Christmas Letter
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The first snow of the year is always exciting! We hope everyone has enjoyed going outside and experiencing the snow today.
School will be open as usual on Monday – we look forward to seeing you all at the usual time.
Worms Galore
Muddy wellies and searching for worms – it’s just a usual lesson in Year 1.
When reading the story Super Worm, it’s only right that we create our own worm world. We went on a very exciting hunt for worms on the field. The children (and Miss French) were overly excited to start digging and grab some worms. Not only did we find lots of wriggly worms, but we also brought them back into the classroom to build our very own worm world. The children worked together to layer soil, sand and of course some food for the worms in the tank.
Year 1 are so excited to check on our new classmates daily and see how they have burrowed through the soil.
Did the excitement stop there? Absolutely not! Each child used their artistic skills to design their very own super worm out of clay, which was then transformed with colourful paints and glitter, because of course Super Worm is no ordinary worm. Year 1 are eager to start some fabulous writing about their worms next week. 
Library: National Non-Fiction November
November celebrates the huge variety of non-fiction books available for children. These books are full of awe and wonder from the world we live in, and inspire curiosity and a thirst for knowledge whilst encouraging reading for pleasure. This week, I’ve picked a few of my favourite interactive non-fiction reads…
Marvellous Machines by Jane Wilsher and Andres Lozano is the perfect book for you if you have ever wondered what’s going on inside some of the world’s most incredible machines and inventions. Using the see-through magic lens, you can learn about mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering by exploring the inner workings of machines.
In your kitchen or bedroom, beneath city streets or far up in space, machines are at work day and night making, moving, building and even thinking for us. In this eye-catching book, you can explore the hidden inner workings of machines and inventions: from everyday objects like toasters and bicycles, to cutting-edge technologies such as pill-sized medical robots and super-fast maglev trains. The see-through magic lens will reveal how all these machines work, showing all the elements hidden within them from wires and pipes, to magnetic and gravitational forces.
Optical Illusions by Gianni A. Sarcone and Marie-Jo Waeber, shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People’s Science Book Prize, is an eye opening look at how we don’t always see things they way they are.
The brain is an amazing thing, but it doesn’t always get things right when it comes to sight. This book is here to explain why, with astounding images, baffling puzzles, and simple reveals which show the reader how each trick works. Templates included at the back of the book reveal answers and aid the creation of astounding illusions. The science behind each element is simply explained in an engaging way, to encourage the reader to find out more each time. Throughout the book there are chances for the reader to get hands-on with the illusions, with step-by-step experiments, or tips on how to draw your own “moving” optic art on paper or on the computer.
This Book Is A Planetarium by Kelli Anderson is a book, a planetarium and much more besides! It can turn your phone into a speaker, become a musical instrument, help you decode secret messages, and create geometric designs. Defying every expectation of what a book can be, this pop-up extravaganza transforms into six fully functional tools. Kelli Anderson contributes enlightening text alongside each pop-up, explaining the scientific principles at play in her constructions and creating an interactive experience that’s as educational as it is extraordinary. Inspiring awe that lasts long after the initial pop, This Book Is a Planetarium leaves readers of all ages with a renewed appreciation for the way things work―and for the enduring magic of books.
When I grow up…
The children this week have been thinking about what they want to be when they grow up! They have done some amazing drawings, paintings, models and writing about their dream job.We have also been learning about Florence Nightingale and people who work in hospitals. Every child then designed a card for the NHS to say thank you to all the workers for their hard work!
Year 5: Investigating history through artefacts
Year 5 have been discovering more about how Victorians lived through exploring artefacts from that era.
We recognised the yo-yo, diablo and spinning top, but couldn’t make that work. The spinning monkey was simple but great fun. It helped us to think about how differently rich and poor people lived. Poor children wouldn’t have been able to afford extravagant toys like rocking horses, tea sets, china dolls or even marbles!
None of us knew what the warming pan was for – we thought it would have been used for cooking on a large fire – or the match lighter, and we thought the whip for the spinning top was linked to the ink well.
Thank you to Mrs Aston’s Mum for lending us the artefacts and bringing history to life!
Children in Need 2021
The children have had such a fun day raising money for Children in Need. Every class has done something a little different, which has made it extra special, and every class has enjoyed the outdoors activity, kindly set up by Mrs Reihill and Mr Cotton.
Thank you, parents, for supporting such a fantastic cause, and for helping the children enjoy the day.
Library: Books to help us explore bullying
This week has been anti-bullying week, with the theme of One Kind Word, so all of my recommendations link to kindness and bullying. This are books that will help us empathise with others and understand how we can help.
Kindness Grows by Britta Teckentrup is a wonderful peep through poem that reminds us of the power of kindness.
It all starts with a crack that we can hardly see,
It happens when we shout or if we disagree.
But with every kindness that we care to show,
Something good and magical then begins to grow…
Angry words cause a crack to open up, but find out what happens when kindness begins to blossom in this thought-provoking book celebrating friendship, forgiveness, hope and respect.
Paper Boat For Panda by Celestine and the Hare is a heartwarming tale of friendship and kindness, and the joy that they bring to the Tribe. The gently told story shows that the reward for kindness is seeing the pleasure it brings to others.
Panda loves his toy boat, and sailing it across the kitchen rug. What he really wants though, is to sail across the wide, beautiful sea, but he knows it’s just a dream. But, Baby Weasus has an idea, and enlists Small to help. Can friends really make dreams come true?
The stunning needle felted characters, lovingly crafted and photographed by Karin add an extra layer of warmth to this beautiful little book, perfectly sized for little hands.
I love that the story is followed by easy to follow instructions on how to make your own paper boat to sail across your wide, beautiful sea, encouraging imaginative play to extend your enjoyment of this charming book.
For slightly older children, Fly On The Wall by Remy Lai is a thought-provoking look through the eyes of an online bully that helps us to understand his motives and see how his actions affect those around him.
Henry Khoo’s family treats him like a baby. He’s not allowed to go anywhere without his sister/chaperone/bodyguard. And he definitely can’t take a journey halfway around the world all by himself!
But that’s exactly his plan. After his family’s annual trip to visit his father in Singapore is cancelled, Henry decides he doesn’t want to be cooped up at home with his overprotective family and BFF turned NRFF (Not Really Friend Forever). Plus, he’s hiding a your-life-is-over-if-you’re-caught secret: he’s the creator of an anonymous gossip cartoon, and he’s on the verge of getting caught. Determined to prove his independence and avoid punishment for his crimes, Henry embarks on the greatest adventure ever, hoping it won’t turn into the greatest disaster ever.
Laugh out loud funny, this is a wonderful book with a quirky main character that is bound to appeal to fans of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates.
All The Things That Could Go Wrong by Stewart Foster reminds us that there are always two sides to every story in this emotive, tense tale of two boys struggling to get along.
What I love most about this story is that we get to explore the thoughts and feelings of both the bully and the victim. While we begin to understand Dan’s motives, his behaviour is explained yet never excused, but it does becomes easy to see how life events can change a person’s behaviour. A fantastic read for empathy that will make readers stop and think.
Dan is angry. Nothing has been the same since his big brother left, and he’s taking it out on the
nearest and weakest target: Alex. Alex is struggling. His severe OCD makes it hard for him to leave the house, especially when Dan and his gang are waiting for him at school . . .
Then the boys’ mums arrange for them to meet up and finish building the raft that Dan started with his brother. Two enemies stuck together for the whole of the school holidays – what could possibly go wrong?
Cloud Busting by Malorie Blackman is both a heart breaking and heart warming story told completely in verse as the relationship between two boys alters and changes into something that will affect both of their lives forever.
From haikus to free verse and limericks to calligrams, Malorie Blackman chooses the perfect poetry style to convey the emotion of her characters as we move through the story while Helen van Vliet’s illustrations echo the rawness of the words.
Davey is the new boy in class and Sam can’t stand him. He thinks Davey is plain weird. But when the two are thrown together Sam discovers that Davey’s eccentric way of looking at the world makes life a lot more fun. Until the day something terrible happens…
Happy reading, and remember, one kind word could change somebody’s day!