Year 6 have had yet another successful term in the lead up to SATs. They finished their Salvation unit in RE by making and thinking about how they could use salvation in their Easter card designs. The class designed stained glass crosses with the biblical reference ‘ I am the reserrurection and the life’ John 11 : 25-26
This week in Year 4 we have been created Benin sculptures out of clay. We followed our designs carefully and used different tools to create the features of a face. We had lots of fun modelling the clay, but some of us didn’t like to get our hands dirty.
This week we planted trees to fill in some of the gaps in the new hedge. Do you remember that really long spell of hot sunny weather we had last year? Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to water the trees, some of them died. So we got some new saplings free from The Woodland Trust to replace them.
Some of the children used sticks, grass and stones to make nests. I think they did a great job.
A couple of weeks ago we had some caterpillars in Reception and Nursery. We watched them grow and spin their cocoons. We waited patiently and over the weekend the butterflies pushed their way out of their cocoons. On Tuesday we set them free to explore the big, wide world. It has been amazing to watch the changes over time.
It’s been a busy week half term and Year 3 have been out to visit Leomonsley Brook in Beacon Park in Lichfield.
As part of this term’s topic ‘Flow’, Year 3 visited Beacon Park, Lichfield. We had a great day with Ruth the Ranger observing, sampling and measuring Lemonsley Brook. After meeting Ruth, we split into three groups and started our activities. Those of us with wellies on were allowed into the brook to help Miss Groom measure the width and depth of the brook. We then had to measure the temperature of the water and the last part was the most fun. To measure how fast the brook was flowing we played the traditional game of Pooh Sticks with dog biscuits because they float and are also kind to the environment. Those without wellies timed them to see how fast the dog biscuits took to travel down river. We also measured how clean the water was, as this would tell us how well the plant would grow. The more circles we could see at the bottom of the container, the cleaner the water was.
Next, we went pond dipping with Ruth to take samples of the different creatures living in the brook. We managed to catch and observe a few creatures. This proves how clean the water is in Lemonsley Brook. We dragged a net in the water and then emptied our nets into a tray. We then used an identification chart to help us identify the things we had caught. It was great fun and Year 3 were really interested to see what lives below the surface of the water.
Mrs Akhtar and her group looked at the trees along the river bank and identified them from our key. There were eight different trees alongside the river. Why not ask Year 3 to see if they can name them?
A big thank you to Ranger Ruth 🙂
This week Year 3 have been out to visit Pizza Express in the Bull Ring, Birmingham. The purpose of this visit was to gain first hand experience in making a popular food and also start the learning for our topic after half term.
It was a rainy start to the day as Year 3 walked to the train station but that did not stop our enthusiasm! Members of the public on the train commented about the wonderful behaviour and manners of the children during the short trip into the city centre.
The restaurant was not yet open to the public so Year 3 were able to work alongside Chef, Sally and Dani to all make their own pizza. After stretching the dough, forming the crust, spreading the tomato base and sprinkling cheese all over, the pizzas went into the huge ovens to cook. Everyone was very excited to take home their own creation in a huge box!
Chef was very impressed with the standard of pizzas produced and gave out a special award for the best pizza.
A big thank you to Chef, Sally and Dani at Pizza Express who were also impressed with the behaviour of Year 3.
On Wednesday, Year 5 visited the Botanical Gardens as part of their learning about the topic Rain forests. The class had a fantastic time in the taught session where they learnt about plants and animals from the rain forests. In these sessions the class had the opportunity to handle the animals: there was a stick insect, a chameleon and a corn snake. There was also some enormous seeds, such as the coconuts and the coco de mer. They were enormous! Year 5 then went exploring the different plants and birds. We saw the tropical, sub-tropical, Mediterranean and arid houses. We also met some beautiful peacocks, peahens, parakeets (budgies) and a very friendly macaw! We learnt a lot and had lots of fun!
In Year 6 this week we have been using our knowledge to solve a selection of typical word problems involving decimals, fractions and percentages.
The children have study books to help them and find these really useful. They have been using their skills to relate decimals to fractions and percentages.
Year 4 have been getting ready for our Easter celebration. We have created 3D Easter cards and written Acrostic poems about Christian values.
On Tuesday it was the younger children’s turn to toast marshmallows. The children were all able to recall the ways to keep safe and what to do in an emergency. We learnt about the fire triangle. This tells us the three things a fire needs to stay burning. If you find out what the three things are come and find me to tell me!
On Thursday the weather was cold, windy and wet. So, we made a shelter and drank hot chocolate to keep warm. I was really impressed with the way the children worked together.
