Summer Term Issue 31: 22nd May 2026
Flourishing in the love of God, love of life, love of learning
Dear SJSC Families,
This half term has gone by so quickly – time really does fly when you’re having fun! It has been a brilliant and busy few weeks, filled with hard work, creativity and celebration across the school.
We were delighted to end the term on such a high note. Year 4 shared their impressive lighthouse STEM projects with parents, showcasing both their learning and enthusiasm. Year 5 presented the outcomes of their architecture project to families, demonstrating fantastic creativity and teamwork. Our Year 6 children enjoyed some well-earned time in the park, celebrating their incredible efforts throughout SATs week. To top it all off, everyone had a wonderful time at the school disco, brilliantly organised by the PTFA.
A huge thank you to all the parents and carers who supported the disco and helped make it such a success – your support is always greatly appreciated.
You will have received an email regarding updated term dates for next year. Please take note of these and support us in improving our attendance by avoiding booking holidays during term time.
We hope you all have a restful and enjoyable half term break, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday 1st June.
Warmest wishes,
Alli
Reception
This week in reception we have been learning all about rhyme by having fun with the classic books “Oi Frog” and “A Squash and A Squeeze”. We used rhyme to help us predict the final words in each phrase. We have written long rhyming lists, made fun rhyming words, mini pairs books and colourful rhyming trick books.
In Maths we have been looking at spatial reasoning, using positional language while we build small world scenes, copying someone else’s scene and saying what’s the same and what’s different, and looking at a scene from a different perspective. “The owl was behind the tree but from over here it is in front of it”; the children found that fascinating.
In PSHE we have been looking at BIG FEELINGS (we all get them sometimes and that’s ok) and what we can do to help calm ourselves down when we are in the red zone. Finally we have had a brilliant, creative time outside exploring everything!
Next half term our topic is Pirates!, We have a planned a dress-up day on Friday 5th June, so dig out your old stripy t-shirts!
Year 1
This week, Year One have been practising adding numbers that make a ‘teen number’ calculation. The children used tens frames and counters to help embed their learning and showed great confidence during our maths sessions.
In English, we continued working on Send for a Superhero, writing and innovating our own comic strips. The children loved using their imaginations to create and write about their very own superheroes. In RE, we finished our Islam unit by learning about how Muslims pray. The children were thoughtful and respectful as we discussed similarities and differences between Islam and other religions we have learnt about this year, including Christianity and Judaism.
A real highlight of the week was, of course, the school disco! It was wonderful to see the children celebrating their hard work, spending time with friends and having lots of fun together. Well done to all the children for their fantastic hard work throughout Summer 1 - we are so proud of them all. We hope you have a lovely and restful half term break!
Reminder for adults: The Phonics Screening Check will take place during Week 2 of Summer 2.
Year 2
Year 2 have been working incredibly hard in Maths, adding and subtracting two-digit numbers. We have been using dienes to help us understand the value of tens and ones, and the children have also been practising a range of written strategies in their books. It has been fantastic to see their confidence growing as they explain their thinking and solve tricky problems!
Year 3
Year 3 have thoroughly enjoyed learning about Ancient Egypt this term. As part of their topic work, the children researched and wrote their own informative pieces before proudly reading them aloud to a class of Year 2 pupils. The Year 3 children loved showing off their writing and sharing all the fascinating facts they had discovered.
Their reports included information about the appearance of Ancient Egyptians, including the clothes, jewellery and make-up they wore. The children also wrote about the famous pharaoh Tutankhamun and explained why his tomb was such an important discovery. Other pieces explored Egyptian gods and goddesses, describing how the Ancient Egyptians believed these powerful figures controlled different parts of life.
The children were especially excited to share facts about Egyptian games, including Senet, which many considered one of the world’s oldest board games. They also explained the roles of important people in society, such as viziers, and described the different jobs and social classes in Ancient Egypt.
The Year 2 pupils listened beautifully and asked thoughtful questions. It was wonderful to see the Year 3 children speaking confidently and proudly about their learning.
Year 4
Thank you so much to everyone who was able to attend our lighthouse showcase. The children were thrilled to have the opportunity to talk about their learning. It was wonderful to see them confidently sharing their work and showing genuine interest in each other’s projects too.
There’s no more to say—just enjoy the photos!
We wish you all a happy half term and look forward to a final, but exciting end of summer term.
Year 5
The final week of this half term has been busy in year 5! Thank you to all the parents who came to our architect reveal event – we were proud to showcase our designs and really pleased with the architect’s creations. We’ve also been writing our final piece for Hidden Figures – a persuasive piece introducing the talented women to an audience who might not have heard of them. We wish everyone a lovely half term – let’s hope the sunshine stays!
Year 6
After a little delay, it was finally Shonibare’s turn to design and build their periscopes – and they did so in style! The classroom was buzzing as the children explored how light travels in straight lines and how mirrors can be used to reflect light so that we can see around corners and over obstacles. There was great excitement as the periscopes were put to the test, with some very creative designs and plenty of enthusiastic scientific investigation along the way.
Music this week…
Children in Year 1 have been having Musical Conversations during their music lessons. Children were selecting two contrasting instruments and taking turns to imagine how they might “talk” to one another. This involved watching, listening and taking turns.
In Year 2, children were using tuned percussion to learn about scales in music before playing along with a piece of music, Time which we have been learning for the last five weeks.
Year 6 have been listening to Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at An Exhibition, a piece of music which he wrote after the untimely death of his friend the artist, Viktor Hartmann in 1874. In memory of Hartmann, an exhibition was held of some of his artworks, including the design of a clock based on the Hut with Chicken Legs from the Russian folktale Baba Yaga. Mussorgsky studied the artworks and was inspired to write a piece of music in honour of his friend. We listened to the piece “Hut on Fowl’s Legs” and children drew images from the story.
Friends of SJSC
Our Summer Fair on Saturday 20th June is fast approaching! We need your help to advertise the event, please sign up to have a Truepenny’s advertising board outside your home in the lead up to the Fair to help promote it. The school gets £15 for each board so it raises money directly too. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/Fxh7qhUXRSNswV5a9
We’ll be holding another kids craft market at the Fair. There will be an area where children can run pop up stalls selling crafts they’ve made, to raise money for the school. It’s been very popular and one of our top money raisers! If your child (on their own or in a group) are keen to take part, please message Sue Mantle on 07703 515592 with the child/ren’s names and class.
And we are always in need for general volunteers at the School Fair - if you haven’t volunteered for your year group stall yet, then why not help by decorating and setting up for the Fair, and the all important clean up at the end?! If you can help on the day (even for 30 mins) please let your Class Rep or someone from the Committee know.
Thanks for your support.
Values Awards Winners
& Reading Champions
Dear Parents/Carers,
Hurry spaces are filling fast for our MAY HALF HALF TERM KIDS CAMPS RUNNING TUESDAY 26TH - FRIDAY 29TH MAY 2026. Join Team Magna for Urban Adventurers Week – a high-energy, engaging programme inspired by the creativity, culture, and excitement of city life!
Get ready for an unforgettable May Half Term with Magna Groups’ Urban Adventurers Week – a vibrant, action-packed programme designed to inspire, engage, and excite your children!
This exciting themed week invites children to explore the buzz of city life through creative arts, energetic street sports, urban den building, music and so much more …
What to Expect Each Day…
🎨 MAGNA CREATIVE
Graffiti-style artwork and stencil design
Creative crafts and design challenges, music rhythm and performance activities, talent shows, storytelling, and expression
⚽ MAGNA SPORTS & ACTIVE
Street football, basketball, and team games, obstacle courses and agility challenges, dance, movement, and fitness activities, playground favourites like skipping and hoop games
🏕️ MAGNA ADVENTURE
Den building using urban materials, treasure hunts and problem-solving challenges, map reading and navigation tasks, team-based building and exploration activities
👉 View the full timetable here:
⏰ Flexible CAMP DAYS
Early Start: 07:45 – 08:45* (*site specific)
Standard Day: 08:45 – 16:30
Extended Day: 08:45 – 18:00* (*site specific)
Important Information- Please note:There are NO half- funded spaces available this May Half Term. All places are chargeable, and spaces are limited – we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.
📲 Book Now - CLICK HERE TO BOOK NOW
Warm regards,
The Magna Groups Team
Enjoy the weekend!