The Year 5 class value is Be Aspirational

Friday 11th October 2024

I cannot begin this week’s blog without mentioning our class values assembly! I am sure you will agree they all did a fantastic job and that you as just as proud of them as we are! They were all so excited to perform it and it was lovely that all children overcame their nerves to speak individual lines. Thank you all for your support and for coming to watch their hard work.

In class, we have mainly focused on rounding numbers to 10, 100 and 1,000 this week in maths to ensure pupils have a solid understanding of this before moving on to rounding numbers to one million. As always, please continue to support your child in practicing times tables as part of their homework.

In English, we have read more of ‘Queen of the Falls’, reaching the part where she is in the barrel, just about to drop over the waterfall. Pupils will find out next week if she survives her daredevil feat! Our writing has looked at using fronted adverbials to show time, manner or place. We have also been looking at new vocabulary – ask your child what ‘discombobulated’ means!

Pupils carried out their Science experiment this week which investigated how air resistance is affected by the size of a parachute. Pupils continue to enjoy the Crime and Punishment topic, learning about the ‘Bloody Code’ which saw the number of crimes punishable by hanging increase from 50 to 200!

Next week is our last week before half term, when pupils can enjoy a well-earned rest! Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Moat

Friday 4th October 2024

We have come to the end of yet another busy week in Year 5!

Pupils have been busy practicing for our class value assembly next week (Wednesday 9th October) and are really excited for you all to see it.

In Maths, pupils have shown an excellent understanding of ordering and comparing numbers to 1,000,000. Please ensure pupils continue to practise their times tables at home – they are essential to so many of our maths topics in Year 5 and beyond.

We have focused on the main character in ‘Queen of the Falls’ – Annie Edson Taylor – and written a character description of her. Pupils needed to use coordinating conjunctions, expanded noun phrases and a range of interesting vocabulary to their work to demonstrate their understanding of recent learning.

Continuing with the topic of Forces in Science, pupils learned about air resistance and planned an experiment to see which parachute would be most effective and why. This will be carried out next week. In History, we found out about crimes such as smuggling, vagrancy and being a highwayman. Pupils investigated reasons for and against becoming a highwayman and what the possible punishments were.

Don’t forget – maths and spelling homework has been set on edshed.com. Please also ensure pupils have their reading books and reading journals in every day.

Mrs Moat

Friday 27th September 2024

This week, election fever has taken over in Year 5 and pupils have been busy campaigning to be the class representative for their chosen council. Well done to all our successful candidates – I am sure you will do an excellent job!

In Maths, the focus continues to be Place Value. We have looked at standard and non-standard partitioning of numbers up to 1,000,000 as well as placing numbers on a number line. Please ensure pupils continue to practise their times tables at home.

Our reading sessions have looked at ‘Bizarre Laws’ linked to the History topic of Crime and Punishment. Did you know that mince pies were once banned at Christmas and it was against the law to play football? In writing, we have worked on creating expanded noun phrases to add more interest and detail to our work.

Pupils used force meters in Science to investigate the force of gravity on different objects and to see if there is a link between its weight and mass. In History, we looked at the story of Robin Hood to see what it tells us about how the rich and poor were treated very differently when it came to crime and punishment in the medieval era.

Next week, we will be starting work on our class values assembly which is on Wednesday 9^th October. Further details will be sent out shortly.

Mrs Moat

Friday 20th September 2024

Here we are at the end of Week 3 in Year 5! It has been another busy one and pupils are really getting used to the routines and pace of upper Key Stage 2!

Our focus in English this week has been using coordinating conjunctions to extend sentences, linking them to our book ‘Queen of the Falls’. We have used the acronym FANBOYS to help remember the most common ones – ask your child what they stand for to see if they can remember them! We have practiced our text marking and annotating skills in reading sessions, looking at information texts about ocean creatures.

Place value continues to be the topic in Maths, again looking at numbers to 1,000,000. We have used Gattengo charts to help us calculate numbers 10/100/1,000 times greater/smaller than given numbers. As always, we have practised times tables using Times Tables Rock Stars. Please encourage your child to use this at home as accurate times tables recall is vital in Year 5 and beyond.

In Science, we have identified different forces acting on objects. Pupils are really enjoying the Crime and Punishment topic in History and are learning that some punishments were very harsh in the past!

Don’t forget that pupils need to read at least three times a week and bring their books and reading diaries into school every day. Spellings will be given out every Monday, starting next week (23/09). We will work on them throughout the week and pupils will be tested the following Monday.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Moat

Friday 13th September 2024

We have had another very busy week in Year 5!

Pupils thoroughly enjoyed their first swimming lesson on Tuesday. Although there were a few initial nerves, these soon disappeared and pupils worked very hard and impressed the teachers.

During Maths lessons, pupils have worked on reading and writing numbers to 1,000,000 as well as practicing times table facts.

We have started reading our English book, ‘Queen of the Falls’ and made predictions about why Annie Edson Taylor was nicknamed ‘Heroine of Niagara Falls’. We looked at pictures and video clips of Niagara Falls, imagined we were there, and wrote letters home describing how amazing it is.

We started our History topic – Crime and Punishment – and investigated what pictures from medieval times can tell us about crime and punishment during that era.

Don’t forget that pupils need to read at least three times a week and bring their books and reading diaries into school every day. Spellings will be set in the next week or so and I will confirm via Class Dojo when the weekly spelling test will be.

Mrs Moat

Friday 6th September 2024

Year 5 have made an excellent start to the new school year, showing a very mature attitude and fantastic behaviour! They have set an excellent example to the younger pupils and our new Play Leaders are doing an excellent job at lunch times looking after them and building new friendships.

In Maths this week, we have revised our understanding of Roman Numerals to 100 ready to look at how to represent numbers to 1000 next week. The pupils have really enjoyed this topic and are definitely ready to look at representing larger numbers next week.

In English, we have focused on reading skills, handwriting and spelling. Myself and Mrs Jones have been very impressed with their presentation and pupils will soon be earning their handwriting pens! We have read about ancient sea creatures and revised the skill of text marking and annotating to help answer questions about the text.

Elsewhere in the curriculum, pupils have looked at what it means to be aspirational and considered their own aspirations for Year 5 and beyond. We have looked at online safety in Computing and revised phonics in Spanish.

Next Tuesday swimming will start – something which pupils are very excited about! Pupils need to come into school in their PE kits and remember their swimming kits!

Don’t forget that pupils need to read at least three times a week and bring their books and reading diaries into school every day. Spellings will be set in the next week or so and I will confirm via Class Dojo when the weekly spelling test will be.

If you have any questions please do contact us via Dojo or speak to us at the classroom door at drop off/collection times.

Have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Moat