Lostock Gralam C of E Primary School
Our blogs
Skylarks WB 22.5.23, by Miss Beattie
Date: 18th May 2023 @ 2:45pm
Hello everyone and welcome back to Skylarks weekly blog! ?
Next week (W.B. 22.05.23)
In our English lessons next week, we will use our plans the model text to write our own autobiographies about Malala Yousafzai. We will focus on using the feature and mastery keys we have been focusing on this half term, including using a wide range of conjunctions, brackets to indicate parenthesis and adverbials of time and place.
In shared reading we will continue to read our text ‘Exploring Space’. We will be focussing on ‘Drawing Inferences’ and language choice. We will look at how the author’s language choice contributes to the meaning. We will also draw inferences about people’s thoughts and feelings based on evidence from the text.
In maths we will be focussing on find the area of shapes, including rectangles and compound shapes. We will also consolidate our understanding of the four operations through daily 4-a-day activities.
In History and Geography, we will continue with our whole school topic on ‘Home’. We will be using our learning on Malala Yousafzai in English to explore further her journey out of Pakistan: where she travelled from/to, the reasons why and what it was like for her being a refugee.
In Science we will begin our new topic on Earth and Space by thinking about what we already know and what we would like to find out.
In Art we will be applying all of the sketching skills we have acquired this half term in a final piece of artwork based on our ‘Home’ topic.
Our PE day for the Spring Term will be a Wednesday so your child should come to school in their PE kit on this day. Please remember PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/blue.
Homework
In year 5 the children will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers in the back of the homework book.
If your child is finding the homework tricky, please do let Mr Beswick or myself know so that we can offer them support in school.
The children should complete page 40 of their maths homework book to be returned by Friday 26th May 2023. This homework is looking at rounding decimals.
Please also encourage your child to read for 20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings/times tables. The following websites are both great for times tables practice:
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Our spellings for the quiz on Friday 26th May will be the next 10 words from the Y5/6 statutory word list:
Prejudice, privilege, profession, programme, pronunciation, queue, recognise, recommend, relevant, rhyme
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact ?
Miss Beattie x
Goldfinches WB 15.5.23, by Mrs Evans
Date: 11th May 2023 @ 7:57pm
Welcome to Goldfinches’ Weekly Blog
Well done for being so respectful towards Toucans this week.
Friday Superstar: Molly
Top Table: Charley and Harriet
This week we have:
…watched our pea seeds germinate and begin to grow in their different conditions. Looked after Toucans by working so quietly and respectfully while they did their SATs, enjoyed our Ukulele session and wowed many of the teachers by how good we sounded.
Next week we will:
Writing: Continue to explore our beautiful book ‘Wisp’ which is teaching us the power of Hope.
Spellings: words from the Y3/4 statutory word list:
Words to learn for Friday 19th May: guard, guide, heard, heart, height, history, imagine, increase, important
Reading: We will continue to infer details and refer to the text to find evidence to back up our answers and identify key vocabulary in our Roman themed text to support our sticky knowledge of this topic.
Reading homework: We are enjoying choosing from a wide range of books within the classroom – both fiction and non-fiction. Please support your child to continue to read at home for 10-15 minutes daily.
Maths: We will continue our focus on solving fractions problems by using our increasing knowledge of times tables to help us.
Times tables: The National Times Table test is getting closer now so please continue to support your child to practice their fluency and speed in the different times tables.
We are continuing to work on our times tables every day by using games, online games, worksheets and tests in class. Look out for paper copies of activities and games I’m sending home to support with recall and fluency.
I would highly recommend supporting your child to play a game on the Maths Frame Multiplication Check at least once a day to help build their confidence and fluency. 25 questions with a 6 second gap between each one can be tricky and the more they practise, the more confident they will be. This is an almost exact copy of the app they will use for the real thing.
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check
Other fun games to try:
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/7/multiplication-and-division
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/times-tables/coconut-multiples
Art: we are working on learning origami techniques to create our shared ‘Environment’ artwork which will be displayed at Baron’s Quay (opposite HM) later this month.
PE: Mondays and Friday.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us via the office if you would like to discuss anything about your child. admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 01606668270
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Evans, Miss Wilkinson, Miss Nelson and Mrs Simmonds.
Starlings WB15.5.23, by Mrs Esling
Date: 11th May 2023 @ 5:52pm
Welcome to this week's Starlings class Blog. What another fantastic week we have enjoyed
Friday Superstar: Jack
Top Table: Nathan and Harry
Diary Dates:
Friday 26th May End of Half Term
Monday 5th June INSET DAY
Tuesday 20th June Trip to Belwilderwood
Tuesday 21st June Sports Day
Wednesday 28th June Reserve Sports Day
Wednesday 5th July New Class Day
RWI
Read Write Inc
Our RWI lessons start promptly at 9 am. If you are able to drop your child off as near to 8.45 as possible it would be very beneficial as we have activities prior to the class registration.
The children will continue to bring home a Read Write Inc book, a book bag book and a bedtime story each week. This provides them with a variety of familiar, new and challenging texts to read. Bedtime storybooks are to be enjoyed with an adult. Reading TO the children ensures that they experience the magic of a story coming to life and have a purpose and love of reading.
Please check your child’s diary to find out which group they are in, which sounds they have learnt that week and which books they have in their book bag. Each time they move to a new group they will receive a RWI bookmark. On this bookmark are the ‘red’ words practised in that group. These words inform our spelling quizzes and regular practice supports fluency and confidence in writing.
On the class page, I have uploaded three new files named Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3. These contain the QR codes for all the sounds. Each video is about ten minutes long and can be viewed by your child independently. Please check your child's bookbag on a Friday to see which new sounds they learned that week and use the videos to support their learning.
No spellings will be sent out this half term. Instead, your child has real and alien words to practice at home. This is to ensure the children have lots of exposure in preparation for the Phonics Screening Check. More will be added to your child's folder but please don't feel you have to review every word each night as it will be too much for them. I would recommend no more than eight at a time and mix them up daily.
MATHS
In maths, we will be exploring multiples of 2, 5 and 10. The children love joining in with these songs to support their learning.
SCIENCE and DT
We have been investigating materials to see which are absorbent or waterproof and which float or sink. We found out that plastic is able to float and is also waterproof also. We think that plastic would be good for keeping PAddington's sandwiches dry and fresh but we need to test it using a sandwich to be sure.
RELIGION
In religion, we are learning about the Good News that Jesus shared.
PE
Our PE days are currently Tuesdays Wednesdays and Fridays. Please come to school wearing the appropriate PE kit- White t-shirt, black/blue plain hoodie and tracksuit bottoms or shorts, hair tied back and earrings removed or covered with own plasters.
Snack
Children in KS1 receive free fruit. Children do not have to bring a snack from home but if you wish, we ask that it be a healthy option and just one item, please. Please also remember we are a NUT-FREE SCHOOL. Please can you also make sure that your child only has water in their water bottle; juice, however, is fine at lunchtime if your child brings a packed lunch.
Birthdays
We love celebrating the children's birthdays and hearing about all the exciting things they are doing. We appreciate that it is not always possible to invite the whole class and we would ask therefore that in these instances invites are given out before or after school. Thank you.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us via a note in your child’s diary or through the office if you would like to discuss anything about your child. admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 01606 668270
Many thanks, Mrs Esling and Mrs Westland
Robins week be. 15.5.23, by Mrs Whittingham
Date: 11th May 2023 @ 5:18pm
Robins have had a busy week planning their final piece of writing based on the book The Silence Seeker as part of our whole school topic Home. They will continue to draft and edit over the next 2 weeks and then we will share our final pieces with you.
Please remember to read with your child for 10 - 15 mins daily and record in diary if possible. Also take a look at their reading target which is on a sticker in their diary, some children may have the same target for a few weeks to work on.
Spellings for next week will focus on the 'c' sound spelt ch and 'sh' sound spelt with ch
chemist, character, school, stomach, parachute, brochure, chef, machine
Spelling quiz next week will be on Friday 19th May
Remember to encourage your child to have a go at the spelling and multiplication games suggested below.
https://ictgames.com/littleBirdSpelling/
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.multiplication.com/games/all-games
The children should have a mixed times tables sheet for homework this week. We have also introduced this website below which they can use at home to self check any of their times tables. Remember focus on x2, x5, x10, x3, x4, and x8
https://www.timestables.co.uk/
PE days for this half term will be Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
RE - we will be looking at Discipleship and thinking about the 10 commanments.
Music - we will be having Ukulele lessons until the May half term on Thursdays
Computing - we will be using the app Book Creator to create our information books on Superheroes. We will be adding sound buttons and speech bubbles.
DT - we will be exploring structures and making our own
Art - we will be working in pairs to create a painting of the Iron Man using a variety of media. We will also be learning about some famous artists - William Kentridge, Georges Seurat and Pable Picasso and creating our own pieces of work based on the individual style of these artists.
HOME- Our new whole school topic - we will be investigating the difference between refugees and migrants
Please feel free to get in touch if there is anything we can help you with,
Mrs Whittingham, Miss Wilkinson (Friday) & Mrs Taylor
Toucans W.B. 15.05.23, by Mr Corkill
Date: 11th May 2023 @ 1:54pm
Welcome Back to Toucans’ Weekly Blog ?
Toucans have super impressed me with all their hard work and effort this week as we completed the KS2 SAT assessment. I could not feel prouder of everyone’s incredible attainment and effort - well done everyone! Thank you to you for all your continued support.
Praise: The Whole Class
Top Table: Isobel and Nuo Yu
Next Week (W.B. 15.05.23)
Reminders:
- PE will continue to take place on both a Monday and a Friday each week, so please send your child into school wearing their PE kit on these days. PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/navy and should only be worn on PE days.
- The children going to Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School will have a transition afternoon next Tuesday (16th May) between 1:00 - 3:10pm.
Curriculum:
In English, we will use our writing skills to describe the rainforest and a few of the amazing animals that we may find in that ecosystem. We shall also begin to plan our extended piece of writing: rewriting ‘The Explorer’ opening using a range of techniques, including: expanded noun and adverbial phrases, metaphors and similes, personification, effective vocabulary, and dialogue to convey character and advance the action. In shared reading, we will continue to practise our comprehension skills by reading another section of ‘Great Adventures' by Alastair Humphreys.
In maths, we will begin a new unit of work on statistics by looking initially at line graphs and more complex bar charts before beginning to explore at pie charts. We will continue with our 4-a-day arithmetic questions each morning to further practice our four operations.
In science, we will continue with our unit on living things and their habitats. We shall look at the different classes of invertebrates and compare these to the five key animal groups.
In our geography lesson, we will be researching and reporting on what the rainforest provides to our homes and the impact of our actions of this environment.
In computing, we shall start a new unit on ‘growing up in a digital world’ with Mrs Hulse.
In PSHE, the children will begin to discuss their thoughts and feelings towards the transition to high school and we will create a class poem on the topic.
In PE, the children will continue their lessons with Mr Ault looking at all things athletics this half term.
Homework:
As a celebration of the end of SATs, there will be no homework set this week!
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact!
Mr Corkill ?
Skylarks WB 15.05.23, by Miss Beattie
Date: 10th May 2023 @ 8:53pm
Hello everyone and welcome back to Skylarks weekly blog! ?
Next week (W.B. 15.05.23)
In our English lessons next week, we will plan our own autobiography about Malala Yousafzai using the feature and mastery keys we have been focusing on this half term. We will then use our plans to begin the writing process.
In shared reading we will continue to read our text ‘Exploring Space’. We will be focussing on ‘Drawing Inferences’ and language choice. We will look at how the author’s language choice contributes to the meaning. We will also draw inferences about people’s thoughts and feelings based on evidence from the text.
In maths we will be focussing on understanding percentages and finding equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages. We will also consolidate our understanding of the four operations through daily 4-a-day activities.
In History and Geography, we will continue with our whole school topic on ‘Home’. We will be using our learning on Malala Yousafzai in English to explore further her journey out of Pakistan: where she travelled from/to, the reasons why and what it was like for her being a refugee.
In Science we will continue to compare animals based on the length of their gestation periods.
In RE we will continue to explore a letter from Paul to the Church taken from 2 Corinthians.
In Art we will continue to explore sketching techniques further and look at how to draw bodies in proportion and realistic faces inspired by Leonardo da Vinci.
Our PE day for the Spring Term will be a Wednesday so your child should come to school in their PE kit on this day. Please remember PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/blue.
Homework
In year 5 the children will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers in the back of the homework book.
If your child is finding the homework tricky, please do let Mr Beswick or myself know so that we can offer them support in school.
The children should complete pages 56 and 57 of their maths homework book to be returned by Friday 19th May 2023. This homework is looking at finding the perimeter.
Please also encourage your child to read for 20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings/times tables. The following websites are both great for times tables practice:
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Our spellings for the quiz on Friday 19th May will continue to focus on words containing the ‘ee’ sound spelt ‘ei’:
either, deceit, ceiling, receipt, deceiving, seizure, received, perceive
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact ?
Miss Beattie x
Toucans W.B. 08.05.23, by Mr Corkill
Date: 4th May 2023 @ 6:02pm
Welcome Back to Toucans’ Weekly Blog ?
Toucans have had another really busy week packed full of revision and I could not be prouder of all their achievements, progress and learning.
Praise: Grace I
Top Table: Anthony and William
Next Week (W.B. 08.05.23)
Reminders:
- We are wearing red, white and blue (or just red, or just white, or just blue or any combination) on Friday 5th May to celebrate the King’s coronation. We will be having a picnic lunch altogether on the field (weather permitting) and a special church service with Vicar Andrew in the afternoon.
- School will be closed on Monday 8th May due to the extra Bank Holiday for the coronation.
- SATs assessments will take place between Tuesday 9th May and Friday 12th May. It is really important that your child attends school each day to complete these assessments. Children are invited into school each morning from 08:30am for breakfast and some last minute revision!
- We will have a a double PE session on Friday to celebrate the end of the SATs!
- PE will continue to take place on both a Monday and a Friday each week, so please send your child into school wearing their PE kit on these days. PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/navy and should only be worn on PE days.
Curriculum:
In English, we will be continuing to practise our reading comprehension skills and examine The Explorer by Katherine Rundell in further detail to prepare ourselves to rewrite the opening chapters.
In maths, we will continue to revise a range of the topics studied so far this year with a particular focus on our reasoning skills. We will continue with our 4-a-day arithmetic questions each morning to further practice our four operations.
In science, we will continue with our unit on living things and their habitats. We shall look at the different classes of invertebrates and compare these to the five key animal groups.
In our art lessons, we will be practising our sketching skills to draw a toucan before creating an ink painting of a toucan.
In PE, the children will continue their lessons with Mr Ault looking at all things athletics this half term.
Homework:
Children in Year 6 will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers provided in the back of their homework book. If your child is finding the homework challenging, I will ensure that supervision is provided one lunchtime each week where your child can ask any questions or receive the support they need to complete the homework.
Children should complete pages 78-81 (progress test 3) and return it to school by Thursday 11th May. The homework revises lots of the Year 6 mathematics learning objectives from across the year. Children should also complete pages 37-39 (Set B: Test 6) of their reading homework book.
Please also encourage your child to read for 15-20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings and times tables. Children need to record their reading in their homework diaries/planners. This really will help them with their reading speed and stamina. Try to talk to your child about what they have read in their book (the character, the plot, their opinion). Try to vary choices to include classic texts, non-fiction texts, and poems.
The following website is great for times tables practice: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
There will be no spellings to learn this week. It is advised, however, to take a look at the Y5/6 statutory spelling list and practise these: https://cdn.oxfordowl.co.uk/2019/08/29/13/56/09/5a42eb6a-f57f-4dc4-a66e-bd4c5e27e4b7/SpellingWordList_Y5-6.pdf
Enjoy the bank holiday weekend!
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact!
Mr Corkill ?
Robins Week beg. 8.5.23, by Mrs Whittingham
Date: 4th May 2023 @ 5:21pm
Robins enjoyed extra PE on Wednesday with Mr A whilst I accompanied Owls on their first school trip to Delamere Forest. It was lovely to meet lots of younger siblings!
Please remember to read with your child for 10 - 15 mins daily and record in diary if possible. Also take a look at their reading target which is on a sticker in their diary, some children may have the same target for a few weeks to work on.
We have now covered the Year 3 spellings rules so will spend the next couple of weeks revising what we have covered this year and learning some new common exception words. A full list of these statutory words for Year 3/4 can be found on our Robins Class Page.
Here are the words for next week - beg. 8.5.23
adventure, mixture, picture, creature, information, explanation, temptation, adoration
Spelling quiz next week will be on Friday 12th May
Remember to encourage your child to have a go at the spelling and multiplication games suggested below.
https://ictgames.com/littleBirdSpelling/
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.multiplication.com/games/all-games
The children should have a x8 sheet for homework this week. We have also introduced this website below which they can use at home to self check any of their times tables. Remember focus on x2, x5, x10, x3, x4, and x8
https://www.timestables.co.uk/
PE days for this half term will be Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
RE - we will be looking at Discipleship this week and creating some art pieces around this concept.
Music - we will be having Ukulele lessons until the May half term on Thursdays
Computing - we will be using the app Book Creator to create our information books on Superheroes
DT - we will be exploring structures and making our own
Art - we will be working in pairs to create a painting of the Iron Man using a variety of media. We will also be learning about some famous artists - William Kentridge, Georges Seurat and Pable Picasso and creating our own pieces of work based on the individual style of these artists.
HOME- Our new whole school topic - we will be finding out why people become refugees and how we can help them.
Please feel free to get in touch if there is anything we can help you with,
Mrs Whittingham, Miss Wilkinson (Friday) & Mrs Taylor
Skylarks 8.5.23, by Miss Beattie
Date: 4th May 2023 @ 4:26pm
Hello everyone and welcome back to Skylarks weekly blog! ?
Next week (W.B. 08.05.23)
Reminder: Monday 8th May is a bank holiday. School is closed on this day and will reopen on Tuesday 9th May.
In our English lessons next week, we will explore a model text – an autobiography of Ruby Bridges. We will analyse the structure, vocabulary and features of the text which will help us to plan and write our own autobiography for Malala.
In shared reading we will continue to read our text ‘Exploring Space’. We will be focussing on ‘Drawing Inferences’ and language choice. We will look at how the author’s language choice contributes to the meaning.
In maths we will be focussing on finding the perimeter of different shapes, including rectilinear shapes and polygons. We will also consolidate our understanding of the four operations through daily 4-a-day activities.
In Science we will begin by making predictions about which animals will have the shortest and longest gestation periods, before using research to find out if our prediction were in fact correct.
In RE we will read a letter from Paul to the Church taken from 2 Corinthians. We will explore what the verses means and the advice Paul is giving to the people. We will then relate Paul’s advice to what we already know about God and forgiveness.
In History and Geography, we will continue with our whole school topic on ‘Home’. We will be looking at the statistics of where refuges travel to and discussing what the UK could be doing further to support displaced people.
In Art we will continue to explore sketching techniques further and look at how to draw bodies in proportion and realistic faces.
Our PE day for the Spring Term will be a Wednesday so your child should come to school in their PE kit on this day. Please remember PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/blue.
Homework
In year 5 the children will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers in the back of the homework book.
If your child is finding the homework tricky, please do let Mr Beswick or myself know so that we can offer them support in school.
The children should complete page 39 of their maths homework book to be returned by Friday 12th May 2023. This homework is looking at converting between fractions and decimals.
Please also encourage your child to read for 20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings/times tables. The following websites are both great for times tables practice:
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Our spellings for the quiz on Friday 12th May will focus on words containing the ‘ee’ sound spelt ‘ei’:
receive, deceive, conceit, conceive, seize, protein, caffeine, neither
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact ?
Miss Beattie x
Goldfinches WB 8.5.23, by Mrs Evans
Date: 3rd May 2023 @ 9:29pm
Welcome to Goldfinches’ Weekly Blog
Well done Llandudno superstars.
Friday Superstar: Freddie
Top Table: Bella and Alexa
This week we have:
…enjoyed reflecting on our Llandudno adventures through our art and geography lessons. We have wowed Mrs Evans again with our fantastic fractions work and have set up an observation into which conditions pea seeds thrive the best in in science.
Next week we will:
Monday- extra bank holiday for the Coronation
Writing: Expanding our sentences with superlatives and using specific and varied nouns.
Spellings: words with the suffix ‘sion’
Words to learn for Friday 12th May: explosion, collision, television, division, invasion, decision, erosion, confusion, revision, decision
Reading: We will continue to infer details and refer to the text to find evidence to back up our answers and identify key vocabulary in a Roman themed text.
Reading homework: We are enjoying choosing from a wide range of books within the classroom – both fiction and non-fiction. Please support your child to continue to read at home for 10-15 minutes daily.
Maths: We will continue our focus on fractions by learning about equivalent fraction families and learning the important link between knowing times table facts and fractions.
Times tables: The National Times Table test is getting closer now so please continue to support your child to practice their fluency and speed in the different times tables.
We are continuing to work on our times tables every day by using games, online games, worksheets and tests in class. Look out for paper copies of activities and games I’m sending home to support with recall and fluency.
Please continue to support your child to learn their tables fluently in order, out of order and know the division facts for the 2, 5, 10, 4, 8, 3, 6, 9 and 11 times tables.
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check
Please ensure your child uses this game at least a couple of times a week to get used to speed and time limits and prepare them for the online check.
Other fun games to try:
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/7/multiplication-and-division
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/times-tables/coconut-multiples
Art: we will continue to find out about famous sculptors and their work and use this to inspire our own designs.
PE: Mondays and Friday.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us via the office if you would like to discuss anything about your child. admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 01606668270
Have a lovely long weekend,
Mrs Evans, Miss Wilkinson, Miss Nelson and Mrs Simmonds.
Skylarks WB 1.5.23, by Miss Beattie
Date: 28th Apr 2023 @ 2:04pm
Hello everyone and welcome back to Skylarks weekly blog! ?
Next week (W.B. 01.05.23)
Reminder: Monday 1st May is a bank holiday. School is closed on this day and will reopen on Tuesday 2nd May.
On Friday 5th May, we are celebrating the King's coronation. We are all going to be coming into school wearing red, white and blue or just red or just white or just blue is fine, we don't have to have all three. Mrs Macey is making a gorgeous picnic that we will all eat together on the field, or your child is welcome to bring their own packed lunch from home. The head students have held a competition to design the biscuit and they will choose the winners with Mrs Macey. We will be having a service in church led by Vicar Andrew and throughout the day the children will take part in activities to both celebrate the coronation help the children really understand the events of the weekend.
In our English lessons next week, we will continue to read more of ‘Malala’s Magic Pencil’ by Malala Yousafzai. We will be focussing on the job of fronted adverbials within the text and applying these ourselves in a diary entry in role as Malala.
In shared reading we will continue to read our text ‘Exploring Space’. We will be focussing on ‘Drawing Inferences’ and language choice. We will look at how the author’s language choice contributes to the meaning.
In maths we will be focussing on ordering and comparing decimals, as well as rounding to the nearest whole number. We will also consolidate our understanding of the four operations through daily 4-a-day activities.
In History and Geography, we will continue with our whole school topic on ‘Home’. We will be looking at the statistics of where refuges travel from and to, before locating these countries on a world map.
In Art we will continue to explore sketching techniques further and look at how to draw bodies in proportion.
Our PE day for the Spring Term will be a Wednesday so your child should come to school in their PE kit on this day. Please remember PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/blue.
Homework
In year 5 the children will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers in the back of the homework book.
If your child is finding the homework tricky, please do let Mr Beswick or myself know so that we can offer them support in school.
The children should complete page 38 of their maths homework book to be returned by Friday 5th May 2023. This homework is looking at converting between fractions and decimals.
Please also encourage your child to read for 20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings/times tables. The following websites are both great for times tables practice:
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Our spellings for the quiz on Friday 5th May will be the next 10 words in the Year 5/6 statutory word list:
muscle, necessary, neighbour, nuisance, occupy, occur, opportunity, parliament, persuade, physical
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact ?
Miss Beattie x
Toucans W.B. 01.05.23, by Mr Corkill
Date: 27th Apr 2023 @ 8:01pm
Welcome Back to Toucans’ Weekly Blog ?
Toucans have had a really busy week with their final practice assessments prior to the upcoming SATs and they have all really impressed me with their hard work. They have all demonstrated incredible progress and made individual achievements - well done everyone!
Praise: Izzy
Top Table: Ryan and Mason J
Next Week (W.B. 01.05.23)
Reminders:
- School will be closed on Monday 1st May due to the Bank Holiday.
- We will be celebrating the coronation of King Charles III on Friday 5th May with a special service led by Vicar Andrew in church.
- PE will continue to take place on both a Monday and a Friday each week, so please send your child into school wearing their PE kit on these days. PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/navy and should only be worn on PE days.
Curriculum:
In English, we will be editing and improving our diary entries / field logs from the Galápagos Islands. In shared reading, we will continue to read Great Adventures by Alastair Humphreys with a focus on distinguishing between fact and opinion and looking at how structure contributes to meaning.
In maths, we will continue to revise a range of the topics studies so far this year including: fractions, statistics, money, and decimals. We will continue with our 4-a-day arithmetic questions each morning to further practice our four operations.
In science, we will continue with our unit on living things and their habitats. We shall finish creating a poster on the 5 vertebrate animal classes.
In our history/geography lesson, we will create a double page informative poster on the different layers of the rainforest.
In PE, the children will continue their lessons with Mr Ault looking at all things athletics this half term.
Homework:
Children in Year 6 will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers provided in the back of their homework book. If your child is finding the homework challenging, I will ensure that supervision is provided one lunchtime each week where your child can ask any questions or receive the support they need to complete the homework.
Children should complete pages 88 - 91 of their maths homework book this week and return it to school by Thursday 4th May. The homework revises lots of the Year 6 mathematics learning objectives from across the year. Children should also complete pages 34-36 (Set B: Test 5) of their reading homework book.
Please also encourage your child to read for 15-20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings and times tables. Children need to record their reading in their homework diaries/planners. This really will help them with their reading speed and stamina. Try to talk to your child about what they have read in their book (the character, the plot, their opinion). Try to vary choices to include classic texts, non-fiction texts, and poems.
The following website is great for times tables practice: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Our spellings for the quiz on Friday 5th May will concentrate on the next set of Y5/6 statutory spelling words and will be: rhyme, rhythm, sacrifice, secretary, shoulder, signature, sincerely, soldier, stomach, sufficient.
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact!
Mr Corkill ?
Starlings WB 1.5.23, by Mrs Esling
Date: 26th Apr 2023 @ 7:06pm
Welcome to this week's Starlings class Blog. What another fantastic week we have enjoyed
Friday Superstar: Rory
Top Table: Jack and Jayden B
Diary Dates:
Monday 1st May Bank Holiday
Friday 5th May King Charles Coronation celebration in school
Monday 8th May Extra Bank Holiday
Monday 5th June INSET DAY
Tuesday 20th June Trip to Belwilderwood
Tuesday 21st June Sports Day
Wednesday 28th June Reserve Sports Day
HOME- Our new whole school topic
We have begun our new whole school topic- Home. This has been planned around the theme of the importance of our homes to us and the human conflicts and natural disasters that result in homelessness for others. We read the story of Paddington this week and discussed if he was right to leave Peru or if he should have stayed. In groups, we completed an activity where we had twelve photos of items such as - a family photo, biscuits, warm clothes etc we then had three minutes to decide which four of these items we could take. The children used discussion and persuasive strategies to convince others why they should be allowed to take the time they chose. A lot of interesting discussions took place.
RWI
Read Write Inc
Our RWI lessons start promptly at 9 am. If you are able to drop your child off as near to 8.45 as possible it would be very beneficial as we have activities prior to the class registration.
The children will continue to bring home a Read Write Inc book, a book bag book and a bedtime story each week. This provides them with a variety of familiar, new and challenging texts to read. Bedtime storybooks are to be enjoyed with an adult. Reading TO the children ensures that they experience the magic of a story coming to life and have a purpose and love of reading.
Please check your child’s diary to find out which group they are in, which sounds they have learnt that week and which books they have in their book bag. Each time they move to a new group they will receive a RWI bookmark. On this bookmark are the ‘red’ words that are practised in that group. These words inform our spelling quizzes and regular practice supports fluency and confidence in writing.
On the class page, I have uploaded three new files named Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3. These contain the QR codes for all the sounds. Each video is about ten minutes long and can be viewed by your child independently. Please check your child's bookbag on a Friday to see which new sounds they have learnt that week and use the videos to support their learning.
No spellings will be sent out this half term. Instead, your child has real and alien words to practice at home. This is to ensure the children have lots of exposure in preparation for the Phonics Screening Check. More will be added to your child's folder but please don't feel you have to review every word each night as it will be too much for them. I would recommend no more than eight at a time and mix them up daily.
MATHS
In maths, we continue to explore the numbers up to 50. we will be looking at counting in 10s and also grouping in 10s and 1's
SCIENCE and DT
We have enjoyed exploring our school grounds to spot the signs of Spring! The sun was shining and we spotted tulips, daffodils and beautiful green shoots on the bushes.
Over the next few weeks, we will be designing a trolley for Paddington to wheel his sandwiches in as his suitcase is getting too heavy!! We will also be testing different materials for their sandwich wrapping suitability! We are hoping to find a material that not only keeps Paddington's sandwiches fresh but also want it to be environmentally friendly.
RELIGION
In religion, we are learning about the Good News that Jesus shared.
PE
Our PE days are Wednesdays and Fridays. Please come to school wearing the appropriate PE kit- White t-shirt, black/blue plain hoodie and tracksuit bottoms or shorts, hair tied back and earrings removed or covered with own plasters.
Snack
Children in KS1 receive free fruit. Children do not have to bring a snack from home but if you wish to do so we ask that it is a healthy option and just one item, please. Please also remember we are a NUT-FREE SCHOOL. Please can you also make sure that your child only has water in their water bottle; juice, however, is fine at lunchtime if your child brings a packed lunch.
Birthdays
We love celebrating the children's birthdays and hearing about all the exciting things they are doing. We appreciate that it is not always possible to invite the whole class and we would ask therefore that in these instances invites are given out before or after school. Thank you.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us via a note in your child’s diary or through the office if you would like to discuss anything about your child. admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 01606 668270
Many thanks, Mrs Esling and Mrs Westland
Skylarks WB 24.4.23, by Miss Beattie
Date: 21st Apr 2023 @ 9:17am
Hello everyone and welcome back to Skylarks weekly blog! ?
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter break. Skylarks have had a fantastic first week back and have all worked really hard.
Next week (W.B. 24.04.23)
In our English lessons next week, we will continue to read more of ‘Malala’s Magic Pencil’ by Malala Yousafzai. We will explore a variety of informal writing techniques and use these to plan and write a diary entry and a blog post.
In shared reading we will continue to read our text ‘Exploring Space’. We will be focussing on ‘Drawing Inferences’. We will use our visualising techniques to infer characters’ thoughts, feelings and emotions.
In maths we will be focussing on finding equivalent fractions and decimals. We will also consolidate our understanding of the four operations through daily 4-a-day activities.
In RE we will use drama techniques to role play scenarios were forgiveness was not shown. We will then discuss how we could change each scenario to follow God’s word.
In Science we will be working on a PowerPoint to explain how the human body changes from birth up until old age.
In Art we will explore sketching techniques further and look at how to draw bodies in proportion.
Our PE day for the Spring Term will be a Wednesday so your child should come to school in their PE kit on this day. Please remember PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/blue.
Homework
In year 5 the children will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers in the back of the homework book.
If your child is finding the homework tricky, please do let Mr Beswick or myself know so that we can offer them support in school.
The children should complete page 37 of their maths homework book to be returned by Friday 28th April.
Please also encourage your child to read for 20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings/times tables. The following websites are both great for times tables practice:
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Our spellings for the quiz on Friday 28th April will focus on words ending in -ence:
innocence, difference, influence, violence, conference, experience, obedience, patience
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact ?
Miss Beattie x
Goldfinches WB 24.4.23, by Mrs Evans
Date: 20th Apr 2023 @ 8:55pm
Welcome to Goldfinches’ Weekly Blog
A wonderful start back for everyone this week.
Friday Superstar: Matthew
Top Table: Amber and Jacob H
This week we have:
…enjoyed starting our new writing focus which is linked to our new topic Home. We have written some gorgeous poems about home.
We loved welcoming our interfaith visitors into the classroom and learning all about the different and sometimes very similar beliefs of Quakers, Muslims and Unitarians.
Llandudno: Wednesday 26th-Thursday 27th. Please send your child in their own clothes suitable for being outdoors most of the day. Your child will need a packed lunch or ordered a CAT bag, a refillable bottle of water and gloves for skiing in their small rucksack. We are aiming to leave by 9.30am and you are welcome to wave the coach off.
Next week we will:
Writing: We will practise using modified adjectives (sad- saddest, happy – happiest) to add detail and depth to our writing.
Spellings: Spellings which are topic related. Due to us being in Llandudno, there will be no test of Friday, but it would be helpful to have a look over these words in the next few days.
Reading: We will infer details and refer to the text to find evidence to back up our answers and identify key vocabulary in a Roman themed text.
Reading homework: We are enjoying choosing from a wide range of books within the classroom – both fiction and non-fiction. Please support your child to continue to read at home for 10-15 minutes daily.
Maths: We will continue our focus on fractions by learning about improper fractions and mixed numbers.
Art: On our return from Llandudno on Friday, we will relax with some Llandudno inspired art work in ink.
Times tables: The National Times Table test is getting closer now so please continue to support your child to practice their fluency and speed in the different times tables.
We are continuing to work on our times tables every day by using games, online games, worksheets and tests in class. Look out for paper copies of activities and games I’m sending home in bags.
Please continue to support your child to learn their tables fluently in order, out of order and know the division facts for the 2, 5, 10, 4, 8, 3, 6 , 9 and 11 times tables.
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check
Please ensure your child uses this game at least a couple of times a week to get used to speed and time limits and prepare them for the online check.
Other fun games to try:
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/7/multiplication-and-division
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/times-tables/coconut-multiples
PE: Mondays and Friday.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us via the office if you would like to discuss anything about your child. admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 01606668270
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Evans, Miss Wilkinson, Miss Nelson and Mrs Simmonds.
Robins week beg. 24th April, by Mrs Whittingham
Date: 20th Apr 2023 @ 5:26pm
Great first week back Robins! You have impressed me with your handwriting and general presenation of work. We have enjoyed a Humanist workshop and a Baha'i workshop in class as we marked Inter Faith Week.
Please remember to read with your child for 10 - 15 mins daily and record in diary if possible. Also take a look at their reading target which is on a sticker in their diary, some children may have the same target for a few weeks to work on.
Our new spellings for next week all begin with the prefix SUPER
superhero, superstar, supermarket, superhuman, superwoman, supersonic, superpower, superglue
Spelling quiz next week will be on Friday 28th April
Remember to encourage your child to have a go at the spelling and multiplication games suggested below.
https://ictgames.com/littleBirdSpelling/
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.multiplication.com/games/all-games
The children should have a x8 sheet for homework this week. We have also introduced this website below which they can use at home to self check any of their times tables.
https://www.timestables.co.uk/
PE days for this half term will be Monday, Tuesday and Friday.
RE - we are preparing our posters on different places of worship to present to Year 4 in a couple of weeks as part of our Oracy project.
Music - we will be having Ukulele lessons until the May half term
Computing - we will be finding out about the app Book Creator
DT - we will be exploring structures and making our own
Art - we will be working in pairs to create a painting of the Iron Man using a variety of media. We will also be learning about some famous artists - William Kentridge, Georges Seurat and Pable Picasso and creating our own pieces of work based on the individual style of these artists.
HOME- Our new whole school topic - we will be finding out why people become refugees and how we can help them.
Please feel free to get in touch if there is anything we can help you with,
Mrs Whittingham, Miss Wilkinson (Friday) & Mrs Taylor
Toucans W.B. 24.04.23, by Mr Corkill
Date: 20th Apr 2023 @ 5:22pm
Welcome Back to Toucans’ Weekly Blog ?
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter break!
Toucans have had a good and busy week back with lots of new learning alongside our ongoing revision for the upcoming SATs.
Praise: Toby
Top Table: Fin and Lola
Next Week (W.B. 24.04.23)
Reminders:
- PE will continue to take place on both a Monday and a Friday each week, so please send your child into school wearing their PE kit on these days. PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/navy and should only be worn on PE days.
Curriculum:
In English, we will be planning and writing a diary entry in role as Charles Darwin on the first day he arrived in the Galapagos Islands. In shared reading, we will continue to read Great Adventures by Alastair Humphreys with a focus on distinguishing between fact and opinion and looking at how structure contributes to meaning.
In maths, we will continue to revise a range of the topics studies so far this year. We will continue with our 4-a-day arithmetic questions each morning to further practice our four operations.
In science, we will begin our unit on living things and their habitats. This week’s lesson will look at classification and its importance to taxonomists. We shall create an informative poster on the 5 key vertebrate animal classes.
In our history/geography lesson, we will create a comparison table of the human and physical geographical features comparing England with Brazil.
In PE, the children will continue their lessons with Mr Ault looking at all things athletics this half term.
Homework:
Children in Year 6 will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers provided in the back of their homework book. If your child is finding the homework challenging, I will ensure that supervision is provided one lunchtime each week where your child can ask any questions or receive the support they need to complete the homework.
Children should complete pages 74 and 75 of their maths homework book this week and return it to school by Thursday 27th April. The homework consolidates our learning on coordinates from our lessons this week. Children should also complete pages 31-33 (Set B: Test 4) of their reading homework book.
Please also encourage your child to read for 15-20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings and times tables. Children need to record their reading in their homework diaries/planners. This really will help them with their reading speed and stamina. Try to talk to your child about what they have read in their book (the character, the plot, their opinion). Try to vary choices to include classic texts, non-fiction texts, and poems.
The following website is great for times tables practice: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Our spellings for the quiz on Friday 28th April will concentrate on the next set of Y5/6 statutory spelling words and will be: prejudice, privilege, profession, programme, pronunciation, queue, recognise, recommend, relevant, restaurant.
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact!
Mr Corkill ?
Goldfinches WB 17.4.23, by Mrs Evans
Date: 17th Apr 2023 @ 1:27pm
Welcome to our Summer term.
We hope you enjoyed a lovely Easter Break.
This week we will:
Interfaith week: This will give us the opportunity to learn about the faiths of Quakerism, Islam and Unitarianism through 3 different workshops. On Friday we will come together in worship to share our learning as a school.
Writing: We will begin our new Writing text ‘Wisp’ which ties in beautifully with our refugee topic Home.
Spellings: Spellings with the s sound spelt ‘sc’ (the same words as the week before Easter)
Reading: We will go through our reading assessment paper from before Easter. We are also delighted to have received our special orders from the Schools’ Library service so there are lots of lovely new books for us to choose from including science and geography.
Reading homework: Reading is getting better and better in Year 4 with the children showing they are becoming more and more independent in their reading and more confident in their shared reading. Keep up the great work everybody!
Maths: We will begin a new unit on fractions this week
Times tables: We are continuing to work on our times tables every day by using games, online games, worksheets and tests in class. We are currently working on the 9x as a class in addition to our personal times tables.
Please continue to support your child to learn their tables fluently in order, out of order and know the division facts for the 2, 5, 10, 4, 8, 3, 6 and 9 times tables.
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check
Please ensure your child uses this game at least a couple of times a week to get used to speed and time limits and prepare them for the online check.
Other fun games to try:
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/7/multiplication-and-division
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/times-tables/coconut-multiples
Science: We will begin our unit on animals and classification this week.
PE: Mondays and Fridays.
Music: This half term is Goldfinches’ turn to get even better at playing the Ukulele during our lessons on Thursday afternoons.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us via the office if you would like to discuss anything about your child. admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 01606668270
Thank you for your continued support,
Mrs Evans, Miss Wilkinson, Miss Nelson and Mrs Simmonds.
Toucans W.B. 17.04.23, by Mr Corkill
Date: 30th Mar 2023 @ 8:05am
Welcome Back to Toucans’ Weekly Blog ?
Toucans have been revising all things fractions this week, enjoyed completing a range of reading comprehensions, and began learning all about the geography of South America. The children have really impressed me throughout the term and each of them has worked hard to make excellent progress.
To see what’s coming up next term, please look at our class homepage: http://www.lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk/class/toucans
Praise: Brooke
Top Table: Jai and Riley
Next Week (W.B. 17.04.23)
Reminders:
- School will reopen for the summer term on Monday 17th April.
- PE will continue to take place on both a Monday and a Friday each week, so please send your child into school wearing their PE kit on these days. PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/navy.
Curriculum:
In English, we will be start a new short unit on writing a diary entry in role as Charles Darwin when he first arrived in the Galápagos Islands in 1835. We shall be looking at the features of a diary, writing descriptively using expanded noun phrases, and explore a range of cohesive devices and effective adverbial phrases. In shared reading, we will begin to read Great Adventures by Alastair Humphreys.
In maths, we will start a new short unit exploring geometry - position and direction. We will look at co-ordinates, translations and reflections. We will continue with our 4-a-day arithmetic questions each morning to further practice our four operations.
In science, we will begin our unit on living things and their habitats. This week’s lesson will look at classification and its importance to taxonomists. We shall create an informative poster on the 5 key vertebrate animal classes.
In our history/geography lesson, we will look at the eight different compass points and compare the human and physical geography of Chester, England and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In RE, we will complete a reading comprehension to revise our comprehension skills and recap the Easter Story and its significance to Christians.
In PE, the children will continue their lessons with Mr Ault and compete in atheltics and outdoor activities.
Homework:
There will be no official homework during the Easter break, but I have listed some useful suggestions below that might be good to keep up and revise key skills needed for the upcoming SATs assessments.
Maths
Progress Test 1 (p.30-33), Progress Test 2 (p.52-55), Progress Test 3 (p.78-81) - As many of the questions as you can attempt from the third test.
Reading
Any of the Set C reading tests (p.42-60) from the children’s usual reading homework book.
SPaG
https://www.cgpbooks.co.uk/resources/ks2-sats-online-10-minute-tests
Arithmetic
4 arithmetic practice exercises have been provided to the children, along with the answers.
Spelling
Please also encourage your child to read for 15-20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings and times tables. Children need to record their reading in their homework diaries/planners. This really will help them with their reading speed and stamina. Try to talk to your child about what they have read in their book (the character, the plot, their opinion). Try to vary choices to include classic texts, non-fiction texts, and poems.
The following website is great for times tables practice: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact!
Have a lovely Easter!
Mr Corkill ?
Starlings WB 27.3.23, by Mrs Esling
Date: 27th Mar 2023 @ 10:12pm
Welcome to this weeks Starlings class Blog. What another fantastic week we have enjoyed, we can't believe this is the last week of the Spring Term.
It was so lovely to see you all at parents evening last week. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Friday Superstar: Heidi
Top Table: Evelyn and Katie
Diary Dates:
29th March - cake sale.Cake will be on sale at the end of the day 30p each or 4 for £1.
School Disco
INSET Friday 31st March
This week we have:
dramatised the Easter story. Please do look on Twitter as the children fully immersed themselves in their roles.
…
HOME- Our new whole school topic
We have begun our new whole school topic- Home. This has been planned around the theme of the importance of our homes to us and the human conflicts and natural disasters that result in homelessness for others. We are hoping to use photographs of our children’s homes as part of our displays. If you would like to, please send or e-mail a photo/copy of your home into school after half term. Thank you.
RWI
Read Write Inc
Our RWI lessons start promptly at 9am. If you are able to drop your child off as near to 8.45 as possible it would be very beneficial.
The children will continue to bring home a Read Write Inc book, a book bag book and a bedtime story each week. This provides them with a variety of familiar, new and challenging texts to read. Bedtime storybooks are to be enjoyed with an adult. Reading TO the children ensures that they experience the magic of a story coming to life and have a purpose and love of reading.
Please check your child’s diary to find out which group they are in, which sounds they have learnt that week and which books they have in their book bag. Each time they move to a new group they will receive a RWI book mark. On this book mark are the ‘red’ words that are practised in that group. These words inform our spelling quizzes and regular practise supports fluency and confidence in writing.
On the class page I have uploaded three new files named Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3. These contain the QR codes for all the sounds. Each video is about ten minutes long and can be viewed by your child independently. Please check your child's bookbag on a Friday to see which new sounds they have learnt that week and use the videos to support their learning.
There are no spellings for the week beginning the 27th february and will also be no spellings quiz on the first week back after the holidays.
MATHS
In maths we continue to explore the numbers from 11 to 20. we have been using money to explore word problems and will also be looking at using non -s standard units of measure to measure the length and height of objects around the classroom and in the school grounds.
HISTORY and GEOGRAPHY
We have explored the invention of the bike and how its design has changed over the years. We have also learned abour George Stephenson and how his invention of 'The Rocket' influenced the trains we travel on today. We will now investigate the invention of the motor car and how designs have chanegd over the years and the reasons behind those changes. This links with our geography where we will explore how people could travel further following these inventions.
SCIENCE
In Science this week we have snhared our opinions on what a scientist looks like. many believed scientitsts would have mad, curly hair, would wear a white coat and carry potions around! we then reserached different scientists and found many women who did not have crazy hair and n one were wearing a white coat. we realised that we may hold stereotypical views and this has made us change our opinions.
RELIGION
In religion we conmtinue to learn about the Easter story and what happens in church at Easter
PE
Our PE days are Wednesdays and Fridays. Please come to school wearing appropriate PE kit- White t-shirt, black/blue plain hoodie and tracksuit bottoms or shorts, hair tied back and earrings removed or covered with own plasters.
Snack
Children in KS1 receive free fruit. Children do not have to bring a snack from home but if you wish to do so we ask that it is a healthy option and just one item, please. Please also rembember we are a NUT FREE SCHOOL. Please can you also make sure that your child only has water in their water bottle; juice, however, is fine at lunchtimes if your child brings a packed lunch.
Birthdays
We love celebrating the children's birthdays and hearing about all the exciting things they are doing. We appreciate that it is not always possible to invite the whole class and we would ask therefore that in these instances that invites are given out before or after school. Thank you.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us via a note in your child’s diary or through the office if you would like to discuss anything about your child. admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 01606 668270
Many thanks Mrs Esling and Mrs Westland
Toucans W.B. 27.03.23, by Mr Corkill
Date: 24th Mar 2023 @ 6:36am
Welcome Back to Toucans’ Weekly Blog ?
Toucans have been busy completing some practice assessments to identify areas of revision focus for the next few weeks. They have all worked so hard and can see their own progress; they should be proud of their achievements. It was so lovely to speak to families this week during parents' evenings, so thank you to you if you came along to discuss your child's progress, achievements, and current areas of development.
Praise: William
Top Table: Fran and Georgia
Next Week (W.B. 27.03.23)
Reminders:
- Cake sale on Wednesday 29th March. KS2 will be holding a cake sale after school on Wednesday 29th March. The children are encouraged to bake or donate cakes on this day for the cake sale. Cakes will be 30p each or 4 for £1. You can be as creative as you like and maybe even think of an Easter theme for your cakes!
- KS2 Disco on Thursday 30th March between 17:30 and 18:30.
- School closes on Thursday 30th March as Friday 31st March is a school INSET day. School will reopen following a two week Easter break on Monday 17th April.
- PE will continue to take place on both a Monday and a Friday each week, so please send your child into school wearing their PE kit on these days. PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/navy.
Curriculum:
In English, we will be focusing on practising our reading comprehension skills by reading and analysing a range of different text types, including a text on South America. We shall also be revising some of our SPaG skills through a range of activities.
In maths, we will review our recent assessment papers to try and understand some of the areas of difficulty and how to improve. We will also focus on revising all things fractions: changing from a mixed number into an improper fraction, adding and subtracting fractions, multiplying fractions together or by a whole number, and dividing a fraction by an integer. We will continue with our 4-a-day arithmetic questions each morning to further practice our four operations.
In our history/geography lesson, we will be looking at the story of Paddington Bear and how that links to our current ‘home’ topic. We will discuss whether Paddington was a refugee, asylum seeker, migrant or immigrant using our recently acquired knowledge and explore some of the human and physical geography features of his native home in South America.
In art, we will create pop-up Easter theme cards that the children can decorate using their creativity and knowledge.
In PE, the children will continue with practising their tennis and basketball skills with Mr Ault.
Homework:
Children in Year 6 will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers provided in the back of their homework book. If your child is finding the homework challenging, I will ensure that supervision is provided one lunchtime each week where your child can ask any questions or receive the support they need to complete the homework.
Children should complete pages 60 and 61 of their maths homework book this week and return it to school by Thursday 30th March. The homework consolidates our learning on calculating area and perimeter and the volume of a cube and cuboid from our recent lessons. Children should also complete pages 28-30 (Set B: Test 3) of their reading homework book.
Please also encourage your child to read for 15-20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings and times tables. Children need to record their reading in their homework diaries/planners. This really will help them with their reading speed and stamina. Try to talk to your child about what they have read in their book (the character, the plot, their opinion). Try to vary choices to include classic texts, non-fiction texts, and poems.
The following website is great for times tables practice: https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Our spellings for the quiz on Thursday 30th March will concentrate on the next set of Y5/6 statutory spelling words and will be: muscle, necessary, neighbour, nuisance, occupy, occur, opportunity, parliament, persuade, physical.
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact!
Mr Corkill ?
Goldfinches WB 27.3.23, by Mrs Evans
Date: 23rd Mar 2023 @ 7:46pm
Welcome to Goldfinches’ Weekly Blog
Brilliant participation in Forest Schools.
Friday Superstar: Bella
Top Table: Daisy and Hattie
Coming soon:
Cake Sale: It is Goldfinches’ turn to bake/supply cakes for the cake sale on Wednesday 29th March. Cake will be on sale at the end of the day 30p each or 4 for £1.
Disco: Thursday 30th March
INSET: Friday 31st March
DT: Next week we will make torches in DT. Please send in any clean plastic yoghurt/fruit pots, cardboard tubes/small cardboard boxes into school.
Llandudno presentation: for those who were unable to attend, the presentation is attached to this blog. All children were given a kit list today.
This week we have:
Worked so safely and sensibly in Forest schools with bow saws and hand drills to begin work on ‘Bugstock’ our Bug Hotel.
Prepared a class worship to report on the litter survey we did as part of our Science topic on Human Impact. We will share this with the rest of school on Tuesday.
Next week we will:
Writing: Write our own story based on ‘When the Giant Stirred’ which will be our best piece of writing so far in Year 4!
Spellings: words with the sound s spelt sc
Words to learn: scissors, ascend, descend, science, scientist, scene, muscle, fascinate, crescent, scent
Reading: We will further develop our understanding of the characters and plot in Ariki and the island of wonders.
Reading homework: I am really impressed with how the children are choosing such a wide range of books to read in quiet reading time. One of my favourite times of the day is chatting about which books the children have enjoyed and having a 1:1 read. Please help to support this developing love of books and reading at home by listening to and chatting about your child’s reading books daily and signing their diary.
Maths: We will complete our unit on finding the perimeter of rectangles and rectilinear shapes.
Times tables: We are continuing to work on our times tables every day by using games, online games, worksheets and tests in class. At the moment we are learning the 9x table. Your child will come home with a paper activity on Friday 24th to try at home. Please continue to support your child to learn their tables fluently in order, out of order and know the division facts.
Please ensure your child uses the below Maths Frame game at least a couple of times a week to get used to speed and time limits and prepare them for the online check.
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check
If this link doesn’t work on a tablet, try googling Maths Frame Y4 Multiplication check.
Other fun games to try:
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/7/multiplication-and-division
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/times-tables/coconut-multiples
PE: Mondays and Fridays.
Items from home reminder: there have been some items from home being brought in to school. Please ensure these are kept at home so they don’t end up being lost/taken in school and causing distractions and fall outs. Thank you for your support in this.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us via the office if you would like to discuss anything about your child. admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 01606668270
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Evans, Miss Wilkinson, Mrs Simmonds and Miss Nelson.
Robins week beg. 27th March, by Mrs Whittingham
Date: 23rd Mar 2023 @ 5:12pm
Thank you to everyone who came to our Parents' Meetings this week. It was lovely to share books and celebrate the progress that your wonderful children have made so far this year.
Please remember to read with your child for 10 - 15 mins daily and record in diary if possible. Also take a look at their reading target which is on a sticker in their diary, some children may have the same target for a few weeks to work on.
We will continue to revise some of the spelling rules that we have already covered in Year 3 so far this year. Spellings for next week will focus on words ending in -tion temptation, preparation, information, sensation, adoration, admiration, explanation, exclamation
Please note that the spelling quiz next week will be on Thursday 30th March
Remember to encourage your child to have a go at the spelling and multiplication games suggested below.
https://ictgames.com/littleBirdSpelling/
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.multiplication.com/games/all-games
The children should have a x8 sheet for homework this week. We have also introduced this website below which they can use at home to self check any of their times tables.
https://www.timestables.co.uk/
Tuesday 28th March - Robins Forest Schools Afternoon
- Please wear in old clothes and bring wellies as we will have Maths and English lessons as normal in the morning and will have our Forest Schools session in the afternoon.
Wednesday 29th March - KS2 Cake Sale after school
Thursday 30th March - School Disco
PE days for this half term will remain as Monday and Friday. After Easter we will have an extra PE session on a Tuesday as we will have a coach from Cheshire Cricket Board.
RE - we are exploring different religions and focusing in particular on places of worship. This is part of an oracy project and we will be presenting our findings to Year 4 after the Easter holidays.
HOME- Our new whole school topic
This week in our Home topic we have been exploring different types of homes and learning about MIGRATION.
Please feel free to get in touch if there is anything we can help you with,
Mrs Whittingham, Miss Wilkinson (Friday) & Mrs Taylor
Skylarks WB 27.3.23, by Miss Beattie
Date: 23rd Mar 2023 @ 4:38pm
Hello everyone and welcome back to Skylarks weekly blog! ?
Thank you for your time during Parents Evening this week. It was lovely to see you all and celebrate the successes of the children. They have continued to work super hard this week!
Next week (W.B. 27.03.23)
In our English lessons next week, we will continue to explore our new book ‘Malala’s Magic Pencil’ by Malala Yousafzai. We will be thinking about the type of person Malala is, justifying our opinions with evidence from the text. We will then use this to help us write a character description of the young girl.
In shared reading we will continue to read our text ‘Exploring Space’. We will be focussing on how language and structure contribute to meaning.
In maths we will be moving on to learn how find a fraction of an amount. We will also consolidate our understanding of the four operations through daily 4-a-day activities.
In History and Geography, we will be thinking whether your home can move. We will recap our learning on various civilisations to explore how migration has always existed.
In Science we will conclude our learning on life cycles by completing a scientist study on a well-known botanist.
Our PE day for the Spring Term will be a Wednesday so your child should come to school in their PE kit on this day. Please remember PE kits should either be school kits or plain black/blue.
Homework
In year 5 the children will be set a weekly maths homework that they should complete and mark at home using the answers in the back of the homework book.
If your child is finding the homework tricky, please do let Mr Beswick or myself know so that we can offer them support in school.
The children should complete page 36 of their maths homework book to be returned by Thursday 30th March 2023. This homework is looking at multiplying fractions by an integer.
Please also encourage your child to read for 20 minutes each evening and practice their spellings/times tables. The following websites are both great for times tables practice:
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Our spellings for the quiz on Thursday 30th March will focus on words containing the -ence suffix:
Absence, evidence, independence, intelligence, silence, confidence, competence, magnificence
Please remember that if you have any questions or queries, do not hesitate to get in contact ?
Miss Beattie x
Goldfinches WB 20.3.23, by Mrs Evans
Date: 16th Mar 2023 @ 7:29pm
Welcome to Goldfinches’ Weekly Blog
We have been super litter pickers helping improve our school grounds.
Friday Superstar: Elliot
Top Table: Archie and Callum
This week we have:
…worked so hard in our assessments and developed our speech sandwich writing in When the Giant Stirred.
We loved meeting our special guest in worship Aoife Mannion a professional footballer who plays for Man United and Ireland and who lives locally. She talked about the girls’ football team she coaches and invited the girls to come along and try it out. 6-7pm Fridays at Sir John Deanne’s College. Speak to Mrs Evans for further details.
We have enjoyed the theme of connections in science week and were very confident in presenting our Volcano posters to the children in Robins.
Parents’ evenings: From 1.30pm -6pmTues 21st and 3.30pm-6pm Wed 22nd.
Forest Schools session: Thursday 23rd March. Please send your child to school in OLD, WARM clothes with a warm coat and wellies/old trainers they can change into. Hat and gloves recommended if particularly chilly.
Llandudno parents’ meeting: after school on Thurs 23rd March. Children can go to a crèche while parents attend. If you can’t make it, the power point presentation will be attached to the Class Web page and blog. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you want me to chat with you further.
Next week we will:
Writing: We will practise writing direct speech using the correct punctuation. We will infer the characters’ thoughts and emotions to write a recount and use modified adjectives (sad- saddest, happy – happiest)
Spellings: Spellings with the suffix ious
Words for the test on Friday 24th March: vicious, suspicious, curious, serious, obvious, anxious, tedious, furious, oblivious, devious
Reading: We will infer details and refer to the text to find evidence to back up our answers and identify key vocabulary in our Ariki and the Island of Wonders text.
Reading homework: Reading is getting better and better in Year 4 with the children showing they are becoming more and more independent in their reading and more confident in their shared reading. Keep up the great work everybody!
Maths: We will choose and use appropriate methods of multiplication, learn to present our Science data in a bar chart, measure in m and KM and find the perimeter of a grid.
Times tables: We are continuing to work on our times tables every day by using games, online games, worksheets and tests in class. We are currently working on the 9x as a class in addition to our personal times tables.
Please continue to support your child to learn their tables fluently in order, out of order and know the division facts for the 2, 5, 10, 4, 8, 3, 6 and 9 times tables.
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/477/Multiplication-Tables-Check
Please ensure your child uses this game at least a couple of times a week to get used to speed and time limits and prepare them for the online check.
Other fun games to try:
https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/7/multiplication-and-division
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/times-tables/coconut-multiples
Science: As it is Science week we will enjoy some activities with the theme of Connections.
PE: Mondays and Fridays.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us via the office if you would like to discuss anything about your child. admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 01606668270
Have a lovely weekend,
Mrs Evans, Miss Wilkinson, Miss Nelson and Mrs Simmonds.