Year 6 Friday 11th March 2022

Date: 11th Mar 2022 @ 12:42pm

Welcome to our Year 6 blog. This week, the Year 5/6 Indoor Athletics team completed another Athletics Finals in Blackpool. The competition was extremely tough as we were against the top 15 schools in Lancashire. Everyone did brilliantly and we are still awaiting the final results.

Our learning in Year 6 this week:

• In Maths, we have been learning how to work out the perimeter of different shapes, whilst improving our fractions knowledge (counting, adding and multiplying fractions).
• In English, we learnt that one of the main characters of Skellig, Mina, is home schooled. We discussed this in detail and learnt how to debate and write up a balanced argument of Home Schooling vs Public Schooling.
• In RE, we continued our new topic, ‘Unity’, by investigating the ‘Our Father’ and how it sums up everyone’s prayers and hopes. We then designed a bookmark with some of the words from the Our Father and how we apply the prayer to daily life.
• In PE, we completed our gymnastics topic using a range of travels, balances, jumps and rolls, whilst working in a group of up to 4. We then evaluated each other’s performance giving accurate praise and areas to work on next time.
• In Music, we learnt a song for Science week, ‘Everything starts with a seed’. We used recorder to practise ‘The boat song’, using a new note, E.
• In French, we practised conjugating and using regular ER verbs in the present tense. We wrote some super sentences by looking back at previous lessons and using vocabulary and connectives from other topics.  
• In Science, we began by reading and discussing answers to our questions that Dr Ahna Skop sent from America. We then reflected on what we have learnt from our interaction with her. She has really made us realise that anybody at all can be a scientist and there are many different ways to communicate science so that it is accessible to all. Our learning this week was about medicines and drugs such as caffeine and alcohol. We looked at their effects on our bodies but also how they can affect behaviour and the other people around us. Next week, we have a visit from a hospital pharmacist who will talk about her job and answer questions about medicines. 
• In PSHE, we continued the theme of ‘becoming independent’ with more games and scenarios to help with any worries, as we think about the challenges of Tower Wood.

Home Practice all relates to this week’s learning. These are the tasks needed to be completed:

• Reading – Continue to read every night for 30 minutes. You also have a Reading Journal/Diary that must be used for the title of the book and any reading challenge chosen.
  • The days when you can change your book:
    • Monday – Roller Coasters
    • Tuesday – Big Dippers
    • Wednesday – The Waltzers

• Spellings (challenge words)
  • Sumdog (Year 6 Sp 2 wk 4 Prefix dis, un, im)

disadvantage, disappear, disappoint, discovered, dishonest, unacceptable, unachievable, unbelievable, uncomfortable, unforgivable, immature, impatient, impolite, impartial, impossible

• Maths challenges:
  • Counting:
    • This week we have been counting in fraction steps. Try to do the same out loud or with paper.
    • Draw a line with some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers as you count up or down, then double check it to make sure you have said the correct numbers.
    • Start with these numbers: 5 ¼, 7 1/5, 13 3/5 and count up 10 times then back again in 1/4s:

5 ¼, 5 2/4, 5 ¾, 6, 6 ¼, 6 2/4, 6 3/4

and in 2/5s :

7 1/5, 7 3/5, 8 8 2/5, 8 4/5, 9 1/5

• Number facts:
  • To help your maths even more, please continue to learn your numbers facts, 6 + 8 = 14, 8 + 7 = 15.
  • The best way to do this is to simply have someone in your home quiz you with questions like (8 + 6, 6 + 5, 3 + 8, 5 + 9, etc)
  • Then get them to change the place value of these digits (0.8 + 0.6, 0.06 + 0.05, 0.3 + 0.8, etc)

• Sumdog (Perimeter)
  • Throughout this week we have used strategies to find the perimeter (the length all the way around the outside of a 2D shape) of simple shapes like rectangles and triangles to complex rectilinear shapes. Make sure you count how many sides the shape has before you add the numbers together.
• Sumdog (Adding and Subtracting Fractions)
  • For this challenge, make sure you check whether the question is an add or subtract. Try to see the relationship between the two denominators and change them if they are different, just like we do in class.

Maths and Spelling Training.

Spend some time training so the program can learn the skills your child needs to work on and practise. 

This feature is great for anyone wanting to challenge themselves further.