Lionel Primary School
Working together to provide an educational environment that inspires, challenges and nurtures each child.
Congratulations to all the children who are busy reading for the Lionel Library Reading Challenge. This week, we have delivered Bronze certificates (10 books read) and Silver certificates and bookmarks (25 books read) to lots of children! Well done to the following children for receiving their Bronze certificates: Emily (Apple), Ryan (Plum), Mohamad (Pear), Selena (Fir), Zayan (Spruce), Ayla (Poplar), Ansh (Ash) and Nia (Maple). And to these children for their Silver certificates: Ernest (Apple), Hasan (Plum), Samarth (Pineapple), Sebastian (Chestnut), Jasmine (Fir) and Rawan (Spruce). Keep reading everyone.
We have already announced our House Captains but this week I was very happy to present them with their badges of office. Congratulations everyone!
Year 3 really enjoyed their visits to Gunnersbury museum this week to take part in a workshop about the Stone Age. Samirajulia said, "I liked when we were throwing the spear to hit the boar, just like the Stone Age people." Zaid said, "My favourite part was looking at all the Stone Age artefacts"
This week Year 6 celebrated finishing our SATs tests in style! Oak, Sycamore and Maple went to Chessington World of Adventures and we had the time of our lives. As the park wasn’t too busy, we were able to go on all the rides that we wanted (sometimes twice or three times!) and didn’t have to queue for too long. We were very fortunate to go on the brand-new ride – Jumanji – that opened on Monday. It was so awesome and went really fast. The day was one that we won’t forget as we were able to chill out with our friends all day and have a laugh. Year 6 Pupils and Staff
On Wednesday, 3rd May, as part of their learning about growing and minibeasts, Reception children went on their first trip this year to Gunnersbury Park. They took part in a ‘Story Telling and Science’ interactive workshop to discover the natural world and local heritage. The workshop was​ called “Flora and Pip’s Big Adventure” and was about two children called Flora and Pip who were lost in Gunnersbury Park. They needed to enlist the help of some very special creatures to help them find their way home. The children got to explore the magical micro world of mini-beasts and their habitats through pond dipping and minibeast hunts, they went on a guided walk of the park searching for different plants and trees and then they had a picnic in the sun and played some fun games. The children all had a fabulous day and haven't stopped talking about it since.
Today we have had a special visit from Constable Aubeelack and Constable Taylor, who have delivered an Online Safety workshop for Lionel parents. The workshop was organised to help parents and carers understand why young people go online and give them resources to help keep children safe. Thank you to those of you who attended. The resources from the workshop will be available on our school website next week.
Last Thursday, Year 5 had the fantastic opportunity to participate in a gripping story telling workshop by West London University. Top story teller, Jordan, told a traditional Grimm Brothers tale called 'Godfather death'. The story begins when a poor man looks for a godfather to take care of his thirteenth child. Death agrees to look after the boy and promises to make him rich. When the boy grows up, Death reveals to him how he can become the greatest doctor in the world, however, Death warns the young man never to save the life of anyone that he has chosen to take. He is warned that the consequences will be dire if he does. Year 5, students and teachers included, were completely captivated by this extraordinary tale. After Jordan finished, the children were tasked to write the 7 most important parts of the story, that are essential in order to pass the story along. From here, everyone (including teachers) had to retell there favourite part, adding in any detail for our own version but not straying from the core event. We added actions, different characterisations and detail before performing to our peers.
We learnt that historically, story telling is an oral tradition, in which stories were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth. There was then a shift in words or details, that would slightly change the original story.
The children had so much fun and we continued the day with the children sharing their own stories with an added twist.
Year 2
Victorian Day
Thursday 23rd March
In Year 2 this week we held a Victorian Day to provide the children with a taste of what it was like to be a child in the 19th century. During the day we discussed the differences and similarities between life during the Victorian era and modern day life The children went to lots of effort to dress as Victorians and enjoyed experiencing Victorian school life as well as making Victorian toys. It was a very memorable day for all!
Tuesday 21st March Year 3 trip to the London Synagogue
This week, year 3 visited Ealing Synagogue to enhance our understanding of Judaism, the synagogue and Jewish celebrations. We learned about Passover, Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah. We looked at the different parts of the synagogue such as the Ark, the eternal light and the bimah. We asked Rabbi Yogel lots of probing questions e.g. why do men and women sit separately and learnt lots!
India Day
Monday 20th March
On Monday, Year 5 enriched their Geography topic with a cultural celebration day. Our focus this term has been on the Commonwealth, with a country focus on India. We have been learning about the river systems, mountain ranges, climate zones and physical and human features of this incredible country.
We began the day with a student lead enquiry. Children were given the choice from several topics (The arts, Religion and Religious Festivals and Traditional Indian Clothing) where they could explore and research different key questions. Following this, each class participated in a Bollywood Dance workshop! The workshop was fast paced, exciting and full of intricate dance moves. We learnt five basic hand movements: the lotus, together fingers, peacock, head in the house and picking the fruit. Any year 5 pupil would be happy to demonstrate the movements or even perform the dance!
Throughout the day, we listened to a traditional Indian Stories and watched part of a Bollywood film. Later in the day, we dined and tried many Indian delicacies including biryani, chapati’s, curry, sweets, rice, pakora’s and onion bhaji. Finally, we finished the day by having the amazing opportunity to listen to stories and facts about India from several of our lovely parent helpers. We even got to look at a spice tray that is in every Indian household to help make the delicious curries - They smelt amazing! Thank you to all our helpers that donated food, traditional dress, artefacts and told stories. We couldn't have done it without the support from our lovely Lionel Community.
Today, all the Year 3 classes and Hawthorn class journeyed back to the time of the Ancient Romans. Our workshop was led by a Roman soldier named Sergio who was initially very impressed about all the interesting facts the children shared.
Sergio then spoke to us about a wide range of topic: the different place names (Britannia, Caledonia, Gaul); the Battle of Cannae; key Roman emperors, like Augustus, Hadrian (who built the famous 73-mile wall built to guard the wild north-west frontier of the Roman Empire) Marcus Aurelius; the Roman myth – Romulus and Remus.
Between break and lunch, the children split into three class groups. Sergio led an artefact handling session where he showed and demonstrated various items, like: a large hooded-cloak, metal water bottle, body scraper, scroll, iron chains, ear and nail picker and coins. Another session saw the children locating the answers to a Roman quiz by searching the information on eight wooden boards that were positioned round the classroom. The children really enjoyed playing a Roman game called ‘Delta’, either with a partner or small group. They had to flick a ‘jewel’ into a sectioned triangle and then record their scores, deciphering the correct number as the amounts were recorded in Roman numeral.
All the children are excited to find out what the afternoon has in store: weapons of the Roman Legionary soldier; Boudicca’s revolt and gladiator fighting; and finally a Roman battle drill.
On Tuesday 6th December, Year 5 had a special visit from Constable Aubeelack to talk about been safe outside school and raising awareness about crime and violence. He spoke to us about street crime including gangs, offensive weapons and drugs. We learnt about how to not get involved in these street crimes and if somebody gets involved or helps somebody commit a crime, they can be convicted as well. People can be affected by these crimes, even children. The Constable told us that if we were ever in an unsafe environment, we should leave immediately, get to somewhere safe and inform an adult. The age of criminal responsibility in England is 10 years old so it is important to know the laws and do the right thing!
Year 5 children enjoyed the opportunity to ask the Constable questions. Here are some of our children’s comments:
If somebody gives you an open packet of sweets, never take it! Some drugs look like sweets and you can never know so it’s best to be safe.
Nia (Elm)
The most surprising thing I learnt was that medicines are drugs and unless prescribed by a doctor, they can be harmful.
Hugo (Ash)
Be careful about taking money from strangers even kids because they may ask for an illegal favour back.
Walid (Elm)
If you’re ever in a danger or witness a street crime, call the police!
Emily (Beech)
You shouldn’t take candies or sweets without labels, even at Halloween!
Maya (Elm)
In Year 2 we had a visit from one of our parents to talk to the children about The Rama and Sita story and how Diwali is celebrated in Hindu and Sikh communities.
Victorian Day at Lionel Primary
This week Year 2 went back in time for a Victorian day. Despite all the new rules they had to get used to, they had a great day!!
''Yesterday at school we had Victorian Day, in the morning we would get caned if we were late. Then we started doing exercise because Victorians always started their day with doing exercise. Next, it was reading time so everyone was reading a book aloud and Miss Wilson said the girls were better at reading. After that, boys went out to do some drill and the girls were doing paper weaving and then we did arithmetic. Then we ate disgusting slimy, horrible gruel and it was the best day of my life''
By Alisha
''On Victorian Day, we went to a Victorian school. First, I came through the door and it was like a time warp! Then we sat on a girl's side and a boy's side and two children got caned because they were late. We also sang Oranges and Lemons, did the three R's (reading, writing and arithmetic) and assembly too. The girls did paper weaving and boys did drill. We ate horrible gruel, did copperplate handwriting in copybooks and did a portrait of Queen Victoria. It was a very fun day!''
By Elin
This week, Year 3 have started their Rivers topic in Geography. To launch the topic we had an exciting visit from The Thames Explorer Trust who work to improve, protect and promote the River Thames for both people and wildlife.
The children took part in different activities, learning about the different key features of a river and how to protect them. We also looked at transportation and how the river has changed over time. ​ All of the children have thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and learned lots of interesting information!
On Thursday 21st April, the juniors all came together in the Hall and online to watch the Finals of the Junior Spelling Bee. Sixteen children, from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, representing the four Houses, had fought through two demanding rounds to compete against each other in the Finals to find the Spelling Bee Champion of 2022. The atmosphere in the Hall was tense as the competitors sweated over their first 10 words.
While these were being marked, the rest of the Juniors took part in the Roald Dahl Super Spell-off, in which they had to spell words taken from the Roald Dahl Dictionary. This competition within a competition was to find the House with the highest number of Super Spellers! After marking all the spelling lists, Red Leopards were declared the winners of this part of the competition.
Now we were ready for the ‘Sudden Death’ round of the Spelling Bee to find the best speller. Children were given a Year-group appropriate word to spell; if they spelled it correctly, they remained in the competition, but if they made a mistake, they were out! It was a gruelling test of their spelling skills, but in the end Lucas from Blue Lions was declared the winner.
Well done to all the contestants – you should all be very proud of yourselves –and huge congratulations to Lucas, our Spelling Bee Champion of 2022!
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In Year 3 we have been studying the Roman Empire for our History. Today, we held a special event where we explored the theme "What did the Romans do for us?" All of the children looked fantastic in their costumes. We held an assembly, took part in a quiz and made posters and a Roman Shield. What an amazing day!
This year, British Science Week was celebrated across the UK from 11th - 20th March. The theme was Growth. At Lionel, children took part in lots of different and exciting Science investigations in school, beginning with every child planting a sunflower seed to see who can grow the tallest (this is an on-going competition as the sunflowers are still a couple of months off from being fully grown!).
Children were also invited to enter a poster competition to design a poster on the topic of growth. Lots of children from across the school sent in some really fantastic entries and it was difficult for the judges to choose a winner! In the end, three winners were chosen, one from Key Stage 1, one from Lower Key Stage 2 and one from Upper Key Stage 2. The three winners were each awarded a beautiful book on a science topic. Below are the three winning entries. Aren't they brilliant?
On Tuesday 8th March, Hounslow Council was invited to our school to facilitate our second environmental workshop for the year. Children from years 4, 5 and 6 participated and learnt about the harmful affects pollution and idling have on our atmosphere, environment and, more importantly, our health. Living in a densely populated area, it is important that we are turning off our cars when stationary to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals released into the atmosphere. Did you know…. An idling car can fill up to 150 balloons with harmful emissions every minute. Switching off your engine can go a long way to improving air quality. After we participated in the workshops, the Eco Council walked up and down Lionel Road speaking to parents and vehicle drivers about the importance of turning off their cars to ensure they are not idling. The Eco Council spoke very well and had over 15 pledges from our local community to switch off their cars when stationary. Well done Lionel Primary. Will you pledge to turn off your car when stationary to reduce the pollution in the atmosphere? Keep an eye out for upcoming environmental events at Lionel Primary School. Stay Green Lionel!
Please see the write up in Hounslow Travel Active
https://www.hounslowtravelactive.co.uk/air-quality/search/
In February, children from Years 4-6 were invited to enter a national poetry writing competition run by Young Writers. The title of the competition was This Is Me and children were invited to write a poem on this theme. We were absolutely delighted with the number of children who entered the competition and in the quality of the poetry writing. All entries were deemed so good by the judges that they will be published in a collection of poems written by children from all over the country! We're looking forward to receiving a copy for the school in due course.
Below are a selection of the entries for you to enjoy. Happy poetry reading!
Our World
I wish I was a cheetah, running through the land,
Doing what I want, cause I’m in command,
I wish I was a cat, laying at home,
Or chilling on a beach, in the centre of Rome,
I wish I could fly, all the way to Japan,
Eat lots of sushi and join their clan,
I wish I was a tree, swishing in the breeze,
So, I wouldn’t have to eat, lots of carrots and peas,
I wish I was chocolate; sweet and yummy,
Bad for my teeth, but good for my tummy,
However,
My world, is not like that,
Trees don’t go swish,
They die like fish,
Cheetahs don’t run,
They get hunted for fun,
People don’t fly,
Instead, they die,
Don’t destroy our world creation,
Instead, help our future generation!
By Anna Mrsi
I'm not entering the competition.
I'm not entering the competition,
I'm just not in to it.
It's not my thing.
I'm more of a reciter, less of a writer.
I like to run around kicking footballs, not so much writing on paper.
To speak myself, not let the pen talk to the paper.
I prefer to draw and colour not labelling and writing on whiteboards.
I'm not entering the competition
By Harry
My Dream
My dream is like any other dream,
I dream of it one day coming true.
I dream of exploring far and away,
I dream of making history.
I dream of being inside a spacecraft
wearing an astronaut suit and helmet,
I dream of taking off someplace,
and zooming off into outer space.
I don't just dream of making it to space,
I dream of landing on the moon.
Not one female has ever done that,
So I dream of being the first British female to land on the moon.
I have a dream just like everyone else,
which I hope one day I will complete.
I hope you keep on chasing your dreams,
and hopefully one day you will complete your dreams. By Nusaiba
Always with You
Kind and nice,
chubby and cute,
wherever you are
I'm there too.
On a plane,
in a helicopter,
on a bus
in the rain.
I'm a part of you
in the head, arms,
legs and heart;
I will never leave you.
By Sienna Louw
The Future is in Our Hands
Our climate is changing, we all know that
The earth is getting hotter, and that is a fact
The poles are melting,raising the sea levels
Our planet is heating, endangering the animals
Fires in Australia, hurricanes in New York
As weather becomes extreme,many lives are lost
It's time for change, stop burning fossil fuels
Our earth is all we have, we need to change the rules
By Shaurya Sethi
This is me!
Humorous
Astonishing
Noble
Ingenious
Swift
Heroic
Arty
This is me!
By Hanisha Chalana
SMYAN MEHTA
Sporty enough to get through the test,
Makes an effort to do his best.
You and me can make a good team,
Always happy to help with gleam.
Never gives up.
Makes his friends cheer up,
Easy to be friends with,
Has fun every day.
Tries his best and offers help,
And at all times, trying to be myself!
By Smyan Metha
This is me!
To start with, do you know me?
How I am truly talented in the Spelling Bee,
I always seek for something difficult and challenging,
See, I am kind and knowledgeable: that's never changing!
I try new things but sometimes I fail,
So I try again and blow failure away in a gale!
Many people think I have a limit to be me,
Er! Er! They're wrong and that's why this is me!
By Kareena Nagpure
SISI
Sisi
Is
Super
Intelligent
By Sienna Louw
Gunnersbury Park Museum
Year 1 History Topic
Yesterday the Year 1 children walked through Gunnersbury Park to the Museum for a Victorian Toys and Games workshop! On the way they looked for signs of Autumn and saw lots of crunchy leaves, conkers, squirrels looking for food to store, and empty tree branches. When we arrived at the museum, the children experienced Victorian Parlour games including "pass the slipper" and "Keeper of the Keys". They learned that Victorian Toys were made from materials that are very different than modern toys including: wooden pegs, wax, fabric, and lead! The children all had a fantastic day playing with cup and balls, flipbooks, kaleidoscopes, wooden acrobat toys, and seeing a zoetrope which was the first type of moving picture before movies and television.
Anti-Bullying Week
"In a world that can sometimes feel like it’s filled with negativity, one kind word can provide a moment of hope. It can be a turning point. It can change someone’s perspective. It can change their day. It can change the course of a conversation and break the cycle of bullying. Best of all, one kind word leads to another. Kindness fuels kindness. So, from the playground to Parliament, and from our phones to our homes, together, our actions can fire a chain reaction that powers positivity. It starts with one kind word. It starts today."
At Lionel, Anti-bullying week has been celebrated throughout the week and had the theme ‘One Kind Word.’ In celebration of this special time we have been spreading KINDNESS across our school.
Throughout the week we have been using a ‘7 Days of Kindness’ calendar which encouraged two acts of kindness each day – one for someone else and one for ourselves. Children across the school have learnt about what it means to be a bully, what to do if you are bullied. We believe that bullying of any kind is totally unacceptable and it will not be tolerated in our school. At Lionel, we take all incidents of bullying seriously.
We have dedicated Friday afternoon to a range of exciting anti-bullying activities. Please look at our amazing photos.
In English Year 1 have been learning about fire safety and writing poems about fire. To help them explore their sensory skills of listening, seeing and smelling they had the opportunity to watch a real fire being built and then set alight. They children loved taking part and had some wonderful ideas for their poems.
On Thursday 4th November we celebrated Diwali as a school. We took part in All About Diwali with Swapna Haddow. During this we learnt about the story of Rama and Sita and how to make paper diyas. It was wonderful to see all of the fantastic different diyas made throughout the school and to learn all about the festival of Diwali
At Lionel Primary School, we celebrate that we are from a range of backgrounds, with different beliefs, ideas and skills. This year, the focus for Black History Month was “Proud to Be” and we thought about all of the things that make us special.
Every year group also chose a different theme to learn about, from Stories, Explorers,
Sporting Legends, Artists and Musicians, Scientists and Inventors and the Windrush
Generation. Each class did a project on one significant black historical figure and presented their research, writing and artwork in special assemblies.