Week Beginning 7th January 2008

Happy New Year everyone, we are looking forward to a hardworking and successful year.

This is a short term but we really do have a lot to fit in so let's not waste any time and have a look at what we will be doing this week.

Literacy
This week in literacy we are looking at recounts. Our recount work will be based around mountains and exploration.

In week one we will be comparing different types of information texts & identifying how they are structured.
Making notes on & using evidence from across a text to explain events or ideas.
Inferring writer’s perspectives from what is written & implied.
Presenting a spoken argument sequencing points logically, defending views with evidence.
Reflecting on how working in role helps to explore complex issues.
Using & recognising the impact of theatrical effects in drama.
Adapting sentences to different text types/ purpose/readers.
Identifying different question types and evaluating their impact on the audience.
Comparing the usefulness of techniques such as visualisation and empathy when exploring texts. Adapting non-narrative forms to write factual texts, e.g. interviews.


By the end of this week the children will have used their research skills and interview skills to collect information to write a recount.


They must be able to find information from different sources and use note taking skills to record their information for future reference.
Should be able to construct a set of questions to interview someone and obtain the information needed to write a factual text.
Could be able to adapt non-narrative forms to write factual texts.

Try these websites.

http://www.geocities.com/bhutiahoo/everest.html information on Everest.


http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/english/englishD6.htm information on what is included in a recount and examples of recount writing.


http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/literacyresources/index.php?category_id=78 a recount based on World War 2.



Numeracy


Let's aim this term to get everyone an award in their times tables. Only you can do this by working hard.


This week Miss Wright's and Mrs Morgan's group will be relating fractions to division.They will also be using decimal notation for tenths and hundredths.


By the end of the week they must be able to use division to find fractions, including tenths and hundreds of numbers and quantities.
Should be able to know what each digit represents in a number with up to 2 decimal places.
Could order a set of decimal numbers.


Try these websites

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/maths/activities/decimals.shtml ordering decimals.

http://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/tens.cgi place value with decimal places game.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/mathsfile/shockwave/games/laddergame.html Help builder Ted with his ladder to rescue the dog. Be warned if you get it wrong he will fall off and watch out for the builders bum!!



This week Mrs Millington's group will be looking at co-ordinates. They will be learning to read and plot co-ordinates in all four quadrants and the will be able to recognise where a shape is after translation.



Science

The week in Science we will be completing our topic on the Earth and Beyond and we will get to teach our lessons to year 1/2, something we all really look forward to.

Topic

We will be starting the topic of World War 2 this week and this will involve lots of subjects including history, geography, music, dance, art, PHSE.

This week will be an introduction into the topic we will begin to understand the involvement of European countries during WWII. Identify & describe reasons for, & results of historical events, situations & changes. Find out about the events, people & changes from a variety of sources.Understand that Europe is made up of a number of countries that are unique in many ways. Identify how & why places change. Describe where places are. Identify & describe what places are like. Describe how places are different.
I f you want to get a head start try some of these websites

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio/history/worldwar2audioclipslibrary.shtml
Hear the sounds of WWII; famous speeches, news reports of the time, actual accounts

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/europe/02/euro_borders/html/15.stm
Map of Modern Europe.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/european_union/newsid_2138000/2138993.stm

information about the EU. Easy to read & child-friendly.

http://europa.eu/europago/explore/welcome.jsp
Official site of the European Union for children. A good place to start researching.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participants_in_World_War_II
Background information for teachers and parents. Who was involved and why.

Here I Am

This week we will be starting the topic of celebrations. We will be working on the recognise section of the topic and the children will need to recognise that people need celebrations.

The children will reflect on how they would feel if nothing was ever celebrated.
The children will appreciate that people need to celebrate important moments in life.

This is a very fitting start to the topic as we have just left the Christmas season. Have a chat with your child about the celebrations throughout the year and why we need them.

That's all for this week folks, I'm sure we will all be shattered by the end of it, I know I am just thinking about it!!

Year 5/6 Team.

p.s could we also say a very big thank you to all of you and your parents for the beautiful cards and gifts we were given at Christmas we really do appreciate it. Thanks.

Week Beginning 17th December 2007

Well, we're nearly there, the end of a very long and hardworking term.

This week is our last week in school in 2007 but as usual shows no signs of us slowing down. We have another packed week in store!


Let's start with the diary this week:-

On Tuesday pm the Year 6 children will be going to St Gregory's to video tape the drama they have been working on for the last few weeks. They will leave school at 12pm and have their luch at St Gregory's, therefore they will need a packed lunch. Your child has a sticker in their diary explaining this, please ensure you sign the sticker to give your child permission to leave school.


On Wednesday am we will be walking up to Church to practise our Carol Service. We will spend the morning in church but will return to school by 12pm. Please ensure your child has brought in a permission slip so that we can take them out of school. On the original permission slip this was going to happen on Tuesday am but we have had to change as there is a funeral in Church on Tuesday morning. The original permission slip will still be used for your child's permission to leave school.

On Wednesday Key Stage 2 will be holding their annual Christmas parties. Your child should have brought home a letter informing you of what they need to bring for the party. The children are also allowed to wear their party clothes.

On Thursday the Year 6 children were supposed to fo to St Gregory's to watch their Carol Concert, unforunately they have had to cancel this so we will no longer be going.

Friday sees our annual Carol Service with a twist this year as we will be up at Church. Parents are welcome to attend but there will be limited space as the whole school will be there. If any parents want to help with walking the children up to Church on Wednesday or Friday then this would be a big help.

With such a busy week there is not a lot of time for the curriculum but in the time that we do have we will be using it to go through the tests that the children completed last week. We will also be having some science review by getting the children to finish the planning of their lessons for the Year 1/2 children.
We also need to fit in making Christmas Cards, so it is going to be a very busy week.

Finally we wish you a very Happy and Holy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
See you in January.

Year 5/6 Team

Week Beginning 10th December 2007

Hi everyone,

First of all we would like to say thank you to everyone who came and supported us at the Young Voices Concert on Monday, the children really enjoyed themselves and their behaviour was excellent. It is a great experience for them to have and it's also a great charity to contribute to, they were very tired though and most of them were alseep on the way home!

Also thank you to everyone who came and supported the Christmas Fair on Saturday, the Christmas Fair hasn't happened at the time of writing the blog but I'm sure it will be an enjoyable day.

We really appreciate you sending reply slips back to school so quickly, there have been a lot around lately, we are very popular and are going to lots of places. Just incase you have not sent some back here is a quick reminder of what is needed.


Year 6
Reply slip for the Catherdral on Thursday 13th December.
Reply slip for the Carol Concert at St Gregory's on Thursday 20th December.
Reply slip for walking the children up to Church for our Carol Service practice on Tuesday 18th and for the actual Carol Service on Friday 21st December.

Year 5
Reply slip for walking the children up to Church for our Carol Service practice on Tuesday 18th and for the actual Carol Service on Friday 21st December.
Reply slip for any children that have been chosen for Basketball with Mr McGreal.


This weeks curriculum....

Literacy
This will be our last week of myths and legends and we will be moving onto phase 3.
Where we will make comparisons between oral and written narratives. The teacher will demonstrate effective note-taking techniques. Children will make notes on visual and oral performances before working in small groups to prepare and present an oral retelling of the legend of Robin Hood for an audio or digital video file.

By the end of this week the children

Should begin to make simple notes; use these notes to retell a legend orally (teacher observation, self-assessment).
Could make simple notes; use these notes to retell a legend orally (teacher observation, self-assessment).


Maths
This week in maths Miss Wright's and Mrs Morgan's group will be multiplying HTU x U using standard written methods and multiplying TU x TU using formal written methods.
This quite a difficult concept for the children to get their heads around so please work on it with them at home.
Try these websites to help
http://www.mape.org.uk/startower/sums/index.htm
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/3_num_multiply/eng/Introduction/default.htm
http://www.freewebtown.com/weddell/mw/long_multiplication/long%20multiplication.swf
http://www.freewebtown.com/weddell/mw/short_multiplication/3x1contents.swf



Mrs Millington's group will be continuing with revision in preparation for their test. They will be working on mental maths skills and completing mental maths assessments.

Keep going with your tables you are doing fantastically.


Science
This week the children will starting to create their resources for their lessons for year 1/2. So if you are looking for some ideas on the Earth and Beyond try these websites.
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/revision/Science/night.html
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/moon/moon_challenge/moon_challenge.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/earth_sun_moon_fs.shtml
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/science/what_shape_the_moon/index.htm
http://www.prongo.com/space/index.html
http://www.echalk.co.uk/Science/Physics/solarSystem/SolarSystemGames.swf
http://www.scienceyear.com/planet10/solar_preload.html


Here I Am
This week in Here I Am we will be carrying on our topic of Visitors and looking at the Nativity Story.


Topic
Topic time this week will be spent learning the songs and readings for the Carol Service next week.


On Wednesday this week there is a production company coming into school to perform the patomine Jack and the Beanstalk.


On Thursday this week we will going to Liverpool Cathedral with the Year 6 children and reception for their annual Carol Service. The children are asked to bring a present with them to present at the Cathedral for children in the area who won't get any presents this year. They have been asked to leave the present unwrapped.
We will arrive back at School and approx 4pm.


That's all for this week.

Year 5/6 Team

Week Beginning 3rd December 2007

Hi everyone and welcome to December!!


On Monday this week we will be travelling to the MEN to take part in the largest schools concert in the world. You should have recieved a letter with the details of what will be happening on Monday but just incase it didn't find it's way home here are a few key details.

The children will need their lunch and tea for Monday. If they have a packed lunch, they will need a packed lunch and a packed tea. If they have a hot dinner then they will have this as usual and they will also need a packed tea to eat when we are at the MEN.

You should have been given your t-shirts to wear on Monday and you need to bring it with you in a bag with your name on.

We will be travelling to the MEN in our uniforms. This is because there will be over 8000 children there and if we are all wearing white Young Voices t-shirts then we may well come home with the wrong children!!

It says on the letter to bring a dark pair of trousers or a skirt but the children can leave on their school trousers or skirt of they want to. This is the easier option as it will save lots of clothes getting lost.

The children will be travelling back to school on the coach with the teachers. There are simply too many children around therefore it is easier if we keep them all together and return to school together, at least then we know we have all the children together in one place. We will return to school at approx 10.30pm.

Last time we went to the Young Voices Concert at the MEN lots of parent were stuck in a traffic jam in the car park and we were back at school a lot earlier than they were. If this is the case again, we will wait with the children until they have all been picked up.

The downside to this is that some of the children will have a really late night and for that reason they will not be expected into school until 10.30am on Tuesday morning.

We do realise that some parents will have to bring their children in at normal time due to work commitments therefore the teachers will be in school at normal time, although we cannot promise that we won't be asleep in a corner somewhere!!!!

The Young Voices Concert is a truly remarkable experience and we are lucky to be taking part in it. We will have a fantastic time and if you are coming to the concert you will be amazed!

Now for the rest of the week.....

We mentioned last week that the children will be doing assessments in school and this week will be mostly filled with revision and the completion of the tests. We would usually do this in the last week but in the run up to Christmas and with so much going on we feel that it will be better to do them before things start to get too hectic.

Literacy

We have completed our assessed piece of writing on Myths and Legends and this week we will be using our editing skills to improve that writing. We will also be using peer and self assessment when looking at the writing.
Peer assessment is when we get a friend to look at our work and give 3 stars and a wish. That means that they have to make 3 positive points and something that can be improved.
Self assessment is when we look at descritions of levels, decide what we think our writing is and then set ourselves targets to improve.
The year 5's have completed their reading tests but the year 6's still need to do theirs so this will take place sometime this week.

Numeracy

Numeracy this week will be focused around revision. We will be reviewing what we have covered from September. So have a look through your homework books and on previous blogspots to remind you what sort of things we have been learning.

We will also be reviewing our targets, remember them? You should know them off by heart now but here's a quick reminder:-
YEAR 5 Targets
MUST = I can add and subtract 2 digit numbers rapidly and accurately.
SHOULD = I can find doubles and halves of 2 digit numbers.
COULD = I can find doubles and halves of decimal numbers (to 2 decimal places.)
YEAR 6 Targets
MUST = I know all my multiplication facts to10 x 10
SHOULD = I know all my multiplication facts to 10 x 10 and the corresponding division facts.
COULD = I can multiply and divide decimal numbers.

We also have lots of children getting certificates for their tables. The children that have gained gold will now be completing a series of division questions to gain another certificate. Keep it up children we can see you are really trying hard with this.

Science

As we are nearing the end of our topic on 'The Earth and Beyond' we will be reviewing what we have learned so far and then we will begin the process of planning a lesson for the year 1/2 children.
This proved to be a very successful exercise last time we did it and all the children got something out of it.
The best way to ensure you have learned something really well is to teach it to someone else.
So get thinking children, I'm sure there are loads of exciting activities to come up with to do with Space.

Here I Am

We are still on our topic of visitors but this week a lot of Here I Am time will be spent looking at the Christmas Story and finding readings from the Bible to read at our Carol Service at Church on 21st December. We will also be practising carols for the serivce and are going to be very traditional this year. You could get the whole family round the piano for a sing-a-long in preparation!!

On Saturday this week it is time for our annual Christmas Fair, this is a time when the whole school community can get together and have some fun, it really is a fantastic day, so please come along and support our school.
The School Council still need any items you no longer have use for, for their bring and buy sale. Anything in a reasonable condition will be accepted.

As we are at the MEN on Monday no homework or spelling will be sent out on Monday. You could take this oppotunity to revise homework that has been done in previous weeks in order to prepare for the assessments. You could also use this time to come up with ideas and make resources for the science lesson for year 1/2.

That's all for this week, 3 weeks to go!!

Year 5/6 Team.

Week Beginning 27th November 2007

Hi everyone, nearly the 1st of December, doesn't time fly when you're having fun?


We had a really busy week last week and in the run upto Christmas things seem to be speeding up rather than slowing down!!

The children got very muddy when doing orienteering with Mr McGreal and as a result a lot of them will have brought home their outdoor PE kits to be washed. Please ensure that they are back in school this week, year 5's will need them on Monday for Rugby Training.

On Friday Father Richard came into school to speak to the children about signs and symbols. This was very interesting and the children asked some interesting questions resulting in some deep discussion. We would like to thank Father for taking time out of his busy timetable to come and speak to us.


Literacy


Last week we had a great time reading and responding to myths and legends and also telling ones of our own.

We completed phase 1 of our literacy unit, having a lot of fun and are now ready to move onto phase 2.

In phase 2 the children will continue familiarisation with the text-type. Discuss and investigate the effect of different techniques used by the author. Work in a group to explore and empathise with characters through drama activities. Children use a reading journal to record inferences and demonstrate understanding of characters by writing in the first person

By the end of this week they:-
must begin to identify different features of legends and identify and comment on narrative viewpoints; (teacher observation, response partners).
Should identify different features of legends and identify and comment on narrative viewpoints; (teacher observation, response partners).
Could identify different features of legends and identify and comment on narrative viewpoints; compose and manipulate more complex sentences within a given context as part of shared and guided writing (teacher observation, response partners).

See last weeks blog for the websites we will be using including the website where you can create your myths and legends, I'm sure we can do much better than the ones that are on there.

Numeracy

This week Miss Wright and Mrs Morgan's groups will be continuing with their work on Fractions. We did start this last week but feel that the children need more time to work on this as it is a difficult concept to get their heads around.
Especially changing mixed numbers into improper fractions and vice versa.

Mrs Millington's group will be continuing their revision on adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, focusing especially on long multiplication and division.
They will be going through all the different method of doing this and choosing the one that suits them the most.

As we are continuing with last weeks work then please look at last weeks blog for websites.

Science

This week in science we will be looking at 'The Changing Position of the Sun'.
The children should learn that the Sun appears to move across the sky over the course of a day and evidence may be interpreted in more than one way.
We will be asking the children about where the Sun shines into the school (or their homes) at different times of day. Reminding them of earlier work on shadows and ask them to suggest what this evidence shows. Observing the length and position of the shadow of a stick set up in the playground at different times of day over successive days.
By the end this week the children:-
must be able to describe how the apparent position of the Sun changes over the course of a day.
Should be able to clarify that this does not mean that the Sun is moving.
Could explain how we know that the Sun is not moving and how we can prove this.

Again please see last weeks blog for websites.

Here I Am
We continue our topic of Visitors this week, looking at the RELATE section. The children will
learn that their own exploration of VISITORS is enriched by learning about preparations made during the four weeks of Advent to welcome Jesus at Christmas.

As we are going to the MEN Arena a week on Monday a lot of our topic time this week will be spent singing the songs without the words, as we are not allowed to have the words when performing the concenrt.
We will also have to start learning some Christmas Carols for our Carol Concert in Church on the last day of term.

On Friday we will be lucky enough to watch the infants dress rehersal, we cannot wait as we have heard the songs floating around school and we are really excited to see it in action!

The School Council would like to make a plea for any old games, books and other stuff for their bring and buy stall at the Christmas Fair on Saturday 8th December.
This is the ideal time for the children to sort through all their old toys and things to make way for the new things they will get for Christmas.
Please ensure that if you do bring anything in it is a good working condition.
Please support the Christmas Fair by coming along and joining in. It really is a lovely day with a great sense of St Vincent's School Community coming together and having fun.

Assessments
Over the next week or so, your child may come home telling you they have done some ‘tests’. We need to see how much the children have progressed since September and also form judgements about how we can move our planning forward in the new year.

Finally, I know some parents and children are starting to think about SATs already. For those of you who want to make an early start on getting yourselves used to the format of the test the following website will be useful.

http://www.st-josephs-pickering.n-yorks.sch.uk/past_test_papers.htm you can downloads SATs papers from recent years in all 3 subjects, you can also download the mark schemes.

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/revision/Science/index.html past SATs questions and also some great revision games.

http://www.sparkisland.com/public/articles/howto_sats_parents/ this site offers some handy hints for the tests and also some papers to download.

http://www.parentsintouch.co.uk/fulltimeschool/introductiontosats.htm?gclid=CNj_17bn9Y8CFSiWEgodPBMWNA help and advise for parents of children in year 6.

http://www.grumbles.me.uk/ test questions organised in areas.

Have a great week and remember to wrap up warm.

Year 5/6 Team.

Week Beginning 19th November 2007

Hi everyone and welcome to this weeks, very cold blogspot!!

As you have probably noticed the weather has really cooled down in the last week so could you please ensure that all children have a warm coat everyday for school.


The Year 5's are continuing to do rugby training outside and it is essential that they have a warm outdoor kit especially with the weather being so cold.


The dates were mixed up last week with the drama teacher so it is due to start this week, the Year 6's are really looking forward to it now as they were ready to start last week!!


Could we also ask the children to keep plugging away with the songs for the Young Voices Concert. We know it is hard without the music but due to copyright we cannot copy and send the cd's home. Parents you will probably know a lot of the songs anyway, so get singing in the car or while your cooking tea!!


On Friday this week Father Richard is coming in to talk to the children regarding our topic signs and symbols, he will talk about what sign and symbols are important to us in the Catholic Faith.

This week it is also National Anti-Bullying week. During the week we will be doing lots of activities based around the subject of bullying. Each phase team will then have to put something together to show to the rest of the school a week on Monday.
On Friday it is Blue Friday, the children will be allowed to come into school wearing something blue to support National Anti-Bullying Week.

Ready for the curriculum? Here we go.......


Literacy


This week in literacy we are starting a new unit on Traditional Stories, Fables, Myths and Legends.
In phase one of the topic we will be reading and analysing features of the text-type. Making comparisons between different versions of the same legend.
By the end of this phase the children.....
Must classify features of different fiction genres; describe similarities and differences between different versions of the same story. (teacher observation, self-assessment).
Should classify features of different fiction genres; describe similarities and differences between different versions of the same story and support their opinions by referring to evidence in the text; (teacher observation, self-assessment).
Could classify features of different fiction genres; describe similarities and differences between different versions of the same story and support their opinions by referring to evidence in the text; compose and manipulate sentences for different audiences and purposes (teacher observation, self-assessment).
http://www.fairystory.org/ read and respond to the stories.
http://myths.e2bn.org/ create your own stories.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/sites/myths/ for myths and legends based in and around Wales.


Maths


The children should all be aware of the targets they have been given in class, (published on previous blog) please make sure you are working on these targets whenever you get any spare time.


Again, congratulations must go to all those children who have achieved an award for their times tables. There are quite a lot now and we can tell that the children are working really hard learning them.


On Monday this week Miss Wright's and Mrs Morgan's groups will be testing their skills, baking fairy cakes! This is a follow on from last weeks work of looking a grams and kilograms. It is also important that the children can read scales so there will be a variety of scales available for measuring the ingredients. We really hope the children are good chefs as they will have to take the lead role and teach Mrs Morgan to bake, as she is hopeless!


For the rest of the week we will be working on Fractions.

By the end of the week they will be able to use fraction notation, including mixed numbers and the vocabulary 'numerator' and 'denominator'.

Change an improper fraction to a mixed number and vice versa.

Recognise when two simple fractions are equivalent.

Relate tenths and hundredths.

Estimate simple proportions such as one third, seven tenths.
http://www.revisionaid.co.uk/directory.php?cat=ks2MathsFractions
http://www.mathszone.co.uk/
http://www.coxhoe.durham.sch.uk/Curriculum/Numeracy.htm#Fractions,%20Decimals%20and%20Percentages


In Mrs Millington's group we will be reviewing our work on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. These are the pins that hold our mathematical knowledge together, it is really important to keep reviewing them at every opportunity we get.
The children will be learning to apply their mathematical knowledge by solving real life problems.
http://www.mathszone.co.uk/


Science


After looking at the planets and the solor system in general it is now time to start to look at just the Sun, Earth and Moon.

We will be looking at how the Earth orbits the Sun and how the Moon orbits the Earth and what these means for humans.

We will be talking about how we get days, years and months.

By the end of the week the children must learn that the Earth takes a year to make one complete orbit of the Sun, spinning as it goes and that it is not always easy to gain information about phenomena eg the length of a year using first-hand experience.

Here are some websites that may help:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/physical_processes.shtml do the activities adn then complete the quiz to test your knowledge.

http://www.engineeringinteract.org/ embark on an intergalatic adventure and help to save the future of space travel.

PE

The children have really been enjoying their orienteering sessions with Mr McGreal, this will continue this week and the competition is hotting up!!

Topic

This week's topc will be replaced with the activities we will be completing for anti-bullying week. Have a look at the website for some ideas.

http://www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/Page.asp

That's all for now.

Year 5/6 Team.

Week Beginning 12th November 2007

Hi everyone and welcome to this week's blog.




First of all we need to stress how important it is that all the children have an outdoor PE kit in school everyday for this half term. As the rest of the school are getting into the Christmas spirit the hall time table has had to change to meet the needs of Christmas play practice and that means that all of year 5/6's PE sessions will be outdoor.


We can not predict which day the children will be doing PE as we have to check the weather first before we can decide and for this reason they need a kit at all times.


On Monday afternoons the year 5 children will be participating in Rugby training with trainers from Warrington Wolves. This also will be an outdoor activity and they will need an outdoor kit.




On Tuesday afternoons starting from this week, the year 6 children will be doing drama sessions with Helen Robinson who is a drama teacher from St Gregory's High School. She is a fantastic drama teacher and the children always enjoy the sessions.





On Thursday this week it is the junior disco run by the friends of St. Vincent's, this is your chance to show off your dancing skills children, although I'm sure the teachers are much better!!



With all this going on it's a wonder we find time to have any lessons but rest assured we will be learning as much this week as ever, here we go with the curriculum:-


Literacy

Our poetry lessons went really well last week and by Friday the children had written some excellent poems using personification, well done for all your hard work children.

This week we will be concentrating on phase 2 of our poetry unit. By the end of the week the children.....

Must reflect on how working in role helps to explore some of the complex issues within a poem; (teacher observation, self-assessment).

Should reflect on how working in role helps to explore some of the complex issues within a poem; and begin to demonstrate understanding of characters, language and plot to write in the first person (teacher observation, self-assessment).

Could reflect on how working in role helps to explore some of the complex issues within a poem; demonstrate understanding of characters, language and plot to write in the first person (teacher observation, self-assessment).



Maths



Well done to all the children who earned a times table award this week. Just incase any parents don't know, we have introduced a times tables challenge and the children are really rising to it so please support them in their learning of their tables.

The way the challenge works is they have 100 tables questions to answer in a set amount of time (5 minutes for year 6 and 6 minutes for year 5). If they get 100% they acheive a gold award, 90% gets them a silver award and 80% a bronze a award. It is essential to mathematical development that their children know their tables inside out so please practice at every opportunity. See previous blogspots for websites to help.

The awards will be given out in assembly on Monday.



This week Mrs Morgan's and Miss Wright's group will be learning to use, read and write standard metric units of length: mm, cm, m, km and use, read and write standard units of weight: kg and g.

You can support this learning by getting the children to measure things at home and you could also get out the baking products and get them to weigh the ingredients. Try and use different types of scales at home.



This week Mrs Millington's group will be ....... Changing an improper fraction to a mixed number, and vice versa and Converting, reducing, comparing and ordering fractions. By the end of the week they will be able to.....

Consolidate changing an improper fraction to a mixed number, and vice versa



Consolidate recognition of equivalent fractions

Reduce a fraction to its simplest form by cancelling common factors in the numerator and denominator

Order fractions by converting them to fractions with a common denominator

Continue to order fractions and position them on a number line

Recognise relationships between fractions, e.g. 1/16 is half of 1/8

Science



We have started our topic on the planets and this week the children will be working in co-operative learning teams to come up with a holiday brochure for a planet of their choice.

There is endless amounts of infomation on the planets on the internet so just google it and see what you can come up with.



Here I am



We are starting our new topic of visitors, this will be in the run up to Christmas and will lead up to taking about a very special visitor that was born on Christmas day!!

Mantle of the Expert:
Mrs Millington's class have been trialling a different way of working called 'Mantle of the Expert' (explained in last weeks blog). The children hopefully came home buzzing about everything we did, and keen to start work in their new company 'Eye Spy'.
We will keep you posted.



Topic



We had great fun having a look behind the scene of one of the Starwars movies this week and we will be continuing our theme of working benhind the camera this week.

Have a look at all the different job titles when the credits roll of any movies you watch over the weekend.



See you all on Monday.



Year 5/6 Team.

Week Beginning 5th November 2007

Remember, remember the 5th of November, because it's going to be the start of another exciting week in year 5/6!!!!
Seriously though, the children brought home a letter about firework safety on Friday so please make sure they read it and stick to the rules for a happy and safe Guy Fawkes night.

We hit the groud running last week and got straight back into our learning. We finished our topic on Roald Dahl by writing a story in the style of Roald Dahl, we had a lot fun thinking about the types of characters to include and making up our own nonsense words, we ended up with some really interesting stories.

LITERACY:
We are really excited this week as we move onto a new topic in Literacy. We all love writing poetry and this is what we will be concentrating on.
This topic relates well to RE, in that it gives the children the opportunity to find out about another religion. The topic gives children the opportunity to reflect and provides steps towards writing poems in different styles. The children read four types of poems – acrostic, free verse, repeated pattern and poem with personification. In each case they read, analyse, build up a writer’s toolkit and write a poem in the same style. In between the poems, sound and visuals related to Hindu pilgrimage provide a rich stimulus.
This sequence requires children to reflect deeply at times and teachers may find it useful to use some basic ‘stilling exercises’ involving visualisation or meditation to help children achieve the right mood for discussion.
This is a 2 week poetry unit and children will be expected to learn the following…..
Phase 1
Should demonstrate understanding of the differences between literal and figurative language (teacher observation).
Could demonstrate understanding of the differences between literal and figurative language and use the text to explain the effects of imagery in a poem (teacher observation).
Phase 2
Must reflect on how working in role helps to explore some of the complex issues within a poem; (teacher observation, self-assessment).
Should reflect on how working in role helps to explore some of the complex issues within a poem; and begin to demonstrate understanding of characters, language and plot to write in the first person (teacher observation, self-assessment).
Could reflect on how working in role helps to explore some of the complex issues within a poem; demonstrate understanding of characters, language and plot to write in the first person (teacher observation, self-assessment).
Phase 3
Must demonstrate the ability to work as a member of a group to plan, perform and evaluate a choral performance of a poem; (teacher assessment, feedback against agreed success criteria).
Should demonstrate the ability to work as a member of a group to plan, perform and evaluate a choral performance of a poem; and begin to demonstrate the ability to evaluate and improve performances in the light of comments from others (teacher assessment, feedback against agreed success criteria).
Could demonstrate the ability to work as a member of a group to plan, perform and evaluate a choral performance of a poem; demonstrate the ability to evaluate and improve performances in the light of comments from others (teacher assessment, feedback against agreed success criteria).

MATHS

Mrs Millington’s group will be Using a protractor to measure and draw acute and obtuse angles and learning to Calculate angles in a triangle.
By the end of the week they should be able to….
Use a protractor to measure and draw acute and obtuse angles to the nearest degree

Consolidate the estimation of an angle in degrees

Measure and calculate angles at a point
Make and investigate a general statement about familiar numbers or shapes by finding examples that satisfy it

Recognise that the sum of the angles of a triangle is 180 degrees

Calculate angles in a triangle

Recognise and explain patterns and relationships, generalise and predict

Miss Wright's and Mrs Morgan's group will be looking at reflective symmetry and the properties of 3d shapes.

By the end of this week they should be able to understand the terms 'reflective symmetry' and 'axis of symmetry'.

Recognise reflective symmetry in regular shapes.

Reconise where a shape will be after reflection in a mirror line parallel to one side.

Complete symmetrical patterns with two lines of symmetry at right angles.

Rehearse the names and properties of common 3D shapes.

Rehearse the terms 'polyhedron', 'tetrahedron' and begin to use 'octahedron'.

Visualise 3D shapes from 2D drawings and identify different nets for an open cube.

This seems a lot to get through and we will aim to get through it in one week but we may need to carry it onto next week depending on the children's learning.

You may have seen some children in the newsletter this week for gaining a gold certificate in their timestables award. These children are from Mr Barker's and Mrs Millington's groups and have got a 100% on a timed, times tables test for a number of weeks on the run.
Mrs Morgan's and Miss Wright's group have started their tests this week so get learning your tables children and you too could be famous!!

Here are some websites to help:-
Times tables
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/timestable/index.html
http://www.crick.northants.sch.uk/assets/Flash%20Studio/cfsmaths/Toolkit/Toolkit.htm
http://www.woodlands-junior.http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/timestable/interactive.htmkent.sch.uk/maths/timestable/index.html

Science

We had planned to start our new topic of the Earth and beyond last week but after reviewing the last topic we decided that the children needed more rewiew time in order to remember the facts.
The children have worked in groups and organised a 10 minute lesson that they are going to teach to the year 1/2 children on Friday. They really love to do this and get really excited and all 4 year groups get a lot out of it. So make sure you have prepared all your resources children as come Friday the roles are reveresed and you get to see what an enjoyable job we have!!

Topic

Last weeks blog is still relevent for our topic work so take a look at that for a better idea.

Here I am

We are starting our new topic of visitors, this will be in the run up to Christmas and will lead up to taking about a very special visitor that was born on Christmas day!!

Mrs Millington’s Class may approach their topic learning slightly differently this term than the other 2 classes. Mrs Millington has been involved in training for developing realistic learning contexts through Drama, particularly a system known as Mantle of the Expert, developed by the inspirational, gifted and internationally renowned Educator
Dorothy Heathcote.
In a Mantle of the Expert, a fictional world is created in which the children all have roles as an expert in a particular field. Their presumed expertise develops into a genuine expertise in certain areas of learning (some of them pre-planned by the teacher) and their understanding of certain concepts (again, planned by the teacher) is greatly enhanced. Almost any area of the curriculum could be taught through a Mantle of the Expert.
Her Class this year, will be running their own Missing Person ‘Private Investigator’ Company through which they will eventually try to solve the mystery of what happened to the illustrator ‘Harris Burdick’. This is a brilliant story…
Apparently Chris Van Allsburg (the author of the mysteries) came across the pictures of Harris Burdick through a friend, Peter Wenders. Apparently, Burdick presented the pictures with their titles and captions to Wenders in hopes that Wenders would be interested in purchasing the stories that accompanied the illustrations. Wenders was intrigued by the pictures and asked Burdick to submit the corresponding stories the next day. However, Wenders never heard from Harris Burdick again, so the "true" stories behind the pictures were never revealed.
The illustrations are fantastic and very thought provoking. Type ‘Harris Burdick’ into any search engine and a wealth of information about the story should come up.
For further information about the mantle of the expert, please go to www.mantleoftheexpert.com.
Watch this space to see how they get on!relevent for our topic work this week so take a look at that for a better idea.

Finally can we make a plea for all outstanding money and slips to be sent in for the MEN Area, we really need to know numbers as we have to order the t-shirts and book the coaches by Monday.

Have a great week and enjoy the fireworks safely.

Year 5/6 team.

29th October 2007

Welcome back to an exciting (but very long) new term!
We hope you have had a good half term break, and have managed to renew your batteries (or maybe ran them out!!)

DON’T FORGET THAT WE HAVE AN INSET DAY FIRST MONDAY BACK (29TH) SO YOU ALL GET AN EXTRA DAY AT HOME!

They say time flies when you’re having fun, and we cannot believe we are into the second half of the term already. Christmas will be upon us really soon! (Too soon when you think of all the shopping that will need doing!)
This term will provide lots of fantastic opportunities for new learning, but will also emphasise lots of consolidation.

On Thursday of this week, we shall be having Mass at 9am in the hall for All Saints Day. Feel free to attend, however please be considerate about the amount of space we have available.

Please can you make sure that you continue to sign your child’s diary. We are aiming to have a 100% ‘signing’ rate every week, and although we are getting better with this, we are still some way off. We ask children to either open their diary on the correct week, and we mover around the tables to check them, or children bring their diaries to us. It is extremely embarrassing for children when their diary as not been signed, as they then feel they stand out. It is your child’s responsibility to show you their diary, however it is your responsibility to make sure it is signed and that there is a communication with school. We hate to lecture, but as we have said before the difference it makes to school standards is immense!

Thank you for making sure that homework is still brought into school on time. It is so important that children continue to foster these skills of independence, in preparation for learning at the High School.

TARGET SETTING:
You may find that during this week, and next, your child may be keen to talk to you about a new form of target setting we have introduced in School, particularly targeting Maths. We are focusing as a whole school on the areas of RAPID RECALL and PROBLEM SOLVING. Obviously these areas are inextricably linked, but they are Mathematical skills that provide the foundations for further learning. We are confident that if as a school we manage to CRACK these, children will be altogether more confident in every other area of Maths.
The targets are what we call LAYERED which means that they are suitable for every member of a class and that learning becomes more personalised. Your child may have told you that in lessons we give children the lesson objectives as a MUST, SHOULD and COULD. This means that all children MUST achieve a basic target, they SHOULD be able to achieve something slightly more difficult, and COULD push themselves to achieve a challenge objective.
We are hoping to achieve a similar approach with the new Maths targets, however the procedure is slightly different.
Every Half term your child will be given a different target/s which will be at a suitable level for them. It may be a MUST, SHOULD or COULD target. In school and at home our focus will be on ensuring that your child focuses on this target whenever possible. Here are the targets for both year 5 and year 6.

YEAR 5 Targets
MUST = I can add and subtract 2 digit numbers rapidly and accurately.
SHOULD = I can find doubles and halves of 2 digit numbers.
COULD = I can find doubles and halves of decimal numbers (to 2 decimal places.)

YEAR 6 Targets
MUST = I know all my multiplication facts to
10 x 10
SHOULD = I know all my multiplication facts to 10 x 10 and the corresponding division facts.
COULD = I can multiply and divide decimal numbers.

We will plan learning opportunities into lessons whenever possible to enable children to review the target, and would hope that parent’s will help by emphasising the target at home.
What is so brilliant about this type of target setting is that children have the opportunity to aspire and challenge themselves to reach a higher level target, and a developed learning ability. Your child may start on a MUST, but there is no reason they cannot aim for the COULD. If your child completes a target, then we will move them onto a new target. Please be assured, however that we will ensure that the targets are suitably challenging to be relevant for a half term.
The targets will be progressive throughout the whole school so that learning/targets in one year are built upon in the next year. All relevant targets are displayed in every classroom and your child will be made aware of their target. ASK THEM AT HOME, WHAT IT IS!
Focusing on one target ensures that deeper learning can take place, instead of surface learning of lots of different targets. We will review the targets as a school every half term and move on appropriately. We are really excited about this learning opportunity, and would really appreciate your support!

After all the complicated housekeeping we now move on to what we are learning this week…
Before half term we made some informal assessments of how the children have progressed so far this term, and we will continue with our assessment and review this first week back. Don’t worry! Your child will not realise they are really being assessed, and these review weeks are not TESTS as such.

LITERACY:
This week we will be completing our unit on significant authors. Hopefully children you have had the chance to read a Roald Dahl book over half term. We have really enjoyed the stories we have read together. By the end of the week we will…
Write a new story inspired by a favourite book or author. Include elements based on reading, for example an interesting story opening or language used to create a particular comic or dramatic effect. Vary the length of sentences to achieve particular effects.
Our objectives for this week are that we…

Must write a complete story with a sequence of events arranged into paragraphs (marking and feedback against agreed success criteria).
Should write a complete story with a sequence of events arranged into paragraphs, linked with a range of connectives (marking and feedback against agreed success criteria).
Could write a complete story with a sequence of events arranged into paragraphs, linked with a range of connectives and using varying sentence length (marking and feedback against agreed success criteria).

We have been planning activities using a new framework for Literacy introduced this year, and we are really pleased with how it is going. We feel it has given us the luxury of learning about a topic in greater depth, and therefore providing a better learning experience.

MATHS:
Mrs Millington’s group will start a new unit on being able to Use and convert between metric units of length and understanding imperial units of length. We will also focus on Using and converting between metric units of weight and understanding imperial units of weight.

Our objectives for this week are….

Use, read and write standard metric units of length: mm, cm, m, km

Convert from one smaller metric unit of length to another larger unit

Suggest suitable units and measuring equipment to estimate or measure length

Understand the relationship between imperial and metric units of length

Use, read and write standard metric units of weight: kg, g

Record estimates and readings from weighing scales

Suggest suitable units and measuring equipment to estimate or measure weight


We will still also be focusing on Multiplication and division facts as part of our new target system.

Mrs Morgan and Miss Wright’s Maths group will be spending the week looking at shape, and their targets will be ….

Rehearse the terms ‘horizontal’ and ‘vertical’.
Introduce the terms ‘parallel’ and ‘perpendicular’.
Identify ‘parallel’ and ‘perpendicular’ lines.
Rehearse names and properties of 2-d shapes, particularly focussing on the properties of rectangles.
Rehearse regular and irregular polygons.
Introduce diagonals of polygons.

Don’t forget to use the Maths websites published on previous blogs!!

Here I Am:
We continue with our topic of Signs and Symbols. This topic is brilliant preparation for the season of Advent that will soon be upon us!! Children continue to be reflective and thoughtful during our daily sessions, and really do try to be advocates of our mission statement ‘To love and serve as Jesus shows us’.

SCIENCE:
We will spend this week reviewing what we have learnt in our ‘Light and Shadows’ topic, and then we will move onto our brand new topic ‘The Earth and Beyond’. We always find that this is a really popular topic, and the children always surprise us with the facts that they find out at home and bring to lessons. This first week sees us concentrating on the solar system and by the end of the week we will be able ….

To know that the Earth is part of the Solar System

To know that the Solar System includes The Earth, The Sun and nine planets.

A useful way of remembering all the planets is by producing a Mnemonic. A useful one we use in school is
Many Vile Earthlings Make Jam Sandwiches Under Newspaper Piles!
See if you can come up with any better Mnemonics. The most interesting ones may even win Raffle Tickets.

Useful websites for this topic are….

http://www.icteachers.co.uk/children/cyberhunts/solar_system/sosystem.htmKey Stage 2 –5E – Earth, Sun and Moon – A cyberhunt for children.
www.scienceyear.com/parents/school_pack/ks2.html
www.engineeringinteract.org/teachers5.htm
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/teacher/science.html

TOPIC:

Our Lights, Camera Action topic focuses on a new theme of ‘Movie Magic’

Children will get the opportunity to Take a look behind the scenes of Star Wars III at http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/bts/me3/8.html,
What did the chn see or hear? What were the people doing? What were their roles? Draw together the chn’s thoughts and observations on the f/c. What would the atmosphere behind the scenes be like? It’s something that movie watchers rarely see and experience! We will then Write an informal letter using the correct structure and style, explaining to someone back home about their movie experience.
We will also chat about how Successful Movies can make millions of pounds at the cinema, through DVD sales and merchandise like toys! The film Titanic has made nearly 2 billion dollars! Getting the right movie star can be important – Why this is? As a result, movie stars can earn HUGE amounts of money! You’d think they would be happy with that! Oh no! We will discuss the ‘sometimes bizarre’ requests of the rich and famous. Which seem most unusual? Unreasonable? Remember that stars make these requests as part of their contract, so no bendy straws no singing or acting!!!! Discuss Share some of the amusing, demanding or just plain bizarre requests. We will tell the children to imagine that they (the movie star!) have just arrived on the movie set and their requests have not been met! Time for a letter of complaint! This letter will be different than that written in the last session. Can childrenn explain why?

Websites to support this topic are….

Letter Writing

www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/english/writing/13_act.shtml
An interactive activity from a trusted source dealing with the conventions of letter writing.

Behind the Scenes Tours

http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/bts/me3/8.html
Take a look behind the scenes of Star Wars III.

www.learner.org/exhibits/cinema/index.htm
An in-depth look at the key roles in movie production.

That’s it for this week. Hope it’s a good one!! Until next time, the year 5/6 Team.

15th October 2007

Hi everyone.
Hope we are now really back into the swing of school. It will be half-term before we know it! Friday in fact!

We are still missing Mrs Morgan who will not be back in school yet! She is still busy recovering after her operation. It was lovely to read her comments (last weeks blog).

Last week was a fantastic busy week! A big THANK YOU for being so supportive with the new homework procedures.

Parent’s Evening:
Hopefully you have all been given an appointment time for Parent’s Evening. If not, check in the murky depths of your child’s bag where it as probably found a new home!!
Reminder dates for Parent’s Evening are THIS WEEK,
Tuesday 16th October & Wednesday 17th October.

Mrs Morgan will arrange appointments with any parents who want to see her, when she returns to school.

MEN Arena:
Just a quick reminder, that all outstanding money for the MEN Arena ‘Young Voices’ concert is needed in school ASAP. We do understand that this is a large amount of money (it is hard to believe that coaches and t-shirts cost so much, but they do), however we genuinely believe this to be a fantastic opportunity for your child that they will never forget. The total amount is £20.00

Literacy:
We continue into the 3rd week of our unit on significant children’s authors, in particular Roald Dahl. We will be drawing on our research skills this week, and finding out all we can about Mr Dahl himself, as well as other significant authors. The website we gave last week should have prepared the children well for Dahl research. Here it is again…
www.roalddahl.com
Our targets for the week are that the children…
Explore the idea of a 'significant author' by collecting information about an author.
Draw on children's own responses, survey popularity in the class or school and collect background information.

Children work collaboratively in groups to research an author of their choice and make a presentation to the class.

Should work as part of a group to research a significant author and make a presentation to the class (teacher observation, feedback from groups).
Could work as part of a group to research a significant author and make a presentation to the class; individuals take on a specific role in the group and play a role in planning what needs to be done and negotiating problems (teacher observation, feedback from groups).

Maths:
Mrs Millington’s Maths Group will this week be focusing on Data Handling, in particular, Constructing and using grouped frequency tables and Drawing and interpreting bar graphs using grouped data.
By the end of the week your child should be able to….

Group discrete data in equal intervals

Construct a grouped frequency table.

Draw and interpret a bar graph based on grouped data.

Even though these skills are taught in Maths, they are also extremely important for Science, as children are tested just as much on interpreting scientific data, as learning scientific facts.

Listed here is a list of websites to support this topic, and to further general learning in Maths. Don’t forget the websites published on earlier blogs!

www.mathstories.com
Will help children to improve their mathematical problem solving and critical thinking skills. There are more than 4,000 word problems to enjoy. Rated as the top US website.

www.stfx.ca/special/mathsproblems
Is a superb site which contains a range of carefully selected problems to help improve children’s problem-solving skills.

www.fpsp.org
Is the website of the Future Problem Solving Program. It is designed to engage children in creative problem solving to stimulate both their critical and creative thinking skills.

www.japanese-online.com/math
Contains 225 logic-based story problems. The site’s aim is to provide quality mathematical content based on world standards.


www.rhlschool.com
Features original mathematical problem-solving worksheets which can be used as tools for reinforcement or review.

www.mathpuzzle.com
Contains a massive collection of puzzles as well as links to other relevant sites. This is an enormous website for serious mathematicians.

Science:
We are really placing a big emphasis on Science this year and are calling on all parents to help us on our mission as much as possible. We have found that our children are particularly good at their analysing skills (strange in that this goes against the trend in other schools). Our children however seem to struggle with remembering facts that they have learnt in their Science lessons. It is really important that children are asked to review their learning again and again so that the facts finally stick. You can help at home in lots of ways, for example if you are baking a cake together, talk about the irreversible changes taking place.
Look at the phases of the moon together and construct an observation chart over the 28 day cycle.
Chat about the different parts of the body and what they are used for.
When your child takes any prescribed medication, talk about what the medicine contains, and how it makes the body better.

Here is a list of some informative websites that you can use to support your child’s learning. We will be publishing more over the coming weeks.
General
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/4_11/science.shtmlWide range of Science Activities for Key Stage 1/2
http://www.digitalbrain.com/digitalbrain/web/subjects/1.%20primary/ks2sci/?verb=viewKey Stage 2 Science Activities
Plants and animals
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case4/c4m1.htmlShows the parts of a flower and pollination. Children are asked to label the diagrams.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/Great plant escape. All aspects of plant growth. Ideal for Science KS2 revision if used on whiteboard.
http://www.naturegrid.org.uk/explorer/Key stage 1/2 – a site for exploring different environments
http://www.cadburylearningzone.co.uk/env2/index.htmKey stage 2 – Exploring different environments in UK and around the world
http://www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/habitats/index.htm Looking at animals in the local environments
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/revisewise/science/living/index.shtmlA range of activities on living things
http://www.sunshine.co.nz/nz/kia/coolstore/v2/17/Discovery/kzoo1.htmllower key stage 2 – Korky’s Virtual Zoo – looking at animals in different environments
Human body
http://www.dentalhealth.org.uk/downloadcentre/downloadslist.php?categ=6Teeth & Nutrition: Games and puzzles to download.
http://www.bhf.org.uk/cbhf/A British Heart Foundation website for 11yrs and under with information and activities.
http://exhibits.pacsci.org/nutrition/default.htmlNutrition café – lots of information, quizzes and activities linked to healthy eating
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/kids/Explore the body’s muscles, skeleton and organs.
http://www.healthykids.org.uk/Key stages 1 and 2 –Health and growth – Teeth and eating – Keeping Healthy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/revisewise/science/living/05_act.shtmlKey stage 2 – Keeping healthy
Materials
http://ambleweb.digitalbrain.com/ambleweb/web/primaryportal/1.%20primary/ks1sci/su3/?verb=view Materials -Properties
http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/sirrobhitch.suffolk/Materials/page5.htmlSorting and using materials
http://www.hitchams.suffolk.sch.uk/Materials/index.htmlSorting and using materials
http://www.welltown.gov.uk/teachers/pupilintro.html
Keeping healthy and staying safe
Electricity
http://www.schoolscience.co.uk/content/3/physics/circuits/QCA Unit 6G:Interactive Circuit challenges aimed at Year 5/6
http://www.learn.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=Unit&WCU=11203Key stage 2 –4F – Circuits and conductors
The Earth and Beyond
http://www.icteachers.co.uk/children/cyberhunts/solar_system/sosystem.htmKey Stage 2 –5E – Earth, Sun and Moon – A cyberhunt for children.
At present our topic is Light and Shadows, but we still have a Practical Science session each week, and a review session. Both of these sessions are usually revising another Science topic, and at this point in your child’s learning this review is very useful because as you will no doubt be aware year 6’s will be sitting a SAT in Science, and year 5’s will also complete a Science test at the end of the year.
In Light and Shadows this week, our objectives are…

To understand that shiny surfaces can be used as mirrors but dull surfaces cannot.

To understand the use of reflective materials for safety.

Topic:
Our Lights, Camera, Action topic is even more exciting this week, and we cannot wait. We will be evaluating some movie trailer clips, and then trying to create some movie clips of our own. We will maybe even try to film them! Our objectives will be to….
Use internet & appropriate search terms to find & evaluate ‘movie trailers’.
Develop a storyboard to outline main ideas to create a ‘trailer’ for a new movie.
Develop understanding of the functions of a video camera & use to film a short video clip.
Write, rehearse & perform a script for a movie trailer to be filmed on video.

This is such an interesting topic that we couldn’t help but publish a few more websites so that you can support at home. We love the Movie Trailer links. All that is missing is the popcorn!!

Early Movie Clips
http://www.buyoutfootage.com/pages/subtops/pd_classiccuts.html
Very short, classic movie clips are available to watch.

http://www.eztakes.com/store/genres/Silent-Movies.jsp
Watch video clip from the silent movie ‘The Lost World’!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4172449.stm
Click on the link to watch a two and a half minute documentary about the finding of some turn of the century film footage discovered in a shop. Includes lots of the actual footage recovered. (Searching the BBC’s Audio and Video library for things like ‘early film footage’ or ‘silent film’ will also throw up a few items.)

http://course1.winona.edu/pjohnson/h140/early%20film.htm
Brief profiles of the early film makers, Thomas Edison, August and Louis Lumière, George Méliès, Edwin S. Porter and D.W. Griffith, includes short clips of some of their most famous movies.

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es/il/baboon_1
Two early movies involving animals available for viewing here for free (second movie on page two). Using the ‘See, Hear and Sing button on the top right gives access to many other early clips and recordings, such as early cartoons and ‘disaster movies’ (real life disasters caught on film as well as fictional movies inspired by them).

Early Movie footage/ The Lumiere Brothers
http://www.holonet.khm.de/Visual_Alchemy/lumiere.html
http://www.holonet.khm.de/Visual_Alchemy/lumiere-x.html
http://www.earlycinema.com/pioneers/lumiere_bio.html
http://www.terrace.qld.edu.au/academic/lote/french/yr5lumi.htm

Movie Trailers
http://movies.yahoo.com/trailers/
http://video.google.com/movietrailers.html
http://www.english-trailers.com/index.php
http://www.apple.com/trailers/

Other ‘film’ websites of interest
http://uk.imdb.com/
http://www.bfi.org.uk

How to use a Camcorder
http://www.getvi.com/eng/e-camtechnic.
Nice introduction to using a camcorder; general tips & cartoon images.

Anyway, enough for this week! Have a great half term break and we will see you on Tuesday 30th October (Please remember that we have an inset day on the first Monday back.)
Until next time, the year 5/6 Team.

Monday 8th October

Hi everyone.

Last week was a very busy, yet successful week. We are back to some normality after Conway, but are still missing Mrs Morgan, who is recovering from a sudden operation. Mr Morgan if you are reading this, we are missing you loads, and
GET WELL SOON!
Now to some boring housekeeping!

Homework Books:
Your child should have last week brought home some ‘brand new’ Homework books which they were very excited about.
To ensure that we do not have any confusion as to how they are used, we have outlined the procedures here…
On a MONDAY your child will be given a page (sometimes more) of work from both the English and the Maths book. Your child has been given an ‘age appropriate’ book. We ask the children to write the date at the top of each page we want them to complete, as depending on the topic we are teaching, they are not always consecutive.
We ask that this work is back in school on THURSDAY, so that we can mark it together on FRIDAY. We have decided that it is more conducive to mark the work together, as the children can then see where they have sometimes gone wrong. If we mark the work like we usually do, they race on to the next task, and often make the same mistakes again.
The same procedure applies to the Science Homework, however this is given out on a WEDNESDAY and needs to be completed for MONDAY. This at least gives you the weekend to work on it.
Please be aware that although it sometimes may seem as if your child as a lot of Homework, we are trying to prepare them for the ominous workload in the high school. If at any point you or your child as a problem with the Homework or your child cannot complete it, please put a note in the homework book or your child’s diary. It is not a problem, so long as we know!

Parent’s Evening:
Please can you make sure that you have returned your reply slip for Parent’s Evening.
Dates for Parent’s Evening are.
Tuesday 16th October & Wednesday 17th October.

Mrs Morgan will arrange appointments with any parents who want to see her, when she returns to school.

MEN Arena:
Just a quick reminder, that all outstanding money for the MEN Arena ‘Young Voices’ concert is needed in school ASAP. We do understand that this is a large amount of money (it is hard to believe that coaches and t-shirts cost so much, but they do), however we genuinely believe this to be a fantastic opportunity for your child that they will never forget. The total amount is £20.00


Literacy:
We continue this week with our topic on significant children’s authors, focusing on Roald Dahl. It has been lovely to read such fantastic books to the children by such an inspiring author.
We are reading ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ together, paying particular attention to the disgusting, horrible character of Grandma. She really is a nasty piece of work!
www.roalddahl.com is a really good website to investigate ‘all things Dahl’ and will be really useful in preparation for next week when we begin to research the life of Dahl himself.
Our targets for the week are that the children…

Must demonstrate understanding of an author's style by writing a new scene for a story in the style of the author (marking and feedback).
Should begin to demonstrate understanding of an author's style by writing a new scene for a story in the style of the author; scene is organised into a sequence of paragraphs (marking and feedback).
Could demonstrate understanding of an author's style by writing a new scene for a story in the style of the author; scene is organised into a sequence of paragraphs (marking and feedback).

We will do this by learning how to do the following….
Exploring aspects of an author's style by comparing themes, settings and characters in different stories.
Focusing on characterisation and make inferences about the author's perspective on a particular character.
Reviewing conventions of dialogue: what it reveals about plot or character.
Writing a new scene for a story in the style of the author.

Maths:
Mrs Millington’s Maths group will this week be learning about Shape and Space, in particular, Properties of 2D shapes, including parallelogram, rhombus and trapezium and Classifying quadrilaterals.
By the end of this week your child should be able to…
Use the terms ‘parallelogram’, ‘rhombus’ and ‘trapezium’

Begin to know the properties of parallelograms, rhombuses and trapezia.

Begin to use the term ‘kite’

Classify quadrilaterals, using criteria such as parallel sides, equal sides, equal angles.

Below is a list of websites to help you support your child with their Maths learning. Some are specific to shape and space, but others can be used for any Maths Topic.
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/rewisewise
KS2 activities, fact sheets and tests for number, data handling and shape and space. Nice revision activities for Year 6 pupils in the run up to SATs

www.bbc.co.uk/education/megamaths
The site is aimed at 7 to 9 year olds. Megamaths Tables: an interactive site for practising and testing times tables. Good animations and could be used by children in Yr2 to Y6, to support pupils learning times table facts. Different levels of activities are provided to support differentiation.
Megamaths Shape: an interactive multiple-choice quiz on the properties of 2D shapes

www.bbc.co.uk/education/schools/digger
Maths adventures for Digger and the Gang, activities for the age ranges:
6–7, 7–8 and 9–11. Three maths adventures have been designed for each age range. Nice animated story themes, but a little slow and limited number of mathematical activities involved in each adventure. Children tackling the age 9-11 activities may need a pencil and paper to support their calculations.

www.nrich.maths.org.uk
An excellent website providing lots of challenging problem solving activities. A few interactive games for upper key stage 2, which should be part of a problem solving activity. For example a game called ‘Got it’ where children play against the computer to get to a total of 43 – lots of discussion could be generated on working out how to beat the computer. A range of super non-interactive puzzles and problems to challenge pupils thinking – good AT1 activities, using and applying, in all areas of mathematics! The site is regularly updated.

www.childrensmoneyworld.com
A website designed for children in YR and Y1, supporting their recognition of coins. Two interactive games provided – a pelmonism activity ‘Motherpounds Memory Game’ and a counting activity game ‘Saving Perry Penny’. (Nice animations)

www.worldclassarena.org
A website designed to challenge more able Year 5 children (top 5%) with problem solving and mathematical activities. The materials provided are paper and computer based and children can receive a certificate showing pass, merit or distinction, if they undertake a computer and paper based test, which is available four times a year. The registration fee for each child is £8.00. The example materials look extremely good and focus on the dimensions of ‘breadth, depth, independence, reflection as well as acceleration’. Materials are available for parents and teachers, including a specimen test pack, with mark schemes and reports!

www.aplusmath.com
This website provides five interactive bingo and concentration games to develop multiplication, addition, subtraction and division mental recall skills. The activities would be appropriate for Y4, Y5 and Y6. The only negative element of the site is that the calculations, which should be done mentally, are set out in a vertical format. There are some very basic flashcards and worksheets also available.

www.cadburylearningzone.co.uk
A super interactive website providing lots of problem solving activities. The content, devised by BEAM Education, has been designed to enable children to explore mathematics in its applications in a real working situation. ‘Maths in chocolate making’ has 40 online interactive exercises based on numbers in the number system, calculations, shape and space, measures and handling data. A nice feature is that the activities provide some written support and guidance, if pupils get calculations or problems wrong!

www.ambleside.schoolzone.co.uk/
Probably the best website for primary mathematics. It has a vast range of excellent interactive maths resources. Activities to develop children’s mental maths skills, fraction, shape and lots more! There are also lots of teacher tools with an on-line calculator, four-in-a-row game, number lines, analogue clock and number squares.

Miss Wright and Mrs Woodcock will be spending another week teaching Multiplication and division skills. The above websites will also be useful to support your child.

Science:
Our Science topic gets really interesting this week when we begin to delve deeper into how we see things, and take a closer look at the eye. Children find it really fascinating to SEE (Ha, Ha!) what a complicated job, the eye performs. Some useful websites to support your child, learning about how we see things, are….
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/10_11/see_things.
www.healthyeyes.org.uk
www.bootslearningstore.com This Boots website is really really good so be sure to check it out!!

Topic:
Our Lights, Camera, Action topic takes a look at the History of film this week, as we look at how early Hollywood started, and the first movie stars. We are also going to have a go at making our own flicker books to really understand what the term ‘motion’ means in its simplest form. You could probably help to make one of these at home by drawing a little stick man on the corner of each page of a notebook with its legs gradually changing position. We have all probably done this before, where we end up creating a little running man!
Don’t forget to look at the websites published on last week’s blog for some fantastic fact finding. There is also some useful information here for adults, so who knows! You may win that next pub quiz!!

Anyway, enough for this week! Until next time, the year 5/6 Team.