Class News

A quick message from Mrs Lake and Miss Lowry

Click on the links below to see videos from Miss Lowry and Mrs Lake.

Mrs Lake 

Miss Lowry

We are looking forward to seeing you all again. Not long to go now.

Science – planting shallots

Here is another video from our Year 1 gardener telling us all about how to plant shallots.

30 Hours free childcare codes

If you are eligible for the ’30 hours’ free childcare provision, please make sure that you have renewed your code. Some codes are due to expire and need renewing in order for you to be entitled to this funding for the Easter term.

Please contact the office if you have any questions regarding renewing your code.

See you soon from Mrs Latham

Here’s a video message from me, Mrs Latham. See you all soon!

Science – planting potatoes

Watch this video to learn all about how to prepare potatoes (it’s called chitting) before you plant them.

World Book Day – Zooms 01.03

Zoom sessions – Week beginning Monday 01 March (for children learning at home)

It’s World Book Day on Thursday 04 March and we thought that children might like to join in with the celebrations on our Zoom calls by getting dressed up as one of their favourite story characters.  You might have a costume already at home or a t-shirt with a picture of your favourite character on the front. Please DO NOT purchase anything special for the Zoom call, we’re sure that everyone has something at home that you could use.

If you’re struggling to find something or your child doesn’t want to dress up, that’s fine as well.  Again, please don’t worry or feel you need to buy something.  Perhaps you have a toy linked to your favourite story that you could share with everyone instead?

Please have a copy of your favourite bedtime story ready to show your friends as well.

For Zoom sessions in week commencing 01 March,  you will need:

• Fancy dress (optional)  and/or a toy linked to your favourite story
• A copy of your favourite bedtime story
• Playdough

22 February 2021: Home Learning

We’ve made it to the end of Spring 1! Thank you to our parents and carers for supporting your child/ren with their home learning this term. We’ve received some fantastic photos and observations. We’ve enjoyed catching up with you over phone, email and our zoom sessions.

Please take time to relax, re-charge and switch off from home learning over the half term break. The learning schedule below, is for when we return- week commencing 22 February 2021.

Don’t forget to join your Zoom session this week! For this week’s session, we will be doing some ‘Musical Mark Making’ you will need:

-A ribbon or chiffon scarf (something that’s floaty and you can wave around!)

-Some paper and writing tools (pencils or felt tips)

Story Link activities to select throughout the week

Literacy

1. What the Ladybird Heard features a map of the farm. Can you create your own map of a farm and use your phonic skills to add words naming the different features and animals?

2. The Ladybird was very brave and smart to come up with a plan and use her voice to warn the other animals. Can you design a certificate of bravery to award to ladybird?

A writing reminder…
How did your child find the writing activity? Remember, it’s okay for things to be spelt phonetically. It is important that your child grows into an independent learner. Encouraging your child to write the words as they sound rather than always spelling them correctly. We encourage the children to use their own skills, rather than copying an adult.

Understanding the World

Spring Time; Animals and their babies-

Happy Days! Winter is over and it is now the season of SPRING. Do you know what happens in the season of Spring? Have a chat with your grown up…

In Spring, many baby animals are born. Do you know the name of baby animals? Let’s have a think about the animals in our story What the Ladybird Heard.

Cow, pig, horse, duck, dog, cat

1. First, you could have a go at this ‘What can you see’ video. Click here Which baby animals can you name?
2. Be super researchers- if you don’t know them already, find the names of the remaining baby animals from our story; pig, horse, dog, cat. We speak lots in class about where we can find information, so be sure to tell us where you found your animal facts!

Expressive Arts and Design

1. This week’s story takes place on a farm. What animal noises would you hear on a farm? Listen to this song by this week’s author Julia Donaldson click here See if you can sing along. You might even want to add your own animal movements and dance along too!

2.We’d love to see farmyard animal or ladybird pictures and crafts- use any resources you have! Don’t forget to send us a photo. Here are some ideas:

 Physical Development

1. One of our favourite activities! This week, have a go at ‘On the Farm’ Cosmic Yoga.

2. Draw some lines of different patterns on pieces of paper and follow the lines using small objects such as cereal hoops, paperclips or buttons.

Remote Learning 22.02 – Peace at Last

These activities are for the week commencing Monday 22 February, which is when we return to Nursery/Remote Learning, following the half term break. We hope that you have a good break over half term and find a new place to visit on one of your local walks!

A few weeks ago, we read ‘Dear Zoo’ and had to match some animals to the noises that they make in a listening game. This week, we’re going to think about some more sounds, but not just animal noises. In our story this week, poor Mr Bear just can’t get to sleep because there are so many noises keeping him awake!

If you’d prefer to download all of this week’s activities in a pdf, please use this link.

You may have a copy of this classic children’s book at home, but don’t worry if not, you can enjoy listening to it using this link. ‘Peace at Last’

Reading

• What happened at the beginning of the story? Why couldn’t Mr Bear get to sleep next to Mrs Bear? Do you snore like Mrs Bear? Have a try!
• What was Baby Bear pretending to be? See if you can make the same noise.
• When Mr Bear went downstairs, what noise could he hear in the living room?
• Can you remember which room Mr Bear was in when he heard ‘DRIP DRIP’ and ‘HMMMMMMMMMM’?
• Outside, Mr Bear heard 3 different animal noises. Can you name them? They made these noises…TOO-WHIT-TOO-WHOO, SNUFFLE SNUFFLE and MIAAAAOW!
• Talk about what happened at the end of the story. Did Mr Bear get to sleep? Did the ending make you laugh? Why?

Phonics

This week, Mrs Gosper is going to teach you about a selection of percussion instruments. Listen carefully to the sounds that they make and then see if you can work out which instrument it is.

Metal and Wood instruments video

There’s a phonics activity included in our Key Worker video this week. It’s linked to our story of the week and is all about listening for sounds around your home.  You could join in too; use a tablet/phone to record some sounds around the house and then play them back. Can you guess which sound it is?

Mark-Making

• We all love to snuggle up under our favourite blanket or duvet at bedtime – we saw some really cosy blankets on our Zoom scavenger hunts. Grab a piece of paper and have a go at designing a new blanket. What colours, patterns, shapes or pictures would you use?
• Mr Bear hears lots of animals outside in the garden at night. Can you draw a hedgehog with lots of prickles on its back? Join in with Squiglet and watch how she draws grass using zig-zags.

Mathematics

This week in maths, we’re going to think about some important mathematical language involving words associated with time. During everyday conversations, try to use words like ‘today’, ‘tomorrow’ and ‘yesterday’ and help your child to understand what they mean and use them in conversation.

It’s also important to begin to understand about our daily routines. ‘Peace at Last’ takes place at night time, just as Mr Bear is trying to get to sleep. It’s good to establish a good bedtime routine, but everybody might do things slightly differently! Talk to your child about their evening routine. What do they do first? What happens next? What things do you do together before they go to sleep?  Here’s Mr Tumble’s bedtime routine; is it similar to yours?

Have a look at these pictures  and choose ones that are appropriate for your family. Try to put them in the order that you do them. You might need to add in some different ones, such as taking off your glasses.

Extension ideas

–  Can you sequence your morning routine? What do you do first? What next? When do you have breakfast and brush your teeth?

– Don’t forget to keep practising your counting skills! You could count the number of spikes on your playdough hedgehog or roll a dice and draw that many spikes onto a hedgehog outline.

 Creative

• Paint/draw/collage a night time picture. What colours will you use for the sky? Would you see a sunshine at night? What animals might you include that are awake at night?

• A few weeks ago, we experimented with printing using different objects to see what shape print they made. This week, try printing using a fork. What pattern does it make? Use the fork to add some spikes onto a hedgehog outline.

•  Use playdough to make a hedgehog. What could you use to make spikes? In Nursery, we sometimes use wooden craft sticks, pipe cleaners or dry penne pasta/spaghetti. There are lots of ideas if you do a Google search! If you have some children’s plastic scissors, you could try rolling a ball and then snipping the top to make spikes.
• We love being all snuggly in our favourite pyjamas and reading a book before bedtime. Why not start your bedtime routine a little bit earlier one night; enjoy a bubbly bath and then make some hot chocolate or warm milk to drink whilst reading your bedtime story. What happens when you add the chocolate powder to the milk?
• In this episode of ‘Melody’, Melody can’t get to sleep so her mum tries a few things to help her feel sleepy. She listens to some music about the moon at night time. What does the music make you think of?

Understanding the World

Talk about animals that are awake at night and sleep during the day. These animals are called ‘nocturnal’ animals; follow the links below to watch some short clips all about animals that come out at night.

Nocturnal animals

Andy’s Secret Hideout – Hedgehogs

Andy’s Secret Hideout – Owls

Need a longer break? We love watching Aunty Mable and her adventures with Pippin, regardless of how old they are! Grab your fruit snack and learn about hedgehogs with Pippin.

Physical Development

Fiddly Fingers

We’re going to revisit our cutting skills this week and practise using scissors again. Make sure a grown up is around to supervise.  Fold a piece of paper in half and cut out a semi-circle shape (or use a paper plate folded in half if you have one). Cut the corner off to make a nose (as in picture) and draw on a face. Next, ask your child to make snips along the edge to create spikes.

 Movement

We’ve had some very cold weather over the last few weeks, but it’s still really important that we get outside to enjoy running around. Whatever the weather, try to wrap up warm and enjoy some fresh air and exercise. If it’s not too icy, have you got a bike, trike or scooter that you could have a ride on? Make sure you wear your helmet. Here are a few ideas, there’s a different one for each day.

Independence skills

We’ve been talking about some of the things that we do as part of our daily routines. What do we do twice a day that is really important? That’s right! We brush our teeth. Whilst we don’t expect children to do this by themselves just yet, they still need adults to ensure it is done well, children could begin to have a go at brushing their teeth before and after their adult has helped.  Watch this video and then encourage your child to look in the mirror as they brush their teeth. Teaching children about basic personal hygiene is a really important; it’s included in the ‘health and self-care’ part of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Key Worker activity and videos

For this week’s Key Worker activity, you’ll need to have listened to this week’s story, ‘Peace at Last’. Mrs Gosper is going to play some sounds from the story and you need to use your listening ears to work out what you heard.

Key Worker video – Peace at last

After you’ve watched the video, you could play a game of ‘I can hear with my little ear’.  Take it in turns to imitate something and guess what makes that sound. You could imitate the sound of things from around your house like a clock or telephone, or of recognisable animals like a cat, dog or owl.

During group time, we often sing songs linked to our learning. This one is all about the things we might do at bedtime.

Key Worker song – The way we wash our hands

Friday Story Time

Miss Backhouse is going to read this week’s story and just like ‘Peace at Last’, it’s all about different sounds that we might hear around our homes. Find a comfortable space to sit and enjoy listening to the story, ‘Quiet’ by Kate Alizadeh.  Story time – Quiet

Zoom sessions (for children learning at home)

We’re going to play a game of ‘Colour Bingo’. Before the meeting, you’ll need to quickly draw a 3×2 grid and ask your child to draw a different colour into each section. We’ll then reveal some colours during our Zoom and you can tick them off.

Home learning heroes

Thank you for all the emails, photos and learning that you have shared during our zoom sessions. Everyone has done their best in these difficult circumstances and that is all we can ask for. Enjoy a well-earned half term break.

Have a listen to this super reading fluency.

Sometimes, learning goes off in a different direction – which is fine! Feeling proud of an achievement is great motivation to learn. Making a sock dispenser, using toys to count, baking a cake or finding out which materials are waterproof are all valuable lessons!

And to make learning even more exciting…some people like to dress up…

Happy Half Term – stay active with our 3 Peaks Challenge!

Well done to William, Sam and Emma who have been actively counting their steps on our ‘3 peaks challenge’.

If you would like to keep up with the challenge over half term, then see details below.

The Sphere Year 3/4 Team would absolutely love you to be part of this awesome challenge this February and March. We want to get you walking or running (or scooting!) as much as you can over the next two months.

Every time you do a walk or run, add the distance completed (and your time taken to complete this) in your chart. We will be adding up everyone’s distances each week to see how many of us can ‘climb’ the National three peaks. In topic this week and next, we will be learning about some mountains in the UK, so what could be better than a virtual mountain climbing challenge!

The three mountains in the challenge are the highest in each country in the UK:

• Snowdon, in Wales (1085m) Distance: 7 miles / 11.75 km

• Scafell Pike, in England (978m) Distance: 5.5 miles / 9 km

• Ben Nevis, in Scotland (1345m) Distance: 10.75 miles / 17km

You can record your steps taken (paces). The whole route is 37.75 kilometres long, and the average human step (or pace) is 0.75 metres. So you have to take 50,333 steps in total to complete the Three Peaks. Recording steps (paces) taken is easy – you can use a Fitbit, pedometer or just count your steps. A phone can track how many steps you take and how far you walk all by itself, if you walk with an adult who has a phone.

The idea is to make this as much fun as possible, to motivate you to get outdoors and maybe encourage as many of your family and your friends to do the same thing.

You don’t have to do the whole route. Maybe you can choose to ‘walk’ just one mountain, or two – it’s up to you and what you can achieve.

Throughout the month, we will share photos and graphics of the distances you’ve travelled. From this, we can show who has travelled up the peaks and what location we can reach together. Hopefully, we can find ways to help you during this challenge and through this you can share stories, pictures and videos with those joining in this challenge. All ‘Three peaks in eight weeks’ challenge walkers will receive certificates for effort and participation:-

Mountain 1 = Bronze; Mountain 2 = Silver; Mountain 3 = Gold.

recording steps chart