Tuesday 31st March

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all keeping well and looking after one another.  It's been great to hear from lots of you via email and see photos of your Lego masterpieces and other brilliant work.  I'm also keeping an eye on TT Rockstars and can see that many of you are practising really hard - keep up the good work!

Have you checked out the new 3D animals on Google?  If you Google certain animals' names, you can choose to view them in 3D as if they were right in front of you in the house!  You can even have your picture taken with them.  Try it out - so far I've discovered a tiger, an emperor penguin and even an angler fish in my sitting room! 

That's all from me for today - try to stay positive and see if you can find a way of helping your parents or carers around the house today - you could offer to wash the dishes, or fold some laundry, or even just give your bedroom a bit of a tidy.

Stay safe and take care,

Mrs Vaqueiro

Monday 30th March

Good morning everyone!

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend and had the chance to spend some time having fun with your family. 

I have updated the Google Drive with some ideas for homework this week - I've included the Big Maths CLIC sheets (children: you will need to tell parents and carers which sheet you normally have) as well as a Beat That! sheet which we normally try to complete in 60 seconds.  

I wonder whether your TT Rockstars practice will have helped you to improve your scores?  I have been checking on the teachers' section of TT Rockstars and some of your individual scores are really impressive!  Keep it up!  (If any of you still need your login details for TT Rockstars, then please do drop me a line by email and I will send your details to you - my email address is below).

Now the clocks have gone forward an hour, we can really start to feel as though spring is here, and with that in mind, this week's homework tasks have a definite springtime theme.  

I also have an additional challenge for you!  

With a little help from an adult, and an old sock or two, you can make yourselves a cuddly bunny to keep you company in your reading den.  There are some instructions here:  How to make a no-sew sock bunny.  Please remember to ask first before you help yourself to some socks, and make sure that an adult is helping you with the scissors!

That's all from me for today - do please keep checking the Google Drive for more ideas for things to do at home, as I will try to add new things every day.

Keep safe and look after each other,

Mrs Vaqueiro

Email: EJV8@swanlanefirstschool.worcs.sch.uk

Friday 27th March

Happy Friday everyone!

What a week it's been - I hope you've all been keeping busy at home,  but managing to find some time to relax and enjoy family time as well.

I've been trying to make the most of the sunshine and have been encouraging my own children to do some of their homework in the garden - getting some fresh air is really important for all of us.

As it's so sunny, you could have a look at how shadows are formed.  Can you think of a really good sentence explaining what a shadow is and how it is made?  

You could also try to find out how shadows change as the sun changes its position in the sky. Take one of your teddies into the garden and measure their shadow in the morning, at midday (be careful about sunburn though!) and in the evening. What happens to the shadow as the sun moves? Does it matter if you stand teddy in a different place each time?  

Keep a record of the different measurements you take and see if you can make a table and a bar chart to present your findings.  Can you think of a scientific rule to explain your results?

You can also do some artwork using shadows - I saw this idea online.  Draw carefully around the shadows and then you can colour and decorate your designs as you like.

That's all from me for this week - I will update again on Monday, and add next week's schoolwork tasks to the 3V Google Drive then.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs Vaqueiro

Thursday 26th March

Hello again everyone!

I hope you are all keeping well and beginning to adjust to spending so much time at home.  I think we will all appreciate our freedoms very much more when all this is over!

With that in mind, over the coming weeks, instead of feeling glum about the things you aren't able to do, you could make a 'Wish Jar.'  Every time you (or anyone else at home) says 'I wish I could...' the wish is written down on a scrap of paper and put in a special jar or box.  You could even decorate the box to make it really beautiful.  Then, when things are back to normal, you will have a long list of really fun ideas for activities to choose from!  

Try to keep most of your wishes realistic ("I wish I could visit granny and grandad for tea"  or "I wish I could have a picnic in the park" rather than "I wish I could go to Jupiter").  Although it's great to dream, there is also a lot of joy to be found in the ordinary pleasures of life - and it's those simple, everyday things that we are probably missing the most.

That's all from me for today - do please keep checking 3V's Google Drive Resources for additional ideas and inspiration, as I will keep adding new things every day.

Stay safe and look after each other,

With very best wishes,

Mrs Vaqueiro

Wednesday 25th March

Good morning everyone!

I hope you are all keeping well and managing to enjoy the sunshine when you can.  Just a quick update from me today as I am going to be heading into school later to look after those children who are still able to come in.  I will collect the TT Rockstars login details while I'm there so will be able to forward them to you later on.

How are you all adjusting to life at home?  It's certainly a change of pace and something that we will all need to get used to for the time being.  Remember to keep active when you can, and make the most of your back garden while the weather is being kind to us - sunshine is a great mood-booster!

If you are looking for something new to do, I saw an appeal online yesterday from Rooftop Health and Wellbeing.  They look after elderly and vulnerable ladies and gentlemen living in the area, who are self-isolating, and who, as a result, are really missing their families and friends.  It would cheer them up enormously to receive a friendly letter or a colourful picture from you, letting them know you are thinking of them.  To save your paper supplies, and to  avoid the need for you to venture outdoors,  you can send a photo of your masterpieces to  gloucesterhwb@rooftopgroup.org and they will print them out and deliver them to the lucky recipients.

I know they will be thrilled to hear from you, and you can feel proud of yourselves for doing something very kind for an older person in our community.  Remember too that, in Year 3, one of our '50 Things to Do at Swan Lane' is to work with an elderly person.  Although we had hoped to visit them in person, this is the next best thing, and something we can all do to bring a smile to someone's face. 

That's all from me for today - look after yourselves and each other, and stay safe at home.

With very best wishes

Mrs Vaqueiro

Tuesday 24th March

Hello everyone!

Congratulations on surviving your first day of Home School!  I hope everything went well, and that you are all keeping safe and healthy at home.

I have received some queries about login details for TT Rockstars: those children who were in school towards the end of last week were issued with their login details, but I know that many of you will be without this vital information and wondering what on earth to do about it!  Please email me using my school email address (listed below) and I will arrange to send the logins to you.  Please bear with me, however,  as I will only be able to access these details when I am in school myself, rather than working from home!

In the meantime, I have added an 'Additional Resources' file to 3V's Google Drive, which you can dip into for extra inspiration whenever you wish.  I will keep adding to this file as time goes by, so please do keep checking back for new resources and ideas for different home-based activities.

Finally, I have discovered that David Walliams is releasing a daily podcast, reading from some of his books at 11.00am every morning.  You can find more details here:   www.worldofdavidwalliams.com/elevenses

I would love to hear how you are all getting on - please do keep in touch if you can.

With very best wishes to you all,

Mrs Vaqueiro

Email: EJV8@swanlanefirstschool.worcs.sch.uk

Monday 23rd March

Good morning everyone!

I hope this update finds you all well and feeling as positive as any of us can in these very strange days.

I thought it might be helpful if I were to share some links to different websites which might be of interest to support your children through the coming weeks.  

Many educational websites are offering free access to resources during this time, and in addition, some museums, zoos and art galleries are offering free virtual tours.  Some kind soul has collated most of the freebies and is updating the list regularly at   www.amazingeducationalresources.com/ so I would recommend having a look there.

The audiobook website Audible is offering free stories for children while schools are closed.  These can be played on a phone, tablet or computer, so hopefully your children will be able to listen to some new stories when they need some quiet time, or you need to get on with your own work.  The link for the free children's stories can be found here:

stories.audible.com

It's also a good idea for children to get some daily exercise, both to help them burn off some energy and to keep them feeling at their best.  Fitness coach Joe Wicks is offering a free online daily PE lesson for children via his YouTube channel - details can be found at www.thebodycoach.com/blog/pe-with-joe.  

While the weather is so beautiful, why not challenge your children to create a circuit training routine in the garden, if you have one?  You need not use expensive equipment - activities like star jumps, hopping on each foot, running on the spot etc don't need any resources at all - but if you have a skipping rope, hula hoop or a ball you can make endless combinations of activities.

Why not ask your children to keep a daily diary of their time at home?  You could keep a photo or video diary or jot down a few lines each day.  It can be helpful to have time to reflect on each day, and it will be interesting for you all to look back on one day.

I have seen online that many people are creating rainbow art to display in their windows, to remind each other that things will get better, and to cheer up the neighbours and any passers by.  This is such a lovely idea, and can be done by children (and grown ups) of all ages!

Finally, I will be adding content to the Google Drive throughout the week with suggested activities for the children to do at home, so please do keep checking back.  Please don't feel that everything needs to be done at once; none of us knows how long this situation will continue, but rest assured that, when we all get back to school, teachers will know how and where to pick up the academic side of things again.  I believe that what children need most of all during this time is to feel safe and loved at home.  

With all good wishes to you and your families,

Mrs Vaqueiro

Important Information for Parents and Carers

Dear Parents and Carers

As you know, school will be closing until further notice for most children with effect from Friday 20th March.  

It goes without saying that this is a strange and unsettling time for everyone, and our priority is for children and their families to keep safe and well.

At school, we have been working hard to create different resources for the children to access from home.  We will keep adding to these every week so that pupils can consolidate their learning so far in Year 3, and begin to build on their existing skills across the curriculum.  

The work for children in 3V can be accessed via a specific Google Drive, which is available on the link below.

School Closure: Work for Children in 3V

Children who have been in school today have been provided with a Home Learning book in which to complete their work.  This will need to be brought back into school when we re-open.  Reading books have also been sent home - please do try to read with your children every day if you can, and encourage them to read independently while they are at home.  

Having said that, remember that not all learning comes from books!  This family time might be an opportunity for you to share family stories and memories, teach your children to cook or plant a garden.  There are also lots of free online resources which families can share - whether it's a virtual zoo or museum visit, or listening to an audiobook together.  Try to do something you enjoy every day!

Keep in touch if you can - I will leave this blog open for comments and I would love it if you would share photos and updates about your adventures while we are all away from school.  I will make sure to share photos of the things we are getting up to while you are away, to help us all remember that we are all still part of the same class, even while we are apart.

With all good wishes

Mrs Vaqueiro

Pompeii Research

This afternoon in 3V we have been continuing our studies of Pompeii and the Bay of Naples by undertaking a range of activities to research the answers to two questions:

1. What was it like in Pompeii before the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD79, and what was it like afterwards?

2.  How do we know so much about life in Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius in AD79?

Children used books, paintings and drawings, internet resources and a timeline of events to piece together information about Pompeii, as well as a very valuable primary source - a translation of Pliny the Younger's letter to his friend Tacitus, which gave an eye witness account of the eruption.

Measure by Measure

In our maths lessons recently, we have been learning all about measuring length using metres, centimetres and millimetres.  We are learning how to convert measurements between the the different units of measure, and how to compare different lengths using mathematical language.

Today, we decided to spend part of our maths lesson outside in the fresh air, using a metre wheel to measure the length and width of the playground, and measure some of the different playground equipment.  We then had a really interesting discussion about why different groups might have recorded different results for the same things.

Sports Relief

We have enjoyed a very energetic today at school raising money for the Sport Relief charity.  Staff and children came to school in sports gear in return for a small donation to charity.  

During the week, the children have been tackling the challenge of running the distance between Land's End and John O'Groats (603 miles as the crow flies - it's longer by road!) by running laps of the school field.  This afternoon, they redoubled their efforts in an extra half-hour slog around the field, achieving a really impressive number of laps!

*** Breaking news*** 

Mr Thompson has just advised that the children succeeded in meeting both the original challenge of running 603  miles, and the further challenge of running the road distance - a whopping 874 miles!

Well done everyone!

Science Week - Trip to the Hive

On Wednesday Years 3 and 4 enjoyed an exciting trip to the Hive in Worcester for a science workshop on the theme of 'Explosive Food!"

The workshop was led by a scientist from the Royal Institute, who entertained us all with lots of fascinating facts about food and nutrition, as well as conducting some hair-raising experiments in front of our very eyes!  Many of the children had the opportunity to participate in some of the more interactive experiments, and we all learnt a great deal.

After the workshop, we were able to spend some time in the Hive itself, looking at the enormous inflatable globe currently installed in the ground floor area, and enjoying a story in the children's section.

We thank Mr Johnson for organising such a super trip for us!

Big Writing Letter - w/c 16 March 2020

Big Writing task

Week beginning Monday 16th March 2020

This week’s Big Writing is based on writing a setting description.  We will be using the piece of art below as our inspiration, ‘Cobblestone Bridge’ by Thomas Kinkade.

It would be useful if you could discuss and practise the following with your child:

· Using the word of the week ‘secluded’

· Talk about the features of the landscape

· Think of positional language e.g. below, across from, next to

· Practise using simile for description e.g. as fluffy as a cloud

Thank you, 

                                                              

Mrs Vaqueiro