Year 3
Where has this week gone? Mrs Dobson and I were just saying how, with such a jam-packed week, we didn’t manage to complete as many maths targets as usual. But don’t worry, we’ll catch up next week.
We’ve fully immersed ourselves in the world of Ancient Greece. The children have been busy writing the myth of Daedalus and Icarus using a text map we’ve learned together, as well as completing spelling, grammar, and punctuation tasks all themed around Greek mythology.
In history, we “visited” the Asclepion sanctuary at Epidaurus. The children wrote vivid accounts of visiting the temple, baths, sleeping quarters, gymnasium, stadium, and theatre - all as part of seeking a cure for illness, which the ancient Greeks believed was linked to the gods and goddesses. The theme continued into art, where we explored Athenian vases, researching and drawing the figures and patterns found on them.
In maths, we’re continuing to focus on time - from telling the time to the nearest minute and understanding a.m. and p.m., to exploring hours, days, and beyond. The children even challenged me to calculate how many seconds are in a year and how many hours are in ten years; I’m pleased to report that my calculations passed the test!
In computing, we’ve begun our new unit on Scratch (which can be accessed at home via www.scratch.mit.edu), using basic coding to create names and simple animations.
In science, we ventured outdoors to investigate push and pull forces, identifying the objects involved and exploring how these forces cause an object to move or change.
Miss Spinks and the children had great fun using the musical instrument trolley for some hands-on learning about the pentatonic scale, as part of our ‘Dragon Dance’ music theme.
In RE, with Mrs Chittock, the children began exploring Sikhism; identifying five key facts about the religion and learning about the significance of the patka. They also discussed the meaning of the word equality and what it represents.
In PE, the children have had a final practice for Sports Day; I think hurdles could be our biggest hurdle on the day, but the children will give it their all!
We ended the week with French, where we’re getting speedy at counting to ten and have learned the difference between j’ai (I have) and je suis (I am).
Phew! It’s been a fantastic, full, and fast-paced week. Wishing you all a cool and calm weekend as the weather heats up!
The Year 3 Team (Miss Murphy, Mrs Troughton, and Mrs Dobson)
Year 4
Another week completed, the children are definitely starting to show signs of 'endofyearitis', lots of chatter going on. But, we have been able to work even though we've had a few 'out of routine' events.
Please may I mention that children that are being read with at school still need to also read at home. This isn't a replacement for reading at home, it is additional to. The children took their Times Table check this week and the element of surprise definitely took away the anxiety. The children did really well. Though the taking of this check doesn't mean that they can relax and kick back where times tables are concerned, they will be vital to their learning next year, so keep practicing, Miss Rutter and I will still be checking the activity on TTR.
Our learning this week;-
Maths - This week we have been continuing to look at money. We have added, subtracted, and given change from whole pounds. With Mrs Harper, the children solved problems involving seconds, minutes and hours.
English - With Mrs Harper, the children completed a reading comprehension task based on a Pizza Recipe. With Mrs Chittock, the children spent the week innovating the focus text.
Science - The children learnt about the three states of matter (solids, liquids and gases), including their particle arrangement, properties and examples.
Topic - We looked at the different nationalities aboard the Titanic and, using the Ipads, identified where these countries are on the map.
RE - The children demonstrated their learning over the unit of: Why do Christians believe they are 'people on a mission'?
PHSE - The children discussed families, identifying how they are all different.
The weather is looking lovely for Sports Day. Please make sure your child has had sun cream applied, sun hats and plenty of lunch to give them energy for the afternoon. We will make sure that they drink plenty of water. It's going to be fun!
Have a great weekend,
Year 4 team
Year 5
We've survived my least favourite week of the year! No more mad timetable changes or bikes in my classroom! The children all did so well during their Bikeability sessions. The instructors were so impressed with their behaviour, listening skills and manners - as well as their cycling ability. Certificates and badges will be coming home today.
While some of us have been cycling, the 'remainers' have been in class completing our end of year English assessments (reading and spelling, punctuation and grammar). These tests are helpful for me to see what we're really good at and what we still need to work on while we have time left in this academic year. It's also really useful to see how children respond to a test environment. Some of us have really learnt what 'carefully check your paper' means (and surprisingly, it doesn't involve staring into space, picking at rubbers or getting up to sharpen 6 pencils!) There are maths papers, but there are still a few areas of shape and space we haven't covered yet, so they'll happen once we have.
While we have been together, we did squeeze in a few lessons. In History, we looked at some of the more common Victorian illnesses and diseases and we had a go at diagnosing some poor Victorians with cholera, typhoid and consumption. In our next lessons, we will learn about how some Victorian doctors and scientists changed the face of medicine forever.
In Science, we made paper parachutes to test the effect of air resistance. We learnt that the shape of your parachute isn't nearly as important as the size. In RE, we had a look at some renaissance art focusing on the resurrection of Jesus. We spotted similarities in the pictures and found differences to the gospel accounts we have looked at.
In English, we have planned a formal letter of complaint about faulty bike. We typed them up earlier today, making sure our complaint remained the right 'level' of emotive.
Next Wednesday is Sports Day. The weather forecast is looking good. I will be out all day running the event with some sports leaders from Y5 & 6. I look forward to seeing those of you who are able to come there.
Back to a sense of normality next week. Have a great weekend. Enjoy Sunday, Fathers!
Miss Rutter, Mrs Marsh and Mrs Nichols
Year 6
This week, Year 6 have continued to enjoy Chinese Cinderella, delving further into Adeline Yen Mah’s powerful story and discussing the key themes and characters. In English, we have begun preparing for a discursive text, learning how to structure arguments and consider different viewpoints.
In geography, the children have been exploring the fascinating world of deserts, investigating how they form and the unique features of desert landscapes. In RE, we have been learning about the concept of resurrection and its significance to Christians.
PE sessions have been focused on getting ready for Sports Day next week – there’s been lots of enthusiasm, teamwork and competitive spirit! In addition, we have been planning Tudor and continuing to rehearse for our end-of-year play, which is shaping up brilliantly.
Looking ahead to next week, we will be covering puberty as part of the SRE (Sex and Relationships Education) curriculum. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Please note that we have had to make an alteration to the date of the school play: the Thursday afternoon performance will now be Wednesday 9th at 13:30. This is due to logistical reasons beyond our control, and we apologise for this.
Mrs Gilmore
