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Happy Healthy Learning

Look at all the fun we had in the front playground. It might look like we were just having fun but we were also developing all our muscles which will help us when we are writing, drawing and painting.

The Finnish conclusion on outstanding schools in Leeds

This week, we’ve welcomed nine teachers from Finland.  It’s the first visit of a project we’ve named DEVOS – DEVeloping Outstanding Schools.  The project is all about exploring what makes a school or an education system outstanding.  Finland’s education is regarded as being one of the best in the world, so it’s going to be interesting to explore why this might be the case.  Five outstanding schools in Leeds, including Moortown Primary, are taking part.  The project involves four visits (two each way) and lots of on-line discussion and learning.  This evening, we met for some opinion-sharing at the end of the first visit.

The Finns described many differences and surprises.  There were three big differences overall:

Our Finnish colleagues repeatedly talked about how positive our teachers are, constantly praising the strengths and good work a child demonstrates, so children want to keep doing well.

Second, they were surprised at the level of noise in the classroom – noise from pupils talking with each other about their learning (they were also surprised at how quickly children stopped to listen to the teacher). Headteachers in Leeds explained the noise by stressing the importance of talk for learning, which develops pupils’ confidence, understanding and engagement, and makes them more likely to be active learners, which in turn they hope will lead to life-long learners.

Finally, they remarked about how stuffy our classrooms are, commenting with some incredulity about our carpets and our closed windows (this from a nation of people who happily allow their babies to take naps outside in sub-zero temperatures!).

Speaking specifically about Moortown Primary, our visitors were especially impressed with the Year 1 class assembly, which parents attended. They praised the sense of community which this develops.

Here are some of the concluding remarks from our Finnish counterparts:

• Such a lot of energy, passion…I admire your work very much.
• We saw so many hard-working teachers who cooperate very well.
• There’s so much positive, encouraging feedback to pupils, which pupils learn to give to each other.
• I noticed you had very good leadership and staff. All heads are interested and enthusiastic, willing to develop their schools. 
• Common rules so children know what they do, and teacher is the boss in a good way. 
• You use technology much more than in Finland – perhaps you are more creative. 
• For me it was noisy in the classrooms when children were working but they stopped so quickly when teacher said stop.
• I noticed there was so much cooperation between teachers – we should do more. 
• Your children are so active – not at all passive.
• The headteachers are excellent – we’re very jealous about that. Staff are lost without good headteachers. 
• Reinforcement is fantastic – it’s something we really need to learn from you.
• There were lots of ‘yes’ messages – positive messages to do the right thing, not negative messages to correct the wrong thing.
• Classes are bigger.  There are much more adults in school.  The average class in Finland is twenty, and classes are bigger. 
• The leadership in your schools is excellent. 

Next month, Mr Wilks and I will accompany eight teachers from the other Leeds schools involved in the project to Harjavalta, Finland.  Next school year, two more teachers from Moortown will visit to continue the research.

08 February 2013

Our homework this week is Talk Time.

I can tell a story.

Children have been asked to plan a story (using the structure below) and then tell it to people at home. They will be asked to re-tell the story at school on Wednesday, when the homework is due in.  This homework is designed to help children’s story writing, which is what we’re focusing on at the moment in class.

Suggested story structure that children are familiar with:

• Beginning or Opening (sets the scene, tells a reader where and when the story is happening and often introduces the main characters)
• Middle (how the story progresses)
• End or Resolution (how the problem is solved)

In Year 1 we call this structure the Story Mountain.

08 February 2013

Please learn these words for a test on Friday 15 February.

Words containing the ’th‘ letter pattern.

For those of you that want a challenge…

You could write the words in a sentence, such as:

• I have a bath every night.
• I use my brain to think.

08 February 2013

Over the past few weeks we have been learning about plurals.

This week, I want you to revisit all the spellings we have learnt about plurals. The test next week will be on:

• plurals where you just add s
• plurals where you add es
• plurals that end with ies
• plurals that end with ves

There will be no more than eight spellings from the four lists. However, I will not reveal which ones they are until the test.

08 February 2013

This week’s homework is Talk Time and is due in Wednesday 13 February.

Has there been (or is there) life on other planets? Discuss.

Following the discovery of an ‘alien egg’ right next to the school, I want you to discuss at home whether there has ever been life outside of planet earth. Why not try:

• exploring accounts of alien encounters
• researching what is required for life to exist and whether that is possible on other planets
• discussing whether it is ever possible to know for sure whether something exists in such a huge universe

We’ll be having a discussion next week, so make sure your child comes ready with some key points to make.

08 February 2013

We are continuing to look at suffixes in spellings in Year Six. This week the suffix is ic.

Children need to learn the words from the list and find four more spellings with the same suffix.

• historic
• organic
• supersonic
• atomic
• specific
• traffic
• horrific
• metallic
• angelic
• epidemic
• rhythmic

Spellings will be tested on Friday 15 February.

08 February 2013

Your homework this week is creative and is due in on Wednesday 13 February 2013.

I can produce a piece of work for our theme parks display.

Create a piece of work about theme parks to show what you have learnt in Literacy, Geography, Art, DT, Science or Maths.

Work should not go in your homework book. It should be bright, colourful, attractive, neat, of an excellent standard in terms of presentation and ready to put up on display.

Try a school dinner

Over this term, we’re offering the chance for you to have a school dinner with your child(ren).

This is open to all children: those who currently have a school dinner and those who’d like to try them.

The dates for these sessions are:

• Years 5 and 6: Friday 01 March, 12.20pm
• Years 1 and 2:Friday 08 March, 12 noon
• Reception: Friday 15 March, 12 noon
• Years 3 and 4: Friday 22 March, 12.20pm

The cost is £2.65 for an adult meal and £1.90 for children in Reception to Year 4 and £1.95 for children in Years 5 and 6.  There is obviously no extra charge if they already have a school dinner.

If you would like to sample a school dinner please ask at the office to secure your place as they will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

New payment option for Key Stage 2 fruit and veg tuck shop

From next half term, you’ll be able to pay in advance for your child to have a portion of fruit each week from the tuck shop for the rest of this school year.

If your child prefers to bring their money on the day (20p per item), that’s fine.  We shall still continue to operate this system.

To pay in advance please bring £3.60 for one portion or £7.20 for two portions to the office.  This will start from 26 February until 16 July.

Thank you for your support for our healthy tuck shop.