What an amazing, hard-working term Sycamore has had!
In Maths, the children have focused on fractions. They have learned to add and subtract fractions, converting them where necessary so that the denominators are the same. They can multiply fractions by multiplying the numerators and divide fractions by multiplying by the reciprocal. They can also find fractions of amounts and use our new skills to solve real-world problems.
In English, we have been reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which the class has thoroughly enjoyed. Drawing on its gothic and often humorous themes, the children created their own chapters for the book. Their narratives were filled with advanced language techniques such as metaphors, similes, pathetic fallacy and much more. They have also explored the poem The Tyger by William Blake. By analysing its hidden meanings and metaphors, the children created their own mysterious animal poems.
Sycamore Class have continued to enjoy their time at the pool, with the whole class learning about water safety and life-saving. Our team did amazingly well at the Swimming Gala, pushing ourselves to swim faster, further and with better technique.
In Geography, we have been studying Kenya, particularly why migration to its capital, Nairobi, is happening and how it can result from push and pull factors. We examined the benefits and disadvantages of tourism in the country and considered options for its future. Comparing Kenya with the United Kingdom revealed many similarities, partly due to Kenya’s historical ties with the UK and its membership in the Commonwealth.
In PSHE, we have focused on Celebrating Differences. Our lessons and discussions included exploring similarity and difference, bullying, stereotyping, racism, discrimination and celebrating individuality. In Music, we developed our knowledge of how to read music, improved our singing and deepened our understanding of the cultural significance of songs. In RE, we explored the inquiry: Why is it important for Christians that Mary was chosen as Jesus’ mother?
Science this term has been all about evolution and adaption. Our Year 6 scientists have explored how living things change over time and investigated fossils, inheritance, adaptation and natural selection to understand how species evolve. Through hands-on enquiries indoors and outdoors, the children have compared fossils, studied variation and observed how local plants and animals are adapted to survive in their environments.
Happy Christmas. Enjoy the well-earned break.
Ms James
Homework:
· 30 minutes of Doodle Maths
· At least three reads recorded in your child’s reading log
· A scrapbook-style journal entry
· Personal spellings
Forest School: MondayPlease ensure your child has suitable forest kit. They must have long sleeves and long trousers to protect themselves from scratches and insect bites. Forest School will go ahead in all weather, so please be prepared for cold and wet conditions.
PE: FridayYour child should come to school in full PE kit.
I can't believe that it is the end of Term 1 already. Looking back, we've achieved so much! Year 6 have been busy visiting potential secondary schools and getting excited about their big change next summer.
In Maths, the children tackled some 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. They have also mastered using the correct order of operations (by using the acronym BODMAS) and can now answer questions such as 3 × (14 + 11).
In Writing, the children have completed a poem inspired by William Blake’s emotive poem The Tyger, as well as two narratives. The first, based on our class text Kensuke’s Kingdom, featured rich descriptions of waking up on a desert island, finding food and shelter, encountering wild animals, and trying to swim to freedom. We followed this up with an emotional story based on the short film The Piano. In addition to this, they 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.
The children have enjoyed their time at the pool, have practised life-saving techniques, and are now preparing for a swimming gala. In History, our focus has been the Georgian period, especially in our local area. We have learned about important figures such as the Master of Ceremonies, Beau Nash, and the legacy of local architects like John Wood Jr.
In PSHE, we have focused on Being Me in My World. We have had many class discussions on how we fit into our communities and the challenges of becoming responsible young people. We also held school council and house captain elections. All the children who took part did an amazing job preparing and presenting their speeches, a huge congratulations to everyone involved.
In Science, we have been exploring how we classify living things. We have looked at different ways scientists classify animals, plants, and microorganisms. The lessons on microorganisms have been particularly fascinating, and we learned that there are an estimated nine trillion of them in our bodies.
Half-term is well deserved, Year 6! Enjoy every minute of it, and be ready to come back for the run-up to Christmas and the New Year.
Logistics
Homework – Please can I remind you that DoodleMaths, spellings, and Reading Journals must be completed every week. Any problems, I’d be happy to help. Children must read as often as they can, at least three times a week, and record it in their logs. These are checked every Friday.
Forest – Monday afternoonPE – Friday afternoon.
What a fantastic first week. The children have already started with their work. We have been learning about place value in Maths and have begun reading our class text, Kensuke’s Kingdom. We have also created unique neurographic art.
The start of a new school year is always busy, so please be aware of the following:
We will encourage the children to be as independent as possible this year, especially when it comes to revision for the SATs later in the year. However, help from home (and school) may still be required.
Children will be expected to complete the following homework:
Doodle Maths or Doodle Times Tables: Children should complete 30 minutes per week. I will check their progress on Friday mornings.
Personal spellings: The children will bring home around 6 on Mondays. These will be words they have spelt incorrectly in their work. They will be tested on them the following Monday.
Reading: Children must read at least 3 times per week. Throughout the week, they will participate in Book-Talk, where they will share their reading with the class, often inspiring others with what they read. Additionally, your child should complete one Reading Journal entry at home every week. This should be a high-quality, scrapbook-style, creative entry. Children should bring their books and journals to school daily. The journals will be collected on Friday morning, ready for the celebration assembly.
P.E. is on Friday afternoon this year. We will be swimming for P.E. from now until Christmas, so swimming costumes should be brought during this time.
Forest School is on Monday afternoon. Lessons will take place regardless of the weather (unless extreme), so please ensure your child wears appropriate clothing: long-sleeve tops and trousers. Could children please bring their wellies and waterproofs in a separate bag to change into and out of during the day. Please note that it is very difficult to provide spare kits for individual children.
Finally, I’m sure there will be many questions regarding SATs and transition to secondary school; however, we will discuss these in more depth later in the year.
Please do not hesitate to contact me either via email or speak to me before school on the playground.
Best wishes,