Top tip for the week: Take a mindful minute

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The Wrens have been busy this week using their design skills.  Earlier in the week we crafted clay diva lamps and 3D Christmas decorations.  The children also showed great problem solving skills and resilience to create some bridges out of junk modelling materials to help the monkeys rescue Sita from Ravana's island.

As part of our work on seasons we have been learning about how animals prepare for the colder winter months and why some animals hibernate.  The children thought carefully and designed some fantastic hibernation boxes to help local wildlife get through the colder winter months.  We are looking forward to bringing these designs to life over the next few weeks.

We were very excited to launch our Marvellous Me box this week.  When your child brings home the box please could you place 4 or 5 items in the box that your child will be happy to present to the class as a "Show and Tell" session.  These could include photographs, a favourite toy or book, mementos or items associated with a hobby.  We can't wait to see what the children bring in!

In English this week we have carried on working with our class book, Hermelin the Detective Mouse by Mini Grey. We have focused on learning lots of new vocabulary and phrases linked with the book. To show their understanding, the children then use these new words and phrases to write sentences about the story. Key words and phrases included things such as pests, priceless, thrilled and phrases such as in a flap and perplexing problems.

In maths this week, we have been focusing on subtraction. At the start of the week, the children were learning about taking away. We did this physically with objects to start with, before moving on to a more abstract way of working. Towards the end of the week we have been looking at finding the difference as a way of subtracting.

In history, we looked at some photographs of holidays from the past and compared them with holidays from the present. The children could identify the photos from the past they noticed that they were in black and white, that the people in them were wearing different clothes and that the vehicles in the background of the photos were different to vehicles that we use today.

With only a couple of weeks left until the nativity please make sure that your child is practicing their lines at home. They are so excited to perform for you and show you what we've been working on!

In Skylarks this year we thought it would be nice to do something a little different for the month of December by creating a Bookvent Calendar.

If your child could please bring in their favourite picture book wrapped up and named on the paper, I will then number them. The book doesn't have to be Christmas related but even better if it is! Everyday until we break up, we will pick and read the book that correspond with the date as a class.

We thought this would be a lovely way for the children to share their favourite stories with one another and get into the Christmas spirit! Please send these in over next week so we have some to get started on.

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

This week in English, the children have been immersed in their narrative writing, creating detailed outsider descriptions from the polar bear’s perspective. They followed his emotional journey from feeling scared and alone when he became lost, to the relief and happiness of being reunited with his family. The children worked hard to apply the writing techniques they have been learning, such as using fronted adverbials to show when and where events happened, expanded noun phrases to add detail and adventurous vocabulary to portray the polar bear’s thoughts and feelings vividly. They also focused on punctuating their sentences accurately.

In maths, our focus has been on strengthening recall of the 2, 4, 5 and 10 times tables. The children have been practising in a range of fun and fast-paced activities to build both speed and accuracy. These multiplication facts are essential building blocks that will support the children across many different areas of maths, including division, fractions and problem solving and their progress is already starting to shine through.

Excitement has been building this week as the children have started crafting their Christmas decorations in preparation for the Christmas Fair next Friday. They have shown fantastic creativity and dedication, carefully constructing decorations they are proud to share with families.

In science, the children continued exploring our topic of ‘Forces and Magnets’. This week’s investigation focused on friction. They tested how different surfaces — such as carpet, wood and plastic — affect the way an object moves. The children recorded their observations and discussed why the same object behaved differently on each surface, helping them to develop their scientific vocabulary and enquiry skills.

During PSHE, our discussions were centred around families. We looked at a variety of images and talked about how families can look different in many ways — different sizes, structures and backgrounds — but are all equally important. The children spoke with maturity and empathy and the heart-warming conclusion they reached was that the one thing every family needs is love. One child made a thoughtful link to our school vision, saying that being a family means we “love, grow and flourish together.” 

This week in English, the children have continued and finalised their flashback narratives. They have worked incredibly hard to include all the skills they’ve been practising over the last few weeks, especially switching between present and past tense for impact. I’ve been so impressed with the quality of their writing and the pride they’ve shown in their work.

In maths, we have been continuing our focus on fractions. The children compared fractions using both denominators and numerators and we ended the week by ordering fractions using the methods they’ve been learning. Their confidence is really growing and it’s wonderful to see them applying these strategies independently.

In RE, we explored important Hindu concepts such as Samsara, Atman, Brahman, Moksha and Dharma. We used the game Snakes and Ladders to help us understand how these ideas influence the life of a Hindu and the children really enjoyed seeing how actions can affect someone’s journey toward Moksha.

On Wednesday, we worked in pairs to recreate Frida Kahlo’s Along the Borderline (1932). The children showed exceptional resilience, creativity and teamwork. They drew on each other’s strengths and made compromises where needed, resulting in some truly impressive pieces of art.

To finish the week, we explored what the census can tell us about the lives of people in the past, including the types of jobs they did. The children were fascinated to learn how daily life has changed over time.

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