Primary Robins: Start of term report

It has been a truly wonderful first week.

On Tuesday morning we arrived at Mengham Junior School. There, we worked with two groups of year 4 (aged 8) and then two groups of year 6 (aged 10) children.

The classes were all very enthusiastic and, surprisingly, it was the two most rowdy boys that contributed most to the class – from clapping out the rhythm of their heat beats, to breathing in a way that they called ‘back to front’. The girls had fun trying to out sing the boys and vice versa.

At Sharps Copse, we saw three groups of mixed year 3 and 4 children (aged 7 and 8). They were thrilled by the songbook, and by the end of the 30 minute session they were singing Edelweiss from The Sound of Music from memory.

On Thursday morning we visited Redbridge School in Southampton. The first group was Orange Class year 5 (aged 9 ) and it was here that we first encountered a little boy who was determined not to sing. He was so set on non-participation that he did not even want to hold his songbook and it will be wonderful to see if, as the weeks go by, he begins to take part and join in with his classmates.

In Yellow Class, when asked what the children thought Opera might be, a young boy said “it involves lots of trumpets”!

At Tanners Brook School, in one of the classes, there were four deaf children so David and I had to wear special devices in order that they could hear us.

In one class, the children asked lots of interesting questions ,including; “How does an opera singer break a glass”? and “What happens to you voice box when you lose your voice”?

In another, there were again some children who were determinedly not interested and refused to sing.

At the end of each session it was very moving to hear the class singing out, standing tall and enjoying themselves and thrilling to hear the odd “that was cool” or “I had fun”. I did too and I can’t wait to go back next week!

Annabel Larard – Project Leader