'So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.' Matthew 7:12

This Tuesday 8th February marked Safer Internet Day. The theme for this year was all about being respectful and responsible when we are online. I am aware that more and more children in Year 6 are communicating online now, so this was an extremely relevant and important lesson. We looked at different online scenarios that might have a negative impact on the way we feel and discussed what emotions they could evoke. This then lead us onto problem solving and knowing what to do if anything every does upset us or worry us, when we are online. Please take this opportunity to talk to your child about being safe, respectful and responsible online. We watched a short video all about the ways we can be safe, respectful and responsible online and made our own posters to share with others…

Here’s what else we have been up to this week….

In Maths we have been plotting and reading coordinates in all four quadrants.

In English we have completed and edited our independent narrative. I will now have chance to read over all of these, ready for our Spring 2 targets-I can fill all parents in on these on Parents’ Day!

In RE we thought about some questions that we found difficult to answer, and had our friends respond to these questions too. It was lovely to be able to compare each others’ responses.

In Science we were researching famous scientist, linked in with our current topic ‘Evolution and Inheritance’.

In Geography we were looking at some topographical features in the UK. We researched and labelled the rivers and seas in all four countries.

In Spanish we were writing full sentences using singular and plural forms of the animal names we learnt last week.

AWARD WINNERS!!

This week’s Golden Award went to Elliot for settling back in so well at Our Lady’s-he has worked so hard this week!

The Maths Award was given to Isabelle for her superb attitude towards her maths learning-she always tries her hardest!

The Writing Award was given to Adam for trying so hard with his independent write.

Parents’ Meeting- Monday February 21st

We will be holding Parent Teacher Meetings again on MONDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2022 - these will be held virtually, as they were in October. Thank you to all of you for booking a time slot with me-I look forward to catching up with all of you. I will be able to update you on your child’s progress since our last meeting, what their targets are and what preparations will be in place for our upcoming SATs.

Other Notices:

  • PE days have changed to Tuesdays and WEDNESDAYS, when we return after half term.

  • Only a watch and plain stud earrings may be worn to school-no other jewellery.

  • Long hair must be tied back.

  • There is no homework over half term. I just ask that the class keep up with regular home reading.

I hope you all have a wonderful week off. Thank you once again to my wonderful Year 6 class for your continued hard work and efforts. Parents, you should all be very proud!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

This week in Year 6.....

Here’s what we have been up to this week….

In Maths, we have been looking at time on a digital and analogue clock, calculating time intervals and reading timetables. We have also looked at the properties of circles, and used a compass to draw circles accurately.

In English we have been doing our independent write. We have been using our toolkits, guided write, thesauruses and plans to help us t produced the best piece of writing we have done so far! We will be finishing these off next week, and completing any edits.

In RE we continued to looked at passages from the scripture, reflecting on their meanings and how they might influences believers’ moral values and behaviours.

In HRSE we have been looking at two important things: sleep and personal hygiene. We watched another episode of ‘Paradise Street’ which followed four children. One of them stayed up gaming until 3.30am in the morning and another woke up with a spot on her face. We talked about the importance of sleep and the affect that lack on sleep can have on our brains. We also talked about how our bodies start to change as we go through puberty, spots being one of the things we may experience. This lead us on to a discussion about general personal hygiene, including: brushing our teeth, body odour and the importance of washing daily.

In Computing we have been breaking down instructions in Python, and learning how to create loops using this programme. We have lots of fun creating circular repeated patters…some of them looked just like a slinky!

In Art we continued to look at the art and life of famous artist, Vincent Van Gough. We used our pencils to create a sketch using similar strokes to Van Gogh’s distinctive artistic style.

In Geography our focus was on Physical and Human Geography. We looked at the difference between the two and then identified different physical and human features from the four countries of the UK.

In PE we looked at counter balances and counter tension balances. In partners, we planned out our sequence and performed them to the class….

AWARD WINNERS!

This week’s Golden Award went to Evie for her continued hard work and effort in Year 6.

The Writing Award was given to Declan for his varied punctuation in his independent wirte.

The Maths Award was given to Sienna for her fantastic work on time intervals.

Parents’ Meeting- Monday February 21st

We will be holding Parent Teacher Meetings again on MONDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2022 - these will be held virtually, as they were in October. Thank you to all those who have already booked their appointment. If you are still yet to do so, please follow the link sent out last week. During these meetings I will be able to inform you of the progress you child has made since the last time we spoke in October and what preparation will be in place for our upcoming SATs. It is important that I meet with all parents.

Other Notices:

  • PE days are on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • Only a watch and plain stud earrings may be worn to school-no other jewellery.

  • Long hair must be tied back.

  • If your child is showing any cold symptoms PLEASE test them for Covid using a lateral flow test and if in any doubt, please go for a PCR. We must all do what we can to ensure this does not spread through school - we all know how quickly germs spread among children and although they might not be badly affected, those around them may well be. Many, many thanks for your continued support on this issue.

  • I will update the Home Learning Page if there are any members of the class having to isolate due to Covid, and are well enough to complete work. It is not expected for those who are off with other illnesses to complete Home Learning, hence why it is only updated for those isolating.

  • Have you read Miss Haggerty’s post from last week? If you haven’t please follow this link and make sure you read to the end of the blog!

https://www.ourladyassumption-sch.co.uk/news/2022/1/28/take-your-candle-and-light-the-world

Have a wonderful weekend, Year 6. Only one more week left of this half term now!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'Share our similarities, celebrate our differences!' - M. Scott Peck

In HRSE this week we have been looking at our gifts and talents. We watched a video following four different children, who had many similarities and also many differences. They each had talents in different areas, and the overall message was that we celebrate our difference…the world would be a boring place if we were all the same! We know that God made us all unique and loves us all individually. He wants us to love ourselves and show love to others too, embracing all of our differences and celebrating the fact that we are special and unique!

Here’s what else we have been up to this week…

In Maths we have been converting measurements. We have been converting between metric measures of length (cm, mm and m) and also between kilograms and miles…this was a little trickier as it was a conversion between a metric and an imperial measurement!

In English we completed our guided write and have now planned our independent write. Today, we made a start on our actual writing and will continue with this next week.

In Computing we continued using Python coding to instruct our ‘turtles’ to make a house. Some of us even got on to remixing our codes.

In RE our focus was on The Liturgy of the Word. We discussed how important it is to listen to the readings in Mass, as this is how we learn more about our mission to help fulfil the Word of God. We then looked up some references and wrote about the key messages in each passage and how they might influence moral values and behaviours.

In PE we continued with our gymnastic sequences, improving them before showing them to the rest of the class.

In Spanish we consolidate our learning of numbers, playing a fun game, and started to look at names of different animals.

This week also have some visitors in. On Monday, two firemen from the Lancashire Fire Department come it to talk to us all about Road Safety. This was a really important lesson and was very appropriate with many of the class making their way to High School independently in September. On Thursday, a gentleman from SCARF Education came and delivered a session on decision-making and drugs. We talked about how many important decisions we have to make in life and also about different types of drugs: medicinal, non-medicinal, legal and illegal.

AWARD WINNERS:

The Golden Award went to Lennon for being so kind and considerate to those around him.

The Writing Award was given to Molly for the effort she put into her guided write.

The Maths Award went to Grace for her great work this week.

Parents’ Meeting- Monday February 21st

We will be holding Parent Teacher Meetings again on MONDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2022 - these will be held virtually, as they were in October. You will receive an email/text with the information shortly, informing you of how to can book your 10 minute appointment. During these meetings I will be able to inform you of the progress you child has made since the last time we spoke in October and what preparation will be in place for our upcoming SATs. It is important that I meet with all parents.

Other Notices:

  • PE days are on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • Only a watch and plain stud earrings may be worn to school-no other jewellery.

  • Long hair must be tied back.

  • If your child is showing any cold symptoms PLEASE test them for Covid using a lateral flow test and if in any doubt, please go for a PCR. We must all do what we can to ensure this does not spread through school - we all know how quickly germs spread among children and although they might not be badly affected, those around them may well be. Many, many thanks for your continued support on this issue.

  • I will update the Home Learning Page if there are any members of the class having to isolate due to Covid, and are well enough to complete work. It is not expected for those who are off with other illnesses to complete Home Learning, hence why it is only updated for those isolating.

Have a lovely weekend! I can hardly believe there are only two weeks left of this half term!

Mrs Murphy and Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'I confess to Almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters....' - Penitential Act

In RE this week, we have been learning the Penitential Act and discussing its meaning. We say the Penitential Act together at the very beginning of mass, acknowledging our sins and asking for forgiveness. The class have been reflecting on the ways in which we may sin through our, thoughts, words, deeds (what I have done) and omissions (what I have failed to do). It was interesting discussing how we can be sinful through our omissions…sometimes it is our lack of action that is sinful. The parable of the Good Samaritan helped us to understand this.

Here’s what else we have been up to this week…

In Maths we have been drawing and measuring angles and converting measurements from grams to kilograms, and vice versa. We made the link between 1kg=1000g, and the need to multiply or divide by 1000 when converting between the two.

In English we have continued our guided write. We are very near the end of this piece of writing now, and will be ready to plan and write up our independent write next week. We have been focusing on using: a variety of punctuation; cohesive devices; relative clauses; effective sentence starters; blending action, speech and description.

In Geography we labelled a map of the UK. To begin with, we were given a blank map and had to label any countries, seas, boundaries, capital cities, or rivers that we thought we already knew, before research. We then filled in a second template using an atlas to help us research. We could then compare our two maps to see how accurate (or inaccurate) we were. We also discussed the difference between the UK and Great Britain…ask us at home!

In Science we have been identifying living things, their habitats and what adapted traits they have.

In Computing we were working with Python, a real programming language which is used to build many websites, including YouTube and Google. We explore Python’s basic commands and created a basic picture using Python commands.

In HRSE we used the story of The Calming of the Storm to reflect on the changes we have been through in our life so far, and what changes we have yet to come. Just like the sudden change in the weather in the Calming of the Storm, we know that in life we face many sudden changes, and in both circumstances we can rely on Jesus to be there for us to help us with any troubles we may encounter. Some of the changes we have yet to come, that we discussed, were the move to high school, making new friends, growing up and our bodies changing, deciding what career we what to pursue, moving away from home and many more…as exciting as many of these changes are, I know some of these can be very daunting…this is why we must be comforted in the knowledge that Jesus will always be there to see us through any challenges ahead.

In Spanish we revised the numbers we already knew and began to learn numbers up to 39. The class were very good at remembering what they had learnt n Year 5 already!

In PE we created gymnastic sequences and introduced different levels. The class used the equipment to create a fluid sequence, including our previously taught elements. I was very impressed with how sensible the class were when using the equipment and they produced some good sequences….

In Art we have been using our critical thinking skills, while looking at some artwork by Vincent Van Gogh. We had a silent debate, in which we made our way around the classroom (silently of course!) and jotted down our opinions on each piece of art…

AWARD WINNERS!

This week’s Golden Award went to Isabella for being a kind, caring and hard-working member of the class.

The Maths Award went to Sam for his superb work on converting grams to kilograms.

The Writing award went to Mia for her accurate use of more sophisticated punctuation.

Active Blackpool February Sports Camp

Mrs Holden, our PE lead, has sent us some information regarding a half term Sports Camp for those with moderate learning difficulties. Session will provide an opportunity for children and young people with mild to moderate additional needs to experience sporting and physical activities they may be already familiar with but also some new and exciting activities along the way.

Monday 14th February 2022 – Friday 18th February 2022

08.30 – 17.30

Full and half day options available

 Please contact active.blackpool@blackpool.gov.uk for bookings and further information.

Other Notices:

  • PE days are on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • Only a watch and plain stud earrings may be worn to school-no other jewellery.

  • Long hair must be tied back.

  • If your child is showing any cold symptoms PLEASE test them for Covid using a lateral flow test and if in any doubt, please go for a PCR. We must all do what we can to ensure this does not spread through school - we all know how quickly germs spread among children and although they might not be badly affected, those around them may well be. Many, many thanks for your continued support on this issue.

  • I will update the Home Learning Page if there are any members of the class having to isolate due to Covid, and are well enough to complete work. It is not expected for those who are off with other illnesses to complete Home Learning, hence why it is only updated for those isolating.

As always, have a lovely weekend and take care.

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen


Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'A New Commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.' (John 13:34)

In RE this week we have been focusing on the Last Supper and the New Covenant Jesus made with his disciples and with us. We know that many children in Year 4 are currently preparing for their First Holy Communion so we have written them a letter, explaining all about Jesus’ New Covenant and the importance of the Last Supper. We know that at the Last Supper Jesus promised to give himself, body and blood, to us, and he fulfilled this by accepting his death in the cross-he died for us! In return he wants us to give ourselves to him and the way that we can do this is by following and living out the New Commandment. Unlike the Covenant (10 commandments) God made with the Israelites in the Old Testament, Jesus gives us just one commandment…’Love One Another…’ .

Here’s what else we have been up to this week….

In Maths we have continued our focus on angles. This week, we have been calculating angles in triangles. We had to find missing angles and some of these were really tricky…I was so pleased at how much the class challenged themselves with this work!

In English we have started our shared write. We have been writing our own version of The Wizard of Oz, keeping some details the same and innovating others. Paragraph by paragraph, we have been writing it together before the class have then innovated our guided write in their own books. Next week, we will finish off our shared write and begin our independent big write!

In Computing we have used Logo to create nested loops. We have been creating some beautiful patterns by using coding to repeat shapes on Turtle Academy.

In HRSE we have conitnued to focus on the story of The Calming of the Storm. Our focus has been on ‘Faith’ and the importance of placing our trust and faith in God. We put ourselves in the shoes of the disciples while we re-watched the video of the Calming of the Storm, and noted down what thoughts/feelings/questions it may have evoked for them.

In Geography we were introduced to our new topic: 'The UK’. We used our start-of-unit concept map to make links between key vocabulary, and show what we already know.

In PE we did archery! We had so much fun and for many of us in Year 6 we were developing our archery skills as we had already done this in the Sports4Champions after school club. Here are some pictures…

Here are the AWARD WINNERS for this week:

The Golden Award went to Jack for the huge efforts he has been putting into his work this week!

The Maths Award was given to Onalee for the massive improvements with her ‘Fluent in 5'‘.

The Writing Award was given to Sienna for her innovated write-her writing was very cohesive,

Other Notice:

  • PE days are on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • Only a watch and plain stud earrings may be worn to school-no other jewellery.

  • Long hair must be tied back.

  • If your child is showing any cold symptoms PLEASE test them for Covid using a lateral flow test and if in any doubt, please go for a PCR. We must all do what we can to ensure this does not spread through school - we all know how quickly germs spread among children and although they might not be badly affected, those around them may well be. Many, many thanks for your continued support on this issue.

  • I will update the Home Learning Page if there are any members of the class having to isolate due to Covid, and are well enough to complete work. It is not expected for those who are off with other illnesses to complete Home Learning, hence why it is only updated for those isolating.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend-take care.

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'Let us adore Christ like the Magi.' - Pope Francis

Happy New Year!

Welcome back and Happy New Year to you all! I do hope you all managed to have a wonderful Christmas and New Year…let’s make 2022 the best year yet!

This Thursday 6th January, marked the Feast of the Epiphany. The Solemnity of the Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Magi — also known as the Three Wise Men or Three Kings — who came with gifts to worship the Child Jesus shortly after his birth. They travelled afar in acknowledgement that Jesus was a true King and Saviour. In our RE lesson this week, we also offered up three gifts to Christ. We reflected on what gifts we would like to give to Jesus to show Him that we too believe that he is our King and Saviour. We then explained our choices of gifts, using Jesus teachings from the bible to support this. It was so lovely to see gifts such as charity, tolerance, courage and forgiveness being offered to Christ.

Here is what else we have been up to this week…

In Maths we have been focusing on angles. We have calculated missing angles on a straight line and around a point. We have also revised quarter, half, three-quarter and full turns and their corresponding degrees.

In English we have continued with our Classic Fiction unit. We started the week innovating sentences from Frank L Baum’s ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ and ended the week completing a shared plan for our guided write next week. This is all in preparation for the independent write they will all be completing the week after next. We are sticking close to the original story line of the Wizard of Oz, but changing some events, characters and settings.

In Science we set up our mould investigation. As we were classifying microorganisms last term, we are going to observe the changes in mould-growth on slices of bread, but with a variable. In small groups we decided what our variable would be…this could be storing slices in different temperatures, having a dry slice and a slice or even keeping some in the dark and some in the light. We will observe any changes over the next few weeks.

In HRSE we started a new Unit with the focus on the understanding that we were created individually by God who cares for us and wants us to put our faith in Him. We watched and discussed The Calming of the Story, and focused this week on how we can show others that we care for them, just as Jesus shows us how much he cares.

In Computing we were introduced to a computing programme called Logo. Logo is a stepping stone to Python. We used coding to create basic 2D polygons, starting with a square. We looked at how important it is that we input our coding perfectly because doing something as simple as leaving a space or not leaving a space, can cause a bug.

In PE we continued with our gymnastics. Independently, we created a gymnastic sequence that incorporated a balance, jump, turn, travel and a roll. Next week we will create partner sequences!

In Spanish we have recapped colours and have started to describe different flags using colours.

This week’s Award Winners….

The Golden Award went to Nathaniel for his growth mindset in class this week.

The Writing Award went to Evie for her superb innovated sentences.

The Maths award went to Jensen for his great work on angles.

School Uniform

Miss Haggerty has asked all of the teachers to talk to the pupils this week about the importance of looking smart and wearing the correct uniform. Here are just a few reminders - please see expectations of school uniform, which is in the school prospectus. This is something ALL staff have addressed with their classes this week.

  • No nail varnish or make up can be worn for school

  • Earrings must only be a plain studs (no hoops or ‘dangling’ earrings)

  • Please keep hair accessories small and long hair must be tied back

  • Boots cannot be worn for school - only black, sensible shoes

  • The only jewellery to be worn in school is a watch and plain stud earrings. Necklaces and bracelets must not be worn to school, even if they are not on show.

Covid-19

Unfortunately, we start the new school term very much still the grip of the Covid pandemic. None of us want to see schools closing and remote learning back in place, so we must ALL play our part to keep one another safe. The new Omicron variant has symptoms that are very similar to the common cold - if your child is showing any cold symptoms PLEASE test them for Covid using a lateral flow test and if in any doubt, please go for a PCR. We must all do what we can to ensure this does not spread through school - we all know how quickly germs spread among children and although they might not be badly affected, those around them may well be. Many, many thanks for your continued support on this issue.

Thank you, Year 6, for a wonderful first week back-it has certainly been a great way to start the New Year. I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

Merry Christmas Everyone!

And just like that, we come to the end of our first full term in Year 6. This week has been a busy one indeed, with work to finish, tests to be taken, book clubs to attend, Christmas dinners to be eaten and pantos to watch!! We have managed to fit it all in!

Year 4,5 & 6 Carol Service

Here is a video of Year 4, 5 and 6’s carol service-we hope you enjoy!

Thank you!

I would just like to say a huge thank you to my wonderful class for such an amazing first term. They have all worked so hard, right up to this week, and I am incredibly proud with the progress made and the achievements of every single one of them! Thank you as well to all of you parents for your continued support this term-I really appreciate this! We must also say a huge thank you this week to our PTA. On Wednesday afternoon the children were treated to a Christmas quiz and a virtual pantomime of Aladdin and they absolutely loved it! This was all organised by our wonderful PTA who also provided each child with treats that they had whilst watching. This afternoon the children have also come home with a selection box and Christmas card; another gift from the PTA!

Year 6 Book Club!

Yesterday, our Advent Reading Challenge came to an end, and what better way to celebrate than a book club?! We gathered in the hall and and had the chance to discuss the book(s) we read with others…and like any book club, biscuits were a necessity. Here are some pictures….

Award Winners!

This week’s Golden Award went to ALL of Year 6 for an amazing first term in Year 6!

The Maths award went to Cianna for her consistent high scores in her times tables test.

We also had other awards to give out this week (see pictures below). Five children in the class received a special treat for completing 3 or 4 of the reading books from our Advent Challenge: Hallie, Eliza, Adam, Nevaeh and Laciee-well done! We also had another prize winner this week-Kourtney not only won the colouring competition for our year group, she also won the overall prize for KS2-well done!

Have a Happy & Holy Christmas!

Finally, Mrs Owen and I would like to wish you all a Happy & Holy Christmas and all the best for the coming year-I have a good feeling about 2022! We look forward to welcoming the children back on Tuesday 4th January 2022 after a well earned rest.

All the best-stay safe!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen x

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!' - Philippians 4:4

This Sunday marks the third Sunday of Advent, when we light the rose-coloured JOY candle; this Sunday is also known as Gaudete Sunday. ‘Gaudete’ is the Latin word for Rejoice, and Advent is certainly a time to rejoice the coming of Christ and the sacrifice He made so that we may live with Him forever. This Sunday, we are invited to reflect on the joy we have access to because of our faith in Jesus.We must not let the struggles of the year distract from the great joy we have because of Christ!

As part of our daily shared worship this week, we have been continuing to open our two advent calendars. Behind each window is a passage from scripture, which we discuss and reflect on. Each day we are nearing closer to birth of Christ- the birth of our Saviour!

Here’s what else we have been up to this week…

In Maths we have been: expressing calculations algebraically and solving algebraic equations with two unknowns; calculating the area of parallelograms; calculating the area of right angle triangles. They have all linked in nicely with each other as we have had to use algebraic formulas when working out the areas of shapes. Test us at home to see if we can remember the formula for parallelograms and right angle triangles!!

In English we have been identifying expanded noun phrases and prepositions in an extract from the Wizard of Oz and we have now created a toolkit for introducing new characters. So now we have two toolkits: one for the opening of Classic Fiction texts and one for introducing new characters. We will be using these when we come to doing our guided and independent writes, after Christmas! We have also been innovating sentences from the original text, in preparation for our big write. This week the class also had a go at at GPS paper-this was more for us to identify gaps and see what we need to focus on and less about the score we got.

In PE we had our last Blackpool Buddies’ lesson with Blackpool Community Trust. This has been a great scheme which has allowed us to create and develop our own PE games and trial them out on each other, and younger groups of Year 2 children. We have now all had a go at playing our games with the Year 2’s and the younger children really enjoyed them too!

In Art we have been making our Christmas cards and calendars. We’ve had the paint out, glitter, stars, tissue paper, card, paper…needless to say the classroom has been quite colourful this week!

In Science we have continued with our work on Classification, looking at the Linnaeus system and how/why this is used to sort living things into different groups.

This week’s Golden Award went to Kayden for being such an enthusiastic and hard-working member of the class

The Maths Award was given to Hallie for working so hard with her Maths work!

The Writing Award was given to

Other Notices:

  • Year 4, 5 & 6 Carol Concert

    This week, Year 4, 5 & 6 performed their Christmas Carol Service, ‘A Christmas Window’. This was filmed professionally and they all did such an amazing job. The recording of this service will be shared on the website next week…so watch this space!

  • PTFA Christmas Jumper day - 14TH DECEMBER

    We are asking for a donation of £1 on this day for PTFA funds - which are then spent on items for the children in school. Many thanks.

  • Advent Reading Challenge

    We are now a week and a half into our Advent Reading Challenge and it has been so pleasing to see everyone in the class reading one of our chosen books. Some children in the class have read ALL of the challenge books…I am very impressed! For those who are still on their first book, please make sure you have finished reading it by next Thursday (16th) as this will be when we are holding our book club!

  • Clean Water Bottles

    Throughout the school we have a number of bugs and colds going around, and of course Covid is still present. With this in mind, we please ask that you ensure your child’s school water bottle is thoroughly cleaned at home, before they bring it back in each day. They best was to kill the germs is to use boiling water.

    Wrap Up!

  • Please also that your child comes to school with a warm coat (and hat/scarf/gloves for those really cold days) everyday for playtimes as we will go out in all weathers for fresh air and exercise.

  • Covid-19

    The threat of Covid is still prevalent in our school, with a number of positive cases at present. With this in mind, we ask that you keep your child at home if they are showing any symptoms and take them for a PCR test. Headaches have been identified as a common symptom with children, as well as coughing, sore throats, high temperature and loss of smell/taste. If any child is having to isolate, due to Covid-19, and they are well enough to work, Home Learning will be available on the Year 6 Home Learning Page.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'Let us build our lives of faith on the rock who is Christ.' - Pope Francis

This Sunday marks the second Sunday of Advent, and symbolises FAITH with the ‘Bethlehem’ candle. This week we are reminded of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and the faith and trust they both placed in God, accepting his will. In RE this week, we have been looking at the different symbols of Advent and their meanings. We have also been opening our Advent calendars and reading and reflecting on the bible passages behind each window.

Here is what else we have been up to this week…

In Maths we have continued dividing fractions by integers, where the numerator could not be divided my the integer. We have also looked at the area and perimeter of squares and rectangles, and using these formulas to find the are of ‘T’ and ‘L’ shapes. This week, the class also completed a timed arithmetic test. This was to give the children an idea of where their gaps are, and what areas they feel they need to work on. I was SO impressed with the scores of all the children in the class, especially given this was their first timed arithmetic assessment!

In English we have been comparing the openings of different classic fiction texts. We have identified common features and grammatical structures in each opening, in order to create our own toolkit-we will use this toolkit when we come to writing our own opening! In GPS we have been identifying the subject, verb and object in a sentence, and recognising the difference between the active and passive voice.

In History we described several different WW2 land marks, that we had located on a map of our local area. Did you know that Winter Gardens was used for RAF training purposes and the Blackpool Tower was used as an experimental radar station?! We also responded to our end of topic big question ‘How was the Battle of Britain a significant turning-point in British histrory’

In PE we had a gymnastics lesson. We had to create a sequence which included a balance, a jump and a role. We were looking to create a sequence with good control, smooth transitions and straight lines.

In Computing we were using a programme called ‘Bitsbox’ to create our own apps. We had to follow some complex coding and debug, when necessary.

AWARD WINNERS:

The Golden Award went to Declan for being a wonderful role model, and always making good choices.

The Maths Award was given to Eliza for her perfect arithmetic score.

The Writing Award was given to Lennon for the huge improvement in the quality and presentation of his written work.

OTHER NOTICES:

  • Year 4, 5 & 6 Carol Concert

    This year, Year 4, 5 & 6 are joining together to sing some carols and tell the story of the Nativity. As we are still not in the position to welcome parents into school, in big groups, the Carol Concert will be professionally! recorded and put on the website for all parents to see! We have started to practice the carols during our music lessons and the narration parts have now been divided out between the three classes. The recording will take place on Wednesday 8th December.

  • PTFA Christmas Jumper day - 14TH DECEMBER

    We are asking for a donation of £1 on this day for PTFA funds - which are then spent on items for the children in school. Many thanks.

  • Advent Reading Challenge

    As part of our Advent challenge this year, we are reading a selection of books to read throughout the Advent period. At he end of the term, we will then have a book club (with biscuits of course!) and we will discuss the books we have read.

    The books in our challenge this year are: ‘Holes’ , ‘Coraline’ and ‘Grandpa’s Great Escape’ and ‘Millions’.

    I am so pleased to see all of the class engaging in the reading challenge this year. Everyone is now reading one of the above books, which means everyone will be able to take part in our book club! I have also said there may be a special treat for anyone who manages to read 3 or 4 of the books from the list!

  • Clean Water Bottles

    Throughout the school we have a number of bugs and colds going around, and of course Covid is still present. With this in mind, we please ask that you ensure your child’s school water bottle is thoroughly cleaned at home, before they bring it back in each day. They best was to kill the germs is to use boiling water.

  • Wrap Up!

    Please also that your child comes to school with a warm coat (and hat/scarf/gloves for those really cold days) everyday for playtimes as we will go out in all weathers for fresh air and exercise.

  • Finishing date/time for Christmas

    We break up from school on Friday 17th December at the slightly earlier time of 2pm.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'Advent is a time of waiting for our Lord, who will visit us all in our own hearts. The Lord is coming! Let us wait for Him!' - Pope Francis

This Sunday 28th November is the first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of our time of preparation for the coming of Christ. The first candle to be lit this Sunday represents HOPE.

In class we have discussed the importance of Advent and how it signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice. With this in mind, we have all made our own Advent Promise, one that we hope will help to spiritually nourish us, and help to closen our relationship with Christ. We have thought carefully about what this promise will be this year, ensuring it is something that is both challenging, but achievable. It was so lovely reading these promises, which ranged from being more prayerful, to being more tolerant and patient with those around us.

Here’s what else we have been up to this week….

In Maths we have been multiplying and dividing fractions by integers (whole numbers). We also solved some problems by finding percentages of amounts.

In English we have been writing formal letters to the Wizard of Oz, in the role of Scarecrow. We had to remember all of the features of formal writing, to ask Oz for his help in acquiring a brain for the Scarecrow. I was very pleased with the use of vocabulary in these letters-everyone had made sure they used sophisticated choices of language, to replace the more informal words. We also recited a passage from the novel, using our own story maps to help us!

In Science we have been looking at the classification of animals, using their characteristics to help differentiate between groups and species of animals, including humans!

In History we compared primary and secondary sources of information, offering our opinions on which we through would be more reliable. We then looked at some primary sources of information from WW2, in our local area! We located several pillboxes and marked them on a map of our local area of Blackpool. The class were astonished to learn that we have so much history on our doorstep (literally!) Squires Gate is full of WW2 history-there are pillboxes up near the airport, which was an RAF base during the war. There are also a couple of pillboxes at South Shore Cricket Club, on Common Edge Road!!

In Computing we have been using Scratch to make our own games.

AWARD WINNERS:

The Golden Award went to Adam for his positive attitude towards his learning and the people around him.

The Maths Award was given to Lila for her fantastic problem solving skills.

The Writing Award was given to Brodie for the huge progress she has made with her writing-especially her spelling!

OTHER NOTICES:

  • Year 4, 5 & 6 Carol Concert

    This year, Year 4, 5 & 6 are joining together to sing some carols and tell the story of the Nativity. As we are still not in the position to welcome parents into school, in big groups, the Carol Concert will be professionally! recorded and put on the website for all parents to see! We have started to practice the carols during our music lessons and the narration parts will be divided out between the three classes next week. The recording will take place on Wednesday 8th December.

  • PTFA Christmas Jumper day - 14TH DECEMBER

    We are asking for a donation of £1 on this day for PTFA funds - which are then spent on items for the children in school. Many thanks.

  • Advent Reading Challenge

    As part of our Advent challenge this year, we are going to have a selection of books to read throughout the Advent period. At he end of the term, we will then have a book club (with biscuits of course!) and we will discuss the books we have read.

    The books in our challenge this year are: ‘Holes’ , ‘Coraline’ and ‘Millions’.

  • Clean Water Bottles

    Throughout the school we have a number of bugs and colds going around, and of course Covid is still present. With this in mind, we please ask that you ensure your child’s school water bottle is thoroughly cleaned at home, before they bring it back in each day. They best was to kill the germs is to use boiling water.

  • Wrap Up!

  • Please also that your child comes to school with a warm coat (and hat/scarf/gloves for those really cold days) everyday for playtimes as we will go out in all weathers for fresh air and exercise.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger..' - John 6:35

In RE this week we have been deepening our understanding of Jesus as ‘The Bread of Life’. We know that Jesus referred to himself as ‘The Bread of Life’ as he wanted His people to understand that just as we need to be physically nourished, we also need to be spiritually nourished….Jesus is our spiritual nourishment! We compared our physical needs with our spiritual needs, making the parallel between satisfying our physical hunger with food to prevent us from become weak, and satisfying our spiritual hunger with Jesus to prevent our faith from weakening.

Here’s what else we have been up to this week….

In Maths we have been focusing on fractions of amounts and percentages of amounts. We made links between the two and were able to make fraction/percentage equivalents. I was very impressed with how quick the class picked up on percentages of amounts!

In English we have been writing up our cyclone poems. I was blown away by the standard of these poems. Everyone used such descriptive language to personify their cyclone and they were all structured very well too. If fact, the children were so pleased with their work, we decided to photocopy our poems to share with people at home too…we hope you enjoyed them!

In History we were looking at both sides of the argument for/against the idea that there was a ‘Blitz Spirit’. Historians have argued the case on both sides of this discussion, and we looked at evidence from both points of view. We then rated each piece of evidence according to how powerful we believed it was and explained why we rated it so high.

In Science we have continued to focus on the classification of different micro-organisms, even looking into the history of some Scientists and their use of helpful micro-organisms in things such as medicines.

In PE we continued with our ‘Blackpool Buddies’ programme. Last week, we finished off planning our games and a few groups had a chance to try these games out on the class. One group then went onto the KS1 yard and lead a group of Year 2 children in playing their game-the younger children loved this!

AWARD WINNERS:

The Golden Award went to Theo for being an incredibly kind and thoughtful member of the class.

The Writing Award was given to ALL of the class!! I just could not pick one star writer this week, as the standard was so high!

The Maths Award was given to Laciee for her fantastic work on percentages.

Other Notices:

  • Throughout the school we have a number of bugs and colds going around, and of course Covid is still present. With this in mind, we please ask that you ensure your child’s school water bottle is thoroughly cleaned at home, before they bring it back in each day. They best was to kill the germs is to use boiling water.

  • As we are having to keep the classrooms well ventilated, it can get quite cold in the classroom at times. Due to this, the children are welcome to wear extra layers of clothing under their school uniform and/or they can bring in their PE hoodies should they wish to double up on top of their jumpers/cardigans.

  • As mentioned above, we do have a number of bugs going around the classes at the moment, so we please ask if your child is showing any signs of illness/sickness, please do not send them into school, and they must remain at home for 48 hours from their last episode of sickness.

  • The threat of Covid is still prevalent in our school, with a number of positive cases at present,. With this in mind, we also ask that you keep your child at home if they are showing any symptoms and take them for a PCR test. Headaches have been identified as a common symptom with children, as well as coughing, sore throats, high temperature and loss of smell/taste.

Thank you, Year 6 for your continued efforts and thank you parents for your continued support!

Have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'At the going down of the sun and in the morning: we will remember them'- Robert Laurence Binyon

Yesterday, Thursday 11th November, marked Armistice Day. In class we reminded ourselves of why we mark this special day; remembering all the fallen and injured soldiers from wars past and present. We honoured the 2 minutes silence at 11am and dedicated our art lesson to painting poppies, which are a symbol of remembrance for those who have lost their lives in the wars….

Here’s what else we have been up to this week…

In Maths we started the week solving problems involving the addition and subtraction of mixed numbers and we ended the week on long division.

In English we have been deepening our understanding of a text by highlighting what the opening of The Wizard of Oz tells us and what it shows us. We have also watched a clip of the cyclone from the opening scene of the film and analysed cinematic choices of sound. We are now collecting word, phrases and sentences to describe the cyclone, in preparation for the poem we will be writing next week.

In Science we have been classifying micro-organisms. We have looked at three main groups: fungus, bacteria and viruses.

In RE we have studied the life and actions of Mother Teresa, and how her actions were informed by her religious beliefs. We have used references from the scripture to support our ideas.

In Art we use a particular paining technique to create our poppy pieces of artwork (see above). Just by using simple brush strokes and a finer paint brush for detail, we created some beautiful pieces of art.

AWARD WINNERS:

The Golden Award went to Eliza for being a wonderful role model-she is a delight to teach.

The Maths award was given to Jacob for his great work on long division.

The Writing Award went to Grace for her detailed and well-presented R.E work.

Free E-Book ‘Arthur and the Magic Book’

We are happy to support local author Dina Elizabeth Slater (who has close links to Our Lady's school!) as she launches her fantastic new children's picture book, 'Arthur and the Magic Book'. We want to take the opportunity to share a link to the free eBook for you to enjoy. Below there are also links to Dina's website, should you wish to find out more information.

Website: www.artandetta.co.uk

EBook: https://bit.ly/3k6VI9O
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artandetta

Thank you, Year 6, for another successful week of learning-you are an incredibly hard-working class!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'The Saints were not superhuman. They were people who loved God in their hearts, and who shared this joy with others.' - Pope Francis

On Monday we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints. This is a special feast when we remember all saints and martyrs, known and unknown, throughout Christian history. Each child in the class chose a Saint and went on to research their lives and the actions that lead to their Sainthood. They have all created a presentation dedicated to their Saint and we will be presenting some of these next week. Yesterday we also had our first class mass, over at church, with Fr Chris. The class behaved so respectfully and the readers from our class read beautifully. I know Fr Chris was very impressed with how Year 6 conducted themselves. Well done: you made myself and Miss Haggerty very proud.

Here’s what else we have been up to this week….

In Maths our focus has been on fractions. We have been adding and subtracting fractions with different denominators, including mixed numbers.

In English we have stared our new unit, ‘Classic Fiction’. We started the unit by discussing the questions ‘Can modern literature be classed as Classic Fiction?’; the class were quite divided with their opinions on this! We have also been exploring some archaic language from the opening of the Classic novel ‘The Wizard of Oz’.

In RE we read several different passages from scripture. We then highlighted parts of the scripture that we believed contained important messages and went on to explain what these messages were and why they are so important. Next week, we will be looking at the life of Mother Teresa and how her actions reflect these important messages/teachings of Christ.

In PE we had our first lesson lead by Blackpool Community Trust. This scheme is called ‘Blackpool Buddies’ and in the sessions the teachers play different games that the class can then use and lead groups of younger children with. After each lesson, a small group from Year 6 will then go and lead some Year 2’s in activities they have just been taught.

AWARD WINNERS!

The Golden Award went to Olivia for embracing all that this school stands for-she cares, she learns and she respects!

The Writing Award was given to Cianna for her well-structured and well-presented written work this week.

The Maths Award was given to Evie for her fantastic work on fractions.

Other Notices:

  • If your child is having to isolate, and they are well enough to complete work, please access the Home Learning Page, which will have a timetable and resources for the week. I ask that you send any completed work to year6@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

  • We are collecting items for the Samaritan’s Purse Shoe box Appeal. Year 6 have been asked to contribute small toys, such as skipping ropes, toy cars, small puzzles, yoyos. Any donations are hugely appreciated.

  • As it is Remembrance month, we are selling poppies in school. We are asking for a minimum donation of 50p per poppy. Our Head/ Deputy Head girls/boys have done a wonderful job of overseeing the poppy stall, at the front of school!

  • You may find the following link useful; this website offers parenting advice from mental health experts with practical tips to support behaviour.

    https://parentingsmart.place2be.org.uk/

  • PE days are now on Tuesdays and Fridays.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

Happy Half Term!

I said to the class on their first day in Year 6 that this year really does fly by….well, that’s one half term that has flown by already! I am so incredibly proud of my class, and how hard they have worked these past 8 weeks. It has been a pleasure getting to know them all personally and as learners, and I am so pleased with all they have achieved in such a short space of time!

Here’s what we have been up to this week….

In Maths we have been comparing and ordering fractions and adding fractions with a total that is great than 1. We also converted improper fractions to mixed numbers…the class were very good at this!

In English we have completed our biographies. I am so pleased with the effort everyone put into this independent write and they have really helped to inform your writing targets for next half term. We are so pleased with our biographies, we are putting them on display for other classes to read!

In Science we have been have a closer study of the heart and lungs. This involved a dissection, which Mrs Ormerod tells me, was very successful. As this was not for everyone, while the rest of the class did this, the other children completed their cardboard constructions of the heart and lungs and created quizzes on the circulatory system.

In Computing/History, we finished our PowerPoint presentations on Bletchley Park and several partners had the chance to present them to the rest of the class. If we didn’t get chance to present them today, we will be doing so after half term.

In PE, we played bench ball. This was a fun team sport, and I saw what great team players we have in Year 6.

AWARD WINNERS!

The Golden Award went to Sam for having a positive attitude towards his school life-he is a ray of sunshine!

The Writing Award went to Lila for her cohesive biography.

The Maths award went to Jack for working so hard in his Maths this week!

The winning House Point team this half term was….MARTON!! Well done to all those in Marton team-you will receive your treat after half term"!

Other Notices:

  • PE days after half term will be on TUESDAYS and FRIDAYS

  • I have not set any homework over half term; however, please do keep on top of your reading and feel free to access Bedrock lessons

  • You should have already been sent a link for the Parents Meeting tomorrow-please get yourself ready and linked up a couple of minutes beforehand to ensure we do not lose any time

I hope you all have a lovely week off-it is certainly well-deserved. I look forward to virtually seeing all of you parents tomorrow!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'You become the best version of yourself, when you know the value of self-love.'

be yourself.jpg

In our PSHE lesson this week we have been understanding and appreciating the value of self-love! In Year 6, we are really good at pointing out other people’s strengths and the things we love about each other; however, we don’t often take time to celebrate our own strengths and the things we love about ourselves. So that’s exactly what we did this week!! We took some time to self-reflect and think about the things we love about ourselves. We discussed the importance of self-esteem and this lesson really helped to boost our confidence and improve the image we have of ourselves-such an important thing to do!

Here’s what else we have been up to this week….

In Maths we have continued with multiplication, specifically long multiplication. By the end of the week, we started to look at negative numbers, particularly in the context of temperature. We will continue with this next week.

In English we finished our guided write on Usain Bolt’s biography and we have now planned for our independent biography. Next week, we will be showing off what superb writers we are, and completing our independent big write. This will help to inform our writing targets for next term!

In History we penned a letter to a loved one, in the role of and RAF pilot. We had a set of key history vocabulary that we needed to include to ensure we included historically accurate information.

In Computing we were presented with a questionnaire on Bletchley Park and we had to research the answers on our laptops. This will help us with our next computing task: to create an informative PowerPoint all about Bletchley Park.

We had our last Sports4Champions lesson this week. We all got our booklets back with our amount of points totaled up, and we will receive our prize vouchers next week! For our last lesson we played a fun team game, which highlighted the importance of communication skills. Please note: as this was the last S4C lesson, there will be no After School Club next week.

This week we also had the Welcome Assembly for the Reception class. This was just for KS2 as it gave the older children chance to meet the new starters, and vice-versa. The Head Boy/Girl and Deputy Head Girl/Boy did an amazing job at leading this assembly-well done Isabella, Declan, Jacob and Eliza!

AWARD WINNERS!

The Golden Award went to Sienna for being a wonderful role model. She is such a delightful young lady, with lovely manners and a positive attitude towards her school life.

The Writing Award was given to Laciee for her superbly innovated biography. It was grammatically accurate and cohesive.

The Maths Award was given to Nathaniel for his great work on long multiplication!

Important Letter from Miss Haggerty

Please read the letter from Miss Haggerty regarding ‘Squid Games’ and the impact it is having in school.

Miss Haggerty’s letter

Further information regarding ‘Squid Games’ can be found on these websites:

National Online Safety - what parents need to know

Digii Social - advice on how to keep your children safe

Support to set up the right controls and privacy settings on the networks, gadgets, apps, and sites your children may use, can be found at Internetmatters.org to give your child a safer online experience. There you’ll be able to download guides for specific devices.

Active Blackpool Sports Camp Offer

This is a message from Mrs Holden and about a Blackpool Sports Holiday club that you may be interested in….

Active Blackpool are providing sport and physical activity sessions for children and young people who have mild to moderate additional needs within the local community. The Active Lives team will be running school holiday camps and a weekend club. Both provisions are free to children and young people aged 5 – 18 year olds who have mild to moderate additional needs. Both will take place at Blackpool Sports Centre. Booking must be made prior and a consent form should be completed before the participant can attend.

Inclusion Camp Poster Activity Weekend Parent Consent Form

Parents’ Meetings-Friday 22nd October

Thank to all those who have already booked a time slot for the virtual parents’ day, next Friday. Can I ask for any parents who have not yet managed to do so, please follow the link sent last week and book an appointment as soon as possible. It is really important for me to meet with all parents to discuss your child’s progress so far and their targets moving forward. Thank you.

As always, I hope you all have a lovely weekend! I cannot believe next week brings us the end of the first half term! REMINDER: we break up on Thursday 21st October, normal finishing time.

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

The Kingdom of God is for everyone!

KoG.jpg

In RE this week we have been reflecting on our unit ‘The Kingdom of God.’ We know that God’s Kingdom is for everyone. God does not discriminate…all are welcome in His Kingdom. We looked at some of Jesus’ parables that helped us to understand this, such as, The Lost Sheep and The Prodigal Son. These parables show us that even those who have chosen the wrong path in life and have been sinful, God will go out of his way to find these people and rejoice when they find their way to His Kingdom…it is never too late!

Here’ s what else we have been up to this week….

In Maths we started the week solving problems involving the addition and subtraction of money and ended the week looking at mental strategies for multiplication.

In English we have made a great start on our guided write. Together we have been writing our Biography on Usain Bolt, sharing ideas to produce high quality paragraphs of writing. We have then innovated each paragraph in our own books, magpie-ing any great vocabulary, punctuation, relative clauses, cohesive devices. This is preparing us to write our own biography over the next couple of weeks.

In History we are preparing to write a letter in the role of an RAF pilot during the Battle of Britain. We have watched real-life reels from the Battle of Britain to give us an idea of what everyday life was like for a pilot, and made some notes to help us gather content for our letter. We have been really lucky this week as a few children from the class have been doing some digging into their family history. Molly, Theo and Jacob brought in pictures/letters/information all about their great-grandfathers, who fought in World War 2…it was so interesting to hear all about their lives and roles during the war!

In Computing we have used Scratch to create our own Brute Force Hacking code. The code was very complex and we certainly had to do a fair bit of debugging, but I was very impressed with those who managed to successfully create their code and even develop it!

In Art we have completed our pieces of Blitz silhouette art. They look great….


In Sports4Champion we did fencing and had great fun! Here are some pictures…

AWARD WINNERS!!

The Golden Award went to Brodie for being a wonderful member of the class. She is kind, considerate, resilient and hard-working-what more can I ask for?

The Maths award was given to Declan for showing great mental skills this week.

The Writing Award was given to Hallie for her superb innovating!

Things to note…

  • Children should have their water bottles each day;

  • Earrings should only be small, plain, gold or sliver studs;

  • A watch and small studded earrings are the only permitted pieces of jewelry at school. Please no necklaces or bracelets of any kind;

  • Children should have long hair tied back for school.

PARENTS’ DAY

Parent/Teacher meetings will be held virtually on FRIDAY 22ND OCTOBER 8.30am -4.10pm. Miss Haggery will be sending out a text regarding this and how you can book your appointment through Teachers2Parents. (Please note you must book these, they cannot be booked through the office.) If we have your email you will also receive an email about this too. The appointments last for 10 minutes - and I would like to see the parent/s of every child to discuss how they have settled and the progress they have made since September so please make sure you book a slot! Be warned though - as they are virtual the meeting will cut out after 10 minutes - so if you have any questions please ask these first! On the plus side, this does mean the day will run to time! I look forward to meeting you all properly and having a chance to talk to you about your child.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'Let us be the protectors of creation.' - Pope Francis

The Eyes of the World on are Us!

The last couple of weeks I have chosen Pope Francis quotes as the titles of the blogs. Pope Francis really does articulate the importance of taking care of our world better than any other. He uses Christ’s examples to highlight the reasons why we need to ‘protect God’s creation’, and this has never been more relevant. This week our Head Boy and Girl braved the elements (it was pouring it down!) and represented our school as part of the CAFOD campaign ‘The Eyes of the World’. I was so proud to see them take our art work and gather with other schools to highlight the dangers that Global Warming is posing on our planet and the adverse effects it has on our world, particularly the poorer countries (who, ironically, contribute the least to problems leading to Global Warming!). Well done Isabella & Declan (and Mrs Hodgekiss) for having Our Lady’s voices heard on this matter….

Here’s what else have been up to…

In Maths we have been focusing on mental strategies for subtraction and the addition and subtracting of decimal numbers, including amounts of money.

In English we have been using Usain Bolt’s biography to retrieve/infer information, identify relative clauses and plan for our guided write. We have now completed a class plan on Usian Bolt, ready to start our guided write: a biography. This is a great opportunity for us to share ideas and model a high quality biography, before we write one independently.

In RE we have continued to look at the life of Maximilian Kolbe and how he selflessly lived his life fulfilling Christ’s missions. We have had in depth discussions about where he got his courage from and how he used his gifts for God.

In Science we have continued to look at the different parts of the circulatory system and today we even made models of this. We will now be looking at heart rate and planning an investigation on how different physical activity can effect our heart rate.

In History we have focused on the key events and dates of the Battle of Britain, looking at the chronology of these events.

In our Sports4Champions PE lesson this week, we did fruit tasting! We were given the opportunity to sample a variety of fruits; some of which we had tried before and others we tried for the first time!

AWARD WINNERS!

The Golden Award went to Onalee for being such a kind and considerate member of this class. Onalee helps to spread the Kingdom of God every day!

The Maths Award was given to Theo for his superb work on addition and subtraction this week.

The Writing Award was given to Isabella for her consistently beautiful presentation.

********************************************************************************************************************

Once again, I hope you have a lovely weekend. I cannot believe how fast the weeks are whizzing by…they do say time flies when you’re having fun!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'Take care of God's creation. But above all, take care of those in need.' - Pope Francis

Confirmation-2015_eye-with-globe_opt_fullstory_medium.jpg

EYES OF THE WORLD CAMPAIGN

The eyes of the world are on us this year as Britain hosts world leaders for the United Nations' climate change talks – COP26. They will make important decisions that will shape the future of our global family. Our Lady’s is joining the campaign to call on the Prime Minister to support the world's poorest communities affected by the climate crisis. Hopefully, next Tuesday our Head Boy and Girl will be undertaking their first responsibility and representing our school as Blackpool schools gather in the town centre, in support of this campaign! In class we have been designing our own ‘Eyes of the World’ art, and the Head Boy and Girl will be taking these with them. We need to have our voices heard!

Here’s what else we have been up to this week…

In Maths, we have been focusing on addition. We have looked at what metal methods we can use to help us work our calculations quickly in our heads and also been solving word problems by picking the most efficient method for addition.

in English, we have continued looking at biographies, identifying cohesive devices and using evidence from a text to support our ideas. We have also completed our first assessed piece of writing: a formal letter of application. We took on the role of Walt Disney and applied for a job at Pixar. I will enjoy spending time over the next few days reading through all these letters. This will help to establish our writing targets for our next piece of writing too!

In RE, we have been reading the biography of Maximilian Kolbe. He was a man who lived out the Word of God through his selfless actions, and helped to spread the Kingdom of God. This was our focus: looking at the ways he showed that the Kingdom of God was within him, and helped him to live a life following Christ’s example. We actually saw many parallels between Kolbe’s life, and the life of Jesus.

In History, we have been reading all about the Battle of Britain. We now know much more about what this Battle was, why it took place, and how significant it was. The class made information booklets all about the Battle of Britain.

In Computing, we started to look at coding. We discussed different types of cipher and codes, and why they are used: often to conceal a secret message. In small groups they ten had a go at cracking several different ciphers…I was very impressed!

In PE, we played some team games. Both myself and the Sports4Champion leaders were very impressed with the great teamwork skills shown by all of the class-great communication and strategies.

AWARD WINNERS:

This week’s Golden award went to Jensen for being an incredibly hard worker and superb listener. He is also such a polite and kind young man.

The Writing Award was given to Eliza for her well-written letter in RE. It was beautifully presented too!

The Maths Award was given to Adam for his great work on metal/written addition.

Thank you

Once again, thank you Year 6 for another great week. I know I have put this on every update so far, but I really am so proud of how hard this class work. It is because of this that we manage to cover so much in the week and, most importantly, learn so much!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend,

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.'

We have had another great week in Year 6. The class have continued to work incredibly hard, and I am so pleased with how much we have managed to cover. On top of this, we have also appointed our Head Boy and Girl! I cannot express how proud I was of every single one of those who shared their speeches with the rest of the school, outlining why they think they should be chosen for Head Girl/Boy. It made the decision for teachers and pupils extremely difficult, and the voting was very close. However, I can now announce…

congrats 2.jpg

Head Girl- Isabella Deputy Head Girl- Eliza

Head Boy- Declan Deputy Head Boy- Jacob

Congratulations to you all! I know you will all help to lead our school in the right direction and represent Our Lady’s wonderfully.

Well done to all of those who applied too! This afternoon, a role of responsibility was given to every child in the class. I cannot wait to see this Year 6 class take on these responsibilities and show the rest of the school what great role models and leaders you all are!

Here is what we have been learning this week….

In Maths we have continued with our focus on place value. We have been look at 3-decimal place value and converting between fraction/decimal equivalents.

In English we have continued with our Biography unit. In the first few weeks of this unit we truly immerse ourselves in the text type, and apply several different reading skills, whilst exploring different biographies. This week we have been scanning texts for key information, summarising texts, exploring key vocabulary and identifying cohesive devices.

In RE we have continued with our Kingdom of God unit. This week, we have been responding to the questions ‘Is the Kingdom of God in Heaven. If not, where can I find it?’ We have written a letter response to this question, using Jesus’ parables, Pope Francis’ views and our own views to form our response.

In Science we have been looking at the functions of the different parts of the heart and how they play a key role in the circulatory system. Last week, we recapped a few other ‘systems’ we have learnt in Science, and had a go at drawing what we though the heart looked like. It was interesting to compare what the heart actually looks like, and what we thought it did.

In PE, we completed an agility test in our Sports4Champions lesson. We had two attempts on each activity and put our best attempt in our booklets. These activities included: speed bounce, balance beam, long jump, relay and target aim. The class thoroughly enjoyed this and I was so impressed with their effort and behaviour!

In History, we drew and labelled our own timeline of some of the key events of WW2. We made sure to make an extra note of when the Battle of Britain occurred as this will be our main focus over this topic.

Please click here to view this week’s homework expectations.

AWARD WINNERS:

The Golden Award went to Nevaeh for showing what a helpful and caring young lady she is.

The Maths award was given to Molly for showing great resilience with her Maths this week.

The Writing award was given to Cianna for her well-written and beautifully presented work.

Thank you, Year 6, for yet another superb week. Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen

Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater

'The Kingdom of God is already in our midst, like a hidden seed. Anyone with pure eyes can see it blossom.' -Pope Francis

We have had a wonderful week, in Year 6. Last week, I had the chance to get to know the class personally, learning more about who they are and their interests. This week, I have been getting to know the class academically. They have all been working so incredibly hard, and I am very impressed with their work ethos in the classroom! Every single child in the class has listened so attentively in every lesson and worked so hard, using their Growth Mindset, when necessary-I truly have hit the jackpot with this class! Keep it up, Year 6! They also showed exemplary behaviour as we went over to church to celebrate Our Lady’s birthday. This was a special occasion as it is the first time we have been able to go over to church, with our class, in over 18 months. It was also extra special as it was Fr. Jim’s last Mass with the children…we had a little presentation for Fr. Jim at the end-it was very emotional!

Here is what else we have been up to this week….

In Maths we have been focusing on place value. We have been reading and writing 6-digit numbers, understanding the importance of zero as a place holder as well! There is a big difference between 604, 521 and 64,521!! We have also looked at multiplying and dividing numbers by 10, 100 and 1000. On Monday, we will begin to look in more depth at decimal place values.

In English we have focused of punctuating writing. They had to edit a piece of writing that had no capital letters, full stops or commas in lists. Overall, the class were very good at this and they had the chance to edit any they had missed in the following lesson. Using full stops in our writing, I had noticed, was a big target for this class. We have also had discussions about what nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs are…we will do more on this in our GPS lesson next week. We also made a start on our first English unit, Biographies. We looked at the what a biography was and watched a mini-biography on Walt Disney, making notes on key dates and events in his life.

In RE we started our first unit ‘The Kingdom of God’. We talked about what we thought the Kingdom of God was. Some said it was in heaven, others said on earth and we discussed it being within us….as we work our way through this unit we will think about whether it is actually all of these! We looked at some important values of the Kingdom of God and the class wrote about which values they believed were the most important, in their opinion, and why.

In History we started our topic on ‘The Battle of Britain’ by using our concept map vocabulary to show what we already know about the BoB and WWII. We then ordered some key events from WWII chronologically. Next week, we will use these to create a timeline in our books….

In PE we had our first Sports4Champion lesson. We spent the first half of the lesson in the classroom discussing the 6-week programme and filling in some information in our S4C booklets. The S4C coaches then told us all about how we earn point to win prizes! We then went down to the hall and played a team game of ‘noughts and crosses’….

In our Art lesson we used our critical thinking skills and had a ‘silent debate’. We had 6 pieces of WW2 art spaced around the classroom and we had to go around silently writing down our thoughts and opinions, We also commented on other people’s opinions if we agreed/disagreed. The class were brilliant at this….

AWARD WINNERS:

This week’s Golden Award went to Mia for her amazing work ethos. She listens so attentively and works so hard in class. She has settled in beautifully in Year 6!

The Maths Award was given to Kayden for his participation in class discussions and superb work multiplying and dividing by 10,100 and 1000.

The Writing Award was given to Isabelle for trying so hard with her written work, this week!

NOTICES:

  • I have sent a letter home today about the Sports4Champions after school club. Please return this by Tuesday if you would like your child to attend

  • Head Girl/Boy speeches will take place on Monday morning-do not forget to bring your speeches in on Monday

  • Homework for this week is up on the Homework page. Your child will have been informed of the group for spellings beforehand

  • If your child is having to isolate for any reason and needs to access home learning, this will be accessible from the Year 6 Home Learning Page. On the day we are informed of any child needing to isolate, it may mean that it will not be until the end of the day that a full timetable of home learning will be available the on Home Learning tab. In this instance, please complete a Bedrock lesson, practice times tables on TT Rockstars, and practice their group spellings

  • If you need to contact me for any reason, please email year6@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs Murphy & Mrs Owen



Posted
AuthorCatherine Slater