This Week In School…
Year 3 – have had a very busy week. In English, they have been publishing their diaries of 'A day in The Tin Forest'. In Maths, they have been learning to round numbers to the nearest 10 and 100 and have used these skills to estimate answers to addition and subtraction questions. They have completed their art topic, exploring shape and form and then positive and negative space. In PE, they have been taking part in mini football matches and have demonstrated that they are great team players. We are incredibly proud of all that Year 3 have achieved this half term, well done! Year 4 – have been using their written method of subtraction to solve problems involving exchanging with one exchange and more than one exchange in Maths. In English, they have been working in groups to research plastic pollution in the oceans and how we can change and protect the future. They have taken this research and written two paragraphs for their non-chronological report. In Art, they have been creatively putting their sketchbooks together with all of the artwork they have created this term. In Humanities, they ended their topic by writing a fact file about rivers of Africa. Year 5 – have delved into the mathematical world of factors, multiples and prime numbers and have worked on solving mathematical problems using the knowledge they have acquired. They also completed their information leaflet based on China and have worked hard to produce colourful and attractive leaflets! As well as the information leaflets, they have also started writing a character description of a strange, fascinating animal – the Tardigrade! In Science, they observed what happens to wet and dry materials when they are burnt and wrote some insightful, scientific conclusions. It has been a week of scientific exploration, mathematical thinking and creative writing in Year 5! Year 6 – have been away on their residential PGL trip, taking part in lots of exciting outdoor activities and braving the weather! Those children who have remained in school have also had a great week, doing a range of activities in school. These have included: designing and painting their own pillowcase; creating a 'nature art bug' from nature items collected from the playground; decorating a stone; finding out about the decades from the 1950s to - and including - the 1990s; creating a decade mood board; construction afternoons using Lego; watching a movie; team and individual challenges; sporting activities; and a technology challenge making a fashion outfit from black sacks. It has been a very busy week but also very enjoyable for the children and staff! This Week In School…
Year 3 – have developed their knowledge of the aspects of story-telling by looking at character description. They took the protagonist of their class text 'The Tin Forest' and wrote fantastic descriptions that used similes, metaphors and expanded noun phrases. In Maths, they developed their understanding of addition using the column method. They started with 2-digit additions with no regrouping before moving onto addition that required regrouping. In Science, they have started to look at plants and what they need to survive. They have set up comparative investigations that look into the needs and functions of a plant. In Computing, they continued to practise their touch-typing skill. In PSHE, they explored the ideas of responsibility and consequences. Year 4 – have been planning and writing a setting description for a spooky or a magical forest! They have been using expanded noun phrases to create some amazing pieces of description. In Maths, they have been ordering and comparing numbers up to 10,000 and learnt all about Roman numerals. In Science they took part in a series of experiments observing processes that change the state of water. They looked at changing ice into water – melting and gas into liquid – condensation. In Humanities, they explored the mountain ranges of Africa and made posters about them. London have also been practising for their Coffee with your Class morning. Year 5 – have been a whirlwind of creativity and learning. Inspired by the works of Kandinsky, our young artists have delved into the world of abstract art, using shapes to craft their own unique masterpieces. In Maths, they've honed their rounding skills, deepening their knowledge in numerical operations. The narrative journey based on 'The Girl and the Fox' continues, with students now skilfully weaving in vivid setting descriptions and character portrayals, truly bringing their stories to life. To add a touch of the performing arts, they've taken on poems of their choice, carefully considering intonation, volume, and pace for impactful performances. In Humanities, the exploration of China's settlements has expanded young minds, fostering a deeper understanding of the world around them. It's been a week filled with artistic expression, academic growth, and cultural exploration for Year 5. Year 6 – have been researching global warming and climate change in English so that they can write a non-chronological report on the subject. This is linked to the class book they are reading in class; 'Floodlands' by Marcus Sedgwick. Year 6 have worked really hard in Maths. They have started to think about the 4 operations and practised solving problems using written methods of addition and subtraction. They have also revised, common factors and common multiples. In Humanities, Year 6 have explored the cause of volcanic eruptions by replicating the process with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar! This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been writing fantastic setting descriptions based on the book 'The Tin Forest'. In Maths, they have been ordering number using their knowledge of place value. They have learnt to use the 'greater than' and 'less than' symbols to compare numbers. In French, they have been increasing their vocabulary and are able to ask each other their names and how they are feeling. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow when speaking French to one another. They have started their Science topic learning about parts of the plants and beginning investigations about what seeds need to grow. Year 4 – have been working at recognising the different types of apostrophes in English. They have practised using them to contract words and to show possession. They have also been practising writing expanded noun phrases about a dog. In Maths, they have continued learning about place value, they have found 1, 10, 100 and a 1000 more or less of a number, solved number lines to 10, 000 problems and worked really hard at dividing two- and three-digit numbers by 10. They have continued to be amazing scientists this week by investigating evaporation - they now know how washing dries on a washing line! In PSHE, they explored the Right of the Child and what that means as well as learning all about plastic pollution in Guided Reading as part of their book this term 'One Plastic Bag'. Year 5 – have engaged themselves in a diverse range of activities. They have honed their artistic skills by mastering the art of shading, - creating stunning 3D shapes. In Maths, they’ve delved deeper into ordering and comparing numbers and learnt to use number lines. The budding writers among them have embarked on crafting a captivating narrative inspired by the thought-provoking video, ‘The Girl and the Fox’. Additionally, they have embarked on a journey into physical geography learning how meanders are formed. In Science, Year 5 have explored conductivity by designing thermal insulative lunch bags for a hands-on experiment. It has been exciting week for us in Year 5! Year 6 – have finished writing their fantasy stories about dragons in English and have published them. They have enjoyed reading these stories and have really impressed with some of the descriptive language they have used to describe characters and setting. In Maths, they are finishing the topic on place value, ready to move on to their new topic of the four operations. The children have created some great fact files about The Andes in Humanities and have now been finding out about the Amazon River and how oxbow lakes are formed. They are enjoying reading the class book, Floodlands, in Guided Reading and are gradually building a picture of the main characters involved. This Week In School…
Year 3 – have delved into the world of phrases, clauses and conjunctions in English. They have used exciting non-fiction videos to create sentences around our SPaG focus for the lesson. In Maths, year 3 have started to use the knowledge that they have built up over the last week and apply it to new concepts. They have used their number lines, dienes and place value grids to represent numbers up to and including 1000. In Art, they have started to look into their foundation skills. They created their own mini-sculptures using 3-D lines. In Humanities, they looked at creating their own maps of Iver using symbols and co-ordinates and explored the countries that make up the UK. In PSHE, they discussed any worries that they may have about entering a new school and started to think about what their dream school would look like. Year 3 have worked hard this week and should be proud of themselves. Year 4 – have been very arty and amazing scientists, completing two science investigations and exploring shape, form and texture in Art! In English, they worked on prepositions and fronted adverbials and worked hard at using them in sentences. In Maths, they have continued their place value topic and looked at representations of thousands. In French, they have learnt how to greet someone and ask how they are feeling. In Geography, they learnt all about continental drift and how the earth used to look. In Science, they questioned whether gases have weight and tested this by releasing the carbon dioxide from fizzy drinks and reweighing them. Year 5 – have worked hard this week to get really stuck in to their new topics. In Maths, the children have been mastering place value, understanding the value of each digit in numbers all the way up to 1 million. They have also continued to practise their knowledge of Roman Numerals. In English, the children have begun writing a letter to their future selves. This will serve as a memory for them to enjoy at the end of the year. They have discussed their favourite things, ensuring that they include some in the letters. Earlier in the week, both classes discussed the use of colour in art, understanding the difference between warm and cool colours and how artists use them to convey different feelings. They even had a go at creating their own colour wheels using watercolours. Year 6 – have worked very hard this week. In English they have continued to write their fantasy stories about dragons and we have been very impressed with some of the fantastic sentences they are creating. The children have continued to look at place value in Maths and have been investigating mountain ranges in South America in Humanities; they are in the process of producing a fact file about either The Andes or one of the other mountains or mountain ranges in the continent. Some of the children did their 11+ practice tests and actual tests this week which they worked hard on. This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been writing superhero stories in English, focusing on using paragraphs and commas. They have been incredibly imaginative creating their own superheroes and villains. In Maths, they been learning about how to collect data and create bar graphs. These skills have been transferred into their Design and Technology topic where the children have collected data about their favourite sandwich fillings. In Science, they have learnt about soil formation and have tried creating their own soil layers. Year 3 loved watching the Year 6 production on Monday afternoon. They were incredibly impressed with the singing and acting skills on show. Year 4 – have been working on their very own lost toy narratives that they will share with Year 3 next week. They have carefully planned an adventurous plot and created their own characters. The year group have shown how creative they can be with their individual stories. In Maths, they have completed their geometry unit by looking at different translations on a grid. They have really enjoyed working on their understanding of coordinates. In Science, they have continued learning about food chains and how they form to make food webs in an ecosystem. In French, they checked their understanding of their topic 'moi chez' by reading a statement in French and answering questions about it in English as well as trying to write down their translations of sentences from English into French. In DT, the last few cereal boxes were completed and Year 4 began the hard task of being self-analytical of their designs. They checked to see if their designs met the original criteria before leaving helpful peer evaluations on someone else's work. Year 5 – have had an exciting week, exploring our bread topic, by taking part in an entire day and a half of DT. The children conducted their own market research, sampling a variety of bread products already available in shops. They reviewed the taste and texture of each, considering which one was their favourite and why. They also researched how bread fits into a healthy diet, with reference to the Eatwell plate. Following this, Year 5 considered what flavours and topics would work well in a bread roll, and planned their own. The following day, the children were able to work in groups to make their own rolls ready for baking. In Maths, they have been working on measurement in Maths, converting different units of length and have begun looking at imperial measurements as well as metric. The children have also started writing their narratives, re-telling the class text. They have impressed us with effective vocabulary and emotive language. They have also used some excellent detail to describe the forest setting, using their 5 senses. Year 6 – have had an amazing week; they performed their end of year production and impressed everyone with their fantastic singing voices and acting skills – so many budding actors in the making – we are incredibly proud of them! Aside from production, Year 6 have been busy preparing for their Leavers’ Assembly and have also begun working on their DT project all about bridges. They investigated different structures and experimented building bridges and testing the strongest constructions. They have also been finishing any topic work that needed completing. Dear Parents and Carers, We are writing to remind you of the arrangements for the next round of the planned NEU strikes, which are due to take place later this week, on Wednesday 5th July and Friday 7th July. Everyone at IVJS cares deeply about our school community and the education of all young people now and in the future. We all want the very best for our pupils and families and are passionate about ensuring that they have the education system they deserve. The current campaign and strike action by the NEU are centred around ensuring appropriate funding for all schools to ensure that the best possible education can be provided. We can only hope a resolution, which ensures the best possible outcomes for all, is reached soon. Having spoken with the school’s NEU members and taking into account the number of staff members taking strike action, we have decided that it will be necessary to close a number of classes on both of the planned strike days. The table below shows whether your child’s class will be open or closed on each day. Pupils whose classes are open should attend school as normal however there will be no childcare or after school clubs running on those days.
For pupils whose classes are closed, there will be online learning to engage with at home. This learning will be made available on the school website by 9:00 am on each day. As we have on previous strike days, we will maintain a small, on-site provision for vulnerable pupils in classes which are closed. These pupils and families will be contacted separately by Miss Digweed, Mr Clifford or Mrs Chapman-Allen. The pupils who are attending in school will be supported to engage with the same online learning provided to other pupils who will be learning from home. Hopefully you are aware that negotiations between Union Leaders and the Government are ongoing and out of our hands. We are hopeful for a resolution before the start of the next Academic Year and appreciate that this uncertainty will be frustrating and disruptive for parents. Should you have any questions about the information in this letter or issues with remote learning, please do not hesitate to contact us at the school. We will continue to do all we can to support you and your families in these challenging times. This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been working incredibly hard. They have made all of the staff proud with their achievements in their end-of-year assessments. It is wonderful to see the progress they have made this year. In English, they have been planning and starting to write instructions about mummification, linking with their Humanities topic about Ancient Egypt. In Maths, they have been looking at the properties of 3D shapes. During PE lessons, they have been practising their races ready for sports day and are very excited about winning points for their house teams. In RE, they have been looking at Hindu festivals including Holi and Diwali. They made paper lanterns to remind them that Diwali is the festival of light. Year 4 – have been very busy completing their end of year assessments. We are very proud of how hard they have worked this week! In English, they have been writing character descriptions of the mysterious Abdul Kazam from their class text. In Maths they have been exploring coordinates and plotting them on a grid. In PSHE, they discussed what changes they have been through and offered suggestions for how they could deal with them. Both classes got to take part in their 96% Attendance Challenge and enjoyed a lovely afternoon watching a movie. Year 5 – have worked extremely hard on their assessments this week and should be really proud of what they have achieved. We have been so impressed by their perseverance and determination despite some of the assessments being particularly tricky. In addition, they have continued to explore the class text, focusing on the illustrations used and how they link to the emotions of the book. The children have discussed how this book makes them feel, considering what it would be like to leave everything behind, if they were a refugee. In English, the children have used some amazing vocabulary to describe the terrifying sea creature, The Kraken. Their descriptions have been spooky and detailed, included some great expanded noun phrases to describe how The Kraken devours its victims. Finally, in PE, they have been preparing for sports day, taking part in different races and activities to improve their skills and techniques ready for the big day! Year 6 – have been busy rehearsing for their end of year production, they impressed us by going script free and remembering their lines! They are doing a fantastic job and it is all coming together beautifully. In Maths, they have continued to work on their bakery project and have worked especially hard on their problem-solving skills. During PE, Year 6 have been practising their athletic skills in preparation for Sports Day! In Humanities, Year 6 have continued to learn about crime and punishment during the Medieval and Tudor Period up to the early modern period. This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been using their knowledge of fairy tales to create their very own version of one! They have used their success criteria to add depth to their characters and have developed interesting and creative plots for them. In Maths, they have looked at different lines including parallel, perpendicular, horizontal and vertical. In Humanities, they have been investigating the process of mummification. They learnt about what happens to the organs and the equipment needed in each step. In PSHE, they have been talking about the different milestones that children pass within their life and the milestones yet to come. In PE, they have been practising for sports day and are very excited to show everyone what they can achieve! Year 4 – have written some incredibly descriptive dream playgrounds. Playgrounds that included lazy chocolate rivers, Olympic sized swimming pools and petting zoos! In Maths, they have completed their statistics topic, they have interpreted data from bar graphs and pictograms, compared data and learnt how to draw a line graph and interpret the data. In Science, they learnt about the different diets of animals and sorted different animals based on their diets into herbivore, omnivore and carnivore. In DT, the teachers discovered that Year 4 have some budding product designers amongst them as they designed their own cereal packaging. In PE, they have started practising for next week's sports day - they can't wait! Year 5 – have continued their work on decimals, dividing decimal numbers by 10, 100 and 1000. They have also begun discussing the difference between positive and negative numbers and have completed varying sequences using negative numbers. In English, the children have performed and recorded their news broadcasts about the crisis in Ukraine. They have really impressed us with the quality of their scripts, enthusiasm and presenting skills. The children also had the opportunity to edit and perfect their broadcasts on iMovie, adding great sound effects and pictures. In Science this week, they have discussed how scientists use data to represent their findings and have produced their own line graphs to show the average height of infants in their first 12 months of life. In Humanities, the focus this week was on the impact of traffic pollution on air quality. To explore this, the children conducted their own traffic survey of the traffic that passes the school, and compared this to other cities and towns in China. Year 6 – have finished writing their version of the ‘Three Little Pigs’ and have enjoyed publishing these. In Maths, they have continued to work on their bakery project and have been busy looking at nets of 3D shapes. They also designed and made packaging to store cupcakes which they will be making in the coming weeks. In Humanities, Year 6 have continued to learn about crime and punishment and this week they discovered that during the Anglo-Saxon and Viking period crimes were punished by trial by ordeal; they are very glad to be living in these times and not to suffer such torturous punishment! Rehearsals continue for the end of year production and the children are impressing us with their amazing singing voices. They are becoming more and more familiar with their characters and we are hoping to go script free next week! This Week In School…
Year 3 – have been learning about turns and angles in Maths this week. They have been searching for right angles around the school using their right-angle monsters! In English they have been writing a letter raising their concerns about behaviour and bullying after watching a video clip called 'On the wire'. They have been very persuasive with their arguments. In Humanities, they have been continuing their learning about Ancient Egypt including researching different Egyptian gods and goddesses. They found out about how they were an important part of Egyptian life and that there were over 2000 different gods. They enjoyed a Zoom call with Farmer Nicola on Tuesday. She showed the children how high up some of her farm land is, giving some fantastic views. Nicola demonstrated how she checks if there is enough heather growing on different parts of the farmland to ensure there is enough food for the sheep to eat in the coming months. Year 4 – have finished writing their persuasive letters, trying to persuade circuses to stop using animals in them. In Maths, they have finished their shape topic by learning about triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons and symmetry. In Science, they started learning how to write a classification key using questions to help them sort animals. They have also been on a minibeast hunt! In DT they have begun their new topic, looking at packaging and how they are made from nets. In Humanities, they have looked at the invasion of Britain by the Romans. Year 5 – have been working hard to remain focused despite the heat and have impressed us with their continued efforts on decimals. They have applied their knowledge to sequences, addition and subtraction problems and even some more complex word problems. In English, the children have made good progress with their news broadcast scripts, and are beginning to think about how they will perform/present them next week. In Humanities, they have delved deeper into their local study, considering the different physical landscapes in Iver. During Science, they have started their new topic and focused on the human timeline. We have been really impressed by how the children have made their own detailed timelines of the key stages of development. Year 6 – have been visited by volunteers from different workplaces in order to connect them to the future world of work. The Primary Futures workplace volunteers enjoyed talking to Year 6 and commented on how fantastic and welcoming the children were. In English, Year 6 have finished writing their narrative based on the Three Little Pigs. They have impressed us with their imaginative stories from the perspective of the wolf. In Maths, Year 6 have continued to work on their bakery projects and are enjoying working as teams solving mathematical problems. In Humanities, children are enjoying the topic: Crime and Punishment from the Roman era to the 21st century. |
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May 2024
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