What a lot we seemed to have done this term, Year 6, and it has flown by.
First of all, thank you all so much for your hard work. I know I've asked a lot from you at times over the last 6 weeks, but I am really grateful for the maturity that you've shown, especially when it has come to putting in that extra hour after school during our revision club. Keep it up!
Our writing this term has varied dramatically. We have written mystery stories based on a single picture, composed enthusiastic book reviews as a part of World Book Week and have written complaint letters that have used really cutting formal language that have shown off our phenomenal control over writing.
In maths, we took a deep look into fractions, decimals, and percentages. We looked at their relationships to each other and how to find the percent of integers. We also covered an entire unit of statistics, from pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, and an introduction to averages and learning how to find the mean. Finally, we have started to look at geometry and have learned the correct way to use a protractor to measure angles and the properties of triangles and quadrilaterals.
These new skills in geometry have come in very useful in our current ICT and DT projects. It has been amazing how quickly we have picked up the basics of the 3D modelling software AutoCad, and in what seems like no time, we have begun to design and model and programme our own products for outdoor adventurers. Each product is distinct and, although sometimes fun, very functional with their own styles and nuances. This unique style has continued with our artwork and in music where we continue to look at expressing ourselves through these mediums. The children have really shown off their singing vocal talents with a visit to the children in nursery to teach them how to sing the Longvernal Easter favourite: Spring Chicken.
Finally, many thanks to Mr. Phillips, our football coach who has been teaching us since January. It's been a joy to watch not just our football enthusiasts show off, but also to see those who have not in the past been the biggest fan of the sport discover enthusiasm and skills they didn't know they had.
A few reminders:
Forest will continue on Mondays. The weather should be improving, but it could still be quite wet, so please come dressed appropriately.
PE will continue on Fridays. Please bring in your correct PE kit.
Please continue with Doodle Maths, spelling, and reading alongside independent maths and grammar revision.
I will continue to make myself available in Sycamore Class at 12.30 on Wednesdays if you would like to come and ask for some guidance in maths or SPAG. You can also use this time to grab a laptop to get on with some doodle maths.
What a term! Well done, Year 6; you've been superb!
We've had our first look into using algebra in Maths and have come a really long way in such a short period of time. Your secondary Maths teachers, I'm certain, will be impressed with your powers of deduction. We've also learned about ratio, proportion, and have just started to delve into the important world of decimals.
Our Writing this term has been largely based around the captivating story of the Varmints. We watched the first half of this short story, and the children have written their own endings. Some have been hopeful, even positive, while others had less bright endings. Many even ended at a crossroad, leaving the reader to wonder what really happened to the poor Varmint’s world.
We have also started the book, "Goodnight Mister Tom," and are getting to know each character. It is also giving us a great insight into life as an evacuee during the Second World War, which we studied in History. Not always the easiest topic to study as it involves so much fairly recent tragedy. But we are using our historian skills to look at the cause and effect of the major events leading up to and during the war. In computing and DT, we have been designing digital devices for outdoor adventurers. We have used our programming skills to program MicroBits to function as compasses and pedometers. Mr. Phillips has been impressed with our football skills and the progression made by those who love and those who don’t always love the sport.
Finally, in Science, we have learned about evolution; how species have adapted, how inheritance and variation have shaped us all and how theories have developed, especially by Charles Darwin.
A huge thank you to year 6 for your help across the school during Science week and thank you to all of you who came to view our work the fair!
Forest will continue on Mondays. The weather will likely remain cold and wet for a while, so please come dressed appropriately.
Football will continue on Friday. So a PE kit of black joggers, a green T-shirt, and the school jumper or fleece.
Please continue with Doodle Maths, spelling, and reading. I would also encourage children to start their own independent SATS revision. The children have each been given a Maths and English revision book, and it is important to carry on reading regularly as a part of this. I will talk to you in more depth about this after the break, but please do get in touch if you would like any advice on how to best approach this.
Well done, Year 6; you’ve worked exceptionally hard this term and we’ve managed to have a lot of fun in the process.
In Maths, we have spent the majority of the term learning how to use fractions. We’ve learned to add and subtract fractions, converting fractions so that denominators are the same where necessary. We can multiply fractions by multiplying the numerator and divide fractions by multiplying the denominator. We can now find fractions of an amount and use our new skills to solve real-world problems.
In English, we have been reading 'The Graveyard Book' by Neil Gaiman. The class have really enjoyed it. We have taken its gothic and often humorous themes to create our own chapter for the book. Our narratives are filled with advanced language techniques such as metaphor, similes, showing the reader details rather than telling them, pathetic fallacy and much more. We have also looked at the poem 'The Tyger' by William Blake. We’ve looked at all of the hidden meanings and metaphors to create our own mysterious poems about other animals.
We have continued to enjoy our time at the pool. Some of us have swum our first unaided lengths, while others have learned to dive properly for the first time. Our team did amazingly well at the Swimming Gala and we pushed ourselves to swim faster, further and with better technique.
In Geography this term, we have been studying Kenya. In particular, why migration to its capital, Nairobi, is happening. How migration can be the result of push or pull factors. We’ve looked at the benefits and disadvantages of tourism on the country and the options for the future. We’ve compared the country to The United Kingdom and discovered many similarities thanks in part to the country's history and its membership in the Commonwealth.
In PSHE, we have focused on 'Celebrating Differences'. Lessons and discussions have included looking at similarity & difference, bullying, stereotyping, racism, discrimination and celebrating differences and individuality. In music, we have been developing our knowledge of how to read music, singing, and understanding the cultural significance of songs. In RE, we have been looking at the inquiry, “Why is it important for Christians that Mary was chosen as Jesus’ mother?”
Science has been all about how we see things. How light travels in straight lines and forms shadows when it is blocked. How each part of the eye works to receive light and transfer it into electrical signals for our brains. How light travels from a light source and reflects off objects and to our eyes, and how mirrors work to reflect light at the opposite angle.
Finally, we had an incredible time at the ice rink. Everyone was in great spirits on the walk up right through to going home. So great to see everyone having an amazing time, even if it did leave some of us with one or two breezes! Happy Christmas everyone, enjoy the well-earned break.
Mr Dobson
Logistics:
Homework - Thank you to all for getting Doodle Maths done each. Please also remember to keep reading and practising your spellings.
Forest – Monday afternoon as always. It is essential that you bring fully waterproof kit each week.
PE – Friday afternoon. It will be outside, so please bring something warm to wear over your normal PE kit.
I can't believe that it is the end of term 1 already. Looking back, we've achieved so much already. Year 6 have been busy visiting potential secondary schools and getting excited about their big change next summer. They are going to be more than ready come next September!
In Maths, we tackled some really advanced arithmetic, and we can now use formal methods to work out long multiplication and long division. Some children are even experimenting with using fractions and decimals instead of remainders. We have also mastered using the correct order of working out operations (by using the acronym BODMAS), and we can now answer questions such as (14 + 11) x 3.
In English, we have just about managed to complete a non-fiction and fiction piece of writing. Our stories based on our class text this term, Kensuke's Kingdom, were full of excitement and featured rich descriptions of waking up on a desert island, finding food and shelter, encountering wild animals, and trying to swim to freedom. Conversely, we have written some very serious newspaper articles based on the hideous crimes featured in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Tortoise and the Hare, and The Three Little Pigs.
We have enjoyed our time at the pool. Some of us have swum our first unaided lengths while others have learned to dive properly for the first time. We certainly look forward to continuing with this after half-term, especially with the Gala fast approaching.
In History, our focus has been the Georgian period, especially in our local area. We have learned about important names, like the Master of Ceremonies, Beau Nash, writers who lived in Bath at the time like Jane Austen and Mary Shelley, and the legacy of local architects such as Ralph Allen and John Wood Sr.
In PSHE, we have focused on 'Being Me in My World'. We have had many class discussions on how we fit into our communities, the challenges of becoming a responsible young person. We also had a school council election which saw Kacy being voted in to represent us.
Science has been fascinating, learning about the different systems in our body, what happens to our heart and lungs when we exercise, the effects that drugs and smoking have on our bodies, and researching advice on how to avoid harmful substances.
Half-term is well-deserved Year 6! Enjoy every minute of it, ready to come back for the run-up to Christmas and the new year!
Homework – Please can I remind you that Doodle maths must be completed every week. Any problems, I'd be happy to help.
Forest – Monday afternoon (please come in school uniform on the 6th of November for the School photographs)
PE – Friday afternoon. Please come in normal school uniform with your swimming gear.
Welcome to Sycamore Class. We've had a really positive start to the term and battled through the heat to create some good work. In this important year, we hope that the children enjoy their last year at Longvernal as much as possible and we will make sure that they are prepared, confident and happy with the SATs exams in May and their transition into Secondary school.
In English we have started to read Michael Morpurgo’s Kensuke’s Kingdom and we have begun writing our first story of the year based on the book. In Maths, we’ve been extending our already solid knowledge of place value to be able to work with numbers up to one hundred million.
We are particularly looking forward to swimming this term with the possibility of some children competing in the Swimming Gala before Christmas. We will also be taking a deep look into its intention in famous artworks and taking a deeper look into how to read musical scores. We have also already been looking at the big ideas in history to better understand our topic this term on Georgian Britain in our local area.
All in all, it has been a fantastic first week of Term 1, and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or just to say hello.