Beech class had fantastic fun today as they performed poetry and investigated the Chinese zodiac as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

The children composed their own poems about a giant who travelled the world and then took up the challenge to perform each poem as part of a pair or group to the rest of the class. The children threw themselves into the challenge wholeheartedly with great enthusiasm, even including a series of actions to maintain the audiences attention throughout each performance.

In the afternoon the children investigated the Chinese zodiac. They discovered that the Chinese animal zodiac, or shengxiao, is a repeating cycle of twelve years, with each year being represented by an animal and its reputed attributes. Traditionally these zodiac animals were used to date the years. In order, the twelve animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. The Chinese New Year this week sees the beginning of the year of the Monkey. The children made their own zodiac wheels and were even treated to a fortune cookie each as a treat from the lovely Mrs Collins.

Today also saw the school once again being visited by one of our school governors. Mrs Eshmade watched a group of children take part in a literacy session and then had a chat with some of the children about the activities they had taken part in. The children told Mrs Eshmade how the sessions were not only enjoyable but also helped their confidence.