Week Beginning 31/03/2025

What a whirlwind of a week to end the term! We've had an action-packed few days with three fantastic performances and a trip to the theatre. On Monday and Tuesday, the children truly shone as they performed The Emerald Crown. They displayed so much confidence and enthusiasm, and I couldn't be prouder of their efforts.  Thank you for supplying their costumes, helping them learn their lines and coming to watch them perform.

In between all the excitement, we’ve been hard at work with fractions in maths. Using counters and bar models, the children have tackled fractions of amounts, even those that involve exchanges! 

In English, we've been busy crafting non-fiction texts, honing our writing skills, and diving deep into the structure of informative writing. Meanwhile, in PE, the children learnt the fast-paced rules of rapid-fire cricket — a fun way to practice teamwork and agility.

Science has been particularly thrilling this week. The children were full of curiosity, asking fascinating questions about light, the Earth, rainbows, and how we see things. Their inquisitive nature was so strong that we had to extend our science lesson into the next day in order to complete the lesson.

To cap off the week, we enjoyed a fantastic trip to Chelmsford Theatre to watch Horrible Histories: The Awful Egyptians. It was a fun and engaging way to wrap up the term, and it sparked even more curiosity and excitement for next term.

Finally, just a reminder that after Easter we are pleased to have Mrs Fox joining the Hawk Owl team, who will be teaching the class on a Thursday and Friday.

Have an enjoyable and restful Easter.

 

 

Week Beginning 24/03/2025

This week, the children have been tackling the challenge of converting mixed numbers to improper fractions and vice versa. They found the use of visuals especially helpful in grasping these concepts, and were able to build on their fraction knowledge from previous weeks to support their understanding.

In English, we’ve been working on writing fables set in the rainforest. The children have enjoyed using their creativity to develop characters, deciding who should play the trickster and who would take on the role of the foolish character. We then focused on editing, with an emphasis on using subordinate conjunctions to join sentences and make their writing flow more naturally.

With only a few days left, the children are putting the finishing touches on their preparations for the much-anticipated Emerald Crown performance. Their excitement is building, and final rehearsals are in full swing!

In Art, we used Henri Rousseau’s painting Surprised as inspiration for our rainforest-themed artwork. The challenge was to create a leafy image without using any green paint, relying solely on mixing colours directly on the paper. Although the idea of not drawing the leaves first was initially a challenge, the children quickly embraced the task and were eager to continue as they saw their creations come to life.

 

 

Week Beginning 17/03/2025

This week in maths, the children have been busy completing assessments and diving deeper into fractions. We’ve been focusing on mixed numbers and improper fractions, using the mantra, "My whole is split into _ parts, and I want _ of those parts." This approach has helped the children gain a solid understanding of what the numerator and denominator represent, making the concept of fractions much clearer.

In science, we explored the fascinating world of light. The children investigated how different materials reflect light and how some allow light to pass through. We introduced key terms like opaque, transparent, and translucent, which the children eagerly embraced as they tested various materials in experiments.

On the creative side, the children have been working hard on their upcoming performance. They've been practicing songs and getting crafty with prop-making. A big thank you to the parents who have already sent in costumes! If you haven’t yet, please remember to send them in by next Friday at the latest.

In PE, we're nearing the end of our basketball unit. The children have learned important skills such as dribbling, passing, shooting, and both attacking and defending. To wrap it up, they played a game where they were able to apply all of these skills in a fun and competitive environment.

Week Beginning 10/03/2025

This week has been all hands on deck as we worked together to create the backdrop for our upcoming production. It was so wonderful to see the children, along with Mr. Price, getting involved and experimenting with new techniques. Using their paintbrushes, they brought to life a stunning variety of leaves—each with its own unique shape, size, and colour. I was incredibly proud of how enthusiastic and focused the children were throughout the process. And, most impressively, we managed to keep the hall floor nearly paint-free, which is no small feat!

In maths, we’ve continued our journey with fractions, diving into mixed numbers and learning how to complete a number line greater than one, combining wholes and parts. The children have been making fantastic progress, and it’s been exciting to see them grasp these concepts.

We also introduced a fun new game to help reinforce their addition and subtraction skills- Strike it out! All you need is a number line up to 20 and a piece of paper. It’s a simple yet engaging way to practice, and I’m curious to see how many of them will be able to teach you how to play at home!

In art, we’ve continued our exploration of Henri Rousseau, focusing on his famous painting Surprised. We took a closer look at its composition and explored the lines, shapes, and colours Rousseau used to create his jungle scene. The children have been gaining a deeper appreciation for his style, and it’s been inspiring to see them incorporate elements of his work into their own creations.

It’s been a week full of creativity, learning, and fun. I can’t wait to see how everything continues to come together!

Week Beginning 03/03/2025

Another week has flown by in Hawk Owl Class, and it’s been a productive one! The children have been hard at work rehearsing for their upcoming performance. They’re aiming to be script-free next week, so I'm excited to see how well they’ve learned their lines!

There was a lot of excitement this week as the children watched the much-anticipated masked/mystery reader for World Book Day. There was an array of guesses for each one with the answers unveiled in Friday's assembly.

In Science, we kicked off our new topic on light. The children learned about different light sources and discovered that darkness is simply the absence of light. They also worked on sorting light sources and learned that the moon, contrary to popular belief, is not a light source. Instead, it reflects the light from the sun.

In Maths, we’ve continued our work on fractions. The children have been comparing fractions and finding equivalent fractions using a fraction wall. To help them understand the concept of fractions better, we’ve been using the sentence, “My whole is split into _ pieces, and we want _ of those pieces.” Hopefully, this simple structure will help them when they tackle their Mathletics homework.

On Tuesday, the children completed their Big Write, where they created a story based on a ship caught in a stormy sea. They also started exploring our new genre—fables. I can’t wait to see their creativity unfold as they begin crafting their own moral stories!

Finally, I shared with the class the total they raised from their cake stall.  A whopping £250, allowing us to sponsor 5 acres of rainforest or approximately 60 of our back playground!  Well done to all the children and thank you for donating and buying the cakes.  

Week Commencing 24/02/2025

What an exciting start to the new half term! The week kicked off with the children enthusiastically diving into our production, eager to practice their songs and step onto the stage. Their energy and commitment have been fantastic to see, now just to get their lines learnt.

On Tuesday, we explored the countries of North and South America, using atlases to investigate how the climate changes across the continent. 

In Maths, we began our unit on fractions, learning about numerators and denominators and what they represent. The children quickly grasped these concepts and have now started comparing fractions with confidence.

Wednesday brought a thrilling challenge as some of our students took part in the cross-country finals. Despite the soggy conditions, they showed incredible resilience and determination, completing their races against a large field of competitors. Well done to everyone who took part!

We wrapped up the week with the much-anticipated Hawk Owl cake stall. I was so proud of how the children took charge—advertising, organizing, and running the stall with great enthusiasm. A huge thank you to everyone who donated cakes, making the event a success. I can't wait to share the results of their hard work with them next week!

Week Commencing 10/02/2025

What an exciting end to this half term, with plenty already planned for the next! This week, the children have been putting their newly acquired desktop publishing skills to good use by creating eye-catching and informative posters for our cake stall on Friday, 28th February, in aid of Rainforest Concern. A special thanks to Willow for introducing us to this charity, which allows us to help reduce deforestation by sponsoring an acre of rainforest. We hope you’ll support the children in this effort by donating cakes!

In addition to the cake stall, we’re eagerly anticipating our production. Sticking with the rainforest theme, the children will be performing The Emerald Crown, a story featuring businessmen, lumberjacks, and some very clever animals. All the children have received their scripts and are hopefully busy learning their lines and songs.

In Maths, we’ve continued our study of measures, focusing on measuring and calculating the perimeter of regular and rectilinear shapes. The children worked through several steps to find missing lengths before calculating the perimeter. It was tricky, but with determination and perseverance, they did a fantastic job!

In PE, the children have been refining their basketball skills by incorporating defenders into their games. They've been practicing bounce passes, chest passes, and travelling in order to navigate the court and get into a good position to pass the ball without the defender intercepting.

I hope everyone enjoys a restful half term, and I look forward to seeing the children back in a week, ready and raring to perform!

 

 

Week Commencing 03/02/25

Another week has flown by in Hawk Owl Class, and it’s been full of exciting activities and productive learning experiences!

On Monday, many of the children had the incredible opportunity to perform with the Young Voices choir at the O2 Arena. Although it was a late night, everyone came back buzzing with excitement and filled with memories of their performance. What an unforgettable experience for them!

In maths, we’ve been diving into the world of measurements, particularly focusing on length. The children have been using rulers to draw and measure lines, learning how to select the most appropriate units for various objects. They’ve also been comparing measurements written in different units.

In our science lesson this week, we explored classification keys. The children began by sorting Liquorice Allsorts (a fun way to ease into the concept!) before moving on to using real-life classification keys to categorize animals. They worked hard to understand how to identify and group animals based on their characteristics. 

In English, the excitement is palpable! The children have been busy writing persuasive speeches on the important topic of deforestation in the rainforest. They’ll be bringing their speeches to life by recording them with a green screen! 

With only one more week until half term, it is bound to be very busy and creative.

  

 

 

Week Commencing 27/01/25

This week, our focus has been on the vital issue of deforestation, particularly in the Amazon Rainforest. The children have become incredibly passionate about the topic, sharing their views on whether deforestation should be made illegal. Despite their strong opinions, they have worked hard to remain impartial, crafting balanced arguments using a variety of fronted adverbials and conjunctions to present both sides of the debate effectively.

In Computing, the children explored how to add and edit text and images in Canva. They made careful decisions about font text and style to begin creating "Save the Rainforest" posters, that were visually striking.

Meanwhile, in Maths, the children focused on division, practicing with counters to share tens, ones and some hundreds. They also learned how to exchange between place values, reinforcing their understanding of how numbers work.

In Science, we took the classroom outside, with students exploring the school’s outdoor areas to identify various living things. Equipped with iPads, they documented their findings, merging nature with technology to deepen their understanding of life sciences.

 

 

 

 

Week Commencing 20/1/2025

It has been another busy week in Hawk Owl. It began with My Happy Minds, where the children learnt about having an "Attitude of Gratitude" and being thankful for both the big and small things in their lives. In English, the children focused on Balanced Arguments. We explored the features of balanced arguments and practised using a variety of fronted adverbials to present additional points and alternative perspectives.

In Maths, the children continued their journey with multiplication, working on multiplying three single-digit numbers and learning how to multiply three-digit numbers by a single-digit number. They have used a variety of resources to support their learning along the way.

In Geography, the children used an atlas to explore the temperature and climate of the Amazon Rainforest. They interpreted colour-coded keys and located the Rainforest on a world map.

On Thursday, we had a busy afternoon at the Sports Hall Athletics. All the children participated with enthusiasm, determination, and lots of cheering! A big thank you to Mrs. Fisk, Mrs. Barrett, and Mrs. Grant for accompanying us.