The Year That Was 2009

We’re a group of year 6 students who would like to tell you about our school and what it has to offer. Not all of us we have been at Frimley School since we were five, but on our arrival we noticed features about the school that made us glad we were here.  

When we reflect on our time at Frimley School we realise just how much our school has had to offer, and how fortunate we are as the opportunities available to us are endless. We focus our learning around our Triple A logo, Attitude (the joy of learning and making wise choices), Action (behaving appropriately or taking the right action ) and Achievement (achieving your goals or your personal best) This logo can be found on our compulsory school uniform which is maroon and navy, and with everyone dressed the same the school is unified, and we are proud to be a part of it.

 

 

Our spacious grounds with its towering trees provide welcome shade on hotter days when playing, eating our lunch or just sitting around chatting with friends. Our large sandpit with its many toys and equipment means that the junior children, (and sometimes older students if they are lucky) can have fun building big sand structures in their leisure time. This is a very busy area with a frenzy of activity, at times so intense there is little space left for more bodies to fit. Children can also play on our wonderful adventure playground. The students have loads of fun while spinning, swinging and climbing, or just playing tag. Nobody wants to miss a day on the playground – everyone loves it, and is reluctant to leave when the bell rings.

We have many murals around the school to enhance the environment, and our big mural running along the entire outside wall of our hall was painted for the new Millenium in 2000, with children at that time having to research New Zealand’s history. It represents a timeline of events in Aotearoa in pictorial form, so much that each time you look at it you learn something new about our colourful history. Art is celebrated at our school and selected artwork from students is framed and proudly hung in the school office foyer, for all to enjoy.

 

We are lucky to have Computer and Music specialists and each class is timetabled to visit our very well equipped Music and Computer suites. We have instruments such as violins, recorders, guitars, ukuleles and glockenspiels, as well as special instruments like marimbas, bongos and an African drum in our Music suite.  We are allowed to experiment with these different instruments, and we combine different sounds together to make our own unique sound.  If we choose we can participate in many musical extensions such as special choir, orchestra, recorder and bucket band.
Our choir competed in the Kidsing Competition, and worked hard to win a Silver award. At the end of last term our musical groups went “on tour” performing to other primary schools, which was a lot of fun, and a great experience for those involved.

In the computer suite we have 15 computers and access to about 20 laptops, and a variety of camera, video and sound equipment. As well as learning how to use the different computer applications, senior students have opportunities to learn about podcasting, multimedia, web design and wiki pages.
Each class has their own data projector, digital camera, and an Apple laptop which they can use for their multimedia studies. Other laptops can be borrowed from the computer pod for classroom use as well.

On Fridays at assembly, classes take turns putting on an item for the rest of the school which children video and burn to disc, and can then be borrowed from the school library for further enjoyment.
 Some students choose to learn the skills of being a radio announcer in our own Radio Station 88.7 Kidz FM, which broadcasts to the Frimley District. In each group there is a “tech” who is taught how to use the controls, and two presenters that do the talking!! Be sure to tune in to hear what is happening!

 

Sport at Frimley is an important part of our school. We run a PALS programme – which stands for physical activity leaders – when senior students run lunchtime sports for the rest of the school. Their job is to set up equipment and referee the games. We especially enjoy games like Ripper Rugby, Capture the Flag and Danish Rounders,  and even have a Bullrush Day played when we have teacher supervision so it doesn’t get out of hand!

We offer many sports at school, after school and, at the weekends as well. Our cricket pitch and cricket nets have recently been renewed, and our huge field means that children can let off steam playing or using our Obstacle Course with balance beams, tunnels and agility equipment to improve their balance and provide them with challenges - fun for all!

If any little junior gets hurt while playing there is always a senior (or sometimes several) to pick them up and help them to Nurse Wendy’s office where she will care for them. We are so lucky to have a school nurse to tend to our cuts and bruises, give a kind word of reassurance or dispense any medicine.

We are really into our sport and are really competitive. This year a house system was introduced, so at lunchtimes our houses compete against one another for sport shields. These are hung up on the wall in our assembly hall. Our houses, Nottingley, Lyndhurst, Pakowhai and Ikanui are named because they are the roads which surround our school. Special sports days are also held for sports like Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country.

 

We have  “Awesome Awards” which we can earn for good behaviour or special achievements, and at assembly there is a draw from all the awards put into the Awesome Award buckets. Should you be lucky enough to have your name drawn out, you get an exciting prize. School Discos are another reward for good behaviour.

There are academic opportunities as well – Maths enrichment classes for people with special ability in Maths, where they can problem solve and extend their knowledge. This year the Fonterra Science Roadshow visited Frimley and twelve students were chosen to assist with the exhibits. Our senior school particularly enjoyed the exhilarating experience of the  rotating chair, (though many nearly lost their lunch) and the sound wave demonstration which reverberated through our bodies. Ouch!

Everyone at Frimley School has a Learning Journey, a book where we put samples of work and assessments in it. We learn to peer and self assess our work and it shows our parents what we have learnt at school, and is a record of our achievements.

The library too is a favourite place especially the reading bay where we love to sink into soft comfy cushions, patterned with colourful animals, which are scattered around the window seat, and immerse ourselves in the extensive range of books provided.

As we leave to go on to Intermediate next year we will remember the friendships and the times that we shared  at Frimley School.

Zoe, Isabelle, Jessica, Richard, Braydon & Liam