Corvus and Draco - Reflect and Review

Dear Parents and Carers,

As Writers, we have been exploring Ice Palace. Corvus have looked at the introduction of the villain, Starjik, describing him and turning those descriptions into kennings. We made predictions about what would happen next and justified our arguments as to whether Ivan should embark on a dangerous adventure using conjunctions and evidence from the text. Draco have explored the format of a diary thinking carefully about how diarists recount events and create a sense of chronology.  On Friday, we produced a diary entry using figurative language to create an ominous atmosphere. We generated our own fronted adverbials to describe when an action took place and looked at where the comma needed to be placed within the sentence.  We’ve had also a vocabulary focus the words; relentless, ominous and spindly.

As Mathematicians, Corvus have been consolidating and expanding our knowledge of column addition and subtraction, using dienes to support us with the exchange process where necessary. We have also started to estimate and explored complements to 100. Draco have been building their understanding of the commutative law of multiplication and the inverse methods to understand number relationships.  We focused on the 11 times tables using dienes to recreate number families. 

As Scientists, Corvus have continued to explore electrical circuits, looking at complete and incomplete circuits, planning and conducting an experiment using conductors and insulators. With Draco we exploring climate data for Rothera Research station and analysed information from diary extracts to see what changes in the temperature and wind speeds occurred over a 12 month period.  We ended the lesson with an Oracy Lesson where we discussed our viewpoints regarding the following statement:  "Antarctica is the world's most extreme continent, holding records for the coldest, windiest, and driest conditions on Earth.” This discussion was very thought-provoking where children made use of the key vocabulary to build and challenge each other’s ideas in a meaningful way. 

Next Week

Next week in English, we continue our exploration of Ice Palace, including creating a pen portrait of our main character, Ivan. In maths, Corvus will conclude our unit on Addition and Subtraction and begin to explore Multiplication and Division. In Geography, we will begin our study of Antarctica. 

For children selected to visit Christ Church on Wednesday 19th, the children will need to be at school for 8.05am. They will require normal school uniform and whilst Christ Church will be providing a lunch for the children, you may wish to send them with a packed lunch if you feel it is appropriate, especially if they have dietary requirements or have particular feelings about food choices!

Home-learning

All the children should have a book selected from our class library and should be bringing this home. Maths Homework books will be due on Monday so please make sure that they are brought in for marking. 

Every child should also have a Times Tables Rock Stars login, which they can use to practise their times tables. Corvus are currently consolidating our knowledge of 2, 3, 5 and 10 times tables if you would like to direct their practice. 

Coming Up

18th November - Wild Robot Cinema Trip

19th November - Christ Church Cathedral Singing Trip (Selected Students)

24th - 28th November - Aquila Residential

3rd December-  Christmas Dinner and Jumper Day

11th December - Hercules and Science Museum Visit

12th December - Christmas Service at St Peter and Paul's (2-6 only) – Children in Draco and Corvus can come dressed as shepherds for the Christmas Service if they would like to. Please don’t buy anything for it specifically, each phase will be a different part of the nativity, but think low-key, tea towels on the heads etc – Be excited for the staff’s important dressing up role too! Starts at 10am, please be at school for 9.15am if you wish to walk with us. Starts at 10am, please be at school for 9.15am if you wish to walk with us.

12th December - HSA Christmas Bazaar after school (Details to follow)

15th December - Reading Passports Returned to School

19th December - End of Term 1pm finish time