21 May 2021
This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework:
What is a drug?
This homework, which links to our Living and Learning statement, is a first step in children becoming aware of drugs. There are a few key points you may wish to talk about at home. Children need to be aware that some drugs are helpful (medicine), some are harmful, some are legal, some are illegal. Don’t forget to consider that even the legal or helpful ones can be harmful.
Below are some question prompts that could help shape your discussion…
- What is a good definition for a drug?
- What is a drug? What is not a drug?
- Are all drugs bad?
- Why might some people need to take medicines?
- Who can prescribe medicine?
- Who should administer medicine?
- What should you do if you find some medicine?
- Should you take medicine that isn’t yours?
Children should be prepared to discuss what they’ve talked about at home during our homework review next week. This homework should be completed by Thursday 27 May 2021.
14 May 2021
The whole-school Talk Time homework this week is I know the key vocabulary from our Computing topic.
As we come to the end of our Computing topic, your child should have come across the following vocabulary:
Y1, 2
- algorithm – a sequence of instructions or a set of rules to get something done
- program – a collection of algorithms
- debug – to find and fix errors in algorithms
- computer – a type of machine that can follow instructions and do useful things
- password – a string of letters, numbers or symbols which give you access to something (eg a computer, a service like Numbots)
- personal information – information that can be used to identify you (eg age, school, address, password)
- appropriate – something that is suitable
Y3, 4
- program – a collection of algorithms
- repetition – to repeat the execution of certain instructions
- sequence – to arrange instructions in a particular order
- logical reasoning – helps us explain why something happens
- sprite – a 2d character in a computer game
- decomposition – the process of breaking down a task into smaller, more-manageable parts
- input – data sent to a computer system from a device (eg keyboard, mouse, microphone)
- output – data sent out of a computer system via a device (eg monitor, printer, speaker)
- digital footprint – information about a particular person that exists on the internet as a result of their online activity
Y5,6
- program – a collection of algorithms
- repetition – to repeat the execution of certain instructions
- sequence – to arrange instructions in a particular order
- selection – choosing to execute one set of instructions over another
- variable – something that is stored in a program and can be changed or used (eg a timer, a score, a number of lives left)
- logical reasoning – helps us explain why something happens
- simulation – modelling a real-world or imaginary situation
- search engine – program that searches for and identifies items on the internet using complex algorithms
Discuss these words together:
- Can your child explain to you what they mean?
- Can they use any of them in a sentence?
- Can they suggest how some of the words link together?
- Can they tell you about the learning in school which linked to a certain word?
Next week, each class will reflect on this topic vocabulary and what they have learnt this half term.
14 May 2021
This week’s homework is Talk Time.
I know the key vocabulary from our Computing topic.
Talk with your child about the words we have been using in our computing topic. How many do they know?
Y6 Swimming survey
As part of the government PE and Sport Premium for primary schools, there is a condition requiring schools to publish how many pupils in Year 6 are meeting the National Curriculum requirements. As school swimming lessons took place earlier in KS2, please could you complete this survey to provide up to date information for your child.
Thank you
Mrs Latham
PE/Health Leader
10 May 2021
This week, our homework is Talk Time: I know the positives and negatives of gaming.
Currently, our whole school is enjoying a computing topic. In addition to learning lots of programming skills, we’ve been learning about online safety. Part of this learning requires us to understand how we can responsibly use the internet.
Online gaming is a great activity for people to do. There are many positives. However, we’re all aware of the negatives to online gaming. We’d like you to discuss this with your child. Here’s some sentence stems and questions that might help shape your discussion:
– A positive of online gaming is __________ because…
– A negative of online gaming is __________ because…
– I agree with what you said because…
– I disagree with what you said because…
– Is online gaming always a bad / good thing?
– Can you spend too much time gaming?
– What might happen if you spend too long gaming?
– Is it OK to play a game online?
– Are there any rules we should have in our house about online gaming?
This learning will be reviewed in class next week as part of our topic and Living & Learning sessions.
07 May 2021
This week’s homework is Talk Time. The whole school are exploring moral themes and we have linked this to our current Computing topic.
Is too much ‘screen time’ affecting family life?
You could:
- keep a diary of how much screen time you have
- discuss some ‘house rules’ around screen time
- talk about how to increase family times without screens
30 April 2021
This week’s homework is Practice Makes Perfect.
How many ways can you make 10? Use pasta, toys or any resources at home to show your learning. Write the matching calculations to challenge yourself.
29 April 2021
This week, our homework is Creative: to show how I can solve problems.
In our Living and Learning lessons this week, we’ve been learning how to recognize emotions in tricky situations and how to cope with and resolve problems. In this homework, we’d like you to show how you can solve problems.
You might focus on one specific scenario or a few different ones. You could present this as a poster, a comic strip, a play script, an animation (on Scratch Jr, perhaps) or any other creative idea you have!
23 April 2021
This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework: Which charity should our school support?
Next week, a charity will be decided for us to support for the year ahead. We’ll focus our fundraising efforts on supporting this charity. What charity does your child think we should support?
You could talk about:
- what a charity is
- why charities are important
- what sort of work they do
- charities that have meaning to your family, your school or your community
- national / international charities and their work
Next week, each class will vote (because in our school we make democratic decisions) for the charity they would like to support to form a shortlist. Then, our recently elected Junior Leadership Team will decide which charity we will support for the next year.
Adults: before you discuss this with your child, check out this week’s Friday message from Mr Roundtree on the main news section of our website – it contains information about how we support charities and some points we’d like you to discuss with your child.
26 March 2020
This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework. In preparation for the upcoming Junior Leadership Team (formerly the School Council) elections, children should complete one of the following tasks:
- I can prepare a speech (Junior Leadership Team elections).
- I know the importance of voting.
It’s time for children to consider if they would like to stand for election for our new Junior Leadership Team (JLT). With two representatives from each class, chosen democratically by their peers, all children are encouraged to take an active part in pupil voice.
Elections for our new school council will take place on Thursday 01 April with our polling station and ballot boxes at the ready. Candidates will have the opportunity to give their election speech to their class on Wednesday 31 March ahead of a democratic vote on Thursday 01 April.
What makes a good school councillor has been considered by our current school council.
- ‘use all the 8 Rs for learning’
- ‘be respectful’
- ‘help others’
- ‘be a good speaker and listener (to members of your class and in the meetings)’
- ‘tell the truth’
- ‘be confident with your ideas’
- ‘accept the views of others even if you don’t agree’
- ‘be friendly and approachable’
- ‘make good choices in class and around school’
Hints for your speech include:
- What skills and abilities would a good school councillor have?
- What are you particularly good at that would help you to be a great school councillor?
- What do you think would make the school better?
- What could you do that people would really like?
- Think of things that are realistic, maybe that you could do yourself, rather than having to ask other people to do
Thank you to our current school councillors for all their ideas and contributions. We hope you have enjoyed this role and responsibility. You’re welcome to stand again for election.
Good luck to all children who decide to stand in the elections.
If you choose not to stand in the election, you should instead consider the importance of voting.