Spring 2
Our topic this half term is 'Are we there yet?'
Week 1 - We're Going on a Bear Hunt
This week we introduced the children to our new topic - Are we there yet?
During the half term the children will be learning about different journeys as well as looking at different modes of transport and ways to travel. This week we started by talking about the different ways we can use our bodies to travel. The children enjoyed walking, running, hopping, skipping and jumping all around the classroom and in our P.E. sessions.
In Literacy this week we looked at the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'. The children enjoyed following the journey that the family took during our sensory story on the Discovery Park. First through the long wavy grass then the deep cold river, thick oozy mud, big dark forest, swirling whirling snowstorm and the narrow gloomy cave. Have a look at us having fun in the pictures below:
Also this week we started our new cookery sessions. This half term the children will be gathering ingredients and following instructions to make cheese toasties. The cheese toasties got a big thumbs up and the children were eager to eat them after we let them cool down!
In Numeracy this week the children have been working on their number skills. We have been using small vehicles, tokens and Numicon to represent different numbers at our individual levels and using them to count and create number lines.
Week 2 - Road vehicles / Naughty Bus / World Book Day
This week we have started to think about all the different land vehicles that people use to travel about in. In the classroom the children have enjoyed playing with and exploring the different vehicles. In our building site area the children have enjoyed making tracks with the diggers and trucks in the sand. In our water area they have enjoyed being a car wash taking the dirty vehicles and making them all clean again. Finally in our role play area the children have enjoyed our bus station and role play bus, taking turns to be the driver, taking tickets and using the 'Sat Nav' and steering wheel.
In Literacy this week the children have been looking at the story 'Naughty Bus'. The children enjoyed the story seeing what silly things the 'Naughty Bus' got up to and talking about what they could see in the pictures of the story as well as looking at the different ways the text changed on each page.
Also this week we enjoyed World Book Day on Thursday. Children were able to come into school dressed as their favourite story character. We decided to use the story of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' as the inspiration for different activities throughout the day. The staff also got into the spirit of things with Gavin taking on the role of 'Willy Wonka' and Tina and Amy becoming the 'Oompa Loompas'.
We had so much fun, during the day the children got to be chocolate bar inventors creating their very own 'Wonka Bar' using a range of different ingredients and then designed their own chocolate bar wrapper. We also used smarties during out Numeracy lesson - sorting, counting and recording them before getting to eat them. Finally at the end of the day we visited the class sweet shop and enjoyed watching part of the movie 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.
Week 3 - Road Vehicles / Bus Visit / Red Nose Day
This week the children have continued to look at road vehicles as part of our topic. As a special treat we had a visit from a 'Go Northern' bus. The children enjoyed getting to meet and chat to the bus driver as well as taking turns in the drivers seat pretending to be the bus driver.
Also this week we looked at our new feeling in our PSED lesson which was feeling 'Brave'. We read and talked about different story books which were all about being brave. At the end of the session we challenged the children to be brave and put their hands in the mystery box and have a feel of what was inside, some of the children were very scared at the start but they were all very brave and had a try. Some of the things in the box included ice, syrup, mashed banana and a cuddly toy.
On Friday we celebrated Red Nose Day by coming to school dressed in our own clothes and taking part in a range of different fun Red Nose Day activities, from making delicious cupcakes to sticking the nose on Mr Tumble and having a party in the afternoon.
Week 4 - Trains / Rugby Festival / Sculpture Walk
This week our topic 'Are we there yet?' moved onto a different mode of transport looking at trains, trams and metros. The children enjoyed our new role play area which changed from a bus into a train carriage with first class service as well as a quiet carriage. Children got to pretend they worked in the ticket office while others came to book tickets as well as being the ticket inspector, train driver and passengers. Linked to this we visited the 'Locomotion' Railway Museum in Shildon to see some of the different types of trains that there has been over the years. We also tried to create our very own railway together as a class using all of the classroom floor! We had a great time as you can see below!
Also this week the children took part in the Columbia Grange Rugby Festival. Class 9 children went head to head with children from Sunningdale School in a range of different fun games with elements of rugby. The children were fantastic and each earned a certificate and medal for their efforts.
Finally, this week also saw the children complete the second part of the 'Riverside Sculpture Walk' as part of their Arts Award. We picked a good day for it and the weather was kind to us saying sunny and mild. The children enjoyed exploring the different pieces of art, feeling them and talking about what they could see. We also got a sneaky peak at some of the transport we will be looking at next week and saw some big boats coming in and going out of the mouth of the River Wear.
Week 5 - Boats and Bare Toed Drama
Wow! What an absolutely fantastic week we have had in Class 9 this week. Our topic saw the classroom role play area changed from a train into a ferry and port. Children continued to take on different roles such as captain, ticket inspector, passengers and ticket office worker. The children have really enjoyed the role play area over the past few weeks and their play skills have really improved week on week. - Well done!
Also this week we welcomed the 'Bare Toed Drama' group into school over three days from Wednesday until Friday. The hall was rigged with a huge metal framework complete with silk swings and trapeze. Over the three days the children got to watch the group perform a wonderful syncronised swimming inspired performance which they absolutely loved, they also got to try using the trapeze and silks to swing in and hang upside down as well as exploring a range of different sensory equipment. Alongside this the children got to listen to a sensory story all about having a haircut and took part in a silent disco which the staff enjoyed as much as the children! Take a look at some of the fun we had below!
Also this week we used our weekly bus slot to take a trip along the coastline from Seaburn to Roker then onto Whitburn before ending our journey at South Shields. Along the way we looked out at the North Sea trying to spot boats and other water vehicles as well as keeping an eye out for other vehicles we have already looked at. When we got to South Shields we decided to make the most of the sunny spring weather and spent some time playing on the park at Marine Park. It was a lovely afternoon and we finished it off by using our weekly snack money to purchase an Ice Cream at Minchellas!
Week 6 - Air Vehicles / Bowling Competition
The last week of the spring term has saw the final vehicles of our 'Are we there yet?' topic. This week we have looked at air transport vehicles including aeroplanes, helicopters, hot air balloons and rockets! The role play area has turned into an airport lounge and plane including a ticket desk, baggage handling area, cafe and airport security. Children have had the opportunity to discuss different travel destinations and pack a suitcase with the items they would need for different trips including a summer holiday or a winter vacation!
On Thursday we also used our bus session to visit Newcastle Airport then popped into Dobbie's Garden Centre cafe for a drink. We timed our visit to perfection and managed to see a plane coming in to land right in front of us then a few minutes later seeing another plane take off!
Also on Friday the children visited Riverside Bowling in Sunderland to take part in a bowling competition. We had two teams of children facing against another 17 groups from lots of different schools. Our teams came 7th and 5th out of the 19 teams! The children had a fantastic time and then enjoyed having Lunch in McDonald's as an end of term treat! Well Done Class 9 we are very proud of you all!
Finally a message from Gavin, Amy and Tina to say enjoy the holidays, have lots of fun and we look forward to seeing you all back to school on Tuesday 23rd April.
