Thank you to all those that came to the talk on Wednesday afternoon regarding the SATs tests that your child will be taking in May.
Click here for the link to the video.
Here are the links to the past SATs papers that were out:
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
Here is a selection of games to help revise for the forthcoming Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar test.
Some of the games are from the BBC Bitesize website.
Try some of the links below:
The focus of this year’s Other Faiths Week has been Judaism, as it is in keeping with our whole-school RE topic on the Exodus story and Passover. To learn more about the faith, we visited the New North London Synagogue in Finchley. We were welcomed by a female rabbi who explained the significance of various objects and symbols within the synagogue, and we even got the chance to see the Torah up close. Some of our favourite facts that we learnt from the trip are:
The children were asking fantastic questions and the woman was so impressed with their behaviour and attention during the visit. Well done Year 6!
In our science topic on Evolution, we have begun looking at the influence of Charles Darwin. This week, we focused on his love for nature as a child, when he would go on country walks, to observe the leaves and bugs he found there. The class re-enacted this by taking leaf samples and making observations of them.
Tuesday was Safer Internet Day and in Year 6, we considered how we are influenced by the social media, and the positive and negative effects of what we post online. Each child then decided something positive they could do online to make the internet a happier place.
Click here for the half-term home learning letter.
Here’s the Spellzone link to the Year 5 & 6 spelling list words: https://www.spellzone.com/word_lists/lists_folder.cfm?Folder=63
Have a lovely break!
Miss Donatantonio
In maths this week, the children looked at the properties of 3-D shapes and learnt about shape nets.
In English, the class wrote their own non-chronological reports on a mythical creature that they had designed. They wrote in the style of The Spiderwick Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You and I must say, these children have wild imaginations! They accompanied their writing with annotated drawings of their creatures, so these will be compiled into our very own Year 6’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You in due course!
On a similar theme, this week’s science has seen the children learning about animal adaptations. The Portuguese man o’ war and the hagfish were particular favourites! They then designed their own animal to live in a given habitat, and again they showed what vivid imaginations they have!
We jumped back to the 1920s for this week’s PE lesson, in which we learnt the basics of dancing the Charleston. There was some great footwork going on!
Next week is Other Faith Week, during which time we will be furthering this term’s learning on the Jewish festival of Passover. Along with Year 5, we will get the chance to hear about it firsthand when we visit the synagogue on on Wednesday.
Click here for this week’s home learning letter.
Have a nice weekend.
Miss Donatantonio
Here are some photos from this week’s PE lesson:
For this week’s Science lesson in our Evolution and Inheritance topic, the children brought in family photos and observed characteristics that they had inherited from their parents. They then had a go at imagining what the offspring of Mr Men and Little Miss characters might look like!
This week’s homework letter is here.
Since being back from the Christmas holidays, Year 6 have started the new year full of energy and with refreshed minds.
Our maths has been focused on fractions, decimals and percentages, and the children have really strengthened their ability to convert between them.
In English, the class has been producing lots of writing based around The Spiderwick Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. They have been pushing themselves to use more precise and interesting vocabulary and have been producing thoroughly engaging pieces.
We began our new Science topic called Evolution and Inheritance by creating a timeline of life on Earth. Our minds were blown when we learnt that humans have only been around for 10,000 of the 5 billion years that the Earth has existed (Weekend Challenge: Can you tell me what that is as a fraction, decimal and percentage?! Post answers below). To try and visualise the scale, the children worked as a team to map the timeline on a roll of toilet paper.
Some of the children were wondering how we knew which animals lived before us when we’ve only been around relatively recently. Therefore, the children discovered the process of fossilisation, and had a go at being paleontogists by identifying some fossils.
On Thursday, we had the treat of visiting Pizza Express, where the children enjoyed making their own pizzas and subsequently eating them for lunch. We even had a mini maths lesson whilst they ate their pizzas in the classroom by discussing what fractions, decimals and percentages different children had eaten or had left!
This term in PE, we are focusing on Dance. On Thursday, the children worked in groups to choreograph a dance to Daft Punk’s Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. I was impressed with the way they thought about symmetry, synchronisation and individual strengths within their groups, and I look forward to seeing how they develop this dance in the coming weeks!
This week’s Home Learning letter is here.
The spelling links to which I refer can be accessed here and here.
Please remember the family photo for Monday’s Science lesson.
Have a lovely weekend.
Miss Donatantonio
Firstly, thank you very much for the generous Christmas gifts; I am extremely grateful.
I haven’t blogged for a few weeks, so this post will be a round-up of the last few weeks of a very busy half term!
Year 6 had the privilege of watching the dress rehearsal of Reception’s Nativity play. They also helped their reading partners get changed into and out of their costumes, which they did ever so slickly!
At the closure of our 50 Years of Pope Paul celebrations, Bishop John Wilson came into our class to answer questions. It was fascinating to hear how he had met Mother Teresa of Calcutta, his favourite saint.
To coincide with our Science topic on the human body, we welcomed Mr Dalal into our classroom to hear about his work as an osteopath. He talked to us specifically about our vertebrae and explained the importance of good posture. We were intrigued to learn that you slightly shrink over the course of the day due to impact and gravity ‘squashing’ the water from the discs, which then re-hydrate and ‘pad out’ again when we’re lying horizontally at night. Unsurprisingly, we put this to the test and were excited to see that the majority of us were indeed a bit taller in the morning!
In Science, we have also been investigating our pulse. In groups, the children came up with their own lines of enquiry about what might affect heart rate, and then designed their own investigations. Examples of questions included:
As the countdown to Christmas continued, Year 6 exchanged Christmas presents with their Reception reading partners.
Everyone enjoyed the Christmas Dinner, with many going back for seconds!
Christmas Dinner was followed by in-house entertainment in the form of Pope Paul’s Got Talent.
Finally, to top off a fantastic week of festivities, the Year 6s accompanied their reading partners to The Wyllyotts to watch Cinderella along with the rest of the school.
It’s been a wonderful term in which the children have pushed themselves with their learning and have excelled in being the leaders of the school. Needless to say, they all thoroughly deserve a rest this Christmas (although I am keeping regular checks on who’s been on readtheory.org!).
Merry Christmas, and I will see you all in the New Year!
Miss Donatantonio
Blog post will follow, but for now, here is the online Home Learning for this week (due to having no bags on Friday):
| English | spag.com :
· Noun phrases (A) · Relative clauses · Synonyms and antonyms (A) readtheory.org – please spend a minimum of 30 minutes on this. |
| Maths
Times tables |
Continue to revise all times tables. |
| Reading | · Daily reading and write-up in reading record.
· Parent Signature required (at least once a week please). |
Our English this week has been based on the short film ‘Francis’. The creepy story line depicts the final hours of teenage Francis Brandywine as she mysteriously vanishes during the night. The children have been busy speculating on the cause of her disappearance. Today, we hot-seated certain individuals who might be able to add insight into the suspicious event. We heard from a witness to the event, Mr Guerin. Other information was given by Detective Inspector Baffa who has been assigned to the investigation, local expert Mr White and Francis’ parents, Mr and Mrs Brandywine. Next week, I look forward to reading the newspaper articles that they will be publishing about this curious incident.
In recognition of National Tree Week, the children investigated what trees we have in the school grounds by taking leaf samples from outside and then matching them with tree identification cards back in the classroom. We also thought about why holly and ivy were about the only plants not to have dropped any of their leaves and we examined the different kinds of bark and leaf structures.
On Thursday afternoon, we were treated to a concert showcasing the musical talent we have in Year 5 and 6. I was very impressed with not just the standard of playing and singing, but also the confidence with which you performed in front of an audience.
There is no home learning this week, as the emphasis needs to be on learning the words for the songs in our Advent Service next Friday. The words can be found here.
In Science this week, we learnt about and modelled the 4 components that make up blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and plasma.
In English, the children have been busy writing and editing recounts from Traction Man’s perspective, with the target being to convey the egotistical personality of the character. Some wonderful language has been used and the resultant pieces of writing have an excellent humorous tone to them.
Maths has been all about developing fraction sense by becoming more confident and fluent when thinking about fractional magnitude.
We joined forces with Year 5 in PE this week and took advantage of the good weather by working on different athletics skills outside.
The class enjoyed seeing their framed artwork being exhibited in the hall on Friday afternoon and appreciated looking at what masterpieces the other classes had also produced.
As always, the children ended the week spending time with their Reception reading partners. It really is such a pleasure watching them interact so amazingly with their buddies.
Home learning letter is here.
The Advent Service script is here. I haven’t yet added the names of who’s reading what, but I’m sure most of you remember which part I’ve given you. I will aim to re-upload when I’ve got round to adding the names.
Well done for your hard work as usual this week. Have a fantastic weekend.
Miss Donatantonio
