21 May 2021
This week, the whole school Talk Time homework is What is a drug?
This homework, which links to our Living and Learning statement, is a first step in children becoming aware of drugs. There are a few key points you may wish to talk about at home. Children need to be aware that some drugs are helpful, some are harmful, some are legal, some are illegal. Don’t forget to consider that even the legal or helpful ones can be harmful.
Below are some question prompts that could help shape your discussion…
- What is a good definition for a drug?
- What is a drug? What is not a drug?
- Are all drugs bad?
- Why might some people need to take medicines?
- Who can prescribe medicine?
- Who should administer medicine?
- What should you do if you find some medicine?
- Should you take medicine that isn’t yours?
Children should be prepared to discuss what they’ve talked about at home during our homework review next week.
14 May 2021
The whole-school Talk Time homework this week is I know the key vocabulary from our Computing topic.
As we come to the end of our Computing topic, your child should have come across the following vocabulary:
Y1, 2
- algorithm – a sequence of instructions or a set of rules to get something done
- program – a collection of algorithms
- debug – to find and fix errors in algorithms
- computer – a type of machine that can follow instructions and do useful things
- password – a string of letters, numbers or symbols which give you access to something (eg a computer, a service like Numbots)
- personal information – information that can be used to identify you (eg age, school, address, password)
- appropriate – something that is suitable
Y3, 4
- program – a collection of algorithms
- repetition – to repeat the execution of certain instructions
- sequence – to arrange instructions in a particular order
- logical reasoning – helps us explain why something happens
- sprite – a 2d character in a computer game
- decomposition – the process of breaking down a task into smaller, more-manageable parts
- input – data sent to a computer system from a device (eg keyboard, mouse, microphone)
- output – data sent out of a computer system via a device (eg monitor, printer, speaker)
- digital footprint – information about a particular person that exists on the internet as a result of their online activity
Y5,6
- program – a collection of algorithms
- repetition – to repeat the execution of certain instructions
- sequence – to arrange instructions in a particular order
- selection – choosing to execute one set of instructions over another
- variable – something that is stored in a program and can be changed or used (eg a timer, a score, a number of lives left)
- logical reasoning – helps us explain why something happens
- simulation – modelling a real-world or imaginary situation
- search engine – program that searches for and identifies items on the internet using complex algorithms
Discuss these words together:
- Can your child explain to you what they mean?
- Can they use any of them in a sentence?
- Can they suggest how some of the words link together?
- Can they tell you about the learning in school which linked to a certain word?
Next week, each class will reflect on this topic vocabulary and what they have learnt this half term.
10 May 2021
This week, our homework is Talk Time: I know the positives and negatives of gaming.
Currently, our whole school is enjoying a computing topic. In addition to learning lots of programming skills, we’ve been learning about online safety. Part of this learning requires us to understand how we can responsibly use the internet.
Online gaming is a great activity for people to do. There are many positives. However, we’re all aware of the negatives to online gaming. We’d like you to discuss this with your child. Here’s some sentence stems and questions that might help shape your discussion:
– A positive of online gaming is __________ because…
– A negative of online gaming is __________ because…
– I agree with what you said because…
– I disagree with what you said because…
– Is online gaming always a bad / good thing?
– Can you spend too much time gaming?
– What might happen if you spend too long gaming?
– Is it OK to play a game online?
– Are there any rules we should have in our house about online gaming?
This learning will be reviewed in class next week as part of our topic and Living & Learning sessions.
07 May 2021
This week, the homework is Talk Time and should be completed by Thursday 13 May.
I know the positives and negatives of gaming.
This statement is linked to our current computing topic and we’d like you to discuss this at home with your child.
We know that gaming is popular and we’d like you to consider what are the good things about it and what things might be not so good.
Top Tips for talk time homework:
- Turn the telly off!
- Sit around the dining table!
- Have a chat and share opinions and ideas!
- Children should talk with family, friends and each other –maybe even using FaceTime or Skype.
There is no need to record anything from your discussions at home. The children will be able to share their views when we review the homework in class next Thursday.
07 May 2021
Whole-school
Talk Time:
Moral
I know the positives and negatives of gaming.
This week’s Talk Time homework links to our topic, computing.
You could talk about:
- games you enjoy
- how you use games online
- the good things about gaming
- the bad things about gaming
On Thursday 16 May, we will discuss the statement as a class during our homework review.
30 April 2021
This week’s homework is Practice Makes Perfect.
In class, we have been writing four different types of sentences:
Your homework is to copy and punctuate the sentences below and then write two sentences of each type.
What a dangerous mountain he climbed
What time is it
Leeds is a city in England
Line up
The homework is due on Thursday 06 May.
30 April 2021
This week, the homework is Talk Time and should be completed by Thursday 06 May.
Is it ok to throw fruit on the ground?
This is a moral question, based partly around our science learning, about seeds and the cycle of plant growth, which we’d like you to discuss at home with your child. You might consider:
Is this litter or is it food for wildlife?
Could it harm wildlife?
Would it rot and smell?
During the discussion with your child, it’s important to appreciate that there may be opposing views and that although it’s okay to disagree, we should respect the opposing view.
This moral question forms part of our SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural) learning.
Top Tips for talktime homework:
- Turn the telly off!
- Sit around the dining table!
- Have a chat and share opinions and ideas!
- Children should talk with family, friends and each other –maybe even using FaceTime or Skype.
There is no need to record anything from your discussions at home. The children will be able to share their views when we review the homework in class next Thursday.
23 April 2021
This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework: Which charity should our school support?
Next week, a charity will be decided for us to support for the year ahead. We’ll focus our fundraising efforts on supporting this charity. What charity does your child think we should support?
You could talk about:
- what a charity is
- why charities are important
- what sort of work they do
- charities that have meaning to your family, your school or your community
- national / international charities and their work
Next week, each class will vote (because in our school we make democratic decisions) for the charity they would like to support to form a shortlist. Then, our recently elected Junior Leadership Team will decide which charity we will support for the next year.
Adults: before you discuss this with your child, check out this week’s Friday message from Mr Roundtree on the main news section of our website – it contains information about how we support charities and some points we’d like you to discuss with your child.
26 March 2021
This week, the whole school has the same Talk Time homework. In preparation for the upcoming Junior Leadership Team (formerly the School Council) elections, children should complete one of the following tasks:
- I can prepare a speech (Junior Leadership Team elections).
- I know the importance of voting.
It’s time for children to consider if they would like to stand for election for our new Junior Leadership Team (JLT). With two representatives from each class, chosen democratically by their peers, all children are encouraged to take an active part in pupil voice.
Elections for our new school council will take place on Thursday 01 April with our polling station and ballot boxes at the ready. Candidates will have the opportunity to give their election speech to their class on Wednesday 31 March ahead of a democratic vote on Thursday 01 April.
What makes a good school councillor has been considered by our current school council.
- ‘use all the 8 Rs for learning’
- ‘be respectful’
- ‘help others’
- ‘be a good speaker and listener (to members of your class and in the meetings)’
- ‘tell the truth’
- ‘be confident with your ideas’
- ‘accept the views of others even if you don’t agree’
- ‘be friendly and approachable’
- ‘make good choices in class and around school’
Hints for your speech include:
- What skills and abilities would a good school councillor have?
- What are you particularly good at that would help you to be a great school councillor?
- What do you think would make the school better?
- What could you do that people would really like?
- Think of things that are realistic, maybe that you could do yourself, rather than having to ask other people to do
Thank you to our current school councillors for all their ideas and contributions. We hope you have enjoyed this role and responsibility. You’re welcome to stand again for election.
Good luck to all children who decide to stand in the elections.
If you choose not to stand in the election, you should instead consider the importance of voting.
19 March 2021
19 March 2021
This week our homework is Creative: I can show different ways to stay safe, including how to seek help.
In the first half-term, we promoted resilience as one of our Rs for learning. However, we can’t be resilient in all situations, at all times. It’s important for people to recognise when things seem overwhelming – and ask for help. It’s also important that children know how to stay safe. There are many ways, and many different situations, in which we need to keep safe: at home, at school, in our environment and online.
Children should think about the situations where they need to keep safe and how to seek help if they need it. This could be done in any creative way:
- A story
- A poem
- Instructions
- A comic strip
- An advert
- An interview
- A game
- Scenarios
…or any other creative ideas!
Please send any completed homework to your child’s class teacher via email and it will be reviewed as part of our weekly homework review.
