Dear Squirrel Class (and all your families),

Welcome back from having a lovely Easter break; some of God's wonderful creations are popping their heads through and more will be springing into action very soon. I particularly love the daffodils which are swaying in the wind, shortly followed by the blue carpets of bluebells in the nearby woods.  God has certainly created some awesome things across our world!  I look forward to finding out what the children did during their mini break.  During term 5, we starting a topic called "Exciting Europe" which combines looking at European localities with the ancient civilisation of the Greeks.

Homework

You are all expected to read at least 3 times a week and get an adult to ask you questions about your reading at home.  This needs to be recorded in your Homework Diaries as you will get rewarded for the number of times you read at home. I will ask to see these diaries on a daily basis, so please ensure that you bring it in.  As a school, we are trying to encourage all children to read more (regardless of age).  Research shows that the more a child reads the better writer they become, as the child is exposed to a wealth of rich vocabulary within books.

The Reading Challenge is as follows:

30 reads = a bookmark

80 reads = bronze certificate

130 reads = silver certificate

180 reads = gold certificate

250 reads = a book of your choice up to the value of £5

320 reads = emerald certificate

400 reads = ruby certificate

500 reads = platinum certificate & another book

You are also expected to learn your weekly spellings (which can be found on TEAMs) and complete your Mathletics homework which is set online.  Please also login to 'Times Tables Rock Stars' to improve your rapid recall of multiplication facts (https://play.ttrockstars.com/auth/school).  This term, we will be focusing on internet safety, therefore you are expected to complete tasks via Gooseberry Planet as well. All passwords are on the inside cover on your Homework Diary. 

Finally, every Friday you will be asked to do an additional task, which will be linked to the work in class.  This homework needs to be handed in by the following Thursday, to enable it to be marked.  All homework will be posted on TEAMs. 

Our P.E. days are Tuesday and Thursday. You will need to come to school dressed for PE on a Tuesday and a Thursday, including wearing trainers.  You should also bring in a spare T-shirt, a pair of socks and trousers/shorts/skirt on this day, just in case your kits get wet or muddy during outdoor sessions. Please remove your child’s earrings on PE days or put tape over the earrings. If your child can remove their own earrings, please provide a small envelope for them to be kept safe. Staff are unable to remove or put earrings in.  All long hair should be tied back every day but especially on PE days.

Finally, you need to bring a change of footwear, so that we can go outside, on the field, whatever the weather. A named water bottle is essential and a regular drink of water will help improve your child’s concentration during the day. 

If you do have any concerns or worries about any aspect of your child’s learning, please email the office to make a mutually convenient appointment.

Take care of yourselves and your family.

Mrs Smart  

Our Lentern Sleepover

During Lent last term, we thought about the Catholic Social Teaching principle of Human Dignity and how to give to others in need (or to give alms).  Before February half term, an ex-pupil of St. Amand’s spoke to us about Mercy for Life Africa (https://mercyforlifeafrica.org/), which is a Christian based non-government organisation (NGO) that was founded in the early 21st century around 2013. He informed us that their major aims are to: help the needy with education support, hygiene support, moral and spiritual support and guidance, food supply, medical support and many other services. 

Therefore, for Lent, we decided to raise as much money as we could for this essential charity.  As a class we persuaded Mrs Ellery and Mrs Smart to have another sleepover (due to last year’s being so successful).  On Friday 24^th March, we had a fun day of watching films, eating snacks, playing games etc whilst wearing our PJs/Onesies.  We were even allowed to bring a teddy (or a toy to play with) if we wanted to!  Plus, in the evening (from 7pm) we had a sleepover in the hall, with our own sleeping bags, pillows, duvets, blankets etc…  The event was a great success and we raised a staggering amount of money for the charity (£556.55).  Thank you to everyone who sponsored us; you are truly generous and amazing.

Fausta ( the Director Mercy for Life Africa) had this to say: 

"We are so grateful for the assistance and help. We were hoping to use the funds on our beneficiaries during Easter and for the children. Thanks for the love and your efforts. God bless you."

Please see below a few photgraphs from the event; there are more on the school's Facebook page.

Squirrel Class – Terms 5 & 6 Plan

This year's Curriculum Overview...

Previous Topic Webs

Squirrel Class' Reverse Advent Basket

As a class, we decided that instead of a having a Christmas gift from Mrs Smart, we would create an Advent basket for a family in need, within our local community.  Therefore, we asked Mrs Smart to buy a variety of items and she would put one item in a basket each day during Advent. The hamper was distributed by the Didcot St Vincent de Paul society.