porters grange weekly newsletter week ending 3rd May 2024

Nursery

This week we have been enjoying our Letters and sounds time where we have been playing lots of listening games and are continuing to listen carefully to the sound the letters make, blending them together to make a word. We have also enjoyed Doctor role play where nursery has looked like a hospital ward!!

REMINDERS: Please continue to bring in favourite stories from home so we can share these at story time.

Also can we please remind you to put your child’s name in their uniform.

Reception

This week we have been continuing to learn how to form our letters and hold our pencils correctly. In maths we are looking at two digit numbers and how to make them e.g. 10 + 1 = 11, 10 + 2 = 12. We have also been doing paint printing, creating more snails!

REMINDER: HELP …. We desperately need spare underwear. If you have any that you are able to donate, we would be extremely grateful.

Year 1

This week we have been recapping suffix –ed verbs and how to use them in a sentence. In addition to this, the children have learned something new- compound words! It has been lots of fun experimenting with words and making new ones.

During maths we have been learning to count in 2’s, 5’s and 10’s. We have also organised resources in to groups of these amounts. It has been interesting noting the patterns in number and using the patterns to work out which number comes next.

We have been learning about the animal group ‘fish’ and the children were surprised to find out that a shark is, in fact, a fish!

REMINDER: Our trip is on the 7th May. Please make sure you have filled out the permission form on PING. There is a contribution of £9.

Year 2

This week in English, we deepened our understanding of non-chronological reports. We also discovered more about suffixes and how they change words in a text. Plus, we wrote our very own reports about animals found in the UK.

In Maths, we went further with fractions, learning about three-quarters and counting fractions all the way up to a whole.

During Geography lessons, we explored the differences and similarities between human and physical features. We took a closer look at landmarks, size, population, climate, and language in Southend, comparing it to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

In PE, we had a blast sprinting, skipping, hopping on space hoppers around the track, and mastering the egg and spoon race.

REMINDER: Please remember to continue listening to your child read every day. Also, ensure your child’s PE kit is in school for our Tuesday PE session.

Year 3

This week in Year 3 we are still continuing through our second round of fractions in maths, we have looked specifically at unit and non-unit fractions. In English we are exploring play script writing based on our text ‘Voices in the Park’. In geography we are exploring countries in Europe and landmarks. In science we continue explore our topic of lights honing in on refraction.

REMINDERS: Please keep up the great work with TTRockstars, even five minutes a day will help your child become more confident with their times tables. Spellings have been handed out please allow your child some time to practice this and learn what they mean.

Year 4

This week in English, children have been looking at the features of Instructional text. They have been learning how useful this type of text is, whether it is for baking or building something new. In Maths, children have been continuing to learn how to divide numbers by 10. They have been using their previous learning on fractions and decimals to help them. In Science, children are fascinated by how electricity is supplied to our homes and have been applying their knowledge of natural resources in Geography to their science lessons. In Art, children have been developing skills in how to draw the human body using the visual alphabet to create form and proportion.

REMINDER: Please continue helping your child to learn their times tables so they can answer questions in less than 6 seconds.

Some children still need to bring in all of their PE kit, including a different T shirt to wear.

Year 5

This week in English, we have looked at play scripts. We have written our own versions of the Island as a play script. Next week, the children will write their own play scripts.

In science, we have looked closely at the life cycles of amphibians and mammals. We compared what is similar and different about them.

REMINDER: Please ensure that only water is being brought into school to drink.

Year 6

This week, we have been learning how to write play scripts in our English lessons. In PSHE, we have been learning about body image and how to support those who are struggling with it. We have been enjoying our new computing topic of 3D modelling using a programme called Tinkercad.

REMINDER: Please make sure the children have a full Porters PE kit in school on Wednesdays and Fridays (including trainers please).

Please continue listening to your child read at home and enjoy their books with them.

French

This week year two have been revising their playground activities knowledge and then learning about the beach in French; year three have been revising people and feelings and then learning about places in town; year five have revised their knowledge of shops and have then been learning about monuments in Paris and visiting the city.

Music

Music Clubs

• Tuesday 12.00pm: Band
• Tuesday 3.30: Music Making (Yrs 1,2)
• Thursday 3.30pm: Choir (Yrs 3,4,5,6).

Instrumental Lessons

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

• Tuesday am: Guitar (Mr Brown)
• Wednesday am: Keyboard (Mr Hockey)
• Wednesday am: Guitar (Mr Elliot)
• Fri pm: a group of year 5 students are learning the violin.

Nb. We are currently looking for a tutor in order to continue offering drum lessons.

Future Events

• 13th June Junior Music Fesitval - KS2 Choir

Healthy Schools

Online Safety

On 19th April 2024, Ofcom released their annual Media Use and Attitudes Report, detailing the findings of several surveys and their implications for parents, children and young people in the UK. These statistics often include plenty of thought-provoking information relating to online safety.

The report itself is extremely extensive, so instead we've provided a bespoke selection of data gathered by Ofcom about children and young people’s experiences on social media, video games and the like. Check our guide for a thorough breakdown of the headline findings.

Second Hand Uniform Shop

Our Uniform shop is located within the front reception area of the school and is open Monday-Friday 8.15am - 4.00pm. All items are 50p each. We always have a good selection of skirts, trousers, jumpers, tops, dresses and P.E items. Please ask at the office to point you in the right direction.

School Uniform Donations

We always welcome school uniform donations for us to sell at our school uniform shop. Could we please ask that the clothes are in good, clean condition. All items can be dropped off at the school office between 8.15am - 4.00pm. Thank you so much for doing this for the school as it helps our parents out tremendously.

Community

Cost of Living Advice

Click here to access cost of living advice from Southend City Council. It contains information on housing support, energy cost advice and benefits and support for those with children.