This week in Foundation we have been learning about Poppy Day and thinking about how to be kind and helpful. The children have enjoyed reading our book 'The Squirrels who Squabbled' and we have had some very thoughtful discussions about how sharing and helping are better than snatching and arguing. Next week we will be learning all about our Class Artists and having a go at creating some art work in the styles of Bridget Riley and Yayoi Kusama.

We have had another very busy week in Year 1. We have finished our writing unit on familiar story settings and have moved straight onto instructional writing. The children have been working on writing their own set of instructions about how to brush their teeth. In Maths we have been finding the difference and comparing quantities. 

We have started a CUSP Geography unit on continents and oceans. The children have loved learning the continents of the world. 

Can we remind parents that the children will need a coat with them everyday. We spend a lot of time outdoors during the day, come rain or shine. It's very important that they are warm. 

We have had another couple of busy weeks in Year 2. We started this half-term off with our Great Fire of London Big Bang Day. It was so much fun. Then to follow, we were visited by the Fire Brigade, who came in to set our Tudor houses on fire!!  They showed us how to put out a fire safely and even tried to wet us with their fire hose!  In English this week we finished writing our poems about our favourite toys. We used a dictionary to help us choose some new and interesting vocabulary. We have also started reading Paddington and have learnt about how he came to live in London with the Browns.  We have been summarising the story and have been thinking hard about how the characters have been feeling. 

In Maths, we have been taking part in our practical maths week and looking at money. We have been using different coins to make the same amount of money.  We have also started a new science topic -  Animals including Humans. We have been looking at the life cycles of animals and have learnt about vertebrates and invertebrates.

Year 4 have begun their new geography topic on rivers this past week. They are learning about the different features of a river and what the upper, middle and lower course of a river is like. In maths we have been continuing our learning on written subtraction methods with and without regrouping. We have studied Poetry written by Lewis Carroll in English and have been analysing the effect of his language choices and the literary devices he uses. Next week we will be continuing our Rivers topic and then moving on to learn about States of Matter in science. 

In Year 5 during our practical maths week, we have been exploring and learning about how to calculate the perimeter and areas of quadrilateral shapes and have now moved on to how to calculate addition and subtraction using different methods. We have started our new topic on Ancient Greeks by looking at what their beliefs were, how they created democracy and what were the most powerful city-states at the time. In addition to this, we have begun to discuss and plan our next piece of writing, which will be a narrative based on myths and legends, which ties in nicely to our History topic as it will be set in Ancient Greece.

Since coming back from half-term, we have enjoyed starting lots of new topics in year 6. In music, the children enjoyed listening to and analysing songs from some famous films, including The Nightmare Before Christmas. They will now be using this knowledge to create their own piece of music on the Band Lab app. In science, the children have started their new topic about the circulatory system and enjoyed learning about what their blood is made up of. The real highlight of the last couple of weeks, however was starting their cooking lessons within DT. The children made burritos, pitta bread with hummus and samosas. They have learnt lots of new skills that we hope they can show you by helping out in the kitchen at home!

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/news/cost-of-living/help-to-manage-the-cost-of-living.aspx

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For pupils in Years 3 to 6 who are not eligible to receive Free School Meals.

We are writing to inform you of some important changes to the way we manage school dinner debts.

Hertfordshire Catering Limited, our provider, require payment in advance. However, as a school, we have not enforced this in the past and have been fair in allowing parents to pay after meals are taken.

Unfortunately, due to the rise in outstanding dinner money, we have made the decision to pass dinner debts over to our provider - this is the same process that all School Grid schools follow.

What does this mean?

This means that unless school meals are paid for in advance, you and the school will be unable to place a lunch order if there is no credit on the account. You will therefore be required to send your child in with a packed lunch.   

These changes will come into effect from Monday 24^th February 2025. This will give you some time to settle any outstanding debt on your child's dinner account. If you wish to discuss your account with us, please contact the School Office. 

You may be eligible for Free School Meals if you meet certain criteria. To check your eligibility go to https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/schools-and-education/at-school/free-school-meals/free-school-meals.aspx

Can you spare some time to help us out? 

https://forms.gle/qJB6E6KHhBT5Xo5o6

Vaccination UK will be visiting us on Friday 22nd November to administer the flu vaccine (available to all pupils). Please complete the e-consent form (even if you DO NOT want your child to have the vaccine). Vaccination UK East Anglia Immunisation