Fact Hunters: Geoids, Butterflies & the Second World War

Daniella Mazyar 
Scientists would describe the shape of the earth as a geoid. Quite simply, that is the shape that the oceans would take if they were under the influence of gravity alone.


Chloe Wager
Did you know that a lion’s roar can be heard 8km away? Amazingly the planet Saturn would float in water if you had a big enough bath.

Saffron Lubin
Saffron found out that the Spanish for butterfly is ‘mariposa’. Incredibly a Monarch butterfly will migrate 2,000 miles from Mexico to the Great Lakes.

Click here to find out more about butterflies

David Sangojinmi
David has been looking at the persecution of Jews during the Second World War. Did you know that Jews in Germany were forced to think they were lower and inadequate to everyone else just because they had a different religious belief?

Many laws were made of what Jews could and couldn't do: Jews were required to wear a yellow star, forbidden to use trams, and required to turn in their bicycles. 

Click here to find out more about Anne Frank (the young girl who wrote a diary during the Second World War)

Friends of Broadford Disco: Volunteers Needed!

We are delighted to inform you that there will be a disco for the children next week, run by the Friends of Broadford. It is not a Valentines disco. Many children have been worried that it will involve ‘bringing a partner’ or that the hall will be decorated with heart shaped balloons… this is not the case. It is simply a coincidence that the last day of term is Valentine’s Day. The £2.50 ticket will also include unlimited drinks. The timings are as follows: Nursery and Infants 4.30pm to 5.45pm with the Juniors 6.30pm to 8.00pm

If you are able to volunteer to help out at the disco, please speak to Karon Crawley or Mark Borrell from the committee.

Returning of School Library Books:

We have been delighted at the way Mrs Sparkes and the new library set up have helped to promote reading for enjoyment. All the pupils, from our Nursery to Year 6, now make good use of the library and the ever widening collection of books that it has to offer.

However we need pupils to return their books before they will be given any more. Year 3 – Year 6 have managed this well. The Key Stage 1 pupils need more support from home. Can you please check that your Year 1 or Year 2 child has returned their book so that they can be issued another title. Mrs Sparkes will be producing a reminder letter and informing class teachers of those pupils who have not managed to bring their books back.

Shark Facts

Some of the children have been very keen to learn about sharks: how many teeth they lose, how fast they swim and how many miles they travel. They found this interesting graphic to help represent some of the information.

Identifying More Able Pupils: Parental Help

This request has been sent out as a letter for parents and carers. It is linked to the Challenge afternoon that we are having next Thursday afternoon to which you are invited.

We collect and monitor lots of information and data about your child’s ability throughout their schooling at Broadford. However, there may be additional information about your child that we do not know.

Now is the time to share with us any activities or talents your child may pursue outside of school. We may then be able to help nurture these talents in school.

Could you please contact the school office with details of any clubs your child attends outside of school.

If you consider your child as being ‘talented’ in any of the following, please tick where appropriate:

Musically or with an Instrument………………………..

Sportsperson or Sport………………………………

Artist

We look forward to receiving your responses. Please try to ensure they are with us before half term.

Fact Hunters: Computers, bones and sea otters

Endurance Obazee
Endurance has been finding out about the very first computer. Did you know that the man who is considered to be the father of the computer is Charles Babbage? He constructed a difference engine in the 1820’s that went onto become the modern computers we see today.

Oliver Hatwell
Incredibly there are 27 bones in the human hand!

Adam Trower
One of the sweetest facts so far… did you know that sea otters hold hands while they sleep. It is because they don’t want to drift away from each other!

Fact Hunters: Frozen seas, dinosaurs and tarantulas

Fact Hunters:
This week we have had a tremendous number of interesting facts being shared by the children. Congratulations to the following children who have amazed us with their ability to hunt out interesting snippets of information:

Tumelo Sibanda 
Did you know that children in Tudor schools used to study Latin? If you were naughty they would hit you over the hand with a birch stick!

George White
The first dinosaurs appeared about 230 million years The first dinosaurs evolved from the archosaurs, the "ruling lizards" that first roamed the earth.

Matthew Leadbitter 
Incredibly the sea - in January 1963 - froze for 1 mile (1.6 km) out from shore at Herne Bay, Kent.

Tommy Terry
Pink Toe tarantulas have urticating hairs on their abdomen that they will fling as a defense mechanism. These hairs can embed themselves in your skin and eyes causing severe pain and agitation. Luckily their venom is not strong enough to kill a human.

Dara Adu 
Did you know that the number of bones in your body decreases as you get older? When you are a baby there are over 300 bones. However – as you grow – many of these fuse together to form larger stronger bones.