Primary 4/3 have been working hard to maintain the Bug Hotel they started work on last year. Unfortunately, we believe that some children are continually playing on it and moving or removing some of the material. Can everyone please help by looking but not touching. Primary 4/3 are hoping that when it is set up properly that the everyone can use it for outdoor learning.
The Sunflower Challenge given out last term will finish on Friday 27th August. Please make sure your photos and measurements are handed in before then.
Over the last few weeks P3/4 have been constructing a Bug Hotel. They have collected a variety of material and have built the hotel layer by layer. Well done children in P3/4.
Please DO NOT CLIMB ON IT and please DO NOT REMOVE ANY OF THE MATERIAL.
Deans Primary would like to thank Buildbase in Whitburn for delivering compost yesterday. They were kind enough to give us two big bags free so we can upgrade our vegetable patch ready for coming back to school in August.
Literacy
We learnt about similes. These are figures of speech containing the word like or as. They are used to compare two things.
Numeracy
During our work on decimals this week we learnt how to write tenths and hundredths as decimals and practised comparing and ordering them.
Science
We observed rocks and learnt about different types of soil.
Health
This week we have learnt about how babies are made and how characteristics are passed on from parents / grandparents to children.
P.E.
This week we practised throwing and catching skills on the school field. Afterwards we played a large game of rounders.
Numeracy
This week we practised learning our x8 tables using various strategies including active dance using this link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/supermovers/ks2-maths-the-8-times-table-with-filbert-fox/z4mrhbk .
We continued to learn about fractions and this week focused on comparing and ordering fractions. The class is taking part in a fractions competition using Sumdog and some of us have even been practising at home!
Next week we are going to learn about converting decimals to fractions.
Literacy
We continued our novels in group reading and in order to show understanding of what we had read we illustrated a key event and explained why what we had drawn was important.
During our discussions about adventure stories we read through an extract and discussed why the vocabulary used was effective.
Outdoor Learning
This week we wrote nature poems on the playground.
Topic
As part of our topic on dinosaurs we continued to organise our notes into a presentation. Kiera and Sophie P gave an informative and lively talk to the class. Lily-Elen’s group also spoke confidently in front of the whole class. We gave them peer assessment using two stars and a wish. Well done!
Science
Our topic is Earth’s Materials. This week we learnt how soil is made. Kyle acted out the story of Roger the Rock becoming Simon the Soil in front of the whole class. He was brilliant!
Literacy
This week we focused on adventure narrative and read through an adventure text extract. Then we discussed techniques used by the author to build tension.
Group Reading
Writing linked to reading-
Alexis – I feel I am getting better at writing a letter to a character.
Numeracy
We have continued to practise recalling our times tables quickly and we are really improving.
During our work on fractions we learnt about different strategies that could be used to work out equivalent or matching fractions.
Using the laptops we were able to consolidate our learning by playing online fraction games.
Outdoor Learning
Colin – This week we filled up the wheelbarrow with compost then put it into planters – I felt like I was doing a real job and was tired afterwards!
Bella – I enjoyed planting the sunflower seeds.
Art
We went outside to draw trees and focused on using line and shading to make them more life-like.
Science
We learnt that all rocks can be sorted into three types : metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous. In addition we discussed what some of the uses for rocks are.
Cameron – I learnt how diamonds are made.
Class Novel
Bailey – I am really enjoying Dino Egg by Charlie James. It’s really funny!
This week we have been very busy!
Literacy
Reading
We have been learning to compare our personal experiences with a text. In addition we hunted for ‘wow’ words in our group novels and used dictionaries to find the meaning of these words. As an extra challenge we then had to use the words in a new sentence.
Writing
We watched a video about how bears hibernate, made notes and then turned these notes into an explanation text.
Numeracy
We have been learning to find fractions of quantities using division strategies. It was tricky at first but we are improving with practise.
Art
Sophie – I enjoyed creating an abstract piece where the colour and line represented a feeling.
Lily-Elen – I enjoyed the observational drawing. We drew a classroom wall!
Science
Our new topic is ‘Earth’s Materials.’ After completing a brainstorm which included what we knew and what we would like to find out we learnt about the layers of the earth. These are the crust, core and the mantle.
Topic
We continued to research our chosen dinosaur.
Health
Hope – I am better at dribbling in football.
Bella – I am better at tackling.
This week we also learnt about how to stay SMART online.
Music
Bailey – I enjoyed listening to the concert.
This was an RSNO production which involved listening to a reading of Gaspard the Fox which was accompanied by an orchestra.
Maths
This week we started a new topic – fractions.
Bailey – I enjoyed this!
We focused on finding fractions of shapes and learnt vocabulary such as numerator (the number on the top of the fraction) and denominator (the number on the bottom of the fraction.)
We learnt how to draw and label fractions of shapes including mixed numbers when the fraction includes a whole number.
Literacy
This week we have focused on predicting during our reading sessions and we wrote detailed pieces explaining what we thought would happen next based on evidence from the text.
We pretended to be one of the characters in the novel and wrote some super diary entries this week.
In addition we also worked hard to create some excellent explanation texts. Bailey suggested we wrote about the process of mummification. So we watched a video first, made notes, and then turned these notes into an explanation text with our writing partners.
In spelling one of the strategies we used this week was writing out the words in bubble writing which we did outside in chalk.
Music
We had a brilliant workshop with RSNO National School’s Concert Programme.
Bailey – I learnt that you could use music to help tell a story.
Next week we will be watching a concert with this company. We can’t wait!
Health
This week we discussed what friendship meant to us. We discussed how sometimes we can have issues with friends and discussed what strategies we can use to help us deal with these.
As a warm up to the lesson we acted out either a positive or negative mime connected to friendship.
We have had another great week this week.
Topic
Our new topic is, ‘Dinosaurs.’
Bailey – I enjoyed learning about the different theories about how the dinosaurs died.
Jaxson – I enjoyed drawing a dinosaur as part of my research.
Kyle – I enjoyed researching about the Spinosaurus. I learnt it goes in water at times.
Science
We have been learning about floating and sinking.
Sofia – I am proud of the boat that I designed that held 100g!
Numeracy
Sophie – I am proud of my short division skills.
Literacy
Bailey – I feel my reading comprehension skills have improved and I can answer a variety of different types of questions.
