Science – Materials
In science, we’re learning about materials. We’ve been exploring a variety of everyday materials, including their properties and uses.
This week, we’ve learnt that some solid objects can change shape.
- stretch – to make something longer without ripping, breaking or tearing
- bend – to force something to curve
- squash – to crush or squeeze something
- twist – to bend or curl something out of shape
We collected a variety of everyday objects ready to test. We worked like scientists by planning our investigation and making predictions.
We tested each object by stretching, bending, squashing and twisting.
We recorded our results and checked them against our predictions. The children were precise and meticulous, both in making their predictions and carrying out the test.
Help at home by asking your child how they’ve worked like a scientist during our materials unit? Challenge them to complete the vocabulary matching task below.
Maths: adding and subtracting
In Maths, we’ve been learning how to add and subtract one or two from a single digit number. We’ve been using a number line to help us.
Check out our amazing work below.
Help at home: Complete the number sentences. Remember to check the symbol (+ or -) before you start.
2 + 1 =
4 + 1 =
7 + 2 =
5 + 2 =
4 – 1 =
6 – 1 =
9 – 2 =
2 – 0 =
How to Catch a Star
This week our focus book has been How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers.
The children have really enjoyed thinking of different ways to catch their own star.
“I would use a lasso to catch a star.” Joey
“I would eat 9 peeled apples and collect the seeds and plant them to grow a tree. I would climb the tree to the top and get a star.” Carson
“I would use a really big ladder and climb to the top.” Ella
Our word of the week has been reflection and we looked closely at shiny and dull objects. We also looked at the artist Claude Monet who created lots of artwork looking at the Houses of Parliament.
Phonics
This week, we focused on the new digraphs sh, th, ng and nk.
We’ve also learnt the tricky words; she, he, of, go, no
Tricky words are words that should be read by sight. We start by identifying which part of the word is ‘tricky’.
Please continue to revisit this week’s sounds, by using the learn at home sheets. Thank you.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk to the children about how this can help us become better readers. This week’s poem is called Shoes.
Before I jump into my bed,
Before I dim the light,
I put my shoes together,
So they can talk all night.
I’m sure they would be lonesome,
If I tossed one here or there,
So I put my shoes together,
For they are a friendly pair.
Have a happy and healthy weekend and please don’t forget to email any pictures from home to stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org thank you as always for your support.
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman and Mr. Smith.
Whatever Next!
This week our focus story has been another fabulous book by Jill Murphy
We took our teddies and space helmets into space in our rockets. We had a lovely picnic and saw lots of things on the way too.
Can we go to the moon now? – Blossom
Look it’s an Owl, it’s nocturnal- Elliott
We need to have our picnic now, I’ll get the food – J
I’ve got some watermelon- Avery
Oh no it’s raining, we need our puddlesuit- Oria
We need to go back now to get our bath beacause we are dirty- T
Big rocket- Tate
Help at home: Take a journey to the moon, what will you see?
If you have any empty boxes at home you could decorate it and take your grown-up’s on a journey. Don’t forget to be back in time for your bath before bed.
Have a lovely weekend!
The Nursery Team
Putting our gymnastic skills to the test!
This half-term, our focus in PE is gymnastics. Over the last few weeks, we have been working on some key skills/concepts needed to develop our fundamental movement skills further. Here’s some of the skills we’ve learnt:
- balance
- movement (high and low, fast and slow, moving to a rythm)
- flexibility
- strength
- jumping (how to start and finish safely, along with a variety of jumps)
This week, we utilised the equipment in our school hall and decided to put all our learnt skills to the test! The children had a brilliant time with this – they tested out their skills and had lots of freedom to add challenge to each activity. All children participated safely and worked together as a team. Below are some pictures of our session.
Help at home:
Can you identify and skills (from our bullet point list) being used in the pictures? Talk with your child about the key skills needed in gymnastics and how to develop them.
Living and Learning – I know there are a range of emotions
This week we have been thinking about different emotions that we experience and about how it is normal to experience a wide range of emotions. We used the characters from the Inside Out films to help us identify different emotions and consider how they can vary in strength.
We will continue our learning about emotions to reflect on how each emotion makes us feel and what we can do to manage those feelings if they become too much.
Help at home
It is always great to talk about emotions but if you would like something more structured to support your conversations you might enjoy using this workbook from MindMate:
Year One Topic Review
We ended this week with a review of our previous topic unit, The Great Fire of London. The children were thrilled to welcome some of you to join in the fun and take part in our Great Fire of London quiz.
Everyone worked brilliantly in their teams, answering questions about key events, Samuel Peyps and life in 1666. The children impressed us all with their knowledge and enthusiasm. They proudly showed off their learning, explaining how the fire started, why it spread and how it was eventually stopped!
The children also had the opportunity to show off the painting they have been working on in their new topic, Art. Sharing their knowledge of the artist George Seurat and the style of art he created, pointillism.
Thank you to the parents who joined us—it was lovely to see such teamwork and encouragement. This event was a wonderful celebration of the children’s hard work!
Help at Home:
- Visit your local library to find books about the Great Fire of London.
- Explore online resources together, like videos or interactive timelines.
- Practice timeline skills by talking about events in your child’s own life.
Topic Review – Art Open Classroom
We loved welcoming parents to our topic review where we looked at the work we have done so far this half-term in art. Having reviewed the art we have already created using white pencil on black paper and by using different pens on tracing paper, we trialled a new process using carbon paper.
We will soon be combining all the different processes to make a collage.
Philosophy Friday – 29.11.24
Philosophy is thinking deeply.
Every Friday, we start our day with some time to wonder and ponder.
We’ve a different question each week – there’s no obvious right/wrong answer and no underlying moral message. All children are given the opportunity to contribute their ideas and give reasons for their thoughts.
This week’s question related to our current topic:
This half-term, we’re artists. We’ll develop our art knowledge and skills.
This question sparked some interesting discussion and debate.
It doesn’t even have to be good. You can do anything you want as long as you had a good time doing it.
– Freddy
It’s always going to look nice to someone. I believe you should do whatever you want.
– Izabella
If every painting looked like something, it could be a bit boring. It could just be colours and shapes.
– Olly
It’s the colours that make a painting beautiful.
– Ellis
Our oracy focus this half term is:
Help at home by discussing this week’s Philosophy Friday question with your child. Can you find any examples of art that don’t immediately jump out as resembling something?
PE – Gymnastics
We have been working hard in Year 5 and Year 6 developing our gymnastic skills. We have been performing many jumps and balances and putting together short routines – all whilst maintaing control.
Today we used more of our gymnastic equipment and transferred our skills. We explored, experimented and created ways of moving around the space available.
Help at home – We have some amazing gymnasts in our class. If your child is keen to join a club outside of school, we have many gymnastic clubs in and around Wetherby. Why not give them a go?