Another week has flown by and Chaipel have been busy. Our Mayan narratives are now complete and we have been editing and improving a section we like the most. Next week, we will write up our work in best and assess our writing targets for next half term.

In Maths, we have been identifying and comparing equivalent fractions, learning how to simplify and plotting fractions on a numberline. We have had some real 'lightbulb' moments and Joey now, "really likes fractions!" RESULT!!

In our Wider Curriculum, we have been exploring why Christians believe Jesus was the anionted one in RE, learning about the Mayan writing system - including designing our own glyphs - in History, and identifying major cities in the UK and how they get their energy in Geography.

NEXT WEEK
We will be practising our play most of next week and will need all costumes in by WEDNESDAY 10th. It is looking really good now and we can't wait to entertain parents on the 15th. 

Congratulations to Immy - who achieved her 66 Club this week - and to Leo and Joey for being our People of the Week, demonstrating our school values and being role models to their peers.

Finally... 
Thank you to all who came to our Christmas Fair on Friday; we value your continued support.

That's all for this week,
Miss Randle and Mrs Clary.

This Week in Reception and Year 1

We've had a wonderfully full and exciting week of learning across both Reception and Year 1, with lots of enthusiasm and brilliant effort from all the children.

In History, Year 1 have been delving into the story of the Gunpowder Plot. We spent time discussing what went wrong for Guy Fawkes and his fellow plotters, and the children really enjoyed exploring the events through both primary and secondary sources. They are beginning to understand how we know about things that happened long ago, and why different types of sources can give us different information.

In Maths, Year 1 successfully completed their unit on place value to 100. We revisited counting forwards and backwards, comparing numbers, and partitioning tens and ones. The children showed great progress and confidence. Next week, we will be moving on to an exciting new unit all about shape, where the children will explore 2D and 3D shapes, talk about their properties, and begin to sort and classify them.

Year 1 have also been working incredibly hard on their assessments this week. We are very proud of the effort, resilience, and concentration they have shown. They should all feel very proud of themselves.

In Science, the focus has been on the life cycle of a butterfly. The children learned about the four stages-egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly-and were fascinated to discover how dramatically a butterfly changes as it grows. We looked at pictures, discussed each stage, and had some lovely conversations about other animals that also change as they grow.

In English, both the children and teachers had a real treat as we began exploring performance poetry. The class watched Michael Rosen's famous poem Chocolate Cake, and they were completely mesmerised by his expression, gestures, and humour. This led to lots of laughter and brilliant discussions about how poets use their voices and actions to bring their words to life. We will continue exploring performance poetry next week as the children start to have a go at performing lines themselves.

Meanwhile, both Reception and Year 1 have been deeply involved in their nativity practice. Songs are being sung with growing confidence, lines are being learned, and the children are really starting to bring the story to life. Their hard work and enthusiasm are shining through, and it is already looking absolutely fantastic. We can't wait to share it with you!

We finished the week off dressed as elves, what a week!!

Its has been an exciting week of rehearsals, dress ups and trips!

Despite our topsy-turvy time tables, we have managed to get oodles of learning into our days this week. In Literacy, we have started a new unit of work - we are learning how to write instructions. We had a go at writing our own instructions for our learning partners and then looked at how we could have made them better. Then we looked at some different instructions and compared them to find out what we could include in our own. In Maths, we continued our inquiry into shapes by looking at the vertical line of symmetry. We have even had a go at completing different 2D shapes by using our knowledge of the vertical line of symmetry. Who knew using a ruler was this tricky!

We have also been working super hard at learning our cues and timings for our Nativity next week. Thank you Class 2 families for helping your children learn all their lines and for making time to get their costumes ready. We can't wait to see you all next week for our 3 super-duper performances. If you haven't got them yet, please make sure you contact the office for your tickets before its too late. However, the best part of the week was our class trip to the Sterts Theater for a fabulous puppet show. It was so awesome to see all the children so engaged and its was joy to watch their tiny eyes light up with wonder!

Finally, a very well done to:
> Sofia for getting the Ready Award for her diligence and hard work, especially during Literacy lessons.
> Ivy for getting the Respectful Award for always being polite and kind.
> Jimmy for getting the Safe Award for listening to and following instructions, and keeping safe during our trip.

Friday 5th December

Some of this week's wonderful exploration has included:

On Monday we were shocked to discover the Christmas Elves had indeed visited us and they had decorated our whole room beautifully. They had left us a lovely note and a book advent calendar (and maybe a chocolate one too!) They have been leaving lots of mess for Mrs Phillips to clean up this week. They have eaten our fruit, had a snowball fight with the adult's cotton balls and then splash disappeared last night and we found her in Mrs Waring's pocket in assembly!!!

In English this week the children explored the Christmas Story. They then sequenced the story into their books using some amazing oracy skills! The children's vocabulary is really progressing well.

In maths we have been learning how to represent numbers to five in different ways, for instance 3+1= 4 but 2+ 2 = 4 too!

This week the children have also made Nativity scenes, designed and decorated their own Christmas tree and Christmas jumper, made a manager and stable from building blocks and Lego and so much more!

It was Christmas Crafternoon on Tuesday, and the children loved completing Christmas craft with you all.

The Christmas magic has definitely arrived in class and we are using lots of Christmas activities to progress our learning, knowledge and skills!

Have a lovely weekend

The Foundation Team 

It has been a busy week leading up to our Christmas performance which is on Monday afternoon. The children have been practicing their singing and are sounding great. We look forward to performing it for everyone!

The children have been enjoying our Christmas themed role play area and have been busy creating lots of lovely craft to take home at the end of term.

At storytime we have enjoyed books including "Hurry Santa" and "Santa needs a wee".
During phonics, the children have been identifying and grouping initial sounds of different words and trying to identify instrumental sounds and matching them.
They have also been trying hard to listen to different rhyming words.

In maths we have been ordering numbers and matching numeral and quantity and exploring patterns.

Have a great weekend

Julie and Sarah

"Christmas Tree oh Christmas Tree!"

The Christmas countdown has begun and the advent calendar has a few windows open. Here are some photos of the class solving the treasure hunt at the Christmas Tree Festival. We were lucky enough to walk down to St. Nicholas and Faith Church yesterday to see them all. It was incredibly festive and it put us in a Christmassy mood. 

In English, we have been writing our Jack and the Beanstalk stories. So far we have started out story by introducing and describing Jack. Here are some of my favourite extracts from their work:

"...his emerald-green eyes, bright and wide with curiosity."
"Jack was a young , adventurous boy with hopes and dreams."
"He was as scrawny as a plucked chicken with hair like liquid copper."

In maths, we have continued our work on shape by finding missing angles in quadrilaterals and polygons. Next week, we will look at circles and drawing shapes accurately. 

I hope to see you all at Hunt the Issy tonight and the lantern parade tomorrow. 

Have a great weekend!

Miss Burton

It's been a great week at Darite. Thank-you to those parents and children who braved the weather on Saturday at the Liskeard Lights Up parade. It was wet and wild but the children represented the school amazingly and the lanterns got lots of praise from the crowds! It was lovely to see the parents and carers in the hall on Tuesday for Class 1's "Crafternoon". The decorations look amazing and it really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Talking of Christmas, the reindeer run for St Luke's hospice was a great success again yesterday. The children looked amazing and their antlers really set the mood! Sarah from the hospice was amazed by the money we raised all of which will go to support this charity. Next week is our nativity on Thursday. Tickets are selling like hot cakes so get them on ParentPay while you can! Children should also have come home with a sheet of raffle tickets for the PTFA raffle. There are some great prizes on offer so please, if you can offer them around, all money raised will support the school. If you need more sheets, let us know! Can I again remind you that if your children are going with another parent, please let the office know either by phone or email before 12.30. If plans change after than time, please email Mrs Lake or myself so that we can release the children. If we do not have confirmation from a parent or carer, we will have to contact you to check which can delay the end of the day. We appreciate that sometimes plans change last minute and we will contact you if that is the case. Thank-you for your understanding. A reminder too that the final day (Friday the 19th) is a half day and children can be collected at 1.30. If you will be unable to collect your child, can you let the office know so we can plan accordingly. Finally, we are lucky to be part of the Parental Engagement Framework this year. This is a county-wide initiative designed to further link the community, parents and school together to support all members of the school community on aspects that are important to school and the future. Part of this work is working with a parental "Steering Group". This is a small group of parents or carers who will work closely with myself on guiding this process so that it benefits the school. If you would like to be part of this group, please let Mrs Norris know and I will arrange a meeting with you in the new year.

We have been busy with rehearsals for our Christmas performances all week and are very much looking forward to seeing Nursery perform on Monday, Penhallow Class on Tuesday, and Landaviddy Class on Thursday next week.

Choir Well done to our wonderful choir, who sang beautifully for the residents at Atlantis Care Home yesterday afternoon. They certainly helped to put everyone in the Christmas spirit!

Football Congratulations to our football team, who played brilliantly in their second match yesterday despite the pouring rain. The final score was 6-3 to Downderry in spite of Polperro's huge efforts and excellent teamwork.

Polperro Christmas Lights and Lantern Procession Saturday 6th December, before the Christmas lights switch-on in Polperro, there will be a lantern procession. Willow lanterns, handmade by children at the school, will be available for the children to carry. Each lantern has been created collaboratively by groups of pupils from all our classes, and the materials have been generously funded by the Christmas Lights Committee. Children, accompanied by their parents, should gather at TURNTABLE PIZZA, Big Green at 4:30pm to collect a lantern, ready to set off promptly at 4:45pm. If your child carries a lantern, please ensure the cane is returned to school afterwards so it can be reused next year. Please note that although school staff will be present at the procession, children remain the responsibility of their parents at all times.

Kernow Health Flu Clinics Kernow Health will be running flu clinics at various locations across Cornwall in early/mid-December, by appointment only. Contact details 01872 221105 or email kernowhealthcic.schoolimmunisation@nhs.net for further information or see attached poster for details.

Blackbird Pie Magazine Did you know that parents/carers can access Blackbird Pie magazine for free on BorrowBox using their library card? If the printed copy is lost, crumpled at the bottom of a school bag, or simply never made it home, it's quick and easy to read the magazine on any personal device. BorrowBox is completely free to use with a Cornwall Libraries membership and offers instant access to Blackbird Pie along with a wide range of children's eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines - perfect for days when families need inspiration for things to do. If you aren't already members, you can sign up for FREE online in minutes or pop into any Cornwall Library.

Diary Dates The last day of term is on Friday 19th December and school will finish at 1:30pm. Monday 5th January is an INSET day, therefore the first day of the Spring term for the children is Tuesday, 6th January.

Have a lovely weekend.

It has been a busy week at Team Brunel and we still have Hunt the Issy this evening and the Lantern Parade tomorrow evening on Saltash Fore Street. The children attending will be able to collect their lanterns from Drill Hall HQ from 5:30pm tomorrow evening. In the meantime, sit back, relax and enjoy this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin.

Thank you to Duchy College for hosting a great cross country event. Some of our running club members took it to the field and all placed in the top 50 of their age categories - well done to you all. A special nod to one of our runners who placed 2nd and received a lovely certificate of congratulations! 

Autumn

We had a great afternoon with Polruan artist Louise Kidd. This is the second visit we have had from Louise to teach the children print making and the this time, the developed layering techniques using stencils to create their pieces. We will use these prints to make greeting cards which we will sell at our up-coming Christmas events.

Preparations for the Christmas play are in full swing, with practice and prop making. The children are fully invested in this and most are now able to remember all their lines, where to be and when to - thank you for helping with practising lines at home! The prop making crew are creating some fantastic pieces to help bring the action to life. It is beginning to look a lot like a Christmas pantomime.

Next week, we are singing at the Community Group Christmas lunch Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon is dress rehearsal, and the play performance is Thursday 1pm in the village hall. 

Have a lovely weekend
Mr Twaite and Mrs W

It has been a wonderfully festive and hardworking week in Year 2/3 as we move closer to the end of term. The children have embraced every challenge and activity with enthusiasm, and we are incredibly proud of them.

Christmas Show Rehearsals:
Our main focus this week has been preparing for our Christmas show. The children have been practising their lines, learning songs, rehearsing movements and supporting one another beautifully. Their confidence is growing by the day, and they are very excited to perform for you next week. Thank you for all the support you have given at home with practising lines - it really shows.

English:
We have begun a brand-new English topic this week: animal survival fact texts. The children have started exploring the features of non-fiction texts, identifying headings, subheadings, technical vocabulary and key information. They have enjoyed discovering new words and learning how writers help readers understand how animals survive in their habitats.

Maths:
Our maths learning has continued in two exciting directions:

·       Year 3 have moved on with addition and subtraction using formal column methods, including calculations that cross a ten or a hundred. They have been working hard to line up digits correctly and explain their reasoning.

·       Year 2 have been focusing on shape, naming 2D and 3D shapes, talking about their properties and beginning to sort them using different criteria.
It has been lovely to see both year groups growing in confidence and independence.

Christmas Tree Festival Visit:
On Thursday, we visited the Christmas Tree Festival, and the children were an absolute credit to the school. They showed respect, curiosity and lovely manners throughout our visit. They also had great fun taking part in the festive treasure hunt, searching the decorated trees for items on their list. It was a joyful, sparkly morning and we were so proud of how beautifully they represented the school.

Sewing Stockings:
Our stocking sewing has continued this week, and the children are becoming more confident with threading, stitching and tying knots. A huge thank you to all the parents, grandparents and helpers who supported the children with their sewing - your help makes such a difference and is greatly appreciated.

The festive season is in full swing, and our team has been busy bringing the magic of Christmas to life! This year's play takes us on a nostalgic trip back to 1963-a time of classic charm, timeless traditions, and unforgettable music.  Alongside the creative buzz, we've also been diving into the world of circuits. Our experiments have focused on how changing variables-like resistance, voltage, and current-affects overall performance. It's been fascinating to see how small adjustments can lead to big differences in functionality. We've also been sharpening our troubleshooting skills, identifying potential issues.  Here we set the challenge to draw a "broken circuit" and then our partner had to "fix" it.  You have to look closely for the broken wire and the double wire in the pictures.