The Bowhill Bugle

Ovens and Dragons; A Day of Constuction

2011-06-17T02:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a DT extravaganza. Bowhill Primary School launched the inaugural design technology activity day 2011. Everybody changed the curriculum from the normal run-of-the-mill literacy and numeracy, to a whole day of designing, making, adapting and recreating. From reception upwards children and adults (including teachers, parents, grandparents and ambassadors from local industry) had fun learning through practical work.

Children worked cooperatively, motivated by the tasks and challenges. The activities ranged from puppet making and shelter construction, to building a 2 metre lighthouse in Year 1. Musical instruments were modelled, and Year 6 took this opportunity to work on building the many props required for their end-of-year production.

It was a tiring but extremely rewarding day and we are all looking forward to the next Design Technology Day when the skills of pupils and helpers can be put to the test once again.

The Return of the Bowhill Blogger

2010-12-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

A year has passed and activity from the Bowhill Bugle has been minimal to say the least! But we are back and our wish is once again to document the day to day goings on in our Exeter primary school.

The autumn term has left us with a rich legacy of students' work to draw on and the school's Christingle celebrations are in full rehearsal, ready for the final push in these last weeks.

As the country freezes, yet the snow continues to avoid our small city, we see over the horizon the end of term, and with much yet to be accomplished and work to be completed, children and staff are working hard to fulfil their full potential.

I hope to bring you a clip of the Christingle celebrations and many more items of interest over the next three weeks. Stay posted for our future blogs as the year draws to a close.

Class 3/1 create The Viking Ship

2009-12-15T08:09:00.000-08:00

Year Three have been looking at invaders and settlers in their history work.

The vikings invaded Britain around 700 AD. They travelled in long boats from Scandinavia and were ferocious fighters, who took what they wanted and killed anyone who tried to stop them.

Class 3/1 made a long boat collage as a whole class project, and the smaller boats were made by individual children. The raven flags were made with the help of class 6/2 and Mr Mawdesley.

Andy Warhol's Cats by Year 2

2009-12-08T03:27:00.000-08:00

Throughout Andy Warhol's life he owned and loved cats. In 1954 he published a book entitled 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy, consisting of a series of cat portraits done with his blotted ink line techniques. Year 2 have done their own cat portraits in the style of Andy Warhol's cats.

Season of the Witch, Lion and Wardrobe

2009-07-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

With the end of SATs Year 6 embarked upon a grand project; an abridged version of the children's classic - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. With less than six weeks to pull the production together Year 6 teachers Mr Mawdsley and Mrs Trevor worked tirelessly to create a performance worthy of the West End. Along with musical director Mrs Mackie the team molded the entire Year Six into a trail blazing theatre troop and musical chorus. The results were absolutely outstanding.

Breaking the story down to its bare bones this piece of musical theatre took us from war-torn London to the childrens' relocation in the country, through the wardrobe to Narnia, their meetings with the faun Mr Tumnus, the Beavers, the White Witch and Aslan, engaging in the battle between Good and Evil and their return to the house of Profesor Kirke and Mrs Macready. A real whistlestop tour through C.S Lewis's allegorical tale.

And quite brilliant it was too. The music, acting, singing, props and scenery cannot be praised enough, and we hope the team will bring us something equally impressive next year. Bedknob and Broomsticks? Winnie the Pooh? Maybe even Phillip Pullman's Northern Lights? Who knows, but whatever it might be we know that if it is even half as good as this years effort it will be well worth the wait.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf Now?

2009-07-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

The final weeks of the summer term for Year 3 have been hectic yet fun, and in science they have been exploring Light and Shadows through the medium of shadow puppetry.

Using their knowledge and understanding of the material properties of opacity (something difficult to see through), transparency (allows light to pass through it), and translucency (allows light to pass through it only diffusely) they created masterpieces of dramatic theatre using a light source, cardboard, lollipop sticks and other pieces of flotsam and jetsam found at the back of the art cupboard.

Using traditional tales the children created narratives to which they choreographed their characters behind the silver screen. Collaborating for the first time on such a grand project, Chy Prout-Poll and Kai Parmeter pulled out all their creative stops to entertain us all with a masterful rendition of Little Red Riding Hood.

The puppetry, voice overs and general production values were worthy of an Oscar. Oh, and a big thank-you to Mr Webber for his cameo as the woodcutter.

Here's a screenshot of the performance below, but the entire thing can be seen on the school website.

You Are Awful, But We Like You!

2009-06-19T02:50:00.000-07:00

As we stride enthusiastically toward the end of term, we all look to ideas that will reinforce the positive attitude our children have shown all year; and so Year Three have found in the Horrid Henry series of books a character of such outstanding awfulness that they cannot fail to realise what wonderful, creative and hard working children we have in our school.

The Horrid Henry books are written by Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross. To find out more about him visit his website at
http://www.horridhenry.co.uk/

Year Three absolutely love him; his naughty antics and eye for the wickedly funny are seriously entertaining.

So, it was much to everyone’s surprise when Horrid Henry visited Three One, and my word was he awful! He picked his nose, ate his own ear wax, burped very loudly, made faces at Mrs Price, sat on a whoopee cushion, he even let off a rather smelly stink bomb; yes, he was so exceptionally horrid he had to be escorted off the school grounds much to the relief of Mrs Price.

However as he left with his tail between his legs, the class did wonder whether there was a slight resemblance to Mr Webber!

“Surely not!” I hear you say. But check out the photo and see what you think.

We're All Going On A Roman Holiday!

2008-12-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few weeks at the school since my last blog, what with Christmas stalking us as a lion might stalk a wounded buffalo. And this week, as exhaustion finally sets in, the lion of Christmas has decided to pounce. As we enter the final week of term, I have been reminded that Year 3 await my reflections on their brief November sojourn around the historic Roman wall of Exeter.

The story retold to me by the great and glorious leader, Caesar Lenius Pricius began on a cold, damp November morning, when, under the leadership of the two generals, Stepanius Webberus and Paulius Draperus, the 3rd Legion of the Bowhill Roman Army attempted to take back the walls of the old Roman city of Isca Dumnoniorum.

For a swift history of Roman Exeter follow this link to the City Council Website http://www.exeter.gov.uk/timetrail/02_romanfortress/growth.asp

Over a number of hours the legion of hardy foot soldiers investigated the many aspects of what is left of the Roman wall, entertained throughout by the witty anecdotes of their generals, rendered entirely in latin. Oh how we larfed!

Rations were duly eaten, (if any were left after many soldiers were found to have indulged themselves on the march uptown!) and artistic duties were divided between all soldiers with drawing implements to hand. Er, that's everyone then?

On their return Caesar inspired her generals and the 3rd Legion to use the intelligence gathered to create a replica Roman wall (not to scale of course), and reflections of the day's sortie were posted for the rest of the Bowhill army to see.

The 3rd Legion of the Bowhill Army can be proud of the work they have achieved and their knowledge and understanding of Ancient Rome has been greatly enhanced through the teaching and support of their Ceaser and her trusty generals.

Rock 'n' Roll High School

2008-10-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

At 9.30 on a cold, bright autumn morning, Year 6 meandered purposefully down Cowick Street and up into town. Taking a left into Queens Street the rabble poured themselves into Rougement Gardens to spend some time sketching the war memorial as part of their studies of World War 2. Then having sketched, snacked and readied themselves for the prospect of a morning of musical mayhem, they finally arrived at their destination - the modernist facade that is Exeter College's Department for the Creative Industries. Year 6, accompanied by a bevy of teachers and their assistants, had a date with the cream of the college's national diploma students who were ready to share their musical talents with this eager crowd.

After his initial hesitance ("it wasn't like this in my day" he growled, as keen students laughed and jostled in the atrium of the building ) Mr Mawdsley settled down for a morning of hardcore rock 'n' roll and he wasn't to be disappointed. After a complex classical introduction delivered on the piano, another young man provided the children with a bit of light entertainment, a "cheesy" rendition of a little known tune masterfully played on the trombone; the kids loved it, mainly for its comic turn. This was followed by some serious metal guitar, taking the atmosphere to another sonic level. As fingers burned up the fretboard, the audience could hardly contain their enthusiasm for this glowering hormonal teenager "my name's Ed, and I'm gonna play ya somefin called..." He mumbled unintelligibly before launching into everybody's idea of a great Guns & Roses style guitar solo! Then followed more metal style guitar (accompanied by regulation long greasy hair and permanent scowl ) before we were treated to the enthusiatic ramblings of a singer songwriter with freshly coiffured emo-style hair and a song about lost love, stars and butterflies. The falsetto coda was somewhat lost on the ears of the Year 6 girls in the front row who obviously expected something a little bit less feminine from this impressive six foot frame.

Then came the drums; if there is ever a moment when you become aware of the energy levels in a room rising it is almost certainly most obvious when a young man bangs the stretched skin of a drum with two wooden sticks. However, the atmosphere in the theatre was to reach dangerously high levels electrically speaking, when ex-Bowhill pupil Gemma took her seat behind the drums and treated the audience to an outstanding version of Wipeout. Previously winner of the John Stocker Talent contest 5 years ago with an unforgettable delivery of Cozy Powell's Dance With The Devil, Gemma did not disappoint. Everyone in the audience was blown away including the guitarist attempting to match her indefatigable percussive skills, and she has no doubt inspired many of the young audience to think about taking up the sticks for a future in rock 'n' roll.

So, what could we be looking forward to as the morning of entertainment reached its climax? Well, it would be an ensemble piece, played by a group comprising of two guitars, bass and drums - the classic rock line up. The irony of the singer's introduction "I think you'll all recognise this one" was perhaps lost on the children as they launched themselves into that Old Grey Whistle Test Classic - Lynard Skynard's Freebird. Looking at his watch Mr Wardknott was heard to comment that he hoped they wouldn't do the whole guitar solo as there was only forty five minutes left to get back to school! To his relief the young rockers delivered a nicely trimmed almost indie version of the rock classic leaving plenty of time for congratulations and pats on the back for the attending musicians.

The children had witnessed the potential passing of rock history as we were reminded that one day we may well see some of these musicians on the TV or in a theatre or stadium near you. "Just remember" we were told "you saw them here first".

Fun fun rock'n'roll high school

Fun fun, oh baby

Getting to Know You!

2008-09-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

Thursday afternoon saw Year 3 entertain parents, aunts, grandparents and babies who had come to participate in a SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) activity session. The children were all given a 'hand' which was to be used as a canvas for positive thoughts about themselves. Working with parents and carers they thought of the things they believed they were good at and wrote these within their hand canvas. Then, after colouring in the fingers the hand was cut out and placed on a hand montage.

Tea, coffee and biscuits were the then the order of the day as parents and carers mingled with staff and children bathing in the warm afterglow of the afternoon's achievements; the activity had proved an outstanding success and the prospect of another SEAL session in the near future know doubt fills all who took part with enthusiastic anticipation.

The teachers leading the project were Mrs Price and Mrs Ward, and they were supported in sterling fashion by their squadron of teaching assistants; Mrs Draper, Mr Webber, and Mrs Perryman. It is without doubt the talent and enthusiasm of these members of staff that has helped the children make that difficult transition from the safe and nurturing environment of Key Stage 1 to the hothouse atmosphere of Key Stage 2, and the children are already showing their great potential.

The Dawning of a New Era

2008-09-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Bowhill Primary School enters the blogosphere, with informative comment and humorous asides. The day to day happenings of the school will be documented and commented upon by teachers, pupils, parents and friends alike.

The journey through the school year will be reflected upon through The Bowhill Bugle blog; anything considered newsworthy or even blogworthy will be published along with images to inform and entertain. All that happens within our school community is potentially a story in the making and the blog will allow us to keep up to date with the all the breaking news.