Learning Journey – ‘Freedom’
A snapshot of our week:
Reception have continued our work around the text Halibut Jackson. The children have been exploring adjectives and creating signs for Halibut’s Jackson fashion shops, where they have been doing a great job applying their phonics knowledge. In maths we have been exploring shapes and their properties, particularly rectangles and squares.
Year 1 We have started a new book ‘Dinosaurs and all that rubbish’ by Michael Foreman. It has led to lots of interesting discussions about caring for our environment. In science we have been finding out about animals and how to sort them into their groups, (Mammals, Birds, Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles and Insects). In maths we have also been sorting 2D and 3D shapes and using our ‘reasoning tool’ to explain our sorting. We have learnt the names of all the main 3D shapes and were expert ‘shape hunters’ looking for 3D shapes around the school. Thank you for sharing your home learning on Tapestry and please look on Tapestry for our next Home Learning Project.
Year 2 have been using their reasoning tool in maths to help them understand the inverse operations and to solve number sentences with missing numbers. In literacy, we have used the computers to research endangered sea creatures like the octopus. Each group was given a question to which they had to find the answer and then we put them together as a class to write a big fact file. We are becoming very aware of the dangers of pollution and how we can stop it escalating. In science we are starting to learn about the importance of physical exercise and in gardening club we have potted lots of plants and wrapped the pots as presents, they will be sold at the Winter Fair tomorrow.
Year 3 have started a new book, Stone Girl Bone Girl, which is about the life of Mary Anning. We have only just started it but we are gripped already! Our book links perfectly with our new science topic of fossils which is fascinating. We have found out so much already! We have learnt how fossils are formed and looked at some real-life fossils. We have learnt what a Palaeobiologist does and then had a zoom session with three STEM Ambassadors who told us all about their work as a Vet, a Catacean Ecologist and a Zoo Therapist! It was really interesting and provoked some great discussions about what jobs studying Science could lead to!
Year 4 have had a really exciting history week using our empathy goggles, imagining and planning tools. At the beginning of the week, we imagined that we were pioneers who had travelled on the HMT Empire Windrush to the Tilbury Docks in Essex in 1948, and created letters home to our loved ones in the Caribbean. At the end of the week, we wrote formal historical reports, collating all the knowledge we have learnt since September about the historical journey of the Windrush and why it is still important today. On Thursday, we had an amazing visit and talk from Nikiesha (Tashawna’s Mum) and Mrs Prospere, by using our asking question tools, we were able to hear first-hand what is was like to grow up in the Caribbean and migrate to London. In maths, we have used our knowledge of place value and made links between multiplication and division, multiplying and dividing by ten and one hundred. In science, we had great fun making our own digestive systems, mixing Weetabix, crackers, water and orange juice together and pushing the mixture through various objects that represented different parts of our digestive system. Luckily it didn’t smell!!
Year 5 started a new book this week: Freedom Bird by Jerdine Nolen. We made predictions about what we thought it would be about and uncovered that the story is set during the American Civil War and tells the tale of two young slaves. We asked questions about slavery and the war and used the laptops to research these and develop our knowledge of slavery in America. We learnt lot’s of new vocabulary too. In PSHE we have started to think about our place in the wider world, our rights and responsibilities. Please encourage your child to watch the news, next week we will be considering the impact of the new covid variant so any newspaper cuttings, articles for Tuesday’s lesson would be great.
Year 6 have been writing a newspaper article about Emily Wilding – Davison, the Suffragette who tragically passed away after being trampled by a horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913. We have been using our asking questions tool as well as our imagining tool to create witness statements from people who could have been there at the time. Our main event this week, was our Samba concert. After 10 weeks of practice, we completed our first ever Samba performance, where we showcased our ability to change tempo, pitch and individual flare with our solo performances. Thank you to all the Parents who attended.
Star Pupils this week
Year 3 – Amelie, Fabian, Yaseen & Muhammad
Year 4 – Makeda, Belinda, Mia & Raheemat
Year 5 – Lily, Luca, Raphael & Rahim
Year 6 – Myelle, Skye, Aaryn & Ariyana
Acorn Awards
Green Acorn Awards – 75 points!
Year 4: Aila, Dylan, Gerard, Heve, Jessica, Olaf, Tiana, Alma, Belinda, Elijah, Jack, Nate, Brooke, Elizabeth, Emmanuel, Fabio, Kai, Makeda, Nehemiah, Thelma
Year 6: Grace, Shanell, Xavier, Jayden, Jake, Semi
Bronze Acorn Awards – 150 points!
Year 3: Amelie, Izzy
Year 6: Ariyana, Neli, Irie, Holly, Nina, Tabitha
House Points |
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| 73 | 66 | 70 |
Covid Update
We wanted to provide you with some clarity over the new national guidance that has been issued this week.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak
The guidance was developed in response the Prime Minister’s announcement on 27 November about the temporary introduction of new measures as a result of the Omicron variant.
We have carefully risk assessed our provision in light of this guidance and have made some changes
- re-introduced the wearing of masks by all staff in communal area
- insisted that any adults entering the school must wear a mask and be given the opportunity to hand sanitise
- we have suspended the Dulwich College mentoring programme and are, where possible restricting visitors entering the school
- resumed online staff meetings
- organised for the whole school Talent Show to be virtual
- ensured all live performances are ticketed when there is a likelihood of more than 30 Parents/Carers in attendance
- increased the number of live performances to ensure that one member of every child’s family can attend the performance their child is in
We will obviously be continuing to keep the school building well ventilated (our classrooms are very cold for this reason so please ensure your child is dressed for the outdoors indoors!) and we are ensuring children wash their hands regularly and use hand sanitiser provided.
By making these changes our aim is to go ahead with the live Christmas Performances as planned.
We do, however need your cooperation.
- On Tuesday your child will bring home a letter outlining the Christmas Performance your child is participating in and where/when the performances will be taking place.
- We will ask you to state which performance you would like to attend and then we will do our best to allocate you a ticket for that performance.
- Tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
- Please do not ask for additional tickets for siblings, babies in buggies, other family members because, on this occasion, we simply can’t make exceptions.
- Without your cooperation we will have to record the performances, as we did last year and share them with you online.
Please note: we will continue to contact Parents/Carers to come and pick up their children if we see that a child is unwell in school, we know it is the season for coughs and colds but you know your children best, please don’t send them to school if you know that they have a heavy cough or cold that is making them feel poorly.
We are committed to keeping everyone safe so that we can all enjoy a happy and healthy Christmas.
Clubs for next term
Please see below what is on offer for your child, bookings are set to launch on SchoolsBuddy at 9am on Monday 6th, £3.50 per session as per usual.
Relationships and Sex Education Parent Workshop Feedback
Although only 4 families attended we had a really useful session information sharing, looking at resources and asking questions. As a result of the workshop we added two more strategies to ensure Parents/Carers were aware of the coverage in the lessons to ensure that they can support their children at home with any questions or misconceptions. Thank you to those who attended.
Book Fair hosted by Tales on Moon Lane
We look forward to welcoming Parents/carers to the Book Fair the lower Hall before school on Tuesday to Friday next week. The Fair is open from 8.30 to 8.50 for you and your child to purchase books, a percentage of the takings will be donated to the school to buy new books,
Please note face masks are mandatory for all adults and we will be restricting entry to no more than 30 adults in the hall at any one time.
Year 4 African Drumming Performance for Parents/Carers
Monday 6th December @2.45 in Lower Hall
African Drumming after school club will also be participating in this performance.
We would appreciate it if just one adult per child attended, should we have a really big turn-out we will split the performance into 4A and then 4B and only invite Parents/carers to the performance their child is in.
Thank you for your cooperation. Please note face masks are mandatory for all adults and we will be restricting entry to no more than 30 adults in the hall at any one time.
Dates for the Diary
Fri 10th Dec – Reception/KS1 Celebration Assembly
Fri 10th Dec – Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas Dinner
Tue 14th Dec – Reception Christmas Performance 9:30am & 2:30pm
Wed 15th Dec – KS1 Christmas Performance 9:30am & 2:30pm
Wed 15th Dec – KS2 Christmas Performance at 2pm & 6:30pm – St Stephen’s Church
Thu 16th Dec – KS1 Christmas Performance 9:30am & 2:30pm
Fri 17th Dec – School Finishes at 1pm. No Emu Club.
Tue 4th Jan 2022 – Children return to School
