Willow Class News

KS2 SATs Information

Spring Term Curriculum Letter

Autumn Term Curriculum Letter.

Summer Term Curriculum Letter

22.09.23

Willow have had another brilliant week of learning. We have worked hard to master methods of addition and subtraction in Maths and have applied these to solving word problems and to calculating the perimeter of 2D shapes. In English, children have started their own stories based on the picture book, The Arrival. The progress children have made in their writing is amazing and I look forward to sharing the stories with you later in the term. We have established some good routines with ‘SPaG Fast Four’ and with our guided reading, where we have focused on the skill of retrieval. In RE, we have explored words of wisdom in the Qur’an and children enjoyed their first enrichment session on Tuesday afternoon

15.09.23

Willow have had another fantastic week- we have squeezed in such a lot of learning! In Maths, we have used our knowledge of rounding to calculate answers to addition and subtraction problems mentally and have also revised written methods. In English, we have produced some beautiful writing retelling Shaun Tann’s, The Arrival. Year 5’s have learned what ‘relative clauses’ are and we have revised how to punctuate dialogue correctly. Not only that but we have explored water resistance in Science, types of pass in netball and E-safety in computing.

08.09.23

Hello and welcome back! What a fantastic start to the term Willow have had - they have been a delight to teach and I am really looking forward to the term ahead. We began our project launch by using the contents of old suitcases to make inferences about characters. This has inspired some story writing in English and we have been exploring the place value of 5, 6 and 7 digit numbers in Maths. I have been particularly impressed by the Year 5's who have really risen to that challenge! We have considered 'Words of Wisdom' in RE and grappled with lines of longitude and latitude in geography!

21.07.23

Please see our leavers video below. Well done Year 6 and good luck!

14.07.23

This week we have had a packed week with lots of maths revision, narrative writing and publishing our reflections ready to be read by parents in the end of year reports.  In Music, we continued to make our original pieces of music inspired by Debbie Wiseman.  For Greek day we researched Greek salads and in groups made our own.  We had a great time on sports day and Willow class celebrated Bastille Day (14^th July) in class.

07.07.23

This week we have been working on mental maths and doing sums of up to 5 digits in our heads! We’ve continued to work on our reflective piece of writing which will go into the school reports.  Our art work in year 5 has been phenomenal- we created large pictures of Athena, Zeus and Poseidan using watercolours, chalk and tissue paper.  We have also consolidated our learning of the circulatory system and the heart by making a large interactive display for children to try out.  

30.06.23

We had an amazing day out on Tuesday at Henry Beaufort where we took part in a sports festival with five other schools.  We came very close to winning on multiple occasions and it has really inspired us to be more active and continue working in teams!  This was further built on the following day when we had a big year 5 and 6 PE skills and team building session on Wednesday. Furthermore, this week we have continued our work in geometry and started reviewing long multiplication.  In English we have been reflecting on the past year and after lots of discussions and planning, we have started writing up our reflections.  In Music we are beginning to make soundscapes to express our feelings and we are looking at what makes a good life as part of our RE learning and using the time to reflect on our Christian values.

23.06.23

Hawthorn and Willow have enjoyed working together to rehearse the first two scenes of their end of term production this week. We have been impressed by children's enthusiasm! Please do try to support your child with learning lines at home as well as finding an appropriate costume. In English, Y6 have worked hard to write a reflective piece on their last year of primary and Y5's have been refining their grammar to support their editing skills. In Maths, both classes have moved on to geometry units of learning and this has included some beautiful Mandala patterns outside Willow! In RE, children have moved on to exploring the question, "What makes a good life?" and have considered some of the contributions the Greeks have made to our lives today in Project.

16.06.23

Hawthorn and Willow have had a very hot week of learning this week! Year 6 have enjoyed being back in school and retelling stories of their residential experience at Calshot. This has led to some diary writing, which we hope to share with the Year 5's in preparation for next year's visit! In Maths, both classes have been revising fractions: Year 6's have looked at fractions as division and Year 5's have been multiplying fractions by whole numbers - we have been very impressed by children's learning. Children have enjoyed playing tennis in PE, thinking about the concept of submission in RE and beginning our new music unit. We are excited to begin our production practice and Year 6 have been drumming in preparation for their 'Cathedral Day' today.

09.06.23

This week in Willow class we are revisiting fractions and are becoming increasingly confident in comparing and ordering fractions. We have been studying The Odyssey by Homer and we have read about lots of different mythical creatures like the Sirens, Scylla and Circe the enchantress amongst many others.  We have continued with our clay sculptures which Mr Ali has been very impressed by and in our class worship assemblies we have discussed trust and forgiveness.

08.06.23

07.06.23

06.06.23

                                  

                           

5.06.23

Climbing and skiing:

Calshot, day one.

Testing our limits,

We had heaps of fun!

The glorious sun,

shone over our time

A picnic lunch to fill our tums,

Feeling just fine!

An egg drop to end the day,

How far will they fly?

Now it’s time to hit the hay,

Tomorrow, we’ll give more things a try!

25.05.23

Willow and Hawthorn have had a great end to what has been a very busy half term! Year 6's have revised translation and reflection in Maths this week and Year 5 have been learning how to read and interpret line graphs. In English, both classes have begun a new unit of narrative writing inspired by the two picture books, 'Journey' and 'Illiad and the Odyssey'. Children have learned about the parts and function of the heart as well as the positive impact of exercise on our bodies in Science and Year 6's have learned about the Battle of Troy, the Trojan Horse and the evidence (or sometimes lack of!) to prove it. Some of the UKS2 children have worked hard in the Travellers' Garden, where we now have tomatoes, carrots and broccoli growing! Yum! 

19.05.23

We have had another super week in Upper Key Stage 2! In English, Year 6's have started some really amazing writing on the Greek deity they created and have accompanied this writing with clay busts and digital art work inspired by the illustrations in the book, 'Mythologica'. Year 5 have worked hard publishing these and have started a new unit of story writing. In Maths, Year 6's have been revising how to solve calculations involving fractions and Year 5 have worked hard to master written methods of division. Children have learned about the components of blood in Science and have used a painting to decipher what the ancient Greeks believed about the afterlife in Project and the significance of the Quran in RE.

12.05.23

A HUGE 'Well Done' to our lovely Year 6's, who have worked tremendously hard on their KS2 SATs this week. When children have not been sitting papers, they have enjoyed plenty of PE and designing and making clay busts of their own Greek gods and goddesses. We look forward to sharing these with you at our exhibition of learning! Thank you to our Year 5 children, who have been so considerate of the timetable changes this week. They too, have been looking at the work of Greek sculptor and architect, Phidias, and have designed their own bust ready for making with clay in art. In Maths, children have been revising methods of multiplication and division and have worked hard to write their non-chronological reports on a Greek god or goddess that they have designed in English.

05.05.23

It's been another busy week in Willow and Hawthorn classes this week. The children have continued to write at the 'innovate' stage of their non-chronological report unit based on an invented Greek God. The children have really focused on using the key features of these reports. In maths, Hawthorn have been getting their heads around the tricky concept of squared and cubed numbers. Willow have been having fun with drawing 2d shapes and then finding the co-ordinates of the vertices - very tricky! Nest week, Hawthorn class will be working through their SATs papers each morning. We know that are so well-prepared and that they will do brilliantly. We wish them the very best of luck.

28.04.23

Willow and Hawthorn have had a great week of learning and have enjoyed getting to know Mr Robinson, our new Year 5 teacher. Children have worked hard in English, where they have begun producing non-chronological reports about ancient Greek gods. In Maths, Year 6's have revised factors, multiples and prime numbers and children have done a great job identifying patterns to support with this. Year 5's have begun a unit on geometry looking at points and shapes on a co-ordinate grid. We've begun a unit looking at the concept of 'submission' in RE, where children have considered its definition in preparation for future learning. Finally, in Project, children have explored the features of Greek temples and have begun to think about how we could replicate one in our classrooms!

21.04.23

We have had a brilliant first week of summer term. Year 6 started the week by undertaking their bike ability. Children were exhausted by Tuesday afternoon but the certificates and badges they received made it all worthwhile. Children have begun their new Project based on the enquiry question, 'How are ancient Greek ideas evident in our lives today?'. They have enjoyed researching each of the Greek gods and goddesses and have thought creatively about how they can present their learning in the form of a shrine. We hope to show you photographs in next week's newsletter. Our project has filtered into our English too, as children have been exploring some of the texts in 'Mythologica'; an encyclopedia  of Greek gods, monsters and mortals! Both Hawthorn and Willow are sad to see Mrs Wright go this afternoon, but wish her all the best in her new role.

31.03.23

Children have had a fantastic end to what has been a busy term. Year 5's have been learning about factors and multiples and applying this knowledge to prime and square numbers while Year 6's have been revising how to multiply fractions by whole numbers in Maths. Both classes have written some fantastic persuasive letters to Mr Johnston in English and have applied their knowledge to separating mixtures in Science. A highlight for both classes was testing the 'Flood Proof' homes children produced in DT earlier in the term. This has helped children reflect on what worked well and what could be improved about their designs in future.

24.03.23

This week Willow and Hawthorn have been working hard to make their narratives the best they can possibly be by editing carefully and typing them up on the new laptops. We're sure they will look amazing when they are printed out. Hawthorn have been exploring algebra in maths while Willow class have learnt all about long multiplication; these are really tricky topics and Mrs Wright and Mrs Webber have been super impressed with how well everyone has done. In RE, we have continued examining the story of the resurrection and what that means to Christians, and we have created our assemblage pieces based on the work of Betye Saar

17.03.23

Willow and Hawthorn have continued to work hard this week, especially the Year 6's, who have completed their second round of Mock SATs. A particular well done to Hawthorn class for trying their best! Children have continued their writing in English - we are looking forward to finishing and publishing our stories next week to show you at our Class Exhibitions. In Maths, children have been using algebra to solve problems (!) and have worked effectively with partners in art to design a piece inspired by Betye Saar. We would appreciate your support in gathering materials your child requires. Hawthorn class have also set up a Science investigation to remind us of the processes of evaporation and condensation and have enjoyed their football in PE.

10.03.23

Hawthorn and Willow have had another busy week of learning. Children have worked hard to make changes to their stories based on the picture book 'Flood' in English, thinking particularly about how to convey character using dialogue and how to increase pace and tension for the reader. In Maths, Year 5's have revised adding and subtracting fractions and Year 6's have been converting between different units of metric and imperial measure. Children were introduced to the idea of reversible and irreversible changes in Science and used PE equipment to create their own assemblage pieces in the style of Betye Saar in art. In Project, children have learned how deforestation all the way over in the Amazon rainforest can impact us here in Micheldever!

03.03.23

This week Willow and Hawthorn have had a great time writing narratives to the story Flood, a book with no words! We have also explored 3D shapes in maths, and looking at the relationship to volume and capacity with some intriguing investigations. In art, we have learnt about the artist Betye Saar and created beautiful profiles about her and her work. 

10.02.23

This week Willow and Hawthorn have researched animals from the Amazon rainforest in order to create explanation texts about their life cycles. We've seen some beautiful work so far! This has been supported by our geography work in Project as we continue to explore South America. In maths, we have been dipping back into some statistics topics, including line graphs and information tables, as well as looking at negative numbers. We have also really enjoyed looking at Islamic rites of passage such as the Aqiqah naming ceremony in RE. 

03.02.23

Willow and Hawthorn have had a great week at school. Children have continued to work hard on using addition and subtraction to solve problems and have used their knowledge of rounding to make estimations. Year 6's moved on to applying to describing number sequences and even used algebra! Some brilliant writing about Boa Constrictors has also taken place, where children have independently applied many of the features of an explanation text. Both classes have enjoyed using the apparatus in PE, where Mr Wallace challenged them with a 'Ninja Warrior' course around the hall. We also had fun applying our knowledge of the rainforest layers by adding to the displays in our classrooms; and testing the hardness of different wood types in Science. 

27.01.23

This week, Willow and Hawthorn have brought all the exciting things they've learnt about South American countries in project to diary writing in English, creating some really creative entries imagining their own road trip. We have also stretched ourselves with challenging mental maths focusing on addition and subtraction. In R.E, we have continued our work on rites of passage by learning about the Hajj, and in P.E we have had a thrilling time doing gymnastics on the apparatus. Well done as well to those in our classes who took part in the cross-country event this week; despite the cold and the mud, they all did fantastically! 

20.01.23

Willow and Hawthorn have had another great week. In Maths, children have started a new unit on geometry and have revised how to measure and draw angles using a protractor. Year 6 children have applied this to constructing their own pie charts! Children have reached the end of their unit on Ode writing and have produced some beautiful poems on Rainforest fruits in English. We are looking forward to seeing what they remember of diary writing next week. Children have also enjoyed researching South American countries in preparation for our 'Road Trip' and had fun in PE, where they were practicing dismounts off the gym equipment. A particular well done to the boys who represented our school so well at the Football Tournament on Wednesday - you should all be proud of the sportsmanship and good spirit you showed.

13.01.23

In Willow and Hawthorn this week, we have really grown in confidence with fractions, decimals and percentages. Some of us have also looked at percentages of amounts, which is brilliant work! We have also compared lots of poems and started to create our own poem based on food from the Amazon rainforest in English, linking in with our Geography topic of South America. In science, we have explored the differences between natural and synthetic materials, and PE we have been having tremendous fun with Samba, a dance from Brazil, and gymnastics. In RE, we all strongly made our cases for rites of passage to the PM. 

06.01.23

Willow and Hawthorn have made a flying start to the Spring Term. Children have been learning in the rainforest(!) and have used clues in some mysterious postcards to deduce our topic for the next term: we will be exploring what life is like in South America to help us answer the question, 'How is Our World Changing?' In Maths, children have begun a unit exploring fraction, decimal and percentage equivalence and have used their knowledge of poetic features to unpick Pablo Neruda's 'Ode to My Socks' in English. Children are busy planning and writing their own odes about their own socks! We look forward to sharing the results with you! In RE, children have looked at key milestones in their lives as part of a new unit exploring rites of passage .

16.12.22

Willow and Hawthorn have had a great end to the term. They have produced some beautiful Christmas poetry to round off their English unit of work. Children have tried hard to convert between units of measure when solving problems and have practiced adding perspective to their sketches in art. Of course, the highlight of our week had to be Thursday, when we enjoyed shopping for our loved ones, practicing singing for our Christmas service, our Christmas lunch and stories with Father Christmas! We have enjoyed a fantastic term of learning and thank you for your continued support. Have a wonderful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in 2023!

09.12.22

Willow and Hawthorn have had a wonderful week. In maths we have continued our work on measurement, exploring converting units and even thinking about things like the imperial measurement and fractions of measurement. In English, we have created some beautiful poetry inspired by The Christmas Truce by Carole Ann Duffy. In project, we have started pulling together our presentations to really show off what we have learnt this term, and in art we are using the work of war-time artist Henry Moore to inspire our own creations with a focus on perspective and tone. 

02.12.22

Hawthorn’s week has been a little unusual this week, as children have undertaken their mock SATS week. Year 6 should be proud of their hard work. Well done, guys. Year 5 have worked hard in Maths to convert between units of measure; a tricky skill to grasp, and children in both year groups have begun their new poetry unit in English. In the afternoons, children have worked well to complete their moving WWII toys- they have required lots of resilience and working together to complete; the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our learning powers! 

25.11.22

Willow and Hawthorn have worked hard this week. Children have practiced reading a co-ordinate grid and have moved on to translating and reflecting shapes. In English, children have worked exceptionally well to independently plan and write stories inspired by 'The Harmonica'. Mrs Webber and Ms Wright are so excited to read the final versions and we look forward to sharing them with you next week. Children have continued their learning in RE, considering what Christians and Muslims think about God's power and children have generated some amazing questions in response to this. Our wooden toys are coming along nicely and we have enjoyed investigating shadows in Science.

18.11.22

Years 5 and 6 have worked hard again this week. Children have considered how they can portray character in their stories through description and dialogue. They’re almost ready to begin writing their own stories next week. We are sure they are going to be spectacular! In Maths, children have begun a new unit on geometry and have used protractors carefully to measure and draw angles. Year 6’s have also gone on to apply this to drawing 2D shapes! A tricky skill to master! Children have continued assembling the wooden frames for their WW2 toys in DT and enjoyed exploring the lines of incidence and reflection in Science. They have also explored the major events of WW2 and how it came to an end, learning about The Battle of Britain and D-Day. 

11.11.22

This week Willow and Hawthorn have been looking at telling the time in Maths with both analogue and digital clocks. Children have worked hard to apply this knowledge to solving time problems. Children have also been exploring the use of figurative language and describing settings in English, using the story 'The Harmonica' which links to our ongoing topic. Some of the writing is beautiful! In Science, we have been investigating the reflectiveness of different materials and have used knowledge of their properties to explain the results, and have got creative with some woodwork in DT and digital poppy art for Remembrance.

04.11.22

We have had a wonderful start to the new half term! Year 5's have continued with their learning on fractions and Year 6's have applied this to finding percentages of amounts in Maths. Children have enjoyed reading 'The Harmonica' in English and have been inspired by the images and descriptive features to retell the story in their own words. We have been so impressed with what the children have written so far and look forward to seeing where the unit will take us next. We have tried our hands at wood work in DT this week, making a frame for a toy inspired by WWII; explored the concept of power in RE; continued looking at the impact of WWII on families in Europe; and have identified that light travels in straight lines in Science. A very busy week! 

21.10.22

We have had a very eventful week in upper key stage 2! We started the week over at Barton Stacey for a WW2 workshop! We enjoyed listening to Warden Parsons and handling the many different artefacts he brought with him. Later in the week, we welcomed a member of the Hebrew Congregation to Micheldever, who spoke with us about the Jewish faith, particularly the festivals that are celebrated throughout the year . We really enjoyed trying on (and tasting!) some of the objects he brought with him.  Children have worked hard to secure their understanding of equivalent fractions in Maths and have demonstrated what they know of persuasive writing. We had an exciting end to the week too - children used their knowledge of electrical circuits to design and build an intruder alarm that Anne Frank could have used in her annexe! We look forward to more fun and learning after half term. Have a restful week.

14.10.22

Willow and Hawthorn have had another great week of learning. Children have written some brilliant newspaper reports on the events of Kristallnacht in English and  have used formal written methods for division– some children have even mastered long division!!. In RE , children have enjoyed researching Jewish festivals and have investigated the conductivity of metals in Science. We are really looking forward to visiting Barton Stacey on Monday!

07.10.22

Willow and Hawthorn have had another super week of learning. In Maths, children have worked hard to find multiples and factors of numbers in the new unit of multiplication and division and in English, we have worked together on a newspaper report applying our historical knowledge of Kristallnacht - this is still a work in progress but we have been impressed by children's application of grammatical features so far. Children have had great fun in PE with Mr Wallace exploring the importance of marking in defence and have investigated electrical conductors and insulators in Science.

30.09.22

Willow and Hawthorn have made fantastic progress in their learning this week. In maths, children have applied their existing skills in multiplication and division to calculate area of rectilinear shapes. In English, we have applied our history knowledge of Kristallnacht to begin exploring writing newspaper articles, preparing to write our own examples. In Science, we have examined different types of switches for our circuits. In P.E, we have continued developing our basketball skills, particularly in cross-dribbling. Finally, we had an amazing time tasting apples and honey in celebration of Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish New Year.

23.09.22

Willow and Hawthorn have had another brilliant week of learning. Children have worked hard to apply their skills in addition and subtraction to calculating the perimeter of composite rectilinear shapes in Maths. In English, we have loved writing from the perspective of Anne Frank and particularly enjoyed making freeze frames to support us with this. In Science, we have enjoyed investigating the impact of cells and components on the success of circuits and considered our responses to the concept of belonging in R.E. In class worships this week, we have talked about 'Democracy' and what makes a good school councillor.

16.09.22

Willow & Hawthorn–Hello! Willow and Hawthorn have had a fantastic week of learning where we have started to explore the difficult situations families in war time Europe found themselves in, examining how and why Anne Frank and her family went into hiding. We have developed our diary writing skills by writing passages from Anne's point of view, getting to know her as a character through our guided reading. We’ve also worked hard in maths; using column addition and subtraction to solve problems using large numbers; and continued exploring circuits in science.  

09.09.22

Hello and welcome back! Willow and Hawthorn have had a great first week of learning where we have begun an enquiry into how WWII impacted the lives of families in Europe. A bizarre scene awaited the children on Monday: a desk and its contents had been trashed and children were tasked with trying to find out who it belonged to! Some investigating revealed that the desk (and an accompanying diary) were that of Anne Frank’s! We have taken inspiration from her writing and have started creating diary entries of our own in English; we’ve worked hard to secure our place value knowledge of large numbers in Maths; and had fun creating circuits in Science.

Goodbye from the Year 6 (and staff!)

15.07.2022

Willow have had a fantastic final full week of term. They have written some lovely autobiographies accompanied with some very cute baby photos! In Maths, they have revised the vocabulary of geometry and used clues to draw shapes. They have continued to show a mature approach in PSHE and have learned how cast and impression fossils are formed in Science. A highlight for us all however, was Willow's production of 'Olivia'. I'm sure those of you who attended this afternoon will agree that they have done an absolutely phenomenal job! Thank you for all of your help in sourcing costumes and for your ongoing support this year. Have a safe, healthy and restful summer and I look forward to welcoming back Year 5's in September!

08.07.2022

Willow have had another excellent week. In Maths, we have continued our learning in geometry and have made tremendous progress in using a protractor to both measure and draw angles. In English, children have brought in some lovely photographs (thank you for your help!) and have used these to inspire some autobiographical writing. We have used Mary Anning's autobiography to support us in this and look forward to writing our final versions. In Science, Willow have classified fossils and considered what they can tell us about past life; we enjoyed a visit from Henry Beaufort's Monsieur Leggatt in French; and have learned how to use Excel to display data. Our production of 'Olivia' is looking good! Please make sure your ticket requests and costumes are in as soon as possible.

01.07.2022

Willow have worked exceptionally hard this week. We have written fantastic playscripts in English and have been able to reflect on the progress they have made throughout this unit of writing. In Maths, children have revised their knowledge of angles to calculate unknown angles and have practiced their summarising skills in guided reading. Children have explored the 5 pillars of Islam in RE to consider how Muslims feel part of their community; have explored Spreadsheets in computing; and have taken an incredibly mature approach to their learning in Jigsaw. 

24.06.2022

We have managed to squeeze in SO much learning this week! In Maths, we have worked hard to solve problems involving ratio and proportion and enjoyed getting to know the characters of Bill and Nancy in English. This has helped children in their playscript writing, where they have worked hard to try and convey character through dialogue and stage directions. Wednesday was particularly exciting as children experienced what school was like for Victorian children at the time. We did our arithmetic practice on slates and used an abacus to support our understanding of ratio in Maths as well as investigated the invertebrates that occupy the churchyard in Science. Children were unsure of Mrs Webber and Mr Johnston, as they were especially strict, but thankfully all children managed to avoid the cane!! Since then, children have worked hard to explore the concept of 'Community' from an Islamic context and have practiced their production. Please encourage your child to be learning their lines - this makes a huge different to rehearsals.

17.06.2022

Willow have had a brilliant first week back together after last week's residential. Year 6 enjoyed sharing photos of Calshot with Year 5, especially the video of Mrs Webber on the team swing! Children have revised fraction, decimal and percentage equivalence this week in Maths and have applied this skill to contextual problems. I have been very impressed with how children have approached this - some of it has been rather tricky! In English, we have begun a unit on playscript writing and considered the importance of stage directions in particular. This has supported with our first rehearsals of our production, 'Olivia'! You are in for a treat! A reminder that this coming Wednesday is our Victorian day, where children are encouraged to come in dressed as Victorians! 

10.06.2022

Willow have had a super week this week. Year 6 have thoroughly enjoyed their residential at Calshot, where they have enjoyed lots of activities including climbing, sailing, kayaking, archery and shooting! Well done to Year 5, who’ve worked hard with Mr Johnston and Mrs Owens this week. They have written biographies of Victorian inventors and honed their fraction skills! 

Residential updates

Day four

The morning begun with glorious sun, and a birthday breakfast, for a special one.

Quite at home on the range, 

our bulls-eyes in sight.

shooting stars we became,

With our rifles held tight.

A mid morning break,

Sitting on the sea wall

Then off to the hangar

To stack crates so tall

So crate stacking next

Building the tallest of towers

Fantastic team work

And victory was ours!

Back onto the water

With kayaking galore

The wind was so strong

it blew us to shore.

No need to fear

we didn’t want to turn back!

Us being us

We gave it crack after crack!

Our last evening of fun

Called for ringos downhill

All joined up together

With plenty of thrills!

Day Three

Calshot, day three!

How fantastic it will be!

First, adventure in the woods at Spratsdown,

We used maps to find our way around.

Next, we needed to stop,

So we made a beeline for the on-site shop!

Time for the team swing -

What fun it will bring!

Second session on the slopes,

Made it to the top, just like we'd hoped.

Looking forward to this evening-

'Epic Engineering!'

Prepared for another good night's sleep-

These memories, we will keep. 

Day Two

Hip, hop hooray, it’s sailing day
The the sea is flat, the wind’s okay!
Yellow Fun Boat’s the name, fun is it’s nature,
‘Hop aboard me Hearties’, we’ll see you lot later!

To the water we flew, like a bird in the air.
We were heard to exclaim as we sailed off in pairs…
“What a great morning task, we’re so glad we all came,
Regular school work now seems boring and tame!

Despite this great task we were soon climbing walls,
Not in annoyance but, with rope and other tools.
Some were like spiders scuttling up quick,
Others more considered, not missing a trick.

Whilst climbing in groups others skied or shot arrows
As yesterday’s time was just far too narrow.
To the castle tonight for Tudor Twilight tasks,
A step back through time- a blast from the past!

Day One

Initiative and skiing to start the day.
We’re ready, eager-we’re here to play!
Initiative by name, initiative we used
There’s no place on the course to be confused.

Swinging to safety, scaling walls,
Traversing ‘The Tunnel’, balancing seesaws.
Onto the archery, arrows at the ready!
A strong arm required to hold them steady.

After all this, it went down hill quickly!
With boots, skis and helmets, so fast we felt sickly!
For a first lesson session, the slopes remained low.
Next time we wear this gear, we’ll all be ski pros!

Rushing rockets this evening we launch from the beach.
As far as our dreams the vessels may reach?
Goodbye to day one, so quick it has passed.
On to day two-long may it last!

27.05.2022

Willow have had a lovely end to this half term. They have produced some fantastic writing from the perspective of Dodger in English and have worked hard to solve multi-step problems in Maths. In Project, children presented their posters and winners were announced: special well done to Jude, Hannah, Amelia, Esther, Eva and Millie for their hard work. Children have also used coding in the programme, 'Scratch' to create a Victorian music box and have especially enjoyed the added excitement of holding chicks, making scones for the Jubilee and receiving their parts for the end of year production! Have a happy half term everybody!

20.05.2022

Another wonderful week in Willow. We have been brushing up on our mental arithmetic methods for the four operations, particularly scaling and compensation. In English, we have had great fun writing persuasively from the perspective of Oliver Twist's, Fagin! We have enjoyed reading them aloud with the slang and colloquial language modelled in the book and look forward to applying the same skills when writing as Dodger! In RE, we have begun to explore the concept of stewardship and children have considered their own experiences of being entrusted with something special. Finally, children enjoyed a Drama workshop and even golf in PE!

13.05.2022

A HUGE WELL DONE AND CONGRATULATIONS to our lovely Year 6's, who completed their SATs assessments this week. I hope you are as proud of yourselves as we are of you. Thank you too to the Year 5's for working flexibly and considerately in support of their peers this week. In addition to the assessments, we have completed some fantastic discursive writing about the Victorian workhouse and whether or not it was a place of hope or despair. Children have also collaborated and undertaken research to produce powerpoint presentations about volcanoes and earthquakes in Geography this week and worked well together in handball during their PE lesson.

06.05.2022

Willow have had another busy week. We have worked really hard in Maths to identify the prime factors of numbers and have also investigated squared and cubed numbers. I have been tremendously impressed by children's independent writing this week, where they've been busy innovating a balanced argument - some of the best writing the children have produced! I really look forward to seeing how they apply these skills to writing about the Victorian workhouses. Children are also well under way with their poster competition about the Victorians (see photo) and really enjoyed their additional football lesson this week! A special mention must go to the Year 6's this week, who have worked their socks off in the lead up to SATs! Best of luck next week, Year 6's! You CAN do it! 

29.08.2022

 It has been absolutely wonderful to see Willow this week after what I hope has been a brilliant Easter break for you all. We have had great fun launching our new project: 'How have the lives of British school children changed since the Victorian era?' - children entered the classroom on Monday to find some rather strange (and rather disgusting!) items dotted around! The attached QR codes provided information about what life was like for Victorian children, including school and work. Children have started the term curious to find out more. We have begun our new unit on discursive writing in English and have had lots of fun playing with and investigating multiples and factors in Maths. We've begun to look at the work of Victorian scientist, Carl Linnaeus in Science and have enjoyed getting to know 'Oliver Twist'. Particular well done to Willow children for their excellent application of the new Golden Rules this week. Keep it up!

08.04.2022

I am so proud of Willow this week - this week has looked slightly different and has involved several different adults teaching them but the children have demonstrated just what a lovely class they are to teach! All adults have said just how impressed they were by children's behaviour and attitudes towards their learning: this has resulted in some fantastic investigating involving algebra, some wonderful story writing in English and poetry in RE, as well as some investigations thinking about the factors that impact the pitch of a sound in Science. Children have evaluated their delicious African dishes from last week's exhibitions and really enjoyed practicing some of the skills required in cricket. I hope you all have a happy Easter and I very much look forward to seeing you all in the summer term.

01.04.2022

Willow have had a really fantastic week. I have been impressed by the resilience children have shown in Maths particularly, where we have been doing algebra and finding the 'number behind the letter mask'! In English, children have produced some beautiful dream poetry and some children even made dream catchers at home to accompany their wonderful writing! We had fun in Science making 'String Cup Phones' and used our knowledge of sound to explain how our partners were able to hear at the other end! The highlight however, has been cooking with Mrs Owens - children researched and cooked some delicious African delicacies, which we shared at exhibition this afternoon. Well done for your hard work, Willow!

25.03.2022

Another lovely week in Willow Class! We have enjoyed learning to read scales accurately with a whole class investigation and solving measurement problems involving the multiplication of fractions! In English, we have begun a unit of writing based on Pie Corbett’s ‘Dream Poem’. We conducted another investigation in Science considering whether the medium around a sound source impacts its volume. We found that paper reduced the volume by the most decibels! We ended the week with an RE day where we considered the Christian and Muslim interpretations of God. Keep up the hard work, Willow!

18.03.2022

Willow have worked tremendously hard this week. They have persevered with converting units of metric and imperial measure and yesterday, moved on to estimating and calculating volume. In English, children have completed a 'drop-in' write, where they have written informative reports about the creatures designed on Science Day - I have been thrilled with what children have remembered of non-chronological report writing. Some of their best writing yet! In Science, we conducted a class experiment investigating what happens to volume as you move away from the sound source - most children were able to have a go at using a decimetre! Children have also worked hard in art to produce their own Nuer and Dinka tribe inspired piece. We look forward to sharing these with you soon.

11.03.2022

Willow began the week by reflecting on their African workshop- what a day it was! Some children have written reviews of their experience. In Maths, we have been learning how to convert units of measure and, in English, have practiced writing to inform and to persuade. Children have explored the themes and techniques of Nuer and Dinka tribe art work and have begun planning their own piece. In Science, children have learned how vibrations travel through mediums to create sound and have explored what sound waves look like. We also had an exciting end to this week with our Science Day where we worked in groups to produce a stop motion video! A special well done to Year 6, who have completed their second round of mocks.

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4.03.2022

I have been amazed by Willow's approach to their learning this week after a sudden end to last half term! They have continued some fantastic story writing in English and we look forward to sharing them with you later in the term. In Maths, children have been interpreting line and bar graphs and enjoyed finding the mean number of books on library shelves on World Book Day! In Science, we started a new unit on sound and children conducted some practical activities to prove that sound is caused by vibrations. We had an exciting end to the week by reading to our buddies in Oak as part of our World Book Day celebrations and have LOVED our African workshop today!

18.02.2022

Willow have had a great end to this half term. The class have produced some really fantastic journey narratives in English and I have been amazed at the quality of the writing. We look forward to sharing them with you next half term. In Maths, children have been exploring statistics, particularly the use of line graphs. Children have thought about the ‘stories’ they tell and some have even had a go at constructing their own! In Science, children completed our unit of learning by creating life cycles for their own Switchzoo characters, applying lots of the vocabulary explored in recent weeks. Children have also taken the role of geologists, climatologists, public health officers and village elders in discussing solutions to Africa’s ‘Water Crisis’. Thank you for your support this half term. Have a restful break.

11.02.2022

Willow have had another very busy week of learning! The children have shown real resilience with adding and subtracting mixed numbers this week - a tricky skill to grasp! The class have also been working really hard in English, where they have been using prepositions and sensory details to create setting descriptions. On Tuesday, we celebrated Internet Safety Day and enjoyed creating Digital Footprints, which showed the apps, games and sites that children access regularly. We then had some brilliant conversations which encouraged children to think about their responses in different situations. Particular well done to the E-cadets for leading a fantastic whole school assembly! In Science, we learned all about the life cycle and adaptations of an ostrich and have considered some of the reasons behind water shortages and their impacts in Geography.

04.02.2022

Willow have had a really lovely week. We have especially enjoyed our novel, 'A Long Walk to Water' and mapping out the story in pairs. We have boxed up the story and developed a character profile of the main protagonist, Salva. In Maths, I have been astounded by the children's approach to describing and generating linear sequences - this has lent itself well to some investigative work. In Science, we have learned about the life cycle and adaptations of a mosquito  and have considered the importance of water in our lives in Project. However, our highlight has got to be the 'Safari Adventure' we hosted for Birch, who came and learned about our Switchzoo creatures!

28.01.2022

Willow have enjoyed another week of learning! They have produced some wonderful non-chronological reports of fictional creatures and we are really looking forward to sharing them with other classes next week on our 'Safari Adventure'! In Science, we loved learning about the African Bullfrog, its adaptations and how its life cycle differs from that of a mammal. In Project, we learned how we drink the same water as the dinosaurs did thanks to the water cycle (!) and have set up our own water cycle investigation in class - we look forward to seeing the results.

21.01.2022

Another busy week of learning in Willow! On Monday, children had fun using the 'Switchzoo' app to create their own creature as a subject for writing. Children have given such thought to their creatures' appearance, habitat and diet and have produced some really fantastic writing that informs the reader. We are looking forward to sharing our reports with other children next week. In Maths, we've worked hard to read and interpret pie charts using our knowledge of fractions, decimals and percentages. I was particularly impressed by the resilience children showed to start with - their persistence has proved they CAN do it! In Science, we have enjoyed learning about the life cycle and adaptations of a giraffe and have loved keeping scores of the AFCON tournament. Between us, we can now name the 54 countries of Africa in three minutes!

14.01.2022

Willow have worked tremendously hard this week and have really impressed me in all areas of their learning. Children tackled some complex problems requiring decimal, percentage and fraction equivalence in Maths at the beginning of the week and have moved on to solving problems involving ratio - we even scaled up a recipe for a berry smoothie, which we hope to test out for snack soon! In English, we have started innovating and writing about some fictional creatures - created by the 'Switchzoo' app- in practice for hot writes next week. In Science, we have been looking at the lifecycle of mammals and look forward to learning about giraffes in next week's lesson. In addition to all of this, we have managed to work together to name ALL 54 countries of Africa and are excited to see how events unfold in the AFCON tournament over the next few weeks.

07.01.2022

What a fantastic start to the new term Willow have had! It has been lovely to see the children again and commence a new unit of learning based on the enquiry question: 'Africa: What is needed to succeed?' We have had lots of fun trying to name all the countries in the continent, which has included creating a 'bedsheet map' of Africa using lines of longitude and latitude to locate them. We have really liked becoming naturalists, inspired by David Attenborough, and researching different African animals in preparation for non-chronological report writing in English and life cycle work in Science.

17.12.2021

Willow have had a really brilliant end to the term and have thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the panto, the Christmas lunch, stories with Santa and, of course, the school disco! In amongst the festivities, we have enjoyed some learning about the phases of the moon and the different interpretation of the Christmas stories in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Children should be really proud of how hard they have worked this term and have certainly earned a rest over the break. With best wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year. Mrs Webber  

10.12.2021

Huge congratulations to our Year 6's, who completed their Mock SATs this week - they should be so proud of how hard they have worked. Well done to the Year 5's too, who have coped superbly well with the change to their usual routine. In addition to Mock SATs, Willow have been learning about units of metric measure in Maths and have produced some beautiful free-verse poetry about the planets in English. We look forward to sharing it on the school website soon. In Science, children have been learning about what causes day and night, as well as the phases of the moon.

03.12.2021

I have been really impressed with Willow Class this week, who have shown a real eagerness and commitment to their Maths learning, in particular. Children have worked hard to identify missing angles and translate shapes on a co-ordinate grid - a difficult skill to master! In English, children have published their portal stories ready to send to Jennifer Bell, the author of Wonderscape, and have had fun putting actions to the poem; "Six Ways to Look at the Moon." In Science, children had fun learning about the movement of the planets around the sun and we even found out what our ages would be on each planet! Children also enjoyed the Trashmouth puppets who came to visit on Thursday.

26.11.2021

We had an exciting delivery in Willow Class this week - the manager at Trailfinders, Winchester, wrote to us to congratulate us on our fantastic persuasive flyers from earlier in the term. He seems confident that we would make very successful travel agents! Children have done some more brilliant writing this week and have completed their own portal stories - these have been a real labour of love so we hope you enjoyed reading them this afternoon! In Maths, we have been developing our understanding of time and applying this to solving problems and have learned about the planets, their size and distance from the sun in Science.

19.11.2021

Another lovely week in Willow. Children have worked tremendously hard in Maths to calculate percentages of amounts - I have been really impressed with children's determination to grasp this. In English, we have finished our portal story innovations, which are really wonderful to read. Children have also planned their own, which we hope to be able to finish in time to show you at exhibition this week. In Science, we discussed how the curiosity of Nicolaus Copernicus has changed the world and we have been celebrating our differences as part of Anti-Bullying Week.

12.11.2021

Willow have worked hard again this week! Children have commenced a new unit in Maths, where they have applied their knowledge of multiples to find equivalent fractions. In English, we are using class-writes to write a practice version of a portal story. Willow worked as a team to create a story, which transports the main character to space! Do ask your child to re-tell it at home! As part of our Remembrance commemorations, children have also spent time creating black-out poetry and the Y6’s represented our school at the war memorial on Thursday. It was lovely to see you all at parent’s evenings this week – please do get in touch if you weren’t able to attend.

05.11.2021

I am SO proud of Willow this week: they have made a fantastic start to this half term and have worked extremely hard. We have had lots of fun in English learning a portal story to help us write our own over the coming weeks and in Maths, we have been learning efficient methods for dividing numbers and applying this to problems - the progress children have made in this area this week has really blown me away! Willow have also enjoyed investigating the effects of friction in Science this week.

22.10.2021

What a great end to half term! Children have had a busy week finishing their persuasive flyers, advertising holidays to US cities. A lot of effort has gone in to them and I'm sure you'll agree they are fantastic! I am really proud of the commitment children have shown during this unit of work. In Maths, children have revised the methods of short and long multiplication to solve calculations and in Science, we have been learning about the force of friction and considering its uses in our lives. We ended the half term with a day of D.T., where we applied our knowledge of forces from Science to design, make and evaluate parachutes to keep an egg safe! A lot of fun was had!

15.10.2021

Willow have had a fantastic week! Children have made a brilliant start to their hot write; persuasive flyers about US cities that the children have researched. I have been astounded by the children's writing so far and I cannot wait to share the finished products with you! In Maths, children have made a great start to their new unit of learning - they have had fun finding factor pairs and creating factor and multiple chains. Children have enjoyed exploring one-point linear perspective in art and have considered how it revolutionised art during the Renaissance Period. In Science, children had great fun investigating water resistance and using blue tack to determine the most appropriate shape for a submarine!

08.10.2021

Willow have had another great week. They have persevered at calculating perimeter in Maths and have enjoyed innovating a persuasive flyer advertising Micheldever as a holiday destination: we all enjoyed a walk around the village in the sunshine identifying key sites that would be attractive to a visitor. Children have worked hard to apply what they saw and discussed on their visit in their writing. Children have also continued to enjoy learning about the USA, this week, its human geography!

01.10.2021

Willow have had a great week and have really enjoyed getting stuck into their new units of learning! In English, children have been learning about what makes a good persuasive flyer. Children have put actions to three paragraphs and can say it off by heart! We have found balancing equations in Maths a little tricky but I've been impressed with their resilience and persistence! In Project, children have loved learning about the USA; they have particularly enjoyed the challenge of seeing how many states they can recall! I'm sure they'd love to show off their knowledge at home!

24.09.2021

Willow have had another great week. Children have produced some fantastic biographies of Renaissance Figures and  I was particularly impressed by the reciprocity they showed when supporting one another in editing their writing. Children have made a start on their new addition and subtraction unit in Maths and have loved having some extra PE with Mr Menning. A real highlight has been designing and planning games to play with buddies down in Oak, who children met on Thursday! Very exciting! We look forward to spending more time with our buddies throughout the year.

17.09.2021

Willow have had another busy week! Children have applied their knowledge of place value to representing and estimating numbers on a number line and rounding numbers. In English, children have learned how to extend their sentences by using relative clauses and have drafted paragraphs for biographical writing next week. In Project, we explored how maps have changed thanks to the curiosity of explorers and advancements in technology and in Science, children enjoyed learning about air resistance.

10.09.2021

Willow have made a great start to the new term and I am very excited for the year ahead with them. We have enjoyed considering our project enquiry question, 'Can Curiosity Change Our World?' and have researched significant figures from the Renaissance Period to support our answers. Our research has also inspired some biographical writing, which we will complete next week. In Maths, children have revised place value and have been working to read, write, order and compare some rather large numbers on a Graffiti River

23.07.2021

And just like that this academic year is over! We have had a lovely last week of term. Children performed superbly well at their end of term production, ‘Heroes of Troy’ and we so loved having you come and look at the learning we’ve been doing this term. Children have enjoyed spending time with each other in the sunshine at the field and in the churchyard this week and have taken time to reflect on the things they are grateful for this year and thought ahead to things they are excited for in September. It has been a pleasure teaching Willow class this year. Y6’s- all the best in your next adventure and Y5’s, I look forward to seeing you in September. Have a lovely summer! 

16.07.2021

Willow have had such a fun penultimate week of term involving lots of sport! Children displayed lots of the Olympic values at our Sports afternoon on Monday  and enjoyed their Tokyo 360 Day on Tuesday – Boxercise and Shooting were firm favourites! In addition to this, children have worked hard to find similar rectangles using England flags, which required their knowledge of ratios to support them, and have completed their chapters of ‘Who Let the God’s Out?’ Some absolutely fantastic writing! Children have also worked hard to get things ready for their production of ‘Heroes of Troy’ next week! You’re in for a treat!

09.07.2021

I have been so impressed by the wonderful writing Willow have completed this week. They have worked hard to re-write a chapter from our school novel, who Let The Gods Out, by Maz Evans. Children have made use of the resources around them and the feedback from adults to create some fantastic, entertaining and descriptive writing. Well done everyone! In addition to writing, children have worked hard to calculate ratios and enlarge shapes using scale factors in Maths and have taken a very mature and sensible approach to their learning in RSE. Well done Willow!

02.07.2021

In Willow this week, children have started a mini-maths unit exploring ratio. Children have displayed real resilience with this: despite it being new and intimidating for many, children have worked hard to develop their understanding. Children have done some lovely writing reflecting on the last year and, of course, Marwell has been a highlight for us all - the sloth, tiger and giraffes being firm favourites! Willow have also had a visit from the fire service this week and have made excellent headway in their production! 

School Trip to Marwell

Willow had a great break away from the classroom as they embarked on a school trip to Marwell Zoo! Children enjoyed observing all the animals, particularly the tiger, giraffes and rhinos! Children also got a lucky glimpse of the resident sloth on the move in the Tropical House.  As we made our way around, children thought about the ways in which species had adapted to suit their habitats. 

Project Day!

Willow Class had a well-earned Project Day to mark the end of their SATs week. I'm so proud of how hard the children have worked and the resilience they have shown this week. As part of our day today, children created leitmotifs associated with Greek gods and goddesses using graphic scores and percussion instruments. They tasted a selection of Greek foods and I was so impressed with how many children 'gave it a go'! Greek yoghurt with honey was a firm favourite! This afternoon, we practiced our end of term production, which is coming along nicely! 

25.06.2021

A HUGE ‘Well Done!’ to Willow children for all their hard work this week. Year 6’s approached their SATS papers with maturity and really gave their all- I am very proud of them. The Year 5’s have also worked hard to create posters about countries drawn in our class Euro 2020 sweepstake! When children weren’t completing SATS papers or poster-making, they practiced using figurative language in their writing, found percentages of amounts, had a go at ‘Zentangle’ patterns and even made a start on the end of term production! To end the week, and as a celebration of all their hard work, children participated in a Project Day and tasted some Greek foods! What a busy week, indeed!

18.06.2021

This week in Willow, we have enjoyed sharing our experiences of last week with one another. Children have written recounts of their favourite day from residential or, in the case of Year 5s, a day they particularly enjoyed over half term. Children have also begun their new unit of writing, where they will be re-writing a chapter of our class novel, 'Who Let the Gods Out?' We have revised how to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions in Maths and have conducted an experiment in Science investigating the impact of exercise on our heart rates. Y6 children have also learned how to use a bicycle safely on the road in their 'Bikeability' sessions AND have started to learn some songs for the end of term production. A super busy week!

11.06.2021

Willow have had a rather different, but fantastic week this week. Y6 have been away at Calshot on their residential, where they have had fun kayaking, climbing, skiing, orienteering and much more. I have been blown away by children’s resilience and teamwork and am very proud of them. Meanwhile, the Y5’s have been busy making a book about what life was like during Ancient Greek times, as part of their Project work. They will share what they’ve learned with the Year 6’s upon their return next week!

Calshot Residential Update 10.06.21

We have thoroughly enjoyed today! There was a change to our schedule, which meant we began the day with kayaking, instead of sailing. It was a real hit and has been a highlight of the week for many of us. This afternoon, we completed 'Initiative Tasks' and climbing before spending the evening doing the 'Ringo' (sliding down the ski slope in a big ring!) It was FANTASTIC and a lovely way to spend our last evening together. We have also spent time today reflecting on the past week and sharing our experiences and highlights. Children have each gained an award, which we are looking forward to telling you about when we see you tomorrow! 

Calshot Residential Update 09.06.21

We have had another fun-filled day at Calshot and are sad to think that tomorrow is our last full day together here! We began the day with a second go on the ski-slopes - it was wonderful to see how much children's confidence had grown since their first session. We then had great fun crate stacking and were reminded of the importance of communication and teamwork! This afternoon, we took part in 'Epic Engineering' and the team swing, which were both great, and ended the evening with a tour of Calshot Castle and some bridge making! We are SO excited for sailing tomorrow. 

Calshot Residential Update 08.06.21

Wow! What a day we've had! Air rifle shooting (a hidden talent of Mrs Webber's!), climbing, orienteering, several games of 'Camouflage' (a new favourite we're keen to teach the Year 5's) and an evening of scavenger hunting and art making on the beach! Children have thrown themselves into everything and have had such fun together. We are so proud of them!

Calshot Residential Update 07.06.21

The children have had a fantastic start to their time here at Calshot. We have all enjoyed archery, skiing and rocket building today! We are looking forward to more fun tomorrow! 

28.05.2021

Willow have worked exceptionally hard this week. In English, children have applied all they've learned over the past fortnight to write balanced arguments discussing whether or not democracy was the most important legacy left by the Ancient Greeks. They have made for really interesting reading! In Maths, children have been writing algebraic expressions and solving equations! I've been particularly impressed by children's determination with this. Willow have also been exploring Muslim rites of passage in RE and enjoyed an extra PE lesson with Mr Donaldson from Henry Beaufort.

21.05.2021

Willow have carried out some brilliant writing this week in preparation for their hot write next week, where children will be writing balanced arguments considering the most significant contribution the Ancient Greeks made to society today. In Maths, we have moved on to looking at coordinates on all four quadrants; translating and reflecting shapes. In Science, children moved around the classroom to understand how the circulatory system carries blood and nutrients around the body and got messy in Project by making Papier Mache Greek vases! We hope to paint them next week! In PSHE, Y6's created a 'Conscience Alley' when considering 'Power and 'Control'.

14.05.2021

Willow Class have had another brilliant week! Children have enjoyed finding missing angles in triangles and quadrilaterals and have revised the properties of 2D and 3D shapes. In English, we have started a unit on balanced arguments, which has inspired some debates around some contentious topics such as school uniforms: I have been particularly impressed with children's ability to see both sides of an argument. In Project, children have carried out some research about how the Ancient Greeks changed the world and have created posters to showcase what they have learned. In Science, we used tights, bananas and crackers to model how the small intestine absorbs nutrients into our blood and we had a delivery from Saints Football Club in response to the letters we sent last term! Exciting!

Thank you, Saints!

Today, we opened a very special parcel from Southampton Football Club containing a letter and some signed goodies in recognition for our hard work in letter writing to them last term! Mrs Webber even got a signed shirt! Well done Willow Class for all your hard work. 

07.05.21

We have been busy in Willow again this week! Children have worked hard to complete their non-chronological reports on Ancient Greek gods and goddesses and have used the illustrations by Victoria Topping in the book 'Mythologica'  as inspiration for some photo editing work in computing. In Maths, children have been drawing angles accurately using a ruler and protractor and have started applying their knowledge to finding missing angles on a straight line and round a point. In Science, we have been learning about the structure of the heart and its important function in our bodies and have been thinking about mental wellbeing and online safety in our PSHE sessions.

30.04.21

Willow have had another brilliant week full of fantastic learning. Children have been revising types of angle as well as learning new ones including reflex and straight. They have also learned how to use a protractor in Maths! In English, children have practiced using cohesive devices to help their writing flow and in Project, children have continued their learning about Greek gods and goddesses with a 'Knowledge Harvest-Heptathlon'! Children have also been exploring the myth 'Theseus & the Minotaur'; Ancient Greek beliefs about the after-life; AND have looked at the function and composition of the blood in Science! We HAVE been busy!

Knowledge-Harvest-Heptathlon!

We enjoyed sharing and collecting information about 7 of the Ancient Greek gods and goddesses this week, in preparation for our non-chronological report writing. 

Clay Bust Making

Look at our amazing sculptures! Willow Class have worked incredibly hard to create clay busts of themselves as Greek gods and goddesses as part of their Project launch this week. They began by looking at examples of real life busts of Greek gods and goddesses and then explored the dimensions of the face through sketch. They then applied what they'd learned and produced these models which, I think you'll agree, are fantastic!

Volume and Capacity

Willow children have had fun investigating volume and capacity this week. They launched the unit by exploring different ways of making shapes with a volume of 12 cubic centimetres. 

Welcome Back, Everybody!

  

Really well done to Willow children, who have made a fantastic start to their time back in the classroom. The class have been really busy this week revising the skills required to find the perimeter of 2D shapes. They have also sent off their letters to Southampton Football Club, encouraging the Kit & Equipment Team to think about further ways they could reduce their impact on the environment. Children even took a trip to the post box to check they had been sent !

Willow class exhibition - Autumn Term 2020

Have a watch of our exhibition video below to see all the learning we have been doing this term.

w/c 16th November

Willow have moved on to multiplication in Maths this week and have shown great resilience in learning a formal written method to show their workings. Children are prepped and ready to start writing their diary entries in English and have really enjoyed exploring the concept of power in RE and what some Christians believe about God's power. Take a look at our class Word Cloud! 'P' for Power:  

Resilient Ruby!

As a school, we've been exploring the four Learning Powers. Each power is associated with an animal and Willow have worked hard to create stories about how each animal gained their learning power to share with the rest of the school. This week, we are looking at 'Resilient Ruby'. Who will win our 'School Values' star of the week for showing resilience this week?

Remembrance Day

We hope you have had chance to take a look at the Remembrance Video put together by KS2, which you can find on our homepage. In addition, Willow have undertaken a 'Butterfly Project', which provides a poignant reminder of those who have died in war, including Jewish children, which has been the focus of our WW2 learning this term.  Children have worked exceptionally hard to create a beautiful final product and it can be seen at the main gate. Here's a sneak preview:

w/c 2nd November

Willow have made an excellent start to the new half term. In Maths, children have been applying their knowledge of rounding to make estimations of answers to addition and subtraction problems. They have also started looking at diary entries in English and have expressed great enthusiasm about the life of Anne Frank, who they'll be studying this term. In the afternoons, children have been learning about 'Learning Powers' and have been writing stories to help the launch of these across the school. In addition, children have enjoyed making use of the library, which is now stocked full of new books - thankyou to those of you involved in our 'Sponsored Read'.

w/c 19th October

w/c 12th October

Willow have had another fantastic week of learning. In Maths, we've applied our knowledge of rounding and multiplying my 10, 100 and 1000 to decimal numbers and we've made excellent progress in English, where we've worked really hard to vary our sentence structures in preparation for story writing next week. In RE, we've contextualised the concept of 'Belonging' by looking at the duties of Muslims, Christians and Jews.

w/c 21st September

Willow have had another great week and have made excellent progress with their newspaper reports in English and place value in Maths, where they've been applying their knowledge to more complex problems. We have conducted investigations in Science and have taken the role of reporters and eye-witnesses in Project. We have also started learning about the Kindertranport and making leaflets for children arriving in Britain pre-WW2.

w/c 14th September

We started our week with a book tasting session (see below). We really enjoyed it and came away with some great new books we look forward to reading! We have also started some fantastic work in Maths looking at place value and have started looking at Newspaper Reports in English, where we will be reporting on the event of 'Kristallnacht' (The Night of Broken Glass). In Project, we have looked at the countries involved in WW2 and have placed them on a map. In Science, we revised symbols of a circuit by using chalk on the playground!

Welcome to the Book Café!

Today, Willow Class experienced a book tasting! You may remember the 'Sponsored Read' children undertook in the Spring Term. Today, children were able to "taste" some of the fantastic books that have arrived.

"It was fun and exciting!" - Daisy

"I liked the fact I came away with some great books!" - Florence

"I am excited to read something new!" - Arthur

w/c 7th September 2020

This week, Willow Class have begun their topic on World War 2. We have studied the origins of the war as well as created memory boxes; gas masks and learned how to darn a sock! We have also experienced an air raid in our very own air raid shelters! We have been thinking about our identities and how we are special and unique. This has led some fantastic art work! We have also started our topic on electricity in Science, where we practiced making circuits!

Welcome to Willow Class with Mrs Webber

Science Day!

We welcomed some visitors to Micheldever today to celebrate British Science Week. We had some visitors from Winchester cathedral, who taught us all about Medieval medicine and visitors from Lionel Hitchin, who taught us all about food flavourings. We had lots of fun learning through some hands on activities. 

Dirty Beasts!

Thank you to all those who supported our World Book Day celebrations by enabling their child to come to school dressed as a Roald Dahl character. In Willow, we had a range of characters including: Matilda, Esio Trot, Bean, Bunce, Fantastic Mr Fox, Mr Willy Wonka, Miss Honey, Danny the Champion of the World, Mr Twit and the Wormwoods. Mrs Webber couldn't pass an opportunity to spend the day in her slippers, so came as Sophie from the BFG!

To continue the celebrations, we looked at Roald Dahl's 'Dirty Beast' poems and created some of our own. We've put them together in a class book to share with you at our class exhibition.

Spelling Shed

This week, we launched 'Spelling Shed' - a web based spelling game, through which Mrs Webber can set spelling homework and other activities. The children are all very excited about it and have enjoyed familiarising themselves with how it works.

Ndebele Patterns

We took inspiration from the Ndebele tribe in Africa, and created some of our own patterns using masking tape and acrylic paint. We transferred these onto t-shirts, which we hope to wear when we serve you food at our Meal 4 Change on the 23rd March! Please keep that evening free as it promises to be a wonderful fun-filled, uplifting event. 

SATs Information Meeting

Thank you to all the Y6 parents who attended the SATs Information Meeting on Monday evening. I hope you found it useful. If you were unable to attend, some highly recommended CGP revision resources are available to purchase at a reduced cost of £4. Please send the money in with your child as soon as possible. All the information and resources shared at the meeting can be found here.

In the 'Hot Seat'

This afternoon, we played the roles of Malawian children. Members of our group then asked us questions about our lives to help with our diary writing later this week. Mrs Webber was impressed with our imaginations and looks forward to reading them!

African Activity Morning

We have had SUCH an exciting morning! We welcomed Kwame, from Ghana, to Micheldever, who taught us some African dances, songs and drumming! We then performed everything we'd learned to the rest of the school. It was just wonderful!

A 'Well' Exciting Afternoon!

In order to get a glimpse into the lives of Malawian children, we discussed what it might be like having to go and collect water for your family each day. We worked out that an average UK 10 year old requires approximately 200 litres of water each day (including one load of washing and one cycle of the dishwasher). We had a go at using a pulley system (created by the wonderful Mrs Hann) to retrieve 30L of water from a 'well' in our apparatus area. We talked about the importance of reducing spillage and also had a go at carrying 15L buckets of water across the playground. By the end of the activity, we were all in agreement that we are extremely lucky to be able to have such easy access to clean water.

Vloggers for Justice!

In RE, we have been looking at the concept of Justice. Today, we looked at it in a religious context by looking at the parable of the Lost Son. Children then went away and recorded vlogs from the perspective of each of the characters to develop their understanding. 

Maths on the Move

Today, we had our introduction to Maths on the Move - a sequence of lessons, which teaches Maths through movement. The children also enjoyed their first Tri-golf session. We will look forward to this on a Friday afternoon!

Welcome Back!

Happy New Year and welcome back! We had a great day in Willow today, kick-starting our new topic; "Can success come from adversity?" We will be using the study of Africa to help us in answering this question. We started by discussing our perceptions of the continent, before moving on to look at a 'Bedsheet' map of Africa. Children practiced using coordinates to accurately place all of the countries! It's hanging at the back of our room - you're welcome to pop in and have a look! 

Exhibitions

Thank you so much to all those of you who came along to our exhibition this week. We really loved celebrating our learning with you. We hope you enjoyed your morning with us and perhaps learned something new, too! 

Green Ambassadors

Huge well done to our Green Ambassadors for putting on such an informative assembly today, on how we can all play our part in helping our environment. As a school, we've all vowed to make more of an effort to put waste in the correct bin and to be more proactive in switching lights off when they're not in use.

E-Safety

Over the past few weeks, we've been looking at how we can keep ourselves safe online. Today, the lesson was focused on how we should conduct ourselves online, and the consequences of poor choices. We spent some time checking out the BBC app, Own It, which prompts children to think before sending! Check it out here. 

D.T. Day!

Today, Willow Class had the challenge of designing and creating a parachute, which could safely transport an egg to the ground. I was really impressed by the children's application of Science knowledge and the collaboration they showed, both within and across teams. Congratulations to our winning team, pictured below with their final product. All of the children's finished designs are hanging proudly in our classroom - we look forward to showing them to you on Exhibition Day! 

Congratulations!

Congratulations Willow, on your FANTASTIC performance of Macbeth at the Haymarket Theatre. Not only was the final product something you should all be incredibly proud of, but the way you worked as a team both on and off stage was just wonderful. Well done! 

Quidditch!

Willow had great fun playing Quidditch this morning and did a great job applying some of their attacking and defending skills learned in Tag Rugby last half term. Congratulations to Ravenclaw who won today's tournament! The trophy can be found in our cabinet at the School Reception.

Double, double, toil and trouble!

Today, Willow Class showed their production of Macbeth to Birch Class. If you are coming along to the real thing at Haymarket Theatre next month - you are in for a real treat! The children have all worked so hard and they should be really proud of themselves. Here's a glimpse of the three weird sisters in costume! 

Lunar Learning!                                                   

We had great fun in Science today, where we began looking at the movement of the moon relative to Earth. In groups of three, children replicated the Earth's orbit around the sun AND the moon's orbit around the Earth. We then moved on to look at different phases of the moon using polystyrene balls as a visual aid! Children have been encouraged to keep a moon diary over the next month to see how the moon changes. We'll be extending our knowledge of the moon phases next week, when we'll introduce some more sophisticated vocabulary. I wonder if your child could tell you the phases they've learned in class today?

Shakespeare Festival Company Workshop

 We had a fantastic time at the Haymarket Theatre last week, where we met with 'experts' who gave us five top tips for our production next month. Children have shown a great amount of enthusiasm and commitment to our performance of 'Macbeth' and the final product is something they should feel very proud of. If you haven't done so already, you can purchase tickets from the Box Office website.  More tickets are expected to be released at the end of the month.