Maple
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Blog 2024-2025
Spring Term 2
This half-term, Maple concluded their topic on ‘Rainforests’. The children have enjoyed lots of cross curricular learning based around their topic.
In Literacy this half-term, the children wrote some fantastic play scripts based around deforestation. Play scripts can be quite difficult to write with lots of different features to include, however the children did a fantastic job and demonstrated their knowledge and skills clearly through their writing. Maple class have also begun to focus on the text ‘The Iron Giant’. From this text we are hoping to start a narrative text based around the same theme.
In Science, Maple have been learning to explain reflection, identify reflective materials and select the most reflective material for a purpose. Maple have enjoyed taking part in several reflection and light ‘hunts’ and thoroughly enjoyed identifying opaque, translucent and transparent materials.
In PE this term, we have begun to enjoy the warmer days, getting out and playing rounders and also taking part in inclusive sports such at Boccia. The children have also enjoyed being given the opportunity to take part in a different range of sporting events organised by The Purbeck School.
In DT, the children explored food hygiene and safety and made biscuits. The children enjoyed the food sampling lesson, where they identified different flavours and designs of biscuit. The children worked in small groups to weigh and make their biscuit recipe and produced some yummy looking biscuits!
Maple have enjoyed some fantastic learning opportunities this half term. We were fortunate enough to take part on a one night residential to Cumulus. The children enjoyed playing beach games, pond dipping, fire lighting and hunt the instructor, to name but a few exciting activities.
Maple also took part in ‘Sing for Joy’. We worked hard to learn and remember several different songs led by Susannah Nettleton from Purbeck Youth Music group. We then worked with the 4 other local primary schools and performed these together in a show for the parents/carers. The children were wonderful and sang beautifully.
Spring Term 1
This half-term, Maple focused the topic of the ‘The Rainforest’. The children learnt about where rainforest are and why they are positioned in certain areas. The children looked at the tropics of Capricorn and Cancer and the equator, and learnt about their position to the sun. The children found it fascinating to learn about the tribes that inhabit different rainforest and their customs and traditions. As this topic continues after half term, Maple will focus more on deforestation and the impact this has on global warming.
In Literacy this half-term, the children learnt about a range of different genres. The children con-ducted their own research about an aspect on the rainforest, including animals and the Amazon River, and used this to inform their writing based on a non-chronological report. Year 3 had an ex-tra session each week, where they explored exciting vocabulary linked to settings and wrote their own setting description based on an inspirational picture. Maple ended the term by looking at play scripts and acted out an exciting performance of The Gingerbread Man.
In Science this half term, Maple learnt about ‘Animals, including Humans’. The children learnt about the different bones within the body and their role in protecting certain organs. They also learnt about joints, such as ball and socket and hinge joints, and why these joints are where they are and how they allow movement. We also learnt about muscles and tendons and made our own hands with string to replicate the movement of our fingers. Lastly, we learnt about nutrition and the values of each group on food packets.
In Art and DT this term, Maple learnt about David Hockney. They looked at the colour wheel and how complementary colours are used by Pop Artists to make their artwork vivid. They painted their own landscape, inspired by the work of David Hockney, using our surrounding environment.
The children have been using Scratch in Computer Science, this half term. They learnt how to en-ter code to change costumes and background and made their characters move, including using sound.
We have been delighted to work with Mrs Nettleton from Purbeck Youth Music, who has taught us several songs which we have learnt and added harmony, rounds and call and response. We are very excited to be performing these to the families and working alongside other schools, in March.
Autumn Term 2
This half-term, Maple continued to focus on the topic of the ‘Ancient Egyptians’. The children learnt about the significant events in history and how this is influenced life today. Maple enjoyed learning about the different processes of the afterlife and the importance and reasons as to why mummification was so important to the afterlife. They took part in lots of guided reading tasks related to the topic which has embedded their subject knowledge and understanding.
In Literacy this half-term, the children had some exciting topics. They enjoyed writing their story about an adventure story based around a child who goes on a quest to Ancient Egypt. They fo-cussed on varied sentences and adventurous word choices which made their stories a pleasurable read. St George’s also had a special visitor to the school field… a dragon! The dragon was spotted flying above the field, so naturally the children had to investigate what clues were left behind. On further inspection, the children discovered a dragon nest with a beautiful dragon egg. After exploring the field for more clues, the children went back to class to devise a story on how and why a dragon visited our school field. They turned this into a story of their own, which were wonderful!
In Science this half term, Maple learnt how to investigate scientifically. They planned and con-ducted an investigating into the relationship between handspan and grip strength. The children tested these out and recorded their results. A lot of fun was had testing the comparisons of grip strength!
Maple have enjoyed taking part in swimming, dance, gymnastics and Forest School sessions this term. The progress the class have made in their swimming strokes has been very impressive. In dance the children became wild animals, where they had to think about movement, levels and poise. Mrs Legg was amazed by how in character they became and believed they were real life wild animals!
As we are on the countdown to Christmas, Maple have enjoyed taking part in the many crafting opportunities. We have decorated baubles for the the Christmas Tree Festival, designed and had made Christmas cards, thanks to the PTA, and taken part in Christmas Dubber front cover competition. Lots of preparation and rehearsals went into the Nativity. Mrs Legg was very impressed with the effort and attitude that the children displayed, and I think we can all agree that it was a wonderful service!
Autumn Term 1
This half-term, Maple focused the topic of the ‘The Ancient Egyptians’. The children learnt about the significant events in history and how forward thinking and advanced the Ancient Egyptians were. They particularly enjoyed learning about the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses and all the gory facts that came from that era.
In Literacy this half-term, the children learnt about a range of different genres. The children en-joyed the story of ‘The Diary of the Killer Cat’. They used this book to write their own diary about a naughty animal that gets itself into mischief. I was so proud of the class for working so hard on these and making it an enjoyable task to read. Maple thoroughly enjoyed the guided reading text called ‘Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx’. They thought the illustrations were beautiful and en-joyed the modern story that brought back a few key Egyptian gods. In the coming term, Maple will be using this text to base their own stories on.
In Science this half term, Maple learnt about ‘Forces and Magnets’. The children enjoyed many investigations such as testing if the surface of a ramp affects how far a car will travel and investigat-ing the difference in the strength of a variety of magnets.
In Art and DT this term, Maple researched Ancient Egyptian collars and have begun designing their own. We will be making these after half term using an appliqué technique to mirror the collars.
The children have been learning about ‘Digital Devices’ in Computer Science this half term. The children learnt how to sort digital devices and the importance that they have on everyday life. They learnt about input, process, output (IPO) and how this is used in real life contexts.
In PE this term, Maple have enjoyed taking part in Gymnastic sessions, focussing on balances and ‘excellent gymnastics’, what they need to ensure they do to create an excellent routine. Year 3s have also work incredibly hard during their swimming sessions this half term, where they have all made progress in front crawl and confidence in water.
2023 - 2024
Summer Term 2
This half-term, Maple focused the topic of the ‘The Stone Age’ and learnt about why it is one of the most interesting and important periods of time in human history, as it marks the transition from nomadic hunter-gatherers to the beginnings of agriculture, animal domestication and the use of tools. The class enjoyed listening to the story about ‘The Stone Age Boy’ and comparing their life to a child from the Stone Age.
In Literacy this half-term, the children concluded the natural disasters topic by writing a fantastic newspaper report about a hurricane or volcanic eruption. I was so impressed by their achievements as this is a tricky text to write. We finished off the school year by writing a story based around slipping through a window to the past to the Stone Age.
In Art and DT this term, the children and I have really enjoyed experimenting with other art materials. We researched a local environmental artist who uses mud, litter and even cow poo as a painting resource. The children used the theme and skills learnt from this artist to create their own natural nature pictures… just without the cow poo!
Maple were asked to take part in several local events in Swanage. The first was a local Tennis tournament at Beech Gardens allowing the children to compete against the 3 other local primary schools. The second exciting event was taking part in Swanage Young Musicians concert. On rehearsal day, we had a lovely public bus ride down to Swanage and we were even lucky enough to enjoy an ice-cream on the beach whilst we waited for the rehearsals to start. The children performed beautifully on stage with 4 local primary schools and put on a superb performance to a full crowd at The Mowlem.
I cannot believe we have come to the end of the year already. I will miss you year 4s, as you become year 5! Have a lovely, restful summer break. See you all in September!
Maple Class Summer Term 2 2024
Summer Term 1
This half-term, Maple focused the topic of the ‘Natural Disasters’ and looked at tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. they learnt about the science and geology behind these natural disasters and the impact it has on humans and the environment. The children made their own volcanoes at Leeson House using sand and then made them erupt using vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. We then watched a larger scale eruption using mentos and coke which was a lot of fun.
In Literacy this half-term, the children wrote a fantastic adventure story based on a short video called ‘Taking Flight’. The children took their character on many imaginative adventures in a magical cart. We then moved onto looking at newspapers and focussed on the layout and how to write ‘punchy’ headlines. The children will continue this after half-term and write their own report on a natural disaster.
In Science this half term, Maple learnt about ‘Animals and their Habitats’. They learnt about classification keys and how to identify different animals based on these. We then completed a bird spot-ting task which we also continued at Leeson House and used their hide to spot a variety of birds.
In Art and DT this term, the children designed and made animated moving characters. We based the designs on animals from nature clips and made our own stories with the characters the children made.
Maple were lucky enough to go on a residential trip to Leeson House. This was a really exciting overnight stay with lots of activities. The children completed a 4.5 hour hike around Dancing Ledge and learnt about the local smugglers of the past. We hunted for fossils on the ledge with a few children finding some beautiful stones that we thought could be fossils. The children took part in a night orienteering session using the map to explore the grounds in the evening. The following day, the children took part in a bush craft session where they got to do fire lighting and finished off by making their own volcanoes which they made explode at the end.
During the last week of term, the children attended a concert with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra where they got to perform alongside them. It really was a magical moment! The children also took part in Outdoor Classroom Day exploring our wonderful setting and nature and finally finished the last day off with a Maypole performance to the families of St George’s. What a busy half-term!
Maple Class Summer Term 1 2024
Spring Term 2
This half-term, Maple focused the topic of the ‘Volcanoes and Mountains’. The children really en-joyed this topic, especially when learning about volcanoes! They learnt about what is under our feet and inside the earth and how volcanoes and formed. They particularly liked learning about the ring of fire and how this is caused by the tectonic plates. Maple learnt about the different mountain ranges in Europe and the rest of the world and how the tectonic plates create such huge mountain ranges. Maple will be building a volcano next term where they will also make them explode using Mentos and Coke!
In Literacy this half-term, the children finalised their recount writing task where they explored many grammar terms such as fronted adverbials and perfected them within their writing. The class also explored play scripts following our trip to watch the Matilda stage show. They acted out the play script of Rama and Sita and performed it to the rest of the class. The children really focussed on their acting and performing skills making sure the audience believed they were the characters. Af-ter exploring the features of a play script, the children then used this knowledge to create their own.
In Science this half term, Maple learnt about ‘Sounds and Vibrations’. They learnt that we hear a sound when something vibrates and that vibrations make the air next to it vibrate and these air-waves travel to our ear to vibrate our eardrum. We used technology to investigate decibels and hertz and drew conclusions based upon these investigations.
In Art and DT this term, the children explored different pencil cases and designed their own. They practiced a variety of stitches and chose the one that they wanted to use in their final product. The children made some wonderful pencil cases with some fabulous designs.
At the start of this term, Maple concluded their Ancient Greek topic by getting dressed up as An-cient Greeks and completed a day of exciting tasks linked to the Ancient Greeks. The children were lucky enough to taste some Greek food such as Greek yogurt, olives, feta cheese, humous and pitta bread. The children were ‘brave tasters’ and did their best to sample the food available.
The whole school were delighted to visit Wessex Wild Farm in Tincleton. The children learnt about the work they do on the farms with the cows and how wool is collected and made ready for making into clothes and blankets. We were even lucky enough to see some calves that had recently been born and learnt about their ear tags and the care and feed after being born.
Maple Class Spring Term 2 2024
Spring Term 1
This half-term, Maple focused the topic of the ‘The Ancient Greeks’. The children learnt about the significant events in history and how forward thinking and advanced the Ancient Greeks were. They particularly enjoyed learning about the Greek Gods and Goddesses and all the myths that came from that era.
In Literacy this half-term, the children learnt about a range of different genres. The children conducted their own research about Greek Gods and used this to inform their writing based on a non-chronological report. Maple explored exciting vocabulary linked to settings and wrote their own setting description based on an inspirational picture. After our whole school trip to Salisbury Cathedral, the children investigated recount writing. The children then used their trip to write their own recount detailing our exciting trip.
In Science this half term, Maple learnt about ‘Solids, Liquids and Gas’. The children learnt to compare and group materials together, according to whether they are solids, liquids or gases. They observed that some materials change state when they are heated or cooled, and measured the temperature at which this happens.
In Art and DT this term, Maple researched Ancient Greek vases and took inspiration to draw their own versions. They then made their designs into a 3D model, using clay, and painted them according to their designs.
The children have been investigating ‘Branching Databases’ in Computer Science this half term. The children were able to sort information in ‘yes/no’ criterion to sort pictures into different groups. They then moved on to develop this knowledge and used an online app to develop this into an online database.
Our RE learning this half term has focused on Judaism. We have reflected on Shabbat and how and why this is celebrated. We were interested to learn more about the connection between Shabbat with the Ten Commandments and the Creation Story, both of which are found in the Torah and the Old Testament. We enjoyed hearing from different Jewish children and tried to understand how it might feel to experience Shabbat. We really enjoyed recreating a Shabbat table in our classroom and baking our own Challah 'bread', plaiting the pieces very carefully.
The whole school were delighted to visit Salisbury Cathedral. We were lucky enough to take part in a spirituality session, led by their education team, which focused on what spirituality means to us. We were given a wonderful tour of the Cathedral and learnt about the exciting history and the recent additions that were created just up the road from our school!
Maple Class Spring Term 1 2024
Autumn Term 2
This half-term, Maple continued to focus on the topic of the ‘Victorians’. The children learnt about the significant events in history and how this has influenced life today. Maple enjoyed learning about the difference in their lives compared to a Victorian child and realised that the changes made today are a vast improvement!
In Literacy this half-term, the children had some exciting topics. The character in our book wrote to us detailing his life as an orphaned child in the Victorian era. The children had the important task of writing back to the character, ensuring they used the correct layout of an informal letter. Maple also wrote a story based on an under the sea adventure. Their inspiration was a visit from the Science Dome which took the children under the sea, chased by sharks! The children’s effort and enjoyment this term when taking part in writing tasks has been a real joy to witness!
In Science this half term, Maple learnt about ‘The Digestive System’. The children enjoyed learning about the process of digesting food in all its ‘gory’ details. They all decided the human body was quite an incredible machine! We then learnt about the importance of keeping our teeth healthy and clean. They learnt the different names and functions of our teeth and compared them to different animals and why their teeth look different to humans.
Maple Class were lucky enough to take part in Outdoor Classroom Day, which we enjoyed thoroughly in the glorious, although chilly, sunshine. We were lucky enough to be invited to Swanage seafront to look at the new sea and storm defences. These defences were decorated with the most wonderful artwork and some of the artists took us around and explained their inspiration and designs. We then visited the Nature Trail and made ‘Nature Wands’ which had to have a special power that would enhance the environment and planet.
Maple Class have had exciting Music lessons this term. In music, we have been very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Mr Keys, from Dorset Music Service, who has helped us learn about creating music digitally. The children have worked enthusiastically and enjoyed being creative with different sounds. They especially liked adding a backing track to a video clip! The children can still access this programme at home, using the same log in details.
During French lessons with Mrs Goodwin, Maple have learnt how to say which games we prefer to play, building sentences with the correct verb. We have also learnt the traditional song 'Le Fermier dans son pre' (The Farmer's in his den) using props to help us learn new words.
During the countdown to Christmas, Maple Class has enjoyed taking part in the many crafting opportunities. We decorated snowflakes for the Christmas Tree Festival, designed Christmas cards, which were printed by the PTA and taken part in the Christmas Dubber front cover competition, where a member of the class won the grand prize, and their design made the front cover!
Autumn Term 1
This half-term, Maple focused a topic on ‘Victorians’. Our focus was on how the Victorians influence the world we live in today. We learnt about the different laws which impacted children and how life was for families depending on if they were rich or poor. The children were shocked to learn that children worked so hard in very tough jobs from such a young age and had to pay for the privilege of coming to school. The children were pleased to learn that laws changed for children and some of the positive changes made during Queen Victoria’s reign.
In Literacy this half-term, the children enjoyed learning about different forms of poetry and their features. They listened to a variety of poetry such as rhymes, nonsense, limericks and descriptive poetry. The children were fascinated with the language used in ‘The Jabberwocky’ poem and worked hard to decipher the meaning of some of the words. The children were fantastic at using similes, metaphors and personification and worked hard to include examples within their own poems.
In Science this half term, Maple learnt about ‘Electricity and Circuits’. Maple looked for electrical items that were powered by the mains and they realised how much we relied upon electricity. We focused on open and closed circuits and investigated many different circuit examples to test if they would light a bulb, explaining why they did or didn’t using scientific language.
Maple class went on two exciting adventures this half term. First, we went out on a school trip to Swanage spotting many important statues and memorials from the Victorian era. We learnt about the trade and tourism that were available to people in the Victorian era in Swanage and how John Mowlem and George Burt made Swanage a popular tourist destination.
The second trip was a sponsored walk to Durlston. We were very lucky with the weather and managed to walk a staggering 7 miles, with lots of snacks to help us along the way.
What a busy half term we have had!
Maple Class Autumn Term 1 2023
