West Leigh Juniors Weekly News

PE Days Summer 1

3T

• Indoor PE - Tuesday
• Outdoor PE - Friday

3H

• Indoor PE - Wednesday
• Outdoor PE - Thursday

3L

• Indoor PE - Monday
• Outdoor PE - Friday

3M

• Indoor PE - Tuesday
• Outdoor PE - Thursday

Swimming

• 3H - Monday
• 3L – Tuesday
• 3T – Wednesday
• 3M – Wednesday

Year 4

It has been lovely to welcome the children back after their Easter break. The have returned to school feeling refreshed and ready for the exciting term ahead.  This week, our English lessons have involved studying an adapted version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The children have been introduced to the main characters from the story and have studied the relationships between them. Using their skimming and scanning skills, the children identified the characters’ actions and the dialogue used between them. From this, they were able to ascertain the characters’ private thoughts, feelings and desires. They have also used direct speech to write a conversation between two of the characters and have analysed the text to see how language is used to create suspense. In maths, there has been a focus on geometry, where the children have revised the various types of angles. They have used the correct mathematical vocabulary to identify and sort a range of polygons, including triangles and quadrilaterals, based on their properties.  In science, our new topic of electricity was introduced. The children have defined what electricity is and have studied a range of electrical appliances, including those which are battery operated, those which run on mains and those which run on both. They have studied the hazards associated with electricity and have produced an electrical safety poster showing the dangers to avoid. As geographers, Year 4 went on their geography field study to Southend in order to find the answer to the question: ‘Is Southend-on–Sea a suitable location for a theme park?’ They used various fieldwork techniques such as completing field sketches, carrying out questionnaires to the general public, traffic and ride surveys and taking photos. The children thoroughly enjoyed the valuable experience and found out a great deal about the area in terms of its human and physical features. 

PE Days Summer 1

4B

• Indoor PE - Friday
• Outdoor PE - Tuesday

4E

• Indoor PE - Monday
• Outdoor PE - Thursday

4SW

• Indoor PE - Wednesday
• Outdoor PE - Thursday

4C

• Indoor PE - Monday
• Outdoor PE - Tuesday

Swimming

• 4B - Monday
• 4SW - Monday
• 4C - Wednesday
• 4E - Friday

Year 5

 As if all the Easter eggs on the mantel piece at home weren't enough, we have indulged our taste buds further this week as we have started our new Connected Curriculum topic: Chocolate.  On Tuesday, the children all took part in our hook day which allowed them to think about chocolate all day long! Starting with a quiz on chocolate trivia, we quickly moved onto a variety of different activities: making our own chocolate stirrers (which we hope have been enjoyed at home) using dark chocolate partnered with other flavour combinations, beginning to learn about the culture of Mesoamerica and the Maya, making authentic Mayan hot chocolate as well as listening to stories from the Maya and considering what chocolate means to us. It was such a fun day, full of excitement and enthusiasm for our exciting topic ahead.   In our English lessons, the children were introduced to a mouse called Armstrong - the first mouse to the moon! This is a delightful tale to explore as the children follow the story of this resourceful mouse as he plans a trip to the moon - but the FBI are hot on his tail! This story is a great link with our science learning for this half term which is based on Earth and Space - how fortunate that NASA launched Artemis II just in time for our topic!  Next week, we are heading to Belfairs Woods to investigate whether cacao trees could grow in Leigh on Sea as part of our geography filed study. 5N and 5F will head out on Tuesday, whilst 5G and 5A will go on Thursday. If possible, please can your child bring a packed lunch on their day so we can make a prompt exit from school at 1pm.  Please also ensure they are wearing suitable shoes, a coat in case of April showers and sun cream, if necessary.   Today, the children have brought home this half term's creative homework - a lunar diary.  A new moon is set to grace our skies tonight.  Please can we ask that you encourage your child to look for the moon each night and draw what they see on the homework sheet they have been given.  They will need to bring this back into school on Monday 11th May for the science lesson that week.  

PE Days Summer 1

5G

• Indoor PE - Tuesday
• Outdoor PE - Wednesday

5A

• Indoor PE - Friday
• Outdoor PE - Monday

5N

• Indoor PE - Friday
• Outdoor PE - Monday

5F

• Indoor PE - Thursday
• Outdoor PE - Wednesday

​​Swimming

• 5N – Tuesday
• 5F – Tuesday
• 5G – Thursday
• 5A – Thursday

Year 6

Year 6 have enjoyed a busy and engaging week, applying their knowledge and developing new skills across the curriculum. In English, they have been developing their GPS (grammar, punctuation and spelling) skills, with a particular focus on refining their understanding of active and passive voice, as well as the use of commas for clarity. They have also worked hard to apply their improving reading comprehension skills with a range of engaging texts. In science, pupils have been introduced to the human body, learning about the key organs and their functions. This has provided a strong foundation for future learning, as they begin to understand how different systems work together to keep the body functioning effectively. In geography, they explored different types of settlements, identifying key characteristics and considering why settlements develop in particular locations. They also began to build their knowledge of the counties of England, developing a stronger sense of place and national geography. In Design and Technology, the pupils used Lego WeDo kits to investigate how movement can be generated and controlled. Through coding and experimentation, they learned to mimic the movement of animals, which will - hopefully - be applied next week with creativity, problem-solving and an increasing confidence with programming concepts.