​Year 4—Mr Rumble has too much fun
 
We have been studying sound in science since (alliteration) Christmas. Looking at how sound is made, how it travels and how different materials react to variations of sound, which has meant we could experiment. We made drums from bowls and cling film, tuning forks from cutlery and then measured the strength of vibrations (and therefore soundwaves) using water and our favourite iPad apps.
 
The experimental lesson was so much fun, I was happy to repeat it for another year 4 class.
 
Furthermore, we have let our creativity run free by writing free verse poems about The Lorax, designed multiplication resources and painted a whole Dr Seuss inspired art.
 

​We have been looking at superheroes. We thought about what our superpowers would be and what our superhero names could be. Lots of us wanted to have ice and fire powers.
In maths we have been practicing our number bonds to 10. We have been seeing how we can make 10 in different ways. 

​We have also been looking at plants and how they grow. We planted our own bulbs in pots in our classrooms and we are going to watch them grow really big and we are going to water them every day. We put our plants by the window so they can get some light from the sun. We had lots of fun hitting the tennis balls with the rackets in the outside area! 

Reception: 
This week, Reception have been reading Room on the Broom, pupils have designed and labelled their own broom for the Witch and her friends! Pupils considered what their brooms would look like and how they could fit a variety of different friends on it. The previous week, pupils were able to design and label their own superhero, thinking about what the costume would look like, as well as what superpower they might have. 
 
Year 1: 
Year 1 has been studying newspaper reports. Believe it or not, animals have escaped from London Zoo and have ended up on our school playground! Children have been roleplaying being a news reporter and a zookeeper to describe the event. This will then lead onto them creating their own report about the animals recently discovered on the playground! 
 
Year 2: 
The focus in Year 2 this week has been writing narratives for a space adventure. They have been exploring the features of a narrative, including focusing on the structure of a story as well as description. Pupils have challenged themselves by using expanded noun phrases and similes to describe the character and setting.   
 
Year 3: 
By focusing on their class text (Where the Wild Things Are), Year 3 have been exploring Setting and Character descriptions, they have challenged themselves to use powerful adjectives, using senses, similes, to help build tension within a narrative about voyage and return. 
 
Year 4: 
As they have been using their class text as their stimulus (The Lorax), pupils in have written a persuasive letter to the Onceler to persuade him to stop cutting down truffala trees. They have also created persuasive adverts to sell thneeds and this week (and last) they have written free verse poems on the setting on the Lorax. 
 
Year 5: 
Year 5 have been basing their work on scripts over the past two weeks. Pupils have been exploring some scenes from Romeo and Juliet. They have acted out some scenes – with the help of their class teachers – and have planned and started their own version. The focus of their version is an alternative, tragic ending – we have seen many gruesome or shocking twists in their plans. 
 
Year 6: 
Pupils in Year 6 have had the opportunity to show off their creativity over the past couple of weeks. They have been Writing an adventure narrative based on the video ‘Francis’. All children have been really engaged and have loved sharing their theories about what the elusive ‘monster’ could be.   ​

Year Five have been working exceptionally hard over the past couple of weeks, in the build-up to half term and we have continued to put 110% effort into our work. We have been attempting to get our mind around various elements of fractions, including the following: converting between mixed and improper fractions, comparing and ordering fractions and addition of fractions with comparable denominators.  
In English, we have been planning and writing our own alternative ending to Romeo and Juliet, with a twist. Pupils have produced some comical, gruesome and shocking endings. We have also acted some other scenes out to help us understand how scripts work including exploration of settings and stage directions. 
During our science lessons, we have been looking at forces and how water resistance and friction impacts vehicles. Pupils then had to design their own sledge and boats within a set criterion, including key vocabulary such as: gravity, air resistance, water resistance, friction and surface area. 
In art, we have been expressing ourselves through the media of graffiti, we have been looking at how to juxtapose graffiti on a different form of art such as collages or watercolours. 
From all the Year 5 team, we wish you a happy and safe half term! ​

This week in 5TH we have focussed on presenting a balanced discussion during our English work. We were exploring who were the stronger (and better all-round) civilisation, the Anglo-Saxons or the Vikings. Most of us decided that the Vikings took the crown due to their aggression in battle and their more interesting gods and mythology. 

​In science, we investigated water resistance, and how this form of friction can be useful. We discovered that surface area has an enormous impact on the resistance offered by water, and that streamlined shapes can cut through water with more ease, therefore making them sink faster. Here an example of the boat we designed this week. 

Hello All,  
It's good to be back from maternity leave and see everyone again. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my first week back at ETPS.  
I’m pleased to see good attendance at sports clubs and hope to see this continue and increase as we commence our summer term sports after February half term. This should give us a head start on working towards competing in the remainder of spring and summer term Thurrock SSP competitions.  
We have the following events lined up for the remainder of the school year- Sports hall athletics, cross country for years 3/4 and 5/6, tag rugby years 3/4, year 5/6 netball rally, KS2 girls' and boys' cricket, Rounders, Quad kids for KS1 and KS2 and of course the borough Olympics at the end of the summer term.   
Please ensure your child has their full PE kit in school, Appropriate footwear, change of socks (girls cannot wear tights for PE), shorts/ jogging bottoms, white t shirt and a jumper for outdoor PE.  
Thank you  
Mrs Russo- PE lead