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May Bank Holiday 2020

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The UK Government has announced that the tradition of assigning the first Monday of May as a public Bank Holiday will be pushed back a few days in 2020 to Friday, 8th May instead in order to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.  Therefore, Monday, 4th May, 2020 will now be a normal working day.

Babbling Babies

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Blaendulais Primary School is extremely excited to be one of the first schools in Neath Port Talbot CBC to be running ‘Babbling Babies’.

‘Babbling Babies’ is an activity based intervention to help build babies language acquisition and language development.

‘Meet & Greet’ to be held Monday, 20th May 2019 – 2.30pm in the Junior Library.

For further information, see the flyer or speak to Mrs D. Hattab in the Early Years Department.

Diolch!

Week 7

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  1. You can view previous weeks activities by

clicking on the links at the bottom of this page.

Week Beginning  22nd February 2021 Week 7

Hello all,

I hope you have had a restful half term and are all fit and healthy. I am very much looking forward to the day that you can all come back to school and learn together and miss you all lots and lots.

I will continue be on teams most mornings between 9:30 and 10:30 to help you and teach you. You can also message me through Class Dojo or use my work email which is wheadonc11@hwbcymru.net  .You can complete your work in your HWB account, which we have been using for the whole of the Autumn Term and you are very good at getting on to it. It saves automatically and I will be able to see it and leave some comments to say how well you have done. If you would prefer to write your work out that’s great- take a photo and upload it to HWB or Class Dojo for me to see a few children have been doing this and I can still attach comments.

Remember to keep yourselves healthy and fit whilst you are at home, complete your 10 minutes activity of walking, skipping, running etc a day, relax have fun with your family, go to your bedroom for alone time, play with your toys, eat some food or have a treat. When we get back to school we will get back on track so make sure to look after yourselves.

Mrs Issac has uploaded some excellent activities on Rainbow Rangers which anyone can use so take a look and have a go.

I am thinking about you all regularly and I really miss seeing everyone.

Thinking about you lots and sending good health  to you all from Mrs Wheadon.

 

Below I have set out a timetable of how we would complete this work in school- please remember that your children would also be having regular breaks, playing board games, listening to stories, using construction toys, having a snack, talking to their friends, talking to adults, looking at/reading books and definitely not be working constantly throughout the day.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Guided Reading activity English activity English activity English activity Guided Reasoning activities
Break
Guided Reading activity Maths activity Maths activity Maths Activity Guided Reasoning activities
Lunch
Topic/Afternoon activities Topic/Afternoon activities Topic/Afternoon activities Topic/Afternoon activities Topic/Afternoon activities

 

Literacy Activities

Reading

Please read for at least 10 minutes everyday, you can read a comic, the TV magazine, a book, something on line (using a phone, a tablet, a laptop whatever device you have) a menu, a set of instructions etc.

 Please also complete the activities below (this is a Monday Morning lesson).

Guided Reading activities- 

I can no longer upload the whole newspaper sorry.

The activities below can however be completed because the reading and questions are all on the same sheet.

Year 4 complete all four comprehensions please.  Year 3 choose two comprehensions you are interested in.

WALT Reading for Understanding.

Four-Stories-766

Year 3 & 4 Activities

L1-Crossword-766.pdf

 

Yr 3 Practise the spellings on the sheet and write five different sentences using these words.

Spelling dge

Spelling Yr4 – Practise adding er, ing, and ed to words and write eight different sentences using these words.

spelling ai

An extra practice sheet

Came, Can, Children, Come, Could

Handwriting Practice – Please write this on lined paper’ remember to take your time and make it as neat as possible. Underline your date and WALT improve my style of writing.

 

 

 

Please talk to someone for at least 10 minutes everyday, you can talk about your feelings, about your book, about your animals from the clips, about your favourite football team etc. Remember to give reasons for your answers and try to use new words confidently.

Written work

Tuesday 

Today we are starting a new genre (type of writing) so you are going to have a go first to show me what you already know.

Can you write a poem? Think about other poems you have read or recited and write one in that style.

Wednesday 

Write some more verse to this poem using the simple technique of repetition. Try with one first then add more as you become more confident.

Poetry day1

Remember to use the opening line

In the ocean of dreams I saw….

 

Thursday

Learn and recite this poem. Take a recording of yourself and upload it to your hwb account.

The Rhythm of Life by Michael Rosen.

The-Rhythm-of-Life-Poem-by-M-Rosen

Maths Activities

Times Table Activities are always in our maths sessions. The children work in small groups with an adult and also play maths games with their friends. Please use the multiplication games daily.

Use Hit the Button and J2EBlast (on Hwb) to practice your 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 times tables. Record how many you get correct and see if you can beat that next time! (If you are very good at these tables please move on to 7,8,9 times tables.) Warm up by singing your times tables songs using Youtube to find the songs we sing.

Multiplication Sheet

t-n-6268-times-table-1x-to-12x-display-poster-_ver_2

Division Sheet

t-n-7041-1-to-12-times-table-division-display-poster-_ver_1

Maths topic – time use the power point and maths games to help you learn the tell the time. You can set your own level.

t-n-7132-telling-the-time-powerpoint-_ver_1

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/time/teaching-clock

https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/116/telling-the-time

Year 3&4

How many clocks can you find in your house?

Can you draw them?

   

Year 4

 Friday – Guided Reasoning

(more…)

Article – Why are our children so bored at school, cannot wait, get easily frustrated and have no real friends?

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This article was shared on a social media network a few weeks ago. It certainly reflected many issues we face in school on a day-to-day basis, so we felt it appropriate to share online with you, too! 

Mr G Phillips – Headteacher

Article Author – Victoria Proday, Occupational Therapist

Today’s children come to school emotionally unavailable for learning, and there are many factors in our modern lifestyle that contribute to this. As we know, the brain is malleable. Through environment, we can make the brain “stronger” or make it “weaker”. I truly believe that, despite all our greatest intentions, we unfortunately remould our children’s brains in the wrong direction. Here is why:

1. Technology

Using technology as a “Free babysitting service” is, in fact, not free at all. The payment is waiting for you just around the corner.  We pay with our kids’ nervous systems, with their attention, and with their ability for delayed gratification. Compared to virtual reality, everyday life is boring. When kids come to the classroom, they are exposed to human voices and adequate visual stimulation as opposed to being bombarded with the graphic explosions and special effects that they are used to seeing on the screens. After hours of virtual reality, processing information in a classroom becomes increasingly challenging for our kids because their brains are getting used to the high levels of stimulation that video games provide. The inability to process lower levels of stimulation leaves kids vulnerable to academic challenges. Technology also disconnects us emotionally from our children and our families. Parental emotional availability is the main nutrient for child’s brain. Unfortunately, we are gradually depriving our children of that nutrient.

2. Kids get everything they want the moment they want

“I am Hungry!!” – “In a sec I will stop at the drive thru”

“I am Thirsty!” – “Here is a vending machine.”

“I am bored!” – “Use my phone!”

The ability to delay gratification is one of the key factors for future success. We have the best intentions — to make our children happy — but unfortunately, we make them happy at the moment but miserable in the long term.  To be able to delay gratification means to be able to function under stress. Our children are gradually becoming less equipped to deal with even minor stress, which eventually become huge obstacles to their success in life.

The inability to delay gratification is often seen in classrooms, malls, restaurants, and toy stores the moment the child hears “No” because parents have taught their child’s brain to get what it wants right away.

3. Kids rule the world

“My son doesn’t like vegetables.”

“She doesn’t like going to bed early.”

“He doesn’t like to eat breakfast.”

“She doesn’t like toys, but she is very good at her iPad”

“He doesn’t want to get dressed on his own.”

“She is too lazy to eat on her own.”

This is what I hear from parents all the time. Since when do children dictate to us how to parent them? If we leave it all up to them, all they are going to do is eat macaroni and cheese and bagels with cream cheese, watch TV, play on their tablets, and never go to bed. What good are we doing them by giving them what they WANT when we know that it is not GOOD for them? Without proper nutrition and a good night’s sleep, our kids come to school irritable, anxious, and inattentive.  In addition, we send them the wrong message.  They learn they can do what they want and not do what they don’t want. The concept of “need to do” is absent. Unfortunately, in order to achieve our goals in our lives, we have to do what’s necessary, which may not always be what we want to do.  For example, if a child wants to be an A student, he needs to study hard. If he wants to be a successful soccer player, he needs to practice every day. Our children know very well what they want, but have a very hard time doing what is necessary to achieve that goal. This results in unattainable goals and leaves the kids disappointed.

4. Endless Fun

We have created an artificial fun world for our children. There are no dull moments. The moment it becomes quiet, we run to entertain them again, because otherwise, we feel that we are not doing our parenting duty. We live in two separate worlds. They have their “fun“ world, and we have our “work” world. Why aren’t children helping us in the kitchen or with laundry? Why don’t they tidy up their toys? This is basic monotonous work that trains the brain to be workable and function under “boredom,” which is the same “muscle” that is required to be eventually teachable at school.  When they come to school and it is time for handwriting their answer is “I can’t. It is too hard. Too boring.” Why? Because the workable “muscle” is not getting trained through endless fun. It gets trained through work.

5. Limited social interaction

We are all busy, so we give our kids digital gadgets and make them “busy” too. Kids used to play outside, where, in unstructured natural environments, they learned and practised their social skills.  Unfortunately, technology replaced the outdoor time.  Also, technology made the parents less available to socially interact with their kids. Obviously, our kids fall behind… the babysitting gadget is not equipped to help kids develop social skills. Most successful people have great social skills. This is the priority!

The brain is just like a muscle that is trainable and re-trainable. If you want your child to be able to bike, you teach him biking skills. If you want your child to be able to wait, you need to teach him patience.  If you want your child to be able to socialise, you need to teach him social skills. The same applies to all the other skills. There is no difference!

 

You can make a difference in your child’s life by training your child’s brain so that your child will successfully function on social, emotional, and academic levels. Here is how:

1. Limit technology, and re-connect with your kids emotionally

  • Surprise them with flowers, share a smile, tickle them, put a love note in their backpack or under their pillow, surprise them by taking them out for lunch on a school day, dance together, crawl together, have pillow fights
  • Have family dinners, board game nights, go biking, go to outdoor walks with a flashlight in the evening

2. Train delayed gratification

  • Make them wait! It is okay to have “I am bored“ time – this is the first step to creativity
  • Gradually increase the waiting time between “I want” and “I get”
  • Avoid technology use in cars and restaurants, and instead teach them waiting while talking and playing games
  • Limit constant snacking

3. Don’t be afraid to set the limits. Kids need limits to grow happy and healthy!!

  • Make a schedule for meal times, sleep times, technology time
  • Think of what is GOOD for them- not what they WANT/DON’T WANT. They are going to thank you for that later on in life. Parenting is a hard job. You need to be creative to make them do what is good for them because, most of the time, that is the exact opposite of what they want.
  • Kids need breakfast and nutritious food. They need to spend time outdoor and go to bed at a consistent time in order to come to school available for learning the next day!
  • Convert things that they don’t like doing/trying into fun, emotionally stimulating games

4. Teach your child to do monotonous work from early years as it is the foundation for future “workability”

  •  Folding laundry, tidying up toys, hanging clothes, unpacking groceries, setting the table, making lunch, unpacking their lunch box, making their bed
  • Be creative. Initially make it stimulating and fun so that their brain associates it with something positive.

5. Teach social skills

  • Teach them turn taking, sharing, losing/winning, compromising, complimenting others , using “please and thank you”

From my experience as an occupational therapist, children change the moment parents change their perspective on parenting.  Help your kids succeed in life by training and strengthening their brain sooner rather than later!