Year 5 Weekly Blog 30.01.26- ' When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up to the mountainside. His disciples came and he began to teach them’ - Matthew 5:1-12

It has been a fantastic and reflective week in Year 5. In our liturgy this week, we have looked at the blessings Jesus told his disciples in the Sermon of the Mount, which were to be called the beatitudes. We discussed that a blessing is God’s offering of favour and protection towards someone as we reflected who in our lives deserves to be blessed. We have then looked into creating our own beatitudes in our RE lessons, along with recreating the story of the Good Samaritan through drama.

Thursday was certainly all things Science as we continued learning and experimenting with different forces, with us looking at air and water resistance. The children created their own parachutes and dropped these to show how the force of air resistance slows down the force of gravity. We then transferred our knowledge to the water and looked at how changing the shape, size and texture of an object will impact the level of water resistance.

Let’s Celebrate

Virtue Star: Alana

You are so eloquent and wise with her words Alana and more so with your actions. You treat all of your classmates with such kindness and respect, along with all of your staff members.

Learner of the Week: Louie

You just shine when it comes to creative writing tasks Louie, you bounce ideas off your classmates and blend this together to create some wonderful description.


Notices

  • Homework- Please check the homework blog for your child’ weekly homework, including the deadline date.

  • PE days for this half term: Outdoor PE will be on a Tuesday and Indoor PE on a Thursday

  • We will be taking an eco trip to the sand dunes for our annual Year 5 Christmas tree planting on Wednesday 11th February. Children will need to come to school in their PE kits (school hoody and long trousers). You will need a coat in order to attend the trip.

  • Parents Day will be held on Friday 13th February. Email me which time you would like as this will be done on a first come basis. The sign up sheet will also be available outside the Year 5 classroom during pick ups at the end of the day.

This week...

Worship

This week in Worship we have continued our ‘Galilee to Jerusalem’ topic. Our key words this week were BLESS, GLORY, EARTH and PRAY.

We heard the story of how Jesus welcomes the little children. You can watch it here: Jesus welcomes everyone, and we can be like Jesus by being kind to everyone we meet. We looked at some pictures and spoke about the meaning behind them:

Jesus in a manger –This highlights that Jesus was born into humble circumstances and visited by people from different backgrounds.

Star – A shining star in the night sky. The star guided the wise men to Jesus, symbolising that His birth was for everyone, even those from distant lands.

Children around the world – Representing the idea that Jesus was born for all people, regardless of where they come from.

Jesus with open arms – Symbolising His love and acceptance of everyone, showing that He is the Son of God who welcomes all.

The children remembered this story when we came together for child led worship on Thursday. We had a picture of Jesus with many people and the children thought it might be Jesus with the children. We then took out 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread and we realised it was a different story from the Bible. We discussed if it would be possible for Jesus to feed lots of people with just that amount of food? We listened to the story and Jesus made the food feed 5000 people! We spoke about a new word – miracle! Jesus performed a miracle! Jesus thanked God when he did this, just like we do before we eat our lunch at Nursery. How can you help people just like Jesus did?

Learning landscape

Wow, what a week! We have had great fun doing our numbers and exploring shape space and measure! We have:

  • used our funky fingers to help astronauts escape the tangle of wool, we found this difficult

  • used number patterns to seven to fill the numicon boards…this is getting easier

  • used tweezers and pom poms to complete number boards to 7

  • practiced our writing of sounds and numbers

  • painted all kinds of aliens. We have made a fabulous display, take a look when you come to parents’day!

  • made gloop (cornflour and water) and had messy hands moments…great.

  • groups of children joined story dough and made aliens

  • made alien words and sounds using the kareoke microphones…very funny

  • started to write our very own alien story

  • danced with the cherry tots in the hall. This week we were quick and slow cherries

Parents’ Day

Don’t forget Parents’ Day on Friday 13th February! Have you booked time slot yet?

Jewellery

In line with school policy, could you please make sure that your child is not wearing any jewellery for nursery please.

Neli to build children’s vocabulary, listening and storytelling skills

It has come to my attention that Coastal Community Hub are offering ‘Story Explorers’ sessions - The Short Sighted Giraffe will be held at Park View 4U on February 4th. Suitable for ages 2+, take an interactive walk around the park, crafting, discovering and singing! Message The Coastal Collective page or email Sarah.schofield@thecoastalcollective.org.uk for bookings or more details. Check availability as it gets booked up quickly!

We start a new book today at Neli Preschool Storytime! Posy is invited for a sleepover at Pip's house, but has she forgotten to pack anything important? Monday, 1 till 3, Park View Pod. Suitable for preschoolers and older toddlers.

All our community activities are free of charge! We'd love to see you there!

World Book Day

2026 is the National Year of Readin with every child knowing their reading identity- what is it that makes them excited about reading?

For World Book Day your child can come to nursery dressed as their reader identity. Your favourite book or character…you choose your reading super power!!

Also, that week we will be having a Julia Donaldson story week, lots of rhyming and lots of fun!

Snacks

I know that a hot snack on a cold day is a great thing but we have noticed that some of the children are struggling to eat their lunches. If your child has a small appetite it may be an idea just to provide fruit, i will leave the decision up to you!

Book Bags

A quick reminder that it would be useful if yopur child had an Our Lady Star of the Sea blue book bags. It is becoming increasingly difficult to store back packs and they are a tripping hazard.

I thinks thta’s everything for this week. Have a great weekend and see you on Monday

Stay safe and God bless

Barbara

Year 5 Homework due Thursday 5th February

Compulsory Homework

Maths

We have been working so hard on short division by dividing 3 digit numbers, using our new found method- the bus stop method. We have began to look at calculations that cannot be divided equally and will require regrouping and remainders. Please read the example question carefully and complete the questions on your sheet.

Reading

Reading targets have been set for the new half term so lets get quizzing so we can smash our targets. 20 minutes minimum a day.

Spellings

Very tricky spellings this week- will require daily practice in order for these to become sticky spellings. Teach your parents our new ‘square spelling’ activity along with our ‘triangle spelling’. Use this to help practice those tricky words.

Practice writing these words three times on the line in your BEST handwriting. Make sure to complete lots of mini spelling tests in preparation for our weekly test on Friday.

  1. unfit

  2. unsafe

  3. unequal

  4. uncertain

  5. uncommon

  6. untidy

  7. unusual

  8. unfair

  9. unimportant

  10. unfinished

  11. unexpected

  12. unfold

  13. uncomfortable

  14. unfortunate

  15. unknown

Year 1 Weekly Blog 30.1.26 - "A happy heart is a sign of God's spirit within us."

This week we used drama to retell the story of Zacchaeus. We focused particularly on how being with Jesus changed him! The children all pretended that they were a Jewish person, while Zacchaeus went around taking money from them, more than he should have been taking! We had lots of very serious, angry faces forwards the unfair tax collector.. we have many budding actors! We have chosen to base our assembly around this bible story as we have continued to think about our Catholic Social teaching, “Option for the poor”. During our snack times we have been enjoying talking about our CST, “Option for the Poor” and the children have decided on two ways we could help. The first is our own Food bank, and so we have now created a dedicated space in our class for any food donations. Each half term we will send these items to a local food bank to help our community. Thank you to Hope, who has already kicked this off bringing in spare tins from home, all off her own back! The second idea is a penny pot. This is for any loose change we may have. Once this pot is full we will look to see which charity we as a class would like to donate our pennies to.

Going deeper in conversation

Last week we thought about the character strengths we hold. This week I want you to think about which character strength you want to develop…

Magic moments

Although it may have been cold this week during our PE outside, it was wonderful to see their teamwork skills! The children worked so well together, encouraging their team and celebrating others. Each one of them has really developed their throwing, catching and kicking skills this half term and their confidence is shining!

Let’s Celebrate

A huge well done to Leo who has been an enthusiastic Bobby Bee! Leo, your enthusiasm for learning has been so wonderful to see and we have enjoyed watching you join in with our class discussions; sharing your thoughts and observations with more confidence. Learning new things is exciting, thank you for sharing your enthusiasm with us all! Well done Leo!

A huge well done to Eddie who has received the Star Virtue award this week. Eddie, you demonstrate your eloquence and truthfulness on a daily basis. From taking the time to greet others, ask about their day and wish them a lovely evening; to recognising why it is important to speak truthfully, even when that might be hard. These qualities help to create a calm, happy and safe classroom environment and set such a wonderful example to others. Thank you for shining so brightly just by being you. Well done Eddie!

Reminders

Our class assembly: On Tuesday 10th February it is our class assembly starting at 9:10/9:35. Today the children have come home with a line to learn. Please practise these at home with big clear story telling voices so we are ready to practise on Monday! We’ve had fun practising these in class today and expression is very much encouraged!

Parents meetings: Thank you to everyone who has already made an appointment. For those who have not yet, please email with some preferred times. Parents day is on Friday 13th February.

Cold weather: Remember to bring all those warm layers: coats, hats, gloves and scarfs!

Snacks: A gentle reminder that as a school we are trying to reduce waste. At the start of the year we set out on a mission to bring any snacks into school in reusable containers. Please continue to help us with this, sending all snacks in reusable plastic containers. Thank you!

Emails:

c.bassett@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk

s.hartley@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk

Year 6 Weekly Blog 29.01.26 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.'

This week we have reflected on this week’s gospel, The Beatitudes, the special teachings that Jesus gave during the Sermon on the Mount. We talked about how the Beatitudeas are like little messages that show us how to live in a loving, kind, and peaceful way. They important because they help us understand what makes someone truly happy and build a storng relationship with God. They are like a guide from Jesus that teaches us how to be more like Him every day.

Thank you to the following children for leading us in a class liturgy earlier this week, focusing on Jesus’ first miracle …the Wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned the water in to wine.

Where has our learning taken us this week?


We have had another great week in Year 6, with lots of hard work, resilience and of course laughter! Look at our wonderful Rosa Parks Biographies! We can’t wait to get them on display. The children loved writing and desingning their own work! In PE we got out the large apparatus and explored part- weight bearing balances with our partners. In RE we have been looking closely at John’s Gospels and Jesus’ miracles, discussing what John was teaching us about Jesus’ divinity, looking at the literal and the spiritual meaning of the gospels. On Wednesday, they got to express the feeding of the 5000 in their art work …

Next week …

On Monday, as part of the HRSE currciulum, the girls with have a lesson covering menstration. During this session, children will learn about the nature and role of menstruation in the fertility cycle, and that fertility is involved in the start of life. We will also cover some practical ways to manage the onset of menstruation. If you would like to look in a bit more detail as to what is being discussed, to support you with further conversations at home, then please follow the link below which gives you an outline of the lesson. You will need to log on with the details provided below:

https://www.tentenresources.co.uk/parent-portal/life-to-the-full-plus/menstruation/

Delving deeper through talk …

What examples of Subsidiarity do we have in our schools? Can you explain to your parents.

Leading Learners

Well done to Logan this week.

Logan we have been so proud of how you have worked this week and your beautiful writing. You have shown just what a capable young man you are, with the amount, effort and quality of what you have written. You have listen to feedback, used your resilience to address your targets with independence and worked so hard to produce work that I know you are proud of, just as much as us!

Eloquent and Truthful Stars

This half term we will be on the lookout for all the children that are eloquent in their words, that show the language to ask questions, express emotions, speak beliefs, talk about matters of faith and hope, debate points of view, and engage in conversation. Those who are truthful, who speak the truth about themselves and others. These children are the role models of the school. This week we thank Hudson for being eloquent and truthful.

Helpers in the morning

This week we have the following children helping to take the younger children to their class:

Joseph Ciaran Charlotte Poppy

Notices

  • February Friday 13th - Please email me or come after school to let me know your prefered time for parents day. I have displayed an image of the times I am available on the day. Please note the yellow is for virtual and the white face to face. Please email with your prefered time and I’ll email back on a first come system.

    k.harrsion@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk

  • Homework- Please check the homework every week and keep helping your child with any work that they are struggling with. It is important to make sure we are reading for at least 15/20 minutes a day at home to keep broadening our vocabulary, practising fluency and for some of us we need to be able to read with speed, whilst still undertsanding the text- this only comes through regulalr practice, please help them.

Year 6 Home Learning 30.01.26

Homework to be completed and handed in to school on Thursday.

Reading - Please complete the comprehension - can you complete the reading and questions in 20 minutes?

Maths- Please complete the missing number long multiplication sheet in your books and do 10 minutes of TT Rockstars every night!

Please complete the division using the bus stop method- this will help when we do long division next week!

Spelling-Please complete the speeling sheet, collecting words and practising, ready for a spelling quiz and dictation next Thursday.

Year 1 Homework to be handed in on 2.2.26

Thank you for this weeks super home learning. Don’t forget that if you have a go at some of the optional homework to please bring this in or send a photograph as we would love to make a display with these things in our classroom.

Also don’t forget to email you preferred time slots for our parents meetings.

On Tuesday 10th February we have our class assembly at 9:10. The children will be bringing home their speaking line on Friday, please include this into your homework this week. Nice clear, loud, confident voices!

Spring 1 optional homework

DANCE COMPETITION ARRANGEMENTS 2026

The time is here and we have now finished our dance, we are so excited to share it with you all. Here are the arrangements for next Monday …

We will leave school at 12:45pm by coach to the Blackpool Tower, where 4 members of staff will be taking the group and staying with them in to the evening. The children will be there all afternoon, to allow time to practise and go through the show. Therefore, they will need to bring a packed lunch for their evening meal. We recommend that they have a hot school dinner for lunch before they go, to ensure they have something warm and filling before a long afternoon/evening. Snacks throughout the event are welcomed, but please no sweets/ chocolate and no fizzy drinks, although one juice is permitted. As it is a long afternoon, with waiting time, please feel free to pack a good book, any homework to complete and maybe a puzzle/ colouring book to keep them busy (no electrical devices or aything of value). Children will not be able to see any of the audience before or during the show.

Children are only permitted to leave once the show and results have finished, due to safeguarding reasons. Once the competition has finished, children will then go backstage to collect their belongs and then we will take them to our school’s pick up point which is outside the entrance to Primark, so please meet us there. Please make sure you tell us when you take your child, to ensure a safe transition as it does get very busy!I will have all mobile contact numbers in case there are any problems, so  please ensure you have your mobiles with you on the night. Please fill in the form below to let us know who will be taking your child home on the evening:

dance competion form

Doors open to the public on the evening at 5:45pm- make sure you have your tickets. The anticipated finsihing time is 9:30pm.

Please make sure that children have their black leggings in school this Friday and then bring them again in to school on Monday.

Children can wear their PE kits this day. Please make sure you pack plenty of water and if your child needs an inhaler, please ensure they have this. We will also door hair in the afternoon, so pack a brush and plenty of bobbles/ hair grip- boys gel? We are hoping to add a bit of face glitter and hair glitter- we will also be asking permission on the form for this.

Any questions or queries about the event, please come and see me.

Year 6 Weekly Blog 23.01.26 'To bring about change, you must not be afraid to take the first step. We will fail when we fail to try' Rosa Parks

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19-23

This week in the teacher’s liturgy we looked closely at this week’s Gospel,Matthew 4:19–23, and how is shows Jesus calling His first disciples and inviting them to leave everything behind to follow Him. We reflected on how this reminds us that Jesus still calls each one of us to be His disciples. We may not drop fishing nets like the first disciples, but we can say “yes” to God by trusting Him, having faith in His guidance, and choosing to follow His teachings every day. Being a disciple means listening to Jesus, helping others, spreading kindness, and believing that God has a plan for us. When we say “yes” to God, just like the disciples did, we become part of His mission in the world.

Thank you to the following children who led us in Liturgy this week, reflecting on the name Jesus and how it means “God saves.” This reminds us that Jesus came to Earth to bring us God’s love and to save us by showing us the right way to live. For us, His name is very special because it tells us who He is and what His mission was. When we say the name “Jesus,” we remember that He is always with us, guiding us, helping us, and loving us. It encourages us to trust Him, follow His teachings, and share His love with others every day.

Where has our learning taken us this week?

We have had a lovely week in class. Full of hard work, enthusiasm and deep reflection- and we even managed to watch the Dr Who episode where the doctor met Rosa Parks, which was such a great tool to use before we wrote our wonderful Biographies. The children were so gripped and great conversations led on from this about the injustice of the time. Next week the children will write their Outcome 2 biographies on Rosa Parks. We have done so much work leading up to this, gathering vocabulary, cohesive devices and practising our use of semi colons, the children have such a wealth of knowledge and tools - I am looking forward to reading them! Here is a few pictures of the week…

From next week the children will attempt practice SAT’s whole papers. Year 6 have of course have attempted example questions since September, but this is the first time they have seen them as a whole paper. This is not a benchmark for their learning, and their score when they get it is not relevant at this time, as we have not yet covered the whole Year 6 curriculum. This is simply to give the children an insight as to what the papers look like, the style of questionning, to come across misconceptions sooner, rather than later, giving the children the time and space to reflect and evaluate in a safe space. They will be getting a bit of feedback on these once they have took them, but please do not, at this point, focus on scores, instead please ask that important question … what did you learn? We have to teach the children to see beyond the immediate scores and instead see this as a process, a journey of self-reflection and learning.

Delving deeper through talk …

What was Rosa Parks famous for? What did she strive to do?

My Happy Mind…

What character strength are you most grateful for and why?

Leading Learners

Well done to Ciaran this week.

We are so impressed with your focus on your learning this week, you really couldn’t work any harder. You work well in lessons, which shows in the progress you have made. We love the way you are always curious to find the solution to problems with such steely determination and you are always keen to share your thoughts with such enthusiasm!

Eloquent and Truthful Stars

This half term we will be on the lookout for all the children that are eloquent in their words, that show the language to ask questions, express emotions, speak beliefs, talk about matters of faith and hope, debate points of view, and engage in conversation. Those who are truthful, who speak the truth about themselves and others. These children are the role models of the school. This week we thank Lorenzo for being eloquent and truthful.

Helpers in the morning

This week we have the following children helping to take the younger children to their class:

Lily Isioma Jacob Lorenzo

Notices

  • Next Wednesday the NHS are here to measure height and weight. There is also a short survey for the children to complete in regards to their mental well-being. Please make sure you have read the letter you recieved before Christmas, so you know what to expect on this day.

  • February Friday 13th - Please click on the button below to indicate the type of meeting you would prefer. I have displayed an image of the times I am available on the day. Please note the yellow is for virtual and tthe white face to face. Please email with your prefered time and I’ll email back on a first come system.

    k.harrsion@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk

parents meeting preference