ROSEACRES PRIMARY SCHOOL

Welcome to Owl Class Blog

This is the page that you can visit to keep updated on the children's learning. Make sure you come back each week to see the learning opportunities that the children have taken part in.

                                                       Summer Week 2

Owl Class have had a great week, which was rounded off with a Fab Science lesson from Shannon, on air pressure. Shannon explained that we all have a ton of air pressure on our heads but we do not notice as we have got used to it. She then conducted a few experiments to show how air pressure works on an egg, a can, a plastic bag and some balls, when the air around us is heated and cooled. "It was the best science lesson ever!" and we all learnt a lot. We enjoyed all the experiments especially the paper rocket at the end. 

                                                       Summer Week 1

Welcome back to the summer term! We have had a busy first week starting our new topic on Space and our new class text ‘Cosmic’ by Frank Cottrell Boyce. As part of our topic on space the class have been given a chart to record each night, the phases of the moon for 28 days. The data collected will be used in a science lesson later this term. We have also started our new Art topic on Claude Monet. We have looked at different examples of his paintings and discussed how they make us feel and why. As Monet used nature as his main inspiration for his work, we will be using our environment as  the inspiration for our art work this term.

Head teacher’s Award Spring 2

Congratulations to:

29.2.24 Ethan for his excellent maths problems for the class.

7.3.24 Alex for his improved effort and focus in class.

14.3.24 Heidi for her excellent, well presented work on river erosion and deposition.

                                                       Spring Week 11

As part of our topic on Rivers Owl and Puffin Classes visited Daws Hall near Sudbury.

First, we had a welcome talk by Lesley who showed us a plan of the site and told us about the features of the River Stour. Next, she showed us how to use a compass and we tried to use it for an orienteering activity, looking for 12 trees around the site and identifying them from the chart we had been given. This was great fun but very challenging to identify the trees when they had no leaves! Afterwards, we meet by the River Stour and Lesley showed us how to collect the different data needed to test the water. Then we tested the sample water from the river and later on in the afternoon we did the same tests on water samples from the stream nearby. When we compared the two sets of data, we found out the stream was less polluted than the River Stour.

After lunch, Lesley took us onto the small island and we identified different river features such as meanders, a river cliff formed by erosion and a slope of shells formed by deposition. Our final activity was to get into the stream with nets to collect samples of different invertebrates that lived at the bottom of the stream in the mud and stones. We were all surprised at the variety of invertebrates in the stream including freshwater shrimp, leeches, Damselfly nymph and Mayfly nymphs.

Thank you to Mrs Chambers and Miss Owers for helping. Everyone agreed that we had had a brilliant day at Daws Hall and had learnt lots of new facts.

                                                     Spring Week 10

This week, Owl Class designed and made torches. The design brief was to design a torch that could be worn and had a switch. There were lots of very creative ideas such as belt torches, necklace torches, shin pad torches, glasses with a light, glove torch and coat torch. Making our prototype torch was a challenging task but fun. We were all proud of our designs at the end of the day!

                                                    Spring Week 9 

As part of Science Week, Mrs Hogan talked to Owl Class about her job in aircraft engineering at Stansted Airport College. Mrs Hogan explained that engineers follow five steps in the Engineering Design Process - ask, imagine, plan, create and improve. We discussed how understanding forces is an important part of understanding how aircraft fly and when a glider is moving forwards its wings create an upwards force called lift. When lift overcomes the downwards force due to gravity, the glider will stay up. Mrs Hogan set the class a challenge to work in teams to design and make a glider. We then launched them to see which one was the most aerodynamic. all the teams worked well together to design a glider and had great fun testing them. There was a prize for the team whose glider flew the furthest and everyone felt proud of how well their glider had flown. Thank you Mrs Hogan for a challenging and fun workshop!

                                                     Spring Week 8

Owl Class have had a very busy week with Bikeability on Wednesday and Thursday, and World Book Day on Friday. All the children who took part in Bikeability, spent Wednesday improving their biking skills and control in the playground. Then on Thursday, they  used those skills to learn to cycle safely on the road. The instructors were very impressed with their listening skills and complimented them on their focus during activities. Well done !

For World Book Day, Owl Class dressed up as their favourite book character and learnt a poem 'Animal House' by Joshua Seigal. In the afternoon the whole school joined together in the hall to recite their class poem. An inspiring afternoon!

                                                                                                       Spring Week 7 

On Wednesday 28^th February Amy a STEM Ambassador, who works for Arc a construction firm, came to our school and set us a ‘Go Construct K’nex Challenge’. Our challenge was to build a model bulldozer with a movable blade and a unique feature of our own invention. We worked together to first design and then construct our models. After an hour, we were judged on how successfully we fulfilled the design brief and on our teamwork. Everyone had built a bulldozer and some had even managed to get their blades to move too.  Sienna and Henry were chosen as the winners for Owl Class, as Amy was impressed with their cooperation during the task and the special feature of solar panels for their EV bulldozer. Sienna and Henry were awarded a medal and everyone was given a certificate for taking part. Their model will be entered into the regional final. “I feel like today’s challenge was hard but fun and it was also interesting to see what everyone else had made.” Oakley. “ I learnt about different mechanisms, when we made the blade, we made it so it moves.” Ivy and “I really enjoyed today’s activity because we got to try different ways to make it work and to make our structure stable.” Daisy-Mai. All the children had a brilliant morning and found the task challenging but fun.

Spring Term 1

Congratulations on being given the Headteacher's Award:

12.1.24 - Ivy for her great Haiku poem.

19.1.24 - Oakley for his enthusiasm and questioning skills in problem solving activities.

26.1.24 - Durmus for the great improvement in his reading.

2.2.24 - Felix for his excellent diary as Gunnar from Viking Boy.

9.2.24 - Amelie G for always being a good role model.

15.2.24 - Austin for his fantastic speed in 'Round the World'.

                                                             Spring Week 6

This week as part of our topic on the Vikings we have designed and made Viking brooches. We looked at different examples of Viking jewellery and used these to inspire our own designs. We were all very pleased with our brooches and the metallic effect of the finish.

                                                             Spring Week 5

This term Owl Class have been learning to play the Ukulele in music lessons on Thursday mornings. They have been learning to play 3 different cords and each week they have learnt a new song to play along to. The opportunity to learn the ukulele all together has been great fun and a wonderful experience for them all.

                                                                                                          Spring Week 4

On Friday mornings this term, Owl Class have been coached by Harrison from Bishop's Stortford Rugby Club how to play Tag Rugby. Harrison has taught them  lots of different skills on passing the rugby ball, how to tag the person with the ball, how to score and the  rules on how to play Tag Rugby. Everyone really enjoys these sessions and are improving their skills each week.

                                                          Spring Week 3

On Wednesday, Owl and Puffin Classes visited Colchester Castle to build on their learning from last term on the Romans in Britain. We all had a very full day of activities including a tour of the foundations of the original temple that had been bult on the same site in AD54 and a workshop where we got to build a Round House and a Roman Villa. We learnt a lot about life of the Romans while they were in Colchester and the battles between them and the Celts.  " The day was really interesting and awesome." H.E. " I think it was really fun as there were lots of things to do." O.K. Thank you to Mrs McCarthy and Mrs Chambers for giving up their time and helping on the trip.

Spring Week 2

This week in Topic Owl Class have been looking at Viking artefacts and discussing what they could have been used for and who used them.

                                                                                       Spring Week 1

We have had a great start to the new year and Spring term. Owl Class have thought of three New Year Resolutions: a general one, one for their learning and one for being more healthy. Hopefully, they will keep to all three! In English we have been writing Haiku poems a traditional form of poetry in Japan and in Science we have been learning about different methods of separating materials. Along with a new rugby coach and a swimming gala on Friday, a busy start to the term!

                                                  Autumn Week 15

The final week has been very busy for Owl Class. We had our fantastic KS2 concert on Monday, Christmas market on Tuesday and Christmas lunch on Wednesday, along with a very special visitor on Wednesday afternoon! All the children have had a fun time and I am sure are ready for the big day next week. Merry Christmas Owl Class and their families, have a lovely break and see you in the new year.

Congratulations on been given the Head Teacher's Award:

3.10.23 Sienna for using the WOW word in her writing

10.3.23 Gracie-Eve for always trying to do her best work

17.11.23 Billy Mc for great focus and effort in English

24.11.23 Jacob for his improved handwriting and presentation of his work

1.12.23 Bianca for her amazing splits in our Cheerleading routine

8.12.23 Porter for improved handwriting and presentation of his work

19.12.23 Daisy-Mai for performing 'Deck the Halls' on the keyboard at the KS2 Christmas concert

19.12.23 Owl Class for fabulous singing at the KS2 Christmas concert

                                                   Autumn Week 14

Owl Class have been rehearsing for the KS2 Christmas concert next week. We have enjoyed learning the songs and are looking forward to sharing them with you on Monday!

                                                   Autumn Week 13

On Friday, Owl Class had great fun making and evaluating fajitas. We made three different fillings Quorn, chicken and cheese. Then we evaluated how they looked and best of all how they tasted! We all had a different favourite filling, though the Quorn fajitas were popular with everybody.

                                                   Autumn Week 12

Owl Class have been working hard this half-term to create a Cheerleading routine with Kate. Each week they have added new parts and finally this week we filmed the routine and chant. Fantastic teamwork Owl Class!

                                                    Autumn Week 11

In English this week, we have imagined a conversation between Stanley and his mom describing life at Camp Green Lake. First Stanley told his mom about an imaginary, lovely, exciting summer camp and then he told her about his real experiences at Camp Green Lake. Afterwards, we wrote letters as Stanley to his parents telling them about his life at Camp Green Lake and describing some of his experiences and about the friends he had made.

                                                   Autumn Week 10

This week was Anti-bulling Week and we have had lots of different PSHE lessons. On Monday we joined the live BBC lesson on anti-bullying and discussed what is bullying and how we can help others as part of  'Make Some Noise'. The children came up with many great ideas as to how they can help others. On Wednesday, we read 'The Girls' a book about friendship and discussed what we can do if friends fall out. On Friday, we thought about acts of kindness and wrote kindness notes. Friday was also Children in Need so we had great fun outside playing Spot in the Mud!

                                                    Autumn Week 9

This half- term Owl class are reading Holes by Louis Sachar a story about a boy who is sent to a juvenile detention centre called Camp Green Lakes in Texas. We have been finding out about what life is like at the camp and how inhospitable the environment is. This week we have written descriptions of Camp Green Lake - 'Camp Green Lake is not an exotic, lush place as you might think because there is no lake and no trees',  ' a vast, barren view of the dried up lake with thousands of holes', 'mountains surrounded the desolate, dusty, dry environment', '... the inhospitable cracked land has 5 foot deep holes that go on for miles' and ' two isolated oak trees are rooted next to each other providing the only shade in Camp Green lake whilst they are holding a hammock in between them'. Not the sort of camp Stanley had been expecting or hoping to be sent to!

                                      Autumn Week 8

Owl Class have returned from the half term break with lots of positivity and enthusiasm to learn. We have now completed our topic on the Romans in Britain and have started our new Geography topic on the Americas where we will be learning about countries in both North and South America.

                                                                   Autumn Week 7

Owl Class have had a very busy and fun half term. They have all worked hard and learnt lots about the Romans in Britain and all about Forces in Science. For our last gym lesson we challenged ourselves on the ropes and bars and practiced our balances on the apparatus.

Congratulations on being given the Head Teacher's Award this half term:

8.9.23 Archie for his positive attitude towards his learning.

15.9.23 Heidi for being a good role model

22.9.23 Amelie V for excellent work on her visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum

6.10.23 Daisy-Mai for her great explanation of air resistance in Science

13.10.23 Billy P for his excellent Roman sun design

                                                                                Autumn Week 6

This week in Science, we have been investigating water resistance. First we made two shapes out of plasticine and then we predicted which shape we thought would fall to the bottom of the cylinder the fastest and why. We tested both shapes and discussed if our prediction had been correct or not. There was lots of discussion and fun!

                                              Autumn Week 5

On Wednesday, we celebrated Harvest Festival. Children in Y4,5 and 6 walked to the local church along with lots of parent helpers (Thank you helpers!). We all sang harvest songs, listen to prayers and enjoyed Rev. Colin's sermon on the importance of being thankful for this year's harvest and to share food with others. Each class also sang a harvest song, Owl Class sang 'In the autumn' beautifully. We were all very impressed with the singing. Well done everyone! 

                                 Autumn Week 4

Owl Class have been developing their football skills with Nick on Tuesday afternoon. In gymnastics on Wednesdays with Kate, they have been working in pairs and fours to create counter balances on the mats and on the apparatus. 

                                  Autumn Week 3

                                                                                             Autumn Week 2 

This week we have looked at Roman Artefacts and thought about what they could be used for and who might use them.

In English we have started our poetry unit - The Magic Box and have thought about how to use alliteration for creating images with words. We are going to write our own poems next week.

It was lovely to meet some of the parents at meet the teacher on Tuesday. If you were unable to attend I have put the PowerPoint on the Curriculum page along with the Homework help prompt sheets.

We all had great fun on the bouncy castle!

Autumn Week 1

Welcome to Owl Class!

Owl Class have made a great start to the new school year. We have spent time getting to know each other at our class meetings in the mornings and in the afternoons we have spent time discussing the expectations of the year and how we will try to create a positive learning environment so everyone can achieve their best.

It was lovely to hear about their holidays and what fun all the children have had this summer. I hope to meet you all next week at 'Meet the Teacher' on Tuesday at 2.30pm.

Have a lovely weekend.