Bald Worm Shares a Poem a Day: Jerusalem

Bald Worm loves poetry! We kick off this half-term with the poem Jerusalem by the brilliant, visionary poet William Blake.

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.

This poem became a famous hymn

Year 6 Shakespeare Project: Bring in Your Work So Far!

You have are now working on your Shakespeare Research Project! How is your research going?

Task: Please bring in your work so far tomorrow (Tuesday).

(Image by hownowdesign; used under Creative Commons agreement)

Year 5: Revise Your Romeo and Juliet Lines!

Please look over your 'Romeo and Juliet' lines - you need to be word perfect for tomorrow. Make sure you know your cues, too!

(Image by Mr J's Travels;used under Creative Commons agreement)

Introducing Bald Worm's Book Club!

We love reading at Falcons Girls. I'm starting my own informal book club to encourage Upper School girls to read even more!

I'm going to read The Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2009 - and I'd love it if you'd read it with me!

So what is this story about? While visiting her grandmother's house, an old photograph leads Tanya to an unsolved mystery. Fifty years ago a girl vanished in the woods nearby - a girl Tanya's grandmother will not speak of. Fabian, the caretaker's son, is tormented by the girl's disappearance. His grandfather was the last person to see her alive, and has lived under suspicion ever since. Together, Tanya and Fabian decide to find the truth. But Tanya has her own secret: the ability to see fairies. And, after disturbing an intruder in the night, it emerges that someone else shares her ability ...The manor's sinister history is about to repeat itself ...

I want you to read this book at home. It would be great if Mums, Dads and siblings joined in, too! If you want to join me, get hold of a copy of The Thirteen Treasures and start reading it over half-term. I'll post a few thoughts and questions on the opening chapters the week after half-term, and you can add your voice to our discussion by clicking on comments.

Learn why it became the Waterstones Book of the Year here.

Bald Worm's Book Club - you can join today! Yeah!

Falcons Girls on Flat Classrooms

Girls in Year 5 and 6 try to convince you why it is important that teachers create collaborative projects with schools across the world

Year 5 Half-Term Homework: Continue the Passage

One task the examiners love to set in the 11+ exams is 'continue the story' or 'write the next chapter of the story' writing tasks. Learn how to tackle this sort of question here.

And Bald Worm is too good to you! Download two 'continue the passage' tasks from my box at box.net.

Task: Please draft and then type up two 'continue the passage' stories, based on the passages.

Have a great week off - and enjoy your reading, too!

Bald Worm Share a Poetry (Programme) a Day: Off By Heart

Ask your parents to let you watch (either live - BBC 2 on Friday night - or on the BBC iplayer) a BBC special by Daisy Goodwin on performing poetry

Off By Heart follows primary school children from across the country as they take part in a national poetry recitation competition - the first of its kind.

The film follows 12 finalists who progress from regional heats to a grand final where they face a judging panel including Philip Pullman, Benjamin Zephaniah - author of 'Turkey Christmas' - and Dawn Postans, Head of Examinations at LAMDA.