17/01/25

We are all so proud of students in A5 Class this week – not only for their hard work academically but also for positive attitudes, personal regulation, kindness and for joining in together socially and having fun. 

In maths we continued further study of properties of 3D shapes and 1 student was also identifying and calculating angles. 

In English we looked at Aesop’s Fables ‘The Fox and the Goat’ and identified the moral of the story being ‘look before you leap….think carefully before you make a decision’ and we enjoyed an animated version of the ‘The Tortoise and the Hare’ and the moral being, ‘Slow and steady wins the race….quiet determination and not giving up can help you overcome the odds’. Students included adjectives within character descriptions. 

In UTW we learnt about the remarkable life and achievements of Queen Elizabeth II. We were all impressed by one of A5 pupil’s commenting, “I admire her – she did so much for our country and gave her life to the country”. We also learnt about Sir Winston Churchill and that he was Prime Minister during WW2 and that he was only one of the 13 Prime Ministers in office during Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years reign. 

In ILS we looked at possible dangers in the community and how to avoid risk. We practiced peeling apples and most managed this independently. Students also learned the rubbing in method to make apple crumble. We visited The Discovery Museum for the second time and this week we explored the ‘History of the River Tyne’ and ‘Science’ exhibits. We’re looking forward to a visit to the café at the Museum next week. We also had great fun at Herrington Park with some trying play equipment for the first time and lovely social interaction.  

In Health and Wellbeing (H&W) most young peopled joined in a class game being brave enough to be blind folded and use their listening skills to identify challenge coming their way. Such good fun with lots of laughs. We also relaxed whilst watching a Yoga Class in preparation for joining in next week. 

A great first week back in A5 starting 2025 with students and staff sharing new year resolutions for positive change for the year ahead. 

In English we read one of Aesop’s Fables called the Golden Egg and identified the moral within the story of ‘being happy and thankful for what you have and not being greedy’.  We also learned that ‘arrogance can be overcome by quiet determination – slow and steady can win the race’, the moral within the fable of The Tortoise and the Hare. 

In Maths we have been studying the properties of 3D shapes counting faces, edges and vertices and matching 2D nets to their 3D shape partner. 

In UTW we began to learn about ‘Leaders’ (our topic for this half-term) and differentiated between a Leader, teacher and follower.  Students talked about who leads and cares for them within their family and the different staff roles at Hill Top School.  We then looked at leaders of different types within society such as Barack Obama, Emmeline Pankhurst, The Dalai Lama, Queen Elizabeth II and why having leaders to follow is important. 

In ILS we revisited the rules of crossing the road safely when talking about staying safe in the community.  Students enjoyed our first visit to The Discovery Museum looking at the exhibit of The History of the North East.  A5 also learned about coping strategies to support feelings of anxiety and tips on how to improve concentration.  Students practiced peeling and chopping skills when they made chips in the Airfryer and most agreed they were really tasty. 

Students enjoyed the first swimming session of the year with some lovely social interaction between pupils.  They bought a treat in the cafe for a well-deserved reward and practiced money exchange and interaction with café staff.  A big well done to all students.