News On Monday we had a great day at Cuffley Camp. The children worked in groups on problem solving activities that really challenged their teamwork skills. They had to cross ‘stinky swamps’, negotiate an ‘inferno’ and dodge ‘man eating sharks’ as they swung between rafts.  We were really impressed by the way they approached the problems and with their communication skills as they worked through them. In pairs they also completed an orienteering course, using their map reading skills to find letters hidden around the forest that spelled out a phrase. The third activity of the day was a really challenging assault course which the children loved.  They were all determined to beat the monkey bars and, by the end of the day, most of them had!  All the staff commented on how lovely it was to see the children in a completely different context with different aspects of their characters on show.  Here are some photos of our day: Swinging across the shark infested waters More assault course fun Picking up a bottle as a team Everyone needs to cross the sticky swamp and the planks need to come too! Teamwork Which shape? How many children fit on a plank? Is this the comfiest place to sit? Mastering the monkey bars Trapped! Escaping the 'Inferno' Listening to the shepherd! How are we going to get across? Fun on the assault course Just a bit further! Being a sloth! Rebecca and 'Team Jarratt' Happy, tired faces!

Literacy All three classes have been writing up their day at Cuffley and starting to plan their Dragonland fantasy stories. The children closed their eyes and listened to a powerful extract of music from ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ and imagined their own dragon land before creating a bank of descriptive words and phrases that they could use.  Lots of great discussion work produced some wonderful ideas that will soon become chapter stories! Homework: Grammar exercise about prepositions.

Mathematics No maths this week, due to Cuffley Camp and its follow up work and the INSET day. Please continue to practise key skills, particularly times tables over the long weekend.

Art Continuing our work based on Nick Schon’s visit last week the children have recreated and enlarged their favourite pictures from their class stories and used watercolours to complete them, following the techniques he shared with us.