Rehearsals in Year 5 are well under way. The class have been incredibly creative with their ideas and have taken risks to try new things and suggest ideas. They’re finding learning the lines quite hard. What could help them to learn their lines?
Stig of the Dump
Year 5 have done a very impressive job of picking up on their learning from the end of Year 4. We acted out our stories to remind us of our learning and then took time and care over the drafting and editing process. We have finally written our version of what happens next in Stig of the Dump and they are ready to be posted to the original author. I wonder what he will think of our versions…
New books! Thank you!
Thank you to all the Maple Cross families who have purchased a new book for our school library through the amazon wish list. As you can see, the books look great and they are already proving very popular with the children.
All donated books from this list are fitted with a bookplate including who donated it and a message from the giver. Children LOVE getting to see their family’s name inside a book.
I continue to add new books to the amazon wish list so please find the list using the wish list search at amazon, using admin@maplecross.herts.sch.uk as the search term. If you have any questions, please ask in the office or ask me on a Wednesday or Friday afternoon. Thank you!
Y2: exploring Place Value
Year 2 have been spending time exploring how Place Value can be represented in different ways. We’ve also been finding useful & creative ways of using our maths resources to help us learn. I asked, “what’s the same and what’s different, on the hundred square and multiplication square?” Any ideas?
MX Explorers – Who sawdust?
Things we noticed:
- A fine white dust comes out of the stick when we cut it with the saw.
- When we rub sandpaper on our sticks it makes the wood more smooth (and the colour seems to change)
- The blade of the saw and the cut end of the stick got warmer after we had cut it, but quickly cooled down.
- The drill cut through the stick slowly, but went through the grass quickly.
Can anyone use their knowledge to help us understand what we noticed?
Maple Cross Explorer Fireworks
Group 8 today explored how to represent fireworks using natural materials. They worked together to collect the different coloured leaves, conker shells and flowers. On the way we saw Mr Watson’s group creating faces on the trees and Mr Flint’s group sawing wood.
Mud creatures
How much are you selling it for?
Today in Maple Cross explorers, group 3 worked together to create their own nature necklaces. I was very impressed with their collaboration skills! The older children helped the younger children learn how to use the hole punch and showed them how to thread their string through the holes. The children especially enjoyed making up prices for their finished pieces. 
Maple Cross Explorers – What is a home?
Today group 4 investigated a range of different homes. As a team they discussed their plans and set about building their own den.
I was blown away by the collaboration and resilience in group 4. Three children spent over ten minutes working together to snap a tree branch to the right length. No matter how difficult the physical challenge or the mental strength needed, they refused to give up. Other children supported different elements of the build – some collected sticks, some positioned and some climbed high to arrange the roof. All the children contributed equally as part of a team.
Year 4 Band Time
Year 4 are already enjoying their incredible music lessons with Mr Fisher. Today, the children saw each instrument for the first time time and five lucky children were chosen to be the very first to play them. Next week, all children from Y4 will learn about, handle and play their own brass instrument.
Come and ask us what we’ve learnt so far.
