22 March 2019
This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework: I can pay and receive compliments to/from people outside of school.
This homework, which links to our living and learning statement, is an opportunity for children to discuss the benefits of paying compliments to people. Here are some questions that might shape your discussion:
- How does paying a compliment make you feel?
- How does receiving a compliment make you feel?
- Why is it important to be sensible when paying or receiving compliments?
- Can you compliment people too much?
Children should be ready to discuss what they’ve talked about at home by Thursday 28 March 2019. It would be even better if children were able to talk confidently about times when they have given, or received, a compliment.
15 March 2019
Our homework this week is Creative: I can show my talents.
All of the children in our school are blessed with an array of talents. This week, our homework, which links to our living and learning statement (I can recognise my talents), gives our opportunity to celebrate and share their talents. Children should respond creatively and be ready to show off their talents to their peers as part of their homework review. They could do this in a range of ways:
- create a short performance to show to their class
- film themselves showing off their talent
- make a collage of their many talents
- produce a piece of art to show off their talents
There are, of course, many other ways that children could respond. Children should be ready to show off their talents by Thursday 21 March 2019.
Friday 08 February 2019
This week, the whole school has the same creative homework which is due in on Thursday 14 February 2019.
I can show different ways to stay safe.
This week, we have enjoyed a staying safe themed week. We’ve had lots of visitors and covered a range of important safety-related topics. There are many ways, and many different situations, in which we need to keep safe: at home, at school, in our environment and online.
Children should think about the situations where they need to keep safe and who might help them to stay safe. This could be done in any creative way:
- a story
- a poem
- instructions
- a comic strip
- an advert
- an interview
- a game
- scenarios
…or any other creative ideas!
The homework will be reviewed as part of the themed week learning.
Friday 25 January 2019
This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework:
What is a drug?
This homework, which links to our Living and Learning statement, is a first step in children becoming aware of drugs. There are a few key points you may wish to talk about at home. Children need to be aware that some drugs are helpful, some are harmful. Some are legal, some are illegal. Don’t forget to consider that even the legal or helpful ones can be harmful.
Below are some question prompts that could help shape your discussion…
- What is a good definition for a drug?
- What is a drug? What is not a drug?
- Are all drugs bad?
- Why might some people need to take medicines?
- Who can prescribe medicine?
- Who should administer medicine?
- What should you do if you find some medicine?
- Should you take medicine that isn’t yours?
Children should be prepared to discuss what they’ve talked about at home during our homework review next week. This homework should be completed by Thursday 31 January.
Friday 18 January 2019
Friday 18 January 2019
This week, the whole school has the same Creative homework:
I can show different ways to make things better.
This homework, which is due on Thursday 24 January, is an opportunity for children to reflect on our living & learning statement for this week: I can make things better.
Children should think about ways to make things better in a variety of different situations and contexts:
- in class
- in a friendship group
- at playtime
- at home
- with siblings
- out and about (countryside, park)
- the wider environment (recycling)
You could consider…
- Why should we try and make things better?
- How do we do this?
- When should we apologise?
- What is the effect it has on others around us when we make things better?
- Older children might want to consider the benefits of restorative justice.
Don’t forget to be creative! Produce a report or diary; capture photos of making things better; create rules for better games at play times; make a poster about how to say sorry; or, think of your own creative response.
This homework will be celebrated in our weekly homework review.
07 December 2018
This week, the whole school has the same Creative homework which should be returned by Thursday 13 December 2018.
I can show what I know about a festival.
Over the course of this term, some children in school may have celebrated a religious festival of some sort. This might have been
- the Muslim festival of Eid ul Adha
- the Sikh and Hindu festival Diwali
- the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, coming up in December
- the Christian festival (of course, celebrated by many non-Christians) of Christmas
- and the Chinese New Year festival, coming up
There are lots of other festivals and celebrations which you and your child together might want to reflect on.
We invite children to respond to the sentence above – they might include a recount (like a diary entry), pictures, an interview (perhaps in a script). Your child might also choose to research a completely unknown festival, or they might even think about creating a brand new festival, one that everyone will celebrate.
23 November 2018
Homework for the whole school this week is Talk Time: Which charity should our school support?
Next week, a charity will be decided for Wetherby St James Primary to support in the year ahead – for example, when we have a performance, we’ll collect money for this particular charity. What charity does your child think we should support?
You could talk about:
- what a charity is
- why charities are important
- what sort of work they do
- charities that have meaning to your family, to school or the community
- national and international charities and their work
16 November 2018
This week, the whole school has the same Creative homework which children should be ready to discuss as part of our homework review on Thursday 22 November.
I know how to STOP bullying.
This homework is a response to our learning this week during anti-bullying week. Throughout the week, each class has had the chance to talk about what bullying is, what the different types of bullying are, and how we can STOP it:
- Start
- Telling
- Other
- People
As part of your discussion you may find our school definition of bullying useful, as agreed by our School Councillors:
Bullying is when you hurt someone, physically or emotionally, several times on purpose.
As the homework is Creative, you can do anything you want to respond to the statement. Here are a few ideas to help you:
- Create a cartoon strip of a bullying scenario and how it is solved.
- Create an acrostic poem using the word bullying.
- Write your own ‘kindness statements’ for your class.
- Create a scenarios quiz for your class to decide what they would do.
09 November 2018
This week’s homework is talk time and is due on Thursday 15 November.
This half term, our Christian value is perseverance.
Discuss this scenario with your family:
One day, Sam’s teacher set his class a challenge. The challenge was to learn to count in 3s and recite it to the teacher next week. Sam always found maths challenging but wanted to give it his best go. All week, Sam practised and practised and practised because it wasn’t an easy challenge. The next week came and, after much practice, Sam managed to count in 3s. He excitedly told his best friend Lucy. Lucy laughed and showed Sam her arm – all up her arm were the numbers to count in 3s ready to recite to the teacher.
- Who showed perseverance in this scenario?
- Was it ok for Lucy to write the answers on her arm?
- How would you show perseverance when set a difficult challenge?
19 October 2018
This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework. In preparation for the upcoming School Council elections, children should complete one of the following tasks:
- I can prepare a speech (School Council elections).
- I know the importance of voting.
It’s time for children to consider if they would like to stand for election for our new School Council. With two representatives from each year group, chosen democratically by their peers, all children are encouraged to take an active part in pupil voice.
Elections for our new school council will take place on Thursday 25 October with our polling station and ballot boxes at the ready. Candidates will have the opportunity to give their election speech to their class on Wednesday 24 October or Thursday 25 October.
What makes a good school councillor has been considered by our current school council.
- ‘use all the 8 Rs for learning’
- ‘be respectful’
- ‘help others’
- ‘be a good speaker and listener (to members of your class and in the meetings)’
- ‘tell the truth’
- ‘be confident with your ideas’
- ‘accept the views of others even if you don’t agree’
- ‘be friendly and approachable’
- ‘make good choices in class and around school’
Hints for your speech include:
- What skills and abilities would a good school councillor have?
- What are you particularly good at that would help you to be a great school councillor?
- What do you think would make the school better?
- What could you do that people would really like?
- Think of things that are realistic, maybe that you could do yourself, rather than having to ask other people to do
Thank you to our current school councillors for all their ideas and contributions. We hope you have enjoyed this role and responsibility. You’re welcome to stand again for election.
Good luck to all children who decide to stand in the elections.
If you choose not to stand in the election, you should consider the importance of voting.