Shirley Community Primary & Preschool
Computing Musuem
Our recent school trip to the Centre for Computing History was a resounding success! The students had an enlightening and fun-filled experience exploring the fascinating world of computing history. Here's a recap of our day:
Hands-On Learning with Electronics
In one of the interactive sessions, students engaged in hands-on activities, assembling electronic circuits. This provided them with a practical understanding of how different components work together in electronic devices. Their enthusiasm was evident as they worked diligently on their projects, guided by knowledgeable staff members.
Exploring the Pixel Wall
A highlight for many was the Pixel Wall, where students got creative by arranging coloured tiles to form pixelated images. This interactive exhibit not only allowed them to express their creativity but also helped them understand the basics of digital imagery and pixel art. Here, a group of our students proudly showcased their collaborative artwork, earning themselves a big thumbs up!
Journey Through Computing Eras
The students had the opportunity to travel back in time as they explored computing technology from the 1960s through to the 1990s. They were particularly intrigued by the vintage computers, getting a firsthand experience of how computing has evolved over the decades. The interactive timeline and hands-on activities made this historical journey both educational and engaging.
WB 20.05.24
This week has been Health Week at Shirley School and Year 6 have been discussing various ways in which they can keep themselves healthy. We have learned about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and discussed why ensuring that we eat plenty of fruit and vegetables is so vital for our physical health. We have also learned how to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of the sun and why it is crucial that we get enough exercise. Fortunately, the vast majority of children in Year 6 walk to school each day so will have achieved this week's Five-Day Walking Challenge to coincide with Walk To School Week.
WB: 22.04.24
The Year 6 pupils continue to impress us with their fantastic progress in Spanish. They have been translating long texts into English and then writing their own paragraphs about themselves and expressing their opinions on leisure activities. Muy bien!
WB 29.04.24
In science we have started our new unit on Electricity. The pupils remembered lots of facts from their learning in Year 4 and were able to quickly and independently construct electrical circuits.
Science Week 2024
Science Week in Year 6 was a fantastic success, children showed their curiosity, ability to experimentation, and discover. This year's theme centred on the fascinating world of fungi, specifically investigating the growth of mould on bread under different conditions. It was a week filled with inquiry, observation, and, admittedly, a bit of squeamishness.
Our young scientists enthusiastically investigated throughout the whole week: setting up their experiments with slices of bread. Each class introduced variables such as moisture, light exposure, and temperature to observe their effects on the mould growth. The students made predictions, meticulously recorded their observations daily, and captured the process through photographs, which, though not for the faint-hearted, provided compelling visual evidence of their findings.
The investigation served as a practical example of the scientific method, with students forming hypotheses, conducting experiments, and drawing conclusions from their observations. The most significant discovery was the impact of environmental conditions on mould growth, with moisture and warmth being identified as key factors.
In addition to the mould investigation, Science Week featured interactive sessions where students delved into the broader implications of fungi and how to categorise it. Discussions ranged from the role of fungi in decomposition to their use in medicine and food industries, highlighting the importance of these organisms in our daily lives.
World Book Day 2024
World Book Day 2024 in Year 6 was a deeply engaging celebration that highlighted the profound impact of literature on empathy, understanding, and personal growth. The day commenced with an assembly that set the tone for a series of thoughtful and creative activities, while also: a great opportunity to share our incredible costumes. Central to the day's events was an exploration of "From a Railway Carriage" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Students delved into the poem's themes and rhythms, crafting their own stanzas to mirror Stevenson's vivid imagery and fast-paced narrative style.
A particularly moving segment of the day involved watching "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas," which served as a powerful opportunity for discussions on friendship and the history which we studied before Christmas. This film viewing prompted students to consider complex themes of empathy and prejudice, fostering a deeper understanding of history's personal narratives.
Teachers shared their favourite books with children, including the Witches and Stig of the Dump, both fantastic reads.
Duxford 2023
Today, our Year 6 students embarked on an unforgettable journey through history with a visit to the Imperial War Museum - Duxford. As Europe's largest air museum, Duxford offered a unique opportunity to delve into the pivotal moments of 20th-century history, from the pioneering days of aviation to the significant technological leaps of the Cold War era.
Children explored the extensive collection of aircraft and artefacts housed within Duxford's historic hangars. Each area linked to the significant periods and events that have shaped our modern world, and connected our classroom learning to primary sources.
Key highlights included walking among iconic aircraft that have left an incredible mark on aviation and history. The children were captivated by the stories of heroism and new inventions that accompanied each exhibit, from the battle-hardened fighters of the Second World War to the cutting-edge technology of Cold War jets.
Duxford's focus on personal narratives added a deeply human element to our visit. Through the museum's collection of personal objects, photographs, and meetings with real WW2 survivors, students gained insights into the lives of individuals affected by conflict. But most of all, children enjoyed answering and asking questions of people who were children during the Blitz.
17th November 2023
This week, Year 6 embarked on an insightful journey, delving into the complexities of bullying as part of Anti-Bullying Week. Our focus was to foster an environment of empathy, understanding, and kindness.
We kicked off the week by defining bullying and its various forms. Our discussions helped students understand the underlying reasons behind bullying behaviours, and the impact on both the bullied and the bully.
A significant part of our learning centred on prejudice and peer pressure. Through engaging scenarios, students explored how prejudices could lead to bullying and the influence peers have on each other’s actions. These discussions were eye-opening and sparked thoughtful conversations among our students.
To encapsulate their learning, students created impactful posters. These creative works are now displayed outside our classroom, serving as reminders of the week's lessons. We also held a school-wide assembly where our students confidently shared their insights and posters with younger pupils, fostering a community-wide dialogue on bullying.
Here is J and M's hard work
8th November 2023
Science
Last week in science, we learned all about the circulatory system. The children learned that this very important system in our bodies is made up of the heart, blood and blood vessels and worked as groups to create diagrams that demonstrated how the blood circulated round the body. Take a look at some of the diagrams and watch the video of the children explaining how it all works.
16th October 2023
As we approach the end of our first half term in Year 6, we wanted to take the opportunity to update you all on what has been happening in class so far. Those of you who attended the Sea Turtles class assembly last week will know that in Science we have been learning about Evolution but there has been plenty more besides including, of course, our residential trip to Grafham Water (photos above!).
This was an absolutely brilliant opportunity for our pupils to learn some vital skills outside of the classroom and we are sure that they will all have developed skills in teamwork, leadership and courage to name but three. Highlights of the trip included sailing, cycling, climbing on the high ropes and learning bush craft skills, while breakfast, lunch and dinner were also very much enjoyed!
For so many of our children, this was the first time they had slept away from their families and they all coped with this change remarkably well. We all had an amazing time and we have no doubt that it will provide us all with memories that will last a lifetime.
Meanwhile back in the classroom, we have been reading Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo and creating a diary entry based on that. In Maths, we have improved our knowledge and understanding of place value and developed our ability to solve addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems - long division is an extremely challenging skill to master! Today, we visited the River Cam to draw some sketches and we will use these to create some landscape artwork at the end of the week.
We are really pleased with how well the children have settled into their new classes in Year 6 and hope that they have enjoyed their first half term with us. One down, another five to go...
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