Welcome to the Summer 1 term! We hope you had a wonderful break and are ready for an exciting term ahead. We always like to start the term as we mean to go on, and this term has been no different. It’s been a busy one for sure, as you all know! This week we welcomed Ofsted and our hope was to convey all that makes Rockliffe Manor special, we can’t wait to share all of the achievements with you soon. 

With a new term comes a new value, and this term we are focusing on cooperation. As Helen Keller wisely said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." Cooperation is a vital skill that helps us grow not just as individuals, but as a community. During our Earth Day assembly on 22nd April, we reflected on why we celebrate this important day and how our value of cooperation can empower us to be change makers. We explored how working together—sharing ideas, supporting one another, and taking joint action—can have a real impact on the world around us. By fostering cooperation, we are helping our children understand that collective effort is key to creating positive change for our planet and beyond. 

A new term also means a new core text, and this week the children have had a range of experiences to explore these and hook them into the learning for the term ahead. Here is what some of the children had to say..

Year 1: Huxley - “In our classroom we found a suitcase filled with goggles, flippers, a shell and lots of sand!”’ Iman - “I predict our new core text is all about a deep sea diver, I think he is trying to find shells and lots of different things in the ocean!”

Year 2: Remi - “Our new core text is called ‘The Promise’ it is about a little girl who grew up in a town that was ugly and hard. One day she stole a bag that was filled with acorns, she planted them and made the world a much better place!”’ Jamie - “The girl kept her promise which was important because by planting the seeds it made it nicer and a better environment for everyone to live in”

Year 3: Ashwin - “Our new core text is ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’. This week we are learning about what we would do if we became the next Prime Minister. I would say that no one should go hungry and everyone should have a happy life”. Ishmael - “We’ve been talking about the book and seeing that a good speech contains rhetorical questions and lots of emotive language as well as explaining your point”. 

Year 4: Ayomide: “Our new core text is very interesting because it is set in the Tudor times which is linked to our history learning.” Ella-Rose: “I was very interested in the new chapter in our core text because it describes the Mary Rose and I linked this to our local history of the Cutty Sark.” Divija: “I feel really sorry for the main character (Eve) in our new core text because she is poor and that must've been really hard during the Tudor times.” 

Year 5: Ope - “Our core text is ‘Boy in the Tower’ which is about a boy called Ade who has a friend called Gaia. In school, Gaia is his only friend. I assume that Ade doesn’t have much money because the room was described as ‘a stain that looked like a circle.” Elaina- “So far we know that some plants came and ‘caused destruction in their path.’ Although we don’t know what exactly happened yet, we know that Ade could not see Gaia anymore. This book sounds interesting and it could teach us to cherish friendship and give lessons to be grateful for what we have”. Cassidy - “This book reminds me of our core text in Year 4, ‘Tamarind and the Star of Ishta because they are both very mysterious.”

Year 6: Khadijat - “Our core text is ‘Alex Rider’ and it is a mysterious book about a boy called Alex whose uncle died in a car accident. Alex is convinced that there is something suspicious going on and he goes on a journey to investigate what happened.” Isaiah - “I think Alex is going to move out of his house and go on adventures to find out how his uncle died.” Sophia - “I think Alex’s uncle was killed by a banker because he got a promotion and his colleagues got jealous of him.” Riley - “This book is about mystery and adventure and we are going to find out what really happened.”

We look forward to seeing how the learning unfolds over the course of the half term, how the core texts inspire and support writing outcomes and the amazing outcomes that will be produced. 

And, just like that the first week has flown past wishing you all a wonderful weekend and we look forward to welcoming you all back on Monday. 

With very best wishes, Mrs Cook and the Rockliffe Manor team