Moulton CEVC Primary School Parent Portal

A Message From Mrs Shipp

Welcome back!

It has been wonderful to see everyone this week, and a joy to meet our new Reception children, who have been marvellous. It was lovely to see them having dinner for the first time today. They had a little chat with Angie in the hall this morning, where they did really well with listening. Reception pupils begin full-time school next week - how exciting!

Tuesday's Collective Worship focussed on the story of Only A Tree Knows How To Be A Tree. An online version can be found here if you would like to share the story at home. We then looked at some population figures, thinking about how many individuals there are in different places - well done to Camilla (Y3), who correctly told us that there are approximately 8 billion people in the world. This week, we also looked at the story of Zacchaeus - thinking about Jesus seeing everyone as being important, as well as thinking about forgiveness. Zaccheus was a tax collector, so before the story, we watched this video about tax, which helped the children to understand why we pay taxes. They were not impressed when I said I would suggest that parents and carers tax pocket money and Tooth Fairy money! It was really lovely to see some of our new Reception children listening to Tuesday's assembly from the external hall door - they were beautifully behaved, and enjoyed seeing some familiar faces in the hall.

Mr. Kershaw, our new instrumental teacher came to school today. Music lessons will take place from next Tuesday. Please remind your child to bring in their instrument.

We will continue to monitor the drop-off and collection times, as everyone gets used to the new times. A HUGE thank you to Y6 parents, who have waited until 3:20pm to collect their children. Please could we ask that you continue to do this for the time being; it really helps to ease congestion. Please remind your children about their collection location each morning, so that everyone is in the correct place!

I am aware that spaces for the wraparound care after-school are limited. Please be assured that we liaise with the KidsRUs team regularly to look at ways to increase spaces. We have aligned our sports clubs to the waiting list numbers, and the current bookings, which has created several places - KidsRUs will be contacting parents today to offer spaces. KidsRUs are able to use the hall as additional space after 4:10pm. We desperately need more physical space, but this is not a quick-fix problem. I have made the LA and the DfE aware that there is a childcare shortage in our area, and that we cannot expand our offer without more space. Meanwhile, please could we ask parents to review their bookings, and cancel a session if you know that your child will not attend.

Sports clubs will start on Monday. Please collect your child at 4:10pm, promptly. When the weather starts to cool, we will implement a timetable for indoor lunchtime clubs, which are always popular!

Special Mentions...

It was fantastic to talk to Reyaan (Y4) about the Olympic Closing ceremony. He spoke really well, and showed super conversational skills. Likewise, it was lovely to chat with Max (Y4) and Benji (Y4) earlier in the week: both boys spoke with confidence and detail. Well done! Evie M (R) was spotted by the Reception team showing care to another child - thank you, and well done! Well done to Isaac (Y4), Jessica (Y4), Matilda (Y4), Layla (Y4), Ben (Y4), Harriet (Y4), Maisie (Y4), Grace (Y5), Liberty (Y5), Charlie W (Y5), Maddie (Y5), Amelie (Y5), Hugo (Y6), Amber (Y6) and Filip (Y6) for their excellent manners and engagement when they met Mr. Kershaw earlier.

I hope that you all have a lovely weekend - see you on Monday!

Year 3

It has been absolutely wonderful to welcome the children to Year 3. They approached the week brimming with enthusiasm and behaved beautifully, and earned a restful weekend (particularly as it is such a long half-term). We have stuck Times Table Rockstar and Edshed log in details in the front of their reading records. Please support the children to practise times tables and spelling as much as possible at home. Spellings will be given out next week. Times Table Rockstar can be started straight away! I will send out an email on Monday confirming our home learning arrangements and expectations.

In class, learning has begun apace. The children have been tested on the first 100 HFWs to inform our spelling planning, and we have explored what makes a good set of instructions and the key features of instruction texts in English. In maths, we have already climbed times table mountain twice (we do this three times/week) and begun our half-term’s topic – place value. We have started by representing and partitioning numbers to 100.

In Science, we discussed ideas and individually created posters on what the children think being and living healthily means. In geography, they shared ideas and created mind maps about where we get our fruits and vegetables from. In PSHE, Miss Spinks joined the class for their first lesson on what drugs are and how they can be helpful or harmful, and, in RE, Mrs Chittock and the children began exploring the theme of reconciliation in Christianity. The children were excited to have their first French lesson, in which we learned some greetings.

Do get in touch directly with any questions, concerns or to catch up on your children – claire.murphy@moulton.suffolk.sch.uk. We are delighted with how the children have started the year and wish you ‘bon weekend!’

Miss Murphy (teacher), Mrs Dobson and Mrs Troughton.

Year 4

Hello and welcome back to school

The children have had a superb week settling back into school and the routines for Year 4.

The dust is starting to blow off.

In Maths we have started looking at place value and measurement. For English this week we have recapped some grammar work from previous years and have written a cold task ready to start learning our new text next week.

With Mrs Harper, the children have been looking at some reading comprehension. The children have also started their computing and science units with Mrs Harper.

With Miss Spinks in PHSE, the children have started a unit about Democracy and Government. This week they looked at the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship.

Miss Murphy has started French with the children. RE started this week with a Christianity unit looking at how Christians show that 'reconciliation' with God and other people is important. In an interesting assembly, the children were told about tax and what tax is. Funnily enough, they weren't very keen to have their pocket money taxed. ??

May I remind you that Star Reader is still running with Bookster Bear being rehomed to a class next week. Let's be the first class to claim him. Please continue with doing your timetables on TTR and all other homework will hopefully start next week.

Mrs Chittock, Mrs Harper and the Year 4 team.

Year 5

What a brilliant first week we have had! The first week of term can feel a bit like 'information over-load', but Y5 have accepted the challenge brilliantly. They've started to learn all the class routines, all my silly little habits and have coped well with the very small squares in the maths books. They also took getting homework on day 1 very well!

We have hit the ground running - this week we have already:

- written silly sentences with embedded clauses;

- read Neil Armstrong's biography and answered a multitude of comprehension questions;

- watched footage of the Moon landing (1969);

- covered LOADS of place value work (extending up to 7-digits);

- got back into the Times Table groove;

- learnt about why incarnation is such an important idea for Christians;

- heard the world's most ear-wormy song about the planets of the solar system (here's the link. If you'd like to heat a synth beat you'll never forget https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUZ2tfr1bsU)

Phew!

Have a restful weekend!

Miss Rutter, Mrs Marsh and Mrs Nichols

Year 6

It's been a super first week back. We have been really impressed with the children's attitudes and efforts, rising to the challenge of Year 6.

Here is a summary of what we have and what we will be learning.

English

We are ready Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful, comparing attitudes to society between the then and now and exploring how the writer uses description, action and dialogue to shape the reader's perspective.

Maths

We are consolidating understanding of numbers up to 10,000,000, focusing on using what we already have to spot patterns and interpret numbers.

History

We are studying the outbreak of WW1, moving onto how this sparked military and aviation innovation; how this affected European communities and what some of the lasting impacts would be.

French

We were learning about the verbs to have and the verbs to be.

Football development skills!

I am not setting homework this weekend. Homework will begin with a 10-minute task on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (to develop organisational skills and good habits for secondary) and a longer task on a Friday. The 10-minute tasks are due on the next day, and all weekend homework is due on Tuesday. I endeavour to be free on a Monday lunchtime to help with anything pupils have attempted and found tricky.

Have a super weekend

Nuala Gilmore and Rebecca Spinks