Attendance

Overall school attendance: 96.7%   (Nationally 95.8%)

Overall absence: 3.3%  

Unauthorised absence: 0.7%

I hope you enjoyed the children's harvest performance yesterday just as much as we did. We were so proud of the confidence and enthusiasm they showed during their performance.  They all did a fantastic job.

Things have been getting a little spooky in class this week as we have enjoying lots of Halloween themed activities, including having a Halloween party in the role play, producing some wonderful Halloween inspired artwork and concocting some magical potions in the mud kitchen.

In maths we have been exploring the composition of the number 4 and how we can represent this in different ways using objects or our fingers.

In RE we explored how Christian babies are welcomed to the faith by having our own baptism ceremony in class.  If your child has been baptised or christened or attended a family christening we would love to see some photographs.

The children have performed very well in their phonics assessments this week.  After the half term holiday we will be starting the second part of phase 2 phonics which covers the remaining single letter sounds and introduces consonant digraphs (sounds made up of 2 letters e.g. sh and ch).  Please see you child's orange phonics book for more information.

We wish you all a very happy and restful half term holiday.  Please do not forget to fill in your Proud Peacock sheets as we can't wait to hear all about the children's adventures!

Timetable

Thursday: PE kits

Friday: Outdoor learning so bring wellies (if possible) and a waterproof coat

Friday: Phonics homework book and library book

In English this week, we have focused on retelling the story of Old Bear. The children planned their ‘Octopus Opening’ of their retelling of the story. After reflecting on their planning, the children wrote up their opening paragraph. We then began to plan our 'Build Up Bear' ready to write up after half term.

In maths, we have had a big focus on number bonds to both 10 and 20. We have practised these in many different ways such as rhymes and games. These are song/rhyme videos if you want to listen to them at home -

https://youtu.be/sNjLIzIbWMQ?si=vDQAj-GNrQ0c3WsI

https://youtu.be/cP5oArJ2cIs?si=96afdH56CIshTeck

We have also looked at addition this week with the children adding two numbers together practically using coloured cubes. Year 1s did this and wrote two addition sentences and Year 2s wrote four addition number sentences for each set of cubes. Writing more than one number sentence e.g.  4+3=7,  3+4=7,  7=4+3,  7=3+4, has allowed the children to see that addition is commutative.

In geography this week, we did some fieldwork on the school premises that focused on habitats. The children placed a hoop down and then used a magnifying glass to carefully observe any plants or animals within their hoop. We did this in different habitats around the school so we could compare what they found in each location. The children then turned their tally chart results into a bar chart.

In computing this half term our focus has been on staying safe online. Over the past couple of weeks we have been following the adventures of 'Jessie and Friends'. These are CEOP videos which focus on watching videos, sharing photos and playing games online. The children have enjoyed these and have taken away the key messages of telling a trusted adult if they get that 'uh oh' feeling in their tummy whilst online and also never to talk to strangers or share anything private online.

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

In English, we began reading ‘Leaf’ by Sandra Dieckmann, a beautifully illustrated story about a polar bear who becomes lost in a forest. The children analysed the author’s language choices and wrote their own poems, focusing on the use of prepositions to describe movement and place.

In maths, the children have continued working on formal addition involving carrying. Using place value grids and counters, they explored the concept of exchanging and developed a secure understanding of how each column in our number system works.

Our focus in science this week  was on classification keys and how these can be used to group and identify living things. The children applied their knowledge creatively by using sweets to design and test their own classification keys.

In art, the children completed their glue batiks inspired by the artist Anna Blatman. They used fabric paints to add colour and texture, producing some truly impressive and vibrant results.

In geography, the children learned about earthquakes—how and why they occur and the damage they can cause. They showed great curiosity and asked thoughtful questions about how communities prepare for and respond to such events. They then looked at designing their own earthquake proof house.

In music, we continued to practice notes B, A and G on the DooD and flute looking at 'can you play the notes reading your piece of music?'.

The children will not have any homework during half term. It would be lovely if they could continue to read regularly and write this in their reading record books.

PE will continue to be on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Have a great half term break.

Timetable

Every day: Reading book and reading records

Tuesday: Outdoor PE kit

Thursday: Indoor PE kit

Friday: Reading record books marked

In computing this week, we have started our new project Programming in Music.  We have explored using Scratch to create a music themed sprite and added a sound for each sprite.

In science, we have been using mirrors to explore reflections.  We created a mirror tunnel using 2 mirrors parallel to each other and then attached 2 mirrors together to make a hinge to observe changes when using the mirrors closer and further away from the object.

In music, we've been practicing the chords C, F and G7 on the ukelele looking at 'can you play along to One Man Went to Mow reading your music?'.  We've also been practicing notes B, A and G on the DooD.

In English, the children have moved on to our new text, A Story Like the Wind by Gill Lewis. They’ve really enjoyed getting to know this beautifully written story, beginning by making predictions about what might happen next. The class have also written some thoughtful poems inspired by the themes in the book and explored the rich vocabulary it contains.

In maths, the children have been consolidating their understanding of the different topics we’ve covered this half term. Our Year 6 pupils have also completed some practice assessments to give us a good baseline of where they’re currently working and to help us plan next steps.

In DT, our bag-making project continues! Most of the children are now in the process of sewing the main components together. Although many bags are still unfinished, we’re looking forward to completing them after the half-term break.

Finally, in geography, we’ve brought our topic on the Alps to a close by creating colourful tourist brochures. The children have worked hard to advertise the range of leisure opportunities available in this beautiful region, showing off both their creativity and geographical knowledge.

Timetable

Every day: Reading books and reading records

Tuesday & Thursday: PE kit

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