Happy Diwali!

Source: giphy

On Sunday, many Hindu and Sikh families celebrated Diwali- this festival lasts for five days. You might have seen or heard lots of fireworks this weekend! Diwali is the festival of lights, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil. You may have heard the story of Rama and Sita- click the link below if you can't remember it! 

Click here to see the story again!

One of the special traditions is the drawing or painting of Rangoli patterns. Rangoli patterns are created on the floor of homes and other buildings to welcome in visitors.  They are also thought to welcome the Goddess of Wealth. They are usually brightly coloured, with repeated shapes, often in flower or petal designs. Sometimes the patterns are made with coloured rice, grains or petals.

There are many fascinating traditions for celebrating Diwali from around the world- take a look at this Newsround page to find out more!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/15451833

Happy Half Term!

Source: bestanimations

I hope you are all having a safe, happy and healthy week off- make sure you get out and about in the fresh air! Try to do some reading every day and take some time to start thinking about our new WW1 topic. Enjoy a rest and lots of time to play and have fun this week!

When you do have some time on the computer, you could play this fun Halloween game:

Source: http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/fun-games/haunted-house-level-2

Inventors' Workshop

Yesterday, we reached the grand finale of our Inventors topic. We had spent the week designing and writing about our inventions and it was finally time to make the prototypes.

Here we are hard at work inventing (and pictures of just a few of the fabulous final creations):

Goodbye Chicks!

On Wednesday, we made a run for our chicks to explore- to give them more space to play in. We each had a turn carefully holding the chicks too. It was a lovely afternoon!

On Thursday, we waved a fond farewell to our chicks. They have returned to the farm, so that they have more space and fresh air to run around in. We wrote some lovely letters to the Happy Chick Company- the gentleman that came to collect the chicks was delighted with them and said they'd put them up on display! We will miss the chicks, but we had a great time with them. Goodbye, chicks!

Animoto Invention Adverts

Source: dominicwilcox

This week, St. Clare's Class has become an inventors' workshop! We found out about the inventing process, then mind-mapped some problems that we could solve before designing our own inventions. Everyone created a detailed diagram of their invention and annotated it with  information and materials. Next, we each wrote a 'patent application' for our designs.

Yesterday, we used Animoto to create these fantastic adverts for our inventions. Click on each link to see each advert.

By Max

Joseph: https://animoto.com/play/nGDm07EhtzctLFFpOww1bQ 

Ryan: https://animoto.com/play/VG2jJSlev2HSceMKAmeOWA

Ferdia: https://animoto.com/play/zAn9j34rWLIi8lNedNtrIQ

Jane: https://animoto.com/play/h212btGpdRd310ajoFyM9g

Ethan: https://animoto.com/play/1skUexHeLS6IIPAC1d4PKw

Saulo: https://animoto.com/play/smh3Q2AGKGta2tYrZtedpg

Daniel: https://animoto.com/play/Uw4Dc5lB70bUzH3Czz1rmA

Thirsa: https://animoto.com/play/6gESofJj8Hw4ozrrs6FG7w

Evan: https://animoto.com/play/Z6ysDE350vpAnrCemlJxLw

Beatrice: https://animoto.com/play/W9lya4HzSgfnfc9Vtg856g

Yasmin: https://animoto.com/play/EhbjhJddWgQgcw6How10cQ

Sofia: https://animoto.com/play/bNEXZyyZBkhXq1JhOjOFoA

Millie: https://animoto.com/play/x8kPCQH257Q16uX83DdfwQ

Callum: https://animoto.com/play/c9fOhL2ArmmEwVXcTMdZbQ

Aisling: https://animoto.com/play/erkJAA0mc9tHs8GpkzWyPw

Jayden: https://animoto.com/play/0H0Xp4TgOUgznrrlqn2ebw

Klara: https://animoto.com/play/2cttnkDLO45V1tcWHskn1g

Samuel: https://animoto.com/play/n3YEoun3b66D3Mmx6kkt3Q

Gabriel: https://animoto.com/play/0WeL0ngcZJTofhh3DMv4Tw

Cecille: https://animoto.com/play/xZGQ3BVirpu7b88r1qgTPw

Benny: https://animoto.com/play/xSTljphZlRVLVhxxYH8fSA

Kit: https://animoto.com/play/3Qwg6BDDldFfLTBqxigaWg

Aurora: https://animoto.com/play/lmeITMkAUhrbh9QqijoKig

This afternoon, we'll be making the prototype models for our inventions! Photos to come soon!

Chick Update!

The Year 5 chicks are getting big!

Yesterday we voted to choose their names:

The girls are called:
Fluffy
Yoka
Eggy
Puffy

The boys are called:
Egbert
Chico
Beaky

We love the new additions to our class! We've been taking good care of them this week. Next week, we hope to build a run for them, so they can get some exercise and run about safely in an enclosed area!

P4C

Source: clipartpanda

Yesterday, we had another fantastic P4C lesson. St. Clare's are getting very good at listening to each other carefully and building their opinions based on what others have said.

Our stimulus this week was this poem by Edgar Albert Guest:

It Couldn’t Be Done

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done

      But he with a chuckle replied

That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one

      Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin

      On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

      That couldn’t be done, and he did it!

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;

      At least no one ever has done it;”

But he took off his coat and he took off his hat

      And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,

      Without any doubting or quiddit,

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

      That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,

      There are thousands to prophesy failure,

There are thousands to point out to you one by one,

      The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,

      Just take off your coat and go to it;

Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing

      That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.

By Edgar Albert Guest

The enquiry questions each group came up with were:

1. Is anything impossible? 

2. Why don't some people always believe in others?

3. Why do some people think some things are impossible?

4. Why do some people think that you can't do something if they can't do it?

5. Why do some people make assumptions?

We spent some time looking for any assumptions or generalisations in the questions and edited them before voting.

The question that the class voted to discuss was:

4. Why do some people think that you can't do something if they can't do it?

  

We had a very interesting and grown up discussion, well done!

Zarafa

Source: IMDB

Today, as part of our Black History Month celebrations, we visited Dulwich Picture House Cinema to watch a wonderful film.

Source: wikipedia

First, we had a fascinating talk about the history of Africa, then we began to watch the beautiful animated film, 'Zarafa'.

 Source: homemcr

Can you remember where the main settings of the film were?

 Source: wikipedia

 

Source: The Guardian

What can you tell me about the true story that the film was based on?

Chicks!

We are on chick watch in St. Clare's Class this week! On Monday, 14 eggs were delivered to us. We kept them warm in our incubator and spent lots of time learning about eggs and the development stages of chicks. We talked to them and could hear them cheeping from inside their shells! We saw the eggs start to move and wriggle around.

Source: The Happy Chick Company

Yesterday, the eggs began to hatch! We had to leave them in the incubator, with their egg shells, for 24 hours.

Today, 13 chicks have hatched and are now very fluffy and full of energy. This afternoon, we transferred them from their incubator to their new homes in larger brooder boxes (one in St. Clare's and one in St. John's).

Tomorrow, we will be observing how they grow and perhaps we'll even give them names!

Source: The Happy Chick Company

Philosophy!

Today we completed our first full P4C enquiry of the year. It was fabulous! We played lots of fun games to get warmed up and get our brains ready for debate, then we looked at our stimulus. Our stimulus (see above) inspired the groups to ask these questions.

1. Why do some people think that skin tones matter so much?
2. Why do some people get left out?
3. Why is life difficult for some people?
4. Why do some people travel?
5. Why do some people think they are better than others?

After looking at the assumptions in the questions, we had an omnivote.

We voted to discuss QUESTION 5. The discussion was very mature and everyone participated brilliantly. Well done, team!

Homework Help!

Source: kidsinventionsday

This week for your homework, you need to research a famous inventor. You can present your research however you wish- you could write a report, make a Powerpoint presentation, make a video or song, create a poster or model... Use your imagination!

Remember, you msut avoid plagiarism! You cannot copy (or copy and paste) information exactly as you find it in a book or on the internet. You MUST write your research into your own words, just like we do with Genius Time. We will always be able to spot copied information!

Here are some links that you might find useful:

http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/li/List_of_inventors

http://stclareclass.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/leonardo-da-vinci.html

http://www.ducksters.com/biography/scientists/scientists_and_inventors.php

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/

Happy National Poetry Day!

We have had a lovely day today celebrating National Poetry Day! We found quotations from famous poems all around the school- can you remember any? Which was your favourite?

This afternoon, we wrote our own poem! We worked as a class on a poem train- writing one line, then passing it on to a classmate.

Here's the fabulous final poem:

Haunted Forest

The forest was as dark as an ebony dragon,

Splish! Splash! Splosh! The rain poured down,

Bang! Crash! Stones hit the ground and cracked in half,

Suddenly lava started to pour out, it was horrific,

All the dragons started to leave the country,

They were all scared of the Lava,

Bang crash the conkers fell off the trees,

The trees started to fall down,                                           

The wolves were running from the trees scared and shivering as they run,

All of a sudden it went silent,

Then the noise of trees creaking,

Everywhere there was lava- I had to get out of there,

Then suddenly… whoosh! A ghastly ghost emerged from the lava,

How can I escape?

I looked back but an army of ghosts were behind me I searched for a wat to get out,

Scary and goulish the forest was,

The trees fell as I looked back,

A tree which looked like a bear,

Its arms were creaking out towards me,

Lumps and monstrous eyes,

Birds flapping their wings,

The moonlit sky above me, I feel a cool breeze blow past,

Under a green mossy tree, a flock of birds screech by,

I heard a scream and stumbled,

Tree twigs fell to the muddy ground,

I’d never seen anything like it before,

The creatures started to approach,

Something grabbed me as I sank into the ground.

By, St. Clare's Class, 6/10/16

Fun at Dulwich Picture Gallery!

We love Dulwich Picture Gallery here at St. Anthony's! They have some very cool activities coming up at the gallery, especially for kids!

Record-Breaker: The World's Longest Landscape

On 14-16th October, you can be a part of an exciting project to draw the world's longest landscape. They will have some amazing special guest illustrators, too.
It's FREE for children.

What a wonderful opportunity!

Find out more here: http://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/for-families/2016/october/the-worlds-longest-landscape/

Halloween Sleepover

Source: Dulwich Picture Gallery

The gallery will be holding a spooky sleepover in the 'haunted gallery' on Halloween!

Source: Dulwich Picture Gallery

Here's what they have to say about the spooky event:

"This Halloween weekend pack your sleeping bags, grab your PJs and torch and head over to Dulwich Picture Gallery for a spooktacular evening!

Pay a visit to the Gallery’s on-site haunted house, interact with the paintings brought to life by our mystery guests, and create a vintage-inspired Halloween print to take home. Bed down for the night amongst the old masters and wake up to breakfast and a classic film."

Source: Dulwich Picture Gallery

Find out more information here: http://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/for-families/2016/october/pillows-and-paintbrushes-sleepover-haunted-gallery-weekend/