Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back. I hope you all had a lovely break.

We have got off to a flying start this term! This morning, we celebrated the end of Eid with a special assembly and a lunchtime feast. Thank you to all the parents that helped make it happen – it wouldn’t be possible without you.

Next week, we have our half-termly trip so please remember to give your child a packed lunch on that day. I am travelling to France with Year 5 so will be away from Wednesday to Friday. Ms Cummins will be in charge but I will be checking emails if you need to get hold of me.

In English, we have started reading Gorilla City by Nick Ward. This is a fabulous adventure story told through the diaries of an 8-year-old called Charlie Small. We have been using extracts from the book to work on answering comprehension questions as well as thinking about the use of vocabulary to create and build tension.

In Maths, we are learning to use decimals. The children have been converting simple fractions to decimals and learning to partition decimals into tenths and hundredths.

Our new topic in History is the Mayans. This week, we talked about the European discovery of Mayan Civilisation in the 1500s. We learnt about the Spanish leader Hernan Cortez who swept across Mesoamerica using excessive violence to terrorise and kill indigenous peoples and seize their land, claiming that civilisation in Europe was more advanced than in Mesoamerica and that therefore the country would be better under Spanish rule. Then, we thought about how those explorers would feel when they discovered Mayan Civilisation which completely undermined everything that Cortez said. The children drew a timeline from 2000BC, which is when the Mayans first developed their civilisation, to the present day. We marked on the timeline the European discovery of Mayan civilisation as well as the Anglo-Saxon and Norman periods.

In Science, we are revisiting habitats and classification of the animal kingdom. Meanwhile, in RE, we are learning about prominent figures in the Old Testament. This week, we learnt about Abraham and the promise God made to him and the sacrifice Abraham was willing to make in return.  We talked about the importance of trust in a relationship. In pairs, the children acted out a scenario in which a promise was kept and then a scenario in which a promise was broken. We talked about how both parties felt in both instances.

Homework resumes as normal this week!

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents/Carers,

Thank you so much to Catherine, Ashok and Louise who came with us to Fulham Palace for the Anglo-Saxon and Viking workshop. We couldn’t have done it without you! It was a fun day out and the children enjoyed the workshop as well as playing in the grounds. We were very thankful not to have rain.

The Easter Bonnet Parade was a massive success. The competition was stiff this year and I couldn’t have called the winner. There were several deserved hats but in the end, the prizes went to Winston and Aggy.

In English, the children wrote a formal letter to Nestle or Feastables informing them of the benefits of Fair Trade. In Maths, we moved on to a new topic in Decimals which we will continue next term.

In Geography, we finished our unit on Plants of the World by talking about the importance of biodiversity and researching one of the 17 mega-diverse countries.

In Science, we finished our topic on Sound with an experiment. We first predicted and then tested what would happen to the pitch of the sound made when blowing over the top of a bottle as the amount of water inside increased. We did this by thinking about the sound vibrations in the air. Then, we did the same experiment but this time we hit the bottle with a tuning fork so that the sound was made by vibrations in the water. We noted that the pitch increased when the vibrations had less space in which to vibrate. This meant that the fullest water bottle had the lowest pitch when hit with the tuning fork but highest pitch when we blew across the top of the bottle to cause vibrations in the air.

Finally, we were all very sad to say goodbye to Aggy who is leaving London and St Stephen’s. We will all miss her loads and wish her (and the family) all the best with their new adventure.

Have a lovely Easter. There is no homework and we are back in School on Tuesday 16^th April.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are all really looking forward to the trip next week. Please remember the children will need comfortable shoes, a packed lunch and a water bottle. We will leave straight after the Easter Bonnet Parade and will be back in time for pick up at 3.30pm.

This week, we have completed a number of our end of term assessments. The children did two mini comprehension papers, a grammar and spelling test and two maths papers. Taking them all in one week, leaves us free to finish off our Spring 2 topics and enjoy the last week of term.

In English, we have been preparing to write a formal letter about the advantages of Fair Trade by creating our own word banks.  We will be including a number of formal conjunctions as well as using formal vocabulary and technical terms.

In Maths, we have moved on to Decimals. The children have been practicing converting simple fractions into decimals and vice versa. In RE, we have been looking at the relationship between fame and Christianity and thinking about whether being a Christian is compatible with being a celebrity.

In Geography, we learnt about how humans use plants. The children came up with medicine, cosmetics, wooden furniture and ornaments, clothes, swimming hats, rubbers and elastic bands.

Meanwhile, in RHE, we talked about taxes. We discussed what they are, who pays them and how the Government spends them. Finally, we took a list of things that taxes fund such as the NHS, schools, defence, prisons, libraries and parks, and put them in the order of importance. Everyone agreed that the NHS was top but after that, views varied enormously.

Today’s homework is the last this term so please make sure the children hand it in along with their reading book by Wednesday. Library books should already have been returned but if they haven’t then please do so ASAP.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you to everyone that has offered to accompany us to Fulham Palace. It should be a really fun day out! Next week, it is Neurodiversity Week and Shakespeare Week, both of which we will be celebrating. There will be a special assembly on Shakespeare on Monday morning and then on Friday, the children can wear odd socks to school in recognition and support of Down Syndrome Day. One of the messages is that we need to stop stereotyping and assuming that people with Down syndrome can’t do the things that neurotypical people can.

This week in English, we have been learning about Fair Trade. The children have answered comprehension questions, written about life before and after a trading co-operative was set up in Sierra Leone and researched facts on a Fair Trade product of their choice. Next week, they will be writing a formal letter to a multi-national company explaining the advantages of Fair Trade.

In Math, we finished our work on Fractions. The children can now add and subtract fractions with the same denominator as well as convert improper fractions into mixed numbers and vice versa.

In Geography, the children learnt about plants that are grown in the UK. We watched a video about, and later described, the process of harvesting wheat to produce flour which is then used to make bread.

In Science, we learnt about pitch and volume. We found out that the higher the frequency of the wave, the higher the pitch. Meanwhile, the volume is determined by the amplitude. The greater the amplitude the louder the sound. The children studied a violin and worked out that pitch on a string instrument can be altered by the length, tightness and width of a string.

In RE, we talked about the legacy of Jesus and the gifts that Christians believe he has given them.

In DT, we are making a sling car. It’s a slow process but we are getting there! This week, the children worked from their designs to draw and cut out the sides of the car. Next week, we will be assembling them.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

It was lovely to see so many of you at the Mothers’ Day breakfast this morning. What a lovely start to Friday!

This week, we celebrated World Book Day and International Women’s Day. The children all looked fabulous in their costumes on Thursday and I know Mrs Pereira found it very difficult to decide on the winners. I hope you enjoyed the parade as much as the children who relished those few moments in the spotlight.

Today, was International Women’s Day. We talked a little bit about the progress that has been made in women’s rights over the last 100 years and felt thankful to the women who have fought hard to help bring about change. We watched a BBC video celebrating their achievements but also highlighting the inequality which still exists. On Monday, we will watch a video exploring the lives of 5 amazing women artists (we ran out of time today).

In English, the children planned and wrote an explanation text on making chocolate. They drew upon all their recent learning on introductions, formal and causal conjunctions and subordinate clauses to help them.

In Maths, we continued to work on fractions. The children have learnt how to recognise equivalent fractions and been practicing converting improper fractions into mixed numbers and vice versa.

In Geography, we discovered how plants adapt to live in harsh climates. In RE, we talked about the idea of ‘peace’ in Christianity and learnt why peace is such an important part of a Christian service and why it comes before Holy Communion.  Meanwhile, in Science, the children learnt about materials that muffle noise. We talked about soundproofing and how the characteristics of different materials deflect, absorb or trap sound waves.

Have a very happy Mothers’ Day and a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Next Thursday is World Book Day and the children should come to school dressed as a character from one of their favourite books. There will be a parade instead of Collective Worship at 9am so please stay and watch if you can. On Friday, was are hosting a Mother’s Day breakfast. All mums are welcome so come and join us from 8am onwards.

This week, the children have been working hard on their handwriting and already I have seen a huge amount of improvement! Please encourage the children to keep it up!

In English, we have been practicing how to write an introduction and a summary to prepare for writing their explanation text on chocolate next week. The children have also been learning how to use prepositions and causal conjunctions (consequently, therefore, due to).

In Maths, we continue our work on Fractions. The children have learnt to identify a mixed number and an improper fraction and have been practicing converting from one to another.

In Geography, we have been continuing our work on biomes. In RE, we have been discussing how Holy Communion takes place in different Christian churches and talking about the relevance of Holy Communion for Christians.

In Science, we conducted an experiment to see how far sound travels. Meanwhile, in RHE, we learnt about the United Nations and its conventions on human rights and in particular the rights for children. We read together the first 27 articles and then the children created a poster advocating their rights.

Royal Academy Young Artists Competition

There is still just under a month left to enter your artwork into the Royal Academy Young Artists Competition. The artwork can be in any medium you’d like: painting, drawing, sculpture or even performance art!

The deadline for entries is 5pm March 27th. Please visit: https://youngartists.royalacademy.org.uk/ to find out more and enter your child’s artwork.

If you have any questions about the competition please email Mrs Allen: e.allen@ststephensce.lbhf.sch.uk

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

It’s been another busy week at St Stephen’s. We had a fantastic assembly this morning celebrating Lunar New Year. Then this afternoon, the children took part in a tradition fan and ribbon dance workshop.

On Tuesday, we had the Life Bus and Sarah came to talk to the children about mental health and well-being. She talked about the activities we do which release hormones that keep us happy such as sport, being creative, helping others and being mindful.

In English, we are learning about explanation texts. The children answered comprehension questions on  the origins of chocolate and later in the week, they practiced writing an introduction for an explanation text. Next week, they will be writing their own texts on how to make chocolate.

In Maths, the children took an end of unit test on Measure and Perimeter and we have now moved on to Fractions. In Geography, we are learning about plants of the world. This has provided us with a good opportunity to use a map and to discuss the biomes and climate of different countries. In RE, we have been talking about Holy Communion and the importance of the Last Supper for Christians.

Our new topic in Science is Sound and today we have been investigation how sound travels and finding out how easily sound waves travel through different materials.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Just a few days until Woodrow House. The children are all very excited – as are we! Please could you make sure that homework is handed in on Tuesday so that it can be marked before we go.  Please note that the spelling test will also be on Tuesday. There will be no homework for half term.

In English, we will be starting a new unit on explanation texts after half term. This week, the children took a half termly grammar and comprehension test. In Maths, we continued with our work or measure and length – looking specifically at perimeter.

We finished our units in History, RE, RHE and Science and the children all took end of unit tests.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

This half term is less than five weeks long and we are having to squeeze in a lot of learning! With half term looming in just two weeks, and with three days of those two weeks being spent in Woodrow House, there is no time to spare. We have been packing in the lessons!

In English, we finished our work on Saint George and the Dragon. Today, the children responded to my marking by editing their stories and then copying them on to lined paper to be mounted and displayed in the classroom. I’m not sure they will all fit but it’s going to be hard deciding which ones to put up as they are all brilliant. Next week, we will be starting a new unit on explanation texts focusing on the chocolate making process.

In Maths, the children took quite a challenging end of unit test on Multiplication and Division before we moved on to Measurement and Length.

In RE, we learnt about Nirvana and the Four Noble Truths that can lead to the cycle of death and rebirth being broken and the state of enlightenment being reached. We also talked about the Sangha, which is the ordained community of nuns and monks who live in monastery and live their lives by a strict code of rules called the Vinaya.

We managed three History lessons this week! We learnt about the problems that William the Conqueror faced when he defeated Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. We discussed his style of leadership and analysed his decision to kill anyone that showed loyalty to the old King or stood against him. We also studied the different types of Noman castles that William had built and thought about how they helped him and how it would feel to live inside one. Finally, we learnt about Knights. We learnt about the 14 year apprenticeship that boys, as young as 7, would embark upon and we discussed the advantages of having skilled Knights in an army and the role they played in defeating King Harold.

In Computing, we looked at different search engines. In RHE, we talked about ‘dares’ and how to respond to friends or others who try to make us do things that are dangerous or inappropriate. In Science, we talked about the role of teeth in digestions.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

The end of another busy week!

In English, we have been continuing our work on Saint George and the Dragon. We have delved into the history of Saint George and learnt about his relevance in other countries. We found out that he was born in Cappadocia which is now Turkey, is the Patron Saint of Ethiopia and appears in artwork depicting the battle of Adwa where Ethiopia defeated Italy in 1896. We also spent time writing and answering VIPERS questions on the original text.

In Maths, we have moved on to division. We have been looking at partitioning as a way of breaking down a sum so that we can solve it using an informal written method.

In History, we thought about the difficulties that Harold Godwinson faced when the Witan chose him to be King. Then, we learnt about the Battle of Stamford Bridge and the Battle of Hastings and explored the strategies employed by Harold’s army when he was invaded by Harald Hardrada in the north of England and William of Normandy in the south.

In RE, we learnt about the Eightfold Path which presents the teachings of the Dharma as the way to enlightenment. In Science, we studied food chains and looked at what happens when the chain is broken.

Finally, in RE we talked about photos and how to use them safely online.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back and Happy New Year! I hope you had a lovely break. The children all look happy and refreshed.

This week, we finished our DT unit from last term. The children spent Tuesday and Wednesday making their pavilions. They used thick cardboard and glue for the structure and then a variety of materials for the decoration.

In English, we started a new topic based on Saint George and the Dragon. We will be looking at a number of different versions. Our grammar focus this week was personal and possessive pronouns.

In Maths, we continued with Multiplication and Division. We practiced using a number of different informal written methods for multiplication.

In History, we are learning about the Normans. This week, the children learnt about the reign of Edward the Confessor. The children created fact files about the three potential heirs following his death and discussed which one they thought had the greatest claim to the throne and which one they thought would make the best leader.

In Science, we learning about digestion and in RHE, we are learning about risk taking and keep safe.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you so much for the Westfield Vouchers, the cash and the kind words in the card! Miss Cummins, Miss Isobel and I were all very touched by your generosity.  It’s been a great first term and we’re all looking forward to two more!

This week, we took a lot of end of unit tests.  We have finished States of Matter in Science, Peace at Christmas in RE and A Study of India in Geography.  The children also took end-of-term tests in Arithmetic, Reasoning, English Comprehension and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS).

In between the hard work, we have had lots of fun practicing for the Carol Service, singing Christmas Songs, watching The Grinch AND Scrooge and taking part in Mr Faith’s end of term KS2 quiz.

We hope you all enjoyed the concert last night – weren’t they brilliant? As a result, and because they have worked so hard, we have decided NOT to set any homework over the holidays. Instead, you should all have a restful and well-earned break.

School starts again at 9am on Tuesday 9th January. 

We wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Just four more days of school! It’s been another busy week but we have finished all our curriculum based work so next week, we can focus on making Christmas cards and watching Christmas films!

In English, we finished our unit on poetry. We read The Magic Box by Kit Wright and then the children wrote their own version. On Thursday, we thought about the different techniques and the different structures in the poems we have read and then the children used this learning to write a poem in their own style. Today, they performed the poems in front of the rest of the class. It was a brilliant lesson and the children were so supportive of each other.

In Maths, we learnt the concept behind dividing by 10 and 100 and then applied this learning to some multi step word problems.

In Geography, the children completed the unit on India by thinking about similarities and differences with the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, in Science, we applied our understanding of states of matter to the water cycle.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are now on a countdown until Christmas. On Wednesday, we watched the dress rehearsal for Reception’s nativity and next week, we will be watching Year 1 and Year 2! Please make sure you have the KS2 Carol concert on Wednesday 20^th December in your diaries!

This week in English, the children finished writing about Dragonology and we moved onto our next unit which is poetry. We read a poem called Summer by the American children’s author Walter Dean Myers. We talked about how it made us feel and then discussed some of the techniques that Walter Dean Myers uses to express himself. Finally, the children wrote some vocabulary, explanation and inference questions for each other.

In Maths, we talked about factor pairs and how we can use them to help us with multiplication. In Science, the children did an experiment with wet sponges, a heater and a fan to find out about evaporation and to see whether it is possible to speed up the process. We also researched the melting point of different metals and plotted a graph with our results.

In RHE, we talked about stereotypes and the role of the media in promoting and reinforcing them. We looked at a number of headlines from newspaper articles such as ‘Fight Breaks Out Outside Pub’ and thought about who we pictured in each scenario. In this example, everyone had pictured two men when in fact the fight was between two women.

In RE, we continued to learn about the meaning of peace in The Bible.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

We’ve just got back from a fantastic trip to the Science Museum. The children were in their element as they got to spend an hour and a quarter playing computer games. We also managed to fit in a flying tour of the Space exhibition but opted to come straight home after lunch as the children were tired. Thank you so much to Sophie and Haniya for coming with us – we couldn’t have done it without you!

I am very proud of their fantastic performance in the class assembly yesterday – there all knew the dance, their lines and the song within hours of being given the script. Their energy and enthusiasm made them shine, I though! Thank you for your helping with that.

In English, we are learning about explanation texts and the children have started writing their own text on Dragonology. They have been practicing writing in the present tense using technical vocabulary with headings and paragraphs to structure the information.

In Maths, it’s been a week of tests. We finished the first of our units on Multiplication and Division and did the end of unit assessment. Then, the children then took the autumn progress check in both arithmetic and reasoning.

In Geography, we learnt about human and physical features focusing on cities in India including Mumbai and New Delhi. We learnt that populations are human features and we looked at a graph showing population growth in Mumbai and discussed the reasons for that growth. In RE, we continued to talk about the meaning of ‘peace’ in Christianity. In Art, we made Christmas decorations for the fair while in RHE we talked about how to show respect to everyone in our community including our peers.

I’m sure I will see some of you at the Christmas fair but if not have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

I’m looking forward to seeing you all for our Class Assembly on Thursday at 9am. Could the children please be in school at 8.30 on that day. They have worked so hard and it’s already looking great but if would be fantastic if they could spend five minutes over the weekend practicing the dance. It’s very fast so it’s not enough to know it – it needs to be instinctive.

Thank you to those parents who have volunteered to come to the Science Museum with us next week. Ideally, we need one more parent so please email me if you would like to join us.

Despite a heavy performance schedule, we have snuck in quite a few lessons. In English, we are looking at explanation texts. We have been discussing the features of this type of writing as well as answering some VIPERS questions on the exemplar.

In Maths, we have finished the first unit on multiplication and division. We will be taking an end of unit test on Monday before moving on to the second unit in a week’s time.

In RE, we are delving into the meaning of ‘peace’ in Christianity. In Science, we have been talking about the melting point of different substances and on Thursday, we did an experiment to see which substances melt at room temperature. Meanwhile in DT, the children continued to work on designing their pavilion by drawing an aerial floor plan.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you’ve had a good week.

A few bits of admin. We need at least two parent volunteers for our trip to the Science Museum. Please see the ParentMail for details and email me if you are able to come.

Our assembly is on Thursday 30^th November at 9am so please clear your diaries! You’ll notice that the date is less than two weeks away which means that the children do not have long to learn their lines. I would be hugely grateful if you could support them with learning both the script and the lyrics to Viva la Vida by Coldplay. They should have both in their bag.

This week in English, the children wrote a story based on The Dot by Peter H Reynolds. They were asked to focus on figurative speech, inverted commas, apostrophes and fronted adverbials.

In Maths, we continued with our work on multiplication and division. This week we have been focusing on the 6 and 7 times tables. The children have been learning how to use their times table knowledge to multiply and divide with multiples of 10 and 100.

In Geography, we learnt about rives and then looked at some of the key rivers in India. In RHE, we talked about the different types of relationships we have and identified the difference between a friend and an acquaintance. In RE we talked about the meaning of peace in Christianity.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

As you can imagine, it has been a very busy week! It started, on Monday, with an internal football competition in Hammersmith Park which sadly I had to forgo at the last minute but the children tell me that it was a massive success.

In Maths, we had some special visitors, who came to watch us start our new topic on multiplication and division. The children have been consolidating their understanding of the inverse and learning how to use their times-table knowledge to answer division questions. We also looked at chunking multiplication to make it more straight forward. For example, when working out 19 x 6, it is quicker to work out (20 x 6) and then subtract (1 x 6).

In English, we started a new topic on short stories and this week, the children read The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. We focused on answering questions using VIPERS, in particular inference questions based around the progression of the protagonist’s emotions. Next week, the children will write their own story inspired by The Dot.

In RE, the children wrote their own interpretation of the Beatitudes. In Science, we did an experiment to demonstrate that air has volume and weight while in DT, we learnt about pavilions and expos and the children made a pavilion frame using toothpicks and Jelly Tots.

Finally, in RHE we discussed the importance of personal space and reiterated that everyone has the right to say when they don’t like being touched. We also talked about the areas of our bodies which are private and agreed that we would tell a trusted adult if our privacy wasn’t being respected.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you all had a fabulous and restful half-term!

This week, the children all took part in an 800m internal cross-country tournament on Wormwood Scrubs. They were all amazing and ran their hearts out – it was very inspiring to watch. A massive thank you to Clare and Miss Marchant for organising it!

In English, the children wrote their final piece on The Last Bear. It was a formal, persuasive letter to Mr Schumm suggesting some policies we could adopt to make St Stephen’s a role model for other schools on combatting climate change. I have promised the children that Mr Schumm will consider their ideas and may even take action if their letters are persuasive enough!

In Maths, we are learning about Area. In Geography, we started a new topic on India and the children have been learning lots of new facts and looking at maps. In RE, we are leaning about the Beatitudes and in Science, we have been discussing the similarities and differences between solids and liquids in our topic on States of Matter.

Finally, please remember that the children need to be in their PE kits on Monday for the football competition.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

It’s been a fantastic start to the academic year and everyone has worked incredibly hard and deserves a week off! There is homework but we haven’t set any more Mathletics so please ask the children to use half-term to make sure that they are up to date. We’ll be checking on Thursday 2 November.

This week we celebrated Black History Month. Year 4 learnt about Diane Abbott who was the first black woman to be elected as an MP in 1987. Diane has played a major role in race relations in the UK as well as being a vocal human rights activist.

Today, we were visited by master puppeteer Caroline Yawa Ada, who led the class in creating traditional puppets. The whole school also got to enjoy her production of Anansi!

During Maths, we focused on column subtraction, first with no exchanges, then with one exchange, and finally two. To end the week, we looked at efficient calculation methods and estimation.

In our English lessons, we continued to read The Last Bear. Over the course of the week, we inferred how a character felt through their words and actions, then planned a descriptive paragraph.

In Science, we recapped everything we had already learned about electricity this term (different components, how circuits work, conductors and insulators.) We then designed our own simple circuits to include simple switches made from paper clips and drawing pins, understanding that bulbs will only light up when a circuit is closed.

In RE, we looked at the story of Buddha and the Angry Elephant and used it to explore how Buddhism sets an example for others in terms of remaining calm and kind, especially in the face of adversity.

Have a lovely and restful half term and see you all in a week!

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Our trip to the London Buddhist Vihara was really interesting and I think the Buddhist Monk who talked to us was suitably impressed with the children’s inquisitive minds. I enjoyed their line of questioning particularly when they became obsessed with finding out whether he expected to see a female Buddha born in the future. The session ended with 15 minutes of meditation which was a stretch for most but a welcome moment of peace and quiet for one or two! Thank you to Amelie and Haniya for coming with us!

Hispanic Day was fabulous. The children loved the folk dance workshop with Ilusion Flamenca and managed to put together a credible performance in just under 45 minutes. In the classroom, we focused on our given country, Argentina. We explored the Argentinian tradition of Tango, as well as learning about the inspirational feminist and activist, Eva Perὸn.

In Maths, we continued working on the addition and subtraction unit and the children recapped on column methods this time working with four-digit numbers.

In English, we continued reading The Last Bear and the children thought about how they could incorporate figures of speech into their writing. We looked at similes, metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia and alliteration. Then, the children practiced writing their own descriptive passages about Anna and Bear incorporating lots of examples.

Meanwhile in Art, the children used everyday objects to create and sketch a still life composition which they will paint in the next lesson.

Next week, we will be celebrating Black History Month and learning about the MP Diane Abbott who was the first black woman to be elected to the House of Commons. On Friday, we will be supporting Red Card to Racism day and the children should come to school wearing something red.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are looking forward to our trip next week. Thank you to all the parents that offered to come with us – we only need one parent helper as it’s a local trip but it’s good to know that lots of you are happy to help when needed.

On Wednesday, it’s Hispanic day. Our class will be representing Argentina so please remember that the children should be dressed in the colours of the Argentinian flag (blue, white and yellow). We have lots of exciting activities planned.

This week was, once again, very full. The children all took part in a science workshop with our Scientist in Residence. Keeping to our current topic on electricity, the children made circuits. They used the circuits to learn about materials that insulate and materials that conduct. Finally, they drew on all their new understanding to build a battery operated appliance.

In English, we started a new book called The Last Bear by Hannah Gold. The children practiced answering some inference question and then thought about how an author portrays the thoughts and feeling of a character. We talked about the protagonist’s (April) inner voice or heart voice and the children wrote diary entry pretending to be April.

In Maths, we finished our unit on Place Value with a little test before moving on to Addition and Subtraction. Today, the children learnt  how to partition a number in order to make it easier to add or subtract.

In History, we ate griddle cakes (I’ve put the recipe on the website as promised), played Anglo-Saxon board games and solved some Anglo-Saxon riddles. In RE, the children learnt about the importance of kindness in Buddhism and in Art, they used their understanding of tone and texture to paint a 3D apple.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Lovely to see some of you at the Family Supper last night. It’s been a fantastic week and Mr Schumm came into the class earlier in the week, to tell the children how beautifully behaved they are in general but especially during our fire drill on Wednesday. So lovely to see them setting such a good example to the rest of the school!

Today, the children voted for their new House Captains. They listened to a short presentation by the Year 6 children standing for election and decided who would be best suited to the job. We will hear the results on Monday.

In English, we finished our unit on Varjak Paw. The children planned and wrote their own chapter focusing on descriptive vocabulary, apostrophes for possession, fronted adverbials and inverted commas. Today, they edited and upskilled their work using a green pen. They were asked to use dictionaries to check spelling as well as to add adverbs and adjectives or adjust existing vocabulary to make it better or more appropriate. I’m looking forward to sitting down with a cup of tea shortly to read their efforts.

In Maths, we recapped on Roman Numerals, recognising that this system of counting is different from Base 10 because it doesn’t use place value. The children also learnt to round numbers to the nearest 10 and the nearest 100 and then practiced finding all the numbers that round to a multiple of 100.

In RE, we read the Monkey King and talked about sacrifice. The children decided that by sacrificing himself, the Monkey King had been a role model and had demonstrated how to be a good leader. As a result others (the Human King) followed in his footsteps which is some small way made the world a better place. The children thought about the sacrifices they had made in the past and ones they might make in the future.

In History, we used the computers to research the Picts and the Scots. In RHE, the children talked about how to assert themselves so that they can express their emotions in a positive and helpful way.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

This week in English, we learnt about determiners. These are words which go in front of nouns and can be specific or non-specific – the most common examples are ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ but the children will be able to give you lots more. We continued reading Varjak Paw and talking about the language and structure of the writing. We answered some comprehension questions, discussed the use of paragraphs and practiced our own descriptive writing in the style of Varjak Paw.

In Maths, the children have been partitioning numbers in different ways as well as learning how to work out 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 more and less than a number. Today, they practiced estimating numbers on a number line.

In RE, we talked about different types of suffering. In Buddhism, suffering is split into three different categories. The first, is old age, illness and death. The second is natural and man-made suffering such as earthquakes and poverty and the final category is the loss of something that we have become accustomed to such as the death of a pet. We looked at some pictures of people suffering and talked about how it makes us feel and why and it makes us feel like that.

History continued with the Anglo-Saxons. The children researched and answered a series of questions about the Anglo-Saxon invasion and subsequent settlement to help them put together a timeline of events.

Homework groups are now stuck into the homework books so there should be no confusion this week. Please make sure the children are up to date with their Mathletics. I will be checking on Fridays so they have a week to get it all done!

Have a lovely and restful weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Our first full week and we’ve achieved a lot!

A little bit of admin: I’m afraid homework is slightly disorganised this week as I haven’t had time to stick in their comprehension or spelling groups. The children know their comprehension group but I have suggested that they stick to their spelling group from last year for this week and the Year 4 groups will come into effect next week.

I have now read with all the children and assessed their level and reading books will go home on Monday.

In Maths, I am teaching the independent group and Mr Faith is teaching the supported group. Both groups will be covering the same material. We are currently learning about Place Value and representing numbers up to 10,000.

In English, we are reading Varjak Paw by SF Said. Our grammar focus has been possessive apostrophes and inverted commas which we will continue to perfect over the next couple of weeks. Today, the children wrote some comprehension question based on an excerpt from the text. We talked about the meaning of inference and discussed how to write and answer inference questions.

In History, we are learning about the Anglo-Saxons, Picts and Scots. Today, we learnt about Sutton Hoo which is one of Britain’s most important archaeological sites. We looked at the items that were discovered and used our detective skills to work out who might be buried there.

In Science, we are studying electricity and in RE we learnt about the origins of Buddism.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back! It’s been a fantastic first week and I am loving seeing the children again and admiring the progress they have all made. This week we have been settling in. We’ve talked about  Valerie Bloom (the poet our class is named after), discussed the rules for Year 4, written a recount of the summer holiday and created some mixed media self-portraits. The hard work starts next week!

Ms Cummings is our TA but sadly she was unable to be here this week. We are hoping to see her on Monday. Miss Isobel will also be working as a 1:1 in our class.

You should have received an email today with all the procedures for Year 4. If you have any questions or concerns please email me at v.pawsey@ststephensce.lbhf.sch.uk

Have a lovely weekend and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Mrs Walsh