Does the surface area of a parachute affect how quickly it falls?
In this week’s science learning, we conducted an enquiry to answer the following question:
Does the surface area of a parachute affect how quickly it falls?
We went to the hall to drop our parachutes and timed how long they took to drop to the floor.
What did we change? The size of the parachute
What did we keep the same? The height, the weight and the force applied
What did we measure? How long it took for the parachute to fall
Our results showed us that the bigger the surface area of the parachute, the longer it takes to fall because more air resistance is acting on it.
Help at home: Present the sentence above to your child with the bold words missing and see if they can fill in the gaps!
We are readers!
I have been hugely amazed by the reading journal tasks that I have been receiving each week in my class. It shows that the children are taking their reading seriously at home and that they are considering the effort and presentation that they put into their weekly tasks. This week, the children completed ‘Draw it’ which allows them to draw a front cover, a main character or a scene from their book.
Help at home: Children should be reading daily at home and recording this in their journals. Can you listen to your child read and sign their journal each week? Please check that your child is completing their weekly tasks and returning their journals to school every Friday.
Topic: we are geographers
We used Digimaps this week to observe how Leeds had changed over time. This online tool allows the children to look at historical and present day maps and measure the scale of the city. We looked at a map from 1890, 1950 and 2023. They used a free hand tool to draw around the city and then the measuring tool to record the scale. It was really clear to see how Leeds had expanded. This learning links to our topic vocabulary – city expansion.
Help at home: Ask your child why a city like Leeds has expanded over time.
Living and learning: 8 Rs for learning
Living and learning has allowed the children to reflect on the 8 Rs for learning in class and at home.
Here is a reminder of what they are:
- ready
- responsive
- risk taking
- responsible
- resourceful
- resilient
- remembering
- reflecting
The children reflected on the first few weeks of school and gave examples of when they had used an 8R.
” I used remembering when I remembered some vocabulary from last years topic learning.”
“I was resilient in maths when I was finding reading large numbers tricky – now I get it!”
Help at home: Can your child give an example of when they’ve used an 8R at home? Maybe at a sport club or with their homework.
Science: we are physicists
The children are learning about forces this half term, which allows them to experience the physics strand of science. Air-resistance (a type of friction between air and another object) has been our focus for the lesson this week and we began by testing this on paper. The children dropped a piece of paper and a scrunched up piece of paper from a height to see which would land first – they predicted that the scrunched up one would land first. They discussed how surface area affects the force of the air acting upon it. The whole piece of paper was the last to fall as it had the largest surface area.
The children then used bin bags and ran holding them, a bit like a parachute. This was to allow them to feel the drag associated with air resistance.
Help at home: Ask your child about the science vocabulary they are learning about. What can they remember?
Living and learning: I follow the school rules
Living and learning this week has allowed the children to think about our school rules at the start of a new school year. The children remembered the rules well:
We’re ready.
We’re safe.
We’re respectful.
We discussed how these would look and sound in class and around school, even in the playground. How would we know the children are following the rules?
The classes will also have established rules for their living and learning sessions to ensure these lessons are purposeful and reflective.
This week, we will also be sending home the Acceptable Use Agreement for using the computers in and out of school. When using technology, the children need to ensure they are safe. Please read through this with your child and check that they understand the expectations. We’ll also be discussing this in class.
Help at home by asking your child about the school rules. Can they explain what they have done this week to show they are following them?
Welcome back!
Welcome back after the summer holiday e hope you had a happy and healthy summer. It has been great to see so many happy faces back in school. The children have settled back into school really well and are adapting to new routines, classrooms and teachers really well.
This week, we will be sending the children home with a reading book and a new reading journal. It is really beneficial that your child reads at home daily – it improves fluency and increases the enjoyment of reading. The children can record what they’ve read at home and when in the journals. We will also set a task for them to complete at home. Ask your child what their task is for their homework. Please actively encourage your child to think about the presentation of their work in the journals and the importance of neat handwriting and accurate use of punctuation.
Thank you to all the children who have come to school in the correct uniform and PE kits this week – you all look so smart. If you are unsure of the uniform, please click the link to see what is required.
We are looking forward to a successful year. Please feel free to come and introduce yourselves to us!
Welcome back
It was our pleasure to welcome back the students today. After finding out about all their adventures over the summer break, we revisited our school rules:
we’re respectful
we’re ready
we’re safe.
Children discussed what this might look like, feel like and sound like. At home, discuss the importance of having rules and how they help us learn.
All children in year 5/6 now have a reading book. Remember that children should be reading daily to an adult for at least 15 minutes. Getting back into a routine will help your child make great progress this year.
Living and Learning (Being Healthy week) : Yoga and mindfulness
Reception, Year 1, Year 2, Year 5 and Year 6 all enjoyed yoga sessions from School of Yoga this week. This helped us learn about the importance of mental wellbeing and wellness, as well as physical health. Time to be mindful is important for our mental health.
Living and learning: I make healthy choices
As part of Being Healthy week, we welcomed Dave in from D:side. he ran a brilliant, informative workshop about the dangers of smoking and in particular, the potential risks of vaping. He began by asking the children what they already knew about these products and discussed how widely available they are.
They talked about the health risks that are posed from using these items and how it can hinder a child’s development.
The children engaged brilliantly and maturely in the discussions – well done!
