Year 5

In Year 5, our scientific exploration has focused on materials and their properties, diving deeper into understanding their suitability for different applications. The children have engaged in discussions centered around the unique characteristics of these materials and their appropriateness in specific contexts. In maths, we have delved into the realms of short and long multiplication, employing manipulatives and representations such as counters and area models to support understanding. This hands-on approach has allowed the children to grasp complex mathematical concepts with greater ease. Meanwhile, our journey into English has taken us to Alcatraz, where we've delved into the captivating true stories of escape attempts. The children have enthusiastically embraced this narrative, expressing their insights and empathy by writing informative letters home, adopting the perspective of a prison inmate. This creative exercise has not only honed their writing skills but also deepened their understanding of historical events. Shifting our focus to the realm of art, we've embarked on an exploration of weaving techniques, with colorful paper weaves becoming a fascinating avenue for creative expression. Through practical experiences, the children have enthusiastically engaged and begun to appreciate the intricate craftsmanship involved in this age-old technique.

  

Key Messages

• Key vocab: product, Alcatraz, informal, import, export, properties, weave

• KIRFS: Recall of all factors of any given number up to 50

• Spellings: Nouns with the -ity suffix

 

Year 6

Year 6 have already settled in well to the new term and into 2024. It was lovely to hear about the children’s holidays and adventures as well as hearing that so many had been keeping up their reading - well done! We have dived straight into our new topics and started the week with our new science topic: light. We investigated the relationship between the incident ray of light and the reflected ray of light and found out that they are always equal to each other. In art, we have begun to learn about Hokusai and his famous painting of The Great Wave. Sticking with the theme of Japan, we have also begun our new core text. We are going to focus all of our writing this half-term on Michael Morpurgo’s Kensuke’s Kingdom. We started by making predictions and inferences based on the front cover, blurb and contents page. Early in the book, we have discovered that Michael (the main character) leaves his life behind to go sailing around the world with his parents. A lot of us thought that sailing around the world would be a huge adventure and a lot of fun although a few of us would definitely miss our home comforts such as our warm beds! In maths, we have been writing algebraic expressions and representing these using manipulatives and drawings. The word algebra is definitely less scary than we thought. We are now able to use substitution to solve equations - for example, we know that if y=4 then 3y + 2 is equal to 14!

  

                                          

Key Messages

• Key vocab: reflection, expressions, algebra, mono-printing, periscope, informal, colon 

• KIRFs: square and cube numbers 

• Spelling rule: ssi and si making the sh sound

• Please make sure the children are bringing healthy snacks for breaktime. 

• Reading diaries and homework will be checked on Monday

• If you have a copy of Kensuke’s Kingdom at home, please feel free to send it in with your child.