Dear Kestrel Class,

We've almost made it!

I cannot believe it is our last half-term together! Only 7 weeks left!

In English, we will begin by reading High-Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson. Using this exciting detective story as inspiration, we will be writing character descriptions, police reports, newspaper articles, dialogue, a formal persuasive letter and our own detective stories. Later in the term, we will explore The Whale by Ethan and Vita Murrow, using the text to write reported speech, a letter to a newspaper editor and our own film pitch inspired by the story.

In Maths, we will be investigating negative numbers, converting measurements and exploring volume. We will then spend time consolidating our learning from across the year, revisiting key concepts and building confidence before moving on to Year 6.

This term in Science, we will be carrying out investigations into crater sizes caused by asteroids and exploring how the human body changes and develops over time. Through practical experiments and discussions, we will deepen our understanding of these fascinating topics.

In Geography, we will be learning about desert biomes around the world. We will explore how deserts can be valuable environments, the challenges they face and why it is important to protect our planet for future generations.

Spellings will be sent out every Friday, with a quiz on the following Friday. Please continue to encourage the children to practise their spellings using their word lists.

Reading: Please continue to read as frequently as possible. I would appreciate it if the children were reading at least twice a week at home. We have been working really hard on expression when reading fiction, so please give your children the chance to show off their speaking!

MyMaths: Homework is also set every Friday and is due the following Friday.

PE is scheduled for every Monday and our focus this term is athletics, so children should come dressed appropriately. This means completely plain black hoodies/jumpers without logos or decals, plain white tops and sensible trainers. This is especially important as we will be spending lots of time outdoors during the summer months. Sensible shoes are incredibly important as we are running a lot in preparation for sports day!

Spellings will be sent out every Friday, with a quiz on the following Friday. Please continue to practise your spellings using the word lists.   At the end of last term, I sent a Year5/6 Spelling list home which showed the words you know and which ones you still need to work on. Please keep this somewhere where you can see it and practise these words as often as you can!

Reading: Please continue to read as frequently as possible. I would appreciate it if you read at least twice a week at home. Remember that Friday is free choice Friday – bring your own books to read at school.

MyMaths: Homework is also set every Friday and is due the following Friday. Please make sure that you are doing this frequently as it gives you the opportunity to practise the skills we are learning in class.

Children must bring a light coat to school every day as the weather is so unpredictable.

I am looking forward to the rest of the year with this wonderful class!

Please remember, I’m always happy to chat before or after school if you need anything at all.

Mrs Lesser