Year 6: Blog items

Year 6 Blog Friday 16th September 2022

Date: 16th Sep 2022 @ 4:07pm

Welcome to a Year 6 weekly blog.

We have had individual and sibling pictures taken this week with everyone looking super smart in their autumn uniforms. They should take a couple of weeks to come back to us, if you are thinking of ordering any.

Our leadership roles have started this week, along with buddying. The Year 6s are showing great responsibility and are so far doing an excellent job at being role models for the school.

This week’s learning in Year 6:

• We have continued our place value knowledge in Maths through comparing, ordering and rounding whole numbers and numbers with three decimal places.
• In English we took the good and evil characters of both Aladdin and the Moor to write in role, making sure we kept good control over the style for each. We then watched a clip from the new Aladdin film (the cave of wonders) to write a descriptive action scene.
• In Geography, we introduced our topic, Mountains, and used atlases to search for the largest mountains ranges in the world and where they are located.
• In PE, we decided to alternate the learning from invasion games to athletics, helping the children to focus on the skills of running and throwing, and working together as a team.
• In Art, we completed the sketches of our self portraits. You can view these in our Year 6 gallery.
• In PSHE, we introduced our topic of ‘Mental Health’ through a discussion of what it is, and how we can help identify it. Then we looked at strategies of reducing mental anxiety.
• In French, we wrote a first draft of a piece of writing about ourselves, using a bilingual dictionary if needed. 
• In Science, we discussed the 6 types of scientific enquiry and matched a question to an enquiry type. Then we recapped all the new leaf vocabulary that we learnt last week and used the words to play 'guess my leaf' with a partner. We then went outside to investigate which tree is most common in our school grounds. We also presented our data in a bar chart. There was some very careful graph drawing - well done, year 6. 

This is the first week of our Home Practice. Please complete the following tasks by next Wednesday:

Reading – Use your Home Reading 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.

• You may change your book any day between Monday and Wednesday

Spellings (-able / -ably words)

- Sumdog (-able / -ably wk 2)

• enjoyable, unavailable, changeable, noticeable, unbelievable, probably, considerable, unacceptable, comfortably, respectable, dependable, incapable, unachievable, uncomfortable, miserably

Maths challenges:

• Counting:
  • This week we have been counting in decimal steps of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.25 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.
  • g. Start with different numbers and count up 10 numbers then back again in 0.1:

5, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, etc

and in 0.2:

6.5, 6.7, 6.9, 7.1, 7.3, 7.5, 7.7, etc          

Start at a number with two decimal places like 8.12 and count up 10 numbers and down again:

8.12, 8.32, 8.52, 8.72, 8.92, 9.12, etc        

Now try to count in 0.25 from 7 and 23 and 54:

7, 7.25, 7.50, 7.75, 8, 8.25, etc

• Sumdog (Times Tables x4, x6 week 2)
  • Each child has their own tables target which they should know. The Sumdog challenge may relate to their target but this week we have focused on 4s and 8s, which will be great practice for the future. (Every Tuesday there is a tables test).

• Sumdog (Place Value week 2)
  • This week’s learning is to practice questions on the value of each place and be able to round numbers up to 1 000 000.
  • For further maths work, please visit the ‘Maths Training’ section which you can find in the tasks box on the left of the main screen. This will enable your child to push their learning further with the skills that Sumdog has given them, following a recent diagnostic test.

Online Safety Update

Date: 9th Sep 2022 @ 5:42pm

With your children returning to school, it is a great time to review online safety in your homes and make sure we are all up to date with developments in the online world. At St Oswald's, all classes will be beginning their Online Saftety learning where they will learn all about safe practices online in the following areas. 

Self image and identitiy

Online relationships

Online bulllying

Health, Well-being and lifestyle

Online reputation

Managing online information

Copyright and ownership

We will blog regularly to keep you updated with developments in the online space, sharing platform guides and links to expert training for you to keep your children safe when exploring the internet. Below you will find a guide on some back to school online safety tips for children.

To access a huge range of information on the National Online Safety website click the link below and join our school online safety hub.You will get access to videos, training and guides to keep you informed of the best practices in keeping your children safe online.

http://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/st-oswald-s-catholic-primary-school-pr45eb

Year 6 - Friday 9th September 2022

Date: 9th Sep 2022 @ 3:40pm

Welcome to the first of Year 6s weekly blogs.

Well done to all the pupils for completing their first week of Year 6. They have all been exceptional in transitioning into the routines and getting used to the expectations of this new year. Congratulations to everyone for receiving a leadership role, whether that be as school ambassadors, sports captains, eco team, reading ambassadors, school council, science ambassador, golden team or digital leaders.

Thank you to everyone who has worked hard to complete their summer holiday autobiographies. They read really well, with some becoming very brave to read it out loud to the class.

We were also very fortunate to have Father Michael visit our class with a special blessing. As a Faith in Action reminder, please do check the rota for when your child has been chosen to read in church. We also had a very special Golden Assembly as we took some time to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We had a minute silence and said some prayers for the Royal Family at this difficult time. 

_______________

This week in Year 6:

• We have improved our place value knowledge in Maths through identifying, comparing and partitioning whole numbers and numbers up to 10 million.
• In English we are reading ‘Aladdin’ by Phillip Pullman. The children have used clues to predict what this edition may be about and have written well as the new version of Aladdin.
• In Geography, our first lesson focused on using atlases to search for various cities around the world, and using coordinates to help others identify them.
• For RE, we have begun our first topic of ‘Loving’ and what the class believe unconditional love means to them.
• In PE, invasion games is our theme for the next few weeks, focusing on improving our throwing and catching skills and starting to develop advanced tactics to give an advantage for the attacking team. We have used the rules of Netball and Handball to explore this through.
• In Art, we have begun our sketching topic with our first self-portrait, focusing on the proportion to help it look more realistic.
• In French, we revised how to describe ourselves, ready to write next week.
• In Science, our new topic is called Classification. We searched the school grounds to identify trees. We learnt lots of new scientific vocabulary to describe leaves.

As mentioned during the ‘Meet the Teacher’ meeting on Wednesday, we are to start the Home Practice officially from next Friday.

However, there are two important points to mention this week:

1. Reading – your child will have received their first few books this week. Please encourage to read as often as possible, working up to 30 minutes a day. This will help greatly in all areas of the curriculum.
2. Spellings – your child will also come home with spellings this week. There is nothing to do with it other than practice a few before Monday. The learning of these spellings will begin on Monday, with a spelling test every Friday.

The slides for 'Meet the Teacher' presentation is attached to the bottom of this blog.

Have a great weekend Year 6!

Year 6 Blog - Friday 22nd July 2022

Date: 21st Jul 2022 @ 11:37am

Welcome to our last blog of the year.

Year 6 have had a great final week with super performances on Monday and Tuesday for the Joseph production. Check out St Oswald’s TV to enjoy the performance again and again.

It was lovely for us all to gather together for the Leavers Mass on Wednesday, with special thanks to Father Michael for giving us his wishes of hope for the future.

The Leavers Assembly had a few parents in tears with great memories shared and excellent hopes and dreams – we cannot wait to see what your children achieve in the coming years.

On Thursday, we took a trip to the Liverpool Cathedral to complete our Faith in Action and to remember the time this class have spent together these past 7 years.

I have had an amazing time teaching you all and I wish you all the best at All Hallows’ and beyond.

Mr Mears

Year 6 Blog - Friday 15th July 2022

Date: 15th Jul 2022 @ 12:35pm

Welcome to our Year 6 blog. This has been a very busy week:

• Rehearsals have been completed, with the inclusion of music, lights and the Year 5 choir. We are looking forward to everyone seeing our super performances next week.
• In Maths, we have been improving our calculation knowledge with quicker division strategies to help with large division questions.
• In English, we reminisced over the last 7 years to help us write about our memorable moments. Also, as we are about to leave primary school, we discussed our hopes and dreams for the future.
• In Music, we worked closely with Year 5 to add extra volume to our Joseph production.   
• In our last PE session, we gave the children the option of which sport they would like to take part in. They all chose invasion games, with football and dodgeball being the most popular. It was great to see everyone’s developed skills after a year of so much PE and sport.
• In Science, we were fortunate to have a zoom visit from Richard Butcher, a geologist, who taught us more about fossils and explained the various jobs that any budding scientist may want to explore: seismologist, palaeontologist and engineering geologist.
• Finally, Year 6 led an amazing Tough Kidder event. They set up, planned and executed a fun filled afternoon for the whole school, which ended in the teachers becoming very wet.

NEXT WEEK REMINDERS

Monday         Production for whole school (please remember your outfits)

Tuesday        Three productions for parents (10am, 2pm and 6.30pm – please be in school around 6.15pm).

Wednesday   Bring in a t-shirt or shirt for people to sign.

                     Please bring in a plastic bag for all your books.

                     Leavers Mass at 6pm, then fish and chip van at 7pm – finishes at 9pm.

Thursday      Leavers Assembly at 9.15am then visit to Liverpool Cathedral and Crosby Beach (please wear sun cream).

Friday           School closes for Summer 1.30pm.

Home Practice

Last time to rehearse these three tasks:

1. Final time to practise all the words from your script and any acting parts you have been given.
2. Perfect all the songs – all 14 are uploaded on a separate blog named, ‘Joseph production song lyrics 2022’.
3. French – final weekend to learn the song Je suis un enfant de paix on Youtube.

Year 6 Blog - Friday 8th July 2022

Date: 8th Jul 2022 @ 1:45pm

Welcome to another Year 6 blog. Year 6 completed their ‘Advanced Cycling’ course this week, which focused on how to keep safe whilst practising on our school playground. After all this practice, please continue to help your child learn how to keep safe and, if you think they are ready, take them on the road.

Just to note that this course does not allow the children to ride on the road - that is a decision up to the parent/carer.

This week in Year 6:

• Rehearsals are coming along with more stage directions and dances being included. We are becoming excited to show you our production, in just a few weeks’ time.
• In Maths, we have been improving our calculation knowledge with quicker times tables to help with large multiplications.
• In English, we have learnt that Aiden’s uncle is really a villain and what that might mean for future of the story. We also wrote about our love of reading and what our favourite books have been.
• In Music, we have used the time to give extra rehearsal practice to perfect the songs before we go into our final week of rehearsals.    
• In PSHE, we explored what a good friend is, what a good friend does and what a good friend does not do. This should help us to identify new friends when everyone transitions to high school.
• In French, we practised the phonic sound et/er/ez. Then we practised our cafe conversations - Mr Hennigan, Head of Languages at All Hallows came in and he was very impressed with the children's pronunciation. Finally we watched the first episode of Le Fantome Cycliste - a drama related to the Tour de France. 
• In Science, we discussed the dangers of electricity, learnt how to represent circuits in symbols and we had a go at making simple circuits. 
• Finally, it was great to see the parents/grandparents who visited our class to celebrate the learning in our books. If you did not have chance to make it, do not worry, as all the books will be coming home in two weeks.

Home Practice

Please continue to rehearse these three tasks:

1. Continue to learn all the words from your script and any acting parts you have been given.
2. Learn all the songs so you do not need to read the lyrics – all 14 are uploaded on a separate blog named, ‘Joseph production song lyrics 2022’.
3. French – please keep learning the song, 'Je suis un enfant de paix' on Youtube.

Year 6 Blog - Friday 1st July 2022

Date: 1st Jul 2022 @ 3:53pm

Welcome to another Year 6 blog.

This week in Year 6:

• ‘Mini Coaching’ has continued during lunch times. The Year 2s have really enjoyed taking part on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• We have continued with rehearsals and have now, with everyone learning their lines, started to include dance routines and actions.
• In Maths, we have been learning how to become quicker with our long division and how to use all four quadrants to translate shapes across an axis.
• In English, we have learnt that our main character (Alfie) has been found hiding and tried to run from the police. We then wrote an action scene of how this happened.
• In Geography, we learnt about the physical geography of Brazil with groups researching and presenting information about the Amazon Basin, the Pantanal, and the Brazilian Highlands.
• In Music, we used the time to perfect the 14 songs of the Joseph production, with a few of us working with Mrs Winter on the solos.
• In PSHE, we discussed what we are looking forward to and what might worry us about the transition to high school. We realised that a lot of our worries are the same by quite a lot of people.
• In Science, we looked at some real fossils and talked about what we could tell from them and what we could not. Then we watched a clip from an Attenborough programme about the Tiktaalik and how animals evolved from living in water to living on land. Next, we explored the different stages of human evolution from 5 million years ago to the present day and the advantages that each change brought.  We discussed about how humans might continue to evolve in the future.
• On Wednesday, some of our Year 6s led Mass for the Feast of St Peter and St Paul.
• Finally, Year 6 completed their bike checks. Do not forget to bring your bikes in for Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week. 

Home Practice

Please continue to rehearse these three tasks:

1. Continue to learn all the words from your script and any acting parts you have been given.
2. Learn all the songs so you do not need to read the lyrics – all 14 are uploaded on a separate blog named, ‘Joseph production song lyrics 2022’.
3. French – please keep learning the song Je suis un enfant de paix on Youtube.

Year 6 Blog - Friday 24th June 2022

Date: 24th Jun 2022 @ 10:01am

Joseph production song lyrics 2022

Date: 17th Jun 2022 @ 10:40am

Here are the 14 song lyrics for the Joseph school production. 

Year 6 Blog - Friday 17th June 2022

Date: 17th Jun 2022 @ 10:38am

Welcome to our Year 6 blog. This week we have continued with our school production auditions, with all the parts being handed out this week. Get ready for all the hard work over the next few weeks Year 6!

We have also continued practising for the ‘Dance From the Heart Roadshow’ – you will be able to see this live on Tuesday 21^st June where it will be performed with the South Ribble sports team at 9.45am. The video to learn from is now on St Oswald’s TV (YouTube channel).

Also, Year 6’s learning this week:

• In Maths, we have investigated different formulas for how to solve the difference between days, weeks, months and years. We then used clocks to discuss how to work difference between times.
• In English, we have written an apology letter to our main character, analysed and created a fight scene, and wrote as an evacuee during World War II.
• In History, for our World War II topic, we have used a museum loan to look in detail at different artefacts (gas masks, evacuee suitcase, first aid box, propaganda posters, etc), a range of photos, some letters from evacuees and video clips to help us gather enough information to understand what life might have been like.
• In Music, we rehearsed all the songs for Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat. I have uploaded them onto the website (further information below).
• In French, we practised using the first and third person to write about likes and dislikes from a cafe menu. We also recapped the verbs avoir and etre that the children need to learn off by heart before year 7. Homework - please
• In Science, we consolidated our understanding of Darwin's idea of natural selection which he proposed in his theory of evolution. We also evaluated the investigation we did last week when we modelled the different beak shapes - we decided it could definitely be improved!

Home Practice

This week, there are two activities to complete (some of you will only have one).

1. Learn all the words from your script by Tuesday 21^st June
2. Keep learning as many of the songs as possible – all 14 are uploaded on a separate blog named, ‘Joseph production song lyrics 2022’

(There will be a music practice on Wednesday 22^nd June)

3. French – please keep singing the song Je suis un enfant de paix on Youtube. This also needs to be learnt off by heart soon.

Year 6 Blog - Friday 10th June 2022

Date: 10th Jun 2022 @ 2:56pm

Welcome to our first blog of Year 6’s final half term. This week we have begun our school production auditions; the Year 6 were brilliant and really showed us what they were capable of. The class have been given the challenge of preparing for more auditions next week.  

We have been practising the dance for the ‘Dance From the Heart Roadshow’ – you will be able to see this live on Tuesday 21^st June where it will be performed with the South Ribble sports team at 9.45am. The video is on our Year 6 class page, if you would like to practise it.

Also, Year 6’s learning this week:

• In Maths, we have focused on place value and calculations. With place value, we have practised how to add and subtract whole numbers which decrease into negative numbers. We used this knowledge to solve missing numbers in sequences.
• In English, we have continued our novel, ‘The 1000 Year Old Boy’, through creating dialogue which includes actions from the characters. We also wrote a letter of apology from one character to another.
• In History, we have started our new topic, World War II, and have explored pictures from the past and what they tell us about this era. We then investigated objects from the past to gain a better understanding of what life was like back then.
• In Art, we used our Geography topic of Brazil to inspire our new project, with the artist Romero Britto. He uses amazing colours, pop art and cubism to create stunning artwork.
• In Music, along with our auditions, we have practised the first few songs of our school production: Jacob and Sons, Joseph’s Coat, One More Angel in Heaven and Any Dream Will Do.
• In French this week, we looked at a cafe menu and translated any words we didn't know. We looked at pictures of famous cafes in Paris and talked about cafe culture there.
• In Science this week, we researched Charles Darwin and his work. Having read about the Finches he discovered in the Galapagos Islands and how each bird's beak had adapted to the food available on each island. We modelled 'eating' different types of food using different beaks to see which type of beak was best adapted. This illustrated Darwin's theory of Natural Selection.

Home Practice

This weekend you have been give copies of the first four songs of the Joseph production. Please learn these off by heart by next Wednesday. You may have to use the internet to search the songs to help sing along to.

• Jacob and Sons
• Joseph’s Coat
• One More Angel in Heaven
• Any Dream Will Do

Online Safety Update

This week, our update is focused on how to set up devices for children. Read our short guide below for some useful tips to safeguard young people against online risk.

Dance From the Heart

Date: 7th Jun 2022 @ 3:03pm

Here is the Dance From the Heart video to practise before the roadshow on Tuesday 21st June 2022.

Year 6 Blog Friday 27th May 2022

Date: 27th May 2022 @ 3:41pm

Welcome to the final blog of this half term. It has been a busy 6 weeks but the children have been brilliant, showing their resilience and persevering through a challenging time.

This week we celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with Year 6 playing the ukuleles. Check out our Queen’s Platinum Jubilee video on St Oswald's TV on YouTube. Also, we had a visit from Ray Bramford, a super poet and friend of Tony Heaton, who helped us to produce some excellent poetry on inclusion.

Thank you to everyone who created a speech this week. Everyone single pupil did a brilliant job of standing in front of the class and speaking for two minutes about any topic they wanted. They were so good, we might do this again at the end of the year.

Also, Year 6’s learning this week:

• In Maths, we have focused on solving problems with number, using trial and error and working backwards. Then the most important thing is checking our answers.
• In English, we have continued our novel, ‘The 1000 Year Old Boy’, through looking very closely at the three main characters, examining their traits and how they would speak, enabling us to become better writers.
• In PE, we learnt more about the fielding and batting techniques within rounders, and developed our forehand and backhand shots, whilst always being in ‘the ready’ position in tennis.
• In Geography, we learnt the 5 regions of Brazil: North, North-east, West-central, South-east and South. We discussed what each region may be like and how that effects population. We then introduced new physical geography terms: The Amazon Basin, The Pantanal and the Brazilian Highlands. Next lesson, we will look at how these areas have different landscapes and what effect that has on the country.
• In Music, we concluded our jubilee practices through an amazing performance by Year 6, who led the celebration on Wednesday. Don’t forget to see their performances on St Oswalds TV.
• In French, we practised the sound 'gn' with a song about une araignee dans ma baignoire (a spider in my bath). Then we looked at and described various famous places around France such as the Dune de Pilat, Mont Blanc and La Camargue. In French, bien sur!
• In Science, we looked at the concept of survival of the fittest by searching for 'caterpillars' of all different colours which were hidden around the nature area. The bright colours were obviously much easier to see and so were spotted (and eaten!) first. We then thought about the implications of this for survival.

Online Safety Update

This week, our update is focused on keeping children safe when accessing online content. A lot of platforms that our children use are dependent on uploaded content. Due to the sheer number of videos added to these sites, moderators find it almost impossible to stop all harmful or distressing content from reaching your phone or tablet screens. The guide below outlines ways in which you as parents and carers can limit the risk.

No Home Practice is set, other than to read as much as you can.

Have a super half term Year 6 – you deserve it!

Year 6 Blog Friday 20th May 2022

Date: 20th May 2022 @ 2:43pm

Year 6 Blog Friday 13th May 2022

Date: 13th May 2022 @ 3:32pm

This week Year 6 completed an exam week of SATs for Spelling, Grammar, Maths and Reading.

You have all worked incredibly hard with revising, the work in class and all the home learning you completed. You should be so proud of yourselves for getting through this week.

No home learning is set, so please enjoy yourselves and rest this weekend – you deserve it!

Online Safety Update

Age ratings can be used by adults to make an informed choice as to whether a game or platform is suitable for their child. 

Year 6 Blog Friday 6th May 2022

Date: 6th May 2022 @ 4:21pm

Welcome to our Year 6 blog. This week, we have been lucky enough to watch Romeo and Juliet play by Manacto, who are a theatre company from Manchester. Our rugby team did a fantastic job in the first of a three week tournament, in which we won all three games!

Also, Year 6’s learning this week:

• In Maths, we have learnt how to answer questions on volume, converted various measurements, and improved our learning of time (especially with 24 hour clocks).
• In English, we learnt the story of Romeo and Juliet and the important themes that run throughout it. We also improved ways of answering reading questions with retrieval and inference being our main focus.
• In French, we used dictionaries to look up the vocabulary for various landscape features and then used the words to construct sentences about the geography of France, e.g. Marseille est une grande ville au bord de la mer.
• In Science, we researched plant adaptations and how these features help the plant survive in its habitat. We then presented our research to others who had researched different plants.
• In PSHE, we discussed ways of improving our memory by playing a few games. Then we developed ways of keeping calm under pressure.

No Home Practice this week.

But make sure you spend the weekend doing at least one or a number of the following things:

• Rest and enjoy doing something you love
• Do something active
• Spend time with your family
• Read a good book
• Watch a film

Online Safety update

Lately, we have seen a huge increase in the number of children accessing the Roblox gaming platform. This includes children in our infant classes. This week's guide dives into what to expect your children to find when they use Roblox including any potential risks they may meet. These risks include in-app purchases and chatting to strangers online.

Year 6 Blog Friday 29th April 2022

Date: 29th Apr 2022 @ 3:41pm

Welcome to our Year 6 blog. This week we worked in groups to create our own sporting activities to help us prepare to become mini coaches to the infants. Year 3 were kind enough to let us test each one out, with some giving great feedback to help us make them even better. At golden assembly, Mrs Stone’s dance crew performed their routine for the competition brilliantly, and although they did not get through to the finals, they showed they were a credit to St Oswald’s.

Also, Year 6’s learning this week:

• In Maths, we have been improving our learning of 2D shapes and used that knowledge to help with perimeter, area and coordinates. One main area we have been improving is fractions of numbers and percentages of numbers.
• In English, we have focused on our descriptive writing, and learnt how to better use similes and personification to create a more detailed image for the reader.
• In PE, we learnt how to improve the accuracy of throwing and catching within cricket and how to perform the basics of batting. Also, as mentioned above, we designed our own sporting activity to help improve the fundamental movements of the infants, during future lunch times.
• In Music, we learnt the National Anthem and the platinum jubilee song. We sang and performed two action songs. We also played ukuleles revising the chords A and C from last lesson, and now starting to learn chord G.
• In French, we learnt les points cardinaux – the compass points. Then we used the map of France to find places or features that are in each part of France and wrote sentences about them in a hexagon-shaped book, because France is known as l’hexagone.
• In Science, as part of our topic on Evolution and Inheritance, we practised the ‘working scientifically’ skill of explaining the method used to test the strength of egg shells. If the egg shells aren’t strong enough, the species may not survive. Then we evaluated our investigation to decide how reliable our results were. After this, we did some research about how birds have survived while other dinosaurs have died out.

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. It is important to keep reading, right up until the end for the year.

• NO SPELLING LIST THIS WEEK (We will be recapping our knowledge of the Year 5/6 spellings). Next week’s test will be on a random 15 spellings from this list so please look through those which you need to practise on.

• Sumdog challenges:

• Coordinates
  • This challenge will help you notice coordinates in all four quadrants. We have looked at these in detail on Friday so this will help to cement that learning.
• Simple and Progressive Verbs
  • This challenge will help you practise the simple and progressive verbs that we have been learning about this week.

Online Safety Update

This week's Online Safety Update is all about age-appropriate content online. Children can chance upon inappropriate content in various ways, from pop up ads to TikTok or YouTube videos. In this guide you will find tips on a number of potential risks such as social media, gaming and adverts.

Year 6 Blog Friday 22nd April 2022

Date: 22nd Apr 2022 @ 1:09pm

Welcome to our first Year 6 blog of the Summer Term. It has been great to see the children back in their summer uniforms. They have all come back with a super attitude after having two weeks off and have done brilliantly with all the tricky tasks set this week. Keep up the hard work Year 6!

Also, Year 6’s learning this week:

• In Maths, we have been learning how to solve problems with our place value knowledge by making sure we underline the important parts of the question and to check our answers. We have also learnt about ratio (the relation of one quantity to another) and proportion (which is a number, a share or a part of something in relation to a whole – like portions).
• In English, we have written an explanation text, a story and a poem using a range of conjunctions and noun phrases. We have also been improving our grammar knowledge by revisiting the names of all the word classes.
• In History, we completed our topic of the Mayans by presenting what we had learnt about the discovery of the Chichen Itza and how it shows how life was like back then.
• In Music, we completed our final performance of ‘Sailor, Sailor’ on the recorders, created an action song called, ‘Hands on my head’, and used the ukuleles to learn the C and A minor chords.
• In French, we labelled a map of France with the important cities, rivers, mountains and seas. We talked about why France is called l’hexagone and what each of the places is famous for. We learned how to say the points of the compass so that next week, we can describe where places and features are in France.
• In Science, we began our new topic of Evolution and Inheritance by looking at animals’ adaptations to their habitats and what would happen if, for example, the polar bear did not have white fur or large feet. The children researched an animal of their choice and how it is adapted to its environment.
• In Computing, we used code.org to learn how to use sprites, variables and loops in coding.

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. It is important to keep reading, right up until the end for the year.

• NO SPELLING LIST THIS WEEK (We will be recapping our knowledge of the Year 5/6 spellings). Next week’s test will be on a random 15 spellings from this list so please look through those which you need to practise on.

• Maths challenges:
  • Counting:
    • This week we have been counting in 60s and 600s
    • Start with 225 or 850 or 575
    • Then count up in 60s ten times and back again
      • 225, 285, 345, 405, 465, 525, 585, etc
    • Then count up and back in 600s
      • 850, 1450, 2005, 2650, 3250, 3850, etc
    • Number facts:
      • To help your maths even more, please continue to learn your numbers facts, 17 – 9 = 6, 15 – 8 = 7.
      • The best way to do this is to simply have someone in your home quiz you with questions like (13 – 5, 18 – 9, 16 – 8, 15 - 9, etc)
      • Then get them to change the place value of these digits (1.3 – 0.5, 1.8 – 0.9, 1.6 – 0.8, 1.5 – 0.9, etc)

• Sumdog (Multiples and Factors)
  • This challenge will be great to apply your multiplication knowledge to practice revising multiples and factors.
• Sumdog (Antonyms and Synonyms)
  • This challenge will help you become more familiar with words that are the same (synonyms) and words that are opposites (antonyms).

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.

Year 6 Easter Blog 1st April 2022

Date: 1st Apr 2022 @ 3:33pm

Welcome to the last Year 6 blog this spring term. We are so pleased with everyone’s effort throughout the term! This week the juniors attended Mass together, along with the parishioners. We also had a visit from Eileen McNamara who is a volunteer for CAFOD to deliver a workshop on Catholic social teaching. We learnt that we all see good and bad things daily and with Catholic social teaching we think about it and choose how to act, using the terms: human dignity, common good, solidarity, stewardship and participation.

Also, Year 6’s learning this week:

• In Maths, we learnt that algebra means ‘the reunion of broken parts’, what algebra symbols mean and how to solve them. We also improved our learning on how to add, subtract, multiply and divide fractions.
• In English, we wrote a letter to Tower Wood to thank them for our amazing time there. We also learnt the difference between informal and formal writing.
• In PE, we completed our orienteering unit with an intra competition of pairs trying to find the points hidden around the school grounds. The children did an amazing job with most completing the course in under 10 minutes.
• In History, we completed our Mayans topic through researching Chichen Itza, a historic site that was discovered in 1841. We used the information that we gathered, and our knowledge of the past 6 weeks to explain what life was like during the Mayan civilisation.
• In French we practised conjugating regular ER verbs – we are get much more confident with now. We then wrote Easter sentences using the pronoun ‘on’ which is used a lot in France as an informal way of saying we.
• In Science, we completed the last lessons in the topic of Healthy Lifestyles. We discussed the dangers of smoking and the ill effects it has on the body. We recapped the messages from the last few weeks – eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, taking medicines properly and avoiding those things which are bad for us, are all ways for us to live long, healthy lives.

For the Easter holidays, I have included a few revision documents that are printed and also attached to this blog. They include:

• Easter letter from Mr Mears
• Easter Home Practice Log
• Easter Revision Guide 2022
• Easter Reading Diet

The Easter holidays are to rest, relax and enjoy time with your family. The documents I have included above (as explained in the letter attached) are for those who wish to do some extra practice during the two weeks, for just a small amount of time each day. It is not a requirement to complete everything but little and often of reading, maths revision and spellings will go a huge way when you return on Tuesday 19^th April. Please bring in your timetables and logs on this Tuesday.

Enjoy your Easter break!

Year 6 Friday 25th March 2022

Date: 25th Mar 2022 @ 2:31pm

• Kayaking
• Canoeing 
• Tree climbing
• Ghyll scrambling
• Long walks
• Jumping in a freezing cold lake
• Persevering when things became tricky
• Showing great trust in one another
• Being supportive to everyone
• Organising themselves
• Becoming independent

They should all be very proud of what they have achieved in their time there.

• In Maths, we learnt how to better use the formula of volume to solve problems. We then investigated how to present and interpret various bar charts.
• In English, our novel Skellig delved into the main character, Mina, in more detail so we wrote our impression of her using the text as evidence. We then wrote in role about the time when she first met the mysterious Skellig.
• In PE, we continued our unit of orienteering to read our unique map of the grounds to find different markers. We then played hide and seek with cones and mapping skills. 
• In Art, we completed our Mother’s Day project by using the skill of pointillism to show the colours of an iris. The end result was brilliant. Please visit the Year 6 gallery to see a few.

Reading – Continue to read every night for 30 minutes. It is important to keep reading, right up until the end for the year.

NO SPELLING LIST THIS WEEK DUE TO TOWER WOOD (We will be recapping our knowledge of the spellings taught so far in lessons). 

Maths challenges:

Counting:

• This week we have been counting in 250s and 750s
• Start with 2250 or 8500 or 5750
• Then count up in 25s ten times and back again
• 2250, 2500, 2750, 3000, 3250, 3500, 3750, 4000, etc
• Then count up and back in 750s
• 8500, 9250, 10000, 10750, 11500, 12250, 13000, etc

Number facts:

• To help your maths even more, please continue to learn your numbers facts, 17 – 9 = 6, 15 – 8 = 7.
• The best way to do this is to simply have someone in your home quiz you with questions like (13 – 5, 18 – 9, 16 – 8, 15 - 9, etc)
• Then get them to change the place value of these digits (1.3 – 0.5, 1.8 – 0.9, 1.6 – 0.8, 1.5 – 0.9, etc)

Sumdog has not been set due to Tower Wood. Have a good rest (and a nice book to read). There will be overnight home practice every day next week.

Year 6 Friday 18th March 2022

Date: 18th Mar 2022 @ 7:47am

Welcome to our Year 6 blog. This week the South Ribble Coaches organised  a ‘Pass the Baton Relay’ event to celebrate the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. As part of this, many primary schools in South Ribble took part in passing the baton from school to school. Please check our twitter account to see New Longton Primary School arriving to pass the baton to Year 6 and our two chosen baton runners heading off to pass the baton to Ashbridge Primary School.

Reminder:

With Tower Wood being next Wednesday, I have attached a more detailed kit list on to this blog.

Also, on Monday, we will be using our amazing school grounds to complete an orienteering course, so please bring any spare trainers or wellington boots that you do not mind getting a little dirty.

Our learning in Year 6 this week:

• In Maths, we have been learning how to work out volume of cubes and cuboids. We now know that we must use the formula of length x width x depth.
• In English, we learnt that the main character, Mina, is home schooled and loves to read about William Blake. We then used one of his poems to inspire us to do the same.
• In RE, we used the topic of Unity to create our own dance to show our understanding of the topic.
• In PE, we developed our teamwork skills of orienteering to navigate around the two courses.
• In Art, we started our Mother’s Day project by looking closely at an iris and sketching what we saw. Then we used pastels and the skills of blending, edging and layering to create our artwork.
• In Music, we recapped the notes E and D from last lesson, then practised ‘Peace like a river’. Then we learnt about 4 beats in a bar and 2 beats in a bar with the songs, ‘Everybody loves Saturday night’ and ‘Lil’ Liza Jane’.
• In French, we practised conjugating a regular ER verb in French. It is quite tricky but we will practise lots of times before Year 7.
• In Science, we had a visit from Rachel, a hospital pharmacist, who works in a very busy Major Trauma department. She talked about her job and the path she followed to become a specialist pharmacist.  She came to St Oswald's a few years ago so children can see they can go on to do anything they like from here! To celebrate National Science Week, we watched a live lesson to compare animal life cycles. We met a brand new born belted Galloway calf and even saw some live lambing!

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.

• NO SPELLING LIST THIS WEEK DUE TO TOWER WOOD (We will be recapping our knwoeldge of the spellings taught so far in lessons).

• Maths challenges:
  • Counting:
    • This week we have been counting in 25s and 75s
    • Start with 225 or 850 or 575
    • Then count up in 25s ten times and back again
      • 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375, 400, etc
    • Then count up and back in 75s
      • 850, 925, 1000, 1075, 1150, 1225, 1300, etc
    • Number facts:
      • To help your maths even more, please continue to learn your numbers facts, 17 – 9 = 6, 15 – 8 = 7.
      • The best way to do this is to simply have someone in your home quiz you with questions like (13 – 5, 18 – 9, 16 – 8, 15 - 9, etc)
      • Then get them to change the place value of these digits (1.3 – 0.5, 1.8 – 0.9, 1.6 – 0.8, 1.5 – 0.9, etc)

• Sumdog (Multiplying Fractions)
  • This will be great practice to use your times tables knowledge to apply them to multiplying fractions and mixed numbers.
• Sumdog (Volume of cubes)
  • For this challenge, make sure you use the formula we have been using in class: length x width x height.

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.

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.

Year 6 Friday 4th March 2022

Date: 4th Mar 2022 @ 8:35am

Welcome to another Year 6 blog. We cannot believe we have been in Year 6 for 6 months – how time has flown! This week, we prepared our Lenten promises and took part in the Ash Wednesday mass where Father blessed us with ashes. Year 6 did a brilliant job of supporting the Receptions on their first whole school mass.

Our learning in Year 6 this week:

• In Maths, we have been learning how to describe the features of 3D shapes and create them using various nets. We then used our recent learning on area and volume to understand how to find square and cube numbers.
• In English, we created our own adventure story using various scenes as the stimulus. We focused on introducing the story by either describing the scene, the characters, using dialogue and starting with action.
• In RE, we continued our new topic, ‘Unity’, by creating images/symbols in a stained-glass window design to show that even though we are different, we may all be one with Jesus Christ through the gifts we have been given.
• In PE, during to the poor weather, we focused our learning on improving our skills in athletics: running, long jump, high jump, triple jump and speed bounce.
• In French, as it was Mardi Gras this week, we had a pancake-themed French lesson. The children practised using all parts of the verb 'aimer' with various pancake fillings orally, then they wrote some sentences using all the different subject pronouns and the correct verb endings. 
• In Science, we learnt why each of the food groups are important to keep us healthy. We planned a healthy meal plan for a day, checking that over the day, there was a balanced diet, not forgetting plenty of water! Then we researched different deficiency diseases and worked out what you would have to do if you were suffering from any of them. We also read the information on some food packaging and weighed out the amount of sugar in each. The jam was shocking, but it was also surprising how much sugar is in some carton juices which are supposedly healthy. 
• In Design and Technology, we began our project (Design and make a healthy Granola Bar) by tasting and evaluating a selection of shop-bought granola bars. We read the nutritional information on the box to see how much sugar each contained. We decided which was the healthiest bar, and which was our favourite. Next we'll make some, following a recipe. Finally, we'll adapt the recipe to make it our own.
• In PSHE, we discussed the themes of ‘responsibility’ and ‘becoming independent’ and how they interconnect with each other, especially as we approach our residential trip of Tower Wood. We looked at different scenarios and discussed the advice we would give if someone was worried about becoming independent and what they might do to overcome this feeling.

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, Tuesday Wednesday. Anyone from any group can change their book on these days.

• Spellings (challenge words)
  • Sumdog (Year 6 Sp 2 wk 2 Short /y/ sound)

rhythm, system, physical, symbol, mystery, oxygen, symptom, hymn, myth, physics, syrup, cylinder, pyramid, syllable, symmetry

• Maths challenges:
  • Counting:
    • This week we have been counting in decimal 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: 1.4, 2.64 and 3.726 and count up 10 times then back again in 0.3s:

1.4, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3, 2.6, 2.9, 3.2, etc

and in 0.4s :

2.64, 3.04, 3.44, 3.84, 4.24, 4.64, etc

• 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 (Square and Cube numbers)
  • Throughout this week we have investigated different square and cube numbers and the notation for both. This practice will help in you understanding them better and recalling which are square and cube numbers.
• Sumdog (Identifying 3D shapes from nets)
  • For this challenge, look carefully at each net. You will eventually see a pattern. It will be the same pattern that we looked in detail at on Friday. Lots of this practice will help in you being able to recognise nets of 3D shapes quickly.

Maths and Spelling Training.

Do not forget to keep using this extra feature: the maths and spelling training sections will provide a tailored challenge for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult. Once your challenges have been completed, use this feature to challenge yourself in both spelling and maths.

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

Year 6 Friday 25th February 2022

Date: 25th Feb 2022 @ 3:52pm

Welcome to our first Year 6 blog since the February half term. This week we have been busy improving our leaderships roles around school: our reading ambassadors have continued to support the Reception team with daily reads; the Sport Captains have planned the next term of sporting events and competitions; the Science ambassadors have continued their role with more play time experiments; the class have been going above and beyond with helping the infants during lunch times; and the Golden Team have completed their first whole school assembly, which was a super event welcoming all the school together for the first time in years! Well done Year 6 – keep it up.

Our learning in Year 6 this week:

• In Maths, we have learnt how to calculate area of simple 2D shapes, rectilinear shapes and solved problems with them. We have also improved our strategy of how to find percentages of numbers.
• In English, we have begun a new novel, ‘Skellig’, and learnt how to use dashes when writing informally as the main characters.
• In RE, we started our new topic, ‘Unity’, and discussed and created an information text for ways to be a good friend to others.
• In PE, we continued our learning of gymnastics by creating a group routine of jumping, rolling, travelling and balancing using all the equipment, including the climbing frame.
• In Music, we listened to two versions of the same song, ‘You’ve got a friend’ by Carole King and James Taylor, and discussed the similarities and differences between them. We learnt a new song, ‘Everybody loves Saturday night’. We have also started learning recorders again, since Year 5, by recapping B, A and G to the song ‘Sailor, sailor on the sea’.
• In French, we researched the Carnaval de Nice which takes place every year at this time. The theme this year is Animaux. We admired the massive floats and the amazing costumes. Quelle spectacle!
• In Science, we were invited to ask Dr Ahna Skop, a cell biologist and science artist in Wisconsin, some questions about her background and research – which we did by learning about her work in genetics. We then videoed the children asking questions and sent it to her. Hopefully she will answer our questions soon. This was a brilliant opportunity to find out about a new aspect of Science, but also stress the importance of diversity and inclusion in science which Dr Skop feels very strongly about. Also, for our topic on ‘Healthy Lifestyles’, we discussed ways to make a balanced diet and the dangers of eating too much or too little of certain food groups.
• In PSHE, we continued our topic of online safety by learning about the age ratings system for films and other media. We can now recognise the different symbols related to the age ratings for films and can explain what each mean.

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 2 -ture / -sure)

adventure, capture, creature, furniture, future, immature, mixture, measure, nature, signature, treasure, leisure, pressure, pleasure, enclosure

• Maths challenges:
  • Counting:
    • This week we have been counting in single digit steps to prepare us for future division learning. 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: 1, 2 and 3 and count up 10 times then back again in 3s:

35, 38, 41, 44, 47, 50, 53, 56, etc

and in 6s :

365, 371, 377, 383, 389, 395, 401, etc

• 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 (Multiplication 2 and 3 digit numbers by 3)
  • We have practiced a lot with these types of questions over the past month. Make sure you read the numbers in the question correctly and you should be able to work them out mentally.
• Sumdog (Area of 2D shapes)
  • For this challenge, make sure you read the measurements in the questions. For example, if the measurements are cm x cm then the answer would equal cm squared (with the 2 next to the cm). The same goes for mm x mm.

Maths and Spelling Training.

Do not forget to keep using this extra feature: the maths and spelling training sections will provide a tailored challenge for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult. Once your challenges have been completed, use this feature to challenge yourself in both spelling and maths.

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

Year 6 Thursday 10th February 2022

Date: 10th Feb 2022 @ 3:52pm

Welcome to our Year 6 blog before the February half term. This week we have completed a new competition, named ‘Autumn/Winter Competition’ created by Cross Curricular Orienteering. After a tight competition, in which everyone did really well, the winning pair are … Adah and Kitty! Congratulations to them both – they have been put forward to the national event so fingers crossed their time was a quick one!

Today, your child has been given an envelope with Tower Wood documents in. Please complete the medical form and photo conset form and return them by Wednesday 23rd February. 

Our learning in Year 6 this week:

• In Maths, we have improved our learning on coordinates by plotting points, completing shapes and translating them in two quadrants.
• In English, we used Tom’s Midnight Garden novel on adventure to create our own adventure story. We learnt that stories use one of the following four strategies when introducing a story: describing a setting, describing a character, using action or speech. We then chose our favourite one to create our story.
• In PE, we completed the new orienteering competition (as mentioned above) by learning the skills of how to orientate a map and follow instructions for north, south, east, west and all the ones in between. We also worked on utilising teamwork when competing in a hockey game.
• In Music, we listened to another composer (Afrodeutshe) about how she started recording music. We then continued with our raps and each recorded a final performance for the class.
• In French, the children spent time recording themselves reading some of their best pieces of writing from this half term.
• In Science, we looked at the work of Dr Ahna Skop. She is an American cell biologist who is also an artist. She uses art to communicate her amazing scientific research into cell structure. We then produced a piece of scientific art based on blood cells. Our next topic is named, Keeping Healthy.
• In PSHE, for Children’s Mental Health week, we discussed how we can support others who are feeling down and ways we can improve our own mental health. Also, for internet safety day, we learnt ways of making and keeping positive online relationships and what to do when something feels uncomfortable.

Home Practice for this half term is slightly different. You have been given a sheet with the days of Monday to Friday. For every day, we would like you to complete as many of these activities (if it is possible) – all of which will help towards remembering the learning we have done and for any future learning we will do when you return. These are the tasks we would like you to complete:

• Reading
  • Reading for 20 minutes a day will have a huge impact on your learning.

• Spellings (Year 5/6 spellings)
  • You have been given the Year 5/6 spelling list to use for your half term home practice. There will be a test on a random 15 spellings from the list on Friday 25^th
• Maths challenges:
  • Sumdog (Half Term Spring Maths Challenge)

These questions are a mixture of coordinates, shapes, multiplication and division – most of the things we have learned about this half term. Try your best at answering them all by Friday 25^th February.

If you would like any more practice, then Sumdog’s Maths and Spelling Training is for you.

Try to spend some time training so the program can learn the skills you need to work on and practise. 

Have a super half term!