The Chronicle

In RE this week Junior 6 have been delving into the story of Thomas and how he doubted the return of Jesus. We thought about Thomas’ story and how we could apply it to our own lives as we thought about the times we’ve doubted, when we should have believed. The children amazed us with their ability to think about such serious questions with real maturity. Also, this week Junior 6 have been working hard in Computing as they expand upon their understanding of spreadsheets - a skill which could really serve the children well in their future. All in all, a great week for both mental and spiritual development in Junior 6. Well done, children!

Junior 5 have enjoyed a fun-packed week with a fulfilling taster day at Princethorpe, an exciting dance experience with Miss Jaz and their first cricket matches of the term. Tuesday was particularly special, as the children were treated to a taste of what it would feel like to be a pupil at Princethorpe – and it wasn’t just the famous cookies that they enjoyed! They investigated various chemicals in Science, grooved along to upbeat music whilst learning how to follow written music and learnt how to say colours in Spanish. And, as they waved adios to Princethorpe, they had all left a positive first impression. Well done Junior 5, you are all amazing!

Junior 4 have had such fun in their Science lessons this week as they have worked both enthusiastically and collaboratively to make their robots' noses light up, and hearts spin and buzz! There were whoops of excitement as they brought their robots alive, and they further extended themselves by making a range of components work simultaneously in their circuits.

Junior 3 have been learning about different types of angles in Maths lessons, and they particularly enjoyed our practical lesson acting as right-angle detectives! Armed with their own right-angle finder, the children explored their classrooms looking for and checking right-angles. The children could not quite believe just how many there are in our everyday environments. After that they went outside to discover right angles on the outdoors environment, and were equally amazed at how many there were, from right-angles on the new climbing equipment, to the hopscotch markings. It was interesting, however, how they could not find any right-angles amongst the trees, and concluded that there are no right-angles in nature.

In Maths this week, children have been working hard on fractions. We have been writing character descriptions of the old man in the book we are studying and loved thinking about how he would make a good friend for someone of a similar age based on his characteristics. In Science, we have started our new gardening topic, and children have begun growing beans so that we can look at germination and how  plants form. Junior 2 are extending their knowledge of a rainforest, looking at the layers and animals that would live within the rainforest. They are becoming proficient at researching information from lots of different sources. We also had a very special treat on Monday when Miss Jaz taught us a dance by PJ and Duncan on World Dance Day. We are so proud of the progress they have made this year and the positive way they continue to approach their learning.

Junior 1 have been working very hard this week. Using all of the ideas from the past two weeks, in English they created their own version of Handa’s Surprise and wrote it out as a zigzag book. In Maths fractions was the topic of the week, looking at half of a shape and a number using practical examples, as well as writing number sentences. History and DT linked together with the making of some toys – a penny spinner and hopscotch game were learnt about in history, while in DT everyone made their own version of a slingshot board game. Life cycles were the focus in Science, and this week we looked at the life cycle of a human, a hen and a frog! To top it all off, we had a visit from Miss Jaz who taught us all some new dance moves to help celebrate World Dance Day. Now we all need a long restful weekend ready for next week!

This week, Reception have been on the next leg of their journey around the world, this time using boats to travel across the seas! They have used their story prompt to answer challenging comprehension questions and are really improving with how much writing they can do independently. We had lots of fun for International Dance Day on Monday with Miss Jaz. The children loved learning the dance with lots of flowing scarves and funky moves!