This week...

Welcome back to the final term of the year, the year is flying by!

The children have started the new term with the same enthusiasm that they left the Spring term with. Everyone is eager to learn and have lots of new adventures. This half term we will be fining out about ‘Mini Beasts. We have already started to root around the nursery garden and forest school to see which creatures we can find! The children want to make a snail hotel; so we are on the hunt for snails. I think they disappear when they hear us coming!

Worship

This week we have started our new branch ‘To the Ends of the Earth’. Our key words this week were Friend, God and Father.

We spoke about how Jesus returned to his Father. One of the friends said Jesus went to heaven and said Jesus is also the Holy Spirit. We watched this video about the Ascension: Click here to watch at home.

When someone welcomes the Holy Spirit into their heart, they are close to God.  His love surrounds them. We spoke about they key words we had heard – Father, God, Holy Spirit and friend. We added these to our Worship display and will add to this as we learn more over the next few weeks. We attached them to a cloud. We thought that heaven was in the clouds, and what a peaceful place it must be.

We heard that Jesus promised to always look after everyone and send a special friend, the Holy Spirit. This led into our child led worship on Thursday, where we learnt about the parable of the faithful servant. (Matthew 24:42). We had a look at some images and one of them had a picture of someone giving someone some food. We discussed how Jesus came to serve us, help us and teach us and we must now do the same. We serve others and Jesus by being ready, responsible, making good choices, being kind and good. We should make these good choices even when nobody is watching.

Learning Landscape

Nursery looks a little different this week…there are minibeasts everywhere! We have:

• Made a minibeast exploring table

• Played a describing minibeast quiz game. Some of the clues were a bit tricky but we got there in the end.

• Told stories by sequencing cards. We even made up our own silly stories!

• Explored numbers to 10! We found out which numbers we can put together to make ten, using number rods. Watch this video to have a go at home. I must say the children were ahead of the game with their number bond work! Fantastic!

• Visited forest school and made sun catchers.

Home Link activity bags

Each week we have been sending home hand strengthening activity sacks to help prepare your children for mark making and writing. We currently have three sacks which have not been returned. This means that other children cannot play the games. If you receive a bag could you keep it for one night and then return the bag the following day for another child to take home. Thank you for your understanding.

Silly Hat and Sock Week

Every year nursery raises funds for a charity that is close to our hearts. This year we have chosen the Lymphoedema Support Network. ‘The Lymphoedema Support Network (LSN) is a registered charity and the UK’s national patient support charity for those living with or affected by lymphoedema.’

The Lymphoedema Support Network takes the lead role in supporting and empowering people with lymphoedema by providing a high standard of information and promoting self-help. Since its inception in 1991, when there was very little information or help available for patients, the LSN has evolved into an independent and influential charity. As a charity run by people with lymphoedema, the LSN has a real understanding of the lived experience of the condition which it uses to inform its work.

We really want to help raise money for this charity as we currently have a child in nursery with childhood lymphoedema and we would like to say thank you to the LSN who have supported the family. Please get in volved and lets make lots of money! All details are on the poster below.

The sillier the better!!!!!

Looking forward to more fun and learning next week. Have a great weekend everyone and we will see you on Monday.

Stay safe and God Bless

Barbara

Year 4 Weekly Blog Friday 17th April "What really matters in life is that we are loved by Jesus and that we love Him in return. (St John-Paul )

What a lovely week in Year 4! Children have come back raring to go and we have had a full week of determined learners! In RE this week, children have written diaries as St Peter, expressing how he felt about events in Holy Week - especially his denial of Jesus. The following RE lesson was all about forgiveness and how it can transform our lives. In our worship this week, children have reflected on the journey on the road to Emmaus. Jesus showed that He is always by our side in our most troubling times in our lives to support us and love us. In my Happy mind, we learned about the word ‘Relate’ and how getting along with others is important.

We have also finished our block of work all about multiplication and division - onto Fractions next! We finished our History topic on the Anglo-Saxons - learning that they were plagued by Viking raiders and the threat to England was extreme - until King Alfred the Great sorted them out!

This week, we have welcomed Miss Edwards to our class. She will be doing her teaching placement here for the next 9 weeks. Here she is leading a very exciting science lesson on sound!

Conversation starters

RE

Talk about the disciple Peter. What was he like?

History

King Alfred the Great….. What great things did he do?

Let’s Celebrate

Our certificate this week is a determined and focused learner This goes to Jacob.. You have been tracking the visuals and the teacher really well this week Jacob. You have worked really hard to get work completed.

Our virtues this half term are being attentive and discerning. We have chosen Wren as our star because she is always so attentive in class and makes careful choices. We loved your choice about giving away your Easter eggs to a food bank!

PE stars this week:

Ruth, Wren, Heidi and Jacob

Notices

Sessions for Holy Communion start next week - Tuesday 21st April.

Thursday 30th April - children will be making their biscuits and need to bring their ingredients. List is in bag.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Lyons, Miss Edwards and Mrs Carragher

a.lyons@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk

Year 6 Weekly Blog - 'Let us learn to live with kindness, to love everyone, even when they don't love us' Pope Francis

This week our liturgies have been centred around Luke’s Gospel which is often called “The Road to Emmaus.” It tells the story of two friends on a journey, walking from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus after the death of Jesus. As they walk, they feel sad, confused and worried because things have not gone how they expected. While they are travelling, Jesus comes alongside them, but they do not recognise him at first. He listens to their worries, asks them questions and explains things gently, helping them to understand what has happened. By the end of the journey, when they sit down to eat together, the friends suddenly realise that Jesus has been with them all along. Their sadness turns into hope and confidence, and they rush back to tell others the good news. The journey in this story is not just about walking from one place to another. It represents a life journey—times when we move forward but feel unsure, frightened or confused about what comes next. Over the next few weeks we will be talking about Year 6’s journey, how change and big events are becoming closer, but what we can learn through this scripture is that we never walk alone, there are always people there to help us, and of course God, and just like the disciples kept walking, children can keep going evem when things are challenging—one question, one day at a time.

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Wow what a start to the summer term! We have all come back so well rested and ready to take on the challenges of the term! We have shown so much focus, bravery, reflection and most of all resilience this week! We could not ask the children to work any harder.

Learning has been full on and fast paced this week. I am so impressed by the attitude of the children and their desire to make progress. This week we have mastered our dividing of fractions and have been reasoning around fractions, problem solving and finding fractions of amounts! They are doing brilliant!

Earlier this week we had Enrichment afternoon with Mrs Hotchkiss, where year 6 were planting reading for summer! And of course, we had our golf afternoon, where the children got to have a go at some golf lessons in preparation for an exciting summer!

With a bank holiday coming up, and only a few weeks to go until May, every day is crucial. Please ensure that your children are in school on time to maximise every learning opportunity.

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Delving deeper through talk …

What do we need to ensure we do for active listening?

With only three weeks to go until SAT’s, what do you want/ need to work on in this time to feel ready?

Attentive and Discerning Star

This half term we will be on the lookout for all the children that are attentive in the way we look at the world and in others, taking the time to notice the big and the small things each day. We will also be spotting children who are discerning, who choose the right decisions with integrity. These children are the role models of the school. This week we thank John Paul for being attentive and discerning to help others.

Leading Learners

Well done to Ciaran.

Wow Ciaran, you are impressing us so much with your focus, enthusiasm and pure resilience. You are  so engaged during lessons, participating fully and getting lost in each task. We loved seeing how resilient you were this week on your Maths, even when others said it couldn’t be done, you continued to challenge yourself, had such a stickability and confidence that you could do it- and you did! What a magical moment- we are very proud of you!

Helpers in the morning

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

Gus Toby Beth Rose

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Residential

Not long to go until the residential now- very exciting! Today the children have received the kit list, to show what they need to bring. More information will be sent out nearer the time!

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Notices

Please make sure homework is completed and returned on the correct day.

Just in case you want to do a little extra work on spellings- here is the predictions for the SAT’s spelling which I have based the homework round for the next couple of weeks …

Year 6 Home Learning 23.04.26

Maths

Please complete the finding percentages of amounts worksheet and the order of operations sheet in your homework books.

OPTIONAL EXTRA REVISION ON ANTON:

Reading

Please complete the reading comprehension. 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 prepositions worksheet by underlining the prepositions on the sentence.

OPTIONAL GRAMMAR REVISION TO REINFORCE CLASS LEARNING:

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

Year 4 homework to be handed in on Thursday 23rd April

Maths

Please complete the two maths sheets in your book. We have learned how to calculate using of knowledge of 10 and 100 times bigger or smaller.

Spelling - all groups

This week, we have learned about using THE POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE FOR SINGULAR AND PLURAL NOUNS.

Please log in on ANTON. Complete at least the first 4 levels on the Possessive apostrophe. If you wish to complete the whole unit, you can!

Year 3 Homework- To be handed in Tuesday 21st April

Spellings

This week we are focusing on year 3 statutory words.

1. often
2. enough
3. question
4. quarter
5. purpose
6.occasion
7.perhaps
8.potatoes
9. promise
10. popular

Maths - Please complete the questions in your homework book.

Reading

Reading targets have been reset, please encourage your children to read at home daily for 15-20 mins. You can check children’s quizzing and progress towards targets on their AR Reader pages.

Summer 1 Extra-Curricular

Please see the timetable for extra-curricular sessions this Summer 1.

The Road to the Open - Trophy Tour

For the first time ever, both the men’s and women’s golf open is to be played in the same region this year - Royal Birkdale for the Men and Royal Lytham for the Women. One of my roles is to chair the sports committee for our local primary schools and through this, we have been asked by The Golf Foundation to run a competition in the lead up to the Open at Royal Lytham this year. The staff in our schools will be receiving training for our Year 5 & 6 pupils this coming Tuesday after school.

However, something much more exciting is being put in place. On Tuesday afternoon, our Year 5 and 6 pupils will be receiving a taster session from The Golf Foundation - and they will be part of the Trophy Tour. Both the Claret Jug and the AIG trophy will be on site at school. As part of the Year 5 & 6 afternoon, they will have the opportunity to talk to The Golf Foundation and have photos taken with the trophies whilst they are in school.

As this is such a monumental event, photography will be taken for media purposes by The Golf Foundation, local papers and possibly Granada reports, who we are hoping will cover the event just like they did for the Dance Competition in February. On Tuesday, the children will need to be in full PE kit - navy shorts (not football badged or those which are incredibly short) and the correct colour trainers - as well as school polo top or PE top and school hoodie.

As this event will be publicised beyond the school website, I need consent for each child with regards to the photography taking place. Please can this form be completed before Monday so it can be collated and shared with The Golf Foundation before Tuesday.

Thank you - Mrs Gregan

Year 6 Weekly Blog - 'He is risen. He is not there.'

What a way to end a wonderful term together! I am sure that you were all moved by the children’s depiction of the Resurrection this morning and hopefully you felt the joy of the resurrection! This morning is what education is all about. The children having the opportunity to think outside of the box, be creative and to express themselves. We are incredibly proud of them all.

This week we met with our reception partners to walk around the stations of the cross, which was a beautiful way to share the events of Holy week …

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We loved the Easter egg hunt the Easter rabbit sent us on …

This week, on top of preparing for our assembly, we have been learning the active and passive voice in English, continuing with our fraction work and the children have recieved feedback from both their reading and grammar papers. All of the children have homeowrk and their papers to look over during the Easter break, I have attached the grammar paper with the links again to aid your revision. They have worked so hard and we are now onto the final push. Support your child the best way you see fit, whatever level input you feel is necessary then please feel free. If you click on the button below, it will take you to the section on the Year 6 web page ‘How to Help Your Child.’ I have updated the page with lots of useful sites for the children to access. If you see there is an area that children need more practice, then these sites should help, but remember one of the most crucial ways is through books. So please make sure you set aside time of Easter to read together. The final weeks after half term will be focused on revision and helping the children in each of the different areas.

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LEARNER OF THE HALF TERM…

Voted for by your classmates for being an excellent learning role model within our classroom. The class think you have shone this half term …

Teddy

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 Logan 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:

Isioma Toby Logan Poppy

Notices

• 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.

On behalf of the Year 6 team, we wish you all a restful and holy Easter. Take time to spend with each other and to enjoy the beautiful weather- hopefully.

Year 1 Weekly Blog 2.4.26 - "He is not here; he has risen!" - Luke 24:6-7

This week is always so special at Our Lady’s. I will never forget my first Easter here and being in awe at the children’s understanding and emotion when retelling Holy Week, it is always incredible and this year was no different! In class we have spent time reflecting on what we have watched our junior friends portray and each child is coming home with their own Easter reflection book that they have made. We have had tears and so many questions which is so moving. Our children are so young and yet have such a passion in understanding what Jesus went through in His final weeks. I could not be more proud of all our children!

Children’s awards

Our children have chosen both awards this term. It was so lovely to hear their thoughts as to who they feel has shown our learning virtues and who has been a super learner. I think every child was voted by someone! However, a huge and well deserved congratulations to Lily, who was awarded the Star, for being a super kind friend and for always looking after others! Another huge congratulations to Roxie who has been awarded the learning certificate! Your class friends have noticed what a wonderful creative learner you are!

Notices

ART! Next half term the children need a shoe box each. If you have any shoes boxes please keep them to one side for our Art work - thank you in advance!

Wishing you all a very happy, Holy and wonderful Easter

Miss Bassett, Miss Hennessey and Miss Charnely

Friday 2nd April !Lord, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the Saviour of the world."

A very special week in Year 4 and indeed the whole school this week - Holy week. It is hard to put into words the depth of emotion felt within school throughout this week as we witness Jesus’s journey to the cross through our class liturgies. Year 4 portrayed Jesus’s agony and trauma in the Garden of Gethsemane with such understanding and beauty. Each one knew their role and felt it keenly. We were so proud of them. After watching the Crucifixion the following day, many children were in tears because they had such compassion for Jesus’s pain and suffering. They then wrote Acrostic poems in class about how Jesus had spoken to them through this event. They were beautiful.

We have been so busy in maths this week - moving onto making numbers 10 and 100 times bigger or smaller and using this to help us solve very tricky multiplications like 56 x 7 and 147 x 8. In English, children have written some amazing stories based on our novel, ‘The Last Bear,’ and we have started a Science mini topic on Food chains.

The children have had such fun together this week - playing outdoors, going on a Easter egg hunt - which was pure joy and of course our famous Easter Egg raffle!

Conversation starters

RE

Why didn’t Jesus ‘Save Himself’ and come down from the cross?

History

Were the Anglo-Saxons Christians?

Let’s Celebrate

This week, our certificates were voted by the children in class. You voted well!

Jude Cuffe was chosen to be demonstrating every learning character because he is sensible, passionate, listens and focuses so well in class. He is a good friend.

Elsie was chosen because she has a smile each day, includes everyone in games and is always kind. She always tries her best and listens well in class. She is helpful and cheers people on.

Sasha received our vortue star this week for being intentional in everything she does. From her effort with her school work to her determination to be a good person, she is inspiring. Well done Sasha.

Wise words from the children - I couldn’t have put it better myself!

Have a lovely Easter with your little chicks. They really are such a pleasure to be with and have all absolutely worked their socks off this half term!

Mrs Lyons and Mrs Carragher

a.lyons@ourladystarofthesea.lancs.sch.uk

Sculpture and 3D- Abstract shape and space.

What a busy term of exploration with all things sculpture! The past few weeks have all been about the children using their creativity to turn 2D shapes into 3D sculptures. The emphasis was purely exploratory ways to join and master using varying shapes to create their pieces, which at times were frustrating when things didn’t go as planned. We have looked at how sculptors use both negative and positive spaces to maximize the impact of the work. The children were so creative in turning their cereal box into a work of art and in producing a final piece. 

We have also revisited our drawing topic by using our observational skills to draw British wildlife.

Next half term, we are moving on to cooking and Nutrition where we will focus on seasonal foods.

Have a lovely Easter Break

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Drawing – Expressing Ideas.

Time flies when you’re having fun! The children have really gotten into this topic! We have thought about what the difference is between Street Art and Graffiti, not only in design but in legal terms. We have had the opportunity to explore the street art in Blackpool and have thought about what their story is. The children have created depth and distance by having a go at one point perspectives and vanishing points, along with scaling up using a grid. Using their new found knowledge, the children have planned a piece of work inspired not only by street art, but also an Ecological topic that is close to their heart and feel strongly about. We will continue with this after the half term. They have really shone out and have challenged themselves every step of the way. Well done Year 6!

Next half term we are turning our focus to Photography and Memories.

Have a lovely Easter Break

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Structures and 3D- Bridges

- This half term we have been putting an array of knowledge to the test in our Design and Technology topic. The children have shown such perseverance with building their bridges. We started off looking at the three main types; beam, arch and truss and discovering which type was the strongest. The children were then set the task of having a go at making a spaghetti truss bridge, this task is definitely for the faint hearted- it would test the patience of anyone! The children took it all in their stride and shown impeccable resilience when the spaghetti kept snapping! We then moved on to our woodworking skills, using our maths knowledge to measure and cut accurate lengths to construct their bridge. I am so proud of all the children for navigating this topic so wonderfully with their partners and their enthusiasm in helping others when they could. You have all been wonderful craftspeople Year 5 well done!

We have started our new topic on portraits which we will continue after the holiday, before moving onto Cooking and Nutrition.

Have a lovely Easter Break

God Bless

Mrs Mather

Paper Play!

This term, the children have been looking at the different ways they could use paper. From 3D drawings through to sculptures. We have had so much fun manipulating paper into tower sculptures, the tree of life 3d art and a collaborative whole class spider sculpture! The children have shown so much resilience when the paper would not bend the way they wanted it to. This topic has been perfect for their fine motor skills and building up their finger muscles by rolling an array of different sized cylinders to produce their tower sculptures. Their imagination has run wild with this topic and they produced fabulous work!

Next half term, we will be looking at woven wonders.

Have a lovely Easter Break

God Bless

Mrs Mather