Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back after half term. Across the school, the children have been busy commencing their learning journey focusing on their new topics and core texts. 

The Reception children became wonderful mini-chefs this week! They explored food and recipes by making warm chocolate cookies, focusing on using all five senses to describe them. They also enjoyed sharing conversations about family recipes and had fun with a special imaginary "lunch" at 10 Pomegranate Street.

The Year 1 children have been busy investigators! Inspired by the story of 'Izzy Gizmo', they closely examined the properties of different materials and let their imaginations soar by designing new inventions. They also discussed Izzy's fantastic resilience and never-give-up attitude. In maths, they started their learning journey focused on part-whole models to help them discover fact families.

This week, the Year 2 children were captivated by the beautiful story of The Rainbow Fish. In maths, they concentrated on the addition of double-digit numbers, effectively utilising dienes blocks to visually support their understanding of tens and ones, successfully tackling increasingly complex calculations.

The Year 3 children engaged in impactful English lessons centred around the important theme of environmental responsibility, using the text 'What a Waste' to guide their discussions and writing.

Year 4 had a truly immersive start to their new topic, 'Letters from the Lighthouse'. Their exciting hook lessontransformed them into WWII code breakers, where they worked diligently to solve a mystery surrounding the character Sukie and determine why she has gone missing.

It was a very active beginning for the Year 5 children as they kicked off their study of 'Running Wild'. Their hook lesson involved an exciting knowledge hunt about tsunamis to generate interest in the book's setting and themes. In geography, they started their focus on agriculture and contrasting locations by precisely locating the UK and Louisiana on a map.

Our Year 6 children have been excelling in science this week, focusing on school circuits as they investigate electricity and components. This foundational knowledge complemented their English learning, where they have been immersed in the compelling historical fiction novel, Stella by Starlight, exploring themes of community and civil rights.

We hope you have a lovely weekend,

Miss Capes, Mrs Jackson and the Maundene Team

Well done to the following children - 

The Reading Ambassadors have been working hard this week and have written their own book reviews. This week, Frankie in Year 6 has written one focusing on the book The House with Chicken Legs. Thank you Frankie!

The House with Chicken Legs

This book is about a girl named Marinka who lives in a house with chicken legs. She lives by herself and nestles in the dark forbidden forest woods. The setting is my favourite bit because it felt like I was actually in a forest. It feels kind of spooky to me. Each night there is a party at Marinka’s house, but all the guests are dead! Marinka has a grandmother who is called a Yaga. This is someone who guides the recently dead through The Gate so they can make their way to the stars they came from. Marinka is desperate for a normal life where she can make friends with the living but she is expected to follow in her Grandmother’s footsteps. Will Marinka follow in her Grandmother’s footsteps or will her path in life change? Read the book and you will find out!

Developing strong oracy skills is crucial for children's success in school and beyond. It empowers them to express themselves confidently, think critically, and engage effectively with others. To support this vital skill, our weekly newsletter will feature fun and engaging oracy activities that families can enjoy together at home, fostering communication and building confidence in your children.