Author: Mr Catherall

This week, the whole school has the same creative homework which is due in on Thursday 14 February 2019.

I can show different ways to stay safe.

This week, we have enjoyed a staying safe themed week. We’ve had lots of visitors and covered a range of important safety-related topics. There are many ways, and many different situations, in which we need to keep safe: at home, at school, in our environment and online.

Children should think about the situations where they need to keep safe and who might help them to stay safe. This could be done in any creative way:

• a story
• a poem
• instructions
• a comic strip
• an advert
• an interview
• a game
• scenarios

…or any other creative ideas!

The homework will be reviewed as part of the themed week learning.

This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework:

What is a drug?

This homework, which links to our Living and Learning statement, is a first step in children becoming aware of drugs. There are a few key points you may wish to talk about at home. Children need to be aware that some drugs are helpful, some are harmful. Some are legal, some are illegal. Don’t forget to consider that even the legal or helpful ones can be harmful.

Below are some question prompts that could help shape your discussion…

• What is a good definition for a drug?
• What is a drug? What is not a drug?
• Are all drugs bad?
• Why might some people need to take medicines?
• Who can prescribe medicine?
• Who should administer medicine?
• What should you do if you find some medicine?
• Should you take medicine that isn’t yours?

Children should be prepared to discuss what they’ve talked about at home during our homework review next week. This homework should be completed by Thursday 31 January.

Friday 18 January 2019

This week, the whole school has the same Creative homework:

I can show different ways to make things better.

This homework, which is due on Thursday 24 January, is an opportunity for children to reflect on our living & learning statement for this week: I can make things better.

Children should think about ways to make things better in a variety of different situations and contexts:

• in class
• in a friendship group
• at playtime
• at home
• with siblings
• out and about (countryside, park)
• the wider environment (recycling)

You could consider…

• Why should we try and make things better?
• How do we do this?
• When should we apologise?
• What is the effect it has on others around us when we make things better?
• Older children might want to consider the benefits of restorative justice.

Don’t forget to be creative! Produce a report or diary; capture photos of making things better; create rules for better games at play times; make a poster about how to say sorry; or, think of your own creative response.

This homework will be celebrated in our weekly homework review.

This week, the whole school has the same Creative homework which should be returned by Thursday 13 December.

The children are invited to respond to something from either a cultural or spiritual perspective.

I can show what I know and think about something cultural.

We’d like children to present their responses about a recent book they’ve read, film they’ve watched, piece of art they’ve looked at, piece of music they’ve listened to – anything cultural in fact.

We’re interested to read some sort of description (a summary, for example) and then your child’s opinions. This review might include pictures, an interview (your child could write a fictional script between himself/herself and the artist, for example), a letter (eg to or from a character, or perhaps even the author) – anything which might include your child’s responses!

However, your child might prefer to do the following:

I can show what I know about a festival.

Over the course of this term, some children in school may have celebrated a religious festival of some sort.  This might have been

• the Muslim festival of Eid ul Adha
• the Sikh and Hindu festival Diwali
• the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, coming up in December
• the Christian festival (of course, celebrated by many non-Christians) of Christmas
• and the Chinese New Year festival, coming up

There are lots of other festivals and celebrations which you and your child together might want to reflect on.

We invite children to respond to the sentence above – they might include a recount (like a diary entry), pictures, an interview (perhaps in a script).  Your child might also choose to research a completely unknown festival, or they might even think about creating a brand new festival, one that everyone will celebrate.

Homework for the whole school this week is Talk Time: Which charity should our school support?

Next week,  a charity will be decided for Moortown Primary to support in the year ahead – for example, when we have a performance, we’ll collect money for this particular charity. What charity does your child think we should support?

You could talk about:

• what a charity is
• why charities are important
• what sort of work they do
• charities that have meaning to your family, to school or the community
• national and international charities and their work

This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework. In preparation for the upcoming School Council elections, children should complete one of the following tasks:

• I can prepare a speech (School Council elections).
• I know the importance of voting.

It’s time for children to consider if they would like to stand for election for our new School Council.  With two representatives from each class, chosen democratically by their peers, all children are encouraged to take an active part in pupil voice.

Elections for our new school council will take place on Thursday 25 October with our polling station and ballot boxes at the ready.  Candidates will have the opportunity to give their election speech to their class on Wednesday 24 October or Thursday 25 October.

What makes a good school councillor has been considered by our current school council.

• ‘use all the 8 Rs for learning’
• ‘be respectful’
• ‘help others’
• ‘be a good speaker and listener (to members of your class and in the meetings)’
• ‘tell the truth’
• ‘be confident with your ideas’
• ‘accept the views of others even if you don’t agree’
• ‘be friendly and approachable’
• ‘make good choices in class and around school’

Hints for your speech include:

• What skills and abilities would a good school councillor have?
• What are you particularly good at that would help you to be a great school councillor?
• What do you think would make the school better?
• What could you do that people would really like?
• Think of things that are realistic, maybe that you could do yourself, rather than having to ask other people to do

Thank you to our current school councillors for all their ideas and contributions.  We hope you have enjoyed this role and responsibility.  You’re welcome to stand again for election.

Good luck to all children who decide to stand in the elections.

If you choose not to stand in the election, you should consider the importance of voting.

This week the whole school has the same Talk Time homework which should be completed by Thursday 04 October.

If I could travel in time, who would I take with me and why?

This homework, which links to our current big topic (Time Travel), is a chance for children to think about who is important to them and why. There are many factors which may influence your child’s decision:

• What makes a good travel companion?
• Are there any skills that would help during time travel?
• Who do they enjoy spending time with and why?
• Do they choose someone they know or someone they know of?

Children should discuss this with someone at home and be ready to discuss their viewpoint as part of our weekly homework review next week.

This week the whole school has the same Practice Makes Perfect homework which should be completed by Thursday 20 September.

I know some Where in the World facts.                                                                       

This homework, which links to our current mini-topic (Where in the World), is a chance for children to show off their geographical knowledge. Children should learn and remember (one of our 8Rs for learning) some facts about the world that they find interesting. There are many things children could learn about:

• the seven continents
• capital cities
• names of the oceans
• the countries of the UK, Europe or the world
• the population of some countries
• interesting facts about a place they find interesting or have been
• how to say a common word or phrase in several languages (for example, hello!)
• and, of course, there are many more facts children could find out and learn

This homework should be evidenced in homework books with children ready (another of our 8Rs for learning) to show off their new-found geographical knowledge as part of our weekly homework review next week.