The Courier

After all the preparations, the plans, the discussions, the designs and the build it was finally time to plug in the compressed air canisters and get down to some serious racing at this year’s Jaguar Primary School Challenge Regional Final.  Team ‘Crescent Cobras’, comprising Class V’s Harry Barnwell, Ariana Gray, Milly Knott, Sienna Moran and Joseph Yates, had been fiendishly busy working hard to prepare for the big day.  The challenge requires teams to research, design, manufacture, test, promote and race the fastest car possible using standard chassis and engine housing nets with a car body made only from card. It is a technical brief but one that has proven to really engage potential future engineers.

As soon as they parked up at Princethorpe College, the team leapt into action setting up their pit display. Crescent’s team boards and table displays looked smart and professional. Bright colours and eye-catching graphics told the visual story of their journey so far.

After a welcome from Mr Scopes, Head of Design Technology at Princethorpe College, they were on to their first assessment, the Portfolio and Pit Stop Display, the team took time to carefully explain their displays to the judges.  Then it was on to the Engineering judging where the team were examined on their car design and manufacturing process before the all-important Verbal presentation where the judges were looking at technique, composition and knowledge of subject matter.

During the day, the team also had to complete an Additional Challenge, a Design Technology Challenge to manufacture a carry case for their racing car.  The focus of the exercise was once again to test the team’s ability to work together, delegate, design and manufacture. 

Then finally, it was time to get down to the serious business of racing. This was, after all, what the whole challenge has been about. Team Crescent Cobras carefully set up their car for a head-to-head down the racetrack and prepared themselves quietly and calmly for the competition. The cardboard Formula One cars flew down the track recording lightning-quick times. In a matter of seconds, it was all over.

Standards had been incredibly high and after a day’s worth of demonstration, presentations and racing the judges got down to their deliberations and analysing the scores.  When the results were announced, Crescent were delighted to find out that they had won the award for ‘Best Verbal Presentation’.

Mrs Byrne who helped guide the team was jubilant, “What an amazing day. Our pupils have worked so hard. This is the first time we have entered this competition and the children have dealt with the pressure of competition brilliantly.  I am very proud of them all.”

Huge thanks to everyone involved in supporting Crescent’s entry, we could not have done it without you.

In Assembly this morning the following children were awarded their badges in recognition of being made Sports captains this term:

• Mehul - Cricket Captain
• Olivia - Rounders Captain

Congratulations!

I was very proud to be able to attend the JLR primary schools design competition at Princethorpe on Thursday 2 May 2019. As well as all of the excellent activities which the children were involved in, they held a teachers race. This was very skilfully won by our very own Mrs Byrne, seeing her crowned as ‘fastest teacher!’

Next Tuesday is our Open Evening where we will welcome prospective families to come and look at our school, many of the children in Years 4, 5 and 6 are involved.

Please check your Evolve message for details on what time your child should be arriving and being collected and also on what they should be wearing (Year 4 to wear summer uniform and blazers, many of the Year 5 and 6 are in sports kit and blazers).

Any children that were signed up for staying in school will be looked after by staff and taken to their first activity.

All children are to be dropped off and collected by the pupil door or on the sports field.

Thank you for your help and support with this.

Dear Year 5 Parents

As from Tuesday 7 May,you will be able to register online for your child to sit the 11+ exam for the local authority selective grammar schools. The deadline for these applications is 4pm on 28 June 2019 so you have plenty of time, although the best advice is always to get it done as soon as you are sure that you will be applying. You can find full details on the link below, where you will need to set up a user account in order to apply to sit the test:

https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/admissions

Please also note that the next significant date in the school calendar regarding this process are Monday 17 June for the transition meetings for Class VF and Tuesday 18 June for Class VY. This will be meeting with Ms Forth, Mrs Yates and Ms Lowe, where they will discuss with you the different options for secondary transfer and which schools would be a good match for your son or daughter. The appointment booking system for these meetings will be opened in due course.

Hopefully, as the weather brightens and warms your children will be outdoors in upcoming weeks rather than thinking of screen time.  However, we'll continue with our series of advice on safe online family use - this week we are looking at APPS.

https://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers/hot-topics/apps