A Very Busy Last Week At Belmont

The final week of the school year is always an emotional one as we prepare to say farewell to the children in Taruca Class. The last few years have had many challenges but throughout, the resiliance, kindness and hard work of the children has been impressive. I am so pleased that we were able to arrange lots of activities during the last week of term to celebrate their time at the school.

Despite the record temperatures at the beginning of the week, we couldn't wait to try on the hoodies which were presented by Mrs James, Mrs Clark and Mrs Jameson from the FOBS! We also had great fun at our BBQ afternoon. Lovely food and all finished off with a splendid water fight!

On the final morning, there were a few tears as we gathered together in the hall to say goodbye, with the children recalling some of their favourite memories. Mr Horan, Chair Of Governors, was very proud to present every member of the class with a gift from the school along with a special Leavers' Book full of messages and photos.

I would like to wish all of the class the very best as they take the next exciting step onto secondary school. We have had a fantastic year and I look forward to hearing all about their successes when they pop back in to see us!

Our End Of Term Play!

We had to rearrange the date for our play, 'Jill and Fred's Most Hysterical Historical Adventure' and change it to one performance only due to the heatwave but the class did a great job with a wonderful performance. I ensured that the play was filmed and a link has been sent to all parents/carers of the children in the class so that they can watch it if they were unable to attend.

Sports Day

Wow, what a wonderful afternoon! For the first time since the summer of 2019, the children were able to take part in Sports Day! They made the most of every moment and had a great time!

Our Platinum Jubilee Celebration!

When the children look back at their time at Belmont, I think one of their best memories will be of our Platinum Jubilee Celebration where Taruca Class took to the stage to introduce each class who sang a song from each decade of the Queen's reign. We were able to invite our families to come and enjoy a picnic on the field with us and I was so proud as our class gave a fantastic performance of 'Let It Shine' from the 2000s. Everyone was presented with a special medal and a book which I'm sure they will treasure for years to come.

Fish & Chips!

We thoroughly enjoyed our fish and chips on the Friday of SATs week! A long tradition at Belmont, it is a great way of celebrating all of the hard work that has gone into preparing for the SATs. I'm incredibly proud of their focus and the way they have supported each other.

The Platinum Jubilee

With SATs now over, we are loving our research into the life and times of the Queen, ready for our celebrations on Friday, 27 May!

Alberto Giacometti

During the spring term we have been studying the works of Swiss sculptor, Alberto Giacometti. The children used mannequins to form body positions they had observed and then recreated them in the style of the artist. We had a lovely afternoon on the last day of term making our Giacometti designs into sculptures!

Comic Relief Red Nose Day

This year, our theme for Red Nose Day was Super Heroes - whether it was Superman, Wonder Woman, a superhero of our own creation, or a local hero in our community. As you can see, the children had great fun!

RE

Sambar and Taruca classes had a very enjoyable day in Peterborough where we went into Peterborough Cathedral and the  Faizan-e-Madina Mosque. I am very proud of all the class, not only for their exemplary behaviour but for their engagement and very thoughtful questions.

Learning How To Program

We are really enjoying using the website Purple Mash to develop our computer skills. With the objective of writing a Text Adventure, the children planned their stories using 2Connect before creating the Adventure on 2Create A Story. You can see a super example below.

Science Learning Journeys

I have been impressed by the way the class has such pride in their work. Their Science Learning Journeys show not only understanding of how the circulatory system works but also fantastic presentation of their learning. You can see a super non-chronological report below that demonstrates not only knowledge of the topic but also great computer skills.

It's Christmas!

We really enjoyed the run up to Christmas when we made our Christmas gnomes that we sold at the FOBS Christmas Market. We think they looked very merry indeed! We also had great fun on the last day of term when we spotted Santa walking across our playground! We had a party during the afternoon, where we also hosted a Christmas quiz on Zoom that we had devised for the whole school.

Super Gymnastics

The children have worked hard with Miss Allen this term, improving their gymnastic skills. They have made great progress!

Moving Animal Toys

We have been working on making some moving toys in DT to link with our class reading book – Cogheart. The children have been experimenting with cams and followers to create a moving animal toy. The finished products were great and the children also created a wonderful advert to sell their toy.

Ripon Workhouse Museum

We had a fabulous day at the Ripon Workhouse Museum with Sambar Class. Despite a long journey, they made the most of their time at the museum learning about life as a pauper living in the Workhouse.

After a stern introduction from Matron, the children went to the Guardians’ Room for the Guardians’ role-play activity. The Guardians were the Board, made up of the 'good and the great', who oversaw the running of the Workhouse and were considered of a superior class to the pauper inmates.  As part of the role-play, the children were split into Guardians and Paupers, with the Guardians having to apply the rules of the Workhouse to decide which of the Paupers could be given financial help; who they would take into the Workhouse and who they turned away with nothing! Their thoughtful answers to questions showed great empathy and understanding of what life was really like for the Paupers.

Afterwards, the classes were split into boys’ and girls’ groups where they had a lesson from the schoolteacher whilst the girls also learnt how to do rag-rugging. To 'earn their keep', the children had to do their chores: sweeping, polishing and shoe cleaning!

Our visit to the Workhouse never fails to inspire and ignite a passion for history! It was an incredible experience that enabled the children to fully appreciate the harsh reality of Workhouse life. If you would like to find out more about the Workhouse, please click HERE. 

RE Week - HInduism

During RE week we have studied Hinduism where the children also learnt stories and acted them out in a drama. I am really impressed by the way the children reflected upon faith and its meaning.

Fantastic Science!

We have been doing some great science this term. The children have designed questions that they want to investigate about dissolving. They used some great vocabulary as well as drawing some wonderful diagrams.

Castleton!

Despite the rainy weather, the children in Taruca Class had a fantastic time when we spent three days at Castleton!

They were certainly kept busy with a range of exciting activities, such as fencing, shelter building, map reading, fire lighting and gem panning! On Thursday, we were joined by Mr Davidson for their walk to Treak Cliff Cavern. They found the cavern an incredible experience as you can tell by the photos!

We’re very proud of the way the children took on all of the challenges with a smile and such a positive attitude, determination and perseverance! Our thanks go to Mrs Bell and Mrs Nix for accompanying us on the trip.

More photos can be found in the Photo Gallery.

Still Life Art - Giorgio Morandi

For our first art topic this year, we have been studying the artist Giorgio Morandi, Italy's foremost 20th Century still life painter. His painting are instantly recognisable for their muted colour palette and simple subject matter. We have been focussing on shade and light to help us shade still life objects.