AUTUMN TERM 2010 13th September 2010 Dear Parents and children, Welcome back and I hope you all had a lovely summer. I am looking forward to a busy and exciting term in Giant’s Causeway Base. If you would like to see me for a chat, after school is a good time and I would be delighted to meet you. This term our main theme is Thrills and Spills. We shall be learning about Fairgrounds and Theme Parks: finding out about the biggest big wheels in the world, how rides have developed from using simple manpower to the latest technologies, making models of different rides and creating our own theme parks. The topic will be used to provide exciting learning opportunities for all areas of the curriculum. For example, when the children create their own theme park they will be using mathematical skills to calculate the cost of installing different rides and they will produce a leaflet that will persuade people to come and visit their theme park. Many learning opportunities in Science and Design and Technology will be explored. We have already found out how some rides work and the forces that make the ride enjoyable - for some! Watch the videos from on the website below and think of the different moving parts. http://www.funfairs.ndirect.co.uk/Videoclips/index.htm Our main Science topic for this half of term is ‘gases’. During the second half of term our theme will be sound. Active Time will take place every morning to help get the children ready for the day; so they need to have their PE kit every school day. On Tuesday afternoon the children have swimming lessons (one group before the half term, the other after). Swimming costumes and towels should be brought in a suitable bag please.
I shall be setting home-learning on a Monday to be handed in on the following Monday. This will include a spelling list for the children to learn and times table questions. Most importantly, please make sure your child is reading regularly. This need only be for 15 to 30 minutes each evening and some of this time could be used discussing the text. Please can you record any reading that is done at home in your child’s reading record ~ thank you. Best wishes, Mr Nick Osborne & Mrs Hargreaves