Week beginning 25th February
Welcome back! We hope that you have had a wonderful half term.
Writing
We will be spending the first part of this week finishing and up-levelling our non-chronological reports.
After that, we will be moving onto our new unit: losing tales. We will be using Julia Donaldson’s Monkey Puzzle as a stimulus for our writing. It is a story based on a monkey who loses his mum and enlists the help of a beautiful butterfly to help him.
We will be covering lots of SPaG objectives throughout this unit. These include: looking at silent letters (e.g knees), investigating rhyming words, identifying commands, suffix words and much, much more.
Reading
Our new class read is yet to be confirmed.
Maths
We will be continuing our work on fractions. We will be recognising one third before moving onto finding one third of an amount or shape. When finding one third we can divide the whole into three equal parts. If a shape has been split into 9 equal parts, we would find one third of 9 by dividing 9 by 3. One third of 9 is therefore 3. We can represent this in a bar model.
History
We are looking at the Race to Space.
Science
We will be continuing our work on plants.
PE
We will have PE with the students from Archbishop Tennison’s for one final week. After, we will be using the Real PE scheme of work.
Week Beginning 25th February
This half term we will continue with our work on volcanoes but will focus on the history of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD and destruction of Pompeii. Through this work we will introduce the children to the Romans. This week our learning will be as follows;
- In mathematics we will learn to recognise, describe, draw and model shapes. We will also learn to recognise and draw horizontal, vertical, parallel and perpendicular lines.
- In English we will explore a new book escape from Pompeii by Christina Balit.
- In Science we will investigate the permeability of soil.
- In topic time we will find out about the destruction of Pompeii using secondary sources and eyewitness accounts.
- In RE we will begin a unit on Christianity. We will learn about the Temptation in the Wilderness and the significance of Lent for Christians.
Week beginning 25th February 2019
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”raised” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#7ffdc5″ border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Dear Parents
Welcome back to school! We hope you enjoyed your unusually sunny February half term break. School starts again on Monday 25th February at 8.50am.
You may notice our beautiful flower pots in the outdoor area. You are welcome to come and have a look at our beautiful primroses. We ask that you please keep younger children away from the flowering plants and ensure that children do not pick off the flowers during drop off and pick up times.
Our new stage has been painted and we will have a grand opening with the children during their morning assembly. We still have further plans to add some stage curtains later on. Please ensure your children are supervised during drop off and pick up times and not using any of the equipment in the outdoor area.
Kind Regards,
Reception Team[/dropshadowbox]
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”raised” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffffff” border_width=”20″ border_color=”#2deff0″ ]THIS WEEK’S LEARNING:
SPRING TERM 2 TOPIC: Traditional Tales
LITERACY:
Book Focus: The Gingerbreadman
Phonics: Group Phonics will resume this week, reviewing previous sounds and focusing on speedy blending of cvc words
MATHS: This week we will focus on developing children’s use of language related to concepts of time, position and size
PE: Please return all PE kits to school. [/dropshadowbox]
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”raised” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffffff” border_width=”20″ border_color=”#eff441″ ]HOMEWORK: will be sent out on Friday
READING BOOKS: Please send in reading books and reading diaries on group days [/dropshadowbox]
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”raised” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffffff” border_width=”20″ border_color=”#3cefa2″ ]IMPORTANT DATES
Monday 25th February – Children return to school
Thursday, 7th March 2019 – World Book Day – Children may come to school dressed as their favourite book character
Wednesday 20th, Tuesday 26th, Wednesday 27th March 2019 – Reception Parent evening – letters will be sent out in due course[/dropshadowbox]
Half Term
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Dear Parents
We have come to the end of your child’s third half term with us! It is hard to believe that they are already half way through their Reception year!
This term we have been very proud of their achievements with word lists and we look forward to more exciting progress next term. This term they also really enjoyed their learning about our Transport topic, especially our visit to the Fire station. Thank you to all the parents who helped with this and well done to all the children for their excellent behaviour on the visit.
Our next topic for Spring Term 2 is Traditional Tales. We will be exploring several popular tales to develop the children’s use of story language through reading and role play.
Don’t forget about World Book Day coming up on the 7th March. The children may come to school dressed as their favourite book character. You can be as creative as you like coming up with costume ideas. Remember, you don’t have to buy a special costume for your child. You could create your own costume, discussing ideas with your child. See link below for some great ideas.
Please use this half term term to get your children observing the changes in the environment as we start merging from Winter into Spring. We love to hear about all the things they have noticed such the new shoots on trees, birdsong in the mornings, longer daylight hours, etc.
Also see further down this page for useful Phonics videos and important dates for your calendar.
We hope you have a restful half term.
Kind Regards,
Reception Team
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[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”20″ border_color=”#c00a0a” ] World Book Day Dressing up ideas
Click here for ideas for dressing up on World Book Day
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[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”raised” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffffff” border_width=”20″ border_color=”#2624c8″ ]LEARNING VIDEOS
Seasons of the year song (Please note this is the US version which refers to Autumn as Fall so please explain this difference to your child)
Phonics – Phase 3
https://youtu.be/Q1rXsF-mXvM
https://youtu.be/0QwrkowksKk
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[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”20″ border_color=”#5af6e9″ ]IMPORTANT DATES
• Half term week: Monday 18th February – Sunday 24th February 2019 Children return to school on Monday 25th February
• Thursday, 7th March 2019 – World Book Day – Children may come to school dressed as their favourite book character
• Wednesday 20th and Wednesday 27th March 2019 – Reception Parent evening [/dropshadowbox]
Swimming in Year 5
The children in Year 5 will be starting swimming lessons next half term at Whitgift school, as part of their P.E curriculum, on the week beginning 25th February 2019.
Please can you make sure that they bring a swimming costume (preferably NOT a bikini for girls and NOT long shorts for boys), towel and, if they have long hair, a swimming hat all in a bag that can be easily identifiable. Children will be taught how to swim by 2 qualified swimming instructors including a teacher from Whitgift school and no prior knowledge of how to swim is needed.
Children will be assessed the first week and then put into suitable groups with no child entering the deep end unless they can swim a length unaided. A trained lifeguard will also be present.
Please remind your child to remember to bring their swimming costume into school on a Tuesday morning every week unless told not to. It is important that your child attends these lessons so that they become competent swimmers which is a necessary life skill as they get older. Whitgift School charge us to take the children swimming but we do not pass these costs on to you. Your child needs to understand that swimming lessons can cost anything up to £100 per term so by getting them free through school, it is an opportunity not be missed!
We would also ask that your child does not bring any aerosol deodorants or sprays when going swimming. The changing rooms are small and sprays can aggravate children who have breathing difficulties.
If there are any other concerns, please don’t hesitate to speak to Miss Handley.
Week Beginning 18th February & 25th February 2019
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#f85beb” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]Thank you very much for your support this term. We wish you a happy Half-Term ![/dropshadowbox]
It has been a very interesting and busy half -term and all your children were engaged with our Space context and have written some amazing stories. Well done to our budding authors! They have also enjoyed learning how to use money and recognise the different coins and notes in our currency. Please continue to support your child to develop a greater understanding of the value of money by playing shopping games and getting them to pay for small items you buy. Thank you.
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#58f6e3″ border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ] Our Mathletics Champions this week are…[/dropshadowbox]
Super Mathlete
Lambeth Class : Marwa – 3854 Points / Jayden – 2080Points
Vauxhall Class : Suuvisha– 3090 Points/ Michelle – 2440 Points
Gold Award
Lambeth Class :Ben
Silver Award :
Lambeth Class : Zayna, Yaacoob
Vauxhall Class : Elizabeth, Martyna,Suvisha
Bronze Award :
Lambeth Class : Marwa, Jayden, Lena, Adoma,Charlotte, Sackena, Isaiah, Ryan, Nicole,Ayaan, Comella, Sharaya
Vauxhall Class : Michelle, Oliver, Micah, Isabella, Reluwane, Leon, Tyler, Shun Ming,
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#a1bef4″ border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ] Our learning this Half term …[/dropshadowbox]
Our new context is “It’s Raining ! It’s Pouring!” Please check your child’s homework book for this term’s curriculum overview.
It is linked to Geography and children will explore and identify weather patterns in UK as well as learn about location of hot and cold countries in relation to the Equator and North and South Poles.
English
We will be revisiting ‘poetry’ and exploring weather poems especially rain poems. Children will read and perform poems. They will also write a recount of their holidays.
Maths
We will revisit multiplication and understand division by sharing as well as grouping. We will consolidate doubling and halving numbers.
Science
Children will continue their learning about classifying animals into herbivores, carnivores and omnivores.
Geography
Children will explore weather patterns by looking at the weather patterns in UK .
Art
We will be exploring patterns and creating patterns for umbrellas.
P.E
Children will continue their learning by making different body shapes like tuck, pike, straddle, dish, arch etc… and also begin to do different rolls like a log roll, egg role and a teddy roll.
PSHE
We will revisit our five core values and discuss good behaviours for learning.
R.E
We will be looking at Christianity and the significance of the church as a place of worship for the Christians.
This week Home work:- Designing a weather poster and keeping a weather diary.
Please continue …
*Mathletics
*Reading daily to develop fluency and comprehension skills.
*Play phonic games on Phonics Play / Starfall Phonics
https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/freeIndex.htm http://more.starfall.com/?t=253552593&y=1
Please return home work by Wednesday 27th February, 2019.
Week beginning 11th February 2019
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”15″ border_color=”#e59dfa” ]What are we learning this week?[/dropshadowbox]
Maths – We shall be continuing our unit of fractions. This week, our learning objectives are:
- I can add fractions with related denominators.
- I can add fractions crossing one.
- I can add mixed number fractions.
- I can subtract fractions with related denominators.
English – We shall be continuing to look at a short clip, situated at Dracula’s Abbey – in Whitby. We shall be using all of our knowledge on how to build suspense in writing to write an effective warning dream.
Science – We shall be looking at mammals this week.
Computing – We shall be continuing to look at Online Safety, specifically the symptoms of video game addiction. We shall also be learning how to build a Ghostbusters animation.
Reading – We shall be starting our new class novel, Room 13 by Robert Swindells. Thanks to the Friends of Howard for our lovely class sets of books so that we can all read along! We shall also be writing a book review on Wonder. 
PE – We have PE lessons on Tuesdays and Thursday. Please make sure your child has some tracksuit bottoms/leggings as we shall be going outside on Thursdays.
[dropshadowbox align=”none” effect=”lifted-both” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”15″ border_color=”#befa9d” ]Key dates.[/dropshadowbox]
21st & 27th March – Spring term parents’ evening
Year four Blog Week Beginning 11th February
Thank you to Miss Danzey and Ranger Russ, who really enhanced our rain forest topic with their information and holding sessions about rain forest animals.
What are we learning this week?
Maths – This week we will be exploring fractions
English – To continue our Rainforest theme, this week we will be adding innovation, in the form of a new character, to our text-The Great Kapok Tree, in the style of the author, Lynne Cherry. Please feel free to follow along with us at the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw0arFtHeVw
Science-To compliment our rain forest topic we will be looking at habitats and food chains.
I.C.T-We will be continuing our internet safety unit exploring online gaming
P.E-Both classes have been enjoying using scooter boards to improve their netball skills.
Art-We will be continuing our rain forest theme by studying and creating our own art based on the artists- Oenone Hammersley and Helen Cowcher.
Music- We will be finishing our current food and drink topic and moving on to songs and music about global warming.
Week beginning 11th February
Writing
This week we will be using the boxed up plan to help us to plan a non-chronological report about aliens! We will also be doing a shared write. Towards the end of the week, the children will be making their own information booklets about their aliens. We will be focusing on key features of non-chronological report/ fiction texts such as: facts, subheadings, pictures and questions.
Reading
We will be continuing to read The Hodgeheg by Dick-King-Smith.
Maths
We have completed our work on shape and will be starting our new maths topic: fractions. We are hoping that the children will be able to make strong links between this and multiplication and division.
It is important that they understand that a fraction is a part of a whole. They will be exposed to different representations of fractions. Please see the examples below… They all represent one half.
Here the whole is split into 16 equal parts. Eight of those equal parts are shaded. Half of 16 is 8 (because 16 divided by 2 is 8). It does not matter which 8 parts are shaded; they still represent one half.
History
We are learning about Pablo Picasso.
Science
We will be continuing our work on plants.
PE
We are excited to have some students from Archbishop Tennisons learning to lead PE/ games and activities as part of their Sport’s Leader’s Initiative. They will be working with us for the next 6 weeks.
Week beginning 11th February 2019
This week we will be learning….
Maths-How to read co-ordinates and translate shapes
English-We will be continuing to read Romeo and Juliet and write in role
Science-We will be continuing to classify vertebrates
History-We will be continuing our work on World War 2
PSHE-We will be looking at stereotypes
PE-This week is our last swimming session
Important Information
Parents Evening
Monday 25th February
Tuesday 26th February