Class 4 have got off to a brilliant start. The Year 6s are already showing that they can rise to the challenge of being at the top of the school; the Year 5s have also come back with a very mature and positive attitude. Well done everyone!
Our topic this term is Pirates. We will be finding out about historical sea voyages, as explorers went in search of new lands and the treasures they held – only to face the hazards of piracy on the high seas! We will be using atlases to identify and label continents, countries, oceans and key locations. We will look at important trade routes, dating back to 16th century, and think about how they might impact on our lives today. We will also be finding out modern day piracy.
This gives us some fantastic writing opportunities, from creating our own versions of Treasure Island, to news reports, recounts of pirate attacks, descriptions of blood-thirsty pirates and much more!
We are taking a trip to the Maritime Museum in Liverpool to enrich our experience, taking part in a pirate workshop as well as finding out what life was actually like on board ship.
My brother is about to set sail on his own adventure, heading from London to the Caribbean, so we will be tracking his progress as he sails into the distance! We’re very much hoping that he’ll avoid any encounters with pirates…
In Maths we will be covering all four operations, dealing with increasingly complex calculations. As ever, times tables knowledge is vital. By Year 5, it is expected that we know all our tables facts up to the 12 x table. Children need to be able to use rapid recall of any fact, using both multiplication and division, without having to go through the entire times table. For example, in 5 seconds, they should be able to answer 7 x 9 = 63 or 63 ÷ 7 = 9.
Spellings this year are taking a different format. We know that children can learn 10 spellings each week and get full marks in a test, but we often don’t see them use those correct spellings in their written work. We have decided to try a different approach this year, spend more time looking at the various spelling patterns, rules and exceptions. Instead of coming home with a set of spellings to learn each week, children will now be coming home with a spelling activity or investigation. Support at home would be really valuable.
Guided reading takes place every week and homework from this session will be due in the following week. The children all know now which day their guided reading session takes place.
PE lessons take place on Mondays and Wednesdays. In addition to these lessons, we are attempting to run a daily mile. At some point during each day, we are taking 10 minutes to change into our trainers and set about running as many laps as we can. We’re already seeing improvements in the distance some of us can run before having to walk!
Forest school will happen every Tuesday. Please remember that the children need a change of shoes as the ground is starting to get muddy. As we go into winter, it’s really important that we all have appropriate clothes – it can be really wet and windy. Layers are the best, with a waterproof coat, hats, gloves and wellies. No one wants cold toes, so don’t forget thick socks! There is always the possibility that we’ll get dirty, so we don’t want our best clothes.
On Friday afternoons, Class 4 now mixes with Class 3 to carry out a range of activities, including DT, French, Music and ICT. They we will work on each activity for 4 consecutive weeks, before moving on to the next.
Mrs Adams works with the class on Fridays, but I will be teaching the rest of the week. Mrs Barnes is with us every morning and some afternoons. We also have Mrs Newton on a Monday afternoon. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to come and have a word.