porters grange weekly newsletter week ending 10th November 2023

Remembrance Day

We were very proud with the perfect way in which the children observed the minute silence today for Remembrance Day. Prior to 11 o'clock, the children had discussions in class about the significance of the day and the importance of showing respect for those who have given their lives in the armed forces and for anyone affected by war around the world.

Children in Need

Friday 17th November is Children in Need day. We will be raising money for this worthwhile charity by having a non-school uniform day. If you have anything Pudsey related, feel free to wear it, but don't feel you have to.

We will be collecting for the charity and your child will be able to bring in cash donations to give to their class teacher. There is no expectation to donate; we understand that many will have donated already or have other charities which they support.

Nursery

This week we have had a very exciting week. At the beginning of the week we talked about fireworks, the colours, shapes and noises. We had special black playdough and made and painted our own fireworks. On Friday we learnt about why we wear a poppy. We made some of our own poppies and made some yummy poppy biscuits.

REMINDERS: Please unsure your child comes to nursery daily with a warm coat and the appropriate footwear for the weather conditions as we use the outside environment daily …. rain or shine!!

Reception

This week we were excited to talk about Guy Fawkes and the fireworks displays. We learned how to use different describing words to describe the sounds they make. We were learning how to make a 3D firework using paper. We had lots of fun acting out ‘helicopter stories’; we have had to think carefully about emotions and expression. We used our imagination to become characters in a story. In maths, we have been learning about weight and capacity. We have enjoyed using the weighing scales to compare items using specific vocabulary: heavy, light, lighter, heavier. At the end of the week we learned about ‘Remembrance Day’; we watched a short video and decorated a poppy picture.

REMINDERS: Please ensure your child has a named coat in school every day as the weather is very unpredictable and we open the outdoor area everyday!

Please continue to read at home with your child aim for three times per week minimum. We will change their book in school once a week.

Year 1

We have been learning to rhyme words from our key texts, ‘Oi Frog’; dog, bog, hog and ‘Oi Cat’; mat, rat, bat. The rhyming words have been used as a prompt to make our own sentences. We have also been learning how to subtract amounts on a number line by counting back. The children needed a lot of practice using their fingers to make jumps backwards. Please use the app Seesaw to support your child at home to complete some subtraction calculations.

REMINDER: Can you please make a note of how your child reads at home. This helps us make an assessment between home and school learning.

Also, please ensure all PE kits are returned to school. All clothing needs to have your child’s name on them. This helps us to ensure items are not lost.

Year 2

This week in our English lessons, we looked at conjunctions and persuasive language. We learned how to use joining words like ‘and’ and, ‘but’,” and “because” to make our writing more interesting. Not only that, we also discovered the power of persuasive language and crafting sentences that make our amazing school library sound even more fantastic.

In maths we continued with adding and subtracting larger numbers, some with two digits, and ensuring they stay within the tens place. In PSHE we explored resolving conflicts and arguments in the best possible ways. We learned some clever strategies to find solutions if we don’t agree.

REMINDER: Please remember to send your child to school with a coat; they need it when playing outside.

PE kits should also be in every Tuesday or alternatively be left at school. They will be sent home at the end of the term.

Year 3

This week Year 3 have been writing stories based on The Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura. In maths we have tackled subtraction, complements to 100 and estimating and in design and Technology we investigated pneumatics using syringes and piping, ahead of designing our own pneumatic toys.

REMINDER: Please send your child with a PE kit - our PE sessions are Tuesday and Thursday.

Year 4

This week we have been writing our own play scripts based on The Princess Who Hid in a Tree. We have used adverbs and special punctuation to make our play scripts make sense. In maths we have finished our topic on addition and subtraction and have been using estimation to help us figure out answers. In geography we continued learning about migration and why people move countries for economic reasons.

REMINDER: Reading diaries should be in school every day so that the children can read to an adult and read to themselves.

Year 5

This week in English we have been creating our own metaphor poems, using the world biomes we have learnt about in geography as inspiration. We have been describing 'deathly' dangerous deserts - hotter than ovens - to underwater aquatic cities under the cover of mirror like waves. All the children have worked hard and flexed their creative writing muscles! In maths we have been looking at square and cubed numbers - before moving on to multiplying by 10, 100 and 1,000. In science we have continued looking at forces, attempting to prove that we can counter its effects with counteracting forces like air resistance. Phew, what a busy week!

REMINDER: please ensure your child has a completed PE kit in school ready for PE lessons on Monday and Friday.

Year 6

In English, Year 6 have continued to explore the Shakespeare play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and wrote a monologue by Duke Theseus. In DT, the children made a pressure and toggle switch as part of the Electronics unit. The children investigated whether light travels in a straight line in our science lesson using torches and pieces of cardboard.

REMINDER: Please read daily and record in your home school diary. A PE kit must be in school on Wednesday and Friday.

French

This week year one have been learning some more basic phrases in French and really enjoyed it. Year six have continued to learn French through the topic of football, and year three have been reading and writing about pets. Any European Day of Languages posters at home, please bring them in, so I can get on with the judging. Thank you.

Music

Music Clubs

• Tuesday lunchtime: Choir
• Tuesday: Music Making for year 1 and 2.
• Thursday: Choir for years 3 - 6.

Instrumental Lessons

We do have a few vacancies, please contact Mrs Baines if your child would like to learn an instrument.

• Tuesday am: Drums
• Tuesday am: Guitar and keyboard
• Wednesday am: Keyboard
• Wednesday am: Guitar

Healthy Schools

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