Week Beginning 23.11.2020
Another good week last week with particular enthusiasm for our new DT design project based on ‘Among Us’ tasks! Learning all about pulleys and levers is going to be good! We also came to the end of our ARK unit which tied in beautifully with Anti-bullying week and we were able to really think about the power of our words and encouraging others.
We also produced some pretty amazing biographies on Tim Peake and his inspirational journey to the ISS – it was timed pretty well with the news of another journey to the ISS this week in the news so has been doubly interesting. We hope that your moon diaries are coming along well although the weather isn’t exactly playing ball with all the cloud that we have had.
English and Maths:
In English we have been using our reading book, ‘The Girl of Ink and Stars’ to explore figurative language and how well the author paints pictures of the setting in our minds. We will be continuing to read and explore more about the character of Isabella and her home on the island of Joya.
Next week in English lessons, we will be beginning to explore non chronological reports with a view to writing one of our own about a planet at the end of the unit of work. We will be examining features and language and how to write a really effective, scientific, interesting report. In grammar, we will be looking at using semi colons between clauses.
Year 5 are now beginning to have weekly spellings. We will not be regularly testing the children on these, but instead, focusing on them throughout the school day, in particular, during transition times and writing sessions. We would appreciate your support in learning these spellings as much as possible – games of hangman are priceless for doing this! We are also expanding our vocabulary by checking that we understand the meaning of the words as well as looking at the origins and roots of some of them. The English language is a gloriously complex one but we are enjoying broadening our understanding of words and where they come from.
This week’s spellings are:
- Address
- Earth
- Knowledge
- Aggressive
- Desperate
- Interfere
- Relevant
- Interrupt
- Amateur
Last week’s spellings were:
- Actually
- Early
- Island
- Criticise
- Immediate
- Recognise
- Curiosity
- Individual
We are recapping some of the Year 3 and 4 spellings as well as moving on to the Year 5 and 6 ones and the full lists can be found on the resources section of our Year group page in case you would like to extend your learning.
In Maths, we have begun to get our minds around using the inverse to check and complete missing number calculations and we are now beginning our unit on statistics. The Big Maths challenge continues and we are already seeing some fantastic increases in speed and knowledge in times tables and addition. On a Wednesday, before swimming, we are also carrying out a mini assessment quiz so that we can really see how well each concept is embedded.
MyMaths homework has been set today . We have set a number of tasks to complete before the end of term and would suggest completing one or two per week to avoid a large amount to catch up on at the end of the term.
This week, we suggest focusing on the addition and subtraction tasks to consolidate the last half term’s learning.
Other curriculum news:
In our science space project, we will be continuing to explore the relationship between the sun, moon and Earth and how they impact on each other.
We will also be exploring more about the planets and their distinctive features as well as designing our Among Us task ideas in DT.
Hopefully, moon diaries are in full flow. We have left the instructions here in case they are needed.
- The next new moon is on 15th November.
- We would like you to keep a moon diary each night and see if you can track the phases of the moon over 28 days.
- You will need to observe at the same time each night
- Draw or photograph the moon
- Record your observations
- You may present your diary in any way you like – paper diary, Powerpoint, photographs, drawings etc. We will be looking at these together in the last week of term.
Swimming has also begun for the children from Madrid last year and they are absolutely loving it. The rest of year 5 have begun an exciting project which involves planning, designing and creating every aspect of their very own planets!
Important information:
A quick reminder that children should not be bringing in any toys, trading cards, etc. from home. This is mainly to reduce the risk of contamination in light of current circumstances with Covid. Any work, certificate or reward which comes home from school should then be kept at home. Trading cards are not allowed into school unless for a specific golden time group/after school club which are currently not running. Thank you for your support with this.
Please also make sure that children should have a reading book in school. If they have taken it out to read it at home and forgotten to put it back in a bag, we are pretty forgiving but with the current restrictions on quarantining books, it’s important that everyone has their own book on the go rather than wanting to find a new one each time we have the opportunity to read.
Our next PE day is on Friday 4th December, please come in PE kit all day on this day ready for our PE and Wellbeing day.
PARENTS’ EVENINGS – will be online on MONDAY 30TH NOVEMBER (3.30PM – 6.30PM) and THURSDAY 3RD DECEMBER ( 4.30PM – 7.30PM)
Information about how to book your session will be sent out shortly by Mr Payne. We look forward to meeting you and discussing your fantastic children, online.
You should have received all of your Remote log ins during half-term as well as an email from Mr Payne with information about our full remote learning programme. Hopefully we won’t need to use it too often but we think that we are now well prepared for every eventuality!
Have a lovely week.
Any questions, please do send us an email.
Miss Cutler and Mrs Dodd
