Whole School News from Mrs Buchanan, Headteacher 

Mrs Cassie Buchanan
Headteacher

Our RULER lessons are continuing regularly and the pupil’s language whilst describing emotions is certainly improving. Pupils are now more able to describe how they are feeling in a number of different scenarios which has helped us to support them even better.

Last week, I shared how to create a charter in your home as a starting point.

The next step, is to introduce the mood meter which I have included for your reference.

The four quadrants help pupils to name their emotions. The emotions which are included may be helpful but it is encouraged to build up your own vocabulary which you would use naturally. Then slowly start adding more words to each quadrant to teach your child a range of emotions. As you do this, it is important to discuss what these emotions feel like and look like. What are the physical changes to your body? Explain that each of us (in your household) show these emotions differently and you may not necessarily know when each other are feeling one of these emotions. What are the signs that they can look out for? Let each other know what these emotions feel like to you.

The mood meter is one of the main RULER tools and should be kept somewhere where everyone can see it. E.g. fridge door.

To start using the mood meter you may wish to participate in a group activity where you take 5 minutes to each share the answers to the following questions.

1. Where are you on the Mood Meter?
2. What caused you to feel this way?
3. What word best describes your current feeling?
4. How are you expressing this feeling?
5. Given where you plotted yourself, what strategy or strategies will you use to get the most out of the day?

You can here the full concert here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH_FP67cLP0

I hope you enjoy!

Mr Young

Year Five and Six

Year Three and Four

This week has been another busy week in Year 3/4.  In computing this week, the children were stunned by their teachers who each performed a mind bending mathematical trick using binary.  Before long, many children has developed their own theory as to how it worked. The talented coders then got a chance to really find out how it was done and got to try it out on each other! This was a fantastic lesson allowing children to explore how devices are programmed to check for errors in data transfer. The trick allowed children to spot exactly which card was incorrectly coded out of a square of 36 cards.  It was very impressive! 

In maths this week, we continued with our mission of problem solving by being learning to find the coordinates for French towns and cities on a map as well as being able to plot places on to a map, having only been given coordinates.  The children of year 3/4 accepted the challenge with alacrity and hugely enjoyed learning the names and geographical locations of some  obscure towns in France! 

Also this week, Year 3/4 have continued their ukulele (a word I’ve just realised I’ve always spelt wrong) lessons with Gordon. It’s been amazing learning to play the ukulele with the children who are picking it up with such apparent ease!  So far we have learnt at least 4 chords and played (whilst singing at the same time) as many different songs including Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling!  

We’ve also been expressing our more creative sides thorough PE this term and this week was no exception. For the duration of this term we have been doing dance with our resident dance teacher from the Rambert dance company, Delene. Delene has been working on a wide range of different skills with us to a wonderful array of different genres of music. This week we learnt to swing dance which involved lots of high kicks, jazz hands and energetically sliding across the hall.  

Next week, our final week of this half term, each class in Year 3/4 will be attending the British Library to take part in a map workshop. Please, if you would like to attend and support us on the trip, let child’s teacher know. 

Mr Cannock

Year One and Two

This week, we have taken our fire based learning to the next level! We are taking it in turns to visit the Old Kent Road Fire Station, where we are finding out all about what happens when the men receive a call out. So far, Nickleby and Bumble classes have visited and Havisham and Copperfield classes will go next week. Many thanks to Mr Harris who helped us to arrange these special trips at his main place of work! Mr Vanson says that his class really enjoyed squirting fire hoses and the children all thought that it was very funny when Mr Vanson himself dressed up as a fireman! 

 
Back in class, we have been learning about what happens in a hospital, and writing explanations in relation to this. We are going to be well prepared for some excellent explanation about fire stations next week as Year One have been mastering capital letters and full stops and Year Two are looking at how to use time openers to link their sentences. Mr Oxenham was impressed by Nakai, Annam and Helenka's sentence sorting where they worked out where to place the all important full stop! Mrs Jenkins, Mr Oxenham and Mrs Shafia have also been busy checking children's phonics skills - please remember to let us know when you need a new box of key words for the children to practise at home. 

Nickleby Class (and the rest of the Year One and Two pupils and staff) would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to Miss Khan. It is her last week. She has been an amazing student teacher and has done a fabulous job. We will miss her very much! We wish her all the best with the rest of her teacher training course and hope that she will come back soon! 

Ms Alcock

Early Years

Diary Dates

6 February 2017

• Pickwick/Barkis trip to the British Library

7 February 2017

• Peggotty Class Assembly

8 February 2017

• Oliver/Barkis trip to the British Library

9 February 2017

• Chuzzlewit/Barkis trip to the British Library

22 February 2017

• Year 5 trip to the Royal Academy of Arts

24 February 2017

• Year 6 trip to the Royal Academy of Arts

15 March 2017

• Developing emotional intelligent children parent workshop 9.30am
• Developing emotional intelligent children through mindfulness-Led by Mrs Pasantes and Ms McHale.

16 March 2017

• Summerson Rambert performance at the Southbank Centre

22 March 2017

• Reception Trip to Discover Centre Stratford