Yesterday in maths, we were looking at number lines. We learned how important it was to work out what the number line is going up in so that you are able to accurately complete it. Some of us found this a little tricky but we didn’t give up. It was lovely to see some of the crew supporting their peers when they became stuck.
It was lovely to see some of our grown ups in this afternoon to participate in an activity with the children. You’ll have seen previously that we have been making knucklebones this week so it was time to teach the parents how to make them. The children led the activity with their parent and between them they decided on some rules for their knucklebones. Thankfully, the children brought along the ones they’d made earlier so they could play a few games. We look forward to seeing more parents joining us next time.
In writing, we have been using our reading text to help us build background knowledge and start chotting some ideas to support our writing. Each group had a small amount of text to read and then they had to summarise for the rest of the crew. We have discovered that summarising is a skill that we will need to develop during our time in year 4.
This week we have started our French learning journey! We started off by learning how to greet one another and ask someone what their name is. We also discussed our classroom protocols and were introduced to French phrases that Madame McGlone will be using during our lessons.
We worked hard using lots of ‘my turn, your turn’, working on our pronunciation, and understanding the meaning of each phrase. We then had a visit from our French speaking friend Phillipe the Puppet, who we confidently introduced ourselves to. We finished off with a slight twist on the game ’21’. We used the French numbers from 1-10 to adapt the rules slightly to try and be the last crew member standing. Super effort from everyone – très bien!
We really hope the children have enjoyed their day as much as we have.
Today was action packed from start to finish and definitely gave the children the opportunity to experience life as a Roman soldier.
On our way to the fort, we needed some ‘donkeys’ to pull the cart. It was surprising how many volunteered for the task.
Before starting the activities, it was essential that they looked the part so they were allocated their barracks and a uniform.
The rest of the day consisted of 5 activities.
Sword and shield fighting where children were taught how to hold their shield and spear/sword. They were expected to follow orders to ensure their survival in battle.
They had the opportunity to throw javelins and fight with a bag. Some children were able to command their recruits.
It was music to our ears that the children weren’t escaping writing today but with a difference. They were using the Roman alphabet abd the Roman style of writing which didn’t include finger spaces or punctuation!
Crafting Roman oil lamps was another of our tasks. Children used clay to create an oil lamp which they were able to design.
Once the children had learned the skills they were taken to battle. Unexpectedly, there was a celt who challenged them to a battle because she didn’t want them on her land, however, the Roman soldier defeated them and they ran away.
An absolutely amazing day had by all and we’ve no doubts the children are ready to commence our expedition next week and learn more about the Romans.
Following on with the Roman theme, the children were given time to create their own mosaic patterns. Some children went for repeating patterns and others tried to create pictures with the mosaic. We worked well and even enjoyed some Roman music in the background.
As it is hook week, it’s essential that children have an opportunity to engage in activities that help them immerse themselves in their new learning. Yesterday, the children worked in small groups to make knucklebones which was a game played by Roman children. Each person was asked to come up with their own rules so we are looking forward to playing them once they have dried.
During our experience lesson, we had the opportunity to experience some of the criteria that was required to be a Roman soldier.
We measured each other’s height, checked our eyesight and hearing and whether we could follow orders. We even discussed some recruitment questions that would test our loyalty to Rome.
Unfortunately, Crew Shields would be unable to join the Roman army because we didn’t meet the height requirement of 1.75m but even if we did, some didn’t show blind loyalty to Rome.
Good morning
Tomorrow will be an exciting day as we will be heading to Murton Park for our Roman day.
If your child is entitled to free school meals they will have a pack lunch provided, however, I feel they will need to bring an additional drink as it’s expected to be another very warm day.
Children who don’t receive free school meals will need to bring a packed lunch along with a drink.
Some of the activities tomorrow will take place outside so please can you put suncream on your child and send them with a hat. Please ensure children are in their school uniform.
We will be leaving the venue at approx 3pm so we expect to be back at school for approximately 4.15pm. The office will send a message if we get caught in traffic.
Thank you
LKS2 Crew.
Wow! It’s been an amazing day as Crew Shields took part in a full day of Scotty’s heroes.
The children started the day off taking part in a murder mystery. They had to find clues to allow them to open the chests so they could discover the victim and the murderer. Throughout the task, children had to use their communication skills and make inferences from the information they’d been given. They learned that if they were to complete the task again that it’s about taking your time and processing the information. Well done to the second group that pretty much cracked the case.
Then they had to solve the mystery of the stolen sweets. Outside, children had to play detective to find the missing sweets. We had an evidence officer and another officer who marked the evidence found on the map. Children had to work slowly and carefully to find the evidence and report to the evidence officer. By marking it on the map, they could track the movements of the sweet thief. As with the previous task, they reflected that they needed to slow down and be methodical in their search methods. Added bonus they’ve been given the sweets to share next week. 😊
Next, children spent time in the forest where they had to get a fire going and keep it burning. Once the fire was going, they had to boil water to purify it. This required lots of team work as some children needed to find fuel for the fire while others kept it going. One team was successful and got their water boiling.
The day ended with a recon operation. Children had to observe an enemy camp and they replicate it using the same equipment. They had a certain length of time to look and go back to their own camp. Throughout the time they were given further opportunities to check the camp so they could ensure theirs was correct. 1 team did a great job of replicating the enemy camp and this was due to their great observational and communication skills. They were able to allocate certain areas to each person so they had a small area to focus on.
It’s been a great day and one I feel the children have taken a lot from. When we completed our debrief of the day, they were able to articulate that they were successful by working together. That communication, cooperation and patience were important skills for today. It was also lovely to be able to observe the children in a range of activities and get a real feel for how they work with each other.
