Heartsease Primary Academy Newsletter - 2nd October 2023

Office update

Diarrhoea/Vomiting

Please be reminded that if you child has an episode of diarrhoea / vomiting they need to be at least 48 hours clear from the last episode before returning to school.

Weekly class updates

Nursery

This week the nursery has been thinking about the sense of hearing. We explored musical instruments playing them loudly and quietly. We have made shakers filled with rice and pasta from boxes, tubes and paper plates. We have thought about not being able to hear at all and have learned to sign a nursery rhyme. We have used different instruments to help retell one of our favourite stories, Peace at Last.

Ruby Class

This week, Ruby class explored their senses. In Science, they learnt which sense links to which part of the body. They went out in the forest to explore it with their senses and wrote an amazing poem describing what they sensed. In DT, they made rainbow wraps - learning cutting, ribboning and grating skills, and considering the flavours of the food. In SRE, they talked about 'pants are private' and safe adults. In English, they read 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear, what can you see?', then re-wrote it as 'what can you hear?' In Maths, KS1 began adding; Reception compared amounts within 5 - more, fewer, the same.

Moonstone Class

This week we have been discussing our likes and dislikes. We have read ‘I like bees but I don’t like honey!’. We have written speech bubbles and started to create self portrait colleges for a display. We have started creating an exciting story in our music sessions and are looking forward to composing music to accompany it. 

Reception - Jasper/Jade Classes

This week our focus book has been The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers. We have been investigating space, watching rocket launches and 'visiting' the International space station. The children have enjoyed making their own rockets, space stations and planets.We have also looked at our planet Earth and learnt a lot about it. In maths our focus has been comparing groups of identical and non identical objects. We have continued to practice counting, especially backwards, given we have been launching a lot of rockets in class and out on the playground and field.



Year 2 - Aqua / Amber classes

In geography we are learning about physical features and will be finding them on a map. In science we are observing plants and animals in our local environment. In music, we will sing a song and add instruments to make long and short sounds. In maths we are comparing numbers, using fewer, less and more vocabulary. In English, we are sequencing parts of the Goose that Laid a Golden Egg.

Year 3 - Coral / Crystal classes

Coral and Crystal finished their stories on the mystery room - what was behind them? In art we began investigating how to print. The ink is thick and sticky. We also investigated what it was like to live in the Palaeolithic era: Did you know that there were no caveman - people sheltered in caves but didn't actually live in them? In science we experimented on rocks and how to change them. You can cut a rock just with water and enough time!

 Year 4 - Garnet / Topaz classes

It's been another exciting week for year 4. In English, we have been finishing off our persuasive adverts in order to persuade others to be safe on the internet. In maths we have started a brand new unit, putting our knowledge of place value to the test with adding two four digit numbers. In science this week we continued our exploration of living things by looking at how we categorize plants and the different features that they have. In geography we have been looking at rivers and how they form and how a confluence is different from a tributary. 

Year 5 - Emerald / Sapphire classes

In Year 5 this week, we have been looking at how to write a formal letter. This has included the layout and type of language that is used when writing formally. In mathematics we have been focusing on addition and subtraction. We recapped the fact that digits when added together will always make the same digit but where the digit is on the place value grid determines its value. eg 3 + 4 = 7 30+40= 70 300.000 + 400,00 = 700,000. In science we are still exploring different materials and the difference between a solution and a mixture. PSHE has been exploring our relationship with our friends. It has been a fantastic week and the children have worked really hard. Well done year 5. 

Year 6 - Diamond / Quartz classes

It has been a busy week for year 6 this week. The highlight was on Tuesday when we had a visitor from The Norwich Records’ Office. She told us all about Norwich during WW2. We learnt about: bombing raids on Norwich and Cromer; the children who were evacuated; the job of the billeting officer and handled some artefacts including a German bomb!

PE

R,Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4 are all doing ball skills. They are trying to develop their confidence by tracking the ball, dribbling the ball with their hands and feet, catching with a partner and keeping control of the ball by using soft touches.

Y5 are doing football- they are developing their dribbling skills by using all parts of the foot, soft touches, turning with the ball, passing to teammates, creating open spaces to pass and being an attacker and defender.

Y6-are doing dodgeball-they are developing their dodge throw, keeping the elbow high and throwing with 1 hand, practicing the defending which are dodge, jump, block with the ball, catch of duck. They are depending on their understanding of teamwork, the importance of honesty and rules in a game.

• Ruby Class - Hunter - For always working hard and making great progress.
• Moonstone Class - Joshua - For developing his independence and achieving his goal!
• Jade Class - Praili - For being kind to his friends and helping them with their learning.
• Jasper Class - Anya - For being extremely good at keeping the classroom tidy.
• Opal Class - Mila - For being determined and persistent even when she finds something challenging.
• Onyx Class - Mia - For working really hard at school and at home being determined with her learning.
• Aqua Class - Olivia - For brilliant learning in phonics, maths and music this week.
• Amber Class - Luna - For excellent progress in maths and improving her concentration during lesson times.
• Coral Class - Freya - For making excellent choices both in and out of class. She has done fabulous work, her writing included expanded noun phrases and she has been working hard to know all the coins in money. Well done Freya!
• Crystal Class - Amelia - For writing a spine-chilling first person narrative in writing this week. Her choice of ambitious vocabulary was used excellently to describe the castle door and the mysterious objects that were hidden behind.
• Garnet Class - Leo - For demonstrating how well he can focus throughout the week, never needing any reminders.
• Topaz Class - Logan - For concentrating on his work and following instructions. I was impressed with his determination in reading. Brilliant!
• Emerald Class - Poppy - For her incredible determination in every lesson and amazing art work in printmaking on Tuesday.
• Sapphire Class - Ameena - For always having a well thought through comment to make in different situations. Excellent thinking Ameena.
• Quartz Class -  Jake - For his excellent contribution during WW2 History of Norwich morning and settling well into life at Heartsease. Well done!
• Diamond Class - Kayla - For being so kind and helpful this week both to your classmates and teachers. Well done!
• PE - Lacey - For great technique in her underarm throw, chest pass and over arm throw. She is a great role model.