Know Yourself, Grow Yourself!

The children have been enjoying lots of different activities linked to supporting our mental health and wellbeing this week! We focused our attention on the theme ‘Know yourself, Grow yourself’, as we thought about what we could do already, and what we’d like to learn how to do. We thought about the power of the word ‘yet’ and positive self-talk… instead of saying “I can’t do” something, we changed it to “I can’t do it… yet”!

We also imagined a tree in growth. We reflected on the roots of our identity, what is important to us, and what helps us grow.  Lots of the children thought about their families and friends, their own likes and dislikes and their characteristics such as ‘being a good listener’ and ‘being kind’. We then thought about what is growing from these roots. The children loved thinking about how they are growing, and what they would like to learn in the future. Many children chose to add flowers and fruits onto their trees to symbolise learning something that they’ve worked really hard on to achieve!

In maths, the children have been finding out more about themselves and their peers. We used our mini mes to vote on different categories, such as favourite weather and activities. We then used our knowledge of counting principles to gather the data and interpret it using comparative language. Ash class then delved deeper, looking at different ways of representing this information in tallies and pictograms. As a whole class, the children really loved voting on their favourite counting songs using bricks to help them visualise and compare different amounts. The children chose “Five Cheeky Monkeys” which we then sang as part of our music lesson later that day!

As part of our wellbeing week and knowing ourselves better, we’ve been exploring our family trees and the people that make up our families. We discussed how each family is different and how special they are to us. The children were then given the opportunity to draw their own family trees, reflecting on who is part of their family.

Early Years have also been thinking about what we can do to care for our world, and the children created some wonderful bird feeders. We talked about how cold it is at the moment, meaning there are fewer berries on the trees for the birds, and how they would really appreciate some extra food. The children carefully threaded string through a cored apple, then made wonderful seed patterns by pressing them into the fruit. This activity was an excellent opportunity for them to enhance their fine motor skills. The children then carefully hung them on the tree outside and enjoyed looking out for birds with Ms Connolly from inside the warm classroom!

 

The Happiest Guinea Pigs in the World!

 

Our fabulous Year 6 girls took on a very important job this week—cleaning out the guinea pigs! But they didn’t stop there… while their fluffy friends enjoyed a freshly tidied home, the girls treated them to a storytime session.

Now, we can’t say for sure what the guinea pigs thought of the book (if only they could talk!), but from the way they snuggled up and twitched their noses, we’re guessing they loved it! Maybe they’re literary critics in the making? Or perhaps they were just waiting for a plot twist involving extra carrots… Either way, we bet we have the happiest guinea pigs in the world! ✨

Foodbank Friday – A Fantastic Start!

Our School Council’s Foodbank Friday has officially launched, and Willow Class led the way by bringing in an incredible selection of hygiene essentials! From toothpaste and toothbrushes to soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, baby wipes, nappies, and period products—your generosity is truly inspiring.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed! The foodbank will be delighted, and these small acts of kindness will make a big difference in our community.

Let’s keep up the fantastic support!

Improving flexibility, balance, and mindfulness.

Beech Class has had an exciting and enriching week, filled with learning, creativity, and some of our children had the fantastic opportunity to represent our school at a dance workshop hosted by Birchwood School. The theme of the workshop was Disney, and our children rose to the challenge brilliantly! They demonstrated incredible teamwork, working together to synchronise their movements and bring the magic of Disney to life through dance. Their behaviour was exemplary, showing respect, focus, and enthusiasm throughout the session. The children learned valuable skills such as coordination, rhythm, and confidence in performing. They also gained a deeper understanding of the importance of teamwork—how supporting each other and moving in harmony can create a beautiful performance. It was wonderful to see them embrace the experience with such positivity and energy!

This week’s yoga session transported the children to the desert! To help them remember different poses, we explored movements inspired by desert animals—stretching like camels, curling up like desert foxes, and slithering like snakes. We also focused on breathing techniques, encouraging the children to imagine cooling down in the scorching desert heat. By practicing slow and deep breaths, they learned how to regulate their breathing, calm their minds, and stay focused.

Yoga has been an excellent way for the children to improve their flexibility, balance, and mindfulness. Through this session, they also discovered how breathing techniques can help with relaxation and self-control, skills that will benefit them in their daily lives.

In Geography, we have been focusing on the United Kingdom, learning about its four nations and their capital cities: London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Belfast. The children explored the unique characteristics of each city, discussing landmarks, cultural traditions, and history.

They also studied the flags of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, learning about their designs and symbolism. Through engaging activities, the children developed their map-reading skills and broadened their understanding of the UK’s geography. It has been wonderful to see their curiosity grow as they recognise these places on maps and in real-world contexts.

Reading continues to be a key focus in Beech Class. We have been encouraging children to develop a love for reading by sharing books with their peers, listening to stories read aloud, and exploring a variety of genres.

Reading not only enhances vocabulary and comprehension skills but also sparks imagination and creativity. We have been discussing the importance of reading regularly, both in school and at home, and how it helps with all areas of learning. By promoting a love for books, we hope to nurture lifelong readers who find joy and knowledge through stories.

We are so proud of all the children for their hard work and enthusiasm this week. Well done, Beech Class!

 

Beech Class Take Centre Stage!

Today, some of our Beech class pupils had an amazing opportunity to take part in an exciting dance performance at Birchwood, alongside children from other local schools. The excitement was palpable as they took to the stage, showcasing their hard work, teamwork, and love of dance!

The day kicked off with an energetic workshop led by our wonderful dance teachers, with a little extra sparkle added by Birchwood’s fantastic Year 9 Dance students. Together, they explored new moves, built confidence, and worked as a team to create a brilliant routine! A big thank you also goes to the staff and organisers who made this event such a success.

The final performance was full of enthusiasm, rhythm, and big smiles—our pupils did us proud! A huge well done to everyone involved. Who knows? We might have some future dance stars in the making!

Year of the Mud Snake!

LIME

There was only one thing on the cards in the forest again and it was Traitors! They’d been asking to play all week and they had so much fun. This time 2 traitors were chosen and they began banishing at quite a rate. They lasted a couple of round tables before they turned on each other but luckily they managed to survive and split the prize money… (money=applause). Elsewhere, to celebrate Lunar New Year some animal sculptures were made using sticks and A LOT of squishy mud!

 

WILLOW

Willow were working incredibly hard this week! They’ve been slowly reworking the den in the corner of the forest and this week probably 75% of them were building at one time. They added an extension to the side, using a tarp to keep it waterproof and are planning on turning it into a restaurant. In the digging zone, another dedicated group were shoveling the mud around to create a firm base to build another part of the den on. They also created a game with the rope swing, where you have to dodge the rope flying towards you!

 

EYFS

Mud, mud and more mud were on the cards today. Which was pretty good because Monday was ‘Chocolate Cake Day’, so a few mini cakes were made. They loved scraping the mud off of the floor and slapping it onto a stump. Another team found a bucket full of water and swished it round and round before putting it in the oven to bake. A tent was made using a tarp and pyramid-shaped branch, which then became a great place to hide during a hide and seek game that ended up making some very muddy!

 

BEECH

Beech were very impressed with the mud as well. They managed to leave some of the mud in the forest, (just about) but you wouldn’t have known that from looking at them at the end of the session! The group were back in their pirate boat/shelter from last week, sailing and firing the canons at everything that moved. The trees were too slippery to climb but that didn’t bother an excellent den building team, who piled logs across a couple of branches. Some bamboo was discovered and immediately started off a game of limbo too!

 

MAPLE

After the wind stopped Maple getting into the forest last week, they were very keen to get out today (even if the mud and temperature did take a few by surprise). They thoroughly enjoyed hearing the story of Lunar New Year and a few were animals throughout the forest but they mainly liked the idea of Chocolate Cake Day. A few groups made cake and some came up with very imaginative flavours, including one that would taste like whatever you were thinking at that moment! The den was built upon and the bamboo was very popular too.

Trains, fractions and spring time…..

What an incredible week it’s been in our Year 3 and 4 classroom! We’re enjoying exploring our new topics, exploring the world, and having so much fun as we learn.

In maths, we began our exciting journey into fractions. We’ve been learning some important terminology, including numerator, denominator, unit fractions, and non-unit fractions. Why not ask us what these words mean? We’d love to share our knowledge with you!

In English, we explored Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous poem, From a Railway Carriage. We worked in groups to perform the poem, brainstormed rhyming words, and then got creative by writing our own versions. Imagining an old-fashioned steam train was so much fun, and our classroom was buzzing with energy and imagination!

This week in PSHE, we talked about the importance of feeling safe and how to listen to our bodies when they tell us something isn’t right. We shared thoughtful ideas about how to recognize and respond to situations where we might feel unsafe.

Our geography lessons took us back to Italy, where we used atlases to locate the River Po and learned more about the country’s physical features. We’re becoming geography experts one map at a time!

Spring was the theme of the week in French as we continued learning about the four seasons. It’s been wonderful to discover new vocabulary and talk about the changing seasons.

In music, we sang and drew along to a lovely song called Fly with the Stars. This creative activity was a big hit, combining art and music in a way that let everyone shine.

We channeled our inner artists this week by creating pencil sketches of HMS Endeavour. These incredible drawings link beautifully to topics we’ll explore further in KS2 and gave us a chance to practice our observational drawing skills.

Science was full of discoveries. Year 3 had a scavenger hunt around the classroom to investigate objects that are opaque, transparent, and translucent. It was an exciting and hands-on way to learn about light and materials. Meanwhile, Year 4 continued their fascinating study of sound, exploring how it travels and how we hear it.

In computing, we stepped into the world of coding on Scratch! We learned how to design and code our own Google symbol, bringing creativity and programming together in one fun project. It was amazing to see how everyone added their own unique touches to their designs.

It’s been a fantastic week full of discovery, creativity, and fun. We can’t wait to see what next week has in store!

Apologies but the photos may need to be added on Monday – technical problems with the memory card!

24.1.2025 Stepping into their shoes…

This week, in English, we delved into Lady Macbeth’s complex feelings, behaviour and experiences. The children stepped into her shoes and wrote diary entries from her perspective, revealing her true character based on what we’ve learned so far. They skillfully used relative clauses to add detail, capturing her inner thoughts, ambitions and struggles with vivid writing.

 

In History, we learned about the first moon landing and Neil Armstrong’s incredible journey on Apollo 11. Inspired by this momentous event, we imagined ourselves in his space boots and wrote detailed recounts of his experiences during the mission. Our writing included fascinating facts about the mission, descriptions of key moments, and insights into the emotions and feelings he might have experienced at different stages—from the launch to setting foot on the moon and returning to Earth.

In Art, the children stepped into Vincent van Gogh’s shoes as they explored a brief history of the renowned Dutch painter and his iconic masterpiece, Sunflowers. Inspired by his work, they sketched their own sunflower-themed artwork using pastels, thoughtfully experimenting with colours and textures to convey their emotions.

Year 4 children put on their dancing shoes and learned an exciting combination of moves, including the grapevine, ripple moves, level changes and repetition sequences. They practiced with energy and enthusiasm,  while building their rhythm and coordination.

On Tuesday, during our gymnastics session, the children practiced a variety of rolls, including the straight roll, forward roll, backward roll, and straddle roll. It was wonderful to see their initial hesitation transform into confidence as they bravely gave each roll a try.

In PSHE, we explored the terms danger, risk, and hazard, defining each one and explaining the differences between them. Through discussions with their learning partners, the children identified and analysed real-life situations that could be classified as dangerous, risky or hazardous. To deepen their understanding, the children used actions to indicate whether they thought a situation posed a high, medium, or low risk. This activity was further enriched by linking it to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly the right to safety (Article 19) and the right to education (Article 28), emphasising the importance of empowering children to make informed and responsible decisions.

This week in Year 5’s Earth and Space topic, the children explored gravity and air resistance. Gravity pulls objects toward Earth, while air resistance slows them down. They learned about an experiment by physicist Brian Cox, where a bowling ball and a feather were dropped. With air, the ball fell faster due to air resistance on the feather, but in a vacuum, both fell at the same time, showing gravity acts equally on all objects without air resistance.  The children also conducted their own investigation, dropping a crumpled and a flat piece of paper. Both were pulled down by gravity, but the flat paper fell slower due to greater air resistance, demonstrating how air resistance affects falling objects.

This week in music, the children have been studying Earth by Hans Zimmer. They explored creating their own music by selecting three notes to form a motif. Using a stepping motion in pitch, they experimented with different note lengths, including quavers, crotchets, minims, and semibreves, to add variety and rhythm. Improvisation played a key role, as the children used their motifs creatively to develop unique musical ideas, building an understanding of melody, rhythm, and structure inspired by Hans Zimmer’s work.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend. See you all on Monday.

‘To make discoveries, you have to been curious.’

From fascinating scientific discoveries to geographical explorations and newfound mathematical skills, our week has been full of exploration and creativity. Here’s a glimpse into what we have been learning…

In our Science lesson, we embarked on an intriguing journey into the world of blood. We were intrigued to discover that blood is composed of various components, each with its unique role and significance. We learned that plasma is the only liquid part of our blood and carries essential substances throughout the body. We were amazed to uncover the functions of each component: red blood cells, which transport oxygen; white blood cells, which are crucial for our immune system; and platelets, which assist in clotting. To help reinforce our understanding, we enjoyed a delightful hands-on activity where we created models of blood. Using red-coloured cereal for red blood cells, orange squash for plasma, mini marshmallows for white blood cells, and oats for platelets, we mixed each ingredient in the correct quantities. ‘Making’ blood together was  a tremendous amount of fun !

Art this week was another highlight! We showcased our creativity and skills using various drawing and blending techniques with chalk. We focused on creating beautiful depictions of polar bears, drawing inspiration from the information gathered in our Geography lessons. We thoroughly enjoyed illustrating these majestic creatures with true artist flair!

In Geography, we used the Digimap for Schools software, where we honed our skills in locating various European capital cities and discovering which countries they belong to. We learned about the grid system used on world maps, identifying their respective lines of latitude and longitude. This new-found knowledge allowed us to accurately pinpoint the exact location of both the North and South Poles.

In our Maths lessons, we dipped our toes into the intriguing world of algebra. We began by solving one and two-step function machine problems before we progressed to substituting numbers for letters, gradually writing expressions. Despite some initial trepidation – “Why are there letters everywhere instead of numbers?” – we collectively reached a consensus: algebra, whilst a bit puzzling at first, is quite clever! By the end of the week, we were pleased with our ability to tackle algebraic expressions, and our growing confidence was  commendable.

In English, we dedicated our time to revision, focusing on the different types of conjunctions—specifically coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. We enjoyed successfully identifying subordinate clauses in sentences, sharpening our grammar skills in the process.

In RE, we continued our thought-provoking debate surrounding the concept of eternity. This week, we explored the Christian marriage service, examining symbols of eternity such as the exchanging of rings and the heartfelt promise to love and care for one another ‘until death do us part’. The conversations became lively as we delved into the notion of unconditional love, with many offering examples. The most popular example that emerged was the unwavering love our parents have for us, regardless of how challenging we can be at times! This discussion offered an opportunity for us to reflect on the importance of love and commitment in relationships, tying in beautifully with the theme of eternity.

We had more fun during our Whole Class Reading lessons where we continued exploring the enthralling book Holes by Louis Sachar. We are simply loving this story, which intricately weaves together present-day events with intriguing insights into Stanley’s great-great-grandfather’s past. We have been developing our retrieval and inference skills throughout our discussions, deepening our understanding of the characters. It’s fascinating to connect the dots in this story as we uncover layers of the narrative. “It’s clever that the chapters about Stanley digging holes are much longer compared to the shorter ones that delve into his past!” This structure keeps us on our toes and adds an exciting rhythm to the reading! Another thrilling moment was the revelation that the Warden is a woman. Initially, many of us were led to believe through stereotypes that the Warden would be a man. This twist not only challenged our assumptions but also showcased Sachar’s talent for keeping us both surprised and engaged.

Our next Learning Together Morning is Tuesday 28th January. We look forward to learning with you then.

Have a lovely weekend!

Birdwatching week…

LIME

Traitors was the main order of the day for Lime class. Probably 90% of the team spent the whole session playing and trying to figure out who Claudia had picked. They scurried around accusing each other and turned on their closest friends at the earliest available opportunity at the round table. The end of the session came by and the faithful hadn’t discovered the mystery identity and they were very shocked when it was revealed! In the digging zone, a group were carefully sculpting an incredible mud slab which they were very proud of.

 

WILLOW

There was a birthday in the class this week and of course they had to throw a mega fun forest birthday party to celebrate! There was lots of jumping up and down and singing, followed by a birthday speech. Some hung back from the party and got to work on making a great mud cake, they made sure it was perfectly square and then decorated it with stones before realising that they couldn’t lift it up. So the cake was shared out in the digging zone. Elsewhere another shelter was being made and the roof of a stick den was being smothered in mud to keep out rain.

 

EYFS

It was a very windy gusty morning and the three little pigs know all about that kind of weather! So the littlest members of Little Hadham listened to the story and became inspired by all the house making. They mostly had sticks at their disposal too and began making some mini-shelters to protect them from the Big Bad Wolf. Some put sticks on the floor and built walls that way, while others leaned them against trees. The Big Bad Wolf went around checking how safe they were and then gave them a certificate to say that they were all up to code.

 

BEECH

The Big Garden Birdwatch started today and Beech class were excited to hear some bird calls. They guessed which birds could be making the sounds from recordings and then someone saw a red kite in the sky, wondering what all the fuss was about! They then got busy making plenty of birds nests hoping that the birds would fly down to say hello. Elsewhere a ship was made out of tarp and a big group tried to get the sails up and make the most of the wind. The hammock was also very busy and the same children rotated around it all session long.

 

MAPLE

Unfortunately storm Eowyn made it too windy to get into the forest but Maple still managed to join in with the bird calls and turned it into a game to see if they could recognise which call was being made. They found it very difficult but got the hang of which sound was which in the end. They also completed a bird identification quiz and played a couple of games.

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