Brake! Road Safety Awareness Week

Last week, we focused on the importance of Road Safety. We found out about the Brake! pledge and discussed how we can be safe not only when crossing roads, but also when travelling in a vehicle.

You can make the pledge here- and ask your parents and carers to sign the pledge too!

http://www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/pledge

We made these fantastic posters to show the difference between Brake's vision for the world, with quiet, unpolluted and safe roads, and the opposite- if current trends were to continue.

Silent Movie Rehearsals

 Source: pinterest

 

Our Silent Movies project is well underway! We have written our storylines, planned each scene and been on a location scout to take pictures of the settings for each scene.

Last week, we started rehearsals. We love Drama in St. Clare's!

Friendship Week Art Project

As part of Friendship Week, everyone in Upper School is contributing to a big art project. Each of us is going to make a little sculpture of ourselves, using newspaper and mod rock. Then, at the end of Friendship Week, we will each write kind and positive messages about each other on our little people!

Here's the first stage of our sculptures- aren't they looking fantastic?!

We'll post more photos at each stage of the project!

P4C

 Source: ijb

Friday's P4C session was fantastic! This week is Friendship Week at school, so every class in the school will be using the wonderful 'Something Else' as a stimulus for Philosophy.

Source: Book Trust

 

We started early, on Friday afternoon, to give us more time to hold our enquiry.

The questions that were suggested by the groups were:

1. Is it rude to say 'No!'?
2. Why are some people envious of others?
3. Are we all the same in some way?
4. Why is everyone different?

Source: Book Trust

After editing the questions and looking for assumptions, we held a vote to decide which question to discuss. The winning question was:

'Is it rude to say 'No!'?'

We had a great discussion. Most people seemed to agree that sometimes it can be rude to say no, but it depends how you say it. We talked about 'white lies' and when it might be ok to lie to protect someone's feelings. We also talked about when it might be important, or even essential, to say no.

Well done everyone!

Remembrance

Source: Chris Holley

On Friday, we remembered all those who had died or been affected by war. This year, the Royal British Legion wanted us to remember not only those who died in World Wars One and Two, but also those affected by wars since then and even today.

We had a special service at 10:45am, ending with a two minute silence and reflection at 11:00am. Can you remember why we hold our silence at exactly 11:00?

In the week before the service, we made poppy artwork and a wreath to offer in memory of the victims of war. Children from every class offered their wreath during the service. It was very special, moving and sombre.

A Very Special Visitor

Yesterday, we had the privilege of meeting Ms Helen Hayes MP. Ms Hayes is the MP for our constituency. She met with the School Council, then spent a long time talking to Years 5 and 6. We asked all sorts of questions and she told us many interesting things about her life as an MP and about politics in general.

All of the adults were very impressed by the questions that were asked in this session. We could see how well-informed you all are about world events and about politics in the UK and beyond. Well done!

Some of the interesting questions raised were:
1. As an MP, you have a broader view of British politics. How do you think Brexit will affect the country?
2. How did the death of Jo Cox MP affect the Labour party?
3. As you argued to remain in the EU, do you ever feel scared of people with strong opinions about Brexit?
4. Do you think Donald Trump will be a good President of the United States?
5. What effect do you think the result of the presidential election will have on Britain?
6. How do your children feel about you being an MP?

We were all very impressed by your maturity in the question and answer session and by the level of discussions Ms Hayes MP was able to have with you.

After Ms Hayes MP had left, we were keen to write to her. Here are some excellent examples of the letters we have written to post to her:

World War One

Take a look at some of the beautiful artwork on these front covers. I can see that a huge amount of effort went into creating these fantastic covers- which will make anyone that picks up your project excited to read on!

In this week of Remembrance, we have been working hard learning more about The Great War. Yesterday, we looked in detail at Wilfred Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est'. We analysed the techniques he used and then illustrated some of the lines to show what we understood them to mean.

Today, inspired by Wilfred Owen, we wrote a beautiful poem of remembrance as a class:

Your War, Our Fight

We were the living, we are the dead,

Below the crosses our bodies lie,

Upon the blood-red poppies, dropped shells from above,

In our dreams, they still reach for us.

Watching our brothers die, we struggled on,

Drowning for your freedom,

We thought we would be heroes and yet we perished,

Now we lie beneath the mud, on which we fought your war.

We loved, but love no more,

Families weep receiving tragic telegrams,

Those who loved us; love us more.

The poppies grow above our hearts, which hold the Lie they told us,

Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori.

By, St. Clare’s Class

Thursday 10^th November 2016

Competition Time!

Underwater

It's competition time! Two of the DIGITAL WRITING LEADER editors; Jess and Darcy, have found this fascinating picture. They would like you to write about it. What does it make you think? What does it inspire you to write? They would love to read your stories, poems, descriptions, newspaper reports... whatever you are inspired to write about this picture!

Everyone can enter this competition- from Nursery to Year 6- you can even enter more than one piece of writing!

Please submit your entry to the competition to Mrs Parrott, Jess or Darcy by THURSDAY 1ST DECEMBER.

There will be a prize given to the best piece of writing inspired by this picture in assembly on Friday 2nd December.

Good luck!

P4C

Source: Michael Foreman, Amazon

This week, we had another super philosophy lesson. Tying in with our new WW1 topic, our stimulus this week was the wonderful picture book by Michael Foreman, 'War and Peas'.

Source: Michael Foreman, Booktopia

We enjoyed the story, which gave us lots to think about, and we loved the fabulous illustrations!

Here are some of the questions the groups wrote:

1. Why do some people keep everything for themselves when there are others that need more?
2. Why are some people greedy?
3. Is money important?

And many more... it was a very interesting stimulus!

Source: Michael Foreman, Amazon

The question we voted to discuss was, 'Is money important?'

We had a great discussion and lots of topics were raised. St. Clare's are becoming very good at listening to each other before offering opinions- I especially like to hear sentences that begin with; "Building on what X said..." or "I agree/disagree with X because..." or "I think X is right, but maybe she could think about..."

Well done, team!

World War One

This week, we started our new topic: World War One. We have found out about the long-term and short-term causes of the Great War and we wrote newspaper articles about the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

We also enjoyed starting our new class book; 'The Silver Donkey'. We have read the first four chapters and everyone has written some marvellous description, letters and predictions this week. Well done!

We enjoyed imagining what the characters might say at one point in the story- after a very unusual discovery...

Take a look at these questions we wanted to ask the soldier, and some of our fantastic fronted adverbials. Remember to click on the pictures to make them larger and easier to read:

Next week, we'll be focusing on Remembrance, as we know that Friday is the 11th November; Remembrance Day. In preparation, we made these beautiful pieces of Remembrance art in our house teams, then combined them to make one striking piece to show the damaged battlefields and the poppies growing amongst the devastation: