🌳 Redwoods Weekly Update – Friday 9th October

What a fantastic week we’ve had in Redwoods! The children have been working hard across the curriculum, and we have lots to celebrate. We’re also looking ahead to an exciting week next week, with World Explorer Day and our residential trip!

🔢 Maths
We have been exploring factors, common factors, multiples and common multiples, as well as learning and applying the rules of divisibility. These skills help children recognise number patterns, solve problems efficiently and build a stronger understanding of multiplication.

📱 An important DoodleTables reminder!
Please make sure your child completes DoodleTables three times a week, for around 10 minutes per session. Quick and confident recall of multiplication facts is absolutely essential in Upper Key Stage 2. Times tables underpin so much of our maths, including fractions, division, factors, multiples and more complex calculations. Regular practice makes a huge difference, so please help your child build this into their weekly routine. Little and often is the key!

📖 English
This week, the children completed their independent ‘hot write’: their own stories about a child trying to get something they desperately wanted. They put the techniques we have been practising into action, including the power of three, show-don’t-tell, expanded noun phrases and varying sentence length to build tension and convey emotion.
It has been wonderful to see the children applying these writerly tools independently and developing their own ideas and voices as authors.

💻 Computing
We have been learning how search engines work, exploring the roles of web crawlers and indices. We looked at how search engines discover information on websites, organise it in an index and use that information to help find relevant results when someone searches online.

🎨 Art
We are getting ready to plan and create our own final insect-inspired artwork! We will bring together our observational drawing skills, mixed-media techniques and Pop Art influences to create individual pieces.
If you have any interesting materials or scraps at home that could be useful for an artwork — perhaps unusual paper, fabric, textured packaging or other interesting bits and pieces — please encourage your child to collect them and bring them into school. Please only send in things you are happy for us to use! We will create our final artwork on Wednesday 21st October.

🔬 Science
We have been investigating the three main types of blood vessels: arteries, veins and capillaries. We explored how their structures are suited to their different functions, including carrying blood away from the heart, returning blood to the heart and allowing substances to be exchanged between the blood and body tissues.

🕌 RE
We continued our learning about the Five Pillars of Islam, focusing on Zakah and Sawm. We explored the importance of charitable giving and fasting in Muslim life, considering what these practices mean and why they are significant to Muslims.

🇪🇸 Spanish
We have been learning the numbers from 20 to 30 in Spanish, practising the vocabulary and developing our confidence in recognising and saying the numbers.

✏️ Spelling
This week, we have been practising hyphenated words, including re-enter and co-operate. We have been thinking about how hyphens are used in these words and practising spelling them accurately.

⭐ Star of the Week – Nehir
A huge congratulations to Nehir, our Star of the Week! Nehir wrote a fantastic story, making excellent use of the writerly tools we have been learning. It was wonderful to see her bring these techniques together so effectively in her independent writing. Well done, Nehir!

🔢 Doodler of the Week – Esme
Well done to Esme, our Doodler of the Week! Esme has worked incredibly hard on her times tables, spending well over an hour altogether practising on DoodleTables. Her effort and commitment are brilliant examples of how regular practice can help us improve. Fantastic work, Esme!

✍️ Handwriter of the Week – Dewdini
Congratulations to Dewdini, our Handwriter of the Week! Her letter formation and joined handwriting have been impeccable. She should be very proud of the care and consistency she puts into her presentation. Well done!

💛 Random Act of Kindness Award – Jotham
Congratulations to Jotham, our Random Act of Kindness award winner this week! Jotham has been recognised for looking out for his classmates and helping them when they are stuck or unsure what to do. It is wonderful to see him supporting others and helping to make Redwoods a kind, supportive place to learn. Well done, Jotham!

🌍 World Explorer Day – Monday
On Monday, we will be taking part in World Explorer Day, focusing on Ukraine. Children are welcome to wear non-uniform and, if they wish, show their support by wearing the colours of the Ukrainian flag: yellow and blue.

🏕️ Residential Reminder – Wednesday to Friday
A big reminder that our residential trip takes place next Wednesday to Friday! Please make sure you check the information sent home and that your child has everything they need for the trip. We are looking forward to a brilliant few days together!

🏠 Home Learning
Thank you, as always, for your continued support with reading, spellings and home learning. Please give particular attention to the three weekly DoodleTables sessions, as times-table fluency is such an important foundation for our maths learning.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone. We’re looking forward to another exciting week in Redwoods!

Mr Abraham 🌳