'Feel the Fear and do it anyway!' (Elizabeth Gilbert)

I am so proud of every child in the class this week. They have had a great start to year 4 and although there have been worries, we have all practised ‘feeling the fear and doing it anyway.’ The children have all demonstrated such mature behaviour and have settled in so well. They have been so sensible following all health guidelines and are getting used to the new normal! They have also been brilliant at looking after their own belongings this week!

The beginning of the week saw us thinking carefully about how we feel about coming back to school and acknowledging that we are experiencing a historical event. We reflected on our lock down experiences and made a jigsaw piece to record this which will go with everyone else’s jigsaw pieces in the whole school - to bring us back together!

We have spent lots of time this week talking about how to treat each other and reflecting on our school mission statement ‘You are Precious in my Eyes.’ Children have learned all about rights, responsibilities and consequences and we identified 3 key rights which we all deserve in our class.

We then have collectively formed our class ‘responsibilities’ to reflect these rights. We also outlined how to work well with a partner and be co-operative. We had a lesson all about courage and strength. We looked at examples of strength shown by others in lockdown and we discussed not being afraid of ‘having a go’ with your work in class.

Later in the week, we had a beautiful lesson all about hope - it was empowering and children were excellent at explaining what they thought hope is. We listened to hopeful music and made hopeful images to remind us that we will never give up hope - each day is a new beginning. Year 4 is a new beginning.

Amongst all this, we had a little maths quiz and completed our Star reader test. We also started our new topic in Science- plants. Children asked so many interesting questions! In RE, children showed awe and wonder in God’s creation and wrote lovely prayers. We have also kick started our maths with Roman numerals!

Let’s Celebrate!

This week I had to give out 4 certificates!

A Roger Robin certificate has gone to Kai for being so kind, gentle and mature this week.

James received a Sadie Spider certificate for being so hardworking and pushing himself.

Evie received a Tommy Turtle certificate for having a good go at things and showing courage

Stephanie received a Cooper Crab certificate for showing excellent focus in all she did.

I honestly could have continued writing certificates because everyone has achieved in different ways this week. A massive well done to all of you for your first week back in school. I know I am going to LOVE teaching you!

Also this week, just over half the class have been presented with their pen licences! They have ‘solemnly sworn’ to always write in joined up handwriting in Year 4. We will be practising handwriting every day so it should not be long before more children receive theirs.

Notices

The link below shows you which day your child’s outside PE day is. It will be Wednesday or Thursday. All other days are school uniform please. Children do look very smart!

Homework

Homework is up for this week under ‘Learn from Home'.’ Please could you help your child take responsibility for this and bring in each Thursday. I will only send their actual homework book home every fortnight. On alternate weeks it will just be online learning.

Reading

Every child should come home with their reading books and a little reading log. This shows you what their ZPD reading level is and their points target for the half term. Please encourage them to read each night and try and hear them read often. I have given them a target reading time each day. They read for 30 minutes each day at school - so this is included - unless they do Nessy learning - in which case they read for 15 mins in the school day and so need to read more at home. THey also must continue with their Nessy learning at home.

Children now have Blue interest level reading books which have more grown up themes. They will be able to quiz at school as normal.

Books brought back from home will be quarantined for 72 hours before being given to others.

Birthday sweets

Unfortunately, children will not be able to give these out at school for the foreseeable future due to Covid circumstances. Sad I know, but we will definitely make their birthday jolly at school in other ways!!

Finally, here are some photos of our first week in Year 4.

Have a lovely, restful weekend and please feel very proud of those precious children of yours! They have worked their socks off!

Mrs Lyons, Mrs Mather, Miss Forster and Miss Edmondson

Home Learning 4th September 2020

Home learning will be posted on the class home learning page on a Friday and should be returned to school by the following Thursday. Home learning books will be used on alternate weeks and should be returned to school on Thursdays. We will be using Purple Mash or other internet sites for learning on the alternate weeks. Again work completed on Purple Mash etc should be submitted for marking by the following Thursday please.

This week we have sent home our new home learning books (blue book). Please could you cover these to reflect your own personality. You might want to use wrapping paper, photos, pictures, sticky-backed plastic etc. It’s your choice, please make it personal to you. Please make sure that you label the book clearly with your name and class too.

Please could you also cover your reading record book (thin green book). This should be returned to school each day with your reading book so that we can continue to read and quiz in school on a daily basis.

Reading

Please make sure that you read at home every day.

As the children become more independent with their reading they may want to read independently rather than reading to you every night but please do try spend some time discussing their reading books and listening to your child at different times during the week. (You may wish to make a comment in their green books..) It is also good to share the reading of a book at times and also to be read to at times as well.  Being able to read and understand independently really is a gift - it opens up so many opportunities and takes you on journeys to such exciting places - and all in the comfort of your own home! (Such a plus in these continuing strange times!!!)

Spellings

Please learn the spellings below ready for a spelling quiz in class next Thursday. We have provided a copy of different fun ways to learn your spellings, which the children have stuck into their home learning books. Please select activities from this sheet to help your child to learn their spellings.

The children should be able to write the spelling independently - this will need to be written clearly and correctly during the spelling quiz.

This week our spellings are all homophones. They sound the same but they mean different things and they have different spellings. Please make sure that you learn the meaning of each of these words and be able to use them in context. Thank you.

there     their     they’re                    

knight     night  

quite quiet                   

(these last 2 are near homophones but watch out for the spelling!!!)

Challenge

Can you write each of these spellings in a sentence making sure that you use the correct homophone in each sentence?

Year 2 Home Learning - Week Ending 4th September 2020

All of the children brought home their new homework books and folders this afternoon. As mentioned in my induction video, home learning is to be returned to school on Thursdays. New homework will then be given on Fridays on a two week cycle;

• One week will be written and sheet based. These will be given in the homework folders on a Friday and should be stuck into homework books and completed before being handed back in on a Thursday to be marked.

• The second week will be online based activities. This will allow for home learning books to be quarantined for 48 hours before being marked.

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This week’s home learning:

It would be great if home learning books could be backed with wrapping paper, sticky back plastic, etc, so that they can withstand being transported to and from school for a little longer. These should still be able to fit inside the home learning folder provided.

As I have only been able to meet you all from afar, I have asked the children to draw a picture of their families in their home learning books. This will help me to get to know you all a little better.

The children should have brought home two log in cards in their home learning folders - one for Purple Mash and one for IXL. These cards are to be kept at home. I would like the children to have a go at logging into both IXL and Purple Mash this week. How quickly can they do it? Can they do it without looking at their log in cards? Feel free to have a play on both Purple Mash and IXL and become more familiar with it.

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I look forward to collecting home learning folders in on Thursday.

Miss Woodend

Home Learning 4.9.20

Baby Photos

Next week in Science, the children will be looking at how they have changed from when they were a baby. I would be so very grateful, if you could email me a photo of your child as a baby/toddler. If you could get these to me by Wednesday that would be wonderful. I really appreciate your help with this! Thank you! e.lane@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk

Spellings

Children have been set spellings with the ai and oi sound on Purple Mash. It would be fantastic if they could practise these words on paper too; I will be asking them to write them down when I test them, on Thursday, in class.

Read, read, read!

Passwords for Purple Mash and IXL, can be found in the back of your child’s Reading Log.

Year 5 homework week 1 to be handed in Thursday 10th September

Hello Parents,

It has been a joy to have the children back in school this week! We have launched ourselves into our History Topic and our maths curriculum! I will be setting homework every week. I will be sending the homework books home on alternate weeks and then setting the next week online to complete on Purple Mash or another digital platform.

This week I have sent their new homework book home and below are this weeks tasks:

GET CREATIVE

Please decorate your new homework book so it reflects your personality and celebrates your hobbies!!

MATHS - PUZZLE TIME

We have solved a couple of fun puzzles this week. I have set another one here - in fact I have set two. If you enjoyed the first, have ago at the second one. If it took a while to solve the first you can leave the second for class. If you love maths then make sure you are a focused Kuba Crab and do both!!

READING

Reading is always the most important set homework of the week! Reading is not work - it is a joy and a hobby, which opens up every world!! The children have all selected their reading books and I am conferencing each child and sharing their reading level and new ZPD code.

HISTORY

We are loving the Ancient Greeks! We already had a little look at them and their Gods in lockdown, this week we have investigated modern Greece compared Ancient Greece and discovered that it was very different to Ancient Eygpt. The Greek city states were very separate! We have also explored the Agora (market Place) through drama and discovered that Greek vases tell us so much about the history of this time. I would like you to investigate Ancient Greek Vases on the internet! Then thinking carefully about the “Agora Drama”. Pick a scene from the Agora to draw on a vases of your own! No more that four figures - make sure you include details- so we can interpret the scene. Make sure your vases looks old and would fit beautifully in a museum.

Year 4 Homework to be handed in on Thursday 10th September

Homework will be set on Friday and handed in on Thursday. I will be sending the homework books home on alternate weeks and then setting the next week online to complete on Purple Mash or another digital platform.

This week I have sent their new homework book home and below are this weeks tasks:

1. Homework book: Please back your homework book in a style that represents you. This can be with photos, wrapping paper, pictures of favourite films, sport, characters etc. Please make sure your name is clearly marked on the front.

2. Maths: We have dived straight into maths this week There is a Roman Numerals sheet to complete and stick into your homework book. There is also an IXL unit to complete - A10. Don’t forget, when you get to the ‘challenge zone,’ the Roman numeral D = 500 and M =1000

3. Timetable: Now you are in Year 4 its time to get organised! Print out this timetable or make your own. Plan out what you need to bring in each day and what uniform you need to wear (see Friday blog for correct PE days) You could schedule in your daily home reading time and your homework time too! Start how you mean to go on! Keep it on your wall or fridge and use it each day.

4. Reading: You now have your new ZPD levels, reading targets and reading time which I have added in a little book for you. Reading is a joy! Make it your aim to become an avid reader this year. Travel to new worlds, meet new characters and be entertained!

   (Children in Year 4 can now middle interest level Blue books. If any questions or issues about this, please email me!

   Also, please could you write in your child’s homework book when they have completed things such as IXL and the timetable if not sticking it in)

Year 6 Home Learning - Wednesday 2nd September 2020

Your weekly homework due in on Tuesday 8th September.

English: Next week we will be starting our biography unit of work in English. Can you find a biography about someone who inspires you and either email it across to me or print it off and bring it into school? We will be making a class book with all of the biographies that we have collected. Think about somebody who may be a good leader or who has done something inspirational with their life.

Maths: IXL Strand A4 - Don’t forget to go on Year 6

RE: Can you create a piece of artwork inspired by our mission statement You are Precious in my Eyes. Be creative and think about how you would illustrate it.

Class Council: On Monday 14th September, we will be holding class council voting in class. If you would like to run for Class Councillor. Please have your speeches ready for then.

Welcome to Year 3. Your journey through the juniors is about to begin!

Welcome to Year 3.

We hope that you have enjoyed your summer and have had a good rest.

The Year 3 team are soooooo excited to be welcoming you back to school. We hope that you are as excited as we all are.

We have prepared a little video all about your return to school and some of the things that you will need to know. At the end of this video is a little tour showing our classroom, which we hope that you will enjoy.

Please make sure that you have looked at the parent and the children guidelines on the front page of the website and that you are fully aware of the procedures that we are putting in place to make our return to school as happy and as safe as possible.

If you have any worries or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email and we will do our best to reply as soon as we can.

Have a lovely weekend. We all look forward to welcoming you back into school on Tuesday.

Take care and stay safe

The Year 3 Team