d:side esafety
This morning, Dave from d:side joined us to discuss how we can stay safe when we’re using the internet.
We talked about lots of things:
- how we need to be careful when looking for pictures online
- how we can make a Google search safe by adding ‘for children’ into our searches
- the types of games we should and shouldn’t be playing
- how and why we need to be careful before opening emails or clicking on links in websites
- why we need to be careful of posting things online like photos and videos
- how we need to stick to websites which are just right for us
Exploring classification
We began our topic lesson today with some Liquorice Allsorts on our desks. Why, we hear you ask?
The children were asked to work as a group to sort the sweets according to clear characteristics that can split the specimens into two new groups.
They had to think of some questions that may help them to sort and split the sweets. The children thought about the following characteristics or features:
• structure (layered, encased in a shell)
• shape
• size
• colour
Using the idea of a flow chart, we began to group the sweets. The children tried to make their questions interesting and ensured that they always needed a ‘yes’/‘no’ answer, for example, ‘Is the sweet a primary colour?’
Next, our aim was to recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways.
Using the same idea as before, the children had to generate questions that only had a yes/no answer, such as:
- Can the animal fly?
- Does it lay eggs?
- Does it have feathers?
- Is it a mammal?
- Does it breathe air?
- Does it live in water?
- Does it live on land?
The class were able to create their own animal flow charts to group the various creatures.
Are you safe online?
Today, we had a brilliant visitor who came in to talk to us about being safe online. This links to our Living and Learning theme I can make safe choices.
We discussed the fun activities we do online…
…and how we can do them safely. Have you ever heard of YouTube Kids? Make sure your profile settings are always set to private and you only chat or game with people that you know in real life and trust.
We sorted information into what was safe to share and what was unsafe to share which created lots of discussion and showed how clued up we already were.
Never tell anyone your personal information like where you live or your full name. It’s much safer to make up a different username for each game, such as MinecraftMonster or GlitterUnicorn21.
Make sure you tell an adult if anything is worrying you. Have fun online but be safe!
Using Bee-Bots to learn about control, directional language and programming
After-school clubs
Practising!
Don’t forget our assembly on Wednesday!
Creative homework
There was some really great Creative homework this week when the children were asked to create an animal of their own.
Phonics
When helping your child to blend the sounds in words, it’s really important to say the sounds as purely as possible.
Here is a guide to pronunciation of the phase 2 phonemes.
Safer Internet Day 06 February
Splats Team Robot v Meanies e-Safety Show
As part of Safer Internet Day, on February 06, the pupils from Years 3 to 6 are learning and performing a show-in-a-day with Splats Entertainment e-Safety show.
The day is all about how we act online and in life. Each group of pupils work with the ‘Splats’ director where they learn their scene and then they make props in the classroom. The show is then being performed at the end of school at 2:30pm which we would like to invite you to attend. The day and performance is led by the ‘Splats’ director and the pupils join in and act out the parts.
It is a fun and light-hearted look at what is, of course, a very important issue of safety. The day is designed to get the pupils thinking, talking and developing their awareness of their online behaviour. We hope it will help facilitate discussion at school and at home and help the pupils be responsible and careful in their online activity.
Topics covered during the day include: keeping personal information safe; how we never know who we are talking to online; how to deal with any mean messages; how we never know how other people feel with what we say online; and if we are unsure of anything, we should always seek help from a trusted adult.
If you would like to come and watch the e-safety show, please complete the reply slip, on your child’s letter, and return to school as soon as possible as we have a limited number of spaces.
Mathletics
Have you looked at Mathletics recently?
This is a great online resource that supports maths learning at home. You child has work assigned according to our learning in class so take a look with your child when you can.
Well done to Christina who continues to complete her assignments and regularly achieves a Mathletics certificate.
Please ask for login details if needed.