To attract or repel - now that is the question

Well I can't believe it is nearly the end of our third week together.  I would just like to say that I am proud of Class 3 and how all the children are really settling in.  Keep it up guys - you are doing so well! 

This week we have had fun with place value.  We have learnt to compare 2 and 3 digit numbers and read/write numbers and importantly understand the value of each digit in a given number.  The children have completed Thinking Things Through activities today in relation to place value.   We still have a little learning to do within this unit so next week shall be looking at addition and subtraction before moving on to learn multiplication and division facts.  Ideally we will be covering the 5, 10, 2, 4 and 3 times tables.  It would be helpful for your child if you could practice at least the 2, 5 and 10 times tables to begin with.

In English we have completed our mythical story and are beginning to look at creating an image in poetry.  This has been combined with learning all about the tough Spartans and Athenians.  As you can imagine the boys were all very impressed with the Spartans until they decided they would rather be in Class 3 than facing war as a young Spartan soldier aged 7!!  We shall continue delving into the aspect of Ancient Greece next week when we make a more detailed comparison of the two City States. 

Year 3s looked at magnetic metals (and non-magnetic) this week in Science. They had a great time learning about magnets and I was so impressed with Bethany who taught Mrs Thompson that the magnet (lodestone) was first discovered under the sea in Greece when a boat sailing over the it lost all its screws due to the magnetic force.  Mrs Thompson was very impressed with our learning!

The pottery has come on tremendously and today Class 3 decided their pots were dry enough to paint.  This meant that the children had to look back at their original designs to try to paint their pots exactly as their design.  We also began to verbally evaluate the size of the pots against the original design.  We decided that perhaps we had not used enough clay.  As I reminded the children, evaluation is a very important part of the design process.  

May I ask if any family have old men-size shirts that could be donated to Class 3 for art aprons?  Ours seem to have disappeared.  Ladies it's time to sort out your gentleman's wardrobe! Thank you so much in anticipation.  

A massive thank you to the families of Tilly, Evie-May, Charlotte, Lucy and of course Mrs Squire (who has managed 4 blog comments in the last week alone). All these children will receive house points tomorrow (one per comment) and they should be proud of you for your active participation in our blog.  Of course if any child wishes to write on the blog they can.  Perhaps they have enjoyed during the week at School that they would like to share, a favourite book they have read or a recommendation of a Bug Club/Active Learn activity.  These will all be included in the house point tally.

Just to respond to Mrs Squire who asked about class reading books.  In Class 3 we aim to make the children more independent.  Every child has a reading time (in small groups), with both myself and either Mrs Sibley, Mrs Hitchiner or Mrs Allen per week. During this time we check that the children have changed their reading book (if on the School reading scheme) by themselves.  However we do encourage the children to change their books at anytime during the week, once a parent has heard them read the book and signed the Home/School learning journal. 

Also the children have begun to loan books from the School library.  Can I encourage you to support your child in the use of the library.  You are welcome to pop into the Library after School with your child, see our excellent range of books and help the children scan the books of their choice (yes, you can get to play with the Scanner).  We try to encourage children to take at least one or two non-fiction books as well as a fiction book. 

Finally, I have taken the liberty of posting some gardening club snaps - our harvest of fine runner beans, leaks and apples will all be cooked in the kitchen next week and served to the children.  Which just reminds me - children don't forget you promised Mr Wainwright some entries for the naming of the kitchen!! 


Well here we go, the end of another week.  As always a few snaps to show our learning during the week.

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend.

Mrs S

Year 2s and the possessive apostrophe

Place Value game on the ipads

Harvesting time for Gardening Club

May the force be with you!

Eye, Eye - just love this one!

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Are all metals magnetic?

10 more, 10 less with Mrs Hitchiner

At last the wait is over, let the fun begin!

Louie concentrating!

Elise checking her design

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Sophie's Greek Alphabet