Welcome back and Happy New Year to everyone. I hope that everyone managed to get some rest over Christmas as well as finding time to enjoy the festivities. It has been lovely to see the children back in school this week. The new year has kicked off with everyone launching straight into a fresh new term of learning although we also managed to find some time to play in the snow too.
In Nursery, this week the children have started looking at traditional tales focusing on The Gingerbread Man.
https://www.pegasusacademytrust.org/news/atw-nursery-news-9th-january
In Reception, the children have been learning all about dinosaurs. You can read more via the link:
https://www.pegasusacademytrust.org/news/eyfs/atw-reception-news-a-roarsome-week-of-learning
Year 1’s topic this term is toys. To celebrate this Year One came in on the first day dressed as their favourite toys. They also bought in a toy to show to the rest of the class and to use in their upcoming art and science lessons. After lunch their toys went missing! They followed a series of clues around the school and found their toys playing, painting and climbing in their classrooms! This week, Year One started reading a new book ‘Lost in the Toy Museum’. They created puppets of different toys and used them to retell the story. In maths, Year One represented teen numbers using a variety of resources. As it is a new year, they thought of a realistic goal they could set themselves for the coming year.
This week, Year 2 started their new topic ‘Looking at London’ where they have been thinking about what they already know and what they are eager to find out. In Science, the children have been looking at the different properties of materials and sorting them in categories based on their properties. In computing, the children have started their coding topic where they are beginning to understand what an algorithm is and its importance when inputting a code.
In Year 3 the children have had a busy start to the new year. In maths, they have been working with coins and money, ordering and comparing different values and practising how to convert between pounds and pence. In English, the children explored Aesop’s fables, discussing the impact of the moral at the end of each story and learning how these tales were originally shared verbally within communities. In science, they began their new topic on rocks and soils, where they learned about the incredible life of Mary Anning and the significance of her story during the Victorian era. In thematic the children have completed a timeline of the Crystal Palace and how it has evolved over the years, taking on new roles to suit the community of the time.
This week, Year 4 have started to learn about volcanoes. In English, they read the book ‘Escape from Pompeii’ and the children have started to identify what different scenes would have looked like as Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. The children are also reading ‘Earth Shattering Events’ in their reading sessions. They have learnt about different types of volcanoes and why volcanoes are situated in certain parts of the world. To end their first week back, the children took part in an online book club led by Jenny McLachlan, the author of ‘Land of Roar’. This has been an amazing way to start the National Year of Reading!
This week, Year 5 have been learning all about the Amazon Rainforest. They have been researching the different plants and animals found there, as well as learning about the different tribes that live there and their way of life. They have also been thinking about the future of the rainforest and how deforestation will have an impact, not just on the rainforest but on the rest of the world too. Next week, they will use this knowledge to write a non-chronological report now that they are ‘rainforest experts’! In Maths, they have been learning how to measure the perimeter of rectangles and rectilinear shapes. In Thematic, they have been thinking about Viking settlements and what these would have needed to be successful. They are going to use this knowledge to create a map of their own Viking settlement. In RE, they looked at how Buddhists care for their community and had an interesting class discussion about the concept of karma!
In Year 6, the children have been learning all about the significance of The Rosetta Stone in anticipation of their visit to the British Museum next week. In English they have been thinking about their persuasive writing skills and using them to argue whether or not The Rosetta Stone and other antiquities belong in museums around the world or should be returned to their country of origin. In maths, the children have started looking at algebra. Despite some children initially finding it all a bit confusing they have persevered and can now solve equations where letters are representing unknown numbers.
DATES FOR THE DIARY
Wednesday14th January: Jade Class assembly
Wednesday14th January: Year 6 to British Museum
Friday 6th February: Museum Day
Friday 23rd January: Pegasus Poetry Competition
Monday 26th / Tuesday 27th January: Lavender class Whitgift project
Wednesday 28th / Thursday 29th: Teal class Whitgift project
Monday 9th February: ‘Midnight in the Toyshop’ Drama Workshop for Reception & Year 1
Friday 13th February: Break for half term
Monday 23rd February: Return to school
Monday 23rd February: Year 6 Young Voices concert
Wednesday 25th: Year 6 Shakespeare Workshop
Thursday, 26 February: Year 1 Materials Workshop
Friday 27th February: Ruby Class assembly
Monday 9th March: Parents’ evening
Wednesday 10th March: Parents’ evening
Friday 13th March: FOAP Mothers’ Day Gift Sale
16th – 18th March: Year 5 Carrotty Wood
Friday 20th March: Orange Class assembly
