Anti-bullying day and Odd socks day
Me and My Community
On Monday, Year 5 were visited by Brian Abram, the author of the Grandad’s Wheels books.
As a wheel chair user, Brain first gave us an introduction to himself and then a fun discussion about wheelchairs and disability. Brain answered these questions:
o Why might someone need to use a wheelchair?
o What different kinds of wheelchairs are there?
o What might be difficult to do in a wheelchair and how do we get round these problems?
o Are people in wheelchairs (and disabled people generally) different from other people?
Brain then read one of his brilliant books! Year 5 were then allowed to ask Brian questions. To finish off the session, Year 5 got to design a futuristic wheelchair. Have a look at their creative inventions:
We also had a session about gender equality. The children were asked to draw 4 different professions: teacher, nurse, taxi driver and fire fighter. We then learnt about the gender split in these jobs.
The class were then asked to read different statements and move to either side of the classroom for if they agree or disagree with it.
The statements were:
- It is okay to say ‘Don’t be such a girl’ to someone.
- Boys can be friends with girls.
- Boys are stronger than girls.
- Boys are better at football.
We also learnt about stereotypes and how to challenge these.
In the afternoon, Year 5 looked at the Moortown Primary School Community. We discussed what our logo looks like and why there are three different coloured children interlinked together. Our idea was that the logo represents children coming together, no matter their race or religion, working together and being friends to make the school a happy and healthy place.
Help at home: Look at the designs of the futuristic wheelchairs. Which is your favourite? Why? Or discuss some stereotypes you have heard before and how you can challenge this behaviour.
On Tuesday, Year 5 started off the day with a workshop all about diversity. We discussed that diversity is essentially differences between people. Diversity should be celebrated! Year 5 then went on to talk about what the words bystander and upstander meant. A clever way to help you with their definitions is if you take the first two letters of each word and replace them with the last two letters. So, bystander becomes standby and upstander becomes stand up. What do you think these two words mean?
Well, Year 5 now know that a bystander is someone who watches bullying happen but does nothing to help. An upstander is someone who does something to stick up for the person being bullied but in a kind way. The main messages from this session were to ‘ be an upstander’ and ‘be yourself’.
In the afternoon, we went to Allerton Grange for a drama workshop. In this, the children had to act out what the Moortown Primary School Community meant to them and why it is such a positive place to be part of. Year 5 worked in small groups to create still images and a short video for an alien called Z, to welcome him to Moortown.
Help at home: Discuss what makes the Moortown Primary School community special to you.
On Wednesday, we started off the day with a zoom about protected characteristics. We identified 9 and were able to name them all: Disability, Race, Sex, Gender reassignment, Religion or beliefs, Age, Marriage or civil partnership, Pregnancy and/or maternity leave and Sexual orientation.
In the afternoon, we had a workshop about self esteem. The children discussed how it makes us feel when we compare ourselves to others; they said it would make someone feel unworthy, sad, upset and maybe even frustrated. We watched this video which showed this. Year 5 talked about how if we all looked the same it would be a boring world so we should celebrate out differences.
Year 5 then went on to describe what makes them unique and created a poster of all the things they were good at. This helped boost their self esteem!
On Thursday, we had a zoom with Scholes (Elmet) Primary School – another school in the Sphere Federation. We talked about different religions and what it meant to be part of these communities. The children showed great oracy skills when talking; they used great volume, pace and fluency.
We are biologists!
This half term, Year 2 have been busy learning all about animals including humans and what they need to survive.
We’ve learnt lots of knowledge about different types of animals and they all have the same basic needs – air, water, food and shelter.
Here is the key vocabulary we have been learning.
More recently, we’ve been learning about humans in particular and how humans need to keep healthy as well as having their basic needs.
Help at home – the BBC website has some great videos to summarise the different types of animals and their basic needs. Choose some to watch with your child to discuss this learning.
Autumn 1: Week 8
The Children have complete their first half term in reception – well done. They have all settled in really well and seem to be enjoying school.
During this week, we have had the police come in and talk to us about staying safe during Halloween and Bonfire Night. The children were great at listening.
This week’s book has been Leaf Man. The children have been busy creating their own leaf man as part of one of our classroom challenges.
maths
During maths this week, we have been comparing numbers of objects using the language fewer than and more than.
Help at home by asking them to compare amounts of objects such as teddies and toys.
There is no phonic sheet this week as it has been a review week.
Help at home by practicing the graphemes and tricky words you have been sent so far alongside regular reading.
Well done to all of those children who put themselves forward for JLT. The children voted for their class representatives by going to the school polling station and marking an x next to who they wanted.
Pumpkin picking
One of the community links for our Me and my community themed week, MHA Moor Allerton, are holding an open day next Tuesday 29 October 2pm to 4pm with pumpkin picking from their own pumpkin patch, refreshments and activities.
Maths: column addition and subtraction
Today, Year 4 applied their column addition and subtraction skills to a real-world scenario – a restaurant.
The children were given a (very expensive) menu and chose three things they would like to order. Using their column addition, they worked out the total cost of their bill. After this, they were given a gift voucher to spend in the restaurant. They used their column subtraction to work out the total cost of their bill after their gift voucher had been applied.
It was a really fun way for the children to demonstrate their column addition and subtraction skills!
Help at home: look at the menu and ask the children to order three items and use column addition to work out their total.
Me and my community week
Living and Learning: New school charity
Every year, we vote for a new school charity to support.
Our new charity will replace our current school charity The Children’s Heart Fund. Thank you for all the donations and support given to this great, local cause, including £180 for our recent Rob Burrow Connect Challenge.
As part of our Me and my community themed week, children will be considering the following shortlist of charities. Children should start thinking about these charities and be ready to share their views.
Action Against Hunger aim to save the lives of vulnerable people affected by hunger. Action Against Hunger fights hunger and malnutrition around the world, because no child should ever suffer or die from it. Stop hunger today.
No child should live in poverty. All children should have their basic needs met so that they can achieve their full potential in life. Give every head a bed.
Each class will vote for one charity which will be brought to the Junior Leadership Team who will have the final vote on Thursday 07 November.
Performance Poetry
This week, we’re reading this poem by Nick Toczek – a Yorkshire born poet.
We watched Nick Toczek perform it here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zxwqtfr/watch/z7w42hv
We had a think about what made his performance so good! These are the R2s (remember to) that we took from him:
- read with prosody
- add actions
- change tone of voice
- change volume of voice
- involve the audience
- well-rehearsed
We then used these R2s to do our performances! We worked in small groups to add actions, rehearse and practise reading with prosody. The performances were fantastic with some even memorising the words after 20 minutes!
Help at home by reading this poem at home and performing to each other! Can you use all the R2s?
Maths: 10, 100, 1000
Recently, in Maths, Year 5 have been learning how to multiply and divide by 10, 100 and 1000. The children have picked up this concept incredibly quickly and have shown a great attitude to learning.
