Week Beginning 25th February 2008

Hi everyone and welcome to the second week of the half term.

The children are really into fundraising for the Good Shepherd at the moment. They have set up stalls at play time and dinner time and are making lots of money for the charity. We are really proud of them for coming up with lots of different ways of making money. They are getting into the spirit of doing something extra for Lent.

This week on Friday our Year 6 children will be going to 'The Foundry' in Widnes for a 'Getting to know you day' with the staff from St Gregory's. The day will be run by Sister Margaret who is the Chaplin at the high school.
The children don't have to wear their uniform on the day, it is advisable for the girls to wear trousers.
They will also need a packed lunch.

Literacy
We started off last week looking at the 'Owl and the Pussycat' which the children really enjoyed and got a lot out of. I am sure you have heard by now that we then went on to study 'The Highway Man' by Alfred Noyes. We studied the poem and the children were excited and intrigued by it, the got a lot out of the story and the language that was used. We are always amazed by how much children love studying classic poems and stories.
We then found a website that had turned the poem into a song, with an animation! This brought the poem alive for them and they were so switched on in their literacy lessons it was an absolute joy to watch!
The children then became language thieves and stole all the language they would want to use again in their own writing from the poem. We discussed each piece of language they stole and why and also which other types of genres we could use the language in.
This is a worthwhile exercise to do if they have a reading book at home that has some particularly excellent language in.
This week will be moving on to looking at some more poems that tell stories and stealing some more language to use eventually when writing our own poem.
Have a look at the website we have used this week. (Parents beware someone has taken it upon themselves to write a poor review of the animation, if you do not scroll down the page you cannot see it but please monitor you child on the computer just in case.)
http://www.machinima.com/film/view&id=1249

We have also monitored the reading diaries for comments this week, the results are as follows:-

Mrs Millington's class 35%
Miss Wright's class 30%
Mrs Morgan's class 33%
This is quite disappointing as we started off the half term over the 60% mark. We know the Year 6 children have lots of homework with their revision, reading is also a part of their revision. Please make comments about your child's reading it really does help to raise standards. Thank you your support.

Numeracy
This week Miss Wright's group will be working on percentages. They will learn how to find 50% 10% and 1% of a number and by using these fact be able to find other percentages of numbers.
By the end of the week the children:-
MUST be able to find 50% of a number.
SHOULD be able to find 10% and 1% of a number.
COULD relate these facts to find other percentages of numbers.
Try these websites:-
http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/maths/caerphilly/percentages/eng/ explanation of percentages.
http://www.tre.ngfl.gov.uk/server.php?request=cmVzb3VyY2UuZnVsbHZpZXc=&resourceId=11507 scroll down to the Percentimator, it gives questions to practice with.
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/percentages/index.htm find percentages in 'real life' situations.
Mrs Morgan's group will move on from last week's multiplication to looking at dividing HTU x U, firstly using informal written methods and then moving on to formal written methods.
Remember the key to being able to divide is to know your tables inside out so keep practising.
By the end of the week the children:-
MUST be able to multiply HTU x U using an informal method.
SHOULD be able to multiply HTU x U using a formal written method.
COULD relate division to multiplication and be able to see the links between the two.
Try these websites:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/wholenumbers/division/mental/flash4.shtml warm up your brain by practising dividing TU xU.
http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/bingo/bingo1-3.html have some fun playing division bingo.

This week Mrs Millington's and Mr Barker's groups will be starting their revision programme.
They will be reviewing everything that has been learned in the last 4 years and concentrating on exam technique and how to tackle questions. They will be using Past SAT papers and questions to prepare the children for their forthcoming tests.
Try these revision sites:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/
http://www.icteachers.co.uk/children/children_sats.htm
http://www.emaths.co.uk/KS2SAT.htm past papers to download

Science
This week the year 5 and 6 children will be splitting up for Science. The year 5 children will be starting a new topic of Gases Around Us. They will begin their topic this week by learning to recognise differences between solids and liquids, and finding out what they already know about solids and liquids and what they want to find out.
Try these websites:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/gases.shtml
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=changingstate
http://www.coxhoe.durham.sch.uk/Curriculum/Millionaire/scimill1.htm

The year 6 children will be starting a programme of revision in science. They will be reviewing all the topics they have studied over the last 5 years and looking at exam technique and how to tackle the tests.
Try these websites for help with revision:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/index.shtml
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/revision/Science/index.html
http://www.scienceyear.com/wired/index.html?page=/wired/games/index.html

Here I Am
In Here I Am this week we will be continuing with the Relate section of the topic.
The children will relate that their own exploration of THANKSGIVING is enriched by learning about the Eucharist, the great act of thanksgiving; the challenge the Eucharist makes to Christians.

Topic
Some of the Year 5's topic time will now be used for preparing them for their forthcoming First Reconciliation.
The rest of the time will be spent starting out new topic of 'The Victorians'. Mrs Millington will be starting a 'mantle of the expert' programme on 'The Victorians', please see previous blogspots for information on 'the mantle of the expert'.

After school booster clubs will be starting next week. If your child had been selected for one of the booster clubs you will receive a letter this week. We are also hoping to arrange a meeting for parents to help you in preparing your child for their SATs, this is also likely to be next week. Look out for the letter which will go out this week.

Finally can we say thank you to our Year 6 children for starting their revision homework with such enthusiasm this week, the revision that they have brought in this week was of a good standard. Keep it up children you are preparing yourselves really well. Also a thank you must go to parents for their support in this too.

Have a great week everyone.
Year 5/6 Team

Week Beginning 18th February 2008

Hi everyone and welcome back to a very short but exciting half term.

Let's get straight to it!

Literacy
This week in literacy we will be starting a unit of work on 'The Highway Man.'
The objectives for the first part of the unit are...
Main focus: Identify classic narrative poetry.
1. Tell a story using repetition and humour.
7. Compare different types of narrative texts and identify how they are structured.
9. Experiment with different narrative forms and styles to write their own narrative poems.
This week we will focus on 'The Owl and the Pussycat' as an introduction to narrative classical poems, before we lead on to the Highwayman.


http://www.teachersfirst.com/share/highwayman/index.html read the poem together, with explanations. Don't forget to make a comment on your child's reading in their diary!


Writing
If you feel like having a go at some independent writing at home, here's a couple of titles that you could have a go at this week.

Writing an argument
You read a quote in the newspaper which says: ‘All children are mindless hooligans who watch too much television and have no idea of the way they should behave. If I had my way, they would all be put in the army, as it didn’t do me any harm.’ (Mr D. Green) Write a reply to the editor, arguing against the views in the letter.

Recounting events
Something happened on your way home from school last night. Recount the event to your friend.


Newletters
Your school is organising a sponsored 12 hour dance-athon for charity. Write a newsletter to encourage people to take part in the event.

Science fiction stories
The year is 2134 and the Intergalactic Space Police are on the trail of a master criminal, who has stolen the Life Diamond (the diamond at the centre of the earth, that controls the planet’s temperature.) Write a science fiction story based on this idea.


Stories with a dilemma
Jenny and her friends face a problem. The Lard Street Gang have called them soft because they won’t smoke cigarettes. Jenny doesn’t want to lose face with her friends but she doesn’t want to start smoking either. Write a story about what Jenny decides to do.


Stories with a twist
Ben could hear a noise. It was coming from his cellar. He decides to investigate. What does Ben find in the cellar? Tell the story to the end of his investigation, but try to include a twist at the end.


Fantasy adventures
Blakely has been captured by the evil high lords and put to work as a slave in the salt mine. He escapes and starts a journey back home to Little Hamlet. On his way home, Blakely meets a friendly creature and is nearly captured. Write a fantasy adventure based on this idea.

Numeracy
This week Miss Wright's and Mrs Morgan's groups will be working on their multiplying skills.
They will multiply by 19 and 21 by multiplying by 20 and adjusting. They will also be multiplying U.ths x U using informal written methods and standard written methods.
You really need to be up to speed with your times tables for this topic children so get working on them!
Check out some of these tables games to help you practice.

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/assets/resources/flash.php?&file=Toolkit%20index2a

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/wholenumbers/multiplication/written/flash2.shtml multiply by larger numbers by partioning.

http://www.multiplication.com/interactive/quickflash/flash/index.html

By the end of this week the children...

MUST be able to multiply numbers by 20.

SHOULD be able to multiply by 19 and 21 by multiplying by 20 and adjusting.

COULD multiply U.ths by U.

Mrs Millington's group will be starting their revision programme by doing a past SAT paper and then go through the paper starting to look at exam technique and how to tackle the questions.
If you have a look on previous blogspots there are links to past paper and SATs style questions to have a go at home.


Science
We will rounding off our topic of 'Keeping Healthy' we will be reviewing our learning and remembering what we have done so far.
See previous blogs for websites of things we have covered in this topic.


Here I Am
This week in Here I Am we will be moving onto the Relate section of the topic.
The children will relate that their own exploration of THANKSGIVING is enriched by learning about the Eucharist, the great act of thanksgiving; the challenge the Eucharist makes to Christians.

The Year 5 children will also start to prepare for their First Reconcilliation.



That's all for this week. Have a great week everyone.



Year 5/6 Team.