Autumn Term 2022

W/C 5th December 2022

It has been another busy week for Carre class. In maths we have continued our unit of fractions. We have worked hard adding mixed numbers and improper fractions and are ready to move on to subtracting fractions next week. In English, the children have worked incredibly hard writing setting descriptions for our narrative writing. We are using DADWAVERS to uplevel our sentences with great success.

In Geography this week we completed our learning, answering the unit question “Is it the same time everywhere?”. The children also completed their science learning, exploring the stages of a human life cycle. In History we answered the question “How similar were the Anglo Saxons and the Picts?” and we are ready to finish our final history lessons next week. In Art and Design, Carre Class worked with Mrs. Freeman to create collages, using different textures. We are hoping to finish off this piece of work next week because they look absolutely incredible!  In swimming this week, the children completed their assessments. All of the children have made amazing progress this term and we were really proud to be told by the swimming instructors that, of all the children they teach, the children in Carre Class were the most polite and determined. Of course, merits were awarded to the class for their exemplary behaviour. We are all incredibly proud of how well the children represent themselves and our school.

W/C 28th November 2022

Another fantastic week in year 5. 

In maths this week we have continued our fractions learning. We have ordered fractions less than one and greater than one. We have also used our knowledge of equivalent fractions to compare fractions. We then moved onto adding and subtracting fractions and finding equivalent fractions to make this process more simple. In English we have begun work on our new book, The Tunnel, by Anthony Browne. We have explored the cohesive devices that authors use to build a strong narrative and have begun to write character descriptions of the two main characters. We are using adverbial phrases, adjectives and expanded noun phrases to enable our reader to imagine the character, rather than telling the reader facts about them.

In Science this week we answered the third question in our Human Life Cycle topic - What is life like for teenagers? We explored the many changes that occur during puberty and recognised that this is a time of rapid growth. We also examined the differences in body changes for boys and girls. As Geographers we explored the question –Can a Country have more than one time zone? We discovered that they absolutely can. Examining North America, we learned that the USA has six separate time zones. We considered some of the reasons for this and decided that for large countries, such as the USA, it would be non-sensical to have just one time zone as daylight would not be at its brightest when people in each area typically needed it. We have continued our Music learning this week, rehearsing songs for our Young Voices appearance. In PSHE we explored the impact of bullying and ways in which we could support someone who felt bullied. We maturely listened to each other’s experiences of being called names or being left out, and supported each other to share ways we could make someone feel included and welcome in our school. Great week year 5!

W/C 21st November 2022

What a busy week it has been in year 5!

In maths, this week we have continued our learning and improved our understanding of fractions. We have converted improper fraction to mixed numbers and converted mixed numbers to improper fractions. We have also compared fractions less than one.

In English we finished drafting our Big Write, based on our book Hidden Figures. We then edited and published our memoirs written as one of the amazing characters from the book. I am excited to read their fantastic writing!

As scientists we explored what life is like for a baby and a child. We made lots of comparisons and the children related their understanding to their own lives and their own experience of babies and children. We recognised that infants are entirely dependant on their grown ups to survive, whereas children have more abilities and skills that enable them to accomplish things independently. We talked about gross and fine motor skills and recognised that these develop significantly over time.

In RE we have answered the question “Why is communal celebration important?” within our topic of Christianity. The children wowed me with the knowledge they had retained from previous years about the purpose of Holy Communion and the symbolism behind it. The children will finish this lesson next week, considering the Pentecost and the ways in which it is celebrated within the Christian Church.

This week the children have also completed a community project. They made and decorated beautiful angel garlands and wreaths that will be given to a care home in Sleaford to fill everyone there with festive joy. In addition to this, we have continued our music lessons, rehearsing even more songs in preparation for our Young Voices concert in February.

W/C 14.11.2022

 Carre class have absolutely blown me away with their resilience during assessment week, where they have completed formal assessments in English, Maths and Science. Throughout the week the children have remained motivated and positive, even with the pressure of assessments, so Mrs Woollas and I were delighted to be able to award each child two merits for their “work hard, achieve greatness” attitude. Well done Carre Class!

In addition to completing assessments, we have begun our Big Write in English. We have planned and started to draft a memoir as one of the characters from our text, Hidden Figures, with a focus on; writing in the first person, relative clauses, fronted adverbials and expanded noun phrases. We will continue to work on this piece throughout next week.

In Maths we have continued our fractions unit of learning. We have explored equivalent fractions and moved on to improper fractions and mixed number fractions. We have practiced the strategies we use to convert fractions and to check whether they are equivalent. then moved on to finding wholes and parts of a whole. Amazing work Carre Class!

On Tuesday we were very fortunate to receive a visit from Robin Windsor and Carre Class truly wowed us with their dancing skills. We have also continued our learning in Art, considering how we can use lines to add texture to images. We had a visit from PC Derbyshire from Lincolnshire police who talked to us about random acts of kindness and then continued our PSHE learning by learning about racism.  In Music we have been exceptionally busy this week, rehearsing our songs for the Young Voices concert next year. As if that wasn’t enough hard work for one week, Carre Class also continued their work in History! We answered the question “How similar were the Anglo Saxons and the Picts reasons for migration compared to today?” What a fantastic week they have all had.

W/C 7^th November 2022

What an amazing first week back Carre class have had! All of the children have shown amazing resilience this week. The first week of term is always exhausting and, in addition to this, they have had to get used to a new teacher. I am so proud of every single person in the class this week.

In English we have continued our work on our book, Hidden Figures. We have explored different styles of writing looking at the skills and voice that are used in formal and informal pieces. The children used drama to explore emotions to support their informal diary entry with a focus on the use of superlatives. They then explored newspaper articles and accounts to complete a formal account of the successful Apollo 11 mission. We then learned about using relative clauses to add additional information to our sentences to pique the interest of readers and to provide more information.

In Maths we completed our multiplication topic and have moved onto our new topic of fractions. We have learned about equivalent fractions and have used manipulatives and pictorial representations to explore and represent equivalent fractions.

In Geography we began our new topic; Our World – Is it the same time everywhere? We learned about the prime meridian which goes through Greenwich in London. We learned that countries in the Eastern Hemisphere are ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and countries in the Western Hemisphere are behind Greenwich Mean Time. The children used time zone maps to identify the time difference – from Greenwich Mean Time – in several countries and explained the importance of time zones in facilitating travel, shipping and a global lifestyle. We also learned that we should definitely research time zones before making a telephone call overseas as it may be the middle of the night!

As scientists we began our new topic; Our Bodies – How do we change over time? We explored pre-natal development and charted the growth – in both length and mass – of a foetus from 8 weeks to 40 weeks development. The children enjoyed talking about family pregnancies and their own understanding of their own gestation, particularly whether they were late or early! We recognised that although human gestation is typically 40 weeks, this is an average and not an exact date. We learned that as foetuses we went through immense changes, from a tiny group of cells to having a heart that beats at only four weeks gestation!

In ICT the children continued their learning of coding. ICT is an amazing lesson in the year 5 classroom as children who are exceptionally ICT literate are so willing to be helpful in supporting their peers alongside the adults in the room. Watching the children Be Kind and support each other to Achieve Greatness as a class is amazing.

W/C 17th October

A great last week of term in Year 5. We have been working hard to ensure we have completed all of the curriculum before the half term break. 

In Geography, we looked at the Amazon Basin and why it is one of the most important places in the world. We gathered some facts and created an informative poster. We then completed our end of unit assessment, on What is it like in America. 

In RE, we completed two lessons, the first looking at how Christian symbols link to worship, rituals and ceremonies and the second understanding what Koinonia is. We the completed our end of unit assessment on How Christian belief is expressed collectively. 

In Science, we looked at how plants reproductions and lifecycles differ from thise of animals. We looked at the advantages and disadvantages if the asexual and sexual reproduction in plants. 

In History, we learnt about the Picts. We looked at where they lived and how they impacted Britain. We will continue with our work on the Anglo-Saxons and the Picts after half term. 

In Music, we spent time creating our own duets on a Glockenspeil, using the pentatonic scale. We wrote the medody and accompaniment and spent time practicing before performing. We then looked at how we can improve our performances. 

In Art, we continued our work on colour, line, shape and texture, looking at how we can change the texture of lines with charcoal. 

In computing, we continued our work on coding, looking at how to controltraffic lights! 

We were able to complete some more maths this week as well, looking at square and cubed numbers as well as multiplying by 10, 100 and 1,000. We will continue our work on multiplication after half term. 

W/C 10th October

Another great week in Year 5. We have been working hard in maths, with our unit on Multiplication and Division. We have been looking at multiples and factors and identifying common mulitples and common factors. We then moved onto prime numbers. 

In English, we have been enjoying reading our new book, 'Hidden Figures' by Margot Lee Shetterly. We have discussed how segregation, sexism and racism, impacted the lives of the women in the book. We have looked at their character, dicussing how they were innovative, industrious, resilient, determined and courageous. The children watched a vido clip from the film 'Hidden Figures' of Mary Jackson going to court to get permission to attend an all-white school. The children then wrote a formal letter, in the role of Mary Jackson, to the judge to persuade him to allow her to attend the classes. We also learnt about Katherine Johnson and wrote a letter, as Katherine, to her children to give them advice on how to deal with sexism and racism. 

In Geography, we looked at the different countries wich make up South America. We located them on a map and found each of their capital cities. In Science, we looked at the lifecycles of fish and amphibians and the differences and similarities. In Art, we started to look at how to use charcoal to create different effects. In History, we focused on where the Anglo-Saxons settled in Britain, naming the seven different kingdoms. We looked at how some local place names have Anglo-Saxon origins!

We had a Road Safety lesson this week, looking at the importance of wearing a cycle helmet! 

W/C 3rd October

Year 5 have worked really hard again this week. In Maths, we have come to the end of our unit on Addition and Subtraction, looking at using inverse operations, multi-step problems, solving missing number problems and comparing calculations. 

In English, we have completed an additonal lesson on adverbials and then carried out our DIRT Activity, improving a section of our Big Writes. We then moved onto our new book, which is yet to be revealed! We do know, however, that it has something to do with NACA and NASA, as we carried out a couple of activities as new recruits! We looked at different facts about NACA and NASA, using adverbials and conjunctions we then made our own Wiki Web page! The title of our new book will be revealed next week!

We have also completed some RE, Geography and History this week, as well as French and PE. 

In RE, we looked at how Christian artefacts link to worship, rituals and ceremonies. In Geography we focued on why North America is a continent of extremes, looking at the different climates across the continent. In History, we continued our learning on the Anglo-Saxons, looking at where they settled in Britain and the names of the seven Kingdoms that were created. 

W/C 26th September

Another fantastic week in Year 5! In Maths, we finished our work on place value, looking ar rounding to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000. We have now moved onto Addition and Subtraction, looking at mental strategies and then using the column method to add and subtract numbers with 5 digits. We finished the week looking at rounding to check answers. 

In English, we spent the week writing our Big Write, a biography of Philippe Petit. We then worked in pairs to edit and improve our work, before publishing it on Friday. 

We have also completed some RE, Science and Computing. In RE, we looked at how Christian buildings link to worship, rituals and ceremonies, comparing building from different denominations. In Science, we learnt about the lifecycles of birds and reptiles and looked at the similarities and differences in their reproductions. In computing, we had a go at some coding using the animal race game and a catching game. We had to use code to make objects fall at different speeds and then use code to control the catcher. We then moved on to adding sound! A reminder that children can practice this at home on their Purple Mash logins. 

We also enjoyed French with Madame Roche and PE with Mr Godson, as well as another great swimming lesson! 

W/C 19th September

It may have been a four day week, but that hasn't stopped Year 5 working their socks off! I am very impressed with the work ethic, both in and out of school, with some excellent homework pieces being completed!

In Maths, we have been pushing through our unit on Place Value and are coming to the end! We have been comparing and ordering numbers with up to 6 digits and looked at round to the nearest 100,000 and 10,000. 

In English, we havefinished reading, 'The Man who walked between the Towers' and researched and planned a Biography on Philipe Petit. We started to write our first paragraph and will continue this next week. 

In History, we looked at different the reasons why the Anglo-Saxons came to Britain in 410AD after the Romans had left! In Music, we learnt about the Pentatonic scale and had a go at playing it on the Glockenspiel. 

We have enjoyed French again this week, with Madame Roche and worked hard in Basketball and swimming in PE. 

On Friday afternoon, we took part in a Mini-First Aid lesson and now know how to help anyone who may need medical assistance! 

W/C 12th September

Another great week, I am really impressed with how well the children have got to grips with the new rules! 

We have continued our work on Place Value in Maths, we have been reading and writing numbers to 1,000,000 as well as looking at the powers of 10. We also developed our understanding of 10, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 more or less and then mmoved onto partitioning. Finally, we looked at a number line up to 1,000,000. 

In English, we have been gripped by the story of Phillipee Petit, 'The Man who walked between the towers.' We have interviewed eyewitnesses and written a newspaper report on the events of that day. We also wrote some persuasive text to a judge, in the first person as Phillipee, pleaing not to get sent to prision!

In Science, we looked at the reproduction and lifecycles of mammals. In Geography, we compared two different physical features of North America, The Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains. We also completed some Art, looking at layering colours for effect. 

The children enjoyed their first swimming lesson and I am pleased with how hard they worked in their first session. 

W/C 5th September

A great start to Year 5! We have got off to a flying start, beginning our Place Value Unit in Maths, looking at Roman Numerals and numbers up to 1,000,000. 

We started our English book 'The Man who walked between the towers'. We looked at different conjunctions, writing facts about the World Trade Centre. We then looked at writing a formal letter and a first person recount. 

In topic, we have completed some RE, Geography, History, Music and Science. In RE we looked at the different demoninations of Christianity and the differences and similarities in their worship. In Geography we looked at the 23 different countries which make up the continent of North America and their capital cities. In History we learnt about where the Anglo-Saxons came from. In Music we looked at traditional Chinese musical instruments, their names and the sounds that they make. We compared these to western musical instruments and listen to them being played by an orchestra. Finally in Science, we looked at the life process of reproduction. 

We have worked really hard on the new rules and enjoyed being sorted into our new houses!