During crew time, Crew Darling (EWI) have been looking at what our HOWLS really mean to us! Crew split into three groups, focusing on working hard, getting smart and being kind.. this was then followed with a fantastic presentation to the rest of crew, sharing their thoughts and ideas about HOWLS and how they can be the best version of themselves going forward!
Tag Archives: X28
Year 7 Crews’ first solo
On a beautiful Friday afternoon, Crew Darling and Crew AJA spent some time reflecting and engaging with an important question for us at XP – “What is Crew?”
In a solo experience, we ask our students to spend time focusing on themselves and the natural world around them. For our first solo in school, we sat in a circle facing outwards thinking about what crew meant to us. For about half an hour all we could hear was the sounds of nature and of our community as others went about their busy lives. Some of us chose to write or draw our ideas, while others simply thought about the question or took the time to unwind from the stresses and anxieties of the working week.
At the end of the solo students chose to share their ideas about what crew meant to them. We saw beautiful drawings and heard thoughts about compassion, integrity and kindness.
It was a real privilege to spend time together in this way, and a great reminder that what we do at XP is very special.
C28 Admiral getting smart in HUMAN and producing BEAUTIFUL WORK!
Admiral have been producing beautiful work in Human. This week we have started Case Study 2, focusing on religious perspectives of war, pacifism and sanctity of life! Students grappled with the difference between Martin Luther who translated the Bible and Martin Luther King (American civil rights). Look at their beautiful work below..
Crew (EWI) working on their crew name presentations.. to be revealed soon.
Crew EWI have been working super hard on their presentations of proposed crew names. We had four wonderful name suggestions and a crew ballot vote.. results to be revealed soon in community meeting!
X28 Working Hard
X28 Skipper have been working hard in HUMAN. We are getting closer to finishing our first Case Study of our expedition ‘For King and Another Country’.
We have discussed the main causes of World War One and consolidated our understanding of our anchor text with a comprehension test. Super impressed Skipper!
X28 Times Tables Rockstars
This week X28 have been given their accounts for Times Tables Rockstars. Many of them had previously used this in primary school but if you don’t know, it is a website/app where students answer times tables questions to win coins they can use to accessorise a rockstar avatar. This week they have been battling against the other crews to see which crew can answer the most questions correctly.
Well done to Mrs Sprakes’ crew who won, with a total of 40,021 questions answered correctly in just 3 days. Mr Jackson’s crew came in second place with 28,806 correct answers.
I am so impressed with the speed of some of our students here… take a look at this video of Nima!
I have sent students home today with a letter for parents and careers with their username and password so students can continue to practice their times tables at home over the holidays. I recommend regular short sessions, even just 5 minutes a day can really help.
Have a lovely Christmas, X28!
Miss Boon
C28 (Year 7) fieldwork to the University of Sheffield – Tuesday 14th December
Students in C28/Year 7 will be visiting the University of Sheffield on Tuesday 14th December as part of their current expedition ‘’Food Glorious Food’. The primary purpose of the visit is to work with Dr Megan Blake and her International Development postgraduate students to look into how we might go about improving food distribution and waste. Whilst at the university, students will also be able to meet with student ambassadors and have a tour of the campus to give them a sense of what uni life is like!
We will be departing at around 9:15AM and returning for approximately 15:50PM so there will be a slight change in finish times of the school day for students. Students will need to bring a packed lunch unless they access free school meals, in which case school will provide one for them. Students will need to dress appropriately and in a waterproof coat and warm layers, as we will be walking around the campus at parts. If you have any questions about the day, feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Best wishes,
Miss Boon
During our first week together we decided to create a snapshot of the beginning of year 7 at XP for crew AJA. Our plan was to make a time capsule that we could bury in the school grounds and excavate in five years time, at the end of year 11 when our crew are preparing to say their farewells and to have their “Final Word” (an XP tradition where graduating students speak to family and friends about their experiences over the previous five years.)
In the time capsule we placed letters to our year 11 selves, artwork representing us and the things that we’re interested in, and also a few personal items that some crew members chose to represent themselves. There’s a photo of all of us together on our very first day in school too!
Sadly due to Covid, a couple of crew members missed the official capsule burial ceremony on October 1st, but we’re going to give them an opportunity to re-open the package and to make their mark on the capsule before it’s re-buried until 2026!
So, a new school year and the start of their XP journey for crew AJA. We had a great time learning names, playing games and getting to know each other a bit. We’ve discovered that members of our crew have talents in Football, Taekwondo, languages, arts, and predicting the future!
In our sessions in the first week we planned a microadventure – building time capsule and filling it with things that show a snapshot of our crew as we start our time together here at XP. We hope to bury it in a secret location in the school grounds, and dig it up as we approach the end of year 11. We’re excited to look forward to being able to look back on where we began.
Here’s hoping that we have a great 5 years together!