Spring 1, Week 3 Monkeys' Class Blog

Date: 23rd Jan 2026 @ 1:11pm

Week 3: 

This week in English, the children have been busy writing their stories about Mary Anning. They wrote excellent setting descriptions about a storm hitting the seaside town of Lyme Regis, using similes and rich vocabulary to describe the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. The children worked hard to make their writing exciting and engaging for the reader. 

In Maths, the children recapped multiplication strategies. We began by learning how to multiply multiples of 10 (for example, if you know 2 × 3 = 6, then you know 20 × 3 = 60). We then moved on to using the grid method to solve questions such as 22 × 3. Towards the end of the week, the children were introduced to long multiplication. This is the first time they have practised this method, so we will continue to revisit and practise it to build confidence. 

In Geography, the children learned about volcanoes. They explored different types of volcanoes, such as stratovolcanoes, and learned about the three volcano statuses: active, dormant, and extinct. The children also learned about the Ring of Fire, where many active volcanoes are located. They carried out research on Mount Spurr and Mauna Loa, finding out about their location, type, status, and most recent eruption. To finish the topic, the children made their own volcanoes using card and plastic bottles and mixed ingredients to create an eruption. They had lots of fun - please see the attached photo!

In PSHE, the children learned about different types of bullying, including physical, verbal, emotional, and cyber bullying. They created posters to show their understanding and discussed how to respond safely and kindly in different situations. 

In PE, the children continued developing their Tag Rugby skills. They focused on passing accurately to teammates and learning how to defend their goal effectively. 

Thank you for your support in helping your child learn their lines for our class assembly. We were incredibly proud of how confidently they spoke and how well they presented their learning. 

Reminders: 

• We have started a new spelling scheme this week. Your child will receive a list of spellings each week. The new spelling pattern or rule will be taught on Monday, and the spelling test will take place on Friday. The children will have three spelling sessions in school each week, but please continue to support your child by practising spellings at home. 

• Home learning is due every Thursday. Please keep supporting your child to complete their home learning tasks and bring back to school before the deadline.  

• Reading at least 3 times a week is also a home learning task. Please support your child with this and ensure that reading is recorded in their diary.  

• Please can Ipads be brought to school fully charged and ready to use every day. 

• PE days are now Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Children need to wear the correct kit and remove earrings.  

Attendance: 98.2% - Well done!

Star of the week: Monkeys class – for their amazing efforts when writing their Mary Anning story. 

Star Writer: Nycolle