Sunday 27 January 2008

Week Beginning 4th February 2008

Hi everyone, welcome to the end of another half term!!


What a great week last week was, we would like to thank eveyone who has been to the bookfair so far and we would like to remind you that it is still open until Tuesday so if you haven't been yet please do come along. Thank you also must go to everyone who has donated a book to their child's class, this really is much appreciated.
The children had a fantastic time working with David Horner and produced some excellent tongue twisters.
We were really impressed with the ammount of year 5 and 6 children that came dressed up as a book character on Friday, lots of effort had gone into this and we would like to thank you for entering into the spirit of bookweek.
A big thank you must also go to Mrs Narraway for organising the events during book week.

It is Ash Wednesday on Wednesday this week (I know feels like it was Christmas yesterday!!) we will be holding a service in school at 9am. Please feel free to join us but as usual space is limited. Ashes will be distributed to the adults in the hall after the service, the children will recieve theirs in class afterwards.

On Friday this week we will be having a non-uniform day in aid of Marie Currie. Connor Green one of our year 6 children has organised this event after loosing some family members to cancer. The children will be asked to bring £1 donation for coming in their own clothes. Connor will also be organising a raffle during the week to be drawn on Friday.

The last week of a half term is as always assess and review week.

Literacy

We will be carrying on with our topic of Stories from Other Cultures. We will use this week to assess the children's writing and by the end of the week they will have produced a piece of timed writing to be assessed based around the topic of Stories from Other Cultures.
We will also be assessing comprehension skills and giving the children a story with questions to go with it.

Please remember it is really important to read with your child at home. After half term we will be carrying out the Hertfordshire Reading Test and would love it if all the children's reading ages went up.

Please see previous blogspots for websites on Stories from Other Cultures.

Numeracy

Miss Wright and Mrs Morgan's group will start of the week finishing off their work on fractions and decimals from last week. They have tried really hard and done really well with this but as it is a complecated topic they do need to continue with it until their knowledge is sound.
We will spend the rest of the week reviewing what we have covered in this half term and doing short mini tests on each topic. We will also review the children's ISP targets. They should be aware of where they are with these as they are at different levels, check their diaries to see what their targets are.

Mrs Millington's group will be doing much the same as the other two groups. They will continue with their symmetry topic at the beginning of the week and then move onto reviewing the topics they have covered so far, by completing mini tests.


Please look back over this term's blogs to remind yourself of the work that has been covered so far. There are lots of websites for you to go on to review your knowledge.

Science

This week in Science we will continue our topic of 'Keeping Healthy'. We will be learning that we need exercise to stay healthy and to maintain our muscles and that when we exercise, our muscles work harder. We also be learning about the parts of the body that need to work harder when we exercise.

Try these websites..............
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/work_it_out.html
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=285&id=1448
http://www.learntobehealthy.org/?wt.srch=1&wt.mc_id=GoogleAdwords&wt.mc_n=Healthy_Eating&wt.mc_de=Healthy_Kids&gclid=CMiD48rTpZECFRg1Zwod51ZjZg
http://www.kidshealthandfitness.org.au/
http://www.kidsexercise.co.uk/

Here I Am

This week we will begin our new topic of Thanksgiving.
During this topic the children will:-
RECOGNISE :
That thanks are not always given, know the key words: thanksgiving, appreciate, reject, ungrateful.
REFLECT:
On times when they have given and received thanks and when they have not.
RESPECT:

That the children appreciate the importance of giving thanks.
RELATE:
That the children’s own exploration of THANKSGIVING is enriched by learning about the Eucharist, the great act of thanksgiving; the challenge the Eucharist makes to Christians.

REMEMBER/REJOICE:
That the children recall and review the work explored in the topic and are helped to decide the best way of celebrating “Thanksgiving” and experience a prayerful celebration
REMEMBER:
That the children formulate and record statements of new knowledge and understanding.
RENEW:
That the children find ways of holding onto their new understanding into the future and think about what they can share with their family today.


That's all for this week. Thank you for your support have a happy and safe half term. We will see you at 8.45am on Monday 18th February.

Year 5/6 Team.

Friday 25 January 2008

Week Beginning 28th January 2008

Hi everyone, we are very excited about his week as it is book week and we have lots of great things planned!

We would like to start this week by saying thank you to the Year 6 children for being so well behaved on both of our trips out last week. The children's behaviour is always fantastic when we take them out of school but was particularly good on these two occasions. The Year 5 children were also really well behaved in school. Well done children we are really proud of you all.

On Monday we went to the Peace Centre and took part in Young Citizen 2008. The children participated in a number of workshops and had an informative and fun time.
On Friday we were lucky enough to be treated to St Gregory's performance of Grease, which was fantastic.

During the past two weeks we have been monitoring the children's reading diaries for parents comments.
You may remember we sent home a sheet informing the children that reading is also a big part of their homework and they would be completing an activity every Thursday on what they had read at home that week. We also asked parents to continue to read with your children and make comments in the reading diary when you have done this.
We have been monitoring these comments and on the week we gave out the sheet about the reading we had a great response.

In Mrs Millington's class 83% of children were heard read at least once.
In Miss Wright's class 43% of children were heard read at least once.
In Mrs Morgan's class 84% of children were heard read at least once.

Last week the comments died down a bit.
In Mrs Millington's class 69% of children were heard read at least once.
In Miss Wright's class 15% of children were heard read at least once.
In Mrs Morgan's class 65% of children were heard read at least once.

Please do read with your child and make comments in the diary, we are aiming to get 100% across the whole school and we can only do this with you help. Thank you.

As mentioned above this week is book week and we have lots of fun activities planned.

On Monday and Tuesday we have renowned poet David Horner in school to work with the children. He will work with each class writing some poetry and the results are always excellent.

The book fair arrives on Wednesday and will be open until next Tuesday. The children will be able to have a preview of the books on Wednesday daytime in preparation for the fair opening on Wednesday at 3pm.
There will also be a wish list put together by your child's class and their teacher, the wish list will be placed in the hall when the fair is open so if you do want to donate a book to your child's class please feel free to purchase one from the list. A dedication will be placed inside with the information that your child has donated this book to our school.

Please do come along to the book fair and have a look, remember for every book you buy we receive commission to help with resources for school.
This will be an ideal opportunity for you to purchase a book to share with your child and then make a note of what you have read in their reading diary.


This weeks curriculum......

Literacy
As it is book week this week we will be basing a lot of our literacy work around it. When David Horner is in on Monday and Tuesday we will be working on poetry. For the rest of the week we will be doing work based around our favourite books and this will relate to the homework too.

It would be a great idea if you could share your favourite childhood books and stories with your children.

Why not check our David Horner's website? http://www.davidhorner.com/

Numeracy

This week Miss Wright's and Mrs Morgan's group will be looking at positive and negative numbers and the equivalence between fractions and decimals.
By the end of the week the children will be able to order a given set of positive and negative numbers. Calculate a temperature rise or fall across 0 degrees c. Recognise a negative number on a calculator and recognise the equivalence between fractions and decimals.

Mrs Millington's group will be learning about symmetry.
By the end of this week they will classify quadrilaterals, using criteria such as parallel sides, equal angles, equal sides. Recognise where a shape will be after reflection. Read and plot coordinates in all four quadrants. Recognise where a shape will be after a rotation through 90 degrees about one of its vertices.

Science
We will continue our work on keeping healthy. The children will be using lots of different ways to present information about healthy foods. The will also be designing a healthy party food menu.

Topic this week will be based around book week and we will be using a lot of the time to hold competition and develop the children's love of reading.

Have a good week, see you at the book fair.

Year 5/6 Team.

Friday 18 January 2008

Week Beginning 21st January 2008

Hi there, welcome to another busy week in Year 5/6.

Just a couple of dates for your diary to begin.

On Monday the Year 6 children will be going to the Peace Centre at St Gregory's to take part in the Young Citizen Programme. They will be attending lots of different workshops including road safety, bicycle safety, fire safety etc. This is a valuable experience for the children and also an enjoyable one. We still have a few permission slips outstanding. This is becoming a real problem now, please encourage your child to give you any letters that have come home from school straight away and get them to put them straight back in their bags ready for school the next day. Previously we have rang parents on the morning of the trip and asked for their permission. We will no longer do this, so if your child does not have a slip then they cannot go out of school.

The Year 6 children will also be going out on Friday Morning. They are going to St Gregory's to watch their performance of 'Grease'. Please ensure that your child has brought in the reply slip for this trip. Thank you.

Now for the Curriculum.

Literacy
This week in literacy we will be starting a new theme, Stories From Other Cultures.
In week one we will be presenting our own views on a text, sequencing points logically and defending views with evidence and also grouping and classifying words and phrases according to their meanings (e.g. idioms).Making notes on and using evidence from across a text to explain events or ideas. Comparing different types of narrative and information texts and identifying how they are structured.
Distinguishing between everyday use of words and their subject-specific use.
Exploring how writers use language for dramatic effects.
Comparing how a common theme is presented in poetry, prose and other media.
Reflecting independently and critically on their own writing and edit and improve it.Vary the pace and develop the viewpoint through the use of direct and reported speech, portrayal of action and selection of detail.
If you have any stories from other cultures at home please use this opportunity to share them with your child.

Try these websites:-

http://www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/curriculum/literacyresources/index.php?category_id=25&s=!B121cf29d70ec8a3d54a33343010cc2 Chinese folk and fairy tales. http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/cinderella/other.html Stories similar to Cinderella http://www.candlelightstories.com/Stories.php Lots of stories to read together. http://www.dreamtime.net.au/creation/index.cfm Stories from Australia to watch and read.

Numeracy

This week Miss Wright's and Mrs Morgan's group will be using rounding to add near multiples of 10 to 2 and 3 digit numbers and mentally adding and subtracting pairs of decimal numbers.

By the end of the week they:-
Must be able to round numbers to multiples of 10 and use strategies to add them to 2 and 3 digit numbers.
Should be able to add pairs of decimals numbers.
Could to do both must and could rapidly and accurately.

Try these websites:-

http://www.freewebtown.com/weddell/mw/rounding/nearest10.swf rounding to the nearest 10.
http://www.freewebtown.com/weddell/mw/rounding/nearest100.swf rounding to the nearest 100.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/mathsfile/shockwave/games/roundoff.html rounding game.


Mrs Millington's group will be looking at multiplying by partitioning and multiplying using closely related facts. Times tables skills are really important for this topic so keep practicing. Just because you have received a gold award in your tables doesn't mean you should stop practicing - remember, use it or lose it!

Science

This week we will be continuing our topic of 'Keeping Healthy'. Last week we introduced the topic by discuss what the important factors are in keeping us healthy and also looked at the 5 food groups.

This week we will be learning to understand how a scientific idea can be tested and the evidence used to support the idea.

We will be looking at the story of 'Scurvy' and thinking about experiments that could be done with regards to this.
Please see previous blogs for websites.

Topic
This week in our topic sessions we will be developing a clear picture of the life of Adolph Hitler & the beliefs that shaped his life. Identifying & describing reasons for, & results of historical events. Finding out about people from an appropriate range of sources of information.

Please see previous blogspots for websites.

Can we also say a big thank you to all the parents and children that have brought in things to do with our topic, it is much appreciated.

ICT
The children have finished their work on spreadsheets with Mrs Jackson and have moved on to designing their dream bedroom using a programme we have. They are having great fun including their own hot tubs and things in their bedrooms.

Homework will go out as usual this week. The Year 6's revision books are on order and when they arrive the Year 6's will have revision for their homework. We will let you know more details nearer the time.

That's all for now. Have a good week.

Year 5/6 Team

Thursday 10 January 2008

Week Beginning 14th January 2007

Hi everyone and welcome to the second week of the spring term!

The children came back refreshed after their Christmas break and they were really excited to talk about all the fun stuff they did at Christmas.

The weather is really bad at the moment so can you please ensure your child has a warm coat with them at all times.

As Christmas plays are over we can now do our PE lessons in the hall again so the children will not need their outdoor PE kit as often. As we cannot always predict when the hall is needed they may need an outdoor PE kit at some point so it is better to have one in school at all times.

Can we also make a plea for the children to bring as small a bag as possible to school. We are having real problems with the Year 5/6 cloakrooms. It is very difficult to find things and coats and bags are ending up on the floor which is a safety hazard.

The children should only need to bring to school their pencil case, reading book, reading diary and their lunch. Their PE kit should already be in school and therefore they do not need a large bag.

Now for this weeks curriculum...........

Literacy
This week we will be continuing with our topic of recounts. Last week we looked at Edmund Hillary and George Mallory and stories about them and their Everest expeditions.
The children really enjoyed this and they came up with many theories about George Mallory and whether he reached the top of Everest years before Hillary.

This week we will be recognising 1st and 3rd person verbs. Planning our own recount. Writing a 3rd person recount.
The children will be interviewing someone of their choice and making notes in order to write a recount about something extraordinary they may have done. So watch out parents, grandparents, friends and family, IT COULD BE YOU!!!

By the end of this week the children:-
Must be able to sequence notes collected into chronological order.
Should be able to sequence notes into an order to interest the reader ready for a recount.
Could write a recount that is interesting and informative.

Try these websites for examples of interviews.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6730000/newsid_6731700/6731793.stm?bw=nb&mp=rm BBC News report from 1953.
http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?q=edmund%20Hillary%20interview&tab=av&recipe=all&scope=all&edition=i Hillary Johnson interview.

Maths

This week Miss Wright's and Mrs Morgan's groups will be looking at units of time.
The will use, read and write units of time including decade, millennium and leap year. They will know the numbers of days in each month. Convert one unit of time to another. Use the time on a 24 hour digital clock and use 24 hour notation. Be able to use a timetable.

You can help at home with this by getting your child to tell the time and also getting them to look at TV listings and asking them questions such as:-
If a programme starts at 12.15 and is 1 hour and 20 minutes long, how long is the programme?

By the end of the week the children:-
Must be able to use the 24 hour clock.
Should be able to convert one unit of time to another.
Could answer question on a timetable using the 24 hour clock.

Try these websites:-

http://nwlg.org/pages/resources/ma_num/swf/24-12Game.html set the time for the departures using the 24 hour clock.
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/timetables/index.htm work out the different times for the timetable.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/maven/timefor/index.htm use time to solve the crime.
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/maths/trainers/index.htm work out how long it will take you to buy some trainers and also how much they will cost.

Science
In Science this week we will starting our new topic of keeping healthy. This a subject that can be discussed at home also as I'm sure a lot of people are on a health kick after the Christmas Festivities!!

This week will be an introduction into the unit and we will also be looking at what we should know by the end of the unit.

By the end of this unit the children:-
Must have identified some foods needed for a healthy and varied diet and some harmful effects of drugs. Recognise that pulse rate is a measure of how fast the heart is beating and make measurements of pulse rate.
Should identify the components of a healthy and varied diet and describe how an idea of the effect of diet on health is tested. Recognise some harmful effect of drugs. Recognise that during exercise the heart beats faster in order to get more blood to the muscles. Make careful measurements of pulse rate and represent these on a suitable graph and explain what the graph shows.
Could explain some early evidence about the effect of diet on health. explain why it is important to test the effects of exercise on the pulse rate of several people.

Try these websites:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/keeping_healthy.shtml BBC Science Clips investigating the heart.
http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/Activity.aspx?siteId=3&sectionId=37&contentId=55 sort the food into the correct food groups.
http://www.foodafactoflife.org.uk/Activity.aspx?siteId=3&sectionId=37&contentId=56 design a healthy lunch box.
http://exhibits.pacsci.org/nutrition/nutrition_cafe.html games in the nutrition cafe.
http://www.sycd.co.uk/good-to-eat/index.htm for all you Mancehster United fans Fred the Red will help you choose what to eat.

Topic
We began this week to look at World War 2. The children have studied World War 2 before but as we are coming up to Holocaust Memorial day we will be looking at this side of the war.
We began last week by looking at which countries were involved in World War 2.
The children are really interested and enthusiastic about this subject.
This week we will be looking at the events that started World War 2.
We will be combining History and Design and Technology we will use paper construction, cutting & folding to create a zigzag book with information on how the war started.

Try these websites:-

http://usd230.k12.ks.us/espictt/timeline/timeline.htm
A useful timeline for use throughout the topic.
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/war/timeline.htm
A timeline created for children outlining the main events.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_Nazi_Timeline
Early Nazi developments timeline.


Here I Am
This week in Here I Am we will be continuing the topic of Celebrations. We will be continuing with the recognise and reflect section of the topic as show in last weeks blog.

That's all for now, have a good week.


Year 5/6 Team