Family Christmas Fun

Are you able to break GCHQ Christmas challenge? Click here for the family challenge. 

I hope you all enjoyed our "Baarmy Bethlehem" Nativity yesterday.  The children were absolutely brilliant and we were so proud of them all.  They worked so hard to learn the songs and their lines and did a fantastic job being on stage in front of such a huge audience.  It's hard to believe that they have only been in school for one term.

Unfortunately due to staff illness we were unable to make our planned trip to the post office on Monday.  However, we have ensured that all the children's letters are safely on their way to the North Pole.  We will also be putting a copy in the children's book bags next week so you can check what your child's Christmas wish is.

We have not sent home any reading books or any further learning in the orange homework books this week.  We are currently carrying out our phonics assessments and will be restructuring our reading groups at the start of next term based on these.  The children have, however, chosen a library book.  Please can you ensure that all outstanding library and reading books are returned to school by next Friday.  Thank you.  We have an exciting week planned next week with a Christmas Forest School afternoon (weather permitting), trip to the pantomime and Christmas lunch.  We can't wait!

This week has been assessment week and the children have been busy showing their understanding of everything we’ve been learning throughout the term in maths and reading, including phonics.  They should feel very proud of their hard work and what they have achieved.

We hope that you enjoyed The Nativity on Thursday as much as we did. It was clear how much effort the children put into learning their lines and practising their parts. They all enjoyed performing for you and seeing their confidence and joy on stage was wonderful.

Please look out for an email early next week. We are planning on doing a Christmas Forest School session one day, but we are keeping an eye on the weather forecast to know when will be best.

Timetable

Monday: Wellies and appropriate clothing for outdoor learning

Tuesday & Thursday: PE kits - please can those with longer hair have their hair tied up ready

The children have had a busy and rewarding week. They completed their end-of-term assessments in reading and maths, giving them a valuable opportunity to showcase everything they have learned this term.

We also enjoyed a fantastic outdoor learning day, where the children demonstrated their scientific understanding through a range of hands-on investigations. It was wonderful to hear their thoughtful reasoning and the rich conversations taking place as they explored together.

In addition, the children have been enthusiastically practising their carols in preparation for next Wednesday’s Carol Service. We were delighted to see so many volunteers for the readings, reflecting their growing confidence and eagerness to take part in this much-loved community event.

The children will not need their PE kits in school this week.

In English, the children have been analysing an example newspaper report. We’ve looked closely at the features, structure and language used, which will help the children plan and write their own newspaper reports over the next few lessons.

In maths, we have begun practising long multiplication. Many of the children have found this new method a little tricky at first, which is completely normal. We’ll continue to build confidence by practising these skills regularly in the coming weeks.

Our art lessons have been especially enjoyable this week. The children created their own self-portraits inspired by Frida Kahlo’s style. They showed great creativity and care in their work and we’re looking forward to displaying these pieces.

This week, some of our termly assessments have taken place. These help us track each child’s progress over time and identify where extra support or challenge may be needed.

We’ve also spent a lot of time rehearsing for this year’s carol service. The children have been singing beautifully and it promises to be a fantastic event for you to watch.

In history, we have been exploring how life changed between the 1911 and 1921 censuses. The children discussed differences in jobs, family life and society and what these changes reveal about the lives of people at the time.

Please see below information within the community but independent of the school