This term we have been learning about the differences between night and day. We chose to wear our pyjamas to school for the day!  We brought in our favourite bedtime story and toy.  We looked through our books with our friends and read them together.  Some of us put our toys to bed using blankets and read our toys a bedtime story. We have been looking at nocturnal animals and have been making nocturnal animal art using a variety of techniques. Here we are in action!  We always work hard in Reception and have fun!

In 1D, we have started our new art unit on printing. The students have explored which things we can use to create prints and how we can go about printing in order to create the effect we want. In the photos you can see them exploring printing with apples. They have also explored using classroom objects to print, as well as designing and creating their own stamps. During this unit, we have also revised primary and secondary colours and colour mixing. The children have had a lot of fun exploring different printing techniques and demonstrated creativity in creating their pictures. 

As we returned back from our Wınter break we have been busy learnıng how to tell the time to the hour and half past, we have practıced with manipulative materials to make it more engaging and fun. We have also been introducing the concepts of units and tens since we are introducing two-digit numerals and revisiting concepts like odd and even numbers, estimating and number patterns. During Art lessons we have learning about printing and how dıfferent materials can be suitable for this purpose, we had a lot of fun experimenting wıth apples and different shapes. In English we have been focusıng on identifying similarities and differences between stories, and we created a Venn Diagram to organize our sorting out. It has been amazing to come back and have so much fun together!

Year 2 went back in time to a time before computers, supermarkets and technology. A time known in history as Prehistoric. All the children participated by dressing up. The children started every day gathering their food for the day ahead. They enjoyed making their own tribe bone necklace with salt dough, making fossils and also trying felting for the first time. They worked together in groups to build shelters and grind grains to make flour. They learned all about prehistoric animals and made cave paintings. Other activities included. Stone Age counting, clay sculptures, making their own language, creating hair accessories, understanding the chronological order of events on a timeline and enjoying a hot chocolate with a story. We were lucky with the sunshine and were able to sing and dance in the Botanical gardens every day. A great week was had by all. 

In art in 3A, we have been studying textures.

Texture is the way something feels to the touch or looks to the eye. We have been exploring natural and visual texture using fibre tip pens. We used different shapes and patterns. We also used lineweight,density and shading. Textures can be; bumpy, woven, fluffy, rough, scaly, sandy and more.

4N have enjoyed learning about fractions and decimals in their maths lessons. Using the powerful 'Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract' approach, children began their learning journey by using physical resources, including Rekenreks with 100 beads to represent hundredths, as well as coloured counters on place value charts to understand how to write tenths and hundredths as both fractions and decimals. From this they were able to progress to interpreting and completing visual representations of these fractions and decimals, finally moving into purely abstract numberical values. This will enable children to have a deep conceptual understanding in order to progress into other areas of mathematics such as money and percentages.

Students in 5H have been looking at and discussing the book ‘Flotsam’ by David Wiesner. Given that ‘Flotsam’ is a wordless picture book, it presents unique opportunities for creative writing activities. In Science, we have reviewed the different food groups and talked about the importance of a balanced diet. We have also been exploring the history of the Hagia Sophia and its unique features. As part of our DT unit, the student will get together in groups to design and construct simple models of the Hagia Sophia, paying attention to its architectural details.

In English our unit has been on instructions. We have looked at a variety of instructions and decided on a list of common features. The children had fun following instructions around the school to find different locations. This made them realise how important it is that instructions are clear and concise. The final piece of work was to write a set of instructions on how to cook a rainbow!

In Maths, we have been working on written methods for multiplication and division. The children have are also revising their times tables to increase their speed and accuracy. In DT, we are combining our humanities unit and constructing a model of the Hagia Sophia. The children started by looking at different buildings from the early Eastern Roman Empire. The initial task was to sketch some of the main buildings.

Clay work

To finish our topic about coastal areas the students designed a clay relief. These are going to look fantastic, especially once they’re kiln dried and painted. They took their time building up the layers and planning which coastal features to include. It was fun learning about a clay ‘slurry’ and how the clay can be reconstituted, even after it seems too dry and crumbly.

How can good eating habits support children’s physical, emotional and mental wellbeing?

Fuelling children with the right foods helps support their growth and development. 

What children eat not only affects their physical health but also their mood, mental health and learning. 

Research shows that eating a healthy and nutritious diet can improve mental health, enhance cognitive skills like concentration and memory and improve academic performance.

Top Tips for Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits at Home:

Have regular family meals.

Serve a variety of healthy foods and snacks.

Work fruit and vegetables into the daily routine.

Let children invite a friend to dinner.

Involve your child in meal planning and preparation.

Keep mealtime calm and friendly.