14.11.19 Sandymere Learning Update

Date: 14th Nov 2019 @ 10:45am

What a busy week we have had!  Sandymere have had the opportunity to share their learning with a number of teachers this week including Mrs M, Mr Pasquill and Mrs Bettley.  The children have enjoyed the teachers popping in and loved sharing their work with them especially as there were some strange things happening and many of our classroom belongings had been nibbled.  Even the teachers didn’t know what was happening.  The arrival of a nibbled book has led us to think that perhaps it’s Nibble the Book Monster so we’ve been on the lookout for Nibbles and created WANTED posters in a hope that the school community can spot Nibbles too.  The children’s descriptive writing was fantastic.  SHOUT OUTs to Jacob and Calliope for their superb independent descriptions.

In maths we have begun to look at subtraction and learned some new strategies and vocabulary.  The children have made a really positive start with this and even had a try and writing their own subtraction word questions.  My favourite was ‘There were six cakes in the classroom and Nibbles ate three, how many were left?’

On Monday we spent time discussing Remembrance Day.  We shared a story called Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge which is about a little boy who wants to help an old lady to find her memory.  It’s a beautiful story and the children of Sandymere engaged beautifully with it.  Part way through the old lady clutches a medal and explains to the young child how she remembers her brother who went to war but didn’t come back.  We then talked about why this might be.  The class talked sensitively about the soldiers in the war and showed great understanding of why we make donations for poppies.  I was particularly impressed with one child who talked about Flanders Fields and the poppies. You can watch te story here with your child 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=usnOEnTXabw

A massive thank you to all the children who brought books in to school to share with the whole class.  We had some lovely books including from Ariel the mermaid, Max the Brave and Jack and the Meanstalk.  There were a few extras too which hopefully Mrs Worstencroft can share in Friday.  Erin’s choice this week was Goldilocks and the three bears - we enjoyed the audiobook version complete with pop up and flip the flap pages to share along the way.  We LOVE books in Sandymere and there has been some fantastic home reading taking place too. 

Can we ask that you send BOTH reading books to school every day with your child please?  They will need their

• Colour book banded book
• Phonically decodable book

So that we can listen to your child read and change the books.  Also library books are exchanged every Wednesday. Thank you.

A message from Mrs Pile – the children were superb in gymnastics this week and she was incredibly impressed with how they remembered all the different shapes and also how they safely put out the equipment.  She was so impressed that she thinks they may be ready for some bigger apparatus soon.  Well done Sandymere!

As the weather is turning colder and hats, gloves and scarves are being brought to school, please may we ask that these named or made easily identifiable for your child?  Thank you.

It is National Anti-Bullying week this week and Mrs Snowdon led an assembly about the Christian value of happiness.  This week we have pledged to spread a little happiness wherever we go.  Kind words and actions, inclusive play and a simple smile goes a long way.

Such a lovely week Sandymere.  Thank you for making me smile.

Mrs Williamson on behalf of Team Sandymere