URGENT

Please see the Google Classroom message board for urgent news about the writing competition involving the story your child brought home today.

Thank you

Nearly the End of Term 1

Can you believe it? Only two more days and we will reach the first holidays of the academic year. It has been a very different term to usual but still extremely busy. Over the holidays, do take time to relax and catch up with family time but please also remember every day to continue practising times tables, keep going through those spellings and enjoy some book time together. These little things will help to make returning to school much easier on the 2nd of November. 

WWF Assembly

Today, one of our Year 4 boys led our class assembly by telling us about how his family have adopted a sea turtle to help the WWF. It is something the class is really passionate about since choosing the 3 charities we will be supporting this year.

Everyone has become very interested in the work of David Attenborough and his work on conservation so Mrs Upsall will be linking some of our class work to his new television programme after the holidays so we can find out more and help make a difference to the world we are growing up in. 

Maths

After lots of hard work, we have become much more confident using the place value counters to add and subtract when when we need to exchange. It has not been an easy term but the focus and perseverance is really developing and children are starting to reap the benefits!   

Science

Our investigations into rocks helped us to describe them using scientific vocabulary and to test their hardness using the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Jonathan Broome Edwards from Inspire+

Jonathan called us over Teams today to find out how we are getting on during the pandemic. he talked to use about how hard it can be not to be able to do everything we use to be able to do. he gave us the AID advice:

Accept, Imagine, Do

Accept that we cannot do something, no point grumbling about it

Imagine what else we can do instead

Do it!

Story Writing

We have just finished our story journey plans and today (Wednesday) we will be telling our stories to each other orally to really get a feel for what will happen and to help each other develop the characters and our word choices.

Please ask your child to tell you their story tonight and help them further so that they feel really prepared when we start to write tomorrow.

Once the stories are finished, edited and copied out neatly, I will photocopy them so your child can bring their story home for you to enjoy together. 

Exciting Story Writing Competition

Your child will be bringing a planning sheet home tonight to discuss some ideas with you for our writing in class next week. Please take the time to discuss lots of ideas and think of stories that include a hidden talent then make a few helpful NOTES on the sheet. We will be using these notes in class on Monday so please return as soon as possible. 

Attendance Award Winners!

We did it! Every child was in school every day this week! Well done Holly Class. 

School Council Charities

Our school council representatives have been researching different charities in their free time for over a week and today shared their findings with us. We voted on which ones we thought we would like to support over the year. Our winners are...

International: WWF

National: Cancer Research

Local: The Butterfly Hospice

The children are now sharing their fund raising ideas with school council so they can feedback to Mrs Ely. If you have any ideas at home, please discuss with your child so they can bring them into school. 

School Council 

The children voting for their class representatives. Their first task is to choose a local, national and international charity for the class to support. They will lead the voting in class this Friday.

Collective Worship Council

The children have voted for their class representatives. Their first task is to write some prayers to share with the school when we can have collective worship together again. They will be sharing them with the class during class collective worship on Thursday.

Warm Clothes

We will continue to use outside for small group work for as long as we can so please send your child to school every day with a jumper and coat. Even if it is warm to run around, it may feel much cooler sat working in the band stand. Thank you. 

PE on Wednesday 30th September

Next week, Thursday PE will change to Wednesday for one week only. Please send your child in PE kit on WEDNESDAY instead of Thursday. Thank you. 

Homework

Please do not forget to look on Google Classroom every Monday for homework. This week's LSCWC and Maths tasks are there waiting for the children. Thank you. 

PLEASE also keep reading with your child every evening. Good readers become good writers! Help your child to help themselves.

Common Exception Word lists

These words are so important to be able to read and spell in Holly Class. Copies are on Google Classroom and have been sent home.

TT Rock Star Badges

Twelve children have managed to get their first badge for their lanyard this week. We are so proud! Who will achieve one next Friday? Let's find out- keep practising! 

Friday Celebration Assembly

Each Friday afternoon we are meeting as a school using Zoom with Mrs Ely. Each class presents stickers to hardworking children from the week and a Star of the Week pack is presented to one deserving child. If your child brings something home, please discuss with them why they have been rewarded as it will always be explained to them (and everyone else!). 

Silent Worship

We tried something very new to us all this week- a silent worship. Each of us had our own tealight to focus our mind as we took a few minutes to think about the present, to be thankful for what we have and appreciate the good in our lives. It can be a tricky thing to do, even for adults, so is a good activity to try whenever we can. Perhaps you could try it at home as a family?

Self-isolating?

Please see Google Classroom for tasks to do each day if your child is having to self-isolate. 

TT Rock Stars

Everyone has been practising for our first 'badge test' on Friday. Fingers crossed lots of children will gain their first dadge on their lanyard. Please do not forget to practise at home as often as possible. Whilst travelling in the car is always a good time to chant times tables and call out a few multiplication and division facts eg 7 x 5 =, 9 x 3 =

Homework

Homework has been set on Google Classroom again this week. It will be posted every Monday for your child.

For those of you who have still not set up your account, below is a screen shot of the page.

Fossils and Mary Anning

The class have fallen in love with our topic of fossils and have been so inquisitive! Here are some useful websites to find out more Mary Anning that you might want to look at with your child. This week, we are planning and creating fact files about this amazing lady.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNOh-85_Dmc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj_FwcnDBIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koota_lwU_4

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zd8fv9q/articles/zf6vb82

Ask your child what they already know! 

The Classics

We have been listening to a number of pieces of classical music the past week and will continue to do so over the term. There is a 'funny man' who has helped us to appreciate some famous Mozart and Beethoven pieces- take a look!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2_keJsJrAE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHcm9sS94iE

Plus, Clair de Lune by Debussy (a personal favourite!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CXDrNyt-iM

Collective Worship

It was great to see Mr Brown again this week! he sent us a video collective worship all about the Creation Story.

Archery Fun

Our Year Threes had their first taster of archery and did extremely well!

Water Bottles 

It is great to see so many children with their water bottles but we do have a problem with large bottles that open easily when knocked over. As you can appreciate, space is tight so bottles are getting knocked all the time, especially when nearly empty. We have had many wet tables, books and children so please can you send in smaller bottles with lids that seal. Children are welcome to fill them with more water during the day. 

Homework

I have set this week's spelling homework on Google Classroom as an easy 'starter' to using the new platform. The word list I have sent home in your child's hands this afternoon is there for you. Please let me know if there are any problems. More substantial homework tasks will be set from next week along with weekly spellings (LSCWC). 

A Great First Day!

The Holly Class Family have had a great day. We are so proud of how the children have come in today and just accepted all the changes. Children are amazing! (photos tomorrow- I have left the camera at school...) 

Lego

If anyone has any old Lego Holly Class could borrow/have, please could you email Mrs Upsall/Mrs Smith? We would like to use it for Lego therapy with some of the children. The sets to make things with instructions would be great (and can be returned once used).

Thank you. 

Update

PE will start on Tuesday next week when children will need to come to school in their outdoors PE kit. Cloakrooms, pegs and trays CANNOT be used so there is nowhere to store any type of bag, including PE kits. Children only need to bring their coat, lunch box (not in a bag) and drink bottle. Coats will go on the backs of their chairs. Please do not send in anything else- there is nowhere to put anything.  Sorry..

It is nearly time...

...for Holly Class to meet up! How exciting! 

PE Days

Holly Class will have PE outside on a Tuesday and Thursday. Please make sure your child is wearing appropriate PE kit to school on those days.