West Leigh Juniors Weekly News 4th october 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,

I would like to say thank you to everyone who continued to park appropriately around the school this week. The infant and junior schools jointly sent a letter concerning this as the safety of the children is always our number one priority. The parking of cars near to junctions and on yellow lines increases the risk of accidents. We know that finding a space close to the school can be challenging; it is often necessary to find a space slightly further from the school and walking the remaining distance. Whilst this can be inconvenient, I am sure you agree that the safety of the children must come first. Thank you for your help and understanding.

Best wishes for a lovely weekend.

Mr Aggus

Principal

Year 3

In English, Year 3 has been engrossed in their 'Brilliant Book'- Stone Girl, Bone Girl. This book has allowed the children to learn about Mary Anning and her role as an archaeologist. The week began with children predicting their thoughts on what Mary would achieve in her life, using the front cover and the first page as evidence. Following this, they thought about what it would be like to discover their own fossil and created a piece of descriptive writing about this experience.

Maths has looked slightly different this week as Year 3 began learning in their new maths bands. The focus has been on money where children have worked out the total of different amounts of money, calculated change and applied their knowledge of money to solve word problems.

As scientists, Year 3 has completed investigations in order to answer questions about the human skeleton. The children generated a variety of questions, and in groups, created their own predictions and drew conclusions based on their findings.

In Connected Curriculum, the children explored the outdoors at Belfairs Woods, looking for materials that Stone Age people might have used to paint. They found sticks, rocks, feathers, acorns and a variety of other natural materials. The children also studied how the role of a Stone Age man developed across the time period from hunter-gatherer to farmer.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Learning Conferences - 30.09.2024
• Whole School - Learning Conferences - Booking Guide - 30.09.2024
• Year 3 - Maths Bands - 27.09.2024

Year 4

This week, our English focus has been on journalistic texts. The children have identified the purpose and features of newspaper reports. They have also worked in groups to prepare and deliver a verbal journalistic report about an interesting discovery of an artefact. These were presented to others before writing the report in full.

In maths, we have been focusing on addition and have used the formal method to calculate answers. Some groups have practised formal subtraction and used exchange where required. They also applied their estimating skills to determine whether an answer is sensible. Some groups further applied their skills to solve addition and subtraction problems and puzzles.

In science, the results of our ‘Eggsperiment’ were exciting to see. It was interesting to observe the effect that some liquids had upon the eggs. This enabled the children to draw conclusions and suggest improvements as to how the experiment could have been carried out.

As artists, the children enjoyed using a range of coloured and sketching pencils to experiment with shading. They used these skills to create an observational drawing of a container, paying particular attention to areas of light and dark.

In history, great fun was had when the children learnt about the process of mummification. They worked in groups to mummify a tomato using a special blend of salt and bicarbonate of soda called Natron. We look forward to seeing the results in a few weeks time.

In our RE lessons, we have looked at Hinduism and how Hindus show their faith. We created our own jigsaws and discussed where their religion fits into their own daily lives.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Learning Conferences - 30.09.2024
• Whole School - Learning Conferences - Booking Guide - 30.09.2024

Year 5

There is definitely an autumnal nip in the air but it certainly has not deterred Year 5’s enthusiasm for learning.

Our focus in English lessons this week has been on explanation texts. The children began the week studying various explanations, locating their similarities and differences to other text types – particularly instructional texts. Making further links with our layered reading text, the children were provided with information about fireworks including the anatomy of fireworks, the process of making them, how the effects were produced and finally, information regarding the way they are launched. Once the research and note- taking were complete, the writing began with an emphasis on the correct use of suitable fronted adverbials and including a range of comparative and causal conjunctions. Cross curricular links with the study of chemistry were of great interest to many of the children!

Maths lessons have returned to the study of multiplication and division. Understanding of multiples and factors including common factors have been honed along with practising and applying times tables knowledge. Multiplying numbers by 10, 100 and 1000 has been covered in all classes and multiplying by multiples of 10 and formal methods of multiplication have also been revisited.

Anglo Saxons and their settlements have been and will continue to be the theme of the learning over this and next week in Year 5. Understanding what a settlement is and the types of settlements that we have today, including locating examples and their features, will lead to a geographical enquiry. Using knowledge of grids, the children will then create their own Saxon settlement using the knowledge gained from previous research. This will also lead into work regarding the roles in Saxon society and how these also influenced the decision of where best to build a thriving settlement.

Finally, in science, the children have used the internet, other written resources and their own knowledge from previous learning, to create an informative fact-file on Sir Isaac Newton. They were asked to select how they would present the information, discussing effective ideas that they could use to provide accurate and interesting detail and engaging design .

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Learning Conferences - 30.09.2024
• Whole School - Learning Conferences - Booking Guide - 30.09.2024

Year 6

In English, as writers, the pupils have been diligently working on completing and improving their war-based narratives. They have edited and modified these to enhance their storytelling skills. The stories have evolved into captivating accounts of wartime experiences, demonstrating the students' creativity and attention to detail.

In maths, a new unit has begun, focusing on fractions, decimals and percentages. This unit provides our Year 6 students with a comprehensive understanding of these fundamental concepts. They are refining and extending their skills, with opportunities to tackle increasingly complex problems. Additionally, they have faced further problems, applying their understanding of addition and subtraction of fractions

In art, they have embarked on an exciting journey, learning about how linear perspective is applied in art. In the coming weeks, they will be incorporating this technique into their artwork, creating pieces that relate to the Second World War.

In science, they have been putting their knowledge of switches to practical use by designing imaginative circuits. They were tasked with creating innovative ideas to control components in a range of circuits. This hands-on exploration not only deepened their understanding of electrical circuits but also encouraged their inventiveness and problem-solving skills.

Letters sent home this week

• Whole School - Learning Conferences - 30.09.2024
• Whole School - Learning Conferences - Booking Guide - 30.09.2024

Online Safety

Online gaming enjoys an apparently ever-increasing level of popularity, and many players are eager to connect with one another as they enjoy a friendly competition or go for the win side-by-side. Whether it’s to strategise and coordinate, or simply have a chat as you indulge in your hobby, the fact remains that plenty of games now offer a means for their players to talk to one another, be that in a text or voice format.

Unfortunately, this functionality – which is used to connect with strangers just as often as it is with friends – poses several risks to younger players, and it’s vital for parents and educators to understand these safety concerns. This guide offers expert advice on the issues that may arise when using in-game chat, and lets you know how to safeguard the children in your care as they make use of this technology.

Key Notices this Week

School Lunch Bookings: Please remember to book school lunches before the 8.00am cut off. If you miss the cut-off, please provide your child with a packed lunch as the children are unable to order a meal in class.

Breakfast Club: There are a small number of children who are currently attending breakfast club in addition to a morning extra curricular club. To reflect that they are only in breakfast club between 7.30am and 8.00am, we are trialling a reduced fee of £3 for these children. This will appear as an option on Parenpay from next week. We are not able to waive the fee completely as we must ensure that appropriate levels of adult supervision are on site from 7.30am. Unfortunately, this will not include breakfast as the staff will still be welcoming children during this time and breakfast is served after 8.00am. If your child is attending a morning extra curricular club, please ensure that they have breakfast at home. We hope that this change will be a welcome one for those families affected.

End of Day Arrangements: If your end of day arrangements change, please contact the office before 3.00pm to let us know so we can ensure that all important messages are shared.

Golden Thank Yous

This week we have awarded 18 golden thank you's to children who have demonstrated one of our Golden Values - 1 for showing integrity, 1 for responsibility and 16 for demonstrating empathy.

House Points

Messages from FOWLS

Don’t forget tonight is the Year 5 Disco, taking place in the dining hall at 7pm. Arrival is from 6.45pm (please do not arrive before 6.45pm, thank you). If you haven't booked and would like to, please ask your class rep for the booking form or contact Simon at simontaylor7472@gmail.com

Halloween Craft Sets and competition - closing date for orders: Wednesday 9th October. See poster below and order via your class rep.

The Christmas Fayre is getting closer (Saturday 30th November) and we would still welcome more volunteers on the day. There's various shifts and a shift covering a stall is just 2 hours which gives you 2 hours still to go around the fayre with the family. If you can help please click on the QR code in the poster below and sign up or contact your class rep for the link.

The Christmas Art project is underway and the children's amazing Christmas designs will be coming home be-fore half term. The order form is on the back of the design and must be returned back to School no later than the 5th November. Please ensure the order form is not cut, bent or damaged as that will show on the printing. If you have any questions just ask your class rep and your class rep will also be able to confirm payment de-tails. For any Junior children that would like to take part in the Art project, templates can be collected from the Junior School office

Do you know about Friends of West Leigh Lotto? The draw takes place every month with CASH prizes whilst also raising funds for the schools. It’s super easy to sign up so if you fancy a chance to win a cash prize or would like to find out more contact Oanh Ly who runs our Lotto:  fowlslott@gmail.com

ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THE ABOVE, PLEASE EMAIL simontaylor7472@gmail.com

Our Parent Council has been extremely successful over the past years and has been instrumental in driving forward positive change within our school. The council meet once every term at 4.30pm to discuss views on a range of important issues and councillors will be able to use our After-School Club on this evening (free of charge) if required to help with childcare. Our first meeting this academic year will take place on Monday 11th November at 4.30pm.

At present, we have vacancies in 4E, 4C, 4SW and 6P. It would be a shame if the views of the parents in these classes were not able to be considered at our meetings - if you feel you could spare three evenings a year to represent your child's class, it would be much appreciated. The role could even be shared between more than one parent if needed.

If this is something you are able to offer, please get in touch with Mrs London via the school office.

We very much hope that we will be able to find parents in these classes to represent the majority views amongst our parent community.

Community News

Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) invite parent carers of children with SEND to their first seminar in this new academic year: Health Assessment Pathways. The event will run on Friday, 11 October from 9.15 to 2.45pm at Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER. Refreshments will be provided. This seminar is aimed at parent carers of children with Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities (SEND) who may need information and support regarding accessing Health Services.

The Seminar will cover questions such as:

• How do I access the Lighthouse Centre?
• Do I need to involve my GP?
• What happens in my appointment?
• What role does school play?
• Who are CAMHS and can I access their services?

Plus, any additional questions you may have

Read more and book your ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ssif-seminar-health-assessment-pathways-tickets-1015978357617