Week 7 and 8
With our focus on the Organised Owl as our learning behaviour, it has been wonderful to see how the children have made sure they are prepared for their learning, making sure they have all the equipment they need and be in the right mind set. Well done Ferrari!
Here are some of our highlights form the last 2 weeks.
We have been thinking and acting like artists. To link with our English unit ‘How to hide a Lion’ by Helen Stephens, the children have had the challenge to create a picture of a lion’s head using the skills of drawing, colour mixing and collage. We started off looking carefully at a male lion’s head and then drew the head on an A3 piece of brown paper, outlining the features in black wax crayon. Then, applying their colour mixing skills, the children painted the heads and cut them out. Using layering and collage techniques, the children used strips of coloured paper to make the lions mane. They were fantastic! Mrs Connell has mounted these beautiful pictures and created a gallery in our corridor. We can definitely say ‘We are artists!’
In maths, both Year 1 and Year 2 have been learning how to measure length and height. The Year 1 children started with using non-standard units of measure, culminating with measuring using centimetres. The Year 2 children built on their knowledge and used estimating and measuring skills to measure in centimetre, using a ruler and metres. They had to used all four operations to solve problems based on measuring scenarios.
World book Day was a real highlight for all the children in Ferrari. Our theme was words, specifically adjectives, which was based on a book called The Word Collector by Peter Reynolds.
‘Some people collect stamps, some people collect coins, some people collect art. And Jerome? Jerome collected words. Jerome discovers the magic of the words all around him — short and sweet words, two-syllable treats, and multisyllable words that sound like little songs. Words that connect, transform, and empower.’
The children all arrived in fabulous costumes based on a word which they shared with the class. They took part in a whole school assembly, listened and discussed the story, and enjoyed sharing milk and biscuits with Alfa Romeo whilst sharing books and used their word powers to write a class poem. Here is what they wrote:
The Magic Door
I opened the magic door and saw the vast universe,
I opened the magic door and saw a T-Rex escaping from an erupting volcano,
I opened the magic door and saw 100 pirates sailing on an enormous ship,
I opened the magic door and saw a perfect unicorn dancing,
I opened the magic door and saw a treasure chest with golden hinges that shined like sparkling diamonds,
I opened the magic door and saw a Minecraft house in the distance,
I opened the magic door and saw knights fighting in a battle,
I opened the magic door and heard a bubble burst with a POP!
I opened the magic portal and saw a giant sloth hanging on a tree branch with a predator waiting to attack,
I opened the magic door and saw Santa Claus sliding down the chimney,
I opened the magic door and heard a rhino reading a joke,
I opened the magic door and saw a silver flying saucer,
I opened the magic door and saw a big Pterodactyl flying in the sky making a loud squawk!
I opened the magic door and saw Ferrari class reading and having a wonderful World Book Day.
Well done Ferrari another great two weeks of learning!
Weeks 5 and 6
With a lovely half term break in between, the children have had two great weeks of learning where they have enjoyed a ‘Break the Rules Day’ on the Friday before half term and a ‘Victorian School Day’ this week. This half term we are focusing on the Organised Owl learning behaviour and a new Jigsaw topic ‘Healthy Me’.
Here are some of the highlights of the last two weeks.
Victorian School Day
On Tuesday 20th February, the children had the opportunity to put all their learning about Victorian schooling to the test by having a Victorian School Day Experience. The children came to school dressed as Victorian children or famous Victorian characters (we were delighted to welcome her majesty Queen Victoria and Isambard Kingdom Brunel!). When the children entered the class room they were transported back in time to desks in rows, no displays and a dark classroom with only high windows. The children were taught the rules of role play, when Mrs Page held the red ruler they were transported back in time to 1889 and they had to act like Victorians. Throughout the day the children had the opportunity to reflect on what it was like to be a ‘Victorian Child’ at school. Most children agreed it was a bit scary while some really liked it! The children enjoyed the role play aspects, especially being able to choose their Victorian name!
Here is a timetable of the activities of the day.
8:15 – 8:25
• Children enter classroom – Find their names and complete the Victorian word search.
• Teacher explains the role play rules (in and out of the fiction).
8:30 – 08:45 A Victorian Playground
• Children Line up in a girl’s line and a boy’s line.
• Children march in silence to the quad where they play a variety of Victorian playground games (skipping, hop scotch, hoops, skittles and marbles). Parents /Mrs Robinson to attend.
• Bell rings. Children line up in silence in girl ‘s and boy’s lines. They collect their penny to pay for the school day. March back to classroom.
8:45 – 8:50 Greeting and getting into the classroom
• Boys and girls line up separately outside the room. This should be according to size, age, alphabetical order.
• They stand upright without speaking and march into the classroom at command.
• They stand behind their seats until they have been greeted by the teacher. After they have replied with ‘Good Morning’ ma’am they are told to be seated with ‘Class be seated’.
• Girls to sit on one side of the room and boys on the other.
8:50 Register
• Register children to choose a Victorian name. Show image of a Victorian register.
• Boys and girls were listed separately and when each child’s full name is called h/she stands and says good morning ma’am.
• Give reasons for absence for other missing children.
8:55 Collection of pennies and photo
Activity: Design a set of 4 stamps reflecting Victorian Schools (part 1)
9:10 Inspection of hands and nails
9:15 Prayers
Morning prayer – child to read
School Prayer – Teacher to read
Lord’s Prayer – Children read each line after the teacher
9:20 Hymn
Sing all things bright and beautiful – sheets for each child
9:25 Bible Reading
Genesis Chapter 7 vv1-10.
9:30 Moral homily
Explanation and repeat ‘Good, better, best’ and importance of the 3 Rs.
They can chant this.
God bless the squire and his relations and keep us in our proper stations
9:35 Stamp design continue
9:50 Lessons start – write the date on the blackboard. Tuesday 20th February 1889
Copy onto black paper (Slates)
Write Alphabet and write your Victorian Name
Aa Bb Cc
10:10 Breaktime
10:30 Reading
• Say alphabet letters when pointing at chart
• Read some examples from Victorian books.
10:45 Drill – outside
Exercises are detailed in the School guide
11:00 – 11:30 Arithmetic
• Complete calculations using an abacus
11:30 – 12:00 Make a Victorian Toy: thaumatrope
12:00 – 12:20 Science
Children to draw and label apples cut in half, longitudinally and transversely.
12:20 – 12:30 Stop role play and have initial discussion about the conditions.
One of the ‘highlights’ of the day was when two children (pre-arranged) were punished for their bad behaviour! One was sent to the ‘Dunces’ corner and the other received the cane! Everyone took this in good spirits and agreed that our school orange cards were better! Having reflected on the experience, the children wrote a super recount of the day and completed a chart highlighting the similarities and differences in the schooling experience.
In maths, the Year 2 children have completed their unit on multiplication and division and the Year 1 children have also completed their unit on addition and subtraction. All the children have made good progress and have shown they are able to apply their skills in problem solving situations and can choose the appropriate equipment to support their understanding and learning.
As half term approached, we completed our Science unit on ‘Plant Parts’. To end this topic the children had to think about what plants gave us. After a long discussion they designed some super posters to show what they had learnt. To link with our art topic ‘Mix IT’ from last term. The children made a variety of colour greens by mixing blue and yellow. It was amazing how many different shades we made!
Well done Ferrari!