Living and Learning: I know how to cope with change.
In this week’s Living and Learning session, Year 5 and 6 learnt all about how to cope with change.
Change is something that happens to everybody in life and it could include:
– moving to a new school
– moving house
– a friend moving away
– losing a family member
and many more.
We watched a video about a child who had joined a new school and we identified and discussed how he was feeling at different parts of the video. At first, he felt alone and isolated in his new school. We discussed strategies that he could’ve used to cope with this change. These included: talking to an adult, asking to join in a game with peers, sitting on the friendship bench or doing something like reading to focus your mind!
We then saw how some other children approached the new child and involved them in their game – we agreed this would be an inclusive and friendly thing to do to help somebody that was struggling.
Overall, Year 5 and 6 learnt about empathy and how to show consideration for the thoughts and feelings of others – a vital life skill.
Help at home: Regularly talk to your child and have conversations about showing empathy for others and how to cope with change.
Egg-cellent Easter disco
We had an egg-citing time at the Easter disco on Friday. We played an Easter-themed corners game, musical statues and finished off with the obligatory conga and sweets.
Living and Learning – Mental Wellbeing
Throughout this half-term and across the phase, we have been looking at mental wellbeing. We’ve discussed different emotions and looked at different strategies to help us regulate, including mindful listening and mindful breathing. This linked well with our yoga learning in PE! We also talked about the principles of teamwork, recognising that we’re all the same yet all different and how we can work well together. Another theme was kindness – recognising that friends and family are important – and how we can be kind to others.
Help at home by thinking about ways you can be kind and what this looks, feels and sounds like in your daily life. 
Road Safety
The road safety team from Leeds City Council visited the 5,6 phase today. They began by sharing statistics about how much accidents on our roads cost society each year. It was explained that roads and strategies to keep our roads safe, are paid for by the tax payer and we were shocked at the cost implications. It costs a whopping £55, 000 to install and run a speed camera!
The children were given maps of the local area and they had to locate their houses. They had to think about what the roads are like in their area and choose road safety measure that would make trips to the local amenities safer. They were given a budget of £100, 000 to spend and we thought it would be easy! Little did we know how expensive things were, like speed bumps and pedestrian crossings. The activity was enjoyable and also got the children working collaboratively.
3,4A Class News
It’s been another busy week at Scholes as we’ve been completing end-of-term assessments and gearing up for next week’s production.
Thank you to everyone who joined us on Monday for our topic review on computing. We’ve been working on applying different coding concepts using Scratch Jr so it was great to show this in action. Today in 3,4A, we focused on the term ‘decomposition’ – the process of breaking down instructions into smaller, more manageable steps – to create our own ‘crossy road’ game. Please see an example below.
In other news, 3/4A won the trophy this week for the Times Table Rockstars competition across the phase – great work, team! Times tables continue to be a key focus for us.
Help at home by continuing to help your child access TTRS. Y3s, please focus on x3, x4 and x8. Y4s, focus on the times table you feel least confident with.
We look forward to welcoming lots of parents and carers next week for the show – Gladis Baker, Gladiator!
Celebrating Success
Jeevan, in Year 5, is going for his black belt in taekondo. As part of the grading he has written an essay that he would like to share with the Scholes community:
Why I want to be a Black Belt in Taekwondo
As a ten year old boy who loves martial arts, earning a black belt is my biggest dream! It’s not just a cool belt, it’s about what it represents. To me, a black belt means I’ve worked hard, learned a lot, and become stronger, both inside and outside.
Having a black belt shows that I’ve practiced a lot. Every punch, kick, and block takes a lot of practice to get right. Sometimes I make mistakes, but that’s okay because it helps me learn. I imagine wearing a black belt and feeling proud of all the effort and time I’ve put into training. It’s like a trophy, but even better because I can wear it!
Also, a black belt means I’ve learned to be disciplined. In Taekwondo, I need to listen carefully, follow instructions, and respect my teachers and classmates. This has helped me become more focused in school and at home too. I’ve learned that to achieve something great, like a black belt, I need to stay dedicated and work hard, even when it’s tough.
Being brave is another reason I want a black belt. Sometimes learning new moves can be scary, and sparring with partners can be intimidating. But Taekwondo has taught me to face my fears. Earning a black belt would show that I’ve overcome many challenges and become braver. It’s not just about fighting, it’s about having the courage to keep trying, even when I’m afraid.
A black belt also means I can help others. In class, I see people with black belts teaching and helping younger students. I want to be like them. It feels good to share what I’ve learned and to encourage others to keep going, even when it’s hard. Being a black belt is like being a leader, and I want to inspire others by showing them what they can achieve if they don’t give up.
Lastly, I believe having a black belt will make me a better person. It’s not just about being strong in fighting, it’s about being kind, respectful, and patient. Martial arts teach important values, like how to be a good friend and how to stand up for what’s right. I think being a black belt means carrying these values everywhere, not just in the dojang.
A black belt is more than just a belt. It represents hard work, discipline, bravery, the joy of helping others, and becoming a better person. I can’t wait for the day I earn my black belt, but I also know that the journey doesn’t end there. It’s just the beginning of continuing to learn, grow, and maybe one day helping others achieve their dream.
DT – Cooking 3,4C
This week, we created some delicious pitta pizzas, using a selection of toppings. They tasted amazing!
We discussed the importance of hygiene and how to stay safe when cooking, including using sharp knives safely.
Today, we evaluated our pizzas, discussing the skills we used to make them and what we could change next time.
Help at home by encouraging your child to help you prepare and cook food.
Eggs, chicks and rabbits!
Towards the end of the week, children were very egg-cited to find lots of Easter themed enhancements to our Nursery provision.
We’ve been counting rabbits, carefully picking eggs out of a nest using tongs and decorating egg shapes in the creative area.
Next week, we’ll continue with some Easter themed fun and will find out about how some Christians celebrate Easter.
In our group times this week, we learnt about the number 4. We looked at 4 candles on a cake and put 4 counters into a 5 frame. We could see that there was only one space left.
Help at home: As you play with your child or during snack time, have a go at including some of these things into your play and conversation.
- Can you count 4 objects? Remember to line them up and touch/point to each one carefully as you say one number for each item.
- Can you count to 4 and show 4 on your fingers?
- Can you spot the number four on house doors or car number plates?
- Count 4 objects from a pile and remember to STOP when you get to 4.
Some children have shown an interest in ‘spinning’ objects and have loved exploring spinning and spirals.
Next week’s learning:
Sound of the week – F for flamingo
Nursery rhyme of the week – Humpty Dumpty
Computing: making our own version of Times Tables Rock Stars.
Children in year 5/6 have been learning how to use Scratch to create their own Times Tables Rock Stars game. Children have learned how to use repetition to simplify their algorithm and create variables such as timers or number generators.
Help at home: have a go at exploring scratch with your child. Are there any other games that you want to make? It might be a maze game or a playform game. Discuss the skills needed to code your own game.
A Tiny Seed
This week, we’ve been reading The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.
Some of the children recognised the illustrations, knowing that the author also wrote The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
The story follows the journey of a tiny seed, tracking its journey through the four seasons.
We decided to go on a season walk to find signs of spring. The children spotted buds, leaves, blossom, bees and even the sun.
Miniscule is our ‘word of the week’. We’ve been learning that miniscule is even smaller than tiny!
Maths
In Maths, we’ve been doubling! Ask your child explain how we find doubles.
Phonics
Spring 2 week 5 has been a review of phase 3 sounds. We’ve been reading longer words, words with s in the middle /z/ (like ‘visit’), words ending –s and words with –es at end /z/ (like ‘foxes’)
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite this poem each day. By saying the poem out loud, we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line. We talk to the children about how this can help us become better readers. This week’s poem is called Hungry Birdies.
We talk about how a poem sometimes has rhyming words and sometimes doesn’t. Can your child tell you the rhyming words in this week’s poem? We also talk about how a poem can have a fast rhythm or a slow rhythm.
click here to watch us recite this week’s poem!
Road safety
A visitor came to talk to us about how to keep safe around roads. We discussed what should be on the roads and what/who should be on the pavement. We talked about how seatbelts, helmets, zebra crossings and holding our grown-up’s hand keep us safe. We even sung a seatbelt song to help us remember to always wear a seatbelt in the car.
Science
This week, we have explored seeds and stones that are found in fruits. We looked inside a kiwi, melon, pepper and nectarine. The children were able to describe what they discovered and drew their observations.
Loads of seeds. Myla
It’s a nectarine! Sienna
It’s a tiny seed. Albie
Teeny tiny kiwi seed! Frankie
Reminders and Dates
Learning Journey Drop in Tuesday 26 and Thursday 28 8.45-9.15 or 3.15-3.45
Every child in Reception has a Learning Journey book that celebrates their learning – this might be with photos, our observations, and your updates from home. Come in and share with your child their Learning Journey so far.