Beech Tree Class Blog 2023-2024
Beech Tree Blog
Weekly Update 31/1/25
Mr Kyriacou (n.kyriacou) on: Beech Tree Blog
Hello everyone,
This week, we have started working on our next piece of writing. This is again based on a non-fiction text and is about three men who end up trapped in a volcano crater. This is all the children have read up to in the story and their task for their next piece of writing will be to write their own solution and ending to this story. Together, the children have mind mapped possible solutions that are realistic and fit in with what they know about the story so far. We have also focused on work involving apostrophes for singular and plural possession as well as using inverted commas for speech.
In our maths, we have moved onto short division using the bus stop method. This week, we have focused on dividing two digit numbers by 1 digit numbers. The2 children have shown amazing progress with using the bus stop method and have also been using the inverse operation (short multiplication) to check their answers.
In science, the children conducted an experiment revolving around whether the volume of sound is affected by the distance someone is from the sound source. The children really enjoyed it and with three groups conducting the experiment, we were able to determine that all 3 sets of results were accurate.
Take care,
Mr Kyriacou :)
Weekly Update 24/1/25
Mr Kyriacou (n.kyriacou) on: Beech Tree Blog
Hello everyone,
In our reading this week, we have continued to read the next six chapters of Kidnap in the Caribbean. The children have been absolutely loving it! The have particularly loved all the suspicious events that have been occurring and have so many questions about who is behind it all. This has prompted lots of lovely discussions and predictions being made.
This week, in maths, we have been focusing on using the short multiplication method and multiplying two- and three-digits numbers by 1-digit numbers. The children have been working incredibly hard on using this method and it’s absolutely amazing to see how much progress they’ve made with it. They should all be really proud of themselves!
In our writing, the children have been working on writing their diary entries, where they have taken on the role of Sue Ruff, a survivor of the 1980 Mt St Helens eruption. The children have written about the events of that devastating day from her perspective and have produced some absolutely brilliant pieces of work, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
For our computing unit, the children have been using an animation programme called Scratch to create three of their own sprites, apply code that will make them move in different ways, control when they start moving, create multiple different backgrounds to go with each sprite and make those switch over on a loop. The children have really enjoyed this unit so far and have produced some lovely little animations.
In our geography work, we used fieldwork skills to locate ourselves on a map of school, used the painted compass directions on the playground and used geographical vocabulary as we traced the horizon line with our fingers. We also discussed the weather conditions and cloud cover that we could observe.
Take care,
Mr Kyriacou
Weekly Update-17/1/25
Mr Kyriacou (n.kyriacou) on: Beech Tree Blog
Hello everyone,
This week, in our writing, we have been working on the different features required for a diary entry, planning our diary entry and we have just completed our first two paragraphs. The children have been working really hard on these and it’s been lovely to read what they have produced so far.
In maths, our focus has been on multiplying by 10 and 100, dividing by 10 and 100 and using related multiplication and division facts to solve a range of problems. The progress that the children have made has been fantastic and it’s been great to see them using their place value maths mats to show the movement of the digits and to hear them explaining what is happening to the value of the digits depending on which way they move and why.
In computing, as part of our sequencing sounds topic, the children’s first lesson focused on creating two of their own sprites, two backgrounds and a range of movements to be applied to the sprites. The children used Scratch to create their code and produce their basic animations.
Take care,
Mr Kyriacou :)