Al Sedra Juniors - Week 3

Dear Parents,

This week we are delighted to share the fantastic response to our Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) programme. Sign-ups have been a huge success, with so many of our students eager to take part in the wide range of activities on offer. It is wonderful to see children choosing opportunities that match their passions and interests.

Here is a breakdown of the number of students enrolled in each activity this term:

Robotics – 32

Playground Games – 31

Stencil Art – 28

Sewing – 17

Typing Club – 15

Chess – 12

ECAs play an important role in school life, helping students to develop new skills, make friends, and build confidence beyond the classroom. We are proud to provide such a diverse programme that supports our aim of nurturing respectful, resilient, and responsible learners.

We would like to thank parents for supporting their children in committing to these activities. We look forward to seeing the growth, enjoyment, and achievements that will come from this term’s ECAs.

Finally, congratulations to 5 MU, who won this week’s attendance award with 99.47% attendance for Week 2. The class will be rewarded by coming to school in non-uniform on Thursday next week — a well-deserved reward for their excellent attendance. Well done, 5 MU!

Mr. Gary
Head of Juniors

This week, Year 3 have been working very hard to let their imaginations run wild as they think of different animals to trap! From brainstorming ideas, to practising their introductions, the children have shown fantastic creativity and effort. Some plan to use nets and ropes to trap their fantastic creatures, while others are cleverly luring their creatures with enchanted marshmallows into hidden caves. It’s been wonderful to see their ideas come to life in their writing. Keep it up Year 3, we can’t wait to see your final Instructional pieces! Don’t forget to start thinking of a new animal to trap, ready for the Hot Task!      

Teaching children about internet safety is very important as it helps them understand how to use technology responsibly and protect themselves online. By learning how to create strong passwords, recognise safe and unsafe websites, and avoid sharing personal information, children become more confident and secure in their digital world. These skills not only keep them safe but also prepare them to use the internet positively for learning and communication.

In computing, the children in year 4 explored how to stay safe online. They discussed the importance of protecting personal information and ways to use the internet responsibly. As part of the lesson, the children practiced creating strong and secure passwords, learning how these help keep their accounts and information safe.  

Over the past few weeks in Science, the Year 5 children have been learning all about the Solar System in their Science lessons. They began by exploring what they already knew and sharing interesting facts about the Sun, Moon, and Stars. The eight planets were introduced and they had to put them in order from the Sun, showing their different sizes, colours, and distances. The class compared the rocky inner planets with the Gas Giants and discussed what makes Earth so special. The children asked thoughtful questions about life on other planets and why the Sun is so important for survival. To consolidate their learning, they created their own solar system using black card and white chalk, carefully drawing planets and their orbits.

Year 6 have had an exciting week in Science! The children became scientists as they used their desks, Post-its, and cut-out pictures to classify animals. Working in groups, they created their own classification charts directly on their whiteboards, carefully deciding how to group each animal. This hands-on task led to some excellent debates and encouraged the children to think carefully about similarities, differences, and scientific vocabulary. Their teamwork and problem-solving skills really shone through, and they were justifiably proud of the charts they produced.

Our writing lessons have now reached the innovate stage, with pupils using their boxing-up plans to structure and develop their paragraphs.

As for our reading lessons, the children continue to apply the VIPERS skills as they explore the text A Long Walk to Water, developing their comprehension and critical thinking.

Maths has seen a continued focus on subtraction, with the class applying a range of strategies to tackle increasingly challenging problems.

Through IPC, the children have been exploring the impact of migration, reflecting on how the movement of people shapes societies both past and present.