It's been another busy but exciting week with lots of wonderful learning. 

In science, we became electrical engineers for the day. The children designed and set up their own investigations to explore how the number of components in a circuit affects its output. There was plenty of testing, tweaking and problem‑solving as we compared bulbs and motors to see how each reacted when more components were added. Some excellent scientific thinking on display.

Our PSHE lessons focused on emotional needs and why it’s so important that these are met. The children discussed what helps them feel safe, valued and supported, and reflected on how we can look after our own wellbeing as well as the wellbeing of others. Their thoughtful contributions showed real empathy.

In History, we learned about the life of Anne Frank and explored how different groups of people were treated during the Second World War. The children showed great respect, thinking carefully about why remembrance matters and how learning about the past helps us build a kinder future.

Music brought plenty of energy as we learned to sing the range of pitches in the solfa scale using do, re, mi. This will help us with singing The White Cliffs of Dover as we come to learn the counter melody. 

In RE, we explored the story of Prince Arjuna and how Hindus believe Krishna offers guidance in times of difficulty. The children made thoughtful links between the story and the idea of making wise choices in their own lives.

Finally, in Positive Minds, we learnt about resilience. We considered how to keep our minds and bodies healthy, and identified a range of coping strategies we can use in school and at home. We also completed some yoga poses in PE, learning to connect our mind and body. 

We spent time this week in class-based Collective Worship, discussing the 4 activities in this half-term's Change Maker Project. Please encourage your child to complete one TRUST activity before the last week of this half-term. We have loved seeing the variety of  activities from the Friendship and Compassion sections.

Home Learning 

Maths - To write algebraic expressions
English - Building cohesion within paragraphs
Spelling - Words ending in -ant, -ent, -ance and -ence. 
Rule: -ent is usually used after a soft c sound, soft g sound, qu, id or u (forming the oo sound). 
-ant is often used when there is a related word ending in -ate or -ation, after ct or lt. 
Spelling words: assistant, obedient, independent, vacant, assistance, obedience, independence, vacancy

Next week: 
Because of our WW2 day on Thursday, PE days will be Wednesday and Friday next week.
On Thursday, we have our WW2-themed day in school! Children are invited to dress up to fit the theme in any way they like! We will be exploring more about the second world war through art and performance. 
In Maths, we are continuing with our topic of algebra and learning how to solve equations, and find possible values for two unknowns. 
In English, we will be concluding our shared write of our narratives which focus on setting description, before planning our own independent write. 

Have a great weekend, 
Mrs Rayburn