Year 5 have been making some beautiful 'Ephemeral Art' this week, using natural items found on our playground to emulate the natural art style of the artist Andy Goldsworthy. Well done everyone... you were all very creative!

Chatting to others in a game can be a great way to connect as you enjoy your hobby together It's not always quite so wholesome, however. National College's #WakeUpWednesday guide and their latest episode of the podcast offer expert advice on the risks of in-game chat! Download here >> https://ow.ly/olvZ50TAgSJ Listen here >> https://ow.ly/ePvP50TAgSO

If you're looking for an infant or junior school place for your child, please come along to one of our Open Day or Evening sessions to see our school in action! Visit our website for more details: https://www.oakfield.academy/page/?title=Admissions&pid=41 You can find us in Sylvia Crescent (off Salisbury Road), Totton. We hope to see you there!

Another amazing week of learning at Oakfield! Year R formed a band and "wow'd" Mr Tupper and Mrs Nightingale with their amazing stage performance! They practised their agility and coordination in their first ever PE lesson with hoops and cones, made a house for a moth they rescued from the water tray, and have had fun drawing letters in the sandpit! Year 4 visited Butser Ancient Farm on Tuesday where they spun some yarn, did some archaeology, and helped to build a 'clunch wall' out of chalky limestone. The staff commented on how beautifully behaved they were... you've made the school proud! Year 2 have been making some 'Marvellous Mixtures' in science to discover whether things dissolve, mix, sink or float in the mixture. They achieved their first Dojo target this week and brought in a teddy to sit on their desk today as a reward – congratulations Year 2! In Year 6, they have been exploring the reasons why many young British men volunteered to join the war effort in WWI, including propaganda and peer pressure. They gave pursuasive speeches to their 'parents' about why they should join the war effort, and created their own propaganda posters. Year 5 have continued their learning about Forces, using a Forcemeter to measure mass, and how how much you weigh could change depending on which moon or planet you're standing on. Both Y5 and Y6 also took part in an online Climate Change conference with 50 other schools, discussing possible solutions to flooding, drought, food and plastic waste, and other environmental problems. They used their creative skills to design a humane method of deterring elephants from ravaging crops using junk modelling. Year 3 have started their topic on the Stone Age and have been reading The Stig of the Dump, have been innovating their story-telling in The Magic Faraway Tree. Meanwhile, Year 1 have been acting, singing, and drawing a storyboard about the fairy tale of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, and have also met their Dojo Target! Well done! Congratulations to Year 2 who stay as our Boomreader Champions for a second week in a row!

Congratulations to our School Ambassadors who were voted by staff for their confident, engaging speeches. I know you will both be excellent role models and show the qualities and attributes of an Oakfield pupil. Miss Bray

Thank you to those who supported our Macmillan Coffee Morning today either through cake donations or coming along to and donating while enjoying a quiet cuppa. We also had a lovely card and donation from one of the residents in Sylvia Crescent after delivering leaflets designed by the School Council. Visitors were able to write a memory or wish for those affected by cancer and add it to our memory tree. This will remain in the reception area for the next few weeks. Thank you to the school council children who came along to help out - Charles, Pippa, Matilda, Eliot, Fraiya, Teddy, Charlie and Parker.

Wake Up Wednesday tip from https://nationalcollege.com/

It's been a fun and eventful week at Oakfield! Year 6 had a First Aid workshop on Wednesday, called'Mini-Medics'. They learned lots of key first aid skills, including CPR and the recovery position. They showcased the Oakfield Principles by asking considered questions, listening beautifully to the instructions given, and demonstrating their great understanding of blood, the heart, and the circulatory system. Year R have been busy learning new sounds in Phonics, and story mapping 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'. For their topic of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' they have been exploring healthy foods and doing lots of caterpillar-themed crafts! Year 5 have had an exciting trip today to Paulton's Park. They learnt about different types of forces that affect movement, such as gravity and friction. This included doing experiments in the laboratory with Paultons Educational Department Staff and their teachers; with the chance to go on some rides afterwards! Year 1 have been ordering numbers up to 20, and doing lots of activities linked to their topic about Harvest; including making their own combine harvesters! Year 2 have been exploring textures in science by getting mucky with foam and other materials, dressing up and decorating plates for their topic of Hinduism, and learning about primary and secondary colours in Art. Year 4 have been learning about The Food Chain and drawing pictures of predators and prey. They've also been exploring the Colour Wheel using watercolours. Last but not least, Year 3 have been learning how diet affects the human body and exploring warm and cold colours in Art using watercolours. On Thursday morning they visited the Vedic temple in Southampton to learn more about the Hindu religion and the god Ganesh. They watched the ritual of Aarti quietly and respectfully, demonstrating Oakfield's Principles perfectly. We've also had a group of Year 11 Work Experience students from Testwood School with us this week, who have been working really hard to support the teachers and children. Well done to them! Our Asda Cashpot balance is now over £300! Thank you so much to everyone that has signed up, it will really make a difference to the school. The class with the most reading on Boomreader is.......Y2! Congratulations!

It's been a busy first full week back. On Wednesday, some Y6 children bravely stood up in front of the school to tell us why they should be elected as our new School Ambassadors. They certainly made it a very difficult decision for staff, however, the votes have been counted and they will soon be finding out the result. Thursday was election day at Oakfield with each class voting for the children they think should represent their class on the school council. YR are now staying all day. They have learnt lots of sounds in phonics and are enjoying exploring the indoor and outdoor classroom. Y1 have made some delicious apple crumble linked to their learning about Harvest while Y2 have been learning their first Talk for Writing story 'Little Charlie'. Y3 are learning 'The Magic Faraway tree' and finding out about Ganesh in RE, while Y4 have been experimenting with watercolour paints. Y5 have been exploring 'weird' ways of reading while Y6 have been learning the story 'Kidnapped', exploring the language and grammatical features used for effect, including semi colons, italics and the selection of powerful verbs. New Forest Childcare have also been pleased to welcome back lots of children to their afterschool club where they have a different activity on offer each evening. If you are haven't signed up yet but are interested, there are leaflets in the reception area. A big thank you to everyone who has signed up to our Asda Cashpot, we currently have a total of £255! Next week we are welcoming some work experience students from Testwood School, Y3 and Y5 are going on school trips and Tuesday is individual photo day.

What a fantastic start to the school year! We have welcomed new families, our new children in YR are settling well and even stayed for lunch today and our new staff are finding their feet. It hasn't been the easiest of starts as our I.T. system was migrated to Microsoft over the summer and we have encountered a few teething problems! A massive thank you to all staff for their patience and resilience while we work through this. As I've walked around school, children have been happy, settled and engaged in a range of learning activities. They have been keen to tell me what they have been doing over the summer and show me their new school uniform. Next week we are looking forward to hearing from our Y6 candidates for School Ambassadors and to our election day for School Council representatives. Application forms for Play Leaders (Y5 and 6) and Computer monitors should be available on Monday with the deadline being Friday, 13 September. Have a lovely weekend Miss Bray

Help us raise money for school resources through Asda's new Cashpot for Schools. All you need to do is log in to your Asda App, click on the Cashpot option and type in Oakfield Academy or the postcode SO40 3LN. We already have over £100 in our pot so share the news with family and friends and let's get saving!

Tuesday Tip! For more advice see nationalonlinesafety.com

Wishing Mrs Marshall a lovely birthday!

Tuesday Tip! For more advice see nationalonlinesafety.com

Happy Birthday Mr Skeels! We hope you have a great day

Tuesday Tip! For more advice see nationalonlinesafety.com

Tuesday Tip! For more advice see nationalonlinesafety.com

Tuesday Tip! For more advice see nationalonlinesafety.com

Tuesday Tip! For more advice see nationalonlinesafety.com

Have a lovely birthday Miss Poole

Wishing Mr Clark a Happy Birthday

Year 6 had a brilliant day in London yesterday with Mr Cooke and Miss Bray!

Tuesday Tip! For more advice see nationalonlinesafety.com

Year 4 had a fun maths lesson. The children were recapping division using M&Ms to help. They were allowed to eat one each time they solved a question.