Our school has recently purchased a handful of iPads for staff to use across different departments. We are very lucky to have one to use in Skills for Learning. Miss Bedwell was having a little play with it and tried out a little augmented reality – by blowing up students!

Some of the designs created by students:

For one lesson a week over the next few weeks, students in Skills for Learning are designing and making their own cross stitch designs. They firstly have to come up with their own ideas and draw them onto the grids, before colouring them in. They also have to work out how much thread they’ll need before making their designs next week. If they choose to, students can then use their finished work as a coaster by purchasing an acrylic frame made by our Design and Technology department.

Just before half term students undertook the Healthy Sandwich Challenge. This involved students working in teams of six, doing jobs including marketing, packaging and manufacturing. Some of the students have written about their challenge:

Paige O’Hare –

My group was called Healthy Heroes. We chose to make our sandwich using brown bread (cut with a smiley face), lettuce, cheese, cucumber and tomato. Ameera and Chloe A made the packaging, which was a box with a lid that flipped open. Amber and I made the sandwich, whilst Keturah and Subhaan did the advertising. We chose to advertise our sandwich by writing and performing a play and making a poster.

Adam Harris and Keeley Stephenson –

For this task our group was called Healthy Heaven. We called our sandwich ‘tomeese’ because it had tomato and cheese on it. We also added lettuce, cucumber, mayonnaise and we used white bread. Adam and Kian made the packaging, which was a box with a flip lid. Ethan and Lewis did the marketing, which were a series of posters. They also made up a play to be used as a television advert. Keeley and Callum L made the actual sandwich.

As well as the Olympics held last week, students have been working together to create a textile wall hanging to display as part of our 80th anniversary celebrations. Each student was asked to make one square for the wall hanging, which will then be stitched together by Mrs Jolly to make the whole piece. Students were asked to design their square using the themes of birthdays, Rhyddings and our local area, and were also asked to use a variety of techniques to make their square, such as applique, stitching and using fabric pastels. We have a lot of different ideas, some of which are shown below.

On Wednesday 8th May all the Year 7 students were off timetable to take part in the ‘Rhyddings Olympics’. This was to celebrate Rhyddings 80th Birthday. The students came up with activities which reflect what the first Sports Days might have been like at Rhyddings. Some of the events were: piggy back races; leap frog; egg and spoon and wheelbarrow races. The winning house was the Red team. All the students showed support for thier house with lots of cheering and encouragement. All the students behaved outstandingly and everyone involved had a great day. Well done Year 7!

Students in Skills for Learning have been working on a unit called Reading for Pleasure. We’ve talked a lot about why people read, what they read, and had a good debate about whether or not a film is better than a book! To finish off the unit, and to celebrate World Book Night, we had a pyjama party at school. We got changed into our pyjamas, moved all the desks and chairs, and lounged around reading our favourite books. We also had some visitors come in – lots of other teachers came to visit to talk with students about their favourite books. Thank you to Mrs Cunliffe, Mr Fielding, Mrs Jolly, Miss Greenhalgh, Mr Merritt, Mrs Nuttall and Miss Taylor for visiting!

Students have been investigating some of the traditions that are celebrated at Easter time. They did their own research into things like Easter eggs, the Easter bunny, and the religious celebrations.

Students were asked to write a 100 word story, complete with beginning, middle and end –  not necessarily an easy task! Here are some of them:

By Luke Hilton:

I was on the frontline that day. pachow suddenly my teamate bill got shot on the shoulder, I was scared worried I didnt know what to do. I didnt know how it could happen to me how could Bill do this to me, he couldnt leave the world now he was at the peak of his career.Suddenly I heard a faint tap on my shoulder. I truned arount it was bill then i looked at a machine in the backgroung it was respawning everyone.

By Josh Haworth:

Billy was strange… But one day Billy decided he needed to step outside the house, and into the world. However Billy knew that to do this he had to speak with the Powerful Master…

So walking down the road he could already see the Master and when he reached him, the Powerful man nodded his head like a chicken and gave young Billy permission to venture the world.

Billy jumped up and down in rejoice and there he began his epic trek across the world. We don’t know were Billy went…But some say he still walks across the Earth today…

By Theo Wood:

pew pew pew went the silenced msmc then bang!!! a frag grenade flew past exploding in mid air, thats when i knew i must get to the trenches… then just a sniper bullet to my left leg i shouted bandage and morphine quick a teammate ran over i thought come on i need get back to the battlefield.

By Wade Dobson:

One day I was playing on my X-box when suddenly a virus came up on the screen and made the X-box crash. I put down the controller and went to the window and saw an aeroplane heading right for my house! NNNNNNNOOOOOOOO! I was going to DIE! I quickly ran out of the house and left. I thought about it and just ran even more.

By Josh Slater:

I was unconscious, on the floor, struggling to breathe. I suddenly hear a big explosion like a volcano, it was the floor going under me. I stood up staggering, trying to catch my breath, i saw a figue standing infront of me. it had blue eyes like iron man, ragged clothes with grey skin. There was 5 of them standing but, sleeping?

By Paige O’Hare:

It was 9pm i was just about to go to bed,but i couldnt there was a clown teddy at the bottom of my bed,it looked like it was coming alive.It was really freaking me out! I ran down stairs,my mum and dad were sat down watching miranda i asked them if i could stay down stairs for a bit, anyway i did. However my mum and dad sent me up at 9.30 and said i needed to get some sleep,so i went up,brushed my teeth and got in bed,the clown was still staring at me!

It was coming near me!

By Chloe Wilkinson:

It was a cold night the moon was out and the owls where hooting, we drove up to my aunties house, (the problem was she was dead), she left us in her will and left us the house as a parting gift. She didn’t live in the house much because she said it was haunted, anyway, we walked in and unpacked our stuff I was in room 3 that was my aunties room (that’s where she died) all her stuff was laid out spider where all over on the bed on the walls then I heard a bang,

By Amber Houghton:

It was Christmas day Sophie and my dad opened all of our presents but Sophie’s dad said I had one more present. We had our dinner but Sophie’s dad left a plate full of food and a smaller plate of food.

It was late Sophie’s dad said her present was on its way she couldn’t wait. She was waiting till 9. Finally her door bell rang like a cows bell her dad opened the door and in stepped her mum she had Sophie’s baby brother her mum was living with Sophie now she lived happily ever after with baby Marley.

By Keturah Bradley:

Finally, it was the day of cross country, thoughts running through my mind. What if I lose, or come close to the last then I would make a fool out of myself! I’ve told everyone that I would come in the top 20 so I have to come at least 19 or else I will be humiliated.

It was time; we were in our starting positions and ready to race. I looked around to see if my dad was here but no. I ran and ran and saw my dad, yes! He came and I won the race victorious again.

By Jasmine Khan:

After boring school Milly and her mum went to a carpet shop. While they were at the carpet shop Milly went for a wander and she came across a pink, heart shaped glittery rug which she fell in love with. She had to have it like a lion looking at its prey; she decided to have a sit on it. When she did, she felt like she was in a different world. Suddenly she was flying in the air nearly touching the ceiling, she had to get back quickly so she steered it down to the ground and acted normal.

By Ameera Kerkhi:

Once again eleven year old Chloe gazed at the mysterious run down house; it always seemed to catch her eye. It was very old and it hadn’t had an owner for fifty years one of those reasons was probably because their was a rumor going around that the last owners were killing children then hiding them in the basement but one day the children’s ghosts came to haunt them and took them away, they were never seen again. Just looking at the house made you shiver; it was as black as night. Never go to the house across the street!

By Travis Gilmour:

One dark night at 7 O’clock the players were getting ready for the big match. It’s Real Madrid against Athletico Madrid the line ups are strong Real Madrid are set to win. The start of the game is near the players all ready. The referee on the pitch making sure everything is in good condition for the game. We’ve kicked off now Real Madrid allready playing ultra defensive passing the ball around midfield. Athletico have the ball now moving swiftly up the pitch now like a cheetah running for its prey. Falcao in front of goal now and he scores!!!!

By Ethan Chadwick

20 years ago a little boy called jack lived in 55 bobney st, the last house on the left. He was very energetic and enthusiastic until he tried a magic trick and killed his dog. He was very upset and he wished he didn’t do that trick. The next day he went outside and his house shock but none of the other houses did. Jack wondered what had happened. He went to the shop and thought someone was following him. He went inside and the house up to his room the door became a mouth and swallowed him whole.

By Callum Sharples

I was ready to watch the big game. It was the final of the champion league. Two of the best teams in the world it was Real Madrid against Barcelona. The game had kicked off Barcelona were already on attack with fabregas in possession. He had passed the ball to Messi but the pass got intercepted by pepe the Real Madrid defender. He passes the ball to ozil as fast as a cheetah who then passes it the Ronaldo on the wing. Ronaldo then crosses a ball in benzema and makes his team win the BBVA for the first time!!

By Georgia Holt:

Wind blasted in our face, as me and my friends hopped on to the roller coaster. My hair blew like a windmill and i was going as fast as a cheater. The wind painted a picture in my mind; it felt like I was going round the world in 100 days, well maybe a bit shorter. That excitement ended as I could hardly breathe. The pressure of the wind lifted me out of my seat with its invisible hands, until my friends shouted my name. STOP. With force the roller coaster stopped and that is when the excitement definitely stopped!

By Jodie Bradshaw:

When I was little I went on holiday to Skegness it was fun, we had to drive there. When I got there I unpacked my stuff and went into the park it was warm outside. The next day we went exploring around the area and got lost, however we found are way back. We went to a water park the next day it was EPIC. On the last day we went to the beach it was as warm as the sun!! On the way home we found out that Skegness’ biggest beach ever had flooded and hundreds of people died.

By Ella Davey:

I was walking down my long dark street when I saw a shooting star flying through the beautiful night sky. Straight away I knew I should make a wish, it was a wish that no other child could ever think of.  That night when I went to sleep I had a strange feeling in my belly, the sound of the rain took my thought away whilst singing me a lullaby to sleep. That morning when I woke up was just the weirdest ever, when I walked down the creaky stairs there it was sat on my door step my wish.

 

Because it was Australia Day on Saturday, students in Skills for Learning are celebrating with a special Curriculum Olympics. They are working in teams all week on a range of Australia-themed topics, including English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Design and Technology and PE.

Click Here to follow our live blog of the Curriculum Olympics!