Dear Parents,

We hope you have a fantastic winter break! Please see photos below.

Happy Chanukah.

Year 6

Jewish Studies 8th July - 9th Tammuz

I can't believe this was my final full week with the lovely Year 6.  How this year has flown by! We completed and shared our Entebbe Projects and our Jewish Communities around the World work as well as preparing JS lessons for Yom Talmid.  

By request, we also began our new mini-project, looking at inspirational Jewish women in history.  The children were given to choose from four different women - Bruriah, Dona Gracia Nasi, Gluckel of Hameln and Nechama Leibowitz, all of whom have been huge inspirations to me and my life.  We will complete these next week and will pG share some of them on our final blog of the year.

Thank you all so, so much for joining us for Year 6's final Kerem KabShab - the children really did raise the roof today and set the tone for a beautiful Shabbat for all!

Have a lovely Shabbat and a relaxing weekend.

Friday 7th July 2022

Dear Parents

What a great week it has been with incredible performances from the children 3 days in a row! Their last full week at Kerem has come to an end as has their final Kaballat Shabbat. It has been quite a journey and I am glad we are giving them a brilliant send-off.

This week amidst the madness that was the play, we were able to read chapter 16 of The Giver which we will be finishing off next week. In maths, I showed them the Monty Hall Theorem where they used reasoning and probability to select a door with a hidden prize. They loved playing the game with one another and many had excellent discussions about how and why the Monty Hall Theorem worked.

To end the week, the children were able to take part in Yom Talmud. They found teaching different year groups and ages challenging but rewarding. I hope they share their experiences with you over the Shabbat table tonight. We also shared the last of their Who Am I projects, of which they will be taking home today. They were given a written comment to go along with their very well-thought-out projects which I had the pleasure of listening to and reading.

Please see all photos below!

Next week, please send the children in with a bag for life for taking books and other work home. I am looking forward to the leavers’ assembly which I cannot believe is less than a week away at this point!

Shabbat shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 1st July 2022

Dear Parents

It was so lovely seeing you all on Tuesday cheering on Year 6 throughout the day. The children demonstrated excellent sportsmanship, competitiveness, perseverance and inclusiveness when activities needed to be re-tried. Well done to all the house teams who gave their best efforts to participate in all Sports Day activities!

In English, the children read chapters 13-15 of the Giver where we discussed what life would be like without an understanding of colours, pain and warfare. Many had strong opinions about whether there were more positive or negative memories to share with another person while others felt there was an equal balance and that memories whether they are good or bad depend on how different people interpret them. They produced fantastic poems/descriptions about seeing colour for the first time and recognise these can be linked to various abstract nouns.

In maths, the children completed questions within modular maths to familiarise themselves with techniques and methods. They were also introduced to a puzzle called the Tower of Hanoi where they moved rings from one side to the other with careful arrangement within a range of logical steps. The class really enjoyed the challenge of increasing the rings each time they completed a level, making it harder for them to complete the puzzle within the minimum moves.

In science, the children were taught about selective breeding and crossbreeding. They were fascinated with the examples of dogs and plants and had a go at researching some of the benefits behind this. In addition to this, the children then reviewed the concept of adaptation where an animal or plant adapts to its environment. Year 6 were very interested in this topic as they were able to research some of their favourite animals and find out interesting facts about why they were best suited to an environment.

In RSE, the pupils learnt about reproduction. They asked and answered questions regarding how babies were made and developed their understanding of how our bodies change through puberty to allow reproduction to happen.

Next Week:

-Year 6 are thoroughly excited to perform in their end-of-year play. They have three performances in total. There will be a dress rehearsal for all classes on Monday, a Tuesday afternoon performance for families and members of staff and of course an evening performance for families and staff. Please ensure they keep their costumes at school for all three performances. They will bring these home on Wednesday evening.

-General Knowledge Finals are taking place on Monday 4th July.

-Yom Talmid takes place on Friday 8th July.

Shabbat shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies - 1st July - 2nd Tammuz

This week we had our final in-school session with Rabbi Zeidman, on how to be a giver.  The children then created a video on 'giving it forward', taking into consideration all that they had learnt about the true meaning of giving to others.

Also this week we have been learning about Operation Yonatan - also known as Operation Thunderbolt or the Raid on Entebbe.  One of our pupils specifically asked if we could learn about it, as his grandpa had been involved in the operation.  The children then created video news reports on the events to show their learning.

In our parasha lesson, we learnt through Korach why jealousy can be hugely damaging, and that we should learn to appreciate all that we have, as well as looking at the need to be a peace keeper amongst our friends and family.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and have a peaceful weekend.

Friday 24th June

Dear Parents,

This week the children have displayed great initiative and resilience when rehearsing for our Year Six production. They have worked so well over the past few days, taking on feedback from myself, Mrs Sharman and Mr Fingerhut, remembering their costumes and props and also singing each song with great enthusiasm.

In English the children have read chapter 13 of the giver where they had in depth discussions about the different memories they have gained over the years and especially in the beginning stages at Kerem. They wrote about these key memories and are excited to share these with you in our Leavers’ Assembly.

In maths, I showed the children The Four Colour Theorem, where they were given a number of tricky logic puzzles to unpick. Their goal was to colour in different patterns using only 4 colours. Their only rule was that the same colours were not allowed to touch. This proved challenging for some while others seemed to figure out why and how 4 and even 3 colours could be used, thinking about even and odd numbers. Year Six were also introduced to Pascal’s triangle, where they found interesting patterns within numbered pyramids. Many of them were able to accomplish challenges 1-3 and some even attempted challenge 4!

In PE children have continued to practise different sporting events for next Tuesday. They are excited to participate in sports day and have made excellent progress in each practice session.

Next Week:

Who am I projects are due in on Monday 27th. Please remind your child(ren) to bring them into school on this day.

Shabbat Shalom!

Jewish Studies 17th June  - 18th Sivan

Our main focus this week has been exploring Jewish communities around the world, looking at their origins and the size of their communities across time.  We have explored their different traditions and customs, and of course the variety of traditional dishes from each country as well as a number of other factors of interest too.

Among the countries we looked at were China, India, Brazil (including the Amazon - yes, there's a Jewish community right in the heart of the rainforest!), Greece/Rhodes and a number of others too.

You can see some of the work produced by the children here.   I hope you enjoy!

Shabbat Shalom and enjoy the sunshine.

Mrs Hill

Friday 17th June

Dear Parents,

The week started off with a BANG due to an incredible STEAM Week assembly from The Science Boffins on Monday which was filled with various experiments using everyday materials. Later in the week, the class designed and tested their glider planes, making adaptations where necessary, using only one piece of card and a straw. Today they put their gliders to the test as they took part in a mini-competition seeing whose glider plane design travelled the furthest. It only got better from there when Year 6 took part in Boystown. Mrs Sharman and I were so proud of their efforts and behaviour on the day and truly thought they performed very well.  This week, the class had also had a guest speaker, Mr Blitz, to come in and talk to them about the birth of Skinny Dip where they learnt a lot about Mr Blitz’s entrepreneurial journey from having one good idea to now having a successful and thriving business. Year 6 asked excellent questions about the process and were keen to watch his company’s original pitch in the beginning stages of Skinny Dip on Dragon’s Den!

In English, the children read about what it was like to experience colour for the first time in our class reader, ‘The Giver’. They wrote wonderful poems about colour in many different styles of poetry e.g. acrostic, shape, rhyming and non-rhyming poems. 

In maths, the children revisited the topic of surface area, testing formulae for cubes, cuboids and prisms. The class did very well overall and used their initiative for irregular nets and shapes. We also revised how to find percentages of amounts, looking for patterns in our answers e.g.50% of 600 vs 5% of 600 and reviewing applied methods by ranking questions in order of difficulty e.g. 99% of 300, 30% of 400, 64% of 100 or 95% of 800. They were then able to apply their reasoning to determine what they believed was the easiest/ hardest question to work out.

In history, the class conducted research about Chaim Weizmann who played a role, certainly central from the Zionist point of view, in the genesis of the letter that later came to be called the Balfour Declaration. They then developed their understanding of Jewish life after WWII, discussing points such as the White Paper of 1939 and how Jewish people came to settle in Israel. Following on from this, Morah Sari spoke about the importance of a Kibbutz, her experience there and how it built community among the people of Israel.

Please remember to secure your tickets for the Year 6 production- This Is Me! I look forward to seeing you all there.

Shabbat Shalom
Miss Weiner

Friday 10th June

Dear Parents,

I would like to say how wonderful Year 6 performed in the Debate on Thursday. It is truly remarkable that they were a part of building a new legacy here at Kerem. The day only got better and better from there! The class then went to Mill Hill to take part in a Junior Citizenship Scheme where they spoke to many professionals who work for the Police, TFL, London Fire Brigade and Hope UK. They attended a carousel of activities where they learnt about knife crime, drugs and alcohol, safe transport and fire safety. 

In English, the children read chapters 8 and 9 of The Giver. In these chapters, the main protagonist was rewarded a curious, new assignment when attending s community assembly. With his new assignment, came many responsibilities and rules. There was much discussion about rules we have in general and what the reasons are behind each. On one hand some had said that rules are placed as a preference, whilst others mentioned how they are there to support you to become a kind and efficient individual. Throughout the rest of the term, we will work our way through The Giver, where they will complete written tasks and develop their understanding of a utopian society.

In maths, we reviewed the topic of Volume in 3D shapes. We discussed different formulae for how to find the Volume of cubes and cuboids. Their learning was further extended in the ‘Stretch’ where they applied mathematical fact to find out how different lengths, heights and widths could equal the same volume. In the ‘Challenge’ many took risks by finding the volume of prisms. They were able to recognise that the cross-section i.e area of the face could be multiplied by its length to find its volume. The children also completed two challenging investigations where they had to use their logical problem solving skills to work out how a chicken, fox and grain could get to the other side without being eaten by their predator. Another proved great skill where the children needed to swap 4 frogs to opposite sides only using 5 lily pads. This was slightly trickier as they needed to record their steps to see if they could reduce the number of jumps per frog.

Year 6 have begun to make preparations for sports day! This week they practised their sprints. They have also begun to make more headway with regard to the play, which I am sure you are excited to see! 

I am sure that you have seen information about Kerem's BIG Fundraising campaign. If you are able to support the campaign, it would be greatly appreciated. Click here to make a donation.

Coming Up:

-Boystown: The children have been rehearsing for Boystown over the past few months and are eager to perform at the Boystown concert on Thursday 15th June, which I am sure will be a fantastic performance. Please remember to send your child with a snack for Boystown separate from their morning break snack.

Further details:

Harrow Arts Centre, 171 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, HA5 4EA

-Next week is STEAM week and we have a range of activities occurring across the school from Lego Workshops; a visit from the Science Boffins; a whole-school glider competition; Engineering workshops by Boeing and a tallest plant competition.  We will also be selecting 5 KS2 children to represent the school in the RAF Glider Challenge 2022 at the end of June.

Day Two

By seven a.m. we were wide awake,

All ready to start our new day,

We said Tefillah with a yawn and a snore,

And after breakfast we were off on our way.

Our first stop was Lincoln, so pretty and green,

Where we headed to Jews’ Court to meet

Our guide, Dorothy, who showed us the old Shul,

Atop the steep, steep Steep Hill, an ancient street.

From there we boarded the bus, known as Fred,

Woodlife Wildlife Park our next destination,

We saw meerkats and lemurs, raccoons, and a sloth,

And a parrot who bopped for the occasion.

The white wolves were howling, could be heard from afar,

Whilst penguins went diving for fish.

Feeding time at the zoo included the tiger and lynx,

Thick chunks of raw meat, their favourite dish.

Then back to Walesby for a brief dip in the pool,

And the 3G swing with a harness.

With more delicious food to fill up our bellies,

We then played until the arrival of darkness.

After Day One, Year 6 said:

The children have spoken…

Joe: It’s been really fun playing outside.

Max: Food is much better than school food.  Rabbi Hill is a good man of the cooking.

Raphy: True men stay in freezing pools.

Josh: My mum packed me the wrong sweets.

Rafi: I forgot to pack my voice.

Chloe: He who saves a single life, is as if he’s saved the world entire (From Beth Shalom).

Ella: If you don’t scream, it’s not fun.

Sarah: Celebrate good times.

Ari: Lying in bed all day is the life.

Diary Entry – Sunday 22^nd May – in Bibical Style 

And it was evening and it was morning, the First Day.  There was tohu vavohu (aka chaos) in the Suburb.  And the children of Kerem Year 6 were gathered unto their teachers from whence they rose up unto their coach, henceforth to be known unto ye all as Freddy, with its driver being named amongst us as Ed.  And whence all the baggage had been assembled upon the back of Freddy, the children poured forth onto its seats therein, whereupon they saddled their harnesses and prepared themselves for the long journey ahead.

And behold, they lifted up their eyes and saw, and it was the way of the A1M.  The children were satisfied to be aboard the Freddy, and they sang their praises.  And lo, the skies turned blue and the clouds disavanished, whereupon the children unharnessed their saddles and arrived at the House of Peace, known as Beth Shalom to us all.  Here they opened wideth their ears whilst they broadened their knowledge of their history and they learneth well.

And there was morning and there was afternoon, and behold, the children ascended the Freddy, reharnessed their saddles and made their way to Walesby whereupon they laid their bags upon their beds, settled happily into their new surroundings, consumed a hearty dinner and happily dropped down upon their beds whereupon the sun set and the sun riseth and the children slept well.

And it was evening and it was morning, the first day.

Friday 20th May 2022

Dear Parents,

This week the children have had a wonderful time celebrating ‘It’s Great to be British Week’ at school, centred around the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with a number of lessons and activities. Early on in the week, the children went to the EYU to support the younger classes with their decorations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. They made fantastic flowers and pots which ended up being the centrepieces on the tables during our platinum jubilee street party. During the party, the pupils watched a short video clip of the coronation, had some delicious snacks and sang a special jubilee song as well as the national anthem. The class then learned about the Queen’s coronation in 1953. They found it fascinating to unpick all of the different elements that went in to becoming a king and queen, so much so, they all had a go at creating their own coronations! The class decorated sceptres and orbs, made an oath and a detailed poster about the Queen. Other classes researched the other decades. On Thursday, year 6 were tasked with the important role of hosting various stalls at the Jubilee Fair. The children were superb when it came to encouraging younger classes to try their luck at some games and as a result all classes had an amazing day. To finish off the week, the class had the opportunity to learn an Irish dance in one of the workshops. They used humour and took risks when dancing the traditional Irish jig which was a pleasure to watch! Please see pictures below.

In English, the class were tasked with writing two descriptions- one was based on a famous painting by Georges Seurat and the other was based on an illustrated photo from the book Journey. We will continue their book study on The Giver when we are back after half term. In maths, the children continued their work on multiplying and dividing fractions. They used reasoning and  pictorial representations when working out what happens to fractions when they are multiplied e.g. Do they always get smaller?

In RSE this week we discussed peer pressure and what makes a healthy or unhealthy relationship, focussing particularly on friendships. We also discussed consent, talked about body autonomy and revised the 'PANTS rule'.(Privates are private; Always remember your body belongs to you; No means no; Talk about secrets that upset you and Speak up, someone can help.) We will be looking at this again after half term once we have taught about reproduction where we will discuss peer pressure and consent within personal relationships.

I am sure the children are all excited about our trip on Sunday. It will be another fantastic experience to add to their final year at Kerem and I am sure they will all have an amazing time! Photos will be added to the blog throughout the trip for you all to keep up-to-date. 

Looking forward to seeing all of their sleepy faces bright and early on Sunday morning.

Shabbat shalom

Miss Weiner

Dear Parents,

This week the children took part in bikeability! At the beginning of the week the children were introduced to bike ability instructors Ben and Mario. They were assessed off-road and divided into groups based off of a set of skills such as: bike control, riding one-handed and setting their peddles so they are able to set off with ease. The rest of the week, was supporting them with signalling, manoeuvring around a course and emergency braking. On Thursday and Friday, the pupils completed their road sessions, checking to see when it is safe to come onto the road and maintaining awareness when cycling with other road users. They also learnt how to centrally position themselves on the lane they are riding in - away from parked cars, and learnt how to negotiate junctions, checking to see if there is anything coming. Overall the children have been amazing over the course of week and they have developed a sense of responsibility for themselves and others around them.

In English we have read chapter 6 of The Giver where we learnt about the importance of age in a utopian society and how children of the same age develop and progress at the same rate. In maths, we are revisiting adding and subtracting fractions. This will be continued next week.

On Tuesday, the class had first aid training where they reviewed what to do in difficult situations. They had a go at giving CPR appropriately to others (when needed), they practised how to support someone if they are choking and they learnt how to put someone in the recovery position. See photos below.

Next week is British week, where the children will be celebrating all things British!

Have a lovely weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 6th May 2022

Dear Parents,

I wanted to let you know how proud I was of the children’s understanding and sensibility at the Yom Hazikaron Takes on Tuesday. It was very moving to hear them speak about the day itself and even more so to hear them sing with meaning. This was then followed by a joyous day, where the children were able to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut. This day consisted of many activities which ranged from Israeli dancing to making a 3D map of Israel.

In RSE lesson the children learned about how and why our bodies change during puberty. The class were able to name the different body parts using anatomically correct names. The children were then free to discuss why these changes happen and how it might make us feel. Next week, we will be discussing healthy and unhealthy relationships.

In English the children have continued to read chapters 3, 4 and 5 of The Giver. One question that stuck out in the book was- Should volunteer hours be compulsory? The children recognised the irony behind this statement and gave excellent feedback when answering this question. In maths, the children used reasoning to solve multiplication and division problems, deciding how and why some methods work over others. Not all children were accurately using long division- this will need more revision.

In science, the children learned about fossils, how they are made and what they are called at different stages. The class then had a go at identifying these different fossil images. They enjoyed the challenge and all gave excellent reasons using scientific language such as ‘sediment’, ‘deteriorate’ and ‘petrified’. In history, the children learned about the beginnings of Anti-Semitism, recognising where they originated from and how pogroms developed because of this. In art, the children have begun looking at a new artist- David Hockney. Next week they will explore the concept of landscapes and hopefully recreate one of his works.

Next week is cycle confident training. Please ensure your child hands in their consent form and has a helmet and bike ready to go. Without any of these three things, they will not be able to participate. Children will be able to leave their bicycles at school- please ensure they bring a lock.

Shabbat shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 6th May - 5th Iyar

This week has flown by, obviously helped along by the long weekend and Yom Haatzmaut!  We have continued to learn about the Dreyfus affair and its effect on Herzl, and the class have created presentations about the trial, which, next week they will be recreating in class.  

We were delighted to welcome Rabbi Ziedman from GIFT this week, who is running 6 sessions with the class on being a giver.   The children learnt different ways and different levels of giving to others, and they all thoroughly enjoyed his lively and animated style of presentation!

Yom Haatzmaut was celebrated in style, with Years 5 and 6 together creating an incredible 3D map of the land of Israel.  We sang and danced our way through the day, celebrating Israel’s 74th birthday in style!

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom.

Jewish Studies 29th April - 28th Nissan

Welcome back to the summer term.  I hope you all had a really lovely Pesach and enjoyed the Divrei Torah that the children wrote for their Sedarim.

We began our week by learning about the once-a-year brachah which we say when seeing blossom growing during the month of Nissan.  We were fortunate to have the trees right outside of school still in bloom so that we could recite this special brachah.

In preparation for Yom Haatzmaut, we explored the history of early Zionism, looking in detail at the Dreyfus Affair, and its connection to Theodore Herzl and his quest to establish a Jewish Homeland. The children are working on creating their own presentations and videos explaining how the situation transpired, including the theme of anti-Semitism, but how it led to a positive outcome, being the State of Israel.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov, and enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.

Mrs Hill

Friday 29th April 2022

Dear Parents,

I hope you all had a lovely passover break.

The children received their play scripts on the first day back of school and have been thrilled with rehearsal so far.

Year 6 made a great start to news week, where they began to unpick the features of a newspaper, reviewing the differences between hard news and soft news. They then broke off into groups so they could gather information and research for their newspapers. Some interviewed family members/ friends whilst others made a start on their articles. It was brilliant to see the children collaborating in their teams, proofreading each other’s work and displaying reflectiveness to produce their unique newspapers. Alongside this, each team were asked to create a podcast where the podcast manager(s) interviewed special guests. The interviews were conducted over the phone, in person and on zoom. The class had an amazing day and were thrilled with the outcomes of their newspapers.

Year 6 were introduced to the debate on Tuesday. They will need to write a persuasive speech for both possible candidates, one whom they were given, and another whom they chose. It is important for them to spend a great deal of time researching both people so that they can then write their debate speeches as to why they should be our new house personalities. Children will have to not only write two speeches but also rehearse what they are going to say. Each speech will be exactly 2 minutes, totalling 4 minutes per child. The debate will be their only homework until the 10th May.

In English, the children were introduced to ‘The Giver’ by Lois Lowry where they learned about Thomas More’s  concept of ‘Utopia’. They will continue to explore what a utopian society is, and how it is constructed and shaped throughout the text.

In maths, the children have begun to revise previously learnt topics, delving deeper and improving their understanding using reasoning and problem solving. This week we utilised our understanding of addition and subtraction and applied this to underpin most effective and efficient methods when calculating answers. A high level of discussion was obtained and many used technical vocabulary to describe their reasons behind which method they chose. Next week, we will move onto multiplication, where children will be expected to solve missing number problems, work through sequences and develop their higher order thinking skills.

In PSHE, I spoke to the children about their feelings toward secondary school. They each wrote about things they were excited about as well as those that they were not. This led to many thoughtful discussions which enabled them to support and listen to one another. Reading these feelings anonymously, allowed the pupils to recognise that many had similar thoughts and feelings, which seemed to be quite reassuring. Our PSHE/ RSE lessons will alternate to allow some time in between for the children to think about what has been said.

Next week is our Yom Hazikaron Tekes. I look forward to welcoming those of you who are able to join us in school on Wednesday morning. For the ceremony, children are expected to come to school wearing black and white.

Shabbat shalom

Miss Weiner

Thursday 7th April 2022

Dear Parents,

We are now at the end of the spring term and I am only just now wondering- Where has the time gone? We have had a terrific final week where the children have worked hard and collaborated well. Next term we have planned many exciting opportunities for the children to participate in and Mrs. Sharman and I are especially excited to finally give them their first glimpse of the play!

In maths the children reviewed the topic of negative numbers, recognising and applying their knowledge of negative and positive digits to complete sequences, answer worded problems, and solve maths mysteries.

Here is one of the many curious questions they explored - Does a negative number get smaller or bigger when you halve it and why?

In English the children came to the end of our book study of Letters From the Lighthouse. Their homework task was to design new book covers using all of the themes from the chapters such as: air raid shelters, codes/ciphers, propaganda, spies and kinder transport. The class were also introduced to Anne Frank, where they explored her life in the secret annex through a virtual tour. The children found the interactive tour very exciting as it gave them a lot of information about what life was truly like in hiding. They wrote fact files about her life and wrote diary entries from her perspective whilst living amongst 7 other people. The children also designed and made their own spelling games, which were executed really well (see photos below).

Writers of the Week:

Last week: Scarlett, Ella and Shai

This week: Lexi and Josh

Next term we will be reading a new book entitled ‘The Giver’ by Lois Lowry. It is a fantastic book and the children will be reading it both at home and at school. The children will be able to read the entire book on their iPads. However, if you think your child would prefer to read the actual book, please could we ask that you purchase the book for them. They should then bring the book back and forth from school. It is imperative that they do not read ahead.

In science the children experimented with colour and filters, exploring how light is absorbed and reflected by light. They documented their findings and found patterns within their understanding. In history, the children had an in-depth discussion about VE Day and how world war two came to an end. In art, the pupils made their own ration booklets (shown below). In robotics the children were able to choose between a variety of creations to make, that differed in challenge. They worked in pairs to construct their theme park inspired models, all of which were great accomplishments.

The children have been rehearsing songs for our Yom Hazikaron Tekes. Please encourage the children to go over the songs for our Yom Hazikaron Tekes over the Pesach break.

The children thoroughly enjoyed the model Seder. A huge thank you to Mrs Hill, who thought of every detail, prepared the children so well, and made sure that all the important parts were highlighted and explained. Thank you also to Mr Fingerhut for our musical accompaniments.

Wishing you all a Chag Kasher V'sameach.

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies - 1st April 2022 - 29th Adar II

Year 6 have been working really hard on their Divrei Torah and other Pesach assignments. They have learnt about dayeinu and written their own versions, as well as completing a Guide to Chametz and now working on their own telling of the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim.

The model Seder will be on Tuesday, due to be led by Year 6.  Each child has a role to play, and I know that they will make an amazing job of it!

Reminder - on Wednesday evening, 7th April will be the 1- hour session (including refreshments), by Rabbi Herman, "Bring Seder Alive for your Family" from 7-8 pm. This is a session not to be missed, well worth giving up an hour of your day for!

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom, and keep warm!

Mrs Hill

Friday 1st April 2022

Dear Parents,

It was lovely seeing you all for the maths workshop this morning- thank you for attending. The children were thrilled to be with you in the classroom and play one of the maths games on offer. In maths, the children constructed and interpreted different types of graphs including: line, scatter and conversion graphs. When constructing a graph, the pupils had to first identify key features of a graph such as the title, labelled x-axis and y-axis, as well as how the points are plotted the points depending on which graph they had drawn. The majority were very successful in drawing their graphs, however some may need to revisit the skill of plotting their data. The children also developed their reasoning skills when comparing graphs- identifying those that are presented in a misleading way. We used precise language such as increments and correlation to discuss what the data what showing and what others may learn from the data presented. This led to some interesting discussions about data bias. Next week year 6 will be consolidating some of their earlier learning of negative numbers. They will also have a go at solving some trickier maths investigations, where they will have to use their prior knowledge to solve.

In English, we have continued our book study on Letters From The Lighthouse. They completed a fun acting freeze-frame activity, reenacting scenes in the book where characters showed empathy for others. I have attache some of these below. The class were set a task for homework which had been to write a poem from the perspective of a refugee entitled ‘In Their Shoes’. I am extremely impressed by the power and meaning they managed to convey within their poems- they should be very proud. For their short-write, I gave them an image of ‘The Scream’ by Edvard Munch. The children were also given a range of techniques they could include, the main technique being to write in second person. All of the children completed a fantastic short story, some focussing on the weather and surroundings while others thought carefully about the character in the foreground. Our comprehension this week was based on a poem, Plug in, Turn on, Look out. The children had to discover the meaning behind the authors language and unpick what themes were conveyed over the course of the poem.

Writers of the week:

Scarlett and Ella - ’The Scream’

Shai - ‘In Their Shoes’

In music, the children were given songs to learn for Yom Hazikaron. Please ensure they rehearse these at home. The music and lyrics are attached to google classroom. In science, the children took part in a few experiments surrounding the refraction of light. They reviewed how colour can split into a spectrum and any natural light is referred to as ‘white light’. In history, the children learned about D-Day- a pivotal day in WW2 when allied countries took part in Operation Overlord (Battle of Normandy). They designed medals for those that fought in Operation Neptune which consisted of a symbol that best represented the event e.g.paratroopers, planes, naval ships etc. Year 6 took part in their last ever gym session and had an amazing session. Please see photos below. Unfortunately, there was no Robothink this week, however we hope to have a final session on Monday.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

25th March - 22nd Adar

Year 6 have been working so hard on researching and writing their own divrei Torah, each on a different Pesach-themed topic, from Afikoman to Zeroa!  They have also created a glossary of Pesach words and expressions and are now working hard to create a Guide to Chametz.  Next week, we will be looking at the Seder itself as Year 6 will be leading this year’s model Seder the following week.  Lots of work still to do!

Have a lovely weekend and Shabbat Shalom!

Friday 25th March 2022

Dear Parents,

The week began with A Midsummer Night’s Dream Workshop. The theatre company delivered a fantastic performance to years 5 and 6 where they chose members from the audience to take part in the play. The children enjoyed the workshop and continued their learning of Shakespeare when defining a variety of Shakespearian phrases, they also completed a carousel of activities including drama, performance poetry and descriptive writing.

In maths we continued to find missing values using algebraic formulae within shape. This was a fantastic challenge, as the children were able to choose what challenges they wanted to tackle and many were impressed with their hard work and persistence. Many pupils demonstrated their understanding of algebraic formulae by completing many of the difficult tasks set for homework- Well done! Next week we will be reviewing statistics, revisiting how data is gathered, drawn and interpreted.

In history the children looked at the word ‘legacy’ and what it meant in conjunction with Kindertransport. They were fascinated and saddened by the experience young children and families faced during the war and made valid points about why we should still remember this today. The pupils had the opportunity to take part in a Kindertransport workshop where they heard from someone who went on the Kindertransport during world war two. In robotics the children made a pirate ship swing. This week the children worked independently and used their reflectiveness to problem solve. Year 6 enjoyed the activity and the outcomes were terrific! In art, the children finished off their incredible bomb shelter models. Mrs Goldfarb and I were blown away (not so literally) by their amazing designs. Please see photos below. In science, the children learned about refraction and how light changes its speed upon reaching different mediums. We will test this out using different experiments next week!

I am looking forward to seeing you all at the next parent’s consultation next week.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 18th March 2022

Dear Parents,

Purim Sameach!

It was lovely seeing you all yesterday in shul for the Megilla reading. The children had a fantastic day and thoroughly enjoyed taking part in all of the activities we had to offer. Year 6 collaborated well with the Kerem Cares Committees to run the stalls at the Purim Fair, where each child from different year groups had the chance to try their luck in the hopes of winning prizes! The children also participated in Zumba for Jewish Care and the fancy dress parade where they were able to show off their brilliant costumes. During the day the children also took the time to complete a fun Purim quiz and swapped their Mishloach Manot.

In maths, we revisited and explored our algebra topic where pupils used their understanding of finding possible combinations of two variables to find pairs of numbers that satisfy an equation with two unknowns. Here they used their knowledge of place value and ‘inverse’ to work through different calculations and worded problems to find missing amounts. Year 6 also used their knowledge of algebra to express missing numbers algebraically using angles, lengths. Some children found it particularly challenging to apply their algebraic understanding toward problems involving shape- we will continue to go through this next week.

In English, year 6 has reviewed three poems - ‘Adrift’ by Emily Dickinson, ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling, and ‘To Find a Poem’ by Robert Fisher. The children thoroughly enjoyed annotating the poems, analysing underlying themes and recognising meaning behind the poet’s use of language. Throughout the week, pupils worked in pairs and small groups to act out parts of poetry, write their own stanzas and perform poems to the rest of the class. Next week we have arranged an exciting Shakespeare workshop that will take place at school on Monday morning.

In robotics, pupils worked in pairs to create larger, more complicated versions of the bumper cars they made a few weeks ago. They collaborated by carefully working together step by step until they created their bumper car with sound and lights. The children were impressed by the outcome of their hard work and persistence. In science, we began to look at the ways in which mirrors can reflect light. They tested this out in a variety of scenarios and will continue to experiment with light next week! As part of our world war two history topic, the children continued to understand the rise of Hitler and the Nazis. We discussed many important themes that underpinned this, such as antisemitism, the Nuremberg Laws, and Kristallnacht. Next week we will explore the topic of Kindertansport, where the children will take part in a workshop that looks at how Jewish people evacuated from Germany in more detail. In art, the children began to create their 3D bomb shelters using different materials. They have made excellent progress and will hopefully be finished by next week!

Have a lovely weekend and Shabbat shalom.

18th March - 15th Adar II - Jewish Studies

It's been another super-busy week this week.  We began with learning about the creation of Man in Chumash.  We discussed what it means to be created 'In HaShem's Image' and who HaShem was speaking to when He said, "Let US make man".  As ever, Year 6 blew me away with their incredible suggestions and interpretations!

We further analysed the story of the Megillah, exploring the Megillah for examples of greed and conspiracy, of which we found examples in every chapter. We shared our work on Padlet, ensuring that we could view each other's and collaborate together.  On Thursday we celebrated Purim in style, with Megillah reading and the Purim fair as well as our fancy dress parade and sponsored Purim Zumba for Jewish Care. Please could you send all sponsor money into school on Monday.

In Parashah we looked at how the kohanim would rush each morning to clean up the ashes from the previous day's sacrifices, and we discussed how everybody is important when there's a job to be done, no matter what the job is.

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend!

11th March - 8th Adar

We’ve had a really mixed bag of learning In Jewish Studies this week.  We started to explore Day 6 of the Creation of the World, examining the text on the creation of animals. We enjoyed sharing our Parashah work with our classmates, trying out each other’s games and being wowed by Raphy’s short story of the journey of the Aron.

We had our Year 12 madrichim from Mizrachi join us on Thursday for an Israel/Purim quiz and activities, which we really enjoyed.  We especially love having an ex-Kerem pupil being part of the team!  In our Parasha lesson, we learnt that sacrifices were not to contain honey or yeast, but had to contain salt.  Just as salt enhances the flavour already within food, we too should work to enhance all the qualities and talents that are already inside of us.

Shabbat Shalom!

Friday 11th March 2022

Dear Parents,

This week was Book Week! Year Six took part in many exciting activities such as meeting a well-established author Gareth P.Jones, who came in to speak/sing to each year group (with the help of his ukulele). The children were inspired by Gareth’s journey to becoming an author and were intrigued when he mentioned some ideas for his upcoming books. Year Six also had a quiet reading session with Year One. During the week, they also created their own book characters using wooden spoons. Some of their creations are displayed below. Last but not least, Year Six took part in a book quiz run by Ms. Simon. They had a brilliant time using their knowledge of books to answer the questions on offer. I hope this inspires some of them to go away and select the books discussed during the quiz.

On Tuesday, Year Six had the opportunity to visit Bletchley Park, where codebreakers devised automatic machinery to help decrypt specialised German codes during World War Two. The children explored the huts where they viewed Alan Turing’s office and observed each of the machines used such as the Enigma machine, Typex machine, and Bombe machine. In the mansion, students were able to enter the library and use embossing stamper to show they have completed their mission at Bletchley. They also read and listened to veterans sharing their experiences of wartime work. Pupils took part in some interactive exhibitions which explained the methods and skills required to break codes. They utilised their maths knowledge to predict (crib) codes. Overall, the children all thoroughly enjoyed their experience at Bletchley Park- as did I!

What an incredible few weeks filled with Open Homework Projects. Each child should be extremely proud of their hard work and dedication to their projects. This week we even invited our Year Five children to come to our classroom to explore Year Six's projects. They thoroughly enjoyed their time wandering around the room, listening, watching, and reading the many fantastic things Year Six has created. Year Six enjoyed the experience as well, displaying all of their efforts for all to see.

In Robotics, the children made an orbit contraption that had spinning and moving parts. They enjoyed the challenge of using motors and wheels and many were successful in their creations.

In English, the children read through chapter 18 of Letters from the Lighthouse and explored poetry written by Emily Dickinson. They worked really well to identify and analyse the meaning behind a poem, some of whom recognised the themes which emerged from the text. The rest of the week was jam-packed with fun book week activities!

In science, the children reviewed how the eye detects light. They demonstrated a deep curiosity about different elements of the eye; one of them being the retina. They used flexibility of mind to understand what the role of the retina does and how we use it on a daily basis. The ‘pupils’ experimented with light, recognising how it enters the eye and what happens once it does.

In history, the children learned what life was like for the Jewish people pre-war and how this changed for them once the war began. They reviewed the Jewish life in Eastern Europe and Western Europe and began to identify how and why Jews moved from Russia to Poland and how Jewish life changed as communities moved to Western Europe.

Well done to the Year Four, Five, and Sixes who took part in the Preliminary General Knowledge Quiz. Our 3 teams came first, second and third in this heat, which means we have made it through to the next round! Well done!

Next Thursday is Purim and the Ivrit team along with the Kerem Cares Committees have decided to host a Purim Fair with many fun games, activities, and prizes on offer. Each class has been asked to make a stall that our Year Sixes will run. Our stalls this year are a bean bag toss, where they will need to land on the 14th Adar -PURIM, and the other is to make Rashaanim. They will not need to buy anything for the fair. Each child is asked to bring £5 on Thursday, and in return, they will receive tokens to spend at the fair. All of the money will go to Tzedakah.

Reminder:

Purim: Please send your child in with £5 

Maths workshop: Please remember to sign up if you have not already.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

4th March - 1 Adar 2

In Jewish Studies we continued our learning of Parashat Bereishit, this week focusing on Day 5 of creation, asking why HaShem specifically blessed the birds and fish.  

We have been learning about Purim, which is just around the corner. We have written a class poem retelling the story of the Megillah, and discussed the concept of hashgacha pratit - that nothing happens by coincidence, that everything happens for a reason and is guided by HaShem.  We looked at different examples of hashgacha pratit within the Megillah.

Besides this, we practised, practised, practised our singing of Dror Yikra, and we had the best time singing it with the Chief Rabbi.  What an absolute honour to have had him visit us - it made our week incredibly special!

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend!

25th Feb - 24th Adar I

In Jewish Studies this week we continued to explore and question Day 4 of Creation. We discussed that on Day 1, HaShem created darkness and light, so how could it be that the sun and moon were only created on Day 4.  

We have also been practising the words and melody for Dror Yikra, ready for when the Chief Rabbi comes to join us next week.  We even tried to learn the ‘cup’ actions - some of us mastered it, and some of us just couldn’t manage it!

In our Parashah lesson, we saw how Bnei Yisrael had rushed to bring donations to the Mishkan.  In fact, they brought so many gifts that they had to be told to stop bringing.  We learned that the word for performing mitzvot with enthusiasm is zerizut.

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hill

Friday 4th March 2022

Dear Parents,

This week the children began to present some of their open homework projects. We have been astounded so far by the level of detail and strong subject knowledge used when presenting their work. We are looking forward to viewing the rest of the projects next week!

On Monday during robotics, the children made a Spinning Fling. They had a brief discussion outlining the safety features of various rollercoasters and set about creating their very own spinning contraption. They will further develop their understanding of safety features next week!

In maths, the pupils learned how to compare and to classify 2D shapes and practised how to accurately draw 2D shapes using given dimensions. At first, they were set with the challenge of arranging/organising different shapes based on their own categories e.g. shapes with parallel lines, only acute angles, more than 4 lines of symmetry etc. They were able to come up with quite a few reasons as to why each shape belonged to that specific category. Following on from this, the children were then tasked with using a protractor to measure and draw angles. This supported them when it came to drawing their own shapes. Some pupils found it quite challenging to use a protractor and may still require more practice around the topic.

In English, we read chapters from Letters to the Lighthouse. This week, the children wrote from the perspective from different characters  within the book. Their short-write was to write a story using a picture prompt of an object. Here we discussed how to turn their stories into strong metaphors as though they were the object experiencing the world around them. In spelling and grammar, the children were able to learn through creative tools by creating songs/raps, using code ciphers (taken from our history lesson last week) and even a quiz! They thoroughly enjoyed presenting these to the class.

Writer of the week:

This week: Max and Jonah

We finally made it to Forest School, and luckily for us, there was neither wind or rain to keep us away. The children thoroughly enjoyed their time squelching through the mud and completing all of the activities on offer! This ranged from team building and active listening skills being taught through games as well as weaving, clay imprinting, and exploring. 

Linking to our history topic last week, the children began to draw and design their own Anderson shelters. They will be creating models of these next week. In science, the children began a new topic based on light and how we see things. They used scientific vocabulary to sort materials into opaque, transparent or translucent.

It was extremely special to be able to welcome the Chief Rabbi to our school on Wednesday afternoon. The children sang the ‘Cups’ version of Dror Yikra and were filmed while doing this for a special video being made for ShabbatUK. Everyone was impressed with the energy and atmosphere brought by the children, and how well they knew the words and tune.

Reminder:

• Tuesday: Trip to Bletchley Park

Please ensure children bring comfortable shoes and coats as we will be walking around both inside and out. Boys will need to wear a Kerem cap.

• Maths workshops:

This week an email was sent regarding our upcoming parent maths workshops. We are hoping to see as many parents there as possible, so please RSVP using the Google Form attached to the email, which can also be found below. The deadline for this is today.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1NC1uTvl_XugDMVYVyO9u7eFvzASutEyRQDhHjA5py3c/edit

• Ivrit reading session- 8.15am on Monday. This week Mrs Oshman will be reading you a story. Especially for Book Week. 

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Friday 25th February 2022

Dear Parents,

I hope you all had a restful half term.

Year 6 kicked off the week with a musical performance on Monday morning. It was wonderful seeing them perform in front of the school after covering so beautifully during tefillah. Another exciting event during the week was the ‘Shuk’. The children had an amazing time gathering resources, creating their stalls, and buying and selling products in Ivrit. The children demonstrated excellent collaboration when and took the initiative to guide other classes when handing over their shekalim. In robotics, the children made roller coasters this week. They were really pleased with the outcomes.

In maths, the pupils learned how to label a circle, find its area and circumference as well as the area of different sectors. They also had the opportunity to develop their use of compasses to draw circles accurately, measuring the radius with before attempting to complete a full turn. This may still require more practice.

In English, we continued to read chapters from Letters to the Lighthouse. This linked to our current history topic where we discussed bomb shelters and how to stay safe during an air raid. The children created their own news pathe videos giving instructions about what to do in an air raid. They completed a short comprehension based on chapter 14- Keep it under your hats, where we had lots of discussions based on secrets and messages. Our grammar skill this week was to identify and accurately use formal and informal language. This was then applied to a newspaper report about a missing lighthouse.

In history we reviewed the Battle of Dunkirk/ Operation Dynamo where Churchill sent troops to save Britain from a German invasion. We also discussed the element of coding and spying during the war and how they encrypted and decoded secret messages with the support of a cipher and enigma machine. The children were very excited to create their own ciphers during our lesson. In science, the children developed their understanding of renewable and non-renewable energy sources. We discussed at great length how vital natural energy sources are in comparison to the not so replenishable energies such as coal and oil. In French, the children learned how to say and spell numbers, which they then utilised when playing French bingo!

Unfortunately, due to poor weather conditions, the children were unable to attend forest school this week. We hope to proceed with Forest school next week. Please remember to bring wellies and waterproofs.

Reminder:

• Tuesday - Israeli theatre
• Wednesday- The children will need to bring in school uniform to be in the video for ShabbatUK.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 25th Feb - 24th Adar I

In Jewish Studies this week we continued to explore and question Day 4 of Creation. We discussed that on Day 1, HaShem created darkness and light, so how could it be that the sun and moon were only created on Day 4.  

We have also been practising the words and melody for Dror Yikra, ready for when the Chief Rabbi comes to join us next week.  We even tried to learn the ‘cup’ actions - some of us mastered it, and some of us just couldn’t manage it!

In our Parashah lesson, we saw how Bnei Yisrael had rushed to bring donations to the Mishkan.  In fact, they brought so many gifts that they had to be told to stop bringing.  We learned that the word for performing mitzvot with enthusiasm is zerizut.

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hill

Friday 11th February 2022

Dear Parents,

This week was 'Children’s Mental Health Week'; the theme was ‘growing together'. Over the course of the week, the pupils were given a variety of activities, enabling them to view different types of emotional growth and how this relates to them. One of the activities was to design and decorate a t-shirt using fabric pens. Each child chose a design that linked to the emotions of feeling happy and calm. They wore these over their ‘Bluish Jewish clothes and will bring these home today. Please iron the t-shirts before they go into the wash, in order to stop the colours from running.  During the week, we also watched some inspirational ‘growth’ stories from famous figures who have recently been in the media or public eye. This sparked a lot of conversation with the class, as they could recognise which characteristics each person emulated to support them with their personal growth. This week’s theme also links to the open homework project introduced last week. These are due on Thursday 24th February.

In maths, the pupils were given the task of problem-solving this week. They worked carefully to develop their reasoning skills, giving a description as well as an example when proving their point. Excellent discussions were had surrounding place value and decimals. In English, we read chapters 9,10, and 11 from Letters to the Lighthouse. They also completed a short write where they had to re-write the ending of a story based on their prediction. The pupils were given their termly writing assessment- Lost. We discussed a lot of our grammar and story writing techniques before they began so they could remind themselves of what to include throughout. They also completed a SPAG paper to revise the skills that have been taught.

Writers of the week:

Last week: Scarlett and Jacob

This week: Chloe

In science, the children learned about different types of energy such as: Kinetic, thermal, light, sound, chemical, nuclear, elastic, gravitational potential, and electrical energy. They were able to identify and define these terms and how they are constantly in action each day. In history, the children broadened their understanding of the history behind WW2 when learning about new alliances and invasions. They were particularly interested to know why Winston Churchill took over from Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister.

In art, the children looked at Kandinsky's painting ‘Colour study’. They wrote about what they thought about his work and how he came to be a famous artist.

I am so proud of all the children’s hard work and the determination they have displayed throughout the past term and a half. Please keep us informed of all results you receive over the course of the half term. I hope you all have a relaxing break.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

11th February - 10th Adar I

In Jewish Studies, we reviewed the Hebrew reading rule of the week and practised our Hebrew reading - happily many of us have made really good reading progress!

We have continued our study of Parashat Bereishit, looking in detail at Day 4 and the creation of the sun, moon and stars.  We also looked at the commentary of the Vilna Gaon, who equates Day 1 to 4, Day 2 to 5, and Day 3 to 6, leaving Day 7 - Shabbat - without a partner - hence the Jewish People!

We have also focussed on the topic of the Mishkan and the clothing of the Kohen Gadol, which feature strongly in this week’s Parashah.  We questioned why, with the exception of the Kohen Gadol, clothing was always mentioned in a negative light within the Torah (how many examples can you think of?).  Even the Hebrew word for clothes, Beged, has a negative connotation, as the word also means ‘betrayal’.  Do we use clothes to 'cover up' who we are - and do we judge people by what they are wearing.  These are important lessons that we learn from the Parashah - look at what is 'inside' a person, not the outside.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely half term break.

Friday 4th February 2022

Dear Parents,

This week, year 6 were tasked with the project of open homework using the theme 'Growth'. The children are really looking forward to the prospect of making a portfolio of work that links solely to what they are interested in. I know we are all looking forward to watching their curiosity develop over the coming weeks and are excited to see what this brings. This project will replace the majority of homework throughout the week and we do expect the children to be working on their projects during this time.

In maths, the pupils reviewed the topic of probability and were able to identify how likely events occurred, make predictions based on factual knowledge and convert their word descriptions into a fraction, decimal and percentage. For example, it is an even chance of throwing heads when flipping a coin, this equates to a half, 0.5 and 50%. Year 6 then explored possibilities using gameplay as a way of recognising outcomes. The children really enjoyed this aspect of maths as they could work in teams and demonstrate their logic. Photos from our lessons have been added below.

In English, we read chapters 7 and 8 of Letters from the Lighthouse. Chapter 7- Lend a Hand on Land displayed how everyone chipped in during the war effort either by taking in evacuees or supporting households by carrying out specific jobs. The pupils recreated a scene from chapter 7 of the main character (Olive) delivering post to different places in the town. They drew maps of Olive’s route to visualise how far she travelled on a daily basis to help with the war effort. In Chapter 8, the children were fascinated by the mention of planes that flew overhead. For homework, they produced chatterboxes riddled with facts about different types of planes used in WW2. This week’s grammar skill was to accurately use subordinate clauses and incorporate this in their writing. Year 6 should continue to practise this at home.

Writers of the week:

Last week: Max

This week: Scarlett and Jacob

In science, the children finished off their inquiries about changes made within a circuit. They drew scientific diagrams to support their understanding and were able to recognise different variables that can help/hinder a circuit from working e.g. conductors and voltage. In history, we reviewed The Blitz and how it came to be. The students also completed a formal comprehension task underpinning different elements of The Blitz. Next week we will explore both the Anderson and Morrison shelters. In art, most of the children finished off their WW2-themed gas masks, for which they utilised their understanding of measurements from our maths lesson last week. If any child wishes to finishes theirs off, we will send materials home.

Reminders: Next Friday is Bluish Jewish Day, an annual initiative of Jewish Child's Day to raise much-needed funds for Jewish children world over who are in need. Children are invited to wear blue and white instead of school uniform. Please bring in a minimum of £1 to support this worthwhile charity.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 4th Feb  – 3rd Adar I

In Jewish Studies this week we reviewed the new reading rule for the week and completed our slides of the special Shabbatot in the Jewish calendar.  In Chumash, we continued our study of Parashat Bereishit, this week concentrating on Day 3 of Creation. We discussed why Day 3 (Tuesday) is considered a lucky day, and compared two different descriptions of the creation of the trees and plants, and analysed the lessons we could learn from them.

For those of us who were not out for sports tournaments, we learnt about the different items found in the Mishkan, together with Year 5, and recapped the link between the Mishkan and the laws of Shabbat.  We also enjoyed sharing our parashah homework with the rest of the class, sharing the different activities that we had completed.

Shabbat Shalom!

Jewish Studies 28th January – 26th Shevat

In Jewish Studies this week we have continued our study of Parashat Bereishit, focussing on the start of Day Three of Creation.  We discussed why it was only now that HaShem called the creation of the waters ‘good’.

As part of our Shabbat topic, we started to research a number of the different special Shabbatot that occur throughout the year, from Shabbat Bereishit to Shabbat Zachor.  We will continue with our Shabbat topic next week.

Our Parashah lesson led into a number of interesting discussions on the topic of na'aseh ve'nishmah.  The children's depth of knowledge and wisdom never ceases to amaze me - they truly are an incredible bunch!

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hill

Friday 28th January 2022

Dear Parents,

Well done to the children for competing in their football and netball matches on Wednesday. They all enjoyed taking part in their teams and are raring to go for next week’s matches.

In maths, we continued to solve problems including measurement. The children not only consolidated their learning from last week but continued to strengthen their conversions of length, mass and capacity. We also went over how to find approximate values for different measurements which they found challenging. They enjoyed using a range of measuring tools such as rulers, measuring tapes, weighing scales, etc. to investigate each item’s true length.

In English, the children read chapters 5 and 6 of Letters to the Lighthouse. One of their homework tasks was to pack their suitcase, as though they were being evacuated (photos added below). The children enjoyed this activity, as it allowed them to recognise what items are a necessity and what items are just luxuries. They also wrote postcards home from the perspective of an evacuee to experience what evacuees went through upon leaving London during the war. In creative writing, children wrote a story based on a picture. Lastly, they completed a comprehension based on the 'Phoney War', where they were given links to websites to try and find the information out for themselves.

Writers of the week:

Last week: Lexi

This week: Max

This week in robotics, the children designed and began to create their own theme parks; at the end of the lesson last week they were asked to begin to develop their theme park map. On Monday they worked collaboratively to build and operate their own go-kart. In science, the children began enquiry-based learning where they made circuits based on questions they wanted to find out e.g. If I add another bulb to this simple circuit, what might happen? We will continue this next week.

In history, the children debated whether the Phoney War supported or negatively impacted the war efforts. It was great to see them come up with different ideas which they were able to remember from their research in their comprehension lesson. For art, the children began making their WWII-themed gas masks, utilising their understanding of measurements from our maths lesson to accurately design and create a mask to fit their heads. Although this was quite a challenging task, they supported one another by working in pairs- particularly for the measuring aspect!

Please see all photos added below of our week in year 6.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 21^st  January – 19^th Shevat

At the start of the week, we celebrated Tu B’Shevat with a special Tu B’Shevat Seder, at which we asked 4 questions, ate 4 different categories of fruit (thank you for sending it in!) and drank 4 cups of wine (aka grape juice).

On Thursday, we had our first session of the Mizrachi programme, “Yehudi” which Rabbi Andrew Shaw introduced and explained to us.  We were also joined by 4 amazing Madrichim from Immanuel College, who will be with us across the year (and will look out for those of us who attend Immanuel College next year). 

We introduced our new topic of Shabbat, creating word clouds from our present Shabbat knowledge and reviewed the reading rule of the week – the new rule is now on Google Classroom along with this week’s Parashah Choice Board.  We also enjoyed participating in some of the Kahoot quizzes that we had made for our Parashah homework.

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend.

Friday 21st January 2022

Dear Parents,

At the start of the week, the children took part in celebrations for Tu'Bishvat, which they thoroughly enjoyed- especially eating the fruit!

This week the children continued their robotics lesson, collaborating and demonstrating resilience when building different structures. Photos added below.

In Maths, we turned our attention to measurement, where the children were asked to read, write and convert between metric and imperial measurements. It may be worth revising more of these types of questions at home, particularly more of the problem-solving worded problems.

In English, the children read Chapter 4 of Letters to the lighthouse, which depicted how the children were all evacuated out of London. They watched a recount of a real evacuee's experience and reviewed pictures and information regarding the politics of war at the time. In creative writing, the children wrote about a photo and read these aloud to the class.

Writers of the week:

Last week: Jacob and Jenna

This week: Lexi

In science, the children learned the difference between a series and parallel circuit. They used equipment to then make these circuits, whilst discussing their effectiveness and outcomes. In history, we reviewed the role of women during the war and had in-depth discussions about how woman would have felt to receive a 'man's job', what their conditions were like and what their roles entailed. In art, the children finished off their Neville Chamberlain artwork. I will post these below.

For next week can children please bring in a cardboard kitchen/toilet roll for their next project.

Year 6 began their French lessons with Mrs Sharman. So far the children have thoroughly enjoyed delving into the language by acting out different conversations with one another. See pictures on the Facebook page! Additionally Year 6 went to the gym this week. Photos have been added of their time there.

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies 14^th January – 12^th Shevat

Our focus this week has been Tu B’Shevat and protecting HaShem’s beautiful world.  We watched a short video clip that showed the damage that humans have brought to the earth, and the possible long-term consequences of such damage.  We discussed what we can be doing to help resolve the situation, and Year 6, as always, were full of amazing ideas and suggestions, some of which they are hoping to put into action.

We also continued our study of Bereishit, learning about the second day of creation, and the reasons why HaShem does not describe the day as ‘good,’ as He does after each other day of creation.

Please complete your leaf pledges over the weekend and send them back to school on Monday. 

Parashah homework is on Google Classroom as usual.

Thank you in advance for sending in a piece of fruit for Monday’s fruit party.

Have a lovely weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

Mrs Hill

Friday 14th January 2022

Dear Parents,

This week the children took part in their first robotics session with Robothink. These lessons develop a forward-thinking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programme, focussing on communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. I have attached some photos below for you to see how the children got on.

Lunchtime interview prep started up again this week. Any child who needs support with an upcoming interview, will be able to sit with me to discuss current affiars and prepare for different topics of conversations.

In Maths, we reviewed how to translate reflect and find missing coordinates (algebraically) on a full coordinate grid. Some used tracing paper to support their reflections while others found a method of counting away from the mirror line. They also learned how to reflect a shape in different mirror lines e.g. x=5 or x=y which was an added challenge! Today they took part in an investigation activity and managed to create their own battle ship boards using a range of polygons.

In History and English, the children were able to fully immerse themselves in our book study of Letters from the Lighthouse by Emma Carroll. They completed a hot seating task where one child interviewed one of the characters from the book. I have shared a few interviews below. The children completed a response to Neville Chamberlain's speech and have begun to use these in an exciting art project led by Mrs. Goldfarb. Their grammar skill this week was to use passive voice e.g. the window was broken by the ball. Their task was to incorporate this into their writing where they needed to continue a time period text. 

Writers of the week:

This week: Jacob and Jenna

In science, we have begun the topic of Electricity. They made quiz questions this week based on a comprehension text, which they thoroughly enjoyed, followed by a circuit symbol identification teach. Next week, the children will begin to build their own circuits to uncover how they work.

In art, the children will be working on many projects surrounding life WWII. For next week can children please bring in card kitchen/toilet roll holder for their next project.

French lessons with Mrs Sharman will begin on Monday next week!

Shabbat Shalom

Miss Weiner

Jewish Studies – 7^th January 2022 – 5^th Shevat 5782

Welcome back to the Spring Term – before we know it, Pesach will be upon us!

This week we have taken the opportunity to catch up on the story of the Parashah from the past couple of weeks, as we have missed many major storylines.  We have also learned about this week’s Parashah, being Parashat Bo. 

We discussed the ten plagues, and how HaShem sent each one ‘middah k’neged middah’ – measure for measure.  We also discussed why the first Mitzvah given to Bnei Yisrael was that of Rosh Chodesh, and discussed how it is a privilege to be able to choose how to use our time, so we should always use it wisely and not waste it!

Friday 7th January 2022

Dear Parents,

Happy new year. It has been lovely to see a lot of smiling faces joining me back at school. This week, although quite brief, was a great start back into the Spring Term. This term will be slightly different from the previous, meaning that there will not be a large focus on exam preparation. Instead, this term will be about the children gaining a deeper understanding of topics learned and a chance for us to have workshops and take educational trips. 

In English we have begun our book study on 'Letters from the Lighthouse' by Emma Caroll. There will be a lot of writing opportunities, projects, and cross-curricular links made with our History topics of WWI and WWII. On Thursday the children analysed the features of a limerick and wrote their own. I will post a few examples below. In Maths the children have begun to review co-ordinates. They were able to play careful strategy games to develop their critical thinking. We will continue this next week. In History, we quickly reviewed the causes of WWI ready to begin WWII next week! Our Science topic this term is electricity, which will also begin next week.

Information for Boystown: Taking place 30th January 2022

- 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, London N12 0GA (for information on how to get there please go to artsdepotgetting-here).

-The performance is at 6pm, and the allocated rehearsal time is at 4:40pm.

- Parents are asked to drop off their children at least 20 minutes prior to their rehearsal time to ensure rehearsals run to schedule.

- Photos and video will be taken on the day, recordings of the performance will be available to order during the interval. To this end, please do let us know if you do not consent to your pupils’ photos being shared on social media or sent to the press.

Shabbat Shalom 

Miss Weiner

Friday 10th December 2021

Dear Parents,

It was lovely to speak to each of you this week during our parent consultation meetings. Please expect your child's report to be sent out at the end of school today at 13:30.

Information for Boystown: Taking place 30th January 2022

Please book your tickets!

- 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, London N12 0GA (for information on how to get there please go to artsdepotgetting-here).

- Tickets for the event will go on sale at 10am on Wednesday, 8 December 2021 from the Arts Depot Box Office. Tickets can be purchased over the phone on 020 8369 5454, or in person at the Arts Depot Box Office (at the address above).

- Photos and video will be taken on the day, recordings of the performance will be available to order during the interval. To this end, please do let us know if you do not consent to your pupils’ photos being shared on social media or sent to the press.

In Maths, the children got to grips with spatial reasoning and nets (something they all found quite challenging). During our lessons, we used concrete resources to recreate and analyse the direction, pattern and structure of shape. Following on from this, the children were given past paper questions relating to this topic. We also carried out a timed maths paper, which we then went through in two groups.

In English, the children completed a comprehension paper that mainly focussed on their grammar and punctuation knowledge. In grammar, they reviewed different sentence types such as simple, compound, and complex (including subordinate and relative clauses). They had to identify which punctuation to use and where it should be placed in order to make the sentence accurate. In creative writing, the children had to work in teams to complete a story based on an 'exam-style' sentence opener. They had to take turns, writing a sentence each, which followed on from their partner's previous sentence until it formed a complete story. They really enjoyed this challenge as they had to collaborate effectively within their group and stick to the brief.

Writers of the week:

Last week: Sarah, Raphy and Daniel

This week: Isobel

In Science, the children wrote out their conclusions from the previous week's experiment and made further predictions for what they think the end result may look like. They will review their experiments next week and finish off their experiment. I have been very impressed by their enthusiasm for Science.

Art this week the children looked at Joan Miro and re-created work in his style. They also wrote a brief description of what they enjoyed about his style of painting and why it was so impactful.

Lastly, for Geography, the children were given photographs or eroding cliff lines to analyse and discuss. They had to think about what their image used to look like, what had happened, and what it will look like in a few hundred years.

We are so proud of how hard each child has worked so far this term and we wish them the best of luck in their upcoming exams.

Shabbat Shalom 

The Year 6 Team

Jewish Studies 6^th Tevet – 10^th December

In Year 6 this week, we returned to our learning of Parashat Bereishit, analysing the first few pessukim and questioning whether the word ‘yom’ refers to a 24 hour day – especially because the moon and sun were not created until day #4.  We also learnt a little about the Yiddish language, questioning why we have an Ashkenazi Jewish language and how it developed over time.  We also highlighted the equivalent Sephardi language, being Ladino.

We learnt the story of this week’s Parashah, focussing in detail on the reasons why Yoseph may have asked his servants to leave the room when identifying himself to his brothers.  This week’s Parashah Choice Board is on Google Classroom, due in for Tuesday please.

Enjoy the winter holidays, and keep safe and healthy!

Shabbat Shalom

Mrs Hill

Jewish Studies 29^th Kislev – 3^rd December

At last, Chanukah has arrived!  We’ve had a really busy Chanukah week here, with each day beginning with full-school Tefillah and Hallel, and each day ending with Chanukah candle lighting and a sing-a-long.  Some of our Year 6 children had the honour of saying the brachot and lighting the Chanukiah for the rest of the school. 

The main sing-a-long on Tuesday afternoon was really excellent – a huge well done to all of Year 6 for their amazing contribution, and a massive thank you to Mr Fingerhut and the Ivrit team for preparing the children so incredibly well!  You should be receiving the video of the event really soon.

We learned what the Gemara says about candle lighting on Chanukah and examined the arguments between Hillel and Shammai as to how to light the Chanukiah.  You can see some of our videos on the subject below. Chanukah would not have been complete without a game of Sevivon, which we did with a difference, with thanks to Seed’s amazing Sevivon Game.  Hopefully the children have brought this home and you can play over Shabbat!

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom, Chanukah Same’ah and Chodesh Tov!

Mrs Hill

Friday 3rd December 2021

Dear Parents,

On Wednesday this week the children took part in an E-safety morning. Thank you to those who gave up their time to attend. It was a very informative discussion and all of the children enjoyed taking part. After the session, we were asked many questions about their devices and how to access privacy settings on all social media including messaging apps. Please continue to have these conversations at home. 

This week the children took part in their last Chanukah show. They sang with confidence and collaborated. Well done to our Year 6 compares who helped introduce each class. 

Information for Boystown: Taking place 30th January 2022

Please book your tickets!

- 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, London N12 0GA (for information on how to get there please go to artsdepotgetting-here).

- Tickets for the event will go on sale at 10am on Wednesday, 8 December 2021 from the Arts Depot Box Office. Tickets can be purchased over the phone on 020 8369 5454, or in person at the Arts Depot Box Office (at the address above).

- Photos and video will be taken on the day, recordings of the performance will be available to order during the interval. To this end, please do let us know if you do not consent to your pupils’ photos being shared on social media or sent to the press.

In Maths, we created mocktails for maths day! The children thoroughly enjoyed creating drinks (and consuming them!) based on ratio and proportion. They sorted all of their data into a table which they carefully drew out in their books.  They then voted on their favourite mocktails in groups and found out the average. Once each group chose their favourite concoction, the class then rated these. They all needed to sort the data and find comparisons and differences between the mean, median and mode. They found this quite challenging yet we had excellent discussions.

In English, the children had a short 20 minute write, which they then analysed using an ‘examiner-style’ mark-scheme. This allowed them to reflect and proofread their work for not only spelling and punctuation but also for the structure, presentation and word power. They took this very seriously and were able to spot areas in their writing which could be improved. They should continue this practice in their writing homework. They also completed a multiple choice comprehension paper, which we then went through together.

Writers of the week:

Last week: Ari, Lexi and Ella

This week: Sarah, Raphy and Daniel

In Science, the children set up their mould experiments and have begun to record information. They will review their experiments next week and make further predictions and conclusions to assess and analyse what has happened.

In Geography, the children drew and explained erosion in relation to a cliff line and created a comic strip explaining the process.

Shabbat Shalom and Chanukah Sameach

The Year 6 Team

Jewish Studies 22nd Kislev - 26th November

It's been another Chanukah filled week, with an emphasis on Jewish identity, fuelled by the Syrian-Greeks' attempts to convert us all to the Hellenistic way of life - and failing miserably.  Amongst other things, we created a text conversation between Yehudah Maccabee and Antioccus, King of Greece, defending the Jewish people's right to continue practising their Judaism.  Who knew there were so many emojis to choose from back then in Ancient Israel!

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom, and a Chag Chanukah Same'ach!

Mrs Hill

Friday 25th November 2021

Dear Parents,

The effort each child has put into their hair today has been truly wonderful to see. Many of their hairstyles have been added below!

Information for Boystown: Taking place 30th January 2022

- 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, London N12 0GA (for information on how to get there please go to artsdepotgetting-here).

- Tickets for the event will go on sale at 10am on Wednesday, 8 December 2021 from the Arts Depot Box Office. Tickets can be purchased over the phone on 020 8369 5454, or in person at the Arts Depot Box Office (at the address above).

- Photos and video will be taken on the day, recordings of the performance will be available to order during the interval. To this end, please do let us know if you do not consent to your pupils’ photos being shared on social media or sent to the press.

In Maths, we reviewed area and perimeter of simple and compound shapes. They were able to use their knowledge of algebra to find unknown sides of increasing difficulty. They went through their homework in class to work through questions they found challenging and completed a maths paper.

As part of our fun maths lesson next week, we will be using fizzy drinks to measure out proportion/ mix. Please send us an email if you would not like your child to drink these during the lesson or if they have any allergies. 

In English, the children studied and completed two comprehensions about poetry. For this they needed to infer meaning and review the author’s use of language to unpick what the theme and tone of the text were. Their grammar this week reviewed how to find the subject and object in different sentences. We have been very impressed with the children’s use of grammar and punctuation within their writing.

Writers of the week:

This week: Ari, Lexi and Ella

In Science, the children have begun to prepare for a mould experiment- taking place next week. We discussed different variables such as : the independent, control and dependent. They also wrote their method of how they will carry out their experiment and made appropriate predictions of what may happen.

In Geography, the children wrote up their findings from the experiments  they carried out last week.

In Art, the children looked at Surrealism, completing their own Dali inspired pieces.

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 6 Team

Friday 19th November 2021

Dear Parents,

This week the children received their results from Assessment week. Please note, we will be discussing these with you during our parent consultations in a few weeks time.

In Maths, we reviewed basic algebra, using known facts to find unknown quantities. They then completed a maths paper. Half of the class took part in a very exciting escape room activity, where they had to unpick the puzzles to find the clues. The other half of the class will complete this the following week.

In English, the children began to use accurately punctuated speech within their writing, incorporating: hyphens, parentheses and semi colons to add detail. This was linked to their grammar skill. Each group went through a complex inference paper. This is an area that they will need to revise. All of the children then completed a timed comprehension paper, which we will be going over next week. 

In Science, the children researched three different types of microorganisms. These were: bacteria,fungi and virus.  They drew scientific diagrams of each microorganism, labelled them and wrote about what they are.

Science quiz club members were selected this week. Well done to Isobel, Sarah, Jacob and Amelie. Good luck for your quiz next week!

In Geography, the children carried out experiments to do with erosion. They will write up their findings next week.

In Art, the children looked at Surrealism, completing their own Rene Magritte inspired pieces. Photos have been added below.

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 6 Team

Jewish Studies - 15th Kislev/19th November 

It's beginning to feel a lot like Chanukah... We began our week by playing Chanukah Taboo, to remind ourselves about all the various components of Chanukah. We then reviewed the story of Chanukah and discussed the concept of Hellenism and its effects on the Jews living at that time.  We watched the Lights video, which helped us to understand the downside of integrating Greek and Jewish lifestyles and we figured out for ourselves what lessons we can learn from the Chanukah story.

Here are some of Year 6's suggestions:

"You can never eliminate your Jewish identity, no matter how hard you try".

"The miracles were a sign to show the Jews that HaShem is still with us".

"When life seems bad, remember your heritage and that HaShem will always be there".

"Never let other people change who you are.  Don't be peer-pressured by the people around you. Keep being yourself".

"Don't let anyone around you pressure you to do things you don't want to do".

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend

Mrs Hill

Jewish Studies - week ending 12th Nov - 8th Kislev

We spent much of the week learning the history of the Jews of Ethiopia (Beta Israel community) and the two operations, Operation Moses and Operation Solomon, that brought them to safety in Israel.  We discussed in detail the role played by the Israel government and the Mossad in transporting hundreds of thousands of Ethiopian Jews to safety in Israel, and how no other country in the world would even consider spending the millions of dollars that Israel spent in order to bring refugees into the country - אין מקום כמו ארץ ישראל - there's no place like Israel! The class have produced their own excellent presentations on either Operation Moses or Operation Solomon, which they have started to share with their classmates.

We also practised our Hebrew reading - please remember, the children should be practising their reading at home for around 5 mins per day, 5 days per week, and we looked in detail at the story of this week's Parashah, including a number of deeper insights as suggested by Rashi.  Parashah homework (Choice-board) is on the JS Google Classroom and is due in for Tuesday.

Shavuah tov - have a lovely week ahead!

Friday 12th November 2021

Dear Parents,

This week we completed our COP26 speeches and heard from one of our parents about the government's views on the topic.

Practice papers- Timed papers will be uploaded each week on Atom. These are same format as the ISEB exams. 

In Maths, we reviewed angles and how to find unknown angles in different 2D shapes. Additionally, they completed a maths paper and also took part in the Primary Maths Challenge- please bear in mind that these papers are harder than the 11+ exams as they are a national challenge across many schools. 

In English, they continued their essay writing, using formal language to link paragraphs and to create a strong tone throughout their writing.  For grammar this week the children revised how to use parenthesis and hyphens to add detail to their writing appropriately. The children should continue to revise their grammar skills and apply them often to any written task. For reading this week, we reviewed the lyrics to a song - Defying Gravity. The children carefully analysed the language, style, and structure this piece of music had. 

Writer of the week- This is a new initiative to celebrate the children's written work.

Last week's writers: Rosie and Doron

This week's writers are Raphy and Reuben for their essay writing.

In Science, the children used microscopes to view animal cells. They drew scientific diagrams of each slide recognising the differences between different samples.

In Geography, the children finished the rest of their speeches. They also began to learn about erosion caused by weathering. The children were given different images where they had to work out how they had been weathered.

In Art, the children analysed and made a small study of one of Cezanne's famous artworks. They used their Ipads to zoom into the image (creating a window) and used watercolours to blend paint.

Below we have attached an informative flyer about anti-bullying week.

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 6 Team

Friday 5th November 2021

Dear Parents,

The children came back from half term more determined and ready to get to work. 

Practice papers- Timed papers will be uploaded each week on Atom. These will follow the same format as the ISEB exams. We will continue to complete timed papers within the week as well. 

In Maths, the children learned how to answer exam-style questions relating to ratio and proportion. They also completed two maths papers, one of which being a primary maths challenge. We reviewed answers and methods in the classroom and marked them in class. Please can children continue to revise this topic.

In English, we began to write essays using formal language and sentence openers. The children really enjoyed the discussion behind their thoughts and opinions and were able to give insightful ideas. For grammar this week the children revised how to use semicolons and colons appropriately. We will look to use these skills more frequently within writing tasks. For reading this week, we reviewed Guy Fawkes  (very fitting) considering it is the 5th November. The children were able to link his treason to our current geography crisis.

Writer of the week- This is a new initiative to celebrate the children's written work.

Writer's before half term were: Daniel and Shai

This week's writers are: Rosie and Doron

In Science, the children reviewed different cells e.g animal and plant cells. They researched and drew scientific diagrams of each and compared the two.

For Geography, the children wrote speeches about COP26. Many of these were read aloud today, and were presented in front of the class. The children gave excellent feedback and were highly enthused to take part (pictures are attached below). We will hear the rest on Monday. Additionally, we had a key speaker on zoom from Extinction Rebellion. The children will be writing a newspaper report about her and the importance of COP26. 

In Art, the children have continued to look at still life artworks. A key artist we are studying currently is Paul Cezanne. Next week the children will be analysing some of  his famous pieces. 

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 6 Team

Friday 22nd October 2021

Dear Parents,

This week was assessment week. The children completed English, maths, verbal reasoning, and non-verbal reasoning papers. Results for these papers will be discussed at parent consultations after half term. 

This week the children made informative posters about the Bristol Bus Boycott as well as the Montgomery Boycott. Their analytical thinking homework is to write a poem based on the Windrush Generation as a follow on from Black History Month.

Writer of the week- This is a new initiative to celebrate the children's written work.

Last week's writers were:Liya and Amelie

This week's writers are: Daniel and Shai

For grammar this week the children revised how to use apostrophes appropriately in their writing.

In Science, the children grouped and classified plants using a classification key. We looked at scientific language to describe the different characteristics. I

n Art, the children used charcoal and pencil techniques to draw various 3D shapes.

Well done to the girls who took part in the football this week! Please can we remind you to bring back kits e.g. tops and shorts. There will be optional homework available over the half term. 

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely half term!

The Year 6 Team

22nd October - 17th Cheshvan 5782

This week in Jewish Studies we have learnt - and almost perfected - the skill of reading Rashi script.  We spotted the similar letters that we would possibly muddle up, us as well as the really different-looking letters that may confuse us.  We are now almost experts at reading Rashi (with vowels).

We have also reviewed our Hebrew grammar, focusing on Hebrew prefixes.  We used JITap to help reinforce our knowledge.  We have also taken part in a kahoot quiz or two, based on last week's parashah.

In our Parashah lesson, we compared Noach and Avraham and their levels of righteousness.  We saw how, when faced with the destruction of the World, Noach did as he was told by HaShem and built his ark, whereas when faced with the destruction of Sodom and Amorah, Avraham begged and pleaded with HaShem to save the people.  We linked this to the importance of making good choices and being/following a wise leader.

I wish you all a beautiful Shabbat and a healthy and enjoyable half term week.

Mrs Hill

Friday 8th October 2021

Dear Parents,

We are sure many of you are thinking 'Finally! Their first full week of the term.' 

Our topic for maths this week was multiplying and dividing mixed fractions by whole numbers, followed by a short recap lesson on finding the equivalence between fractions, decimals, and percentages. For these tasks, we used many visual representations of fractions such as pizza slices and bars to underpin their rote learning. Many preferred using a rote method; however, to deepen their understanding we would encourage you to go over the visual reasoning as to why 1/4 divided by 3 is 1/12.

Our English this week was linked to our Geography topic on Climate Change. The children conducted research and wrote speeches about the damaging effects of Climate Change, and because Thursday was national poetry day, they also wrote a poem based on the topic. For guided reading, we read books by the author Peter H Reynolds called 'The dot' and 'Ish'. Both contained messages describing the importance of taking a risk and trying your best. This also linked to our PSHE lesson, where the children were asked to come up with positive and negative risks and order them based on how dangerous/ risky they were. Below we have attached photos of the children working in groups to come up with different risks and them creating their ish- inspired drawings. 

Writer of the week- This is a new initiative to celebrate the children's written work.

Last week's writers were: Isobel and Raphy

This week's writers are : Joe and Rosie

In Science, we begun our topic of 'All living things. Here the children learned about the 7 life processes of what every living thing should have. 

Lastly for P.E the focus this week has been based on Football and Netball skills.

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 6 Team

Friday 15th October 2021

Dear Parents,

What a busy week the children have had! We would like to say thank you to all year 6 children who were able to give up their time to tour prospective parents around on Wednesday.

For English this week, we asked the children to write descriptive 'show not tell' pieces about a particular character of their choosing. The children found this task quite challenging, as they had to be specific with their vocabulary choices when thinking about their character's mannerisms and appearance. They also completed a comprehension paper. Please note that there is always an optional homework writing opportunity for essay writing. Our reading texts this week linked to Black History Month. We looked at the Bristol Bus Boycott as well as the Montgomery Boycott. The children were fascinated with the idea of segregation and were able to demonstrate flexibility of mind when comparing this period in time to now. Instead of an Analytical Thinking quote, this week the children were asked to research 5 questions about the Windrush Generation as a follow on from Black History Month.

Writer of the week- This is a new initiative to celebrate the children's written work.

Last week's writers were: Joe and Rosie

This week's writers are: Liya and Amelie

Our topic for maths this week was finding fractions and percentages of amounts. We asked the children of finding alternative ways of finding the answer as well as which method worked best. They all were able to collaborate and discuss their reasoning. Extra practice around worded problems would support their understanding.

In Science, the children classified animals and wrote detailed definitions of each species' characteristics. In Art, the children practised their tonal shading and sketching techniques. Lastly for P.E the focus this week has been based on Football and Netball skills. Well done to the boys who took part in the football this week! Good luck to the girls taking part next week.

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 6 Team

October 1st - 25th Tishrei 5782

In preparation for Shabbat Bereishit we have been discussing different elements of Parashat Bereishit, using our analytical skills to discover hidden depths of the Parashah.  We raised the questions who was God speaking to in ch.1 verse 26, and why is there an added letter 'yud' in the word for 'forming' when HaShem formed Adam on Day Six of creation.  The class gave a number of incredibly well thought-out and considered responses, really engaging their Torah brains!

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend!

Mrs Hill

Jewish Studies - 8th October - 2nd Cheshvan 5782

What a full first week back we've had in JS!  We have continued learning Parashat Bereishit (Year 6 chose to study Bereishit over the Life of Moshe).  We examined the first 5 verses of the Torah and created a hashtag to sum up the content of these verses.  Some of these were really creative, including #LetThereBeLight, #Year0000,  #CreationGoals and #World1.0.

We worked hard on writing a JS-themed essay - this one was entitled,'Explain why Shabbat is such a special gift for the Jewish people'.  The class all worked really hard to write a detailed and interesting essay, with some outstanding results.

In our Parashah lesson we examined the verse that states Noach was a righteous man 'in his generation'.  We asked why it was necessary for the Torah to add the word for 'in his generation' and we analysed this to find out what Noach may have really been like.  I'm sure your children will gladly share our discussion with you at the Shabbat table!  Parashah homework is on the JS Google Classroom and is due for Tuesday, please.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend,

Mrs Hill

Friday 1st October 2021

Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe that we are already in October, especially as we have not yet had a full week in school. We look forward to getting back to a normal routine next week.

This week we have been revising how to add and subtract fractions. We have been investigating different methods including how to represent the calculation pictorially. Whilst most children were confident with the arithmetic, many struggled when faced with a contextual problem involving addition and subtraction of fractions; it may be worth revising more of these types of questions at home (we will ,of course, do so in school).

In Creative Writing we used our book "What We'll Build" for the last time and wrote stories entitled 'The Tunnel'. The children were given a selection of story starters to choose from. Instead of a reading session this week, the children reviewed current events taking place in the news i.e the petrol crisis. During this session we had in depth discussions about how this has affected our country as well as what this looks like in our own lives. Additionally, we looked at quotes from the BBC and watched Grant Shapps interview. 

We are continuing to look at different areas in Non Verbal reasoning, focusing on those topics that the children find the most difficult. This week we looked at 'analogies' and discussed the quickest way to solve each problem.

In Geography today we started our topic on 'Our Changing World' and discussed climate change, a topic very much in the news at the moment. We watched Greta Thunberg's speech at the COP24  summit. Next week we will be learning more about climate change, looking at the agenda of the upcoming COP26 conference in November. You may wish to discuss this with your children over the coming weeks.

In Art the children continued to work from 'What we'll build' and were able to design spaceships out of clay. This proved challenging as they needed to think critically about the proportions of their models, whilst taking into account how much clay they actually needed to use. We will paint these next week.

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 6 Team

Friday 24th September 2021 

Dear Parents,

In maths this week, we revised BIDMAS/BODMAS as well as multiples, factors, and prime numbers. The children really enjoyed solving puzzles and discussing which numbers had unique features such as squared or prime numbers. They also had a go at drawing prime factor trees - recognising that the prime numbers at the end totalled the initial number. They also worked through an 11+ paper, which many worked well at. It may be helpful to ensure that they have read and understood what the question is asking of them before they attempt to answer.

For non verbal reasoning, the children recapped rotation and reflection. They went through two multiple-choice papers. One was completed in a small group with discussion while the other was timed and independent.

In english the children wrote a story about 'The deserted house'. Prior to this, they were able to analyse an example text, picking out strong vocabulary and effective sentence structures. For  'Guided Reading', we decided to take a trip to the library- selecting new books and having a quiet read. WE also looked at an extract from Malamander.

The children have thoroughly enjoyed creating pieces of work based on our current book 'What we'll build'. In PSHE, they came up with solutions to friendship worries or problems. They worked in teams to either act it out or even perform their advice through song. 

Our Art lesson (also linked to the text 'What we'll build) had the children designing their own spaceships. We hope to model these out of clay so they are able to create actual 3D models of their creations. We have attached some photos below for you to take a look at!

Shabbat shalom

The Y6 team

Jewish Studies - 24th September ~ 18th Tishrei 5782

I hope you are all enjoying this wonderfully warm Sukkot!

Year 6 have been learning about the various details needed to be taken into consideration when building a Sukkah to ensure that it is a 'kosher' Sukkah, including different heights, widths, materials and locations.  We have looked at different rules in the Mishnah and learnt that a kosher Sukkah can be built on a wagon, a boat, the top of a tree, or even on a camel!

We have reviewed the special brachot for Sukkot - Al Netilat Lulav for shaking the lulav (as well as shehecheyanu for the first time we do this) as well as Leishev BaSukkah for eating in the Sukkah - naturally, this brachah was accompanied by the happy munching of biscuits in the Sukkah too - after all, Sukkot is also known as Zman Simchateinu - the Time of our Happiness!

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and a beautiful second-half of Chag!

Mrs Hill

FRIDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER 2021

This week may have been short but it was one we will never forget. From the moment we left Norrice Lea in the early hours of Sunday morning until the time we dropped them back in Monday evening, we were blown away by your children's positive attitude, kindness towards each other and their perseverance and resilience. As you can see from all the pictures below (and we have now added a few more), we had a jam-packed two days which included raft building, a campfire, climbing poles and ladders and being dropped from a height on a 3G swing. If you look carefully, you may spot a few of the teachers having a go too! What really stood out for us was how kind the children were to each other; they encouraged each other when they were unsure and congratulated each other when they succeeded. These are attributes to be admired. We hope the children has as much fun as we did.

In maths this week, we revised long multiplication and long division. The children discussed what mistakes they commonly make and how to avoid them. Please encourage your child to estimate an answer first; this will ensure that they look carefully at the calculation and help them spot when an answer does not make sense.

In English we looked at a page from our book 'What we'll build' and asked the children to write a poem saying sorry from the perspective of one of the characters. We also began one exam comprehension practice focussing on how to interpret sentences when you do not understand all the vocabulary. For our 'Guided Reading', we looked at extracts from Treasure Island, which supported their inference skills.

In Science this week, we began our topic on All Living Things, where the children researched three famous microbiologists. Some made informative posters, books on book creator and even a quiz. 

As it is Succot next week, we will not be setting any formal written homework. There will, however, be the option for some Atom learning- we will set questions based on some of the common errors made in prior atom learning papers.

Shabbat shalom

The Y6 team

Jewish Studies 17th September - 11th Tishrei 5782

I hope you all had a meaningful Yom Kippur and an easy fast.

It's been quite a week this week, what, with two days in Kingswood, preparing for Yom Kippur, remote teaching and starting to learn about Sukkot!

We briefly recapped all the basic information of Yom Kippur and looked in more detail at the Tefillah of Kol Nidrei itself, understanding how much importance HaShem places on the making of promises and why we therefore shouldn't ever break a promise - we decided that it's better not to make a promise at all rather than risk breaking it.

We reviewed the story of Yonah which is read on Yom Kippur afternoon as it focuses on the theme of Teshuvah. The children are finishing off their videos of the story and we look forward to watching them all next week.

Today we began discussing Sukkot, firstly reviewing the basics (see below for what they came up with) and then starting to learn what constitutes a kosher Sukkah.  Next week we will look in detail at the Mishna that discusses the laws of a kosher Sukkah - eg, is a Sukkah on the back of a camel considered kosher?!

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and an enjoyable weekend.

Mrs Hill

We have arrived!! 

After an easy journey, we arrived with excited children ready to explore and find out the plan for the day. 

The first thing that the children did was find out their rooms and make their beds! This was quite a challenge for some of them but parents will be pleased to know that they will be keen to do this at home!

Having made Havdalah, the children are now davening Shacharit before we give them their second breakfast. 

After that they will be heading off to the obstacle challenge. There will be more activities in the afternoon. Keep watching this space to find out more.

Jewish Studies 10th September - 4th Tishrei 5782

Shanah Tovah to you all !

Year 6 have made such an excellent start to the new year in Jewish Studies, displaying so much enthusiasm and excitement for JS.  Our focus has been on Rosh HaShana (for obvious reasons!) and Teshuvah, and we have had some really interesting discussions.  I was blown away by the exceptionally perceptive and intelligent answers offered by many of the children in class.

We have learnt in detail about the five stages of Teshuvah and the children each then created a Guide to Teshuvah, many of which were really humorous and beautifully illustrated.  We went out to the stream that runs down the side of the playground and together we recited the Tashlich prayer, asking ourselves why we do Tashlich specifically at the water's edge, and what is the relevance of having fish in the water.  

Wishing you all a peaceful and relaxing Shabbat!

Mrs Hill

Friday 10th September 2021

I hope you all had a healthy and sweet new year.

This week we were excited to discuss Kingswood, which of course is just a few days away- we can't wait to spend a couple of days getting to know your children even better. We will upload photos onto the blog each day so keep a look out!

On Friday  Ms Simon came in to class to talk about prefect applications. This year we are looking for 2 Head prefects, 2 JS prefects, 2 technology prefects, 2 library prefects and 2 wellbeing prefects. The prefect form has been uploaded to google classroom. Please sit and read through the application with your child and print off the form for them to fill in. We would like the children to hand in a hard copy  by the deadline given. 

In English this week, we have been working on different texts. Linking to the text ‘What we’ll build’, the children wrote a descriptive piece about a storm during their creative writing lesson. Other texts that we have looked at this week are ‘Perfection’ by Nathalie Babbit,  ‘Holes' by Louis Sachar, and 'Silverfin' by Charlie Higson.

In Art this week (also linked to the book) the children , had been to ‘build’ a home using  different media including  watercolours, paper and sketching. They were also asked to design their own door and explain the meaning behind their design. The results were really impressive.

In Maths we have been looking at negative numbers - ordering, comparing, finding the difference, and completing challenges and word problems. We discussed when negative numbers feature in our everyday lives and spoke about temperature, bank balances, and, of course, goal differences in football.

We look forward to seeing all the children bright and early on Sunday morning- don't forget to provide a milky packed lunch.

Shabbat shalom

The Y6 team

FRIDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER 2021

The children have settled in quickly and are definitely ready for Y6.

Yesterday we ran through the Y6 rules and expectations, explained the timetable and homework schedule and generally talked about life in Y6.

We were very excited to begin work on the whole school book 'What we'll build'. This week we focused on the line 'I'll build a door where there is none'. Yesterday the children wrote about what they expected as they walked through the door of the Year 6 classroom. Today we learned about different famous doors around the world- how many can you recognise in the pictures below?

In Maths we have begun our topic on place value which we will continue next week.

We will be uploading work on Sunday evening for the remote learning day in Monday 13th September; they will receive maths, English, and art. They should complete the tasks in their maths and English homework books which we have sent home. The art activity should be done on paper. The remote learning timetable is attached below. Here is the tefillah and Kabbalat Shabbat link :https://meet.google.com/phs-ghjo-emv?hs=122&authuser=1

Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova