EMMAVILLIAN
NEWS AND REVIEWS
Summer 2024 Editon One
Mrs Lawrence is a great person, who has been teaching at Emmaville Primary School,
Crawcrook for many years. But unfortunately, she is leaving school after this term
because she is going to find a new career. Everyone is sad because she is an
incredible teacher, but the students wish her good luck wherever she goes next.
Mrs Lawrence has been teaching her for 30 years and most of the teachers have
become good friends with her while she has taught here at this school. One of them
being Mr Saddington who said: “I am really sad - I have known her for 24 years and she
is a good friend and colleague, but I will still see her around in the village”. She has
also taught hundreds of children over the years and has been teaching in Year One for
many years.
Once Mrs Lawrence has left Emmaville she is going to work some were different, and
Year One will get a new teacher to help them work and learn when the new term starts.
But, there could be a chance that some of the teachers will change the year groups they
teach, that will all be found out next year though.
Bea Year 6
Fond Farewells
There have been many trips and outings during the children’s time at Emmaville Primary School, and
Year 5 is excited to announce that another one is going to happen very soon. Both classes will be going
on their residential!
They are travelling to Yorkshire, and staying for three nights in dorms with their friends. There will be
over sixty students attending this trip. Some of the activities they will take part in are ziplining, fencing,
canoeing, orienteering, high and low ropes, circus and campfire skills, and adventure walks. They may
also get to swim in the lake after canoeing as well. These activities are very enjoyable, and Year 5 is
counting down the days for when they leave on the 8th of July.
This trip is for fun, but also to give year five a chance to experience nature and being in the outdoors.
This will teach Year 5 why nature is important as well. After talking with some Year 5 students they
have shared their thoughts about the trip. Maisy, from Oceania class, states that she is looking forward
to Yorkshire. She thinks that because she is taking part in many activities throughout the time they are
there, she will become more independent. Then she shared what she is most looking forward to. She is
very excited about ziplining, as it makes you feel that you can fly.
Mr Saddington, the teacher of Oceania class Year 5 said “I am looking forward to spending time with all
the children outside but it is a big responsibility taking lots of children away from school.” He concludes
“I can guarantee most of the children will be tired on the second morning, and a couple of adults will be
yawning too! “
Mila Year 6
Time to Take a Break
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe is a children’s classic novel for
readers aged 10 and over. The genre is fantasy and the book is full of
suspense and excitement. Written by CS Lewis, the book has been
published by various publishers, including Harper Collins.
The story is about four siblings who go to stay at a house whilst war is
going on outside. The youngest sibling, Lucy, wanders into a huge
bedroom and right in the corner of her eye she sees a gigantic
wardrobe; she takes a few steps forwards and opens the wardrobe.
She steps inside and tiptoes through many, many fur coats. Suddenly,
she sees snowfall ahead, then takes one more step and she is in a
whole different world.
You will enjoy this book because it is very action-packed and exciting.
Another reason you will love this game is because there is lots of
description and detail. My favourite character is Lucy because she is
very adventurous and confident. ‘The Lion, the Witch and the
Wardrobe’ would be an excellent book to help your children improve
their writing and reading skills, as it includes lots of powerful
vocabulary.
Emily Year 6
The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe
The Beast of Buckingham Palace is an incredible
book by the famous David Williams suitable for
bookworms everywhere. It’s a book for all ages to
read and enjoy. This amazing novel is a combination
of humour, adventure, fiction and fantasy, all stuck
together into one amazing book. I most definitely
would recommend this book to anyone over six, and
it is perfect for young readers all around the world.
Once you start reading, it is guaranteed that you will
not be able to take your eyes away from this book.
The character Alfred plays a major role in the story.
He is an incredibly inspiring young individual,
displaying courage by being determined and
persevering throughout the novel. He presents to us
that despite being a sick kid, he fights for his place
out of sheer love for his parents. The characters’
personalities are carefully and perfectly portrayed in
what they say and do and it’s incredibly easy to
picture what the characters look like.
Although the ending is supposed to bring us to light
and show that everything is okay, the detail of the
previous chapters makes everything seem dark.
Even at the happy ending the setting in your
imagination is still in darkness. But putting that aside
it is a great book and I highly recommend it.
Success Year 6
The Beast of
Buckingham
Palace
Miss Kenyon, who is an amazing teacher,
has been at Emmaville Primary School for
years and is sadly leaving at the end of the
summer term. She is leaving the school
because she wants to start a brand new
career somewhere else and do another job.
Miss Kenyon is from Manchester and has
been teaching at Emmaville for years. She
used to teach Year 2, Northern Ireland.
Currently, she teaches Nursery and
Reception and helps throughout the whole
school. Many people think she is one of the
kindest teachers in the school. She also
helps with the school council meetings for all
the school councillors who want to make the
school a better place with unique ideas.
When the next term comes around after the
summer, everybody will think the school is
not the same without her. A former student
from Miss Kenyon`s class in 2020 – 2021
called Amberlily said “ I feel a bit sad
because she has been here for years and
since I was in Reception.” Also, the current
Year 5 teacher Miss McKean had to say, “It
is very sad that Miss Kenyon is leaving
because she has been very welcoming and
friendly to me ever since I started teaching.”
Even though she is leaving, everyone at
Emmaville will remember her and wish her
good luck at her new job.
Drew Year 6
Fond Farewells
Adam Bushnell’s Awesome
Author Visit!
Author Adam Bushnell visited Emmaville Primary
School in the Autumn term of 23/24. He came to
teach the children how to write a Christmas-themed
story with an element of Halloween. The story was
not written alone as the children watched a video to
use for reference and inspiration. Adam was kind
enough to bring tools to use for the children to be able
to understand and write about it with more knowledge
about the subject instead of assuming.
In late November, Adam visited bringing candles that
smelt like spooky scents, masks that looked like
monsters and much more. It was a very educational
visit that taught children a lot about writing and about
the style you use depending on the type of story as
well as the part of the story you are writing about. The
class showed their excitement by sharing all of their
ideas and helping each other to create unique,
exhilarating stories. Adam Bushnell’s visit definitely
impacted the children’s writing in general and it was
an eye-opening experience for not only the kids but
also the teachers.
Emily Jacobson, a member of Oceania, Year 5 says,
”It was actually quite amazing, I loved how got to
make our own story. We also drew what we thought
the characters looked like and I really liked it.”
Many others agree, such as Amelia Fewster who
asserted her enthusiasm. She said, “I think the
experience with Adam Bushnell was very fun and
enjoyable and next time I hope he brings his pet
tortoise Jet.”
Clearly, the pupils of Emmaville Primary loved the
whole day with the author and left intending to
become authors themselves. Can anything else beat
it?
Emma Year 6
Art and Sculpture
During this academic year the year 5’s at
Emmaville Primary School, Crawcrook have
been learning all about the beauty of art and
sculpture. They have been looking at three
artists, Barbara Hepworth, Anthony Gormley
and Henry Moore. They had to gather lots of
facts about each individual and write all of
them down on a fact file sheet, they also had to
draw one of their favourite pieces of art.
During the summer term, the children have
been carving soap. They have had a variety of
tools to use to get fine details when carving the
soap. All of the students had the same amount
of time to produce their finished product. The
designs were amazing, they were all different
and unique. Several children re-shaped their
soap into a completely different design, some
even carved them into hearts, and some of the
soaps even got chopped in half.
Miss Emily McKean, one of the year 5 teachers
has this to say. “ I enjoyed being able to
practice my carving skills using a material that
is slightly out of the ordinary.”
I think it is a skill that needs to be practiced
because if you don’t practice you won’t get any
better at it,” she concluded.
Sophie, Year 6
Video Game – Roblox
Roblox is a great choice of game which you can download and play at no cost. You can play it on any
console available to you. The amazing developer of Roblox is David Baszucki. This game suits an
audience under 16 and is for those who enjoy adventure.
One thing we look for in games is cost. This is one of the reasons why most people think Roblox is a
great game, because, as mentioned, Roblox is one of the very few games that you can download and
play at no cost.
Another reason why you will love Roblox is because it has a vast selection of games to play. You can
also create your avatar to represent you when you’re playing games. In addition, you can change your
avatar and your name if you choose to, but you can only change your name every seven days.
Roblox is very action-packed – plus you can also play with your friends join them on games and chat
with them. Each game on Roblox Is different. You can buy Roblox gift cards which have Robux, which
is the currency used on Roblox to buy things for your avatar to wear.
Lots of people say that they can’t stop playing the game because they are addicted to it. They also say
that they’re always nagging others to play with them. They’re always wanting new people to try Roblox
out.
You can play this game with your friends as all you have to do is ‘friend’ them, which is a quick and
easy process. You may have to scroll for a while to find your friends’ avatars because Roblox is
worldwide. But all you have to do to send them a friend request and you will be able to play with them.
One game that is quite popular on Roblox is GET TO THE TOP; this game is a challenge to see who
can climb a tower made of uneven blocks. Depending on how high you get on the tower determines
how many studs you earn. To the side of the tower, there are punching gloves that you can buy to
punch people off the tower to give you an advantage to get to the top first. You can also buy a
hoverboard that helps you easily float from block to block.
Another game that I highly liked is called ELIMINATION TOWER. It is a game that is liked by many
people and which goes through a series of challenges. The challenges eliminate people along the
way, leaving the champion un-beaten by the end. Each time you win, it will be saved even if you leave
and re-join.
Most people say that one thing that could be better is the cost of the Robux gift cards as some of them
are around £50 and you only get about 2,000 Robux, which isn’t a lot, some are £10 and you get 800
Robux. Some are £20 and you only get 1,000 Robux.
But I would recommend this game for you to play
Sophie Year 6
Stepford County Railway
Stepford County Railway is a railway simulation game on Roblox, featuring many meshed trains, a
fully operational Railway operation system with functioning systems and signals as well as roles
such as Passenger, Driver, Dispatcher, Guard and Signaller. This game is very user-focused with
so much attention to detail, so which makes it suitable for everyone.
Back in 2010, ‘Stepford County Buses (Ro-bus!)’ was released by MAGICMOVIESTEAM1 (a.k.a.
Charlie Christ). This game only received about 2,000 plays over 5 years and was made private in
2015. Two years later, in 2017, A new game was released: Stepford County Railway. This game
proved popular as one of the only three good train simulators on Roblox. This game is calm, with a
basic storyline - to buy all the trains and to reach the highest rank, there is no catch.
A training feature was added in 1.7 and has been upgraded to training 2.0. This included its own
game and server, where you are briefed on what you are to do as a driver and what you are
expected to do. Once that stage has finished, you wait your turn and then you are called upon for
your training. Once you pass, you wait to be ranked so you can complete the next training. You
cannot play on certain ranks (Dispatcher, Guard and Signaller). There is currently a Driver training,
but you can still play in the Driver role regardless.
The graphics are phenomenal for an elite Roblox game, and (on average) has 500 people online
on the game at a time.
On the 23rd of December 2023, A proposition was released on Discord for version 2.0. Two days
later, (on Christmas day), another proposition was released, confirming that this way the version
2.0 stage, as well as confirming the new Driving GUI. This update will also include Signaller training
2.0, with the feature of not having to apply on Discord for the training spot. Instead, you can apply
in-game once version 2.0 has been released. So far, we have received 13 Sneak peeks, whereas
version 1.10 only had 11 Sneak peeks. This indicates that version 2.0 is coming soon.
We currently have nine roles (Passenger, Driver, Dispatcher, Guard, Signaller, Supervisor,
Manager, Developer and Director) and several more independent Ranks (e.g. [PDV] Product
Developer, [SGD] Senior Guard, [OD] Operations Director, etc.)
What could be better about SCR? Not much, considering how much version 2.0 is going to bring
into the game. Maybe a new branch? Introduce a new operator? Maybe a Ticket seller role? It
would be great if the developers could add a feature where guards could check the tickets
alongside the ticket seller.
So pick up a device like a computer or a phone, go to the app store, download Roblox, create an
account, and play SCR for free today!
Nathan Year 6
Music at Emmaville
Music is loved by billions all over the world, and
Emmaville Primary School is no exception. Emmaville
offers a range of tutoring and group lessons, such as
trumpet, choir, guitar and violin.
Music has a major impact on the community, with artists
such as Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran very popular.
Have you ever listened to a song and liked it?
Emily Jacobson, a student at Emmaville, explains: “My
honest opinion is that music can calm you and soothe
you quite a lot. It is a great way to express your
feelings, or for the Artist/Composer to do so.”
Many people attend music-related events at Emmaville.
The school hosts a Choir for Year 3 to meet up with St
Agnes (another local school) and sing at the light-up of
the Crawcrook Christmas Tree. Many townspeople
come to watch, and so many people go home with a
smile on their faces. As part of the curriculum, teacher
Mrs Laurence would teach the trumpet to the Year 4s
who would learn some tunes such as Hot Cross Buns
and the ‘Jaws™’ theme throughout the year.
Drumming lessons were available until 2023+ from tutor
George Hutton in the dance studio on Thursday-Friday.
George is a brilliant man. Some students still take
lessons with him outside of school.
Overall, all the years have enjoyed music. I love music
and I am sure that many others agree with me.
Everyone may have different tastes in music, but that’s
okay! I’m sure that you and your bestie prefer different
songs. So, when will you next pick up an iPod and listen
to some songs?
Nathan Year 6
Liz Twist goes
back to school
Liz Twist the local MP for Blaydon visited
Emmaville Primary School, in March 2024,
Autumn term. She came in to introduce
herself and the matter of politics to the
children of Years 5 and 6 as she believes that
children should have an understanding of
politics because it affects their lives.
The MP was very warmly welcomed by the
teachers and children of Emmaville Primary
School. She gave a very informative speech
about the upcoming general election against
the conservative party, and what changes
she would make if the Labour Party won the
election. Liz Twist is very important to
Gateshead as she makes all the essential
decisions for our community.
Speaking on the visit by Liz Twist,
headteacher Avril Armstrong says “I felt it
was really important that we invited our MP to
our school to talk to the children about her
political views especially as we are about to
have a general election.” One of the Year five
teachers Emily Mckean explained “Children
sometimes only get one point of view, so it is
really crucial that we share multiple
perspectives with our young people.”
Success Year 6
‘Lottie Brooks and the Totally Disastrous School Trip’
is an enjoyable book for children aged 8-12. The
book is written by successful author Kate Kirby; it is
a humorous and diary fiction book. The book is
published by the popular publishing house Puffin.
It is about a girl called Lottie who goes to a camp
called Camp Firefly with her school, while a different
school called Willow Park College Girls is there as
well. After taking part in different activities with her
crush Daniel and best friends Amber, Poppy, Jess
and Molly, they come back to a character called
Pointynose, sharing secrets from Lottie’s diary. Lottie
gets so upset that Amber, her bestie, even though
she laughs at her, tells off Pointynose for being
mean, rude and unfair. She grabs Lottie’s diary and
Pointynose gets annoyed and goes back to her
cabin.
This is a story I encourage you to read as it has true-
to-life themes, laugh-out-loud humour and funny
doodle-style illustrations throughout the book. In this,
you can find out about all the drama from her life such
as her HFB (Hot French Boy) and her situation with
Daniel (her crush). Lots of girls aged 9-12 recommend
this book as it tells the perspective of a 12and ¾-year-
old girl and is funny and creative, yet awesome at the
same time.
The book could include a few more illustrations and
more information about Lottie’s feelings, as well as a
tad more humour. As well as that, you can many more
from the series, as there are seven books in total.
Also, there is a book called ‘Lottie Brooks’ Essential
Guide to Life’. You can save your pocket money or
Christmas or birthday money to buy it; it’s worth it.
Athletics at Emmaville
In the summer term, Emmaville Primary School
had try-outs to get into the athletics competition.
The first part of the try-outs consisted of throwing,
sprinting, long-distance running and triple jump for
both of the year five classes. Both classes did
amazing! But sadly, not everyone could get in.
However, there were a few who did get into the
next round. Ethan, Mille, Eva, Mila, Lexie, Ewan,
Johnjo, Thomas and Daniel were some of the
people from Year 5 to get through.
After this, all the people who got in had another
part of the try-outs to get into the actual athletics
team. Once again everyone tried their hardest
because everyone wanted to take part. Just like
the first round, not everyone would be successful.
Then in one of the school’s Celebrations
Assemblys, it was announced who was going to
the Gateshead Stadium to represent Emmaville.
After it was announced, the was approximately
one person from each class; however, a few more
were selected from Year 6, because the students
from Years 5, 4 and 3 have more chances to get
in the next years. Getting into this tournament is a
big achievement. Ethan from Year 5 explained “It
was very nice to get in but it was nerve-racking at
first but once I got there it was very fun and
exciting”
Good look to all the competitors, and just try your
hardest
Daniel Year 6
Lottie
Brooks and
the Totally
Disastrous
School Trip
Amberlilly Year 6
Goodbye Year 6
Every year at Emmaville Primary School we say goodbye to our year 6s. We celebrate this by giving
them all a Year 6 hoodie which has their full class’s names on. They also perform a Year 6 leavers
show for us to see how much their confidence has grown and parents are invited to come and watch as
well
Since these children are in their last year of primary school they have a big decision to make. which
secondary school will they decide to go to? Lots of the Year 6s this year are going to Thorp Academy
because it is nearby. However, there are lots of other schools in the area so if there are any children
that do not get a place in Thorp they will still be able to go to a good school close by. The Year 6’s have
also completed their SATs this year and they all tried very hard. As a reward, they got a longer break
time and a free snack. On Friday after they finished their SATs they went surfing. They were very lucky
but I am sure we will all agree that they really deserved it.
Miss McKean said, “I am a mixture of sad but also proud; as they were my first class it is really strange
that they won’t be at Emmaville anymore but I know that they’ll do really well in Year 7.”
Emily Year 6
A good Girl’s Guide to Murder…
The book that makes you want more
A Good Girls Guide is a dark and mysterious book. It is great for people who like endings that leave you asking yourself
what happens next. The book aimed at 11 – 12-year-olds, is written by Holly Jackson.
Murder mystery is not only a great theme for a book, but it also usually has a great storyline. The book has a lot of
different characters, which only leads to more suspects. Pippa Fitz Amaboi (the main character) is determined to prove
that the boy everybody thinks is a murderer, is innocent. In the book, a 17-year-old girl called Andie Bell was murdered
five years ago. Everybody in the town of Little Kelton assumed that it was her boyfriend (who also had been murdered),
Sal Singh. Now, five years later, Pippa has opened up the case again, working with the suspect’s brother, Ravi, to find
the real murderer.
Later in the book, Pippa is now being targeted by the real criminal, leaving her notes. She knows that she is getting
close to the truth. It is risky, but she is not giving up. There are a couple of twists in the story, and she nearly gives up.
She is very hurt to find that the murderer is somebody close.
The characters in this book all have something that they’re hiding. Pippa e-mails lots of people who were close to Andie,
or involved in the case. She thinks that there may be a tag team with two criminals involved. She also believes that
there could have been a murderer who was very close to Sal or Andie. Her biggest thought of all is that somebody has
framed Sal and used him to hide all of their dark secrets. The names of her main suspects are Daniel and Nat Da Silva.
She is very upset and fearful to say that her best friend Cara’s dad, Elliot Ward, who makes her feel like he is Pippa’s
second dad, is a suspect. She feels that Max Hastings, Sal’s friend, is very suspicious, and she slaps him on the list as
well.
Pippa knows that digging into the past is a risk, and she knows that bad things may happen, but she tries. This has lots
of tension and creepy passages in the book. It is very enjoyable to read, but at the same time, you want to look away,
but you can’t - almost like Pippa, who tries to stop thinking about it, but she can’t either. It makes you see what all of the
characters are going through. You feel as if you are standing in the scene, watching it all happen. Pippa goes through a
lot, good things and bad. She loses her dog, she gains some more news about the case!
There are lots of different personalities to consider in this book.
Pippa, for example, is a curious, clever and close-looking person.
She takes in every kind of detail she finds, and if you are one of
those kinds of people, you will understand the varied types of jokes
she makes. There are also many changes in personalities as well,
like Ravi Singh, who starts as a quiet and selfless person and ends
a bit more confident in himself. I have probably made you think that
this story is full of lovely people. True, it has lots of kind characters,
but no, false, as it also has a large pick of self-centred, cold people.
Max Hastings, for example, is a very annoying twenty-year-old.
Pippa is particularly annoyed with a very selfish journalist.
As we can see, Holly Jackson did a good job bringing the
characters to life. Do you agree she did a good job?
Holly Jackson could have made Pippa’s log a bit more interesting,
but that doesn’t make a difference in this book’s quality. It is
honestly perfect for reading while cosy on the sofa, and very good
for taking with you on holiday to read by the pool. I think I would
rate this a one hundred out of ten! Well, in more sensible words a
good solid ten.
Mila Year 6