Cross country stars
*UPDATE* Four of our Year 3 runners have qualified for the Leeds School Games cross country final!
On Friday, twenty two Key Stage 2 children took part in the Leeds North East School Games Cross Country festival at Roundhay High School attended by 900 pupils.
We had a great start from our Year 3 runners with 4 children coming in the top 10! After that, we saw some excellent efforts from the rest of the children throughout the afternoon with great support and encouragement from the other pupils.
Well done to all the children who took part and represented the school. We are sure there will be some qualifiers for the next race, the Leeds final. Watch this space!
Thank you to the parents who came along to help and support at this event.
It was a brilliant event. The Team Moortown spirit was very strong.
If you’re child would like to take part in cross country, have a look at our physical activity guide for details of local running clubs and junior Park Runs.
Topic – Art
Year 3 have begun their latest Topic – art! We have two featured artists that we are focusing our learning around.
Wassily Kandinsky
Martha McDonald Napaltjarri
We have used our Geography skills to locate on a map where these artists were born; Kandinsky in Moscow, Russia and Napaltjarri in Haasts Bluff, near Alice Springs, Australia.
We have since then, explored the use of complementary colours and warm and cool colours. We were inspired by Kandinsky’s Squares With Concentric Circles art piece and created these:
We put our concentric circles together to create one large piece of art.
The children explored using oil pastels and chalks.
Help at home by asking your child what complementary, warm and cool colours are!
Food Technology: leek and potato soup!
Last week, Year 3 made leek and potato soup! We worked in small groups to prepare the ingredients and then cook them, ready for blending.
We made sure that we washed our hands and wore our aprons for hygiene reasons. 
We used the bridge cutting method to cut the onion and potatoes into small chunks.
We also used the claw cutting method to cut up the leeks after we’d washed them. These methods are the safest way to cut food as they help us from hurting ourselves!
We then fried the onion and leeks together and added the potatoes and stock. We left it to boil for 20 minutes.
We used a hand blender to purée the soup and added black pepper for flavour.
Everyone tried to soup but we had some mixed reviews:
“I loved the leek smell and taste.”
“I didn’t like the sloppy texture.”
“I liked the flavour.”
Year 3 did a fantastic job and the soup tasted great!
Help at home by having your child show you the bridge and claw cutting methods.
Anti-Bullying Day!
Monday was national anti-bullying day and the beginning of anti-bullying week. Lots of children wore odd socks to create an awareness of this important day and to celebrate how we are all unique and different We also centred our learning around this too.
We read our school’s anti-bullying Policy which outlines what bullying is and what we can do if we or someone we know is being bullied.
“Bullying is when you hurt someone, physically or emotionally (including online), several times on purpose.”
We define it by using two STOP acronyms:
- Several Times On Purpose
- Start Telling Other People
One’s a definition of bullying and the other’s a solution.
Our school definition helped us understand the different types of bullying – physical (hurting our body), emotional (hurting our feelings) or cyber bullying (online).
We used our weekly circle time to think about the role we all have to STOP bullying and discussed how we can share our feelings.
We know that we can go to these people or places for help:
- Safeguarding team – Mrs Weekes, Mr Wilks and Mrs Russell
- Any other members of staff
- A trusted adult
- Someone in your family
- Friends
- Childline (0800 1111)
- Write a worry slip and put it in your Living and Learning box or the whole school worry box (outside the school office)
- Email stayingsafe@spherefederation.org
Help at home: discuss our school definition of bullying with your child. Do they know the difference between falling out and bullying, and between a one-off situation and something that’s happened more than once?
Living and Learning: new school charity
Every year, we vote for a new school charity to support and this week is the start of the selection process.
Our new charity will replace our current school charity St Gemma’s Hospice. An amazing £1500 has been raised for this great, local cause.
Whole school homework this week is to consider the following shortlist of charities.
The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund
The main objective of the charity is to enhance the quality of care and support available to babies, young children and adult congenital cardiac patients, who are treated at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit, based at Leeds General Infirmary. https://www.chsf.org.uk
Zarach
We receive referrals through our network of schools. We deliver a bed bundle for every child in the household that requires it; this includes a brand-new Bed, Mattress, Duvet, Pillow, Bed Sheets, Pyjamas and Hygiene Kit. We work with local partners to include Food Parcels and, if needed, a school uniform. We can also mediate between families and their support services, as well as making referrals. https://zarach.org/
Leeds Hospitals Charity
To further any charitable purpose or purposes relating to the general or any specific purposes of Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust or the purposes of the National Health Service. https://www.leedshospitalscharity.org.uk
Simon on the Streets
Objectives are to: 1) prevent and relieve hardship and need and distress amongst those who are homeless and rootless by the provision of practical and emotional support, in particular but not exclusively to those who are sleeping rough or who are unwilling or unable to accept existing provision; 2) educate the public concerning the problems of social isolation and homelessness. https://simononthestreets.co.uk/
Trussell Trust
The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of food banks and together we provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, and campaign for change to end the need for food banks in the UK. www.trusselltrust.org
Mind (The National Association for Mental Health)
We provide information and support, campaign to improve policy and attitudes and, in partnership with independent local Minds, develop and provide local services. https://www.mind.org.uk/
The charities will be reviewed in class on Thursday 23 November. Each class will vote for one charity which will be brought to the Junior Leadership Team who will have the final vote on Friday 24 November.
Leeds Schools Sports Association Saturday morning cross country race
Key Stage 2 children are invited to compete in an upcoming cross country race as part of the Leeds Schools Athletics Association cross country programme of Saturday morning races. Children will compete against pupils from other Leeds schools.
The race will take place on Saturday 25th November at Wharfe Meadows Park, Farnley Lane, Otley, LS21 2RW from 10am.
Please note, parents/carers are responsible for taking and supervising their child/children at the event. There will be a parent representative at the event.
There are opportunities for Year 3 and 4 girls and boys (under 9) to race 900m and Year 5 and 6 girls and boys (under 11) to race 1500m. Once your child has completed their race, you are free to leave the event.
Please sign up by giving consent online or ask at the office if you would like further information about the race.
Me and my money week!
This week has been all about money and we’ve learnt a lot about money, spending, prices and saving. We have had some visitors in to help us with our learning. Here’s what we’ve got up to:
It’s party time!
We had a two hour workshop where we learned how to plan a party. From thinking about what makes a good party to how much we were spending on balloons. We started by ranking elements of a party by how important they are. Here was one group’s final ranking:
We then chose a person to plan the party for and this was tricky as we had to think about what someone would want at their party rather than our own choices!
Finally, we had to think about what we would spend on what. Each group had a budget of £10 per guest and the children quickly realised how they needed to save money on a venue for the party so that they could have more decorations or food!
Overall, every group managed to spend under their budget which shows that they knew the difference between a want and a need.
The Lost Purse
We had a second workshop with some workers from the bank. During this session we learnt:
- People can pay for things using cash or electronically.
- The price of everyday items like a meal deal from the supermarket.
- People can sometimes borrow money but they have to pay it back otherwise there is consequences.We also were able to give advice to someone on how they should spend their money. ‘Mr I Spendalot’ wanted to book a £500 holiday. He could have either spent his money on his debit card or use his credit card and have to pay it back. We decided that maybe using his debit card was a good idea if he knew that he could afford it!
Help at home by thinking of different items that you have or would like and and decide: Is it a need or a want?
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.
Group reading information!
Hello!
This week, Year 3 are beginning their group reading!
The class have been divided into groups and each group has been given a book to read at home. This will last for this half term.
During our Book Club sessions each Friday, each group will discuss what they have read so far and share their reading record activities related to their book. This will be a fantastic opportunity for the children to explore characters and storylines more than they might do normally!
Every Friday during Book Club, each group will be given a new page to read to for the next Friday.
What to remember:
- Your child has a book that they need to read every week (up to a chosen point marked with a post-it notes).
- The reading record activity needs to be completed using their new book.
- A comment from a grown up needs to be written in their reading record.
- Group reading books and reading records need to be brought in every Friday.
Help at home by listening to your child read their new book and ask questions about the book to help prepare them for class discussions.
I look forward to hearing the children’s discussions next week!
Thank you,
Miss Birch
Living and Learning: rights and responsibilities
In Year 3, we know that we have many different rights and with these rights, comes responsibilities.
Here are just some of the rights that we’ve discussed:
- We have the right to think and say what we think so we have the responsibility to be respectful to other’s thoughts and beliefs.
- We have the right to an education therefore we have the responsibility to come to school and engage with our learning.
- We have the right to have food and therefore we have the responsibility to make our own healthy choices.
- We have the right to feel safe at home and at school and have a responsibility to make other people feel safe. For example, play safely and sensibly with our friends and family.
Help at home by asking your child to think of their rights and therefore what responsibilities come with these rights.
