UPDATE: WE ARE GOING ON A SCHOOL TRIP!!

Leicester Space Centre...

Tuesday 20th March 2007

(Letter can be downloaded from bottom of page)

Newsletter: Friday 24th February 2007

Dear Parents,

I hope you all had an enjoyable half term break. We begin another term with some more new topics. Here is a run down of what we’ll be busy at until the Easter holidays arrive…

Literacy and Numeracy

Details were provided in the last letter for the coverage of Literacy and Numeracy work that will be covered throughout the whole term. Ongoing work with spellings and mental maths will obviously continue to support children’s learning in these areas.

Science - Earth, Sun and Moon

In this unit children learn about the shapes and relative sizes of the Earth, Sun and Moon. Using models they learn how the three bodies move relative to each other and how these movements relate to night and day.

Experimental and investigative work in this unit focuses on:

• making observations and recognising patterns in first hand and secondary data
• representing data in graphs.

Work in this unit offers opportunities for children to relate scientific knowledge and understanding to familiar phenomena eg day length, year length and to consider scientific evidence about the Earth, Sun and Moon.

Also a trip has been organised as part of this topic and will help support the unit of work. The trip will take place on Tuesday March 20^th. A separate letter has been issued outlining the trip details.

History - Ancient Greece

After last half term having a Geography focus, we now move onto History. The children will be studying the Ancient Greeks and work will focus on

In this unit children find out about the way people lived in the ancient Greek empire. They use a range of sources, select and record information and interpret the past in different ways.

RE - Sikhism

Our work on Sikhism will continue from last half term. Please refer to newsletter from last half term for details.

Art -  Textiles

In this unit the children will experiment with and combine materials and processes. They will also compare and discuss methods and ways of working, relating these to their own ideas. If any of you have and pieces of light coloured fabric at home that is of no use to you that you could send into school - that would be great!

Music - Journey Into Space

In this unit the children will think about various sounds and explore sound sources and how different sounds can be produced. They will use ICT to support this work and will create a range of sound effects.

PSHE - Going for Goals / Knowing Me

Our whole school element to PSHE this term is called ‘Going for Goals.’ Children will be encouraged to think about how they may achieve goals in which they strive to achieve. In class time we will link this with our unit ‘Knowing Me’ which also reflects similar issues and encourages the children to think about personal strengths and weaknesses and ways of reaching their potential and succeeding in selected goals.

Last few bits…

• Many thanks to you all for your support over the last half term with your child’s targets. The target books are working well and your comments are extremely useful so a massive thank-you for your support. Please continue to familiarise yourself with you child’s targets and comment in their books if and when you feel appropriate.
• As I’m sure you are aware, the new school website is up and running and is well worth a look if you have internet access. A lot of our class work and updates can be found on here so please take a look if you have the time.

www.harpoleprimary.co.uk

I’m going to stop now as I have managed to fit this on 2 pages!! A world record for me I think!

As always, if there is anything I can help with then please pop in and see me.

Kind Regards,

Miss Core

Class Teacher

Newsletter: Wednesday 10^th January 2007

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to yet another term. I trust that you have all had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all the very best for 2007. Here is a run down of what to expect over the coming term…

Literacy

During the term we will be looking at a range of traditional stories (including myths, legends and fables), classic poetry, written reports and explanations. If you have any books at home that may support this work, it would be great to have in class so please send them in (names on though!!), thanks.

Our focus on grammar and sentence construction continues. We are still battling with punctuation and longer, complex sentences, whilst also extending vocabulary and improving spelling.  Also, there will be a big push on improving children’s written work and ensuring they are using key elements in their writing. Children will be given new writing targets this week so please take a look at their target books to keep updated on their current target.

Numeracy

Objectives covered this term will include:

• Using symbols <,=,>,<, >
• Using brackets in calculations
• Extend written methods to HTU ÷ U
• Ordering fractions
• Round a number with one or two decimal places to the nearest whole number.
• Understand and use degrees in measurement of angles
• Use a protractor to measure and order acute and obtuse angles.
• Identify near doubles e.g. 1.5 + 1.6
• Divisibility by 2,4,5,10 or 100
• And many more!! Feel free to come and ask me for the full list!

Also, the RM Maths computer program will continue and I have had to remind the children that they must go on when it is their turn to ensure they are getting regular sessions each week. I may start running it before school starts so all the children are going on regularly.

Science - Changing State

Through this topic it is hoped that the children will gain a good understanding about changes of state (solid - liquid - gas) which can be reversed and will begin to understand that not all changes of state are reversible. Much of our experimental and investigative work will focus on:

• making observations and measurements, and presenting these.
• identifying patterns in results.
• suggesting explanations for observations and conclusions in terms of scientific knowledge and understanding. 

Geography - Investigating Rivers

In this unit, children learn about rivers and the effects they have on the landscape.

The unit focuses on:

• the components of the water cycle (linked with our Science work).
• how rivers erode, transport and deposit materials to produce particular landscape features.
• the characteristics of a river system in another part of the world

RE - Sikhism

During this unit we will be looking in detail at the Sikh religion and how it effects the lives of the people who follow it. We will be comparing how it differs to Christianity and will think carefully about the differences in religious beliefs.

Art -  Printing

The children will be producing prints using a printing block and will explore the principle of working from light to dark colours. They will discuss their work and that of others and adapt / modify work appropriately according to their views.

ICT -  Introduction to Spreadsheets

In this unit children learn to enter numbers, labels and simple formulae into a spreadsheet and to use the data to calculate totals. They will be introduced to spreadsheet software and will explore how changes in price and quantity can affect total cost.

Music - Songwriter

In this unit the children will look at song lyrics and think about how a song is written. They will think about the social and cultural meaning of some song lyrics and will have a go at writing and singing their own songs! Who knows, we may have some budding Kylies and Robbies in the making!!

PSHE - Say no to bullying / Being with other people

Our whole school element to PSHE this term is called ‘Say no to bullying.’ Children will think carefully about the term ‘bullying’ and will discuss ways this can affect people and how it can be prevented if it happens. In class time we will link this with our unit ‘Being with other people’ which also reflects similar issues and encourages the children to think about their interaction with each other and the benefits or problems this can sometimes have.

A few last bits!!…

• PE will continue to be on Tuesdays and Fridays. Children are encouraged to have warmer clothing in school because where possible, we will still aim go outside.
• Weekly mental maths test will continue and as with last term your support with these is very much appreciated. Mrs Cumberpatch will run lunchtime sessions (on a Thursday) to support the mental maths work which children can attend if they want to. The work you are all doing at home really is helping the children immensely so thank-you.
• My PPA afternoon will remain on a Tuesday. As before, Mrs Cumberpatch will teach the children on that afternoon.
• French lessons are still on a Friday and the children are thoroughly enjoying these. They know loads more than I do!!
• All in all, this is set to be a very busy term. I have already explained to the children that this term will involve a lot of concentrated work and they will need to come to school with a ‘good learning attitude’. Your support as always is much appreciated, particularly with regard to helping your child with homework, spellings, mental maths and target books.

I know last time I was on a mission to keep my letter shorter this term but it seems to no avail!! You know what I’m like!! Some things just don’t change!!

If have any queries or questions that I can help with then please pop in and see me anytime.

Kind Regards,

Miss Core

Class Teacher