Autumn Term Blog 2016-2017
Week commencing 1st December 2016
School Office
The countdown to Christmas starts today as we commence our advent journey! There are lots of things happening in school over the next few weeks, please make sour have made a note of all dates and activities. A copy of the Christmas newsletter can be found below.
We will also be sending home more details for parents about the disco which is being organised by the parent forum. This is payable on the door, there are no tickets for this event.
Week Commencing 17th November 2016
Year 6
It may be strange to start the Year 6 blog with a well done to Year 5 but all will become clear (hopefully) in a moment. The remembrance assembly was a great success and allowed us time to reflect whilst also being entertained. So well done to all the children, Mrs Barker and Mr Johnson on guitar! We have also had a focus on remembrance in our class work over the last two weeks as we have used historical documents on a soldier called Walter Aspinall to piece together his story which we have used to write a biography. The work has been a great success and the children have produced well written biographies that capture the sacrifices made by many people during times of war. The way the children worked together so well and purposefully was particularly impressive!
In Science, we have started our topic on electricity and again the children have worked very well, producing circuits and solving problems whilst also learning how to draw what they have done using scientific diagrams and symbols. One task was to create a not-so-creepy clown face, complete with light up nose and spinning bow tie!
Finally, we were fortunate enough to go on the ‘Safe Squad’ visit just before half term which gave the children (and adults) lots to think about in regards to how we keep ourselves safe. The workshop on digital safety was particularly powerful and it gave a reminder to the children about the potential dangers of the online world and how we need to be aware of what we share about ourselves online. As an adult it is quite amazing how confident children are online and this is no bad thing; however, the discussions around e-safety are essential so that our wonderful children are free to enjoy the benefits of being online and know what to do if something is not right. If you have any questions or concerns regarding e-safety then please go to the ‘Safeguarding’ section of our website as we have excellent guidance there for parents.
Week Commencing 10th November 2016
Year 1
Well done to the fantastic Year 1 children, they have settled down really well into the new school year and have adapted brilliantly to all the changes in routine.
We began the year by exploring the school environment on a nature walk and we enjoyed collecting natural objects. Then in our art lesson we used a variety of media to draw, paint and collage.
As part of our literacy work this group were timed to complete the task of making the alphabet cooperatively using the play dough stamps. Wow! What teamwork they showed as they shared out the task!
During ‘Other Faiths Week’ we found out about Judaism. We made some Torah scrolls and enjoyed dancing and feasting on the Shabbat (Sabbath).
In History we have been finding out about Florence Nightingale and the amazing work she did saving lots of lives and making hospitals cleaner places. We had great fun role playing doctors.
In Science we have been exploring the seasons and the weather, the children enjoyed doing weather forecasts. However no one forecast snow in Autumn!
Week Commencing 3rd November 2016
Year 5
Year 5 have been up to some exciting work this week – take alook at the PDF file attached below;
Week Commencing 03.11.2016 – Year 5 Blog
Week Commencing 13th October 2016
Year 4, Class Trip
Already, Year 4 have had a busy half term. We have begun to have Violin lessons which will continue right up to Christmas. Lessons take place in school every Thursday so don’t forget your violin on that day.
We have also enjoyed a very successful trip to Bolton Museum as part of our topic work on Ancient Egypt.
We looked at the artefacts to research aspects of life in Ancient Egypt. We were able to handle them and the speaker was very interesting. We undid a time line all the way back to Ancient Egypt and we acted out a drama to send Isis on her way to the underworld.
Can you guess how old this cooking pot is – is it…
a) 2016 years old
b) 7016 years old
c) 5000 years old
Ask any Year 4 for the correct answer.
After our lunch we had time to look around the rest of the museum and aquarium. We all had a great day out!
Week Commencing 26th September 2016
St Raphael’s Day Mass
Week Commencing 19th September 2016
Reception – Big School, Making New Friends and Year 6 Buddy’s!
Week Commencing 12th September 2016
Nursery – Settling In!
It’s the start of a new school year! Welcome to all our new Nursery children. Please take a look at our blog to see some of the lovely things we have been doing over the last two weeks to help us settle in.
Learning is so much fun in the EYFS. The children have access to a wide variety of resources in our classroom and are encouraged to be independent learners. We have lots of different areas of provision, including playdough, water, sand, construction and role play. Each day the children are given the opportunity to choose what activities they would like to take part in. They are taught to select their own resources and tidy them away when they have finished.
Our topic for this half-term is ‘All About Me.’ This will help the children to get to know each other a little better. The children will be invited to talk about their likes/dislikes, hobbies, family, friends etc. All our activities will fall within the seven areas of learning of the EYFS. These include:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Physical Development
- Communication and Language
- Literacy
- Maths
- Understanding the World
- Expressive Art and Design
Thank you for taking the time to read our blog. We hope to update you again soon.
Week Commencing 12th September 2016
Mad Science Assembly
Week Commencing 5th September 2016
Mr Johnson, Welcome Back!
Another year starts and this is now my fifth September at St Raphael’s. To quote an old folk song by Sandy Denny – “Who knows where the time goes?”
Who can remember Story Makers on CBeebies TV? If you have children of a certain age, which I have, it would have been a staple on your TV a few years ago. The show was set in a library. The programme starts as the library shuts in the evening. At the stroke of midnight, Jelly and Jackson (green and pink puppets who live in the library and hide in the daytime) come out and are joined by one of the members of the Wordsworth family, who recites “The sun is down, the stars are bright, Story Makers come out at night”. The Wordsworths together with Jelly and Jackson are the Story Makers who create many stories for the library.
My favourite stories were always about a character called the Blue Cow who dreamed of a life beyond the field. She would share her dream with the others and they would always roll their eyes and go, “She is off again.”
After five years I just want to reiterate that this will be an exciting year with lots planned – like the September Ramble and the upcoming St Raphael’s Day celebrations. The aim as always is excellence and enjoyment. I want happy and successful children in equal measure. Therefore the message to all children, parents, staff and community – come into school, work hard and ensure that you have a smile on your face. We are a Catholic School and therefore we have a duty to learn, a duty to enjoy it and a duty to share that with our friends!
If on reading this you think, “He’s off again,” I will agree with you. This is not a new message but a consistent one. Have an absolutely fantastic year!