Friday 3rd February

Happy Friday!
It's been a better, if windier week.
 This week, we have worked hard on adding and subtracting improper fractions and mixed numbers, in Maths. We continued our Science topic of Magnetism, thinking about what a magnetic field is and how we could see it.   In our English unit on poetry, we have focused on writing haikus, Limericks and Kennings this week to complete our poetry anthologies, we also introduced our Free Writing books- which were very popular.

​On Tuesday, we tried to answer the question - 'Who was the worse king, Richard or John?'  The children found about these two Medieval Monarchs and the way that they had reigned. They thought about why they were a good or a poor king and then came to a conclusion based on their findings. 

On Thursday, we had another session at the pool in Okehampton, the children had a great time and are making great progress in the pool - look out Adam Peaty!

This afternoon, we began to recreate the painting Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, with some great results. 

Most of us finished the week with a real challenge to our fitness from our P.E. coach Mrs Edwards, this week we completed individual trials based on our personal bests in stamina and speed.  Those who weren't with us in P.E. were being equally sporty in Simmons Park, representing the school, by running the first in a series of three cross country runs.  (See photos)

As part of our ongoing commitment to keeping our children safe online, in an ever changing cyber world, I would like to signpost you to some new parental advice documents on our website. They are based on keeping your child safe at home by helping them to understand and set up apps and the permissions correctly and thinking before they post or comment on any content. 
​They also provide information regarding grooming and what to do if you think your child is being groomed online.  These can be found using the link below and scrolling down to the online section. The links are on the right of the page - click the buttons.

Parent Information Hub (ntcps.co.uk)

 We have completed our spellings for this half term, a new sheet will follow at the end of next week, ready to learn over half term..

  In terms of home learning, can I remind everybody that the expectation is that children read for at least 10 minutes at home everyday, this can be magazines, newspapers, manuals, cookery books, as well as their reading books, as it is all reading.  I would also like children to spend time working on their times tables, which are vital in so many areas of the Maths curriculum.  This week, the children brought home this half term's Wider Curriculum Home learning and a TTRS sheet - please access this home learning, just one piece from the sheet, by Thursday 9th February (that's next Thursday). I have had a few nice pieces already, including limericks, a Tudor menu and some artwork.

Next week, the children will be working on Fractions in Maths, starting a new unit in English,  in Science, we will continue to look at Magnetism, in History, we will study why Edward I was both a great and terrible king, and in Computing, we will work on Video editing.

Have a restful weekend,  wrap up warm and get out and about.

See you on Monday

Mr F