Week Beginning 29^th (T1, Wk 4) …

This week, once again, our geography topic work will continue to think about comparing the 'coldest' places to the 'hottest' places on Earth - and where they are located (including the equator as an imaginary line!).  Our writing in English, therefore, will also stay linked to our topic work as we study the 'Lost and Found' book just a little further; focusing on character speech and feelings.

Phonics and Spellings

This week the phonic focus is:  Week 4 - Long /i/ + endings to words including –y (when no change to root word); apologies for omitting the correct Week 3 focus last week – given they are meant to gently help with a recap of previous learning from the week before!

Please remember to send our school planner into school every day if at all possible (but especially on a Monday simply so we attach new spelling lists and, hopefully, then return them home as promptly as possible alongside our ‘have-a-go’ page from the day!)

Reading

Our reading book will remain as our new non-fiction text - Extreme Earth.  This book – as before - is about some of the most extreme places on Earth.  Places where temperatures are freezing cold or blazing hot, and places where it rains almost every day or not at all.  Please remember to pop it into school every day; as we will continue to learn about how a non-fiction book is structured and understand the features of this type of information text.  It also links beautifully well with our current topic so there should be loads of discussion about facts the children may already know – and be able to 'add' generously to our growing information posters!  Additionally, there is a 'free choice' book to bring home as well – and can chosen from either the school library or our free reading book corner

On a side note … it would be wonderful if any copies of 'Chicken Little' (if they are still at home) could now be returned – so we can pop a full set back into our resources area? Fingers crossed …

Maths

This week, the children will revisit the composition of 10, and the position of 10 in the linear number system. They will recap that 10 is an even number alongside the common spatial arrangement of 10 in a 2-by-5 array, linking this to our diennes equipment, and then use this to recap known bonds. They will also recap how 20 can be made across 2 rows of the rekenrek. The children will continue to be encouraged to reason about the bonds of 10 by making connections with previous learning, e.g. that double 5 is 10, or that 9 and 1 more is 10. They will also be encouraged to consolidate their knowledge of the composition of even numbers as being made of 2 odd parts or 2 even parts. Our activities will also include identifying missing addends in equations, and missing symbols in equations and inequalities. The children should be encouraged to make connections to what they know about 10. Our other focus unit of maths continuing is place value - this week focussed on comparing and ordering numbers to 100 and practising counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s. 

Forest School is already being looked forward to again on Wednesday morning; with a quick plea for the children to whizz into school already dressed in their outdoor learning clothing (with a dry change of clothes for lunch!) plus their welly boots in a named bag as per usual. HUGE thanks …

On a final note, would it be at all possible for any ‘permanent’ marker pens/felt tips/Sharpies NOT to be included in personal pencil cases – as we have had several cases in the past fortnight or so; and even though they colour beautifully I’m afraid our wonderful cleaners are not so keen on the inevitable ‘stain’ they leave behind; even when staff have kindly scrubbed their hardest to remove any ‘accidental desk top marks’ left unknowingly behind at the end of a busy day!?

Many thanks and wishing you all a lovely week ahead – including the first of October and National Poetry Day on Thursday; fabulous stuff! Michael Rosen remaining one of my personal favourites … especially ‘Eddie and the Nappy’ from Quick, Let’s Get Out of Here (Puffin Books).

With very best wishes – as always

Mrs Winters