Another fantastic week has flown by in the Owls classroom! The children have continued to show enthusiasm, curiosity and determination in all areas of their learning. It has been wonderful to see them developing new skills, sharing ideas and becoming increasingly confident learners.

In Art, we have continued our exciting topic, “Painting and Mixed Media”. This week, the children became detectives and explored a variety of textured surfaces around our school grounds. We searched for examples of these (such as rough, smooth, soft and wrinkly), carefully observing and recording our findings on our worksheets. We also discussed the different colours we could see within these textures and thought about how we could recreate them using our knowledge of primary and secondary colours. The children demonstrated excellent understanding when explaining how colours can be made lighter or darker through mixing. Next week, the children will choose a textured surface and recreate it using paint. Owls, can you explain the difference between a rough and a smooth texture? Can you tell a grown-up how to make a colour lighter or darker?

In Computing, we began an exciting new topic on animation. The children discussed what animation is and explored some modern-day examples that they recognised. We then travelled back in time to learn about flipbooks, discovering when they were invented, who invented them and what they were originally called. The children thoroughly enjoyed creating their own flipbooks, carefully drawing pictures in sequence to create the illusion of movement. They also enjoyed decorating their creations and watching their animations come to life. Owls, can you explain what animation is? Can you remember what a flipbook was originally called and why it creates movement?

In Maths, we have been revisiting key skills in addition and subtraction with two-digit numbers, as well as multiplication and division. The children have been practising counting and calculating using the 2, 5 and 10 times tables and applying these skills to solve a variety of problems. Their confidence and fluency continue to grow as they recall number facts more quickly. Owls, can you show a grown-up how to solve an addition or subtraction calculation? What methods have we been using in class to solve these questions.

In English, we have begun our new stimulus text, “Room on the Broom”. The children enjoyed reading the story together and sequencing the events in the correct order. They particularly loved acting out their favourite scenes before writing about them. Throughout the week, we have become grammar detectives, searching for important features within the text such as similes, possessive apostrophes and inverted commas. We have also been exploring ambitious vocabulary and discussing how authors choose exciting words to engage their readers. Owls, can you explain what a simile is? Can you find a possessive apostrophe in a book or around your home?

In Phonics, we have been reviewing words with double consonants and revisiting the “y to i” spelling rule when adding suffixes. The children enjoyed listening to our suffix song again and used their detective skills to identify incorrectly spelt words. They also matched pictures to descriptions to help reinforce their understanding of spelling patterns. Owls, can you explain what happens to a word ending in ‘y’ when we add certain suffixes? Can you think of a word with a double consonant?

In Science, the children have been learning all about healthy and unhealthy foods and what makes a balanced diet. They explored the different food groups and discussed how much of each type of food we should eat to help keep our bodies healthy. As part of this learning, the children thoroughly enjoyed designing and creating their own healthy smoothies. They carefully selected ingredients and thought about how their choices could contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Owls, can you tell a grown-up what makes a balanced diet? Which ingredients did you choose for your healthy smoothie and why?

In such a busy and hot week, the children have worked incredibly hard and should be very proud of all they have achieved. From becoming texture detectives and creating animations to exploring healthy lifestyles and becoming grammar experts, they have approached every challenge with enthusiasm and positivity.

Keep being wise, curious Owls and never stop asking questions about the world around you! We are so proud of everything you are achieving and cannot wait to see what exciting adventures next week will bring.

Stay safe in this hot, sunny weather and have a lovely weekend!

Mrs A and Mrs T-D 😊