Welcome back!
Robins: This half term, we will be learning all about minibeasts! This week, we learnt about the story ‘Snail Trail’ by Ruth Brown. We learnt about the adventure the snail went on, all around the garden! We discovered lots of snails around our school grounds and decided to take them back to class to investigate! We were excited to see the different patterns on their shells and noticed that each snail had a unique pattern of their own! We also learnt that the slimy trail they leave behind is mucus! We came into school this week, to find a new and exciting roleplay area in our classroom! We have our very own Minibeast Investigation Lab, where we can go and become scientists! In the lab, we are busy finding out about different insects!
Woodpeckers: we started the term looking at the book Martha Maps it Out by Leigh Hodgkinson. We loved looking exploring the maps of different parts of Martha's life. We then thought about making our own map using adjectives to describe ourselves, and statements and questions to describe our thoughts. We then put these together and made our own beautiful and insightful maps. In Maths this week we have been working on addition and subtraction. Year 2 were adding and subtracting using tens and ones, and year 1 were adding using known number bonds. We started our new topic 'We are Geographers' this week by learning about compass points and using them to navigate to the pirate's treasure. We then designed our own treasure maps. In Science this week we started to think about famous Scientists and inventors. In PSHE this week we thought about communities, and how we can help in the school community.
Kingfishers: This week in English, we began to explore our new text this term, Escape from Pompeii. In Maths, we learnt how to use the grid method for multiplication and how to do short multiplication. In Topic, we created a mind map of everything we know about the Romans so far and we learnt lots of facts about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In Science, we also created a mind map about our teeth and healthy living and recapped our knowledge of omnivores, herbivores and carnivores. In RE, we looked at our Big Question and thought about what it means. In PSHE, we discussed the importance of personal space and respect other people’s bodies. We explored different scenarios and what we would do. Please refer to the school website for information regarding school trips, homework and MTC information!
Owls: This week we began to think about our new piece of writing – writing from different points of view. We are using a section from our class novel – Skellig – to base our writing on. In Maths we are investigating shapes, angles, symmetry and reflection. In RE we began our new topic – religious journeys and thought about what a pilgrimage is. We are coming to the end of our suffragette topic in History and this week we looked at jobs women would have done pre-war, during the war then post-war. We also made suffrage rosettes. In Science we started to look at Evolution and began to explore the evolutionary tree. In computing we looked at flow charts as a precursor to using different coding systems. In PSHE we start to look at what makes up our identity.
Change of Date
Our May Day celebration has been moved back a week, from Wednesday 1st May to Wednesday 8th May at 2pm in the playground. The ‘court’ (Year 6 children) will be announced soon. Fingers crossed for no rain!
A healthy school
As a healthy school we encourage healthy eating, can we remind you that children should have fruit at break time and no chocolate bars either at break or in their lunch box. Grapes and tomatoes present a choking hazard, if you put some in your child’s lunch box, please can you ensure they are halved or quartered. Thank you.
Have a lovely weekend!
Summer 1 Dates
School Value – Resilience British Value – Individual liberty
Friday 26th March: Woodpeckers and Robins Shining Star Showcase 9am
Wednesday 8th May: May Day Dancing 2pm in school
Thursday 9th May: Kingfisher trip to Chedworth Roman Villa
Week beginning 13th may: KS2 SATs
Friday 17th May: Big Question
Week beginning 20th May: Arts week
Tuesday 21st May: Year 6 transition day to Marlborough 9:30 – 12:15pm
Friday 24th May: INSET
Monday 27th May: Half term
Monday 3rd June: INSET
Tuesday 4th June: Return to school.
Robins: This week we learnt all about the story ‘The Very Busy Spider’ by Eric Carle. We were so excited to learn all about spiders and how they live. We learnt how it can take one hour for a spider to spin a web and that they use their webs to catch their dinner! We had a lot of fun at the finger gym this week! We found black playdough, pipe cleaners and googly eyes! We enjoyed shaping the playdough into a spider’s body, using our hands and different tools. We then stuck eight legs onto our body and finally stuck eyes onto our minibeast! In topic this week, we went on a treasure hunt, to find spiders in our playground! We worked in pairs to read a simple map to find where the spiders were hiding. We had to work together and mark off the spiders each time we found one. In Maths this week, the Reception children have been learning all about shapes! We learnt that 2D shapes are flat and 3D shapes are solid! We then learnt the names of 3D shapes and explored their properties. We learnt that 3D shapes have faces, but nothing like our faces! We then used the 3D shapes to build our own models!
Woodpeckers: This week we have been looking at the book Tidy, by Emily Gravett. We described Pete the badger and decided that he was a good character even though he got carried away and ruined the forest. We then wrote a letter to the other animals using the conjunction because, to explain his actions. In maths this week we have been making and drawing arrays to help with multiplication. We also practised mental multiplication using the times tables we already know. In art this week, we created portraits of inspirational women to share in our assembly. In Geography this week we learned about aerial views and created a plan map of our classroom. In RE this week, we thought about special places and discussed our special place. Thank you to everyone who came to our Shining Star Showcase, the children were amazing, and we are so proud.
Kingfishers: This week in English, we have been writing eyewitness accounts from the perspective of a character from our class text, Escape from Pompeii by Christina Balit. In Maths, we have been solving short division and multiplication problems. In History, we learnt about how the Roman Empire started and recapped on our learning of Pompeii so far. In RE, we reflected on our Big Question this term and discussed the importance of journeys. In Science, we explored food chains. We have also been practising our dancing for May Day coming up Wednesday 8th May. Kingfishers are taking part in a very exciting poetry competition for Young Writers, in which they could win prizes and have their poem published in a book! Children need to write their own poem based on 'dreams' and hand it in to Miss Jackson by Wednesday 15th May. Also, all information about this term's homework is on the Kingfishers page on our school website including links to resources.
Owls: This week we have been continuing our writing from different points of view with some drama. We focused on our movements and facial expression to show emotions. We are waiting with baited breath for Wednesday 1st May as that is when they announce the finalists of the Poetry by Heart Competition! In Maths, year 5 interpreted and drew line graphs while year 6 labelled circles and used BBC Bitesize for revision. In RE we continued to look at religious journeys by studying the way of St James in Spain – the third most important pilgramage in Christianity. In Spanish we learned how to tell the time. In computing the children wrote their own flowcharts and algorithms.
Shining Star Showcase
Thank you to every one who came to the Robin and Woodpecker Shining Star Showcase. It was another wonderful and exciting assembly! We are very proud of the children they worked very hard and performed beautifully.
May Day
Our May Queen is: Sylvie Mc Naught
Jack-of-the-Green: Sebastian Brouwer
Hobby Horse: Asher Mason
The May Queens Attendants: Caisey-Paige Whitford, Pippa Evans, Evie Howells and Raven Champion.
Torch Bearers: Ollie Bagnall, Alby Dunne, Regan McMahon, Ewan Barrett
Branch Bearers: Ted Merriott, Archie Allen,
Narrators: Luca Mills and Jack Mullane
We warmly invite you into school to watch the crowning of the May Queen with traditional dancing and singing at 2pm on Wednesday 8th May 2024. Gates will open at 1:50pm and close at 2pm. Fingers crossed for a dry day!
Children need to wear white shirts with either school skirt or trousers and a corsage. To differentiate the children in the May Queen’s Court - they dress slightly differently - dresses or school trousers, white shirt, bowtie, waistcoat, and a corsage.
Have a good weekend!
Summer 1 Dates
School Value – Resilience British Value – Individual liberty
Wednesday 8th May: May Day Dancing 2pm in school
Thursday 9th May: Kingfisher trip to Chedworth Roman Villa
Week beginning 13th may: KS2 SATs
Friday 17th May: Big Question
Week beginning 20th May: Arts week
Tuesday 21st May: Year 6 transition day to Marlborough 9:30 – 12:15pm
Friday 24th May: INSET
Monday 27th May: Half term
Monday 3rd June: INSET
Tuesday 4th June: Return to school.
Headteacher Caroline Walker
