Cedar Tree Class Blog
Cedar Tree Class
Cedar Week 1 Summer 2 w.e 07.06.24
Mr Dring (p.dring) on: Cedar Tree Class
Welcome back
A busy although shorter week for the children this week. A massive well done to the Year 4 children for all completing their Department for Education Official Multiplication Check this week. They have all worked incredibly hard. School received the results just prior to the children receiving their RPPS school reports and this information will be included with their reports. Year 3 have also met the challenge of working extremely hard in our school times table challenges - well done.
The children were fascinated this week in History to hear the voice of a 3,000 year old Egyptian mummy that 'lives' in the Leeds Museum. They will be learning more about them as the term progresses.
We have also started our SRE lessons as a whole class. Going forward the Year 3 and Year 4 children will be split as the vocabulary taught is differentiated by year group, as per the letter sent via the office earlier this term. Once again, I am very proud of how the children have maturely dealt with the lessons and respected each other's right to ask questions.
Reminder Sports Day is soon - please see previous headteacher newsletters for more information or contact the school office.
All of the children have been given their homework today - please check it as it is slightly different. This involves a project that you will be invited to see in person in school at the end of term.
Have a great weekend.
Mr Dring
Cedar Week 6 Summer 1 w.e 24.05.24
Mr Dring (p.dring) on: Cedar Tree Class
Hello
What a wild week of weather - fingers crossed it doesn't adversely affect our KS2 House Cricket tournament this afternoon where we hope to see all of the children showcasing their cricket skills.
This week has been very Ancient Egyptian focused - with Art being to pencil sketch a proportioned face/image and then use the medium of black pen to show shading - they look very effective Tutankhamuns! In History and Geography we have continued to wonder why the Ancient Egyptian civilisation lasted so long and all of the children loved this week being historians investigating clues from copied original photos of the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb.
In Maths we have continued to explore many features of time (Year 4 moving on now to angles), have written our own blurbs in Writing from our fictional story ideas and showcased our computer coding skills using algorithms to create loops of repetition in our own Scratch games (although at times the children's successful additions of edited sounds did make a rather interesting cacophony!).
Well done Year 4s on your excellent efforts at the regional skipping competition - more news to follow on the school pages/newsletter.
Following on from last week, the children have raised again that at home or out and about they don't see analogue clocks - please if you get the opportunity over the holiday can you give your child chance to try reading the time and compare to a digital clock (this is still a key part of the KS2 Y3, 4, 5 and 6) curriculum currently.
I wish you all a wonderful, fun packed and safe holiday. Remember we have a teacher training day on the first day back so children return on the Tuesday.
Cedar Week 5 Summer 1 - w.e 17.05.24
Mr Dring (p.dring) on: Cedar Tree Class
Hello
What a mixed weather week! We have been delving into the depths of our imaginations as part of our new Writing unit based on character and setting descriptions in our story writing. The children have really enjoyed our class novel 'There's a Pharaoh in our bath' as we reach it's exciting end. We have continued in History and Geography to explore Egypt (modern and ancient) to answer our I wonder question 'I wonder why the Egyptian civilisation lasted so long.'
It was a great pleasure to get the opportunity again to see all of the children practise and apply their cricket skills during Wednesday's cricket lesson - some great examples of accurate distance throwing and precise batting skills.
As mentioned last week, we have started to use our digital photography editing skills to create some inspiring exhibits for the annual local Art Exhibition - watch out for further information in the future about where you can go to view the children's work on display locally.
Please let us know if you happen to forget a water bottle for your children (it happens to all of us) and we can then make sure they have access to fresh water throughout the day. Thank you.
Maths - both year 3 and 4 have been developing their time telling skills. However, most children have said during lessons that they've never seen an analogue clock (one with hands rather than electronic) except in the classroom. If you can, please take any opportunity to develop this life skill with your child when out and about (or at home if you have an analogue clock). I've attached some support materials below to support this learning in addition to what we are using in the classroom.
FORPS - next Friday is Make the Rules Day. The bespoke class rule Cedar class children have voted for is to play games in school. If your child would like to bring in their own board/card game (no electronics) they can. Please make sure they are age appropriate so nothing aimed at over 7 years.
Stay safe.
Mr Dring.
Cedar Week 4 Summer 1 w.e 10.05.24
Mr Dring (p.dring) on: Cedar Tree Class
Hello
Welcome back after the longer weekend. Despite being a shorter working week for the children, they have been no less busy. They have all shown the great progress they have made so far this year by publishing their recounts as imagined from our class novel characters' points of view. All children have continued to work on their timestable mental maths fluency and recall - with Year 4 children continuing to practise in preparation for their upcoming Department for Education Multiplication Timestable Check (the results they will share with us just prior to our school reports being issued) and we will then share with you.
In Computing, the children have been writing their own computing code (algorithms) to create game animations in 'Scratch'.
In P.E, I was able to join the children and Sam our coach to see their progress in Cricket and I continue to work with the leisure centre coaches to assess the Year 4 swimming skills (distance, confidence and water safety) too.
In the next few weeks, we are looking forward to creating some inspiring exhibits for the annual local Art Exhibition - watch out for information in the future about where you can go to view the children's work on display locally.
Finally, following a few recent questions from our LKS2 parents- please be rest assured that when classes are organised for the next academic year, we do take into consideration a number of factors which do include (but are not limited to) specific additional and/or medical needs of every child. Hopefully you can appreciate this is a mammoth task that we undertake yearly and we do have every child's best interests at heart when considering their next class.
Stay safe.
Mr Dring.
Cedar week 3 Summer 1 w.e 03.05.24
Mr Dring (p.dring) on: Cedar Tree Class
Hello
Well what a week of weather! It's allowed us to start our planting 'project' investigation in Science to observe whether putting more than 1 seed in a plant pot affects it's height as it grows. In Maths, both Year groups are investigating money, Year 3 focusing on how to make amounts in pounds and pence, whilst Year 4 have explored writing money as decimals (£2.34). In writing, we have continued our writing based on the Jeremy Strong book 'There's a Pharaoh in my bath' and have planned a recount of a Chapter about the meeting of the 4,000+ year old Sennapod and a family in modern Britain - the Lightspeeds. In R.E, the children have continued to explore the five pillars of Islam and in Art we have explored self portraits using the medium of charcoal. This term the children are developing their cricket skills alongside Sam the coach and Year 4 continue their water safety and endurance skills in the swimming pool. Finally, we were lucky to have a visit from our local PCSO who reminded the children about the importance of staying safe online (connected) which could be laptop, mobile, tablet or games console. It was surprising how many children said they 'connect' online with people that they have never met in real life! We discussed that if we haven't met them in real life and your adults do not know them they are still STRANGERS. Please take some time this weekend to discuss with/remind your child about being safe in our modern, connected world. There are lots of links on our Computing subject page on our website that can support you with this.
Wishing you a very happy bank holiday weekend.
Mr Dring