On a rather warm day we set off to Bill Quay farm in search of some mini beasts! After a quick introduction to some less common creatures including Dexter the hissing cockroach we explored a variety of habitats including the meadow where we found leaf hoppers hiding in the bubbles, the undergrowth where we woke the sleeping centipedes, a few lumbricus terrestris (worms) and caught sight of a few fast moving beetles. Then it was off to the pond to see which creatures lived there. Have a look at the photographs to see what we found.

Our first topic this half term is ‘Life Cycles’. We will be reviewing our knowledge of plants and how seeds grow and hopefully the outdoor area will not only be bursting with learning opportunities but also with flowers! Of course wherever there are flowers there are always mini beasts to investigate and we will be finding out how some of these creatures help the flowers and how others don’t!

We are hoping to extend our knowledge and experience of mini beasts with a visit to Bill Quay farm for a rambling mini beasts hunt and a spot of pond dipping.

Having completed our botany studies, as well as demonstrating our skills as budding entomologists, we will be becoming historians, finding out about what life was like in the Middle Ages, with a visit to Newcastle Keep to find out just how great it would have been to live in a castle. Not!

We are also hoping to organise a ‘Family Activity Day’ at the park before the end of term for the whole family. Watch out for more details coming soon.

Reading, writing and number work will continue to build on the skills the children have developed, focussing on their needs and ability using a variety of active, practical and fun approaches with some more formal work where appropriate.

Thank you for your on going support.

J.Evans

We had a fantastic day ‘Down on the Farm’ yesterday. There were lambs to feed, pigs to wash, donkeys to brush and rabbits to cuddle with a bit of time for some fun in the park. Thank you to Year 6 for taking good care of their Reception buddies, though it was a little strange for me as I can remember taking them to the farm when they were in Reception! Also, thanks to the parents who accompanied us, I hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did. Finally, a special thank you to the children in my class for making the day so special.

We got a little carried away with the photographs so it may take a while for the gallery to load but it is well worth the wait!

After reading the story about Stanley and his stick we set off in search of our own multi-purpose stick. Can you guess what each one is?