Amazingly atmospheric writing!
We’re thrilled to share two amazingly atmospheric examples of writing with you by Reece and Jacob in Year 6.
The children used one of the Year 5 and 6 Learning Objectives to develop the skills of using other writing as a model for their own writing. This isn’t simply copying another writer; instead, it’s using their work as inspiration, a model, for their own ideas and style. The original text was the wonderful ‘The Nowhere Emporium’ by Ross MacKenzie.
LO: To use other similar writing as a model
The shop was made of midnight black stone, embedded in little specks of silver and gold. The iron gate sat there in front of the grand oak door, guarding the entrance like a soldier. It had wooden beams which reached sky high which loomed ominously over the dusty street. Although the giant beams and the great gate looked quite foreboding, there was something calming and also quite mesmerising about the strange building. Just above a black, tinted, barred window were some letters that spelled out the name: The Midnight Mall.
Inside it seemed almost completely normal. The darkness ate at the light in the corners but that was all. Or at least it seemed like that was all. But if you focused a bit more you’d notice a green aura of light around all of the objects. The walls had cracks in them, the plants whacked each other with their branches even though the air was still. Small and very distant screeches could be heard if you stayed quiet. The place seemed quite intriguing yet kind of scary all at the same time, if you notice all those things. The shop with all this stuff that is quite mysterious can only appear at midnight.
Afterwards, it will be gone.
LO: To use similar writing as a model
The Master led Vindictus through the abandoned worn-out factory. The derelict building stood lifeless. Its crumbling chimneys and hanging gutters were clogged with moist, rotting leaves and the walls were pitted, as if they had been gnawed by hundreds of starving rats. Vindictus followed the Master through to the decrepit, ancient office. The Master snatched a worn key from a battered safe. They passed conveyor belts that hadn’t been used for a decade or two.
“Argh!” screamed the Master as a nightmare-ish, blood curdling wail erupted from a larger-than- life bat. Whilst the Master was hyper-ventilating, Vindictus asked, “Is this where you keep him?” pointing to a weather-worn prison cell. “I’m afraid we had no choice,” sighed the Master. “He was violent to the other boys but he is well fed.” The prison cell was dark and dreary. Boxes were scattered around the room. They contained unknown items. Although the entrance was damaged from constant usage, it was still firm. The boy inside was dreary, lonesome and unexcitable. However, there was something intriguing about him.
I’m sure you’ll agree that these are very accomplished! Well done to all our children. We could have chosen lots of their writing to publish!
Golden Star
Well done to our Golden Star this week.
3 2 1 DODGEBALL!
A huge well done to our Year 5 Dodgeball team. They entered their first competition organised by PE Partner at John Smeaton Leisure Centre today and they WON! They will now represent Scholes at the Leeds finals in June.
Can you claim your wristband?
We launched the 30:30 Wristband Challenge in the new year. We aimed to complete 30 minutes of physical activity during school time.
The other 30 minutes were to be done at home. If you’ve managed 10 days, you will receive a certificate.
If you have managed 80% of this half-term (38 days), you’ll receive a bronze wristband. Please return your completed forms back to school by the end of next week if you would like to receive your prize. If you need another form, please call in to the school office.
The Big Ink Cartridge Collection
WANTED!
School council are collecting used ink cartridges to raise money for our school and our chosen charity – The Donkey Sanctuary.
All collected used ink and toner cartridges are recycled in an environmentally friendly way and the money raised is donated back to us! The more cartridges we can collect, the more we can raise.
If anyone’s workplace throws their ink cartridges away, we’ll be happy to recycle them for you!
An ink cartridge recycle box is waiting for your donation in the main office reception.
Our Year 6 Reading workshop
Thanks to the parents and carers of Year 6 children who came to school yesterday evening for a Reading workshop. We’re really pleased to see so many of you taking the time to learn how you can best support your child at home.
Here are two examples of the great feedback we got:
‘The evening was very informative. It helped me understand what the reading SATs paper will be like and where I can help my child… Thank you for taking the time to give us an insight…’
‘I feel more comfortable with what [my child] is being taught and the support he is being given.’
Read the PowerPoint slides here: part one, part two and part three.
Watch a short video about the Key Stage 2 assessments (SATs) here.
One parent suggested the evening should be scheduled towards the end of the school for Year 5 parents, so they are more prepared for Year 6 from the outset. Thanks for the idea – we think it’s a good one and we’re going to organise this.
Golden Star
Well done to our Golden Star this week. You show resilience in your learning and always have a smile on your face!
A Visit to Scholes Library
A group of children from each class visited Scholes Library and chose a selection of books for their classmates. The books have already proven popular!
How many?
As part of our topic, we combined science and maths to find out how many times we could perform certain tasks in one minute. We noticed the effect this had on our bodies – increasing heartbeat and breathing faster.
Home Link – Dinosaurs 29.01.18
We’re going to be learning about dinosaurs this week, so we thought you would like to surprise us with your dinosaur-themed activities.
You could…
- Read a dinosaur story and tell us about it, or even better, bring it in for us to share together.
- Find out some Dino facts in a non-fiction book.
- Send us a photograph if you have lots of dinosaurs at home. Can you line them up and count them?
- Draw/paint a picture or make a model of a dinosaur.
- Make a dinosaur shape picture.
- Find other objects that begin with the letter ‘d.’
- Bake some dinosaur shaped biscuits.