Friday 1st May

In English this week the children started by using adjectives to describe food items from our story. They thought of the most amazing adjectives, we were all very impressed. Next the children wrote lists of what the hungry caterpillar ate. The children used their phonics and wrote some amazing words.

In maths this week we have been exploring missing numbers to 20 and ordering numbers to 20. The adults gave some children, and Miss Ginn some teen numbers but missed some numbers out and we had to figure out what numbers were missing!

The children have been collaging food items from our story this week, classifying minibeasts and finding lots of minibeasts in our outside area using magnifying glasses. They have loved looking through the magnifying glasses and seeing the minibeast close up.

We have also made potions in the water tray, sandcastles and mazes in the sandbox, coloured caterpillar sheets, made minibeasts from Lego, and so much more!

Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend

The Foundation Team 

Year Group Newsletters
To see what learning has been happening in classes, and what's coming up over the next fortnight, please take a look at the Year Group Newsletters emailed home today. Copies can also be found on the class pages of our website.

Thank You, Farewell and Congratulations to Trina Head
Last Friday, we said a fond farewell to Trina Head. Trina has worked at the school as part of the catering team for 17 years! This week, Trina started her new position at a local Nursery. We wish her all the very best as she begins her new role.

Mrs Graham's Maternity Leave Begins
In assembly today, we wished Mrs Graham all the very best as she begins her maternity leave. We will miss Mrs Graham but we couldn't be happier for her as she starts this wonderful new chapter. As Year 4 parents are already aware, Miss Clift will be teaching Class 4W for the remainder of the academic year.

Hockey Success!
Congratulations to Joseph in Year 6 on his selection to play for the U12 County Hockey Development Squad. What a fantastic achievement - well done, Joseph.

Year 2 Assembly - Thursday 7th May
We look forward to seeing family members of Year 2 at their Assembly next Thursday 7th May. Doors open after morning drop off, with a start time of 9:00am. To help the morning drop-off routine, any Year 2 families driving are asked to try parking in the staff car park first (double parking is fine).

Year 1 Phonics Screening Check Meeting - Friday 8th May 2:45pm
A reminder that Year 1 parents are invited into school next Friday to hear about the upcoming Year 1 Phonics Screening Check. The session should take no longer than 20 minutes and you will be able to collect your children straight after.

Ten Tors 2026 - Good Luck!
Good luck to our members of staff taking part in the Bodmin Lions' Ten Tors Challenge this Sunday, raising money for charity. The challenge takes walkers over ten hills and tors of Bodmin Moor, starting and finishing at St Breward Football Club. We hope to share some photos of them in action next week.

Miss Blue is Running for 'Bowelbabe'
Miss Blue, one of our Teaching Assistants, is jogging a mile a day in May (31 miles in total) for the cancer research charity, Bowelbabe, set up in memory of Dame Deborah James. If you are able to support Miss Blue in reaching her target of £150 for this charity, please follow the link, thank you: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/natashas-giving-page-4871

House Points
Congratulations to this week's winners, Choughs. Overall, Choughs maintain the lead:
Choughs - 10,346
Puffins - 9652
Swans - 9230
Cormorants - 8265

Wishing you a very relaxing Bank Holiday weekend - see you next Tuesday!

Best wishes,
Chris Wathern

It's May!

This week in Treyarnon has been fun because we have been looking at different types of art. For example, perspective drawing, scaling up and graffiti.
Here are some of our wonderful creations. I'm sure you will be as impressed as I am!

In English, we have been writing our paragraphs for the persuasive leaflet about a space hotel. In particular, we have focused on the subheadings on food and accommodation. Some of their ideas have been imaginative and they have used some carefully chosen adventurous vocabulary. 

In maths, we have been revising 2d and 3d shapes, money and angles. We have also been working on our arithmetic and practicing the questions we are still finding tricky. 

In science, we investigated the solubility of substances by seeing if the temperature of water impacts how quickly something dissolves. We tried sugar and a teabag. Our results showed that the hotter the water, the quicker it dissolved. 

I hope you all have a wonderful bank holiday weekend!

Miss Burton

What a difference a sunny week makes! The children have enjoyed being outside in the sunshine. Hopefully the weather stays good for the bank-holiday! Thank-you to the Year 6 parents who were able to come along to the meeting on Monday about the SATs starting on the 11th. If you were unable to attend it, please let us know and we can share the information. All children in Year 6 are welcome to come to breakfast club free of charge on Monday 11th to Thursday 14th May of SATs week to get themselves ready for the tests. Next week is a shortened week with the bank holiday. On Thursday we have our whole-school trip to Dartmoor Zoo. Please make sure you login to ParentPay to give permission - there is no cost to this trip. Friday is our Go Wild Day in aid of OVAID. It will be a non-uniform day, all donations for non-uniform will get a free raffle ticket to win a cuddly prize. We are also holding a cake sale to raise money for this cause; please may we ask for kind donations to be dropped into school on Friday morning. As we have some allergies in school, may we also request an ingredients list so that all children are able to enjoy a tasty treat. Thank-you for all your support of the school and pupils. Darite is a very special place to work and learn. Enjoy the long weekend and we will see the children back in on Tuesday 05th May.

Singing and Planting!

What a fantastic week we've had in Tregantle Class! The children have really immersed themselves in our topic on transport and vehicles. They have been busy creating hot air balloons, cars, and aeroplanes, which are now proudly on display in our classroom. It's wonderful to see their creativity and hard work showcased for everyone to enjoy.

On Monday, we welcomed a specialist music teacher who led the class in fun pulse and rhythm games. The session was full of energy and excitement, and the children especially loved playing the ukulele and joining in with singing. It was a truly enjoyable experience for all.

We have also been getting our hands dirty in the garden by planting seeds. The children learned how to carefully plant and look after them, and we are now eagerly watching and waiting to see them grow! In literacy, the children produced some fantastic "have a go" writing about planting seeds. They showed great confidence using their phonics knowledge and tricky words-well done!

In maths, we have been practising accurate counting of objects up to 20. The children have been working hard to develop their confidence and accuracy.

It has been a very busy, productive, and fun-filled week. We are so proud of everything the children have achieved! 

Thank you for your ongoing support this week. We are so lucky to have such a supportive parent community.

Just a reminder that Mrs Grinsted will be at Victoria Gardens tomorrow morning from 9:40am for the start of the Youth Parade which with symbolise the start of the Saltash May Fair. It would be wonderful for as many Brunel families as possible to join this annual event.

We wish you a wonderful bank holiday weekend and look forward to seeing you all back at school on Tuesday. In the meantime, please enjoy this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin.

This week in Science, we have been learning about the different parts of plants and discussing the important jobs they do, as well as exploring the fascinating ways seeds are dispersed, including by wind, water and animals. The children have enjoyed making links between what plants need to grow and how seed dispersal helps plants survive and spread. In English, we have been focusing on writing speech, thinking carefully about how dialogue is punctuated and how it can be used to show character and move a story forward. In Maths, Year 6 pupils have been developing their skills with co‑ordinates, plotting and reading positions accurately, while Year 5 have been working hard to match fractions with their equivalent percentages and explaining their thinking clearly. We would also like to remind families that May Day dancing will take place on Bank Holiday Monday at the village hall just after midday, and we hope you can come along to support our fantastic dancers and enjoy the celebrations.

This week in Lantic Class, we have been working incredibly hard across all of our learning!

In Maths, we have been learning all about quarters. We have now finished our fractions unit and completed our assessments - the children have shown great understanding and should feel very proud of themselves.

In English, we have begun planning our pirate persuasive adverts. The children have had lots of fun thinking of exciting ways to persuade people to join our pirate crew - we can't wait to start writing them onto special paper!

In DT, we have been exploring different fruits and vegetables, using our senses to describe them and thinking about what we might like to use in our designs. We have also been working really hard on our handwriting, focusing on forming our letters neatly and carefully.

We are all very excited for our upcoming trip to Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary on 19th May! If you have not yet returned your permission slip, please make sure you do so as soon as possible. Thank you for your continued support.
Please keep reading at home each day with your children as much as possible and continue to access Anton maths where the children love to play games and explore.

Mrs Scott, Miss Sleep and Mrs Quick.

We have had a great couple of weeks back to nursery. Our enquiry question has been "What can you see on the farm?"
The children have been busy getting creative and making lots of different farm animals including bubble wrap sheep and paper plate cows.
We have had the farm in the tuft tray and the children have been singing the song "Old McDonald had a farm".

At story time we have enjoyed "Baa Moo, what will we do?", "Farmer Duck" and "Moo Moo Mooing".

In phonics this week the children have been blending sounds together, breaking down words into syllables and have enjoyed a game of cafe bingo.

In maths, we have been naming, ordering and writing numbers. 

It's a bank holiday on Monday so we look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday.

Julie and Sarah

 Storytellers Nursery has been making the most of the warmer days by getting outside and starting work on their vegetable patch. The children enthusiastically dug holes ready for planting potatoes, taking turns with tools and working together as a team. They also carefully filled trays with compost before sowing a variety of vegetable and herb seeds, showing great concentration and care as they completed each step.

 Spending time outdoors and engaging in gardening activities brings so many benefits for young children. It supports their physical development as they dig, carry, and scoop, helping to build strength and coordination. It also encourages teamwork, communication, and confidence as they share ideas and work alongside their friends.

 Gardening is a wonderful hands-on way for children to learn about the world around them. They begin to understand how plants grow, what they need to thrive, and where food comes from. This early connection to nature can help foster a sense of responsibility and care for the environment.

 Being out in the fresh air also supports children's wellbeing, helping them feel calm, happy, and engaged. Activities like these spark curiosity and excitement, creating meaningful learning experiences that the children will remember as they watch their plants grow and flourish over time. 

Huge thanks to everyone who donated seeds and plants. We really appreciate it 

This week we held final rehearsals for the annual May Day celebrations. Starting at 12pm on Monday 4th at Harrowbarrow Village Hall, there will be music from Callington Brass Band, food, games and our very own maypole dancers. Hopefully, the weather will be better than the forecast currently indicates. 



This week, we also welcomed Sarah Parker-Clavier from the Cornwall Music Service. As music lead, Abi Fashman successfully applied for funding for each class to have music lessons to complement our music curriculum. The first lesson for the junior classes was about music tech; using GarageBand to compose music. Next week, Class 3 will be learning to play the ukulele and will be learning to play this instrument for the duration of the term. Perhaps, before the summer holidays, there will be an opportunity for 29 Year 3 and 4 ukulele players to perform to parents and carers!

Roars and snores!

What a way to end Spring term! Duckpool students had the opportunity to take part in Dartmoor Zoo's 'Snooze at the Zoo' experience.

On an action-packed first day we had a guided tour of the zoo, educational workshops based upon conservation and endangered species, as well as a 'close encounters' session where we came face-to-face with a giant stick-insect and a bearded dragon.

After completing a tricky zoo trail in teams, we were served a delicious dinner before watching 'We Bought a Zoo': the film adaptation of the story behind the current owner of the zoo. After darkness fell we embarked on an 'after dark' tour and spotted some of the nocturnal creatures.

On day 2, after filling ourselves up with a range of lovely fruit, pastries and cereals we were ready to explore the zoo ourselves privately, before it was open to the public! We visited the reptile house, played on the play equipment and went back to say our farewells to our favourite animals. We had a picnic lunch in the glorious sunshine in the 'calm garden' before heading back to Brunel.

The children behaved impeccably and were an utter joy to take. Members of the public also commented upon how well they conducted themselves. What an incredible couple of days of learning, fun and excitement!

Check out lots more photos in the document below...

Our first week back after Easter break has seen us enjoy some beautiful but windy weather!

The children all came back excited to share what fun they had shared with their families over easter, and how many easter egg hunts they had all been to!

The children settled back into pre-school quickly and they enjoyed our garden center role play area, planting seeds and selling plants.

We talked about our new enquiry question for this half term, 'What can we plant and see in a garden?'  The children talked about what they know can grow in a garden, plants, fruits and vegetables.  We looked at different types of seeds and how we plant and look after the seeds to make them grow. We also enjoyed stories such as Sam Plants a Sunflower and Jaspers Beanstalk.

Next week we will be getting our big tractor tyre flower beds weeded in preparation to plant some plants into them.  The children will help to water them daily and look out for signs of them growing.  We will also be starting some seeds off and hoping they grow too!

The children on Thursday are lucky to be joining Lantic and Mrs Edwards for a short forest school session, the first one this week was thoroughly enjoyed.  We know not all of the children are here for a Thursday session, but to reassure you that all the children will be accessing forest school at times over the summer term.  We quite often go exploring over there when the afternoons allow us to.

The Summer Term school lunch menu is in our entrance area, remember all our children can order a school lunch.  If this is something you would like to do, please pop in and see Mrs Thompson if you need a Parent pay account setting up.

The pre-School Team.