Beech Tree Class Blog 2023-2024
Beech Tree Blog
Weekly Update-28/2/25
Mr Kyriacou (n.kyriacou) on: Beech Tree Blog
Hello everyone,
This week, in our reading, we have continued with Kidnap in the Caribbean, which the children were so excited about continuing to read. The children focused on vocabulary and dictionary skills, as well as retrieval and inference skills work based around the chapters that had been read.
In our writing, we have started a new unit of work. This will be a persuasive and informative piece of writing. We have looked at non-chronological report examples and identified the features, we have also looked at persuasive pieces of writing and identified the features within those and then pieces which combine the two together. The children then began to research facts on their topic, which is going to be all about Yorkshire. As our Geography topic revolves around Yorkshire and Campania, the children’s task with this piece of writing is to persuade someone from Campania to come and visit Yorkshire and inform them of all the fantastic things it has to offer. The children really like this idea and researched some absolutely brilliant facts about Yorkshire.
In maths, we have started our work on fractions. We have focused on understanding the whole, counting beyond a whole, partitioning mixed numbers and using number lines with mixed numbers. The children have been fantastic with understanding all the different vocabulary and using it within their explanations when solving problems.
For computing, in relation to Safer Internet Day and our online safety assembly, the children took part in a BBC live lesson where they participated in a game called Scam Smashers. The aim of this game was to to understand what scams are, what they look like online, different features used within them to help you recognise if it is a scam or not and what to do when you come across one. The children were amazing and really showed off their good understanding of how to identify scams and what the appropriate actions would be. The children then completed a quiz based on the live lesson and produced fantastic scores. Well done!
Take care,
Mr Kyriacou :)
Weekly Update-13/2/25
Mr Kyriacou (n.kyriacou) on: Beech Tree Blog
Hello everyone,
This week, in writing, we have completed our alternative resolution and endings to a non-fiction volcano survival story. The children then edited their work and shared their own versions for the class to listen to. It was lovely to hear the fantastic work that the children had produced and how encouraging they were towards each other. Finally, we went back to the original story and read the actual resolution and ending of the story and compared it to what the children had produced. Some children liked their own versions more, some liked the real events more and some liked the idea of combining parts of their own resolution and ending with the some of the actual events that occurred during the resolution and ending part of the story. The children really enjoyed this piece of writing.
In our reading, we have been looking at a volcano themed poem by Justin Coe which was based around the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79AD. The children really enjoyed reading it, identifying different features and completing retrieval and inference tasks based on it.
In computing, as part of our final lesson on sequencing sounds, the children were tasked with animating three sprites with different types of movement, making the sprites produce notes to play the beginning of a song, to allow the sprites to change costume with each note that is played and for the background to switch after each note is played. The children used all their knowledge that they have gained throughout this unit of work and produced some lovely final pieces. Below are some video examples.
Take care,
Mr Kyriacou
Weekly Update-7/2/25
Mr Kyriacou (n.kyriacou) on: Beech Tree Blog
Hello everyone,
This week, we have continued reading Kidnap in the Caribbean and focusing on reading tasks revolving around retrieval and inference skills, commentating and sharing opinions about different author choices made throughout the book and summarising skills.
In maths, we have been focusing on dividing 3 digit numbers by 1 digit numbers using short division, we have also focused dividing 3 digit numbers by 1 digit numbers with remainders. The children have also been practising to use the inverse (short multiplication) to check their division calculations. It's been amazing to see the progress!
In our writing we have focused on a variety of features that will be included in our next piece of writing. These include inverted commas for speech, expanded noun phrases and fronted adverbials. The children have also planned their resolutions and endings to the real-life story about three men trapped in the crater of Kilauea.
In PSHE, we had a Mind Mate assembly on resilience, along with a one-hour workshop. The children really enjoyed it and understood the value of having and showing resilience in everyday life. In our other PSHE lesson based on our Keeping Myself Safe unit, the children were learning all about the dangers of alcohol and cigarettes and the impact that they can have on your body.
In computing, as part of our Sequencing Sounds unit, the children used coding on Scratch to write the beginning of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. The children were also able to demonstrate good problem solving throughout the lesson in order to make their note sequence work correctly. The children also experimented with changing the pitch of the sound which also relates to work that we have been doing in science.
Take care,
Mr Kyriacou :)