Year 6 Visit the Science Museum

On Tuesday morning, as the rain kindly paused, our excited Year 6 scientists headed to Hornchurch station. With word searches in hand, the 23 stops on the train towards the Science Museum seemed to fly by! On arrival, our first destination was the Launchpad - a collection of interactive experiments designed to fascinate and delight children. Launching rockets, creating waves and producing power through peddling were just a few of the fun activities on offer.

The day ended with a blast at the ‘Flash, Bang, Wallop’ explosions show. The children learnt that fuel, heat and oxygen are all required for an explosion to take place but were warned “Don’t try this at home!”.

Nursery Celebrate the Royal Christening

On Wednesday, Nursery celebrated the Royal Christening with a special Prince and Princesses dressing up day. We made crowns, listened to royal music - such as Pomp and Circumstance and Rule Britannia - and we also made some delicious crown shaped biscuits.

The children learnt about the newest member of the British Royal Family and enjoyed pretending to be royalty for the day. We all enjoyed the big celebration.

Year 3 Visit Eastbury Manor

Last Monday, Year 3 launched their Tudor topic with a trip to Eastbury Manor. The children were met at the manor house by costumed tour guides who spent the day teaching them about many aspects of life in Tudor times. They were able to dress up in period costumes, learn dances and play games from the time. The young historians learnt about the way in which the Tudors farmed their own food and how the area around the house had developed since the Sisley family lived there in the 16th Century. However, the most memorable part of the day was learning about Tudor toilets! Year 3 nearly came back without one member of their group - Jack was almost recruited by the head servant after he demonstrated his excellent sweeping skills.

“All hail Macbeth, King of Scotland!”

On Monday, Year 6 took on the role of crime scene investigators as they attempted to solve the mystery of King Duncan’s untimely death. So far in our literacy work on Macbeth, a battle had been won and the King’s loyal soldier Macbeth had been awarded a new title (Thane of Cawdor) at a party hosted at Glamis Castle, which is the home of Macbeth and his ambitious wife. However, as year six soon discovered, King Duncan (who had personally delivered Macbeth’s new title) did not survive the night!

With their feet covered, atmospheric music playing and a crime scene cordoned off, Hacton’s CSIs examined the evidence. After questioning potential suspects - Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, Prince Malcolm, Prince Donnalbain, the guards and three witches - the agents explored motives and decided upon a prime suspect: Lady Macbeth!

Unfortunately, they were soon to discover that the perpetrator of the murder was actually Macbeth; no longer King Duncan’s loyal subject. Lady Macbeth was not altogether innocent though. Her devious plan had come to fruition. Fearing for their security, the rightful heirs to the throne - Prince Malcolm and Prince Donnalbain - fled to England and Ireland. This left a power vacuum which could only be filled by... King and Queen Macbeth.

The morning ended with a regal coronation ceremony amidst cries of “All hail Macbeth, King of Scotland!” The witches’ prophecy had come true!

Download our Macbeth Murder Mystery presentation

Secondary School Transfer Reminder

The deadline for secondary school transfer applications is fast approaching. We have been urged to remind parents of Year 6 pupils that the closing date for secondary transfer forms is 31st October 2013. Any applications received after this date without a valid reason will be treated as late and will not be considered until after all the other applications have been processed. This will reduce the likelihood of being offered a place at your preferred school.

If you have any queries about secondary school transfer, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Emes.

Harvest Festival Assembly

Thank you to all the children and parents who kindly donated non-perishable food items for our annual harvest festival assembly. At this time of thanksgiving, it is important that we appreciate how lucky we are and also to remember those who are less fortunate. Your generous donations were collected by the Mark McCarthys Magic Moments Charity who will distribute the items to those local cancer sufferers in the area who are struggling financially or are unable to leave their homes. Thanks again for your continued support of the charities chosen by the school.

listen to ‘Harvest Samba 2013’ on Audioboo

Hacton 5-1 St Mary's

The Hacton boys made a confident start to their season with a convincing 5 – 1 win away to St Mary’s. From the first whistle Hacton dominated possession and pinned the opposition into their own half, creating a good number of goal scoring opportunities. Eventually the pressure paid off as Owen fired a ball into the penalty area for JJ to guide the ball home. Surprisingly, after all the chances they had created, Hacton went into half time only 1 nil up.

The second half continued with an ambitious Hacton team looking to increase their lead. 5 minutes into the half, JJ doubled the lead as a slick passing move from Hacton left him with an easy tap in. However, out of the blue the home team caught the Hacton boys on the counter attack and clawed a goal back. Unfazed, the Hacton boys kept their composure and restored their 2 goal lead with Taylor B coolly steering the ball home. Two more goals followed in quick succession as Hacton truly found their scoring touch. Owen had a driven shot from the edge of the area that fired past the goalkeeper and Alfie completed the impressive display with another commanding finish from inside the penalty box. The final scoreline reflected the dominance of the boys’ performance and they can take confidence from the win into the rest of the season.

Where's My Teddy?

After going on bear hunt, Year 1 have continued the bear theme by reading 'Where's My Teddy?'. In the story, Eddie lost his teddy and got the surprise of his life when he discovered that his teddy bear had grown too big to cuddle. Eddie met a big bear in the woods and soon discovered that he had the wrong teddy. They both swapped bears and rushed home to bed.

The children loved the rhymes in this enchanting story - Eddy's teddy's name is Freddy - and were inspired to create some great pieces of writing. Year 1 sequenced the story, described the bear and wrote their own versions of the tale. Their work has been used to produce a fantastic display in the school corridor.

Hacton 7-0 St Mary's

Hacton girls' football team recorded their first win of the 2013-14 season with a decisive victory over St Mary's. After a difficult first game defeat to Upminster, the Hacton girls listened carefully to the advice of their coach, Mr Pinkham, during training on Tuesday. The result was a game executed to perfection in front of a bumper home crowd. Ellie gave Hacton an early lead with a determined finish. Captain Harlie struck the second before midfield enforcer Katie drilled home a third, adding a fourth just before half time to give Hacton a deserved lead.

The girls did not rest on their laurels as they started the second half with as much energy as the first. Livi capped a fine run with her first goal and, not to be outdone, sister Sian cooly despatched a sixth for the supercharged team. Harlie then notched up her second of the game; a fitting end to the match as the whistle blew with the final score seven nil to Hacton. The win was a great way to bounce back from last week's defeat and our triumphant team can look forward to their next game with renewed confidence. Outstanding performances across the pitch made choosing girl of the game difficult. However, captain Harlie took the honour for a determined and enthusiastic display. 

Congratulations to the Hacton girls for a match to be proud of!

Mrs Wiggins Runs the Bournemouth 10k

On Saturday, Mrs Wiggins and five of her running buddies completed the Bournemouth 10k to raise money for Havering Blood Bikes (a volunteer service which uses motorbikes to deliver blood, plasma, baby milk and test results). Mrs Wiggins alone has raised over £400!

While they waited with thousands of other runners for the start of the race, the nervous group enjoyed being interviewed by the local newspaper and having their photograph taken for the Bournemouth Echo! It was a hotter day than expected and, although the going was tough, they persevered and all finished in respectable times. Despite all of the ladies saying ‘never again’ as soon as they had crossed the line, they are already considering entering next year!

Well done to Mrs Wiggins and her friends; keep up the good work!

Year 6 World War II Workshop

Last Friday, Year 6 were transported back in time to 1939 for a lively and engaging World War II workshop. With evacuation labels attached to their uniforms, the children lined up outside the hall waiting for their headmistress to accompany them to the countryside. After a long, uncomfortable journey, they finally arrived and were greeted by their billeting officer. The children imagined how challenging life would have been for evacuees during the Second World War. Excitement overwhelmed the Hacton historians as they eagerly performed alongside Rainbow Theatre actors in a range of wartime scenes about the Blitz, rationing, black outs and air-raid shelters.

Emily & Ciara: “We had a great afternoon. We were in the Blitz scene and especially enjoyed screaming really loud when were heard the siren! It really helped us to understand what it would have been like during the war.”

Owen: “I loved the acting and dancing. It was so fun actually taking part in the production.”

Josh: “The acting was the best bit! But, I enjoyed looking at the artefacts, like a wireless, that they used to make it seem real.”

Alfie: “It was so much fun as we got to do the acting as well as watching the other groups perform.”

The production concluded with an energetic rendition of the ‘Lambeth Walk’, where all children enjoyed singing and dancing to celebrate the end of the war. Thank you Rainbow Theatre, for a fantastic afternoon.

Year 1 Go on a Bear Hunt

Year 1 have been reading ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’. On Tuesday, an unexpected letter  was delivered to Year 1 classes telling them that they needed to follow some clues to find a teddy bears' picnic. Mrs Burks reports:

"We followed the first clue that led us to the field to find swishy swashy grass. We all felt it. The next clue told us to find the cool water and we decided to go to the swimming pool. The clue on the swimming pool door told us about the mucky gardening club and we knew where to go because we had a map to help us. The mud was gooey and dirty. We found the next clue and it said we needed to find some trees, so we decided to go to the junior playground. We found a bear behind the trees hanging on a washing line! It was not the sort of bear we were hunting for though. We stumbled onto the next clue that said we should find some snow, we looked in the infant playground but we thought it must have melted. The final clue told us to listen for the growls that could be heard near the hall. We tip-toed to the hall listening carefully and we discovered lots of teddies waiting for us to join them for a wonderful picnic."

New School Council

With elections complete and badges presented, our School Council were keen to begin their work in school. The School Council has the important job of listening to the views and ideas of their classes along with discussing any new initiatives or problems that may have arisen.

The enthusiastic council got off to a flying start at their first meeting. After electing Council Chairman and Vice Chairman, topics of discussion included PE equipment and a 'friendship bench' in the playground for children without a playmate. We look forward to hearing more great ideas for ways in which we can all work together to make Hacton the best school it can possibly be.

Blue Peter Badge

Congratulations to our year 6 pupil who is the proud owner of a silver Blue Peter badge. Silver badges are awarded to blue badge holders who go on to make an extra effort. Our year 6 pupil sent in a picture that he had drawn and Blue Peter liked it so much that they awarded him the prestigious silver badge. Blue Peter badges are a brilliant reward for doing something great. You can apply for badge here »