Creativity was the focus of the assembly this week as we started out looking at our last learning strength of the academic year. We looked at the early patents of inventions such as a maglev train, solar cells and GPS, all of which, when first proposed, were not seen as credible inventions. However, as time has progressed, these creative ideas have become key technological advances which have shaped our world today. Not all inventions are groundbreaking and the boys enjoyed hearing about the hayfever hat, napping pillow and cereal serving device! I shared with the boys the picture book story, ‘What do you do with an Idea’ by Kobi Yamada which asked them to reflect on being patient with ideas, nurturing them and allowing  them to grow so that someday they may not only give us joy but may even change the world. 

This was a very busy week at the Junior School. There were some fantastic results from the IAPS National Swimming Championships last weekend; well done to all the boys involved and please read Mr Burchett’s report on the Championships in this newsletter. There were also a number of cricket and athletic fixtures this week and also a very successful Year 4 tennis link day with Warwick Prep School.  

A highlight of the week was the House Music competition where boys from across the age groups sung, played and performed with great skill and confidence in representing their house. We were joined by Mr Mann, the Head of Music from Warwick School ,and he was hugely impressed by the performances and also by the fact the boys organised and rehearsed their pieces with very little adult support. Well done to all the boys who auditioned and also those who participated in the final round 

Year 5 have been enjoying the Dorset coast on their residential this week. It sounds like they are having a great time, and we look forward to hearing more about it on their return.  

With best wishes, 

John Bond 

Winning the House Music Competition filled me with so much joy, knowing that Mr Mann, the adjudicator, thought Terra was the best and even commenting on the song that my band, (me, Will and Teddy) performed - 'Can't Stop' by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. He said it reminded him of his adolescence. As soon as the words 'Terra' came from his mouth, I leapt out of my seat and bounded over to the trophy and did a 'politician-like' handshake for the camera. Ever since I was in Year 3, watching others do the same, it was my dream to win the House Music Cup, and now we've done it!

By Oisin, Terra House Music Captain

On the 22 and 23 May, Year 6 gave the rest of the school a chance to relax and watch their spectacular theatre production of the story (which was popularised by Disney), Aladdin. 

Year 6 worked incredibly hard in both the rehearsals and in the actual production. The final production certainly was worth the wait despite the (sometimes) fiddly rehearsals.  

Aladdin and his pals (Babkak, Omar and Kassim) are street rats in the world of Agrabah, until Aladdin meets Jafar and his sidekick, Iago. He leads him to the Cave of Wonders where Aladdin gets trapped and finds the magical Genie lamp. He wishes to become a prince so that he can be a suitor of Princess Jasmine, who, urged by her servants (Manal, Isir and Rajah), goes out into the streets of Agrabah where she meets Aladdin. 

Jafar, however, wants Genie’s lamp so that he can take the place of the Sultan. 

So, Aladdin and his pals go into the palace where he is confronted by Jafar, who gets his hands on the lamp. He then wastes no time in revealing Aladdin’s true identity. Jafar then wishes to become a Genie. He is then sucked into his own lamp and becomes trapped forever. 

Jasmine and Aladdin live happily ever after! 

The show was hilarious. It had amazing and catchy musical numbers and certainly lots of unforgettable lines. 

Year 6 had a fabulous time doing it – what a great experience it was! 

By Alex 6C 

You are warmly invited to the Junior School Summer Concert on Thursday, 26 June, 7pm at Warwick Hall.

This will be a dazzling extravaganza showcasing the talent of the Junior school boys and will feature performances from the following groups: Big Choir, Micro Choir, Orchestra, Brass Monkeys, All Stars, Dynamo Strings, The Dynamix, Jazz Band, all three Rock Bands, eSQuires, Handbells, Rising Strings, Guitar Group and JAMP.

Come and celebrate the final concert of the year for our Year 6 boys and Miss Sharp!

On Sunday, 11 May, the Birmingham Megafinal of the prestigious UK Schools Chess Challenge, the world's biggest junior chess tournament, took place.

A number of boys from Warwick Junior School took part and did themselves and the school proud - all taking home points from what was a very strong field; four of the five sections featured members of the England national junior team and dozens of members of the Warwickshire Junior Chess Squad also competed in all five sections.

The star performer was Warwick's youngest representative, Alex. In his first time competing on this stage, he scored a fantastic 4/6 in the U8 section and qualified for the Gigafinal, the penultimate stage of the competition. Remarkably, he did so despite being outrated in every single game. Congratulations to Alex and all the boys who competed!

This week, we introduced our new learning strength, Focus. The boys gave some thoughtful responses to the importance of focus and concentration in achieving our aims. We discussed how we can lose focus, sometimes through external distractions such as noise, but also through internal distractions, where we are distracted by our feelings and emotions. Using a clip from the film ‘Inside Out’, we reflected on how our emotions can sometimes deflect us from the task at hand. Such emotions and thoughts are natural, and it is important to understand how they will affect our focus. We continued by discussing the importance of sleep, a healthy diet, exercise, breaks and effective listening in ensuring that we focus both inside and outside the classroom. 

Last weekend it was wonderful to welcome Year 1 boys and parents from the Prep School and other local schools to our Explorers Morning. Taking part in a range of activities, the boys had their first taste of life in the Junior School, and it was fantastic to see so many smiling faces. It is always a pleasure to share the opportunities on offer at all the Foundation Schools with our families so I would like to draw your attention to the Warwick School Open Evening on Friday 4th July which provides a great chance for parents and boys to experience the next stage in their Warwick School journey.  

Wishing you a happy weekend, 

John Bond