Living and Learning: Hotshots sponsorship event
To finish off our Me and My Money themed week, all the school took part in a Hotshots event, led by PE Partner, to raise money for our school charity, Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Can I just say how fantastic all the children were in every year group! It was amazing to see them all encouraging each other, no matter their ability. When the children were up for their turn, who maybe football isn’t their forte, the rest of the children were so supportive with their cheering and encouragement. It was fantastic! You should be very proud of them all!
Living and Learning: Penny trail
It was great to see the generosity and enthusiasm of the children during our Me and My Money themed week to try and fill their class collecting tubes. They were filling up by the end of the week.
On Friday, all the classes ventured into the playground to use their pennies to create a huge ‘Moortown’ penny trail. We had so many 1ps and 2ps that we ended up doubling and tripling up our coins.
The total amount raised for Yorkshire Air Ambulance was a fantastic £123.53 so thank you for your donations.
Poetry Picnic
Our Halloween themed poem for the week is called Pointy Hat. We hope you enjoy listening to us performing it!
Autumn 2: Week 1
Literacy
On Tuesday, we talked about why we celebrate Bonfire Night and what people do to celebrate. We also thought about how to stay safe. Here’s some of the children’s Bonfire Night safety tips:
- Stand back from the bonfire.
- Hold sparklers far away from your body.
- Put a sparkler into a carrot to hold the carrot.
- Don’t put sparklers in the bin—put them in some water instead.
- Only adults should light fireworks.
Help at home: Make a Bonfire Night safety poster with your adult or older sibling.
We also talked about Remembrance Day and why people wear a red poppy. We watched a short animation called Poppies. It allowed us to see what life was like for animals during the war.
Here’s a look at some of the exciting challenges we completed to support our learning…
Maths
This week, we’ve been engaging in activities that highlight the purpose of counting – finding out how many objects there are altogether. We’ve reinforced our understanding of cardinality, recognising that the last number we say when counting represents the total number of objects in the set.
A key focus has been deepening our understanding of the number 5 as a quantity. We’ve been linking the number to familiar representations, such as the five fingers on one hand. The children are also beginning to explore different ways to represent numbers up to 5, using both their fingers and the Hungarian number pattern (die frame).
On Wednesday, the children worked in pairs to collect 5 objects and place them on the fingers of their hand template. They were challenged to find:
- 5 objects that are all the same
- 5 that are the same but in different colours,
- 5 that are the same but in different sizes
This activity sparked lots of discussion and teamwork as they compared, sorted, and explained their choices. We saw fantastic mathematical thinking and collaboration throughout the session!
Help at home: Draw a hand on a piece of paper and collect 5 objects. Can you do some of the challenges with did in school?
Important!
If your child likes to have grapes in their packed lunch, please make sure they are cut in half lengthways. This helps reduce the risk of choking. Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe!
Reminders
- Odd Socks Day – Monday 10 November
Children are invited to wear odd socks to school today, marking the fact we’re all different in some way. - Children in Need: non-uniform day – Friday 14 November
- Maths stay and learn session – Tuesday 18 November
Anti-bullying day/Odd socks day Monday 10 November
Do you have a child due to start primary school in 2026?
A video and FAQ’s are available for more support and guidance with applications.
Light and dark!
Training day – Arty ideas !
We thought you’d enjoy hearing a little about what went on during our recent teacher training day! Part of the day was dedicated to developing our art knowledge and skills with our resident art teacher, Mrs Boulton.
Teachers got hands-on with paints, pastels and even soap! There was plenty of colour, laughter, and even a bit of friendly competition as we experimented with new techniques and ideas for upcoming art lessons.
The rest of the day focussed on other important areas too, including maths and inclusion. It was a full, productive day – and we left feeling ready and excited for the next half-term!
Autumn 1: Week 8
Diwali
This week, we explored the story Binny’s Diwali. We talked about what a festival is and discussed the similarities between different religious festivals. The children had lots of fun learning how families prepare for and celebrate Diwali.
Help at home: Can your child remember something about Diwali? If they’re unsure, here’s some key words to help them: food, decorations, fireworks.
For our writing activity, the children designed their own invitations to a Diwali celebration. They included some fantastic drawings and used recognisable letters in their writing—well done, everyone!
What else have we been up to?
We’ve been getting creative by making our own magic potions! The children used their imaginations to come up with exciting ingredients and then wrote lists to describe what they added to their mixtures. Fantastic mark-making and early writing practice!
In the maths area, we practised 1:1 correspondence by counting pom poms to match numerals up to 10.
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.
The playdough challenge has been very popular this week! The children have really enjoyed using their fine motor skills and creativity to make colourful Diya lamps.
Another popular chilli challenge involved drawing detailed Mehndi patterns, We observed some fantastic concentration and careful mark-making.
Yesterday, the children worked in pairs to design and create some beautiful Rangoli patterns.
Reminders
- Marvellous Maths Stay and Learn Session
Tuesday 18 November
Come and join us for a fun, hands-on maths learning experience! - WOW Moments
Have you noticed something special or a new interest at home?
Send photos or updates to: moortowneyfs@spherefederation.org
We love sharing these in class! - Daily Reading
It’s important that your child reads daily at home. Please continue to read eBooks to support phonics skills and their library book to support love of reading.
Have a happy and healthy week. See you on Monday 3rd November!
Living and Learning: Me and my money themed week
