Year 5 Newsletter
Spring Term (2nd Half) Newsletter
Dear Parents/Carers,
Here is a brief overview of the work we will be undertaking during this half-term.
In Literacy we will be starting watching The Piano – a short animation to inspire our writing, then we will be looking at the Highwayman the Narrative Poem. We will develop different versions of this poem to help the children develop their planning and oral story telling. We will then continue to visit report writing, using our RE, Geography and Science topics as the basis for this work. In particular, we will focus on how to select information from other sources and rewrite this with clarity. As always, reading is a huge support to the aspects of literacy we will be studying. Therefore it is vital that the children are encouraged to read at home. There will be frequent spelling tests based on word lists and spelling patterns provided for homework.
We have started Maths by calculating area, describing and measuring angles, and recognising units of measurement for mass. We will then progress onto representing and interpreting data in different kinds of graphs. After this we will be practising mental and written methods for addition and subtraction. A lot of emphasis will be placed on using all four operations to solve real life problems. We will continue to have a times table test every Monday and a mental maths test every Friday. I have been very pleased with the progress the children are making with their mental skills and this half term I would like them to make sure they can swiftly recall facts from the 7, 8 and 9 times table if they cannot already do so.
In Science we need to finish off our Changing States topic then the children will consolidate their ideas about the topic of Earth, Sun and Moon. This will provide the children with an understanding of the order of planets that orbit the Sun and also how the axis of the Earth affects the seasons. As well we will look at data sets of lengths of shadows during the course of a day, discuss and interpret data, and determine why and how this occurs.
In Geography we will be studying a contrasting UK location. We will be considering the physical geography of this setting and we will find out what life is like in the village and how it is changing. We will also be having a field trip to Godstone Village as a part of the unit (date to be fixed, maybe 22nd March).
In RE we will look at the Jewish festival of Passover. The children will learn that this is a festival celebrating freedom and they will discover the meaning and symbolism found within the stories and events remembered at Passover.
In ICT the children will be learning how to use spreadsheets. The children will learn how to enter data and carry out calculations by using spreadsheets for practical situations, then move on to using databases and their search functions.
On Thursday afternoon we will develop our skills in a range of sports starting with Golf then moving on to Hockey, Netball and Football. On a Wednesday afternoon the children will continue to develop their cricket skills with Tony from Surrey County Cricket Club.
In PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship Education) the children will be considering why it is ‘good to be me’. This theme will help them to think about their feelings and their strengths and weaknesses as learners. During PSHCE we will also be developing the children’s awareness of the dangers posed by drugs.
Homework will usually be set every Wednesday and I expect the work to be returned on the following Wednesday. The form the homework will take will vary as to the needs of the children and content of the subjects taught.
Please do feel free to raise any questions you may have. I will usually be available between 3:30pm and 3.45pm if required on Mondays and Tuesdays.
With Best Wishes,
Bob