This week in Design and Technology, year 3 have begun to learn about pneumatics and how the idea of pressurised air being used to make machines work goes all the way back to ancient Greece! Many of them knew that their bicycle and ball pumps use air but they were surprised to learn that the drills used to drill holes in the road are powered just by by air, and that it can provide enough power to create that amount of force! They watched as just air, powered a small rocket and are excited to be making their own pneumatic toys.
3-D printed pneumatic rocket launcher
They are going to be using a mixture of new and recycled items to create their moving toys, which may look something like this:
In History, Prehistory is in the air… as the children have just begun to learn about the last part of the Stone Age and the children will be going on to learn about the Bronze and Iron Ages too. They have been imagining what their life would be like if they lived as Stone Age farmers up in Skara Bray on the Orkney Islands and wrote a diary entry for a day in their lives, as we compared just how different life was, then to now.
Year 3 celebrated Wellbeing Week on Friday by reflecting – and dancing about – growth. The amaryllis now on the classroom window-sill is a metaphor for the growth which everyone experiences. We asked the question “Can all growth be seen?” We’ll see how the amaryllis grows taller (quickly), but it will also grow in other ways which we won’t be able to see, resulting in a beautiful flower. We discussed how growth is exciting and leads to fantastic new skills, but it isn’t always quick or easy. To think more deeply about this, we considered a skill we’d already learnt, such as swimming. We thought about the steps and breakthroughs taken along the way to gain this skill, as well as the things which went wrong. It’s these little steps and mistakes which, over time, lead to success and pride. This goes not just for the subject learning at school, but the growth we experience in our relationships with family members, friends and other people at school. Everyone in year 3 is growing, in lots of ways; and has much to be proud of. Here are some of the fantastic records the children made to show their understanding. A great motto for life which the children in year 3 shared is “Practice makes progress”.
Year 3 have had another busy week! They had a lovely visitor in the form of Mrs Hayes to lead an in class assembly from Galatians on the Fruit of the Spirit. The children then updated or wrote a plan to lead their own in class assemblies each week and I look forward to assisting them as do so. For Safer Internet Day they created their own, named, Gaming Guide, instructing him or her as to what advice they should give gamers, and then designing an avatar for their gaming Guide. In Art and design they finished their water colour paintings in the style of pop art to great effect.
As you can see they have worked carefully and precisely to create colourful images of everyday items, not forgetting to include the iconic Ben Day dots.
Safer Internet Day takes place every February. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate all the amazing things we all do online; and also to find a different way, each year, for everyone to safe online. This year the theme is being respectful and maintaining good relationships when playing games online.
As a show of hands in the morning’s “kick-off” assembly showed, nearly everyone in the school loves playing online games: there was palpable excitement as the children thought of it! And every device is used to play games on. All the more reason to make sure we can all enjoy a favourite hobby while keeping ourselves and everyone else safe!
We want gaming to be a fun, respectful way of spending some time, according to each family’s rules. What we do online should make our online friends post emojis like these
We discussed the questions “Should you behave as well towards your friends online as well as you do offline? Why?“, “If you’re online and no-one knows your identity, can you behave how you like?” and, perhaps the most difficult one, “If someone else makes the wrong choice and doesn’t show respect, what can -or should – you do in response?”
Following are some photos of children completing activities in their classrooms and a few photos of the sharing assembly at the end of the day. As well as developing understanding of online safety, the activities provided opportunities for collaborative learning and creative writing.
We hope you enjoy finding out about what the children have learnt about the essential topic of internet safety.
At the end of the day the children shared what they had learnt with the rest of the school.
Reception learnt the Smartie the penguin song which tells us, “Before you click, click, click, make sure you think, think, think – and tell someone.”
Year 1 learnt about what it’s OK to share online and what not to. You can share non-personal things, such as the colour of your socks, or your favourite fast food, but not your full name or where you go to school.
Year 2 wrote “spells for internet kindness”. They learnt that whenever we play online games, we need to be prepared to show respect even if other people make wrong choices.
Year 3 wrote “gaming guides”. Some advice about what you can do online is the same as what you can offline – for example, don’t give out personal information like your address to someone you’ve never spoken to before or met.
Year 4 played “roll a story”, where they acted out given scenarios – such as your friends have fallen out during an online game – and then found ways to resolve the problem.
Year 5 discussed good and bad decisions in online behaviour, including how hard it can be to make the right choices.
Year 6 also considered the different scenarios in “roll a story” and made posters informing people how to resolve situations, based on these predicaments.
All the activities provided the children with opportunities to discuss the issues, focusing on solutions and remembering that online games are a source of fun and communication for nearly everyone.
Year 4Year 2
Year 2 wrote some spells for a kinder internet.
We all stirred up the spells in our cauldrons and recorded them. Here are some of our spells. Can you think of any other ingredients we should add?
Year 2 spells for a kinder internetYear 6 presenting at the end of the day.Year 4 presenting at the end of the day.
This Friday, bones and numbers featured highly. Year 3 practised their times tables by playing a “four in a row” dice game. They all looked great in their number-themed home clothes
We also played a quick game of “The product is…. what’s the equation?” You had to find at least two multiplication equations (excluding 1 x ….!) to make the answer. Products used included 24, 36 and 30. How many possibilities can you find at home?
We continued to learn about skeletons in science, this time the human skeleton. On seeing an image of a human skeleton on the whiteboard, a very astute member of the class asked, “Is that an adult or child skeleton? Because an adult has more bones than a child.” What a fantastic science question to ask! We learnt the Latin, or scientific versions of the names for different bones. Can you remember which one is called which name?
We also practised the mostly commonly mispelt words from the spelling assessment, so well done everyone for learning these as home.
As well as snowing, there were cakes at the end of the day. What a fantastic Friday!
Year 3 have been studying the Pied Piper of Hamelin by Michael Morpurgo and the rather drastic action he took when, having rid Hamelin of the rats, the Mayor and his councillors refused him the payment he was promised. Year 3 then acted as the councillors and debated if the Pied Piper should be paid. They then wrote their final answer as a correctly punctuated sentence, with their reasoning. For instance; ‘If we pay him, what’s to stop him bringing the rats back?’ or ‘If we pay him and the rats come back, then we can ask him to get rid of them again.’
Year 3 then wrote their own stories based on this version of the pied Piper of Hamelin, and they all show what great imaginations the class has…
The children in year 6 have made a brilliant start to programming with Logo, which is part of the J2E suite of online applications. Logo builds on Visual, which Year 4 are using and this in turn leads on from applications like JiT5, which Year 2 used to direct sprites in different scenarios. If you have a child in year six, you could ask your child to show you their programs and to explain what each algorithm does.
What pattern do you think this procedure would create?
repeat 40[repeat 6 [fd 50 rt 60]pu rt 39 pd].
If you are in year 6, or already understand or would like to try out Logo, then have a go at writing this procedure in Logo and see what happens!
Here is just one example of the fantastic programming year sixes can do just now.
JiT5, in KS1, provides opportunities to write algorithms as well as practising directional language in lots of different contexts, such as “The Three Little Pigs” or space.
This animation shows a cat and mouse chase, which involved programming two sprites.
If you would like your child to show you more of these programming tools, or would like to have a go yourself, then ask her/him to log into J2E and take you on a tour! The opportunities to use logic and express individuality in the suite of apps are wide and fascinating.
The current RE theme is now reconciliation. Networks of friendships and relationships enable human beings to live together. Children and adults need to reach out and repair damaged relationships.
Christians believe that, in Jesus Christ, the world has been reconciled to God. Through and in Christ, every human being is offered the power to reach out in forgiveness and peace, to receive and offer reconciliation.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
“It is called the Sacrament of Reconciliation” because it imparts to the sinner the love of God who reconciles: “Be reconciled to God.” He who lives by God’s merciful love is ready to respond to the Lord’s call: “Go, first be reconciled to your brother.” The Sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true “spiritual resurrection”, restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God.
To respond to this, think about areas in school life where it might be necessary to restore broken relationships. What opportunities are there in class for restoring relationships when misunderstanding or hurt arises? How is reconciliation truly celebrated?
Prayer and Reconciliation
I have chosen the way of faithfulness. I have set your ordinances before me. I cling to your decrees. O Lord; let me not be put to shame. I run the way of your commandments. for you to enlarge my understanding. Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes. and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding that I may keep your law And observe it with m whole heart. Amen
Psalm 119: 30 – 34
Your home learning task for this topic is linked to our learning about choices and consequences. What choices have you had to make recently? Did you make the right choice? How did you choose and what were the consequences? Fill this grid with your ideas.
Please bring in your work as and when it is completed, and by Wednesday 22nd June. They will be on display, as currently with the Pentecost work. The children enjoy sharing their work and look at everyone else’s on the wall.
PENTECOST
The RE topic for the first four weeks of the summer term in year 3 is Pentecost. We will learn about the Ascension, how Jesus promised his disciples the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit was spread amongst His followers. We shall explore how the Holy Spirit inspires Christians, spreading energy; and how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit help Christians lead good lives and serve others. A new way of living was established after Pentecost. Reflecting deeply and carefully about this topic will help children understand how their daily lives are influenced by the Holy Sprit and scripture.
These are the key words and themes of the topic: fire, warmth, wind, energy, power, gifts, Holy Spirit, Rosary, Glorious Mysteries, Pentecost
In Luke, 4: 18-19, we are reminded of how we should use the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to serve others and our community:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church emphasises our share in this Pentecostal gift:
“Those, who with God’s help, have welcomed Christ’s call and freely responded to it, are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world. This treasure, received from the apostles, has been faithfully guarded by their successors. All Christ’s faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer.”
(CCC Prologue 3)
Prayer and Reflection
Father, pour out your Spirit
upon your people,
and grant us
a new vision of your glory,
a new faithfulness to your Word
and a new consecration to your service,
that your love may grow among us,
and your kingdom come:
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
(Prayer of preparation for Vatican II)
Home Learning
Think about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Wisdom – that is the gift to be sensible and not to jump to conclusions but be thoughtful.
Understanding – enables people to be compassionate and to take time to find out and be able to appreciate what is happening.
Counsel – means using wisdom and understanding to come to a good decision about something.
Fortitude – there are times when everyone needs to be brave in standing up for what they believe to be right and holy.
Knowledge – without knowledge you cannot make right judgements or have an understanding. It takes practice to have true knowledge.
Piety – this is about reverence and respect for God, for one another and for oneself.
Fear of the Lord – this gift enables people to recognise the awe and wonder of God and be amazed by the love and goodness of God.
R E Homework
Create a montage to depict one, some or each of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Demonstrate how the gift is, or the gifts are, used by believers today to serve others. You may want to quote from the scripture we will be reading at school to show how people are inspired by the Holy Spirit to use and share these Gifts.
Matthew 28: 1-10, John 16: 5-7, 1 Corinthians 12: 4-8, 11, Acts 1: 6-11, Acts 2 1_18, 43
You may want to draw your ideas, or create a collage, or use another medium to represent your ideas. You could include symbols of the Pentecost on your piece of work – flame, wind, a dove, the colour red.
We look forward to seeing your individual pieces of learning, which are due in by Wednesday 11th May.
This half term we are exploring the theme homes and family. This is a sensitive theme. The experience of ‘family’ in society today is varied, with many joys and sorrows. Whatever the experience, family still remains the first place for growth and development, the basic social unit.
For Christians the pattern and ideal of family life is found in the Scriptures. God is the loving parent of the human family and Jesus was born and lived in a human family. While offering ideals for family life, it is important to acknowledge and respect the real experience of some children which is not ideal.
Word of God
“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive. Above all clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body.” (Colossians 3: 12-15)
Catechism of the Catholic Church
“In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centres of living, radiant faith. For this reason the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient expression, calls the family the Ecclesia Domestica: the Domestic Church. It is in the bosom of the family that parents are by word and example… the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children.” (CCC1656)
Prayer and Reflection
Father, creator of all, you ‘ordered the earth’ to bring forth life and crowned its goodness by creating family life. Teach us the beauty of human love, show us the value of family life and help us to live in peace with everyone. Amen.
