On Thursday 20th June it was World Refugee Day. We helped deliver a whole school assembly sharing the definition of a refugee and some of the reasons why people become refugees including violence, separation, dangerous journeys and torture. We listened to some first hand accounts from refugees to try to understand their experiences. During the assembly, and on the 20th June, we thought about injustice in our world and the rights for all as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. We discussed Article 7 (children’s right to know and be cared for by their parents), Article 22 (refugee children entitled to all the rights of the Convention wherever they are in the world) and Article 38 (children in war zones should receive special protection).
This week Shakespeare’s Globe came to Little Hadham. We enjoyed a superb performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, all performed by just one actor. It was a captivating performance and really brought the play to life. Following the performance, we were treated to an incredible workshop with the Globe actor. She helped us to further explore the characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and to use some of the techniques used by the actors who perform at the Globe today and in Shakespeare’s time. It’s clear to see from the photos that we love the stage!
We also learnt about Elizabethan England and the popularity of life on the South Bank and the importance of the Globe theatre. The Globe theatre was incredibly popular during Elizabethan times, and still is today. People standing in the yard watching the performances were known as Groundlings – a groundling is a type of fish, known for lurking at the bottom of rivers. In Shakespeare’s time, it cost a penny to stand in the yard.
‘Lord, what fools these mortals be!’ (Puck, Act III) Do you recognise any characters and scenes from the play? Hermia and Lysander declaring their love for one another, King Oberon showing his strength, Titania and Oberon squabbling over a young boy, Helena finally finding true love with Demetrius….
The appearance of the sunshine this week got us thinking about holiday destinations. In maths, we interpreted line graphs and bar charts displaying average temperatures and average rainfall in different countries. Looking at the information carefully, we were able to plan when would be the best months of the year to visit depending on whether we were wanting to spend our time sightseeing or sun bathing!
Our Punch and Judy inspired puppets are taking nicely taking shape. Each with their own personality, their characters are coming to life as we add paint and think about their costumes we will be sewing.
Enjoy the sunshine this weekend.