Torches and Cooking and Nutrition

This half term we have been exploring electrical systems and how they have developed over time. The children were tasked with making a torch to fit a set design criterion. They could either; design and make a torch for a police officer or someone who enjoyed caving. They had to decide on the relevant style of torch, taking the specific criteria for each person into consideration. This could be either in the form of a hand held or a head torch. The children were very creative in completing their torch with an off/on switch and were all successful in making a fully functioning torch!

 We have now started our next topic of Cooking and Nutrition. The children have planned their adapted recipe, designed their packaging and looked at budgeting. After Easter, they will be making their packaging and them, baking their final product.

Have a lovely Easter Break

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Drawing-Tone and Texture

My word, time flies when you’re having fun! I cannot believe we are at the end of another term! This term, we have turned our attention to our drawing skills. We have looked at how to shade using the four golden rules, thought about and explored how we can add texture into our work to create detail. We have seen like an artist by using shapes to help aid us in the development of forming an idea. We have of course, used our teddies from home to combine our skills in the form of observational drawings. They look fantastic! The detail included is wonderful, well done Year 2!

Next half term, we will be returning to Mechanisms and fairgrounds.

Have a lovely Easter Break

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Year 5 Weekly Blog 02.04.26- ' Into your hands, I commend my spirit'

Come July and when we reflect on all of the weeks throughout Year 5- holy week will remain as the most special. The incredible journey that the school have taken us on, from Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem to his resurrection just one week later. On Wednesday, the children did themselves, their parents and the entire school proud with their liturgy of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The children embodied their roles and spoke, expressed, and moved with such purpose.

To celebrate this, we were treated to an Easter Egg hunt in forest school later that morning. More Easter egg fun followed on Thursday with our annual Easter egg raffle.

Conversation starters

HRE- We have looked at ‘self-talk’ and how we can view and interpret situations in either a positive or negative mindset. We used the ‘glass half full or half empty’ example of how we can view the same situation but with different mindsets. Do any of your family members use any positive mindset techniques? Do they follow any inspirational/motivational quotes to keep their mindset in a positive state?

Let’s Celebrate

To bring an end to our second term of the year, the children have been voting for who has displayed our virtues and learning characters consistently throughout the entire term.

Virtue Star of the Term: Scarlett

Learner of the Term: Rodnie

Notices

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

• Trip to the Grand 7th May- We will be seeing a live performance of ‘The Boy in the Back of the Class’ - a novel in which the children will be reading in Year 6. Payment is now live on parentpay.

• Trip to Lancaster Castle and Police Museum 14th May- Our final history topic of the year will be ‘Crime and Punishment’ , in which this trip offers a detailed tour through history. Payment is now live on parentpay.

Year 5 Easter Holidays Homework

Compulsory Homework

Reading

At least 20 minutes minimum a day.

Maths and English- ANTON

We are trialing out a new online homework system called ‘ANTON’. The children have been given a demonstration of how to website works and all children have their QR code stuck on the inside of their homework work to log in.

The children are to complete all of the tasks below, which have been added to their to do lists on ANTON.

Short Mutliplication 1

Short Division 1

Clauses

Year 6 Home Learning 2.04.26

Maths

Please complete the SAT’s style word problems and make sure you show your working out. Then please complete the first four sections (see below) of this following following strand on ANTON areas:

Reading

Please complete the two reading comprehensions. This is a short reading test, to help you with your fluency and speed. Please read and complete the questions in 10 minutes.

Grammar

Please complete the revision map on word classes. Have a look at your grammar paper and then look at what areas you need to practise and follow the relevant links on the paper below to revise those areas:

You could even have a look at the following areas to help you …

Holy Week

It has been a sombre yet joyful week at nursery. We have joined the whole school in the Holy Week assemblies. Together, we have walked alongside Jesus from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to His final hours on the cross and then the culmination of Holy Week, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The older children have depicted this using words dance drama so very beautifully you couldn’t help but be moved emotionally.

Learning Landscape

The children have had a fun packed week full of Easter celebration activities. We have:

• played pin the tail on the bunny (that was great fun!)

• sang Easter songs

• created using Easter craft resources

• joined Reception for an Easter Egg Hunt!

• joined in the Easter egg raffle

• met the chicks that Year 2 have hatched

• joined a hot cross bun gathering with Reception

• played hot potato/mashed potato!

• …and had a jolly good time!

This term has been the most amazing twelve weeks. The children’s learning has been off the scale! They have started to demonstrate everything we have been learning since September. When we return after the Easter break we will be pushing forward to achieve even greater things! I would like to thank you all for your support of nursery and all the hard work you put in at home to help your child’s learning at school It is greatly appreciated.

I hope you all have a Happy and Holy Easter, not too many eggs!

Stay safe and God bless

Barbara

Year 5 Weekly Blog 27.03.26- 'This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee'- Matthew 21:1-11

Time really does fly by when you are having fun! It is hard to believe that we have begun our holy week liturgies- ready for the build up of such an important moment in our Catholic faith. Our prayer leaders this week began this for us by leading a worship about Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem, by the waving of palm leaves. The leaders asked us to reflect on who our role models are and why we look up to/celebrate these people. This is because Jesus did so many good things and lived an inspirational life- in which he became a role model to us all. This led perfectly into Year 2’s interpretation of Palm Sunday the following morning. We also used our RE lessons to help prepare for holy week by looking at the sorrowful mysteries. During advent, we looked into the joyful mysteries, which told the sequencing of the birth of Jesus. This week, we have linked the sequences of Jesus’ death and used artwork and scripture to reflect on this.

In Maths, it has been all things multiplication and times tables as we have been looking at factorisation- factors of products and finding their factor partners for the correct multiplication. In English, we have been planning for our final sci-fi story of this unit. We have completed lots of mini story writes, focusing on particular writing skills and focuses- now the children get to combine all of their skills for their big sci-fi story!

Conversation starters

HRE- We have looked at ‘self-talk’ and how we can view and interpret situations in either a positive or negative mindset. We used the ‘glass half full or half empty’ example of how we can view the same situation but with different mindsets. Do any of your family members use any positive mindset techniques? Do they follow any inspirational/motivational quotes to keep their mindset in a positive state?

Let’s Celebrate

Virtue Star of the Week: Bea

Our virtues for this half term are intentional and prophetic. Our star this week goes to Bea. We have covered some big topics in RE this year, such as the beatitudes, the commandments and the virtues. All of these have been created by the most influential figures in our faith as a guidance of how we should live as Catholics in God’s world. I can truely say Bea that you are someone who intentionally lives within these teachings, in which you do so prophetically as seen as one of our leaders of the Mini Vinnies.

Learner of the Week: Hugo

It has been amazing to see how you enjoyed those Year 5 visits during our sci-fi lessons back when you were in Year 3 Hugo. I can’t believe you remember the lessons I taught those years ago and you have shown the same level of enthusiasm during our creative story writing this year in sci-fi. The way you have applied all of our writing skills into your independent work is just amazing to see and the outcome of your writing speaks for itself.

Notices

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

• Year 5 Easter Assembly- Wednesday 1st April

• School closes on Friday 2nd April at 2pm

• Trip to the Grand 7th May- We will be seeing a live performance of ‘The Boy in the Back of the Class’ - a novel in which the children will be reading in Year 6. Payment is now live on parentpay.

• Trip to Lancaster Castle and Police Museum 14th May- Our final history topic of the year will be ‘Crime and Punishment’ , in which this trip offers a detailed tour through history. Payment is now live on parentpay.

Year 1 Weekly blog 27.3.26 - "Holy Week is a chance for us to give our hearts. On the cross He gave us all of His love." - St Teresa of Calcutta

In this weeks Gospel we celebrate Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week, the most important week of our Church’s year. The children have a really good understanding of this moment when Jesus travelled to Jerusalem and the crowds so happily waved their palm leaves, shouting “Hosanna”. All our learning in RE this half term has been focused around Holy Week. The children have retold Palm Sunday through our own drama and have had the absolute pleasure of watching Year 2’s amazing assembly today! Everybody has come home with their own palm cross to carry with them throughout Holy Week.

Going deeper in conversation

Why does giving and receiving GRATITUDE feel good and make others feel good?

Magic moments

This week have have finished our unit in Maths which has been discovering shapes. This has been a real joy of a unit, one which we have adored observing the children as they have explored shapes, rotation and different pattern making. They have really enjoyed exploring this element of their spacial reasoning as have we!

Certificates

A huge well done to Mollie who has been awarded our Focused and Enthusiastic learning award. Mollie, you a ray of sunshine in our days! Each and every day to try your very best and always put a smile on others’ faces. You are always so focused and include lots of careful detail into your work, making sure that it is the absolute best it can be. I am so proud of your wonderful effort and I really hope you are too! You are a joy!

A huge well done to Rosalie who has been awarded our Star virtue award for being Intentional and Prophetic. Rosalie, you always see the very best in people and whenever you see someone in need you are always there to shower them in love and help them to remember that they are special and cared for. You are just like Jesus!

Reminders

We need to return our lenten boxes next week - please bring - last day Wednesday.

Sponsor Money - we know you have been walking at home with family and friends and that for this effort you have raised money - please bring in the form and any monies next week- last day for this Wednesday - thank you

Easter Egg raffle: There is until Thursday to pay for raffle tickets.

Schools closes: On Thursday 2nd April at 2pm

Have a wonderful weekend!

c.bassett@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk

This week...

Worship

This week we have continued our ‘Desert to Garden’ topic with ‘Easter Sunday’. Our key words this week were HOLY WEEK, EASTER SUNDAY and NEW LIFE.

We began with a video, ‘God gave us Easter’ Click here. 

We are all great at re – telling the Easter story and talking about how sad Jesus and the people must have felt.

In our child led worship on Thursday we had pictures to look at. They represented the 14 stations of the cross. Some of us remembered going around school and seeing the stations of the cross that the children had made, and some of us said we had seen them in church. We watched this video, click here to watch at home.

The video had questions to really make us think about how Jesus felt and how we might face the same challenges in our life. ‘How do you think Jesus felt when he didn’t have any of his friends around him?’, ‘Have you ever had to do something that was really hard?’, ‘What helped you when you felt like quitting?’, ‘What do you think Jesus felt when he fell in front of all those people?’.

Learning Landscape

An exciting week at nursery. Mrs. Tierney brought us some frog spawn! We have been finding out how to care for the tadpoles that will emerge and eventually grow into frogs! It does take a long time though, we must be patient. We have made a small pond in the nursery garden to watch for any changes. We will keep you posted!

Also, Mrs. Hotchkiss in YR2 has hatched some chicks, we can’t wait to meet them.

Nursery has lots of Easter challenges for the coming week. We have been:

• filling and matching eggs (to make them whole) in the special Easter sand

• carefully picking up Easter hens and placing them carefully in egg cups…mmm I wonder how many hens there are?

• creating Easter pictures using all our Easter crafts

• bunny counting and looking carefully for similarities and differences…this was a bit tricky we had to look very carefully

• meeting Number 10!!!! We have lots of fun with 10. Everyone has been making number bonds to ten, our learning is on fire!!

• counting how many parts there are in the magnetic apples

• visiting Forest School. We particularly enjoy swinging in the hammock!

• climbing and jumping on the apparatus in the hall

• and much much more….take a look at the photos

Easter Egg Raffle

Raffle tickets are now on sale in nursery for £1 a strip. Just send in the correct amount and we will do the rest!

Lenten Boxes

Can everyone please send in your filled Lenten boxes so we can get everything totaled up! We are hoping for a bumper amount this year.

Cafod Walk to Nigeria Sponsor forms

Could you also send any donations and monies regarding Cafods Walk to Nigeria in to school next week. Nursery have been walking daily around the field and have collectively walked 126.6 miles!!!! Wow!!

Finally, have a lovely weekend everyone and a big thank you for all your support with all our Lenten charity events and almsgiving. It is very much appreciated.

Stay safe and God bless

Barbara

Friday 27th March "Through His blood, we gain our freedom - the forgiveness of our sins.

The highlight of our week was the children making their First Reconciliation in church. They were a little nervous but my goodness, they did so well. The next day at school children said they felt amazing to be sin free and I can see how much this sacrament has meant to them. It is fitting that children led a worship for the class this week all about Jesus agony in the garden of Gethsemane. This was beautiful - well done Vincent, Luca and Barnaby. Children really understand the depth of feeling of this traumatic event for Jesus and His disciples and you will see this portrayed in our class assembly. They also this week learned about DR. Ruth Pfau who lived out Corporal Works of Mercy by helping eradicate leprosy in Pakistan. Our RE lessons now are centred on Holy week and the charged emotions it brings.

We have loved history this week - all about the discovery of an empty grave at Sutton Hoo in East Anglia. Children had to use the evidence to figure out who must have been buried there. There is a great film about this, called ‘The Dig.’ We have also written lots of good story openings combining setting and character and have become solid on all divisibility rules in maths.

Conversation starters

RE

Why was Jesus in agony in the garden?

History

What is the mystery of the Empty Grave?

Let’s Celebrate

Our certificate this week is a determined and reflective learner This goes to Logan. You have been striving to improve your work in class and your focus has improved greatly. You have put in so much effort to learn your part as Jesus and you portray it beautifully. Thank you.

Our virtues this half term are being intentional and prophetic. Intentional in their behavour for learning and their behaviour towards others. This week, Barnaby receives our star for being such an intentional learner recently. You are listening so well in class and giving things 100% You contribute so meaningfully in class discussions.

Notices

Tuesday 31st March Our class assembly at 9:10am. Children have worked really hard to create something special.

Next week our Easter Egg raffle will take place on Thursday. Raffle tickets are £1 per strip. Be in it to win it! Any more egg donations are most welcome!

We break up on Thursday at 2:00pm

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Lyons and Mrs Carragher

a.lyons@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk

Year 5 Homework- Due Thursday 2nd April

Compulsory Homework

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.

Maths- ANTON

We are trialing out a new online homework system called ‘ANTON’. The children have been given a demonstration of how to website works and all children have their QR code stuck on the inside of their homework work to log in.

The children are to complete either of tasks below, which have been added to their to do lists on ANTON. Children can complete the other factors task as well in order to test themselves and earn more coins, stars and trophies.

Factors 1

Factors 2

Spellings

We are looking at the suffix ‘ous’. some of these words maintain their root word and have the suffix added on but some words have their root wood changed slightly in order to have the suffix ‘ous’

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. dangerous

2. mountainous

3. famous

4. continuous

5. ridiculous

6. courageous

7. curious

8. serious

9. various

10. luxurious

11. nervous

12. vicious

13. heinous

14. boisterous

15. luminous

Easter Assembly- Wednesday 1st April

Children have been given their scripts for our holy week preparations. Make sure to practice your lines and to really focus on the expressing this with emotion. All children are to be off script this weekend- ready for our final practice.

Year 6 Weekly Blog' During the season of lent contemplate your heart and look at your world with hope'

Today was the beginning of our Holy Week celebrations within school, and what a beautiful way to start this journey, with Year 2’s depiction of this very special event. Our liturgy this week, was also centred around palm sunday and it’s significance to us as Christian’s. We remember Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem, and how people were so happy to see Him that they waved palm branches, laid their coats on the ground like a red carpet, and shouted “Hosanna!”, which means “Save us!” But Jesus didn’t come on a powerful horse like a warrior king. He came on a donkey, showing that he was a king of peace, kindness, and humility. Palm Sunday helps us to think about how we can follow Jesus by choosing peace, showing kindness, and bringing hope to others.

Thank you to the following children who led us in prayer in their children’s liturgy on the annuciation…

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We have had another successful week in Year 6, where they have worked so hard and reflecting on their learning constantly. The children have completed another set of mock tests, which they will receive feedback for next week and they will then bring them home to share with you over Easter. They have now got English and Maths revisions folders and books, which they can take to and from school to help them revise and prepare, but please can you ensure that these come back to school every day as they will need them. Don’t forget revision material is available to children to choose areas they might want to do extra work on, they will not be marked but they can use the material to aid their revision should they wish to, it is completely optional but we want to eqipt them as much as possible.

After Easter I am thinking of holding a revision club for maths after school until 4:15pm, just to practise word problems and reasoning around curriculum areas for extra practise. Please let me know below whether or not you would be interested in this and on which day you would prefer. I will then see which day would suit the most people and let you know before we break up for Easter.

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Don’t forget to keep encouraging children to read as much as possible and to ocmplete their homework, to have it on time- good practice for next year! This week we had 8 children who did not either complete the whole homework in their books or hand it in on time. Please also use the link below if you want to do some extra learning …

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Delving deeper through talk …

What are determiners and how can your identify them?

My Happy Mind…

How have you been a good friend this week?

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Leading Learner

Well done to Rose this week.

Rose, you could get the certificate every week and display so many of our learning characters! You have such a wonderful attitude towards your learning: in every single lesson you are engaged and focused, you have such resilience and never give up, but one of your main strengths is how reflective you are, always seeking to improve, recognising the areas you want to do better at and working your socks off to achieve- all with a smile and a love of learning!

Intentional and Prophetic stars

This half term we will be on the lookout for all the children that are intention in their actions. Children who make conscious decisions for the greater good. We will also be spotting children who are prophetic, who choose the right decisions with integrity and who display them publically. These children are the role models of the school. This week we thank Gus for being intentional and prophetic to help others.

Helpers in the morning

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

Daisy William Poppy Grace

Notices

• Date for the diary- Year 6 Resurrection Assembly is on Thursday 2nd April.

• MEDICAL FORMS- we still have some medical forms that need to be completed and sent back to school. Please ensure any conditions and food or other allergies are mentioned in this form.

• CLASS TRIP: On Thursday 7th May we have booked to go to the Grand Theatre to watch the book we will be studying after Easter ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’. Previous year 6 groups have been to watch this performance before and it is most definitely worth watching. The show starts at 2pm in Blackpool, so on this day we will be arriving back at school a later time of approximately 5pm. Payment for the tickets and coach is on ParentPay at £22.

Have a lovely weekend.

We will see you on Monday.

Year 4 homework to be handed in on Thursday 2nd April

Maths

We have discoveredan exciting new app called Anton. Children have a QR code stuck into their homework book. Hover camera on phone or ipad over it and it will take you straight to your account.

Please complete all maths units set factor pairs and one unit set real life problems. If you wish to do more, you can.

Spelling

GROUP 1

This week we have learned the tricky spelling rules to turn these verbs into nouns.

Write these in your homework book, then add the correct spelling of the noun using sion, ssion or cian.

invade -

revise -

decide -

comprehend -

permit -

admit -

possess -

express -

electric -

music -

magic -

Group 2

goes little where saw her don’t

and a word collection with the u-e sound and the ire sound

Lenten boxes

Please do those last minute chores and bring in your boxes for Tuesday next week. Also bring your sponsor form and money for next Wednesday.

Optional Home Learning - Spring 2

There are some lovely opportunities to do some optional homework based on all we are studying this half term or retrieving from last half term. Have look and see.

Year 6 Home Learning 27.03.26

Maths

Please complete the adding fractions sheet to help reinforce previous learning of fractions. You have also been given your log in details for ANTON please complete ‘Fractions in their simplest form’ and the following strands from it:

Reading

Please complete the reading comprehnesion. There are two short reading tests, to help you with your fluency and speed. Please read and complete the questions in 10 minutes.

Grammar

Over the holidays is a perfect time for word class revision!! Please compelete the Word Class Grammar Map and then dip in to the following areas to aid your revision …

We also had our grammar feedback this week… look through the paper and the areas you got wrong and use the following paper to help you revise the areas you need to work on, by following the links provided at the side of each questions