What a wonderful array of outfit choices we saw yesterday as we held our bring a bottle non uniform day in support of our summer fair next week. The children looked very summery! Thank you all so much for your continued support, if you have any further bottle donations we will also be happy to receive these throughout next week, the bottle tombola is always rather popular at the fair so the more donations the better! 

On Monday, Toyin and her colleague Penny, from the Slade Library, came to Rockliffe Manor. They led an assembly promoting all of the wonderful activities they have available over the Summer. One of the highlights is their exciting reading challenge. If you are interested you can sign up at the Library and get your Marvellous Makers collector’s foldout poster! In essence read books and collect stickers! Add the stickers to your poster to complete the Challenge. Remember, you can read ANYTHING you like. It could be a book, comic or magazine, eBook or audiobook – they all count!

This week, we welcomed our soon-to-be newest members of the Rockliffe family. The children starting Reception in September came for a Stay and Play session. It was great to see them exploring the Early Years area and getting comfortable in their new surroundings. This event also gave us a chance to meet and connect with their families, answer any questions, and introduce them to our staff. We're looking forward to seeing them all again in September!

We also opened our doors this morning for the families of our Year 5 children for their Showcase Assembly. The children wowed us with their rendition of ‘School Song’ from the musical Matilda and we loved the dance moves that came along with it! The children spoke so clearly and beamed with prides sharing with their families. 

It’s been a week of trips, as our Year 3 children took to the London streets to go and visit the British Museum. This trip was directly linked to their History curriculum, where they have been delving into the fascinating world of Ancient Egypt. The children were thrilled to see the ancient artefacts up close and personal, bringing their classroom learning to life. From marvelling at the hieroglyphics to standing in awe before the mummies, the visit was a great experience that really brought Ancient Egyptian culture and history to life. This hands-on learning adventure sparked their curiosity and left them with unforgettable memories and a new love for history.

And this morning we waved off both Year 4 and Year 6. Year 4 headed to the Science Museum’s Wonderlab, where they will explore Science in various contexts. Connecting with their Science topics from throughout the year, this trip offers the children the chance to experience Science hands-on and see it come alive! 

As part of their final farewell celebrations, the children and adults of Year 6 were thrilled to spend a fun-filled day at Chessington. They couldn’t wait to ride the roller coasters, explore the park, and create unforgettable memories with their friends. We knew they’d have an amazing time and have come back with plenty of stories to share!

Looking into next week, we also have Year 1 going to Broadstairs. This trip has been highly anticipated by both the children  and staff, and we are confident it will be a memorable experience for everyone involved. The children have been excitedly preparing for the trip by including this in their English learning. The class wrote postcards as if they were at the beach and included exciting vocabulary and descriptive sentences. 

Before we wish you well, we wanted to acknowledge the recent communication regarding our Sports Day, which will take place on Thursday 4th July. As mentioned in the letter that came out this week, the school will be closed to all pupils and families to adhere to Polling Station guidelines. We are excited to see you all at Rose Cottage from 11am to join us for a family style picnic before our Sports Day activities commence. 

With that said, we look forward to seeing you all back on Monday and hope you all have a fantastic weekend. 

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

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

Nursery this week have really enjoyed engaging in their core text ‘Olivers Vegetables’. The children used this text to support them in recalling any facts that they already knew about vegetables. During circle time, Nursery have been using real vegetables to identify what part of the plant we can eat when growing vegetables. Nursery were excited to teach Mr Harrackisngh that vegetables can be roots, leaves, bulbs and stems. The children also promised to make him a healthy salad for his lunch!       

Children in Reception this week have been exploring how to solve number stories. The children started off by identifying if the number problem was addition or subtraction, they then identified the important numbers within the story and started writing the number sentence. Reception were then challenged to select a maths manipulative to help solve the problem and find the answer. To finish off the learning for the week the children have been enjoying creating their own number stories for their peers and teachers to solve.

This week, children in  Year 1 have drawn story maps to retell the story of the Lorax. The children enjoyed recalling key events in the book and using images and actions to identify key events. In history, the children have been learning about the seaside and investigating why people went to the beach in the past. They learned about bathing machines and how they were used. 

Children in Year 2 have continued to learn about statistics where the children collected data and recorded tally charts. The children have been exposed to different data collection charts such as block diagrams as well as pictograms which they are learning to interpret. The children also really enjoyed the library trip this week and Miss Emslie said that they were responsible and respectful throughout. 

In Year 3 this week the children had an amazing trip to the British Museum. The hot sun did not slow them down as they saw mummies, artefacts and more! The trip was a great way to connect their history learning on Ancient Egypt with their real life experiences. When they returned, Year 3 could not wait to share everything they saw. Ella shared ‘we saw a real life mummy, it looked so cool, I can’t believe they are still here!’ 

Year 4 have been hooked into their new core text this week by considering a moral dilemma; is it ever okay to steal? The children had thought provoking ideas such as what if you are homeless and you can’t afford to eat you may need to steal to survive! This all led into our core text; the girl who stole an elephant. The main character Chaya stole from the queen to help a friend in need. The children made great connections to Robin Hood and said that while what Chaya was doing is bad, she is being selfless as she wants to help people regardless of what happens to her. 

In Year 5 this week, they have been practising for their sharing assembly - for this, they chose all their own topics and learning to talk about throughout the year, decided which song they wanted for the end and even came up with their own actions for it. Special thanks to Oscar for preparing the powerpoint presentation, even though he was unable to attend. 

In year 6, they have been putting their creative skills to the test; making props and designing posters on Canva for their end of year show. Also, as part of their maths enterprise topic, they have been making slime to sell in order to fund their Chessington World of Adventures trip - please remember to get your order in early for the slime to avoid disappointment.