Good afternoon everyone,
This week we celebrated British Science Week in Key Stage 1 with a range of fun, practical and engaging science activities. The children have had such a wonderful time exploring, investigation, questioning and proving and have explored the life and achievements of several significant scientists.
In our school liturgies this week we heard about a Samaritan woman who questioning being able to give Jesus some of her water as Jews and Samaritans weren’t allowed to share cups. Jesus told her that the water He gives is the water of life and will create a well within the person so that they will never be thirst and so that they too can share this water with others .
In this story, we learn that Jesus does not care about who people are, what they look like, where they come from or what colour their skin is. Instead, he wants us to all drink from the life-giving well so that we too can give life-giving water to others. We do this by behaving like Jesus: showing care and respect to others, no matter who they are. When we pass this care and respect on, we give it to others so they too can give it to others.
This Lent, Our Lady of the Assumption is looking to fundraise for both CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) in its campaign to ‘Walk Against Hunger’. We will make it our own ‘Pilgrimage’ during Lent knowing that each little step we take will make a BIG difference. Each class will set its own Lenten walking target and in Year 1 we have chosen to do our walk around the school grounds. Year 2 will set out daily during the last two weeks of term to do a full circuit of the school grounds, thinking about those less fortunate then us with each step that we take. We will do this walk each day for the last two weeks of the school term. (Start date for Year 2 27th March - 6th April)
As a school we are asking parents/families to sponsor their child/children to undertake their special ‘Pilgrimage Walk’. Once we’ve completed our walk, we will add our kilometres to CAFOD’s ‘ Walk Against Hunger Totaliser’. The aim nationally is 40,000 km! This is a massive challenge, but by joining together we can all help stamp out hunger one step at a time. The children will bring their sponsor forms home on FRIDAY 3RD MARCH and we are asking parents to send in the donations through PARENT PAY (by the end of this term, 6th April) and NOT send the money into school with your child. Please follow the PARENT PAY link you have been sent to set up your account - if you have any problems with this, please contact the school office. Please note you are sponsoring your child for the WHOLE challenge, not each individual, daily walk! Thank you for your support.
Sponsorship Form - in case your doesn’t make it home!
English - This week we planned and began to write our own finding story based upon Lost and Found and The Way Back Home. The children have worked very hard on these, thinking carefully about powerful vocabulary, varying sentence types and time phrases.
Maths - In Maths we have been looking at multiplication through identifying and making equal groups. We learned that the ‘x’ can mean the same as ‘groups of’ so the number sentence 4 x 3 can mean 4 groups of 3. We used this knowledge to help us to draw pictures to solve multiplication problems.
Science - As it has been British Science week, Year 2 have spent each afternoon engaging in a variety of Science-based learning. We learned about the famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough and created our own microhabitats which we have placed on our school grounds to attract minibeasts. We also learned about the famous electrical engineer Nikola Tesla and explored electricity and circuits. We tried to use a potato to power a lightbulb but sadly this did not work as planned! Next, we learned about Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a famous British civil engineer. We challenged ourselves to make paper/card bridges which could take as much weight as possible before breaking. Finally, we learned about diversity in Science and how there are numerous branches of science done by men, woman and people from lots of different countries.
PE - In indoor PE we explored benches and tall equipment to practise balancing, jumping and rolling. In outdoor PE we developed our skills in trapping and passing a ball, as well as close dribbling.
Please continue to practise the Year 1 and 2 Common Exception Words - both reading and spelling!
Please practice learning the 2, 3, 5 and 10 times tables as later this half term we will be having times table tests on these.
Other Tasks
Spellings
Spelling homework this week is to continue to practise the Year 1 or Year 2 words that your child is still unsure of from the list sent home before half term. I will choose 10 of these words for the children to have a spelling test a week on Friday. I have sent home some practise booklets for you to use.
Handwriting
Please continue to practise the handwriting booklets.
Maths
Practise SATS arithmetic paper. There will be some parts of this that we have not yet covered in class but please have a go!
We have noticed that fewer children seem to be reading regularly recently. Please could we ask that you read at home with your child as often as possible. The more they read, they more confident they will get. Reading is such an important skill for accessing the whole of the curriculum, including our special SATS work we will complete during May.
Golden Award - Layla - for her incredible compassion and empathy towards her friend.
Writing Award - Willow - for a huge effort in her writing work.
Maths Award - Elsie - for great multiplication work.
Maths Award - Priya - for always striving to get better.
Discipleship Award -
Click the banner above for information about our Lenten Mass on Tuesdays at 8.30am in the school hall.
Being a Parent Workshops
This is a group being run by Blackpool Council to support parenting skills. There will be two 9 week groups starting on Tuesday 25th April
10.00am-12.00pm The HealthWorks, 1 Clifton Street, FY1 1JD
6.00pm-8.00pm Online using Google Meet.
The group is suitable for parents of children aged 18 months – 11 years (priority is given to parents with children under 4 years) and is led by parents. It looks at communication, behaviour management and listening techniques. The group is free and childcare can be paid for to attend the group.
Parents can book their place by contacting Blackpool Learning Rooms on 01253 478131 or learning.rooms@blackpool.gov.uk .
For more information please download this flyer.
On Tuesday 4th April between 2pm and 4pm Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will be open for parents to pop in and see our classrooms, look through your child’s books, talk to teachers about work and chat to us about what we do at school. We hope you will be able to join us!
You are able to come any time between 2pm and 4pm but if you come during the school day you will be able to take your child home with you when you go!
On Friday 31st March at 2.30pm Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will start our Easter liturgies by telling the story of Palm Sunday through a liturgy. This will take place in church and Key Stage 1 parents are warmly welcomed. We hope you can join us!
Have a lovely weekend,
Mr Whetnall, Mrs Bowdell and Mrs Gibbons
