HAWTHORN CLASS

13th July 2020

Dear Hawthorn children

It is the last week of term! Admittedly, it has not been the summer term we would have wanted, but you have managed to carry on working and producing some impressive work. Really well done.

Last week we said good bye to Year 6s. This week we are ringing all your parents, meeting our new classes and planning teaching for September.

You have been an amazing class (definitely the best in the school, but don't tell the others!) and I will miss you. However, I am going to frame the card you gave me and have it in the classroom so that I can still have you with me next year.

Good luck Splendid Sixes!

See you soon Fabulous Fives!

Mrs Tawse x

6th July 2020

Dear Hawthorn Class, and, in particular, Year 5s

This is the last week in school with Year 6s. It has been lovely to be together, but we have  missed the Year 5s, and are really looking forward to getting together on the Zoom call on Wednesday. Next week the teachers are looking forward to meeting their new classes, and talking to everyone's parents from this year's classes. I will try to come and say hello to you all when you are in school. Your new teachers will have your books and artwork for you to take home.

We will still be posting work on the Class Pages, so keep an eye out for that. in the meantime, I am going to be sad to say goodbye to the Year 6s, but hope that I will see many Year 5s next week.

Mrs Tawse x 

23rd June 2020

Dear Hawthorn Class, especially home learners

I hope that you are all well. In school we have been enjoying learning about crime and punishment over the ages, and comparing them to today, as well as thinking about why people might commit crimes in the first place. We have also been preparing Year 6 for moving to senior school, and following the Kandinsky art.

I am really looking forward to seeing the Year 5s again this week and hearing what you have been doing. The Year 6 children who are in school really miss the rest of Hawthorn and we think and talk about you often.

Have you been doing many of the sports activities?

Thank you to those of you who have sent work to me. Please keep sending it in - I love to see it.

I am looking forward to some more lovely weather (it has been cold at school!)

Hope to see you soon

Mrs Tawse x

Monday 1st June

Dear Hawthorn Class

Does it really seem like 10 weeks since we left the classroom? In some ways the time has gone slowly, but I find it hard to believe that we are now in June. I hope that you had a good half term and had an opportunity to enjoy the amazing weather.

We have been busy getting ready for those of who will be coming into school on Wednesday. If you are in Year 5, or are not coming back for the moment, don't worry. We will be posting the work that we will be doing at school on the class pages. If you are home learning please keep sending in examples of your work so we can stay in touch and see how you are getting on.

I hope to see you soon

Mrs Tawse x

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” ― Oscar Wilde

Monday 18th May

Dear children

It is hard to believe that we are almost at half term. In some ways the lockdown has seemed long, but in others the time has whizzed by. I have really enjoyed looking at your work and reading messages that you have sent – please keep sending work and other news in. It is definitely harder to work at home and I have been so impressed with what you have produced – well done.

This week is the last for our book study 'Holes'.  I think that many of you really enjoyed the book. There are various tasks for you to choose from this week – I look forward to seeing the results!

Congratulations on your work on the Mayans- there was (it is still arriving) a great variety – look on the class page to see what people have been doing. For topic this week we would like you to learn some more about our amazing planet. Think about what you think makes Planet Earth so wonderful and what we can do to help it.

The teachers have been busy planning for after half term.  We will not be studying a book but will be doing one of my favourite topics: "Crime and Punishment". We will be looking at how punishment for crimes has changed over the past 2000 years. Does the punishment fit the crime?

I am working full time in school this week so may take a bit longer to send feedback to your messages and work, but please keep sending them in.

I hope to see you soon

Mrs Tawse x

"Do something wonderful. People may imitate it."  Albert Scweitzer

Monday 11th May

Hello everyone

I hope that you have had a chance to enjoy the lovely weather last week. Maybe you celebrated VE Day on Friday? Thank you for sending in your work and photos, I have really enjoyed seeing them. If you took bean plants from outside Infant School I'd love to see how they are getting on. Plants that were left have been planted at the Infant School. As you can see, I have transplanted some of the others into a bigger pot, and many more are also growing. Unfortunately, some of the labels have worn out so there are some mystery plants - I will let you know how identification progresses!

In non-teacher time I have been helping the volunteer team that is making 3500 surgical gowns for the Royal Berkshire Hospital; laying out material for cutting and cutting ties and velcro. I thought you may be interested in what they look like.

We have been thinking of the older people in our community who may be living alone at this challenging time. It would be greatly appreciated if you could write a message for someone, with or without a picture, and send or deliver it to the Infant School - we will distribute them to local residents next week.

Please look at Mrs Daisley's message in the video resource centre - it is lovely. 

I look forward to seeing more of your work and activities. You should be proud of what you have achieved so far.  

Take care

Mrs Tawse

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much for doing the toilet roll challenge. Mrs Page & I absolutely love it, and we both got a bit emotional watching it. We miss you all, but at  least we have the video to watch now. We will watch the video with you when we are back together again. It will be a great reminder of a very different time, but also a reminder of what a truly great class of wonderful children you are.

Monday 4th May

Dear Hawthorn

Happy Star Wars Day! (May the 4th be with you!)

I hope that you are all well and have had a chance to enjoy the mostly good weather. Thank you to everyone who has sent work to me. I look forward to seeing everyone else's work - please send it to me via the school office and I can write back to you. I will put work and photos on the Hawthorn class page.

I was in school last week with children of key workers which was lovely. I have enjoyed seeing a few of you during dog walks, and have just about kept up with exercising (and baking!) as well as planning home learning and doing online courses. I have also been helping a fabulous group of people who are making scrubs (the blue or green outfits doctors, nurses and other staff wear in hospital). My sewing isn't good enough so I have been delivering material to people who can sew,  and collecting the completed scrubs. Over 1000 sets have been made!  

It seems a long time since we were at school together, but the weeks are passing which means that, whenever we do go back to school, our return is getting closer.

Take care - I look forward to hearing from you. If you have any jokes or want to tell me about something you have learnt (it doesn't have to be school work) I would love to hear about them.

MrsTawse

 Q:Which Star Wars character travels around the world?
 A: Globi-wan Kenobi

Q:What do you call a bird of prey with a thousand lives?
A: A millennium falcon

Monday 27th April

Dear Hawthorn Class

I hope that your first week of the summer term went well, even though it was a very different start to the summer term to the one that you were probably expecting. I am really looking forward to seeing and hearing about what you have been doing - just send anything to the school office and Mrs Edwards will send it on to me. I would like to see your English as well.

Apart from working, I have learnt some new things:

• how lovely it is not to rush in the mornings
• how loud and beautiful birdsong is when you have time to listen
• what happens when you make a cake and forget to put the butter in (it looks ok, but doesn't taste as good!)
• there is a lot less washing to do, but a lot more cooking
• that it is normal and perfectly alright to have a bad day (I have had some) when you are finding things difficult
• how important it is to keep hoping - our cat turned up at midnight last night after being missing for 10 days

This week the extra activity is art. Don't forget the sketching techniques that we were working on in class - no solid lines!

Thinking of you all

Mrs Tawse

Tuesday 12th April

Dear Hawthorn Class

I hope you had a good Easter weekend. We were very lucky to have such lovely weather. I spent last week gardening and doing various jobs around the house, but managed plenty of time sitting in the sun and reading.

Mrs Page has been missing you all too. She has been busy gardening, walking Ozzy (her dog), doing crosswords,and staying in touch with her family. She is thinking about you all.

I brought many of the seeds that you planted home with me so that they could be watered and they are beginning to grow! I will let you know how they progress.

If you would like some ideas of things to do this week there are some suggestions below. Have you managed to complete the quiz: Where's Jonty?

There will be new work on the Home learning pages next Monday. If you would like to send any photos or messages you can send them to the school office and they will be forwarded to me.

Mrs Tawse x

Friday 3rd April

Dear everyone

As we "break up" for the Easter holidays today you may be nearing the end of your learning pack, or you may still have some things to do. As you will be at home more than usual, perhaps try some of the online exercise and learning sessions if you haven't already done so. 

Jonty (our dog) and I have enjoyed our daily walks. Can you work out where we have been? Some places may be easy and others a bit more difficult.All of the places are in or near Wargrave. We'll put the answers on the website at the end of the holiday.

I hope you have fun - let me know what you have been doing.

Mrs Tawse x

Wednesday 1st April

Hi everyone

I have been hearing about what some of you are up to. Lydia has been experimenting with hair colour (I might be tempted!), Eden has made an amazing grammar board game (please keep it for when we return) and Jack has been cooking (I’ll be looking for cakes later……). I'd love to hear how you are getting on, so please send me photos and/or messages to the school office email. If you send photos, I'll put them on this class page.

Well done for continuing with your work at home. As we near the Easter holidays here are a couple of suggestions:

• If you do not already know your times tables off by heart please try to learn them before we return.
• There is a live Science lesson on Facebook tomorrow -2^nd April -(ask an adult to help) on the heart & lungs: FACEBOOK
• Try some of these Lego challenge cards. If you do not have Lego try building them with other materials (junk modelling, materials from the garden).
• Here are the writing objectives for you to check your work against. what have you managed to include?

When I was walking the dog today, I noticed many signs of Spring. He was more interested in looking for food.

Monday 30th March

Hello everyone

I hope you are all well. I know that it is difficult to stay at home most of the time,but I have heard that some of you have taken the opportunity to teach your parents with your home learning packs - very impressive.

Apart from working I have managed to fit in dancing with Oti Mabuse (on Facebook at 11.30 -ask your parents to help you), a bit of skipping and trampolining, some gardening and lots of reading. I'm planning to try the Joe Wicks workout & Steve Backshall's session soon.

I hope you are enjoying Holes. I really enjoyed it - I didn't expect the ending at all. Once you have read the book you may wish to watch the film (ask your parents to find it for you - it is on Amazon Prime video or I think you can find it on YouTube).

Mrs Tawse x

 Hawthorn Class

School Closure Information

Dear Hawthorn Class

Thank you so much for the support and kind wishes. I look forward to seeing you all as soon as we can get back together.

Please, please stay safe and at home. Try to get some fresh air every day - in your garden or walking in the local area.  Keep yourselves busy with lots of different activities - some school based, some home based.

Every day, Monday - Friday you should be competing a variety of school based tasks. (see packs given out on Friday):

30 minutes of Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

1 hour of English

1 hour of Maths

1 hour of science / geography / art etc

Also, make sure you do something active such as dancing, skipping or trampolining as well as lots of reading.

I'll add more tasks and information every week, so please check back at least once a week.

USEFUL WEBSITES:

• BBC Bitesize: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/levels/zbr9wmn If you are stuck with something this is a good place to go. There are also other subjects that may interest you – start to explore something that you want to know more about.
• Native American tale  Use 'Hugh' at bottom of this page to help write story if needed

• Joe Wicks workouts Find the kids workouts and have fun! There is a live session at 9am.

• Morning Challenges  Daily 5 minutes tasks

• The Great Indoors  Lots of fun ideas from the Scouts

• Draw with Rob  Step by step drawing tutorial

• Scratch  Practise your coding skills

• Duo Lingo Learn new foreign language Free to create an account

• National Geographic  Discover cools facts from around the world
• https://www.kidswithbricks.com/ Lego Club that will be free over the Easter holidays.
• David Walliams free audio stories: www.worldofdavidwalliams.com
• www.audible.co.uk Audible (Amazon) is offering free digital audiobooks for children

​Welcome to Hawthorn Class 

Welcome to Hawthorn Class Web Page

Teachers: Mrs Tawse (Ms O'Byrne on Tuesday)

Teaching Assistant: Mrs Page (mornings)

Spring 2020

This term our focus is North America. We will be looking at the amazing countries, their diversity and the interesting people who live in the wide variety of locations.

We will be doing PE or the allotment on Wednesday and swimming on Thursday. PE kit should be in school every day.

Please remember.....

• always have a book you would like to read in school and read every day at home.
• to have your super 6 stationary (blue writing pen, pencil, ruler, eraser, sharpener, glue stick) every day in a small pencil case.

Dates for your diary:

Monday 9th March - Friday 13th March - STEM week.

Monday 9th March - Whole school trip to Winchester Science Centre

Friday 13th March (pm) - Science Fair

Tuesday 24th March - Class photos. Parents' Evening (late)

Thursday 26th March - Parents' Evening (early)

Wednesday 1st April - Easter service at St Marys Church

Friday 3rd April - End of term

11th - 14th May- Year 6 SATs week

15th - 19th June - Year 6 PGL week

29th June - 1st July - Year 5 Bushcraft trip

Homework  

Homework is usually set on a Friday and is expected in for marking by the following Wednesday at the latest.  House points are awarded for submitting homework before the deadline and they are also awarded for excellent effort/attainment.  If homework is late, then pupils will complete it at breaktime/lunchtime.

In addition, you can always look at the web links below and practice your literacy, grammar and maths skills.