Our Year 5 children had the experience of becoming parents in the first half of this term. As part of their Amimal Life Cycle unit in Science, fifteen eggs moved into their classroom. They were housed in an incubator with a warming light and lots of comfort. After 21 days there was enormous excitement when the children arrived at school to find the first evidence of a hatcher!!!! Slowly, and clearly with lots of effort, the first little bedraggled chick emerged. There were tears in eyes and lots of ooooooing and ahhhhhhing! 

Over the next three days another six chicks emerged. Mrs Lettsome even had to help one of the chicks out of their egg as, after over several hours and clear discomfort, she felt that the little fluff ball would probably not make it out! The class became parents to a total of six chicks who, when old enough, will be moving into our pet pen down in Early Years.

The children did a whole range of learning activities linked to this experience including daily studying of the development happening inside the egg, seeing live pictures of what the chicks looked like throughout the development, weekly journal entries on the process, and on hatch day actually watching the chicks come out of their eggs! The children also enjoyed opening up the eggs at the end of the week that didn’t hatch as they could see partial development and make scientific guesses as to when they had stopped their development. It was also an experience enjoyed by much of the rest of the school who visited, amid a lot of shhhhhhh-ing from the Year 5 children!

Each half term the children in FS1 and FS2 help choose the activities for their Friday afternoon clubs. This term they wanted a pottery club and what a hit it was! Each child used their own creativity to produce something out of our lovely, squidgy clay. The activity was not only fun, messy and creative but it was also an excellent opportunity to strengthen those little hands leading to improved fine motor skills and ultimately writing. Well done children, we wonder what exciting activity you will choose next!

As we reach the end of the first half term of the 2018-19 school year, we also mark the end of our first round of Wednesday clubs. For 5 weeks, children have attended one of our clubs to explore interests or try out new things to see if hobbies can be developed!

In Hockey club children were honing their skills and brushing up on their match fitness ready for the hockey season which begins in January. This popular club was largely attended by children who already knew how to play hockey. This club will continue for children in years 3-8 after half term alongside a ‘football for beginners’ club which will be open to anyone.

Mtumba clubs saw children in years 4 to 8 repurposing or modifying items of clothing they brought from home or retrieved from our own mtumba selection of items. They used lace, sequins, scissors and gathers to create their unique items. Thank you to Mrs Freeman for helping out with this club and allowing the children to use her own sewing machine. After the October break, this club will run again for the children in years 1 to 3.

Brain Gym presented a chance for the puzzle hungry children in the school to get their minds working out over sudokus, tangrams, lateral thinking, logical reasoning and a bit of chess for good measure! The club had an interesting mix of children from all year groups which resulted in some new friendships. Watch out for this club to reappear later in the year.

Outdoor sculpture was for the children in years 1-3. They worked together created an archway and other natural sculptures in the area behind the year 1 and 3 classrooms. Using twigs, branches, leaves and stones they built features which give an opportunity for reflection and appreciation. This club will continue after half term for the children in years 4-8 but we do have plans for some indoor/outdoor sculpturing activities if the rain stops them being outside.

Cookery club was definitely a popular one, with over 50 children attending! Children made yoghurty oats, guacamole, smoothies, flapjacks and a no-cook dessert. This is particularly great to hear as not many items created at school seemed to actually make it home! 

Lego club will also be on offer after the October mid-term break. During this club children will be challenged each week to create something out of lego related to a theme.

Our U13 girls rounders team took part in their first ever KAISSO tournament at Premier Academy on Saturday 6th October. They set off from school on Friday afternoon and stayed in Nairobi for the night to ensure they were rested and ready to compete. The team - Anika, Isabella, Eshal, Elsa T, Elsa D, Jesicca, Hallie, Electra, Ashya, Virginia, Alice and Daisy - had been training during their lunchtime since the start of the academic year. They awoke fired up and ready to take on the other teams!

The girls played a total of four matches putting up a brave fight and tactically improving in each game. Unfortunately the event didn't go our way this time but it didn't dampen our spirits!  Electra, Elsa D and Virginia were awarded 'most valuable players' in different games. Well done to all the team, you showed great perseverence, fight and, most of all, fabulous team-spirit!  

On Thursday 4^th and Friday 5^th October we held our annual BNIS Athletics events. 

Thursday was the turn of the children in Years 3 to 8 compete, cheer and show unfaltering determination. It was a great pleasure to witness the focus and grit in every child to do their absolute best regardless of whether they were the fastest or the slowest. The children showed superb team spirit, spurring their Podo or Cape Chestnut house mates on with loud cheers and post-race pats on the back!There was long and short distance running, hurdles and relays, as well as, the most fiercely competitive part of the day – the parents races. Parents did not disappoint, with grimaces of determination they battled against each other, and alongside their children, to try to cross the line first in their events!

The day ended with a Cape Chestnut v Podo tug of war. The children took their position and pulled with all their might, their efforts were so much so that they managed to snap the brand new, specialist rope! The weather was beautiful and presented a chance to really appreciate the our idyllic surroundings. 

On Friday, the children in Years 1 and 2 took to the race track with their own sporting spirit and conviction. They showed how well they have been taught to start a race, keep their eyes forward and go for gold! Each child put in huge effort to show their parents what they were made of. Their events included sprints, a sack race, a racket and ball version of egg and spoon, quoit running, hurdles and relays. Their parents also took to the track to make their children proud.To end the morning, the parents accompanied their children around some skills activities including high jump and javelin before moving onto the non competitive obstacle course. Not to be outdone by the older children, there was another tug of war for the KS1 children which, we’re pleased to report, did not result in another snapped rope!

Well done to every child for showing their absolute best, we are very proud of all of you.Thank you also to all the parents for attending, competing and encouraging! See you all next year.