ISSUE TWO

Just like that it’s Friday again! The saying goes that ‘time flies when you’re having fun’, so maybe that’s why the week has zipped by? More and more of our community are joining in with Miss Danby’s Daily Wake Up dance sessions, first thing in the morning or part way through the day to energise themselves. It’s difficult to choose a favourite but this week has included ‘Can’t stop the beat’, ‘Boom, Boom, Shake the Room,’ and ‘Under the Sea’ – we can’t wait to see what next week will bring!

This week Years Three and Four are the focus and both year groups have welcomed new members of LJS to their forms.

Year Three have exploring the world in Humanities, as part of their learning on maps and settlements. Their art and drama learning is based around the same topic and they have been very busy working through the activities.  In MFL, they have been learning how to ask if someone is OK and then replying to tell them how they themselves are feeling. We are hoping they might get to go to France to practise in the not too distant future… The children have been working hard on their recorder playing skills, playing London’s Burning and proudly submitting recordings of themselves via Teams. The topic of ‘Materials and their Properties’ has led to the children identifying objects that are translucent, transparent and opaque. In PSHE, the children have been considering what it means to behave responsibly. They have looked at a variety of scenarios and talked about them in their live sessions. In English, Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is proving to be most inspirational. As part of the process of designing posters to advertise the ‘Golden Ticket Competition’, they have been learning about rhetorical questions and how they might be used. They have also been working hard on their handwriting, concentrating on their presentation – still an important skill to master, even in these technological times. Peace has been the topic of discussion in RE. Mrs Maslen asked the children to think about a situation of conflict in a selection of scenarios; they then discussed this with their friends or families, working out how they could react and mediate. The children have been multiplying and dividing in Maths. They and their teachers have enjoyed the move to live teaching in Maths and English this week. In Computing, the children have been refreshing their Coding skills and have been working on a variety of tasks, including designing an airshow. Fitness has continued to be high on the agenda, with Yoga, Netball and Football skills all being worked on over the last fortnight. Well done, Year Three!

Year Four also began the move to live English and Maths lessons this week. Mixed correspondence problems, probability and dividing with remainders have been stretching and challenging Year Four’s mathematical brains this week and they have dug deep to find all the resilience they needed – they jumped into the learning pit and worked their way out on the other side! This week’s dance lesson featured an uplifting medley of 90s tunes, which are bound to have caused some foot-tapping amongst our parents too! In Science, the children wrote out their temperature experiment neatly, as part of their work on thermometers and how to use them. They used their finger to compare three different temperatures. In English, Year Four have been working hard on explanation texts, using technical language, questioning and structure to explain about a new invention. The cross curricular Anglo Saxons topic has produced lots of super work over the first three weeks of the Lent Term. Jewellery, rune writing, the Sutton Hoo mask, and maps of Anglo Saxon England have all been created. Do you know what an ostinato is? Ask Year Four to explain if not! They have been building ostinatos in Music and answering a quiz on The Nutcracker. Also hopeful of a visit to France sometime soon, Year Four have been finding out about the most important meal of the day – ‘le petit dejeuner’, or breakfast as you might know it. In RE, the children have been learning about the start of Holy Week, in particular Palm Sunday and the Last Supper. They have also compared the story of the Last Supper to The Eucharist (Communion) that happens today. We think you have earned a restful weekend, Year Four, after all that work!

This week’s After School Activities programme continued with a  German lesson that was delivered by way of a walk through the Austrian countryside, featuring some very impressive snow – thank you to Frau Schöck for the fabulous video! We have also had advice on how to earn and apply for a Blue Peter badge, instructions on making a friendship bracelet and making food art! Last week’s family games challenge proved to be very popular, with children sharing their favourite games. This week’s challenge is an ABC workout where families are challenged to complete the actions to spell out their names. The instructions can be found on our Twitter and Instagram feeds if you would like to join in – the more the merrier!

We look forward to seeing everyone back next week, whether in school or remotely – have a wonderful weekend, everybody!