Author: Mrs Taylor

This week, a group of our Key Stage 2 pupils took part in the Brownlee Foundation Mini Triathlon event at John Smeaton. This is always a popular and oversubscribed event and it introduces the children to the elements of triathlon – a swim, a bike ride and a run.

Well done to all the children for taking part, showing great determination and supporting each other.

If your child is interested in triathlons, please see more details in our physical activity guide or have a look at the bike and run opportunities at the Brownlee Centre.

Some children are also competing in the upcoming junior aquathlon taking place at Leeds University on 1st June. More details can be found here.

It’s always great to hear about extra learning at home.

Here’s some great measuring.

Our latest Living and Learning theme has been all about healthy eating.

This video  helps to explain the importance of healthy eating as part of living healthily. The Eatwell Guide is a key document to show how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. The bigger the section the more food from that group we should eat. The balance of foods from each group does not need to be achieved with every meal but we should aim for the balance over a day or even a week.

We used the Eatwell Guide as part of a reading text too.

In our next Living and Learning session, we thought about the 5 a day message. Having at least 5 (ideally different) portions of fruit and vegetables keeps us healthy. These could be different types of fruit and vegetables and fresh, frozen, canned, juiced and dried all count.

  A portion is about a handful.

In our circle time on this theme, the children thought about what changes or swaps they could make to help them and their families eat healthier.

I could have more fruit or vegetables if I have a packed lunch.

I could have less chocolate and sweets.

You could add some sweetcorn or peas to your pasta for tea.

I could have more fruit and vegetables as a snack.

I could choose fruit instead of cake for my school dinner.

Help at home look at the Eatwell guide together and think about any improvements that could be made. This may be having an extra vegetable a day, trying a new fruit or vegetable, switching to brown bread or pasta or having a healthier snack after school.

More healthy eating ideas can be found by signing up to these Healthy Steps emails from Better Health (formally Change4Life).

As part of our learning about health and prevention, we’ve been thinking about the importance of sleep.

Sleep helps your body work and can help you get better if you don’t feel well.

If you don’t have enough sleep, you feel grumpy, you can’t focus and you can’t control yourself.

If you have a busy brain it can be hard to get to sleep.

We read a story about Mia who had trouble sleeping.

Sometimes, things can stop you getting to sleep.

• loud noises
• lights
• nightmares
• being on a screen close to bedtime
• staying up too late
• being too active before bedtime
• if you are scared
• if you have a worry

To help Mia, we thought about the things that can help you get to sleep.

• calm music
• relaxation and mindfulness
• yoga
• reading a book
• counting sheep
• drinking some warm milk
• thinking of something nice that you want to dream about
• being in a dark room
• tidy away your things to have a tidy bedroom
• having a teddy or toy with you
• stop using a screen an hour before bed

As always, we encourage the children to talk to a trusted adult if they are worried about anything we cover in Living and Learning or write down a worry if they prefer.

Help at home: ask your child what they are going to try and do at home to help them with getting to sleep. We’d love to hear what helps.  Have a look together at these sleep tips for children.

This week, our maths learning has been all about telling the time. Using analogue clocks, we started with o’clock and then half past, quarter past and quarter to. Next week, we will move onto 5 minute intervals.

This website can support this learning at home.

Help at home: discuss time at home. What time is it now? Where are the hands pointing to on the clock? What time will it be in an hour?

As part of our involvement with the Leeds Well Schools Partnership, we took a team of 8 Year 5/6 children to a Bee Netball Development Event at Allerton High.

The event was aimed at developing netball skills and the children put them into practise in some games at the end. Well done to all the children for representing our school so well.

To take part in netball outside of school, here are details of a local club.