9th February 2006

• Science Week at St Peter’s School has certainly been filled with facts AND fun!  On Tuesday pupils were seriously engaged in designing and constructing ‘the tallest tower,’ using only uncooked spaghetti, marshmallows and their knowledge of forces and gravity.  Meanwhile, homework time that evening was no doubt spent by children in Year One and Two in putting the finishing touches to their challenge of designing and making a wind machine.  After a show and tell session where each pupil explained their machine’s design and construction, the exciting task of testing their creations took place, with the outside elements kindly providing the necessary conditions to make the trials easy to observe and measure.
   
• Yesterday afternoon brought with it the chance for pupils in Years Three to Six to take part in a variety of experiments. Water was bent using static electricity, electric currents were generated and the density of liquids was investigated.  An experiment to demonstrate cohesion in colloids was set up and oil content in citrus fruit peel was measured.  The experiment to get a boiled egg into a glass container through a very small opening by applying principals of air pressure proved to be the most popular. 
   
• This morning parents of pupils in 4LD attended the class’s assembly, on the topic of the human skeleton.  The children gave us many interesting facts, and even managed to weave in the importance of structure in sentence writing too. 
   
• Tomorrow’s final activity for this year’s Science Week is eagerly awaited by pupils in Reception through to Year Six.  I can now reveal that the big surprise is the ‘Light and Sound Science Show’ which will be presented in the afternoon by the cast of Quantum Theatre of Science, who travel up from London to perform this Science based educational musical.
   
• Kettering Eisteddfod is only four weeks away.  We are now entering the period where lunchtime school rehearsals and dedicated practice at home is essential if competitors are to reach the high standards expected by the Eisteddfod adjudicators.  Mrs Cumming particularly asks that all children entered in the recorder, ocarina and singing competitions work hard at home, encouraged by parents to do so.  It is not possible to simply rely upon School time for practice, because lessons need to continue as normal.
   
• Please note that there is Eisteddfod Choir practice after School on Monday 20th February, Monday 27th February and Monday 6th March.  The Eisteddfod Committee have confirmed that our choir will open the Winners Night event on Saturday 18th March. I would like to thank parents in advance for committing themselves earlier this term to getting members of the choir to this event.  It is a matter of pride that our Eisteddfod Choir has been asked to sing.
   
• Information relating to the date and venue of Eisteddfod competitions in which children have been entered will be sent out by Mrs Payne after half term.
   
• A letter was distributed yesterday regarding ordering of Summer Uniform.  Please endeavour to send in your reply slip by tomorrow should you require items to be ordered from our supplier, as there is a six week wait on delivery from them.
   
• Our first week after half term will end with a PTAFA Cake Stall and Used Book Stall on Friday 24th February.    A poster giving details was circulated earlier this week.  You can support this in many ways: by providing cakes or used books, and by coming to Sunnylands Hall after School that day to make a purchase.
   
• There has been the seasonal blight of coughs and colds for pupils to contend with, in between working hard to meet targets set by their class teachers in lessons.  I hope that the boys and girls will benefit from a good rest over half term.