Hi! My name is Miss Collingwood and I have taught at St John's since it first opened. I started my teaching career 40 years ago and have taught children from nursery age right up to year 6. I am also a qualified Reading Recovery teacher. The teaching profession has seen many changes over the years but my passion for helping children to learn is as strong as ever.

In my spare time I enjoy curling up on the sofa with a good book, playing the piano (wearing headphones so nobody else can hear!), doing gardening and DIY around the house. I have a handsome black Labrador called Arthur and we love going for walks along the beach together.

I spent the first 18 years of my teaching life at a school in South East London. Patrick Okogwu, one   of my ex pupils, went on to win 2 Brit Awards and performed at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games - he is    now better known as Tinie Tempah!

 Who knows what great things the children in Kingfisher Class will achieve if they work hard and aim high!

  Other staff working in our class are:

   Mrs Jones – Teaching assistant

   Mr Hasker – 3rd Teacher

   Mrs Sanger – Art and DT teacher fortnightly on Thursday afternoons

  Our Weekly Timetable:

   

Important dates for the diary this term for Kingfisher Class:

PE - Every Monday (School PE kit to be worn to school please)

Ancient Egyptian dressing up and experience day – Friday 14^th February

Our learning this term:

Our learning continues this term with an exciting history topic called ‘Ancient Egypt’. The children will be using a timeline and learning about hieroglyphics, the River Nile and the process of mummification!

This term in English we will explore a text called ‘The Egyptian Cinderella’.

We will be writing our own version of the story by focusing on using different openers for our sentences and continuing to work on using conjunctions, interesting adjectives and prepositions. We will also be writing instructions about how to make a mummy!

 

 

In maths, we will continue to develop multiplication and division skills. The children will become more confident in knowing their 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X, 8X and 10X tables. They will learn how to multiply and divide 2-digit and 1-digit numbers. We will move on to measuring length and calculating perimeters using millimetres, centimetres and metres.

 

In science, our topic is ‘Animals including humans’. We will be learning all about the skeleton and muscles. Not only that, we will also be learning about how animals and humans need a specific diet full of vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins and sugar to stay healthy.

 

We will be learning about Sikhism in RE this term. Our big question is ‘What is important for Sikh people?’

The children will continue to develop their German vocabulary, including speaking, reading and writing in German. They will learn numbers to 20 as well as the days of the week.

        

 

Learning at home for Kingfisher Class: 

Children are expected to read every night for at least 15 minutes.  Please spend time each day listening to your child read as it really does have a positive impact on their progress. Remember to sign your child’s reading record book when they have read to you as reading records are checked every day.

When your child has finished an AR book, they can complete the quiz. We are focussing on quizzing accuracy. Your child will receive a raffle ticket if they pass a quiz at 80% or above and will have the chance to win a prize at the end of term!

It is important that reading books and reading record books are in school every day even if your child hasn’t read.

                       

Please remember that you can access Times Tables Rock Stars (TTRS), Numbots and Spelling Shed from home.

There are certificates and a trophy for the winning class and individual certificates for the child that scores the most points each week. 

Spelling assignments will be given out each Monday and spellings will be tested on the following Monday.

You will find your login details in your child’s reading record book.

                                                          

 

Be ready for learning!

In Kingfisher Class, your child will need to have these items in school: 

• PE kit (to be worn on PE day - Monday) 
• Water bottle with sports cap lid (filled with fresh water each day, no squash or juice) 
• Small rucksack (big enough to hold lunchbox and reading books) 
• Wellington boots (to leave in school) 
• Coat (weather appropriate) 

Please don’t bring other items into school, as we do not have space to store them, and it can cause upset if things are lost or damaged. Please remember to name all items of clothing so that they can be returned if lost.

 

School uniform checklist:

Please, please, please check that all items of school uniform and PE kit are clearly named, as it can be upsetting for the children and frustrating for parents and teachers when clothes go ‘missing’. Don’t forget to check regularly as names can fade easily in the wash!

 

Snacks

Please note that in KS2, children do not receive a snack for break times.

If your child would like a snack, please feel free to send them in with a piece of fruit in their bag that they can eat during their morning break! Grapes should be cut in half lengthways please.

 

Highlights from Term 1

We really enjoyed our Durovernum topic, learning all about why the Romans invaded and how they changed Canterbury. On our Hook Day we all made Roman helmets.

In Science, we learnt about forces and magnets. The children did an experiment to find out which surfaces had more or less friction and had lots of fun investigating how magnets attract and repel.

We took our learning outside for one of our art lessons. The children used viewfinders and sketched trees inspired by the work of Luke Adam Hawker.

We had a great day on our trip. At the Roman Museum the children had a Roman technology workshop, made their own replica Roman coins, used catapults to knock down a brick wall and had fun dressing up!

At the Beaney we looked at some real and replica Roman artefacts, sketched them and thought about what they might be used for.

 

Highlights from Term 2

We were invited to go to King’s School for a lesson in their science lab. The children learnt about earthquakes and designed and made their own ‘Earthquake-proof’ buildings using lolly sticks, cardboard tubes and lots of Sellotape!

The buildings were tested using a shaking plate which was exciting to watch.

 

We took our learning outside when we made our own volcanoes on the field and made them ‘erupt’ by adding bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, red colouring and washing up liquid. We also looked at the different types of soil that are around our school grounds.

We had a visit from the Kent Road Safety team and practised finding safer places to cross the road. Kingfishers all know that they need to Stop, Look, Listen, Think and Hold Hands with an adult before they cross the road.

 

In DT lessons we practised our sewing skills. The children looked at existing products before designing and making a Christmas cushion. Their designs were impressive and they showed great skill when using running and backstitch to add decoration to the cushions.