St Oswald's Catholic Primary SchoolOur blogs
Year 2 Blog Friday 16th June 2023
Date: 16th Jun 2023 @ 2:00pm
A very hot week, but it didn’t stop Year 2 from working hard and doing lots of learning. We enjoyed our second session of Yoga and the children’s focus, stretching and poses were very much improved.
The highlight of the week was the ‘Dance from the Heart’ extravaganza. The children danced so well and remembered a very tricky dance routine. They also enjoyed the Disney theme and songs. In English, we started and completed our novel, The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine. We loved reading it so much that we just couldn’t put it down! The children wrote some fantastic newspaper reports about what happened to Thumper the rabbit. In Maths, we worked on placing numbers on an empty number line and the greater than and less than signs. In Science, we did some scientific enquiry and the children went outside and carried out a daisy sampling investigation. In French, we used our French phonics to help us spell numbers from 0 to 5. Everyone had a really good go at their first writing from memory - I was very impressed! Then we learnt some words for summer things and listened out for the new vocabulary in a song. In PSHE, we thought about why sleep and a healthy diet is important for us to grow and stay healthy. Next week in Music, the children are going to be learning how to play the ocarina. In D.T, they have been sewing patterns on their material bookmarks which look very impressive and should be useful for all the books they will read over the summer and in Year 3.
Forest School and Outdoor Learning
In our Forest School session we did some hapa-zome printing which means ‘leaf dye’.Hapa-zome is the Japanese technique of smashing flowers and leaves into fabric. We found that fresh, juicy plants leave the best imprint.
Hapa-zome printing is one of the easiest and quickest natural dyeing techniques. We collected leaves and flowers then we used hammers safely to smash them through calico fabric.
It was like magic when the colours came through!
In our other session we assembled polystyrene birds which became gliders. We investigated putting the weight in different places on the beak to see how this affected the flight.
We also explored and played on a brand new delivery of logs, kindly supplied by a parent. If you have access to any free materials or resources which you think would be useful for our sessions please get in touch via the school office.
Thank you to everyone who has completed the questionnaire. It came home on Thursday 8th June and it's on a green sheet. Please fill it in and send it into school if you haven't already done so. They will help us to evaluate our offering and help us to plan for next year.
Reading
In Year 2, children should read for at least 15/20 minutes every night and talk about the book. This will help with understanding the text and learning new words.
Reading books are changed every Wednesday. You will receive 2-4 books depending on their length, they should last the week, if you read a little each night. However, if you need to change a book at any other time, we will change it as needed.
Reading resources:
Oxford Owl – This resource has an exciting range of carefully levelled books to help children learn to read and really enjoy it.
If parents and children decide to use this resource, we ask they access phase 5 books. Go to https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/ and select ‘my class login’. Scroll down to the ‘eBook Library for Letters & Sounds’. You could also explore the rest of the site and read books from the Oxford Owl eBook library or listen to audio books.
Username: sto2
Password: 1234
Resources for questioning your child while they are reading - https://www.literacyshedblog.com/uploads/1/2/5/7/12572836/ks1_reading_vipers.pdf
In addition to this, reading a good bed time story to your child is so worthwhile and really helps towards a lifelong love of reading.
Spelling
Please practise these spellings for your quiz on Friday (23.06.23). A sheet will go home every Friday with the spelling list on. This is for home practise only and can be kept with you.
You will have a Sumdog challenge on these words to complete by Friday 23.06.23.
This week’s spellings:
Contractions. Including two words from the Year 1/2 spelling list.
I’ll hasn’t
I’m can’t
it’s they’re
didn’t who
don’t whole
Maths
Next week for our times tables quiz (Friday 23.06.23) we will be learning the 3x table in a random order.
Count in 3’s forwards and backwards, see how quickly you can go, but it must still be accurate. Play the ‘follow me game’ – one person says ‘3’ the next person says ‘6’ and so on. Chant/sing the x3 table. Ask an adult to quiz you on them in a random order. Try playing ‘Hit The Button’ game from the maths games listed below.
You will have a 3x table and Greater Than/Less Than challenge on Sumdog to complete by Friday 23.06.23.
Here are some links to other maths games/apps the children can play to help them learn their number facts.
Topmarks.co.uk also have and English section for phonics/spellings games. If you explore the site you will find lots of different games that are relevant to Year 2.
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://whiterosemaths.com/resources/1-minute-maths
(I believe this app is free to download.)
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/counting
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/multiplication-and-division
Sumdog
Log in at www.sumdog.com
Have a lovely weekend.
Year 2 Team.
Reception Blog - Friday 16th June 2023
Date: 16th Jun 2023 @ 1:01pm
We have had another great week learning about our story, The Journey.
We have been doing story maps about the journey the boat took and writing sentences. In maths we have been doing number bonds to 5. Exploring using equipment, singing songs and writing number sentences.
We have had Dance from the Heart this week. It was lovely to see the children perform to parents after trying so hard to learn the dance for the past few weeks.
In French we learnt some words for summer things and listened out for the new vocabulary in a summer song. We practised the words with a game and listened to a new story, Le Petit Poisson, about a fish who had no one to play with. It's lovely to hear the children using their French around school - fantastique, Reception!
In RE and Art we have made friendship candles out of clay and we have painted them.
In PE we have been doing ball skills, throwing and catching and using a tennis racket to hit to a target.
Our new topic for computing was sequencing and following instuctions. The children had lots of fun making instructions for their friends.
To end the week it was story and snack in the shade.
Have a great weekend in the sun everyone!
Year 4 Blog - Friday 16th June 2023
Date: 16th Jun 2023 @ 8:52am
Year 4 Blog
Friday 16th June 2023
Welcome to your Friday blog.
In English, we continued reading our class novel. We described the main character’s feelings after a bomb had landed on his house and tried to include lots of thoughts and feelings.
In Maths, we learnt how to answer questions using line graphs. Line graphs are used to represent continuous data, for example, the height of an air balloon over an hour’s journey. Following this, we deepened our understanding by drawing a line graph from given data.
In RE, we considered how we try to build bridges towards one another every day and ‘examine our conscience’. We reflected on how we feel when we have done something wrong, and ways in which saying sorry might be expressed in our daily lives.
In Geography, we created information leaflets about climate change and its impact on the Great Barrier Reef. We tried to include lots of information about the location of the Great Barrier Reef, what it actually is and how it is changing due to climate change. We shared our leaflets with Year 3 and Year 5 on Friday afternoon and they were very impressed!
In French, we described the Picasso-style face that we drew last week. Then we moved onto learn all the nouns for parts of the body, noticing whether they are masculine or feminine.
In Science, we started a new topic about Teeth and Digestion. We began by learning that we have different shapes of teeth for different jobs, and that our mouth is the first part of our digestive system. Then we discussed how teeth and gums have to be cared for to keep them healthy. We set up an investigation to check what happens to eggs when they are left to soak in different liquids for a week. (Eggs and teeth both contain calcium so we can use egg shells as a model for teeth.) This would happen to our teeth if we don’t keep them clean! Let’s see which egg has the most damage next week!
In PSHE, we explained how everyday choices can affect the environment. We were given different scenarios and made suggestions as to how plastic pollution could be reduced.
In outdoor learning, we found our favourite stick and then decorated it using natural items, string, wool and pipe cleaners. We then described the special power or use that our stick had! You can see our sticks here.
On Thursday, we also enjoyed taking part in the ‘Dance from the Heart’ roadshow.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Discuss what you have read with someone at home.
Spellings
Here are this week’s spellings. You will be tested on these words next Friday (23rd June 2023).
interrelated interview intercom intermittent
superglue superpower superintendent supernatural
anti-aircraft antiperspirant antifreeze antibacterial
autopilot automatic autobiography
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 100’s
Start at 350 and count up to 1850 and back again
350 450 550 etc 1850 1750 1650 etc
Start at 657 and count upto 2357 and back again
657 757 857 2357 2257 2157 etc
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (21st June 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A challenge based on line graphs and line plots
- A times tables challenge based on the 2, 4 and 8 times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
Enjoy a lovely sunny weekend!
The Year 4 Team
Year 6 Blog Friday 16th June 2023
Date: 16th Jun 2023 @ 8:39am
Welcome to our Year 6 blog.
This week we have concluded our school production auditions with everyone receiving their parts. If you have been given a script, please learn your lines by Wednesday 21st June.
On Thursday, we had our ‘Dance from the Heart Roadshow’ with visits from Minnie Mouse and Elsa from Frozen. A huge thank you to the Dance Leaders who gave up so much of their lunch times to learn the dance, which was executed brilliantly!
Also on Thursday, the Rugby team concluded their tournament with 4 wins out of 4, winning a huge trophy and even the extra kicking competition. Well done team!
On Friday, Mrs Walsh, one of the Maths teachers at All Hallows, visited Year 6 to lead a workshop on algebra. The children learnt how to sort numbers and letters in to terms and how to write them as algebraic expressions. They learnt how to substitute values into each expression and solve them.
Also, Year 6’s learning this week:
- In Maths, we have learnt how to read and write Roman numerals.
- In English, we introduced our new short film story called ‘Road’s End’ about a mysterious traveller who is given a lift by a passing car. We wrote as both the driver and the passenger to see if we could work on conscious control for each one.
- In PE, we split into three sections: bowling with increased accuracy, batting a straight drive as far as possible and a small cricket game to apply these skills.
- In History, we introduced our World War II topic by first researching what modern Germany is like today and looking at the historical significance of this country.
- In Art, we continued our Romero Britto topic using pastels to create vibrant colours before completing our own final piece.
- In Music, along with more auditions, we continued practising the songs for the Oliver production.
- In French, we continued to learn the words for our leavers' song. Then we practised some phonic sounds from the cafe menu and translated a cafe dialogue. We're ready to write our own dialogue next week. Then the children have earned the exciting bit - some food tasting!
- In Science, we continued to learn about Charles Darwin and his theories of Natural Selection and Evolution. We learnt about Darwin's Finches and how they evolved different beak shapes according to the food available on their specific Galapagos island. We modelled 'eating' different foods with different 'beaks' to see which beak was best adapted to each food. We looked at the results and predicted what would happen with different food, then tested that to check our predictions.
Home Practice
For the rest of this half term, All Hallows’ have kindly given you a ‘Numeracy Skills booklet’, which is very similar to the ones they use. This is a great transition homework for you to get used to. I have explained how to complete this in class but to remind you:
- Work through all 20 questions as best as you can.
- Any you do not understand, we will go through them on WEDNESDAY
- This week have a go at completing the sheet 56.3
Date: 16th Jun 2023 @ 8:19am
Welcome to your Friday Blog
This week we have been enjoying all our learning, even with the warm temperatures. We have had our second yoga session with Katie and loved dancing in our Dance from the Heart performance.
In English we have been reading our new story, Toby and the Silver Blood Witches. We have met Toby and his friends Jazz and Roger and learned all about how he cares for his mum and how he has met strange woman in his attic. This story is filled with suspense and mystery and we can't wait to find out what happens.
In maths we have been revisiting our multiplication and division strategies. Some of us have found this tricky but tried hard to remember our number facts and methods. Next week we will continue to work on multiplication and division problems so have a go at the bumper times table challenge on Sumdog to improve your child's flency when it comes to their number facts.
In our computing learning we have been learning all about events and using these to create our own games. You can play some of our flappy bird creations in the gallery we posted earlier this week. We are currently working on a chasing game. We hope to publish some of these next week.
Home Practice
Reading
Read to somebody at home every night for 20 minutes. Talk about what you have read.
Maths
This week we have noticed although everyone is improving with the recall of their times tables, we need to improve our speed. We have set a 200 question times table challenge on all your year 3 times tables. Quick and accurate recall will help your child with their resoning when solving multiplication and division problems.
Spellings
Next week we will learning the different pronunciations for the 'ou' spelling pattern. We will also be revisiting our compund words and spelling strategies. Here are your spellings.
Have a lovely weekend and a happy Father's day to all the Dads and Grandads
The Year 3 Team
Year 1 Blog - Friday 16th June 2023
Date: 14th Jun 2023 @ 5:46pm
Welcome to your Friday blog. We are loving the sunny weather.
English
This week we listened to another story about Katie Morag. She loves it when her cousins visit but they cause a bit of trouble! We compared pictures of the houses on the island, before and after the cousins had visited. We planned our own story and wrote our own books. We read these to the children in Reception.
Phonics
This week we have completed the phonic screen assessment.
Maths
We have been learning about the place value of numbers. We have been working out the missing numbers on a number line and explaining how we know. We have also been looking at the value of the 2 and the 4 in 24,the 3 and the 7 in 37 and so on.
Keep practising your counting. Can you count forwards in 2s from 23 to 47 ? Can you count backwards in 10s from 77 to 27?
Science
We have been learning about the seasons and how they change. We talked about how we are into the summer months and related this to our learning from last week, we can see lots of green leaves on the deciduous trees. We then chose our favourite and least favourite season, drew a picture of a deciduous tree from that season and wrote a sentence explaining why we chose it as our favourite/least favourite.
Art
We made our next whole class handprint tree for the season on spring. We had lots of light green and pink colours to represent the blossoms. We will make a summer version before we finish!
We also made Miss Forshaw a thank you card using our fingerprint and picture so that she will always remember us!
D.T.
This week, we thought about the material that we would like to use for our clothes for Patch the teddy. We evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of different types of materials and chose the most suitable one.
We then had another running stitch practise.
Computing
We helped Scrat with some trickier code! We learnt to use loops to simplify our code and make it easier to read.
P.S.H.E.
We have been learning about hazards and emergencies. We talked about what a hazard is and spotted any potential hazards in the classroom. We made sure that we quickly fixed them!
We then talked about how to deal with an emergency and how to ring 999 when needed.
P.E.
On Monday morning we had our second yoga session with Katie. We loved it - especially the banana song! Great fun and we learned a lot.
We then practised some more of our fundamental skills in PE. We jumped for distance, balanced bean bags and practised underarm throwing in a game of beanbag noughts and crosses.
French
We learnt some words for summer things and then made sentences using the new words. Next, we listened out for the new vocabulary in a summer song. We practised the words with a game and listened to a new story, Le Petit Poisson, about a fish who had no one to play with.
Forest School and Outdoor Learning
In our Forest School session we did some hapa-zome printing which means ‘leaf dye’.Hapa-zome is the Japanese technique of smashing flowers and leaves into fabric. We found that fresh, juicy plants leave the best imprint.
Hapa-zome printing is one of the easiest and quickest natural dyeing techniques. We collected leaves and flowers then we used hammers safely to smash them through calico fabric.
It was like magic when the colours came through!
In our other session we assembled polystyrene birds which became gliders. We investigated putting the weight in different places on the beak to see how this affected the flight.
We also explored and played on a brand new delivery of logs, kindly supplied by a parent. If you have access to any free materials or resources which you think would be useful for our sessions please get in touch via the school office.
Thank you to everyone who has completed the questionnaire. It came home on Thursday 8th June and it's on a green sheet. Please fill it in and send it into school if you haven't already done so. They will help us to evaluate our offering and help us to plan for next year.
Dance From the Heart
We had a super time on Thursday performing the dance. Thank you to everyone who came to watch.
Miss Forshaw
On Friday, we said goodbye to Miss Forshaw, our teaching student who has been working with us for the last 7 weeks. We have loved all her lessons and we know she's enjoyed being at St Oswald's.
Home Practice
Phonics - ear (air sound) OR common exception words
Maths - Representing numbers
Year 5 Blog Friday 16th June 2023
Date: 14th Jun 2023 @ 9:42am
Happy Friday and welcome to your Friday Blog
We have had a great week in 5, a very hot one!
In English we identified features of an information text and then wrote our own about Mesopotamian Blue cats. We included:
Headings
Diagrams
Fact boxes
Technical vocabulary
In maths we continued with our learning about fractions. We used our understanding of these things to help us solve problems:
Improper fraction - the numerator is higher than the denominator, which means we can make one or more whole ones.
Mixed fraction - a whole number and a fraction
In order to compare, order, add or subtract fractions, we need to make the denominator the same by finding equivalent fractions.
We started our new DT project this week. We are designing, making and evaluating a frame structure out of lollypop sticks. A frame structure is a structure made from thin components such as a tent frame. We are going to make our frame structures for the children in reception. We will read them the story of The Three Little Pigs and then ask them to test the strength of our frame structures by seeing if they can blow them down, like the wolf from the story.
We also started our new RE topic all about freedom and responsibility. We spoke about which freedoms and responsibilities we have, and identified rules and laws which help us to have these. We recognised that our golden rules help us to have freedom and that it is our responsibility to keep them. We then looked at some scripture from the book of Exodus. We learnt about how after the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt by Moses, God gave them the Ten Commandments to help them to coexist and live happily. We will be looking at these in more depth throughout the topic.
In French, we wrote sentences to describe a sport without naming it. Then we read our sentences to a partner who tried to guess which sport we were describing. Once again, Y5 did a great job of this and we will have another look at the sentences next week to make sure we have done their magnificent efforts justice! We're just in time to start looking at the Tour de France which starts on the 1st July.
Home Practice
Reading
Read out loud every day for 20 minutes. Talk about new vocabulary.
Spelling
These are some of the words from the Year 5 and 6 spelling list. They do not follow a pattern or rule so you will need to practise lots.
restaurant temperature nuisance neighbour leisure definite desperate amateur
appreciate bargain competition conscience conscious centre peculiar
Counting
Count in:
Ninths from 0 to one whole (nine ninths) and back again 0, one ninth, two ninths, ...
Sixteenths from 0 to one whole (sixteen sixteenths) and back again 0, one sixteenth, two sixteenths, ...
Tenths from 0 to two whole ones (twenty tenths) and back again 0, one tenth, two tenths, ...
Times Tables
If you have your own target, please practise every day.
If you do not have your own target, please practise x12.
Sumdog
Well done to everybody who took part in the Sumdog competitions.
Spelling Challenge
Times Tables Challenge
Maths Competition: Boys v Girls
Have a happy sunny weekend!
Year 2 Blog Friday 9th June 2023
Date: 9th Jun 2023 @ 3:45pm
A great week in Year 2, made all the better with the sun shining and more opportunities to be outside. The children are working so hard and are very positive and happy about their learning. They are beginning to look ready for Year3!! On Monday morning, we were very lucky to take part in a story Yoga session. The children thoroughly enjoyed it and did good stretching and poses. We have been doing a lot of dancing in preparation for ‘Dance from the Heart’ which will be taking place next Thursday. Come along and join in, the children would love to show you their great moves. In English, we have been focusing on poetry, suffixes and joined handwriting. In Maths, we have finished our 2-D/3-D shape topic and will be moving on to place value. I have seen a great improvement in everyone’s arithmetic work, a huge well done. During PE, the children spent time learning to strike the ball with a bat and played mini rounders games. In French, we began to put our new phonics learning to use by trying to read and write some colour words, thinking about the sounds in the words. Then we learnt some words for means of transport. We repeated a sentence about how we come to school. For example, Je vais a l'ecole en voiture. Then we tried to join in with the wheels on the bus in French! It was lovely to watch and cheer on the Year 5’s at their Sports Day.
Forest School and Outdoor Learning
We learnt how to safely use a new tool to make a hole in a wood disc. We also did some threading and tied knots to make a decoration. Mrs Corbett showed us how she had made a mobile but we had our own great ideas as well. The wood was quite hard so we had to really persevere to make the hole.
In our other session we used the logs and branches to make dens,obstacle courses, ladders and even some rope swings! Some of us climbed trees. Our teamwork is really good and our imaginations know no bounds!We found spiders and slugs too.
Reading
In Year 2, children should read for at least 15/20 minutes every night and talk about the book. This will help with understanding the text and learning new words.
Reading books are changed every Wednesday. You will receive 2-4 books depending on their length, they should last the week, if you read a little each night. However, if you need to change a book at any other time, we will change it as needed.
Reading resources:
Oxford Owl – This resource has an exciting range of carefully levelled books to help children learn to read and really enjoy it.
If parents and children decide to use this resource, we ask they access phase 5 books. Go to https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/ and select ‘my class login’. Scroll down to the ‘eBook Library for Letters & Sounds’. You could also explore the rest of the site and read books from the Oxford Owl eBook library or listen to audio books.
Username: sto2
Password: 1234
Resources for questioning your child while they are reading - https://www.literacyshedblog.com/uploads/1/2/5/7/12572836/ks1_reading_vipers.pdf
In addition to this, reading a good bed time story to your child is so worthwhile and really helps towards a lifelong love of reading.
Spelling
Please practise these spellings for your quiz on Friday (16.06.23). A sheet will go home every Friday with the spelling list on. This is for home practise only and can be kept with you.
You will have a Sumdog challenge on these words to complete by Friday 16.06.23.
This week’s spellings:
Adding the suffix ‘ly’. Including two words from the Year 1/2 spelling list.
softly loudly
firstly happily
wisely lazily
nicely could
slowly should
Maths
Next week for our times tables quiz (Friday 16.06.23) we will be learning the 3x table in order. A x3 tables sheet has been sent home to help with this.
Count in 3’s forwards and backwards, see how quickly you can go, but it must still be accurate. Play the ‘follow me game’ – one person says ‘3’ the next person says ‘6’ and so on. Chant/sing the x3 table. Ask an adult to quiz you on them in order. Try playing ‘Hit The Button’ game from the maths games listed below.
You will have a 3x table and place value challenge on Sumdog to complete by Friday 16.06.23.
Here are some links to other maths games/apps the children can play to help them learn their number facts.
Topmarks.co.uk also have and English section for phonics/spellings games. If you explore the site you will find lots of different games that are relevant to Year 2.
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://whiterosemaths.com/resources/1-minute-maths
(I believe this app is free to download.)
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/counting
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/multiplication-and-division
Sumdog
Log in at www.sumdog.com
Have a lovely weekend.
Year 2 Team.
Year 4 Blog - Friday 9th June 2023
Date: 9th Jun 2023 @ 8:58am
Year 4 Blog
Friday 9th June 2023
Welcome to your Friday blog. We have had a fantastic first week back and it has been lovely to enjoy the sunny weather outside.
In English, we started our new class novel, King of the Cloud Forest by Michael Morpurgo. We looked carefully at different covers of the book and then made predictions about what we thought the book would be about. We also wrote questions about a chapter for our partner to answer.
In Maths, we played ‘Times Tables Masters’ – you can see us in actions here. We also consolidated our knowledge of 2D shape and learnt about diagonals. In addition, we learnt how to describe and plot coordinates, complete a polygon on a coordinate grid, and describe movements on a coordinate grid as translations.
Translation is simply moving a point – it does not change its appearance in any other way.
In RE, we started our new topic – building bridges. We considered how friendship is like a bridge between people – it needs to be strengthened, maintained or repaired.
In French, we practised listening for certain words within a dialogue. Then we looked at some faces painted by Picasso and had a go at drawing a Picasso-style face. Next week, we will describe it in French.
In PE, we practised our athletic skills in preparation for sports day!
In Art, we painted our illuminated letters. We are very proud of them.
As the weather has been so beautiful this week, we also went outdoors and designed our own obstacle courses. We showed great teamwork and used lots of natural items to create some very ingenious courses. You can see some pictures here.
This week, we have also been lucky enough to try out yoga and boxercise.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Discuss what you have read with someone at home.
Spellings
Here are this week’s spellings. You will be tested on these words next Friday (16th June 2023).
unfortunate unlikely unbelievable disagree disappear
dishonest independent inaccurate inactive recreate
revisit redo submerge submarine subway
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 10’s
Start at 150 and count up to 310 and back again
150 160 170 etc 310 300 290 etc
Start at 53 and count upto 233 and back again
53 63 73 233 223 213 etc
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (14th June 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A challenge based on describing positions on a coordinate grid
- A times tables challenge based on the 6 and 12 times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
Have a brilliant sunny weekend - make sure you go outside and do something you enjoy.
The Year 4 Team
Year 6 Blog Friday 9th June 2023
Date: 9th Jun 2023 @ 8:36am
Welcome to our first blog of Year 6’s final half term.
On Thursday, our Tag Rugby team took on their first 3 matches against Ashbridge, Little Hoole and New Longton and managed to win all three. They did an amazing job working as a team, supporting and encouraging each other. We are looking forward to our last game next week, Thursday 15th June.
We have been busy practising the dance for the ‘Dance from the Heart Roadshow’ – you will be able to see this live on Thursday 15th June where it will be performed with the South Ribble sports team at 10.30am, with our gates opening at 10.25am.
Also, Year 6’s learning this week:
- In Maths, we have been learning how to reflect shapes in various mirror lines and across all four quadrants of a coordinate grid.
- In English, we introduced our new novel, ‘The 1000-Year-Old Boy’, and analysed a chapter to learn more about the character, Aidan, then wrote a diary entry as him.
- In PE, we learnt how to overarm bowl in cricket, focusing on arm technique and accuracy. We then rotated to hitting a straight drive by stepping forward and swinging your arms, with your bat, in a straight line.
- In Geography, we learnt about the importance of the Amazon rainforest. We explored the four main layers of the rainforest (forest floor, under storey, canopy layer and emergent layer) and how this habitat is home to an estimated 50% of the entire world’s species of animals and plants.
- In Art, we used our Geography topic of Brazil to inspire our new project, the artist Romero Britto. He uses amazing colours, pop art and cubism to create stunning artwork.
- In Music, along with our auditions, we have practised all the songs for Oliver, with quite a few trying out for solos. We have some amazing singers in our class.
- In French, we continued to learn the song we are preparing for the leavers' celebrations and we began to learn how to ask for items in a cafe and how to ask for the bill.
- In Science, we learnt about plant and animal adaptations and how adaptation can be a step towards evolution. We looked at the life and work of Charles Darwin and his idea of Survival of the Fittest, meaning the best adapted rather than the one that can run fastest. We read, and drew in response to, the evolution story of the Peppered Moth, an example of Natural Selection. There are a lot of difficult concepts to grasp in this topic - well done Y6.
Home Practice
For the rest of this half term, All Hallows’ have kindly given a ‘Numeracy Skills booklet’, which is very similar to the ones they use. This is a great transition homework to get used to. I have explained how to complete this in class but to remind everyone:
- Work through all 20 questions as best as you can.
- Any you do not understand, we will go through them on WEDNESDAY, which is the deadline.
- This week have a go at completing the sheet 56.1
Date: 9th Jun 2023 @ 8:23am
Welcome back to our final half term in Year 3
This term we will be preparing the children for Year 4 and doing some fantastic final topics in Geography, RE, Art and DT. We will also have our Sports Day and Tough Kidder to look forward to!
This week we have finished the BFG. What an amazing book! We wrote some persuasive letters to the Queen to help stop the giants and we corrected the BFG's writing from his dream labels. Great work Year 3!
In Maths we finished off our addition and subtraction topic with a huge focus on how we solve problems. We talked about when we can do calculations in our head and when do we need to use a jotting or a formal written method. Everyone could give reasons for why they chose different strategies and how they came to an answer! Super maths!
Have a lovely weekend in the sun.
The Year 3 Team
Reception Blog - Friday 9th June 2023
Date: 8th Jun 2023 @ 1:32pm
All of the children have come back from their half term break very grown up.
This week we have started our new topic of journeys. We have been talking about the different transportation there are and we have been writing lists of them. On Tuesday we went onto our school car park and looked for different transport, making tally charts of how many we could see.
In maths we have been doing about 3D shapes. We have been on a 3D shape hunt and we have made our own playdough 3D models.
Year 1 Blog-Friday 9th June 2023
Date: 7th Jun 2023 @ 6:11pm
Welcome to your Friday blog!
It has been lovely welcoming the children back from their half term break and finding out what they've been up to.
English
We started learning through the stories of Katie Morag who lives on the Isle of Strury. She sent us a postcard and some clues about the adventures she gets up to in her stories. We looked at her books to find out facts about her. We also did some role playing. We pretended to be different characters and acted out something that happened in the story. We will continue with Katie Morag next week.
Phonics
We have also been practising reading nonsense words ready for our phonics screen.
Maths
We continued to learn about o'clock and half past times. We know now that if the minute hand is pointing to the 12, it is an o'clock and if it is pointing to the 6, it is a half past.
We also completed some arithmetic and reasoning questions.
R.E.
We focused on how the disciples started to speak in different languages after encountering the Holy Spirit. We wrote the word 'hello' in as many languages as we could around a picture of the disciples.
P.S.H.E.
We focused on strangers and who can be identified as a 'safe stranger'. We wrote what we should do if we come across a stranger and what we should not do.
Science
This week, we focused on trees and how we have evergreen trees and deciduous trees. We went on a tree hunt around the KS1 building and ticked off any that we could see.
Geography
We started to learn about the world. We recapped our UK learning from last term and then we used the atlases to find different geographical features (such as land, oceans and the poles).
P.E.
This week Miss Forshaw taught our P.E. lesson. We focused on running and changing direction. We did a beanbag shuttle run, played domes and dishes and improved our throwing and catching.
We also had a Yoga session with Katie, one of the South Ribble sports coaches. We learnt some positions and put them together in a sequence. We will be having 5 more sessions over the coming weeks.
We are looking forward to performing the Dance From the Heart next week. Please join us next Thursday 10.30 to 11.00 on the playground if you can.
Computing
We had a new character to help this week - BB8! We used sequenced code to help BB8 pick up the scrap metal. The code instructions are beginning to get trickier and longer now!
French
We learnt some words for means of transport. We repeated a sentence about how we come to school eg Je vais a l'ecole en voiture. Then we tried to join in with the wheels on the bus in French and a song about a boat.
Forest School and Outdoor Learning
We learnt how to safely use a new tool to make a hole in a wood disc. We also did some threading and tied knots to make a decoration. Mrs Corbett showed us how she had made a mobile but we had our own great ideas as well. The wood was quite hard so we had to really persevere to make the hole.
In our other session we used the logs and branches to make dens,obstacle courses, ladders and even some rope swings! Some of us climbed trees. Our teamwork is really good and our imaginations know no bounds!We found spiders and slugs too.
Home Practice
Phonics - Split digraph i_e
Maths - Addition
Year 5 Blog Friday 9th June 2023
Date: 7th Jun 2023 @ 9:44am
Happy Friday and welcome to your Friday Blog.
We have had a lovely week back after Half Term.
We were finally able to make our cam toys in DT after some parts we needed arrived. Our design brief was to make a cam toy for the Year 1 children to enjoy in their Golden Time. We designed our cam toys based on the questions we asked the Year 1 children and made sure that we included their likes and interests. Everybody showed excellent resilience and did not give up until they had made a cam toy which had a moving part and which we think Year 1 would enjoy. After we had finished, we evaluated our cam toys thinking about what went well, what challenges we were faced with, how well we had met our design brief, and what we would change next time. We then took our cam toys to Year 1 and were thrilled to see that the children really enjoyed playing with them.
We really enjoyed our Sport's Day on Thursday afternoon. It was wonderful to see everybody trying their best, pushing themselves and really encouraging each other. Well done Year 5!
In maths we have been adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators. We have had to convert one of the fractions in order to be able to add or subtract them, as we can only add or subtract fractions which have the same denominator. The denominator is the bottom number in a fraction that show the number of equal parts something is divided into.
In English we have continued to read our class novel Varjak Paw. We didn't know much about the type of cat Varjak is, he is a Mesopotamian Blue. We decided to research Mesopotamian Blue cats and are in the process of writing an information text all about them so that our reader can find out about them. So far we have focussed on using brackets for parenthesis, we have done this by writing a definition of unfamiliar words inside brackets. The sentences still make sense without the brackets but the information inside adds extra information for the reader.
Here are some examples:
The lifespan (how long they live) of a Mesopotamian Blue is 15 to 20 years.
Masopotamian Blues can be aloof (unfriendly) towards strangers.
They have plush (soft to touch) fur.
:strip_icc()/cute-russian-blue-cat-sitting-on-the-bed--female-cat--498731394-5c2a695746e0fb00015354ac.jpg&usqp=CAU)
In French, we recapped how to conjugate a regular ER verb using jouer - to play. Then we looked at an irregular verb - faire - to do. We then tried to choose the correct form of the verb to use in sentences about sport. A heavy grammar lesson which will make more sense next time it comes up! Well tried, Y5!
Home Practice
Reading
Read out loud every day for 20 minutes. Look out for examples of brackets being used for different reasons.
Spelling
Here are your spellings this week:
ethic enthusiastic lyric athletic mechanic critic rhythmic artistic heroic
electric historic mechanical electrical historical ethical
Counting
Count out loud in:
Tenths from 0 to 1 whole (ten tenths) Zero, one tenth, two tenths, ...
Fifths from 0 to 1 whole (five fifths) Zero, one fifth, two fifths, ...
Eighths from 0 to 1 whole (eight eighths) Zero, one eighth, two eighths, ...
Times Tables
Please practise your times tables every day. Remember you can listen to songs on YouTube and play on Hit the Button.
Sumdog
Times Tables Challenge
Spelling Challenge
Maths Competition in teams
Have a super sunny weekend!
Year 4 Blog Friday 26th May 2023
Date: 26th May 2023 @ 3:50pm
Year 4 Blog
Friday 26th May 2023
Welcome to the final blog of this half term. We have worked hard over the past 5 weeks and are ready for a rest before the Summer Term continues. Here is a summary of our learning this week:
In English, we wrote our own powerful descriptions of the grotto of the fire fiend. We tried to use noun phrases and ambitious vocabulary in our writing. We also investigated the features of an instructional text and then wrote our own set of instructions about how to make a firework. We made up our own name for the firework, as well as some wild and wacky ingredients - we hoped it would be a firework Lila (from the novel) would be proud of.
In Maths, we named and learnt the properties of different quadrilaterals. We discussed their sides and angles and tried to include the words perpendicular, next to and parallel as appropriate. We also used geoboards to make different quadrilaterals and then drew them in our books.
We also practised our tables outside playing ‘Times Tables Masters’. Have a look at some pictures of us enjoying our learning in the sunshine.
In RE, we finished our topic ‘New Life’ with a ‘Respond’ led by 4 children. We reflected on our learning from the topic and considered how we could spread the Good News at school and at home.
In French, we recapped the parts of the face that we learnt last week then showed that we understood the vocabulary by reading some descriptions of faces in French and drawing to match.
In Science, we learnt about the volume of sound and how volume is affected by the distance from the sound source. We related it to practical examples from our lives, for example, the ice cream van sounds louder when it gets closer!
In PE, we practised our net / wall skills. First, we tried bouncing a tennis ball gently on our tennis rackets. Then we practised returning the ball to our partner. Take a look at us in action!
In Geography, we created our PowerPoints highlighting the impact of climate change on our local environment. We made ensure they were informative, bright and colourful and include geographical vocabulary.
In PSHE, we started our new topic by posing the question - How can our choices make a difference to others and the environment? We watched a short film about ocean plastic pollution and the effect on our world environment. Then we defined single use, limited use and extended use plastic. Finally, we placed different plastics into these different categories
As it is half term, there is no Home Practice. However, please try and
- read every single day as this really helps to unlock your learning
- practise your times tables and number bonds
You can practise times tables and number bonds using Hit the Button / timestables.co.uk and White Rose 1 Minute maths.
We hope you have a great half term break and look forward to seeing you again on Monday 5th June 2023.
The Year 4 Team
Year 2 Blog Friday 26th May 2023
Date: 26th May 2023 @ 1:33pm
Summer is definitely here and the children have enjoyed spending a lot of time outdoors doing PE, Forest School, gardening, painting and we even took a trip up to the pond. Make sure you have a look at the gallery. Year 2 deserve a well-earned break for working so hard and giving one hundred percent effort in their quizzes. Have a happy holiday with your family and friends and I look forward to hearing all about it when we get back to school.
Reading
In Year 2, children should read for at least 15/20 minutes every night and talk about the book. This will help with understanding the text and learning new words.
Reading books are changed every Wednesday. You will receive 2-4 books depending on their length, they should last the week, if you read a little each night. However, if you need to change a book at any other time, we will change it as needed.
Reading resources:
Oxford Owl – This resource has an exciting range of carefully levelled books to help children learn to read and really enjoy it.
If parents and children decide to use this resource, we ask they access phase 5 books. Go to https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/ and select ‘my class login’. Scroll down to the ‘eBook Library for Letters & Sounds’. You could also explore the rest of the site and read books from the Oxford Owl eBook library or listen to audio books.
Username: sto2
Password: 1234
Resources for questioning your child while they are reading - https://www.literacyshedblog.com/uploads/1/2/5/7/12572836/ks1_reading_vipers.pdf
In addition to this, reading a good bed time story to your child is so worthwhile and really helps towards a lifelong love of reading.
Spelling
These are the spellings you will be learning after Half Term - Friday (09.06.23). A sheet will go home every Friday with the spelling list on. This is for home practise only and can be kept with you.
You will have a Sumdog challenge on these words to complete by Friday 09.06.23.
Spellings:
Adding the suffix ‘less’. Including two words from the Year 1/2 spelling list.
spotless careless
mindless helpless
homeless colourless
thankless sure
painless sugar
Maths
After Half Term, for our times tables quiz (Friday 09.06.23) we will be learning a mixture of x2, x5, x10 and x3 tables.
Count in 2’s, 5’s, 10’s and 3’s forwards and backwards, see how quickly you can go, but it must still be accurate. Try playing ‘Hit The Button’ game from the maths games listed below.
You will have a x2, x5, x10 and x3 tables challenge on Sumdog to complete by Friday 09.06.23.
Here are some links to other maths games/apps the children can play to help them learn their number facts.
Topmarks.co.uk also have and English section for phonics/spellings games. If you explore the site you will find lots of different games that are relevant to Year 2.
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://whiterosemaths.com/resources/1-minute-maths
(I believe this app is free to download.)
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/counting
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/multiplication-and-division
Sumdog
Log in at www.sumdog.com
Have a lovely Half Term Holiday.
Year 2 Team.
Reception Blog - Friday 26th May 2023
Date: 26th May 2023 @ 1:20pm
We have had a fantastic week learning all about animals. The children have really loved this topic. For Writing we have been writing lists of animals we saw at the zoo and writing Who Am I? clues for everyone to guess the animal, we had lots of fun doing this.
In Maths we have been sharing amounts, using money in our own little shop and we have been recapping 2D shapes that we could see in our classroom.
In French this week, we talked about the points of the compass and why they are useful. Then we played games to reinforce the vocabulary in French.
Our Understanding the World has been a lovely topic as we have looked at habitats. The children have all done a collaborative collage of different habitats, including; jungle, desert, arctic and oceans. We all talked about what we would expect to hear, feel, see and touch in those habitats before we made our collage. Then we made our own animal pictures to go within those habitats. We have also looked at animals from the past that are not here anymore, specifically a woolly mammoth and a sabre toothed tiger! The children loved learning about these extinct animals and used great vocabulary.
For Come and See we started our new topic of Friendship. We all spoke about what makes a good friend and how we can help each other.
Finally, we have been doing outdoor learning, creating our own obstacle course. The children worked very well together and took part in each others courses!
We hope that everyone has a great half term. We can't wait to come back for the final half term with our new topic, journeys!
The Reception Team
Date: 25th May 2023 @ 3:04pm
Welcome to your Friday Blog and Happy Half Term holiday!
This week we have loved reading the BFG. We have been comparing the book to the cartoon and live action film and using these to help us create some lovely pieces of writing. Have a look in our galleries.
On Thursday we had our latest Wonderful World assembly. We read the Little people, Big Ideas biography on David Attenborough. We discussed how we can look after our world and the creatures that we share it with. Our Wonderful World scrap book looks brilliant now. Have a look at our gallery.
In Maths we have been looking at differnt strategies we can use to add and subtract. We also looked at some number sequences and used our number knowledge to solve some problems.
In Science, we completed the plants topic by looking at seed dispersal and the whole life cycle of plants. The children demonstrated their learning by finding dandelions at each stage of the life cycle and putting the plants into order. They annotated the poster with all their learning from the last few weeks. Great job, Year 3!
On Thursday, we went out into our outdoors and created some stick art. We collected some sticks and decorated them using cotton and natural materials. We learned how to tie a simple knot and showed great perserverance when things got tricky. You can see some of our work in our gallery.
We also moved onto the next step of our 3D clay models in Art. We created some miniature models of Egyptian Gods using joins with our clay and experimenting with surface patterns and textures.
Continue to read everynight and spend a little time practising your maths and spellings on Sumdog.
We hope you all have a lovely half term break in the sun.
The Year 3 Team.
Date: 24th May 2023 @ 5:34pm
English
We continued our learning through the story of The Enormous Crocodile. We discussed the story and expressed our opinions about the story. We wrote a book review, taking care with our spelling, handwriting, full stops and capital letters.
We made a card to say thank you to all the staff at Martin Mere for our fabulous trip last week. We wrote some lovely messages and produced some beautiful pictures.
We planned and wrote our own version of The Enormous Crocodile using some of our own very imaginative ideas.
Phonics
Some of us learned ere as in hemisphere. Some of us continued to learn about split digraphs, such as a-e in cake.
Split a-e song Split e-e song More phonics songs
Maths
This week Miss Forshaw taught us our last lesson learning about positional language. Then we started some new learning about telling the time, starting with o'clock . Practise telling the time with your child.
We also practised counting in 2s, 5s and 10s. Ask your child questions such as, what's 5 more/less than 45?, 10 more/less than 40?, 2 more/less than 48? to see if they can apply what they have been learning. If your child seems confident ask 10 more/less than 47?and so on. Keep to numbers less than 100.
P.E.
We practised our throwing, hopping, running and rolling of a ball.
R.E.
We had a fun lesson learning about how the Disciples felt when Jesus ascended and the Holy Spirit came to them. We decorated paper plates with different emotions,
Science
We learnt about the different parts of a leaf and went on a hunt to find our own in the nature area. Then, we sketched our favourite leaf and identified the different parts that we could see.
P.S.H.E.
We talked about people that we trust and how certain people have special jobs. This could mean that we are supposed to trust them more than others (for example a policeman). Then we identified the people that we trust in our lives, such as our parents and teachers.
Computing
We continued helping Scrat get to his acorn on the code.org website. We learnt about 'debugging' and how to fix our mistakes when coding.
Art
We painted our final seaside picture in our sketchbooks. We copied pictures from the iPad and really took our time!
French
We we continued to try and memorise clothes vocabulary with a song, story and games.
Forest School and Outdoor Learning
This week some groups made pancakes. Some groups used a new method of cooking, a Dutch Oven, to make soup. Some of us tried to use a flint and steel to start a fire. This was 1 to 1 with Mrs Corbett. The children found out it was more difficult than it looked! Some children succeeded in starting a fire but all the children who tried showed great determination and perseverance. They will keep on trying hard!
Home Practice
Phonics - split a_e OR suffixes
Maths - time
Please wash your child's P.E. kit over half term and return it to school on the first day back.
Keep reading every day - we are seeing how much of a difference it makes.
Have a great week off and we will see you all on Monday 5th June.
Year 6 Blog Friday 26th May 2023
Date: 24th May 2023 @ 1:59pm
Welcome to the final blog of this half term. It has been a busy 5 weeks but the children have been brilliant, showing their resilience and persevering through a challenging time.
Thank you to everyone who created a speech this week. Every single pupil did a brilliant job of standing in front of the class and speaking for around two minutes. I learnt a great deal about a whole range of topics: Rome, Pendle Witches, Democracy on Ancient Greece, holidays, favourite food, range of sports, dragons and unicorns and even about Eurovision.
Also, Year 6’s learning this week:
In Maths, we have been learning about circles: what radius, diameter and circumference mean. We then used our knowledge of circles to interpret pie charts with percentages.
In English, we have finished our novel, Skellig, and discussed how Michael was affected by the characters around him. We also read one of my favourite stories, Mr Bunny’s Chocolate Town, and created speeches for the very sensible Debbie and the rude Mr Bunny.
In PE, we used our skills of bowling, batting and fielding to play a small game of ‘Dynamos Cricket’.
In Geography, we learnt the 5 regions of Brazil: North, North-east, West-central, South-east and South. We discussed what each region may be like and how that effects population. We then introduced new physical geography terms: The Amazon Basin, The Pantanal and the Brazilian Highlands. We looked at how these areas have different landscapes and what effect that has on the country.
In Music, we have been learning the songs for our Oliver production.
In French, we recapped the Cafe menu and how to say they liked or didn't like items from the menu, using the first person (Je) and 3rdperson (Il/Elle). Then we began to learn the French song which will form part of their leavers' celebrations. Homework - keep listening and singing along. There are a lot of words and it's fast so practice is the only way to master it! The song is on YouTube. It's called On ecrit sur les murs by Kids United.
In Science, we learnt how fossils are formed. There was a lot of discussion and questions. Then we looked at some real fossils and used them as evidence to work out what the animal or plant might have looked like, where it might have lived and what it might have eaten. We thought about whether there was weak, moderate or strong evidence to back up our ideas. Fossils can tell us a lot about life on Earth millions of years ago, but there is also a lot that they cannot tell us which scientists have to work out from other sources. The children did some lovely observation drawings of their fossils too. Well done y6.
Home Practice
Read a good book over the holiday (aim to keep changing it every week).
Learn the Oliver production songs by the 5th July. You have been given a second copy to take and keep at home (it is best to use YouTube or Spotify to sing along with the songs).
Have a super half term Year 6 – you deserve it!
Year 5 Blog Friday 26th May 2023
Date: 24th May 2023 @ 9:29am
Happy Friday and welcome to your Friday Blog
We have had a fantastic week this week.
In English we have continued reading Varjak Paw. We are really enjoying this book, it is so exciting. This week we have been writing more setting descriptions. Our focus has been to describe the city that Varjak goes to in two different ways. The first is the city when varjak first arrives. It is an exciting place with lots going on. The second is the city as night time approaches. Varjak begins to feel scared of the city. We have made sure that we have shown these two feelings in our descriptions - excitement and fear!
In maths we have been learning about improper and mixed fractions.
An improper fraction is a number greater than one whole.
A mixed fraction is a whole number and a proper fraction combined.
We have been lucky enough to have two lessons with Gareth the sports journalist this week. In our first lesson we wrote all about the paralympics, we were so inspired by the incredible athletes.
Please keep up with reading and practising times tables over half Term.
Have an amazing Half Term and see you for the final half term of the year!
Date: 23rd May 2023 @ 12:10pm
We have noticed a growing number of children from all classes accessing this platform and so here is a guide on how to use the platform, including what potential risks come with allowing your children on Roblox.
Below you will find a link to join the National Online Safety platform and gain free access to a huge range of videos, resources and support, incuding filtering and the best ways to monitor your child's online activity.
http://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/st-oswald-s-catholic-primar-school-pr45eb
Year 2 Blog Friday 19th May 2023
Date: 19th May 2023 @ 4:35pm
Another extremely busy week of learning in Year 2, but the children rose to the challenge and made me very proud of all their efforts, behaviour and hard work, well done everyone. In English, we worked on how to spell tricky words and also looked at two poems. The children read, Tell it to the Dog and The Magic Pebble. They wrote down things they would moan to their pets about and planned a poem about a pebble that granted any wishes. In Maths, we moved on to telling the time. We learnt five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five and thirty minutes past the hour. Please practise telling the time at home with your child. During Art, the children painted their Tiddalik the frog clay models which looked amazing. Hopefully not too many of them broke when they took them home today! The children did so well in their Sports Day, the video will be available to watch soon. In PE, we practised overarm throws and played mini-rounders games.
Reading
In Year 2, children should read for at least 15/20 minutes every night and talk about the book. This will help with understanding the text and learning new words.
Reading books are changed every Wednesday. You will receive 2-4 books depending on their length, they should last the week, if you read a little each night. However, if you need to change a book at any other time, we will change it as needed.
Reading resources:
Oxford Owl – This resource has an exciting range of carefully levelled books to help children learn to read and really enjoy it.
If parents and children decide to use this resource, we ask they access phase 5 books. Go to https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/ and select ‘my class login’. Scroll down to the ‘eBook Library for Letters & Sounds’. You could also explore the rest of the site and read books from the Oxford Owl eBook library or listen to audio books.
Username: sto2
Password: 1234
Resources for questioning your child while they are reading - https://www.literacyshedblog.com/uploads/1/2/5/7/12572836/ks1_reading_vipers.pdf
In addition to this, reading a good bed time story to your child is so worthwhile and really helps towards a lifelong love of reading.
Spelling/Maths
There will be no spellings/times tables or Sumdog to learn next week as we will be busy doing the rest of the Year 2 Quizzes in Reading and Maths. Please continue to read with your child and make sure they are well rested and ready for our busy week ahead.
Here are some links to other maths games/apps the children can play to help them learn their number facts.
Topmarks.co.uk also have and English section for phonics/spellings games. If you explore the site you will find lots of different games that are relevant to Year 2.
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://whiterosemaths.com/resources/1-minute-maths
(I believe this app is free to download.)
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/counting
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/multiplication-and-division
Have a lovely weekend.
Year 2 Team.
Year 6 Blog Friday 19th May 2023
Date: 19th May 2023 @ 3:33pm
Welcome to our Year 6 blog.
This week has been another busy one following our SATs week. On Thursday we attended church to celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, led by Year 6. This Friday, we had a visit from the CEO of the Foxton Centre in Preston who gave us a talk about their fantastic charity work for the homeless community.
Also, Year 6’s learning this week:
- In Maths, we have learnt about line graphs, how to interpret them and draw various continuous data. Next week, we will learning more about pie charts and how to interpret them.
- In English, we have learnt how to improve our persuasive writing through planning and creating a persuasive letter to one of the Skellig characters on why they should try home school or state school.
- In PE, we focused on our athletics skills: running, throwing and jumping, as we prepare for our last Sports Day at St Oswald’s. Also, we prepared our ‘mini coaching’ sessions by designing them and practising each activity with other groups.
- In Geography, we introduced our new topic, Brazil, through mapping work of South America and learnt the bordering countries surrounding it.
- In History, we learnt about the Maya rule and how this compares to the Anglo-Saxons at the same period (8th to 10th century).
- In PSHE, we discussed our responsibilities around school, and how we can use what we have learnt from them as we begin transitioning to high school.
- In RE, we began our new topic, ‘Witness’, where we learnt how our beliefs and values affect what we do when being a witness.
Home Practice this week.
This week I have a different task for you to complete. Part of our speaking and listening area of the English curriculum is to give presentations on a variety of topics. Doing this individually though, will be great practice for any future activities you undertake in high school. Therefore, this weekend, I would like you to create a two-minute speech to present between next Monday to Friday. It can be:
- About any topic you wish
- About a talent you have
- About a skill you developed
- About any holiday you have been on
- About your pet and how to look after it
- About absolutely anything.
Year 4 Blog - Friday 19th May 2023
Date: 19th May 2023 @ 1:18pm
Year 4 Blog
Friday 19th May 2023
We have had a very busy week in Year 4! Here’s a brief overview of what we have been learning:
In English, we continued to explore noun phrases and tried to write our own which also included a prepositional phrase. In order to write an expanded noun phrase we:
- Chose a noun - for example, cookie
- Added a determiner - The cookie
- Chose 2 adjectives - The tasty, crumbly cookie
- Included a prepositional phrase - The tasty, crumbly cookie with the marshmallow pieces
- Finished the sentence - The tasty, crumbly cookie with the marshmallow pieces fell on the floor.
Next week we hope to include some noun phases / expanded noun phrases in our writing.
In Maths, we compared and ordered angles. We also identified vertical and horizontal lines of symmetry in shapes, completed symmetrical figures and named and identified the 3 different types triangle.
In RE, we listened to the story of Paul and discussed how he changed. Following this, we learnt about some of the places Paul visited to spread the Good News, and how the Holy Spirit gave Paul new life and happiness.
In French, we practised spelling number words to 12 using our phonics to help. Then we moved on to learning the vocabulary for parts of the face.
In PE, we took part in some athletic activities in preparation for our sports day.
In Science, we experimented with our home-made string telephones. We investigated how they worked, how the sound travelled and what stopped the telephone from working. We also tried to make improvements if needed. Well done Year 4 – you can see some pictures of our science investigation here.
This week we also attended the parish mass on Monday morning. Following this, we enjoyed juice and cake in the school hall as part of our First Holy Communion Celebrations. You can see some pictures here. In addition, we attended the Ascension Day Mass on Thursday afternoon.
The CEO of the Foxton Centre in Preston also visited on Friday morning. He gave us a very interesting talk about how they help the homeless community of Preston.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Please discuss what you have read with the person who has listened to you read.
Spellings
Next week our spellings are all homophones – words which sound the same but are spelt differently. You will be tested on these words next Friday. (26th May 2023).
The words are:
weather whether who's whose medal meddle
missed mist there their they're
aloud allowed groan grown
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 11’s
Start at 0 and count up to 132 and back again
0 11 22 etc 132 121 110 etc
Start at 20 and count up to 141 and back again
20 31 42 etc 141 130 119 etc
(TIPS - When counting up, add on 10 and then add another 1
When counting down, subtract 10 and then take away another 1)
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (24th May 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Please also practise the ‘Multiplication Tables Check’ on timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A symmetry challenge
- A times tables challenge based on the 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
The Year 4 Team