Happy Friday! I cannot believe we have already reached the end of our second week back at school but what can I say, time flies when you’re having fun and the children have been having a fantastic time these past couple weeks. From team-building activities last week such as tower building, to becoming fully immersed in all things Roman this week for hook week, the children have been doing it all!
It’s been a wild week in year six where the children have begun their autumn expedition, The Lungs of our World. 6CC have researched the Amazon rainforest and the many animals that inhabit it, presenting in depth fact files and even creating a shoebox habitat for their chosen animal.
The week culminated with a field trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park to see some of the animals they’d researched face to face. The class also took part in a surprise workshop to add context the learning of this term’s expedition. 🐯🐵🐗🐍🦓🦍🦏🦛
Last week our new Year 7s were the 9th cohort of students from XP to head off to the Aberdovey Outward Bound centre to answer the guiding question ‘What does it mean to be Crew?’. These are their reflections after just three days of their secondary school journey…
XP is now the official new home of the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association.
Fifty years ago John Ellis MBE created the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association (DYJA).
Over the next half century, with three bands and a fourth ensemble made up of alumni, the organisation was to become internationally renowned.
The Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra has played at some of the awesome venues in the world, from the Royal Albert Hall to Buckingham Palace, the United Nations in New York to Ronnie Scott’s in London. Always delighting audiences and showcasing the young people of Doncaster’s talent and virtuosity.
Now, after many years at Beckett Road, DYJA are moving into our XP school, which will become their base. Their office, rehearsal and teaching rooms and music library – as well as full band rehearsal space will be here with us at Middle Bank.
Andy, our Chief Academic officer commented:
“We are absolutely delighted, across the XP Trust, that the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association is now based at our founding school, XP.
To support and be associated with an organisation that has travelled the world, sharing its music and the amazing talent of Doncaster’s young musicians, is very exciting and part of our ongoing commitment to the local community.
As we look forward to celebrating 10 years of XP in 2024, this feels like another landmark moment in our story – and we hope this is so for DYJA too as they continue their decades-long journey.”
Charlotte Arrowsmith, Chair of the Board of Trustees added:
“This feels like a new and exciting chapter for us at DYJA as we enter our 51st year. We’re delighted to have moved into XP School – and we’re looking forward to working and creating here, in such an inspiring place.”
BBK/Chotting @ Carcroft School
Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead
Student Ambassadors – First meeting of the year @ Plover
Stay and Challenge @ Norton Infants
Class 12: Crew Reading @ Green Top
Act of Kindness @ Norton Juniors
It was certainly a hot one but Year 5 had a wonderful time visiting The Yorkshire Wildlife Park yesterday! The children took part in an endangered animals workshop learning how and why animals are becoming endangered and what we can do to help. Our highlights were definitely spending time with the wallabies and polar bears.
During crew week, our guiding question was – How can crew be strengthened by acts of service to others? After holding crew sessions, Yr5 decided to litter pick whilst on our walk to Brockadale, visit The Laurels residential home to take gifts and spend time with residents as well as hold a bake sale to raise money for charity.
We are we’re blown away with the amount of donations received across Norton Campus and are excited to share that we raised a whopping £142.70. As a crew, we will decide where this money goes.
Crew Oliver had a lovely crew session yesterday morning for National Read a Book Day where we each shared our favourite book and then we enjoyed The Tunnel by Anthony Browne – one of Miss Oliver’s favourite books.
Today is National Read-A-Book Day and to celebrate Crew Gould and Crew Blunt read their favourite books with their classmates. Hopefully this love of books will continue!
As today is National Read A Book Day, Year 3 spent their crew sessions this morning sharing a story. Each crew had a book that they enjoyed reading together with their teachers.
That’s right. This is the title of the expedition we’re about to embark on and our children were in for an absolute treat on Monday when we went on our fieldwork to Murton Park to experience life training as a Roman Soldier. You really wouldn’t mess with this lot, would you?
This week, Year 6 have been fully immersed in all things rainforests and the amazing animals that live there! 6SO worked in teams of 4 to create these awesome pieces of art using mixed media. We think the finished pictures look extremely effective.
