Times tables master

Congratulate Rufus: 4TBM Times Tables Master

Fitness charts

The children used Excel to plot graphs showing the progress they made in the boot camp fitness programme that they’ve been following over recent weeks.  The performance lines do not all go smoothly upwards even though the children visibly became fitter over the weeks.  In part, this may be because they all learned to do the different exercises better from week to week which did not always been faster.

Team 6 reading their autumn poems

Polar bear on Jupiter and other stories

Enjoy these stories – versions of Baboon on the Moon, the animation that we’ve been using as inspiration – by Niccolo, Rufus and Nyah.

4TBM – read the stories through and leave a comment by replying to this post.  You could pick out your favourite sentence(s) or say what it is about your classmates’ writing that you most enjoy.

Polar Bear on Jupiter, by Niccolo

Far, far away, on the other side of the solar system, lies a giant gas planet called Jupiter.  Jupiter is the biggest planet and it has a giant storm that has lasted 350 years. The planet can fit over 2000 Earths.

Polar bear was silent.  He never snored, breathed heavily or moved.  He slept a lot. At exactly 7pm (Jupiter time), his alarm went off playing Jupitarian music from a rock band called the Rolling Moles.  

Polar bear gave a giant yawn, rolled out of bed and stood up with big bags under his eyes.  He was a bit annoyed that his alarm had woken him up so early. After his breakfast, he decided to do his job, taking photos of the red sport, the giant storm on Jupiter.  He grabbed his camera and set off.

With a frown on his face, Polar bear slumped across the planet to his work.  He was going close enough for him to take a photo of the red spot. When he arrived where he wanted to, he snapped a few pictures, but without noticing he was moving forward close enough that… his camera got sucked in!  Polar bear glared at the red spot.  Curse you, red spot, he thought in his head.  

Polar bear watched the camera zooming around in the storm.  He was hoping it might come out and he could catch it, but no chance.   He was really annoyed. Polar bear watched for an hour or two. After a while, he got fed up and trudged home.  

When Polar bear arrived home, he sat on his chair and made a cup of tea for himself.  He sipped it about once in thirty seconds. Polar bear stretched his hand out and “Whoosh!” the camera had whirled back from the red spot straight into his hand.  Polar bear was shocked. He happily sent the photos back to Earth.

Polar bear was delighted.  He went outside and, with a tear in his eye, stared at Earth, especially at the Arctic where he used to live.  After a while he went inside, pulled a book from his bookshelf and went outside. He started reading the book.  It was called Polar bear on Jupiter.

 

The Saturn Rabbit by Rufus

Far, far away there was a planet called Saturn.  It was a gas giant (so you would probably fall right through it!)

The whole place was creepy silent apart from the wriggling of a rabbit.  He was wriggling like mad!

His alarm went off and made the sound of a bunny singing.  It was a bright morning and good for ice racing. He went to his shed and got his racing gear.  

But as soon as he got there, there was another racer on the ring.  He said, “Can you race me?” The Rabbit said “yes” but then he said that whoever won got to live on the planet.  They raced and the other racer was fast. 

So he pressed the big red button and went as fast as a cheetah and won!  They both shook hands but the rabbit said “Shoo!” and drove away.  

When he got home, his home was a bomb site.  So he tidied up. After that we went to his settee and sat down.  He got his clarinet and played away.  

 

Cheetah on Neptune, by Nyah

On the other side of the galaxy, there was a planet called Neptune.  Neptune has over 1000 miles per hour winds. It also has 14 moons.

Everything was dark.  The cheetah’s alarm was set to 3am.   She got out of bed and went to brush her teeth. For breakfast she had some toast and sausages and a cup of hot chocolate.  After breakfast, she grabbed her bag and set out in the darkness.

With a smile on her face, she padded to work.  On the way she stopped at one of Neptune’s famous pools so she wanted to have some fun.  And she met her best buddy penguin and they were having the best time ever. Some of Penguin’s friends were there too.  After they had gone crazy, they found a jellyfish and it became friends. Then they were relaxing on the ice chairs while eating chocolate cake.

When it was coming to the evening someone threw a massive party.  In the middle of it, Cheetah’s boss called and said, “Why did you not come to work today?”  

“I was walking to work and then I saw Neptune’s famous pool and I wanted to have some fun.  Sorry,” Cheetah said.  

When it was midnight and the party was over Cheetah was at home taking a relaxing hot bath.  The next day was Mother’s Day and Cheetah had to go back to Earth to celebrate Mother’s day so for a present she chipped a little piece off Neptune and hopped in her rocket.  It became a lovely day and the funny thing was she did not have to go to work.

Dusting the planet Mars

The children started planning their own stories today.  The idea was to use The Baboon on the Moon (whose job is to light up the moon each evening) as inspiration, but to change planet, character and job.  Here’s a selection of the children’s great ideas for the job that their character will be doing in the stories they write starting with Thanh’s character’s endless task of sweeping up all the red dust on Mars!  Do ask your children about their story ideas if you get the chance this evening.

Dusting on Mars – Thanh

Reporting alien activity – Lynden

Photographing Jupiter’s giant red spot – Niccolo

Recording the violent storms on Neptune – Juliette

Making Venus safe from asteroids – Kenza

Directing the orbits of the planets – Harry

Bus driver on Saturn – Tom

Mountaineer climbing the massive volcanoes on Mars – Reuben

Researcher collecting samples of rocks and minerals on Uranus – Azeeza

A dragon keeping the storms raging on Jupiter – Abdi

Searching for dinosaurs on Saturn – Jake

Making sure Mars spins in the correct direction – Annie

Polishing the rings of Saturn – Sam

Ice racing on Saturn’s rings – Rufus

Letters to Earth

The children produced their first piece of extended writing on Friday.  They had to imagine that they were the baboon on the moon (see earlier post) and write a letter home to a loved one on Earth.  There’s lots of great writing.  Here are extracts from letters by Kenza, Oscar, Kia, Rufus, Sam and Adam. 

When I was little I would lie on the grass with you and Dad and we would look in the sky and wonder what the moon tasted like.  Kenza

Ever since I was a little baboon I used to stare at the night sky and dream of successfully travelling to the moon.  Turns out my dream care true. I built a rocket and now I’m sitting on a crater staring at Mali. Oscar

I’m liking living on the moon but sometimes I do get bored and gaze at the Earth and think of you and the family and wish I was with you.  Kia.

I never have had a more lonely life but it is fun.  Rufus

I built a rocket out of cardboard (as you do) and I fly back to Earth to get supplies.  Sam

There’s no wifi up here so I can’t watch The Simpsons.  The cheese is very tasty – I’ll send you a chunk. Adam