Class News

Forest Forage

Posted on Friday 24 November 2023 by Miss Ward

This week the children took inspiration from our focus story-  Hodge the Hedgehog! We decided to build our own hedgehog house to take into the forest, we have noticed that the hedgehogs have been taking residence near the holly bush. We did some research to see what would make a comfortable and cosy home for a hedgehog and here’s what we got up to …

 

I wonder..

The children have been noticing recently that some pine cones are spiky and some are smooth. So we did an experiment!

Why do pine cones close their scales in water? 

predictions…

because they don’t like getting wet

it’s their coat

so it doesn’t get full of water

 

The answer is… 

To protect their seeds from freezing temperatures and hungry animals!

Help at Home:

Have a go at your own pine cone experiment. What happens to the pine cone in water? What do you think will happen when it dries?

Send us some pictures of your experiment to share in nursery to stjamesnursery@spherefederation.org

What’s happening next week?

Focus story– Whatever Next by Jill Murphy

Nursery rhyme of the week – 1,2,3,4,5  once I caught a fish alive

Sound of the week – I for Iguana

Parent Consultations:

Tuesday 28 November 3:30-6:00pm 

Thank you to those who have booked an appointment. We can’t wait to share your child’s progress with you. It’s still not to late to book if you would like one, there is a booking form in nursery if you wish to come.

Have a happy and healthy weekend!

Miss Ward and Miss Harvey

 

Artists at work

Posted on Friday 17 November 2023 by Mrs Freeman

Our current topic is an art focused one. The children are studying the work of two featured artists: Paul Klee (modern artist) and Leonardo da Vinci (Renaissance artist).

Here is a list of our art related vocabulary and definitions.

  • shape: a two-dimensional area which may be created using lines or colour
  • tone: how light or dark a colour is
  • primary colours: three colours (red, yellow, blue) that can’t be made by mixing other colours, but can make other colours
  • secondary colours: three colours (orange, green, purple) that are made when two primary colours are mixed using paint
  • pattern: arrangements of things such as colour, shapes and lines that repeat in a logical way
  • texture: how something feels, like smooth or rough

Today, the children learnt about primary and secondary colours.  We had fun mixing the primary colours to make the secondary ones.

Mixing colours

The primary colours are blue, yellow and red. When you mix these colours you can make new colours.

When you mix red and yellow together, you make orange.

When you mix red and blue together, you make purple.

And when you mix blue and yellow together, you make green.

Colors Primary & Secondary Colors - YouTube

The festival of light

Posted on Friday 17 November 2023 by Miss Ward

This week we explored the Hindu festival of light known as Diwali. The children got busy making their own Diva lamp, Menhdi patterns and using natural resources such as pumpkin seeds to create Rangoli.

It has also been World Nursery Rhyme Week!

This is a great way for the children to develop their listening and attention skills that will support them into becoming confident readers throughout school.

Here are some of the rhymes that we’re learning to sing:

Help at home: Listen to these Nursery rhymes and sing them together at home. Does your child have a favourite rhyme? Can you think of anymore? Let us know or send us an e-mail/video to stjamesnursery@spherefederation.org

We’ve also been having lots of fun in our PE sessions recently. We’ve been exploring different ways of moving our bodies.

Like a Snake- Mia

Like my Puppy- Charlie

I can do a Caterpillar – Louie

What’s happening next week?

Focus story– Hovis the Hedgehog

Nursery rhyme of the week – I’m a little teapot

Sound of the week – P for Penguin

 

Parent Consultations

This week you will receive an email to book an appointment to discuss how your child has settled into nursery and their learning, plus an opportunity for you to ask any questions or raise any concerns. 

Have a happy and healthy weekend!

Miss Ward and Miss Harvey

 

Living and Learning: Anti-bullying day and odd socks day

Posted on Friday 17 November 2023 by Mrs Palmer

We kicked off anti-bullying day with our odd socks to celebrate that we are all unique and different.

We explored our school definition of bullying, created by our junior leaders, by looking at what some of the words meant.

What are the different types of bullying?

Our school definition helped us understand the different types of bullying – physical (hurting our body), emotional (hurting our feelings) or cyber bullying (online).

Our main message is Start Telling Other People and to continue to do that until you are heard.

Seeking help can be done in a number of different ways.

Who could you tell? (taken from our child friendly anti-bullying policy)

  • Safeguarding team – Miss Beetson, Mrs Small, Mrs Walshaw
  • Any other members of staff
  • A trusted adult
  • Someone in your family
  • Friends
  • Childline (0800 1111)
  • Write a worry slip and put it in your Living and Learning box or the whole school worry box (outside the school office)
  • Email stayingsafe@spherefederation.org

Help at home: discuss our school definition of bullying with your child. Do they know the difference between falling out and bullying, and between a one-off situation and something that’s happened more than once?

Living and Learning: Anti-bullying week

Posted on Friday 17 November 2023 by Mr Freeman

For our anti-bullying week, years 5 and 6 have been listening, discussing and supporting each other with anything and everything around bullying.

In our school, we know that bullying is when something negative happens:

Several

Times

On

Purpose

If we experience this, we know to Start Telling Other People.

 

Recently, we have been focussing on online behaviours and what respectful behaviour looks, feels and sounds like online. The class were very engaged and responsive during this discussion, providing definitions of respectful behaviour, along with advice and support to people who may have been treated unkindly online.

Here are some of the pupils with their definitions of respectful behaviour:

Help at home:

Check in with your child about their online experiences. Make sure they feel happy, healthy and safe when accessing online content and guide them in continuing to make safe and respectful decisions online.

Children in Need

Posted on Friday 17 November 2023 by Miss Beatson

Thank you for all your support raising money for Children in Need. 

We have raised £140 for the charity.

 

Reading: James Mayhew

Posted on Thursday 16 November 2023 by Mrs Palmer

In our English sessions, we have been reading the book Katie and the Mona Lisa by James Mayhew. Today, we zoomed the author James Mayhew . During our zoom he told us how he came up with his ideas for all his different books through sketching things such as the characters, costumes and buildings. He told us sometimes the drawings go wrong but that’s ok because this helps him to develop and write his stories. He then modelled how he uses drawings to create a story. We listened and watched in amazement as he told a story all about St George, a dragon and a princess whilst he illustrated at the same time.

He read us another of his knight stories. He told us that he likes to find and read old stories and use these to inspire his writing.

During our English lesson last week, we thought of some questions that we’d like to ask James Mayhew about his book Katie and the Mona Lisa.

Where did you get your inspiration from?

Why did Grandma smile secretly at the end of the story?

How did you draw the Mona Lisa so well?

Why did Mona Lisa choose to speak to Katie?

We learnt that the inspiration for the book came from a trip he took to Florence when he visited an art gallery and that he has had over 70 books published. He told us he first started to write when he was 20 but it took 5 years to get his first book published. We spoke about how we have to be resilient.

Help at home: Have a discussion at home about our zoom with James Mayhew. Can your child remember any of the interesting facts he told us. For example: Where does he get his inspiration from? How old was he when he first started to write? Where do his ideas from for his books? Who is the character Katie based on?

 

Living and Learning: know how to STOP bullying!

Posted on Wednesday 15 November 2023 by Mrs Freeman

We kicked off anti-bullying day with our odd socks to celebrate that we are all unique and different.

What is unique?

We discussed the meaning of the word ‘unique’.

I am unique because there is no one else like me that has my personality or looks.

Nobody has my hair, my eyes, my nose, or my smile. Nobody draws like me, paints like me, sings like me, or dances like me.

I am unique because God made me and wanted me to look and act exactly like I do now.

Unique Meaning - YouTubeWe explored our school definition of bullying by looking at what some of the words meant.

What is bullying?

We’re all able to make a choice in how we behave towards others. We can choose to be kind or helpful, or we could act in a way that is mean and unkind.

What is bullying behaviour?

Bullying is a type of unkind behaviour, such as being mean to others on purpose. Sometimes, people who bully others may be feeling sad or angry and might take their negative feelings out on other people.

What are the different types of bullying?

Our school definition reminds us of  the different types of bullying – physical (hurting our body), emotional (hurting our feelings) or cyber bullying (online).

How can you STOP bullying?

We used our weekly circle time to think about the role we all have to STOP bullying. Year 1 had some great suggestions.

Our main message is Start Telling Other People!

You can stop bullying by…

saying STOP to the bullies and if they don’t stop, tell an adult – Harry

being kind to people and not hurting others – Poppy

being resilient and saying STOP – Vincent

ignoring the bully, walk away – Athena

How can you get help?

The children were reminded about where/who to ask for help.

Who could you tell? 

The children were reminded about who they could speak to if the need arose.

  • Safeguarding team – Miss Beatson, Mrs Freeman, Mrs Small and Miss Walshaw.
  • Any other members of staff
  • A trusted adult
  • Someone in your family
  • Friends
  • Childline (0800 1111)Write a worry slip and put it in your class Living and Learning Box

    Start Telling Other People.

Help at home:

Discuss our school definition of bullying with your child. Do they know the difference between falling out and bullying, and between a one-off situation and something that’s happened more than once?

Anti-bullying

Posted on Tuesday 14 November 2023 by Jamie Kilner

On Monday, we acknowledged Anti-bullying week by wearing odd socks and learning about how we can help to stop bullying.

The children learnt many key messages, including what ‘banter’ is and how it can be percieved. We learnt about how friends speak to each other and how to be an ally for someone who is being bullied.

Here are some pictures of the children creating work to demonstrate their understanding:

Help at home – ask your child about the STOP acronyms. Can they remember our school bullying definition? Who can we speak to if we are being bullied? What is the Childline phone number?

Binny’s Diwali

Posted on Sunday 12 November 2023 by Emma Kendrew

Binny’s Diwali

Welcome to Autumn 2! This half term our theme is light and dark.

We have covered so many important events and topics this week…

On Monday we spent the day learning about St James, we listened to the story about how Jesus chose James to be one of his special friends. James was a fisher man and Jesus told him to put down his net and follow him. James became a ‘fisher of men’ instead. The children had a few challenges to complete to help them with their understanding.

Bonfire Night

On Tuesday we talked about Bonfire night, the children enjoyed talking about their own experiences and how they celebrated at home or out and about. In the construction area the children were challenged to build a replica of the Houses of Parliament.

Diwali

We talked about the festival of light, called Diwali. Our focus book was Binny’s Diwali by Thrity Umrigar.

We also found out about the festival through watching cbeebies-My first festival and Jo Jo and Gran Gran. The children were challenged to make their own Mehndi patterns on the funky fingers table, make rockets in the Waste Innovation Workshop and Diya lamps in the Playdough Factory.

Our word of the week is: Festival

Remembrance Day

We talked about Remembrance Day and the meaning behind each poppy. Lots of children wore poppy items to school and could speak about the meaning.

On Friday we used all of your kind donations (thank you!) to create a penny trail. The children enjoyed starting the trail for the rest of the school to follow on.

Phonics

This week the children have focused on the diagraphs ff, ll, ss and the single phoneme j.

We’ve also learnt the tricky word; as

Tricky words are words that should be read by sight. We start by identifying which part of the word is ‘tricky’. In as, the ‘s’ is tricky because it makes the /z/ sound.

Poetry Picnic

Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite the poem each day. By saying the poem out loud we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line.

This week our poem was Breezy Weather

Breezy weather. Freezy weather.

When the leaves fall, we all fall together.

Breezy weather. Freezy weather.

When the wind blows, we huddle together.

Maths

In Maths, we’ve been using our fingers to identify 5. We used the peas in a pod song-

‘Five little peas in a pea pod pressed,

One grew, two grew, so did all the rest.

They grew and they grew and they did not stop,

Until one day the pod went pop!’

Help at home phonics sheet

Today, your child has come home with a new ‘learn at home’ phonics sheet. The sheets link to all the phonemes we have covered this half term. Please support your child by practising these at home.

Help at home

Next week we’ll be celebrating World Nursery Rhyme Week. If you would like to, we’d love to share a recording of them telling their favourite nursery rhyme in class. Please send your emails to stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org

 Reminders

We will be doing PE on Monday, so please send your child to school wearing their PE kit and trainers. They will stay in this all day.

 Stay and Learn Sessions

Wednesday we have our Maths Stay and Learn session from 2.20pm-3.00pm

Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman