Welcome to Owl Class Blog
This is the page that you can visit to keep updated on the children's learning. Make sure you come back each week to see the learning opportunities that the children have taken part in.
Spring Term
Spring Week 11
Congratulations to Jack for achieving the head teacher's award for his great effort in English.
Owl Visit
Evelyn- On Tuesday, we had owls visit our school including a barn owl, an eagle owl and a scops owl. They were called Murphy, Monty, Mango, Cookie and Willow.
Freddie- I learnt that the eagle owl can't fly as high as the others because of its size
Harriet- Did you know that all owls only eat other animals? They are carnivores
Robert- I saw that barn owls fly in circles
Jasmine- I learnt that there's 200 types of owl and barn owls fly silently
Jack- I enjoyed when they flew over us. It was so cool feeling the air brush over us
Ronnie- I liked when the owl made a sound at us (talked to us)
Hugo K- I learnt a lot about owls this session that I didn't previously know. For example, they eat animals whole and spit out their bones and feathers as a pellet
Hugo C- I thought it was really interesting that an owl can hear a mouse's heartbeat
Alfie- I loved how I could feel Murphy's talons brush over my hair as he flew over me
Stanley- I loved seeing the owls up close and learning their names. It was excellent!
Spring Week 10
As part of our topic on Rivers, Owl Class visited Daws Hall near Sudbury on Tuesday 18th March.
First, we had a welcome talk and was shown a plan of the site and the features of the River Stour. Next, each group was given a map of the site and tried to use it for an orienteering activity, looking for 12 trees around the site. We had to identify what type of tree each one was from the chart we had been given. This was great fun but very challenging to identify the trees when they had no leaves.
Afterwards, we meet by the River Stour and we were shown how to collect the different data needed to test the water. Then we tested the sample water from the river and later on in the afternoon we did the same tests on water samples from the brook nearby. When we compared the two sets of data, we found out the brook was less polluted than the River Stour.
We also, went onto the small island and identified different river features such as meanders, a river cliff formed by erosion and a slope which was formed by deposition. Our final activity was to get into the stream with nets to collect samples of different invertebrates that lived at the bottom of the stream in the mud and stones. We were all surprised at the variety of invertebrates in the stream including freshwater shrimp, leeches, Damselfly nymph and Mayfly nymphs and even a baby fish.
The children and adults all had a lovely day and learnt a lot about the River Stour. The children were all engaged in the activities and behaved really well all day – well done Owl Class! Thank you to Mrs Chambers, Mrs O’Conner and Mr West for their help on the trip.
Spring Week 9
Welcome to Science Week!
This week, we celebrated British Science Week with a theme of 'adapt and change'. The week kicked off with an assembly where children witnessed both a chemical and physical reaction. Later in the week, they were set the task of creating their own creature! To do this, they had to consider suitable adaptations for their creature's habitat. We then went onto create our creature using engineering skills. We were set a challenge of only using 4 A4 pieces of recycled paper and we weren't allowed to use any glue or tape! See some examples below.
Congratulations to Imogen for achieving the head teacher's award for her stupendous suspense writing!
Spring Week 8
We've had a very exciting week in Owl Class with lots of enrichment! On Tuesday, we had an online lesson from an educator at Hertfordshire Zoo. The session was very engaging and the children learnt a lot. Did you know that arctic foxes have colour-changing fur depending on the season? Or that tapirs poo in the water? Fascinating! In the afternoon, the class had a Fab Science workshop which was particularly exciting. We saw chemical reactions take place and learnt about dry ice too.
Friday was World Book Day and the class looked FABULOUS all dressed up! We spent the day with a whole-school focus on the book 'The Day the Crayons Quit'. Shockingly, our black pens decided to quit on the same day! We therefore created heartfelt pleas to encourage the pens to come back through our persuasive writing. The class wrote incredibly impressive speeches and we convinced the pens to come back!
Congratulations to Scarlett for achieving the head teacher's award for her excellent ideas and writing in English!
Spring Week 7
We've had another stupendous week of learning here in Year 5. In science, we learnt about irreversible changes and carried out an experiment where we mixed bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. The class were very excited to see the reaction and we observed how the bicarbonate of soda reacted with the acid to produce bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. This is an irreversible reaction.
Congratulations to Harriet for achieving the head teacher's award for her stupendous effort across all subjects and her helpful nature.
Spring Week 6
Owl Class have made a great start to 2025 this half term – well done!
On Wednesday 12th February PC Glenn Braden a Community Police Office came to talk to the Y5 and Y6 classes as part of their School Program. PC Braden discussed with the classes different areas of community policing such as dealing with Anti-social Behaviour. Through giving the children different scenarios, he discussed what could be perceived as anti-social behaviour and possible strategies that the children might use if they saw any of these, in order to keep themselves safe. He also discussed who might be affected by this behaviour and the consequences it can have on the whole community. Finally, he discussed the use of mobile phones, being part of a group chat and how anything on a group chat needed to be kind and cause offense to others. The children asked very good questions and gained a lot from his visit.
We have also written our own Haiku poems which are traditional Japanese poems about nature that are 3 lines long with a pattern of 5-7-5 syllables.
Head Teacher’s Award: Congratulations to Jasmine for being a great and helpful talk partner!
Spring Week 5
In Science, we have been learning about materials. In this lesson (photos below), the class learnt about dissolving and were tasked to investigate which materials dissolve in water. We found that salt and chocolate do dissolve whilst sand and pasta do not.
Congratulations to Freddie for achieving the head teacher's award for his teamwork in science and fantastic effort across all subjects!
Spring Week 4
- Check- always CHECK with the owner it’s okay to greet their dog
- Call- call the dog to you by patting your legs and saying their name
- Count- if the dog chooses to approach you, count up to 3 strokes and then let them carry on enjoying their day
Spring Week 3
Owl class have had another busy, fun week including an author workshop where Stephen Pass introduced his new book to the class and carried out various activities with them including how to write in shorthand. In Art, the children have been learning how to blend using oil pastels and used this skill to recreate the sky from a Lawren Harris (our current artist) painting. In Geography, we have been learning about the features of a river as well as erosion and deposition.
Congratulations to Hannah for achieving the head teacher's award for her fantastic recount in English!
Spring Week 2
In science this week, the class carried out an investigation. They tested various materials to determine which would be best to insulate a cup of water. Each group found different results so we discussed how there were a number of variables which affected our results and that our results would be more reliable if we repeated the test for a second time.
Congratulations to Tilda for achieving the head teacher's award this week!
Spring Week 1
The class have had a fantastic first week back after the Christmas holidays and I have really enjoyed getting to know them all. We started a new unit in Geography - Rivers and Mountains - where we started by locating the rivers in the UK. We used atlases to do this. In Maths, we started multiplying numbers by 2 digits which the class found challenging at first but they kept persevering and are becoming much more confident.
Congratulations Hugo C for achieving the head teacher's award for his excellent effort and perseverance!
End of Autumn Term
Owl Class have had a brilliant Autumn term and finished the year with a fabulous Christmas concert.
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year everyone!
Head Teacher’s Award Congratulations to:
8.11.24 Phoenix for his careful compass flower design.
15.11.24 Kai for his great effort and focus in Maths.
23.11.24 Ronnie for his excellent description of Camp Green Lake.
29.11.24 Evelyn for her thoughtful responses to questions about ‘Holes’.
6.12.24 Scarlett St for her excellent Romans Legacy leaflet.
19.12.24 Imogen S for always trying to do her best.
Week 15
In DT Year 5 have been making Cams - book scene moving models. We have worked with a partner to design and make our cam model. This was quite tricky to do and we had to work out how to make our follower (moving part) to move up and down using the cam mechanism. “I have really enjoyed making the cams because it is fun watching it come to life,” Tilda. “The cams are really fun to make and it helps make your brain focus,” Evelyn. “It’s really fun because you get to show your creativity,” Amelia. Everyone has enjoyed this DT project and are proud of their cam model.
Week 14
This week Year 5 have had Bikeability instructors teaching them. Bikeability is a great opportunity for the children to improve their cycling skills and become more confident in riding their bikes on the road. It was a two- day course part on the playground and part on the roads around Takeley.
”I thought it was really fun because we were learning how to do hand signals and road safety,” James. “ I found it really fun how we got to go on the road and learn about road safety and how to signal,” Scarlett St.
Week 13
Owl Class have had another busy week, learning and practicing the Christmas songs and completing our topic work on the Romans, researching their legacy. In PE we have been improving our netball skills, finding space, passing the ball and only having 3 seconds before we have to pass the ball to another player. Our shooting skills are getting better too! Bikeability has started for Group 1 and the rest of the class will be taking part next week.
Week 12
In Science this week, Owl Class have been investigating air resistance. We investigated whether the size of a parachute would affect the speed the parachute lands on the ground. We planned our investigation making sure it was a fair test and testing each different sized parachute three times to get an average time. We discussed why surface area was important and how gravity was pulling the parachute down whilst air resistance was pushing the parachute up, thus slowing the time it took to land on the ground. It was an interesting and fun experiment for everyone.
Week 11
On Tuesday 19th November Owl Class had a wonderful day at Colchester Castle as part of our topic on the Romans. We spent time sketching the Roman artefacts and took turns on the different interactive displays including a chariot race and dressing up as a Roman soldier. One of the historians, Leah, gave us a tour of the foundations of the castle which had in Roman times been the foundations of Temple Claudius. She told us all about the history of the Romans in Colchester and their battles with Boudica and the Celtic tribes. In the afternoon we had a workshop where the children had to build a Celtic roundhouse and a Roman villa. It was a really interesting day and everyone learnt a lot more about the Romans in Britain. Thank you to Mrs Chambers, Mrs Smith, Mrs Knight and Mrs Standen for helping on the trip.
“ I think it was interesting and I learnt a lot … I liked making the roundhouse and the Roman villa,” Imogen W.
“I thought it was really interesting and fun…… it really helped seeing everything in person,” Tilda.
“ I enjoyed the chariot game and I learnt about Roman coins,” Robert.
Well done all of Year 5 for being a credit to the school!
Week 10
It has been another busy week for Owl Class. On Monday Y6 lead the Remembrance assembly and each class observed the 2- minute silence. Tuesday was ‘odd socks’ day for Anti-bullying Week. We all wore odd socks and made anti-bullying posters with different slogans : ‘Choose Respect’, ‘Be Everyone’s Friend’, ‘Don’t Let the Bullies Win’ and the posters are now on display. Finally, on Friday the whole school came to school wearing a spotty top in support of Children in Need. Well done everyone for supporting such important causes!
Week 9
Welcome back to the second half of Autumn term. This week, Owl Class have started a new Science unit on Forces. Today we investigated friction, testing whether an ice cube or a wooden cube would go down the ramp the fastest. We tested this 3 times and each time we had the same result, the ice cube was the fastest! We discussed how the ice cube had less friction going down the ramp than the wooden cube, so went faster.
Week 8
Owl Class have had a fantastic first half term and made a great start to the year. In our Topic work we have learnt lots of information about the Romans in Britain and will continue to build on this next half term when we visit Colchester Castle on 19th November. This week, we have learnt about the life of a Roman soldier and all the equipment they needed and were expected to carry on their long marches. Everyone who wanted to, tried on a replica Roman helmet and we all agreed that it was very heavy!
Congratulations on being chosen for the Head Teacher’s Award this half term:
9.9.24 Robert for his positive attitude towards his learning.
16.9.24 Hugo K for his positive attitude towards all his lessons.
20.9.24 Gabby for always being kind and helpful – a good role model.
27.9.24 Amelia for fantastic times tables recall.
11.10.24 Stanley for his excellent bowling skills in cricket.
11.10.24 Misty for excellent focus in English.
18.10.24 Sienna for her excellent biography on Jacqueline Auriol.
24.10.24 Grace for her excellent focus and effort in Maths.
Week 7
This week in art Owl class have used the fabric dyes and oil pastels to create Roman sun designs. In previous lessons we have looked at different examples of Roman Sun designs and experimented with colour combinations. Some of our designs were very detailed and we have had to adapt them. The design we liked the best was used for our final creation of a Roman sun on the fabric. We have really enjoyed experimenting with contrasting colours and designs and are proud of the work we have done.
Week 6
On Wednesday morning, the whole school had an inspirational visit from Declan Brookes a BMX bronze Olympic medalist at the Tokyo Olympics. Declan told the children how he had started learning tricks on his BMX at 8 years old and started doing competitions when he was 13 years old. At first, he was not very successful at these competitions but he preserved and did not give up - eventually, winning an Olympic medal! After the assembly, Declan showed his Olympic medal to each class and the children had a chance to ask questions and feel how heavy his medal is!
“ I thought it was really interesting and funny showing his tricks – jumping over Mrs Hards on his BMX,” Scarlett Si.
“ I thought it was really inspiring and I want to take my BMX to the skate park now,” Stanley.
“ I thought it was really inspiring because the children who like riding their bikes could try BMXing,” Harriet.
“I thought it was really cool,” Freddie.
“I found it really interesting because the weight of his medal was different to the ones I have,” Sienna.
Week 5
Owl Class have had a lovely music themed day today. In the morning we went to Saffron Hall for a music workshop run by the Bendetti Foundation. The children had a great time learning new rhythms and songs with Lucy and Calum. Thank you to Mrs Chambers and Mrs Standen for their help on the trip.
“ I thought it was really inspiring for children who want to join in with music,” Evelyn “ I really liked the challenges and games were did.”
“I thought it was fun because they tried to include everyone as much as they could,” Hugo K.
“I thought it was good to see live music,” Robert.
“I think it was really fun and challenging, singing the round was the most challenging,” Harriet.
“I liked it because there were activities and they were quite challenging. My favourite activity was the spy song.” Hannah.
“I think it was really good for the kids to see how to sing a song in a round,” Freddie.
“I loved learning different rhythms and new songs,” Scarlett Si.
In the afternoon Y4,5 and 6 all walked to Trinity Church for our Harvest celebration. All the children sang beautifully and some Y6 children also recited Harvest poems. Well done everyone!
Week 4
This week, Owl Class have been learning about Boudica and the Celts rebellion against Roman rule in AD60. We have researched how the Celts and the Romans lived together in Britain and why Boudica started the rebellion. In English we wrote persuasive speeches as Boudica asking the other Celtic tribes to join her fight against the Romans.
Week 3
This week, we have looked at different Roman artefacts and discussed what they were made of, what they might have been used for and who might have owned them. The next day, we sketched the artefacts and looked carefully at the detail on some, especially the Roman coins. " I thought the different designs on the pottery was interesting" James. " I found it really interesting finding out about the different materials they used to make things, especially the studs on the bottom of the Roman sandals," Tilda.
Week 2
It was lovely to see so many parents this week at our 'Meet the Teacher' meeting on Tuesday. If you were unable to attend I have attached a copy of the PowerPoint with all the information. This week was the start of our cricket coaching. Luckily the rain stopped in time for our lesson. We practiced throwing and catching skills and then our batting skills. It was a really informative and fun lesson!
Autumn 2024 Week 1
Welcome to Owl Class. Everyone in Owl Class has made a great start to the new school year! All the children settled in well into the new classroom and new routines. Our topic this term is the Romans in Britain, we have made a timeline of the main events and dates and we have written our names using the Roman alphabet. In Science this week, we have begun learning about pollination and how flowering plants reproduce. It was very interesting dissecting a flower and finding out about the different parts of the flower and their function.
Well done to the children chosen for roles in our class:
I look forward to seeing you at ‘Meet the Teacher’ on Tuesday 10th September at 2.30 in Owl Classroom. If you are unable to come, I add the information to next week’s blog.
Summer Week 14
Owl Class have had a fun packed last two days of term. The fund raising morning was a great success and all the children had fun both running and trying out all the different activities in each classroom. Thank you for the nail vanishes and sweets you sent in. Well done Owl Class!
I have really enjoyed teaching Owl Class this year and working in such a welcoming supportive school community. Thank you for all the kind messages, cards and presents and I hope you all have a wonderful summer holiday!
