Thursday 30 March 2017

This Week's Showbie Stars Are...

Dorrie and Florence! 

Dorrie impressed in Cherry class due to her reflectiveness regarding her Showbie job. After careful consideration, she realised she hadn't provided enough detail in her comments and this would mean it would be impossible for an adult to check if her work was correct. So, she went back to her work and clarified her comments. This meant Miss Estall was able to mark her work and as a result, award her as Showbie Star! 

For this same reason, Florence has made Miss Rollin happy! She left some useful feedback on her assignment stating that she wasn't quite secure in her turns, proving she is also reflective. This meant that Miss Rollin has been able meet the children's needs and revisit the terms clockwise and anticlockwise until confidence levels improved. Well done Florence, your honestly regarding your understanding is exactly what every teacher needs!

What super reflective children we have in Year 2!







Year 2 Star Writers



 
Spencer and Tommy are our Star Writers in Year 2 this week.
 
Miss Estall and Miss Rollin are just about the proudest teachers in the universe because of the hard work displayed by these wonderful boys! Not only have they been working very hard in Read Write Inc, but they have been producing super writing in Big Write sessions too.

Keep up the hard work boys!
 

Easter Celebrations In Cherry Class!

This week in Cherry class we have been learning all about the Easter story. First, we heard the story of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We spoke about how Jesus and his 12 disciples had their last supper and how Jesus sadly, learned that he had been betrayed by Judas. We shared hot cross buns and reflected on the story. We thought about the bread that Jesus shared between his friends and the cross in which he was crucified. We then listened to a good Friday hymn that portrayed the sadness felt by Christians at this time.
 



 

The following day, we learned of the events which took place on Easter Sunday; when Jesus resurrected. We shared delicious Easter eggs and spoke about the reasons why this is a common tradition in Britain at Easter. We learnt that the eggs are a symbol of new life and Jesus' resurrection.


"I didn't know that's why we eat eggs, I did always wonder why!" Vinnie

"I learned that when eggs are cracked open they represent the empty tomb after Jesus came back" Paris
 
Yummy!


Finally, in the spirit of all things Easter we have been completing Easter related activities in the class room including; symmetrical eggs, an Easter reading activity, an Easter finger gym and have made our own Easter baskets from nets.

 
What a lovely final week it has been in Cherry class!
 

 

Year 2 visit the farm

We were lucky enough this week to have a farm visit us at Broadford! The children of year 2 were able to visit the wonderful animals. They saw sheep, cows, goats, chickens, turkeys, rabbits and guinea pigs. The children we able to stroke, brush and feed the animals. 

By the end of the session the children had a better understanding of how to care for farm animals. 

'You have to stroke it's back so you don't scare it.' Riley. 
'You can feed it pellets and grass as that's what cows like to eat.' Maisy.



Wednesday 29 March 2017

KS1 Maths Challenge

Here is the Easter KS1 Maths Challenge special. Congratulations to this week's winners: Arnez Dash and Keira Baker.

Thursday 23 March 2017

Year 2 Star Writers


Well done to James and Bonnie!

This week they have both produced brilliant pieces of writing which is clear and coherent; has lots of fabulous noun phrases and even includes dialogue using inverted commas! 

Keep up the hard work both of you! 

KS1 Maths Challenge

Here is the new KS1 Maths Challenge. Congratulations to this week's winners: Zara Satti and Hollie Gray. 

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Cedar Sharing Assembly

The children of Cedar class look forward to welcoming their family and friends to their Sharing Assembly tomorrow morning at 9.00am! 


Monday 20 March 2017

Bright Sparks In Year 2!

In Year 2 this week one of the children's jobs has been to explore and investigate electrical circuits. Enthusiasm and excitement was rife when the children set eyes on the equipment and they couldn't wait to get stuck in!

To begin with, the children found it challenging to get the elements to work, but after great resilience the children managed to power up some fully functioning circuits...

However, this wasn't enough... they then wanted to develop their learning further. It was at this moment the spark really did light! Suddenly questions and ideas came pouring from the their mouths...

"I wonder what would happen if we put another switch in?" Riley

"What if we take out the bulb" John

"Will it work without the wire?" Nina
 
This led to further investigation whereby all those questions were answered and the children finally felt content with their findings and new found knowledge.
 
"So that's how the light switch on the wall makes the lights go on!" Vinnie
 
The teachers were absolutely thrilled with the levels of engagement and the scientific enquiry which was taking place before their eyes. Well done Year 2, we clearly have some Scientists/Electricians in our mitts! 







Year One visit the Barbican!

Year One Visit the Barbican


At 9:00am this morning, the whole of Year One set off to the Barbican. We walked to Harold Wood train station, where we bumped into the Year One team from Mead. 150 children then boarded the train and headed for Liverpool street!
Can you spot the children from Mead?
   

For the last couple of weeks, the children have been learning songs and actions to go with the story book, Stan and Mabel.

Stan and Mabel tells the story of two neglected animals –  Stan (a dog) and Mabel (a cat) –  who live in a tall tower block in the city. Although their owners ignore them, Stan and Mabel find great comfort  in the music played by the flute lady, who lives downstairs. But one day the music stops.
When Stan and Mabel go to investigate, they discover that  their beloved neighbour has gone to Italy, to a competition  to find the greatest orchestra in the world. In a flash, Mabel decides that they should follow in her footsteps  and visit the famous La Scala opera house in Milan. They just need  to find some friends to join their animal orchestra first!  And so the adventure begins…


The story was told with the accompaniment of the London Symphony Orchestra, and what a lovely experience for the children. They began by explaining a little about the instruments being used and then the children became the conductors. As the story was being read, they created the mood of each scene, engaging everyone!

                              

After the performance we sat in the Barbican Centre and ate our lunch before heading back to Broadford. For some, it had been a long day!



                               


A big thank you to our helping parents/grandparents. Without your support, we would not be able to provide the children with these lovely experiences!

Sunday 19 March 2017

Year 2 Star Writers

Well done to Kara and Michael; our Star Writers in Year 2!

Kara has impressed Miss Estall with her resilience when creating her own fairy tale in Literacy and Language. First, she planned her ideas, then she put them together to create a story using lots of adjectives. Using such powerful adjectives meant that the reader could truly imagine her characters and settings; making her story very engaging.

 Michael has put a big smile on Miss Rollin's face by working hard when writing his own version of the Columbus story. He wrote in his absolute best handwriting and remembered to punctuate his work with full stops and even included exclamation marks!

 





Thursday 16 March 2017

Showbie Stars!

Nina and Jessica are our first Showbie Stars in Year 2!

Every week, during their independent time the children are required to completed 4 'jobs'. These are designed to apply and consolidate previous learning. Some of these jobs are evidenced using the Showbie app, which children are thoroughly enjoying. 

Jessica and Nina have set the high standard when using Showbie and complete all of their jobs every single week! Not only this, but they reflect on the activity and ensure they leave insightful comments for their teacher to read. 

Well done and thank you girls; you are both great examples of how Showbie should be used. 













Wacky Stu visits Broadford....

... Our own wacky scientist came to visit Year 1 and 2 today as a treat for science week. The children were thrilled to have such an exciting visitor and to see lots of exciting experiments. The task for today was to discover: what is a bubble?

First, we began by looking at normal bubbles and trying to guess what might be in them, "water, colours, pop" the children guessed. We went on to learn they are made like a sandwich with a layer of soap, water and then more soap. The colours change and become more vivid as they dry out (or go on for longer).

Next we looked at making different shaped bubbles, has anyone ever seen a triangular bubble?? The reason all bubbles are spheres, we learned, was due to its surface tension requiring it to make the smalled shape it can- which is a sphere.

After this, the children saw Wacky Stu show them how to make LOTS of tiny bubbles. "He used material and there were lots of tiny holes so it all came through and made tiny bubbles" Roberto.

Now we knew how to make small bubbles, we wanted to see BIG bubbles! Using a giant wand the children got to make their own enormous bubbles and even used a bubble rocket to send out dozens of bubbles into the air. "It almost touched the roof" Blake.



It was very exciting, but the children wanted to go BIGGER!!! So next, Wacky Stu put the children inside a bubble!! "I had to stand really still so it didnt burst" Zara.


Finally, the children saw bubbles on fire, exploding/fizzy bubbles and oozing bubbles. "I made the bubbles that went on and on and kept coming out the pot" Charlie T.


"My favourite was the oozing bubbles at the end!" Arnez

"I loved the giant bubble because it was so colourful" Grace

"I got to help Wacky Stu" Keira

"I had a bubble all around me, it was amazing!" George

Year One take on the Broadford Science Challenges!

This week is Science Week and the children in Year One have been undertaking challenges from our Science bags! Great work, Year One!

Challenge 1- To discover all about static electricity and try to pick up tissue paper with a balloon.
The children soon realised what they needed to do with a lot of help from our champion balloon blower- Giada! They considered lots of things such as, what helps create the most static and why? They found their jumpers and tights were best. "Is it because it is a softer material?" Kaley. "It doesnt work as well when it gets sandy but the static electricity keeps picking up sand!" Rajaab.

Challenge 2- Make your own secret notes.
The children had lots of fun writing out secret notes and using a paint wash to reveal them.
"Now I can write secret notes to my friends just for them" Grace


Challenge 3- Make a rocket balloon.
The children chose where they wanted to send their rockets- they tied string between tables and really utilised the outdoor area. They talked about how they were going to make the rocket zoom faster and whether longer string would work better. The children had all different shaped balloons to experiment with and made predictions about what they thought would happen.
"I think the longer balloon will go the most because it took me longer to blow up!" Giada "The long balloon will get to the end as it has more air in it" Tilly "We put our string between the tables and moved the tables so it had a really long way to go" Tyler




Challenge 4- Make bubbles.
Year One used their equipment to make their own bubble wands and with great success! Lots of bubbles were being made and the children questioned why the bubbles always came our round, even if they made a triangle wand.
"If you make a big shape the bubble bursts quickly" Lily
"To make loads of bubbles we had to make our wands small" Nela




Challenge 5- Construct a tower.
In Year One, we have some enthusiastic potential architects. The children constructed a tower from straws and playdoh but they were keen to see something "bigger". Luckily, Mrs Kupriene had some constructing sticks handy and so the children went on to design and build a tower taller than them!
"The bottom needs to be very steady so it wont fall over. I'm going to need a lot of playdoh!" Charlie Porter.
"The top can be a big point so it reaches really tall into the sky" Moyin.


Challenge 6- Build a bridge.
The children got straight to work to help their gingerbread man across the river by making a bridge for him to cross. They needed to ensure their bridge was sturdy so he wouldnt fall in. Year One enjoyed trying out their different ideas to see which would be best.
"The children have made their bridges and have taken them apart so they can make more!" Mrs Baker.







Y1 learn about Alexander Graham Bell


In Year One, we have been learning about Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the early telephone. Next we completed a series of activities- fact finding, finding out the chronology of the telephone, looking at old and new telephones and creating our own!

Did you know? The first words ever said over a telephone were "Mr Watson, come here!" said by Bell to his colleague as they sat in different rooms. The children had a go themselves after making their own 'phones'.



"I can hear it through the cup!" Brooke

"The string is vibrating when I talk" Katlyn

"The first phone didnt even have numbers on it" Grace

"My favourite fact was that Bell created a machine invention when he was only 12!" Kanishka

KS1 Maths Challenge

Here is the new KS1 Maths Challenge. Congratulations to this week's winners: Andrew Mihai-Stoian and Katlyn Mukandavire.



Wednesday 15 March 2017

Science Week has started!!

Just a reminder.... don't forget to complete your science learning challenge. If you complete an experiment at home (there are some suggestions on the science challenge below) send in a photo or video for your chance to win a science prize and certificate in assembly. You have two weeks to complete, so take a look. Well done to those children who have already submitted their challenges!

Enjoy!





Tuesday 14 March 2017

Science Week in Year 2


This week is Science Week and the children have been learning about the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. They learnt that he was the first engineer to design a railway that took train passengers across the country. After learning all about Brunel, the children took part in a 'Brunel Challenge.' In groups the children had 15 minutes to construct a bridge using various materials. The bridge had to be 30cm tall and hold a 60g weight. The children demonstrated reciprocity when working together and resourcefulness when deciding which materials were the best to use. 

Congratulations to the following children who were the challenge winners:

Cedar Class: Violet, Joshua, Sophia and Indie. 
Cherry class: Kara, Paris, Bayleigh, Alex, Nina and Ameerah. 
We worked together and planned what to do before we started building. Kara 

We have added more straws to make the bridge stronger. Indie

As a result of this activity the children are clearly better at working effectively as a team and now have an greater knowledge of how to strengthen structures to make them stable. 




Cherry bridges 



Thursday 9 March 2017

We've Cracked it!

The children in Year 2 have certainly proved that no task is too big for them....

When they found a mysterious treasure chest in the sandpit at the start of term they were aghast and baffled. "Who put it there?" "What is inside?" "What do the objects link to?" They asked.

They knew they had the task of piecing all of the things together but they were truly confused by the random objects and slightly apprehensive about feeding back to Mrs Nicholls.

Luckily, they got their thinking caps on, got to work and proved that they are great investigators! They hunted through books, rummaged for clues, scanned the internet and even questioned their parents. They then brought all of these sources of information together to work out what each clue was and how they related to one another. It turns out the items in the chest were all in relation to Columbus and his famous Voyages.

The Santa picture was because the boat was the Santa Maria! Kara

The hat is in there because he was a sailor and they wear these kind of hats. Lewis

As a result of this drama, the children have become much better at researching using a variety of sources and are now applying these new-found skills to other projects! I wonder what they will find out next...?

I loved doing the timeline, I even did one at home of my life. Nina






 




Isabelle and Bonnie: Stars In The Making!

Isabelle and Bonnie have left Cherry class in awe of their personal achievements this week. Both of the girls have received awards for their extra-curricular activities outside of School and shared them with the class.
 
The fabulous Isabelle earned her proficiency Level 3 award for her outstanding gymnastics. While Bonnie has been awarded medals for her brilliant dancing.
 
I (Miss Estall) have been lucky enough to witness these skills first hand this week! I was astounded (and slightly jealous) by Isabelle's bendy moves in PE and then had the pleasure of seeing Bonnie's famous moves during just dance time!
 
Proud teacher alert!!!
 


Year 2 Star Writers

Hooray for Lewis and Charlie! They are our Star Writers this week in Year 2! The boys have impressed their teachers this week by planning their own stories based on Christopher Columbus. They used a number of adjectives to describe their settings and worked hard to punctuate their work correctly!
 
Well done boys, your hard work has meant you truly are Star Writers!
 
 
 
 

Year 2 Star Writers

Well done to all of these amazing Star Writers! We have been very busy in our writing over the last few weeks in Year 2. Between them, these Star Writers have written information texts, Fairy Tales and even Newspaper reports! WOW!

For various reasons, some children missed the opportunity to have their photo taken on the week they were awarded Star Writer; so here they are now in all of their marvellous glory!

Paris Godfrey, Dorrie Lewis, Riley Hann, Jessica Butler and Phoebe Adams.

Keep up the hard work guys! Your teachers are very proud of you!