Living and Learning: anti-bullying day and odd socks day
On Monday, all children will be learning about bullying and how to STOP bullying as part of the national antibullying week.
Our Junior Leadership Team have recently reviewed our bullying definition. As part of this, we use two STOP acronyms: Several Times On Purpose Start Telling Other People – one’s a definition of bullying and the other’s a solution.
On Monday, we will also be taking part in Odd Socks Day which celebrates that we’re all unique. Children are invited to wear odd socks to school, marking the fact we’re all different in some way.
Odd socks day sends an important message to pupils that they should be allowed to be themselves, free from bullying. It helps us celebrate anti-bullying day in a fun and positive way.
Help at home: Talk about our school definition of bullying and the differences between falling out and bullying, and between a one-off situation and something that’s happened more than once.
Me and My Money week – school charity donations
Donating money is one choice people might make when using their money.
As part of our Me and My Money themed week, we welcomed visitors from St Gemma’s Hospice, our current school charity, to hear how they have been using our donations over this year.
We have raised a staggering £1500 across the year so thank you for all of these donations. St Gemma’s Hospice are very grateful for this support.
There is one more way we can donate money this week and this is by bringing any spare 1ps or 2ps into class to deposit in each class’ saving jar.
On Friday, we shall be having a money trail with all the coins donated so please bring any spare change before then.
Here are Year 2 counting their coins so far.
Autumn 1: Week 8
In Literacy, we’ve been reading Potion Commotion by Peter Bentley. The book is about a little witch called Betty. She ends up making a big mess when putting just about everything into her cauldron to make a potion. Betty’s potion grows and grows and spreads all over the town!
Help at home: Talk to your child about the story and see if they can remember what happened at the end.
After reading the story, we thought about what we would put in a magic potion. We drew pictures and labelled our list of ingredients.
Yesterday, we decided to be scientists and make our very own hubble and bubble potion.
Before doing the experiment, we made sensible predictions.
I think it will bubble.
I think it will fizz.
I think it will hit the ceiling!
I think it will overflow.
Click here to watch our bubbling potion.
Maths
This week, we introduced simple addition and subtraction number stories.
For example,
First there were three spiders on the web.
Then, one more spider joined them.
Now, there are four spiders altogether.
Help at home: Collect up to five of your favourite toys. Use these toys to create addition and subtraction stories. Don’t forget to use the words ‘first’, ‘then’ and ‘now’ and your fingers!
What else have we been up to?
The potion chilli challenge was very popular this week!
It’s important children spend lots of time doing fine motor activities to develop their finger muscles ready for writing.
Help at home: Practise your cutting skills.
We’ve been recognising numerals and practising our counting skills at the maths bench.
One-to-one correspondence focuses on the actual counting of objects, and assigning numbers to objects in the correct order, as they are counted. This also helps children to understand that the numbers they are saying hold value.
Creating more potions in the water tray!
Reminders
- Marvellous Maths stay and learn session – Wednesday 15 November
- Please email any ‘WOW’ moments or new interests at home. We love receiving and sharing photos in school.
moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org - Please continue to read your child’s e-book daily alongside love of reading books.
Have a wonderful half-term break! I look forward to seeing you all again on Monday 06 November.
Autumn 1: Week 7
This week, we’ve been reading Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. We looked closely at the illustrations and talked about autumn changes.
What happens in autumn?
It gets cold.
Leaves fall off the trees and they turn different colours.
Halloween happens in autumn.
Leaves are orange, red, yellow and brown.
The wind starts to blow.
Throughout the week, we’ve been drawing story maps, making leaf people and creating some leaf rubbings using autumn colours. Yesterday, we talked about hibernation and why some animals start to hibernate in October and November.
Help at home: Ask your child if they can remember some of the facts we’ve learnt this week.
Hedgehogs
This week, we had lots of fun making hedgehogs and taking photos of them on the iPad.
Maths
This week, we used the language of ‘more than’ and ‘fewer than’ to describe how many objects there are on each set. ‘Fewer than’ is used rather than ‘less than’ because the focus is on countable things.
Help at home: Gary and Barney are still arguing! Can you help them decide who has more and who has fewer?
Use the stem sentence: … has more/fewer _____ than …
What do you notice in this photo?
Phonics
This week and next week we’re recapping all of the phonemes we’ve learnt so far. They’ll be no phonics home learning sheets. Please continue to use all the sheets at home.
Poetry Picnic
Click here to watch this week’s poem.
Here are some more highlights from this week…
Snacks and water
Please make sure your child’s water bottle only contains plain water.
Every day, school will provide a healthy fruit or vegetable. If your child would prefer to bring their own snack, please ensure this contains only fruit and/or vegetables. Snacks from home will stay in the children’s bookbags.
If your child is having grapes for their snack, please ensure that the grapes are cut lengthways.
Reminders
Parent-teacher meetings (Zoom) – Tuesday 24 & Thursday 26 October
Training day – Friday 27 October
Back to school – Monday 06 November
Tom Palmer local events
This year, some children at school attended an online workshop with author Tom Palmer. Tom Palmer has been in touch to let us know about some local events he is attending in half term.
Message from Tom
For children and families – I am also coming to Leeds on Thursday 2 November
2023 :
* Farsley Book Festival – 10am-11am more here
https://trumanbooks.co.uk/event/flf-kids-day
* Chapel Allerton Library – 2pm
* Pudsey Community Hub and Library – 4pm
Autumn 1: Week 6
It’s been another busy week in the Reception classroom.
Art
We have been listening to the story Henri’s scissors and have learnt about the artist Henri Matisse.
We enjoyed looking at his artwork and talking about what we like and dislike about some of his famous pieces of art. His artwork inspired us to create our own representations!
Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog (it’s along the play bar) and turn off auto play – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip.
Help at home: Practise your cutting skills at home.
Staying safe
Yesterday, two local PCSOs visited school to talk about how we can stay safe on Bonfire Night. The children listened well and were eager to share their memories of Bonfire Night.
Help at home: Ask your child if they can remember a top tip about stay safe around fireworks and bonfires.
Poetry picnic
On Monday, we started learning our new poem: Leaves are falling. We had lots of fun practising the actions!
Help at home: Next week, our focus story is Leaf Man. We will be creating our own leaf people. Please could you collect a bag of leaves and bring them into school on Monday.
JLT Elections
Next week, we’re holding elections for the Junior Leadership Team. Two representatives from each class are chosen democratically by their peers.
Elections will take place on Thursday 19 October. If your child would like to be a junior leader, please help them to prepare a short speech about why they would be a good junior leader. These will be shared on the morning of the elections.
Here are some more highlights from this week…
Finally…
Thank you to all the parents/carers who attended the Phase 2 stay and learn session. It was great to see so many of you and the children thoroughly enjoyed showing off their amazing phonics learning with you. We hope you found it useful!
As always, if you have any questions or would like to share any home learning please use our reception email moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org.
Autumn 1: Week 5
On Wednesday, we went on our local walk around Moortown. Before going on our walk, we used Google Earth to track our route. I was amazed at how sensible they were. Well done, Reception!
Yesterday, we had a go at drawing our own maps of our local walk.
Maths
This week, we’ve explored how numbers can be composed of 1s.
Throughout the week, we’ve been collecting groups of 2, 3 and 4 objects to help us understand that a ‘whole’ is made up of smaller parts.
Help at home: Can you make collections of objects at home? Remember the objects don’t always have to be the same!
Literacy
This week our focus was We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. We’ve had great fun using actions to retell the story. Click here to watch us.
Help at home: These pictures are mixed up. Can you remember the order of the story?
Chilli challenges
In the construction area, we had to build a cave for a bear. 
The Bee-Bots were very popular this week. We had lots of fun controlling the Bee-Bots around the bear hunt mat. Some children decided to make their own road!
Poetry picnic
This week’s poem is a short poem called Falling Apples. After listening to the poem, we talked about apple trees.
I’ve got an apple tree in my garden.
This apple is from my apple tree.
I have an apple tree at my Grandma’s house.
Click here to watch this week’s poem.
Reminders!
- Don’t forget to come to our Phase 2 phonics Stay & Learn and coffee morning next Thursday at 9am.
- Library books need to be returned every Monday.
- Please make sure your child’s reading record is in their bookbag every Thursday.
Autumn 1: Week 4
Literacy
This week, we’ve been reading The Everywhere Bear by Julia Donaldson. We drew our own story maps of the Bear’s journey.
Yesterday, we took some bears on a journey around school. We followed a simple map to find all the classrooms. We even found Mrs Weekes office!
Help at home: Practise writing your name. You could use the name card in your book bag.
Maths
This week, we focussed on the purpose of counting – to find out ‘how many’ objects there are. We explored how all sorts of things can be counted, including sounds. We practised our 1:1 correspondence, by moving, tagging and using counting sticks when counting larger objects .
Help at home: Count everything! Practise counting your toys at tidy up time. When going up the stairs, count them. Count the knives and forks when setting the table. On your way to school, count how many buses you see.
Library
On Monday, we visited our school library. We had a fantastic time looking at books with our friends. In a couple of weeks, your child will bring their first library book home. Please make sure your child returns their library book every Monday so they can choose another exciting story.
Poetry picnic
Click here to watch this week’s poem.
Chilli challenges
This week, we’ve introduced the chilli challenges. Each week, there will be six chilli challenges in different areas. The children will be encouraged to complete the challenges and tick them off on their chilli challenge card (see below). When your child completes a challenge, they will explain or show what they’ve done and an adult will tick the challenge off on their card.
Here’s some of the chilli challenges in action…
Drawing pirate maps.
Playing a subitising game.
Counting objects using 1:1 correspondence.
Using tweezers to pick up conkers.
Drawing our own maps.
Reminders
- Phase 2 phonics Stay & Learn and coffee morning – Thursday 12 October
- Please email any ‘WOW’ moments or new interests at home. We love receiving and sharing photos in school.
moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org - Please make sure your child reads their e-book daily alongside love of reading books.
Chop Chop
Click here to watch last week’s poem.
Help at home: Practise the poem at home. You could even teach your adults the actions!
Reading: Year 5 and Reception
As you all know, we love to read at Moortown Primary School. Year 5 will be reading with Reception every Friday. It was lovely to see and hear all the children engaged in a story.
