Ponsbourne St Mary's C of E Primary School

For our DT project this half term, the children designed, created and evaluated a Christmas decoration. The children seemed to enjoy the project, especially listening to Christmas music whilst they worked. We hope they looked nice on your trees!

The children were brilliant filming Lights Camel Action 2: The Sequin! We hope you enjoyed the film.

Living History Day 2020

 For Living History Day this year, we turned the classroom into a museum. The children were split into groups and presented their research of each continent. The children looked brilliant in their costumes and presented their work with confidence to the rest of the school via Google Meet. Please go to our Facebook Page to see videos of the children presenting their work. 

Welcome to the Explorers Class Page!

Myself and Miss Gibson hope that you all had a fantastic summer and are ready to come back to school!

P.E. will be on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays so please ensure that your child wears their P.E kit to school for these days.

Forest School will be on a Friday morning so children will need their wellies.

There will be regular updates on our class page so keep returning to see what we have been doing!

Explorers Home Learning

Please find the letter regarding home learning for Explorers children here.

The children enjoyed their visit today from Paul Sturgess, who, at 7 ft 7, has a Guinness World Record for being the tallest basketball player in the world. We heard about Paul's interesting, eventful life  and we got to learn some new basketball skills. 

In maths, we have started to learn strategies to divide. Today, we looked at sharing. The children worked practically to share sweets and toys between hoops. Later, we used this strategy to help us answer division calculations and problems. 

Spring Term 2020

The children were very excited to go to the forest for the last time before we break up for the Christmas holidays. 

In science, we have been learning about things that are alive, dead and that have never been alive. The children explored the playground and field to find objects to fit in to each of these categories. 

In RE, the children have been learning about how different religions welcome babies into the world. Today, in drama, we acted out a Christian Baptism. 

Autumn Term 2019

Welcome to the Explorers Class Page!

Myself and Miss Gibson hope that you all had a fantastic summer and are ready to come back to school!

P.E. will be on a Monday afternoon so please ensure that your child wears their P.E kit to school on this day.

Forest School will be on a Friday morning so children will need their wellies.

There will be regular updates on our class page so keep returning to see what we have been doing!

The children had a great day exploring the gardens at Knebworth, visiting the dinosaurs and spending the afternoon in the adventure playground. It was a lovely trip to end the academic year. 

Explorers had a fantastic day at Mountfitchet Castle. We got to see our topic of 'Castles' come to life as we explored the Motte and Bailey Norman Castle. We also looked around the toy museum and loved seeing all the old toys on display. 

The children had great fun baking cakes for Mother's Day. They made their cakes with lots of love. Thank you to Mrs McKenna for coming in to help us. 

Children from Explorers class were very brave to stand in front of the school to tell their jokes for Comic Relief. It was a very funny morning with lots of laughs. 

For World Book Day, we brought in our favourite book. It was lovely to see everyone sharing their love for books and reading. 

Thank you very much to Mrs Johnston for coming into our class and helping us make pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. They were yummy!

We had lots of fun in the snow! We made snowmen and snow angels. We ended the morning with a class snowball fight. 

In maths, we have been looking at division as sharing. We solved calculations by sharing items equally between hoops. We shared numbers between 2, 3, 4 and 5. 

In geography, we have been learning about the different countries that make up the United Kingdom. We found England on a globe and we found school on a map of England.

Today, in groups, we created a piece of art using vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines. This was our end result. 

In forest school, we went on a hunt for evergreen and deciduous trees. We have been learning about this in our topic, which is Into the Woods. 

In maths, we have been finding the difference between numbers to help us with subtraction. We used number lines to help us jump in tens and ones to find the difference. Also, we used multilink so we could see the difference clearly. 

Explorers loved Living History Day. They had a great time researching and creating things from each continent. They loved presenting their hard work to the rest of the school. 

We loved our trip to Wodson Park to take part in an Infant Agility day. We got to try out lots of different activities. We were very tired on the coach journey home! 

We went to see The Snail and The Whale at Hertford Theatre. We really enjoyed the show and we loved our first school trip as a class.

For English, on Tuesday, we went to the park and wrote a recount of what we did when we got back. 

Explorers have had a lot of fun in their topic lesson creating 'icebergs' from Antarctica. It was very messy but very tasty!

Autumn Term 2018

Welcome to the Explorers Class Page!

Myself, Miss Ellis and Miss Anderson hope that you all had a fantastic summer and are ready to come back to school!

P.E. will be on a Tuesday afternoon so please ensure that your child's P.E kit is in school on this day.

Forest School will be on a Friday morning so children will need their wellies.

There will be weekly updates on our class page so keep returning to see what we have been doing!

Summer Tern 2 Week 7

What an amazing year it has been and now that’s it, we’ve finished for the summer! It has been an absolute pleasure to teach the children in Explorers this year and they have all worked extremely hard throughout the year. It has been a lovely week to end the year on, with 2 superb performances in the Summer Concert on Tuesday and a party on Thursday to celebrate the end of the year.

I would like to thank you all on behalf of myself and Miss Ellis for our generous gifts. It was very kind of you and we really appreciate your kind gestures. I hope you all have a lovely summer, have lots of fun and come back to school in September, ready to learn with either Miss Bower or Miss Busson. Don’t forget to give me a wave in Adventurers!

Summer Term 2 Week 6

That's another great week over in Explorers! The children have worked so hard this week. We had a great time on Tuesday at Walton-on-the-Naze. I'm sure the children have told you all about their day. We had ice lollies, played football, went in the park, built sandcastles and we even went in the sea. I think I definitely got the short straw being the furthest out in the sea! The children were extremely well behaved and I was proud to say that we were from Ponsbourne St Mary's School. I have put the photos from the day on the website so please take a look.

We have created some lovely pictures for the Newgate Street Produce show on Sunday. We used pasta to create seaside pictures, relating to our trip on Tuesday.

It was lovely to see the children in their new classes on Thursday and Miss Bower tells me that the Explorers children were very sensible and showed the 'new' Year One children how well we behave in our class. They were all very excited to be moving into their new class with their new children.

I will be sending the children's wellies home next week. If your child's wellies no longer fit, we are always grateful for any donations to use as spares. PE will be on Thursday next week so please make sure that PE kits are in school. There will be no spellings next week but please do remember to bring in your lighthouses before the end of term.

Summer Term 2 Week 5

he children have worked continued to work hard among the disruptions this week. It was lovely to see so many of you last night at Open Evening.

This week, the children continued their lighthouse pictures with Mrs Bevan on Tuesday afternoon and it was lovely to see many of these out on Open Evening. They have really enjoyed these pieces of art and it is clear to see when looking at their final pieces. Thank you also to those children who have brought their lighthouses in already. Please continue to bring these in and we will display them in our classroom. This will be the children's only homework from now until the Summer Holidays. Please do continue to practise spellings and read on a daily basis. Please can I remind Year 2 parents that the spelling test for Year 2 children has changed to a THURSDAY.

I would like to remind you that it is our school trip on Tuesday! The children will need to be in school at 8.20am as the coach will be leaving at 8.30 PROMPT! Please ensure that the children have had suncream applied before they arrive at school, but feel free to give them some to apply later in the day. The weather is looking slightly cooler than we have had lately but children will still need a hat and plenty to drink. I ask that your child has a filled water bottle with them, as well as at least one other drink and we will ensure that they stay hydrated. Your child will need a packed lunch in a named backpack. Please do not pack glass bottles, fizzy drinks or anything containing nuts. As the children will be able to paddle in the sea, please pack them a small towel (a hand towel is perfect) to dry their feet with, in their backpack. Children may also bring a bucket and spade (PLEASE NAME THESE!) to build sandcastles with. If you have any further questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact me on Monday before Church.

Due to transition day next Thursday, the children will not have PE in the afternoon. They will have Forest School on Wednesday so please  Ensure that they have jumpers/cardigans and tracksuit bottoms. It isn't the weather to be wearing waterproof onesies so please do remember these!

For the summer concert next week could children please wear black bottoms, trousers,skirt or shorts, a white t shirt and something red in their hair such as a bandana, flower or bow.

Summer Term 2 Week 4

The children in Explorers have worked really hard again this week! The children have completed lots of different activities in Maths and have used their knowledge from throughout the year. They have also worked hard in English, adding the suffixes -er and -ing to words. When we went to the forest the boys had made a seesaw with a log between two trees and tried and tested different weights on each end to see how high they could get. The girls were making perfumes and potions, as well as houses for fairies and bugs.

Please note, ALL children's spelling tests will take place on THURSDAYS until the end of term. Please continue to work on your lighthouses and bring them in when they are finished, before the end of term.

Please can I ask that children are coming to school with a hat and a water bottle everyday, even if it is not sunny when you leave in the morning. Forest school will be on Wednesday next week so please ensure that children are coming to school with a jumper or cardigan and tracksuit bottoms. I know the weather is hot but they need their arms and legs protected to avoid being bitten and stung. The forest is shaded so is cool when we visit so the children won't get too hot. PE is on Thursdays so please make sure that PE kit is in school, including trainers.

Summer Term 2 Week 3

That's another busy week over in Explorers. The children have worked well in class this week and have adapted to the changes in our routine. They have all completed some super Maths activities this week and have worked really hard on their artwork for Topic.

Well done to all of the Explorers children for taking part in Sports Day on Tuesday; they all did our class and their team very proud. The children also enjoyed their Zumba session on Friday. Miss Ellis told me that we have some amazing dancers in our class.

We have started to prepare for the summer concert in class and we have chosen our songs. In the next few days, I will be sending home the words to the song that we will be singing. Please help your child to practise these and learn them at home.

I would like to apologise for homework not being sent out on Tuesday; it has been an extremely busy week. There will not be any homework for the weekend, but please continue to work on your lighthouses and bring them in before the end of term.

Summer Term 2 Week 2

What a great week we have had! Year one have completed their Phonics Screening Check and I am very pleased with how well they did. The children have produced some wonderful pictures of Lighthouses this week, working with different materials. We had lots of fun in Maths on Wednesday, outside on the playground. We had two huge buckets of water and we were measuring lots of different amounts in beakers, which also meant some of us got very wet! In Science, we went for a wander around the playground, looking for objects that were made out of different materials.

Please can I remind you that children need their PE kits in school every Thursday for our PE lessons and tracksuit bottoms in school on Wednesdays for Forest School. There are still children without these and it is important that their legs are covered, especially in this weather to avoid the children getting bitten by creatures.

Please can I remind you that it is Sports Day next week and children need to come to school in their PE kits with their coloured t-shirt. Please ensure that children have suncream applied before they arrive at school as they are spending lots of time applying it themselves and getting very messy in the process. Next Friday, the children will be taking part in a Zumba session so they will need to come into school in their PE kits. 

This week's homework has two tasks for the children to complete. I would like the children to make a lighthouse over the next few weeks and bring it in to school when it is finished. This does not have to be completed by Monday, just before the end of term.

Summer Term 2 Week 1

It is lovely to see all of the children again after the half term. The children have been working really hard, as usual across our lessons. The Year Two children have been thinking about our upcoming trip to Walton on the Naze and have been writing some fantastic instructions about how to have the best day at the seaside. The Year One children have been working really hard on their phonics, practising lots of real and alien words. We have also worked hard on our maths, using different methods to show our working for calculations.

The Year One children have been practising their phonics in preparation for their Phonics Screening Check next week. I have included a Monster Book of Phonics for the children to practise over the weekend, so please do this with your children and return it on Monday. It does not need to be finished, but I would like to see some of it completed. As stated on their homework this week, the children can also practise their phonics using the website www.PhonicsPlay.co.uk. Children do not need to login to use this website, they can access it as a guest using the free Phonics Play button. Children should practise all sounds, but please pay particular attention to Phase 5 sounds.

Please can I remind you that we do PE on Thursdays and Forest School on Wednesday. The children need their PE kits and tracksuit bottoms in school on these days. If your child takes their PE kit home to be washed between uses, please make sure that they are sent back to school in time for these lessons. Can I also remind you that children should have a filled water bottle in school with them everyday.

Summer Term 1 Week 6

What an amazing and busy half term we have had in Explorers. The children have all worked really hard and it is clear to see across their work. We will be continuing to work on our Monster Guidebook after the half term, as well as our Topic, The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch. We will be creating our own user guide about a monster later on in the term. The children have had great fun in Maths this week, pretending to be athletes in the Olympics. We have been looking at measurement and scales and the children have been having their own Discus (Frisbee) tournament. The children were measuring their attempts and then comparing their scores to see how similar or different they were.

Well done to the Year 2 children who worked really hard on their SATs over the past couple of weeks. The children are pleased to know that their homework will return to normal and that there will be no more daily homework. Homework for all children will continue after the half term. Children are more than welcome to use Purple Mash over the half term, if they wish to continue their learning. Children also have access to Bug Club to continue with their reading online.

After half term, Forest School will continue to be on a Wednesday afternoon and PE on a Thursday afternoon. Please could I ask that children have the correct uniform for these days. There are also children who are still without wellies. Please could I ask you to bring these in as soon as possible.

Please can I remind Year 1 parents that children should be practising their alien words every day, as extra practise for their Phonics Screening Check after the half term. You can also use the website Phonics Play (www.phonicsplay.co.uk), by choosing the Free PhonicsPlay button. There are many activities that the children enjoy at a phase 5 level that you can play at home.

Summer Term 1 Week 5

We have had a super week in Explorers. The children had a great time on Tuesday afternoon; we made sandwiches that Mr Grinling would be proud of and had a mini picnic down the hill. We made sure that our hands were really clean before we started. In English, we have started our new topic of Explanations. Year One were luckily enough to spend time in Adventurers on Thursday and Friday morning whilst the Year Twos did their SATs. Miss Busson tells me that they were very sensible and well-behaved whilst they were with the children from Adventurers.

The Year Two children have all worked really hard in their SATs this week and I'm sure they will continue to work hard in their last SAT next week. Thank you again to parents for ensuring that Daily Homework is completed on the night that it is sent out. Homework for Year Twos will resume as normal after the May half term. Thank you to Year One parents also for practising phonics with your children. Please continue to do so as this is beneficial to their learning and will complement what we are recapping at school also.

Please can I remind parents that children should be completing their homework independently. If the children are struggling to spell a word, remind them to use their phonics to try and spell. I would rather see a piece of work with phonetically spelt words, so that it is clear that they have completed it on their own. Please do support your child but let them have the freedom to complete it independently.

Please can I also remind you that children should be reading every night. This is part of their homework and it is vital that any reading completed at home is recorded in your child's Reading Record. We try our best to read with children in school and change their books daily, however, they still need to read at home, even if they have read with a member of staff or if their book hasn't been changed. Children can and should read their books more than once to help with their understanding of the book and improve comprehension skills. Please don't forget that the children have access to Bug Club, which is filled with lots of e-books at their reading level. Their logins for this are in the front of their Reading Records, as well as the front of their homework books. If you have any problems accessing Bug Club, please do come and find me.

Please can I remind parents that children should be wearing a hat to school in the warm and sunny weather. Please make sure that uniform is named as we still have items of clothing without names, which will go missing

Summer Term 1 Week 4

The children have all once again been working very hard in Explorers. We have started work on a new book in English, the children have been working hard on their comprehension and inference skills. In Topic, we have been writing instructions for a sandwich that they would like to eat, if they were Mr Grinling. The children are very excited to be making their own sandwiches next week in our Topic lessons.

The children did really well at the Infant Agility session at Wodson Park on Friday. The children were very well-behaved and had a great time completing lots of different activities. We were working alongside 9 other schools and we were all cheering the other schools on for the final lap of the track.

Due to Mrs Kubik leaving us this week, we have had to change our timetable in the afternoons. PE will now be on Thursdays and Forest School will now be on Wednesdays. Please ensure that children have their kits in on these days. Please can I remind parents that all items of uniform should be named, as jumpers and cardigans are going missing on a regular basis. Although the weather is hot, children still need to wear a cardigan or jumper and tracksuit bottoms in the forest, to keep their arms and legs protected. Please can I remind parents that children should be wearing a hat to school on sunny days, as well as sun cream. Please make sure that children come in to school with sun cream already applied.

Summer Term 1 Week 3

We have had a super week in Explorers this week. The children have all been working really hard in Maths, looking at fractions of both shapes and numbers. The children have also all been working really hard in their Topic lessons this week, deciding on what kind of sandwich they would make and writing down the recipe for it. On Wednesday, Explorers and Adventurers had a special visitor. The author of The Selfish Crocodile, Faustin Charles came to visit. He had lots to tell us about himself and his writing. The children were so well-behaved and they asked some amazing questions.

Thank you again to Year 2 parents for ensuring that the children's daily homework is completed every night. This is beneficial to the children in preparation for their SATs.

Please can I remind parents that full PE kit should be in school on Mondays. As the weather is so unpredictable, please make sure that children have their PE jumpers and tracksuit bottoms for when it is cold, and trainers for all lessons. Children also need tracksuit bottoms for Forest School on Tuesdays so please make sure that these are in school. These can be PE tracksuit bottoms, or a different pair.

Next Friday, the children will be taking part in Infant Agility at Wodson Park. We will be travelling by coach to and from the venue. Children will need to come into school in their PE kits and bring a named water bottle. Children will eat their packed lunch provided by school when we return to school.

Summer Term 1 Week 2

The children have had a fantastic week, working really hard across all areas. We have been completing lots of Topic work, but including it in other subjects. The children created some fantastic storyboards with Mrs Bevan on Wednesday. We have also been looking at maps, learning about the 4 countries of the UK and finding ways to help us remember the countries. We came up with actions, so that we looked like each country, to help us remember which country was which. In Maths, the children have been looking at division, using lots of resources and methods to help them solve lots of different problems. We have also started looking at fractions.

The Year 2 children have been working really hard on their Daily Homework. Thank you to parents for ensuring that this is completed each night.

We try our hardest to change the children's reading books everyday, however, this is not always possible. If your child's book has not been changed, please use Bug Club online. I will resend the children's logins and ensure that there are plenty of books for them to read. This can be recorded in your child's reading record, so that we can see that they have still read.

Please can I remind parents that PE kits should be in school every Monday and tracksuit bottoms for Forest School on Tuesdays. If there is any change to these days, I will let the children know.

Summer Term 1 Week 1

Welcome back Explorers! I hope that you all had a lovely Easter Break and got lots of rest, ready to do lots of learning in this final term. The children all settled back into class really well on Tuesday and there was lots of excitement about our newly decorated classroom. The children had a lovely time at the street party on Wednesday.

The children have been working hard on division in Maths, taking part in practical lessons outside, as well as indoors. We have been really embedding our knowledge of capital letters and full stops and we are even learning a dance with the Hip-Hop Granny to help us to remember when to use them.

Our Topic this term is The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch and we have been designing our own lunchboxes for Mr Grinling, so that he doesn't have to use a basket for his lunch.

Please can I remind parents that all children need a sunhat and a water bottle in this weather. We are constantly reminding the children to drink and we are refilling their bottles, so if they come home with a full bottle, it's not because they have not drunk anything, it's because we have refilled it for them.

PE is on Monday so please make sure that children have their kits in school on this day. We will be going to the forest on WEDNESDAY this week so can I please remind you that children need long sleeves and trousers, even though it is hot. I recommend tracksuit bottoms as it doesn't matter if they get dirty.

Spring Term 2 Week 6

Spring Term 2 Week 5

We have had a lovely week in Explorers this week. The children got to experience lots of different activities based around 4 different countries. There were some brilliant creations at the end of the 2 days. The children really enjoyed our Great Fire of London trip on Friday and learnt lots from our guide Margaret. We walked around the historic Great Fire of London area and got to see Pudding Lane, where the fire started. The children were very well behaved and showed everyone how fantastic the children at Ponsbourne St Mary's are. I took lots of photos and they will be on our class page of the website over the weekend, so please have a look.

Please can I remind parents that children should be reading every evening, as well as practising their spellings frequently.

Year 1 children will have their spelling test on Wednesday 28th March, due to next Thursday being the last day of term

Spring Term 2 Week 4

What a wonderful week we have had in Explorers this week. The children all looked amazing on Tuesday, all dressed as Scientists. Please check the website for photos. We put our scientific skills to the test every afternoon this week, to complete lots of experiments in different areas of Science. We had to find out which type of biscuit was the best for dunking, what the fastest liquid was and we also looked at what happened to cotton wool in different liquids. We were even able to make a mess on the playground with mints and bottles of fizzy drinks on Friday morning. We have also been continuing to work on The Last Noo-Noo in English, writing opinions and statements.

Next week the children will be going to the forest on Monday, so please make sure that your child's wellies and tracksuit bottoms are in school on this day. Please make sure that PE kits are in school all week as we will do PE later this week. Can I remind parents that full PE kits should be in school, including socks if girls are wearing tights to school.

There are many children with uniform that is not named. Please could you ensure that all items of uniform are named as I have had to put lots of items into the lost property box in the office. Please do check in the office if you are missing anything.

The children are very excited for our trip to London next week. Please ensure that children are in school at 8.20am, as we will be leaving promptly at 8.30am. Please bring children round the side of the office, through the gate and straight into the cloakroom. Please ensure that your child has a packed lunch (no nuts please) in a backpack and a drink in a sports bottle. I have checked the weather and it is currently predicting rain, so please make sure that your child comes to school in a warm waterproof coat and sensible shoes. We are aiming to return to school for 3.15, however, if we are going to be delayed, we will let you know.

Spring Term 2 Week 3

We have had a very busy week in Explorers this week. The children have been working really hard, learning how to sew, to create some fantastic Mother's Day gifts. The children have also been working well in Maths, looking at lots of different calculations and finding various ways to work out the answers.

Please can I remind you that children should have their full PE kit in school on Mondays. Children also need their tracksuit bottoms in school on Tuesday afternoons, so that they keep warm and protected when in the forest. These can be the children's PE trousers, rather than sending another pair of tracksuit bottoms in, if you wish.

Homework should be completed and handed in on Monday mornings, so that it can be marked and sent out again on Tuesdays. Please ensure that it is fully completed before it is sent in.

Please remember that it is Science Week next week and the children will need to come into school dressed as a scientist on Tuesday. They will be completing lots of scientific activities during the week.

Spring Term 2 Week 2

Spring Term 2 Week 1

What an exciting week we have had in Explorers! I'm sure you have all heard about our visit from the Firemen on Monday afternoon. the children had a safety talk from the firemen and then we watched them set fire to them; it was amazing! I have put the photos on our class page of the website and they are also on the school Facebook page, along with a video. We each sent the firemen a letter and we enclosed a photo to say thank you.

In Science, we have been looking at plants that we can eat, in particular, which part of the plant that it comes from, Ask your child to explain what different parts of a plant we can get our food from.

We have continued to look at our story by Jill Murphy in English, The Last Noo Noo and we finally read it all the way to the end! The children have been role-playing situations from the story and taking on personalities of the characters.

Next Thursday is World Book Day and our school theme is Love To Read. We would like the children to bring in a photo of themselves in their favourite place to read, that they can share with the class. We would also like them to bring in their favourite book, but please make sure that it has been labelled with their name. There will be some lovely refreshments available for the children in the morning whilst they are sharing their books.

Monday 19th February 2018

What a great start to the week we have had! The children had made some wonderful houses over the past few weeks at home, but unfortunately, none of them survived the afternoon. Miss Smith had arranged for the firemen at Cheshunt Fire Station to give us a safety talk and show us what happened in the Great Fire of London. We put our houses out on the playground into lines and then the firemen set light to them!  Take a look at our pictures!

Spring Term 1 Week 6

What a quick half term that has been! The children have worked so well and so hard over the past few weeks. We had an amazing time at Tesco on Thursday, which I'm sure you have all heard lots about. We got to visit the bakery and even met two of the bakers, Mick and Darren, who showed us how they make the bread, which we then got to taste. We then went to the fish and cheese counters and got to taste even more food, where we tried 4 different cheeses. The children then came back to school and did some fantastic writing about our trip. Keep an eye on our class page of the website for our photos.

We are still growing our tomato plants and keeping track of how much they are growing. I will be taking them home with me and looking after them over the half term.

Please can I remind parents that all children should bring their full PE kit into school on Mondays. Children also need to bring a water bottle into school everyday. Tracksuit bottoms need to be in school for forest on a Tuesday, as well as a hat, scarf and gloves as it is cold!

REMINDER! Please do not forget your houses on the first day back (Monday 19th Feb)! We will be using them in the afternoon.

Have a lovely half term!

Spring Term 1 Week 5

It has been another busy week in Explorers this week. The children have been working extremely hard in maths, looking at multiplication. Any activities that you can do with your children over the weekend could really help to support your child's learning. In English, the children have been working very hard on lots of different types of grammar, making sure that they are confident about lots of different aspects of grammar. In Science, the children were very excited to see that most of their tomato plants had started to grow. We are keeping a plant diary in our science books, to observe how much the plant grows each week. We are looking forward to counting how many tomatoes we will be able to harvest later on. In Topic, we have continued to learn about the Great Fire of London, this week learning with Magic Grandad. Ask your child to explain who he is and what they have learnt from him.

Please continue to work on your houses for our exciting Fire Service visit after half term. I have heard lots of things about those that have already started! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.

Please can I remind parents that children should be wearing their knitted jumpers and cardigans for school and their sweatshirts for PE only. Children should bring a water bottle as they cannot leave the classroom during lessons,

Our Farm to Fork trip has been rescheduled for next Thursday (8th Feb). Please make sure that you have completed the permission slip and returned it to school early next week.

A reminder for parents that if the Explorers' gate is shut, please collect your child from the school office.

Spring Term 1 Week 4

What a great week we have had. The children have been working on subtraction this week, using different methods to complete the calculations, which links to the children's homework. In the afternoons, the children have been using Purple Mash on the laptops. There are lots of activities for them to use and they have produced some wonderful pictures of plants that we are going to label in our science lessons. In English, the children have been continuing to work on their non-fiction pieces, completing an “All About Me” page.

Please can I remind parents that children need their full PE kits in school on a Monday. As we are walking over to the village hall, the children should be wearing their PE jumpers, not school jumpers and cardigans.

Please continue to work on your Tudor houses for after half term. I have heard some wonderful things about them already.

Unfortunately we had to cancel our trip to Tesco on Thursday but the children are very excited to learn that it has been moved to Thursday 8th February. Hopefully it won't rain again!

Spring Term 1 Week 3

We have had lots of fun in Explorers this week. We have been working hard on addition in Maths, using lots of the resources that are available to the children. We have continued working on our non-fiction unit in English and we are still continuing to work towards our class information book. In Science, we have been looking at what plants need to live and why these things are important to plants. We are going to be growing our own plants soon so the children will be using this knowledge to support their learning. In our Topic lessons, we have started to look at St Paul's Cathedral and what happened to it during the Great Fire of London. Ask your children to explain what happened to it during the fire.

Homework was sent out on Tuesday with a long task at the end. I would like the children to create a 3D Tudor house, just like those that would have been destroyed in the Great Fire of London. There are pictures attached to the children's homework to give you some inspiration. Please do not make them any taller than a cereal box. If you need any help or ideas, please do not hesitate to contact me. These should be in school on Monday 19th February. It is important that they are returned to school on this date as the children will be recreating the Great Fire with them on this afternoon.

Please can I remind parents that if their children are wearing lace-up trainers, they should be able to tie their laces independently? We do not have time to do up lots of pairs of shoelaces before PE. Also, there are still children without tracksuit bottoms and/or PE jumpers. Please ensure that all uniform, including PE kit is labelled as we are having difficulty making sure that children are going home in the correct uniform.

Next week, on Thursday morning, the children will be participating in Tesco's Farm to Fork initiative at Brookfield Tesco. A letter has gone out this week to explain what the children will be doing. This is a great opportunity for children to learn about where their food comes from and to taste foods that they may not have tried before. Please ensure you return the permission slip at the beginning of next week.

Spring Term 1 Week 2

We have had a busy week in Explorers. We have started lots of new topics across our lessons. The children have been learning how to tell the time, starting with o'clock and half past. Some children can tell the time to quarter past an hour. This week's homework is on time, so using clocks at home will help with their learning in school. In English, we have been looking at non-fiction texts, with the aim of writing a class book in the future. We have been looking at the features of a non-fiction book and we can explain what the contents page, glossary and index are for. We have also been learning lots about different animals at the same time.

We have continued to learn about London in Topic, naming landmarks that are iconic to the city and writing about which landmarks we would like to visit. We are going to be learning about St. Paul's Cathedral next week. You could get a head start and do some research about it over the weekend if you want to. We have also started our new Science topic, Plants. There are lots of things that we already know about plants, as well as lots that we would like to earn. We will be growing some of our own plants in the coming weeks, which the children are looking forward to.

Please can I remind parents that children should have a jumper and tracksuit bottoms for PE. It is too cold for the children to be outside in shorts and we cannot always guarantee that we will be in the village hall. Also, if the girls are wearing tights, please can they bring spare socks to change into for PE.

Spring Term 1 Week 1

Welcome back Explorers. The children have all settled in really well after the Christmas Holidays.

I would like to say thank you to the parents on behalf of myself, Mrs Kubik and Mrs Messer for our Christmas presents at the end of term. It was very kind of you and we all greatly appreciated the kind gesture. Mrs Messer would like to thank Explorers for their generous Christmas gift.

We have been looking at the days of the week and the months of the year in Maths and we have been practising our reading skills in English. We also managed to start our new Topic, the Great Fire of London on Thursday and the children shared what they knew about London already. There are lots of things that the children would like to learn about, so it should make for an exciting topic.

Please can I remind parents that we have PE on a Monday, so children should have their PE kit, including trainers in school on this day every week. We will continue to go to the forest on Tuesdays so if your child took their wellies home due to the snow before Christmas, please make sure that they are brought back into school next week. Please could I also ask that children have a water bottle at school with them everyday.

Autumn  Term 2 Week 7

What a fantastic week it has been! The children were absolutely fantastic on Tuesday night! I was very impressed with how well they performed and sang in 'Christmas with the Aliens'. Their hard work learning their lines and the words to the songs really paid off! On Thursday, the children had a great day with Mrs McKenna, Miss Ellis and Mrs Messer whilst I was at Queenswood, I have heard lots about what they got up to.

The children have had a very productive term, work hard across all subjects and I hope that their hard work and enthusiasm continues next year.

Next year, our topic will be 'The Great Fire of London'. If you have any spare time over the Christmas holidays, it would be beneficial to the children to research the topic, which they will be able to share with their peers when we return.

I would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you all in 2018!

Autumn Term 2 Week 6

Explorers have had a super busy week this week! We have been practising for our Christmas Play everyday in church. They have also been working hard in Maths, continuing to look at addition. They were adding between 2 and 4 numbers together, using lots of resources, which they all enjoyed. We had our dress rehearsal on Thursday afternoon and the children performed brilliantly, remembering all of their lines and the songs were sung fantastically.

The children are all very excited for our performance on Tuesday night at 6pm in church. The children will ned to be at school by 5.30pm, so that they can get changed into their costumes and have their face painted if they need it. I am looking forward to the children showing you how hard they have worked on their production on Tuesday night.

We will be going to the forest on Monday afternoon so please can you make sure that the children have warm clothes with them. It is getting very cold now and the children will need a hat, scarf and gloves, as week as a coat and their tracksuit bottoms.

Autumn Term 2 Week 5

We have had a great week in Explorers. The children are working hard across all lessons, really trying their best. We learnt lots about the weather forecasts in Science and even filmed our own on the iPads. They looked fantastic! The children have also been practising really hard for their Christmas Play and I am very impressed with how well they all know their lines now. Please keep practising them at home every night. We have continued to look at addition in Maths, consolidating our knowledge of the Cherry/Part, Part Whole method.

I still have not received costumes for some of the children for the Christmas Play. Please could you send them in by Monday at the latest as we need them on Thursday.

Please can I remind parents that homework should be in school every Monday, ready to be marked and sent home again on Tuesday. There are children who are also not completing all parts of their homework. If there are parts missing or incomplete, they will need to be completed in school at lunchtime.

Autumn Term 2 Week 4

It has been a great week again in Explorers. We have continued to focus on our story, Voices in the Park in English and we went on an adventure! We braved the wind on Wednesday and had an amazing time on the Village Green, completing lots of different activities and the children wrote a recount about it on Thursday. As always, there was some fantastic writing from the children.

In Maths, we have been looking at addition and how we can use the cherry method to help us. Ask your child to explain what this is; they were brilliant at it in our lessons.

We have been practising for the Christmas Play this week and it is clear to see the children have been learning their lines at home. Please continue to do so every night.

Please remember that children should have their PE kits in every Monday and a pair of tracksuit bottoms in school on Tuesday for PE lessons. 

Autumn Term 2 Week 3

The children have continued to work really hard in Explorers once again this week. We have continued looking at our class story, Voices in the Park. We have been sequencing the events of the characters; ask your children if they can retell you the story!

It has been DT week this week and the children have been looking at structures. We worked on creating joins using lots of different resources and materials and we then put these models to the test on our products for Teddy. We will continue this next week to complete our finished product.

I have put a note in your child's Reading Record about their costume for the Christmas Play. If we have a costume for your child but you wish to provide your own, this is not a problem, just please let me know.

There are still children who are coming into school without their PE kits. We have PE every Monday and children should have their PE kit in school on this day. At this time of the year, the weather i getting colder and the children should have tracksuit bottoms; please make sure that your child is coming to school with these in their PE kits.

Autumn Term 2 Week 2

What another fantastic week that we have had in Explorers! The children have been continuing with shape in Maths, looking at 3D shapes this week, which links to this week's homework. In English, we have started reading a new class story, Voices in the Park. We discussed how the voices belonged to different characters who were in the park at the same time, but felt different things. We have also been practising the Christmas Play in class, so please make sure that children have their scripts in their bags everyday.

There are still children who do not have any tracksuit bottoms for Forest School on a Tuesday. If the children are wearing skirts, their legs are not protected. Also, please can children bring a pair of socks for PE. They shouldn't be wearing their trainers without socks or with tights.

It is DT week next week; please could I ask you to send in any cardboard, mainly cereal boxes that we can use for our structures. Please could I ask that you do not send in any nut-based cereal boxes.

Autumn Term 2 Week 1

Welcome back after the half term. I hope you had a lovely break to recover from our busy first half term. This week has been RE week in school and we have been looking at Islam. We have learnt about the religion and the children have produced some fantastic Islamic inspired patterns in Maths and we have written about the Five Pillars of Islam. We have also been learning about what happens when Muslims go to the Mosque.

The children are very excited now that we have started to practise our Christmas Play. Please make sure that your child is bringing their script into school everyday, so that they are ready for any practises. We will look for any costumes that we have in school next week and I will send a note home in your child's Reading Record to let you know whether we have a costume for them, or if you need to provide one. Please do not hesitate to ask if there is anything that you need.

Due to Parents' Evening on Tuesday, we will be going to the Forest on Monday so please make sure that your child has their wellies and a pair of tracksuit bottoms to change into, so that their legs are protected and warm.

Autumn Term 1 Week 7

Wow! That half term has flown by! It has been lovely to see the children settle into Explorers over the past few weeks and it is amazing to see how much they have learnt already. We finished this half term off with our own versions of Rapunzel: The Next Chapter. I never knew Rapunzel could have so much fun. The children have all worked very hard on their plans and stories this week and I'm sure they can tell you all about their ideas, Due to Living History Day, we didn't get to the forest on Tuesday and it rained on Wednesday so we did Indoor Forest. The children have made some beautiful decorations from twigs and wool and we are going to hang them in the forest after the half term.

Living History Day was brilliant; the children looked great in their outfits. It was great to see that all of the patient's injuries had healed by Wednesday! The children all really enjoyed the activities that they took part in, both in our classroom and in the other classes. They definitely know lots about Florence Nightingale and we will continue to build on this knowledge until Christmas.

The children have been given their scripts for the Christmas play today, with their lines highlighted for them. Please can you start to practise your child's lines and the songs over the half term as we will be starting to practise soon. Please try to look after them and make sure that they come into school everyday.

Autumn Term 1 Week 6

We have had another busy week in Explorers. In English, we have bee looking at adjectives and writing descriptions of Rapunzel. We looked at lots of different versions of Rapunzel and thought of some fantastic adjectives to describe her. We have continued looking at greater than and less than in Maths. The children did well at remembering that the crocodile always eats the bigger number.

We are looking forward to our Living History Day on Tuesday. The children have been very keen to tell me what they are dressing up as. They can come to school dressed as either a patient or a nurse. We have lots of activities planned for them to participate in through the day.

Please can I ask parents to ensure that all items of children's uniform, including their PE kits are named. We have lots of items without a name left after PE and it makes it very difficult to find who it belongs to.

Children should be reading every night and this should be recorded in your child's Reading Record every night.

Autumn Term 1 Week 5

This week in Explorers, we have been looking at characters in traditional tales. The children came up with some fantastic answers and there were even some stories that I didn't know. In Science, we were looking at the wind and the ways in which we can see what way it is blowing. We watched a video about windsocks and then created our own. Have a look, they are hanging on the fence by the steps. The children are continuing to work hard across all of their subjects and are completing some lovely pieces of work.

Just a reminder that Living History Day is on 17th October and the children should either come in dressed as a nurse or a patient. We have a great day lined up and the children will really feel part of it in their costumes.

Please can I remind parents that children will need their trainers every Monday for PE and tracksuit bottoms for Forest School on a Tuesday.

Autumn Term 1 Week 4

The children have all worked very hard this week. We have continued with our work based on 'The Day the Crayons Quit' in English and the children have written some lovely letters from a crayon's point of view. We have been looking at odd and even numbers in Maths and the children are becoming more confident. In Science, the children have written their own weather reports. Next week we will start to use the measuring equipment to record different types of weather.

Please could I ask parents to collect plastic bottles and empty kitchen rolls over the weekend and bring them in next week.

We have forest school on Tuesdays so please could you make sure that children have a pair of tracksuit bottoms to change into, so that their school trousers stay clean and dry.

On October 17th, we are having a living history day. The focus will be our topic, Florence Nightingale and the children will need to dress up. They can come to school either dressed as a nurse or a patient and we will be exploring the times of Florence Nightingale and hospitals.

Autumn Term 1 Week 3

What a great week we have had in Explorers. We played games in our PE lesson, which was made even more fun by the rain stopping and starting! We did some of our lesson on the decking which the children enjoyed. In Maths, we have been looking at exchanging one ten for ten ones and we have practised this in different contexts. The children have also completed some brilliant work around our new story, The Day the Crayons Quit . We are continuing to look at the weather in Science and at Florence Nightingale in Topic.

Please could I ask parents to check that children have jogging bottoms in school on Tuesdays for Forest School as it is starting to get muddy. Many of the girls are wearing skirts or pinafores and they will need trousers as an extra layer to protect their legs.

Autumn Term 1 Week 2

Explorers have had a fantastic and busy week this week! In English, we have started to read Plenty of Love to Go Round and discussed what we knew about cats and dogs. We have also been learning about positional language in Maths, looking at clockwise and anti-clockwise, beneath, below and above and we have just started looking at ordinal numbers.

In Science, we used different materials to create tree pictures, showing the changes throughout the seasons. We started our Florence Nightingale Topic this week and briefly spoke about why she was a heroine. We then discussed who our heroes are and drew some fantastic pictures.

Please can I remind parents that children need their trainers and PE kits on Mondays, which should be in a drawstring bag.

Autumn Term 1 Week 1

What a fantastic start to the term we have had! All of the children have settled into Explorers and are learning the new routines and rules. I have been very impressed with the behaviour of the children and I look forward to it continuing for the rest of the year.  We have already started our new science topic, The Weather and we have been practising capital and lower case letters in English. Next week, we will be starting our new Topic, Florence Nightingale, which I am very excited about.

Please could I remind parents that children should have their name in all of their uniform, as well as on their water bottles. The children were given homework on Tuesday and that needs to be handed in on Monday, ready to be marked and sent out again on Tuesday.

Morning Mile - The children should come to school in their trainers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. They can change their shoes in the cloakroom later.

Summer Term 2 Week 7

Well what a year we have had. I am so impressed with how the children have grown, in size and maturity. We have had a fantastic year together and completed so many things. We have had a fantastic final week in Explorers, starting with our Summer Concert on Tuesday. I am sure you will agree, the children were brilliant! On Wednesday, we had a photo booth in our classroom in the afternoon, so keep an eye out for our photos. The fun didn't stop there, on Thursday, the classroom had turned into a cinema! What a great way to end the year!

Thank you ever so much to the children and parents for making my first year of teaching so great! I would like to wish the Year 2 children good luck in Year 3 with Miss Calder, I am certain that they will be  absolutely fantastic and I am looking forward to the Year 1 children coming back into Explorers as Year 2s!

Have a lovely break and I look forward to seeing you all in September, refreshed and ready to learn.

Summer Term 2 Week 6

The children have been working extremely hard practising for the Summer Concert next week. It was lovely to see so many parents on Tuesday for Open Evening and the children were all very sensible in showing off their work.

I was very impressed with the behaviour of the children on Thursday afternoon. The new Year 2 children were very sensible and excited to show the new Year 1 children around our classroom. We are all very excited to move up a year!

Please can I remind parents that children need to wear bright clothing for the Summer Concert on Tuesday evening. If you have nay armbands, the children can wear these as part of their costume for our routine.

Summer Term 2 Week 5

What a busy week we have had! We have worked very hard in Explorers, writing some fantastic stories and designing great front covers for our The Very Hungry Caterpillar stories. On Wednesday, the children were very sensible when Reception came to visit us. I was very impressed with the behaviour of the children. We are looking forward to them visiting us again soon.

Polite reminder: The children will be performing in the Summer Concert on July 18th. They will need to wear bright shorts and a t-shirt. If you have any armbands, the children can wear these as part of their routine.

Please can I remind parents to ensure that children wearing sun cream to school and that they bring a hat every day. Children should also be sent to school with a filled water bottle.

Summer Term 2 Week 4

We have continued with some fantastic learning this week. The children are still talking about our trip to Hatfield House and what they enjoyed the most. We have been very busy learning about what happens if we do not look after our teeth and have created some superb posters in Science. In English we have continued to write our own versions of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, who knew children could eat so much?! They are really quite special and the children have taken lots of time and care with their writing. We will continue to publish them next week, ready for the school to see as they walk through our classroom.

As many of you are aware, the children are excited for our performance at the Summer Concert. We have been practising our song, which the children have words for, as well as a dance. I would like the children to wear bright shorts and  a t-shirt. Children will also need to wear trainers, as sandals will not be suitable for our dance. 

Summer Term 2 Week 3

Summer Term 2 Week 2

The children have all been working very well in this lovely weather this week. I was very impressed by all of the children's efforts at Sports Day, they did our class proud! The Year 1 children completed their Phonics Screening Check on Tuesday morning and they all showed me their fantastic phonic knowledge. We have continued to write our new versions of Handa's Surprise and the children have thought of some wonderful surprises. the children enjoyde participating in lots of active sports on Friday, starting with an assembly on swimming, followed by a dance session and then a games session with PKSA.

Please can I remind parents that all children should have their full PE kits in school on Mondays; t-shirt, shorts and trainers. As the weather is getting warmer, please can children be sent to school with a hat and sun cream applied. Reading books should also be brought into school everyday, so that we can check them regularly and listen to the children read.

Summer Term 2 Week 1

Welcome back Explorers, I hope you all had a well-deserved rest after another buy half term. In English, we have started a new unit of work, looking at the story 'The Day the Crayons Quit'. We wrote some great letters to Miss Smith to tell her what we did during the half term; what a fantastic off you all had! We are continuing with our Topic and we have learnt about Sir Walter Raleigh and why he was important to Queen Elizabeth I, in preparation for meeting him at Hatfield House.

We have also learnt about Buddhism this week. We have learnt about the story of Buddha, as well as Mandalas and their meanings. We have even created our own Mandalas. using lots of bright colours. They have really brightened up our classroom!

Please can I remind parents that children should have their PE kits in school on Mondays, including trainers.

Summer Term 1 Week 6

Well that's another half term over and what a busy one it has been! Year 2 finished their SATs this week and I am so proud of how well the children have worked. All of the children have worked really hard across all subjects and we have learnt lots of new information. We will be continuing with our Topic and Science for the next half term, continuing to learn about Queen Elizabeth I and the Human Body respectively,

there has been some uncertainty about the homework that was set for the children to complete over the half term. The children can either design a crown using the template in their books, or they can make their own. It can be a collage on, or an actual crown. 

Please can I remind you all that as part of the children, the children' homework, they should be reading for 5-10 minutes every night. There are some children who are only being heard at home once a week.

We will continue to have our PE lesson on a Monday afternoon so the children will need their PE kit, including trainers and a water bottle.

Summer Term 1 Week 5

We have had yet another busy week in Explorer. I have been very impressed with the children's behaviour and attitude to learning this week. The Year 2 children have all been working really hard on their SATs, which we will continue next week. The Year 1 children have coped really well with the changes to our normal routine and have been working on their phonics. We have also been continuing to work on our Topic and have started to look at Hatfield House.

As the weather is getting warmer, please could I ask parents to make sure that children are bringing a fill;ed water bottle to school everyday. There are also a few children who do not have their full PE kit in school on Mondays. Please could I ask parents to ensure that their child has full, correct, PE kit, including trainers, in school every Monday.

Summer Term 1 Week 4

 Explorers have been working really hard this week. Thank you to Year 2 parents for supporting with the extra homework that the children have had for the week. I can see that they have all worked really hard after school!

We have been writing our non-chronological reports about meerkats and the children have found out lots of information that not even I knew about them! We have covered lots of different topics in Maths and produced lots of amazing work! On Wednesday, the children were designing some beautiful Elizabethan outfits, based on the dresses of Queen Elizabeth I.

As I have mentioned, Year 2 will have their SATS tests next week. This is nothing for the children to be worried or anxious about. They know everything they need to know and I am certain that they will all try their best. We will use their marks to inform our teacher assessment that is based on all the brilliant work they have been doing in class.

Summer Term 1 Week 3

Summer Term 1 Week 2

 This week, we have started our new story in English, Meerkat Mail. We are going to be writing postcards and letters to Sonny who has gone on his travels, away from his family. We have been continuing to learn about fractions in Maths. In Topic, we have continued to learn about Queen Elizabeth I, focusing on the events of her life.

I have lots of positive feedback from Bug Club, with many children enjoying the books that they have been set. I will check the children's progress throughout the week and update their libraries regularly. If the children finish their books, they can re-read the books that they have already been set as this will help their reading skills.

Please can I remind parents that children should have their PE kits in school on Mondays. Children will need their trainers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for the morning mile. They will still need their outdoor shoes during the day.

Summer Term 1 Week 1

Spring Term 2 Week 6

What a great week to finish the term on. We had a great time at the Gruffalo Trail on Thursday, taking part in lots of activities. We followed the trail to find the Gruffalo and the other creatures in the woods, as well as acting like an animal, building animal houses and played a game in which the children had the chance to hide from Miss Smith. Keep an eye out for our photos.

We have learnt so much in Topic this term that we are now all village experts, especially when it comes to Newgate Street and Gurjola. Ask the children to see how much they know about either village and I am sure that you will be impressed.

Children will need to continue to bring their PE kits into school on Mondays. Please can all children bring in a water bottle every day.

Have a lovely Easter break and I look forward to seeing you all on April 19th.

Spring Term 2 Week 5

Explorers have had a very busy week. We have been writing our versions of The Gruffalo and their have been some great ideas. Who knew there could be so many different versions of The Gruffalo?! In Maths, we have been using our division skills to solve multiplication problems, getting very creative with our classroom resources. We have also been exploring our Topic further.

I will be setting homework on Mathletics as of Monday so keep an eye out for it. If you have any problems, please do not hesitate to come and find me.

Don't forget to look out for the children's Mother's Day messages in this week's Welwyn Hatfield Times!

The children are very excited for our trip to the Gruffalo Trail on Thursday. Please ensure that children have suitable shoes (wellies are probably best) as it may be muddy in the woods. Everybody will also need a waterproof coat and plenty of water.

Spring Term 2 Week 4

The children have all been working very hard hard throughout the week. They have all drawn and described their own terrible creatures, based upon features of the Gruffalo and they came up with lots of ideas.

In Maths, the children have been working on division using sharing circles to divide items. You could help children by practising this at home.

On Thursday, Miss Smith took us to see the chicks in Adventurers. We were lucky enough to be the first class to hold th

The children have written some lovely Mother's Day messages and these will be published in the Welwyn Hatfield Times this week. Keep an eye out!

Spring Term 2 Week 3

We have had a great week in Explorers, continuing to learn new and exciting things about our Topic. We have been focusing on Gurjola this week, looking at what there is to do there, in comparison to here in Newgate Street.

We started a new story in English on Wednesday, The Gruffalo. The children were all very excited as we will be going on a Gruffalo Trail at the end of this half term. Letters for this trip will be sent out shortly. We are going to learn lots about the book and put all of our knowledge to the test when we go on our trail.

We have also started to plan an investigation to find out which material  would be best to fix Miss Smith's broken umbrella! We will be testing the materials in the next couple of weeks.

Please could I remind parents to sign up or an appointment for Parents Evening; the list is outside the classroom door.

There are still children coming to school without water bottles. Please ensure that your child brings a water bottle to school.

Spring Term 2 Week 2

We've had another great week in Explorers. In Topic, the children have been learning about the differences in the clothes that we wear in our village and the clothes that the people in the Indian village of Gurjola wear. The liked the colourful clothing designs.

The most exciting part of our week was this morning when an author came to visit. Keilly Swift came to our class to talk to use about her book, The Tigon and The Liger. The children were all very brightly dressed in their orange and yellow clothes. We listened to Keilly read the story and then the class were given the opportunity to create their own hybrid creature in her session.

We are looking for parent helpers to come into school and listen to children read. If you have some spare time during the day and would like to hear children read, please come and speak to me, either before or after school.

Please could I remind parents to send children to school with a water bottle.

Spring Term 2 Week 1

I hope that you all had a lovely half term with lots of rest! The children have all settled back into the swing of things and worked extremely hard all week. We have been looking at imperative (bossy) verbs and sentence types in English and we have been looking at money in Maths. It would be great for children to use money at home, whether it is playing a game using money, r out and about in shops. We will be looking at waterproof materials next week in Science, investigating the best material to keep us dry.

PE is still every Monday afternoon so children should have their PE kit, including trainers (and socks for girls if they are wearing tights to school).

Please could I as that children are sent to school with a water bottle as they should not be leaving the classroom during lesson time to use the outside water fountain.

Spring Term 1 Week 4

What a great half term we have had in Explorers. In Maths this week, we have been working really hard on patterns, even using biscuits for one lesson! In English, we have written some great diary entries, as if we were Max and had been to visit the Wild Things. These will be going on display soon for everyone to see!

We have already learnt so much in our Topic, Village Life. We know which country and continent both we and Suraj (a little boy from our comparison village) live in. We have also been looking at the differences between our village, Newgate Street and Suraj's village, Gurjola. We still have lots more to learn next half term though!

In Materials, we have been looking at lots of different types of materials and we will start to look at their properties when we return to school. Let's keep up the good work Explorers!

The children were given a scissor booklet for homework this week. This shouldn't be rushed as I am hoping that it will help children to concentrate on their skills. I have set some optional tasks for the children to complete on the Mathletics website (uk.mathletics.com). All children have their login details stuck in on the front page of their homework books, should they wish to complete them. We have looked at this together in class so the children will have some understanding of that they need to do.

Have a lovely half term and enjoy the rest!

Spring Term 1 Week 3

In Explorers, we have had a great week, learning all about our new story in English, 'Where The Wild Things Are'. We have been putting the story back together and looking at diaries, ready for writing our own next week. In Maths, we have been looking at 2D shapes and patterns, which we will be carrying on next week. In Topic, we have been looking at where we live and looking at maps.

Please can I remind parents that spellings and homework are given out on a weekly basis so books should be in on the correct days.

Also, please can I ask that all children are sent to school with a water bottle, so that drinks are easily available during lessons.

Spring Term 1 Week 2

The children have continued to settle back into our routines and are really working hard. Everyone has tried really hard with their nonsense poems and they are all ready to go onto our new display. We were very lucky to have James Craker visit us on Wednesday and read us the book that he has written. We all enjoyed "The Cloud That Fell To Earth" and we were full of interesting questions for him. We will be looking at Time in Maths next week and continuing tolerant about our villages in Topic.

Please can I remind parents that Year 2 need their Spelling books in school on Tuesdays and Year 1 Spelling books need to be in school on Thursdays. All homework is to be in school on Monday morning as new homework will be sent out on Monday afternoon.

We have PE on a Monday so all children need their PE kit in school. PE kit should be as follows: navy T-shirt with school logo, plain navy shorts, plain tracksuit for colder months and sports trainers. Please can girls have a pair of socks for PE if they wear tights.

Spring Term 1 Week 1

Welcome back Explorers!The children have returned to school and settled back into our routines really quickly. We have been looking at Michael Rosen and his Nonsense Poems this week in our English lessons. We even got to watch a video of him performing his poem Chocolate Cake. It made us all very hungry! We have also started our new topic, Village Life, so we will be learning lots about a village in India throughout the term.

Spellings will continue for Year 2 children as usual on a Tuesday and Spellings for Year 1 have been sent home this week. The children will be tested on these spellings on a Thursday so please make sure that you practise at home.

Please can I remind parents to ensure that children have their PE kits in school every Monday. Children will need tracksuit bottoms and a sweatshirt as it is cold both outside and in the village hall. Also, children should be reading every night for 5-10 minutes and their books should be in school every day.

I would like to say thank you to all parents on behalf of Mrs Kubik, Mrs McGreal and I for our Christmas presents at the end of term. It was very kind of you all and very much appreciated.

Autumn Term 2 Week 8

Well, what can I say?! What a fantastic term we have had! We have crammed so much into this term and worked so hard that the time has just flown by! Thank you for being such a fantastic class for my first term at Ponsbourne and let's keep up the good work for the rest of the year!

I would like to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Have a lovely rest and come back ready to crack on again with our great learning!

 Autumn Term 2 Week 7

What a fantastic week we have had in Explorers! The children have had an extremely busy week, from Christmas Lunch on Tuesday to two performances of The Little Fir Tree on Thursday!

I am so proud of how well the children performed on Thursday evening and they all sang and acted their hearts out. I am very proud to be the teacher of such talented children. They knew all of their lines and the words to the songs that they have spent so long practising. I hope that you are all as proud as I am. Roll on next year's production!

The children are all feeling very excited for Christmas and we have a Christmassy week lined up next week.

Autumn Term 2 Week 6

We have had a great week this week, we have been practising hard for our  Christmas play and we are all very excited to be performing in the church next week. Our costumes are looking great and I’m sure that we will all be fantastic next week. Please keep practising your lines and the songs for one last weekend to make sure that they are absolutely perfect for Thursday. Any costumes that are not in school need to be in on Monday at the latest please!

We had a great time at the Pantomime today and really enjoyed singing along and dancing. What a great way to end the week!

Autumn Term 2 Week 5

Nearly all of the children have learnt their lines for their part in the Christmas play. Please continue to keep learning your lines over the weekend, because, as of Monday, we will not be using scripts. Well done to all children as it is clear to see that they are really trying hard. Please keep going over the song lyrics too, as some of the songs still need some work. Children should know the tuns for the songs so they should be able to sing them to you, but they can always just say the words whilst practising.

We have managed to find some costumes and a note is in your child's Reading Record if we have a costume at school for them to wear. Please bring costumes in on Monday, so that we can make sure that we have everything that we need. Please come and find me if you have any problems with this.

Autumn Term 2 Week 4

What an exciting start to the week we have had! We had a fantastic day at Duxford, learning about the Wright Brothers and aeroplanes. We even got to see an actual part of their aeroplane in the museum! We counted 28 aircraft in the AirSpace Hangar, 26 aeroplanes and 2 helicopters. Some of us were amazed that that many aeroplanes could fit into one building. Whilst we were in the Hangar, we were allowed to look inside Concorde, the fastest passenger plane. We were able to the pilot's controls and the model plane showed us how many seats it originally had. It was the first time in an aeroplane for some of the children and they were very excited! Unfortunately we got caught in the rain when we were moving between the hangars but that didn't dampen our spirits, we still had a great day! Look at the photos above to see what we got up to!

Autumn Term 2 Week 3

This week has been Well Being week in school and we have been looking at different areas of our Well Being throughout our time in school. We have been looking at Celebrating Difference, Taking Notice, Keeping Healthy and Being Active and Anti-Bullying.

On Thursday, we did lots of exercise on the playground and in the classroom and we went to a fruit workshop in the afternoon. We were looking at different fruits and trying to guess what they were and then we were given the opportunity to try lots of different fruits, We tried Starfruit, Dragonfruit, Physalis and many more. We even got to try a smoothie that was blended on a bike.

We have also been practising for our Christmas play this week, focusing on the songs. Keep practising your lines Explorers!

The children are very excited about our trip to Duxford Imperial War Museum next week, where we will be finding out lots more about the History of Flight. Please make sure that children come to school in a warm coat as we will be spending some of our day outside. Children will need to bring a packed lunch in a named carrier bag that can be thrown away once they have finished eating. Book bags do not need to come to school on Monday.

Autumn 2 Week 2

Once again Explorers have had a really busy and exciting week. We all really enjoyed the Skip To Be Fit Workshop on Monday and lots of us have been using our Blueberry Balls and Skipping Ropes at Break Time and Lunch Time. What fantastic skippers we are!

 We also had our visit to the cinema on Wednesday to see Strange Magic. Everybody really enjoyed the film (and the coach journey!) and we have even been writing film reviews in our English lessons.

We have Wellbeing Week next week so the children will be participating in numerous activities during the week. We will be looking into how important our Well-being is, including friendships both inside and outside of school. On Thursday, we will be participating in a Fruit workshop in the afternoon.

 Please can I remind parents to make sure that children have warm P.E kits as we may still be going outside and it is no longer shorts weather.

Autumn 2 Week 1

Welcome back after the half term Explorers! I hope that you have all had a relaxing half term holiday, ready for a busy few weeks. We have been busy learning the songs for our Christmas Play, The Little Fir Tree. Scripts with your child's lines highlighted were sent out before half term and song sheets will be going home next week. Please can children have scripts and song sheets in their book bags at all times, so that they are ready to practise at any time. If either of these gets misplaced, please do not hesitate to ask Miss Smith for a new copy.

We are also going to have a very busy week next week. On Monday, we will be participating in Skip To Be Fit and Box To Be Fit so please can CHILDREN COME TO SCHOOL IN THEIR P.E KITS. On Wednesday, we are going to the cinema to see Strange Magic. As the film is not due to finish until 11.55am, the children will be provided with a Packed Lunch when we return to school, which we will choose on Monday.

Please can I remind parents to ensure that children have their P.E kits in school on Mondays and their wellies on Tuesdays. Both of these can be left at school during the week. Also, children should be wearing a coat to school as the weather has changed and turned cold and wet recently.

Autumn 1 Week 7

What a fantastic first half term that we have had! Year 1 have adapted well to the changes of being an Explorer and Year 2 are continuing to work well. We have crammed so much in this half term and I am extremely impressed with everyone's learning! We have learnt lots about poetry, traditional tales, animals, humans and the history of flight, Let's keep up the good work for the rest of term!

The roles for the Christmas Play were handed out on the last day of term. We will be performing The Little Fir Tree. Many children will have more than one role as we are only a small class. Please start practising your lines as soon as possible, so that we can make a start on the play when we return to school.

Please can I remind parents to ensure that children are coming to school with a coat as the weather is starting to get colder!

Have a lovely half term and I look forward to seeing everyone after the break!

Autumn 1 Week 6

Explorers have had a busy and creative week this week; designing and creating moving vehicles. The children have all worked extremely hard on their vehicles from the start of the week until the end and should be very proud of their work. We had lots of different vehicles dotted around the classroom, ranging from taxis to ice cream trucks and ambulances to monster trucks. We will affix the wheels to the vehicles on Monday when the paint has dried and the children should be able to take them home next week. Thank you for your recycling donations, they were very much appreciated by all.

Let's keep up the good work for the last week of term and push on through Assessment week, :)

Autumn 1 Week 5

We have had another busy week in Explorers this week. Explorers enjoyed our first P.E. lesson at Furzefield and are all looking forward to going on a weekly basis when they are in Key Stage Two already!

We have continued with our learning about Goldilocks and the Three Bears in our English lessons this week. We have been writing character descriptions for the 4 main characters and we will be writing our own versions of the traditional tale next week.

Thank you to everyone who has brought in recycling for our project next week. Please continue to bring in recycling on Monday as we will make good use of it throughout our project week.

Autumn 1 Week 4

The children have all been working hard this week and they have produced some amazing work across all subjects.

In English, we have started work on our traditional Tale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. We have been looking at the structure of the story and creating story maps to help us to remember the tale. We are all very excited to be writing our own versions of the tale in the next couple of weeks.

I have been really impressed with how well the children have remained settled and followed our routines.

Please could I remind parents that children should be sent to school in their P.E kit on Monday as we will be going to Furzefield for P.E.

Please can I ask you to keep collecting any clean recycling (Plastic and Cardboard only please) as we will be making use of them during the week of October 10th.

Autumn 1 Week 3

Explorers have been continuing to work on their number bonds to 10 this week, with some of us even starting work on number bonds to 20! We nearly know all of our number bonds to 10 by heart!

This week, the children have demonstrated what brilliant poets they are, with everyone producing at least one amazing poem about their holidays, using the pattern that we have been looking at together.

In our topic lessons, we have been creating our Hot Air Balloons , using papier mache. Once these are completed, we will decorate them using the designs we drew in last week's topic lessons.

Please could I ask you to collect recycling such as plastic bottles and cardboard boxes and bring these into school from October 3rd. We will be using these in the coming weeks.

Autumn 1 Week 2

Once again, all Explorers have been working really hard this week, with everyone getting used to the new routines of the new classroom and the new teacher. 

We have started working on out Topic, the History of Flight and we have been looking at what came before the Aeroplane. We have lots about Hot Air Balloons this week. We were all amazed that the first passengers to fly in a hot air balloon were rooster, a sheep and a duck! Everyone is excited to be making their own Hot Air Balloons next week.

In our English lessons, we have been looking at poetry, in particular, poems about holidays. We have been completing lots of work on rhyming words, so that we are ready to write our own poems in our upcoming lessons.

Please could you make sure that children have their P.E. kits in school every Monday and their wellies for Forest School on Tuesdays.

Autumn 1 Week 1.

What a busy week we have had.  Everyone has settled in really well this week and the children have made me feel really welcome!  I think that we are all looking forward to the year ahead.

This week we have been working really hard on our handwriting, as well as our number bonds to 10 and 20. Year 1 are definitely begin to settle into the Explorers way of working and I'm sure they will keep it up!

We have been discussing our new topic for this term, the History of Flight. There have been some great ideas as to where flight began and I am excited to learn all about the topic this term.

Autumn Term 2016

Welcome to the Explorers Class Page!

Myself, Mrs Kubik and Mrs McGreal hope that you all had a fantastic summer and are ready to come back to school!

P.E. will be on a Monday afternoon so please ensure that your child's P.E kit is in school on this day.

Forest School will be on a Tuesday afternoon so children will need their wellies.

There will be weekly updates on our class page so keep returning to see what we have been doing!