Friday 9th December

 Good afternoon everybody - Happy Friday!

Another extremely busy week in year 5! 
Thank you to all of the parents that attended the Christmas Fayre last week and the Carol Service today. - superb music and singing it made me feel very Christmassy!
This week, Hazel class have been working hard on our English unit based on biographies, we have been researching and writing our own biographies about famous people.  We have worked hard in Maths, on both assessments and defining what a fraction actually is (See photos). 
In Geography, we explored the conditions in Informal Settlements and what could be done to improve them. On Wednesday, we had Christmas Jumper Day and enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch, we played an invasion game outside in our Christmas jumpers afterwards. (see photos) The children have enjoyed their Music session with Miss Boyce this week, really getting to grips with Christmas songs and their R.E. session with Miss Penny, when they learnt more about the Islamic holy building - the mosque. 
   We ended the week today, with a P.E session with our Saints Southwest coach Mrs Edwards, 

  There is a digital copy of this half term's Wider Curriculum Home Learning on Dojo and the website, as well as paper one, which came home with the children last Monday.  For this, there is a choice of activities, I would like to see 1 completed activity by Thursday 15th December, which is next Thursday. Although this is our optional home learning, the activities are creative and fun and there is lots of time to complete this so I would be delighted to see some really good quality pieces. 
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  In terms of home learning, I sent a letter home after half term, outlining expectations, as well as a recording sheet for time spent on TTRS, which will renew every week. Please take the time to fill this in, as multiplication tables knowledge has such an impact on the children's Maths learning.    I would like the children to spend 25 minutes a week on TTRS, this can be 5 minutes every day, or blocked to fit around what you are doing at home. I will also be in class during some lunchtimes, if children cannot access TTRS at home. Spellings are also on Dojo.

Can I remind everybody that the expectation is that children read for at least 10 minutes at home every day, this can be magazines, newspapers, manuals, cookery books, as well as their reading books, as it is all reading. This is to promote reading for pleasure as there is nothing better than a good book. Remember, that you are your child’s greatest role model, so if they see you enjoying a good book, it really promotes good learning habits.
  I have posted a list of great websites to practise on - see the links on this page.

Next week we will be completing our unit on biographies in English, working on multiplication and division in Maths, Physical and Chemical Changes in Science and trying to solve the problems of living conditions in Informal Settlements. 

Please look out for upcoming events, the next one is the Carol concert in St Peter's on Sunday evening and then our Christingle Service in St Peter's Church on Tuesday 13th December at 2pm - we hope to see you there.

Have a great weekend, whatever you are up to - enjoy your family time together.
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See you on Monday 
 
Mr F