Charles Dickens Primary School Blog

Charles Dickens and The Borough – Can You Beat Our Quiz Champions?

Last Thursday, we held our school quiz night for parents and staff.  Lots of very knowledgeable parents meant that our staff teams were beaten yet again!

For those of you who couldn’t join us , try your hand at the Charles Dickens round – how well do you know Mr Dickens and his connections to The Borough? Click here for questions and answers ( no cheating!) . 

Congratulations to the winning team ‘What Larks Pip?’ . They won a rather splendid trophy and hopefully will return again next year to retain their title.

Many thanks to all those who organised this event – Ms Gemmell and The Parents and Community Team! A special thanks to Mr Nicol, a wonderful nursery parent, for writing and hosting the quiz with Mr Mackinnon!


Charles Dickens Primary School Blog

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLES DICKENS – memories of a special day!

All the children had a wonderful and exciting day – the culmination of a special week of learning all about Charles Dickens – his life, his writing and most importantly his links to Borough and the local area. The children have read and performed versions of Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Little Dorrit. They have written newspapers reports and  book reviews, painted characters, made short films and written biographies of the great writer.

Today we have paraded our costumes, eaten a huge Victorian roast dinner, skyped Charles Dickens School in Berlin, blown out candles and sung our hearts out. We shall all go home exhausted but full of memories  – the week we brought the stories of Charles Dickens to life!

here are some photographs from today

Charles Dickens Primary School Blog

Did you see us on London Tonight?

This evening pupils from the school appeared on London Tonight on the eve of Charles Dickens’ birthday. The children talked a little bit about why Charles Dickens is important to the school’s heritage and we blew out the candles on our special birthday cake! There were so many candles that we managed to set off the fire alarm!

Here is a link to the BBC website in case you missed it ( available for another 20 hours)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01bqq0m/BBC_London_News_06_02_2012/

 

 

Charles Dickens Primary School Blog

We are getting ready for our BIG Charles Dickens Birthday Party!

Mrs Buchanan has been making the big birthday cake – complete with 200 candles ready for all the children to blow out on Tuesday morning.

before the icing and candles…

and …ta dah!

Miss Roberts has been speaking to Charles Dickens School in Berlin – they are going to celebrate with us on Tuesday via Skype.

Miss Alcock has organised lots of Victorian games for all the children to try at playtime.

Ms Rhys Evans and Miss Wittering have been practising our special Charles Dickens Song.

All that is left now is for all the children to get their costumes ready for Tuesday! Don’t forget we hope to see everyone in Victorian styled clothes or  dressed up as one of the characters from Dickens’ books?

 

Charles Dickens Primary School Blog

Charles Dickens Bicentenary – Year 1 and 2- Local History Quiz!

Year 1 and 2 classes have been on a local history hunt this week – exploring Borough and finding the answers to questions like…

Where is the Marshalsea Prison wall still standing?

If you would like to have a go at the quiz, click Charles Dickens Quiz for the question sheet ( lots of clues in the photographs below if you get stuck)

Here are some photographs from Nickelby Class on their history hunt! Have a look at Oliver, Nickelby and Pickwick blogs for more learning!

Charles Dickens Primary School Blog

Mr Dickens! Consider Yourself.. Our Friend….

This week is Charles Dickens week . Lots of interesting learning is taking place  linked to the life and times of Charles Dickens .

We have been learning our Charles Dickens Birthday Song – thank you to our friend Mr Bailey for writing the lyrics despite  being so far away in sunny Montreal! 

click here for the lyrics    Charles Dickens celebration song

and sing along here to the melody of Consider Yourself – instrumental version of consider yourself 

We will be performing the song ( weather permitting) on Tuesday in the playground after school! 

Yesterday, Peggotty Class shared with us the history of Borough Market and in particular the Biography of Mrs King’s Pork Pies.  We now know the names and life stories behind this family business. Thank you to Ian Hartland of Mrs King’s Pork Pies  and his team for helping Peggotty Class learn so much – we are all now really keen to try a Melton Mowbray Pie.

Peggotty class also taught us all about Mud larking  – this practice of scavenging along the banks of the Thames River was extremely popular in the times of Dickens (although illegal) – you can go Mudlarking today but you need a licence!

More Dickens- related learning on its way!