Goldfinches: Blog items

Thursday 4th June, by Mrs Evans

Date: 2nd Jun 2020 @ 9:58pm

Morning Team Goldfinch,

How are you today? What Went Well for you yesterday? 

Here is the next part of Little Red Reading Hood https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRD-O1GX4no&feature=youtu.be  I love the way this story has been twisted. 

I found this link to James and the Giant Peach read by different celebrities. https://www.roalddahl.com/taika-and-friends if you feel like relaxing and just listening. 

School Jobs:

Maths: Dividing a 3-digit number by a 1-digit number. Summer Term WEEK 3 LESSON 4   https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/year-4/     Like Tuesday's lesson you might find it easier to split this lesson in half and have a break in between or do it over 2 days.

Reading: Have a go at this reading comprehension about caves as it will help with your research into our Caves Topic https://www.softschools.com/language_arts/reading_comprehension/science/504/all_about_caves/  

For some reason this week I am unable to download the issue of First News. I'll keep trying and attach it when I have solved the glitch! 

Have a super day today - work well, play well and rest well,

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell:

Pause for Thought: Being Grateful Click here to watch the following video: https://youtu.be/dilMMKU762g

Lucky showed his gratitude to Jack by saving his life, and Jack did not abandon his faithful friend. He, too, showed gratitude in return.

Think about and discuss the following questions:

· Who are we grateful to?

· Who has helped us recently?

· Are we people who say ‘thank you’ often?

· Is there someone to whom we should show gratitude today?

Dear God,

Teach us to show our gratitude for what we have

By caring for those around us,

And for the wonderful world in which we live.

Amen.

Tuesday 2nd June, by Mrs Evans

Date: 1st Jun 2020 @ 12:05pm

Guten Tag Goldfinches. Wie Gehts? 

Thank you for Tweeting or sending e-mails of the things you have been up to. I'm missing you all loads and it has been lovely to see what you have been enjoying and discovering over the past few weeks. 

Remember to tweet with @LostockGralamPr   

or email admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk and ask the e-mail to be forwarded to Mrs Evans.

The Evans' peas, beans and pumpkins are growing so well now. They have all developed flowers so that means they are getting ready to grow their seed pods (the tasty parts we can eat!) Sadly, the sunflowers we planted were all eaten by the slugs. How are your plants coming along?

 Peas and beans  pea flower   bean flower

School Jobs: 

Maths: Dividing a 2-digit by 1-digit number. White Rose Maths Summer term WEEK 3 LESSON 3   https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/year-4/  Lola and I did this one yesterday. It is quite long so you may want to split it into 2 parts with a break or do it over a couple of days. It is really good and is a great recap of the work we were doing with Power Maths before we finished. Goldfinches you will be brilliant at this.

Reading: Choose a reading comprehension from your pack or an activity from the pick and mix reading activities. 

Geography: Caves- choose an activity or website to look at from the weekly plan (attached) What can you find out about today? 

Have a wonderful day Goldfinches. Keep smiling and keep safe.

Mrs Evans   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhjZcOQ1r44&feature=youtu.be

Message from Mrs Powell

Pause for Thought: Be Kind Click here to watch the following video: https://youtu.be/Qcyc68d6OAk

We should be kind because we care about other people. However, the video that we just watched suggests that kindness is also good for us. Ask the children to think about why this might be. You might like to start by revisiting the ideas suggested in the video (go to 0.20 minutes and play the following ten seconds).

Can you make a list of something kind that you could do each day of the week?

Dear God,

Please help us to be kind to those around us.

Please help us to think about the needs of other people.

Please help us to seek to live in peace.

Amen.

Wednesday 3rd June, by Mrs Evans

Date: 28th May 2020 @ 3:04pm

Hi lovely Goldfinches, 

I hope you had a good day yesterday.

In my family we have started thinking about and sharing 3 things that went well during our day: 'What Went Well' . My What Went well yesterday was finishing a book i was reading about creating a happy return when we come back to school, finding a lovely surprise letter from Amelie hidden on my bed and making a yummy curry for tea. What are your 3 What Went Well moments going to be today I wonder? 

I've got a story for you today. Click on the link and I will begin reading...    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qa3amFFfn4&feature=youtu.be

School Jobs:

English: Continue with the activities about our Blue John story (attached) 

Spelling: Y3/4 Column 6 words   https://spellingframe.co.uk/spelling-rule/72/34-Word-list-years-3-and-4---sep--to-su-

Times Tables: practise your 2, 4 and 8x tables division facts. (sheets attached if you want to use them. You don't need to print them out) 

If you want to play a different game which tests all of the tables have a go at   https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/544/Stone-Age-Stu-Times-Tables

Mindfulness: listen to this calming music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFZKK7K52uQ and try an activity from the ideas attached. 

Have a great day. I'm thinking of you all lots and am so proud of you all.

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell

Pause for Thought: Be Thankful Click here to watch the following video: https://youtu.be/Hp_g_5Hphd8

We can be thankful for things every day! If you’d like to, have a go at the following:

Can you think of someone whom you would like to thank? Could you send them a message or write a letter to them today? Free printable thank-you cards that are ready to colour in are available at: https://printable-cards.gotfreecards.com/categories/color-your-card/thank-you

Why not make a list of as many things as you can think of that you are thankful for today? You could ask your family to join in. I wonder if you can think of 100 things!

Dear God,

For families and friends…

We are thankful.

For the beauty of nature and the world around us…

We are thankful.

For all the things in life that we too often take for granted…

We are thankful.

Please help us to be willing to show our thanks - not only in what we say, but also in what we do - every single day…

We are thankful.

Amen.

Monday 1st June, by Mrs Evans

Date: 25th May 2020 @ 7:03am

Hello again wonderful Goldfinches,

I have really missed writing to you in the daily Blog this week. I hope you had a well deserved week of chill time and relaxing and perhaps tried out some of the lovely ideas to look after your mental health. We have been on lots of walks and bike rides, we tried out the permenant orienteering course at Marbury Park which was great fun and have spent lots of time in the garden and paddling pool this week. (Here is the link to the orienteering site where you can buy a map for £1) https://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/poc/marbury_park

I thought this little clip was so lovely so I thought I would share it with you:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evfOzPrzIu0

I hope you all got to see our Lostock Lockdown Memories. I loved the pictures you sent in- they made me so proud of our wonderful school. Here is the link if you missed it or are not on twitter:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPp5GuVgkVg&feature=youtu.be

School Jobs: 

English: We are going to start looking at a new book called 'Blue John' by Berlie Doherty. I have attached the lessons for this week to today's blog.Have a go at some of the activities today and then do the rest on another day this week. 

Spellings: Y3/4 words column 6 https://spellingframe.co.uk/spelling-rule/72/34-Word-list-years-3-and-4---sep--to-su-

Times Tables: Practise the 2x, 4x and 8x tables. How do they relate together? What do you notice about all the multiples?  TTRock Stars- remember to go on weekly to practise all the challenges I have set for you. 

Geography: Caves. This project is to find out all about cave and Blue John which links in with our English focus. Have a look at the Summer Term 2 Week 1 Plan for links to websites and ideas for activities. Remember this project can be done in little bits over the next week or 2. 

Book Review: Here is a wonderful book review of 'Yellow Island.' 

Here is a little story about a really inspirational lady called Amelia Earhart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dBcgJUJhF4&feature=youtu.be

Have a wonderful day. Be safe in the sun, have fun and look after each other,

Mrs Evans  

Monday 25th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 17th May 2020 @ 10:29pm

Morning Team Goldfinch and Happy Half Term! 

Today I have a little message from Mrs O'Marah for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L5h9s6AakA&feature=youtu.be

As we enter the start of what should be another half term, and we embark on another, tenth, week of lockdown, we wanted to thank you all for the amazing work you have done to keep your children safe, support their home learning, and communicate with us here at school. You have done an incredible job and we want to make sure that you are looking after your own mental health needs in this time of uncertainty.

As it is half term there is no formal work being set this week and no daily blog after today. It is important that we take some time to do something that will make us smile. That will make our children smile and that will bring us together at such a tricky time. So have a look below at some of our suggestions and choose one thing every day that brings happiness.

· Enjoy a yummy breakfast together; pancakes, boiled egg and soldiers, bacon sandwiches or maybe your favourite cereal.

· Have a carpet picnic, or a garden picnic at tea time

· Make something that shows off what makes you special for the school sharing window and deliver it to school on Monday or Wednesday this week.

· Draw a picture for somebody in one of our local care homes

· Tell us about something you have done in lockdown that you’ve never done before. Have you learnt to ride your bike, or tie your shoelaces? Have you baked bread for the first time? Have you planted some seeds and nurtured them into flowers?

· Talk about your favourite things to do and have a favourites day. Eat your favourite breakfast, listen to or dance to your favourite song, sing your favourite songs together, play your favourite game, watch your favourite movie or tv programme, read your favourite book or comic, wear your favourite outfit, arrange a video chat with your favourite friends or family member.

· Find a new way of hugging! Right now, hugging is a tricky thing because we have to keep our distance. Can you find a new way to send a hug to somebody? Perhaps send a postcard, or create a picture or video of you doing something funny/showing off a new skill.

· Facetime, zoom, whatsapp – keep in touch with those people closest and most important to you.

· Create a calm box, a little like the Christmas Eve boxes that so many of us use, put your favourite snacks, pyjamas, movie inside and settle down together for a soothing evening.

Story:- Have a look at this gorgeous story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PnnFrPaRgY&fbclid=IwAR1R5JmXr7NHJ-krywFwv883lVzoK9Qjk0yRaA7x2w1-sMJao7oUxfmONdM

Mindfulness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNKA2k44aTw this is a lovely meditation which has a garden theme. Sit comfortably, relax and enjoy. 

Reading:  just curl up and readi in your favourite spot at home. Remember there are lots of free books on audible while you are off school.    https://stories.audible.com/discovery

Newspapers: If you want something different to read this week I have attached the new Picture News articles and First Newspaper- Can you find the article about the ancient settlement which has been newly discovered in Scotland? I  also thought the miniature book project was an idea some of you would love to get involved in. Have a look!

PE: Please see attached a lovely sports based connect 4 game. There are 2 different versions for you to choose from. We think these look great fun! 

Art: http://www.robbiddulph.com/draw-with-rob

Remember, we are collecting photos of you doing wonderful things during lockdown so send your photos into school so we can share them as a whole community.

We miss you so much Goldfinches, look after yourselves, be kind to yourselves and have a wonderful week. 

Mrs Evans and Mrs O'Marah 

Friday 22nd May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 17th May 2020 @ 10:27pm

  Hello and Happy Friday to Team Goldfinch.

On Monday, Toby had a Zoom Beavers meeting where he learned to make a cake in a mug. As it is Hot Chocolate Friday... maybe you could ask an adult to help you to make a cake in a mug today!  (Ingredients list attached)

Mrs Brennan has found some delicious looking rainbow kebabs. The salad one reminds me of how much fun we had together making Greek Salads and I would love to try to make the fruit one. If you have a go, pop a picture on Twitter or e-mail a photo for me to share on the blog!

This would be lovely with Pitta bread and humous!

 Which fruits do you recognise? 

 A real sweet treat!

Yesterday our Sports Day challenge was to run on the spot for as long as possible- this ended up being quite a long time as we did it in the paddling pool! We also had to count how many times we could do the Dab in 30 seconds and create an obstacle course. I was amazing at the Dab!!!! 

Who had a go at the Volcano Quiz in Wednesday's Blog? I have attached the answers if you would like to see how much volcanic knowledge you have!

One of our gorgeous Goldfinches was inspired to write her own verse of the 'Magic Box' poem. Here it is, it's brilliant: 

School Jobs:

English: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zmt2mfr  Have a go at these possessive apostrophe activities.

Reading: Curl up in a cosy sopt with a book of your choice. Or have a look at this week's Picture News (attached) 

Mrs Evans 

Thursday 21st May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 10th May 2020 @ 2:18pm

Morning to all of my superstar Goldfinches,

I have another poem for you today. Some of you might recognise it from a lesson a couple of weeks ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2242ZyN64o8&feature=youtu.be

I hope you had a lovely day yesterday. We enjoyed more sports day competitions: Hold the plank for as long as you can. Lola did 1 min 21 seconds, I managed 1 min 33 seconds, Amelie did 2 mins 24 seconds and Toby managed a whopping 3 min 5 seconds!!! I think you have a challenge Goldfinches! 

One of our Goldfinches has recommended Drawing with Rob Biddulph (Who is an author and illustrator)   Our Goldfinch created a Sausage Dog Picture which I think is just brilliant. Today Rob Biddulph is attempting a Guiness World Record with the most people drawing together 4pm - 4.30pm today! I wonder how many of you would like to get involved? http://www.robbiddulph.com/draw-with-rob

 This is the picture  drawn by our talented Goldfinch.

Maths: White Rose Maths Summer Term Week 3 Multiplying 3 digit by 1 digit numbers Lesson 2    https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/year-4/

Reading: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z7rrcqt have a go at this Guided Reading Lesson on The Worst Witch with Rachel Riley. There are some great activities for you to have a go at. Or continue to read your book and choose an activity from the guided reading page in your Home Learning Pack.

Spelling:  Use the idea from the spelling words page to help you practise. If you liked the spelling frame games then here is the link again:  https://spellingframe.co.uk/  spelling-rule/71/33-Word-list-years-3-and-4---pro--to-sen-   

Have a great day- Good luck if you do the plank challenge and have fun with Rob Biddulph! 

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell:

The definition of wise in the Oxford English Dictionary is ‘Having or showing experience, knowledge and good judgement’. When have you been wise? Maybe you have been lost in a shop. This experience should have taught you always to stay near to the grown-up you are with, or should have led to you to learning exactly what to do if you got lost again. Being wise means learning from past experiences and carefully thinking about decisions that we make and things that we do now. What mistakes have you learnt from? I think we learn far more from the mistakes we make rather than the things that we get right!

Dear God,

Please help us to be wise. Help us to realize that there are consequences to everything that we do. Please help us to make good decisions that will work out best for ourselves and for other people.

Amen

Wednesday 20th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 10th May 2020 @ 2:05pm

Guten Morgan Goldfinches, 

 I found this link to a lovely book about worries which is well worth a  read.    https://en.calameo.com/read/000777721945cfe5bb9cc?authid=Xu9pcOzU3TQx

Today I thought I would share the video 'When I grow Up' which didn't make the final cut to the big staff video! (It might have something to do with all the back ground sound effects made by my 6 year old cameraman!!!)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ws5f1yLbXk&feature=youtu.be

Here is an explosive quiz found by one of our very own Goldfinches. How many facts do you know (or can you find out?)

School Jobs: 

English: Use the attached resource to have a go at writing your own setting description using expanded noun phrases. (This is the Bitesize cllip we used on Monday to remind ourselves about Expanded Noun Phrases: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zwwp8mn/articles/z3nfw6f ) 

Times Tables: Play an online game: https://www.timestables.co.uk/12-times-table.html  or use the loop cards from Monday's blog to help you learn your 12 x table. Remember to play TTRockstars each week as the challenges change. I have attached a times table grid for anyone who wants to try and beat their time. 

Mindfulness: This is a lovely guided meditation which helps you to focus on just being calm and still and helps you to focus in on your breathing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk_qU7l-fcU

Have a lovely day, stay safe in the sun with sunhats and suncream- it's going to be hot! 

Bye for now 

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell:

Today I am going to introduce you to a very special person called Theresa. She lived more than 140 years ago. She was born on 2 January 1873 and died on 30 September 1897, at the young age of 24. Her mother died when Theresa was just four years old, leaving her father with five children to look after. One of her sisters, called Mary, took over running the household, while her eldest sister, Pauline, took charge of telling the younger children about God. When she was 14, Theresa decided that she wanted to dedicate her life to God, so she became a nun (someone who goes to live with others who give their lives to God). Theresa was made a saint in 1925. A 'saint' is a person who is a great example to us because he or she lived a special life and/or had special gifts. Although Theresa didn’t have a very long life, she used every minute she had to care for other people. Her best-known saying is, ‘What matters in life is not great deeds, but great love.’ Theresa became known as someone who would show love to others by doing little things. Sometimes she gave flowers, sometimes she prayed, sometimes she showed love and attention to people who struggled with problems. Theresa knew that she wasn’t physically strong enough to carry out great deeds, but she made a big difference to people’s lives by the little things she did for them. Very often, though, it's the little things that have the greatest effect on people’s lives, the little things which show them someone cares.

Time for reflection

Close your eyes and think about a little thing someone has done for you that made you feel special or happy. It may have been a kind word, asking you to play with them or even giving you a special present.

Decide to do something today that will make someone else feel special. Dear God Thank you for people who do things for me that make me feel happy and loved. Please help me to do something today to show someone that I care about them. Amen

Tuesday 19th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 10th May 2020 @ 1:57pm

Good Morning to my happy little team,

I have a story for you this morning which links to our No Outsiders Topic 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8yy1Q6Ls6Y&feature=youtu.be

Yesterday in my house we started our sports day challenges: 100 star jumps, balancing on one leg for 30 seconds and sock basket  which involved throwing a pair of balled up socks into the washing basket. It starts close to you then every time you get a shot in, you move the basket back a little way. Toby was very pleased to achieve 6m (we snuck a little measuring activity in with the game!!) 

Amelie was supposed to be setting off to London yesterday morning for her Y6 Residential. She kept herself busy instead by researching the royal family tree, singing along to the Mary Poppins show her Y6 did before lockdown and helping to cook a yummy lasagne for tea (instead of going to Ask restaurant) 

Here is another wonderful book review from another superstar Goldfinch:

Reading: Choose a reading comprehension activity from your Home Learning Pack.

Maths:  Bitesize lesson Multiplying 2 digit numbers  by 1 digit.    https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zfgm6v4

Spelling: words from second half of Y3/4 words column 5 (attached) Have a look at the games on Spelling frame to help you practise. I've just discovered these and really like the activities.

No Outsiders: Here is the link to take you to the main page. Scroll down to 'No Outsiders Documents and then find Dogs Don't Do Ballet.    https://excelsiormat.org/work-with-us/no-outsiders I have also attached the worksheets as some of you were getting glitches in the main site when trying to download. Here is the link again for the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7BoyAJOYcE

Nature: If you are interested in nature- here is a lovely link to ideas from The Woodland Trust:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2020/03/kids-nature-activities-self-isolation/

Have a super day- What will you have achieved by the end of it? 

Look after the people at home,

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell:

Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

We all have the opportunity to help create positive change. You might not be able to change the entire world, but at least you can change a small part of it, for someone. Break the big challenge down into smaller pieces and then take those one at a time – like one starfish at a time. Remember you can achieve anything!

Monday 18th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 10th May 2020 @ 1:34pm

Hello my wonderful Goldfinches,

Welcome to Summer Term Week 5. Wow! You are all doing such amazing things- whether it is helping at home, doing exercise, being creative, doing school work or learning new skills I am proud of everything you are doing. 

Here is a little 'Happy' clip for you - hopefully it will make you smile! We made this on Lola's birthday back in April for part of a zoom quiz challenge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqCjhs5Ls5k&feature=youtu.be

I think some of you Goldfinches would be able to choreograph a fantatsic 'Happy Dance' 

We had a pretty chilled weekend- all of us were tired so we did a bit of gardening and enjoyed playing board games we haven't had out of the cupboard for a long time! The weather was chilly on Friday so we have moved our garden sportsday to a day later in the week when it is warmer.

Goldfinches our bean plants are starting to grow flowers which means it is getting close to the time they will begin to make beans! 

On Friday I forgot to say that Jack Ousbey is the name of the poet who wrote 'Gran Can You Rap'. 

School jobs:

English: Grab your air guitar and watch this video clip to remind you all about expanded noun phrases. Can you have a go at writing a few of your own after? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhEoRVNJfDs

Maths: This week we will remind ourselves about multiplying 2 and 3 digit numbers.  Have a go at White Rose Learning Y4 - Summer Term Week 3 Multiplying 2 digit by 1 digit numbers Lesson 1    https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/year-4/  (remember you don't have to print out the worksheet that goes with it. Lola just makes notes or says the answers out loud to me if i'm with her at the time.)

Times Tables: 12 x table games. Make up your own or use the loop cards attached. Make the 12 time table number line. Keep going on TTRock Stars, Hit the Button and Coconut multiples. Or why not try challenging someone in your house to the times table memory game. https://www.timestables.co.uk/times-tables-memory.html

No Outsiders: Our topic this week is based on a No Outsiders book that we would have read in class this term. Watch the YOUTUBE clip of the story 'Dogs Don't Do Ballet'.  There are different activities linked to it which you could do over different days this week. Please do NOT do all of them. Just pick one or two that you like the look of. (Link to activities is on the attached weekly plan) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7BoyAJOYcE

Take care my lovely team, be good, listen well and stay safe. 

Mrs Evans  

Oak National Academy have shared an assembly on 'Hope' you might want to watch.

 https://www.thenational.academy/assembly 

Message from Mrs Powell: 

Monday

Sometimes we are faced by big challenges, reading a large book, completing a big piece of writing or even learning to ride a bike can seem a huge task. Problems and difficulties can seem really big but if we break them down to small steps we can make progress and achieve anything we set our mind to do!

Dear God

When we find things difficult, help to keep us going.

Thank you for all the people who help us to take the small steps to overcome our problems. Please help us be there for others.

Amen

Friday 15th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 6th May 2020 @ 10:52pm

Hello wonderful Goldfinches- it is Friday again! 

Here's another little clip for you! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jlq4r9Yte_w&feature=youtu.be

This week was supposed to be my children's sports day. We felt a bit disappointed that we were going to miss it- especially as it would have been Amelie's last one in Y6. We talked about this and shared how cross we were with Coronavirus...... but then we gave ourselves a little shake. We know we can't spend long being cross as it is not good for us, so instead we have decided to get creative and make our own sports day. We're thinking about potato and spoon, sprint, wheelbarrow, sack, obstacle, hopping, skipping and dribble the ball in the cones races. I think it will be fun and will cheer us up. I think you Goldfinches could make up some great races for your own sports days!

English: Try this lesson from Oak National Academy which gives you the chance to continue the story in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' https://www.thenational.academy/year-4/english/story-continue-a-story-year-4-wk2-5

Maths: Try another activity from Arty Maths ideas. or Card game maths (I have attached ideas for maths games you can do with just a pack of cards.) While you are out on your daily walks this weekend, have a go at the new Walking Maths ideas too! 

Reading: If you are interested in space and stars then the attached Picture News resources will appeal to you.... or just curl up with your own book, relax and disappear into another world.

Spelling:  Review the 1^st 100 High frequency words. Test and practice or if this is all done, choose some of the words from the Y3/4 list.

Happy Friday to you all- once again you all deserve a hot chocolate today.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIxUWOYwTn0   We all thought we would enjoy a hot chocolate together today. Take care and stay safe,

Mrs Evans  

Message from Mrs Powell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El7P2W7XrYo

Louis Braille was born in France in 1809 and was three years old when he lost his sight in one eye. By the age of five, he was completely blind. At that time, there was no help available for blind people and many of them would end up begging for food on the streets. Louis’ parents didn’t want that to happen to their son, so they continued to educate him in every way possible. When Louis was 12 years old, he met an army captain who showed him a way of sending messages at night using raised dots and dashes. Louis saw the potential for a communication system for blind people and, by the age of 15, he had found 63 ways to use a six-dot cell in an area the size of a fingertip. In this way, he created Braille, a form of written language for blind people, which they can ‘read’ by feeling the raised dots of the Braille characters with their fingertips.

Let’s try to be people who have the courage to move forward, no matter what happens. At the same time, let’s remember that there are many people who can help us if we need to talk about our worries.

Prayer

Dear God, Whether I’m big or whether I’m small, Sometimes I’ll try to be ever so brave, And think about what God sees in me And aim to be the best that I can be. Amen.

Thursday 14th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 6th May 2020 @ 10:27pm

Morning my little team- how are you today?

What exercise have you been doing so far this week? Do you follow the same routine or do you mix it up and try lots of different things? Either is great and you have to do what works best for you. Remember the importance of exercise in keeping both your body and mind healthy and refreshed.

We finally got the ingredients to do some of the Science experiments Lola found and some of you have been sharing on Twitter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McVpXiSttnU

     It was lots of fun!

My girls have been keeping themselves busy by planning a show for us to watch. We absolutely loved it last night- they had many props and costume changes and got creative with using the TV to help them create background images and music. Their theme was 'Shipwrecked on an island' which reminded me of our guided reading extract from Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo and our book 'When the Giant Stirred'. Remember how lovely it is to disappear into your own story book each day for a little while. 

Reading: see Picture News attached or have a go at one of the comprehension activities from your pack.

Maths: Have a look at White Rose Maths Home Learning Y4     https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/year-4/ 

It is split into different weeks. Week 1 is all about decimals and hundredths which would be very good for you to practice. When my children do these pages at home we don't print out the 'Get the activity page' instead we just talk it through or make jottings and notes in our workbooks.

DT: Continue to find out all about healthy eating using the resources attached to Monday's blog and the links on the weekly plan 5 (which I have re-attached today) https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/z4x76sg          https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/ztr3cdm

Mrs Brennan was in school yesterday and made some little friends while she was gardening so she asked me to share this with you: 

Have a great day- try to get a good balance of learning, playing, being active and relaxing,

Missing you all lots so here is another little message from me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZp__6kicHI&feature=youtu.be   

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nxCpz4FPL8

Squirrels are often seen hanging on birdfeeders, trying to grab as much food as they can. Sometimes they even hang upside down while they feed! Sometimes they fall off, but they soon come back again to try to get more! Often birds can’t get to the birdfeeders because the squirrels are already feeding from them! The poor birds have to wait, even though they are hungry! Sometimes they fly away and perch in the trees, watching the squirrels feed. When the squirrels have finished, then the birds can have their turn to feed, even though the seed and nuts are really put there for them. It could be that the squirrel is trying to keep the food for itself. It could be that the bird is challenging the squirrel for the food. It could be that they are sharing!

There are times in our lives when we all find it difficult to share! Christians believe that God has given us the world and everything in it - it is a gift from God that we are all to share with each other. Christians also believe that it is good to share what we have with others. We can share our possessions, food, money, friends, talents, even our love.

Time for reflection

Let’s think about a time when someone has shared something with us. Let’s take some time to thank God for that person. Let’s also think about ways in which we could share with others during the day ahead.

Wednesday 13th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 6th May 2020 @ 10:25pm

Hello to all of my lovely Goldfinches,

I hope you all liked the Matida video that we made for you for Monday! Today I have made another little video clip for you to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48Sduc1GdrM&feature=youtu.be  (Making and uploading Youtube videos is a skill I never thought I would ever acomplish so i'm feeling a little proud of myself!)

After a couple of weeks of doing different exercise we are doing PE with Joe Wicks again. We did the Monday 11th session which was fun (but hard) because he did it with spin the wheel to decide the exercises and yesterday's roll the dice workout! - they have given us more ideas for our own garden circuit workout for the next warm, sunny day.

Yesterday my 3 used the food diary sheet from Monday's blog to record all of the things they ate. We are going to have a look at them today and see if we can make one or two healthier choices (although we will still make sure there is room for a little treat!) 

We noticed this weekend that the potatoes Toby planted about 8 weeks ago are peeping through the soil now. How are your sunflowers and beans growing? 

School Jobs:

English: Today this is a great lesson for reminding you all about Fronted adverbials from 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'  https://www.thenational.academy/year-4/english/story-spag-focus-fronted-adverbials-year-4-wk2-4

Mindfulness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk_qU7l-fcU This is a lovely guided session. Sit comfortably, press play and just listen and relax. 

Times Tables: TTRockstars. I have updated the focus tables so you will find that in some weeks you are asked to practise tables we have already learned and in other weeks you will practice the newer times tables. I can imagine you are becoming absolutely brilliant at them. If you like the times table grids I have attached one for you.

Spellings: Keep going with your review of the 100 High Frequency Words. If you have checked these and they're all fine, just have a review of some of the words we have already covered in the first few columns of the Y3/4 Statutory words. Practise those really tricky ones!

Have a wonderful day and remember it is still really important to continue with Social Distancing. Stay Safe and be Happy, 

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell with a link to her Youtube worship.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUfvYnMRuDI

In 1984, Chris Baines actually sent out an invitation to his friends asking them to meet him at 4 am. His birthday plan was to have all his guests listen to the dawn chorus together. The dawn chorus is the singing of many birds before dawn each day.

This all happens about an hour before sunrise. At this time of day, it is too dark for the birds to search for food, but also too dark for them to be spotted by predators. There is less background noise, too, so the air is still and sound carries for a greater distance. There is a sequence to the dawn chorus. Robins, blackbirds and thrushes start first, which may be because they have biggish eyes to see in the dark and because they like to look for worms. After a while, all the other birds join in.

Have you noticed the birds singing? I think it is lovely to think that we are all listening to the birds and enjoying their bird song even though we are apart.

Tuesday 12th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 6th May 2020 @ 8:41am

Good Morning Goldfinches- Wie Gehts? 

Yesterday I had a go at baking my first ever Lemon Drizzle Cake. It was lovely despite the fact I had the oven on too high without checking and singed all the edges a little! With baking- I'm learning!

My little gang did a little bit about healthy eating using one of the power points on yesterday's blog. We then used the food cards to plan our tea on the balanced plate sheet. Later they helped prepare it. We made baked potatoes and each helped prepare a healthy filling: grated cheese from Toby,sliced cucmber and tomato from Lola and a grated carrot and sweetcorn from Amelie. It was lovely. 

Did anyone complete my home made emoji quiz from a couple of weeks ago? 

Here are the answers .. How many did you get right?

1) Rainbow   2) Ghost Busters   3) Frozen   4) Fireman Sam    5) Sherlock Holmes   6) Planet Earth 

 7) The Snowman   8) Batman   9) Happy Feet   10) Ants

Reading: Attached is the next Edition of First News for you to read. 

Maths: Do the ISEEMATHS lesson on Shapes and Stories from Wednesday 1st April 

http://www.iseemaths.com/lessons34/  

DT Topic: Continue to learn about Healthy eating and the eatwell plate. Can you use the food cards to help you plan ,prepare and cook snacks or meals  today? https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zrffr82/articles/zppvv4j   (remember lots more links and resources are on yesterday's Blog) 

Art: If you liked the Frottage lesson, try this one from Oak National Academy on textures.. 

https://www.thenational.academy/year-5/foundation/how-can-we-use-visual-texture-to-add-interest-to-our-artwork-year-5-wk2-5

Look after yourselves, stay safe and be ready and respectful at home today

Mrs Evans 

Worship with Mrs Powell  Click this link to take you to Mrs Powell's Youtube video.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scxc9RKJ2vM

This story of Steven Bradbury highlights the benefits of sticking with it in the long run. You never know what might happen.

Steven Bradbury was an Australian speed skater. He had been to 3 Olympic games already - he hadn't won a medal. Over the past 12 years of training and racing he had suffered some horrific injuries, during which he nearly died. He was financially struggling and had to borrow money from his parents in order to survive.

In the 2002 games he was the oldest competitor in the event. People didn't think he stood a chance, including himself. He had managed to scrape through the heats but had what he describes as the best race on the way when he finished second in the semi-final. He realised he didn't have the raw speed of the younger racers so he employed a tactic of just hanging in there. This worked and got him to the Olympic final.

What can we learn from this? - Stick with it, who knows what might happen. - You can get a huge sense of satisfaction and a big boost from trying your best. - Just how much we can endure and overcome if we want to.

Bradbury trained for 12 years for the Olympics We can all benefit from his approach and learn his lessons if we get in there and have a go ourselves. Go on, go for it!

Monday 11th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 6th May 2020 @ 8:30am

Welcome to Summer Term Week 4.

How are you my lovely Goldfinches and how was your long weekend? I hope you enjoyed VE Day on Friday. We enjoyed decorating the front of our house then had a lovely picnic on our front driveway, which is something we have never done before! 

Here is a little something for you all from the adults at school: (click on the link below) 

Lostock Gralam C of E - When I grow Up

Thank you to any of you who have sent your art work or letters to the Sharing Window in school- it is looking wonderful and I am sure it makes everybody smile as they go past on their daily walk. 

I have attached the video game and book review pages to the Goldfinch class page in case anyone wants to do one in the next few days. 

One of our wonderful Goldfinches has been using an APP called Noteflight which is a great online resource, and fun to write music on. He tried making variations to Twinkle Twinkle on it and found it lots of fun so I thought I would share it with you all.

School Jobs: 

English:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zwwp8mn/articles/zp937p3 Remind yourselves about fronted adverbials with this BBC Bitesize clip. Have a go at the activities too.

Times Tables: Write the multiples of the 7 times table on cards/post-its. Play the 'Let's turn the easy facts over' game like we do in school. Which ones will you turn over first? Why? 

Spellings: This week I would like you to review your spellings of the first 100 High Frequency words (attached)  Ask an adult to test you. You can either say the spellings aloud or write them down. (Don't try and do them all at once, there are 100!) This is something we do every now and again in school to check in with how confident you are. If you like, you could  tick or highlight the ones you get right or, if you aren't printing them out, just write down any words you spelled wrong (maybe on a book mark) so you can practise them. 

DT Topic: Food and Healthy Eating 

Use the websites on the weekly plan and the attachments on today's blog to help you learn about healthy eating this week. You could....

-Find out about the different food groups, learn their names and what they help your body to do. 

-Keep a food diary.

-Arrange with an adult in your house to help plan and cook some meals over the next few days. What ingredients will you need? Will you follow a recipe? Is your meal a balanced meal? 

-Use the Healthy Plate and other resources attached to help you design your menu.

SAFETY: Please do not use the oven/microwave/kettle/toaster or any other elecrical cooking devices without adult supervision.

Have fun today my lovely team

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell:

Flowers

Have you planted your sunflower seed? All flowers are different and amazing, so, too, people are all different, but all wonderfully made. Just as flowers can brighten our day when we see them, so, too, each of us can brighten other people’s days by our care and our attitudes. We thank you, God, for the beauty of flowers. Giving flowers shows that we care. Flowers can brighten our day and fill our hearts with gladness. Please help us to be like flowers to other people, Brightening their day and bringing joy to those around us. Amen. Why don’t you give flower-pressing a go! Instructions are available at: https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/home-garden/craft-hobbies/crafting/how-to-press-flowers

Friday 8th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 1st May 2020 @ 8:24am

Hello Goldfinches,

Yesterday we found out some more about VE Day and listened to the clip Mrs Powell added to our blog. We  enjoyed a bit of time in the sun decorating pebbles.    We did some in a rainbow theme for the NHS and some in a VE theme. We are going to put them along by the newly weeded and painted fence today!

School jobs will continue on Monday but for now there are lots of ideas in yesterday's blog to keep you busy and help you prepare for VE day today. 

Have a great day...don't forget to post pictures on Twitter or e-mail them to school admin.

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell: 

We remember the happy feeling that everyone had the day that the war was declared as being over but also the sadness that people had been through such difficult times.

Dear God, Thank you for all those who fought to bring peace during the Second World War. Thank you that peace eventually came. Please be with all those who are living in areas of the world that are affected by wars today. Please help us to do our bit in creating peace wherever we are. Amen.

Today we would love to see what you are doing at 3 pm today. The teachers will be putting pictures on twitter, please put them on twitter or email us, so we can all celebrate together.

“I think we dream so we don't have to be apart for so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time.”

Thursday 7th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 30th Apr 2020 @ 5:18pm

Good Morning my lovely Goldfinches,

I wonder what wonderful things you managed to achieve yesterday? 

Well, I finally managed to try baking my first ever Carrot Cake. I was quite pleased with it even though  Lola's words were, "Mmmm it's not the best Mum!" However, she did eat her whole slice! We also baked some ginger and oat cookies (Half of them ended up without oats because we forgot to add them and had already spooned half the mixture out!! ) I learned a lot yesterday! 

Whole school VE DAY ACTIVITIES

As tomorrow is our special VE Bank Holiday, we would like the children to try out some fun VE activities today. Choose a few which take your fancy and have fun learning about why we will be celebrating VE Day tomorrow.

Some of the activities you can try:

· Learn the Lindy Hop Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?  time_continue=10&v=1TmPHBgn1Es&feature=emb_title

· Watch BBC Newsround to learn about VE Day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/48201749

· Listen to the Horrible Histories VE song: https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/watch/horrible-histories-songs-ve-day-song

· Send love to our NHS heroes: Nurses and others - employed by the NHS and any other part of health and care - we have never needed them more. So let’s show them some love, and create a living map of gratitude from every corner of Britain. By dropping a heart on this map, you’re saying you appreciate the efforts undertaken daily in the NHS.

· Do your hair in a victory roll: This rolled and pinned hairstyle was popular during the war and became associated with the victory manoeuvre of fighter aircraft during the Battle of Britain in 1940. Watch the tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=JiNuMHD_vcM&feature=emb_title

· Visit an online museum: The Imperial War Museum is inviting people to 'visit' from home by listening to a soundscape it has created to commemorate VE Day. ‘Voices of War’ is a four minute work featuring first-hand accounts of VE Day selected from IWM’s vast sound archive. It will be available to listen to at iwm.org.uk/history/victory.

· Cook a 1945-style meal by following these recipes: Most food was rationed during the war and often cooks had to get inventive with their recipes. Meat shortages meant things like Spam or corned beef hash became staple dishes, while carrots were used to sweeten cakes and biscuits in place of sugar. Other commonly-eaten dishes included the potato, cheese and onion-filled homity pie, supposedly first made by the Land Girls. And where would any British occasion be without scones?

· Join in a national sing-along with Dame Vera Lynn: The 103-year-old singer will perform from a window at her Sussex home just after 9pm, following the Queen's special address to the nation, and viewers are encouraged to join her.

· Make your own VE Day Anniversary Colour-in Bunting: Celebrate 75 years of VE Day by decorating your home or classroom with this DIY downloadable colour-in pictorial bunting. https://www.bakerross.co.uk/craft-ideas/teachers/ve-day-anniversary-colour-in-bunting/

· Complete this VE Day Quiz:

1. Which came first – VE or VJ Day?

2. Which Prime Minister led Britain through WW2?

3. Who were Britain’s allies during WW2?

4. Where did crowds mainly gather to celebrate the end of the war?

5. What happened to Adolf Hitler following the end of the war?

· Choose from some of the attached sheets from Twinkl:

Including make your own Spitfire plane, Morse code-cracking, fact files, themed colouring pages, reading activities etc.

· Look at the English Heritage for some fun activities: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/siteassets/home/visit/ve-day-75/eh-ve-day-at-home-pack.pdf

VE DAY - Tomorrow

On VE day itself join in with the celebrations:

· At 11am, a national two-minute silence will be held to reflect on the sacrifice of those who fought in the war.

· At 3pm, Britons are being invited to take to their doorsteps to raise a glass, cheer and clap during The Nation's Toast to the Heroes of World War Two. The official VE Day website reads that there'll be a chant of the phrase: "To those who gave so much, we thank you."

· A pre-recorded speech by the Queen will be broadcast at 9pm, the very moment her father, King George VI, addressed the people over radio on May 8 1945. It will form part of televised musical event VE Day 75: The People's Celebration on BBC One from 8pm.

Have a wonderful day 

Mrs Evans and the Lostock Team 
 

Message from Mrs Powell: 

Just over 80 years ago, the Second World War began. It was a huge war that involved most nations of the world. On 8 May 1945 at 3pm, Winston Churchill, the UK prime minister at that time, announced to the nation that the war in Europe was over. This meant an end to nearly six years of war that had cost the lives of millions of people and had destroyed families, homes and cities. Millions rejoiced at the news that Germany had surrendered, relieved that the intense strain of war was finally over. In towns and cities across the world, people marked the victory with street parties, dancing and singing. Can you imagine how it felt? What could you make today for a street party? My Gran Peggy told us that she danced all through the night as she had really missed dancing!

Wednesday 6th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 30th Apr 2020 @ 3:52pm

Hello Team Goldfinch.

Hope you had a great day yesterday.

Lola found these Science experiments by Mr. Duck and was fascinated by them so I thought I would share them with you. (I think one or two of you have already had a go!)  Beware- they need a lot of kitchen stuff so please ask and check before you raid the kitchen cupboards to try them out!! I now have sunflower oil and food colouring on my shopping list for the next time I'm at the supermarket!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McVpXiSttnU 

Here is another Book Review with a gorgeous illustration from one of our Goldfinches:   I wonder how many of you will be persuaded to give this one a go... Amelie is enjoying this book at the moment too. We arranged to book swap with one of her friends. Safely and with social distancing, they left a bag of books on each other's doorsteps to borrow while we are in Lockdown. 

If you want to relax and listen to a story being read aloud try ths website: https://www.storylineonline.net/  Which one will you choose I wonder? 

Some of you might know that I like to go running so I have been doing a lot of it while my 3 bike alongside me. But yesterday Toby ran 5km with me (and he is fast!) What new ways of keeping fit have you discovered? 

School Jobs: 

Spellings: Practise this week's words e.g. in a spelling doodle, using chalk outside, using Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check then get someone to test you, or you test them! Make sure you know the meaning of the words. Use a dictionary or Google dictionary to look up the meanings.

Maths: Do the lesson from Tuesday 31st March (Shape Patterns 2)   http://www.iseemaths.com/lessons34/  I wonder if you can make your own up? If you do, send me a picture via admin e-mail and I can attach it to our blog for your friends to solve! (Make sure you test it out first!!)

Relaxation: My Happy Mind  or Cosmic Yoga https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga 

Mrs Evans 

Tuesday 5th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 30th Apr 2020 @ 3:40pm

Guten Morgen Goldfinches. Wie Gehts? 

I hope you had a lovely day yesterday.

In the Evans' house, we used the links on yesterday's blog to learn about the significance of VE day and started making some bunting. I have  attached some printable templates if you want to use them. 

My little team were also fantastic helpers at digging all the weeds that were growing out under our front garden fence and then helping me paint it! 

Another fantastic game review arrived in my inbox yesterday:

 Keep them coming! 

School jobs: 

English: This Oak National Academy lesson is based on the book and film 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them' which my family watched last week! Lola and I tried this lesson yesterday and thought it was good.

https://www.thenational.academy/year-4/english/story-reading-comprehension-word-meaning-year-4-wk2-1

Times Tables: 7x table this week.  I have attached some ideas.

Reading: I have attached the latest Picture News resouces which would be great to help you with your VE day topic work this week. 

Maths: Have a go at one of the time sheets from your Home School Pack and play these games to help you and see how much you know.

 https://www.topmarks.co.uk/time/teaching-clock

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?f=matchingpairstimev3

www.gamestolearnenglish.com/telling-the-time/  

https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/116/telling-the-time

Art: We had a very tired day last Thursday so had a go at some rainbow art. I made a 3D hand inside a heart

1.       2.          3.  

To make the 3D effect you just freehand draw lines upto your shape (my hand) then inside the shape draw the line with a curve (like a bridge) then go straight again when you reach the end of the shape. Colour in rainbow colours then outline with thin black pen. 

   Amelie made a heart with a flower inside   Lola combined our ideas for her flower in a hand. I wonder if any of you could use this idea to help you design a decoration for VE Day on Friday. You could use Red, White and Blue colours.

Have a go and Tweet/ e-mail admin or drop your ideas off in the sharing window box in the school entrance. I can't wait to see them!   

admin@lostockgralam.cheshire.sch.uk 

 If you tweet, make sure you add  @LostockGralamPr 

Look after each other my lovely Goldfinches. Missing you lots, 

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell:

Please watch this clip and think about what we talked about yesterday https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHBhSmgwbuA&feature=youtu.be 

I love this story. Do you think Mr George likes cabbage now? Can you imagine how he felt? Victory in Europe (VE) Day marked the end of the Second World War in Europe in 1945. Friday 8th May 2015 was the official 70th anniversary of VE Day. VE Day is another day that many people will never forget as it marked the end of a terrible war in Europe, though there was still fighting in Japan until later that year. Mr George’s memorable day was one of great danger followed by relief at still being alive. This is one type of memorable day although hopefully no one present will experience such a day! My Gran Peggy used to tell me when she had her very first orange as you couldn’t get them during the war; she used to make lots of marmalade as oranges became her favourite fruit! Mr George’s story reminds us that we all have special days that will stay with us forever. We don’t know when they will come or what they will be.

Monday 4th May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 27th Apr 2020 @ 12:28pm

Welcome to Summer Term Week 3. I hope you had a lovely weekend. 

I was very impressed to hear about how many of you are learning to cook and bake at home. We were inspired to make our own pizzas on Friday for tea. Yum Yum Yum! I wonder if you could help with the cooking or baking this week or even make someone in your house a lovely Greek salad like we made in class. 

Review: Last week some of you loved the game and book review task. I have received the first one via e-mail so here it is....  Well done! Beautifully presented too! 

School Jobs:

Maths: ISeeMaths - This week has been our favourite so far because it is all about shape puzzles. I think lots of you will really like it. It is the Y3/4 lesson for Monday 30th March. http://www.iseemaths.com/lessons34/

Lola and Amelie just made their own little jottings to go with the lesson. No printing needed.

Reading and History: VE Day.This Friday (8th May) is VE Day. Lots of people are celebrating by making bunting and flags, choosing food for a special picnic or meal, making posters. Have a look at the links to find out more about VE day and for ideas of some activities you might like to do.

https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/remembrance/remembrance-events/ve-day-75 

https://www.veday75.org/

Art: Have a look at this Frottage lesson from the Oak National Academy which is all about textures. Amelie and Lola really enjoyed it last week and I have seen a few posts on Twitter from different children in school.

https://www.thenational.academy/year-6/foundation/texture-treasure-hunt-year-6-wk1-5

This is what ours looked like at the end:

Spellings: This week's spellings are attached with an idea for an interesting way to practice them. (Great for handwriting practice too!) 

Remember there is another Home School work pack available for Y4. If you would like one printing, please just e-mail or phone school to arrange for this to be done then you can pick it up in the entrance. 

Stay safe, Stay home and be respectful today.

Missing you lots, 

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell:

Good morning! This week we are going to think about V.E day. I’m going to tell you little stories that my Granny Peggy told me; she lived in London during the war and my Grandad was an RAF pilot. First of all, I want you to think about a day you will always remember, happy or sad. A birthday, a family event, something you shared with friends. Is there a special food that reminds you of that day? My niece Edith is now 3 and I was lucky enough to visit her in hospital when she was a few hours old. I remember that gorgeous feeling, how hot the hospital was and helping my sister eat the chocolate I had brought for her! What special memory do you have? What reminds you of that? Some memorable days are happy and some are sad. Each of us will have our own experiences and our own reactions to them. There are as many different sorts of memorable days as there are different sorts of people.

Friday 1st May, by Mrs Evans

Date: 24th Apr 2020 @ 12:11pm

Good Morning Goldfinches,

I can't believe we are at the end of another Home School Week. Well done for all your kindness and helpfulness around your house and well done for the school jobs and creative ideas you have achieved. You are all superstars.

This week my girls have really got in to watching Malory Towers on CBBC. See what you think! 

For Lola's birthday quiz last week I had a go at making my own emoji 'Old and New  Children'sTV programme and Movie round'... Can you work out the titles?? Can you have a go at making your own emoji quiz? Maybe for books/movies!

 If you want to make your own for us all to share and solve, send a screen shot of it by e-mail to the school office. They will send it to me and I will add it to our daily blog! 

Sharing window: We are going to make a the large windows down the corridor in school our 'Sharing window'. If you would like to share anything you have been drawing and doing in the window, please drop it off to our sharing box in the school entrance the next time you are out on your daily walk. (Or e-mail it to the school office if you don't live near school and want to share something) There is a lovely letter in there already from one of our gorgeous Goldfinches! 

School Jobs:

History/English: Continue to work on your Historical Medical Hero task. I have re-attached the weekly plan so you have the links to all of the websites. 

Times Tables: Have a go at some of the ideas from the attached sheet. Remember you do not need to print it out, just choose an activity you like. Or find a game to play on your Tablet/Laptop.

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/7-11-years/times-tables

Reading: Read articles from Picture News or First News (attached) and tell someone in your home all about what you have learned. Or tell someone who doesn't live in your house over the phone, using whatsapp or face time. 

Have a lovely weekend. I wonder whether any of you will manage to sleep in a den this weekend? 

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell:

“Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.”

Roald Dahl

You are amazing and you are doing something very special; by not leaving the house you are keeping safe. We have talked about making one small change that can change the world and actually that is what you are doing right now. I’ve said this a lot but future children will be reading about how you made the world a safer place by staying inside. Remember what you are doing is amazing and we are so proud of you.

If you can, have a hot chocolate today. If not, have a cup of anything you like to drink and remember how very special we think you are!

“I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.” Winnie the Pooh

Thursday 30th April, by Mrs Evans

Date: 24th Apr 2020 @ 12:11pm

Good Morning Team Goldfinch,

How are you all this morning? 

I have had the most lovely last 2 days catching up with you all over the phone. It has made me so unbelievably proud to hear all of the wonderful things you have been doing at home. The list is endless.... I thought i'd share a few. Maybe you could magpie some of the ideas and add them to your keeping busy mind map! or... I wonder if you could guess who has done which activity!

Mending old tree houses, caring for new kittens, learning about electrics, helping around the house, running 3km a day, finding out about turtles, baking scones, becoming the newest champion skateboarder, making a bug hotel, camping out in the garden all week, learning to tell the time, painting fences,  planning your own visit to Llandudno (when this is all over), sewing a Florence Nightingale outfit, creating Lego masterpieces, putting on shows for parents, face timing each other, creating a basket ball challenge, learning about food hygiene and keeping foods fresh, reading the Beast of Buckingham, learning to speak Italian, creating maps of America, finding out about Marie Curie, doing a river collage, boxing in the garden, watching A Midsummer Night's Dream, growing beans, creating beautiful natural artwork, baking, reading Harry Potter and, possibly my favourite, giving the best cuddles...    

Wow! Goldfinches you really are the Dream Team! 

One of the things my children are enjoying each day is quiet reading time. Sometimes they tell me they don't want to do reading time, however, with a bit of nagging they soon get into it and then I can't get them to stop when time is up!  We find a nice place to curl up and are trying to choose different places to read. So far we have tried out bed, cushions on the floor, trampoline, sun-lounger, sofa, in a den, picnic mat outside.  We just do it for about 15-20 mins (like our lovely reading time after lunch in class) They sometimes read their books on their own, sometimes read to me, sometimes I read to them and sometimes listen to a free story on Audible. It is wonderful to be able to disappear into a different world.

School Jobs:

English:  Have a go at the third lesson from the Oak National Academy    https://www.thenational.academy/year-4/english/features-of-poetry-year-4-wk1-3/

Spelling: Can you use your spellings to make your own wordsearch for somebody else to solve? Either use squared paper or use the link below to do it on the computer. Toby made some using squared paper then posted one to his friend while we were out on a daily walk.    https://thewordsearch.com/maker

Maths: Can you get Arty with Maths? Try an activity from the Arty Maths Ideas (attached) 

Have a lovely creative day Goldfinches. What can you achieve by the end of today? 

Look after yourself and your family members,

Mrs Evans 

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you like, as long as somebody loves you.”

Roald Dahl

We always say that everyone is special and that we are all unique. During the past few months, you have been surrounded by love and we have all been reminded just how special those people around us are. Who are you going to tell how special they are today?

Wednesday 29th April, by Mrs Evans

Date: 24th Apr 2020 @ 12:11pm

Guten Tag Goldfinches, Wie Gehts? (How are you?) How was Dienstag? (Tuesday) 

It was my turn to be in school yesterday so the Evans gang had to organise their own home school learning... they did pretty well and I was really proud of them when I got home and heard all about their day.

I am also so proud of each and every one of my lovely Goldfinch team. Think about what you have done recently to make yourself and others proud of you? Who are you proud of and why? 

School Jobs:

History/English: Start writing about your chosen Historical Medical Hero

My Happy Mind:  https://myhappymind.kartra.com/page/ParentKitBundle

Have a go at the My Happy Mind activities. If you are not linked in yet, try your happy breathing or put some relaxing music on like we do for peer massage. Cosmic Yoga can also be relaxing and fun.

Maths: ISEEMATHS home learning lesson for Y3/4. Continue with the next lesson (Friday 27^th  March) http://www.iseemaths.com/lessons34/     

or... have a look at The lessons for Y4 on the White Rose Maths site. Again, it would be best to start at the beginning of the tab marked Week 1 and run through the lessons in order. I have been using the Y2 version with Toby and we both really like it. We don't print out the activities, instead we just make notes or drawings in his work book, or use Lego people as counters!

https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/year-4/

Home Learning Pack: If anyone would like a new Home learning pack with new activities in I have put one together. It will be available to collect from school from tomorrow morning. If you want to collect it, we are open most weekdays except Fridays at the moment, but it would probably be worth checking that morning with a quick phone call/e-mail first.  This is completely optional and available as and when you need it. 

Have a great day- be productive and Goldfinches, please be good listeners.

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell: 

“No book ever ends when it’s full of your friends.”

Roald Dahl

Do books ever end if you have really loved them? Are there books you just love and don’t want to ever end? We remember stories forever; I still remember reading The Enchanted Wood when I was little, and when I read it to my daughter Emily it felt like I was visiting friends again. What book will you read when you are older? Maybe you are being read a book that someone loved when they were little.

Tuesday 28th April, by Mrs Evans

Date: 24th Apr 2020 @ 9:03am

Good Morning Goldfinches,

I hope you had a lovely day yesterday. Did you do some school jobs? Have some creative time? What exercise did you do? Yesterday we caught up with Joe Wicks Dressed up as Superman from Friday and we laughed at how incredibly cute his little girl India is. It was a great workout too! 

Did you see the Evans' 'Happy' dance on Twitter? I challenge you and your families to have a go and tweet your dance!  

I have had a look at another activity in my 'Create your own Happy' book. Have a look.... and have a go. It is a bit like the petal activitiy we did in class where your friends wrote something nice about you on a different petal and you were in the middle. You could use e-mail/zoom/facetime/phone to ask your family and friends for their ideas.

School Jobs: 

English: Have a go at the second lesson from Oak National Academy and see how you get on.  https://www.thenational.academy/year-4/english/poetry-reading-comprehension-language-year-4-wk1-2/

Spelling:Practise this week’s spellings- could you write out each word in rainbow colours? (Spellings attached) 

Book/Game Review: This was an idea I saw in the Picture news which might appeal to some of you. Write a book or game review of a book or game you have recently read or played? I have attached a useful page for each. (Remember you don't have to print these- just use them as a guide of how to set out your review in your work book) 

Take care my little Goldfinches. Be good and be helpful today.

From Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell: 

“If you’re going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.”

Roald Dahl   

What could you read today? I’ve realised that I’m always talking about reading but that is because books are brilliant and you can learn so much without realising it. You learn lots of new words, visit new places, learn new skills or just get lost in a wonderful story.

Monday 27th April, by Mrs Evans

Date: 24th Apr 2020 @ 8:59am

Good Morning Goldfinches and welcome to Summer Term Week 2.

Our Garden Camping Weekend went well and we have all pretended to be away on holiday this weekend but it did make me think a lot about our Llandudno adventure and made me feel a bit sad too... however, like my Gran says, 'You have to play the Glad Game,' and think about all the things that you can be grateful for. I'm grateful for my family and friends and for all the wonderful people all over the world who are working so hard to keep us all safe.

This week or this weekend, I wonder if any of you could make a den somewhere in the house or a tent in the garden and pretend to be sleeping away from home? 

It might be a little chilly outside this week and although we are still going to get outside in the garden daily, we might have a go at some more of the lego or drawing challenges (I have re-attached them for you )

Oak National Academy: I said on Friday that Lola and I would trial a lesson from Y4 and I sent you a link to the SPAG lesson from Thursday of Week 1. I quickly realised that the lessons are part of a sequence and needed to go in order (like ISEEMATHS) Sorry- we are learning about all of these new ways of learning just like you. We skipped back to the Monday lesson and had a go from there. We quite liked it and enjoyed the poem 'The Magic Box'  I have added a link to BBC Bitesize with the actual Author Kit Wright reading the Magic Box aloud:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zkpmhyc 

School Jobs: The weekly plan/timetable is attached.

English: https://www.thenational.academy/year-4/english/poetry-reading-comprehension-word-meaning-year-4-wk1-1/   This is the correct link to the first lesson about the Magic Box by Kit Wright.  

History: Research a famous scientist who was important to medicine. Our NHS and Care workers are our medical heroes of today. Choose one of these medical heroes from the past to find out about: Florence Nightingale, Mary Secole, Louis Pasteur, Edward Jenner, Marie Curie, Alexander Flemming. I have added a number of websites and ideas for how to present them on the weekly plan. 

Reading: Use the websites for History ( attached to the weekly plan)  to read all about your chosen Historical Medical Hero. 

For other ideas of things to do....I have attached the Picture News for this week and also a Learning from Home ideas from Picture news. 

Parents and Carers, I had a few days of feeling absolutely swamped with the quantity and wealth of free online activities and suggestions of things to do and also work attached for my 3 children from their school so i thought I would repeat my message to you.... As always, please, please remember that your child's happiness and well being are our first priority. The activities on the blog each day and in the weekly timetable are a guide. Do what is right for you and your child at the right time. There are no deadlines and I am trying to plan a range of differnt activities through the weekly projects. Some of these will interest your child more than others and they don't all have to be done, or done within a week. In my house we are hopping about between different interests and activities depending on the day and the mood of my 3! You are doing a great job at a very strange time. Be proud and just focus on 1 day at a time.

I look forward to blogging tomorrow and to seeing more of your lovely work on Twitter/by e-mail

Mrs Evans 

Message from Mrs Powell: 

“The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.” Matilda.

When you listen to a brilliant story or read a great book, do you think about the characters and imagine you are doing those exciting things? What would it like to be Harry Potter, to go through the Gruffalo wood or visit Narnia?