Year 5 - Friday 25th March 2022

Date: 24th Mar 2022 @ 5:19pm

Welcome to this week’s Year 5 class blog

The children have worked hard this week shown great enthusiasm. 

This week in year 5

In Maths, we have focused on angles. The children started the week measuring angles using a protractor and drawing their own angles on the desk, they loved this act of rebellion! We then moved onto drawing angles in our books, concentrating on being precise. We then looked at angles on a staright line and learnt how to work out the measurement of an angle without using a protractor.  We finished the week with some reasoning questions relating to angles. A great week.

In English we started a new novel, The Amazing Adventures of Adolphus Tips by Michael Murpurgo.  We started by comparing the different Michael Murpurgo books that we have read and examining the similarities between them, the children were able to recognise quite a number. We then used this knowledge to predict where this book may take us.  Throughout the week we looked at main and subordinate clauses and relative clauses and used these to complete a diary entry in the character of Lily, describing the bombing at the village.

In Science, we investigated irreversible changes. We created our own volcano mixing vinegar and bicarbonate of soda and observed the irreversible change that occurred. Then using our knowledge from the past few weeks, the children had to classify changes into reversible and irreversible changes.

In RE, we read scripture relating to Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.  The children looked at religious artwork depicting the scripture and made links between the two. They then discussed the sacrifice that Jesus knew he was making and how that must have felt.

In French, we recapped how to conjugate an ER verb. This is quite tricky but once we got the hang of how to choose the right ending, we managed really well. Well done Y5.

In PE, we carried out the train run for a warm up and then we moved over to the forest area of the school. The children were given tarpaulins, ropes, pegs, mallets and given access to any wood and natural resources they could find, and asked to firstly build a den that their team could fit inside and then built a teepee for a toy figure.  They worked together so well and made some great structures (see Den Building gallery).

The children have also worked very hard on a certain secret piece that you will see this weekend! They studied light and shade and experimented with a range of media to create a their special piece of art for a very special person in their lives.

The children also completed their common exception word spelling test this week. They have been marked and you will have received a copy of their results in your children’s bags. The words highlighted are the ones they spelled correctly and they should continue to practise the other words including the ones they spelled correctly for the final test at the end of the summer term.

Home Practice relates to this week's learning - These are the tasks to be completed.

Reading - You all have a Home Reading book for year 5 so reading every night for 15-20 mins is essential. You also have a Reading Journal/Diary that must be completed and signed. Some children had a break from reading over the holidays but please ensure this is made a priority now that we are back at school.  Practise is vital to improve in all areas of English.

You can change your reading book on any school day (book bags to be left on Mrs Mulgrew's desk)

Maths – please ask your child what their times tables target is and help them practise this in order for them to progress.

I’d also encourage you to do a daily count with your child.  This week they can count up in 6s and 0.6s. Give the children a number to start from and they must continue to count from that number in 6s or 0.6s, either forwards or backwards. A strategy we use is bridging e.g. if the number is 45 and we are adding 6 we would use 5 to bridge it to the next 10 first – 50 and then add the remaining 1. If subtracting we would again subtract to the nearest 10 – this time subtracting 5 to get to 40 and then subtracting the leftover 1.

Spellings words with an ‘ant’ sound. We will look at these in more detail in school next week, they should be practised at home, ready for the test on Friday. 

abundant, brilliant, constant, distant, dominant, elegant, fragrant, ignorant, tolerant, vacant, important, relevant, extravagant, restaurant, defiant.

Don’t forget the children have a big list of Common Exception words to learn, these can be practised each week to push your child further.  You should all have received a sheet with these words on by now, I have highlighted the words that your child spelled correctly in the spelling test before Christmas. This will give you an indication of how well they are remembering these spellings. We will be assessing the children on these words before Easter.

Sumdog challenges

PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILDREN TO COMPLETE THE SUMDOG CHALLENGES, MANY CHILDREN ARE STILL NOT ACCESSING SUMDOG.

Please encourage your child to complete the Maths and Spelling Training.  As you know, we set weekly challenges that are linked to the learning that takes place in school.  As an extra feature, the maths and spelling training sections will provide a tailored challenge for your child to practise skills, facts and words they find difficult.  Once the diagnostic challenges have been completed Sumdog will set challenges to aid improvement and development in the appropriate areas for your child.  Once you have completed the class challenges, please use this feature for extra challenge in both maths and spelling.  Many children have still not completed the diagnostic section.

Times tables have been set to reflect class targets

Maths the children have been set activities relating to angles.

Spellings words ending -ant.