Over the course of this week, we have been discussing shape and pattern. The children have been quick to spot repetition and can describe differences in size,shape and position. We used coloured rods,pegs and beads. The Numicon sparked new conversations about number patterns. They are very interested in odd and even and noticed the pattern with the Numicon and on the number square. This was very exciting work and I did say “Wow” quite a few times when they spotted and described patterns. That’s Maths Magic.
Month: February 2019
Kung Hei Fatt Choy
Families were invited to join our learning in every classroom of the school. In Pioneer Class, the children showed their parents how to decorate the Lucky envelopes. They used the computer to find out which animal they were. The parents drew a picture. We had a selection of spices to use with the dough and had discussed the fragrances. It was busy, but lovely.
Chocolate Mud Pies and Other Recipes
The whole school celebrated our Chocolate theme with a Chocolate Day. We went to the forest and made pies and milkshakes and chocolate brownie. We wrote recipes on clipboards and displayed them in the mud kitchen. Everyone worked together. It was beautiful learning on a beautiful day.
Swimming
15th February 2019
Discoverers enjoy going swimming every Friday morning, with Pioneers, and are nearly half way through their swimming sessions.
The children were eager to get in the water in their first session but had to be split into groups first according to how well they would already swim. All of the older children swam in the big pool, which took a lot of courage for some of our less confident swimmers.
Discoverers think that the pool is quite cold which helps them to swim faster to keep warm!
The children in the deep end are trying to perfect their strokes.
The children in the middle group are working on putting their heads in the water, learning a breathing technique.
The children in the shallowest part of the big pool are doing lots of activities to develop water confidence, including their ability to float in the water without moving.
Reegan
“Swimming is really fun.”
Max
“Swimming is active and fun.”
Tom
“I’d like to learn some harder strokes.”
Ruby
“I wish we could go swimming every day.”
Mia B
“I like to get dressed quickly to win the tokens.”
Scarlett F
“I don’t like getting in at the beginning because it’s cold.”
Chocolate Day! February 2019
This week began with a launch day to our new writing topic, investigating “How is chocolate made?” The whole school worked in mixed groups during the day to complete a range of activities based on making chocolate. We want our children to be able to write with real purpose and using experiences, so what better way to learn about making chocolate than by doing it!
Mrs Hann worked outside with the children on Monday, down in the forest. The groups worked hard to create their own mud chocolate creations, adding different textures and objects to give some added crunch to their recipes! The children hunted around the forest for interesting and unusual objects to add in. It was excellent to see all children of all ages supporting each other in this task.
To help our day be a success, we kindly received a donation of chocolate and materials for making our own lollies from Alex at Crofts Chocolates in Scarborough. With Mrs Roe, the children had the very exciting task of using this donation to make their own chocolate lollies. When I visited, each lolly was heaped with sweets and marshmallows, which made them look really delicious!
Mrs Walker and Mrs Exelby led the baking efforts on Monday. During the day, each child had the opportunity to create their own chocolate creations. Working together to carefully add the ingredients, mix them together and prepare them for baking was something that everyone enjoyed. If you were able to join us for the café in the hall during the afternoon, I am sure you will agree that they looked delicious!
Finally, with Miss Stubbs, the children created their own packaging for their chocolate lollies. After looking carefully at the designs of well-known chocolate brands, the children then came up with their own designs. It was fun to see how the children were using these brands to influence their own, with many adapting well-known chocolate names and designs.
At the end of the day, it was great to be able to invite so many families into school to see the children’s efforts from the day and read their stories in our chocolate café. The event was incredibly well attended, with it being said that the cake sale was “like a fair day!” This overwhelming support is amazing. Thank you to everyone!
Chocolate Cake
Friday 8th February 2018
This week has been an exciting one, after starting with our very own ‘Chocolate Day’! . We have now finished writing our chocolate stories, and wanted to share them with the other children in school. Here we are reading with the oldest children in school (Leaders).
Adventurers were also inspired to make their own chocolate cakes, with the help of Emily’s gran, after reading Chocolate Cake by Michael Rosen.
Reading
This week, the children have been enjoying sharing their Chocolate Cake stories. Over the last couple of weeks, the whole school has been inspired by Michael Rosen’s Chocolate Cake poem and have been creating their own versions of the text. Children have also enjoyed writing for purpose and publishing their stories.
On Thursday afternoon, the Pioneers and Discoverers had a wonderful time sharing and enjoying each other’s stories. It was a special time for everyone.
