Oak Class Blog.
Term 6 Week 7
Our last week in Oak class before the summer! The children had asked to learn some origami so we had a morning studying the Japanese art on Monday. Each child carefully followed instructions to make a monster page holder, a rabbit and a cat. After break we had a paper plane challenge to see who in Oak class could fold the furthest flying plane! On Tuesday we had our move up morning where all the children got used to their new year group names and we talked through any questions about next year. This week we have also had great fun playing maths games together. and we celebrated the children who had completed their reading jigsaws with a story time treat in the woods.
Term 6 Week 6
This week we have been inspired by the work of American artist Georgia O'Keefe, in particular how she looked at nature and used colour to represent detail. We learnt how to use watercolour paints, investigating colour mixing before creating some beautiful shell paintings. We also looked closely at feathers and flowers before painting them too.
In English we thought about all the people who have helped us learn throughout the year... there was a very long list! We also thought about our Oak class routines so that we can help the new Acorns in September.
Next week we will be having a transition morning, saying goodbye to the year 6 leavers and enjoying our last week together before the summer.
Term 6 Week 5
This week we had Sports Day! It was a fantastic afternoon with all the children having fun, trying their best for their houses and showcasing their sportsmanship.
We have also completed our learning about why Meerkats can't live at the North Pole, practised using positional language in maths, programmed Beebots, used 2go and been learning about past and present tense verbs in English.
Next week we will be studying the work of artist Georgia O'Keefe.
Term 6 Week 4
This week we have been having lots of fun practising for sports day next week. The children are all really excited to work hard for their house team and are really enjoying all the different races especially the dressing up race!
In English we have been writing stories about Meerkats using past tenses, adjectives and conjunctions. In maths we have been reading scales, counting in 2s, 5s and 10s and thinking about place value. In geography we have been learning about the five oceans and the different forms of life which inhabit them, on Thursday we started creating ocean collages.. We have also planted sunflowers.
Next week we are continuing our work on the continents and oceans of the world.
Term 6 Week 3
This week we have been weighing and measuring in maths, learning to weigh accurately, balance scales and read dials. In English we have been enjoying reading and writing poems using our outside area to inspire us. In our afternoon learning we have been looking at hot and cold areas of the planet, learning about the different continents and thinking about different climates that each has.
Next week we will be finding out more about the oceans of the world.
Term 6 Week 2
This week we have been thinking all about what is and isn't safe to put in our bodies. The children were all very knowledgeable about being safe around medicines and cleaning products. We have also learnt about food hygiene and safety when preparing and storing food before we designed and made pizzas.
In English we have been finding out all about Meerkats in order to write our Meerkat fact files, whilst in maths we have been learning about place value.
Next week we will be investigating why Meerkats can't live at the North Pole!
Term 6 Week 1
After a half term break with Mrs Thomas and Mrs Wortley the chicks and ducklings have returned to school. The children (and staff) were amazed by the changes in them and how much they've grown.
This week we have been reading Meerkat Mail and writing postcards in our English lessons, thinking about fractions in maths and learning all about balanced diets and healthy bodies and digestion in our learning project. On Wednesday we had a live STEM lesson all about minibeasts and the important role they play in the world. We then had a minibeast hunt outside and found some amazing creatures!
Next week as part of Healthy Eating week we will be creating healthy snacks and learning about food hygiene. .
Term 5 Week 6
Thank you to all who joined us on Wednesday to watch the children perform their country dance. I'm sure you'll agree they did such a wonderful job and it reflected the hard work they have all put in practising over the last few weeks.
This week we have been enjoying the sunshine. Rosie and Rupert the rabbits came to visit as part of Show and Tell which was a lovely start to the day. The chicks and ducklings have also been able to spend time outside enjoying the fresh air, green grass and attention from the children.
In English we have been creating our own dinosaur stories and practicing our letter formation ready for our half term handwriting challenge, in maths we have been using Beebots to learn about position and movement and solved mysteries using our arithmetic skills. We have also drawn our own dinosaurs.
Have a wonderful half term! The chicks and ducklings will be spending the week with Mrs Thomas and Mrs Wortley, ready to return to school after the break.
Term 5 Week 5
This week has been mental health awareness week and as well as talking about what mental health is and why it is important, we have also been thinking about things that we can do to help keep us mentally healthy and happy. The chicks and ducklings we have in Oak class are providing us so much happiness and enjoyment, each day they are growing and changing and the children (and staff) are besotted with them.
We have also been busy retelling the story of Tyrannosaurus Drip in English, solving mysteries in maths and perfecting our country dancing ready for the celebrations next Wednesday, some of the children also completed their letters to King Charles. We eagerly await his reply!
Next week we will be learning about position and movement and fractions in maths, creating our own stories in English and performing on Wednesday.
Term 5 Week 4
This week we have thoroughly enjoyed watching the chicks as they continue to thrive and grow. They are now developing their wing feathers, learning to scratch for food and are very playful! The Acorns are keeping chick diaries and each week they write about the changes to the chicks.
We've also investigated why dinosaurs are extinct and discussed all the different theories, we're not quite sure aliens were to blame! in English we have enjoyed reading Tyrannosaurus Drip, writing character descriptions and ordering the events of the story. In Maths we have been doubling, using money and thinking about duration of time.
At the weekend we had some more exciting news... four ducklings have successfully hatched!
Next week we look forward to welcoming the ducklings to Oak class, continuing to practice our country dancing ready for the May celebrations the following week and grouping and sharing in maths.
Term 5 Week 3
Our chicks have hatched!! We have had a very exciting week with our new arrivals and they are settling into their new home well. We will be keeping our chicks at school until the end of the summer term when they will go to their forever homes, either returned to Mo on her farm or to new families. This gives the children to study their development and understand the responsibilities which come with looking after animals.
This week we have also been thinking about the King's Coronation, creating some beautiful art work, writing biographies of Mary Anning and thinking about arrays in maths and enjoying music with Mrs Davis.
Next week we will be reading Tyrannosaurus Drip and thinking about why Dinosaurs are extinct (the chicks hatched so we were a bit too excited to do that this week!).
Term 5 Week 2
This week we were lucky enough to be visited by Mary Anning herself! She answered the children's many questions and brought in a selection of her 'curiosities' to show them, including a 160million year old Meglodon tooth and a vertebrae bone from an Iguanodon. The Acorns were then able to have ago at excavating some fossils from dinosaur eggs whilst the older children were able to study the fossils in details while creating some beautiful sketches of them.
We have also created some dinosaur fossil pictures this week, written dinosaur poetry using onomatopoeia, learnt about time (yr2), repeated addition (yr1), doubling and halving (eyfs) in maths and practiced our country dancing in PE.
Next week we will be investigating why the dinosaurs became extinct and celebrating the coronation.
Term 5 Week 1
This week we were very excited to start our new learning project about dinosaurs and to bring our 2023 eggs in for our annual hatching programme. This year we have 18 chicken eggs and 5 duck eggs. Last year's hatchlings are very happy in their new homes with Mrs Thomas and Mrs Wortley and we can't wait to meet our new additions to Oak class in a couple of weeks. This week we candled the eggs to see whether they were fertile and we are hopeful that there will be 14 chicks!
In English this week we have been describing dinosaurs whilst in maths we have been learning about money and fractions, using our new ICT equipment. In our afternoons we have looked at the timeline of dinosaurs and different types of dinosaurs. The acorns also created some wonderful dinosaur artwork.
Next week we will be learning about Mary Anning.
Term 4 Week 6
This week we have had a brilliant time designing, making and evaluating our wheeled vehicles. There was some brilliant partner work! We have also explored rhyme and alliteration in English, shape and symmetry in maths and created beautiful Easter cards.
Have a wonderful break and we look forward to more exciting learning opportunities next term.
Term 4 Week 5
This week we have been learning about and researching the life and achievements of Amelia Earhart, hunting for 2d shapes, beginning our DT project making wheeled vehicles, interviewing Mrs Griffin about her new job as a farmer and enjoying our last Forest School session before Easter.
Next week we will be completing our DT project, learning about rhyme, alliteration and symmetry.
Term 4 Week 4
This week we learnt about the history of bikes, the links between tractors and space and retold the story of Mrs Armitage on Wheels. On Tuesday morning we enjoyed a live online STEM lesson, learning all about the important role tractors play in farming and food production. During the afternoon we went outside with our bikes and scooters to learn about road safety. The children were all brilliant at obeying the rules of the road, including navigating roundabouts, give way signs and traffic lights.
Next week we will be learning about Amelia Earhart and beginning to design and make out own moving vehicles.
Term 4 Week 3
Thank you to all who came to visit the writing week exhibition last week, we hope you enjoyed seeing the children's writing. This week we have begun our new learning project Vehicles Through Time, learning about the history of cars and the invention of steam trains. In English we have been enjoying the story of Mrs Armitage of Wheels while in maths we have been learning about capacity in Year 1 and Fractions in Year 2. In PE we have been perfecting our ball control skills playing Boccia and bowling. We have also completed our African animal art work.
Next week we will be having a STEM session online 'Tractors in Space' and finding out about the invention of bikes and aeroplanes.
Term 4 Week 2 - Writing Week
What a fantastic week we have had! On Monday we wrote our own versions of Aesop's fable The Tortoise and the Hare, on Tuesday we had an amazing visit to Beale Park with a minibeast workshop, a ride on the train and the opportunity to see lots of amazing animals. On Wednesday we researched zebras and lemurs and wrote some fabulous factual sentences, Thursday was world book day and the costumes were fantastic! On Friday we ended the week with our writing exhibition in the hall. As well as keeping busy with our writing we have also been learning about weight and mass in maths and continued exploring pattern in art.
Next week we will begin our new learning project Vehicles Through Time.
Term 4 Week 1
This week spring has appeared and it has been lovely to use our outdoor areas for learning wherever possible. We have been reading Aesop's fables and traditional tales from Africa ready for our Writing Week next week. We have also been looking at traditional African patterns and creating artwork in the style of Edward Saidi TingaTinga. Our beautiful artwork will be part of our writing week exhibition next Friday!
Throughout the week we have been visited by several dads and brothers who have shared some wonderful stories with us as part of our focus on 'boys who read'. Thank you to all those who shared stories with Oak class. On Friday we were visited by Sarah the storyteller who shared stories with us from all around the world: The Hat Maker and The Elephant's Child from Africa, The Old Woman and the Pumpkin from Bangladesh and Aesop's Fable The Tortoise and the Hare. It was a wonderful session and the children were enthralled.
Term3 Week 6
This week we have been studying snowflakes. We looked in detail at images of snowflakes and the repeating patterns they are made of, we then made our own using marshmallows! In art we created our own circular repeating patterns using paint and stamps. In English we wrote non-chronological reports about Emperor Penguins using all the knowledge we have gained over the last few weeks.
We have also had our first completed reading jigsaw challenge!
Term3 Week 5
This week we have made the most of the slightly warmer temperatures to use our wonderful outdoor classroom. We have also continued our learning about Antarctica, focusing this week on Emperor Penguins, writing factual sentences in English and learning about their life cycles in science. In science we also investigated the best way to keep a small animal warm after learning that Emperor penguin males have to keep first the egg and then the chick warm on their feet through the Antarctic winter. We tested several different ways to keep an animal warm and then used the thermometer to record the temperatures. Mrs Hillier's hot water bottle was the most efficient way to keep a small animal warm!
Next week we will be completing our work on Antarctica and looking at snowflakes in art.
Term 3 Week 4
This week we have been learning about Chinese New Year and the celebrations and traditions of the festival. We have learnt to say Happy New Year in Mandarin whilst in English we have been reading the story of the Great Race and have written our own versions. In PE we created a dragon dance, we have also made lanterns and tried using chopsticks! In science this week we have also investigated temperatures and how to melt ice.
Next week we will be continuing our ice investigations in science and we will be learning about the life cycles of penguins.
Term3 Week 3
This week we have been writing letters from Antarctica to a friend, inspired by the book Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers, we imagined our journey through waves 'as big as mountains' and thought how we would feel on Antarctica. The children came up with some wonderful adjectives and similes which they used in their letters. This week we have also been learning the power of the purple pen, editing our work to improve our writing both individually and in pairs. In PSHE we have been looking at tricky friendship scenarios and the choices we can make, to help us remember to be kind we have created some beautiful kindness flowers to brighten up the corridor. Next week we will be celebrating Chinese New Year and learning about The Great Race.
Term 3 Week 2 Forest School
It was very windy and chilly for our visit to the woods today but we still had an amazing time! The snowdrops are growing nicely and we are enjoying spotting how they've changed each week. There was lots of cake making with the mud. We all closed our eyes and imagined we were rabbits, sniffing to see what we could smell around us. We realised it's much harder to smell things in the wind!
Term 3 Week 2
This week we have continued our Learning Project about the Antarctic. The children have been researchers, using books, pictures and computers to find out more about the coldest continent on earth, it has been lovely to share so any of their books from home too. In English we read Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers and have been looking at verbs, adjectives and similes. In Art we created some beautiful Aurora Australis (Southern lights) pictures using chalks. We also now have a class librarian! The children volunteered to take care of the book corner and ensure that it is kept tidy every day. Each child who volunteered will be librarian for a week.
Next week we will be completing our Geography project, writing letters and postcards in English and creating snowflakes in art.
Term 3 Week 1 Forest School
We were very happy to return to the woods for Forest School! It was muddy and we had a great time digging for worms, cooking brownies and cupcakes, and looking for signs of spring. We also learnt about our senses, using our hearing to listen to echoes to tell where we are the way bats do and sitting with our eyes closed as if it was dark.
Term 3 Week 1
Happy New Year!
This week we have been very keen to dive straight into our learning. We have begun our learning project all about Antarctica. In English we are reading the story Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers and in our afternoon sessions we have been researching facts about Antarctica and it's penguin residents. We made our own penguins too! Next week we will also learn about the Arctic and how it is different to the Antarctic.
Term 2 Week 7
This week we have been busy learning about moving pictures in DT, multiplication in maths and rhyme in English. The children all enjoyed making their own sliding picture and pop up Christmas cards. There have also been some secret activities ready for next week!
Term 2 Week 7 Forest School
Our final Forest School session of 2022 was magical! Snow and ice transformed the woods in a winter wonderland, we built on last week's fire skills to build a camp fire and light it using the fire steel. We toasted marshmallows and then enjoyed hot chocolate whilst singing songs from our nativity. Back at school we enjoyed some delicious cupcakes kindly made for us by a parent. Thank you Mrs Bradley for another wonderful session, we're looking forward to next year!
Term 2 Week 6 Forest School
This week Year 2s had a fire craft lesson with Mrs Bradley! They each learnt how to safely start a fire, showing amazing persistence and resilience to keep going until it was lit. The Year 1s and Acorns explored the woods, created playdough feasts, continued to improve the den and checked on the birdfeeder from last week. We shared our adventures over hot chocolate and finished with story time.
Term 2 Week 5
This week we have marked the start of advent. We talked about the reason for the season and the meaning behind advent wreaths and calendars. The children created a beautiful wreath for our classroom door and their own individual advent wreaths. We have also been working really hard preparing for our nativity play next week which we can't wait to share with our audience!
Term 2 Week 5 Forest School
A beautiful late Autumn afternoon in the woods, we said hello to the horses on the way and had Beaumont the Forest School dog to keep us company too! The children were all very busy creating story sticks, developing the den constructed last week by adding a moss floor, creating an amazing bird feeder and of course lots of delicious feasts.
Term 2 Week 4
This week we have been weather forecasters! Each day the children have monitored the weather and recorded temperature, rainfall and cloud conditions. For the final lesson in our geography learning project each created their own weather forecast and some had a go at presenting to the class. In between our daily phonics, English and Maths lessons we have also been busy preparing for our nativity play, the children are working really hard on learning their lines and all the songs, and doing a wonderful job!
Each Wednesday afternoon we have show and tell. The children love the opportunity to share their interests outside of school with the class and Mrs Peeling and Mrs Thomas are always amazed by the variety and quality of presentations.
Week 4 Forest School
The weather wasn't quite as kind for our visit to Forest School today, but we still had a great time in the woods. We built dens using branches and tarpaulins to shelter from the rain, there was digging in the mud, jumping in puddles and Acorns created some delicious treats out of leaves! The autumn colours were quite beautiful to see too.
Term 2 Week 3
This week we have been supporting Anti-Bullying week, we have been thinking hard about what it means to be a good friend. We discussed what we look for in a friend and thought about how we can be a good friend at different times of the school day. As part of this week we also thought about what makes us unique special, we created an odd sock washing line to reflect the individuals in Oak class. In maths Acorns have been thinking about 3d shapes, hunting for them all around the school, Year 1 have been thinking about repeating patterns and Year 2 have been mastering money. In our Geography learning project we have been studying the weather. Year 2 made rain gauges so that we can measure the rainfall as part of our weather monitoring next week.
Today we were thinking about road safety. We are very thankful for the wonderful Dave who helps all the children cross the road safely at the beginning and end of the day but when Dave is not around we still need to cross safely. We learnt the Stop, Look, Listen mantra and talked about the Green Cross Code. We also talked about the importance of being visible on the roads whether we are pedestrians, cyclists, or riding. The photo below illustrates how important this is, the top photo shows a child in a bright coat, the bottom photo shows a child in the same position but wearing a dark coat.
Next week we will be rehearsing our Nativity play, becoming weather forecasters and writing reports about hedgehogs!
Term 2 Week 3 Forest School
Another glorious afternoon in the woods! There was fungi spotted and identified, trees climbed, Mrs Thomas buried in mud and many tasty treats created. We all enjoyed a tasty treat from the PTA during Show and Tell, thank you!
Term 2 Week 2
This week we have been been thinking about Remembrance Day, we discussed why we remember and created some beautiful poppies to display around the school.
We have also been creating some fantastic firework paintings and autumn art using pointilism.
Next week we will be beginning our weather learning project and starting Nativity rehearsals!
Term 2 Week 2 Forest School
We had a wonderful visit to the woods this week. The weather was a little wet and windy and there was definitely more mud to be found. We made playdough creations, climbed trees, dug in the mud, cooked a three course feast and listened to the Gruffalo.
Our mouse house has a new resident... A mouse has moved in! We were very careful not to disturb his hibernation.
Term 2 Week 1
This week we have been thinking about Autumn and Bonfire night celebrations. In English we have been looking at adjectives and using onomatopoeia to write firework poems as well as looking at how we can keep ourselves safe. In art we have been creating beautiful autumn leaves by mixing colours, using red, blue and yellow paint we explored how we can create other colours. Acorns have enjoyed learning about 3d shapes in maths, hunting for shapes in the classroom and building models. All of Oak class have been enjoying Friday music lessons with Mrs Davies.
Next week we are looking forward to Forest School on Monday!
Week 7 Cross Country, Windsor Castle and Checkendon Church
We have had a busy but amazing week!
Following Forest School on Monday we visited Checkendon Church on Tuesday as in our RE lessons we have been thinking about the communities and groups we belong to which make us special. Our visit to the church re-enforced the place we have in the Christian community in Checkendon.
On Wednesday Year 1 and 2 took part in an interschool Cross Country event at Langtree School. The children excelled themselves in their performances and behaviour and made us all very proud.
On a very wet Thursday we went to Windsor Castle as the culmination of our history learning project. We visited St George’s Chapel and saw the final resting place of Elizabeth II, the state apartments where we were wowed by the chandeliers and armour, looked at the guns on the battlements and had a workshop where we learnt all about castles and how they were defended from attack. As always the children were amazing ambassadors for Checkendon Primary School demonstrating our school value of Respect perfectly, we had a wonderful visit (despite the rain!).
Week 7 Forest School
A lovely afternoon full of fun and sunshine. The children created animals from conkers and pine cones, climbed trees, searched for fungi, and made some delicious cakes!
Week 6
This week to support our work on instructions in English we carefully followed a set of instruction to make baked apples. In science we carried out an investigation to find out which materials would make a good umbrella. The children all worked in groups to make a prediction, carry out a fair test and then reach a conclusion.
Next week we are looking forward to forest school, visiting Checkendon Church, visiting Windsor Castle and KS1 Cross country!
Week 6 Forest School
Another wonderful visit to Forest School. We enjoyed spotting all the signs of autumn on the way and then collected beautiful leaves to create mobiles and patterns with. Our fungi experts were searching for different mushrooms and our minibeast experts were hunting out bugs. The weather was glorious, trees were climbed, mud cakes were made and everyone enjoyed sharing their experiences at the end!
Week 5
This week we were delighted to be visited by PCSO Sue Haynes. She came to talk to us about the emergency services and how the police keep us safe. She shared a story with us and very patiently answered all our questions!
Week 5 Forest School
We have had a wonderful afternoon in the woods being nature detectives! We had a great time discovering a huge variety of different fungi, building bug houses and creating nature mobiles.
SCIENCE CHALLENGE - GREENER HENLEY - YEAR ONE AND TWO ARTWORK
Last summer Checkendon pupils entered a Science Challenge (insect art competition) And Greener Henley have acknowledged our outstanding drawings. Greener Henley have decided to show the public that young people, like our pupils, really understand the importance of bees and other pollinators as well as other insects that do vital jobs for our natural world. They are displaying our work in two exhibitions. One is at the Library in Henley for the whole of Great Big Green Week, which runs from 24th September to 2nd October. The rest of our work will go in the Gallery at the Great Big Green Fair in Henley Market Place on Saturday 24th September from 10.00 – 4.00 .Checkendon School is one of three primary schools that the judges decided should be awarded for their submissions to the Environmental Science Challenge. We are very pleased that the Mayor of Henley, Michelle Thomas, has agreed to present the awards at the Fair Gallery at 12 midday on the 24th. We would love to have as many families attend this presentation as possible.
Week 4
This week we have been learning about harvest in preparation for our harvest service in Church next week. We harvested tomatoes from our plants in the school grounds and then we drew the fruit, we made hedgehog bread rolls and a beautiful harvest wreath. We also thought about all the food we enjoy and how thankful we are for the farmers who provide for us. On Friday we had da live STEM lesson from the NFU and Farmer Hannah all about Combine Harvesters and the different parts of plants which are harvested.
Next week we are looking forward to a visit from PCSO Haynes.
Week 4 Forest School
A really enjoyable afternoon in the woods where the time flew past! The children were busy building, exploring and discovering using Mrs Braddley's expert knowledge to identify fungi and animal droppings.
"I liked playing with my friends!" KG
"Mrs Thomas and I found a new climbing stack!" MR
"I liked making the mouse house." MS
Term 1 Week 3
This week we have enjoyed the September sunshine, harvesting some of the tomatoes we planted last year. We have also been continuing our work on 'why we are special' in RE, reading the parable of the lost sheep and creating our own unique flock. In Maths we have been learning about comparing numbers within 10, 20, 50 and 100. In English we read the story of Into the Castle by June Crebbin, looking at rhyme, prepositions and adjectives. Next week we will be thinking about Harvest and cooking some delicious treats with homegrown produce.
Term 1 Week 2
This week we have been thinking about Queen Elizabeth II. We have been learning about her life and this week learnt about her coronation. After looking at coverage of the event and learning about the importance of the orb, sceptre and crown we re-enacted the service in the Westminster Abbey. In English we have been using non-fiction texts to learn about castles and in maths we have been learning about place value. Oakley the tiger helped year 1 solve some problems on the number line. Next week we will be learning about what life was like for children during the 1950s, reading fantasy stories set in castles and continuing our work on place value in Maths.
Term 1 Week 2 - Forest School
On Monday we had our first Forest School session at our wonderful new site. Led by Mrs Bradley we familiarised ourselves with the boundary, reminded ourselves of the importance of 'Sticky Feet' and then had a great time exploring. We looked for minibeasts, fungi and poo, we climbed trees and built a mouse house. The best way to spend a Monday afternoon!
Term 1 Week 1
It has been a wonderful start to the term in Oak Class! The children have returned to school keen and eager to learn and have enjoyed welcoming our new class members. We have had a very busy few days settling into out new classroom and routines and getting to know each other though parachute games. We have also had lots of fun beginning our new Learning Project 'The Queen is in her Castle', there has been great partnership work when researching facts about the Queen and exploring castles.
Next week we begin Forest School.
