Author: Jamie Kilner

PE

In PE this week, we have focussed on teambuilding and working together. The children really impressed with their communication and patience – it was really good to see. They had to move across the ‘lava’ only using limited resources to step on.

We have also been introduced to hockey. We have talked about where our hands go on the hockey stick. Where the left hand goes and where the right hand goes.

Help at home – Ask your child about what makes a good team player. Why is important to work as a team? Where should your hands go on a hockey stick. What do we call the lefthand? What do we call the right hand?

Living and Learning

8 Rs for learning

In our classroom this week, we have thought about how we use the 8 Rs to help us become better learners.

  • risk-taking – I can ask questions and give my opinion in a group/class situation.
  • reflecting – I look for feedback from my teachers and peers and think about how I can use this to improve.
  • ready – I always want to learn new things.
  • remembering – I find links between what I am learning and what I already know.
  • responsible – I am respectful with everything (presentation, resources etc.).
  • resourceful – I know where to find information and use it in my work (word walls, support sheet etc.).
  • responsive – I can respond appropriately to peers and adults.
  • resilient – I stick at things even when they are difficult and do not give up; I stay positive.

Children were able to give ways that they could use the 8 Rs in their daily school life and challenge themselves to display an attribute that they feel they do not show enough of.

Help at home – Can your child remember the 8 Rs at home? Can they give examples of how they would display each?

Welcome back!

We’ve had a positive first week in Year 5/6. The children have already been fantastic role models to the rest of the school; always being respectful, ready and safe.

We have met our Reception buddies and we have enjoyed helping the younger children settle in to St James’ – it has been wonderful to see how responsible and caring the children are.

Here are a few things to note:

  • Mr Kilner – class teacher
  • Mrs Bald and Mr Smith – teaching assistants
  • Miss Gledhill – classroom support and interventions (Monday and Friday)
  • PE – Tuesday and Wednesday (please dress your child in their PE clothes on these days)
  • Library – Monday

Please ensure your child brings a water bottle to school every day and healthy snacks for playtime (if required).

During PE, the children are not permitted to wear earrings. Please can you ensure these have been removed prior to attending school on PE days. Long hair needs to be tied back also.

Children have been provided with a reading record book. Please hear your child read through the week and encourage them to complete one of the activities listed in their reading record.

If you have any concerns or questions, please either speak to me at the end of the school day or make an appointment via the school office.

Mr Kilner

Year 5/6 Spelling – Half Term 1

This half-term, our spellings are linked to the rules and strategies we’ll be learning in class:

  • homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled differently)
  • ‘double up for a short vowel sound’
  • ‘drop the y for an i’
  • using apostrophes for contraction (eg can’t, won’t)
  • adding the suffixes ed, ing, er, est
  • adding the prefixes un, dis, im, in, ir, il

Each Friday, you’ll be tested on 8 of the words from the list below.

there their they’re inactive accommodate
occur/ing/ed can’t won’t category busy
opportunity advice advise practice practise
naughty dictionary witch which according
irregular embarrass determine/ing/ed century ordinary
curiosity library identity achieve/ed/ing aggressive
disappear appreciate device devise cemetery
queue/ing/ed unavoidable immediately impossible variety

Living and Learning

At the start of our new academic year, it is important we refresh our school rules. Year 5 and Year 6 understand why we have school rules and can say why they are important. We discussed why we have rules (not just in school).

Our school rules:

  • We’re ready
  • We’re respectful
  • We’re safe

Children spoke about and gave examples of what our school would look like if everyone followed the school rules. Our children were also keen to share with their new Reception Buddies. Well done everyone!

Staying safe week

The RNLI – staying safe around water

As part of our staying safe week, we have had a visit from Alan from The RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution).

He gave a brief introduction to the work that The RNLI carry out. In the last 200 years, they have helped to save over 146,000 people from drowning! The RNLI is a registered charity that is able to run through voluntary contributions – it costs £188 million to run the service each year!

Alan spoke to us about how to keep safe when around water (coasts, rivers, canals, swimming pools, baths, paddling pools in the garden).

It only takes a little bit of water to get into trouble.

Willow Y4

Useful advice to stay safe:

  • At the beach, swim between the yellow and red flags.
  • Stop and think before you enter the water – can you spot any dangers?
  • Stay together
  • Float on your back like a starfish, with your ears in the water.
  • Call 999/112

The children have each been given a Water Smart leaflet to reinforce the important messages they have learnt today.

Help at home – Read and complete the Water Smart leaflet at home. What do the different coloured flags mean? What number should we call if we see someone in danger in the water? What is the best way to float?

 

Staying safe week

First Aid – staying safe

Our children have learnt about how to deliver CPR to someone who may be unconscious and not breathing.

We learnt:

  • to check to see if the person will wake up;
  • to shake and ask if they are ok;
  • to check if they are breathing;
  • to shout for help/call 999;

If the casualty is not breathing then we start CPR – 30 compressions: 2 breaths.

 

We would continue CPR until help arrives, we can’t go on any further or the casualty wakes up.

The children also learnt about stings and burns and what to do should we experience either on these.

Help at home – ask your child what to do should a bee sting them. How long should we cool a burn? How do we cool a burn? Is there anything we can put on a burn?

 

Staying safe week

d:side – staying safe online.

Today, we had a visit from Dave from d:side.

Dave talked to us about how to stay safe online. Firstly, he discussed posting things online and how it is important that we think carefully before we share. He taught us that once we have posted something online, it is there forever and can’t be deleted. This may lead to problems for us now and maybe in the future. We know we must tell a trusted adult if we are unsure about what to post.

This is called our digital footprint.

Tommy-Lee Y4

If you share, do it with care.

Share smart, share safe, share kind.

d:Side Dave

Dave went on to talk to us about social media. Most of the social media platforms have a guidance age-rating of 13, whereas WhatsApp has a guidance age-rating of 16. He recommended that we make our social media private and use safe sites, such as YouTube Kids.

Some things are age appropriate, some things are age inappropriate.

Shae Y3

Finally, Dave spoke to us about gaming and why games have a particular age rating. He introduced the PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) age rating system.

He explained that games such as Roblox and Minecraft are age rating 7 and why games such as Fortnite (age rating 12) and Call of Duty (age rating 16) have higher age rating and are not appropriate for younger children.

Help at home – How is your child keeping themselves safe online? Are accounts private? What date of birth is assigned to the account? Are we checking with an adult before we post something online?

Staying Safe Week

The Dogs Trust – staying safe with dogs.

Today, Mrs Hill from the Dogs Trust joined us to talk to us about how to stay safe around dogs.

We learnt three important rules when approaching a dog:

  • Ask the owner for permission to stroke the dog.
  • With your hands by your side, ask the dog if they are happy to be stroked.
  • Calmly approach the dog and stroke gently from the side.

Mrs Hill taught us how to stay safe if a dog comes towards us:

  • Cross our arms across our chest.
  • Look the other way.
  • Lift our arms higher if we feel that the dog may jump up to our face.

We then worked as ‘Doggie Detectives’. We thought about how dogs might feel in a variety of different scenarios and how to make the situation best for the dog and the people involved.

There are lots of children in our class who either have a dog(s) or see dogs regularly around our community. We learnt so much that we can’t wait to share with people back home.

Help at home – Ask your child about important rules when approaching a dog or if a dog approaches them. How can we keep ourselves safe? What actions can we avoid to keep a dog calm? What do The Dogs Trust do?

 

Living and Learning

Body image

In Year 3 and 4 this week, we have thought about our bodies and about how they might change. Changes in our body can occur through a variety of reasons, some things we can influence and some things we can’t.

The children wrote down their thoughts and we had some in depth discussions about their ideas. The children were very mature and spoke with respect whilst building on each other’s ideas.

We then focussed on ourselves and wrote down three things that we are good at. We shared our strengths and found that others had the same strengths too. Children understood that even though we are all different in many ways, we can all share similar attributes.

Help at home – Ask your child what they are good at. Can you make opportunities to do something they are good at? How will we change over time? Are there any changes we can/can’t influence? How do you feel about that?