Autumn 2: Week 1
We have had lots of fantastic guests during community week including the author of Grandad’s Wheels.
We also had a visitor who shared with us how it feels to be blind and some of the obstacles he has to overcome. The children got the opportunity to feel some braille and ask him questions.
The children have enjoyed discussing what a community is and what communities they belong to.
Help at home: by talking further about different communities and celebrations.
We have been talking about different festivals this week including Diwali and Bonfire night.
The children have even created lights as part of their challenge time this week.
The children have also enjoyed completing other challenges around the classroom.
Maths
This week, we have been looking at different representations of 5. The children have enjoyed making 5 lots of different ways.
In our outdoor area, we have enjoyed lots of role play including making cars to travel to different places and magical kingdoms.
Reminder: Tuesday 12th October we are wearing odd socks to school to celebrate our differences.
Reminder: next week is World Nursery rhyme week . We will be celebrating in class.
Help at home: by sharing nursery rhymes with your child.
Me & My Communities Week
This week, it’s been our ‘Me and My Communities‘ themed week and it’s been jam packed with lots of great experiences. We’ve loved it! Here are some highlights of our week in Year 4:
On Monday, we were lucky enough to go and visit the Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Community Centre to see all the brilliant work they do. We learnt about everything they provide for our community and even got to join in on a game of bingo!
On Tuesday, we talked about the importance of happy and healthy relationships – particularly with our friends and families. The children came up with lots of great examples of what makes a positive, healthy friendship and how these friendships make you feel.
Your children then engaged brilliantly with our lesson on families. There are many different types of family structures which we discussed. Then, the children had the chance to draw their own family and write what makes it special. It was lovely to read all of their thoughtful responses to this activity.
We’ve been really lucky to have had some amazing visitors in to see us this week. Fay and Sid (and Jay the guide dog) from the Royal National Institute of Blind People delivered an insightful assembly on what it is like to live with a visual impairment and how we can support these people. The children even had the chance to feel a braille book and map!
You can find out more about the RNIB at: https://www.rnib.org.uk/
Your children loved our visit from Grandad Wheels who taught us all about life in a wheelchair. He read one of his silly stories which was a particular highlight!
You can find out more about Grandad Wheels at: https://www.grandadwheels.com/
Our final highlight was when Pat, from Friends of Moortown Park, kindly showed us around the park. He told us all about how he supports our local community and how your children can help too. It was great to hear all the amazing work being done right on our doorstep!
Help at home: ask your child what communities they’re part of and how they can support these.
Living & Learning: Me and My Community week – other communities
This week, we’ve been thinking about the communities we belong to.
Our school community is very important and we thought about what makes our school special.
Moortown Primary School is a happy and healthy place to learn.
What does our school logo represent?
People are linked. They look happy.
They are holding hands.
It shows friends playing together.
They are dancing and jumping so they are energetic and active.
The different colours represents different people’s skin colours.
It shows that all are invited and all are included.
Our visual ethos statement show lots of different things that are important to our school.
Our school is diverse and we looked at the different ethnicities and religions we are lucky to have in our school. Then, we found out some information and presented this data about the children in the class.
As well as understanding who we are and our own identity, we’ve been thinking about other communities we are part of.
We’re all part of our own family community.
This text helps us to recognise that other people’s families sometimes look different to our own families and that’s ok. We respect these differences.
We are all part of our own friendship community.
What is a friend?
A friend is someone…
you play with
who looks after you
that cares for you
you spend time with
you like
who hugs you if you are sad, if you want them to
who cheers you up
who is kind to you and asks you to play
Friends can be different to us and that’s ok. We should respect our friends and not leave them out.
The key message from this week is that we are all part of different communities and we respect those communities and other communities too.
Help at home: ask your child what communities they are part of and what other communities there are.
Guided Reading Week 1
Here are the target pages for this week’s guided reading. These need to be read by Friday 15th November.
Extra Time: up to chapter 8/page 32.
Divine Freaks: up to chapter 4/pg 39.
Mr Gum: up to chapter 3/pg 32.
How To Train Your Dragon: up to chapter 2/pg 28.
Kensuke’s Kingdom: up to chapter 3/page 25.
Guided Reading Information
Today, Year 5 have been given their guided reading books.
The class have been divided into groups and each group has been given a book to read at home. This will last for this half term.
During our Book Club sessions each Friday, each group will discuss what they have read so far and share their reading record activities related to their book. This will be a fantastic opportunity for the children to explore characters and storylines more than they might do normally!
Every Friday during Book Club, each group will be given a new page to read to for the next Friday. This information will be posted every week on our class news.
What to remember:
- Your child has a book that they need to read every week (up to a chosen point marked with a post-it note).
- The reading record activity needs to be completed using their new book.
- A comment from a grown up needs to be written in their reading record.
- Group reading books and reading records need to be brought in every Friday.
Help at home: listen to your child read their new book and ask questions about the book to help prepare them for class discussions.
I look forward to hearing the children’s discussions next week!
Identity Day
Today, we came to school dressed as something that represents our identity.
Hidayah said, “I’m wearing a jubbah and scarf. I wear it to mosque.”
Ava explained, “I’m wearing my netball kit because it’s a hobby of mine.”
Grace said, “I’m wearing a Chinese dress because it represents my community and reminds me of my grandma who lives in China.”
Will shared, “I’m wearing my football kit from my team. I’ve played for them for two or three years now.”
Aryan beamed, “I’m wearing Bellingham’s name on my kit because football is like my home.”
Raheem explained, “I have a different type of jubbah and also my football kit because I go there every week!”
Summer said: “I’m wearing my cubs outfit and it’s important to me because we learn new skills.”
Vivienne shared, “I’m wearing my dance skills because it’s my hobby. It’s active and helps with your muscle memory.”
Fact Finders in Book Club
In Book Club this week, we’ve got stuck into some books related to our topics for the half term: art and electricity!
We found some really interesting facts:
- Electricity is measured in volts and amps.
- Tall buildings have lightning conductors on top of them.
- When lightning strikes, its temperature is around 30,000 °C which is hotter than the surface of the sun!
- The electric eel can discharge more than 600V!
- Leonardo Da Vinci loved animals and refused to eat meat. It’s said he bought caged birds just to let them go.
- Andy Warhol became famous for painting and screen printing everyday items such as soup cans as well as celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe.
Me and My Community Week
This week, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed a wide variety of visitors from our local community!
Lyndsey came to talk to us about being a positive role model and taught us a new word – upstander!
Help at home by asking your child to explain what this means!
We looked at jobs and how, sadly, stereotyping has meant that either boys or girls feel like they can’t follow that career. But that’s not true!
We’ve had a great time working together and experiencing lessons that aren’t on our typical timetable.
Lots of what we’ve covered about our community has been rooted in British Values and making sure everyone feels welcome and included. We are really confident about Protected Characteristics!
We even got to Zoom some other Y6 children from Sphere Federation to find out what their lives are like at their schools. We found out about their religions, class rewards and favourite authors. There were a lot of similarities amongst some differences.
Living and Learning: Me and My Community themed week DAHIT
Today, Linda Gledhill visited Year 2 to talk about the DAHIT team. The deaf and hearing impairment team work across Leeds to support inclusion of deaf or hearing impaired children. Linda gave us lots of advice of how to communicate with someone who is deaf. We also learnt a little bit of BSL (British Sign Language).
Help at home: Practice the BSL signs the children brought home. Ask you child the top tips for communicating with someone who is deaf.
Living and Learning: Me and My Community themed week St Gemmas visit
Year 2 visited St Gemma’s Hospice where they met Sarah who helps fundraise for St Gemma’s and Catherine, a senior nurse. The children represented Moortown Primary extremely well. As part of community week, it was wonderful to represent our community so well and learn more about local charities so close to our school.
Help at home: Ask your child what they learnt about St Gemma’s Hospice. Talk about the importance of charity fundraising and maybe visit one of the local charity shops to show your support.
