Ice and Snow

Welcome back everyone! It's been wonderful to see Tregantle Class full of smiles and enthusiasm as we've started the new spring term.

What an interesting week it's been - from icy mornings to stormy afternoons, the weather has certainly kept us on our toes!

Our new topic, 'Ice and Snow,' has been the perfect way to embrace the chilly start to the year. The children have been fascinated exploring how ice is formed - and with the frosty weather at the start of the week, we had the perfect real-life example right outside our classroom! There's been lots of fun and imagination too: we've been playing in our class 'igloo' and creating our very own beautiful paper snowflakes.

We've begun our new story, 'Lost and Found,' which is all about a penguin who becomes lost and the adventure that follows. The children have really enjoyed meeting the characters and sharing their ideas about what might happen next.

It's been a fantastic start to the term - full of curiosity, creativity, and excitement. It's great to be back learning together at school!

Today, our wonderful children at Brunel Primary and Nursery Academy enjoyed a truly inspiring Aspiration Day. We were delighted to welcome a fantastic number of volunteers from our parent body and wider town community into school to share their experiences and talk about their occupations.

The children were engaged, curious, and full of thoughtful questions as they listened to the many different journeys and careers represented.

It was a powerful reminder of how important it is for our pupils to see the wide range of possibilities open to them and to dream big about their futures.

It really was an incredible day, and it would not have been possible without the generosity of time, enthusiasm, and support from our community.

A huge thank you to all the parents, volunteers, and community members who came into school and helped make this day so special for our children.

Happy New Year!

We hope you have had a wonderful Christmas break with your families and friends. We are looking forward to a wonderful Spring Term here at Brunel. Welcome to this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin.

This is your weekly update of all the latest news and events from our wonderful school. We hope you enjoy browsing through the 53rd edition of our newsletter. We have had a wonderful week back to school which has included our Aspiration Day today.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

And suddenly, it's the last day of term and the Christmas holiday is upon us...

A crazily busy term full of trips, swimming, music performances, art and fun; not forgetting a huge amount of hard work.

In our photos, you can see  our class testing some of the electronic games invented in science by Treyarnon class. They were fantastic.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

And suddenly, it's the last day of term and the Christmas holiday is upon us...

A crazily busy term full of trips, swimming, music performances, art and fun; not forgetting a huge amount of hard work.

In our photos, you can see our latest, super display for our Maya topic and our class testing some of the electronic games invented in science by Treyarnon class. They were fantastic.

Happy holidays, everyone!

As we come to the end of the term, we would like to wish all of our Tregantle families a very merry Christmas!

It has been an incredible first term in Tregantle class, and we are so proud of everything the children have achieved. From learning their sounds and writing their names to making lots of new friends, the progress they have made in such a short time has been wonderful to see. It has truly been a privilege to get to know each and every child and to support them on their learning journey.

We have already shared so many memorable moments together, from exciting school trips to our fantastic Christmas production. These experiences have helped to make this term extra special and full of enjoyment.

We hope you all enjoy a wonderful Christmas break, filled with happiness, rest, and special time with loved ones. We are very much looking forward to welcoming everyone back in the spring term for more fun, learning, and new adventures. Best wishes and festive cheer, Team Tregantle

This week in Lantic we have had so much fun! We have had a very christmassy week making snowman cards with cotton wool and googly eyes. We have also been learning more about shape in our maths unit 
where we used straws to make 3D shapes. We then discussed the properties of shapes such as vertices, edges and faces. The children did really well and loved making their shapes! We have also been 
extremely busy and excited because it was of course our christmas play! This went super well and all the children should be very proud. 
We have been exploring lots of information about the Arctic for our Literacy unit where we will write non-chronological reports based on this. We loved seeing the different animals that live there and what
they get up to.
We are super close to finishing for christmas and we look forward to another great week of learning. Next week we will be having even more excitement with christmas jumper day and our christmas meal plus
our escape room!
Mrs Scott, Miss Sleep and Mrs Quick.

It has been a busy penultimate week in Treyarnon class.

In English, we have been writing our Jack and the Beanstalk stories and concentrating on speech punctuation and dialogue. They are exciting to read already. 

In maths, we have been learning about 3d shapes and tried our hand at making nets. We also learned all about circles and had a go at using compasses. 

In history, we finished our World War 2 topic by completing our double-page spreads. We were able to show off all of our knowledge and I love the presentation of their work. 

The highlight was watching the dress rehearsal for the KS1 nativity - it was hilarious and they were fantastic.

Have a great weekend!

Miss Burton

Weekly update...

Wow, this has been another busy week as we approach the end of the Autumn term.

One of the highlights was the lantern parade at the weekend. Lots of families braved the weather to join us and the result was stunning. This culminated in a wonderful fireworks display at the Waterside. We were proud to have a large contingent from Y4/5, so thanks everyone.

In computing, Miss Henning has been working on some super Christmas jumper designs, with impressive results.


Also, we're busy practising and looking forward to our Christingle Service at St Stephen's Church on Monday, thank you for all the oranges and we hope to see you there!

Weekly update...

Wow, this has been another busy week as we approach the end of the Autumn term.

One of the highlights was the lantern parade at the weekend. Lots of families braved the weather to join us and the result was stunning. This culminated in a wonderful fireworks display at the Waterside. We were proud to have a large contingent from Y4/5, so thanks everyone.

In computing, Miss Henning has been working on some super Christmas jumper designs, with impressive results.

It really has been a week filled with Christmas spirit at Brunel as well as wonderful learning opportunities. A huge thank you for your continued support as we continue to provide the very best education for our children. 

What an unforgettable week it has been for Tregantle class! We took part in our very first nativity performance, joining children from Years 1, 2 and 3 to bring this year's show, "Fleece Force," to life.

This wonderfully creative performance told the Christmas story from a brand-new angle - through the eyes of the sheep, who just so happened to be.. police officers! With flashing badges, important missions, and plenty of woolly humour, it was a show to remember.

Tregantle's role was to bring the angels to the stage, and they certainly did not disappoint. Dressed in halos, wings, and just the right amount of sparkle, the children looked heavenly as they took their places. Their performance of the song "Good News, Great News" was absolutely brilliant - sung with confidence, energy, and huge smiles that lit up the hall. Their dance moves were perfectly in time too, showing just how hard they had worked in rehearsals.

Every single child shone brightly, and we could not be more proud of how they handled their first performance. From their enthusiasm to their teamwork, Tregantle proved they are true stars.

Well done, Tregantle class-you were amazing!

Our Children Celebrate the Festive Season at the Christmas Tree Festival

This week, our school community had the joy of visiting the Christmas Tree Festival at St Nicholas and Faith Church.

It was a wonderful opportunity for our children to experience the festive spirit in a beautiful and meaningful setting. The festival was a feast for the senses, with each tree uniquely decorated and brimming with creativity.

Our children were fascinated by the imaginative designs and the care that had gone into each display. The children reflected on themes of kindness, creativity and excellence linking beautifully with our school values. 

We are grateful to St Nicholas and Faith Church for hosting this event and for welcoming our children so warmly. Experiences like these enrich our curriculum, bringing learning to life and helping our children make connections between their classroom experiences and the wider world. As we move closer to the holiday season, this visit has reminded us all of the joy of community, creativity and the simple magic of Christmas.

Brunel shines at Lantern Parade

Tonight, Brunel proudly took our place in the annual Lantern Parade in Saltash - a wonderful tradition that brings our community together to celebrate the start of the festive season.

This year's route led us all the way down to the beautiful Saltash Waterside, where the parade came to a spectacular end with an incredible firework display lighting up the river. It was a magical moment for everyone involved!

A huge thank you to all the children, families, and members of our school community who joined us and represented Brunel with such enthusiasm. Your creativity, lanterns and festive spirit made the evening truly special. We would also like to express our sincere thanks to Saltash Town Council for organising this much-loved annual event - it's a highlight of the year and a wonderful way to bring the town together. Christmas is certainly on the horizon.. and what a brilliant way to begin the celebrations!

"Christmas Tree oh Christmas Tree!"

The Christmas countdown has begun and the advent calendar has a few windows open. Here are some photos of the class solving the treasure hunt at the Christmas Tree Festival. We were lucky enough to walk down to St. Nicholas and Faith Church yesterday to see them all. It was incredibly festive and it put us in a Christmassy mood. 

In English, we have been writing our Jack and the Beanstalk stories. So far we have started out story by introducing and describing Jack. Here are some of my favourite extracts from their work:

"...his emerald-green eyes, bright and wide with curiosity."
"Jack was a young , adventurous boy with hopes and dreams."
"He was as scrawny as a plucked chicken with hair like liquid copper."

In maths, we have continued our work on shape by finding missing angles in quadrilaterals and polygons. Next week, we will look at circles and drawing shapes accurately. 

I hope to see you all at Hunt the Issy tonight and the lantern parade tomorrow. 

Have a great weekend!

Miss Burton

It has been a busy week at Team Brunel and we still have Hunt the Issy this evening and the Lantern Parade tomorrow evening on Saltash Fore Street. The children attending will be able to collect their lanterns from Drill Hall HQ from 5:30pm tomorrow evening. In the meantime, sit back, relax and enjoy this week's edition of The Brunel Bulletin.

It has been a wonderfully festive and hardworking week in Year 2/3 as we move closer to the end of term. The children have embraced every challenge and activity with enthusiasm, and we are incredibly proud of them.

Christmas Show Rehearsals:
Our main focus this week has been preparing for our Christmas show. The children have been practising their lines, learning songs, rehearsing movements and supporting one another beautifully. Their confidence is growing by the day, and they are very excited to perform for you next week. Thank you for all the support you have given at home with practising lines - it really shows.

English:
We have begun a brand-new English topic this week: animal survival fact texts. The children have started exploring the features of non-fiction texts, identifying headings, subheadings, technical vocabulary and key information. They have enjoyed discovering new words and learning how writers help readers understand how animals survive in their habitats.

Maths:
Our maths learning has continued in two exciting directions:

·       Year 3 have moved on with addition and subtraction using formal column methods, including calculations that cross a ten or a hundred. They have been working hard to line up digits correctly and explain their reasoning.

·       Year 2 have been focusing on shape, naming 2D and 3D shapes, talking about their properties and beginning to sort them using different criteria.
It has been lovely to see both year groups growing in confidence and independence.

Christmas Tree Festival Visit:
On Thursday, we visited the Christmas Tree Festival, and the children were an absolute credit to the school. They showed respect, curiosity and lovely manners throughout our visit. They also had great fun taking part in the festive treasure hunt, searching the decorated trees for items on their list. It was a joyful, sparkly morning and we were so proud of how beautifully they represented the school.

Sewing Stockings:
Our stocking sewing has continued this week, and the children are becoming more confident with threading, stitching and tying knots. A huge thank you to all the parents, grandparents and helpers who supported the children with their sewing - your help makes such a difference and is greatly appreciated.

Tregantle Class Blog - What an Exciting Week!

This week has been full of festive fun and magical moments for Tregantle Class!

On Tuesday, we went on our class trip to Plymouth Theatre Royal to watch the 'Father Christmas' show. We travelled by train from Saltash to Plymouth, which was an adventure in itself! The children had a wonderful time-enjoying the journey, the enchanting performance, and even a special picnic inside the theatre.

On Thursday, we visited St Nicholas and Faith Church to explore the Christmas Tree Festival. The children loved taking part in a treasure hunt around the church and were thrilled to spot our very own Brunel Christmas tree on display!

To add to the excitement, we also had our first school disco this week. There was plenty of dancing, popcorn, and Christmas cheer to go around.

We've also been busy practicing our singing for our upcoming performance of 'Fleece Force,' which will take place next week. The children are working hard and sounding fantastic!

What a wonderful and exciting week it has been for Tregantle Class!