Welcome back to the Summer term, we are looking forward to the events planned for the term ahead. Year 5 have already journeyed to Kilve Court this week for their residential visit. Please see the tile on Szapp for their full report and included within this newsletter. The children were fantastic and embraced the activities and experiences. Thank you to the staff team who gave their time to ensure the visit was a most enjoyable success.

We are looking forward to getting out and about; please see the year group curriculum newsletters for further information. Hopefully the weather might settle this term but please ensure you are checking the Feed on Szapp for any last minute changes to our plans and reminders. Year 4 are going to Beggar Bush on Monday 22^nd April.

Inset and Academy Days:

Monday 22nd July - INSET day, children not in school

Tuesday 23rd July - INSET day, children not in school 

Monday 2nd September - INSET day, children not in school 

Tuesday 3rd September - INSET day, children not in school 

Adults Quiz night – Friday 17th May | in the school hall (entry via Community hall door) | Doors open at 7:30 pm and the quiz starts promptly at 8 pm! 

Don't worry, you don't need to be a quiz pro, there will be plenty of questions for everyone! 

Come with your team of max of 8 or join a team on the night. 

Tickets are £10 per person including a drink and snacks. 

A bar selling wine, beer and soft drinks (card only) will also be available. 

Click here to sign up: https://forms.gle/3zoYVv4Zf49yjEBt8 

Proceeds will be going towards building a new Pirate Ship in our school playground and we welcome as much support as possible in making this happen. 

Thank you from the PTA.

The Alternative Parents’ Evening - Please join us for a free online event, designed for parents who are feeling under pressure. Tuesday 23 April 2024, 7pm-8pm online on Zoom

The event is an opportunity for parents to hear about a free project (SIPCo*) we have in Bristol.

If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of the following, then please join us:

• Do you have a child or children aged between 8 and 14?
• Have you been arguing more in the last few months?
• Are there tensions between you and your partner or  ex-partner?
• Have you seen a change in your child’s behaviour?
• Are they upset by your arguing/silences?

Welcome back! The children have started back well after the Easter break and we have been impressed by their enthusiasm and listening especially in their Monday morning yoga classes. 

We began the week looking at a map of the United Kingdom and learning that London is the capital city. To launch our London learning we read the super book ‘We completely must Go to London’ by Lauren Child. We enjoyed learning the names, function and history of some famous London landmarks. We were surprised by how many similarities there were when we compared London to Bristol and felt proud of all the beautiful landmarks here in our home city. We really loved bringing London into our play and doing some wonderful London artwork. It was exciting to share our photos of visits to London and answer questions from our friends.

On Tuesday we learnt a very important lesson with the help of the NSPCC’s Pantosaurus! We used the acrostic ‘PANTS’ to learn the rules that keep us safe. We loved the Pantosaurus story and song that helped us to remember the rules. You can find more information on this learning on the NSPCC’s website.

In phonics we have been working on reading longer words by splitting them into chunks then blending together. In maths we have started building numbers beyond 10 using numicon tiles, ten frames and loose parts.  

On Friday we learnt about the celebration of Eid. We read ‘Can you find my Eid Presents? By A.M Dassu and Miss G spoke to us about her own celebration and how some of her Muslim friends from other parts of the world celebrate differently.  

What a smashing week to start the term!

This week in year 1 we have started our new book for the term Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett. The book follows a boy named Orion who is scared of lots of things including wasps, wardrobes, the sea, dogs and even girls, but he is most afraid of the dark. One night, the dark comes to life and takes Orion on an adventure so that he can face his fears. To help Orion know he’s not alone, Year 1 wrote him a letter with suggestions of things he could do to help with his fear of the dark. Year 1 had some great ideas, such as asking for help and giving your favourite teddy a cuddle. 

In maths we have been learning about place value within 50. We practiced counting on from any number between 20 and 50 using manipulatives as well as counting in groups of ten as a more efficient way of counting large numbers. 

In music we explored the concept of pitch through the theme of superheroes. We used the glockenspiels to play notes whilst our groups had to guess which was the high pitch note and which was the low pitch note. 

In science we identified the difference between seeds and bulbs by sorting them and making guesses as to what they grow into. 

In PSHE we completed our NSPCC Pants lesson where we learned how to keep ourselves safe. To get us thinking about the power of pants, we designed our own pair and listed adults that we trust.

This term our literacy text is The Barnabus Project by The Fan Brothers.  Earlier this week we used some of the illustrations from this beautiful book to predict what our new story would be about. By looking carefully at the front cover and the first and last pages we decided that the character in the story would be going on an adventure and we learned that the story would be centered around the idea of perfect pets.

We then read the story together and continued in our literacy lessons by thinking about the main themes and big ideas in the book before we began to retell the story by creating story maps. 

This week we quickly got back into the swing of things. The children enjoyed the spring weather (albeit sporadic!) and have been inspired to write a Sonnet based on Roz's experiences on the island. They generated lots of spectacular vocabulary, including examples of personification: "Melting rivers invade the valleys below" and "Blossom dancing in the spring breeze." 

In History, we learnt about 3 kings of England and their stories, including William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings, menacing King John and hasty, haphazard Henry VIII. We reenacted the Battle after looking at key resources, wrote a class Magna Carta and created a 'chatterbox' to demonstrate the order of King Henry's wives. It's been a busy week of learning and fun! 

Term 5 has got off to a flying start. In Literacy we have been looking at the short video 'Spy Fox' and we have been preparing to write newspaper reports about how Spy Fox saved the world. To gain different perspectives about the event, we have been playing the role of reporter and witness for different characters and interviewing each other. 

In P.E., we have been working on our athletic skills. This week we focused on our aiming and throwing skills. 

Wednesday:

On arrival at Kilve on Wednesday, the children had their introductory tour, asked when they could eat their lunch as they were clearly ravenous and soon managed to tuck in to their lunches outside in the sun. 

Finding out the dorms was a great source of joy and the children loved unpacking and competing to see who could have the tidiest dorm.  

Wednesday afternoon took us all to Kilve beach. Cold and windy is an understatement but the children made the most of their time searching for fossils, exploring the rock pools and even managed an ice cream so they're definitely hardier than the adults! The Kilve staff commented on their brilliant walking - making sure one another were safe and always walking at a good pace with not one whisper of "are we nearly there yet?!" 

After a hearty supper, the children spent an hour running around in the outdoor maze. There was much consternation every time they met a dead end but they all made it out safely before it got too dark!! 

Thursday:

Thursday morning activities were filled with sunshine and smiles. The children turned their hands to climbing, rifle shooting, grass sledging and mountain biking. Fears were conquered, screams were quelled and laughter abounded. It was really lovely to see the children pushing themselves and working together; the team spirit was commendable. 

Lunchtime was welcomed heartily as the children tucked in to beefburgers, salad bar, jacket potatoes and rolls. The water jugs were drained and refilled so the morning must have been thirsty work. 

After a little bit of downtime outside in the sunshine, the afternoon activity of team building began. The children had problems to solve, challenges to master and, again, worked incredibly well with one another to reach their goals. Some got drenched in the stream so a shower was definitely necessary afterwards! To finish the afternoon, the popular maze was re-opened and the children had 30 mins free time trying to navigate their own way around. It's safe to say they were well and truly exhausted before tea! 

But....the fun didn't stop there! The delicious chicken casserole or vegetable pie (followed by donuts) was a brilliant refuel before outdoor Cluedo. What a fun evening! The teachers dressed up, got in to role and dotted around the site whilst the children ran around finding the clues. Mad Chef Karen was mad about the children learning food groups; Army Jake insisted the children got some exercise; Princess Mary was desperate to marry Farmer Fred and Farmer Fred was intent on teaching the children some animal facts. All correct knowledge earnt the children clues and an hour later the mystery was solved. Less than 30 mins thereafter, the dorms were full of tired, happy campers and not a sound could be heard. 

It's been a whirlwind week for our fabulous Year 6! SATs revision has been in full swing, with our diligent Year 6 tackling maths, reading, spelling, and grammar with gusto! They're sharpening their skills and gearing up to showcase their knowledge.We couldn't be prouder of our Year 6’s dedication and enthusiasm. 

PE lessons are always a highlight of the week, and our Year 6 have started back with cricket lessons. We look forward to lessons perfecting their cricket stance, batting, catching, and mastering the art of bowling. Swimming for Year 6 has also begun this summer term. With each stroke and kick, they are not just improving their swimming skills; they are also building confidence and resilience. It's amazing to see how far they've come!