Welcome to terms 5 and 6 in Year 5!

 Mrs Watson - Class Teacher       

Mrs Porter  - Teaching Assistant

Our last two terms this year will continue to be very busy and exciting with more outdoor activities as the warmer weather approaches.

In Literacy we will continue to look at Persuasive Writing techniques. Children will participate in debates on current issues and try to use their persuasive skills to persuade others about a topical issue of interest. Children will write reviews about their favourite books, films or places to visit and try to persuade others to read, see or visit them.

We will then look at Poetry, focussing on narrative poetry and performance poetry. Children will have the chance to read a variety of poems and then interpret these poems through drama and music.

During term 6, Year 5 has been given a great opportunity to perform a piece of drama at the BrockHill Park Performing Art College as part of their Drama Festival. We will be able to use their fantastic staging facilities to perform a short piece of drama lasting approximately 20 minutes. This performance will be in June and parents will be invited. More details will follow nearer the time!

Towards the end of the year we will study historical literature with a focus on the novels ‘The Ghost of Thomas Kempe’ by Penelope Lively and the classic ‘Dr Syn’ by Russell Thorndike. We will then conclude the year looking at film narrative where children will have the chance to use their ICT skills to make small animations.

In our Numeracy lessons we will continue to follow the National Strategy which will reinforce and extend children’s knowledge of number, shape, measures and data handling. Please make sure your child continues to learn their times tables.

In Religious Education our topics will be Life in the Risen Jesus and People from Other Faiths. An R.E. newsletter will follow with more details on these topics.

In P.S.H.E. our first topic is on the theme of relationships which will consider how other people see us and how this might influence our feelings and behaviour towards others. We will then focus on the theme of changes and consider how and why people can change their responses to ideas or change their feelings towards others. We will think about how we deal with changes and that negative feelings about change do not last forever. We are also having a P.S.H.E. week in term 6 called ‘Looking after Ourselves’. This is a whole school event where all the children will be involved in a variety of fun and interesting activities about how we should look after ourselves.

In Science we will be continuing to look at gases and reversible and irreversible changes. We will then begin a new topic on our environment. We will learn about recycling and where our energy comes from. We will investigate different types of sustainable and renewable energy. We will learn about some global issues such as wildlife conservation and deforestation and draw conclusions through our own investigations as to how we can make sure we look after our own environment.

We will finish the year with a Survivor Investigation unit. The children will be ship wrecked on a deserted island in the Caribbean. They must first survive on the island before preparing to leave by using and applying all of their scientific skills, knowledge and understanding, previously learnt from all our topics, to help them! This should be great fun and a great opportunity to work as a team and incorporate many others areas of the National Curriculum.

In History we will learn what it was like to live in Britain from 1948 to the present day. We will look at some of the major events that happened and how things have changed such as fashion, transport and technology. This topic is often quite amusing, not only for the children but for parents too! Remember the first mobile phones?

In term 6 we will study rivers in Geography. We will look at some of the world’s famous rivers and focus on how rivers are made, where they start and where they finish. We will learn how rivers are used today, from tourism to transportation.

In Music we will continue to practise singing with Mr McNiece.  Year 5 will continue to learn to play the clarinet from a visiting teacher from the Kent Music School!

In P.E. children will go swimming once a week during terms 5 and 6. This will be on Wednesday so children must remember to bring in their swimming kits on these days. Our outdoor P.E. lessons will involve cricket, rounders and athletics. Please ensure your child has their P.E. kit in school at all times.

Homework will continue to be given out on a Friday to be completed by the following Tuesday. Children will also be given spellings to learn on a Monday for a small test on Friday. Please try to hear your child read as often as you can.

If you have any more questions please do not hesitate to speak to me, either informally on the playground after school or via the school office.                 

Mrs. A. Watson – Class Teacher