Fantastic homework!
Recently, the standard of homework has been high. The pupils’ skills and dedication has been going from strength to strength! We’d love to show some of them to you!
We find them inspiring. They are creative; demonstrate the children’s interests; show research skills (without copying huge chunks from the internet!); maintain the high standard of presentation we expect; and are all relevant to the task set.
Following learning conversations and feedback in class, it’s been very clear that the children have really enjoyed the opportunity to research and present their findings.
They are fantastic – well done, everyone. Keep it up! We can’t wait to see next week’s homework!
Terrific Tessellations
This week, we began our new Life Forces topic with a focus on the key characteristics of mammals and fish. In art, we were inspired by the work of MC Escher (1889-1972) and created our own fabulous tessellations of mammals and fish.
Ask you child to explain how they modified a square to make their tessellating template.
Thank you!
Thank you to those of you who were able to attend the ‘marvellous maths’ stay and play today. It was great to see so many of you there and the children enjoyed sharing their learning with you.
We focused on the number 9. We focus on numbers to twenty throughout the year to get a depth of understanding of what the numbers represent. We talked about what number 9 looks like – not just the numeral but also what it looks like in our environment. For example, 8 flowers and 1 tree – that makes nine!
If you were unable to attend, your child will be bringing home an information booklet with ideas of how to support your child at home. The children also enjoy watching number blocks – a great conversation starter about numbers!
Which liquid is the most viscous?
This week, in our science-based mini topic, What’s the matter?, we planned a test to find out which liquid is the most viscous.
We had to think about:
- how we would test the different liquids
- what we would need
- what we would measure
- what things would need to stay the same to keep the test fair
- what one thing would change each time
On Friday, we carried out our tests and recorded the results. Ask your child to describe what is going on in each of the pics below.
Home Link – The Three Little Pigs
This week, we’re going to be reading the story of The Three Little Pigs so we’d like you to enjoy reading this story at home together.
You could also…
- Draw, paint a picture or collage of the Three Little Pigs
- Make a house that you think the Big Bad Wolf wouldn’t be able to blow down! What would you use?
- Re-tell the story using different voices for the pigs and the wolf
- Think of some words that rhyme with pig
- Look for the number 3 and groups of 3 things when you are out and about (eg 3 on a bus, 3 lights on a traffic light, 3 red cars etc…)
- Listen to the story on-line
- Visit a farm and find out about pigs!
Run, run as fast as you can!
The Gingerbread Man story has provided us with lots of fantastic learning opportunities. The story props in our small world area have been very popular; children have enjoyed using them to re-tell the story and it has been great to hear children using lots of storytelling language and some of the repeated refrains from the story. At the beginning of the week, children had lots of fun trying to find The Gingerbread Man that kept hiding around nursery! We talked about the Gingerbread Man running everywhere and some children remembered that he shouldn’t run in nursery and decided to draw some posters telling him to slow down and walk.
We also continued to practise our counting skills – counting out and drawing the correct number of buttons on our gingerbread men. Children are becoming much better at accurately counting objects and at counting out 3-4 objects from a group. Remember to keep practising these important skills at home.
As you are no doubt aware from the muddy trousers and tights that you have to wash, we’ve still been playing outside in the cold and damp weather! This week, we’ve taken advantage of the mixed weather conditions. On Monday, we looked at the patterns in the frost and were inspired to create some icy artwork and on Wednesday, we listened to the pitter patter of raindrops under a tent that we made. Children loved colour mixing with paints in the puddles and creating footprints with their wellies.
Week 3 – What are we learning this week?
Thank you to those of you that have added your child’s favourite fairy tale story to our interest board. If you haven’t had chance yet, please do so next time you’re in nursery. Last week, whilst we were in the middle of making a den, children began to include a favourite character into their role play – can you guess who?
“I’ll huff and I’ll puff…” This week, in response to their play and favourite stories, we’ve added some ‘Three Little Pig’ themed enhancements to nursery provision. In the maths area, we’ll be investigating and looking at the number 3 (3 pigs, 3 wheels on a tricycle, 3 buttons on a gingerbread man, 3 sides on a triangle…). What can you find linked to the number 3 at home?
We’re also really looking forward to welcoming our new starters for their first sessions in nursery. As you will remember, the first few sessions at nursery for some children can be quite daunting; please be patient and bear with us if staff are helping to settle the new children.
Reminders
- Have you applied for your school place yet? The Deadline is Monday 15 January.
- Have you got any ‘Wow’ moments to e-mail us? What has your child done recently that has impressed you? We’d love to know too, so please let us know.
Judo taster
On Friday, we all thoroughly enjoyed a Judo taster session. The children were very active in the session.
We had a go at a variety of warm-up activities, a range of holds and a couple of throws – it was brilliant!
What’s the matter?
Over the past two weeks in science, we’ve been learning about matter: reversible and irreversible changes, sieving, filtering, evaporating. The children have enjoyed a range of practical investigations. They’ve made great progress in their understanding of the terms and the differing properties of matter.
Ask your child to explain what is happening in these photos. Can they explain the scientific processes using some of the specific language?
What our children think about our learning…
Each term, we ask the children for their opinions about the learning that has been taking place in our classes.
This is what some of our children had to say about last term…
- “I learn maths better when the teacher shows us. I think the new maths groups are good.”
- “I like maths because I enjoyed working out the four operations when we did fractions. It was challenging at first, but then I learned how to do it and it wasn’t challenging any more.”
- “My favourite subject is science because we got to make some circuits and now I know all the symbols.”
- “This term my favourite subject is science because we got to make circuits and make bulbs light up. If we add more cells the bulb gets brighter.”
- “My favourite piece of work was when we wrote a setting description because it made me feel proud of myself.”
- “I’ve made most progress in reading because I feel I have become much better at skimming and scanning. I also have more reading strategies.” Y5
- I think I’ve made most progress in PE because I didn’t really enjoy it at first. I wasn’t really active, but no I feel like I am more active and enjoy it more.”
- “I adored our explorers topic because I love learning about all the amazing things the explorers did.”
- “Residential was amazing! I learned more about teamwork.”
- “I look forward to hearing the teacher reading. The story was very funny and silly.”
Poetry practised, poetry perfected!
Practice makes perfect homework.
Well done to all who ‘practised and made perfect’ today during our homework review – we were very impressed with your poetry recitals!
Check out the video clip to hear some children performing their chosen poems in Year 3/4.