Summer School took place from July 22 to July 26 for some of the newest members of our school community.  The focus for the week was on nutrition and being able to prepare our own lunches.  We also had a number of visitors to school promoting good mental health with the girls.

Read Mrs Middleman's report the on the week's events:

On Monday we prepared a pasta salad, eating some for lunch and taking some home for family to try. Cutting and food hygiene skills were learned, as well as how to maintain clean working areas. ‘Star Bakers’ were chosen from the group who had shown fantastic aptitude during the session.

The girls also enjoyed an Art Activity making masks from clay in the style of Picasso and learning to model with the clay. This was great fun for all, with the girls enjoying the texture of the clay. They also got to grips with Peer Assessment which they will become more familiar with in September.

A book swap box was made available for the girls to use throughout the week and the summer period.  This was put together by the Liverpool Learning Partnership with support from partner organisations.  I was delighted to learn that the girls were keen readers and the book swap proved very popular. A selection of books were taken away for summer reading.

On Tuesday the day started with the production of ‘Worry Boxes’.  The girls were encouraged to include on the outside of the boxes all the things that they were excited about relating to Transition and on the inside of the box the girls recorded the things they expected to find challenging. We discussed how the girls were able to access help and support  on starting school in September.

The day continued with the making of stir fry for lunch. The girls were encouraged to try new foods that they had not tasted in the past, and there was plenty left over for family to try at the end of the day. An ‘Art Therapy ‘ session followed during which decorative Art Canvasses were produced by making abstract patterns with paint, using the hands and fingers.

Wednesday was a very hot day which began with a Tour of the School in competition format. Each Team was tasked with finding their way to a number of different key areas in the school, with prizes available. The competitors and team players in the group stood out and all were in need of a drink and snack at the end.

The girls enjoyed making their own bread after this, and sitting together for a sandwich lunch before our trip to the Woolton Picture House to see the fabulous ‘Lion King’.

On Thursday we had visitors from Merseyside Youth Association who held a practical workshop with the girls using balloons and also card and coin tricks to help them understand about  ‘feelings’ and mental health.  They also made ‘glitter bottles’ to take home .

After a short break we made our own pizzas for lunch and went on to decorate our Picasso style masks as well as commence a watercolour painting of a Green Man using leaves to decorate.

On Thursday afternoon YPAS (Young Person’s Advisory Service) attended to provide a helpful session for parents to encourage them to engage with various services available to support them and their daughters. The parents who attended were able to access a wealth of useful information.

YPAS attended again on Friday morning with a session on ‘Wellbeing’ for our new starters and to explain how YPAS work in partnership with St Julie’s throughout the year.

For a treat we then walked down to Crust Restaurant in Woolton Village for a superb Italian lunch to celebrate a successful week learning new skills together, and making new friends. This was followed by a walk up to the Walled Garden in Camp Hill for relaxation and to see the beautiful flowers in bloom.

We are grateful to our friends at the Liverpool Learning Partnership for helping to make Summer School possible and for providing us with engaging books to read in the Summer holidays.

We look forward to welcoming all of our new starters in September. Have a happy and safe holiday!

Mrs Middleman