Friday 9th July 2021

Dear Parents,

This week the children were able to take part in Geography and Sports Week. The countries we drew for the Euros had been Wales, Switzerland, Hungary and Netherlands. Their homework was to research one of these countries and write facts regarding capital cities, landmarks, languages spoken, food, music etc.. Additionally the children had created their own countries in small groups which they were able to present on Monday and Tuesday in great detail. We also went for a walk around our local area to East Finchley station. The purpose of the walk was  to find and explore solutions for change within our local surroundings.   During one of their sports days the children were able to try German dancing and even attended a carnival!

Today was Yom Talmid. The children were able to show flexibility of mind, resilience and collaboration to create their lessons and teach different year groups either in person or remotely. Every class teacher was amazed at the amount of effort each child had put into teaching their class. I was particularly proud of year six due to the way they were able to conduct themselves throughout the whole morning - responsibly and calmly, even if things did not always go to plan. Well done year 6!

Have a lovely shabbat,

Miss Weiner

Friday 2nd July 2021

Dear Parents,

Stem week was a fantastic challenge for year 6 to collaborate effectively by working towards a common goal. They were able to recreate the Burj khalifa using newspaper and masking tape. There will pictures uploaded for you all to view. Year 6 also received an opportunity to take part in a CSI Forensic workshop where they had to work in groups and use their analytical eye to identify fingerprints and footprints to solve the puzzle.

Year 6 had their final streetwise session today where they were able to discuss key points that may be stressful,worrying or even exciting. Here they could discuss different expectations and experiences that they might have in their new schools. 

Next week will be Geography and Sports week. 

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Dear Parents,

First off I would like to congratulate all of the Year 6 pupils for their terrific performance for their final Kerem play. It was truly amazing and I along with other members of staff were blown away by the dedication and collaboration they had put into making the play so special.

Social Media- Thank you all for attending the meeting that was held on Tuesday. After speaking with the children, we feel that they have begun to understand the responsibility that comes with social media and the affect that it can make on themselves as well as people around them. We will continue to support and raise awareness about staying safe online.

Next week:

Year 6 will receive their Streetwise sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. 

Next week is STEM week.  We have some exciting activities and challenges planned including a CSI themed Forensic day and Whole School STEM newspaper challenge. There will also be a trip planned for Year 6 to go to the EYU and teach STEM activities in groups- which I am sure they will enjoy.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 18th June 2021

Dear Parents,

On Monday the children were able to support and read to a Reception class from the EYU. They were all extremely helpful when explaining different parts of the story to the younger children and thoroughly enjoyed their time helping out in the computer suite. Photos have been attached.

Following on from this, the class has been working hard when collaboratively working together for the school play performances. I hope they are able to keep this up over the coming week.

In English, we have carried on with 'The Giver', and all children should have read up to chapter 9. They have thoroughly enjoyed this book so far. In Maths this week we have recapped how to find percentages of an amount. They have enjoyed investigative work but some children still need to remember to deduct the total percentage off of their totals. Some of our project work will revisit this topic.

In Science, the children have been introduced to the Human body, where they labeled the different organs that link to our circulatory system. In Art, we have begun to look at different landscapes- drawing them from different perspectives.

Next Week:

The children will have a day at Forest School on Thursday. Please ensure they bring suitable clothing e.g. rain jackets, waterproofs, and wellies.

They will also be watching Israeli theatre on Thursday in the afternoon.

Reminder: Zoom streetwise for parents is at 8:45 am 25th Friday

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 11th June 2021

Dear Parents,

This week the children began 'The Giver' text in English. They have all received a copy of the book to use in class as well as to take home. There has also been an online link shared with them on google classroom that they would be able to use when completing homework. In Maths the children have been reviewing 'volume and surface area'- solving problems and answering reasoning questions.

Alongside our standard lessons of Art, Geography and Science; the children have been introduced to a wellbeing programme that will support them with their transition to secondary school. Please note that they may come home and discuss this with you, as many of them are anxious and excited about the prospect of year 7 and starting a new school.

Next week:

In preparation for the play, we have asked that all children are to come to school on Monday in their P.E kits. Additionally, girls should also bring in a skirt of any colour that is of reasonable length in a separate bag- they will be leaving this at school. Similarly, boys will have to bring in the trouser that they will be wearing on stage. These can also be any colour however jeans may be best.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 28th May 2021

Dear Parents,

This week the children were tasked with coming up with a product, which they have designed as well as manufactured a prototype for. They had to come up with a costings sheet, create an advert and lastly produce a persuasive sales pitch and read this out to a selection of judges.

They worked cohesively in their groups and produced some inventive products that were very creative. I am sure they got a lot out of this whole week and i am sure that they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

I hope you all have a wonderful half term and I look forward to seeing you for the last part of their Summer term!

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 21st May 2021

Dear Parents,

After the long weekend and of course Shavuot, the children came back to school well-rested and ready to get stuck in. This week, the children were introduced to walk to school week, where each day they learned a new reason why walking to school is beneficial to us. All of the children have made a pledge stating that they will walk, park and stride or even cycle/scoot to school at least 3x per week.

Play rehearsals have recontinued, as well as our regular lessons. As the children have had a slightly longer break from play rehearsals than expected, the year 6 team did notice the children being hesitant of their lines. They need to be rehearsing regularly if they are still being prompted.

This week the children have developed their understanding of inherited traits within a family and will move on to learning about natural selection. In Art, the children will be completing their Frida Kahlo inspired portraits using oil pastels.

Next week the children will be taking part in an exciting project, which will challenge each of their Kerem characteristics.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 14th May 2021

Dear Parents,

What a terrific skeet week the children have had! Today was no different... The children were able to complete their journals that they had been filling out throughout the week, and had printed photos from the trip days to decorate.

They took part in challah making and even created gorgeous challah covers to go with them. Place mats were also made for Jewish Care, where the children had to write messages to elderly members of the community. Here they included inspirational quotes and stickers- photos can be found below. To end the week, GIFT came in to complete their second session about giving tzedakah. The children thoroughly enjoyed their day today and will be going home in their skeet weeks shirts which they decorated. Please iron these before putting them in the wash.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 7th May 2021

Dear Parents,

The children have had a great week this week filled with lots of rehearsals, projects, and collaboration. They collaborated when making Mayan fact files and videos which they were able to present to the class. In Science, the children had also begun to look at inherited and acquired traits through DNA and genes. Most of the children had been astounded to learn of small differences between one another and excited to know more. In addition to this, the children have been working really well when researching important information for their Who am I project work. They, of course, will continue to work on these for homework and will be given deadlines to meet e.g. having researched and written about 3 people from their immediate family.

Next week will be a fantastic and memorable experience for the children to be together and enjoy their final Kerem trip. We know that they will have a great time completing all of the activities that have been planned.

Key Information:

Girls will need to bring hair bands- They will be asked to tie their hair up for most activities.

Boys will need to be in Tzitzit each day and wear either a Kippah or hat for our day trips. They will be wearing a kippah at school in the evenings.

Please ensure your child brings a bottle of water; a snack for breaks in the day and a packed lunch. We will be providing evening meals.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 30th April 2021

Dear Parents,

This week the children continued the '10 minute' daily maths tests. As well as this, most got on to a new topic which covered scale factors. Here we looked at fluency and reasoning problems. In English, the children wrote a short story; completed a comprehension and recapped different sentence types and word classes in our grammar lessons. Our analytical thinking proverbs have also been a fantastic addition to their writing, as we review common sayings and define their meaning, whilst giving examples. These have also been used often in the classroom!

In science, the children have been learning about 'Adaptation' this week and how certain organisms survive based on their features. Next week we will be reviewing the theory of evolution and how natural selection came about. As for the Mayans, the children have been researching about the different beliefs and their gods (don't worry they did not research all 250 of them!)

Homeworks from next week onwards will largely be for Who Am I work as well as analytical thinking. Their Who Am I projects are coming along nicely and I will be checking each week to see where they are up to.

Next week will be bike ability. Please ensure the children come in their P.E kits for this week. They are able to leave their bikes at school each day. 

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 18^th Iyar – 30^th April

In honour of Lag BaOmer, we have been learning about Rabbi Akiva. The children worked in groups to recreate different stories from the life of Rabbi Akiva (attached below).

We were privileged to have Rabbi Zeidman of Gift join us for a lesson this week.  He shared with us five different categories of ‘giving’, and we are trying to mindful of these categories as we move through our day, filling out our checksheet.

Hebrew reading homework is on Google classroom.  Please ensure your child is practising their reading for at least 5 minutes each day – the signing sheet is also on Classroom and should come into school each day.  Parashah homework is due in for next Wednesday please.

Wishing you Shabbat Shalom

Jewish Studies 23rd April -11th Iyar

In JS this week, Year 6 have been learning about the great Rabbi Akiva, looking at different stories from his lifetime which they are turning into scripts and creating their own mini clips of the story.

In Parashah we discussed why the Torah says vehavata lereicha kamocha - love your neighbour 'as yourself', rather than simply saying 'love your neighbour'.  We also tried to define the word 'holy', as this week's parasha tells us to be holy.  We also looked at different Mitzvot which help us to become more holy.

Hebrew reading homework is on the JS google classroom - your child should be practising 5 mins per night minimally.  There is also a signing sheet for printing (and signing) on the Classroom.

Shabbat Shalom

Friday 16th April 2021

Dear Parents,

At the start of the week, the Year 6 children took part in a Yom Hazikaron ceremony. This had been very special as the children both sang and read out poems, some of which were their own.  

Moving forward to Thursday (Yom Haatzmaut) the children took part in many exciting activities throughout the course of the day. Some of which included: Israeli dancing, going to a Shuk, making an origami bird, Israeli dodgeball, painting cities of Israel and designing their own hats (to name a few!) They had a fantastic day which ended with a whole school (socially distanced) assembly. 

Pictures of the week have been added separately.

This term there will still be a focus on Maths and English  as well as starting new topics such as the Mayans in History and Adaptation and Evolution in Science. Letters for Bikeability have also been given out today. These will need to be signed by next week so that the children can attend for the week after- week beginning 26th April.

Year 6 will also begin play rehearsals next week with myself and Ms Sondhelm. We are hopeful that we will be able to perform this on stage this year as opposed to on zoom, so fingers crossed! 

I am also looking forward to speaking with you all next week for Parents evening. 

Shabbat shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies - 4th Iyar - 16th April 

From Yom Hazikaron to Yom Haatzmaut it has been a whirlwind of a week.  Naturally our learning has been focused around Israel; We examined a selection of pessukim from the Torah in which HaShem promises the Land of Israel to Avraham and we explored why Israel is so important to the Jewish people.

For Yom Haatzmaut we went on a tiyul around Israel, making hats to protect us from the fierce Middle Eastern sun.  We visited the shuk in Yerushalayim, where we made hummus, the Gutman art gallery in Tel Aviv as well as going bird watching in the Hula Valley.

In Parashah we explored the power of speech - choosing how to use our words wisely to grow other people rather than to bring them down.  Parashah homework is on Google Classroom and is due for Tuesday

Shabbat Shalom!

Jewish Studies - 6th Nissan - 19th March

Another busy week has drawn to a close with Year Six completing their Pesach Divrei Torah as well as learning about Dayenu and the Four Sons.  They will bring home their Pesach booklets next week and it would be great if they could use them at your Sedarim, as they also include questions on many aspects of the Seder.

We will be completing some Pesach craft activities on Monday on the theme of Leaving Egypt and we have the Matzah Bakery visiting school on Tuesday - so lots more exciting Pesach-themed activities still to look forward to!

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend.

Friday 19th March 2021

Dear Parents,

This week I asked the children what their 'Fantastic Five' moments had been from the week. Here is what they said:

Hollie- 'I really liked our Forest school activity where we were able to work together as a team!'

Sadie- ' One of my favourite things about this week was learning how to use a protractor in Maths to make my own Pie chart. This will really help me in secondary school.'

Zak- 'I really liked Art this week because we got to get creative and paint our own Kandinsky painting'.

Amelie- 'My team worked really well in Forest school. It was so much fun!'

Zac - 'Rehearsing for Yom Hazikaron was one of the highlights for me. Another was being able to show the class my video about football and teaching the class different tricks they could do outside of school.'

Lielle- 'I really liked creating my British values book for PSHE. Forest school was also really good'

Mia C- 'The best part was taking part in the team challenges because my team worked well together'

Mia B-'I really enjoyed playing dodgeball in P.E. It was fun swapping teams and playing with different people'.

Joseph- 'I really liked collecting information for my bar charts and putting them into a frequency table.'

Liora- 'It was great when work together at Forest school and to learn different knots.'

Ella- 'I found it really useful to take surveys when making my own bar and pie charts.'

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 12th March 2021

Dear Parents

Our first week back has flown by! This week the children were immersed in Justice Week, where they were introduced to parliament, the government and the justice system. The children had a virtual workshop on Tuesday, which gave them an in depth tour of parliament’s House of Lords and Commons. Today they also received a talk from Lord Wolfson- where they found out what working at the Ministry of Justice is like. Over next week, the children will be putting together their own projects based on our British values and will include their knowledge from this week under ‘Rule of Law’.

We also had our first face to face forest school. The children came dressed sensibly for the weather and thoroughly enjoyed their time out in the sunshine. I have attached some photos from their building, tie-dying and wand making! Please remind them to layer up for forest school as it was very windy this week.

In Maths, the children learnt the different parts of a circle, finding its area and circumference as well as trying their hand at using a compass. Today they even managed to make geometric mandalas, creating different designs and patterns. Next week I will be taking the children through some revision sessions, which will alternate with investigations.

The children have continued to learn about Kandinsky, which we briefly studied during remote learning. On Monday they each made a square consisting of a  concentric circle, that when put together recreated Kandinsky’s own ‘Colour Study’. Images have been added below. The children will start a Kandinsky inspired piece of their own next week. I look forward to sharing these with you.

Lastly, I just wanted to say congratulations to this year’s Science quizzers. They had a great time competing with other schools.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 12^th March – 28^th Adar

It’s been so lovely to be back at school and to see all the children for real rather than through a screen!

Year 6 have been working hard writing their own individual Divrei Torah about Pesach this week.  They will be able to share their work with you at your Sedarim.  They chose their own area of Pesach to research and have produced some excellent Divrei Torah.  Next week we will be looking at different elements of the Seder and of Pesach in general.

Have a lovely weekend, stay healthy and I wish you all Shabbat Shalom!

Friday 12th February 2021

Dear Parents,

We are now approaching the time where you will be hearing back from the secondary schools your child has applied to. Myself along with the Year 6 Team have been so proud of their efforts and perseverance to succeed in the weeks leading up to their final exams.

Yesterday the children all spoke about receiving their results whatever they may be, and had each offered a heartfelt comment to their peers, wishing them luck for today.  This was a touching moment and I am sure you would agree, speaks very highly of their character as pupils here at Kerem.

Please continue to keep us informed of any news that you hear and any offers you will be accepting.

I hope you all have a restful half term. (Well deserved!)

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 5th February 2021

Dear Parents,

This week the children really got to grips with learning how to put together, write and record their debate speeches. It had been wonderful to recognise how much thought and effort they had put into their speech and how they presented themselves throughout. We are excited (yet a little fearful) to have the debate online this year. But we still aim to both present these to each year group as well as get the children to vote for which team they felt had the best argument. The debate will be held next Tuesday and we look forward to hearing each team present their views.

The children's Science and Maths videos about Energy had also been a highlight of the week. They not only explained what each type of energy is but also demonstrated how it can be transformed/transferred. In addition to this the children had also been asked to create wartime recipes. Some who have already completed this task did an outstanding job of making and photographing some of the delicious dishes such as: pancakes, chocolate cake and pumpkin soup! The recipes will be left on the classroom over the weekend if you fancied having a go at creating one of these recipes.

Coming up next week is Book Week! Here we hope to watch book trailers and performance poetry; complete book inspired Maths tasks and other activities and lastly to take part in the annual book quiz! Please take the time this weekend to pick up a great book and get reading. 

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 5^th February – 23^rd Shevat

This week really seems to have flown by, though it’s always a pleasure to know that Shabbat is just around the corner!

Year Six have continued learning Chapter 2 of Shemot.  We studied verses 16-20 to help build up a picture of Moshe's qualities and discussed why he dressed as an Egyptian not an Israelite.  We began our Purim project, for which we will be taking a deeper look at Megillat Esther with a focus on greed and conspiracy.  This week we analysed chapter 1 and created detailed invitations to the king's banquet.  Next week we will take a close look at Esther herself.

Have a lovely weekend and I wish you all Shabbat Shalom!

Friday 29th January 2021 

Dear Parents,

Mental Health Week has been a great way to discuss a variety of topics including gratitude, resilience and mental health. Throughout the week, many of the children sat for their final interviews for their schools. Many of them had mentioned how helpful it had been to delve into mindfulness and relaxation techniques that we had been exploring as a class. During our guided meditation session, many of the children said that they felt refreshed and calmer and that it was a terrific way to reduce their stress levels. In addition to this, I was pleased to hear that they were all managing to get outside and go for walks, bike rides and runs with family members.

This week the children had begun their debate speeches in English, which we will continue for the next week or so. The children will be sharing these debates live with other classes during Book Week! Please encourage your child to practise their speech over the weekend and throughout the week- they should be 2 minutes long.

We have selected our teams for Quiz club and we will be having weekly practise sessions starting from next Tuesday at 3pm. 
 

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies – 29^th January – 16^th Shevat

This week we have continued learning about Tikkun Olam with a link to Tu B’Shevat.  We discussed how HaShem has given everyone talents and skills, but we need to use them to make the world a better place.  We considered the Torah phrase which says, “Ki ha-adam etz ha-sadeh” – a man is like the tree of the field. We looked at how people and trees are similar to each other.

The class were then tasked with creating their own presentations about Tu B’Shevat, which they did amazingly well – each one different from the others in both content and presentation style, and each showing their knowledge of Tu B’Shevat.

I wish you all a Shabbat Shalom and an enjoyable, relaxing weekend.

Mrs Hill

Friday 22.01.21

Dear Parents,

It was such great fun to see the children at today's party events! I am sure they are all exhausted after all of the festivities. Once again, we all want to congratulate the children for not only finishing exams but for continuing to display a positive attitude through all of the challenges they have had to face along the way.

Moving into next week, we will be placing a large focus on mental health, something that Mrs Sharman spoke about at our assembly yesterday, where the children will be completing mindful activities.

We will still be asking the children to complete their work to a high standard and to be on time to sessions so that they can get the most out of their final year here at Kerem. We are also looking to move onto more project based assignments in the upcoming weeks.

Have a restful weekend! Shabbat Shalom.

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies – 22^nd January : 9^th Shevat

This week we have continued learning Chumash Shemot.  This does not come without its challenges when learning remotely, but the children are making a good effort to stay focussed and participate in the lesson, which was helped this week by the amazing edtech tool, PearDeck.

We have continued our topic of Tikkun Olam, this week having created a Chessed calendar.  We have also linked Tu B’Shevat to Tikkun Olam and have started looking in more detail at Tu B’Shevat and the reasons behind needing a new year for trees.

Again, I ask that you please encourgage your child to attend Tefillah at 8:30 each morning – this is part of the school day and they are noticeable in their absence.  We always try to emphasise the importance of a Jew starting their day by acknolwedging HaShem, and it would be great if this message could please be reinforced by yourselves too.

Have an enjoyable weekend and a beautiful Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom

Mrs Hill

Friday 15th January 2021

Dear Parents,

I am pleased to say that the final week of exam preparations is officially over. Over the next few weeks the children will begin to embark on new topics and projects that they can really dig their teeth into! 

I am wishing everyone sitting the Immanuel exam good luck as well as those that still have interviews! I look forward to hearing how they went next week. Please continue to keep us updated with any new information you have received.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 15^th January – 2^nd Shevat

Firstly to say how impressed I have been with how quickly and easily the children seem to have adapted to online lessons.  They are (mostly) punctual, ready, organised and keen to learn.

We have been continuing our Chumash lessons, using a selection of online edtech tools to help us and have been reviewing our Rashi reading skills too.

Our current topic is Tikkun Olam and we have looked at this from a general perspective – not wasting, recycling, etc as well as focussing on the theme of Chesed and seeing how small acts of kindness can make a huge difference to peoples’ lives. 

It would be wonderful to see more of Year 6 at Tefillah in the mornings as well as supporting their classmates at Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday afternoons.  Well done to the children who have willingly volunteered to participate in Kabbalat Shabbat so far this term.

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom and a restful, relaxing weekend.

Keep healthy!

Mrs Hill

Friday 8th January 2021

Dear Parents,

We hope you and the children have now adjusted to remote learning. From my end it has been great to be able to see the children fully engaged with their tasks and completing work to the best of their ability.  I do also stay online during sessions to give any additional support. I am also contactable through email or the google classroom if they need to have a private conversation with me.  The online, whole class sessions have been a fun, new way to keep the class connected with their peers. Each week I will be checking in with them to see how they are finding things. 

Monday's work will be posted to the classroom at 7pm on Sunday. 

All other work will be posted the day before also at 7pm.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 11th December 2020

Dear Parents,
 

What a term! The children have entered year 6 with the understanding and maturity to work above and beyond. I have been immensely proud of their progress and all that they have achieved so far. For those taking exams over the December break, I am wishing you the best of luck.

On Atom learning I have set English and Maths timed papers for the children to do over the break should they wish to, as well as NVR and VR for those sitting ISEB exams soon.

This week:

We finalised and published our Chanukah performance, which was sent out yesterday. This year was based on the poem If by Rudyard Kipling. The children performed their lines incredibly well and demonstrated creativity when coming up with the concepts behind the meanings of their lines in particular.

In English, the children went through comprehension papers in small groups and created a few stories during short writes. For Maths the children created their own exam papers in which they had to include several areas of Maths' topics we have covered so far. They also had the opportunity to go through Maths papers in smaller groups, which were closely supported by Mrs. Sondhelm and me.

Please stay safe over the holiday and have a relaxing break. 

Chanukah Sameach

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies – 25th Kislev - 11th December

How the class has shrunk this week – from eleven down to just two… though it’s all about quality, not quantity – and those that have been in school this week have worked incredibly hard and diligently.  We continued our Chumash-Rashi study, having learnt up to verse ten, and have completed a few pieces of written/creative work based around this learning.

In our Chanukah lessons we have discussed the link between Chanukah and Jewish pride, looking at pirsum haNes (publicising the miracle of Chanukah) and what it is that makes us be proud to be Jewish.

I look forward to having a full class back again in January, where we will be launching our new mini-project in conjunction with the Ivrit department entitled Different Faces of Israel… watch this space for more details.

Wishing you all a wonderful Chanukah, a peaceful Shabbat and a happy, safe and healthy winter break.

Mrs Hill

Jewish Studies - 4th December 18th Kislev

Year Six have been learning about the Chanukah story this week, looking especially closely at what is meant by the word Hellenism and the effects that Hellenism had on the Jews in Israel at the time of the Chanukah story (165 BCE).  We have also continued our study of Sefer Shemot Perek Bet with a focus on text analysis and understanding of Rashi.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom,

Mrs Hill

Friday 4th December 2020

Dear Parents,

This week the children have been working extremely hard to finish the school's mini mag which will be available to purchase next week! The proceeds will go to charity - We are asking the children to decide which charity to donate to next week. 

Atom learning

Atom homeworks have been released on their due date. If you are keen for me to stop homeworks earlier for your child please get in touch. There are mock tests for children sitting exams in December available from today. When we do break up from school next week we will be releasing at least two or three mock tests per subject. We only have access to a certain number of tests so please do use these wisely.

Next week the children will be taking part in the PSHE lesson that they had missed last year. This lesson is part of the curriculum for year 5 and so they will receive their year 6 PSHE lesson in the Summer term.

Coming Up:

Maths - Volume and surface area, papers, reasoning questions

English- Classic text, Creative writing,  Comprehension, End of term spelling test

End of Term!

Have a great weekend!

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 11th Kislev - 27th November

This week in Jewish Studies we have continued our study of Parashat Shemot.  We analysed the text to understand from where the Midrash of Batya's arm stretching out far enough to reach Moshe's basket came from.  We learnt from this the idea that a task is never impossible - if we try hard to achieve something, HaShem meets us half way.  We also learnt a new skill - that of reading Rashi text. With the help of some online resources, we had mastered the skill within just one lesson.  

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom.

Friday 27th November 2020

Dear Parents,

It was lovely speaking with and seeing you all on Wednesday evening. Reports are being sent home today along with the children's work that they have emailed to themselves to show you. I am also sending home their creative writing books. Please remind the children to have these back at school on Monday.

I have introduced 'secret student' in the classroom to push the incentive of our Kerem characteristics. This will support the children's resilience and initiative when completing work in the classroom. The 'secret student' gets randomly selected at the beginning of each day. If they have shown one or more of our Kerem characteristics, they receive house points for their team.

They worked really well with year 5 in PE this week and showed excellent team work on the pitch when playing rugby. I had been very impressed with the effort they put into this lesson and the sports coach had been very impressed by their collaboration.

Coming up next week:

-Maths: Area and perimeter of compound shapes, maths papers, problem solving and reasoning activities.

-English: Texts, comprehension papers, SPAG modal verbs

Friday 20th November 2020

Dear Parents,

This week for anti-bullying week the children have taken part in lots of ways to generate Chesed/Kindness at Kerem. They have written stories, painted pebbles for the pebble project, and have watched and been involved in online interactive scenarios. This will be a topic that we will continue to provide support throughout the year.

Atom learning mock tests will be available for those sitting for selective schools. These again will be for Maths, English, Verbal and Non-verbal reasoning. They are not compulsory- but are definitely great practice.

Coming up next week:

Maths- Reviewing ratio and proportion and again going through Maths papers.

English- Modern text, Spag- Idioms, Comprehension Papers

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 13th November 2020

Dear Parents,

This week I have set non-compulsory mock tests for English, Maths, Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning for the children to complete. As exams are nearly around the corner, we thought that it would be a good idea to set mock tests so that they get used to the online exam style.

This week all year six prefects took part in the Kerem Cares Council elections, where they chose two children from each year group to be a part of the three councils- Kehilla, Tzedakah and Tikkun Olam. The year 6s who were part of a council last year will still be continuing it this year.

For Remembrance Day, the Year 6s created a video describing what Remembrance Day is and why people all around the world honour it. They also recited a poem. This video was then played to other classes in the school before stopping for a minutes silence- I have also attached it under the blog if you would like to watch.

The kids looked terrific today all dressed in red for Mitzvah Day. They had also taken the time to make cards for one of two Israeli charities which are ALEH and Save a Child's Heart. 

Coming Up Next Week:

Parents Evening- Wednesday

Maths- Algebra, Atom Learning and Practice Papers

English- Classic and modern texts, comprehension paper, Atom Learning and SPAG (using active and passive voice)

Science- Learning how the immune system works

Art- Continuing to recreate Rene Magritte Artworks

History- Discuss events from WW1 - Signing up and propaganda posters

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 26^th Cheshvan – 13^th November

This week seems to have flown by. We have continued our study of Shemot Perek Bet, concentrating on the birth of Moshe and how his parents knew that he was destined for greatness.  We spent time practising our Hebrew reading and reviewing some of the more complex reading rules and we wrote an essay about what we learn from Avraham.   The children came up with a number of thoughtful and intelligent points in their essays, which they shared with their classmates and accepted feedback from each other about their work.

Have a lovely weekend and Shabbat Shalom!

Mrs Hill

Friday 6th November 2020

Dear Parents,

Our first week back after half term has flown by! This half term, we are going to be continuing to use our online platform of Atom Learning to distribute homework for children to practise at home. This will be for English, Verbal/ Non Verbal Reasoning and Maths. The children all have access to the website and should know their usernames and passwords- Please let us know if there are any difficulties when accessing the site. The children seem to be engaging well in Atom Learning and have completed homework set this week.

Tea Party nominations have now been reintroduced and I am happy to announce that this week's recipient was: Mia B. We look forward to selecting children each week who go above and beyond to demonstrate Kerem characteristics.

Please note that due to Covid-19 regulations, class windows will need to be open at all times. It is imperative that your child is dressed suitably- They are welcome to wear vests and thermals underneath their clothing so as to prevent them from feeling cold in the classroom.

Coming up next week:

Year 6 Kerem Cares leaders will be selecting new members for their chosen councils and their first council meeting should begin next week!

Children should have their lines learned off by heart for Remembrance Day (Wednesday). We will be rehearsing up until that day.

Mitzvah Day (Friday)- Children should come into school wearing red clothing and bring in £1 in order to support AJEX- Association of Jewish Ex-Service men and women.

The collections are as follows:

Non-perishable food items (tinned fruit, tuna or beans, pasta, rice etc) for Food Bank Aid (inc GIFT)

Reading Glasses (Africa)

stationery (pens, pencils, felt tips etc) (Goods for Good)

toiletries (shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, nappies) (Goods for Good)

Jewish Studies 19th Cheshvan – 6th November
 
This week in Jewish Studies, Year Six have continued to impress me with their enthusiasm for their Jewish learning.  We learnt Shemot 2:1-2 in detail, with the children putting hugely impressive effort into their understanding and analysis of the text.
 
We have also discussed possible Chesed projects for next term and made Refuah Sheleimah cards for Rabbi Lord Sacks.  We wrote an essay entitled “Explain why keeping Kosher is an important Mitzvah,” in which many of the children came up with really excellent suggestions and we had an interesting discussion during our Parashah lesson, having first reminded ourselves of the tunes we used to sing at Kabalat Shabbat.  We also reviewed some of our basic general knowledge and discovered that not all the children were able to remember the Hebrew alphabet.  I have challenged them all to learn it for next week.
 
I wish you all an enjoyable weekend and a Shabbat Shalom.
Keep safe and stay healthy.

Mrs Hill
 

Friday 23rd October 2020

Dear Parents,

Assessment week is officially over. Every child showed great perseverance and determination to complete papers for Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, Maths and English. 

I will be discussing their results with you all at parent’s evening after half term.

The children have been sent home with mini packs of practice papers with answers attached. These are optional and I do not expect or need them to hand these in after half term.

It may also be helpful to go over interview preparations with your child over the break to ensure they are confident when visiting schools.

Please remember to send in your secondary transfer forms!

I hope they have a well rested break.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies - 23^rd October – 5^th Cheshvan 5781

This week in Jewish Studies, Year 6 have really impressed me with the standard of work that they have produced.  We began learning Sefer Shemot ch. 2 in Chumash.  The class analysed the first few verses of the text, suggesting a number of interesting ideas and values that could be learned from these verses and making a number of wise hypotheses as to the deeper meaning of the Torah words.

We also wrote our first JS essay this week, for which the children had to write why Chanukah is such an important festival for the Jewish people.  I was really impressed at the thought-provoking and sensitive points that the children made – donuts and dreidels didn’t get a single mention!

The children have their Parashah sheets to complete over the week and please do continue to encourage your children to keep up with their Hebrew reading practice – the link to the reading is on the JS Google Classroom.

Have a relaxing, enjoyable and safe half term and I look forward to seeing your remarkable children back at school after the holidays.

Shabbat Shalom,

Mrs Hill

Friday 16th October 2020

Dear Parents,

This week the children re-visited Geometry including topics such as: translations, reflections, 2D shapes, 3D shapes and nets. This is something that will continue to pop up in their exams- not only for Maths but also for their Non Verbal Reasoning, so it would be helpful to keep going over this with them.

In English, the children were taken outside to observe and relish the changing season as we are beginning to enter Winter. They then went back to write about this experience. Some created very thought provoking poems, others stories and the rest an inward personal reflection. Overall it was an excellent learning experience, which we then related back to the poem 'Leisure' by William Davies.

Coming Up Next Week:

There will be assessments for English, Maths, Verbal and Non-verbal Reasoning. These will be discussed with you at our virtual parent's evening. I understand that the children have been working very hard not only at school but at home as well, which has really enhanced their overall learning in the recent weeks. We will also have a half termly WOW (word of the week) Quiz, as well as a half termly spelling quiz.

Next week a form will be sent out for you to complete; this will be used for their secondary transfer reports. 

Any questions, please feel free to email.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 16th October 2020 - 28th Tishrei 5781

This week in Jewish Studies we have been reviewing our basic Chumash skills, including prefixes and suffixes.  We have been using JiTap to help reinforce our knowledge.  In honour of Shabbat Bereishit we have considered the verse from Tehillim, Mah Rabu Maasecha HaShem – how wonderful is Your world, HaShem, and are creating posters to elucidate this passuk.  We have looked more deeply into the waking up Tefillah of Modeh/modah ani, asking what it is we are giving gratitude for, recognising the good things in our lives and trying to appreciate all that we have.

Hebrew reading homework sheets are on Google Classroom – many of the children have regressed in their Hebrew reading due to little-to-no reading during lockdown.  I urge you to please encourage your children to practise their reading – little and often is best.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom, Chodesh Tov and an enjoyable weekend.

Jewish Studies 21st Tishrei 5781 – 9th October 2020

It has been an unusual week in Jewish Studies for Year 6 this week as they learnt to cope with being taught in their classroom with me at home on Zoom.  To their credit, they dealt with it amazingly well and - with thanks to some excellent ed-tech tools - we were able to work collaboratively online.  We learnt some of the laws of building a kosher Sukkah, with the children producing their own ‘Ikea-style’ videos on how to build a halachically acceptable Sukkah (I’m sure your children will be happy to share these with you!).  We also looked at a variety of unusual and creative Sukkahs, deciding whether or not they were halachically acceptable – this included a Sukkah on a boat, on a camel and on the back of a lorry.

Today we learnt about Simchat Torah and read the famous excerpt from Samuel Pepys' diary, written after he had inadvertently passed by a Shul on Simchat Torah, comparing what he witnessed there to 'brutish behaviour'!

Hebrew reading practice sheets were shared on Google Classroom a few weeks ago – please do encourage your children to keep up their Hebrew reading.  For this term I am not setting regular reading work (as discussed at the curriculum evening) but please do try to read with them a couple of times a week in order to maintain their previously-achieved level.

I wish you all a Chag Same’ah – enjoy the end of this festive period and have a beautiful Shabbat too!

Friday 9th October 2020

Dear Parents,

Twice this week, Year 6 were able to visit and have their lunch in the Sukkah. It was a very special experience considering that this would be the final time they got to be inside the Kerem Sukkah. 

Today I am sending home the children's lunch menu cards so that you can tell them in the morning what they will be having for lunch that day. Please make sure that they should only be bringing in fruit and vegetables for morning break.

Alongside this, we are giving the children a tube of smarties, which they will need to bring back to school. This will need to be completely filled with all the 20p coins they can find and fit inside the tube! 

Coming up next week:

Maths: Geometry (shapes, angles, nets/cubes)

English: Story analysis, Grammar- practice paper

Science: Continuing mould experiment

Geography: Weathering and Erosion experiment

Art: Still life- Shading and light

Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Fri 2nd October - 14th Tishrei 5781

It has been a slightly unusual week this week as we have moved from the seriousness of Yom Kippur to the joyfulness of Sukkot, and from the 'normality' of teaching in school to teaching the children remotely once again.  Nonetheless, the class have worked extremely hard and coped really well with having their teacher appear in giant-size on the whiteboard screen!

We began the week by examining the Torah Sources for both celebrating Sukkot and for using the Arbah Minim.  We then moved on to explore the Halachic rules of constructing a kosher Sukkah - the different measures, materials and locations which are/are not permissible.  The children then worked in groups to produce an 'ikea' video explaining how to construct a kosher Sukkah.  They make fascinating viewing!

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom and Chag Same'ah - stay healthy and stay dry in your Sukkah!

Friday 2nd October 2020

Dear Parents,

This week we were proud to announce our new prefects! After reading each of their applications, we were astounded by the effort and thought they had placed in to the role/s they wanted to apply for. As one of their responsibilities, it is important for them to display their new prefect badges each day on their uniform.  A huge well done to all of our prefects :)

It is important to recognise each child's resilience, where they have worked well together and supported one another in the classroom. It has been quite a turn around since the beginning of September, as now the children are slowly starting to mesh together and show a greater understanding of each other's feelings. I hope that this continues to flourish.

Coming up next week: 

Maths: Decimals, Fractions and Percentages

English: Short writes, Analysing a classic text, Grammar- Semi-colons

Science: Mould experiment

Geography: Weathering and Erosion

Art: Still life drawing- self-portait

Shabbat Shalom!

Miss Weiner

Friday 25th September 2020

Dear Parents,

The week began with a wave of prefect forms being placed on my desk. It was great to recognise all of the children's excitement as they put themselves forward for positions of responsibility. The children will be informed of the new prefects in a few weeks time. 

Reading has been a key focus in Year 6 this week. Over the past few days we have incorporated D.E.A.R (drop everything and read) time into our daily timetable. This will support their vocabulary as well as help them understand different texts and themes. I would therefore wish for them to bring their books to and from school daily so they can take part in this activity. 

Thank you for making the time this week to speak with me about your child- these proved very helpful.

Topics coming up next week:

Maths: 4 operations with fractions

English: Short writes, Modern Texts, Grammar - Colons and Words of the week.

Science: Identifying Microorganisms

Geography: Weathering and Erosion

Art: Drawing from still life

Jewish Studies – 7^th Tishrei – 25^th September

In Jewish Studies this week, the children have continued to impress me with their positive attitudes and enthusiasm to learn.  We have been focussing on Yom Kippur across the week, including studying the relevant verses in Vayikra which instruct us about the Mitzvot of Yom Kippur and learning a text from the Mishna regarding who will and who won’t be forgiven by HaShem on Yom Kippur.  We also discussed why so many famous Jewish athletes, actors etc choose to keep Yom Kippur even at the expense of their day jobs and what it is about Yom Kippur which makes its observance so crucial for Jews everywhere.

I wish you all an easy and meaningful fast and a beautiful, relaxing Shabbat!

Shabbat Shalom,

Mrs Hill

18th September 2020

In Maths the children where using their multiplication and division skills to solve problems involving decimals. These skills were challenged later in the week with reasoning problems as well as exam based questions.

In English the children unpicked a descriptive piece about a location, which they then had to replicate using a different location. We received excellent pieces of writing from them which we were very pleased with.

The topic for Science this year is All living things, so year 6 had started learning the 7 life processes followed by annotating and understanding plant and animal cells. Next week we will be using microscopes and researching a famous microbiologist, which I am sure they will all enjoy.

Our artist this term is Paul Cezanne. For this children have begun to study his work by understanding how he uses colour, texture and movement in his work. I then took the children outside to draw/sketch in the style of Cezanne, which turned out very well.  As for next week, children will be bringing in a small item from home in order to complete a still life drawing. I hope to share these with you in the coming weeks.

Please see below what is coming up next week:

Dear Parents,

Over the coming days I will be sending emails requesting to meet with each of you to discuss where the children are in terms of their assessment results as well as any additional support or plan put in place.

I look forward to speaking with each of you.

Shana Tova and Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 11th September 2020

Dear Parents,

It was lovely 'meeting' you all on Wednesday during our Meet the Teacher evening. It definitely felt strange seeing you all on a screen rather than in person but I hope it was helpful nonetheless. 

We are now reaching the end of our first full week into year 6 and I cannot stress enough how amazing it has been to get to know the class as a whole and find out about their individual personalities. I hope they are all ready for the year ahead and are willing to put in the work to help them be successful in everything they do.

This week we have been incorporating a lot of PSHE lessons based on friendships. These lessons will be ongoing as I hope that the children can learn to empathise with each other and work together to support and uplift one another. I will keep you updated about their progress.

There are a few requests that I would like to share with you. The first is that children should be bringing in two snacks for morning break, as they often tend to be hungry when coming in from break. The second is to be wearing correct school uniform: School shoes- not trainers unless there has been a letter written to us to let us know new school shoes are being ordered and Tzitzit and Kippot (boys).

Have a restful weekend and Shabbat Shalom!

Kind Regards

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies - 11th September 2020 - 22nd Elul 5780

After just one week back, it feels like we have never been away.  It's good to have lockdown behind us, and here's praying that this school year and new Jewish year are meaningful, positive and filled with 'togetherness' and good health.

In Year Six this week we have been focussing on two main areas - i) our roots and our personal connection to the Torah and Judaism and ii) Rosh HaShanah.  We have been using the edtech tool called Sutori which we have greatly enjoyed and, amongst other things, have created a mosaic of our Jewish selves, a poster for Teshuvah, Tefillah and Tsedakah, as well as deciding why it is an apple - rather than any other fruit - which we dip into honey.  We will be looking into some of the Rabbinic sources on this topic next week as well as examining the ten given reasons for why we blow a Shofar on Rosh HaShanah (Do you know why?).

Also, please note that the children's Hebrew reading homework is published on the JS Google Classroom - please do encourage your children to keep up their Hebrew reading practice.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend - enjoy the sunshine .

Mrs Hill

Welcome back!

It has been great to see all of the children back where they belong and it has been a pleasure actually seeing their faces in person. They have settled in well over the past two days and are slowly but surely getting back into the routine of being at school. I am looking forward to speaking with you all at 'Meet' the teacher evening on Wednesday - even though we have now moved to Zoom calls, I will always be available to speak with you if you have any questions.

Please can I just remind the children to bring in a substantial snack for morning break and perhaps rice cakes to keep them going until lunch. I think this would really help their concentration in class.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner