Friars Weekly Newsletter friday 15th NOVEMBER 2024

Coming up in this edition of the newsletter...

• Spottings of a very rare bear in school...
• School Photographs on Monday
• Big computing lessons update - welcome back Mrs. Pinckney

This week has certainly been a busy one with lots happening in school. We began the week with a Remembrance assembly on Monday where we all observed a 2-minute silence. The children were exceptional. Anti-Bullying Week saw us all wear odd socks on Tuesday and the week finished with Children in Need. Pudsey did indeed make an appearance – it is great that we have such connections with famous celebrities! Rumour has it that Father Christmas is being lined up for next month 😊.

Swimming lessons for Years 2 and 4 came to an end and now it is the turn of Years 1 and 5. Swimming continues to be really successful and we have all been very impressed with how it has all turned out. Hopefully if your child has been swimming, they have told you how much they enjoyed it.

Next week we have our Learning Conversation Evenings. Please do make sure that you have booked an appointment.

Have a lovely weekend and see you on Monday.

Mr. Chris McClay, Principal

School Photographs

On Monday 18th November, we have our rearranged school individual photographs. Please make sure that your child is wearing their full uniform on the day – ideally with their jumper or cardigan. If the weather is pleasant the photographs will be taken outside.

Year 6: Please can the children wear their PE kits to school and bring their uniform to change into.

Year 5: Please can the children wear their school uniform to school. The children will not have PE in the afternoon due to swimming. They will still have PE on Wednesday afternoon.

Year 2: Please can the children wear their school uniform to school and bring their PE kit to change into.

Year 1: Please can the children wear their school uniform to school. Although Starlings class will have outdoor learning in the afternoon, they can stay in their uniform. Individual photographs will take place before morning swimming.

Nursery: If your child does not normally attend the nursery on a Monday and you would like them to have their photo taken, please pop along with them for 9:00am.

Nursery

This week in Nursery the children have learnt about Remembrance. We watched a short clip of the King laying a wreath and talked about why we do this. Some children had already noticed the adults in nursery wearing poppies and were keen to make their own. We used different forms of printing to create individual poppies and college to form a group picture. We also took part in ‘Odd Socks Day' and Children in Need. We read the story ‘Simon Socks’ and talked about being unique. From this, the children all decorated their own sock, which are displayed in Nursery. Of course, the children loved wearing something yellow or spotty for Children in Need. In group time we have introduced the phonemes s and a to the children. A new phoneme each week will now be taught.

REMINDER: Please remember our 'Stay and Play' sessions continue this half-term. Please refer to the original letter for dates or they are on the school website.

School photos have been rescheduled for Monday, if this is not your child’s nursery day, they are welcome to come in at 9am for an individual photo.

Reception

It has been another busy but fun week. We spoke to the children about remembrance, and they have made lots of poppies using different media, including collaging, cubes, and chalks on the path. In maths, we introduced the concept of more and less through storytelling, counting items and a practical activity using cubes. In phonics we have learnt ‘v’ ‘w’ ‘x’ and ‘y’ as well as the tricky words ‘and’ ‘has’ ‘his’ ‘her.’ If you want to practise these at home that would be helpful. In our outside area, the children have been highly creative with the building equipment, they have made houses, cars, and rockets. It is lovely to see them engaging positively and constructively with each other.

REMINDER: School photographs have been re-scheduled for Monday morning.

Year 1

Year 1 have had a fantastic week and enjoyed their first swimming lessons. The children were so excited to get in the pool with their friends and we can’t wait to watch their confidence grow over the next week. We are very proud of them all! In maths, we have been spending time looking at number bonds within 10. This is a great skill to practise at home as it aids them with their ability to recall facts quickly in lots of areas of maths. On Tuesday, the children enjoyed wearing their odd socks to celebrate everyone’s differences. Lots of fun was had for Children in Need Day! A busy week for Year 1!

Year 2

In English this week, we have continued our work on poetry. We learnt about onomatopoeia and found examples in firework poems. We then wrote a class poem including nouns, verbs, adjectives and onomatopoeia, and this inspired us to write our own poems about fireworks!

In maths, we have been adding and subtracting 10s to and from numbers. We have been using our knowledge of place value to subtract more than one 10 from a two-digit number. The children have been working very hard to build their understanding of addition and subtraction.

In geography, we looked around our school playground to find human and physical geographical features. The children enjoyed observing and recording the features that they spotted!

Our favourite part of the week was wearing our odd socks for Anti-Bullying Week. We explored anti-bullying in our PSHE lesson. We discussed similarities and differences between us and the children explained where to go for help if someone is bullying them.

Year 3

In English, this week we have been completing diary entries as though we were George. We thought about what we did using George’s Marvellous Medicine as a base, how we felt and used grammar terms such as adverbial time phrases and time conjunctions in our writing.

In maths, we have begun our new topic of multiplication and division and have started to look at methods to use such as groupings and arrays to help us with our calculations.

In the afternoons, we looked at food groups in science and discussed what carbohydrates, proteins, dairy and fats and oils were and how much we should be having throughout the day. We do know we need to be eating a balanced diet and that can include the occasional treat!

We are really enjoying our PE, which is hockey. We have been learning how to push pass, receive and dribble the ball the last couple of weeks.

Of course, the best part of the week was wearing odd socks to school on Monday and non-school uniform on Friday. We have learnt so much about anti bullying and how to show each other respect!

REMINDER: School photos have been rescheduled for Monday 18th November.

Please ensure you are reading as often as you can at home and practise spellings.

Spellings can be learnt by drawing them in pictures, writing silly sentences or writing them in all different coloured pens!

Year 4

Our focus in English this week has been diary entries, and we immersed ourselves in the lives of Anglo-Saxon children to imagine what we might record in our diaries at that time. We enjoyed learning about what we might have got up to in our settlements and used emotive language to describe how it might feel to know our family members are away fighting the Vikings!

In history, we continued our focus on the Vikings with Norse Mythology and looking at Viking gods. We also had a wonderful circle time linked to Anti-Bullying week this week.

In maths, we began our topic of multiplication and division and focused on commutativity and how to solve problems using our times tables facts.

We were super lucky to have Mr Buxton visit us this week. He joined us in lessons and in the afternoon, took us for a fun, engaging and funny drama workshop! All of the children got involved and enjoyed taking part which was lovely to see!

Year 5

This week in English, our focus has been on non-chronological reports. The children have spotted features and used these to write an informative text about Friars. On Thursday, they researched Ancient Egyptian pyramids for a non-chronological report they will be writing soon. We also continued our work on relative clauses as these are useful for all genres of writing.

In maths, we have continued with fractions. The children have worked extremely hard and persevered with tricky topics. We have had to bring a range of fraction skills together to achieve our learning objectives.

History was lots of fun! The students researched Ancient Egyptian God and Goddesses and used their knowledge to create Pokemon style playing cards.

It was Year 5’s first music lesson with our specialist music teacher, Mrs. Bemister. The children were able to play the ukeleles. They played 4 notes which built up to the C chord.

Finally, we began swimming lessons on Wednesday. The children have all thoroughly enjoyed themselves and are looking forward to getting back into the pool next week.

Year 6

In English this week, Year 6 have looked at the narrative poem, The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. We have unpicked the text, identifying and understanding the style and vocabulary used. We have sequenced the events as our task has been to turn the poem into a narrative. The children have used their grammatical knowledge to interpret the characters and their actions.

Computing

It has been wonderful to be back in the computer suite this week working with all year groups on their new creating media unit, we have 3D modelling, stop frame animation, photography, digital painting, vector drawings and creating podcasts happening this half-term and I am very excited to see how each year group progresses.

Year 6 began their new unit - 3D modelling where they had the opportunity to begin exploring Tinkercad. Once children were logged in, they were able to tinker with the different features including adding 3D shapes to a project and then using various tools to look at the image from several different perspectives. We also looked at the zoom tool and how significant it can be in relation to 3D modelling and the position of the objects. Children are able to access Tinkercad from any device using this code and their log in.

Tinkercad - Create 3D digital designs with online CAD

Year 2 also began their new unit digital photography where they were using the iPads to take pictures. Firstly, we discussed the importance of seeking permission before we take any photograph following this, we went outside and played photography bingo where children were asked to take photos of a person, a building, a close up, an action shot, a selfie and something in the distance.

Year 4 are currently working on the audio production unit where children are being asked to think, design and create a podcast of their choosing. Some ideas were provided to include a topic they have learned in class, an interview or a topic they know well. Continuing from last week they worked hard to complete their scripts using Microsoft Word before we start recording the audio on the iPads next week. We spent some time listening to podcasts in order to identify some of the different key features including introduction, interviews and sound effects. Students were also shown where they could listen to various podcasts by streaming/downloading them legally.

The Year 1 students used the Paintz app this week and practised their mouse control. They were asked to use the line, shape and fill tool to create a piece of art in the style of Piet Mondrian who is famous for his abstract art using the primary colours.

This week Year 5 worked on their vector drawings using PowerPoint. They were asked to identify the various different shapes which were used to create an object before creating their own vector drawing. They used many skills including, moving, selecting, resizing, copying and pasting different shapes together to create an image.

Finishing the week, the Year 3 children worked on the iPads using iMotion. They were asked to create animated movement with a sequence of images, they were able to predict what an animation will look like and began to create an effective stop frame animation using a range of props and the iPads.

Mrs. Pinckney

Online Safety

Most modern-day families probably use a multitude of devices at home. Sometimes, such devices are used more often by the children of the household, with many smartphones, laptops, consoles and the like being exclusively enjoyed by the younger members of the family. However, between the online safety risks that come with this technology and the physical, emotional and mental impacts of overuse, it can be a good idea to set some ground rules for the sake of children’s wellbeing.

Agreeing rules around the use of tech in the home can sometimes pose a challenge, and it can be difficult to know what's reasonable, what might be a step too far, and what doesn’t go far enough. That’s why we’ve created this safety guide, offering you top-level advice on how to successfully think up and enforce rules for using devices.

PE & Sports

Last week we shared that the Y5/6 boy's football team did well at the Len Forge tournament. They narrowly missed out on a top three place and did themselves proud. Next week we have some children in Years 3 and 4 taking part in a dodgeball tournament over at Garons. Good luck to everyone.

Music and Singing Assembly

This week Year 5 started their ukulele lessons and what a brilliant start they have made! All the children listened so well during the instruction which meant that they are all able to play open strings and keep time when playing a simple song together. Next week we move on to chords!

In both choir and music assembly, the children are beginning to sing songs in preparation for Christmas! Christmas already, I hear you say!! Before we know it, the festive season will be upon us and we are preparing for all the fun!

PTA

Please continue to help us with Asda's 'Cashpot for Schools'.

Asda will donate money to our school for everyone who signs up and if you buy shopping in Asda, cashback will be given to Friars every time... Thank you in advance.