Maths is everywhere!
The children have been using maths in all the areas of provision to learn about shape, measures and money in our new role-play bakery.
History: interpretations of the past
In our history learning today, we used our knowledge about the Athenian and Spartan city states to decide which one was the best!
We split into two teams to debate and within our teams split into little sub-groups responsible for debating one aspect of life in the city states.
The class did a great job at debating. They took turns well, made pertinent points, responded to opposing points and summarised. They also used openers to introduce their points and were respectful debaters throughout!
So, who was the best city state? Well, the debate was close. Athens won the categories on government and economy but Sparta won education and role of women. Tomorrow, we’ll make final points and I’ll make a decision on the winner!
Living and Learning: strong emotions
In our Living and Learning lesson today, we were talking about strong emotions and some strategies to cope with them. We decided that talking about how we were feeling was a really good way of solving a problem or feeling better about something that may be troubling us.
We then watched a BBC education video about someone who joins a new school and is desperate to make friends and fit in and ultimately makes a bad choice in order to fit in with a group of people. We discussed the emotions that the person could have been feeling and how that influenced his choices. We also discussed what they could have done differently and how they eventually solved the problems.
Living and Learning: Anti Bullying
This week, Y6 were tasked with showing they know how to stop bullying in a creative way.
Here are some of their amazing submissions.
We also have had some brilliant talks this week surrounding how to be respectful (and ensure it’s mutual respect), how to be a little bit friendlier, how to deal with conflict if it should arise and how to communicate you’re not feeling OK or not happy with an interaction.
As always, I’m super proud of this class’ honesty, maturity and creativity with their homework.
It was great to see some fantastic spellings being practised, too!
Take a look!
Bringing the fire to life
This week, Year 1 took part in an online drama workshop all about the Great Fire of London.
1,2,3 Who are we going to be?
Here we had to show actions for some of the main people from the Great Fire of London – Thomas Farriner, King Charles II, Samuel Pepys and the London residents.
Save our treasure
We heard about the ‘treasure’ that Samuel Pepys saved from the fire by burying his items underground – cheese, bottles and his diary but what would you want to save?
I would save my favourite teddy.
I would bury my toys.
Chaos on the streets of London
What sounds could be heard while the fire was burning? We created a sound ladder of all the sounds to show what the atmosphere would have been like.
- screams
- crackling from the fire
- cars horses trotting along (well done, Hollie – you remembered there were no cars at that time)
- people jumping out of windows
- people shouting help
- water splashing on the fire
- buildings crashing down
- people giving orders
- children crying
Virtual after-school sport club
Aimed mainly at primary-aged children, a different theme has been assigned for each day of the club – Adventure Monday, Tuesday Play, Wild Wednesday, Thinking Thursday and Fun Friday.
Click here to find out more.
This week
Literacy
This week we are reading the story ‘Rosie’s Walk’ by Pat Hutchins. The children will learn to retell the story using a story map. As their phonics knowledge increases we will be encouraging them to write labels and captions for their drawings.
Phonics
We have completed Phase 2 of ‘Letters and Sounds’ and will spend this week consolidating and reviewing this learning. The phonemes we have learnt so far are:
set 1: s a t p
set 2: i n m d
set 3: g o c k ck
set 4: e u r h
set 5: f ff b bb l ss
If you have any questions please email me moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org
Don’t forget there are some really good games on Phonicsplay
username: sphere
password: spher3
Here is a guide for helping you to say the sounds correctly.
Maths
We are continuing to learn all about the number 4 and will learn that 4 is a square number.
Using the book ‘Rosie’s Walk’ the children will make an obstacle course and describe where they are using positional language.
We’ve just signed up to Numbots. This is a great app and website for practising counting and addition and subtraction facts. Your child can use it at home too – they will be given their login details this week.
Living and learning: anti-bullying week
This week is anti-bullying week and Year 1 have been considering the theme of bullying across different areas of our learning.
Our fluency text, that we read daily, was based on our anti-bullying child friendly policy.
As we read it, we considered words we weren’t sure of.
several = lots of
on purpose = someone meant to do something and it wasn’t an accident
solution = how to sort something out
We spotted the important message of STOP which means two things in our school.
In our Living and Learning lesson, we used our inference skills and our school definition, recently reviewed by our school councillors, when looking at this photo to consider what might be happening and whether this is bullying.
The boys, who are standing up, are laughing at the boy sat down. We can laugh with someone but not at them.
The boy on the ground looks unhappy, upset and left out because his face looks sad and his head is down.
They are hurting his feelings.
We don’t know if this is bullying because bullying is when it happens lots of times (several) on purpose.
We discussed that if this boy is being bullied he should…
Start
Telling
Other
People.
The children then considered who they would tell if they needed to get help or if they were worried about something.
I can tell my family.
I can tell my friends.
I can tell an adult that I know.
I can tell my teachers.
I can tell my cousin.
Thank you to all the families who supported Odd Socks Day. There were all different sizes, patterns and colours of socks on show and it was great that the children could express themselves and celebrate their individuality while raising awareness of bullying. Here’s the Odd Socks Day assembly, led by CBeebies star Andy Day, which prompted lots of discussion within the class.
This years’ song performed by Andy and the Odd Socks is based on the theme of ‘United against bullying’.
We’re excited to see the childrens’ homework based on anti-bullying week. Here’s some we’ve received already. What great messages they are giving!
Austen’s kindness statements
Grace’s anti-bullying poster
Staying hydrated
Bridging through ten
In our recent maths lessons, we have been recapping bridging through 10.
Bridging through ten is a method that many people use (possibly without realising it!) to add numbers mentally.
The bridging through 10 strategy can also be used to add a one-digit number to a two-digit number, for example:
Can you spot your learning? .
Parents, ask your child to teach you this mental maths strategy.