Happy Easter!

What an exciting and busy time we have had in Tregantle Class!

This week, we were thrilled to release another butterfly into the wild. It was a very special moment for all of us as we watched it spread its wings and fly away. To celebrate our butterflies, we learnt a beautiful poem called "Oh to Be a Butterfly" and proudly performed it from memory.

We have also made the most of the lovely weather by spending time in our wonderful garden. The children have enjoyed being creative outdoors and exploring nature around them.

In class, we have been learning about the Easter story and have taken part in a range of fun, Easter-themed activities. It has been a great way to understand the meaning of Easter while also enjoying some seasonal crafts and learning.

Our PE lessons have been full of energy and laughter, especially when using the parachute. We had lots of fun bouncing balls, running underneath, and working together as a team.

As the spring term draws to a close, we would like to wish you all a very happy Easter. We look forward to more fun, learning, and exciting experiences in the summer term! 

April

Year 6 were very fortunate to find a window of beautiful weather for their Geography fieldwork this week!

Our Geography unit this half term has been all about exploring population. We have studied how and why populations might increase or decrease, where in the country we can find our most and least populated areas, why birth and death rates might fluctuate, why people might choose - or be forced - to migrate and how population might impact our environment.

As part of this final investigation, Year 6 chose two different locations in our village to conduct a road traffic survey. One of the areas was the busy main road and the other was a more quiet, less-populated road on the edge of the village. 

After that, we carried out a class litter pick of our local public playing field, led by our responsible Eco-councilors. Finally, as it was such a stunning afternoon and Year 6 have been working so hard all term, they spent a little time having a much-needed and well-earned game of basketball and football - would you believe it, it was 22 degrees!

This Week in Class: Exploring Space, Solar Power, Fantastical Creatures, and Fractions!
What an exciting and busy week we've had! Our learning has taken us on adventures across Geography, English, Maths, and even into outer space. Here's a look at what we've been up to:

Geography: Finding the Best Spot for Solar Panels
In Geography, we've been using our problem solving skills to investigate the best place to install solar panels around the school. We explored:
• Which areas get the most sunlight,
• Where shadows might block the panels, and
• How the angle and direction of the sun affects energy production.
Everyone worked like real environmental scientists, thinking about how renewable energy can help our school become more eco friendly.

A Visit from the Space Dome!
This week became truly out of this world when the Space Dome arrived!
Inside, we learned about:
• The planets in our solar system
• What the constellations are like at the time of year in the night sky

English: Creating Non-Chronological Reports About Pandora Creatures
In English, we began planning our non-chronological reports about fantastical creatures from Pandora, inspired by the world of Avatar. We focused on:
• Writing clear subheadings,
• Organising information into sections,
• Using formal language,
• Expanding our vocabulary to make our creatures sound believable (and magical!).
We're excited to continue building these reports as our creatures start to come alive on the page.

This week in Year 1, the children have been busy exploring a range of exciting topics across the curriculum. In Science, they have been investigating everyday materials, learning to identify different types and discussing their properties. The children enjoyed thinking about what materials objects are made from and why certain materials are chosen for specific purposes.

In Geography, we have been learning about cities from around the world. The children have focused on identifying human and physical features, developing their understanding of how cities are structured and what makes each one unique. As part of this topic, they have been writing sentences about Cape Town in the style of a non-chronological report. The children have worked hard to include key facts and use clear sentence structure to present their ideas.

In Maths, Year 1 have continued to build their confidence with multiplication and division. They have been learning their 2 and 10 times tables and are beginning to understand how these link to division, particularly dividing by 2. The children have been using practical resources and repeated addition to support their learning, and it has been wonderful to see their confidence grow.

In PSHE, we have been discussing road safety. The children learned about how to stay safe when crossing the road, the importance of looking both ways, and how to be aware of their surroundings when near traffic. This is an important life skill, and the children engaged thoughtfully in our discussions.

In Reception, the children have been exploring directions and maps. They have been learning how to give and follow simple directions, helping to build their early geographical skills. A highlight of the week was using Beebots, which the children thoroughly enjoyed. They had great fun programming the Beebots to move in different directions, developing their problem-solving and teamwork skills along the way.

For the penultimate week of the term, we have had a FULL week of learning adventures! 

To start with, Class 2 have been really enjoying our Maths lessons on Statistics. Even more fun was applying our learning in our Maths lessons in our Science and Geography lessons.  First, we used our knowledge of using tally charts in our Science lessons to record the changes in a young chick over 5 weeks and using available data to predict how it might change next. Then, we applied these same skills in our Geography lessons where we surveyed our forest school area for mini beasts. We then used our knowledge of block diagrams to display our findings.

In Literacy, we have started a new unit of work. This time, we are focusing on fiction, and learning how to write a setting description. In RE, we continued to explore the Easter story and related Christian Easter traditions. Class 2 have also successfully completed a whole half term of swimming lessons at Launceston, with Friday being the last lessons. They have had a lot of fun brushing up key skills and learning new skills to keep them safe in the water.

We ended the week with the most amazing morning at the space dome where we learned not just about our solar system but about some faraway stars we see in the night sky. We learned how to find the constellation Orion and how to use his belt to find the Greater Dog constellation. We also learned how to use the Great Bear constellation to help us find the North Pole Star. We even watched a demonstration of how the Pole star ALWAYS stays above the North pole!

Finally, a very well done to:
> Isla for getting the Ready Award for her amazing writing.
> Harriet for getting the Respectful Award for bouncing into class with the brightest of smiles and absolutely ready to learn.
> Freya for getting the Safe Award for being such a helpful friend and learning buddy.

Besides our weekly Praise Awards, class 2 have now added a award - the London Achievement Award. Children in Class 2 earn this certificate when they cross the number bonds stage of the Around the World Challenge and move on to the Times Table stage. So far, we have had 4 children who have been awarded this certificate. Ella was the first one to achieve it, closely followed by Sofia, Freya and Ivy. I can't wait to give out more of this certificate in the next term!  

TALLAND'S BLOG 27.3.26

We can't believe Spring 2 is nearly over! It's been another busy and high-energy week in Talland Class, and the children have been fantastic throughout.

Here's a snapshot of what we've been learning:

Maths:
Year 5 have completed their first unit on fractions and have now begun exploring negative numbers.

Year 4 have continued their work on fractions, with a particular focus this week on adding and subtracting fractions.


English:
This week, we finalised our plans for writing a newspaper report based on Oliver Twist. Today, the children began writing their reports independently, and we're very impressed with their effort and creativity so far.

History:
In History, we learned about Lord Shaftesbury and the important changes he helped bring about for children. We discussed the Factory Act of 1833, which introduced laws to ensure children received an education instead of working long hours in difficult and often dangerous jobs.

Art:
We explored the work of artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman, focusing on how she creates and interprets self-portraits. The children enjoyed discussing her vibrant and expressive style.

Science:
In Science, we investigated how solids can change into liquids-using chocolate as our example! While it did feel like a bit of a waste of a tasty treat, it certainly helped us understand the concept.

PE:
In PE, the children have continued developing their cricket skills. This week, we focused on fielding and effective communication, helping teams return the ball to the wicket quickly and efficiently.

Celebrations:
Congratulations to Esmai and Max for progressing to the next round of the 99 Club-well done! A big well done as well to Lowen and Harley for demonstrating our school values. They have shown excellent work ethic and kindness towards their peers.

That's all from Talland Class this week. We hope you have a wonderful weekend and look forward to seeing everyone next week.

Signing off, Mr. Langley and Mr. Bishop.