Year 6 have really enjoyed spending time in the library this week reading our class novel, Skellig. We finished the story today and all loved it! Reception and Year 6 love meeting up on a Tuesday for their Buddy time. They play together, read stories and have lots of fun. We can't wait to perform the Buddy assembly for our families on Friday 23rd October. Year 6 have loved coming in today in their own clothes for Charles Dickens Day! Year 6 had great fun conducting a science investigation this week. It didn't quite go to plan but it was good fun! Year 6 thoroughly enjoyed their first trip of the year. They went to Safetyworks where they learned about safety on the metro, antisocial behaviour, peer pressure, water and road safety. Year 6 have had a brilliant start to the year. They have come back with amazing attitudes and are ready for the challenges ahead. They did some excellent maths work this week using bar models and algebra!

In year 5 we used African landscapes to practice our sketching skills. We started our sketches by focusing on the foreground and worked backwards. We then used oil pastels to colour them in. In Year 5 this week we have been finding the position and length of shadows! And in maths we were also finding common factors between two numbers. Year 5 have had a fabulous day for Charles Dickens Day! We were especially impressed by our friends who dressed up in character! Year 5 began their week with product analysis and exploring their brief in DT. This half term we are building touch pad guitars, any carboard donations are welcome to help us make them! We finished the week enjoying Golden Time with our friends! Year 5 have had a brilliant start to the term! In Geography this week, we began looking at climates and the link between the equator and the temperature of a country.

Year 4 had the best time in their PE session with Mrs Gregson this week playing lots of new exciting games!! Year 4 have been thoroughly enjoying their French and Music lessons over this half term, they are very excited to keep learning more! Bien joué Year 4!! Year 4 have had a wonderful day for 'Charles Dickens Day'! It was great to see so many friends dressed in costume and we loved watching some of the movie adaptation of the novel 'David Copperfield'. Year 4 attended mass this week and did some fabulous readings and singing for the service! Well done year 4! Year 4 started our Dance sessions in PE which they LOVED! We played a game of dance whispers which was so funny Year 4 have made a fabulous start to the year! We have started out new topic in Science 'States of Matter' where we played a game of Solid, Liquid or Gas which the children enjoyed so much! We are going to have a great time in year 4!'

Year 3 have been enjoying working with Mr Miller to learn a new song on the recorder. They worked really hard to get the notes correct. Well done everyone! Year 3 enjoyed spending time in our lovely library reading books and listening to the story, David Copperfield. Year 3 have had a fabulous 'Charles Dickens Day'! It was so lovely to see so many of our friends dressed up in character! In Year 3, we have been completing work about a character description for David Copperfield! It was so interesting to see all of the different techniques for describing a character. Year 3 have started a new dance topic in PE and finished off the session with a relaxing mindfulness session

For their Tuesday Choice, Year 2 chose to spend time outdoors in prayerful reflection. We took time to find joy in nature, pray outdoors and thank God for creation. To experience Oliver Twist's life in the workhouse, Year 2 made gruel using the recipe in Dickens' original text. Year 2 having fun for Charles Dickens Day, dressed as characters from their class novel, Oliver Twist. In Computing, Year 2 have been classifying objects into technology and not technology. They have enjoyed this so much! Year 2 have loved catching up with their friends this week and have made a fabulous start to the new school year!

Year 1 have been fantastic artists this week, learning about the work of Tanzanian artist Edward Saidi and creating some fantastic animal pictures which have been inspired by his style! Year 1 were amazing designers and engineers this week! We researched pop-up books and planned our own page for an interactive book about Oliver Twist. We designed pickpocket sliders after trying out our ideas with a prototype. We were so proud of our successful products! Year 1 were shocked to discover their classroom had been transformed into a Victorian workhouse over lunchtime! We followed the strict workhouse rules, tasted some truly horrible gruel (with some even asking for more! ), and listened to 'Food, Glorious Food!' Thank goodness our classroom will be back to normal on Monday! Year 1 have been very busy this week making maps of different parts of our local area using the practical resources. We followed some clues to find Mrs Haighton's watch which had been hidden by the Artful Dodger and created a floor map of our playground! Year 1 have had a fantastic first week! We've acted out the story of 'Oliver Twist', made up our rules for the workhouse, explored the classroom and had a brilliant time with our friends!

Reception class loved it when their parents and carers came into the classroom for our 'Stay and Play' session. We loved showing everyone the Reception toys and some of the activities that we do. Reception and Year 6 love meeting up on a Tuesday for their Buddy time. They play together, read stories and have lots of fun. We can't wait to perform the Buddy assembly for our families on Friday 23rd October. Reception class have loved listening to the story of Farmer Duck and joining in with the repeated refrains. We had fun acting out the story in the Butterfly Garden. We couldn't believe how lazy the farmer was and how much work the poor duck had to do! In Reception we listened to the Creation story and thought about what we love in God's world. We went for a walk around the school grounds and talked about the beautiful things we could see that God created. We picked up some leaves that we found in the Forest school to print with and examine closely with our magnifying glasses. This week we have painted pictures and made playdough models of ourselves. We thought about what colour our hair, skin and eyes were. We talked about how everybody in Reception class is special and unique. The children have settled really well into our Reception class. They have loved making new friends and exploring all of the Reception toys. They love having toast in the morning after they've had time to play

Nursery have loved investigating the season of Autumn. We created our own leaf man using the leaves we collected last week. We have also explored lots of Autumn tuff trays. This week in Nursery we had a great adventure, we trekked up to the forest school to look for things God created and collected lots of different coloured leaves. Miss Graham read us the story ‘The Leaf Man’ as we gathered around the firepit. Nursery have been learning about ourselves this week. We painted, chalked, and drew images of ourselves. We talked about how our body reacts to big feelings e.g. happy and sad. Nursery have loved learning how to look after our very own pet tortoise, 'Sheldon'. We talked about how to handle him safely and how to care for him. We take turns to prepare his food and feed him and even give him his weekly bath. Nursery have enjoyed exploring their senses in the new ‘Sensory Room’. We loved playing in the ball pool, chilling out in the den surrounded by twinkling lights. We have also been learning how to balance on various beams and objects. We have had great fun in our first week of Nursery. We have explored the Rainbow Garden and had lots of fun playing with the new toys and making new friends.

Future members of the electorate had their say when children at our school met with their Member of Parliament to share their ideas for improving the neighbourhood. The Student Council at St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School were visited by Catherine McKinnell, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North, as part of her discussions with the community about the multi-million Pride in Place funding allocated to the Kenton area. Mrs Haighton is our PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education) Lead and also heads the Student Council. “Catherine McKinnell contacted our school to ask if we would like to be involved in coming up with ideas for how the funding could be spent,” she explained. “The Student Council went around the local area, taking photos and coming up with ideas for improvements which they made into a PowerPoint and presented to the school. “They made a forms’ survey and took ideas to add to their research. When Catherine came in, they each presented a slide sharing the views of the whole school.” The ten Student Council members represent their peers at St Cuthbert’s, with two elected from each group from Years 2 to 6. Mrs Haighton continued: “Before the meeting, the Student Council looked closely at their local community, thinking about the places that are important to children and families. They spoke to pupils across the school to gather ideas and opinions about what could be improved and what new facilities people would like to see. “One of the main ideas was to improve the local sports centre and play park so that they are more enjoyable, welcoming, and accessible for everyone. The children also suggested creating a war memorial in the park, giving local people a special place to remember those who have served their community and country. “Road safety was another important topic. The pupils highlighted the need for more safe crossing points to help children and families travel around Kenton safely. They also discussed the importance of giving young people places to meet and spend time together, suggesting that a youth centre could provide a safe and friendly space for local children and teenagers.” She added: “The meeting gave the Student Council the chance to share the views of their classmates directly with their local MP. They were proud to represent their school and show that children can play an important role in helping to shape the future of their community. “With £20 million set to be invested in Kenton over the next ten years, the pupils were excited to see how their ideas could help make a positive difference for everyone who lives there.”

St Cuthbert's took part in our annual coffee morning raising money for the charity Macmillan. We raised an amazing £167.35 for the charity! You can read more about the event at the link below. Pupils and Families Enjoy Reading Cafes for Macmillan Fundraiser - Newcastle Magazine - Your source for inspiring Newcastle news