20 June 2014
This weeks’ whole school homework is Talk Time and also involves completing the pupil health questionnaire sent home with your child.
I can share my views about health.
Emotional health and obesity are our two main health targets to further our healthy schools status and the questions are linked to these areas. They include:
- Are you happy at school?
- What do you enjoy most about playtimes and lunchtimes?
Please support your child to complete the health questionnaire in order to find out their views on some of our key health issues at school. This should be returned to your class teacher by Wednesday 25 June.
It’s the Easter holidays…
…so we have no set homework or spellings, in line with our Homework Policy.
That doesn’t mean we expect your child not to be developing their skills in reading, writing and maths!
Your child should be reading daily – this could be fiction, factual books, a comic or newspaper, and could include being read to at bedtime, too.
It would be good to practise basic skills in writing by writing a letter or email to a relative, perhaps recounting a day-trip or reviewing a film your child watched.
We’re finding quite a few children are ‘squashing their sentences’ such as I went to Leeds City Museum it was really interesting which is wrong. It would be much better with punctuation to separate or a word to join:
- I went to Leeds City Museum. It was really interesting. (A comma isn’t strong enough to separate two sentences.)
- I went to Leeds City Museum – it was really interesting.
- I went to Leeds City Museum; it was really interesting.
- I went to Leeds City Museum and it was really interesting.
- I went to Leeds City Museum which was really interesting.
Finally, to improve calculation skills, please keep practising mental number facts which your child must know:
- number bonds (two numbers which add up to 10, 20 and 100 eg 3+7, 13+7, 30+70) – these facts should be known by children in Y1 – Y2
- times tables (up to 12×12) and the division facts with your child – children in Y2 should have rapid recall of x2, x 5 and x 10 at least
We know we mention these ‘basics’ a lot, but that’s because they involve practice, practice and more practice – we practise a lot at school, but your child will need to practise at home, too, if they are to truly succeed.
Learn more about current expectations for reading, writing and maths. However, do be aware that a new National Curriculum comes into effect from September, meaning these expectations have been raised and so many aspects of learning now feature in younger age groups.
It’s half-term…
…so no specific homework, spellings or tables this week. It’s a good time to relax and enjoy some time with your children – have you visited the free exhibition of Anthony Browne pictures at Leeds City Museum, for example?
05 July 2013
This week, your child has been taking part in a variety of activities as part of our Community Themed Week. One of these activities involved learning facts about different countries.
This week’s homework is creative. It is due in on Wednesday 10 July 2013.
I can show what I know about a country I have a connection with.
They could:
- produce a spider diagram of information
- draw pictures with labels
- write a fact file
- create a promotional leaflet for a tourism brochure
- design a homepage for a website about the country
…or think of another creative way of presenting their information.
This homework can be about any country of their choice, but it would be ideal if there is some sort of connection. This could be where your child was born, or where their family originate from; it could be where they have visited on holiday or even where they plan to visit in the future – any sort of connection would be good!
28 June 2013
This week’s whole school homework is a Talk Time one, and it also involves completing the pupil health questionnaire sent home with your child today.
I can give my opinions on health issues.
Emotional health and obesity are the two main health targets we are focussing on to further our healthy schools status and the questions are linked to these areas. They include:
- Are you happy at school?
- What do you enjoy most about playtimes and lunchtimes?
Please support your child to complete the health questionnaire in order to find out their views on some of our key health issues at school.
Completed questionnaires to be returned by Wednesday 03 July.
07 June 2013
Homework this week is creative. It’s the third of three homework tasks this school year when we invite children to respond to something from a cultural or spiritual perspective (we’ve timed these so they fall close to religious festivals, from Eid to Easter).
I can respond to a piece of art.
This week, we’d like children to present their responses about a piece of art. Your child might think about the colours used in the artwork or the line or shapes. They may discuss the mood of the piece and decide if they like or dislike it.
However, your child might prefer to do the following:
I can show how I celebrate an occasion.
We invite children to respond to the sentence above – they might include a recount (like a diary entry), a report, draw pictures or use photographs to show how they celebrate an occasion.
Super Science Day Talk Time
We don’t normally set specific homework tasks in the holidays, but we encourage you to spend some time discussing the nine science activities your child will have taken part in, especially considering what they have learnt. The learning objectives were:
- I know that dyes are made up of other colours
- I know why objects float
- I can create a gas with a solid and a liquid
- I know that static electricity creates a charge
- I know about irreversible changes
- I know the effects of a chemical reaction
- I know what exercise does to my body
- I am aware of acids and alkalis
- I know what happens when you mix water with oil
Check out the pictures from the day to help jog your child’s memory of each activity… Can they match the learning objective to the photo?
01 March 2013
Next Thursday 07 March is our annual school council election. This week’s homework, linked to the elections, is talk time. It’s due in on Wednesday 06 March 2013. Your child has a choice:
Either:
If your child would like to be a candidate for their class, their homework is to prepare a speech to present to their class. This should include the following:
- Why they think they can represent their class well.
- What qualities they have to make a good school councillor.
- What suggestions they have for the new school council to consider. Think of realistic ideas.
Some websites to help with this homework include http://involver.org.uk and http://www.pupilvoicewales.org.uk
Or:
If your child does not want to be a candidate in the elections, their homework is to discuss:
I understand the importance of voting.
This week, in class and assemblies, children have been learning about voting, school councils and why their vote, in the elections next week, really does count.
It’s the Spring half-term holiday next week…
It’s half-term holidays next week, so there are no specific homework tasks, times tables or spellings next week.
Of course, regular practice and learning can still happen: reading each day, swimming, tables practice, trips to the library, walks around Roundhay Park… A personal recommendation from me: take a visit to Leeds Art Gallery -the Liberty and Anarchy exhibition is great!
All will help your child have a happy and healthy holiday!
It’s Christmas…
…so enjoy the break.
We don’t give homework or spellings and tables to learn during holidays. Instead, we hope you all enjoy the break and spend some fabulously festive family time, whether it’s playing board games, enjoying a book or two or simply relaxing in front of the telly for a treat.
