And just like that, another half term has flown by! It's been a whirlwind of learning, laughter, and growth, and we're incredibly proud of how well our children have adapted to the new academic year. Watching them thrive in their classrooms and forge new friendships has been truly heartwarming. Get ready to be amazed by their incredible work! Soon, their stunning writing pieces and captivating artwork will adorn our school walls and be showcased on our Twitter page, @RockliffeManor. Keep an eye out for these inspiring creations!

At Rockliffe Manor, we integrate global themes and goals into our curriculum, in the classroom and beyond, providing opportunities for children to develop a deeper understanding of the world. Through engaging experiences and opportunities for discussion, we empower and encourage all children to make informed choices and become responsible global citizens.

In Monday's assembly, we delved into the pressing issue of global hunger, a key Sustainable Development Goal. The children were astounded by the stark reality faced by many children and families worldwide, where access to food is a daily struggle. By reflecting on our own fortunate circumstances, we discussed the importance of mindful consumption and the detrimental impact of food waste. It was inspiring to witness the impact of this discussion, as one child approached Miss Nelson later that day to propose additional strategies to reduce food waste during lunchtime. This demonstrates the power of education in fostering empathy and inspiring action.

It has been a busy week of trips this week! Year 1 had a lovely trip around the local area. The children used their geographical knowledge to identify physical and human features in the environment. Year 6 thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Natural History Museum, where they participated in an evolution workshop, they were introduced to the concept of natural selection, adaptation and variation. Year 2 were inspired by their inventors workshop, where they stepped into the world of Ada Lovelace, discovering what it was like to be a trailblazing female inventor! And Reception, who had their first visit to the Slade library!  

While we say goodbye to this half term, we will soon say hello to our next one which is a very exciting one over the winter period. Our usual events such as our winter fair, winter discos, nativity and our christmas concert will all be on offer and we are very excited to share these upcoming dates with you soon.

For the first two weeks of Autumn 2 the children will be participating in our Food Fortnight, where they will be trying out their cooking skills to create a meal dedicated to one particular country. The children will plan recipes, create advertisements for their dishes and create their meals ready to be showcased in our annual World Cafe. This is going to take place on Monday 13th November. More details will be shared in an individual letter, we can’t wait to see our community represented by a variety of dishes. 

We hope you all have a wonderful half term break and we very much look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday 4th November.

May you take this time to rest and make memories.

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

Let’s take a look at some of the learning this week …

Nursery this week have been enjoying looking back at their first term at school. The children reflected on what they enjoyed most about Nursery and shared it with their peers during circle time. The children have also been busy creating self portraits of themselves using natural materials.

Children in Reception this week have enjoyed exploring what a chemical reaction is during our science session. The children were fascinated to observe what happens when you mix vinegar and baking soda together. Reception also enjoyed their first visit to the library, they were read to by the librarian and also selected a book of choice to bring back to school with us.

Year 1 took to the streets on Tuesday as they explored Rockliffe Gardens as part of their geography learning. As they ventured around they looked at different features of the gardens that help make their local area special. They also put their geography skills to the test by identifying a feature of Rockliffe Gardens and had to decide whether they were physical or human features.

Year 2 started the week dressed as inventors as they took part in a workshop on female inventors. They met Ava Lovelace who was an engineer within the Victorian times. The children showed off their history learning as they linked the suffragettes to why Ava Lovelace was a pioneer in her times. They then carried on their inventor personas by creating their own rockets in a fun STEM activity. The children had a great time and loved discovering a world of inventions and inventors. 

In year 3 they have been learning about addition and subtraction using the column method, they were very successful at this when starting on the ones column and working left. They have also worked really hard on their prosody in their reading, addressing all punctuation and changing intonation in their voice when doing so. 

In year 4, the children have worked really hard on their publishing this week. It's been great seeing everyone put so much effort into their final outcomes. They have also started their first science double page spread of year 4 in science as well, there has been great enthusiasm shown for the states of matter this half term and the children are constantly finding real world examples of condensation and evaporation.  

Year 5 children have been working hard to publish their biographies, carefully editing and refining their work. In addition, the children have loved their swimming lessons every Wednesday and have made great progress. 

Year 6 have shown great resilience in their arithmetic this week. The children have grappled with many concepts linked to fractions, and even though they have faced challenges, they continue to give their best effort. It’s wonderful to see their progress grow each week.