year5@allsaints-harwich.essex.sch.uk
Welcome to the Autumn term in Year 5, we have got lots to look forward to this year. I hope you have all had a wonderful summer and are excited to get started with our year!
P.E and Forest schools
P.E and Forest schools will now take place on a Tuesday afternoon. I know the children enjoy this time developing skills outside of the classroom. Remember to send your child into school wearing their P.E and suitable clothes and shoes for foresting can be sent in for them to change into after their P.E lesson.
English
In English this term we will be writing a portal story about space, a report about Mars, a biography of Tim Peake and poems about fireworks! We will be using the Year 5 Writing Checklist to identify skills in model text and begin to learn how to use these in our own writing.
Reading
In our reading lessons, we will be reading texts linked to our topic. We will look at these texts and use effective reading skills to build our abilities as high-level readers and writers.
Regular reading continues to support learning so please encourage as much reading as possible. We also have our class reading challenge for children to engage with. We will also be reading our class books at the end of the day for pleasure. This term our books are the Jamie Drake Equation and Oh Maya Gods. Please remember to sign your child’s reading diary.
Mathematics
This term we are going to focus on place value and addition and subtraction as well as beginning to explore multiplication and division and fractions. We will also be continuing on our superhero challenges from year 4 so we encourage you to support your children with their times tables knowledge.
Science
In Science we are going to be focusing on Space and how our Earth fits into the solar system. We are going to be exploring this through experiments and hands on activities to be able to describe the process of the solar system. We are then going to be using our knowledge from space to explore forces. We will investigate different types of forces and discuss how we can observe these difference forces.
RE
This term we will be looking at Creation and Science in the first half term and whether they are conflicting or complimentary of each other. We will do this by looking at both sides and comparing beliefs and opinions. We will then use the second half term to investigate how beliefs shapes identity for Muslims. We will look into important aspects of the religion and beliefs and how these play a significant role in shaping identity.
History
In History we are going to be investigating the Mayan civilisation. We are going to look at how they compare to the Anglo-Saxons and discuss and evaluate why this civilisation declined.
Geography
This term we are going to explore what life is like in the Alps. We are going to be extending our geography skills to explore the Alps and research important information. We will then compare our findings with what life is like in other places to make fair comparisons.
Music
During our Music lessons, the learning is focused on learning to sing, play, improvise and compose with this song, we will listen to and appraise other similar songs few well known songs including ‘Livin’ On A Prayer’. I am sure quite a few of our parents will know this song and can help to practise at home!
Art
For our art unit this term, the children will be investigating drawing and sketching as part of our space topic. They will explore different skills needed for effective sketches and experiment using these different skills.
D.T
This term in DT we will be exploring circuits using doodlers. We will explore how to build effectively working products and how to make improvements using evaluations from our peers.
Spanish
This term we will be looking at space and planets in the first term and months and dates in the second half of the term. The children will continue to develop their speaking and listening skills of Spanish by saying phrases about the date and our important event for the day.
Homework
Weekly spelling patterns or words are sent home on a Friday via Marvellous Me. We work on these words and spelling patterns throughout the week, but practising at home can help to embed these spellings, ensuring the children consistently use them within their writing.
Mathletics homework is set on a Friday each week and should be completed for the following Friday. All children who complete this earn an extra break on a Friday afternoon. If it has not been completed, this time is an opportunity where we can support children in completing the work.
We also ask that reading is completed five times a week for at least five minutes and recorded in their reading records. Children may wish to read to themselves, but we ask that their reading records are still signed by an adult. They do not need to only read the book they are currently reading at school, but instead could choose to read anything that they are interested in.
Key messages
If you have any questions, anything that you want to let me know or just check, feel free to catch me on the gate in the morning or at the end of the day. Alternatively, you can leave a message with the office or email me on our class email which is Year5@allsaints-harwich.essex.sch.uk.
Please let us know if you have any further questions or queries.
Kind Regards
Mrs Harris