b"The NewsJunior School Issue 18 The British School of AmsterdamYear 4 Year 6Spring Term proved to be yetYear 6 started this termSchool another bustling period for Year 4.studying the Ancient Greeks.All pupils deserve commendation forIn English they looked in detail at the myth ofCounciltheir dedication and positive outlook. Theseus and the Minotaur focusing on how to create suspense and excitement in their own Book Week emerged as a resounding triumph,writing. This was followed by a look at Ancient with pupils adorning themselves as belovedGreek life through the lens of William Shakespeare book characters, engaging in spirited housein his play, A Midsummer Night's Dream.team competitions for the Book Week quiz,In their topic work they designed and createdYear 2 and 3and participating in the book swap, exchanging their cherished reads for new adventures. their own masksthe finished products wereWow, what a flying start we have However, amidst the excitement, peculiar incidentsvery impressive and have transformed the Yearhad. The Year 2/3 School Council 6 corridor. In Art, they painted Greek Gods and unfolded in Year 4. Lily pads inexplicably appearedGoddesses and learnt a variety of techniqueshave been busy establishing scattered across the corridors, despite the absenceusing different brushes as well as several typesa system to help our Roof of any water nearby! Thankfully, a detective andof paint to make their paintings come to life. a policewoman swiftly initiated an investigation,History lessons involved looking at what life wasGarden be used effectively.attracting attention from the local press. Expertlike for children during this period in history. The children are becoming experts at sharing ideas witnesses, including a sleepy breakfast-eater andand feedback within their classes, representing a remarkably skilled sniffer dog, were called uponOur second topic of the term was Adaptationthe pupil voice groups strongly. In Autumn term to shed light on the mystery. The pupils eagerlyand Evolution. Children first developed theirwe raised money for Children in Need, sold contributed various theories to untangle theclassification skills and learned about famouspoppies for Remembrance and fundraised at enigmatic threads of this peculiar occurrence. scientists in this field such as Carl Linnaeus.the BSA Winter Treat. Were looking forward What followed was a deep dive into the theory to some event planning with the Senior School Our Passport to Europe topic sparked excitementYear 5 of evolution and natural selection with plenty ofCouncil and our upcoming plans include a as a dynamic Geography topic. During this unit,opportunities to represent their understanding in pupils located countries and capitals across Europeschool disco, a sponsored read and a fundraising Scheherazade was a fantastic show,creative ways. They were also able to put someactivity for KIKA. Were very proud of the using maps, identified physical and human featuresof these theories to the test with experiments to of chosen European countries and each pupilwhere the children showcased theirexplore how certain adaptations can give animalsyoungest children in our school representing created a quiz about a country of their choice. fabulous acting and singing skills. the edge in their respective environments. their peers and supporting positive change.Year 5 worked hard to learn all their lines andWe also had one eye on Secondary School the songs to produce an amazing experience,Transition and enjoyed senior language taster which transported the audience to a farawaysessions and informative weekly class visitsYear 4Year 6land. There were tears and laughter, withfrom some of the school's Year 7 pupils.a little magic thrown in by our genies. The Year 4/5/6 School Council In February, swimming lessons ended for Year 6, In Science, the children explored the lifecycles ofand the teachers were proud of all the children'shave had a great start to the year flowering plants and different animals includingefforts. Many of the children received diplomasand have been working hard to mammals, birds, insects and amphibians. Theyover the course of the lessons and everyone wasestablish effective ways of using investigated different conditions needed tokeen to improve their swimming technique as well germinate a seed and the children were surprisedas develop and practice their life-saving skills. the playground equipment.when it was proved that a seed does not needWe are currently looking into the playtime rota, as light or soil to germinate. In topic, they researchedwell as sharing our top tips on playtime etiquette. modern China and contrasted this with ancientWe thoroughly enjoyed meeting with the Senior China and learning about the Shang Dynasty.School Council, and are excited to be collaborating Their English writing reflected this topic learningand creating more events across the Junior and with the children producing informative non- Senior Schools. As we look forward, we will chronological reports about modern China andbe thinking about raising money for our chosen descriptive writing related to mythical creatures.charity, KIKA, as well as holding a school disco.What a very busy and productive term!10 11"