Captain Albert Pond

Guest Post by Arran, age 9.

I remember when Captain Albert Pond told us about when he went in the desert. I remember the flies - they were big ones! He was the captain of the tank regiment.

When he got to Italy he lifted the lid of his tank and a German sniper shot his wrist. It recovered eventually.

When he got back to Italy, at the top of a hill was a house (Monte Cassino Ed.) which the British were trying to shoot. Soon they had to break through the wall.

They went to Germany. They stopped and Captain Pond went for a walk in the woods, where he saw two children. One was itching their arm. He looked at them and looked at their mattresses. There were lice. He got a tin of dusting powder and spread in on the mattresses. The German gave him a Hitler-Youth dagger.

By Arran

Veteran Visit

Blue Class had the honour today of being visited by World War II veteran, Captain Albert Pond, tank commander with the Desert Rats. He spoke to the children about his experiences of war, fighting in the battle of El Alamein as a tank commander and taking part in the invasion of Italy. He talked of the blistering desert heat that he and his men had to endure, and explained why water is such a precious resource when you have so little available. He recounted the injuries he had sustained in duty and the problems they faced with flies, scorpions and dung beetles! He shared the story of how he came to possess a Hitler-Youth knife, given as a gift of thanks by a German Officer for an act of kindness towards his two young children.

His stories were both moving and interesting and the children were gripped by what he had to say. Through his words, the children were able to glimpse the stark realities of war and what it must have been like for those on the front line. We offer our most heart-felt thanks to Captain Pond for offering to share his memories with us, and for the difficulties he had to endure that we might be free from tyranny.

Art Day at Wingfield Barns

Five children from Upper Key Stage 2 spent a fantastic day, alongside their peers from other Debenham pyramid schools, taking part in a wide range of art activities at Wingfield Barns. This was the first of three planned sessions over the course of the year.
The children looked at the fantastic sculptures of Fred Watson, Carol Hodgson and Michael Lyons all on show in and around the centre. They used these as a stimulus for their work for the rest of the day.
Children worked in their school groups, creating 3D shapes by using tissue paper and brown gummed tape. This was carefully moulded around a particular shape or form. Whilst these were drying, the children moved outside, collecting items from the environment. These were then used to imprint on clay which was then used as a mould for plaster. The effects were fantastic!
The children then went back to working on their models and created some more 3D pieces to take home.

Sukkot

In assembly this week, we followed on with our recent theme of Jewish celebrations by looking at the festival of Sukkot. Sukkot is a 7 day Jewish holiday celebrated 5 days after Yom Kippur.

Traditionally, Jewish farmers would stay in a 'sukkah' on the edge of their fields whilst they completed the harvest. A sukkah is a hand-made shelter (usually made of tree branches) which must have at least three sides. The roof is meant to protect people from the sun's rays, but not be waterproof.

It is also how Jews remember their time in the wilderness following their escape from Egypt. Many families have their meals in a sukkah. It is a joyous occasion and is often referred to as the 'Season of our Rejoicing'.

Writers of the Week

This week's Writers of the Week:

Wall of Fame

This week's Wall of Fame Stars:

Year 6 Science Morning at DHS

Year 6 pupils joined their many counterparts from other local primary school for a stimulating morning of science facts and fun at Debenham High School. The morning began in the 'Stardome' with the extremely knowledgeable Peter Bassett who explained the solar system (as we know it) and many related topics.

After a short break, children spent time in a laboratory making, testing and developing their own space craft which they had to launch at a target whilst rotating like the earth!