Update
Another very busy week in Year 5 and 6. Here are some highlights and key messages:
Light
Following on from our light topic in science last half term, we had a Zoom meet with lighting engineer, James Martin. He spoke to us about how crucial lights are in our busy world but also how he works hard to ensure we are using light effectively. We discussed light pollution and how that can impact wildlife and how blue lights, from our devices, can inhibit sleep and cause fatigue and stress.
Help at home – ask your child about how lighting at a swimming pool is carefully considered to ensure safety to all. Can your child reduce the amount of blue light exposure they experience before bed?
Maths – fractions
Converting between mixed numbers and improper fractions is sometimes tricky but it is becoming second nature to us. The children can use this knowledge to answer multi step problems and clearly explain their reasoning.
Help at home – Provide some fractions for your child to add and subtract, can they talk you through the process? Year 6 children, complete fraction pages of your revision booklet.
For some useful games, visit – https://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/menus/fractions.htm
Writing
We are in the process of writing a narrative including speech and action. The children have really impressed with their knowledge of dialogue and the key points to remember when punctuating speech:
– inverted commas to open and close direct speech
– direct speech starts with a capital letter
– punctuate your direct speech before closing inverted comma (, ! ? .)
– separate direct speech from reporting clause with punctuation
– new speaker, new line
Help at home – Can your children write using speech at home? Maybe they could write a conversation you have had at home or something they have seen on the television. Try to include a variety of ‘said verbs’, such as boomed or whispered.
Reading
Please continue to hear your child read at home on a regular basis. Children have a reading record with a variety of activities for them to complete. Please ensure reading records are in school every Friday.
Maths
Since coming back in January, we’ve been exploring the numbers from 10 to 20. We’ve focused on understanding these “ten and a bit” numbers by breaking them down into tens and ones, showing how each number consists of one ten and additional ones. We’ve also practiced identifying one more and one less than these numbers.
Today, we extended this learning by working with “ten and a bit” numbers on a number line. Using flashcards numbered 10 to 20, we ordered them, then turned them upside down and thought about where each number would fall on the number line. Finally, we shuffled them and selected three random numbers and arranged them in order from smallest to largest.
Living and Learning: Safety and Risks
Year One Class News: Exploring Risks!
This week in our Living and Learning lesson, Year One took a closer look at risks! We began by revisiting what we mean by danger and safety and explored the meaning of taking risks. The children shared examples of risks they take in everyday life, identifying some around school and at home.
In the classroom, we discussed how small actions like leaving items on the floor or chairs out can create risks and how we can avoid them to keep our classroom happy and healthy. At home, we focused on the kitchen, considering risks such as touching a hot oven or spilling water.
The children also worked together to order different risks by level—low or high. We discovered that some risks, like going up stairs or making a drink, depend on other factors.
Here are some thoughtful comments:
Gracie: “It depends what type of drink you’re making. Is it hot or in a glass?”
Luna: “There could be different hazards in the garden, like a wasp.”
Jolyon: “Going up and down stairs is more dangerous when you’re younger.”
Well done, Year One!
Help at Home
Click here to play an educational game about identifying risks around your own home!
Living and learning: I know that some drugs can be harmful.
In our living and learning sessions so far, we have been learning about drugs. So far, we’ve found that drugs are substances that change the way the mind and body works. We’ve also discussed that some drugs can be helpful to our bodies, but some can be harmful, too.
This week, Year 3 had discussions on everyday drugs within our households and how to keep safe around them.
In our house, we have a cupboard with a lock on and only mum and dad go in if we need medicines.
Lots of drugs like Calpol have lids on that don’t open if really young children get hold of them to keep them safe.
In the next session, we looked into some drugs that may be harmful to our bodies – alcohol, smoking and vaping.
Children were tasked with reading some social scenarios surrounding these drugs and they had to decide in groups whether they agreed, disagreed or were unsure of the outcome. The class performed extremely well in this task, and were very honest with parts they were unsure of (our Christian Value this half-term is honesty). We found that the majority of children were very confident with age restrictions and legal/illegal scenarios, but were less confident on drug usage, and what to do in scenarios where others might be around these drugs.
We will pick this up further in our circle time discussion on Monday, as I’d like to ensure all children feel happy, healthy and confident with this knowledge, so they can stay safe and not worry.
Help at home:
If your child does have any worries about any context in these sessions, allow them to share this with you. Perhaps go through some everyday drugs and medicines in your household – you could talk about how they are used correctly to help our bodies.
Lost and Found
We have had another fantastic week looking at our focus book Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers.
Our word of the week has been climate and we have been geographers. We have looked at the globe again and talked about the equator being the hot line.
Phonics
Spring 1 week 2 has focused on the digraphs oo, oo, ar, or
We’ve learnt the tricky words; was, you, they
Tricky words are words that should be read by sight.
In class we have also been
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 I can build a snowman
I can build a snowman,
I can build it high.
I can build a snowman,
Up into the sky.
Maths; the staircase pattern
In Maths, we’ve been looking at counting and ordinality- specifically, the ‘one more’ relationship that creates ‘the staircase pattern’.
We were introduced to the concept by the Numberblocks, before moving on to create our own staircase patterns in small groups.
Have a happy and healthy week and thank you as always for your support.
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Mr. Smith.
Geography – How are mountains formed?
In Geography this half-term, we are learning about natural disasters with a particular focus on volcanoes and earthquakes.
We have been fascinated to learn about the layers of the Earth and tectonic plates. On Thursday we investigated how mountains are formed. The children were challenged to read an explanation of how volcanoes can form mountains and to draw a picture that they could use to describe the process.
Help at home – Can your child use a picture to explain this process to you?
Writing – using conjunctions
In writing, we have been working hard to fix squashed sentences.
On Friday, we used our understanding of main clauses and subordinate clauses to use subordinating conjunctions. We used this image to help us recall some of the most popular subordinating conjunctions:
We used subordinating conjunctions to write sentences about natural disasters (linking to our learning in Geography). I think you will be particularly impressed with Alara’s sentences as she has used a subordinate conjunction in the middle of one sentence and a different subordinate conjunction at the start of the other sentences.
Help at home – if your child is interested in learning some alternative subordinating conjunctions, you could use this song from Grammasaurus to give them other ideas they could use in their writing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK2Gyto5gTQ
Next week we will begin writing our diary entry about escaping from a volcanic eruption so there will be plenty of opportunities to show off all that we have learned about coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
Calming Yoga in Year One
Our amazing Year One yogis are discovering the benefits of yoga!
They’ve been practicing their balance and focus with fun and challenging poses like Dancer, Tree, Sloth, Downward Dog and Warrior. They’ve unlocked their inner warriors and are now sequencing poses into a graceful flow.
Each class begins with calming breathing exercises – Elephant Breath is a firm favourite! We finish with peaceful meditations to feel calm and strong.
Help at Home Tips:
- Practice Elephant Breath together to relax.
- Try a Tree Pose challenge – who can balance the longest?
- Create a mini yoga flow with your child’s favourite poses!
We’re back and we’ve been super busy!
The children settled in so well after their Christmas break. They’ve been brilliant at going back to their usual routines and I’ve been so impressed with their self-care skills. Lots of children can put their coats on themselves and take shoes and socks off for PE.
In PE we’ve been practising climbing, balancing and jumping as well as our coordination skills with bean bags and quoits.
For Maths we’ve been building our mastery with number 1! We can represent one using our hands, with Numicon, by making marks and collecting one object.
Have a go at home by watching Number Blocks, Number 1, then find ways to represent 1 in your house. We’d love to see any photos or videos!
Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog (it’s along the play bar) and turn off autoplay – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip
Next week!
Next week our book will be Dinosaur Roar!
Science – Lotherton Hall
On Tuesday, we donned our high vis jackets and biologist hats to visit Lotherton Hall’s Wildlife World. Year 2 represented St James’ brilliantly and thoroughly enjoyed their day out.
We started our day with a workshop about animals and habitats. The children were invited to work like biologists by observing some replica skulls, comparing their teeth before pondering what this might tell us about their diet – the carnivores had sharp teeth; the herbivores flat, rough teeth. We learnt about a variety of animals, including penguins, snakes and tapirs.
After the workshop, we explored the zoo. The children were fascinated by a range of animals from around the world. We were particularly enamoured by the penguins and the exploits of Arthur the tapir…
We had a fantastic day out and the children have returned to school with oodles of animal knowledge! This visit prepares us for our next science unit: Animals – Habitats
Help at home by inviting your child to recount their day at Lotherton Hall (Can they use time adverbials? e.g. First, Next, Then, After that, Finally). Can your child remember the habitats we learnt about in the workshop? Encourage your child to work like a scientist by asking questions – what would you like to find out about animals and their habitats?