Fantastic Foxes – Autumn 1

Phonics

In Phonics, we’ve been learning our Phase 5 sounds using our new scheme from Bug Club. We’ve been learning our sounds including vowel diagraphs, split-digraphs and consonant clusters. We’ve been reading books that include these sounds and along with identify tricky words within the text. We’ve continued to improve our writing and spelling during this time that we now know as ‘The Reading Hour’.

English

In English, we’ve been looking at the book ‘The Story Tree’. In this book, there are seven traditional tales and we are looking into in depth. These stories include ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’, ‘The Magic Porridge Pot’, ‘The Sweetest Song’ and many more. Through these stories we’ve looked at story mapping, orally retelling the stories, acting out the stories through freeze frames, making puppets and much more.

Maths

In Maths, we’ve been learning about the basic number system of our numbers. We started with counting, place value along with comparing numbers and number bonds. We’ve looked at how we can use our number knowledge to identify number patterns and we’re starting to see links between prior learning in Year 1 and our learning now. In the last few weeks, we’ve also started doing simple addition and subtraction which we’ve found tricky, but we love challenge!

Jigsaw

In Jigsaw, we’ve been looking at the unit of work called ‘Being Me In My World’. This unit of work explores looking at myself, looking at the environment I live in, targets, dreams and ambitions. Overall, looking at myself and seeing how I can push myself to achieve the most I possibly can.

PE

In PE, we’ve started two units of work. First of all, the Fundamental Movement Skills where the children focus on learning the 10 basic skills which we can later apply to sports. These include: running, jumping, skipping, throwing & catching, hopping, kicking, galloping, balancing, rolling, rolling and dodging. We’ve also been learning about the game ‘Piggy in the Middle’, we’ve been using our fundamental movement skills and applying them to this game along with thinking about how we can make the game easier or hardier using STEP (Space, Task, Equipment and People).

RE

The highlight of our half term was having a visit from Richard Booth the Minister at Sion Church. The children welcomed Richard into class and took part in his session. They listened so well and eagerly answered his questions about kindness and told him all about the learning they had done during the past few weeks.

We have learnt the two Bible stories – The Good Samaritan, Luke 10: 25-37 and The Paralysed Man, (Mark 2: 1-12) we read the stories, watched a video and then acted out the stories using stick puppets. We chatted about Why Jesus told these stories? What messages do the stories give us?

We have had lots of class and group discussions about kindness. Asking ourselves is it possible to be kind all of the time? Even when friends are being mean. It can be tricky, how can be act, how can we still be friends. Finally, the children created a kindness poster and made a paper friendship bracelet.

History

In History, we have been exploring what it means for someone to ‘make history’ by learning about the lives of significant individuals in the past, who contributed to national and international achievements. We learnt about Margaret Thatcher, Guy Fawkes, Marie Curie and other history makers too! We had lots of discussions in pairs, groups and as a whole class. We used our skills to identify and describe the history makers, to recall and compare their achievements and even reasoned when considering which of these individuals can be considered the greatest history maker.

Science

In Science, we have been learning about living things and their habitats. We started by learning about living, non-living and dead things and worked independently and in groups to sort them into categories. We moved on to learning about the basic needs of animal and their habitats so that we can understand how living things depend on each other and their environment for their survival. We enjoyed looking at pictures and watching videos about different animal habitats and then drawing them. Finally, we learnt about minibeasts and microhabitats and discussed when and where we have seen them.

Computing

In Computing, we’ve had lots of fun! We have been using Purple Mash to learn how to code and create algorithms. We started by following simple instructions to make different objects move up, down, left and right. We moved on to setting a timer for actions to take place and one of our favourite parts was making a Magician’s rabbit hide after five seconds and then reappear after five seconds. In our last lesson, we used our coding skills to create a snail race!

Art

In Art, we have been drawing! We started by learning about how many artists, including Vincent Van Gogh and Jackson Pollock, use their mark making skills to create works of art. We made our own marks and used different mediums such as charcoal, pencil, pastels and crayons to experiment and create them. Then we applied our mark making skills to create still life drawings. We looked at and observed how artists drew different fruits and objects. Finally, we created our own still life drawings.

Music

Year 2 have focused on learning the note names crochet and quaver twin with Mrs Lingard. We have followed some clap along rhythms on YouTube to the themes of Minecraft and Super Mario. We then filled in a 4/4 rhythm grid by choosing a crochet – Ta, quaver twin – Te Te or a rest, clapped it and repeated it to create an ostinato, a short, repeated pattern. Then we composed on the classroom glockenspiels using the notes C = red, E = yellow and G = blue selecting a Ta or Te Te rhythm.

The Fantastic Foxes have also been hard at work rehearsing for our Harvest celebration at St. Stephen’s Church. We have learnt three harvest songs: – Cauliflowers Fluffy, Harvest Samba and a song that Mr. Garrett wrote especially for us called Harvest Thank You. Miss Whiteside, Music Lead, has led our weekly singing assembly in readiness for our celebration.

In singing lessons with Mr Garrett, the pupils have been taught the importance of warming up their voice and the importance of good posture. Areas covered in the warm ups included breathing, diction, vowel shape, intonation, dynamics, phrasing, and expression. The pupils enjoyed the warm ups and were keen to engage in practical work.

As well as singing, pupils were taught to listen actively and use appropriate subject specific language when they discussed music that they had listened to in lessons. They were gradually introduced to the elements of music and through the activities of listening and performing were able to develop a deeper knowledge of how music is put together.

 Singing:

This term pupils have learned the following songs for the harvest festival:

Harvest Samba and Cauliflowers fluffy. They also Sang Harvest Thank you

In addition, pupils worked through the Charanga original scheme with their singing and this term the song they worked on and performed was Hands feet and heart

Useful Dates

Apr
15
Mon
8:45 am Back to School
Back to School
Apr 15 @ 8:45 am
Back to School
School opens on Monday 15 April at 8.45am and breakfast club for those who have a place will be open from 8.00am
3:15 pm Choir Rehearsal
Choir Rehearsal
Apr 15 @ 3:15 pm – 3:55 pm
Choir Rehearsal
from Monday 11 September and then every week to the end of the academic year [excluding holidays]
Apr
16
Tue
all-day Summer Term Swimming
Summer Term Swimming
Apr 16 all-day
Summer Term Swimming
Year 3 will be swimming this term starting on Tuesday 16 April and every Tuesday thereafter until Tuesday 02 July
Apr
17
Wed
8:35 am Parent/Carer Stay & Read Sessions
Parent/Carer Stay & Read Sessions
Apr 17 @ 8:35 am – 9:00 am
Parent/Carer Stay & Read Sessions
starting Wednesday 17 January from 8.35am to 9.00am in the classroom and weekly thereafter
Apr
22
Mon
3:15 pm Choir Rehearsal
Choir Rehearsal
Apr 22 @ 3:15 pm – 3:55 pm
Choir Rehearsal
from Monday 11 September and then every week to the end of the academic year [excluding holidays]
Apr
23
Tue
all-day Summer Term Swimming
Summer Term Swimming
Apr 23 all-day
Summer Term Swimming
Year 3 will be swimming this term starting on Tuesday 16 April and every Tuesday thereafter until Tuesday 02 July
9:00 am Paralympic World Champion
Paralympic World Champion
Apr 23 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Paralympic World Champion
will be visiting Springfield on the morning of Tuesday 23 April, this will be a fantastic day and includes fundraising – sponsor forms were sent home before Easter – a big THANK YOU for all your support
Apr
24
Wed
8:35 am Parent/Carer Stay & Read Sessions
Parent/Carer Stay & Read Sessions
Apr 24 @ 8:35 am – 9:00 am
Parent/Carer Stay & Read Sessions
starting Wednesday 17 January from 8.35am to 9.00am in the classroom and weekly thereafter

Contact

Oxford Road, Burnley BB11 3HP

Tel: 01282 437277

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