School Council elections
In our whole school assembly today, we launched this year’s School Council election process. Our School Council is one of the ways that children are encouraged to take an active part in pupil voice.
The election process allows children to develop an understanding of one of the British Values, democracy, with two representatives from each class, chosen democratically by their peers.
Our current school councillors spoke about their role over the last year and the qualities needed to be an effective school councillor.
These included:
- use the 8 Rs for learning
- be respectful and polite
- help others
- be a good speaker and listener (to members of your class and in the meetings)
- share and be confident with your ideas
- let others speak
- accept the views of others even if you don’t agree
- be friendly and approachable
- follow our school rules and make good choices in class and around school
Watch out for the whole school homework this week all about the election and democracy, ready for the elections next Thursday 25 October.
Bike and run at the Brownlee Centre
The Brownlee Centre is a great facility on our doorstep.
These bike and run sessions, run by the Brownlee Foundation, are open to all children, any ability, aged 8-14. Why not give it a tri?
Terrific Homework!
Year 3 have produced some amazing homework this week. The homework was Creative and they were asked to reflect on their learning. This could have been learning from any subject from the week.
During our homework review session on Fridays, the children take turns sharing their homework and reflecting on their classmate’s work. Today, each child left a reflective comment in their friend’s books with a post-it note.
Have a look at some of the brilliant homework, below.
Lego in out Big Topic lesson
This term, Year 3 have been looking at Transport through their Topic lessons.
For the past week, we’ve been sketching and designing our very own Roman chariots. These chariots must match the design criteria that the class created, listed below.
- It must be able to move.
- It must be able to be pulled by horsepower.
- It must be able to hold a person.
- It must be able to move over rocky terrain.
Have a look at some of the class’ fantastic designs below:
The class then went on to work as a team to construct their chariots.
Have a look at our finished models, below.
Living & Learning
This week in Living and Learning, we were learning about all of the 8Rs for learning. We introduced a new member of our class to the 8 Rs and explained what they meant.
Year 3 had to remember the 8Rs. They also discussed how they could use the 8Rs to support their learning.
Aadil pointed out: ‘I use the 8Rs while we are sitting on the carpet during lesson time. I make sure I’m ready by having eyes on the speaker, empty hands and a silent voice.’
Hashim added: ‘When I’m stuck in a lesson, I use my resilience so that I don’t just give up. I keep on going to do the best that I can.’
Sasha stated: ‘Mrs Burgess uses her 8Rs for learning also. Right now she is remembering and reflecting on our Living and Learning sessions’ Well done, Sasha!
Avraj added: ‘I am responsible by making sure I remember my swimming kit on a Tuesday and three school rules everyday!’
Writing
Following the Hobgoblin History of Britain performance last week, Year 3 have been looking at a number of historical recipes in writing.
This week, the class made traditional Viking flatbread.
We then went on to plan, write and edit our own recipes for the flatbread.
We talked about useful adverbs that made sense in our recipes. These included: gently, roughly, finely, carefully and precisely. We also talked about how bread has changed since the days of the Vikings.
Christina said: ‘I liked the Viking bread because it’s new to me. It’s not like our bread, it’s thin and hard – quite like a flapjack.’
Amrit added: ‘ It was mouth-watering!’
Sukhmani said: ‘It’s amazing!’
Leah thought – ‘It’s like a flamwidge because it’s half sandwich and half flapjack!’
Well done, Year 3.
Active travel winner
To mark International Walk to School month and our recent promotion of the Park and Stride site at Marks and Spencer, we are running a prize draw every week in October.
All children who make an active journey (bike, scoot, walk or park and stride) every day for each week are entered into a prize draw.
Each Friday in October, we will select a winner at random to win a £10 Love2Shop gift voucher.
Here’s our first winner. Keep up those active journeys to be in with a chance to win the next prize.
Year 3 reviews the History of Britain performance
After the Hobgoblin performance, Year 3 were asked to reflect on, and review the performance.
Their first challenge was to review the performance with one sentence. See what they came up with, below.
- I liked the end part because it shows you should pay attention!
- I liked the cooking show when the man smacked his hand on the table.
- We liked it when the man waved at Miss Rushbrooke!
- I liked it when the parrots kissed.
The class was then challenged to describe the play, in just 5 words. See how they rose to the challenge below.
- The man was very funny.
- I really liked Robin Hood.
- I loved all of it!
- There was so much chaos!
Well done Year 3 – excellent reviews!
The History of Britain workshop
Following the performance, Years 3 and 4 took part in a History of Britain workshop on Thursday afternoon.
The workshop started with everybody warming up their bodies, faces and voices.
Then the children went on to create statues out of each other. The challenge was to theme their statues on historical figures that they learnt about from the play. This included Winston Churchill, Thomas Farriner, Cavemen, Romans and Vikings. Which historical characters can you spot in the pictures below?
The statues then formed a museum, with the artists stepping away. We discussed rules for our museums:
- One child said: ‘Statues have to stay still!’
- Another added: ‘No talking if you’re a statue!’
- To everyone’s amusement, one statue asked: ‘Is it OK to breathe?’
The pupils were then put into groups of six and were challenged to make a freeze frame of a given time in history that they witnessed during the morning’s performance.
Harman explained: ‘A freeze-frame is like creating a portrait with ourselves.’
The first freeze-frame was to recreate Queen Boudica warring with the Romans.
The next freeze-frame was to show scenes from the Victorian times. Children were specifically fascinated with the forced jobs children had to do at this time.
When asked, Sam said: ‘I wouldn’t have liked to be alive during the Victorian times as I wouldn’t like to work in a dangerous factory. I might lose a limb!’
Brilliant acting, Year 3 & 4! Well done!
The History of Britain performance
On Thursday, Key Stage 2 were treated to a performance from Hobgoblin Theatre Company: The History of Britain.
The journey started 800,000 years ago where we were introduced to ‘super hairy man’. We learnt that these men hunted with flint.
Then came the Ice Age, 120,000 years ago. This was when the land we now call ‘Britain’, separated from Europe to become an island. We found out that this was when the English Channel was created. We learnt people continued to hunt with flint tools and this was when the boat was invented.
The journey continued to 4000 BC, the Stone Age. This was when Stonehenge was created. Farming and clay pottery both became an organised trade in Britain.
We zoomed forward to 800 BC, where people built hill forts, began to trade with Europe and make jewellery.
60 AD saw the Romans control of Britannia for 70 years. Queen Boudica revolted against the Romans.
Did you know Colchester was the capital of Britain at this time?
Then, it was 878. We met King Alfred and the Vikings…
We learnt that there was a lack of a British army and ships to fight the Vikings invading Britain at this time. Did you know King Alfred’s decedents went on to unite all the British tribes under one King?
Fun facts:
1. Vikings didn’t actually have horns on helmets!
2. Many Viking words influence our language. Wednesday, Thursday, market and street are all Viking words!
We flashed forward to 1066: the Battle of Hastings. William the Conqueror brought Britain out of the dark ages. Children learnt that William came from Normandy of France to beat King Harold in battle.
We sped forward to 1348 and saw an interview with an early victim of the plague. The victim said he was infected as he was preparing for the feast. A flea from a rat, stowed away on the ship, had carried the disease to Britain.
We learnt that the symptoms of The Black Death included a high temperature and vomiting. Victims died within a couple of days. Soon, half of the population of Britain died.
The play then went to 1215, when the Magna Carta was introduced. Children learnt that this was when an official parliament was formed and people in charge of the country had to listen to he opinion of the people.
We then traveled to 1558 and met Queen Elizabeth I.
The children learnt that the Great Fire of London took place in 1666, in the form of a well-known cookery show! Children saw how the fire started in a baker’s oven and spread, engulfing a large portion of London.
Can your child remember where tea, initially shipped to the UK, was from? How did it travel to the UK?
Can they remember the vocal warm up tongue twister?
During the Victoria times what major form of transport was invented?
The play ended with an appearance from Winston Churchill. We learnt that Churchill was voted as the most important British historical figure as he was the Prime Minister during the Second World War.
Well done, Key Stage 2! Fantastic audience participation.
