Year One have been working hard in maths learning about part- whole models. They have used this knowledge to find a part when the whole and one part are given, lots of practical problem solving took place. Great job Year One!
Class 3 have enjoyed a fabulous trip up to Keswick to stand amongst the stones at Castlerigg pondering all sorts of questions about how and why they were placed here in this arrangement. We were met by a volunteer there who was impressed with the children’s knowledge and their suggestions as to why the stone circle was such an important site to ancient civilisations.
We spent time walking around the site which is surrounded by incredible mountains sketching some of the stones. The only thing we couldn’t agree on was the number of stones there – some counted 49, others counted more!
In the afternoon, we went to Keswick Museum to learn more about the life of hunter-gatherers and handle some ancient axe-heads that had been found at an ‘axe factory’ cave in Langdale Pikes.
This half term, the juniors have been exploring the imaginative installations, sculptures, paintings and infinity rooms created by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who only died this summer at the age of 97.
The pupils have been so curious about her fascinating interpretations of nature, particularly her pumpkins, mushrooms and flowers, all in extremely bold colour, striking patterns and of course, her signature polka-dots.
Recently, one of her mushroom paintings sold for an incredible £49 million at Sotherby’s! She is one of the most influential and well-respected artists of the 21st century.
Her work is currently on display at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam or you can come along and see our interpretations of her work which is currently brightening up our corridors!
We have had a wonderful to visit to Woodmatters today, where we explored the woodland, looking for signs of the Gruffalo! We didn’t find any clues he may have been there, however we did find lots of different coloured leaves, fungi, fallen trees and beechnut shells to name but a few. We also lit our own fires, cooked a campfire snack and whittled willow to create charcoal. After lunch, we collected different leaves of varying shade to create an ombre leaf art picture and used our charcoal to make pictures and leaf prints.
Class 2 had a busy afternoon making equipment to measure the weather. We began by making wind socks and then demonstrated some excellent team work making rain gauges. We then all made weather vanes. We are now looking forward to using this equipment at home and in school to record the weather conditions!
Class 3 have been enjoying reading Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age and this week they took part in an exciting drama and reading activity. The children got into role as Ug and used their imagination to think carefully about what the character might be feeling at different points in the story.
Working in pairs, the children interviewed one another while staying in character. They asked thoughtful questions and gave detailed answers, helping them to explore Ug’s emotions, thoughts and motivations. The class discussed how Ug might have felt when others did not understand his ideas and how he showed determination when trying to invent new things.
Last week, Class 3 became scientists as they explored the fascinating human skeleton. The children worked enthusiastically to build life-sized skeletons, carefully putting all the bones together in the correct places.
Once their skeletons were complete, the children used their knowledge to label the different bones. They identified important parts of the skeleton, including the skull, ribs, spine, pelvis, femur and tibia. The class discussed how our bones support our bodies, protect our organs and help us to move.
Last week, Class 3 thoroughly enjoyed their visit from Rev. Tiras and hearing all about what it meant to be called by God. 
Class 2 had a fantastic afternoon in the woods. We looked for signs of autumn using all our senses. We then completed some observational drawings of autumn leaves.
To complete our harvest topic, class two learnt about the Jewish tradition of building a Sukkah. The children gathered natural materials found on the ground and used these for the rooves of their models. They used all the key features in their models and I think you will agree they look fantatsic.
