P.E. 
Coach Jen from Edstart is coaching children cricket this half term, we have been enjoying fun warm up games like Ninja tag before practicing catching, bowling and batting techniques. 

What a fantastic day and even better weather working on our school values (belief, patience, togetherness, respect, hope and love) in our team building workshop. Through the course of the day we were given challenges, physical and mental, which we had to work together to complete in order to gain a clue to solve a mystery. 

Welcome back! I hope you have all had a fantastic break and enjoyed the Easter celebrations and of course tucked into plenty of chocolatey treats.  I look forward to seeing you for a new term. 

To gain a better understanding of the goings on of this week and the alien crash we participated in hot seating.  For this we asked eye whitenesses questions to about the event and noted their responses.

This weeks science explored the use of gears and how they work.  We created our own gear system to observe how they move and work.  We worked out then when one gear moved clockwise the next will move anti-clockwise. 

What an eventful week all starting with an unidentified object crash landing on the school field. Whatever had landed left behind some gooey substance which fizz when rainwater fell on it. The next day whatever had made the mess in the field then invaded our classroom leaving unusual footprints and slime.  Not only this they also left responses to questions we had written to them alongside a hoop and skipping rope.  What could they possibly want with our school?

Andy Warhol is an inspiration a created some fantastic pieces of artwork. This week we looked more into the pop art culture and re created Andy’s famous Marilyn Monroe using digital media. 

Our geography lesson consisted of exploring the main cloud types, their characteristics, where they lie in the sky as well as looking at the meaning of the roots of their names. 

This week we have started to research about Africa to find out all the interesting facts about the second largest continents ready to create a non-chronological report cram packed with information.

Today we had a secret reader to share a true story about a bear who went to war. It all takes place in Iran. The soldiers were far from home and loved the little bear. This bear gave them hope. It grew into a big loveable bear called Wojtek who began to believe he was a soldier. Our secret reader had the children hooked, they really enjoyed learning about this interesting story asking lots of questions. 
Thank Secret reader

Year 5 and year 6 have had a fantastic day at St Anne’s Academy language day today. We have enjoyed preparing French toast, learning to speak and write sports in French before finishing off the day with singing songs in rounds and playing the melody on the glockenspiel 

This week we planned a fair test based on an enquiry looking at what features make planes fly the best. For this we used post it planning considering all the variables we could change and those we could measure. Each group changed only 1 variable such as the size of the plane or the weight before carrying out the investigation to try and answer the enquiry. 

For our transportation topic we made links with Rochdale and looked at the canal, its uses and the towns it runs through. We talked about the history of it and how it has changed over the years before creating a map of the course it takes.

This week we are focusing on writing a recount based on our writing text Cloud Tea Monkeys. To help get ready we looked at the presentation and language features. 

Our last lesson on handball before moving to lacrosse saw us combining all our skills and using them within small friendly matches. 

Our History lesson this week involved using our knowledge and understanding of Iron Age hill forts to create our own models. We represented the ramparts and ditches through using papier-mâché before adding fences using matchsticks. 

Science this week looked at friction between different surfaces. Inventors explored various surfaces around school to explore how or if they affected friction. Children were able to conclude rougher surfaces have more friction than the smoother surfaces and the force of friction acts in the opposite direction which cause slowing of objects. 

To support our writing for this week we had a go of tea tasting. First, we looked at the appearance -some being murky whilst others reddish in colour. Next, we explored the aroma and whether they were fresh, earthy or floral. Finally, we got to taste each one- some nicer than others.  Each had a differing flavour- nutty, pungent or zesty. 

For music we were introduced to body percussion. First we listened to a piece of music -a choir using their body to make the sound of rain- to see if we could identify any particular instruments. After a couple of listens, we watched the video to see how the choir made each sound through their body before giving it a go as a whole class- layering up the sounds to support the climax of the rain. 

Our PSHE lesson focused on being assertive. First we discussed what assertiveness is and what it means. We then used this knowledge to act out a scenario between two friends where one friend was being assertive to another. From this we identified ways in which you can be assertive through physical actions as well as words. 

For our geography this week we delved further into transportation in cities. We used our knowledge of different modes of transport and the advantages and disadvantages of each to create our own city with transport links. We created a key to represent the different modes and added labels to identify the areas of the city. 

Inventors Christmas Cornet Concert

This half term we have been learning to play the mini cornet by Mr Murtagh at Rochdale Music Service. We have learnt to name the different parts of the instrument and how to correctly play different notes and followed musical notation. We have really enjoyed learning to play the mini cornet, you can view our Christmas concert by accessing the video resource centre (part of the drop down on the Children’s section of the website). 

R.E. 
this half term we have focused on Islam, we have been learning about what is important to a Muslim and where they get their guidance for living. This week we have explored the importance 

of the holy texts and some of the commandments Muslims follow. We have created a role play of situations where it might be difficult to follow these and using a freeze-frame we have narrated what the person is thinking and their decision making process. 

We set up a fair test in science this week to find out where best to dry our washing.  We choose three places around school - outside under shelter in the holly bush, outside in the open on the muga and then inside the classroom next to the window.  We made our predictions before recording our results. There was a clear winner (inside in the classroom) but we found this is dependent upon the weather. It would be interesting to see how the test would fair during the summer months 🤔 

French this week year 5 looked at expanding their description of the Main Street through including direction such as on the left (a gauche) and on the right (a driote).

This year for our Christmas TASC we created Christmas tree decorations focusing on the advent. The children split off into groups of 4 to work together and create designs that linked with quotes for the advent. 

This week Inventors have explored the changing states of some materials observing how adding heat can alter their states of matter.  

Inventors have created some amazing addition and subtraction games for their homework which we all shared and had a turn at playing to test our knowledge. It was great fun. Thank you for all your hard work in creating these and well done. 

This week we combined all our skills learnt over previous lessons to create our prototype playhouses. We found it wasn’t as easy as first seemed and therefore had to make some slight adaptations. 

This week in PE Inventors have been introduced to aerobic fitness.  We have focused on correct form, posture and technique through completing a number of reps of each exercise.  We talked about the muscle groups they target as well as the benefits of participating in this type of exercise. 

Welcome back to Autumn term 2. 
This week Inventors have enjoyed an author session with the talented Joseph Coelho.  Joe told us all about his new book Relic Hamilton, Genie Hunter.  He talked us through his inspirations and the process of writing.  

Take a look at our amazing setting descriptions based on our book Lost Happy Endings. In the book there is a magic pen which the character uses to write her own happy ending on the night sky. For our setting description we used our own magic pens to describe the forest in the story. 

As part of our RE topic we invited a visitor to talk to us about their beliefs. As a humanist our visitor believed in a golden rule -to treat everyone as we would like to be treated- which all humanists follow throughout their life. They like to celebrate being human, what humans can do and that they can be happy. We learnt that they don’t believe in a higher power nor do they believe in an afterlife. It is their belief that we have only one life and we need to live this life the fullest, with kindness whilst following the golden rule. 

Our first creative write in Inventors based on the book Inside the Villains. Using the book for inspiration the children chose their favourite villain from familiar stories and created a character description. We had a variety of Villains being brought to life from the White Witch to Gru. 

We looked at different insects such as butterflies, praying mantis and ladybugs. After researching each stage we created posters in groups to display our knowledge. We noticed that some insects go through complete metamorphosis, such as butterflies, whilst others go through incomplete metamorphosis like the praying mantis. 

This week in history we looked at Romans and how they have influenced and impacted our lives in Britain. We found out that we owe a lot to the Romans as without them and their revolutionary inventions Britain wouldn’t look as it does today. Did you know the Romans brought currency to our country? And where would we be without Latin? 

Our DT lesson today looked at CAD (computer-aided design) and CAM (computer-aided manufacturing). We had a play around with publisher to create nets for 3D shapes 

For National Poetry Day inventors rehearsed and performed the very noisy poem Ning Nang Nong. Take a look at our performance.

For this weeks history lesson we learnt about the influential Rochdale Pioneers. We found out about their principles and used these to create our own Co-operative. 

Music

we have been learning to play the mini cornet by Mr Murtagh from Rochdale Music Service. We have progressed a long way from learning to blow into the mouthpiece correctly to learning to read musical notation and performing a song ‘Rocketships’ as a band!

For our geography lesson this week we looked at types of clouds - cumulus, stratus and cirrus. We looked at the identifying factors of each cloud and where in the atmosphere they can be found. 

Inventors have looked at the reproductive parts of flowering plants through dissecting 3 different kinds of flowers. They were able to identify the pistil and stamen.  

Collaborating together to build towers out of newspapers. We had to use many skills to compete the task including listening to each other and showing respect to other people’s opinions and advice. 

In history this week we have looked at Stone Age tools and weapons. We focused on the jobs they were used for and which period of Stone Age they were from - Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, or Neolithic- before discussing why the tools and weapons changed and adapted.

Welcome back to a new school year at St John’s Thornham. It has been fantastic seeing all of our Inventors children back in class and hearing about what they have been up to over Summer. Thank you for returning with such wonderful energy and positivity towards learning.  This week has all been about settling back in and getting to know the routines and expectations of Inventors and what a week it has been!
I look forward to teaching you all this year and watching you grow and thrive.  
Below is our class newsletter with some information about this term and what to expect. 

This week in at we made our own planets using textiles.  We used coloured wool and lots of PVA glue to make patterns and create a unique planet using the inspiration of artist Robert McCall.

We had lots of fun on inflatables day!

This week in writing we have started to look at comparing the film - How to train your dragon- to the book. 

This week we used the original painting of the Abbey by Canaletto to inspire their own versions. Using rulers and water paints Inventors have done a amazing job 

A fantastic sports week for Inventors this week. Amazing team work and participation all round. Well done 

Music

We have had lots of fun exploring the genre of pop music through the music of ABBA, we have listened to different songs and compared these songs using musical vocabulary. We have practiced performing Mama Mia together and learning to read musical notation and sheet music to play the instrumental section of our performance on the recorder.

R.E. 

This half term we have been exploring the impact of Pentecost. We have a good understanding of the story of Pentecost and been investigating the belief of the Holy Spirit and the impact this had during Pentecost and in the wider world today for Christians and people with different beliefs. We have created art work to represent our views on why the Holy Spirit is important in the world today.

Today in PSHE the year 4s looked at the term influence and what it means. We discussed how people around us can influence the decisions we make, which can be bad or good. Then we went on to talk about the consequences these decisions we make can have.  

Exploring our new book Tom’s Midnight Garden and thinking how best to describe the main character Tom. We used dictionaries and Google to help widen our vocabulary and find the words to best suit his personality and actions. 

We have had a fantastic trip to Jodrell Bank exploring space and our universe. We have learnt lots more exciting facts about space to help with our science topic. What a wonderfully intriguing world we live in with much more to explore 

Look at our fruit salad solar systems. We looked at the sizes of each planet and compared them to help find the best fruit that would represent them. We then needed to make sure the planets were in the correct order in relation to distance from the sun. 

Today we have learnt about internet safety and how to keep ourself safe whilst online. We talked about keeping our passwords safe and what to do if something happens whilst online and using different apps. 

We have looked at the work of Sonia Delaunay and her geometric shapes to inspire our creations. First we created bold lines and designs with a range of colours using pastels. Once we have each created a square of geometric patterns we combined them on a cube to create a sculpture of our artwork. 

R.E. 
This half term we are learning about the Kingdom of God, investigating the key question; when Jesus left, what was the impact of Pentecost? This week children have been gathering all their prior learning of this special event and the Holy Spirit to understand the impact this has on Christians today and how they live their lives in their church communities because of this belief.

Inventors made a visit to explorers this week to have a quick stroke of the ducklings before they left. 

 A fantastic outing today to Tandle Hills with half of Inventors (year 4).  It was a bit of a hike but we all made it and Inventors even had enough energy to complete some team building exercises where they communicated and listened excellently in their groups.  

Welcome back! What a week it has been. Inventors have had a fantastic first week back from rock kids to swimming to linked levers. 

HAPPY EASTER!

This week we complete our DT project.  We designed, prepared, made and tasted our chunky vegetable soup. Safe to say it was delicious!

Finding the hunk and chunk to help with working out division questions. 

Cakes and shakes for the winning house points teams. 

Take a look at this terms fantastic homework! I have enjoyed looking at an hearing all about the children’s creative pieces.  Well done Inventors 👏 

Based around the story of Jamil and his Clever Cat we created a chandelier to illustrate what the story was about and celebrate the Indian culture from which the story originates. We used bright colours and partners to recreate the scenes and characters as well as a little bit of weaving. 

Welcome back! We have had a fantastic first week back in inventors class.  We started looking at our new book The Tin Forest for which we created a job advert for a forest/rubbish collector to help the dear old man with his jobs. The children wrote some very persuasive adverts with appealing benefits (I’m even tempted myself). 
We followed this with looking at world maps, in particular how the world is divided up using invisible lines know as equator, meridian, longitude and latitude.  We demonstrated our understanding through drawing the lines on balloons and exploring atlases to locate countries using the degrees of longitude and latitude. 
Finally, we started our new science topic ‘sound’ and explored how or why we hear things. Using different materials and experiments we were able to recognise vibrations are key to our hearing.  I wonder what else we can find out in the coming lessons? 

We have been exploring how mountains are formed through mini experiments.  The 3 main mountains are fold, block and volcanic. 

In maths this week we have been looking out finding the area of shapes. We explored the different ways to work it out using multi links to help find the easiest methods. 

Another success, busy week of learning. This week we have practised finding the perimeter of shapes and even challenged ourselves working out missing sides before then finding the perimeters. In computing we continue to look at scratch and programming. We practiced how to change programmes and command the sprites to move in different ways. Finally, we had a visitor from Rochdale Council to tell us all about recycling and how we can help protect our precious planet. Did you know that you should only put plastics that are bottle shaped in your recycling bins? Watch out for some recycling warriors 💪

In R.E. we have been investigating Diwali and its impact on Hindus in Britain today. We have watched videos of celebrations in Leicester and in India then worked together to look at pictures of Diwali celebrations discussing which we thought were the most important aspects and why. In music we have been enjoying the genre of rap music, we have been learning a rap song called stop about anti bullying. We have been composing our own rap lyrics for a verse of the song, thinking carefully about the message we want to convey. 

A fantastic afternoon meeting a range of animals from Zoo2u.  We learnt so much about the animals and their habitats as part of our science topic. 

In PE we have been learning traditional Greek dancing. So far we have learnt the Hasapiko and the sirtaki.  The hasapiko is danced in a line with up to 12 steps that repeat throughout, which can make it a little difficult whereas the sirtaki only has 6 steps but the pace changes throughout which makes it harder to keep up with. Great effort with both 👏 

This week we have looked at the artist Julie Perrot. Her space artwork is truly mesmerising so we decided to create our own version as a whole class. Each one of us chose an aspect of space to recreate using foam tiles. We drew our designs/planets onto the tiles and then printed them into the ‘universe’. We had to be careful to ensure the planets were in proportion of each other but I think you will agree this looks fantastic.we are hoping to use this for the backdrop of one of our displays! 

This week we are going on an adventure to far away lands that we thought only existed in books as we follow our character, Sally, as she flys to places unknown to many. All because she believes and dares to dream 😊

Welcome back! It’s been a fantastic first week back. Inventors have worked exceptionally hard, creating lots of imaginative work related the to The Magic Box poem. It was amazing to hear their ideas of what they would put inside their magic boxes.  We have also had the excitement of working together as not just class teams but also as a whole school team to create a magnificent piece of structural art.  Take a look at the pictures and clips.  

Christmas party fun in Inventors. 
Merry Christmas everyone 🎄

Dinner with the elf

SANTAS COMING!!!!!

This week we combined out science knowledge on electricity with our DT skills to create a light up Christmas card.  We used LED lights, a cell and copper tape. 

A fun packed week starting with the Christmas activities and getting Christmas fair ready. We have started to make exciting games for the stalls. Inventors game involves bouncy snowmen and Santas. 

We had a fantastic trip out to the Gita Bhavan Hindu Temple this week.  We learnt lots about the Hindu faith and got to study the wonderful deities in real life.  It was amazing being able to immerse ourselves another religion.

An exciting week for the Inventors. It all started with a volcanic eruption on the school field which we had to think fast to plan our escape.  We ended with our class assembly all about the past history including Romans, Vikings, and Anglo-Saxons.  

This week Inventors have taken the role of our class meerkat Sunny and written some fantastic letters to us mere humans on what life is like as a meerkat.  

As part of our science we have been asked to investigate materials that would be the best conductor for a soldier to use to fix a broken circuit in his equipment.  This is what we discovered. 

In art we have been creating our own collective masterpieces in the style of Hans Holbein.  We used a portrait of Henry VIII and each drew a small section before painting it.  When our pieces were put back together it created the original portrait. 

This week we have started gymnastics in P.E. and looking at different balances. 

This week we had a visit from Sunny the meerkat. He came to tell Inventors all about his travels and journey to find the perfect place to live! Inventors have made him feel very welcome (even taking him for a play with them and sharing their dinners).  They have learnt a lot about him. I wonder what his next adventures will be 🤔 

Continuing with exploring electrical circuits we tested different materials to see which will conduct and which will insulate.  

Music

We are very lucky this term as Mr Genty from Rochdale music service is teaching us how to play the boomwhackers. We have been having fun learning to play chords and a melody to the songs ‘You are my sunshine’ and ‘The banana boat song’.

A fun afternoon exploring circuits and using different components to see what happens. It was a very noisy day. 

This week inventors have been busy. We’ve been practising our footwork and passing skills in netball, using rounding hills to perfect our rounding to the nearest 10,100, 1000 and even 10,000 and exploring circuits in DT with copper tape, LEDs and button cells.  

We’ve had another busy week filled with lots of learning starting with science where we looked at common household appliances and sorting them into electrical and non electrical.  In maths we’ve continued with place value and exploring numbers this time looking at how we can compare and order as well as playing race to zero game to explore negative numbers. Finally, in art we recreated our own interpretation of the Mona Lisa using homemade tempera paints. To make our paints we used the yolk of an egg and mixed it with powered chalk. They look amazing! I think you’ll agree 😊

What a fantastic first full week we have had. This week we have been using drama to help write our recounts for our new text The Warhorse, playing maths games to help with our place value and finished the week off with some amazing artwork inspired by the renaissance period.  Well done Inventors. 

A fantastic start to the new academic year.  Inventors have worked hard creating some amazing work for our school and class displays. Take a look at out beautiful hall display based on our well-being book ‘under the love umbrella’.  The children created their own love umbrella with for the people they love dearly. We have also created a reading display full of blurbs for our favourite books.  And our growth mindset display looks superb with our bright sunflowers with words of positivity, happiness and joy.  

R.E. 
This half term we will be learning about Sikhism. We have explored artefacts, been learning main beliefs, the importance of fellowships and the 5 K’s  which are symbolic clothing worn once baptised to become part of the Khalsa community.

R.E. 
This half term our topic is salvation and investigating the question ‘What did Jesus do to save human beings?’ We have looked at artwork showing the events of Easter week and worked together to order them into the correct timeline. We then recreated freeze frames of the events after reading a little more about them and discussing what we thought about what was happening, feelings experienced and how this links to salvation through Jesus. 

Music

This half term we have been learning about the genre of rock music. We have listened to different types of rock music and our focus has been to learn to sing and play instruments to Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a prayer. Most of us have really enjoyed this genre of music as you can tell on the video, scan the QR code to watch our performance. Others have not enjoyed this style of music as much as others and have been thinking about musical vocabulary to explain why this is. 

Hello everyone! My name is Miss Dean and I am the new Inventors teacher. I am sorry for the delay of updates (due to technical issues). I can’t wait to show you what we’ve been doing so far this half term.

Inventors completed their model playhouses this week using the folds and joins we have learnt in out DT 

lessons. They all did a fantastic job creating some amazing designs. 

Music

we have been working really hard all term learning to play different samba instruments and how to play different samba rhythms. We have been able to follow a musical leader who determines the tempo and which sections need to play and when. We have performed to the whole school what an amazing Samba band we have become. Scan the QR codes to see our performance. 

Inventors year 5 and Adventurers enjoyed a day out this week to St Anne’s. The morning was filled with lots of team work, working together as part of a football team in order to win the World Cup! In the afternoon they were treated to a panto -Annie. 

Our Christmas TASC day was a complete success! Inventors created some fantastic decorations for our tree. Year 4s looked at Christmas traditions in France 🇫🇷 finding out many interesting facts. Many of the children found out that instead of putting stockings out the children leave their shoes out ready to be filled up with lots of treats from Santa. Year 5s explored the traditions of Jamaica 🇯🇲 . They found food, music and celebrations play a huge part in their Christmas traditions.  Year 5 decided t incorporate many of these within a mask to represent the parades that are carried out for the special. Well done inventors, lovely creative ideas. 

The highlight of the week has got to be science in which we carried out an experiment to see if we could make ice-cream without a freezer or machine. Inventors loved carrying out their own experiment in groups and worked amazingly well together to explore changing of state from a liquid into a soli and the transfer of energy from the ice to the milk.  Although it didn’t quite turn out for all (maybe we needed a little more muscle power), we did manage a small batch of ice-cream which tasted delicious 😋 

We’ve had a busy time in maths looking at factor pairs and identifying common factors between multiples. Not and easy concept but inventors never fail to impress.  Well done! 

This week we have looked at road maps in geography to identify transportation networks and talk about the differences and why some may be more popular than others.  Inventors loved exploring the maps and using a key to determine which roads are which. We have some expert map readers on our hands 😁

We have ended our week with some more amazing artwork inspired by Kandinsky. The children enjoyed designing their own Kandinsky patterns which they then tessellated in their books to create colourful pieces of art.  Messy but fun 😊 

The children in Inventors have been looking at blurbs this week and how to create an effect blurb for our writing text The Wolves in the Walls.  They have looked at all the different features including ellipsis and parenthesis.  We finished the week off by writing our own blurb using these features and I must say they are amazing and put the original blurb to shame!

A busy week with maths.  Inventors have been exploring dividing and multiplying by 1, 10, 100 and even 1000.  They have worked so hard and even rose to the challenge of working with decimal numbers.  They were even allowed to write on the tables to show their working out (shhhh don’t tell).  

Inventors have worked hard on their persuasive techniques this week. They were tasked to work in groups and prepare a persuasive speech to persuade me about an item of their choice. I was extremely impressed and equally scared at how good they all were at convincing me to change my mind. I know have some thinking to do! 

This week Inventors looked at abstract art and to inspiration from Mark Rothko to create their own masterpiece. Using only 3 colours they painted onto a piece of fabric making sure to blend carefully where the colours met. The finished products look fantastic! Think we have some artists in the making. 

A fantastic PE lesson today in Inventors. We practised out jumps and leaps in gymnastics, in particular stag jumps with straight leg and bent leg and then split leap.  Safe to say they weren’t easy but everyone preserved and performed some amazing examples of each in front of the class. 

For our DT this week Inventors have looked at the process of creating their own product.  They were tasked to design a die through drawing a net structure, cutting it out and then folding to check how successful it is. They then evaluated their first attempts and thought of ways to improve it before having another attempt at creating their design making the necessary tweaks. 

Inventors have created some fantastic pieces of writing for our new text ‘The Wolves in the Walls’. Here are a few samples of the amazing ideas they have created for some of the pages of the book. 

This week the children began to notice that there were some suspicious looking eyes peering from some of the walls in our classroom.  As well as this we had a ripped note, pinned to one of the boards asking for help.  I wonder who wrote it and why they need help. Any ideas Inventors? 

Inventors started the week thinking about sleep, the importance of getting enough good sleep and how to ensure they manage to have a restful night. How many hours do you think we should be having? 

A big welcome back Inventors! Hope you all had a fantastic break and had a good rest ready for another jam packed half term of learning? We have got some exciting activities coming up especially in science with our new topic ‘States of Matter’. 

Well done Inventors on another fantastic performance of When We See the Harvest in assembly. Even the rain can’t dampen your smiles. Well done, I’m super proud of you all 😊

A fantastic first assembly today! It was great to be able to showcase all the hard work Inventors have been doing this half term especially with their Geography work on the water cycle. Well done inventors. A big thank you to all the parents that came along to support your children and their peers. It was lovely to see you all - I hope that rap is firmly stuck in your heads as much it is mine now :) 

This week we started off our learning with some poetry! We looked at a nonsense poem called the Ning Nang Nong which was very silly and made us all laugh.  It wasn’t an easy poem to read but Inventors smashed it and everyone gave excellent performances. It’s safe to say it was a very noisy morning but there was plenty of learning and fun to be had :) 

“What we doing?”

”Crucial Crewing!” 
We have learnt a lot about how to keep ourselves safe this afternoon at the crucial crew event.

Year 5 and 6 had a great STEM day at St. Anne’s Academy today. From coding our own computer game to participating in science experiments- we’ve had a fantastic day and learnt lots! Thank you 

This term the Inventors are participating in the Archbishop of York (AOY) Course.  This course is designed as an opportunity to help our children think about their place in the world and draw upon the skills, virtues and actions that will help them stay strong when facing challenges. 

For this they will be participating in a new course called ‘Be Rooted’, contributing to their AOY Young Leaders Award. We are delighted to have our Academy Chaplain, Mr McQuaid, deliver these sessions, which include leadership skills, character muscles, community actions and faith awareness.  In addition, he will be offering support and guidance throughout the duration and upon completion Inventors will receive a certificate. 
We are very proud of Inventors and how well they are participating in the course.  Well done and keep up the hard work.

Wow! What a busy week we have had in Inventors. We have been learning lots of fun things starting in Design and Technology where we practiced our finger fluency by exploring different folding techniques.  It was interesting to see the ways you can manipulate cardboard in order to form structures.  

Not only that in our geography lesson we made our very own cloud in the classroom (without the rain).  It was amazing to watch the cloud form in front of our eyes and then disperse just as quickly.  From this we have been able to learn more about how the clouds in out atmosphere develop over time and the contributing factors.  

To complete our fantastic week of learning we also had our very first secret reader who came to read a lovely poem from Dirty Beasts by Roald Dahl.  We loved listening to the silly rhymes and getting some inspiration ready for our poetry next week.  A big thank you to our secret reader for coming to share their favourite book.  We can't wait for more surprise drop ins :)

Whoever said learning wasn't fun?

This week Inventors looked at the results of our experiment.  Look at what we have found? After just 9 days the spring onions have started to regrow shoots.  We have found out that plants can asexually reproduce, which means they only need one parent plant to make their offspring.  From our experiment and research we now know that many plants do the same such as strawberry plants produce runners, potatoes produce tubers and you can also take clipping from plants such as mint.  Great investigation Inventors!

This week Inventors setup their experiment to find out if plants can regrow without seeds or another parent plant.  For the experiment we cut the tops off a spring onion and sat them in a container of shallow water which have been placed on the window bottom in our class.  It is safe to say that there is a nice onion smell coming from the Inventors room but we are all excited to see the results after the long weekend.  I wonder what we will come back to on Tuesday? 

In science we looked at how plants reproduce.  The children had lots of fun dissecting lilies and findings the reproductive cells.  They then stuck them down and labelled each part of the flower identifying the male and female cells and understanding the reproduction process of plants.  

We had a busy week last week looking at 4, 5 and sometimes 6 digit numbers.  The children explored making large values using concrete materials and looked into what each digit represented.  Everyone worked extremely hard and are becoming very confident with reading, writing and recognising the bigger numbers.  

Welcome Inventors, 

I hope you are all well and have a lovely summer break! Hope you have all been enjoying the gorgeous weather we've been having (bit too hot for me but better than cold and wet).  Hopefully you have all had a good rest and ready for the fun to begin.  We have lots of exciting things to do and learn this year.  I can't wait :) 

I am so excited to meet you all again and look forward to getting to know you all as your new teacher.  

See you soon, 

Mrs Marland and Mrs Hill x

Today we learnt about the phases of the Moon. We thought about why the Moon looks different every night. The children loved using oreos to show the different phases of the Moon. 

In science, we constructed and interpreted a variety of food chains, identifying producers, predators and prey. We looked at the impact a break in the food chain may have. 

Fractions, fractions and more fractions. I think we have dreamt about fractions in Inventors this week. The children have enjoyed learning about equivalent fractions before moving onto improper and mixed number fractions. 

In computing, the children made and edited videos. Afterwards, they thought about how they could have made them better and other equipment that may have been a better option to use. 

We finished our final piece of writing about our book, 'Falling Angels'. The recounts are a joy to read. The children have amazing imagination. 

Another fantastic week Inventors and well done to our star of the week- Amelia 

This week, we have worked hard writing a persuasive letter to Sally's mum. We convinced her to believe that we could fly. I was very impressed again with the work produced this week. In maths, we have finished perimeter and area.

Science was a highlight this week. We recreated the digestive system using items you may find in your home. Tights were used for the small intestine, orange juice for the stomach acid and a sandwich bag for the stomach. Have a look at the pic collage below to see a sneak peak. 

In art, we painted our Mona Lisa plaster's that we started last week. There are some amazing examples on the pictures below. 

Well done to star of the week- Molly. 

What a busy first two days!

We have started our new P.E topic- tag rugby. We learned the basic rules, complete tasks based on our new skill. In Science, we started our new topic- What happens to the food we eat? We learned all about the teeth and created our own clay models to show our learning. 

In computing, we started with an E-safety topic, looking at online and offline bullying. We learned the difference between the two, how they can also be similar and how we can help/deal with it. 

Look at the pictures below to see some of our amazing work. 

What a wonderful day to end the year. 

We started with classic party games in the hall like pass the parcel and musical statues. We had a dance off and played some class favourite games. The party didn't end there. We continued with the games in the classroom. Our most popular was noughts and crosses, with a twist. 

We finished our day watching a film together whilst eating chocolate and crisps. At 2pm we had a surprise. We was wanted in the hall and waiting for us was an ELF! We danced and partied with them for ages. (Enjoy the pictures below).

Miss Hill and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Have lots of fun and we will see you in 2022. 

Mrs Walsh and Miss Hill 

This week has gone over so fast - packed full of learning and events.

Inventors wrote fantastic newspaper reports for the events of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii.

In Maths the class focused on multiplying increasingly large number together.  From multiplying two digits by 1 digit we worked hard to multiply four digits by two digits.

For science we looked at changing states - we looked at solids to liquids.  Using coloured ice cubes we observed the change of state over time and the mix of colour from the ice cubes.

Loving ourself was the focus in PHSE this week.  The classed passed a ball to each of with statements printed in the side.  The children had to completed the sentence.  Everybody worked well and showed love for themselves.

Have a great weekend.

Mr McGhee

Inventors have completed another week of learning.

For Writing we have began to use the quality text Escape From Pompeii which tells the story of the  eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Will will be writing newspaper reports based on the dramatic events.

In Maths we have continued to focus on multiplication and division.  We looked multiplying by one and zero and diving by one.  Did you know if you multiply a number by one or divided the number by one the answer is the same?

The class had two special visitors on Monday from Groundbreakers. The class learned about St Luke through Diary of a Disciple.  We took part in some brilliant activities including, drama, craft, word searches and reading.  Inventors discovered an amazing fact: the bible is been purchased 6 billion times!
 

Have a great weekend.

Mr McGhee

A week packed full and engagement, learning and fun.  
In Writing Inventors researched the life of meerkats and wrote excellent non-chronological reports all about Sunny and his friends.

In Maths the focus was on multiplying by 10, 100 and 1000. The children became human place holders and digits.  We found the digits move, not the place holders!

For Science we investigated gasses and learnt gas does have a mass.

Handball and gymnastics was the focus for PE this week.  We witnessed some excellent movement and rolls in gymnastics.

We were inspired by Rubens for this week and created backgrounds in his style using dark to light shading.

Have a great weekend.

Mr McGhee

We must start this week with the amazing class assembly.  Inventors did themselves proud.  It was brilliant.  For such a poignant occasion everybody performed so well.  The individual poems were so well written and performed.  Well done to all Inventors.

For writing this week we have been researching meerkats.  This will allow us to write a non-chronological report next week.

In maths we have continued improving and exploring our addition and subtraction skills.  We worked together in small groups to solve word problems: underlining the key information and deciding which operation to use.

We looked to improve our handball this week by using tennis balls.  We practiced our ball control, passing and catching and throwing. It was fun! And a little competitive!!

Have a good weekend

Mr McGhee

First week back after the half term went over so fast.  It was great to see the children back again.

In Writing we have begun to use Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett.  In the book a meerkat called Sunny wants to find a new home because he doesn’t want to live in the Kalahari Desert anymore.  Inventors have been looking to write a postcard as Sunny for his family.  Pictures of these will be uploaded once completed.

In Maths we have been looking at different methods of subtraction (who knew there was so many!!)  

Our Science topic for this half term is States of Matter.  We began by identifying the differences between solids and liquids.  Some were harder than others: what would class jelly as?

Inventors class assembly is on Thursday 11th November.  All of the children now have their script and have been asked to practice their lines.  We are all looking forward to showcasing our work.

Have a good weekend.

Mr McGhee

The Homework grid for Autumn 2 is now on Showbie and below here.  Inventors should aim to complete one piece of homework per week.  Once complete, upload the homework to Showbie where possible.

Mr McGhee 

What happened to this half term?!! Seven weeks has gone over in a flash.

The children have worked really hard this week and produced some excellent work.  In writing we were inspired by War Horse and wrote and read some superb poems based on World War I.  Please click on the link below.

We used our scientific skills to identify object that allow electricity to flow.  We learnt these are called conductors and materials that do not allow electricity to flow are called insulators.  The children worked hard during the PE this week working as a team in netball and volleyball.

The whole school came together for St. John’s Harvest Assembly.  Inventors learnt and sang ‘Everything Around You’, we even added our own actions to the chorus.

It is great to see our seed growing into plants now.  Generosity, positivity, teamwork and kindness continues to grow amongst the children too.

Have a relaxing half term break.

Mr McGhee

What a week in Inventors’ classroom.

Continuing to use War Horse, the children looked at another character from the book and wrote as that character.  Some great writing was produced.

In Maths began to look at addition.  We used different methods to aid us with the calculations and included some practical elements which we all enjoyed.

For history this week the children looked at The Bronze Age and focused on Ancient Sumer.  We were amazed by the inventions of the Sumerian people that we use today.  Did you know Sumerian people invented 60 minute clocks and wheels?

It has been great to see the seeds we planted last wee begging to sprout and grow.  In the classroom we have also seen teamwork, kindness and positivity flourish this weeks amongst the children.

Have a good weekend.

Mr McGhee

Another week with some great engagement, learning and work from all Inventors.

Reading War Horse the children were transported back to 1914 and World War I to experience life as a soldier. Everybody produced a great letter for home packed full of emotive language.

In Maths we took our learning outside for Roman Numerals and made a bit of a mess of the playground in the process.

For PHSE this week we looked at the qualities we the children would like to see in the classroom.  Planting a seed we hope to see the qualities develop and the seed grow too.  Teamwork.  Inspiring.  Loving.  Friendship.  Positivity.  Generosity. Kindness.

In Art we worked as a team to recreate a famous painting on Henry VIII.  We done to all Inventors who showed teamwork and positivity during this task.

Have a good weekend. 
Mr McGhee 

The next quality Writing text Inventors will read is War Horse.  Watch the trailer of the film for an insight into the story.

It is important to state however , the book is much, much better!!

This week Inventors became investigators in History.  With the discovery of an Anglo-Saxon burial site the children had to work together to decide who the grave belonged too.  One problem however, no body remained in the grave, only clues to the owner.

Following Henry eating all the books in The Incredible Book Eating Boy, the children the wrote explanation texts for the digestive system.

In Art we used digital media to create portraits of HRH Prince William. Te children created very good portraits that were printed. 
 

Forest School is on a Wednesday.  For children to participate in this important part of the curriculum it is essential they have wellies with them.  These can be stored at school or brought into school for the day.  
 

Have a good weekend. 
Mr McGhee

Can you believe we have been back three weeks already!

Inventors have worked really hard this week.  Well done to everyone of you.

In Maths we looked at rounding numbers, to begin this we made practical number lines with skipping ropes.

We continued to use The Incredible Book Eating Boy and focused on Henry could eat all those books.  We are looking to write an explanation text for the digestive system.

In Science we made electrical circuits using cells, bulbs and switches.

For PHSE we looked at how words can have power.  Using apples we showed that using kind and cruel words can have a positive and negative impact on all of us.

We looked at Leonardo Da Vinci in Art and recreated his famous Mona Lisa.

Have a great weekend.

Mr McGhee

A week packed full of learning.  Inventors have worked really hard!  

In Writing we are looking at the book ‘The Incredible Book Eating Boy’. This week we looked at the key parts of the story are created freeze frames of them.

In Maths we are developing our place value knowledge.  We used a variety of activities to aid our learning. 
Our Science topic is Electricity. We considered which appliances around the home required electricity to make the work.

For history we created a timeline of Viking rule of the United Kingdom.

If you have not already, please log into the new class Showbie account.  From here you will be able to access the login details for GoRead, the new school reading app.

Have a good weekend.

Mr McGhee

What a first week back! Well done to all Inventors.  Everyone has settled back into school life brilliantly.

 
The new classroom looks amazing, the children have added energy and vigour.

This week we have done some great activities.  The highlights being researching a ‘courageous advocate’ - as a class we chose Marcus Rashford, and designing shields for the four houses the children have been assigned to. We also wrote prayers, reflecting on God always being with us.

I will upload pictures of class displays once completed.  

A quick reminder to join the new class on Showbie to access the Homework Grid and GoRead login details. 
 

Have a great weekend.

Mr McGhee
 

Inventors PE days will be Monday and Thursday.  Children should come dressed for PE for the entire day on these days.

Mr McGhee

So after 6 weeks holidays, the new term starts on Monday.  Lots of excitement with the extension to the building and the new classroom.  Look at the pictures of the new classroom for a sneak preview.

Can’t wait to see some familiar faces and the new members of ‘Inventors.’

i will give more information about timetable and PE days etc as the week progresses, 

See you all on Monday.

Have a good weekend.

Mr McGhee 

A three day week to end the school year.  
What an amazing effort the children have made with their home work this half term. I really have been blown away with the effort and commitment to some of the tasks.

All of Inventors have worked really hard this school year and should be proud of the achievements.

September of course brings the new classroom and updates to the school buildings - all of us are excited about this.

I hope you all enjoy the summer holidays, have lots of fun but please stay safe whatever you get up to.

See you in six weeks.

Enjoy the holidays.

Mr McGhee

A week full of different activities with some excellent warm, sunny weather.

In Writing we took on the role of a character from The Princess’ Blankets, we will use the information to help us write a newspaper report.

In Maths we continued on work on fractions.

For P.E. this week we improved our teamwork skills playing rounders.

Both year groups had a massive role to play in the Year 6 performance - we all had to sing the songs that accompany the show.  Everybody did really well.

Friday morning was fun morning on the inflatable obstacle course.  We had lots of races and even more fun and laughter.

On Monday could we ask that all school reading books be returned.  On Tuesday children will need to be in P.E. kit for the last session of cricket. Also on Tuesday is homework showcase morning. Can all homework that is completed be uploaded to Showbie or brought in on the day.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sunny weather.

Mr McGhee

Another week of fun activities and learning. Another week closer to the end of year.

This week in maths we have been improving our fraction skills.  We looked at fractions of a whole number and adding fractions together.

In writing we wrote alternative endings to The Princess’ Blankets. 
Thanks to the wonder of modern technology, Year 4 participated in the Banner Service on Tuesday. The focus was peace, we produced an excellent display poster for the occasion.

Also on Tuesday we had a guest coach from Lancashire CCC who taught us some excellent cricket skills.

Have a great weekend and if you are watching the football enjoy the game.

Mr McGhee

What a wonderful week of learning.

In writing Inventors began looking at The Princess’ Blankets and writing about the characters.

In maths we focused on our division skills - looking at increasingly larger numbers and solving problems as a group. 
Our P.E. focus this week has been rounders and tennis.  We witnessed some excellent effort in both sports. 
 

Have a great weekend.

Mr McGhee

This week Inventors have been working really hard.

In Maths we have looked at multiplication, the children became human place holders to aid learning.

For writing, we planned and wrote a diary entry for a character from Journey to Jo’burg.

In PHSE we looked at tasks that we think are impossible: but are they really?  The question has been posed, is it possible for the egg to end up in the bottle. The children will find out on Monday...

Enjoy your weekend.

Mr McGhee

Sports Week has been packed full of exciting and competitive action. Even the weather has been kind to us all week.  All of the ‘Inventors’ did themselves proud - individually during some events and as teammates during others. Well done to everyone!

On Monday the class enjoyed a computer afternoon learning about programming and using a Sphero robot. 
Look at the great pictures from this week.

Have a great weekend.

Mr McGhee

First week back after half term went over in a flash.

This week in English the class performed their own version of The Journey, a poem by Neil Griffiths.

In Maths we have been looking at tables, bar charts, pictograms and timetables - we really have busy.

This term in Science the children are focusing on healthy eating, this week we looked at the seven main food groups.  This links with this terms Design and Technology project which is to make healthy snacks for athletes. 
 

Next week is Sports Week, children are asked to wear PE kit each day.

Have a good weekend.

Mr McGhee

A short week this one of only three days but still full of learning, celebrating homework and some laughter.

In English the children wrote and performed a poem based on Please Mrs Butler by Alan Ahlberg. (Due to file size please view these on Showbie)

The standard of homework produced this half term left me speechless. Well done to all the children (and adult helpers).  I have uploaded some photos of the work.

Have a great half term break.  I look forward to seeing everybody refreshed and ready for the last half term of this school year.

Mr McGhee

Another week full of excellent learning and activities in Inventors class.

In Writing this week we wrote some phenomenal travel brochure leaflets persuading the reader to visit the amazing Amazon Rainforest.

We took Maths outside the classroom to help us learn to tell the time on analogue clocks and convert unit of times.

This week has been Science week, the focus for Inventors being to design and build a roof for a house in the Rainforest.  Working in small groups, the teams created some excellent builds that proved to be watertight - perfect for the location.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Mr McGhee 

Another full week of learning and laughter.

In writing we are using the quality text The Great Kapok Tree.  We enjoyed learning about the Amazon Rainforest.  In Maths we began to look at clocks, telling the time and time problems.  For PE we continued with our athletic skills and focused on high jump and long jump.

Don’t let your eyes decide you when you look at the art pictures: the hand pictures really are flat.  We learn about Op Art to create 3D effect pictures!!

Spellings are now posted on Showbie each Monday for the week ahead.

Have a great weekend.

Mr McGhee

This week was only a four day week but it was full of learning and activities.

Today was NSPCC Number Day, packed full of fun and engaging Maths.  We learned about the important role the NSPCC plays in children’s lives and about Childline. 
The class took on Buddy’s Key Challenge and learned about the Fibonacci sequence (ask the children about it!!) We were surprised how many jobs needed maths skills to perform the role.  Finally, in P.E. we undertook a maths treasure hunt. 

Look at the pictures below at our day.

Mr McGhee

Another week gone in a flash.

In writing we used hot-seating to interview an eyewitness.  For P.E. our sports are athletics and cricket, we witnessed some great batting skills.  In art we continued our focus on abstract art.

Hope you all have a great Bank Holiday weekend.

Mr McGhee

I have uploaded the Homework Grid for Summer 1.

Looking forward to see the four pieces of work that you choose to complete on Tuesday 25th May.

Mr McGhee

First week back has been and gone.  It is great to see everybody back in class and the weather has been good to us too.

Some of the Year 5 children have begun working with the police on activity called Project Chameleon.

In art we looked at abstract art and the work of Piet Mondrian.  This half term in PE we will be working on our cricket and athletic skills.  Today we focused on javelin - we may have found some future Olympians. 

Mr McGhee

Well this week was over in a flash!

In writing the class wrote a story based on the book Fly Eagle Fly.  I have been very impressed with how many excellent writers we have.  Maths this week has been focused on fractions and decimals - everybody has worked really hard. 

We have been creative in art and learned new skills playing dodgeball and cricket. 

I have had a great first week getting to know all the children.  They have been very helpful and a have done themselves proud.

Mr McGhee

What a great first week we have had in Inventors. It has been lovely to welcome all the children back and they have settled in very well, again. 

Today, we celebrated science week by joining in with Robokids space show that was organsied through the STEM hub. The children enjoyed learning about the most recent mission to Mars and algorithms with robots. 

The children also learned a new dance, Sea Shanty, ready for a whole school dance, when we can perform it. 

Check out the pictures!

Mrs Walsh

Inventors,

Please see this week's remote learning grid! (The last one :)) 

Remember to make your toilet roll book character ready for the zoom showcase on Thursday at 1.30pm. I cannot wait to see all your creative designs!

You have done so well with your remote learning- make sure everything is up to date ready for you coming back to school on Monday 8th March! I am really looking forward to seeing you all :)

See you soon,

Mrs Walsh

Welcome back Inventors!
 

I hope you all had a lovely half term. The weather improved (slightly) which meant lots of walks and adventures. This week's learning grid is attached below, as well as on Showbie. 

I look forward to seeing you all on zoom this morning. 

Mrs Walsh

Good morning Inventors,

I want to start by saying well done for your continued hard work throughout this lockdown. You have surpassed expectations and should all be very proud. Also, a big thank you to the parents who are helping their children alongside working from home. 

The Friday fancy dress quiz was a great success. Thank you all for the effort you put in. The outfits were great! We will arrange more for after half term. 

This weeks learning grid is on Showbie and attached below. There are also some super examples of work you have sent me this week.

Keep up the hard work. 

Mrs Walsh

Good morning Inventors,

Can you believe it is February already? 

Thank you all for your hard work last week. I cannot say enough how amazing you are doing! I love seeing the work you are producing, everyday.

The learning grid for this week is below. Everything is available through Showbie. Remember to complete the whole task set.

Have a good week!
Mrs Walsh

Good morning Inventors,

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I am enjoying seeing the pictures of your work but also of you enjoying time with your family. You are clearly enjoying the snow!

Let's have another brilliant week. Continue to work hard. 

I have added the remote learning grid to our class blog, as well as on Showbie. 

Mrs Walsh 

Hello Inventors,

Have a look at this week's remote learning grid below. Make sure you organise your time efficiently, to complete the tasks. You have your English and Maths lesson everyday alongside your foundation subjects, which we would normally do in the afternoon. 

I look forward to seeing your work on Showbie. 

Mrs Walsh

Good morning Inventors, 

Please find the remote learning grid below for this week (11.1.21). All the documents/videos are on Showbie, as is this learning grid. 

Good luck and I hope you all have a great week. 

Mrs Walsh

Dear Inventors,

So sorry to not be able to see you for the next few weeks due to another lockdown! :( 

However, I will be uploading activities for you to continue with your learning on Showbie and on the class blog.

For the next few days, I have already uploaded some activities to refresh your memory of how to use Showbie and present your work. Have a go at these and familiarise yourself again.

Next week there will be a full time-table of activities that you are expected to attempt and send into me via Showbie- We have been working so hard up until this point so I am keen to continue with the progress and new learning that we were doing.

I am looking forward to see what you create/ find out along the way.

I hope you all stay safe,

goodbye for now,

Take care,

Mrs Walsh x

Thank you for all your hard work this year. It has been a difficult one in many ways but as always the children have surpassed our imagination. I am looking forward to what next year has in store for us all.

I wish you and all your family a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. 

See you all in 2021

Mrs Walsh and Mrs Powell 

Party day!
What a fabulous day Inventors! We started with a super surprise; watching the best pantomime Cinderella. The children received an admission ticket to attend the annual Royal Ball. We sang along and enjoyed being able to still experience such a fantastic event. 

Then it was party afternoon. We danced the day away, played music statues and pass the parcel. Well done to all the winners! Afterwards, an elf joined the party. We danced to classic songs like the cha cha slide and gangnam style. 

Thank you all for a wonderful day full of Christmas cheer.

Sign up to showbie

Sign Up with a Username

Tap on the button that says Sign Up for Free and you’re on your way to creating your own Showbie account.

1. I’m a Student
2. Sign Up with a Username; Signing Up with Google and Other Sign-up Options are a bit different (see below)
3. Type in your account information and then tap Sign Up when you’re done. If your teacher gave you a class code already, type it in now and then tap Join Class. Don’t have a code yet? Just tap Skip and join a class later instead

Note: Remember that student accounts don’t need an email address. You can leave the Email field empty and still create an account.

Our class code is- MR3YU.

Inventors,

Congratulations for making it through the first half term. You have all been amazing and you should all be so proud of what you have achieved so far this year. Now it is time to have a well earned rest and come back fresh and ready to learn in Autumn 2. 

Mrs Walsh

Today, we focused on the work of Rosa Bonheur. We looked at The Horse Fair by Rosa Bonheur. We noticed how she created a 3D effect on the horses using tone and shading as well as showing a shadow. Then we drew our own animal adding tone, shading and shadow to make it look 3D. 

Good morning parents,

Today, you will receive a letter from me to give you an overview of what to expected while your child is in the Inventors class. I have also added one to our blog.

Thanks,

Mrs Walsh

In school we are focusing on developing healthy minds through lots of wonderful picture books. Our assemblies and lessons for the first two weeks will focus on these books which will help us to think about our thoughts, our busy minds, our feelings and how to deal with our emotions when we are feeling worried, sad, cross or anxious! As you do not have the books at home we have shared the links below so you can listen as someone reads it to you. Listen carefully to the words in the book and enjoy the lovely illustrations. When you do come back to school you will be able to see all the books on the display in the school hall with lots of things to help you to think about the messages the books are giving us!

Hello Inventors,

Welcome back! I hope you all had a lovely summer. Mrs Powell and I are looking forward to welcoming you into our classroom. We have been working hard to get the classroom ready for your return (I have added some photos on the blog for you to get a sneak peek). The first two weeks we will be keeping busy by doing lots of activities based around new books that Mrs Hunter has chosen.

I am excited to meet the new children to the Inventors, as well as seeing the familiar faces of the year 5 children. We have two new children starting (1 in each year group) and I cannot wait for us all to get to know them.

School will look a little different at the moment due to the building work that has started. Don’t worry, we are in the same classroom and will still get to enjoy our dinner in the hall.

I know you have been away from school for a considerable amount of time but be assured that we are here for you all and cannot wait to get started again!

See you tomorrow,

Mrs Walsh

Hey Inventors!

You all understand how important it is to know your Times Tables. Well, check out this amazing website ( https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/585/HTML5). There are lots of free games to play on your tablet or computer and will get you learning your Times Tables whilst having fun . 

I have particularly enjoyed playing 'Super Maths Bowling' and you can play against somebody else . Can you beat them?

Hello,

It's me again! Well here we are, the last week of the school year. It has been very different to any other year we have experienced before. But you have all remained resilient, positive and have shown amazing character. 

It has been a pleasure to teach you this year! Although our time together was cut short, the experiences we had with stay with me forever. I am lucky enough to still have the year 4 children next year and I am looking forward to making up for lost time. 

I have added a summer grid onto the blog. It has fun activities to complete before we return to school in September. I have also added a video to introduce myself to the year 3 children- soon to be year 4- coming up to Inventors. 

I am looking forward to seeing you all very soon. Have a lovely summer with your family and friends.

Mrs Walsh 

Hi Inventors,

Thank you to the children who continue to send me pictures of their home learning. I have been amazed by your creativity!

A message to the year 5 children. Please can you complete your buddy letter and return it to school by the 10th of July. If you need guidance, please scroll down on our blog and you will find a template to help you. Thank you Isabella, I have received yours. 

Can you believe it is almost the summer holidays already? I certainly can't. We will be working hard to get the school ready for your return in September. I am looking forward to seeing you all again soon. But for now, keep safe and keep smiling. 

Mrs Walsh

Hello Year 5, 

You have all been contacted in regards to writing a letter to your new buddy. Your buddy will be a new reception child, so it is important they have someone they can look up to. We will deliver the letters this summer therefore need them back as soon as possible. 

I have upload a template for you to look at so you can guide your way through and have some ideas of what to write. You can make it personal by including your likes and interests. Please write your letter on lined paper and remember to write in your best handwriting. You could do a draft copy first, check your spellings and edit it, then write it again. If you need anything to complete the task please ask us. 

At this stage, please write your letter to 'Buddy' and when you return we will tell you and introduce you to your new buddy. We have a tray outside the school gates for you to return your letter to us.

Thank you year 5. Remember if you have any questions or need any help, please ring the school office and we will help you. 

Mrs Walsh

Hi Inventors,

I hope you're all well and keeping yourself busy at home. It seems like a long time ago since we were all in class together.

We had a good week in school learning about civil rights and equality and the key worker children created some brilliant work. The display we made over the week is on the newsletter- check it out. 

We hope you enjoyed the quiz we did for you all last week. I'm sure most of you beat your adults and siblings .

Remember you are all doing a fantastic job and when we can return to school safely we will do so. We will all be here waiting for your return. In the meantime, keep up with completing the activities and keep smiling.

Mrs Walsh x

BIG NEWS!

I am very excited to share this news with you today. JK Rowling has written a new book called 'The Ickabog' which she is releasing day by day until mid July. This means we get to read a chapter or two every day until then. I cannot wait to get reading and I want you to join me on this reading journey. If Harry Potter is anything to go by this will be a big hit. The first two chapters have been released and are on the website- https://www.theickabog.com/home/.

Also for you artistic children, there is an illustration competition going along at the same time.

Enjoy Inventors! 

Hi Inventors,

Thanks again for the lovely pictures to show me how hard you are working at home. I know several of you enjoyed the science experiments, therefore I have added another one to our blog. The added notes will help you understand the science behind it. 

Remember to continue with your reading! I have been reading lots and I have found it helps to take your mind away from everything else. It allows you to be creative and almost enter another world. Lots of you are completing your TTrockstars challenge- well done! I discovered this website this week- https://www.wizardingworld.com/collections/harry-potter-at-home- it has lots of fun activities for you to complete. 

Finally, keep learning the lyrics to the song 'Looking to the rainbow'. We will record it in September- it's going to sound great! 

Have a lovely bank holiday   

Mrs Walsh x

Hello Inventors!

It is me again . This week is Mental Health awareness week and the theme they have decided on this year is Kindness. The Mental Health Foundation stated that, 'One thing that we have seen all over the world is that kindness is prevailing in uncertain times.  We have learnt that amid the fear, there is also community, support and hope. The added benefit of helping others is that it is good for our own mental health and well-being. It can help reduce stress and improve your emotional well-being'. 

As we know our mental health is just as important as our physical health. By showing kindness to others, not only are we helping with their mental health, we are improving our own. The feeling you get from showing kindness to others can not be underestimated. Therefore, I have based a couple of this weeks activities around this concept. There is a Mental Health awareness pack on our blog which has lots of ideas on how to show kindness to others.  I look forward to seeing how you have achieved this throughout the week. Please remember to send your pictures to our office email. 

Finally, please find the song and lyrics (on our blog) to 'Looking to the rainbow'. In September, as a school, we will record this song. I am learning the song and look forward to hearing it come together when we arrive back at school. 

Keep smiling, singing and surprising us. You're all amazing. 

Mrs Walsh 

Hi Inventors,

I hope you are all well and keeping busy. Did you celebrate VE day? I was in school last week and we had lots of fun. We made VE medals with clay, painted union jacks, decorated biscuits and made slime. We spoke about the importance of remembering those who fought so we could live today. 

Last week I also celebrated my 30th birthday . It was a strange one, not being able to see family and friends, but I had a lovely day and ate lots of cake!

Well done for continuing with your home learning, you're doing a great job. I have added an extra resource to our blog this week. Have a go at it and remember to complete your TTrockstars as normal. 

I hope to see you all soon, 

Mrs Walsh 

Click the link to access daily family prayer and worship activities. 

https://engageworship.org/engage-at-home-daily-family-prayer-and-worship-activities

Hello Inventors!

I hope you and your families are well and you are keeping busy doing lots of fun activities. Thank you for sending in your pictures. I love seeing what you are all doing at home. Keep them coming! Remember to try and have some routine to your day, I have found it really helps. 

I did it! Yesterday I ran 13.1 miles (half marathon) with my Mum. We got up early to do it because we knew it would be too hot later on. I am really proud of myself and have found running gives me an extra focus at this unusual time. 

I found this article (https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/50-fun-kids-activities-home-17975046) it has lots of great ideas and activities for you to do. Check it out and have some fun . 

I miss you all lots and look forward to the day we can be back in the classroom. For now, look after yourself and your loved ones. 

Mrs Walsh 

Parents! Please use the link below to access this fantastic resource. It provides lessons for all school year groups from Reception through to year 10 and will be taught via a new Government-backed online platform, the Oak National Academy. The scheme, which has been set up by teachers and funded by the Department of Education, is set to provide video lessons for students, with each lesson arriving with a quiz and worksheet to go with it.

https://www.thenational.academy/online-classroom 

Hi Inventors!

Hope you all had a lovely Easter. I certainly did. I have posted a picture below to show you a couple of things I have been up to, including my attempt at a cheesecake and a cute picture of my dog! 

I ran 11.5 miles today , it was very, very hard. However, I am now only 1.5 miles from my target of 13 miles (half a marathon). Believe it or not, my Mum runs with me. She is 53 and is smashing it!

Keep smiling and look after yourself.

See you soon,

Mrs Walsh

Hi Inventors!

Happy Easter to you and your families. Make the most of this precious time you have with your families.

It was lovely to speak to most of you this week. It sounded like you are all keeping very busy and enjoying the sun at the same time. I enjoyed my week in school. We had fun making structures to hold a cream egg, tallest one won (which wasn't my team). We also decorated boiled eggs, decorated Easter eggs, made Easter cards and played lots of sports, of course .

Thank you for the pictures (below), I love seeing what you have been up to. 

I look forward to seeing you all again. Keep safe and enjoy your Easter break.

Mrs Walsh 

Happy Easter Inventors! Over the next 2 weeks your home learning grid is based around fun Easter activities for you to choose from. Do still continue with the blue squares from previous grids but remember to give yourselves a break too as I'm sure you've been working very hard!

It is my turn to be in school this week. I am very much looking forward to it! I will post pictures on the school twitter and class blog to keep you updated with what we have been up to. Remember to send your pictures to the school email address so I can see what you have all been doing! The email address is on our blog, as is the time capsule activity link. 

Remember, keep safe and stay at home! 

Hi Inventors!

I hope you are all doing well during this unusual time. Remember to keep smiling and keep your body and mind active. 

Just a quick reminder to complete your TT Rockstars activity. I am still completing my weekly check. I am sure you are all completing your weekly tasks and having fun doing so. 

I have been working from home and whilst doing so have been completing my daily exercise by going for a run. My target is to complete a half marathon within the next two months. 

I miss you all and look forward to seeing you all back at school when we can. 

Stay safe.

Mrs Walsh

Here are some great home learning activities from white rose. Just click on the link below. Keep up the good work and stay safe!

https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/

What a treat!

To finish our D&T activities relating to the Greeks, we made Greek honey cake. The children all had a turn to measure and mix the ingredients. All the staff had a taste and the feedback was incredible. Well done star bakers. 

The final week of term has been an exciting one in the Inventors classroom. We completed an experiment to understand the process of the digestive system using items such as tights, crackers and orange juice. The children then used this knowledge to write a narrative from the perspective of a book, travelling through the digestive system. On the final day of term the children shared their amazing homework with one another before completing an Atlas scavenger hunt in Geography. Well done to the winning team: Koel, Harrison and Jacob.

Have a fantastic half term and I look forward to seeing you all again in a weeks time. 

Welcome back!

Mrs Walsh and Mrs Hill hope that you have had a fantastic summer holiday and are ready and raring for the school year ahead- we definitely are! We have an action- packed first term ahead of us full of interesting and new learning opportunities. We hope you enjoy your new learning but also take the opportunity to come out of your comfort zone, be creative and challenge yourself!

Our first topic this half term will be "Shell Shock" where we will be travelling back to 1914 and learning about World War One; from how it all began, the effects of the War across Europe, until how the War ended in 1918.

Don't forget to earn your raffle tickets to be in the prize draw every Friday!

We look forward to another great year at St. John's...

Making the Most of Symmetry in the Sun!

Running for distance

As part of our athletics unit of work, Inventors were asked to design a running course that would test their stamina and endurance. The course had to last between 30 seconds and 1 minute, using a range of equipment to help them. At the end of the lesson, the children got the opportunity to test each other's designs out.

What a great afternoon of physical activity!

All of the Area

Children had to work in groups to investigate the area of different shapes, using different materials. They had 5 challenges to complete with a time limit of 10 minutes per challenge. There were lots of skills demonstrated during this lesson not only mathematical but also great examples of co-operation and team- work. Well done Inventors!

Bye, Bye Butterfly!

Thank you to Tomas for bringing in his butterflies that he has been rearing over the last few weeks. He showed Inventors the cocoons that they had evolved from and we discussed the complete metamorphosis that they go through from caterpillar to butterfly.

We then set them free in our old forest school area, where we hope they will flourish in their natural habitat.

Prayer Workshop with Bishop Mark

Inventors had a fantastic afternoon participating in a prayer workshop with Bishop Mark. The workshop showed children how they could pray in different ways by interacting with fun and interesting activities with a specific message and bible reading.

The afternoon ended with a pray and blessing led by the Bishop himself.

GO FOR IT MO!

Do you know what it takes to be a world famous athlete?

Who lives in a house like this?

During topic lessons we have been looking at different styles of houses and where people live. We have been learning new vocabulary linked to house and homes and have started to create an estate agent style advertisements whereby children are trying to sell their own houses. We have been using lots of persuasive language as well as floor plans and pictures.

Inventors win "Cakes and Shakes" for the second half term in a row!

Well done for gaining the most compliment slips Inventors and a big thank you to Miss Robertson for preparing such a delicious treat!

INVADERS,RAIDERS, TRADERS?

Take a look at some examples of our fantastic grid homework this half term. These are just a few pieces, there are lots more displayed in our classroom and the school's lobby area. 

How did the Vikings preserve their food, when travelling on long voyages?

As part of our science week Inventors have been researching ideas about how to preserve food. Children came up with several suggestions on how to preserve mackerel.

We then gathered our information and set up five experiments to see which out of the following food preservation methods would be more effective- salt, smoking, lemon and lime juice, honey and vinegar.

We look forward to seeing the results.

Inventors are reading "Alex Sparrow and the Really Big Stink" by Jennifer Killick with Mrs Purser.

They tweeted Jennifer to tell her how much that they were enjoying her book.

She sent them posters and a signed postcard.

Children have written thank you letters to her too.

A Kingly Debate

Inventors had to go back in time and take on the role of either King Alfred the Great or King Athelstan. They had to use their debating skills to prove which king was the best!

Aliens need our help!

Inventors were asked to create a food source for an alien life form. However, they added too much salt, which was detrimental to their health! Inventors had to think of a way of separating all of the materials again using different equipment so that the extra salt could be removed.

The Inventors successfully completed the task.

Well done comrades!

Solid or liquid?  You decide!

Inventors were set the challenge of creating their own cornflour slime. They were astonished at the results...did it turn out to be a solid or a liquid? It was hard to tell, as it seemed to have the properties of both. We had some great discussions around the children's ideas! It was a messy but fun afternoon to end the week.

Using the "mysterious" stimulus, children had to answer the 5 ws (who, what,when,where,why?) and create their own story maps.

We look forward to hearing the children's creative ideas.

Welcome back Inventors for another fun-filled half term! 

We have got so much to learn; from Anglo-Saxon and Viking invasions to watching our own chicks hatch and grow! 

Let's have a great six weeks learning together.

Please take a look at some examples of Inventors' grid homework from spring 1. You can see further examples in the school's lobby area.

Isn't it AMAZING?!

Our new topic in the first Spring half term is "Planet Earth" linking natural history and science together. Finding out about life cycles of animals and plants; habitats and all of the weird and wonderful things that we have on this planet.

If you had the opportunity- what would you ask Sir David Attenborough?

May we take this opportunity to wish all Inventors and their families a very happy and peaceful Christmas.

We look forward to seeing you all in the new year!

Merry Christmas or Wesołych Świąt!

Best wishes,

Mrs Browne & Miss Ireland

TASC Days

During the last week of school before the Christmas break, we have been busy researching Christmas traditions around the world. Inventors chose to investigate how Polish people celebrate Christmas to discover any similarities or differences that there maybe. We have found out lots of interesting facts out about Poland, as well as taking advice from our class member Jakub!

Following our research we designed and created our very own Christmas decoration inspired by our Polish research.

We cannot wait to share everything that we have been doing in our church service on the last day of term!

Science

As part of our science assessment this half term we had to work in a group to sell our ear defenders that we had produced and investigated- using a fair test. We had to include lots of persuasive and scientific language in order to prove that ours was the best. 

The children worked very well in their groups and it was a hard decision as to whose ear defenders were the most effective! 

Our reflection area for the coming weeks will be focusing on Advent and its true meaning.

The children will  have time for reflection and to write personal prayers based on hope, joy, faith and love.

These will then be shared in Lighthouse assemblies.

Forest School Session

5.12.18

Due to the weather, forest school had to take place indoors today. However, we were able to create some fantastic festive pieces using natural materials from our school grounds.

It was another great session!

Mindfulness

Every Thursday and Friday afternoon our children have the opportunity to participate in some mindfulness activities.

Today we did some meditation, where children had to find a comfortable position in order to listen to some relaxing music and a meditation clip. This encouraged children to relax their mind and become calm in order to be ready to learn after lunch time.

As you can see, some children were very calm and relaxed!