Beech Weekly News

Week beginning 13th June 2022 
We have had another very busy week in Beech Class.  This week we continued to focus on using expanded noun phrases in our writing.  We watched clips from the Blue Planet showing different aspects of the oceans.  We used this and our text 'Manfish' to write our own descriptions of the our oceans.  On Thursday we learnt about human impact and what we can do to make changes.  On Friday we then recorded parts our writing to create our own version of 'Blue Planet.'  We used our voices for effect to inspire the audience.  Next week we are starting a new book 'The Disgusting Sandwich.'

In maths we learnt about positional language.  We now understand the different between clockwise and anti-clockwise.  We can also describe positions accurately using the words quarter, half and three quarters turn.  We had lots of fun working in pairs using this language to get from one place to the next.  Next week we are going to be learning about mass and capacity.  

In science we investigated the difference between irreversible and reversible changes.  We discovered that water is an reversible change and a cooked egg is an irreversible change.  We tried to cook our egg on the very hot pavement although unfortunately it wasn't hot enough!  We then mixed coffee with water to see if we could separate them once they had been mixed, however we found we could not do this and therefore it was an irreversible change.  Next week we are going to be investigating materials and their properties.

In P.E with Mr Berry we developed our athletic skills.  We learnt how to throw a javelin, shot put and discus.  We also learnt how to jump over hurdles and pass a baton during a rely race.  These skills will be very important when we have sports day.

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Week beginning 7th June 2022 ​

It was lovely to see all the children back after the holidays and hear about all the exciting things that they had been up. 

This week we started forest school!  We started off by playing team building games before we were set a challenge to build a den using the environment and items from a trolley.  We had to work together as a team to complete the challenge and share our resources.  We all were able to work brilliantly together and built some fantastic dens that would have kept us dry from the rain!  We very much enjoyed looking the dens the other groups had built.  



​​In Literacy we continued with our book Manfish.  We have really been enjoying this story and were very excited to act out a day in his life.  We imagined what it would feel like to put on a diving suite and the magical underwater world.  From this we wrote recounts pretending to be Jacques.  We also used precise expanded noun phrases to explain what we saw.  We also structured our writing clearly without repeating any ideas.  Well done Beech Class!

In maths we continued with our measuring topic.  We are all able to use a ruler to accurately measure different items and read measurements from scales.  We now understand different units of measurement and are able to say which is shorter on longer.  On Friday we tried to apply our measurement skills to word problems but found this quite tricky.  We are going to do more of this on Monday.

In science this week we really enjoyed learning all about separation.  We used different methods to separate objects for example we used a sieve to separate flour and rice and a magnet to separate metal from rubbish.  We did however get covered in flour!

In P.E with Mr Berry we have started to improve our athletic skills in preparation for sports day.  We had to work as a team in rely races a learnt how to jump over hurdles.

This week we also started forest school!  We were set a challenge to build a den using the environment and items from a trolley.  We had to work together as a team to complete the challenge and share our resources.  We all were able to work brilliantly together and built some fantastic dens that would have kept us dry from the rain!

Next week we are going to be using the environment to create pictures.  In Literacy we are going to be continuing our underwater journey using Manfish and David Attenborough as our inspiration.  

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Week beginning 16th May 2022 ​

We have had another very busy week in Beech Class.  This week we completed our reading assessments.  We all tried our absolute best and preserved.  We are so very proud of you all.

In Literacy this week we edited our biography writing and used the computer to publish it.  We added pictures from the book to go alongside our writing.  We have made a big book for everyone to read.  Next week we are reading another form of biography - Manfish.

This week in maths we have been revising all that we have been taught in KS1.  We especially focused on adding and subtraction and using a range of methods.  Next week we will be completing our maths assessments and we sahll do brilliantly!

In science we had a very fun experiment all about mixing.  We mixed different substances with water to see which made the best bubbles.  We made bubble wands out of pipe cleaners to test our mixtures and were very careful to ensure we completed a fair test.  We discovered that orange juice did not make bubbles but washing up liquid makes the best bubbles, even better than bubble bath which was our initial prediction.  Next week we are going to be conducting an experiment about separating.  

In P.E we continued to develop our cricket skills with Mr Berry.  We know the names of the different pieces of equipment and how to use each one.  We were all able to score lots of runs!  

Next week we are going to be using the Beebots in computing to see if we can follow a route.  

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Week beginning 9th May 2022 
It's been a super busy week in Beech class again and the children are continuing to work hard. 

In English this week we have been planning a biography for Ernest Shackleton and discussing why he was such a great explorer. We talked about what optimism is and why it's important to believe in yourself and chase your dreams. We wrote the most amazing biographies all about his life.  We used a range of conjunctions and expanded noun phrases to add detail and interest.

In Maths we have continued our work on Fractions. The children have found this a challenging topic, so any extra follow up you do at home would be most appreciated! They have all worked very hard to understand halves, quarters and thirds.   We then moved onto measuring, a topic that we know lots about!  We were able to accurately measure in cms by making sure we started measuring on 0 not where our ruler starts.  

In PE on Monday it was too lovely not to go onto the field.   We played lots of running,  ball games and a game of Duck, Duck, Goose. Much fun was had by all.   With Mr Berry on Thursday we continued to practice our cricket skills.  

We are coming to the end of our topic on the Ancient Egyptians. The children have really enjoyed finding out about life in ancient Egypt, the pharaohs and learning how to write their names in hieroglyphs. 

In science we did a very fun experiment all about melting.  We found that the ice cube melted the quickest followed by the butter.  We were unable to melt the plastic or the wood!  From this we discussed what was happening to the particles at they changed state.  

Well done Beech class - you continue to make us very proud. 


Week beginning 3rd May 2022 
We have had another very busy week in Beech Class.

In Literacy this week we have continued with our work on Amelia Earhart.  We created a time line of key events from her life.  From this we wrote the most amazing biographies all about her life.  We included why she is remembered and how her bravery can inspire us.  Next week we are going to be writing about another inspirational person, Ernest Shackleton.    

In maths this week we have continued to learn about fractions.  We have found this topic quite tricky but have worked really hard to develop our understanding.  We are now able to find quarters and three quarters of numbers and shapes.  On Friday we were able to confidently explain the difference between the numerator and denominator.  We were also able to find patterns in fractions and put fractions on a number line.

This week in art we learnt about the illustrator of 'Little People, Big Dreams' Olivia Holden linked to our Literacy.  We watched a video in which she created an uninhabited island just like Elephant island.  From this we went around the school and collected items from nature.  We then used these to create our own islands before painting the different sections.  

Week beginning 25th April 2022 

​Welcome back to the last term of this school year!  It was lovely to see all the children back and hear about what they have being doing.  The children have settled back really well and have all worked very hard!

In Literacy we have started a new book all about Amelia Earhart.  We really enjoyed reading her biography and learning all about the amazing adventures that she went on.  We used role paly to act out key moments from her life before writing excellent pieces about these events.  We watched a video of her setting off on her around the world trip.  From this we wrote eye witness account as though we were waving her off.  We were able to use precise feelings to describe the excitement.  Next week we are going to writing our own biographies about Amelia Earhart.

in maths we have continued with our work on fractions.  We used practical resources to help us deepen understanding.  From this we found fractions of shapes and objects.  We now all understand that the denominator is the number of pieces altogether and the numerator is the number of pieces shaded.  We were able to apply this to a variety of problems.  Next week we are going to be finding fractions of numbers.

In science we started our new topic mixing and making.  We had lots of fun recreating particles in solids, liquids and gases and how they move.  We then drew diagrams to show the differences between the two.  We were able to find lots of examples within the classroom of each state of matter.  

We changed our P.E day to Thursday and had our new P.E teacher.  We had enormous fun playing lots of team games.  We had to use good communication skills to succeed.  One of our favourites was following routes without getting caught.

Next week we are going to be using the outdoors to create mysterious islands linked to our Literacy lessons.  

Week beginning 4th April 2022
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We cannot believe that it is the end of the term already!  The children have all worked so hard this term and it is a delight to see the progress they are making.

In Literacy this week we completed writing our instructions about the slime we made.  We then made an Easter chick and from this independently wrote a set instructions.  Our writing was amazing!  We all remembered to include adverbs and extended noun phrases.  Our instructions were precise commands that told the reader exactly what to do.  We also used a range of punctuation and our spelling as definitely improved!  We have really loved this book and this was clearly reflected in our writing.

In maths we have continued with our work on fractions.  We were able to recognise quarters and halves and shade shapes showing these amounts.  Next term we are going to be learning about fractions of amounts.

In science we investigated habitats in our local environment.  We went on a walk around the school and looked for different animals and plants.  Some of our class thought the saw foxes although we were not quite sure!  We did however see lots of trees and woodlice!  

In computing we finished our topic on pictograms.  We thought of fun pictograms we could create and asked every member of the class their opinions.  From this we devised pictograms using the Jet2 data programme.  We then presented our results to the class.

Next term we are going to be learning about the Egyptians in history.  In Literacy we are going to be learning about Amelia Earhart and write biographies and in science we shall be investigating materials. 

Week beginning 27th March 2022

This week we have had another very busy week in Beech Class.  We completed our Spring Assessments and are really proud of all we have achieved.  

In Literacy continued our work on Slime and learnt how to extend our sentences using subordinating conjunctions.  We also revised our work on expanded noun phrases.  We then devised our own recipes for slime and made wonderful, gooey creations.  From this we wrote introductions to try and persuade the reader to make our slime.  We used high level vocabulary and a question.  We also used bullet points to show what you need.  Next week we are going to make tasty treats and independently write a set of instructions.

In maths we completed our work on shape before moving on to our new topic fractions.  We had remembered lots from our previous learning which is was amazing!

In science we learnt all about the rainforest.  We investigated why not all forests are rain forest.  We used maps and a globe to locate them on a map.  We then looked at what animals live in the different layers.  From this we produced amazing, labelled diagram to show the different layers.  

Next week we are going to be continuing with our work on fractions and in computing are going to be creating our own pictograms.  

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Week beginning 21st March 2022

This week in Beech class we have been working exceptionally hard on our Spring assessments.  The children have all tried their best and concentrated really well.    We are so very proud of them for trying their best.

In the afternoons we have been working on our art after looking at the artist Henri Matisse.  The children have all produced work using positive and negative space and it looks really effective.

In science we have been learning about the different between a habitat and a micro-habitat.  We had a very interesting discussion about why a zoo is not a habitat.  We also looked at where we might find different micro-habitats before looking at deserts in greater depth.

In computing we have been applying our data handling skills to computing.  We created tally charts about how we travel to school and which is our favourite colour before using a computer programme to input the data.  We then created our own pictograms all about colours that could be found in the classroom.

We have also been enjoying the sunshine and making sure we get outside in the afternoon, especially after all the hard work in the mornings.  

Week beginning 14th March 2022

This week in Beech class we have been looking at the features of instructions. We thought the most useful thing we could make was slime! So, we carefully followed the instructions in Ms Birnie’s Slime Book, but we found that (like Mrs Ahmad’s cooking) even though we followed the instructions carefully, our slime didn’t work terribly well! It was far too sloppy and gloopy and we made quite a mess. We talked about the fact that the instructions were clear and easy to follow but that the quantities were not quite right. We recruited the help of a slime expert (Mrs Ahmad’s daughter) and finally managed to produce some wonderful slime. Mrs Ahmad even tested the consistency by tipping the bowl upside down over her head! Fortunately (or unfortunately for the class) Mrs Ahmad didn’t get slimed! The children have learnt a lot about what makes a good set of instructions and how to spot the different features.

In Maths we have focussed on the properties of 3D shapes, counting the faces, edges and vertices. We’ve played a few games of ‘Guess my shape’, which is a nice game to play at home. We also continue to answer ‘flashback’ questions, which are a reminder of things we have already learnt.

In Geography we have been super busy! We’ve continued our journey around the seven continents. This week we have travelled to North and South America and then Antarctica – we had to put on our warm clothes for that journey! The children have worked incredibly hard looking at countries within each continent, famous landmarks and animals that are native to each continent.

It has been yet another busy week and I feel very proud of the class and how hard they have worked. We have managed to get some extra outdoor time whenever the sun is shining, and it was lovely to watch many of them playing football together on Thursday.

We hope you have a lovely, relaxing weekend.