10 January 2018

Dear Parents and Carers Welcome to another new term! We hope that you have had a wonderful Christmas break and have recovered from all of the festivities. It is great to see the children back after the two week holiday. This term in year 5, the children will be learning through a range of different and engaging context and themes. For the first five weeks, the children will be studying the Ancient Greeks, focusing particularly on the famous myths from that time and culture. Following this, the children will have the chance to learn about another country during our International week, which we are sure they will find really interesting. As we near the end of the Spring Term, we will be taking a look at Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ which will take us up to the Easter holidays. How can you help?

- Reading with your child regularly. Your child should bring home their Accelerated Reader book every evening. They will benefit from being heard read and discussing books. We aim to hear each child read in school at least once a week and expect them to be reading to an adult more regularly than this at home.

- Helping practice times tables. Children are required to know their times tables up to 12x12 and the related division facts at speed. Help them by regularly practicing these.

- Spelling practice. Spelling lists will now go home every three weeks. The children will have a mixture of year 5/6 spelling words as well as spellings that follow one of the spelling rules. Children will be tested on a random selection of these spellings across the three weeks, before a new set is given out.

- Encourage your child to complete activities on Mathletics, this will increase their understanding of the maths work covered in school as well as help their class to win the Mathletics trophy during Key Stage 2 assembly. We encourage the children to reach 1000 points each week in order to achieve their Mathletics certificates!

Wednesday Morning Reading Are you free on a Wednesday morning? Why not join us for our year 5 reading morning. Doors open at 8.30am every week and everyone is welcome. So whether you are a parent, grandparent, auntie or uncle we would love to see you! Parent helpers The year 5 team are always grateful for any additional parent help during the school day. If you have a current DBS check and are willing to spare some time to help out in the classroom please let your child’s class teacher know. We are particularly keen to find a few more volunteers to listen to children read an afternoon or two a week. Attendance We will be continuing to monitor the child’s attendance very closely this term and consider anything under 95% attendance to be unsatisfactory. In the autumn term, you received a report giving details of your child’s attendance, punctuality and behaviour for learning. During this term you will receive an updated version of this document to show you how your child is getting on. P.E. Kit Please ensure that your child has their PE kit in school on the following days; Heron – Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays Kingfisher – Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays Swan – Wednesdays and Thursdays Thank you for your continued support.

Mr Neale, Miss Horne, Miss Lentz and Miss Beeney

YEAR 5 - SPRING TERM 2018

MATHS

In Year 5 the children have been working hard on their maths using the Inspire maths scheme. This will continue this term.

Our focus will be on data handling, including interpreting data in line and bar graphs. We will then move onto simplifying and converting mixed fractions.

ENGLISH

We will be starting the year by reading a series of Greek myths including ‘Pandora’s Box’, ‘Theseus and the Minotaur‘ and ‘Perseus and Medusa.’

Just after half term and International week we will be delving into the world of Shakespeare and his ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream.’

The children will be responding to these stories through creative retellings and descriptive writing.

HISTORY

This half term, we will be

focussing on the civilisation and

culture of Ancient Greece. The

children will learn about Ancient

Greek art and architecture as well

as, focussing on the literature and

stories of Ancient Greece. We will

also consider the influence of

Ancient Greece on the modern

world.

R.E

The study of various Creation Stories will be our focus this half term.

This will enable the children to compare the lessons of Greek Myths to religious creation stories.

ART

In their art lessons this term the children in Year 5 will be taking part in ‘10 Minutes, 5 Days a week’. This gives the children the opportunity to develop their sketching, shading and drawing skills.

Through the use of clay, the children will also be creating their own replica Greek pots and vases.

SCIENCE

In science lessons this term the children will learn how simple machines such as levers and pulleys work and consider why they are so useful. They’ll see how some mechanisms including pulleys and gears allow a smaller force to have a greater effect. They will design and make products that use levers, pulleys, gears or springs and explore their effects.

COMPUTING

This term, the children will continue to learn about digital safety . They will also be continuing their study of how computers are used to communicate.

SPANISH

The children will continue in their studies in conversational Spanish and in the learning of key vocabulary.

2018

GAMES / P.E

The children will continue to develop their skills in outside games, including netball and basketball this term.