Reception

We have been learning all about postal workers in literacy this week. Today we went on a walk to our local post box to post our letters. We discussed the importance of writing an address on the front of an envelope before posting it and what might happen if letters are delivered to the wrong address. The children were able to use key vocabulary: envelope, deliver and communicate.

We really hope Santa gets our letters!!

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Year 1

It has been so exciting for Year 1 to take part in our first Art Studio lessons. We have thoroughly enjoyed creating our first ever self portraits and collaborative pieces of artwork. 

Our portraits were a test of our observational skills. We had to look closely at faces, noticing all the different features, making sure we were using control to draw. It was challenging but we did an excellent job! 

   

In our final session, we were able to take part in some collaborative artwork too! It was great to work as a team and create something bright and colourful. 

Collaborative Creations in Art 

We have loved being artists over the last few weeks and can’t wait to create more art throughout the year!

Year 2

In year 2 we have been excellent at showing curiosity in science! We’ve been sorting through bags of various materials that we have had to sort by their properties - is it stretchy? Is it stiff? Is it see-through? We’ve been very ambitious with the scientific vocabulary that we’ve used to describe all the properties!

   

We have also been learning to write letters this term. Have a look at Ivan’s letter explaining to Edith all the changes he’d like to see happen in school!

The children are all working incredibly hard on their writing.

We are amazing collaborators in year 2 as well! In our PE lessons this term we’ve been learning to hold different balances and roll in different ways to make a gymnastics routine. We’ve supported our learning partners by telling them what they are doing well and what they need to improve their balances and rolls even more! 

We were thrilled to bits with all our Christmas festivities.  Especially our visit to see Santa! 

     

Year 3

In Science, we have been working collaboratively and trying new things. We have been learning about the body, learning about nutrition and about the skeleton and muscles. We wanted to understand the relationship between the spine and the rest of the body, and how it helps support us.

We used paper to represent our body. Year 3 were tasked with trying to make the paper stand by itself without any support, however, we soon realised it was nearly impossible to do so. We then added a spine by using a ruler and blu-tac. Year 3 were then tasked to do the same and found it easier to make the paper stand. The only problem was finding the right balance before it would fall over.

We now know why are bones are so important!

Nutrition and The SkeletonWe have really enjoyed dancing for PE this term. With the sharing assembly approaching, the children have been practising a short Christmas dance that they will be performing for the rest of year 3. They have put lots of effort and even made up some of their own moves too.

Year 4

4 Maple have been just like Taibah the tiger, over the past week the children have been trying new things such as learning new methods to solve division problems. This week they have been amazing at using counters to demonstrate their understanding of exchanges when dividing. They have also begun to show great confidence when using the ‘bus stop’ method.

Well done 4 Maple!

    Akira, 4 Maple  (‘bus stop’ method and place value chart showing exchanges and remainders)

  Safiyyah, 4 Maple  (‘bus stop’ method and place value chart showing exchanges and remainders)

Using concrete resources to divide using a place value chart

Year 5

This week in Maple class, we have started a Design & Technology project. We have been learning how to bake bread in the cooking room. The first lesson involved looking at different kinds of bread, as well as thinking about what bakers need to consider when making bread - allergies, nutrition and ingredients. The children made a trial bread roll in the second lesson, in which they learnt how to knead dough and why it needs to be left to prove before baking.

We are currently in the process of designing our own ‘celebration’ bread using challah as an inspiration. Afterwards, we will need to evaluate what worked well and hopefully enjoy some delicious sweet bread!

Your child should be reading at home every day for 20 minutes, as this is the best way for them to improve their reading, writing and vocabulary.

As well as completing their Maths homework (either the google form or Times Table Rockstars). We hope you have a lovely half-term!

Year 6

Last week, Year six went on a really exciting trip to the Ragged School Museum in Bethnal Green. The museum has just had a large makeover and gives a wonderful insight into the life of a schoolchild during Victorian times. We began by looking at some photographs of children on the walls who were living in infirmary in Stepney Green during this time.  After walking there, we split into two groups. Half of the children went to meet a volunteer who introduced us to a typical Victorian home of a poor person in East London. We learnt where people would have slept, made hair brushes for a living, eaten and even gone to the toilet. Some children had the opportunity to learn how to wash clothes using old fashioned techniques and we found out the most gruesome job of that time was to collect horse poo from the streets! Yuck!

 

 

  

After this, we had lunch then we were invited into a role play with the teacher ‘Mrs Perkins’. She took us in silence into her Victorian classroom, in rows of boys and girls. She made us sit in silence, stand to recite our name and then we began our lessons. We focused on the alphabet, arithmetic, money and elocution. Mrs Perkins was very strict and scary! It felt so real and made us thankful for our teachers at Stepney Park! If children got the answers wrong Mrs Perkins explained how they would have been punished during this time using the dunce hat and cane. The trip was so interesting and eye opening to how education has changed over history.