In our English lessons this week, we have been planning to write a story based on another character’s point of view. Instead of seeing things from the princess’ point of view, we will be writing it from the dragon’s perspective of the story, The Paper Bag Princess.
In Maths this week, we used our learning of formal column addition to support us with subtraction. We have also learned a couple of tricky mental methods to support us with this more formal method
In PE this week, we have developing our shooting skills by playing dribbling and shooting relay games. We also played ‘hot seat’, where players had to take it in turns to shoot and score a goal. If they didn’t score, they entered the hot seat. If the player after them scored a goal, the player in the hot seat was out!
In our History lesson last week, we focused on what Stone Age people ate and their way of life. We turned into archaeologists and studied some poo (Miss Battams had made by hand), dissecting to see if it would reveal clues to Stone Age people’s eating and living habits. It was a great lesson, if not a little yucky!
Have a restful weekend and I look forward to seeing parents next week for parents evening.
In our English lessons, we have enjoyed looking more closely at the Paper Bag Princess. We have been looking closely at sentence structure, focusing on coordinating conjunctions and multi clause sentences, using sentences from the story to support us.
Even though Maths has been tricky this week, we have relished the challenge. We have been focusing on using the column method for addition and using regrouping to ‘carry over’ ones to the tens column, and tens to the hundreds column.
In our Science lesson this week, we worked in groups to create a simple magnetic game. We used craft materials such as cereal boxes and tissue paper to make a ‘go fish’ style game. We also used paper clips in some of the hand cut fish to attract to the magnet, secured at the end of our homemade rods, to pull up the fish. We look forward to playing each other’s ‘go fish’ games when they are finished.
We also voted for our school council representatives this week too. Well done to everyone who bravely shared their speeches with us. A big congratulations to Isabella, Jessica and Alex for being our voted Year 3 reps.
Have a restful weekend and don’t forget to check our Google classroom for this week’s homework.
Today is my birthday and, unbeknownst to me, the children were aware of this and organised some lovely presents (Prosecco, Cake and a very up-market washbag from Osprey) as well as cards.
I would just like to say thank you so much for generosity – the surprise made it especially touching.
Today I collected your child’s Letters and Sounds book. I will collect the books every Thursday and return them on Friday with our new Letters and Sounds learning and sounds added.
I hope you are finding the books useful at home. This week we have started using magnetic letters to begin to read and spell simple words eg. as, it, is, an, at, map, pat, tap, tip, pip, sat, sit. All words that use the sounds we have learnt so far. Thank you for all your support helping your child learn to read at home, I was so impressed at the children’s progress.
For those children who may already be aware of our new sounds, please concentrate on learning to form the letter using the school cursive script. We call it our ‘whoosh’ writing. Details are in the Letters and Sounds book. This will really support your child’s future writing skills.
If your child is not quite ready to hold a pen and write yet, concentrate on lots of hand/ finger skills to develop the small muscles in your child’s hands and fingers. For example, cooking, gardening, getting dressed/undressed (especially buttons) or doing up their coat zip.
This week I introduced a game on a website called Phonics Play www.phonicsplay.co.uk
The Phonics Play website has some fantastic phonics games. Whilst there is a subscription charge, this is currently being halved and some games are free. Reception children are currently working on Phase 2 so just click on the Phase 2 games.
Precautionary note: Remember e-safety supervision. St. Adrian’s website includes a useful e-safety advice link.
Here is another game we have played in class today. You may wish to have a go at home.
Which One?
Lay out a selection of familiar objects with names that contain three sounds (e.g. bus, pig, pen, cup, dog).
Check your child can recognise each object.
Ask your child to listen carefully while you sound talk the name of one of the objects, leaving a short gap between each sound eg. b-u-s
Help your child to put the sounds together and say the word and identify the object.
Once your child can confidently listen to your ‘sound talking’ and blend the sounds together, perhaps your child may like to have a go at ‘sound talking’ each object. This will help your child learn to spell words using their knowledge of phonics.
I am currently organising my routine to set a weekly ‘changing reading books’ day. Next week I will change the reading books and words strips on Monday. Books and other reading materials will then be changed on Tuesdays. Please do let me know if you feel your child needs new books at any other time. However, ensure you read each book with your child at least three times before requesting a new book This will help build confidence, fluency and comprehension. Spend 10 minutes each day if possible, frequent and short is best.
Some of the children were fascinated by insects we discovered in the garden. This generated many enquiries about all the different types of bugs, what they eat, where they live etc. The children played with our ‘big bug’ set and we used a bug chart to find out the name of each bug. This was a good opportunity for the children to make comparisons and look at differences and similarities.
We have been exploring many messy play opportunities such as ‘gloop’ (cornflour, water and food colouring). This inspired the children’s inquisitive minds and they decided to add bubbly water and recreate a volcano. Watch this space for more scientific experiments!
Our creativity table has been very popular and the children have been learning many basic techniques such as joining, sticking and decorating. We have been encouraging the children to plan with a purpose in mind. Treasure boxes being a popular choice this week.
Today the children experienced a fun rainy day. We used powder paints and washing up liquid in the puddles to mix bubbly colours. A good opportunity to develop the children’s fine motor skills (small muscles in hands and fingers). Not to mention the finger skills required when changing into dry clothes.
May I take this opportunity to remind parents to send in a pair of named wellington boots that we can keep at school.
This week, we finished our learning on the story ‘Journey’ and moved onto a new unit. Our new topic is fairy tales, with a focus on book ‘The Paper Bag Princess’ by Robert Munsch. We have started by looking at the ‘ingredients’ to make a traditional fairy tale e.g. a pretty, young princess, a handsome prince. However, our key text is an alternative fairy tale with a twist!
We have now reached the end of our topic of ‘Homes’ in RE. Our next unit is called ‘Promises’, focusing on the different promises made in a Catholics’ life. Make sure you check out our latest RE blog with more information about our new topic.
In PE, we have been learning how to shoot and defend in football. We have also been using our dribbling skills to help us with our shooting and defending skills. By the end of the topic, we hope to hold a tournament of matches to consolidate our skills.
Have a restful week and don’t forget to check our Goggle classroom for this week’s homework,
This week, we continued our English learning on the Journey. We made paper lanterns, similar to those in the story. We had to follow instructions very carefully! We also created our own poems by using descriptive language about the magical carpet scene. Next week, we will be continuing the story of Journey by writing our own adventure stories.
In Maths, we have concluded our topic of numbers to 1000 and place value. We will now be moving on to addition and subtraction, including the column method. We also have a continued focus on times tables, particularly the 4s and 8s.
In RE, we created our own prayers to be displayed on a new prayer wall in our classroom. The children wrote prayers in different forms e.g. for thanks, forgiveness, help and praise. We have also really enjoyed sharing our Angelus homework with the class, which is now either on display or in our new class RE folder.
Have a restful week and don’t forget to check our Goggle classroom for this week’s homework,
The class are settling in really well with everyone arriving at school happy and ready to start the day. This week we have concentrated on securing our daily routine including our handwashing, prayers, register, group circle time, singing, stories and lots of learning through play. Not forgetting snack and lunch time!
We particularly concentrated on making friends and learning everyone’s names during our group time.
Maths Challenge
Below is a maths challenge for the weekend. This will give the children an opportunity to bring something in from home:
• Find a small plastic container (a container small enough to fit inside your child’s book bag). • Talk to your child about the sorts of things which will fit in the container. • Make a collection of tiny things together and see how many will fit inside the container – 1, 2, 3 or more? • Talk about things that are the same about the objects – for example, they are all small. • Talk about the things that are different – the colour, what they are used for, are they soft or hard? • Bring the container and some of the items that fit inside it to school so we can all share and talk about them.
Make sure your child’s name is on the container.
I shall look forward to some interesting conversations next week! Enjoy your weekend.
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.
What an exciting start to Year 1 we have had. It is wonderful to have the whole class back together with such enthusiasm for what the year brings. The class have settled in very well and it’s lovely how positive they enter the classroom with readiness to learn. With the developing outdoor area, we are making the most of the weather taking learning outside for some lessons.
Over the summer, I transformed the classroom to support Continuous Provision to enhance child initiated learning. I believe this has helped with the transition from Reception to Year 1. The children will have ‘challenges’ to complete throughout the week in the different ‘zones’ of learning. The amount of challenges will build throughout the year. For the Curriculum Overview, you shall find a link on the right hand side of the class blog. The journey to Continuous Provision is very exciting and allows the children to repeatedly secure their understanding of learning throughout the week.
Year 1 is a big Phonics year. Entering Year 1, children are ‘expected’ to be secure in all Phase 3 sounds, ready for learning alternative sounds in Phase 5. Phase 4 is a very small phase where no new sounds are introduced, but supports children to read quicker. Please continue to read with your child and encourage them to recognise Phase 3 sounds within words.
If there is anything you would like to discuss, I am happy to speak at the end of the school day (from a distance). 😀
