Freeze-framing
Our class novel is Street Child by Berlie Doherty. It’s given us great opportunities to explore narrative in many different ways. This week, we tried to show how some of the characters might be feeling when they were evicted from their home. Jim lives with his Ma and two sisters; when they can’t pay their rent they are thrown out onto the street. These photos are where we created a freeze frame showing how the family may have felt when they heard the news. The freeze frames were then given a caption to show what they were trying to portray.
Researching the old with the new
Year 5 became historians this week, researching how life was for Victorian children. The iPads should have been steaming when we had finished – we found an amazing amount of facts!
PE links with Allerton Grange
We work closely with Allerton Grange to arrange PE activities for each class.
Throughout the year, Year 1 to Year 6 will be taking part in sessions led by the Sports and Dance leaders at Allerton Grange.
The visits take place during the school day and teachers will inform their class nearer to the time.
What do you think?
Thinking was a main theme last week. Do we think about everything? Do we think the same thoughts as other people?
Our brains had a real workout in “Brain Box” week; our amazing brains never stop learning or developing. Here are some thoughts that Year Five came up with when asked “What do you think?”
Breakfast, lunch and water to fuel your brain
This week we’ve found out how a healthy, balanced diet and good hydration provides us with the energy our brain needs to function throughout the day.
Nutritionists believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but what children eat can be just as crucial. Breakfast cereals and foods rich in whole grains, fibre and protein and low in added sugar may boost attention span, concentration and memory and prevent children having a mid morning energy drop. http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_eating/breakfast.html
Fruit at playtime, provided free for Reception and Key Stage 1 and the only snack allowed at Key Stage 2 playtime, can provide an energy boost for the rest of the morning. Remember the weekly fruit tuckshop on Tuesdays is available to Key Stage 2 costing 20p per item.
A healthy, balanced lunch is also crucial to refuel the brain for the afternoon’s learning and this week children, who bring a packed lunch to school, have been given a copy of our Guide for Healthy Packed Lunches (https://www.moortown.leeds.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/packed-lunch-guidance.pdf). The guide was launched in September 2010 but may not have been seen by children new to the school or children who may have previously had school dinners.
The importance of hydration for the brain, to maximise learning, has been another focus of our Brain Box week. Children need to have a water bottle to keep in their classroom to allow regular water breaks throughout the day. This should be taken home weekly to be cleaned. Water is also provided at lunchtime for packed lunches and school dinners.
As well as regular exercise and opportunities for relaxation these factors all contribute to a healthy brain!
Better brains with more sleep
‘Your brain needs lots of sleep to repair itself and to organise and sort everything you have learnt’… One of the messages in the Good-night guide for children, published by The Sleep Council, sent home today, at the end of Brain Box week.
Research carried out by The Sleep Council revealed that lack of sleep among primary school children was having a devastating effect in schools with nine out of 10 teachers (92%) complaining that pupils were so tired they were unable to pay attention in class. More than a third (38%) said lack of sleep among youngsters is a daily problem for them.
This week, classes have been looking at The Sleep Council’s Better Brains with More Sleep initiative where children are encouraged to learn tips on getting their full sleep quota and the factors that can affect it.
Our Big Topics begin…
We’ve had a busy few weeks with mini-topics and our themed week but our Big Topics will begin next week!
Our topics for this school year are:
Year 1 and 2
- Roll up! Roll up! Learning about the origins of the circus and how they have changed over time
- Treasure A new topic for 2012-2013, ‘Treasure’ will include lots of map-reading and adventure
- Ee Ie Ee Ie O! Learning about different types of farms and animals
Year 3 and 4
- All aboard! Learning about transport through the ages
- To infinity and beyond! A popular topic delving deep into space
- Food, glorious food! Another new topic for 2012-2013, ‘Food, glorious food’ will look at popular food in different cultures
Year 5 and 6
- Rich and poor Thinking about differences in lifestyle between rich and poor over time
- Theme parks Another new topic for this school year, ‘Theme parks’ is a roller-coaster ride which links all the key literacy learning the children have done in the past, from reports to recounts
- Chocolate A popular topic looking at aspects such as fair trade and how chocolate is made
Have you ever seen a rat’s brain?
Don’t worry! We haven’t dissected any rats but we did see a rat’s brain today! Dr Lewis, from Leeds University, came to talk to us today about the brain. Our brains are full to bursting with information and the 100,000,000,000 brain cells that we have made a lot of links after listening to Dr Lewis. He spoke to us about our brain’s activity when we learn something new; it truly is the most amazing organ in our body.
This is a rat’s brain – it’s quite similar to ours in shape but obviously much smaller. We also saw a snail’s brain but to be honest we thought it was a bit of fluff! Even though it was so small it did consist of 11,000 brain cells.
As well as looking at brains, we also tested our receptive points in our fingers and hands; we then tested our reflexes. Mrs Weekes asked the question, “Do our reflexes slow down as we get older?” The answer was “Yes. However if you keep your brain active then it will stay alert for longer!”
Water Aid Assembly
We’ve a sponsored walk on Friday – Gary from Water Aid tells the school about what happens with our donations.
How do drugs affect the brain?
…This was one of the questions Key Stage 2 children have been looking at today as part of their drug education sessions with d:side.
Each class have been focussing on a different drug and its effects on the body:
- Year 3 – tobacco
- Year 4 – alcohol
- Year 5 – solvents
- Year 6 – cannabis
Both pupils and staff have given great feedback on the informative sessions and d:side also commented on our ‘very friendly and well behaved’ children.
If you have any questions please see a member of staff or contact Dave Hill, d:side Programme Manager, on 2225471.
For a comprehensive guide to this subject visit the Talk to Frank website (www.talktofrank.com).
