SHARON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: USA: A new link!

Year3 and Year 4 have now linked with the Sharon Elementary School in Ohio, USA.Click above to see their website...	...and above here to see the website of the Highland Schools, which Sharon Elementary is part of.	We have already wrote penpal and class letters! Year 4 are also involved...
...in producing a project about Children's Culture, which they are sending to the school (Mrs Reed's Class there).	Year 4 have done much research, including playing with more traditional toys......	...had lots of fun trying out traditional games... (click pic to see movie!)
...as you can see!	We designed and made traitional toys, like cloth peg dolls and...	...thaumatropes! Let's hope the children in Mrs Reed's class enjoy our work & toys!

LINK WITH FRANCE!

In November 2009, Mrs. Stevens went to visit our new partner school in Reims, L’Ecole Cavalier de la Salle.

The exterior looked a little bleak when Mrs Stevens arrived...	...but the welcome was really warm!	The Year 5 class had lots of questions about our school!
Choir practice - French style!	Our artwork present was excitedly received!	Mrs Stevens went to visit Pere Noel, but he wasn't in!
the cathedral in Reims was amazing!	The lunhces were very healthy...and teeth cleaned straight after!

Creating new links globally!

We are now investigating, and creating, new links internationally. Yr3 are beginning a link with a school in the USA and Yr2 are to start work with a school in Mexico (with Nicola Drinkwater - who used to be the MFL teacher here!). There are also conversations happening with schools in Spain, Italy, Turkey and Sweden...Keep looking here to keep up-to-date!

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In November, teachers from Italy, Spain and Turkey visited the school. They have links with Ridgeway and we are looking to extend this partnership!

The teachers(from the left): Ramazan Bayraktar(Turkey); Attilio Maselli(Italy); Lola Cabrera Poyatos(Spain);Rafael Garcia(Spain); Marilina Curione(Italy);	They enjoyed our Environmetal Area...	...and a variety of classes...
...and lessons!	Yr1 sounded fantastic!	Oliva - the school mascot from Spain - loved our school too! Let's hope we see and hear from all the school's soon!

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Russian Partnership with LYCEUM 23, Sochi

Just after Easter 2008, all the school were involved in a school project called 'Celebrating traditions'. The idea was for the children to research lots of English Traditions which are being lost in today's society - and to share these with Lyceum 23. Lyceum 23 will do the same for Russian Traditions! The work took 2 weeks and resulted in visits, project work, DVDs and a fantastic whole school 'assembly' performance in front of Jacqui Smith, MP (Home Secretary). Here are some of the amazing highlights!

The Reception classes visited the Black Country Museum to find out more about life in the past	Year 2 visited Tamworth Castle	Part of our tradition is St George's Day - Brownies and Beavers/ Cuns came to school in their uniforms in honour of the day
Year 1s visited Spetchley Gardens to discover English Traditional Gardens	Dr Bob visited Year 4 to give a history of calendar festivals and Mummers' Plays	Mr George demonstrated his accordian playing skills for our performance
In the performance.... Yr1 told us all about Traditional Gardens and sang 'An English Country Garden' beautifully	Yr2 were excellent at demonstrating and explaining all about traditional English rhymes.	Jacqui Smith and her husband seemed to be really enjoying it!
Yr3 told us about music and sang brilliantly	Yr4 had researched in small groups and there were 12 mini performances-  this one all about traditional sayings and where they come from	After explaining about English traditional dances, these children demonstarted one!
Then there was our Yr4 version of the Mummers' Plays	Mrs Rider did a lovely closing speech...	Followed by Jacqui Smith getting a Q&A grilling from the school council (especially Issy!) - but we did supply biscuits!
Jacob was excellent on the violin...	...as were the whole school...	...at singing!

In the October Half term 2007, Mr Attwood visited Sochi and Lyceum 23 to conduct a research project that looked at 'Creativitiy in the Classroom'(click HERE to read his report). He was made to feel extremely welcome, visited many lessons, took part in staff meetings to share experiences with the teachers in Sochi... and had to conduct an English lesson to a group of children, teachers...and TV cameras! See the news reports below!

He also discussed future plans of working together, brought back presents for the school and some letters from the children there - penpals are now happening!

We have many plans for future projects - Yr2 are currently looking at Traditional Foods and there are plans for a large project, including theme week, for the Spring/Summer terms.

Lyceum 23 are very excited by our link, and are looking forward to working together for many years to come.

Mr Attwood on one of the three Russian TV news channels...!	Children in Form 3 (9yr olds)	Children creating models to recreate a traditional story through a model play...(Form 2, 8yr olds)
The school was excited by the visit - and the work we have done. Notice last year's Year4 work at the bottom of this display.	An assembly where children were discussing their pets (or pets they would like), and why we should look after animals	Form 5 children working as part of a group to create a school newspaper
Children role-played the traditional story about the animals helping each other to pull out the turnip...	And, Mr Attwood got to learn to play the wooden spoons!	Children taking part in a small concert

 

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In February 2007, Mr Attwood visited Sochi, (south-west) Russia with the British Council, (photos below) with a school vision to create a link/ partnership with a school there. Astwood Bank First School are proud to announce their link with the school Lyceum 23, and we are looking forward to a long, fruitful and beneficial partnership with them!

We have in place, projects that we will complete with Lyceum 23 and our Years 2, 3 & 4 - we are only working with these year groups at present as children do not start compulsory schooling until they are 7 in Russia.

Already, Years 3 & 4 have sent emails and letters to introduce themselves to the children of Lyceum 23, and Lyceum 23 children are sending their letters to us this week (w/c 5 March 2007). Projects to begin after Easter/SATs(Yr2) are:

YEAR2: 'Traditional Foods': to research English/British traditional foods and create a recipe book of these foods, discuss origins etc. Lyceum 23 Form 1 children to do the same for Russian foods

YEAR3: 'Travel Brochures': to research Astwood Bank & Redditch to create a travel brochure/ posters/ leaflets to convince Sochi children this is a great place to visit, as well as showing the Sochi children what our town is like. Lyceum 23 Form 2 children to do the same for Sochi

YEAR4: 'Water!': to research tap water - where it comes from, how it gets to our taps, processes, create a research book(s), create advertising regarding environmental issues and water. Lyceum 23 Forms 3&4 to do the same for Sochi's water supply.

On top of this, we are already discussing projects for September 2007 and Summer 2008. The staff and children are looking forward to learning and teaching with our new Russian friends.

Mr Attwood with the presentation that everyone at ABFS produced to 'sell' our school at the Partner Fair	Mr Anthony Bretton, British Ambassador for Russia, addressed the delegates about the importance of partnerships for the future.	In the Partner Fair, Russian teachers looked through the work produced by the whole school!
Children in Form 2, Lyceum 23, were using role play to discuss multi-culturalism. Did you know that there are 102 nationalities in Sochi?	Mr Attwood became involved in a lesson with Form 3 children. He had to try and understand what the children were telling him and draw it...luckily he got it right!!!	The children of Lyceum 23 put on a show, including traditional dances from different cultures etc
After seeing lessons and shows, Mr Attwood sat with a selection of teachers and older pupils, where he was quizzed about England, ABFS, our children and similarities/ differences in our education systems	The headteacher, Ludmilla Esteeva, gave ABFS some presents - see the display in our library	The team that created the link! From the left: Mr Attwood, Miss Smith (Nunnery Wood High School), Laura, Liana & Veronika.