A Comberton Educational Trust School
office@jeavonswood.cambs.sch.uk
Jeavons Wood Primary School
Eastgate
Great Cambourne
Cambs
CB23 6DZ
Telephone: (01954) 717180
Headteacher: Cath Hainsworth
Rabbits Autumn 1 update
Dear Parents,
Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun?! We can’t believe we’ve been
in our new year group, class or room for nearly 8 weeks! The Rabbits
are really beginning to show what we are made of as fantastic
learners in Year 3/4 and have loved our first chocolatey topic!
After deciding on our rules, roles and responsibilities for the class,
we were lucky enough to be invited to try the new taster menu at
‘Cocoa Jeavons’ – an up and coming gourmet chocolatier. Everyone was
on their best behaviour in the restaurant and they all enjoyed the
fantastic service. We cleverly noticed the different flavours of all
the foods offered and in particular the many different types of chocolate… though
were unimpressed with the unhealthy nature of the menu and considered rewriting
it for a healthier and balanced diet!
Next, we really enjoyed embracing the fantasy world of ‘Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory’, first story mapping, innovating and
then writing our own stories with imaginary settings. We worked
hard to imagine what it would be like to walk into the chocolate
room and described it from different characters’ points of view.
Lots of Rabbits have been proud of the effort they have put into
improving their handwriting and presentation.
In maths, we worked on some really big numbers – the amounts
that Cadbury might make in a week! We worked on our place value
and partitioned, which was really useful when we moved on to mental addition,
money and measures. We have been model sales assistants and customers in the
sweet shops, extending our knowledge to working with decimals too! We also made
some symmetrical chocolate bar and Mayan calendar designs. Lots of children have
been really keen to achieve their times tables awards and should receive their
certificates and badges soon – well done! For our first Geography project we found
out about chocolate production; where it is produced, how it is grown and
transported around the world. Cocoa trees need a very special climate to grow. Can
we grow them in England? At Cadbury world we learned about what a complex
process it is to get the cocoa from bean to bar!
Ah, Cadbury World! What a fantastic time was had
by all, as we experienced the industrial, marketing
and historical side of chocolate production. It was
such a long journey but I think all felt it was worth
it! The Rabbits were a credit to the school and will
hopefully remember their visit for a long time.
We have been investigating things – like chocolate that melt, reversible changes and what happens to particles when they change
state. Can you predict what will melt the quickest; Butter, Cheese, Milk Chocolate,
White chocolate or jelly? We know the answer!
Next came our history project – year 3s were already becoming experts and the
plan, research, present, evaluate cycle for project work! We found out about some
of the earliest growers and consumers of chocolate, the Mayans and Aztecs.
Based in Mexico, these civilisations had some fascinating traditions and we loved
finding out about the tragic story of Montezuma and his encounter with the
Spanish invaders. Though if it weren’t for Hernan Cortes, we might not have
chocolate in Europe at all!
We have all now become project managers, designing our own chocolate bar,
wrapper, bar, advertising and all! Some Rabbits are fantastically intuitive at selling
their product, using brilliant persuasive features. In our first week back after half
term, we will be making our chocolate bars and presenting our designs for Dragons
Den – our best persuasion yet! After that we may be looking at travelling a bit
further back in time…
Congratulations to the first graduates of Jeavons’ university, enjoying courses in:
crochet, chess, cartooning, business, cooking, school newspaper, science
experiments, tag rugby, yoga, dodgeball and stained glass.
See you after the break!
Anita Lawrence
* If you would like to come and help with chocolate making and are CRB checked,
please speak to the class teacher