Odysseus the Hero

Long, long ago when the amazing Odysseus blinded Polyphemus, Poseidon, the god of the sea, was furious because Polyphemus was his son.  Poseidon created a gigantic storm by smacking his trident on the ground.  The storm blew the sailors back to the island.   Polyphemus grabbed the boat and smashed it against the cliffs.

After that Odysseus and the crew looked around the island.  It was horrible.  It was dark and gloomy and inside the cave lay Polyphemus.  He lay right next to the glowing fire.  Smoke was rising.  It felt like the middle of the night.

As day broke, Odysseus hatched a plan.  He thought that if he could tell Hermes to ask Zeus to send a thunderbolt onto the top of the cave, a rock would tumble down into the entrance. 
So time passed on and Zeus sent a smacking thunderbolt.  It crashed down and heavy rocks tumbled down.  Polyphemus was trapped for ever.  They had won their victory!

After that they found pieces of driftwood and wooden bits of the smashed ship.  As they built the ship, Polyphemus groaned from inside the cave but Odysseus and the crew laughed and finally they sailed back home to rocky Ithaca.

Robert Batson J1

GIACOMETTI STYLE FIGURES BY J3

J3 PAINTINGS

The J3 pupils have been studying the way skies are depicted in art. They took their inspiration from Van Gogh's painting 'Starry Night - Saint Remy 1889'. They executed their work using tempura paints. The painting at the top is by Ellie Crisp and the one in the middle by Max Carstensen. Van Gogh's original is at the bottom.

WHAT IS VISCOSITY?

See a diagram

Viscosity means how easily a liquid will flow.  Highly viscous liquids like treacle will not flow easily but liquids with a low viscosity like water flow easily and quickly.  After the holiday we will be doing an investigation to find out about the viscosity of 6 different liquids, they are : tomato ketchup, bubble bath, milk, conditioner, vegetable oil and shampoo.

QUICKEST	Prediction	Results	Time taken	How far it went
	Milk	Milk	1 second	To the end
	Vegetable oil	Vegetable oil	5 seconds	To the end
	Bubble bath	Medicated shampoo	41 seconds	To the end
	Medicated shampoo	Bubble bath	2 mins 26 secs	To the end
	Tomato ketchup	Conditioner	5 minutes	8½ cm
SLOWEST	Conditioner	Tomato Ketchup	5 minutes	5½ cm

Aim
Our aim is to find what viscosity the liquids that we are testing have, and which liquids go down the ramp faster.

Method
In my group were Michael and I.  To create a ramp, we used a plastic box with its lid, and set it up as in the diagram.  Using sellotape we attached a funnel to the top of the ramp.  We used six different ingredients in this experiment, which included milk, bubble bath, tomato ketchup, medicated shampoo, vegetable oil and conditioner.  First I used a syringe to draw up 3 millilitres of milk which I then emptied into the funnel.  Michael then timed how long it took for the liquid to reach the bottom of the ramp, and we recorded the result on our table.  We then cleaned all the equipment and dried it before repeating the experiment with the next liquid.  We then took it in turns to do each job.

Fair test
We used the same equipment
The ramp was kept at the same angle
We measured 3 millilitres of each liquid using a syringe
We used a clock to get accurate times
We washed and dried all of our equipment in between each test so that we didn’t mix liquids as this could have changed the viscosity and altered our results.

Our results could have been affected by the force we used to get the liquid out of the syringe and where about in the funnel we squirted the liquid could have affected the speed of the liquid moving down the ramp.

Results
From the table we can see that different liquids have different viscosities.  The liquids with higher viscosity take longer to travel down the ramp whereas liquids with low viscosity travel down the ramp a lot faster.

Conclusion
The viscosity of a liquid is important depending on what the liquid is used for.  If milk had a high viscosity like conditioner it would be difficult to get out of the bottle and drink.  If shampoo had a low viscosity it would just run off your head and that is what happens if you put water in your shampoo bottle.  Conditioner needs to be thicker than shampoo because to work you leave it in your hair for a while and if it had a low viscosity it wouldn’t stay in your hair.  If vegetable oil had a high viscosity you wouldn’t be able to fry things in it.  If tomato ketchup had a low viscosity it would run off your hot dog.  If bubble bath had a low viscosity, when you turn on the tap it would go to the other end of the bath.

Eleanor Barnard

MAKING A GAS

See a diagram

First we stretched our balloon.  We did this because we needed the balloon to not pop in the middle of the test.  Next we used a funnel to shake/spoon bicarbonate of soda* into the funnel, then it went into the balloon.  Then, we poured 100ml of malt vinegar into a glass bottle (malt vinegar is a mild acetic acid).  We then stretched the balloon over the bottle but we did not pour the bicarbonate of soda into the bottle.  The vinegar bubbled 11cm up for about 10-15 seconds before going down.  This also blew the balloon up.  We had made a gas.

This happened because when the bicarbonate of soda and vinegar mixed together it created a gas.  This sent bubble going high up in the bottle and the gas we made blew the balloon up.

Libby Parry-Hughes

J4 Art - Sweet peas using watercolours in the style of Raoul Dufy

Macbeth - "The Lost Scene"

Act 2 Scene ½
(Outside King Duncan’s chamber, in Dunsinane Castle.  Guards are guarding the King)

Guard 1
You must admit though, it’s a great honour to be guarding the King!  Forget being a target for attackers.

Guard 2
(Laughing) Never said it wasn’t an honour.  Hey, did you hear about that bloke MacDonald?

Guard 1
Of course:  That Macbeth fellow unseamed him from the nave to th’chaps!  Scared being in the same house as him?

Guard 2
No!  Macbeth did a noble deed, no wonder the King wanted to stay in his castle.  Mind you, that Lady Macbeth.  She does seem a bit of work!

Guard 1
(Turning to check the King’s door) I agree!  Did you see how she glared at her husband after the feast?

Guard 2
Yes!  I definitely think she…

Guard 1
(Looking alarmed) Shhhh!

King Duncan and Lady Macbeth enter

Lady Macbeth  (Laughing and holding a tray with two glasses of wine on it)  Oh Duncan, you are a laugh.

Duncan
Thank you very much my dear.  It’s just an excellent experience being here.  It’s been a brilliant evening.  Goodnight my dear.

Lady Macbeth
(Grinning) May the sun shine on your presence tomorrow morning.

Duncan
Goodnight your Majesty.  (King Duncan nods at guards and they open the door letting him enter) 

Lady Macbeth
(Talking to guards) You must be very pleased to be guarding your King.

Guard 2
Yes Ma’am.  It is quite a privilege.

Lady Macbeth
But there again…all those long and lonely nights.  I can tell you now – you needn’t guard the King.  No attackers in these four walls.  In my domain!  Of course not.

Guard 1
That is pleasing to know ma’am, but we can’t take any risks.

Lady Macbeth
(Placing the tray near the guards) Surely two men on such a hot evening could do a lady a favour and have a drink?

Guard 2
As much as that seems tempting, King’s orders.  No alcohol on duty ma’am.

Lady Macbeth
(Aside) These fools aren’t men!  I’ll have to go to the limits to persuade them.  (Speaking to guards)  You must be very pleased for the victory your country has gained.

Guard 1
(Cheerfully) Of course ma’am.

Lady Macbeth
You know what they say…a country can never have enough drinks to celebrate a victory.

Guard 2
(Strict) We are very aware of that.

Lady Macbeth
Then let us drink to victory and good health!

Guard 1           
Another time maybe ma’am.

Lady Macbeth
(Becoming angry)  Oh come on!  One little drink can’t do too much – don’t be like the cat in t’adage!

Guard 2
(Thinking hard) If you put it like that…(staring at other guard) Yes!  Why not? (Picks up small glasses)

Lady Macbeth
To victory! And good health! (Guards drink it all in one go. Guards automatically drop to the floor).  Spongy officers!  Do they not think before they leap?

(Lady Macbeth picks up a bell out of his pocket and rings it)….

Exeunt

Joshua Smith J4G

My life in a viking village

My name is Grimr Haraldsson and I am eight years old. I live in a small village which is quite near a bigger town called Jorvik. I was born in Jorvik and we moved to this village when I was two. My mum and dad came from Norway about twelve years ago, just before my older sister was born. She is called Asa and she is eleven years old.

My dad is a blacksmith. He makes horseshoes mainly, but he makes other things like knives and cooking pots. Sometimes he makes weapons and chain mail, which is iron discs stitched together. Weapons cost a lot of money, so people don't buy them very often. Swords and axes are often passed down from father to son and people give them names. My favourite name for a sword is Skullcracker. I help my dad with his job and he's going to teach me how to be a blacksmith. I'm glad I'm not a girl, because my sister has to help my mum around the house. We have a loom in the house that my sister and mum use to make cloth. Once the cloth has been dyed with vegetable dye, they make it into clothes for us. My shoes are made from leather and so is my belt.

My house is quite big and my dad earns quite a lot of money. The house is made of wood and the roof is made of straw, which needs re-thatching very often. In the room there is a stone-lined hearth in the middle. A cooking pot hangs over the hearth and all our meals are cooked on this. We have two meals a day and my favourite food is fish. The fire also keeps the house heated and cosy, especially in the winter. All the food is stored in barrels and clothes and valuables are stored in chests. On each wall Asa and I have clay platforms for sleeping and sitting on. I have a sheepskin cover on my bed, which is really soft and warm. My mum and dad have a proper bed in their own room. By my bed we have a chess board and sometimes, in the evening, I play my dad at chess. When the weather is nice I have the chance to swim in the river. Even though it's freezing it is really good fun.

In my village there are about sixty houses. Our house is one of the biggest apart from the banqueting hall in the middle of the village. In the village there is lots of mud and in winter it gets very cold. Behind our house is a pig pen where we keep five pigs. Every year we kill the fattest pig and keep its meat to eat over the winter. Some of the villagers keep sheep, pigs, goats and chickens. Around the village there are fields with oats and barley growing in them for us to eat and hay which is stored to feed the animals over the winter. My friend, Gorm, lives next door and he is going to be a farmer when he grows up.

Tomorrow, there is going to be a big feast in the banqueting hall. I am really excited and I'm going to wear my best blue woollen tunic. The feast will last for three days. During the day I will be playing ball games or swimming with Gorm. In the evening, the eating and drinking will begin. We eat piles of food, such as seagull eggs, cheese, wild berries, apples, dried cod eaten with butter, smoked mutton and sausage stuffed with blood and lard. The men drink lots of beer and mead, which is made from honey. I have only been to one feast and it was really good. The best bit is when the elders of the village tell exciting stories or sagas. I like the one about Odin and his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. He's the mightiest good and he's my favourite. I also like Thor because he has a hammer and anvil like my dad. People wear their best clothes for the feast. The men wear tunics and trousers made of wool or linen. My dad has a pendant with Thor's hammer on it. He says it has magic powers which protect him and he is going to wear it to the feast. I hope he gives it to me when I am older because it would help to protect me when I go on raids.

My mum is going to wear her pleated linen dress and her shawl which is fastened with a round brooch with a pattern in the middle. I can't wait for the feast tomorrow.

For the rest of today I'll be helping my dad by working the bellows to keep the fire red hot. Today we are mending pots and pans.

Alex Watts (J2G)

POEM - School Tomorrow

I open my eyes and it's Monday morning,
It's here with no warning,
It only seems like yesterday,
There I was packing my school things away.

Bringing my school bag I get in the car,
And my mum says, "It's not far,"
On the way we practise my spelling,
If I get them wrong my mum starts yelling.

I arrive at school, nearly late,
The traffic was bad but I see my mate,
We hurry to class together,
To avoid the weather.

Very soon it's time for break,
The teacher says, "For goodness sake!
Slow down, don't run in the hall,"
But all we want to do is play ball.

At lunchtime I need food to eat,
Potatoes, gravy and some meat,
I gulp it down, it's time for play,
Nearly the end of another school day.

After lunch we have double art,
I think Pete's pictures look pretty smart,
The lesson passes very quickly,
Now it's time for history.

Very soon it's half past three,
We all look forward to our tea,
It fills everyone with such sorrow,
When Mr. Griffin gives us homework for tomorrow.

Matthew Anthony (2G)

ARTWORK
Click on a painting to bring up a larger version in a new window. Ther paintings, starting top left and working clockwise, are by Ioan Parry-Jones, Marvin Hayes, Sanchia Palmer, and Natalie Metcalf.

TELEVISION
"Watching television is not bad for children, in fact it can be very good for them" Discuss..

I firmly believe that watching television is bad for children and I have a number of reasons supporting this.

Some people may think that television provides lots of topics for family conversation, but I strongly believe that television has spoilt quality family time together. Just think about it: wouldn't families be spending more time together talking and playing games if there wasn't any television? At the moment all we do when we come home is slouch by the settee and watch television silently.

Although others may believe that television encourages children to read books, I don't see how it does, do you? I think it is obvious that children use television as an alternative to reading good books. When you are actually watching television it is ruining your eyes, whereas if you read a book nothing can happen to your eyes because there are no colours or moving pictures.

Others may disagree, but I think that children are not getting enough exercise because they are glued to the television. Clearly, children (and some adults) and spending way too much time watching television. Some may say that children need time to relax, but I firmly believe that there are many other ways of relaxing than watching television. Children should be getting more exercise than they are now.

To conclude, I think what all of us parents really want is for our children to grow up having a great knowledge about the world around us. Watching children's programmes on television, as most youngsters do, isn't going to help us in this. Think about it, why go with television when you know what's really right for you and your kids?

Sadhika Kumar (J4H)

THE TRUTH
Of course the truth about what happened that day didn't come out for a long time. However, because I was there, I knew that it would affect me for ever.

It was the end of the day and I was walking home. I couldn't believe how stupid I had been. I hadn't thought about the consequences of my actions.

I had taken a cigarette from a bunch of seniors at school and smoked it. It was so hard to resist though. I declined the offer at first, knowing how bad it was for you. The seniors laughed at me though, and they called me names like "wimp" and "chicken. So because of that I snatched it out of their hands. One of them lit it for me, and I put it to my trembling lips. I breathed in the nicotine and tar and all the other nasty things in cigarettes. I had a coughing fit instantly and I threw the disgusting thing on the ground. By the time I looked up the seniors had gone. All through the day a feeling of guilt surged through me. How could I have been so stupid? Mum was going to kill me.

I had reached my front door. I used my keys to open it. I kicked my shoes off and dashed upstairs. I had just reached the door when.

"Ketan what's that smell?" - it was Mum.

"Nothing Mum!" I shouted back. "My blazer just got singed by a Bunsen burnet in science". Later on I went downstairs for tea. I had to tell someone what I had done. "Smoking!" exclaimed Mum after I had told her, "how could you?" I stayed silent, knowing that anything I said would make my Mother even angrier. After Mum's sudden outburst she went pale and her face was blank. She didn't speak to me after that, and she seemed very distant. This was much worse than tears or shouting. I felt ashamed.

The next day, Mum kept me from school and showed me some videos. These videos though were not ordinary. They were about how smoking damages your health. The titles were bad enough, with names like "Where there's smoke there's cancer", the content of these videos was sickening though. There were people having lungs removed and the video showed what goes into a lung. All I could see was black stinky tar. My Mum sure knows how to stop me from smoking.

The next day at school I had my SAT's. I just couldn't concentrate on my exams. I was too upset and ashamed of what I had done to my Mum. I had ruined the most important relationship. The SAT results came out later that day. I had never been particularly bright but 33% was an all-time low. I was distraught. I wondered how just one puff of a cigarette could cause so much trouble. As I expected, Mum wasn't bothered by the marks, she was too upset with me to care, I was on the verge of tears.

Over the next couple of weeks I planned a project to show at school. I was called "How smoking can affect your life". The teachers were very pleased with me. I told everyone at school what I had done and I promised never to smoke again, not even one puff. Over time Mum forgave me, and that was the best feeling ever.

Ketan Dhital (J4G)

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