Welcome Fir Class!

20-21

W/b 14th September 

This week, we have made the most of the beautiful weather with plenty of outdoor learning. In Literacy, the class have been making poetry collages about 'Day' and 'Night' which really brought their creativity to the fore. As part of our PSHE/wellbeing discussions this week, we explored diversity and the many positives that our planet has to offer. As one of our class stories, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was voted for. I could see that several of the children enjoyed Lucy's arrival in Narnia. 

We hope you all enjoy your weekend!

Week beginning: 9th March 2020

As part of our Religious Studies topic, we have been discussing how our actions affect others. We first watched a short film that shows one boy helping someone else and how this sets off a chain reaction in his community of everyone helping each other. We then discussed the impact our one small positive or negative action could have on others. Finally, we drew diagrams showing the chain reactions that could result from our positive or negative behaviours. The pupils understood this well and worked hard to think about how their small actions can affect others. 

Week beginning: 2nd March 2020

The pupils have continued reading Alice in Wonderland. This week they were given a picture from the story and they had to annotate it with quotes from the text. Although they found this challenging, they tried hard and managed to find lots of information when they skim read the chapter through again. In maths the pupils have been converting between percentages and fractions and vice versa and in science they have been learning about the life-cycle of a mammal. They have worked well and appeared enthusiastic and happy. 

Week beginning: 24th February 2020

It was lovely to see the children again after half-term. We have launched straight into our new topics. In maths we are converting between decimals, fractions and percentages. In literacy we are reading and performing poetry. Three pupils read a poem they had written and one pupil brought in their favourite poem from home. It was lovely to hear them and I was so pleased they all seemed to want to engage with this topic. We are continuing to look at life-cycles in science. The pupils started their Real P.E lessons again today. The pictures show them taking part in this lesson. They all seem to enjoy these classes - more so than maths and English anyway - I just don't understand it! 

WB 10th February 

This week in Literacy the class were given the chance to structure a debate. The question they were given was, 'Should schools be abolished?' and it was very interesting to discuss as a class the pros and cons to there being no school. Thankfully, a large majority still wanted schools to exist, phew!

For our class story time, the children were put into groups to read short stories to the rest of their class mates. They did really well at this, which bodes well for our class assembly next month!

In Computing this week the class have explored the programme Scratch. On Scratch, characters (sprites) are created and then programmed using algorithms to complete certain actions and sequences. These lessons have proven popular all round; I was really impressed at how well they all did and how complex the algorithms were.

In PSHE this week we looked at conflict and the various ways that conflict can crop up in day to day life. Some members of the class shared some of their experiences of conflict, including how their conflicts were resolved. They found it amusing to reflect on the things that, as a younger child, they had got themselves worked up about and all agreed that moving on from these conflicts becomes part of their personal growth. The class then split into small groups to perform short skits where they overcome a conflict. I must make sure the camera is set to video next time!

Photos to follow :-) Enjoy your half-term break!

Wb 3rd February 

In Maths this week, Fir Class have worked on adding and subtracting decimal numbers. We have also been sharpening recall skills, with timed mixed times tables tests. The children need to write as many of the 144 answers down as they can in two minutes. The order of the questions changes each week, but it has been encouraging for the class to notice the marked improvement in their speed.

During PSHE this week, as part of our 'Keeping Safe' module, we have discussed the different types of abuse; safe and unsafe touches and personal boundaries. Whilst some members of the class were happy for peers to stand very close to them, others needed a much wider boundary. We talked about how important it is to be mindful of other people's personal space and what to do if they feel that someone is not respecting their boundaries. 

As part of children's Mental Health Week, the class have brought in artefacts and pictures from a time that they, or a family member, has shown courage. We have also had some lovely discussions about times that the class have 'found their brave' and done something that required courage. There was a consensus that, though they didn't always enjoy their experiences, they felt pleased with themselves for doing it and proud that they had given it a go. 

Week Beginning 27th January

This week the school was visited by Nick and his dog (Amber) from Cam Sight. Nick spoke about living with a disability and answered questions from the children. Cam Sight also ran a Goalball taster session. Goalball gives the experience of playing a sport blind on a level playing field. The children wore masks over their eyes and had to depend on their communication and team work skills to do well in the game. The class really enjoyed taking part in this. 

In Maths this week, the class did some work on Ratio and Proportion, which is a completely new topic for them. On Friday, the children worked in pairs using ratio to scale down rides to place in their own theme park. This was a task everyone got on board with and they did a fantastic job. 

In PSHE this week, we have continued our work on Keeping Safe. As part of this topic, the class did a role play activity using scenarios, including  'stranger danger', and considered how they would deal with these situations if they arose in real life. We also had a lesson on e-safety, where the class were introduced to an online forum called Starz- a place where children and teachers can communicate and learn in a safe place, whilst practising positive online behaviour. More information will be provided about this next week when the children will get their own personal login details to take home.  

Week Beginning 20th January

Another fun and memorable week! This week saw Fir Class writing a recipe for their chosen food product ('healthy' banana bread) which had been designed and adapted for the Na'vi. The following day the class split into small groups and were tasked with following the class recipe. In spite of obstacles (such as mastering how to crack an egg and forgetting to add flour) the groups all managed to produce a tasty loaf. 

In English the class have been working on their non-chronological reports on Pandora. In Oracy we have been learning about how to be a good, participating listener in a conversation. 

We have finished our work on fractions in Maths this week and will be beginning our topic on Ratio and Proportion next week. 

W/b 13.01.20

This week Fir Class have continued their work on fractions, including multiplying fractions together and with whole numbers. 

In Literacy we have started working on non-chronological reports, using Pandora Discovered as our stimulus. 

In our DT lessons this week, the children had great fun tasting a range of bread and fruits. Avocado was not to everybody's taste, but I was impressed at the class' willingness to try unfamiliar foods. Our task for DT is to design and create a fruit bread for a target group. The target group is the N'avi- 'humanoids' who inhabit Pandora. The class all used their research to design different fruit breads and a 'demo' bread was then made using the winning designs. Next week the class will be baking the bread themselves!

Week Beginning: 6th January 2020

Happy New Year! It has been a very exciting and busy first week back for everybody. On Tuesday it was announced during assembly that a mystery creature had been on the school grounds. The children investigated the clues left behind, such as a nest, footprints and *ahem* poo, to try to figure out what sort of creature it might have been. 

Following on from the discoveries on the field, on Wednesday our class used Magic Clay to make models of the mystery creature. On Thursday their imaginations were again put to good use when creating a habitat for their creatures. On Friday the children wrote descriptive paragraphs describing their creatures. 

In Maths this week, we have been hard at work exploring fractions. Please feel free to ask your children if they know the following:

- How do we write fractions in their simplest form?

- How do we add fractions with the same denominator?

- What is an improper fraction and a mixed number?

- Can you explain and demonstrate what equivalent fractions are?

Week beginning: 16th December 2019

The pupils have enjoyed their last week. They have been completing Christmas code breakers in maths and researching Christmas facts in literacy. For their final afternoon with me, the pupils asked to perform some drama! It was lovely to see what they produced with no direction or instruction and I was impressed with how well they all got on.

On behalf of Miss Miller and myself, I would like to wish you all a wonderful holiday and we look forward to seeing the children again in January. 

Week beginning: 9th December 2019

Just a few more pages and we will have finished our class reader. The pupils have really enjoyed this book and have answered questions, discussed key themes and acted out parts of it. Our next class reader will start in January and I hope the pupils engage with it just as well. It will be completely different to the one we are reading, but I think they will like it. The pictures show the pupils reading our current book in class. 

The children will be making their Christmas hats today in preparation for the Christmas meal. On Friday, Miss Miller will be creating calendars, cards and ornaments - although this may carry over into next week! The pupils have been continuing with their normal lessons too and, yesterday, they impressed me with their debating skills. They all put their opinion forward and listened respectfully to the views and opinions of others. 

It has been an enjoyable week so far. 

Week beginning: 2nd December 2019

It has been lovely hearing about all the elves that have been visiting the children this week. They have been so excited to tell me about this, as well as their plans for Christmas. Miss Miller has brought in two Advent calendars for them to open each day and we will soon start thinking about making Christmas cards and hats.

In maths this week we have been recapping the four operations and revisiting key vocabulary. We are also getting to the end of our class reader - There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom. The children have really engaged with this book and we will be sorry to finish it. It was also our last swimming session and the children were delighted to be allowed a fun swim by the swimming teacher. In literacy, the children have been writing about a person who inspires them. 

The children are continuing to work hard, despite being tired at the end of a busy half-term. Only one more full week to go! 

Week beginning: 25th November 2019

The pupils have worked hard this week. In literacy, they had to complete their online reading tests. They have also used the iPads and laptops to research unusual food chains in various biomes around the world as part of their science and geography work. In maths, the pupils have started on the topic of time and reading timetables. On a personal note, it has been wonderful seeing their confidence grow in swimming. They all seem to enjoy these classes and I believe they will be sorry to attend their final session next week. 

Week beginning: 18th November 2019

The pupils have been studying formal and informal letters this half-term. This week, we read examples of formal letters and then wrote our own. The pupils were given the task of writing a formal complaint letter to a restaurant they had recently visited. As an extension, pupils were challenged to try to include humour or sarcasm. The pictures show the pupils concentrating hard to write their letters. Next week, we will build on this and carry out some oracy work based on their complaint letters. 

Week beginning: 11th November 2019

The pupils held a two-minute silence on Monday as part of Remembrance Day. This gave them time to remember those who lost their lives in the conflict. The silence coincides with the time in 1918 when the First World War came to an end. It was lovely to see some of the pupils wearing their Cub, Brownie and Guide uniforms. The picture show Betsy and Sapphire who belong to 1st Manea Brownies, Cassie who belongs to 1st Manea Guides, Jakobi who belongs to 1st Doddington Cubs and Lewis who belongs to 1st Sutton Cubs. There is also a picture of Lewis at the Remembrance Parade. Well done to all the pupils for showing such respect during this time.

Week beginning: 4th November 2019

This week the children have practised their speaking and listening skills (oracy). In small groups they produced a short piece of drama that they then performed to the class. We have also started practising spellings again and the children have been delighted to receive extra times tables homework. In maths they have been learning about the properties of 3D shapes and using the grid method for multiplication. A good week so far. 

Week beginning: 28th October 2019

The children have come back motivated and ready to learn. We have started new topics in science, geography and music and I have been impressed with their current level of knowledge. The children have also been swimming this week and they all seemed to enjoy it. On Monday, we were lucky enough to be given a large selection of fruit. This provided the children with a healthy snack on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The photo is taken just before break time. The children are all saying 'fruit'! 

Wb 7.10.19

Residential Week - Pictures to follow.

W/b 30.09.19

This week, Fir Class have been working on addition and subtraction, including using their reasoning skills to find missing digits in a set of column additions. 

In Literacy the class have continued to look at persuasive writing, which we have combined with some of our creative topic work. More on that later!

The children really impressed their rugby coach this week. It was the first week putting their skills into practise in a game situation and they all did very, showing great team work.

Our big debate this week has been whether or not plastic toys in happy meals and magazines should be banned. The class were very much split down the middle with their opinions and it provoked some interesting discussion. 

W/b 23/09/19

Fir class have had another enjoyable week!

In Maths the class have worked on addition and subtraction within the context of money. They added together items from a shopping list, then subtracted the total from either £100 or £1000. 

In Literacy the children have been learning the various ways to use persuasion within a text, such as using emotive language. We have looked at some examples of WW2 posters and considered how they make a request in a persuasive way. During Oracy, the class made great attempts to summarise popular children's stories to their class. It was quite a challenge to condense a ten minute story into just thirty seconds, whilst including the key points of the plot. 

In our Tag Rugby session this week we saw a noticeable improvement in the passing technique. It was also great to see the children thinking strategically about when to pass to a team mate. 

The children put some of their acting skills into good use during our lesson on e-safety. Each group had a scenario to perform and needed to think of the best way to respond to their 'dilemma'. 

During Topic, the class explored the contents of a WW2 evacuee child's suitcase and have listed and drawn the essentials that they would pack inside their own suitcases. Many of the children have shared their wonderful Topic homework with the class this week including:

- WW2 recipes, including a very tasty bread and butter pudding!

- Home-grown plants

- Models of tanks and scenes from WW2

- Sketches and posters of war scenes, planes and famous WW2 figures

- Interviews and memorabilia from family members who were alive during WW2

Wb 16.09.19

Fir Class have been keeping very busy this week! 

In Literacy we have completed our WW2 narrative writing. The children have all worked very hard on this and were keen to include some of their 'Mrs Wordsmith' vocabulary in their stories.

In Maths the class have been steadily growing in confidence with their work on decimal numbers. We ended the week with rounding decimal numbers to the nearest whole, tenth and hundredth. 

This week we have been learning how to hold and pass a rugby ball during PE. We also had great fun speed stacking in the hall. Some of the more competitive among us even tried doing it with eyes closed!

We have also completed our Blitz skylines this week. Many pupils have brought some excellent sketches and models in, as part of their homework assignment, which they are very proud of. 

w/c 09.09.19

It has been another fun and busy week for Fir Class!

In English this week, the children have been planning their short stories, based on a WW2 pilot during the Blitz. We have been working on place value in Maths, which has involved rounding numbers to the nearest 10, 100, 1000 and 10,000. 

For our PSHE lesson, the class paired up with a peer they do not know very well. Their aim was to find out five things that they did not know about their class mate. 

The children also had a lot of fun completing a self-portrait.