Last Tuesday, our Y5/6 Mixed Netball Team took part in a tournament. This was the final time the whole team would play together and they absolutely smashed it. The first game was against Knebworth where they passed with confidence throughout. It finished a draw and Mason scored a brilliant goal setting us up for the rest of the afternoon. The second game was against Roebuck which we won! The team played amazingly and really showed everything we had been working on. It was 2-1 and both Pollie and Mason scored. The next two games were excellent and we drew one and lost one. Jack, Ellie-Mae, Kit, Emelia and Fiorella played with pace and accuracy in the centre third and Annabelle and Scarlett defended well in all games!  

Overall, the team came 3rd and were award bronze medals. We were acknowledged by the staff running the event for being a great team and Jack was given the player of the day! Amazing work all!  

Our netball season is over and I am really proud of the team! We really stuck together, worked hard, played well and showed our values throughout. In the league we came 6th - a brilliant success! Well done all and a big thank you to all of our supporters! 🙂 

Thank you to Miss Wase and Miss Harris for running the netball team this year! 

On Friday the children enjoyed a fantastic Commonwealth Celebration Day, taking part in a range of Commonwealth Games inspired activities, including weightlifting, bowls, judo, freestyle basketball, dance, and netball. Throughout the day, they demonstrated excellent teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship while having lots of fun. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the spirit of the Commonwealth Games and encourage everyone to stay active and enjoy participating together. 

5J had a brilliant time at the sports event at Barclay, where they took part in shot put, relays and lots of other athletics activities. The children worked really hard and did so well in the heat, showing fantastic effort, team spirit and enthusiasm throughout the day. It was a lovely opportunity for them to get active, challenge themselves and enjoy taking part in different events. 

On Tuesday, some of our Year 4, 5 and 6 athletes headed to Ridlins Stadium to compete in the District Athletics Competition. Despite the extremely hot weather, the team showed fantastic determination, sportsmanship and resilience throughout the day. Our Under 10 team finished in an impressive 4th place out of 15 schools, just missing out on the bronze, while overall we came 8th out of 21 schools. Despite a tumble at the start of his endurance race, Jack did not let it slow him down. He got straight back up and went on to win the race (by a lot!!) This was a fantastic example of determination and showed just how important it is never to give up. Leighton showcased his jumping talent in the long jump, earning a medal for his incredible effort. That boy must have springs in his legs. Mealie also brought home a medal after a brilliant performance in the 400m race. Meanwhile, Chloe powered her way through to the 50m sprint final, where she finished in an excellent 3rd place. A huge well done also goes to both the boys and girls relay teams, who successfully qualified for their respective finals and had such speedy changeovers! 

It was a very long and hot day, but every single child gave their all and continued to cheer each other on throughout the competition. As well as some fantastic performances, it was lovely to see so much encouragement, kindness and team spirit on display between the different year groups. Thank you for supporting one another and representing our school so brilliantly. You should all be very proud of yourselves!

Our Year 4s have definitely been busy this week! On Wednesday, 8 Year 4 children had the exciting opportunity to attend an Ultimate Frisbee festival. Throughout the day, they learnt more about the sport, developed their skills and built a strong understanding of the rules. Despite very windy conditions, which made throwing and controlling the frisbees quite tricky at times, the children showed great determination and resilience, adapting brilliantly to the challenge. 

A key focus of the festival was learning how to self ref games, which helped the children develop honesty, teamwork and responsibility. It was fantastic to see them embracing this and showing such maturity in their play. The festival also helped prepare the children for the Year 5 and 6 competitions next year, which we are very excited to be involved in. To finish the day, the children took part in a series of self-managed games. It was wonderful to see them take full ownership of their matches while demonstrating excellent sportsmanship throughout. The children represented Almond Hill brilliantly, showing respect, kindness and fairness at all times. They should all be incredibly proud of themselves!

The new Year 3 and 4 football team had a fantastic day at the tournament at Woolenwick School and should be proud of the amount of passion displayed on the pitch. The children showed great enthusiasm from the very first whistle to the last. Out of the four games played, the team won one, drew two and only lost one match, which was a fantastic achievement against some strong, established competition. 

As the tournament went on, the children grew more confident and worked really well together as a team. There was lots of encouragement on and off the pitch and it was lovely to see the players supporting one another and never giving up, even during difficult and frustrating moments in the games. 

A huge well done goes to our two ‘Players of the Match’, Chloe and Freddie. Freddie stood out for his positive attitude and excellent communication throughout the tournament, constantly encouraging his teammates and helping to keep spirits high. Chloe was exceptional in goal, making some brilliant saves and showed great bravery, teamwork and focus under pressure. 

We would also like to give a big shout out to Blaise for coming along to help coach and prepare the children for the tournament. The support, encouragement and time given to the team was greatly appreciated and helped the children feel confident and ready for the matches.

Our Year 5/6 hockey team had a brilliant day at the hockey competition and really grew in confidence with every game they played. It was great to see them improving as a team throughout the tournament, working harder together, communicating more and supporting each other on and off the pitch. They showed real determination and became a very feisty, competitive team by the end of the event! 

Their excellent teamwork and encouragement towards one another led to them being awarded the teamwork Award. This is a fantastic achievement to be proud of. The team also finished an impressive 6th overall. A huge well done to Jack, Lou, Cody, Emma, Jessica and Millie for representing the school so positively and giving their all in every game. 

The netball team have had a busy week and played again against St Ippolyts yesterday. The game was really tight and both teams played brilliantly. There was some excellent passes, accurate footwork and a real sense of team work. The team have really gelled together and are working brilliantly. The scoring was end to end but unfortunately the final score was 8-5 to them. Thank you to all our supporters for coming out!

Scarlett was awarded the opposition's player of the match, Annabelle was voted for as our player's player and Fiorella was given the coach's player for her excellent movement and fantastic shooting. Well done all! 

The netball team played against Woolenwick on Friday. We started the game off brilliantly and scored first. Unfortunately, they quickly equalised. The team played brilliantly. They used the space well, made some excellent passes and were excellent with their footwork. Jack, Ellie-mae, Fiorella and Scarlett played well in the middle third defending when needed. Mason and Pollie had many shots on target and Kit, alongside Scarlett, defended the goal brilliantly. It was a tough game but the team worked really hard and did the school proud. The final score was 10-2 to Woolenwick. The opposition's player was Jack, our player's player was Scarlett and the coach's player was Kit. Well done everyone! 

When we got to Barnwell, we had a quick team talk and found out when we were playing. Then we got started straight away. We lost our first two games 1–3, which was a bit sad, but we didn’t give up.

After the refs had a little break, we started playing again. This time we won our next game 5–1, and then we won the one after that 5–1 too, which surprised us! Our last game was the match for 3rd place in our group, and we won 5–2. In the end, we came 5th out of 10 schools, which is pretty good. The best part was that we kept trying no matter what.

Well done to me, Demitri and Marcell for doing great in goal, Idris for being our star shooter, and Kit, Ava and Cody for some amazing passing and defending. And thank you to Miss Harris for coaching us and cheering us on!

Report beautifully written by Lilly in 5J

This week year 6 enjoyed time with their classmates learning to row and playing fun rowing games. They completed different games against each other and also learnt the correct posture and method for optimum rowing. The children had great fun (and many of them even enjoyed falling off their seats as they rowed too fast!) .

The Year 4 Athletics team represented the school brilliantly at their event. Many of the children were understandably nervous before competing, but they showed real courage by stepping outside their comfort zones and giving their best effort. They should all feel proud for challenging themselves both mentally and physically across a range of track and field events. The team finished sixth, which is fantastic, especially as it was the first ever event for many of the children.

Our netball team were back in action at the end of last week and played against The Leys. The team have been working really hard refining the game and it really did pay off. We won 8-0! Throughout the game, they passed accurately, defended well, used the space around them and were brilliant! Mason and Pollie scored some excellent goals. Jack was everywhere when playing centre and was well supported by Fiorella and Ellie-Mae when attacking. In defence, Annabelle and Scarlett were amazing. They worked really well as a team and it was an excellent start to our games this year. I am very proud of their perseverance and determination throughout. They represented our school with pride and lots of adults acknowledged how much they had developed as a team! Mason received the opposition's player of the match, Jack got our player's player and Ellie-Mae got the coach's player. Well done all!

Our badminton team had a brilliant afternoon at their recent event, proudly securing second place. The children showed excellent teamwork throughout, encouraging one another while competing against other schools around Stevenage. They took part in a variety of fun and challenging activities, each designed to test different badminton skills. It was wonderful to watch their confidence grow as they moved from station to station, giving their best effort every time. We are incredibly proud of how well they represented the school, not only through their sporting ability, but also through their attitude, enthusiasm and support for one another. Well done to the whole team! 

On Monday, the Almond Hill Futsal team took part in a round-robin tournament at Barnwell School. The team played 6 games and the highest number of points scored by goals won.  

The team finished 3rd overall and were proud to achieve 2nd place in the boy's competition, which reflects their effort and determination on the pitch. Well done to the girls who came 4th in their competition, it really shows what a bit of training can do! Both teams showed great teamwork throughout, communicating well and supporting each other both on and off the pitch. There were some very strong passes of play with players working hard to defend together and create chances of moving forward. There were moments where frustration showed, but we discussed how important it is to respect opponents, officials and each other whether we are winning or losing. This was a valuable learning experience and it's great that the team are now focused not only on their football skills but also their attitude. 

Our Year 6 pupils took part in an exciting indoor rowing session this week, approaching the challenge with focus, determination and no unnecessary delays. They learned the basics of the rowing technique, worked on timing and rhythm and supported each other with speedy change overs. The children had to row 2000m per leg which they split between them so were doing 250m each. They completed 2 relays all together and both times, they came first in our group. It was great to see the communication and teamwork which was taking place during the row and the level of determination to come out on top. Everyone put in a fantastic effort, showing a high level of stamina and an overall positive attitude. This event was the perfect example of teamwork and true grit! Well done to everyone who participated!

On Thursday, our Year 5/6 football team had their first league game of the season against Camps Hill. 

The boys played well and are getting better and playing more as a team every time they step on the pitch. Despite lots of chances, they were unlucky to be 1-0  down at half time but still very much in the game. The boys went back on for the second half with a good attitude and were ready! Thankfully after lots of hard work from all the players, the ball fell for Idris to level the score which also finished 1-1. A big well done to the boys who showed great resilience,  skill and fair play. Miss Simmons' player of the match was Stanley for excellent play, work rate and attitude. Mr Lanni's player of the match was Alfie for coming on and giving a very solid defensive performance. Well done both of you and the whole team! The next game is next Thursday at home vs Ashtree. 

Our netball squad had their first game of the season at home v Ashtree. They played brilliantly and worked really well as a team. Everyone had remembered all the drills we had been practising during the training sessions and worked really hard. There were some excellent interceptions from Ellie-mae, Scarlett and Emelia and some strong defending from Annabelle and Fiorella. There were also many shots on target from Pollie and Mason! Some of our spectators acknowledged the real progress from last year and we were recognised by the other team for our sports values. The score at the end was 6-2 to Ashtree. The opposition player was Annabelle, our player's player was Ellie-mae and the coaches player was Scarlett. The whole team were amazing - well done all! 

What a fantastic day of football! Our Year 5 and 6s took part in their very first tournament together. 

The matches were tough but our players showed brilliant teamwork, determination and resilience. The team gave 100% effort cheering each other on, celebrating great tackles and goals and not minding at all when they were subbed on and off. That’s true team spirit! The children represented our school so proudly and showed great sportsmanship from start to finish. 

Well done to all our players, what an awesome start to your football journey! ⚽👏 

On Wednesday, we took part in the first cross country event of the year at Fairlands Valley. There was a fantastic turnout from local schools, with each race packed full of runners! 

Every single one of our participants showed brilliant determination and effort as they tackled the challenging, hilly course. A special congratulations goes to Jack D, who stormed to 1st place in his race, with Tommy close behind in 2nd place, and to Elizabeth for finishing in the top 10 in the girls’ race. We are also delighted to share that the school was awarded a plaque for demonstrating passion for the event, a recognition of the commitment and enthusiasm shown by all of our runners. 

Well done to all our runners – you’ve done the school proud! 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️✨ 

Mrs Goddard and Mrs Hewitt, took a group of Year 6 and Year 5s to Ridlins on 17th June, to compete in an athletics competition. There were 20 schools there and many field and track events were scheduled. It was a very hot day but we managed to stay in the shade and keep hydrated. All the children tried their best and we were both proud of them all. Some amazing talent was displayed and 1st, 2nd and 3rd got a medal. Arthur from 6B smashed the 600m and finished 1st. Hetty jumped an amazing length in the long jump, finishing 1st. One of the organisers said that "she is very talented and technically very good." The boys relay team finished 2nd in the final and some amazing sportsmanship was shown. Another teacher from another school approached me to say what amazing children we have. One even checked on an injured child from another class rather than celebrate himself. Some children just missed out on a medal but without a shadow of a doubt, all who attended showed great resilience and awesome teamwork. Well done to you all who took part.  

While many of you, I'm sure, were enjoying the Occasional Day sunshine on Monday, the Year 6 football team were heading to Round Diamond to play their very last game in an Almond Hill shirt. It just so happens that this was a BIG last game to play as it was the School Cup final against a strong Woolenwick. Winning this game would mean the boys 'did the double'. They came out incredibly strong and had the best start of the entire season. They very quickly established themselves as the dominant team and took a 4-2 win. Every player did really well including our keepers Kai and Louie D. Goal scorers were Rocco, Jack M and Arthur and the Player of the Match was Jack M. Well done boys on a brilliant season. Also well done to Woolenwick who were worthy finalists.

I would just like to say a huge thank you to the Almond Hill parents who have supported them loyally all season. You are amazing - thanks so much. Lastly a big thank you to Kris (Jack's Dad) for essentially doing all the football stuff! A season everyone should be proud of. Thank you, boys, for representing Almond Hill so well - I hope you look back on this year with fond memories.  

On Tuesday, 5W were lucky enough to go and have a PE lesson at Barclay. We completed different athletic stations that included, shuttle runs, shot put, hurdles and even the long jump into the sand. All the children showed great respect to the leaders and had lots of fun!   

7 children played against 3 other schools and came 2nd! All the children played really well with good teamwork. They had a great time! 

Our Y5/6 mixed netball team played their final game on Monday against Roebuck. The team played amazingly well and were defending, getting into space and passing accurately from the first whistle. There was some excellent teamwork going on and everyone's spirits were high. There were lots of goals scored, especially from Mason and Louie D and the score was extremely tight. We went into the final quarter neck and neck and the team played amazingly. They stuck to their players, put pressure on and were careful with interceptions. The score was 8-9 going into the final 20 seconds and Roebuck equalised as the last pass. We are so happy to have finished our season on a draw. The opposition player's player was Louie D, our player's player Kornelija and the Coach's player was Mason.  

Miss Wase & Miss Harris would like to thank all the netballers and parents that have played and supported us this season. We really appreciate the players being taken to the local schools and for your constant encouragement from the side lines. We've built up a strong team and couldn't have done it with you all! Thank you!

On Friday 2nd May, Almond Hill played in the Schools Cup semi-final against Walkern. Winning this game would mean we had another final to play for. So, it was of course an amazing feeling when the whistle blew and we took the win 4-1. We do not know yet who we are playing in the final but it is guaranteed we will fight for the win as always!  

On Tuesday 6th May, the Year 6 boys, along with their parents, Miss Simmons and Miss Harris, travelled to St Albans for the Wix Centenary Shield Tournament. We had been invited to represent Stevenage and would be up against the top teams in other leagues from nearby towns, Hatfield, St Albans, Hitchin, etc. The tournament really was a show of talent with only the 'best of the best' teams invited so we went along knowing it would be tough. However, the boys worked their socks off and played some of the best football we’ve seen this season. The team effort and work rate was phenomenal. They won all 3 of their group games which earned them a spot in the final. This was against Garden Fields school from St Albans. An incredibly strong team who we also have to play against in the Wix Cup Final soon! The match was really tight and could have gone either way as both teams played exceptionally well. The whistle blew for full time with 1:1 on the scorecard. This meant that penalties would decide the victors! Some brave boys stepped forward to take these yet sadly, it wasn't our day and Garden Fields came out on top. The boys shook hands and lifted their heads high as they accepted their finalists' medals knowing that the Wix Cup final was approaching and that would be our chance to get the silverware! An amazing day which ended with a McDonalds on the way home to celebrate the team's success - massive congratulations everyone! 

The Year 5/6 mixed netball team played this Monday against Knebworth. They played with so much passion and were very determined throughout. Although we started the game strong and defended well, Knebworth went into the lead by two. We settled into the game and in the 2nd quarter we scored making the score 2-1. The third quarter was very tight and there was some excellent defending in the D. With Amelia's defending, Isabella and Kai's movement and Ayo's accuracy we score a second. This made the end of the game extremely tight. The end score was 4-2 to Knebworth. Well done to everyone that played - it was an excellent match!  Player's player was Mason and Coach's player was Ayo.

On Wednesday, our Year 6 team played in the semi-final of the Wix cup and won 2-1 in extra time securing their place in the final group next Tuesday. It was a really tough match as can be expected at semi-final level. Both teams were awarded a penalty which meant we were at 1-1 when the whistle blew. Feeling very tired and after playing 30 mins each way on a much bigger pitch (that Barclay School were kind enough to allow us to play on) we went into extra time. The team picked it up a little and on the day did what was needed for our captain Arthur to slot home a goal leading us into the final. Skyswood were a very good team and the boys are now all recovering for a day until our quarter final match on Friday against Martins Wood! Fingers crossed everyone that their amazing winning streak continues! 

On Monday, the Year 5/6 mixed netball team played a netball game against Round Diamond. Despite not training together since before Christmas, the team played brilliantly. They got into space, defended well and made sure their footwork was on point. Throughout the game, they grew stronger as a team and worked really hard when defending. Unfortunately they did not win this time, however Miss Wase and Miss Harris want to give a big shout out to them all for not letting their heads drop. The team represented Almond Hill beautifully and this was recognised by many adults. Ayo was voted the player’s player and Pollie was voted as the coaches' player for her excellent shot. Well done all!    

Lots of our young carers had the opportunity to a fun afternoon at Barnwell put on by Stevenage Sporting Futures Team and the Young Carers in Herts team. The children got to relax with yoga, practice martial arts, play dodgeball with a twist then finished off with a session on a big bouncy castle assault course. They really seemed to enjoy it and was nice for the children to network with other children across the school from all year groups in a similar situation to them.

Our Year 4 cricketers played beautifully as a team and all showed great sportsmanship. They all did Almond Hill proud! They behaved wonderfully - a member of the Sporting Futures staff even commented on their behaviour. Well done! 

(Round 2 of the Stevenage schools cup) 
The team had decided this was going to be their toughest game yet as many of the players from both teams play on the same weekend league teams and everyone agreed Peartree were 'The team to beat'. That however didn't stop our Almond Hill boys giving it their all and bringing home a 2-0 win maintaining their undefeated reign! With superb goals from Jack and Rocco and a tonne of teamwork and determination, the team really shone and took home the win they well deserved. Player's Player: Jack, Managers player: Rocco (but a nod to every player who worked their socks off!) 👏 

The team have been busy playing lots of games over the last couple of weeks and have not lost a game yet!  
League games: 
St Margrets 6 - 0 win 
Martins wood 4-1 win 
Friendlies: 
Woolenwick 2-2 
Wix Cup game: 
William Ransom (Hitchin) 3-1 win

A group of children from Year 3 and 4 were invited to take part in an athletics event at Barnwell School. All the Year 3 and 4s had alot of fun trying new athletic sports. Almond Hill were competing against 7 other schools. They all showed great team spirit and huge enthusiasm when taking part. Year 3 and 4 were wonderful representatives for Almond Hill.

What a game. Our netballers played beautifully and had some incredible patterns of play down the court. The game was tight the whole way through but Almond Hill showed resilience and passion until the final whistle. The winning score of 6-4 doesn't reflect how many interceptions and shots at goal there were in the game. Our injured Hetty came running back on after being repaired and passed the ball down the court with ease. Lola slotted in at every position we asked her to. Isabella made some great interceptions and converted them to accurate passes into the circle. Kai had an incredible first game of competitive netball and defended solidly. Louie took some fabulous shots and spent his whole time moving around the whole court. Kornelija used her circle space well to shoot with good accuracy. Ayo marked his player well and took some great interceptions. Amelia (our vocal captain) organised the team well and used her awareness of space perfectly. Thanks to the parents for helping with refreshments and for supporting this great team.

Woolenwick Players' Player: Louie D

Almond Hill Players' Player: Kai

Our first Y5/6 mixed netball match proved to be a tough challenge; St. Ippolyts had some very agile and tall players. Miss Wase and I were still incredibly proud of the way that our first ever mixed team played netball. We had some great passing down the court and were keen to intercept long passes - every player can hold their head high and say that they put maximum effort in. Special mention to Louie for scoring our one and only goal and for flying around the court to stay away from his very fast GD. Our two Y5 players fitted in well with the more experienced Y6 players and showed great teamwork. The score of 6-1 does not reflect our play - we had some good chances throughout and some lovely areas of fluency. Well done to the team.

Team:

Louie D (Captain)
Daisy
Isabella
Hetty
Albert
Ayomikun
Annabelle (Y5)
Ellie-mae (Y5)

Player of the match (voted for by St Ippolyts): Louie D

Players' Player: Louie D