Reflect and connect
What a wonderful week it has been; it has been lovely to see the return of the sunshine.
As a result, we have been completing some observational drawing in our beautiful school grounds. We loved being outside and spending time appreciating the joys of spring.
We’ve also taken time to reflect on our learning this week. It is important to take time to think deeply about our learning journey, considering what has/hasn’t helped. Alongside this reflection time, we have taken time to connect. This is a time to connect to ourselves, each other, nature or a piece of music/artwork.
An example of reflect and connect this week was after a mini reading assessment where we reflected on our work, thought about how we could improve and we connected in a peaceful way by watching a Springwatch Mindful Moment.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0lj08rw
Have a lovely weekend.
Topic – Computing
This half term, in computing, we’re computer programmers. We’ve been learning all about algorithms and debugging, using Bee-Bots to help us understand how to give clear instructions and what to do when things don’t go to plan.
We started our week by welcoming our adults into the classroom for a Topic Review session where we really enjoyed designing some games together. We then wrote algorithms and tested our games, following instructions like real life computers!
Later in the week, we had lots of fun with the Bee-Bots, creating courses for them to follow. We thought carefully about each step and the order of the commands in the algorithm.
The children really enjoyed testing and debugging their Bee-Bot routes. When something didn’t work, they showed great perseverance in finding what went wrong and fixing it. We saw lots of fantastic teamwork as the children worked together to build courses and test their ideas.
Help at home by writing algorithms! Perhaps you could prepare some simple instructions to guide someone around a room or to build something step-by-step. Encourage your child to debug (find and fix) any mistakes if the instructions don’t quite work the first time.
Writing
A big focus for us in Year 6 now is handwriting; we have been focussing on the Four Ps of Handwriting:
- Posture
- Paper
- Pencil grip
- Pressure
Each day, we hone our skills and work on our transcription skills through a daily dictation. Our dictations include elements of grammar such as fronted adverbials, relative clauses and passive voice. We also focus on our weekly spellings during our handwriting and dictation times to support the children in learning them each week.
Francis
We have now completed our written piece: Francis. The children have really enjoyed this piece of writing and were keen to share with me almost on a minute-by-minute basis. Here is a small snapshot of the work produced (notice the neat handwriting):
Help at home – Ask your child about the Four Ps for Handwriting. Can they remember them? What do they mean? Can they put them into action?
Feelings First- disappointed
This week in our feelings first session, we focused on the feeling of disappointed. We explored what disappointed might look like in ourselves and discussed how it can be connected to other emotions such as anger, sadness, feeling let down, and surprise. The children shared their own experiences of times when they had felt disappointed and reflected on what they did to help turn those moments into something more positive.
We then discussed ways to regulate this feeling so it does not become overwhelming or ignored. As a group, we agreed that using positive self-talk can be a helpful strategy, reminding ourselves that it is ok to feel disappointed for a short time and that the feeling will pass. We also recognised that experiencing disappointment can show that we care and are passionate about something, which is a positive and important part of our emotional development.
Philosophy Friday inspired by a squirrel!
Philosophy
Today in class, we explored Philosophy Friday. This is a time where we pause, think deeply and ask big questions about the world around us.
Our discussion was inspired by a surprising moment… Miss Gilliland discovered a squirrel in the class bird feeder (Click to watch the video! ) She stood up to scare it away, reminding us that the feeder is meant for birds. Was the squirrel being resourceful to find food or greedy and stealing from the birds?
This simple moment led us to a much bigger question:
We shared lots of thoughtful ideas:
”All animals are equally important because they are all part of nature.” – Izabella
”Humans sometimes prioritise certain animals, like pets or endangered species.” – Alexa.
There wasn’t one right answer and that’s what philosophy is all about! It helped us listen, reflect and respectfully challenge each other’s ideas.
Spring Equinox
Today also marks the Spring Equinox, the time of year when day and night are nearly equal and it officially signals the start of spring!
To celebrate, we went on a mini ‘spring spot’ around our school and noticed signs of the new season:
Help at home:
What do you think? Is it right to care for other animals and not others. Can you give any examples? And what signs of spring have you spotted?
Living and Learning – Dental Hygiene
- we should brush our teeth twice a day
- some foods and drinks have less sugar and are better for our teeth
- too much sugar can harm our teeth
- parents, carers and dentists can help us look after our teeth
- it’s important to visit the dentist for regular check-ups
We also practised the steps for brushing our teeth and talked about making sure we clean all parts of our teeth, including the inside and outside.
Help at home by using a timer or a favourite song to make sure your child is brushing their teeth for 2 minutes. Making it part of a morning and bedtime routine can really help to remember.
Celebrating your child’s reading: eBooks
We hope that you’re enjoying listening to your child read their eBook at home and that your child is enjoying celebrating their super reading skills!
At school, your child reads a physical book four times a week – with a focus on teaching phonics skills. This is then sent home as an eBook. The purpose of the eBook at home is to celebrate your child’s success (in phonics skills). Your child should be able to read most of this book confidently and really feel like a reader.
We’ve chosen to use eBooks at home for many benefits. Allocating eBooks frees up about two hours of teacher or TA time changing books – now spent teaching reading!
Here’s some information on how to access eBooks but if you’re having any problems please speak to your child’s class teacher.
Happy reading!
Maths: Counting in multiples 2s, 5s, 20s, 25s and 50s
This week in maths we have been learning to count forwards and backwards in multiples of 2, 5, 20, 25 and 50. We practised this by chanting together, using number lines and discussing how we can tell when numbers are counting in a particular multiple.
The children did a great job spotting patterns and explaining how they know a sequence is counting in a certain multiple. We talked about looking carefully at the step between numbers and checking whether the pattern stays the same.
E.g. I know that the difference between 385 and 390 is 5. I also know that multiples of 5 end in a 0 or a 5.
We also discussed how this skill will help us later in maths. If we know how to count in these multiples, it will help us when we move on to units of measure and capacity, as we will be able to work out different intervals more easily.
A key message we shared with the class is that in maths it is important to pause and think before answering a question. We encouraged the children to ask themselves:
-
What do we already know?
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What is the question asking us to do?
What do we already know? I know that the midpoint between 100ml and 200ml is 150ml. Each interval is worth 50ml. With this knowledge, I know that there is 150ml of water in the jug.
What is the question asking us to do? The question wants to know how much more water is needed to fill the jug.
Taking a moment to think helps us choose the right strategy and solve problems more confidently.
Help at home:
You might like to practise at home by asking your child to count in 2s, 5s, 20s, 25s or 50s, forwards and backwards, or by spotting the pattern in a sequence of numbers.
You could even try and answer the reasoning question above. Remember! What do we already know? What is the question asking us to do?
Reading Records
So far, Year 5 have been excellent at keeping up with regular reading record activities at home. I have seen improvements from lots of pupils who are reading a variety of books in their own time. I’d really like this to continue, so please try to encourage your child to read at home. This could be for 5 minutes a day, or a longer period, a few times a week. Children can read a variety of text types: fiction and non-fiction books; gaming reviews; newspaper articles; magazines; and anything else that may be of interest to them. Here is a great example of a reading activity by Kiara.
Oliver’s Vegetable
This week, we have been enjoying reading “Oliver’s Vegetables” by Vivian French.
We have been thinking about the vegetables in the book; and tasting them.
“My carrot is crunchy”
“I can hear it when I eat it.”
There are other books in the Oliver series about healthy eating. Next week Our book is called Oliver’s Milkshake. Can you find any more stories in the series?
Help at home: Can your child remember the story? Have a go at drawing some of the vegetables you have at home.