LEARNING

Our 'Things That Move' topic has introduced us to all sorts of different animals and stories. Last week we explored 'The Three Little Pigs' and had some wonderful role play! This week, we got up close and personal with some snails as we learnt about minibeasts. In maths, we have reached number 10 as our number of the week and have practised counting and representing the number in different ways.

Upcoming Learning...

Literacy: 'Aah Spider!' and more minibeast non-fiction books. We will also be practising writing our names.

Maths: We will be revisiting and revising the numbers 0-10.

UTW: We are going to be making bird feeders

Reception have had a fantastic, dinosaur filled week! We have been using describing words to play 'guess the dinosaur' with our friends. In maths, we have been learning to double using objects and being challenge beaters by recording it too! We are developing our designer skills on the Chrome tabs and created minibeast pictures. Science Week has been so much fun! We have explored lots of different investigations, including watching water walk and seeing if we can make gummy bears grow. Ask us about it!

Upcoming Learning...

Literacy- Reading the story 'Tiddler' and looking at Poetry

Maths- We are learning to count on from given numbers and categorize.

UTW- we will be monitoring the weather and creating a weather diary.

Year 1 have had a lovely week with lots of learning across the curriculum. In maths they have been learning about multiplication and have done incredibly well calculating the answers to problems. In science, they have had great fun investigating the properties of materials and exploring magnets. The children investigated how strong magnetic fields could be by seeing how many layers of felt a magnet could still attract a paper clip through.

Upcoming Learning...

Maths - Year 1 will be starting their next Maths No Problem chapter: Division. The children will have to calculate the answers to questions like, "Charles' dad has 8 stamps. he gives 4 of his stamps to each of his children. How many children does he have?"

English - We will be starting our new, non-fiction book, 'The Great Fire of London'. The children will read the book, identify and practise the features of a non-fiction text before planning and writing their own version the following week.

Humanities - The children will be taking part in a drama workshop all about the Great Fire of London. During this, they will take on different roles and jobs to explore what it would have been like to live in London during the fire of 1666..

Science - We are continuing to look at materials and we will be investigating which materials are waterproof and which are not. The children will use their findings to answer the question 'What material would make the best umbrella?'

Year 2 have have had an amazing time this week being scientists. They have made predictions, carried out investigations and made conclusions. The children had great fun exploring how to make paper fish move without touching them, how magnets work, what size and design makes the best paper aeroplane, and much more! In maths the children have started building on their knowledge of shape by identifying, sorting and describing the properties of 2D shapes.

Upcoming Learning...

Maths: In maths we will be continuing our work on 2D and 3D shape. We will be describing properties of different shapes, as well as sorting and comparing them.

English: In English we will be reading our new class book called 'The Journey Home'. We will be using this as a stimulus to find out about polar bears and the effects of global warming on their habitat. This will culminate in the writing of a letter to persuade our school to do even more to help save the polar bear's from losing their artic home.

Science: In science we will be learning about food chains and using our knowledge to create our own food chains.

DT: In DT we will be continuing to explore levers and linkages. We will be following our plans to make a product which includes a sliding linkage mechanism.

Year 3 have enjoyed taking part in a range of different activities for Science Week. We have made our own paper aeroplanes and discussed the forces needed to fly. As well as this we've learnt about the process of Germination and we have setup our own experiment putting eggs into white vinegar. As part of our Light topic we have made our very own shadow puppets and even celebrated by having our very own show! We are looking forward to seeing some more Science demonstrations next week.

Upcoming Learning...

Maths - We are continuing our learning based on time. We will be looking at working out the duration of time activities go on for as well as practising telling the time using analogue clocks.

English - We are going to be writing a Non-chronological report based on Ancient Egypt.

Science - The children will have the opportunity to take part in observing a number of different demonstrations where children will be asked to make predictions and they will see if these were correct or not!

Humanities- We are continuing our learning on Ancient Egypt by understanding what the symbol of Scarab beetles meant.

Year 4 have had a fantastic Science Week! Each class took part in exciting activities, such as designing drones to support sustainable farming, investigating forces and exploring the science behind optical illusions. Based on the British Science Week theme of 'Growth', some children undertook group investigations on how exercise affects our bodies and the relationship between age and height.

Upcoming Learning...

Maths - measuring perimeter and area

English - writing and performing poetry based on Beowulf

Science - making comparisons between the teeth of herbivores, omnivores and carnivores

Humanities - learning about the Battle of Hastings

This week, Year 5 have learnt about first aid in PSHE, focusing on what to do in a medical emergency and learning how to put each other other in the recovery position. We have also had great fun in Science Week, making helicopter spinners, testing out each other's fingerprints and researching theories as to why dinosaurs became extinct.

Upcoming Learning...

Maths - Geometry - drawing shapes using a protractor

English - Non-chronological report about Gods and Goddesses

Science - Materials

Topic - Olympic Games and how they first started in Ancient Greece

This week, year 6 had a great time learning about the theme of 'Growth' through Science day. They had a very informative discussion about stereotypes in science and discussed the importance of growth in our education and our own personal lives. They then investigated how to make the best paper aeroplane and thoroughly enjoyed flying them outside.

Upcoming Learning...

Maths - We begin our revision sessions focusing on roman numerals, percentages and rounding.

English - We will be writing a balanced argument based on a moral dilemma from our class novel 'Letters from the Lighthouse'. We will also be writing a short piece focusing on character description about Olive and Esther (two characters who do not get along in the story).

Science - We will be using Now Press Play to focus on our science topic of Evolution and Inheritance.

LEO CATERING

Our school catering provision is offered to all children across the Trust by LEO Catering, our in house catering supplier.

The menus are created and refreshed three times a year, catering for children with allergies and are available to view on the LEO trust website.

LEO meals are freshly cooked on site and our menus follow government food standard guidelines and offer excellent value at £2.30 a day for a main meal, dessert, choice of salad bar, fresh bread daily and vegetarian and Halal options. Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive a free meal funded by the government’s Universal Infant Free School Meal grant and we encourage anyone in any year group who thinks they may be eligible to apply for free school meal funding to apply.

We look forward to welcoming you to our table where eating well is always our aim.

Please click on this link for all our Spring term 2022 menus.

This LEO Catering link gives further information about LEO school meals.

School Dinner Money Reminder

We would be most grateful if parents of the children who have school dinners on the Kingston Site could please log into their Arbor account and check their child's dinner money balance regularly.

All dinner money accounts should be in credit before your child has a lunch.

FREE SCHOOL MEALS

We are happy to provide free school meals to parents who are eligible for this offer. Please see the link below for information on Pupil Premium and how to apply.

Pupil Premium

Children on our Kingston site are welcome to bring in a healthy snack for morning break time if they wish.

Unfortunately, we have had an increasing number of children bringing in and eating snacks that are not permitted at break time i.e crisps, biscuits etc.

This should be a piece of fruit or vegetable snack only. Children will not be permitted to eat other food items at this time.

The PTFA is excited about upcoming events planned - Mother’s Day gifts, Easter hunt/trail (tbc), the Jubilee May fair, various Mufti days and Father’s Day gifts later in the year. We are also looking at face-to-face uniform sales as well as opportunities to buy uniform online.

You may have noticed the lovely new painting on the year 1 and 2 playground which was funded by the PTFA as well as new outdoor playtime equipment. We hope to repeat this for the reception area and replace the ship. At Kingston site we would like to provide an outside shelter area with seating and, finally, at both sites, provide sound systems. We really need to raise as much money as we can to fund these projects and thank you in advance for your support.

Please join the PTFA Facebook page for information, events and reminders - https://www.facebook.com/cheampark.farm.94

The PTFA is always looking for help at events. Just one hour of your time makes a huge difference to the PTFA. If you’d like to help at any events, please email Angela and Becky at cpfpptfa@leoacademytrust.co.uk

We are really pleased to share our Inclusion Support site for parents. We know how hard it can be to support learning at home, particularly if your child finds aspects of learning challenging. We hope these resources help! Our top tip is to start with the FAQ's page. We would love to hear your feedback.

Click HERE to access the site.

12 Ways to Calm an Anxious Child

Support referrals for children with anxiety has increased by 45% since the beginning of the pandemic. Experts predict that these increases will rise by a further 11% year on year for the next three years. How can you help your child to feel calm at home and relieve anxious thoughts and feelings? We've listed 12 ways below.

1. Deep Breathing

Ask your child to put their hand on their belly and tell them that when they breathe in, their breath will push their hand out. Tell them to breathe in for a count of four, then hold their breath for a count of four. Then breathe out slowly through their nose.

2. Create a Quiet Zone

Create a dedicated 'quiet zone' in your house. This can be a corner with books, cushions, blankets and teddies. When you child is feeling anxious or they want to remove themselves from an anxious situation, they can escape to their quiet zone.

3. Positive Affirmations

We say affirmations as adults - there's no reason why your children can't too! Start with the obvious 'I am calm,' 'I am brave,' 'I am strong,' 'I can overcome anything,' - ask them to repeat after you or come up with their own!

4. Lead by Example

Talk about mental health and your own feelings. Conversations go two ways, if you want your child to discuss their fears and emotions and be open with you, you need to do the same. Make the following question normal - 'What did we worry about today and what can we do about it tomorrow?'

5. Grounding

Grounding is a technique that allows a distressed child to 'return to the room,' by looking at objects around them or becoming more aware of their senses. You can find techniques online or in our 'Panic Attacks,' booklet.

6. Cuddle

Perhaps the most obvious one to reassure any anxious child is cuddle often! Cuddles release feel good hormones and brain chemicals - it's hard to be sad or worried when you feel safe in someone's arms.

7. Wind Down

Invest in the importance of winding down. Before bed time this is especially beneficial - put away screens and dim the lights, have some quiet time or do a mindfulness exercise before they go to sleep. Our 'body scan' exercise in our 'Mindful Monsters,' booklet is a great wind down exercise to in bed.

8. Reach for a Teddy

We know that most children feel instantly calmed when cuddling their favourite teddy. Have your child tell their worries and fears to their teddy before bedtime.

9. Ask Them What Helps

Every child is different and they may have something that makes them feel calm that you can do next time they are feeling anxious. Is it cuddling a teddy, painting, walking - explore the options and find their calm!

10. Don't Overload Them

Life is SO busy these days. Add in COVID and lockdown and it can be very overwhelming. Try not to overload their schedules. And if you try to talk to them about something but they don't feel like it or they're feeling tired - don't force them! Take your lead from them.

11. Reassure

But don't sugar coat - be as up front with your child as possible and use simple, concise words they understand. Sugar coating or not explaining things properly can cause them to become even more confused. Let them know that you are their safe place and that they can talk with you openly without judgment.

12. Talk Openly

Not just when the child is feeling anxious - but make talking about feelings a priority at all times. Talking openly about emotions and situations will mean a child will learn to be open with you when they are feeling distressed or anxious.

Children, young people and families with any concerns can contact the school nursing service via phone or email. For parents, the school nursing duty line number is 0208 770 5409 and is open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. For children and young people who require support, the contact number is 0208 770 4409 from Monday to Friday 9am-5pm, or the email address is schoolnursing@sutton.gov.uk

Cheam Park Farm Primary Academy wishes to ensure that pupils with medical conditions receive appropriate care and support at school. This policy has been developed in line with the Department for Education’s guidance released in April 2014 – “Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions”.

Please ensure all asthma inhalers and Epipens are in date.

When a child is prescribed medication such as antibiotics ask the GP for one that can be taken three times a day – before school, after school and before bed.

We are aware that some current programmes popular with our older children may well contain inappropriate content. Please click here for guidance on parental controls on Netflix.

Click here for NSPCC guidance on parental controls.

Please click on this link and this link for a list of top tips for ensuring your child remains safe online.

Please click on this link for Parentzone parent drop-ins focusing on digital safety.

For more information on keeping your child safe online, please take a look at this resource created by LGFL.

It is a parent portal that provides a wealth of information on a variety of issues.

Why not take a look?

https://parentsafe.lgfl.net/

We pride ourselves on offering our children varied and exciting experiences and activities that help to support their learning of the curriculum.

The School Fund allows us to provide additional activities across all year groups.

We have a voluntary school fund donation of £10 a term / £30 a year per child or £40 for a family if there are siblings at the school.

Parents can pay for School Fund online via our Arbor payment system. Log into the parent portal and on your child's home screen under accounts you will see School Fund, click into this and select Top Up Account. You can then choose to pay the £10 or £30, if paying for a family for £40 please pay on your eldest child's account). Please ignore the weekly payments, you just need to make the one off payment for either the term or academic year as you choose.

We would like to thank you for your continued support.

A reminder to everyone that the post box outside the main entrance (M) is secure and can be used as a drop off point for communication. It is opened every day.

Add bank staff!

We often have job opportunities that arise somewhere across the LEO Academy Trust. You can access details about jobs via the images here or keep checking the LEO Staff Vacancies section of the website by clicking here.

Please click on this link for information about how you can be part of Easy Fundraising, the UK's biggest charity shopping site.

NEWS

Quiz Club?

Science Week