What a wonderful first week I have had with Year 1!
Read more'Whoever is happy will make others happy too' Anne Frank
This week the children have been real Sadie Spiders, showing great resilience in their learning, particularly in Maths where they have come across a new strategy to help them bridge over to the tens column when adding, in preparing for adding two digit numbers. In English, the children have been exploring descriptive language and how we can use adjectives, nouns, verbs and adverbs to describe snowy settings, like the ones found in the ‘Ice Cat’ novel. Some of their setting descriptions are truly beautiful and reflect just how much they have learnt from out book study over the last few weeks.
Towards the end of the week we have been immersed in our Science learning. The children have developed their co-operative skills by working in small groups to research and find out more about the bones in the human skeleton. The classroom has been buzzing with focus and enthusiasm, as new facts have been uncovered. On Friday our detective hats came on as we discovered a very large handprint. Many questions were asked and we became pretty certain that the handprint belonged to a giant! This led us towards an investigation…“Do taller people have longer handprints taller?”
Let’s Celebrate!
A Co-operative and Enthusiastic learner : Erin
What a bundle of joy you are Erin. Alongside your enthusiasm you are such a caring member of our class family. You work with others with such love and compassion, always supporting your partner and encouraging them to keep trying. Thank you Erin, for always being the kind and caring girl that you are. We appreciate this kindness every day and as we watch you and listen to your words of encouragement… our hearts are full of joy and love.
An Creative learner :Benjamin
Thank you for always taking such care and attention with your work Benjamin, you always put 100% effort and this never goes unnoticed. Every single day, in every discussion we have, you think so deeply and share your creative ideas, which we always love to hear! Thank you for your enthusiasm, your creativity and your focus, you are an absolute delight to teach. Keep reaching for the stars…. You are already shining so brightly.
Notices…
Homework is given out on a Friday and due in again on a Thursday- there are a number of children who are not completing this, please could you encourage this at home, many thanks.
Year 4 blog Friday 28th January. "Science is magic that works!" (Kurt Vonnegut)
The highlight in our week in Year 4 was of course our trip to UCLAN to find out more about States of Matter in our Cosmetic Chemistry course. The course leaders remarked upon the excellent listening and contributing from the whole class. They are a real credit. We had so much fun - there were a lot of gasps as children watched some spectacular events. They loved to get hands on in the Science lab and many discussed their real love of Science.
We took so many photos of this special day - which we have compiled into a video.
In other news! Swimming was a super success on Monday. Children are making good progress. In English this week, children began by writing another explanation text, linked to their Science, all about the Water Cycle. We are currently learning to recite a Brer Rabbit story off by heart and have been brushing up on many grammar skills such as apostrophes and fronted adverbails. We are also learning how to write similes. This is in preparation for writing our own Brer rabbit stories soon. We have also started our new Geography/Science topic about Volcanoes and Earthquakes. This always fascinates children as they learn about what our planet is made out of!
In maths we have faced some tricky problems to do with length and have begun now work on Perimeter of shapes. It is really important to keep up with all maths work at home, such as IXL so that it reinforces the tricky things we learn in class.
Another thing that has brought great joy this week is that we can now go back to playing with our paired Year 1 class again. Also we managed to have a Key Stage 2 assembly together. We miss gathering together so much and I know that soon you will be invited into school to look at children’s books. It has been such a long time!
Times Tables
In June, all Year 4 children nationally are tested on their times tables knowledge. It is a requirement that they know all times tables facts when they go up to Year 5. They are a vital tool to understanding the upper Key Stage 2 maths curriculum.
With this in mind, I will be setting lots of practice in the form of booklets and also TTRockstars. It is important that this becomes daily practice so that all children have the best chance to master these times tables. I have talked to the children about how they can use facts that they already know to find out ones they dont. We also talked about effort - what you put in is what you will get out of it! They are coming home with their first booklet on the 3x tables this week to use as daily practice.
Let’s Celebrate!
This week, our certificate winners are as follows:
A Roger Robin certificate goes to Harvey for learning to take things in your stride and work through setbacks. You are managing your feelings so much better Harvey and I love seeing your joy in that swimming pool!
A Roger Robin certificate goes to Owen for really growing in maturity and becoming a role model in class. You are sensible and try hard to do the right thing. You are such a hard worker.
A Roger Robin certificate goes to Jay for helping friends to make good choices and being a good role model to them. Also for really working on your own resilience and participation.
Music stars this week were Leo and
Swimming stars were Christian, Aviya, Tabby and Charlie. It was VERY hard to pick though!
Notices
SWIMMING ARRIVAL
Please could I ask that all children are only dropped off at the gate at St. Patrick’s Road on a Monday morning to save us opening both gates early at 8.30. Thanks..
WELLIES! On Mondays we need to have our breaktime on the field when we get back from swimming so that we can maintain distance from the other classes. It would be so helpful if children have wellies in school for this, so that they are not getting damp and muddy shoes.
Have a lovely weekend
Kindest regards,
Mrs Lyons, Mrs Mather and Miss Woodrow.
‘We rise by lifting others.’
It has busy week in Reception, full of curiosity and fun!
Read moreYear 6 Weekly Blog - 'Evolution is the secret for the next step.'
Evolution and Inheritance is one of my favourite units of work to teach because it is packed with questions. Throughout history, humans have been required to adapt and change in order to not only survive - but to thrive! Quite often, change can be seen as a scary prospect, one that makes us feel vulnerable and uneasy. However, it is during these times that we grow and see just how much strength we have.
Read more"Become like a bird, expand your wings, learn new things and fly as high as you can!"
I have been blown away by the children and their learning this week; what a bunch of Enthusiastic Bobby Bees they have all been!
Read moreYear 2 Home Learning - Week Ending 28th January 2022
This week’s home learning is online.
Read moreThis week.....the aliens are coming!
A fun week making pet aliens and using alien speak. Colette and Michelle are in the process of creating an alien wall based on the the story ‘Aliens love underpants’. The children even designed their own underpants to hang on our washing line.
Click here to listen to the story.
Have you got any stories at home about aliens? If you have bring them in next week and we will read them! We love a good story!!
We have also been redesigning our outdoor area. Everyone has been thinking about what they would like to see and do in the garden. We have already started by creating a big building site using a mixture of BIG waffle bricks, house bricks and boulders ( rubber of course), large tins and buckets, wooden discs and large chopping boards. We have even put up work site sigs in the builders yard.
Some children wanted to make a cosy reading den. We cleaned out the small shed and put lots of squishy mats inside along with some of our favourtie stories! We have ordered a new storage shed for all our baskets of enhancement resources.
I have even ordered some surprise for the children, shhhhh!
We will continue our revamp next week.
Key Person Blog
Once again the children have amazed us with their learning! This week aliens have landed in nursery! The children used their prior shape knowledge to create aliens and some of us have painted them too! Some alien pets may have made their way home already, if yours has – please take good care of them! I wonder if you will hear any alien speak whilst they settle in? Have you read Aliens Love Underpants?
We have worked on our fundamental movement skills in the hall and can see lots of ’concentrate’ Cooper Crabs with our hopping, jumping and throwing! We are working in smaller groups and taking turns in the hall to really hone our skills. The alternative activity was a wellbeing and relaxation session – we did slow and controlled rainbow breathing above our heads and then led down where we focused on large breaths to move our bodies. Why don’t you have a go at home, click here.
We also had tried BREATHING BUDDIES
Purpose: Calm, Relaxation, Mindfulness of Body
Best for: Ages 4+, groups or one-on-one
What you need: Comfortable clothes, ample floor space (or another place to lie down), a favorite stuffed toy.
1. To practice tummy-breathing, ask your child to lie comfortably and place his hands on their tummy (if they use a stuffed animal, they can hold it on top of their tummy when they lie down).
2. As you count to three, ask the child to inhale deeply through their nose.
Tell them to fill their tummy with air as they inhale; they should feel it get bigger and bigger and bigger throughout the count to three. If the stuffed toy sits atop the tummy, they might see it rise as the tummy “fills with air”.
3. Ask them to exhale to a slow count to four. They might see the teddy fall as the feels the tummy shrinks and shrinks throughout the count to four.
Do five to ten rounds of tummy-breathing to get started.
When ready, ask your child how it felt.
Is there a difference in how they feels now?
What did they notice about the stuffed animal as they inhaled and exhaled?
How did it feel when they released the breath?
Repeat the process as many times as you want.
Enjoy!
The den building has been fantastic this week. We have also been strengthening our finger muscles by manipulating the clay. This helps us develop the muscles needed to be confident writers. We have had so much fun with mixed resources and our creations have been built on a good bout of teamwork!
Don’t forget we have been thinking about things that begin with ‘p’. We could name loads of words! See what you can find at home?
Colette, Michelle, Hannah, Justine and Frances.
Worship
This weeks session required the children to move around and explore the movements their bodies can make by taking part in a story where Freddy Teddy and Mollie the Cat take a morning walk. It helped us realise how wonderful our unique, God-given bodies are.
Click on the button below to read the story and join in the actions.
As always it has been an extremely busy week at nursery and we have noticed that everyone is getting tired. Only two more weeks then we can have a big rest!
Have the most splendid weekend and we will see you all on Monday. I hope you enjoy doing the home challenges we have sent home this week…don’t forget to send us some photos, we love to share the children’s learning.
Barbara
Year 5 Home Learning to be handed in on Friday February 3rd
Grammar and timetables this week!
Read moreArt News... Week 4
Art News…
Week 4
Art News… Week 4.
Another fantastic week at Our Ladys. The excitement of being able to mix again with other classes has been the hot topic theis week, as from Thursday all classes could share their playtime with the other classes also on break. Mixed football and imaginitive games have been played across the groups and it’s a little bit of normal once more.
In Art…
Read moreYear 6 Home Learning - Wednesday 2nd February 2022
““The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.””
REVISION
This week is all about consolidating what you have learnt this year (and from Year 3), practising those skills that you know you need to and celebrating what you can do well.
Tomorrow, you will be able to take home your GPS, Reading and Maths revision folders, as well as your spelling book. Use these resources carefully to identify areas that you know you can pick up marks next week.
GPS - what spellings are you getting incorrect? Is there a common theme? Could you use a different strategy to embed them? Which grammar areas are you struggling with? If these areas haven’t been taught yet, don’t worry, if they have, what do you now need to do to understand them further?
Use IXL to search for key areas that you need to practise further.
READING - You have another reading paper to have a go at, this time it is poetry. Have a go alongside looking at where you need to pick up marks on previous papers. Is it a case of not using evidence? Do you need to look closer at vocabulary?
MATHS - We have covered a lot of maths this year. Consolidate those areas that you need to practise further. Remember not to worry about something that hasn’t been taught yet. Look over the shape information that is in your folders too.
Maths is Fun is a great website where you can search for topics and it will provide teaching and questions for you to practise. Use it to work on areas that you are not so sure of.
Learning remotely - Keeping up with the work in class week beginning 24th January
Find the links you need for this weeks learning if your isolated at home this week (24th - 28th Jan)
Read moreYear 3 Remote Learning WB Monday 24th January
As we come to the end of our class novel, we are now looking at the description of settings and much more …
Read moreYear 3 Home Learning 21.1.22
Spellings:
Our spelling strategy this week is, ‘Curly Words’
Practise each spelling by writing the word again and again to create a spiral
Our spelling rule this week is focusing on words containing ‘c’ sound spelt ‘ch’
chaos
character
ache
school
anchor
chemical
stomach
charisma
English
We have spent time this week reading the book, Ice Cat. Today we have have finished reading the final chapter. In your homework books please find the sheet (PDF version below) and complete the book review. Remember to use your grammar skills!
Maths
Please complete IXL K1 - Understand multiplication: Count equal groups and IXL K.2: Identify multiplication expressions for equal groups
"We're all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?" - The Eleventh Doctor, Season Five, Episode 13.
Full on week this week! We started with “close reading”……
Read more‘When you are curious, you find lots of interesting things to do!’
What a fun week we have had exploring Africa.
Read more“A laugh is a smile that bursts.” ~ Mary H. Waldrip
Smiles have been bursting as laughter has rung out across the playtime, this week.
Read more"Saying thank you costs nothing but gives everything!"
What a wonderful week we have had here in Year 2! The children finished writing their own versions of ‘The Great Fairytale Disaster’ and I am so proud of what they have all achieved! I don’t think even the children can believe how much they have written! The class are now all incredibly eager to find out what our new topic will be next … I think they’re going to love it.
Read moreYear 2 Home Learning - Week Ending 21st January 2022
This week’s home learning is in folders.
Read moreYear 1 Home Learning 21.1.22
Home learning is set every Friday and is to be completed by the following Thursday.
Read more