Mrs Meadow's Spelling Group (test on 6.11.26)

 

Before

More

Call

Do

Don’t

Done

Ear

Hear

Near

Eve

Very

Every

Eye

Mr Chanter's Spelling Group (test on 23.10.26)

 

expansion

extension

comprehension

tension

corrosion

supervision

fusion

conclusion

persuasion

suspension

Good afternoon everyone,

I hope you have all had a lovely week and have something nice planned for the half-term break when it finally arrives!

In English, we have continued reading Tar Beach, exploring the story and its themes in greater depth. This has linked particularly well with our learning for Black History Month, as the children have been exploring the theme of segregation and how people were treated unfairly because of the colour of their skin. We discussed how the characters in the story experience discrimination and how this affects their opportunities and sense of belonging. The children then used these ideas to write letters expressing their thoughts and feelings about the unfair treatment of others. They have been developing their ability to explain their opinions, use persuasive language and give reasons to support their viewpoints, while thinking carefully about the importance of equality and fairness.

In maths, we have been adding and subtracting numbers with up to four digits, focusing on exchanging when working with larger numbers. The children have been practising how to exchange between ones, tens, hundreds and thousands when a column does not contain enough to complete a calculation. We have worked through a range of calculations, encouraging the children to set out their work carefully, show their methods clearly and check their answers. This is an important skill as we continue to develop their confidence and accuracy when working with increasingly complex calculations.

In science, we have started learning about the different diets of animals, exploring the terms carnivore, herbivore and omnivore. The children have been learning that carnivores eat other animals, herbivores eat plants and omnivores eat both plants and other animals. We discussed a range of familiar and less familiar animals, using our existing knowledge to predict which category they belong to and explaining our reasoning. The children have been encouraged to think carefully about the types of food different animals eat and how we can use evidence to support our predictions.

In geography, we have been exploring food miles and investigating how far different foods travel before reaching our plates. The children looked at the countries where a range of foods originate and calculated the distances they travel to reach the UK. We discussed how some foods are grown locally, while others travel thousands of miles from different parts of the world. This led to some interesting conversations about the impact of transporting food on the environment, including fuel consumption and carbon emissions. We also considered how choosing locally produced and seasonal foods can sometimes help to reduce food miles.

In art this week, everyone planned a composition for a mixed-media drawing. The children began by cutting out different images to create a collage, carefully arranging their pictures until they were happy with their overall composition. Once they had settled on their designs, they glued their images into place.

Next, the children created a wax-resist background using wax crayons on card. They filled the surface with bold blocks of colour, making sure there were no gaps. Next week, we will cover the wax crayon designs with black paint mixed with a little liquid soap. Once this layer is ready, the children will be able to scratch into the surface, revealing the colourful wax underneath and using their collage compositions as inspiration. I am looking forward to seeing how their final pieces develop!

In Spanish, we revised the days of the week, numbers and months of the year. We then explored the names of some saints and learnt about the many different saints' days celebrated in Spain. The children took part in a calendar quiz, searching for the names of saints and identifying their special days. They also practised saying the different saints' days in Spanish, helping to develop both their vocabulary and pronunciation while learning more about Spanish culture.

I also wanted to update you on the staffing arrangements for next week. Due to my leadership responsibilities, I will unfortunately not be available to teach the class next week. However, our consultation meetings will still take place as planned.

To help maintain familiar routines and provide the children with as much consistency as possible, we have arranged the following staffing:

• Monday: Miss Petrou will teach the class.

• Tuesday and Thursday: Mrs Baxter-Read will teach the class. She has taught the children a few times over recent weeks and has already begun to get to know them, helping to maintain continuity in their learning.

• Wednesday and Friday: Mrs Edwards will continue to teach the class.

Although I will not be teaching the children directly, I will continue to oversee the class, work closely with the staff supporting them and check in with the children several times throughout the day to ensure they are happy and well supported.

I understand how important it is to keep parents informed, particularly when staffing arrangements change. I will continue to communicate any updates as soon as I am able to share them and will confirm the arrangements for the following week on our class blog.

Please be assured that the children's happiness, wellbeing and education remain at the heart of every decision we make. Our aim is to return to greater consistency after the half-term break, and I sincerely apologise for the changes and any uncertainty they may cause in the meantime. Thank you for your continued understanding, patience and support while these arrangements are in place.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Mr Chanter's Spelling Group (test on 16.10)

 

division

invasion

confusion

decision

collision

television

revision

erosion

inclusion

explosion

 Hi everyone,

The temperature is starting to feel a lot colder now! I think I’ve become so used to the warmer weather we’ve had over the last few months that I’m noticing the change even more. I can’t believe we’ve only got two weeks left until the half-term break! I’m also looking forward to seeing you all at our parent consultations soon.

This week in English, we’ve been imagining what it would be like to fly around New York City, just like Cassie Lightfoot in our story Tar Beach. The children have been developing their descriptive writing by creating expanded noun phrases to describe what they might see and experience as they soar above the city. We’ll be using these ideas next week to write diary entries, capturing the excitement and wonder of flying over New York!

In maths, the children have been learning how to add numbers with up to four digits. We’ve been focusing on lining up the place value columns correctly and adding the ones, tens, hundreds and thousands. Next week, we’ll be building on this by introducing exchanging. This is when the total in a column reaches 10 or more, meaning we need to exchange ten ones for one ten, ten tens for one hundred or ten hundreds for one thousand. We’ll be using practical resources and written methods to help the children understand this process and apply it accurately when solving calculations.

As part of our science topic on the human digestive system, we’ve been focusing on our teeth this week. The children have been learning about the different types of teeth, including incisors, canines and molars, and exploring how each type has a specific function in helping us eat and digest food. We’ve also discussed the importance of looking after our teeth through regular brushing and making healthy choices. To investigate this further, the children conducted an experiment to explore the effects of different sugary drinks on our teeth, helping us understand why good dental hygiene is so important.

In RE, we began by revisiting what we remembered from our previous lesson about Christian pilgrimage. We then travelled to Lourdes in France, where Saint Bernadette reported having visions of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The children explored the significance of holy water and discussed what Christians mean when they talk about a miracle. We also looked at how Saint Bernadette’s experiences led to the development of important religious sites, including churches, a statue and a chapel. It was great to hear the children sharing their ideas and thinking carefully about why these places are so meaningful to Christians today.

In art, we’ve been experimenting with a new technique to create tone in our compositional drawings. The children started by using soft pencils to create a grey background, which they then smudged to achieve different shades and textures. They used rubbers to mark out the outlines of their objects before working back into their drawings with art pencils to add finer details, depth and further shading. The children have been developing their understanding of how light and dark can be used to make objects appear more realistic.

A quick reminder about our half-term project: the BBC 500 Words Challenge! The children should be working towards writing their own original story of no more than 500 words (the title doesn’t count towards the total). Stories need to be typed electronically so that they can be uploaded online. Please could children also bring in a copy of their story to share with the class? The deadline for our school submissions is the week commencing Monday 19th October, so please make sure your child’s story is ready by then. I’m really looking forward to reading all their imaginative ideas!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! I look forward to another great week of learning next week.

Class Blog 2.10.26

 Hello everyone,

I hope you have all had a lovely week. I wanted to start by saying a big thank you to everyone who came along to support the school’s Harvest Service on Friday. I know it meant a great deal to the children to have you there supporting them. Some children even told me that they almost enjoyed seeing you all as much as they enjoyed the singing and, of course, eating the food afterwards – which is certainly understandable!

Another big thank you to everyone who has supported our Book Fair this week. Every purchase helps to raise valuable funds for our school, with purchases contributing towards free books for our classrooms. A reminder that the Book Fair will run for two more days, Monday and Tuesday, after school at 3:25pm. Both cash and card payments will be accepted. Please enter through the School Office. If your child cannot find the book they are looking for, we can easily order it in for them.

This week in English, we came to the end of our work on The Mermaid of Zennor. The children have produced some lovely pieces of writing linked to the story, which I am sure you will enjoy reading when you come in for our parent consultations over the next couple of weeks.

Next week, we will begin our new book, Tar Beach. We will explore the theme of freedom, discussing what freedom means to us and how it can be represented through stories and characters.

In Maths this week, we have been learning how to round numbers to the nearest 10, 100 and 1,000, using number lines to help us identify which multiple a number is closest to. The children have worked incredibly hard on this and are becoming much more confident.

If possible, please continue practising rounding at home, particularly with larger numbers. Next week, we will move on to adding numbers up to 4 digits, including using formal written methods and developing our understanding of exchanging where necessary.

In Computing, we have continued our topic ‘What is the Internet made of?’ We have been exploring different websites and identifying the features that make up a webpage, such as text, images, links, menus and navigation buttons. We also discussed the difference between a webpage and a website, understanding that a website is made up of a collection of webpages.

In Spanish, the children have been learning how to say and understand different dates. We have been practising the vocabulary needed to talk about days, months and numbers and applying these to real dates.

In RE, we have been exploring the meaning of a pilgrimage and why Christians may choose to visit significant religious places. The children used their prior knowledge of Bible stories, symbolism and holy places to share their ideas. We then matched different Christian holy places with their special meanings and worked together to check and develop our understanding.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope you have a lovely weekend and I look forward to seeing you all next week.

Mr Chanter

Mrs Meadow's Spellings (test on 16.10.26)

The video links for these spellings can be found using the following link: https://app.sirlinkalot.org/d/id-com.sirlinkalot.0034

ice

key

knife

out

read

school

thumb

tie

too

wants

were

you

your