole, with Ysabella in Year 3, won the competition for Trios. Nicole was also in the winning Group.

In February, Year 4 went by tram to the Polka Theatre to watch a performance of The Man who Planted Trees, a fascinating tale of a shepherd who spent many years planting acorns and other seeds in a bleak area of southern France, which grew into vast forests and brought happiness to hundreds of people. 4I did their bit for the environment by sowing acorns. Sixteen of these grew into healthy young oak seedlings.

The main focus of the music lessons in the Spring term was on practising for a performance of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, directed by the Opera Brava Company. Alex, Jordan, Molly, Anna, Saskia and Max all performed wonderfully as Peter, Susan, Lucy, Mrs McCready, Mr Beaver and Mr Tumnus respectively. The children thoroughly enjoyed an entire day’s workshop making props and costumes for the final performance. The entry of Aslan and the White Witch caused great excitement and the battle scene between their armies was truly dramatic!

At the end of June, Year 4 went on their annual visit to the South Downs, taking with them ten fit parents as well as Mrs Sally Smith, the school nurse. We are very grateful to them for their help. Luckily, the weather was kind to us and the children made light work of the steep ascents and descents over the Seven Sisters. They arrived on the beach at Birling Gap eager to explore the wonders of the wave-cut platform.

Year 4 have been learning about rocks and fossils. Ms Smith, one of the class parents, visited us to share her expertise. She brought in lots of books, pictures, videos, fossils and samples of rocks. She started off the lesson by asking all the children to look at a sample and guess what it is. She revealed at the end of the session that it was a fossilised shark dropping! This was one ‘hands-on’ lesson the children hadn’t expected.

The Harvest Assembly play performed by Year 4 was an amusing story with a serious message, to remind everyone how much energy we spend on transporting food around the world. The play showed a pizza being made, with one of the children running back and forth across the stage, to represent the ‘food miles’ the pizza ingredients had covered.

Everyone in Year 4 has worked hard this year and we are pleased to see so many of them taking an active part in the school’s extra-curricular activities. We wish them all every success when they move up to Year 5 in September.

Mrs Karen Ingrams &
Mrs Fizza Rizvi