Autumn Term

Going out with a Bang!

After spending some time apart we were all so excited to be back together for the end of 2020!  We have had a great time making cards and calendars - although Mr Leiper was less than impressed with all the mess (much to the children's amusement) haha...

We let off some steam with some out door PE - we had great fun running, jumping and skipping.  Here are some photos I hope you enjoy them.

I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas, I know it will be a little different this year but I hope you can make it special and enjoy just being together.  I'm sure 2021 will be so much better, and I can't wait to share it with all your lovely children.

Mrs Reid

 Finishing Off 15/12/20

After 6 weeks of making it was time for our final session. I have been so impressed with the creativity and perseverance of all the group members. From the very first session fire making has always been a big ambition. Today was such a great achievement as for the first time the children prepared and maintained their own fire. No matches, accelerants just hard work. Of course once the fire was lit and going well we had to use it. Luckily there was a can of hot dogs available. Sticks were whittled and sausages speared. I think the technique of roasting might be a skill to acquire as there were a lot of black hot dogs, tasty never-the-less.  Just time to boil a kettle for a small cup of hot chocolate. A lovely finish to very productive 6 weeks.   

Drilling and Whittling 24/11/20

Not so many photos today as the camera decided to stopped working but you get a good idea of the things we were up to. Safety protocols are always strictly adhered to. It can be a bit slow to have to get the glove on the correct hand, make sure you are in a good position and ensure you work the wood in the correct direction but only by following the rules can we use the tools safely.

We cut some willow to weave into the fence that we are building. Other children whittled some sticks that were going to be tent pegs but somehow turned into vampire stakes. Another group started to make a variety of things including a car, snowman and a dragon. What an inventive group there are in makers group.

Autumn B - Weeks Two and Three

We have enjoyed a fantastic, busy couple of weeks in year four, the children have been learning so much, getting fitter and stronger and becoming whizz kids at measuring in mm, cm and m!   We are lucky enough to have a dance coach coming into school as part of our PE this half term, due to current restrictions the usual dance curriculum has been adapted and rather than group routines we are concentrating on dance fitness.  The children work so hard and have so much fun, most of them have faces the colour of their red jumpers by the end!  We also enjoyed Children in Need which had a sports twist, we all took part in the Joe Wickes work out in the morning - a great way to start the day!

In science we are learning about sound, and this week we made paper cup and string telephones to investigate whether sound travels better through a gas or a solid!  We discovered sound travelled along the string louder than it does through the air!  What a fun lesson we had sending secret messages to each other through our homemade phones.  We continue to learn about Rivers as part of our Geography topic, and Mr Rudkin continues to teach Ukuele every Tuesday.

As part of Anti-Bullying Week, some of us wore odd socks on Monday and on Wednesday we enjoyed a visit from Hannah of Big Foot Drama Company, who came in to do a workshop with us all about Cyber Bullying.  We all had great fun creating freeze frames and the whole class demonstrated a mature and safe attitude towards being online (I had a really proud teacher moment).

Makers Group 11/11/20

Fire is Harder than we Thought

Makers club is still very interested in making fire. Since everyone can now use the fire steels I set the task of only being allowed to use 2 pieces of cotton wool and see if they can get a fire started. It is amazing just how many small shavings you need to get a little fire going. I think next week we might focus more on the chopping and shaving if the pupils still want to make a fire.

The wood projects have developed and some work looked finished I wonder if we could start to think about how to decorate or display the work. The range of tools that the children are wanting to use is expanding. As well as hammers we are now using drills and saws. This week we also started to look at how to use whittling knives and what jobs they might do.

It is nice that the children see a purpose for their work and use of tools so this week the pupils put up a worry log for the year 1 Forest School group to use. There was some very skilful drill and driver work done to get fixed safely.

The New Half Term 

We got off to a flying start this week in year four.  We went on a sound walk around school, we wrote an explanation text all about the Water Cycle and we did some extra tricky subtraction work in maths.  As always, the children worked their little socks off I am so proud.  As a treat, on Thursday we read Bonfire poetry then created our own poems.  After that, we had hot chocolate, marshmallows and cream, closed all the blinds and watched a bonfire and firework display on the big screen in class.  It was so cosy and the children really enjoyed it, a well deserved treat for all of their hard work and fantastic behaviour.

Makers Group 03/11/20

Site Survey

It is always worthwhile having a look around and seeing what needs done in our Makers area. The group that came today were super keen and full of ideas of things that could be done and projects that they would like to do. We had a good talk about the things that they remembered from Forest School and then everyone got too it.

I couldn’t believe how busy everyone was for the whole afternoon. Two children have started a den for the Year 1s to use in Forest School tomorrow, others helped to nail down some boards and then were trying to work out how to make a ramp. One child has started to make a bird feeder using some triangles to make a very accurate right angle. Lastly a group were desperate to make a fire. They were so good at fire lighting that we were able to use the flame to make a fire to brew up some water. We had a bit of a break and drank some Cup-a-Soup.

Phew, I can’t wait until next week. Oh, and I nearly forgot all the photos were taken by the children.

The Last Week of Half Term

We've made it!  We are all super tired and ready for the break, but all of the children have worked so hard and the progress has been fantastic.  I can't praise them enough for how well they adapted to being back in school after such a long time away, they are all wonderful.

In class, we are all very mindful at the moment, each day we choose a card from our 'Mindful Reminders for Kids' set and read the message, we then revisit the message as the day goes on using it to encourage, support or reassure one another, it's lovely to see the children show so much kindness and compassion.  We also played another round of the compliment game, their little faces when they hear the lovely words said about them is priceless, I looked around and they were all beaming it was lovely.

We have been creating some beautiful art work, we looked at a series of Monet paintings and discussed which we liked best and why.  We then recreated the famous 'Water Lily Pond' painting, using masking tape, paint and our fingers.  The children got so messy finger painting (I do apologise if they came home a little dirty) but they loved it and they had so much fun.  We also sketched a river landscape and added colour and texture using pencils. 

In maths, we carried on with our addition and subtraction topic, and in English we wrote a beautiful emotional piece as a character from a novel.  The class shared their work and gave each other feedback on post it notes - they loved being teachers and their comments were really positive and constructive - I think I might have some competition for my job!  We ended the week with popcorn, sweets, a movie and some halloween doodle art.  Perfect!

I'd like to say thank you to all the children for working so hard and being so lovely and to all the families for the support.

Enjoy your week off, 

Mrs Reid

Week Commencing 12th October 2020

Hello everyone, another week over already - time really flies when you're having fun!  We've tried to create a lovely positive environment in class this week, as let's face it, the world is not the happiest of places to be right now.  We have been playing the compliment game where each child chooses a lolly stick and pays a compliment to the person who's name is on their stick.  It was lovely to be part of it, and the special compliments they were paying to each other proves what a lovely little bunch they really are.  We've also been practicing gratitude and sharing one thing that for grateful for each day, even the smallest of things should be celebrated if they brought a smile to our faces.

We carried on with our class novel - The Diary of Iliona and produced some more fantastic writing and we began our new topic in maths; Addition and Subtraction.  We've made a wonderful start already we have quite a few Mathematicians in our class.  

In topic we discussed the Roman legacy and chose which Roman inventions we appreciate most today and in science we recreated the water cycle using a glass, some hot water, ice cubes and a plate.  See if the children can explain what we did - they should be experts on evaporation and condesation by now.   We ended our week with the children enjoying celebration assembly - via Zoom!  It wasn't the same as being altogether but the children were so excited to see Mr Pickup and the rest of the school up on the big screen.

All in all another fantastic week with great progress being made and lots of smiles. I must apoloise, I have not taken many photographs this week, I will make sure I get plenty next week. 

Take care, have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Reid

Week Commencing 5th October

We've enjoyed another fantastic week in year four, the children are going from strength to strength in all areas.  

We have been staying active during our play times, one area of the yard has been taken over as the 'work out zone', children can be found squatting, doing press ups and sit ups and even burpees!  There is also the odd wall sit challenge taking place, I am sorry to say that I was beat by most of the children!!!  I am so proud of them taking their fitness and health so serious.  We all know that moving our body keeps us physically and mentally well.

We have completed our place value topic in maths, ending on Roman numerals, this was confusing at first but with a little practice and a sorting activity we all got there together.  In science we learnt about evaporation and we explored life in Roman Britain as part of our topic work.  In PSHE, the class talked about how and why we use our digital devices and designed posters to encourage the school community to use these devices to communicate respectfully with each other.  The internet is a wonderful tool for young people, but it also presents many risks and it is important that our children are aware of these risks so they can be safe and happy in the digital world.

Mr Rudkin kindly took us outside for our weekly Ukulele lesson, we played in the sunshine and as we were outside, we were able to sing.  It was lovely to hear them sing and play 'Oh When the Saints Go Marching In', I even had a little tear in my eye they sounded so perfect.

Finally, an aspect which has really impressed me is the kindness and support the children show one another, we always clap when someone achieves something fantastic, and always offer a listening ear or some kind encouragement when someone is down or struggling.  We really feel like a family here in year 4, and it's lovely to be a part of this.

I hope this children enjoy a restful weekend and come back ready for another week of fun and learning.

Mrs Reid

Week Commencing 21st September 2020

What a week!  Your children have been amazing!  We have been looking at four digit numbers in maths, finding 1000 more and less and partitioning numbers in different ways.  We found this tricky but with lots of practice using base ten we got there.  In science we investigated gases, we weighed a balloon then blew it up and weighed it again, the class were amazed to find that it weighed over 1g more - most thought it actually felt lighter!  Why not ask them about the plastic bottle experiment, see if they can explain our findings scientifically!

In PE we carried on getting fit and healthy, there was push ups, press ups, burpees and a lovely jog around the field - we are getting stronger and fitter each week.  We learnt all about Roman soldiers in our topic lesson and looked at pictures of equipment that Legionary soldiers used, they really had it tough.

Finally in English we carried on with our novel - 'The Journal of Iliona a Young Slave', we wrote a sensory description of the main character and even Mrs Tofield was bowled over with some of the excellent sentences that the class came up with.  Here are just some examples:

"she could smell the fear lingering in the air'  

'she could feel her heart pounding trying to escape her terrified body'

'she could feel her baby brother trembling in fear as his heart pounded in his tiny chest'

'she could smell the sweet oil in her tangled hair mixed with the disgusting sweat from the crowd of aggressive men'

How impressive - I am a very happy teacher in deed!

Remember spelling test on Monday and Times Table test next Friday - also the battle is live on Timestable Rockstars who will be victorious this week?

Mrs Reid

Welcome to Year Four

We have enjoyed a fantastic first couple of weeks back here in year four.  After such a long time off, I really didn't know what to expect but your children have amazed me!  They have come back with huge smiles on their faces ready to learn and work hard.  We have had plenty of laughter and good times, and it's a joy to see them play together and reconnect with each other.  They are adapting to new rules and complying with all hygiene regulations, they have displayed maturity and have supported one another as we get used to our new normal.  I couldn't be prouder of them all.

Here is a brief summary of what we have been up to in class:

We are learning about the Romans this half term and we began our topic by carrying out a timeline sorting activity followed by locating Rome on a map and shading in the parts of Europe and Africa which became part of the Roman Empire.  Next week, we will focus on the might of the Roman army and the skills needed to become a Roman soldier - we may even practice some marches around school!  In keeping with this topic, we began our new text in English entitled 'The Journal of Iliona A Young Slave', the class made some wonderful predictions and I have some lovely writing activities planned inspired by the book. 

In PSHE we have been thinking about the features of a positive friendship and ways to seek help and advice if we are feeling left out or lonely.  Our PE focused on fitness and circuit training, it was an extremely hot afternoon we had some red faces by the end!  Science got a little messy as we were classifying solids and liquids, we discovered if you mix flour with washing up liquid you end up with a sticky mess!  It was good for the children to enjoy some hands-on practical investigation and they were using excellent vocabulary as they handled a range of substances.

Finally, the children had a fantastic time with Mr Rudkin on Tuesday learning to play the ukulele, despite not playing for several months they picked it back up in no time and played beautifully. 

Routines:

Our spelling test is every Monday, and I will test times tables on a Friday.  Your child will bring a letter home next week to confirm all of this in more detail along with details about changing their reading books.

I have included some photos of that last couple of weeks, lots of smiling faces I hope you enjoy looking at them.

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Reid