Week beginning

Week Beginning 17th October 2022
We had had a busy final week to end our very busy half term!

In Literacy we watched Michael Rosen perform some of his poems.  Chocolate was our favourite poem!  We then read poems about the Great Fire of London and how we can change our voice to make it more exciting for the listener.  We then investigated rhyme poem.  On Thursday we learnt about onomatopoeia and had fun making sounds and using onomatopoeia to describe the sound.  We then listened to a raging fire and wrote words to describe it.  On Friday we used these words to write poems all about the Great Fire of London.  After the half term we are going to be starting our new book 'Can A Penguin Ride a Bike?'

In maths we started our topic on addition and subtraction.  We started by finding our number bonds to 10 and investigating how we could use these to work out number bonds to 20 and 100.  We used practical resources to help with our understanding.  On Friday we found one more and one less from any given number.  We were able to apply these to a variety of problems.  

In science we finished our light topic by conducting an experiment to see how we could change the size of shadows.  We predicted that the further away the light the bigger the shadow.   However after we had conducted our experiment we understood that this was not true, instead the closer the light source the bigger the shadow.  Next half term we are going to be learning about space.

On Friday we performed in front of our parents by showcasing what we have learnt this half term.  Everyone did brilliantly and spoke very loudly and clearly.  

Week Beginning 10th October 2022
We have had another really busy week in Beech Class!
 
In Literacy we investigated the difference between past tense and progress past tense.  We then read diaries from Samuel Pepys and found all the common features between them for example feelings and final thoughts.  We then role played a person who had to escape the fire and how they would leave London.  From this we wrote diary entries using tea-stained paper.  In art used red and yellow paint to great a fire scene by blending the paints together.  We used black paper to cut out a silhouette of London and stuck this on top of the fire.  Next week we are going to be writing poems about the Great Fire of London. 
 
In maths we finished our topic on place value.  We learnt how to count backwards and forwards in 3s and investigated patterns.  When we reviewed what we have learnt we were amazed by how much we now know about place value.  Next week we are going to be learning about addition and subtraction.
 
In science we sorted objects into transparent and opaque.  We then used a torch to shine a light on each of the objects.  We discovered that opaque objects block the light and form shadows but transparent objects do not.  Next week we are going to be learning how we can change the shape of a shadow. 
 
On Friday we celebrated harvest festival.  We walked to the church and sang beautiful songs and listened to stories.  We also dressed up as farmers and scarecrows.  


Week Beginning 3rd October 2022

We have had another busy week in Beech Class!
 
We started reading diary entries by Samuel Pepys and discovered what it was like for the people living there at the time.  We listened to a roaring fire and imagined what it would be like if we had been living there.  This week we have also learnt about how the spelling of verbs changes in the in the simple past tense.  We know that for regular verbs we add the suffix ‘ed’ but for irregular verbs the word changes completely.
 
In maths we have continued with our topic of place value.  We were really good at comparing and ordering numbers.  We were able to use resources to explain our thinking.  On Friday we investigated patterns when we count in 2s. 5s and 10s.  We then applied this to our own counting and could say why a number did or did not fit the pattern.  Next week we are going to be learning about addition and subtraction.
 
In science we continued with our work on light.  We conducted an experiment to see which materials were reflective and which were not.  We discovered that shiny and metallic surfaces were reflective but dull and hard materials were not.  Next week we are going to investigate shadows.


Week Beginning 26th September 2022

We have had another busy week in Beech class!

In Literacy we continued with our book Katie in London but we imagined that Katie had come to Devon.  We thought about all the different places that she could go and visit and came up with amazing adjectives to describe these places.  From this we then wrote brilliant adventure stories.  On Friday we edited and published part of our stories at took a copy home to share with our families.  Next week we are going to be moving on to diary writing. 
 
In maths this week we have continued to learn about place value.  We are really good at counting in 10s.  We were all able to successfully continue to put numbers on a number line and find the missing number.  We used our reasoning skills to help Tiny the Turtle who had become very muddled in his understanding of number lines.  Next week we are going to finish our topic. 
 
In science we continued with our topic of light.  We learnt why we have night and day.  We used a ball to imagine this was the Earth.  We then labelled where North Tawton would be.  We then rotated the ball like the Earth does.  When North Tawton was facing the sun it was day time and when North Tawton was facing away from the sun it was night time.  Next week we are going to investigate reflective surfaces.
 
In computing we investigated the different type of technology found inside and outside.  We sorted different technological appliances and discussed their uses.  We also investigated which jobs use information technology and which do not.  


Week Beginning 19th September 2022
This week we have had another very busy week and everyone has worked so very hard!

In Literacy we found facts about some of the sights that Katie saw in London with the lion.  From this we then wrote stories about Katie's time in London and used our facts to add detail and interest.  We were all most surprised to learn  that there are 78 bathrooms in Buckingham Palace.  Next week we are going to imagine that Katie visits Devon and what she see.  We are also going to try to remember our full stops and capital letters.

In maths we continued with our work on place value.  We used diens to partition numbers into tens and ones.  We then played a game and created our own numbers before using diens then drawing our numbers.  On Friday we used part models to partition and recombine numbers.  We also investigated how we could generate as many two digit numbers as possible from 4 given numbers.  Next week we are going to be containing with partitioning.

In our science lesson we learnt how our eyes see light.  We had lots of fun going around the school and finding places that had different light strengthens.  We then looked at how our pupils change in different strengthens of light.  We especially enjoyed going into the dark music cupboard then turning the light on.

In computing we investigated the different used of information technology.  We walked about the school and collected examples of how it is used.  We found many examples in the school office although we especially liked the signing in machine!   Next week we are going to be learning about night and day.  

In Saints with P.E we worked on our throwing and catching skills and how the position of our bodies can help us to be more accurate.  

Week Beginning 12th September 2022
This week we have had a very busy week completing our assessments for the MAT.  The children all tried their very best and we are very proud of them. 

In Literacy this week we started our new book Katie in London.  We had lots of fun performing in role as Katie and the lion.  We thought about how they would feel when the saw the many sights of London, what they might be thinking and what they would say.  We thought of questions we would like to ask the lion or Katie then used hot seating to ask our questions.  On Friday we wrote a postcard describing what we had seen.

In science we started our new topic light.  We watched a video showing different light sources.  We were able to think of an enormous list of light sources!  We then sorted objects into light sources and not light sources.  After we conduced an experiment.  We tired to make a light from a torch shine through holes in pieces of card.  We discovered that the holes had to be in a straight line for the torch to shine through.  We concluded that therefore light can only travel in straight lines.  

Next week we are going to be continuing writing stories and we are going to be discovering how our eyes see light.  


Week Beginning 7th September 2022

Welcome to Beech Class!  
It has been brilliant welcoming the children back and they have all settled really well.  We discussed what we would like our class to be like this year and how we will respect and care for each other.  We also wrote about our holidays and did a book review about our favourite books.  In maths we started our place value topic and have started the Numbots programme.  After we become more familiar with this in school, we will send home login details.  In art we painted some wonderful watercolour pictures of Dartmoor and the beach.  
 
With the sad news today, we have had a sombre end to the week as we felt this was appropriate. The children have taken part in a memorial assembly rather than a praise assembly.

We will be observing the national mourning in line with our Trust schools and as age appropriate.  Miss Penny will write more about this in her news letter.

Next week we are going to be starting our new book 'Katie in London' and are going to be starting our science topic all about light.  

Week Beginning 10th July 2022
This week we have had another busy week in Beech Class!

In Literacy we continued with our work on the Disgusting Sandwich.  We thought of spectacular expanded noun phrases.  We then thought about ideas for our own stories based upon the Disgusting Sandwich.  Some of our characters lost cake in the jungle or others lost ice cream in the Arctic and many more interesting ideas! On Friday we started writing our stories.

In maths we finished our measurement topic and learnt how to read temperatures using thermometers.  We then started our new topic time.  We revised how to read the time to the nearest hour and half hour.  We investigated how the hour hand moves as the minute hand goes around the clock.

In science we completed our topic about materials.  We investigated how materials are changed from raw materials into synthetic materials using different methods.  We had an interesting discussion as to whether rubber is a natural or a synthetic material.

This week we also had two very special visitors.  On Wednesday we looked after the new hatched duckling Waddle.  We gave him lots of cuddles, made sure he had the right food and watched him waddle around the classroom.  On Friday we saw him swim!

Friday we also had a special visit from John's Hedgehog Rescue.  We had a fascinating talk about what hedgehogs eat and their environment.  We were also exceptionally lucky as we got to hold a hedgehog.  We had to wear gloves and be very careful of the spikes!  It was enormous fun and we all learnt so much.  

Week Beginning 4th July 2022
We have had a very busy and enjoyable week with our Festival of Hope.

On Tuesday we had our geography day.  We made postcards about Hot and Cold Places linked our geography topic.  

Wednesday was our art day and we made gigantic feathers.  We designed our own patterns which represented us.  From this we used crayons to draw pattern and over the top added water colours to form the resist painting technique.  This will form part of our whole school display.

On Thursday morning we held our science morning and completed an experiment to find which materials were waterproof and which we absorbent.  We made sure that we conducted a fair test by using the same amount of water for each material.  We then ranked each material from most absorbent to least absorbent.   

In the afternoon we had our sport's day.  It was so much fun especially as our families came to cheer us on.  We had lots of different races from long distance running to egg and spoon to sack races.  We all tried our best and showed great determination and perseverance.  It was a brilliant afternoon!

Friday was music day!  This term we have been learning the drums and played them to the song 'We will Rock you' all in time.  It was such a huge achievement to be all playing at the same time in time to the music.  We also sang beautifully!  It was a fantastic afternoon and took great courage to perform in front of such a large audience.  

Week Beginning 27th June 2022
We have had another very busy week in Beech Class!  We have continued with our writing about the Disgusting Sandwich.  We used expanded noun phrases to write about what happened in the story and were able to confidently use speech marks to show when the characters were speaking.  This has definitely been our best writing yet and we should be so proud of ourselves.

In maths this week we have continued with our topic measurement.  We learnt how to measure in grams and read different scales. On Friday applied our measurement skills to our science lesson in which we had to find the difference between how much a material could stretch.

In science this week we also learnt about the properties of materials and how you can change a solid by squeezing, squashing, twisting, bending and stretching.  We took a range of solids and tried to apply these different techniques to see if we could change the shape of a solid.  

In P.E we continued practicing our skills for sports day.  We are very much looking forward to having our families come and see all our sports skills.

On Friday it was Rainbow Day in which we all wore bright colours to celebrate inclusion.  We read different stories about inclusion.  Our favourite story was 'The Hug' by Eoin McLaughlin.  Next week it is the Festival of Hope and we are going to be completing lots of different activities.  

Week Beginning 21st June 2022
Well what a week it's been! The children have really risen to the challenge this week and showed what an incredible bunch they are! They have worked hard in all areas and we are very proud of them.

In English we have started a new story that involves a very disgusting sandwich. The children have started to develop their use of speech marks and continued to produce interesting writing by using expanded noun phrases. On Thursday we found some objects from the story, including the very disgusting sandwich! We had a conversation about the three most disgusting things we could find in a sandwich. Mrs Ahmad said that she would be repulsed if she found bird poo, bogies and spiders in her sandwich. The children loved coming up with the most disgusting things they could think of. 

In Maths we have been measuring mass, using the balance scales to weigh different objects from the classroom. The children will be starting to look at grams and kilograms today before moving on to measuring capacity and temperature next week. 

In Geography we have started learning about hot and cold places. We have looked at the globe and talked about how hot countries near the Equator are. We have sorted pictures into hot and cold countries and looked at the colours we use when we draw hot and cold pictures. I wonder whether anyone at home could produce some hot/cold artwork?
We wanted to visit a hot country and thought a school trip to Hawaii would be nice but in the end we settled for the school field on a sunny day. 

In PE we have started to think about Sports Day and have been practising our running. The children all tried incredibly hard and we had lots of fun running relays. 

Forest school was super on Thursday. The children went on a bug hunt before creating homes for bugs (and fairies). We found lots of wildlife on the field and there was much excitement when we found a frog! 

This is just a snippet! There is so much more!

Well done and thank you to our wonderful children, from all of the Beech Class team. 
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