Merlin

 

Merlin Class - w/b 6th January 2020

 

Welcome back! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year. You have come back full of energy and excitement and I can't wait to get cracking with more fun and more learning! 

 

We have so much to look forward to this term, including our Victorian Day on 27th January. Furthermore, our PE lessons this term will be taught by a Hockey coach every Tuesday, so that's very exciting, too!

 

 

Congratulations to the following pupils for their awards, which were given out just before Christmas: 

 

Outstanding Learners: Maha and Aron

 

Super Spellers: Matthew and Emilia 

 

Marvellous Mathematicians: Thanos and Maddie

 

I am extremely proud of you all 

 

Maths: 

Over the next few weeks, we are focusing on written methods for multiplication and division. We have already started learning how to multiply 4-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers using the column multiplication method. We have also used equipment to help us multiply 2-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers.  

24 x 32 = 768

 

English:

So far in Year 5, we have written narratives about life on the Moon, non-chronological reports about life on Pandora, poetry based on Walter de la Mare's 'The Magnifying Glass', stories from other cultures and persuasive texts about Edgar the Excitable Dragon and Brussels Sprouts! It's been a very busy year in English, indeed!

 

 

Currently, we are using Jules Verne's classic 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth' to inspire us when writing adventure stories. We will be exploring the vocabulary and ideas in an extract of this novel and answering the question 'How does Jules Verne establish a feeling of danger in his writing?'

 

 

Guided Reading:

This term in History, we are learning about the Victorians. In Guided Reading, we'll be reading a story set in the Victorian era - 'Street Child'. This is a superb adventure story about a young street urchin named Jim Jarvis. It follows his journey through a life of obstacles, challenges and triumphs. 

 

I have set up a new LinoIt 'Stickies' page for you to discuss the book...add a 'Stickie' to start a discussion. If you want to respond to other people's Stickies, just put their name at the top of your note. Remember to 'Tag' yourself so we can see who posted and remember to be respectful and stick to the topic. 

 

Click the link below to take you to the discussion page...

 

 http://linoit.com/users/alexpeaple/canvases/Street%20Child%20discussion

 

Music:

Now that our Brass lessons are over, we will now be learning music with Mr Peaple in our new Creative Arts studio! This term, we will be learning to sing (or rap!) the song 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'. Over the next few weeks, we'll add in some musical instruments such as recorders and glockenspiels.  

 

Science:

This term, we are learning about plants and animals. We will be finding out how plants reproduce and disperse their seeds. You will find our new Knowledge Mat towards the bottom of our class page. 

 

History:

This term, our topic is a History unit about 'The Victorians'. We will be exploring how the Victorians changed the world with their inventions and finding out about the Industrial Revolution. On 27th January, we will have a Victorian Day! 

 

Computing:

This half term, we will be evaluating websites and using our research skills to find out more about the Victorians. 

 

 

PE:

From Tuesday 14th January, we will be taught Hockey by John, an experienced Hockey player and coach. Please make sure you have your PE kit in school, including a jumper to keep warm! 

 

Art:

Our Art project this term is centred around the French Neo-impressionist artist Georges Seurat. 

 

 

Seurat was most famous for his unique style of painting, in which he used dots of colour to bring scenes to life - this was named 'Pointillism'. Below, you will see the picture we studied in our first session, 'La Grande Jatte'. How has Seurat created the impression of shade? What differences do you notice across the painting in the way the dots have been used? 

 

In PSHE, our unit of learning is called 'Dreams and Goals'. In RE we are learning about Judaism and in Spanish we are learning how to use grammatical structures to create sentences.  

 

Please visit our class page regularly to keep informed and find out what is happening in Year 5. I will also continue to post photographs, examples of work and reminders about diary dates etc. 

 

If you have any queries, questions, concerns or celebrations, please don't hesitate to come and speak to me at drop off or pick up times. 

 

Useful Reminders

• Outdoor PE is now every Tuesday but please ensure your child has a PE kit in school all week. It would be useful to send in a fleece/jumper to wear for PE in case the days get colder.  
• Homework books need to be returned every Friday so we can see how you're getting on. There are some tasks on the 'Victorians' knowledge mat. 
• Spelling should be practised at home every week. 
• Please ensure all children bring a water bottle into school so they can stay hydrated. Please also make sure your child wears a coat to school as the weather will continue to be chilly over the coming weeks. 
• Please read with your child at home as much as you possibly can. It is very important that they bring their Reading Records to school every day so we can record Guided Reading and individual reading notes, too. Thank you. 

 

Best wishes 

Mr Peaple