Friday 7th July 2023

On Monday, the children went on a City of London walking tour exploring the sights within the square mile and learning about the history and architecture of the surrounding buildings. They had a fabulous day and were great representatives for the school.

On Tuesday, several children took part in the Ivrit spelling bee. All children performed exceptionally well, and we are very proud that that we came first, second, third, fourth and fifth! Wow an amazing feat.

The children also took part in a Norwood Makaton workshop. Learning sign language to communicate with children who have learning difficulties.

On Wednesday we had out end of year performance, I was so impressed with the humour and enthusiasm of the children. They have proven to be amazing lyricists, and playwrights as they wrote the whole play themselves.

On Thursday, the children attended the Israeli shuk and spent their shekels on a variety of items from bracelets to ice cream.

In maths, we revisited topics from the year and completed an 11 plus style assessment. On Friday the children looked at mental arithmetic and discussed and applied strategies to solve problems quickly and efficiently.

In English, the children revisited the features and layout of an essay. They then wrote their own essay on a topic of their choice.

The children met with their reception buddies to have a play in the playground and snack time together.

Next week, on Monday we will be going to JFS. Please remember to wear PE kit.

Questions to ask

Can you explain what is bodmas?

Tell me about your essay. What did you write about?

                                             How many degrees in a triangle?

                                                   What did you buy in the Shuk?

What does jovial mean?

                                                        What is a cube number?

                                            Did you solve the countdown conundrum?

                                            Which makaton signs can you remember?

                                                        How can you sign for cake?

The Year 5 team.

Friday 30th June 2023

This week the children attended the year 6 play titled Memories. They enjoyed the performance and have been humming the tunes!

On Tuesday, the children attended the annual ETGAR competition. They had a fabulous day and were great representatives for the school. All teams performed exceptionally well, and we look forward to finding out our official ranking.

In maths, we revisited the 24-hr clock and timetable problems. The children completed a variety of 11-plus style questions on the topic. The children then were taught how to multiply decimals with a focus on estimating (by rounding) first. On Friday the children looked at mental arithmetic and discussed and applied strategies to solve problems quickly and efficiently.

In English, the children were taught the features and layout of an essay. They then wrote their own essay on either the topic of mobile phones for children or the wearing of school uniforms. On Monday the children completed a 11-plus comprehension. This was a multiple-choice paper and we discussed how to eliminate questions and how to distinguish between two similar choices.

In geography, the children discussed the differences between urban and rural areas and the children created their own fantasy maps.

The children met with their reception buddies to have a picnic lunch.

In NVR, we looked at a paper covering all NVR topics to consolidate their learning from this year. The children completed the test in a timed setting, and we discussed questions after marking. Highlighting the importance of elimination and to pay close attention for nearly right answers.

In VR, we revisited antonyms, synonyms, and definitions of words. The children used a thesaurus to look up word meanings of unfamiliar words.

In preparation for our trip to St Paul’s next week the children researched facts about when it was built and by whom and sketched some features.

Next week, on Monday we will be going to St Paul’s Cathedral please remember to send in a packed lunch, snack and a cap.

Questions to ask

Can you explain what is a pronoun?

Tell me about your essay. What did you write about?

                 How do you multiply decimals? What must you do first?

                                                  What was your fantasy map of?

What does pompous mean?

                                                What is the name of a baby deer?

                                        Did you solve the countdown conundrum?

The Year 5 team.

Friday 23^rd June 2023

This week the children the children had their sponsored fun run raising money for the Royal Free Hospital. The record for the day was 18 laps!!

In maths, we explored time, revisiting the 24-hr clock and introducing the use of timetables. The children explored the best methods and efficient strategies to solve time problems and how to use a timetable.  On Thursday, the children completed an 11 plus style exam paper. On Friday the children looked at mental arithmetic and discussed and applied strategies to solve problems quickly and efficiently.

In English, the children wrote a description of a revolting character. On Wednesday the children completed a 11 plus comprehension. This was a multiple-choice paper and we discussed how to eliminate questions and how to distinguish between two similar choices.

In geography, the children learnt about the features of a sketch map and then created their own.

The children met with their reception buddies to take them on a tour of the school.

In science, the children continued to investigate forces and learnt about magnetism. The children then carried out an investigation to discover which objects were magnetic and tested what happens when magnets are placed near each other.

In NVR, we looked at ‘most like’ patterns. The children had to identify which shapes were most alike to a set.

In VR, we revisited antonyms, synonyms and definitions of words.

Questions to ask

Can you name three types of figurative language?

Tell me about your revolting character.

                              How do you write midday/midnight on a 24-hr clock?

                                      Which timetables did you look at this week?

What is magnetism?

What does chastise mean?

                                Which directions can you name on an 8-point compass?

                                             Did you solve the countdown conundrum?

We are really pleased to invite you to hear about our exciting and innovative computing and coding curriculum. Please join us for an interactive showcase on Monday 26th,Tuesday 27th or Wednesday 28th June, in which Ms Vinokur will show you what the children have been doing in computing classes this year. You will have the opportunity to engage with some of the robots, programs and devices that we use to develop their computational thinking and technology skills. Please sign up using this link.

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies 4th Tammuz - 23rd June

It's been an Etgar of a week! With just 2 more school days til the Big Quiz, we have gone all out focussing on our Etgar knowledge.  We have reviewed dates and chagim, numbers and books of the Torah, and so much more.  The children have worked extremely hard and truly deserve to do well next week!

Taking a break from Etgar, we learnt about this week's parasha of Korach, and , using an ai bot, we even had a dialogue with Korach in which we eventually convinced him to change his mind about being a rebel, and to instead work in harmony with Moshe - 21st century parasha lessons!

Have a wonderful Shabbat and a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hill

Jewish Studies 27th Sivan - 16th June

This week in Jewish Studies we spent time preparing for the visit of the Year 2 children from Annemount School.  We split into groups and each group prepared a few short points and an activity on their chosen topic, amongst which were aleph-bet, Shabbat, Chagim and Kashrut.  The Annemount pupils had a really lovely morning with us, and Year 5 were really excellent with teaching their visitors about Judaism.

We have, of course, also been focussing on Etgar, with the quiz being just a week and a half away.  We looked today at tsitsit, as they make an appearance in this week's parasha, reviewing the gematria of the word and its symbolism.

Wishing you all a lovely Shabbat and an enjoyable weekend.

Mrs Hill

Friday 16^th June 2023

This week the children were visited by some Year two children from Annemount school they spent a lesson teaching them about Judaism and were excellent ambassadors for the school.

In maths, we continued exploring properties of shape, coordinates, and translations across the first quadrant and extended the children’s learning to reflections. The children revisited coordinates and how to write and use them. We explored the best methods to use and efficient strategies to reflect or translate a 2D shape and the use of vectors to describe a translation. We also discussed rotation briefly. On Friday, the children completed an 11 plus style exam GL paper.

In English, the children completed reading the class reader- Cloud busting. The children explored what they learnt from the story and the take home message of the book. On Wednesday the children completed a 11 plus comprehension on a piece of text from Water ship down. This was a multiple choice paper and we discussed how to eliminate questions and how to distinguish between two similar choices.

In guided reading the children looked at he first chapter of ‘Wind in the Willows’. Answering inference questions to explore their comprehension of the text.

In creative writing the children wrote a story that required them to write a piece entitled -Where the wild things live. The children were given free reign to write an imaginative piece with a focus on descriptive language and creating a hook for the reader.

In geography, the children researched how a compass works and had to answer questions after researching a website. The children then had to take an aerial view shot of the school or local area using the earth explorer website.

The children met with their reception buddies to do tefillah with them in the library.

In science, the children continued to investigate forces and learnt about friction and air resistance. The children then carried out an investigation to discover which surface creates the least/most friction. The children performed a series of car races on 6 different surfaces and recorded their results in a table. Then discussed and recorded their findings.

On Thursday, the children continued RSE programme. Discussing  puberty further and what it entails for both boys and girls.

This week the children paired up with Year 6 to create a joint DT project based on their London Architecture topic. They created 3D models of London landmarks, including Big Ben, Tower Bridge and the Shard.

Questions to ask

Can you name three types of figurative language?

What was your ‘Where the wild things live’ story about?

                        What is a translation/ reflection in maths?

     What is the difference between   reflection and a translation?

Can you name a regular and an irregular quadrilateral?

How many 2D shape names do you know?

What happens during puberty?

What is friction?

What is a 90-degree rotation?

Which direction is anti-clockwise?

What is a hrudada?

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies - 20th Sivan - 9th June

I hope you all had a really lovely Shavuot and half term break.  This half term we will be focussing on our general Jewish knowledge as well as our Chumash learning of Parashat Vayeishev.

This week we have been reviewing the Jewish history timeline and the dates of the building and destruction of our Batei Mikdash.  The children added the dates to their online timeline, together with some other key dates in our history.

In our parasha lesson, we looked at the tefillah said for Miriam by Moshe when praying for her to be healed from her tsaraat.  This is the shortest tefillah that we find in the Torah (5 words). We learnt from this that words that come from the heart enter into others’ hearts, as Moshe prayed with absolute sincerity and meaning – as with so many things in life, it is quality not quantity that wins through.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom,

Mrs Hill

Friday 9^th June 2023

In maths, we explored properties of shape, coordinates and translations across the first quadrant. The children revisited coordinates and how to write and use them. We explored the best methods to use and efficient strategies to translate a 2D shape and the use of vectors to describe a translation. On Thursday, the children completed an 11 plus style exam paper. On Friday we looked at a variety of worded questions revisiting topics from this term.

In English, the children continued reading the class reader- Cloud busting. The children explored formal and informal writing and created quotes for their newspaper article. On Wednesday the children completed a 11 plus non-narrative comprehension about whale-watching.

In guided reading the children looked at he first chapter of ‘The Secret Garden’. Answering inference questions to explore their comprehension of the text.

In creative writing the children wrote a story that required them to slow the pace on their writing focusing on a detailed description of a small period of time.

In geography, the children researched how a compass works and had to answer questions after researching a website. The children then had to take an aerial view shot of the school or local area using the earth explorer website.

The children also visited reception to meet with their buddy.

In science, the children continued to investigate forces and learnt about water resistance and streamlining. The children then carried out an investigation to discover the most streamlined shape in a water resistance investigation.

On Thursday, the children began our RSE programme. Learning about puberty and what it entails.

In VR the children completed a paper on making words. We discussed using a systematic approach to identify the missing letter.

In NVR the children looked at reflections and rotations.

Questions to ask

Can you name three differences between formal and informal writing?

What was your ‘slow the pace’ story about?

                              What is a translation in maths?

                             How do you write a coordinate?

What is the difference between a regular and irregular polygon?

How many 2D shape names do you know?

What is puberty?

Where might you find a streamlined shape?

What happens during puberty?

What is a 90-degree rotation?

Which direction is anti-clockwise?

What are the 4 main directions on a compass?

The Year 5 team.

Thursday 25th May 2023

This week we learnt about Shavuot with a whole school Shavuot learning session. Thank you to all the parents who were able to join us.

In maths, we explored fractions of amounts. We discussed the best methods to use and efficient strategies including bar modelling. The children also applied these skills to solve more complex inverse worded problems. On Thursday, the children completed an 11 plus style exam paper.

In English, the children continued reading the class reader- Cloud busting. The children created a repetitive phrase poem titled ‘Big Mistake’ and created a newspaper article to relay the shocking turn of events in the book!

The children also wrote letters of introduction to their reception buddies’ parents. Highlighting all the exciting activities and opportunities in the main school.

In science, the children continued to investigate forces and learnt about different mechanisms: levers, pulleys, and gears. The children then constructed their own gear mechanisms and discussed how and when these mechanisms were useful.

In our world religion topic, the children discussed Christian weddings and the significance of symbols and rituals.

In VR the children completed a paper on letter and number codes. We discussed using a systematic approach and using the alphabet line to help us establish the pattern.

Questions to ask

What happened in chapters 12-18 of cloud busting?

What was your headline for your newspaper article?

What happened to Davey in Cloud Busting?

How do you calculate 2/5 of 45?

Can you solve this problem?

2/3 of a class wear red hats and the rest wear blue ones.

If 18 children are wearing red hats how many children are in the class?

What are the three types of mechanisms you learnt about this week?

Where might you find a lever/pulley/gear?

What happens in a Christian Wedding?

In VR what is a letter code?

The Year 5 team.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“ We are having the best fun, without our mums! “

Anoushka and Emmi

The Y5 Blog 

All children are happy with their room partners and have had a good sleep.  We are happy  to report everyone is having a great action packed time.

We have only been here for 24 hours and done so much. From blindfolded team challenges to bushcraft it has been great to see such a cohesive, inclusive class working together.
 

Quote of the day

Jemima “ I never want to leave, I will

be so sad to go back on Wednesday!”

Jewish Studies - 21st Iyar - 12th May

This week we celebrated Lag BaOmer, enjoying delicious ice creams to mark the occasion.

Our focus this week has been Etgar, looking at the numbers, Shabbat and Tefillah. We are just a month away now, so the children should be making their Etgar books their best friends!  Once we are all back from our residential trips, we will be working in earnest towards the quiz.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom!

Friday 12th May 2023

This week was completed our assessments on NVR, VR, a creative writing piece and art.

In maths, we explored multiplying fractions. We explored the best methods to use and efficient strategies. The children also revisited converting mixed numbers into improper fractions. On Friday, the children completed an 11 plus style exam paper.

In science, the children continued to investigate gravity and learnt about the famous scientist Sir Isaac Newton and the children then used a newton meter to compare the weight and mass of objects.

On Tuesday, the children completed a mini first aid course. The children learnt how to do CPR and what to do if someone was choking.

On Wednesday, the children took part in a renewable energy workshop learning about solar, water and wind energy. The children planted seeds, made windmills, raced solar-powered cars around a track, learnt about turbines and made bughouses.

In PSHE, the children discussed ‘being resourceful’. The children played a game which required them to use their imagination to make use of a random object. We discussed the three steps to resourcefulness.

1. How do we feel when there is a problem?
2. What skills do we use?
3. How do we feel when we find a solution?

We are all looking forward to the Residential trip next week 14-17th May. Please check the blog daily for updates.

See you all on Sunday morning 9am!

Questions to ask

What happened in chapters 7-10 of cloud busting?

Whan were you resourceful this week?

How do you make a mixed number into an improper fraction?

How do you multiply fractions?

What is the difference between weight and mass?

What is weight measured in?

What did you discover is the relationship between weight and mass?

What did you do in the Renewable Energy workshop?

What is a turbine?

What is the Heimlich manoeuvre?

The Year 5 team.

Friday 5th May 2023

Coronation week

As part of the build up to the coronation of King Charles III this weekend, the children learnt about the history of the coronation. They learnt about the values and traditions involved and special items used. The children then created a proclamation speech for King Charles, to highlight the values they believe he should uphold as our future monarch. They then went on to perform this as a poetic rap to the class and one group was selected to represent Year 5 in our Coronation assembly.

This week was assessment week, and the children completed a selection of tests in maths and English.

In maths, we explored exam techniques and systematic approaches to challenges. On Friday the children completed a coronation themed simplifying fractions challenge. Using their mathematical skills to put events into chronological order and calculate the how long it has been since key events occurred in King Charles’ life.

In NVR we completed a test on odd one out problems.

In science, the children continued their investigation using paper helicopters to measure the effect of air resistance on the speed of descent. This week they adapted their designs to observe the effect of altering surface area on air resistance.

In PSHE, the children discussed ‘being a good listener’. The children played a game which required them to each other and share what they heard.

We are pleased to inform you that on Wednesday 10th May the children will be participating in a fun and exciting environmental workshop where they will learn about renewable energy, environmental issues and biodiversity. Please could children bring materials for building bug houses on Tuesday or Wednesday. Ideally dried leaves, twigs, corks, string, pine cones or anything that is natural and small to create warm, dry spaces for wildlife. Thank you.

Questions to ask

What happened in chapters 7-10 of cloud busting?

How many kings or queens have been coronated at Westminster Abbey?

What items are used in the coronation ceremony?

What is a proclamation?

What values did you include in your rap?

Which ordinance survey map symbols do you remember?

How did you adapt you helicopter design?

How close did you get to the target number in the countdown maths starter?

How old is Prince George?

Who is King Charles III married too?

When is the coronation taking place?

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies - 14th Iyar - 5th May 

This week has flown by. We have reviewed our Etgar Israel learning and are now revising the "numbers" section of the book. We talked about how amazing it is that Chief Rabbi Mirvis is having a sleepover tonight at Clarence House with King Charles!  It really is incredible to think that our very own Chief Rabbi is spending the night leading up to the Coronation as a guest of the King! To have such an honour bestowed upon our wonderful Chief Rabbi is a huge tribute to all that he represents, and a great honour for the whole Jewish community. 

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and enjoy this special long weekend!

Friday 28th April 2023

In English, this week we were exploring Poetry. We continued our class reader- Cloud Busting by Malorie Blackman. The children read several chapters of the book and wrote a variety of poetry including some comical limericks. The children also explored the multitude of ways we can use fronted adverbials in their writing to add interest. They were introduced to the acronym a ASPICE to help them think of different ways to start a sentence.

In VR we completed a mock test exposing the children to the variety of question types they will encounter in our formal assessment later this term.

In maths, we explored data handling. The children were taught how to extrapolate information from a variety of data. This included bar charts, line graphs, pie charts and tables. The children applied these skills to complete more challenging tasks incorporating multistep challenges.

In geography, we continued our map skills topic. The children were revisited Ordinance survey maps symbols and completed a short quiz to see if they remembered some of the symbols they had learnt. We the introduced the concept of four-figure grid references which incorporate a northing and easting number. The children went on to identify the grid references for a variety of locations on an ordinance survey map, including Kerem School.

On Wednesday we celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut the children had a fun filled day. They decorated backpacks, did some Israeli dancing, attended army training and created an Israel themed monopoly game.

In science, the children continued our forces topic focusing on air resistance and gravity. The children applied their learning to complete an investigation using paper helicopters to measure the effect of air resistance on the speed of descent. Next week we will be continuing this investigation by adapting their designs to observe the effect of altering surface area on air resistance.

In PSHE, the children discussed ‘being a group’. The children played a game which required them to make groups, we went on to discuss the contrasting emotions we feel when we are left out or in a group. We then talked about how it feels when we are excluded from a group and how best to approach others who may be left out.

Questions to ask.

What happened in chapters 2-6 of cloud busting?

What do you think happened to Davey?

What is a haiku? How many syllables on each line?

Who did you write your limerick about?

What is a fronted adverbial?

What does ‘A SPICE’ mean?

What is a northing/easting?

Which ordinance survey map symbols do you remember?

What does comical mean?

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies 28th April - 7th Iyar 

We certainly celebrated Israel's independence in style this week! In preparation for this special day, we discussed some of the history leading up to the creation of Medinat Yisrael.  We also presented our work to our classmates on different street names in Jerusalem.

On Yom Haatzmaut itself, we sang, danced, created a Jerusalem monopoly game, painted and marched our way through the day. We were also privileged to hear from Mr Kahan who is the dad of one of our reception children.  He told us all about life in the Israeli Navy. which was really fascinating! It really was a huge celebration of our wonderful State of Israel!

We also began to read through the pages in Etgar about Medinat Yisrael, looking at some of the major Zionist leaders.

Wishing you Shabbat Shalom and a really enjoyable bank holiday weekend!

Jewish Studies -  Rosh Chodesh Nissan - 21st April

Welcome back to the summer term - I do hope your Pesach was enjoyable and meaningful, and that you enjoyed sharing your child's beautiful guide to the Haggadah

On our return on Monday, we started working towards Yom Haatzmaut, with each pupil creating a poster featuring one fact that makes Israel special.  All together we have made 75 facts, one for each year of the modern State of Israel. You can see them flowing all the way up to the top of the staircase! 

Besides this, as part of our Israel curriculum, we have been focussing on street names in Jerusalem, understanding that Israel's roads are named after influential people, memorable events and important locations. We have been exploring the stories behind a selection of different road names, and on Yom Haatzmaut we will be creating our own version of monopoly, based on these roads - but more about that next week.

We look forward to celebrating Israel's special day next week and I wish you all chag atzmaut same'ah!

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend!

Friday 21st April 2023

In English, this week we were exploring Poetry. We also began our class reader- Cloud Busting by Malorie Blackman. The children read the first chapter of the book and wrote simile poems incorporating a build-up. The children also began exploring exam papers reading a text and answering questions relating to it. This week we focused on understanding and deciphering the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary and using P.E.E( point evidence explain) when answering multipoint questions.

On Friday, the class read out the poems they had memorised from Lady of Shalott by Tennyson to Excuses by Allan Ahlberg. We were so impressed by their skills.

In maths, we revisited rounding numbers and negative numbers. The children learnt how to calculate the addition and subtraction calculations crossing zero. The children applied these skills to complete more challenging tasks including a Nrich dice game involving rounding.  On Friday, the children applied their learning to complete an 11 plus exam paper. The children completed ten questions then discussed their strategies and how they approached each task.

In geography, we began our map skills topic. The children were introduced to Ordinance survey maps. They learnt about both human and physical features and identified the location of the school and their home on a map of the local area. The children went on to play a bingo game where they had to ordinance survey map symbols.

This week we also began our world religion topic the children learnt about Christianity after reading some information, they were able to complete a true and false grid and a multiple-choice quiz.

In science, the children began our forces topic learning about Sir Isaac Newton and his discovery of gravity. The children then applied their learning to examine balanced and unbalanced forces. They labelled diagrams with the forces involved. These included air resistance friction and gravity.

In art, the children completed their Victorian project focussing on decorating their house.

Questions to ask.

What is cloud busting?

Who is Mr Mackie?

What do you think happened to Davey?

What happened in the first chapter of the book?

What is halfway between -20 and 40?

What is 28992 rounded to the nearest 1000?

What is a human feature?

Which ordinance survey map symbols do you remember?

What does uncanny mean?

The Year 5 team.

Friday 24th March 2023

In English, this week we were exploring Part III of our focussed poem -The lady of Shalott. They children wrote and acted out their scripts to explain the backstory of how the lady had become looked in the tower. The children then explored the next part of the poem looking at Sir Lancelot and what clues the verses gave about his appearance.

This week our spelling topic was silent letters e.g.knight

In guided reading we looked at a factual piece about the reaction of coke and mentos.

In maths, we completed this terms fraction topic and introduced percentages to the children. The children learnt how to calculate the percentage. The children learnt how to convert between fractions, decimals and percentages.  On Thursday, the children applied their learning to complete exam style questions on this topic consolidating their learning and using problem solving skills to attempt more challenging questions. On Friday we completed a variety of mental arithmetic questions covering topics from this term. The children then set their own individual targets to focus on next term.

In science, the children carried out a formal scientific investigation to answer the question-which type of mentos created the largest reaction?

In VR, we continued looking at word meanings. Encouraging the children to make a educated guess by eliminating questions which were not possible.

In art, the children continued their Victorian project focussing on adding a moving part to their house

Questions to ask.

What did you imagine happened in the backstory of the poem?

Who was Sir Lancelot? Was he real?

Can you describe him?

What happened at the end of part III?

What is a percentage? What does it mean?

Which is largest ¾, 74% or 0.76?

What is a physical reaction?

Which type of mentos had the biggest reaction?

What does staunch mean?

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies 2nd Nissan - 24th March

Year 5 have been working so incredibly hard on their haggadot this week.  I am super proud of each and every one of them for the effort and care that they are putting into their work. They are SO excited to use them at their family sedarim - I hope you enjoy sharing their learning with them! 

It was lovely to see you all on Rosh Chodesh for our joint Seed learning/activity session.  I hope you enjoyed sharing time and a craft activity with your lovely children, and thank you for joining us.

On Monday will be the model Seder, at which we will sing, eat and answer questions on Pesach.  I am excited to see how much they are able to answer, based on our learning from these past two weeks

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom

Jewish Studies 24th Adar - 17th March

This week has been all about Pesach!   Year 5 have made an excellent start on their haggadot for this year.  We are trying really hard to make up for lost time last week.  PG we will get them finished and beautiful in time for the chag!

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend.

Friday 17th March 2023

This week the children learnt about British Sign Language and learnt some useful phrases and the alphabet.

On Friday we had our Victorian Bake-off. We were amazed at their efforts and how all children tried to make their entries as authentic as possible.

In English, this week we continued exploring the poem titled-

The Lady of Shalott. The children read the next two stanzas of the poem which described the mystery behind the Lady of Shalott, then answered questions about her predicament.

This week the children learnt the different way a writer can hook a reader eg using figurative language; a shocking statement; starting in the middle of a conversation or a rhetorical question. They then applied these techniques in a piece of writing titled- The day I will never forget.

In guided reading we looked at an article about Mentos and coke, exploring vocabulary and key facts.

In maths, we continued our topic on fractions. The children revisited making equivalent fractions and were taught how to subtract fractions together. The children also completed several challenges, which asked them to apply these skills to more challenging contextual questions. During the week, the children applied their learning to complete several fraction-based dice games.

In NVR, we revisited 'analogies' style questions, which encourage the children to work out the pattern and similarities first before establishing the missing one.

In art , the children continued constructing their Victorian  houses which contained moving mechanisms eg. A pop-up chimney sweep. 

Possible Questions

What do you know about The Lady of Shalott?

What did you learn about her?

Why can she not leave the tower?

What does she do all day?

Which new vocabulary did you learn this week?

What are equivalent fractions?

How do you subtract fractions?

What is an improper fraction?

What is π ?

What is a recession?

How would you sign Good Afternoon in BSL?

Can you use BSL to say your name?

Which entry was your favourite in the Bake-Off? Why?

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 5 team

Friday 10th March 2023

 What an amazing, fun and busy week the children have had!

On Monday the children had a talk with a representative from Jewish Blind and Disabled . The children learned about the work they do and the tools they provide to help people manage day-to-day life with their disabilities.

On Tuesday, the children celebrated Purim; taking part in an exuberant Zumba session for Jewish Care and a Puirm fashion show, as well as hearing the reading of the megillah. They enjoyed exchanging their mishloach manot with their friends, which were allocated using lolly sticks.

On Friday we had an online safety talk to discuss how children can keep safe online and the importance of privacy. They also discussed the safe use of social media and gaming.

In English, this week we continued exploring the poem entitled

The Lady of Shalott. The children read the next two stanzas of the poem which described the Lady of Shalott, then answered questions about her.

This week the children wrote an alternative perspective piece looking at the perceived antagonists in popular stories and rewriting a popular tale form the antagonist’s perspective.

In guided reading we looked at an article about Chromatography, exploring vocabulary and key facts.

In science, the children carried out a paper chromatography experiment. The children explored the different colours that make up different inks by separating them via chromatography.

In maths, we began our topic on adding fractions. The children revisited making equivalent fractions and were taught how to add fractions together. The children also completed several challenges, which asked them to apply these skills to more challenging contextual questions. During the week, the children applied their learning to complete a maze challenge and some fraction-themed domino games.

In NVR, we revisited 'odd one out' style questions, which encourage the children to work out the pattern and similarities first before establishing the missing one.

In history, the children explored the value of primary sources. They examined a selection of World War II medals; to discover what information could be gained about the British Empire. Then represented the information they found by annotating their findings onto a map of the world.

Possible Questions

What do you know about  The Lady of Shalott?

What did you learn about her?

Can you describe her?

Which new vocabulary did you learn this week?

What are equivalent fractions?

How do you add fractions?

What is chromatography?

What does chromatography translate to in Greek?

What did you use chromatography to find out?

Can you name three countries that belonged to the British Empire?

Which WWII medal did you like the most?

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 5 team

Jewish Studies 10th Adar - 3rd March

Year 5 have been learning about the story of Purim, looking at each chapter of the megillah in more detail.  We have written a class poem that retells the story of Megillat Esther, in Year 5’s indomitable style! We have plotted Purim on our online timeline, and figured out that the Purim story happened shortly after the destruction of the first Beit HaMikdash.

We have also been making headway with our Etgar Studies, focussing on the pages relating to Purim, Megillot and Numbers.  At home, we have been tasked with reviewing the numbers pages, which range from number one (One is HaShem) to the number 304,805 – do you know what this number represents?  Ask your children, hopefully they will know!

Next week will bring with it our Purim celebration on Tuesday, to be followed immediately on Wednesday by our starting to learn about Pesach, which is creeping up on us suddenly!

Have a lovely Shabbat and a good weekend.

Friday 3^rd March 2023

In English, this week we began exploring the theme of legends the children began reading the poem titled- The Lady of Shalott. The children read the first two stanzas of the poem which described the setting, then drew their interpretation of the setting described.

This week our grammar topic was the spelling rule- ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’, the children learnt about the different times they are used in writing and common exceptions e.g. science and weird.

In guided reading we looked at an article about Heston Blumenthal’s craziest recipes, exploring vocabulary and key facts.

The children also completed some reading comprehension exercises to examine their ability to work independently to answer questions fully. 

In maths, we began our topic on metric and imperial conversions. The children learnt how to convert measurements. The children also completed several challenges asking them to apply these skills to more challenging worded questions. During the week, the children applied their learning to complete a coded challenge. On Friday , we completed a mental arithmetic test, where the children explained strategies they used and discussed questions they found tricky.

In science, the children plotted their results(using a line graph) and discovered the best material to keep a hot drink warm.

In VR, we continued looking at word meanings. Encouraging the children to work out what vocabulary meant before attempting each question.

Questions to ask.

Who was The Lady of Shalott? Was she real?

What did you learn about Shalott?

Can you describe the Camelot from the poem?

What are imperial measures? Can you name 3?

Why are metric measures easier?

Which material was your best thermal insulator?

What is the definition of a thermal conductor?

What does epilogue mean?

What is a gaggle?

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies - 3rd Adar  24th February

Firstly, a huge thank you for joining us on Wednesday morning for our Rosh Chodesh learning!  It was so special to be able to share our Tefillah with you too, all the more so because we were back in the Shul for the first time since covid, so a huge thank you!

This week Year 5 have started to learn about Purim, revising the four mitzvot and taking a more in-depth look at each of them.  In Chumash we delved into Yoseph's second dream, considering what was represented by the sun, moon and stars and debating what was worse - that Yoseph's brothers hated him or that they were jealous of him.  We are also focussing on the 'Numbers' section of the Etgar book, and the children should be revising the numbers on pages 47-50.  

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend.

Friday 25th February 2023

In English, this week we were exploring the theme of legends the children learnt about the Legend of King Arthur. They wrote their own versions of the story and wrote, filmed, and edited trailers.

This week our grammar topic was hyphens, the children learnt about the different times they are used in writing.

In guided reading we looked at the first chapter of Peter Pan, exploring vocabulary and the story so far.

In maths, we began our topic on Volume. The children learnt how to calculate the volume of a 3d shape. The children also completed several challenges asking them to apply these skills to more challenging worded questions. On Friday, the children applied their learning to complete a challenge where they were given a variety of shapes and asked to estimate their volume, they then went on to build the shapes to ascertain if they had been correct.

The children also learnt about Archimedes theory of displacement which can help you work out the volume of a 3D object.

In science, the children researched thermal insulators and conductors. They carried out an experiment to discover which material would be best for keeping a cup of coffee hot.

In VR, we continued looking at codes. Encouraging the children to work out what each letter represented before attempting each question.

In NVR, the children looked at series. The children were taught how to establish the next picture in a sequence and strategies to help them.

In art, the children continued their Victorian project focussing on the structure of their Victorian buildings. Trying to incorporate Victorian features e.g. dentils and corbels.

Questions to ask.

Who was King Arthur? Was he real?

What did you learn about this legend?

Who were the other characters from the story?

What is volume? How is it measured?

What did you do in your trailer?

What is a gable? Where would you find it?

What materials are thermal insulators?

What is the definition of a conductor?

What does ostentatious mean?

The Year 5 team.

Friday 10th February 2023

This week was Children’s Mental health week,our theme this year was making connections.  On Monday, the children connected with nature and visited Kew Gardens for Tu Bishvat. We had a fabulous day. The children completed a Kew themed crime solving mystery, as well as, exploring the park( The Great Pagoda and Minky House). The children also went on a treetop walk. 

As part of Mental Health week the children completed several activities including:

Connecting with art -creating neurographic art pieces. 

Connecting with themselves -having a mindful moment with a body squeeze exercise.

Connecting with music- children learnt how to use music to help them relax.

In our comprehension lessons this week we read and dissected several texts. Exploring the use of quotes and how to use them effectively. We also discussed how to access how much to write in order to attain full marks for each question.

In maths, we began our topic on Time. The children learnt how to convert between different units of time. The children also completed several challenges asking them to apply these skills to more challenging worded questions. On Friday, the children applied their learning to complete 11 plus style questions. Discussing the importance of reading each question carefully and making sure we answer the question being asked.

In history, the children researched schooling in the Victorian era. Making a list of the challenges Victorian school children faced.

In NVR, we continued looking at codes. Encouraging the children to workout what each letter represented before attempting each question.

Questions to ask.

What was challenging about schooling in the Victorian era?

What did you learn about Liverpool's connection with the Titanic?

What mindful moments did you have this week?

Why is time important? What units can we use to measure time?

Which mnemonic can you remember from last week?

What is neurographic art?

What did you write in your ‘Lost’ story?

How many days in a leap year?

Wishing you all a lovely half-term,

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies 12th Shevat - 3rd Feb

In JS this week we have continued our learning of Parashat Vayeshev, discussing why it was that Yoseph's brothers hated him so much, and also exploring the differences between them hating him and being jealous of him. 

We have continued with our work for Israel 75, and have now decided what our final piece of microcalligraphy will be - the only condition being that it is connected to Israel. We will share the final work once complete, so watch this space!

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend.

Friday 3^rd February 2023

This week, the children enjoyed an immersive theatre experience. They watched and took part in Hamlet- a Shakespeare play.  In creative writing, the children wrote a newspaper article to chronical the death of King Hamlet. In art they created comic strips to surmise the plot of the story.

In our comprehension lessons this week we explored giving evidence to support our answers and strategies for deciphering the meaning of words. The children read and dissected several texts (Chimney Child, The Painting (part two) and A Secret Portal).

In maths, we began our topic on Area. The children learnt how to find missing lengths and the area of compound shapes. The children also completed several challenges asking them to use their understanding of area and perimeter; to make practical applications and the children discussed when we use area and perimeter in our daily lives. This week we also explored the use of mental strategies to aid our mental arithmetic eg multiplying by 10/100. On Friday, the children applied their learning to complete an investigation. During which they had to create a pirate island using specific area dimensions.

In history, the children researched the use of primary resources in history. They explored a photograph and census document and analysed them to extrapolate key facts and information about the families in them.

In NVR, we looked at codes. Encouraging the children to workout what each letter represented before attempting each question.

In VR, we explored making words and sentences. Encouraging the children to use a systematic approach to aid deciphering answers.

In Science, we continued our Festival themed science experiment, making sure we established a fair test and made informed predictions.

Questions to ask.

What is a primary resource in history?

What happened in Chapter six of Chimney Child? Can you name the culprit?

What is a despot? Can you name one?

What is the area of a shape? What units can we use to measure area?

Which enquiry question are you answering in science?

Which mnemonic did you create this week for a word you find hard to spell correctly?

What did you draw in your comic strip?

What happened at the end of Hamlet?

Who killed King Hamlet?

Remember 

To bring a packed lunch ( nut- free) and healthy snack on Monday for our trip to Kew Gardens.

Jewish Studies - 27^th January - 5^th Shevat

Year 5 have continued learning about David Ben Gurion, in preparation for Israel75.  We examined an image of him that was created using microcalligraphy, and learnt that microcalligraphy was originally a Jewish artform, started in the 9^th century.  We then had a go at creating microcalligraphy pictures connected to waking up in the morning, using modeh ani as our text. We were really pleased with the results!

In our parashah lesson we discussed Moshe’s style of leadership as well as highlighting the point that Moshe had asked Pharaoh permission for Bnei Yisrael to leave Egypt for just three days – not permanently. We also discussed briefly what it meant for Pharaoh that his heart was made heavy.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom!

Friday 27th January 2023

This week, in creative writing the children wrote a recount of the Chimney child story so far from the perspective of one of the main characters. The children were challenged to write a second person narrative of the events so far.

In our comprehension lessons this week we explored giving evidence to support our answers and strategies for deciphering the meaning of words. The children read and dissected several texts (Chimney Child, The Painting (part one) and A New Hero).

In maths, we began our topic on Perimeter. The children learnt how to find missing lengths and the perimeter of compound shapes. The children also completed several challenges asking them to use their understanding of perimeter; to make practical applications and the children discussed when we use perimeter in our daily lives. This week we also explored the use of algebra to help answer worded challenges. We also recapped the names of 2Dshapes.

In History, the children researched the ‘Life of Victorian children.  The children read about the different job’s children had during the Victorian era and the dangers of each of them. We joined a Victorian Live session on the BBC exploring and compering Victorian schooling. The children then went on to use the information they had learnt to write a persuasive letter to Queen Victoria from a Victorian child labourer pleading for better working conditions for poor Victorian children.

In NVR, we looked at reflections and rotations. Encouraging the children to use turning the page or device to help them if unsure and the importance of knowing the difference between clockwise and anticlockwise.

In PSHE the children discussed fairness and inclusivity. We discussed how we are all one class and how everyone can impact the whole group.

Questions to ask.

What is a primary resource in history?

Can you name 3 Victorian inventions?

What happened in Chapter four of Chimney Child?

What has happened so far in the story?

What is the perimeter of a shape?

What do we call a 10- sided shape?

What does a 90-degree clockwise rotation mean?

Jewish Studies 27th Tevet - 20th January

As part of our book week celebration, Year 5 designed their own Jewish Mr Man or Little Miss book, which they have shared with each other.  We have examined this week’s parashah, focussing especially on the seven plagues which appear this week.  We learned how they came in groups of three, the first of each was told to Pharaoh whilst he was bathing in the river (ask your children what he was really doing, and why!), the second of each was told to Pharaoh whilst in his palace, and the third of each started without warning.  We also learnt why it was Aharon and not Moshe who brought the first three plagues, and from this we learn the middah of hakarat hatov – of having gratitude for everyone and everything around us.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and an enjoyable weekend.

Friday 20th January 2023

What an exciting book week we have had from dressing up as our favourite book characters, book tastings, scavenger hunts and meeting the author Pippa Goodhart( author of the famous ‘You Choose’ series).

This week, in creative writing the children met the author Meira Drazin (author of ‘Honey and Me’) and wrote the beginnings of a story based on a name.

In our comprehension lessons this week we explored giving evidence to support our answers and strategies for deciphering the meaning of words. The children read and dissected several texts (Chimney Child, Maya and The Beast Awakens).

In maths, we progressed to division word problems. The children were taught how to extrapolate key information from a word question and making sure they answer the specific question being asked. the importance of setting out their work in a neat methodical manner and underlining their final answer. The children went on to complete a variety of challenges to apply their learning and decipher more complex tasks. On Friday, we played some mathematical multiplication games to improve speed and accuracy during mental arithmetic tasks.

In History, the children researched the ‘Life of rich and poor Victorians’. We examined the diary entries of Victorian children and read some historical information. The children then used this information to create a Venn diagram depicting features of Victorian life.

In Science, we continued our topic on Properties of Materials. The children discussed how to create a fair and comparative test. The children will be spending the next few weeks exploring different properties of materials. This week the children completed a stick note investigation to establish the suitability of materials for a food preparation task.

In PSHE the children discussed fairness and inclusivity. We discussed scenarios relating to playing fairly and how our body language and words impact others.

Questions to ask

What does ‘a fair test' mean?

What did you learn during your sessions with Pippa Goodhart/Meira Drazin?

How do we set out a bus stop division? What must we not forget?

What happened in Chapter three of Chimney Child ?

What has happened so far in the story?

Can you name the main characters?

Name three differences between rich and poor Victorians.

Can you name the properties of materials you will be exploring next week in your experiment?

Which Victorian recipe are you going to research?

Gentle reminder:

A polite request can children please not wear earrings on Gym and PE days.

Shabbat Shalom 

The Year 5 Team

Friday 13th January 2023

This week, in creative writing the children applied the techniques they learnt last week, to add spice to their writing. They wrote a piece entitled 'If elephants ruled the world'.

In our comprehension lesson this week we explored giving evidence to support our answers and 

how the text provides many clues about the era during which a piece was written. The children read and dissected several texts( Chimney child and Street child) and the poem ( The Chimney Sweeper by William Blake). The children also had the opportunity to role play different characters and think about questions they would ask them.

In maths, we progressed to  our topic on division. The children were taught the bus stop method and layout for short division . They then went on to explore long division. The children went on to complete a variety of challenges to apply their learning and decipher more complex worded problems. 

In NVR the children explored merging shapes and created tangrams to help visualise how merged shapes consisted of a variety of shapes.

In History, the children researched places named after Queen Victoria and created a Victorian time-line.

In Science, we began our topic on Properties of Materials. The children created a glossary of scientific terms then tested out several of them on a variety of objects from permeability to magnetism. 

In PSHE the children discussed what a bully, a target and a witness were and discussed scenarios of bullying and the different types of bullying. we then developed strategies to rebalance power in a bullying situation so that the target could be helped.

Questions to ask

What does the word 'target' mean?

When were Christmas crackers created?

How do we set out a bus stop division? What must we not forget?

What do we do when we have to divide a decimal point number?

What is a tangram?

Can you explain what life would be like if elephants ruled the world?

What happened in  Chapter two of Chimney Child ?

What surprising fact did we learn about Vic?

How would you describe Sam Ruff?

What was life like for a chimney sweeper in Victorian Britain?

Can you name the properties of materials?

Can you identify three different types of materials in your bedroom?

Gentle reminder:

A polite request can children please not wear earrings on Gym and PE  days.

Next week is book week please remember to dress up as your favourite book character.

Shabbat Shalom 

The Year 5 Team

Friday 6th January 2023

Happy New Year and I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. 

This week, in creative writing the children were taught how do add spice to their writing by learning a variety of ways to begin a sentence.

In our comprehension lesson this week we explored giving evidence to support our answers and how to use quotation marks to provide evidence.

In maths, we began our topic on multiplication and division. The children were taught the correct method layout for column multiplication. They then went on to explore estimation and doubling and halving to assist in quick mental calculations. The children went on to complete a variety of challenges to apply their learning and decipher more complex worded problems. There is an optional Friday homework should children wish to revisit this topic over the weekend.

I

In VR the children explored letter and number  codes and the children were taught how to use the alphabet given to establish the pattern being used. We also  explored strategies for deciphering number codes in a systematic manner.Then eliminating answers that did not fit these criteria.

In PSHE the children completed a STEAM team building challenge,  working together and using effective communication skills to complete the task of stacking cups on top of each other. Please do ask your children if they found it as easy as i sounds.

Questions to ask

What does libel mean?

What do you know about the Victorian era?

How do we set out a 2 digit by 2 digit multiplication? What must we not forget?

How can you add spice to your writing?

What is a letter code?

Can you explain what is a preposition? Can you give me three examples?

What was the first Chapter of Chimney Child about?

Shabbat Shalom 

The Year 5 Team

Friday 9^th December

This week, in creative writing the children began a story about a Greek Mythological creature they will finish their story next week.  In guided reading we looked at the book - The Christmas Tree Ship, a Christmas themed story about a young boy hearing the story of a factual event. In our comprehension lesson the children read the poem- The Listener’s discussing the archaic vocabulary and deciphering the meaning of words and who the listeners were. Our grammar topic this week, was parts of speech. The children explored the nine types of speech including pronouns, prepositions and determiners.

In maths, we continued our topic on measures exploring volume, capacity, and length. The children were asked to estimate the capacity and volume of a variety of items around the classroom using the appropriate equipment and then went on to explore converting measures. The children went on to complete a variety of challenges to apply their learning and decipher more complex worded problems. We have also been working on our mental arithmetic skills revisiting topics from this term and answering under timed conditions.

In art, the children completed making their Greek vase out of paper mache. They painted them and decorated them with black figure art,

In science the children explored solar and lunar eclipses. They read an article about annular eclipses and then researched the different types of lunar and solar eclipses and created a diagram to illustrate this.

As part of our Greek topic, the children were introduced to the acrophonic Greek

number system. They completed several maths sums and later in the week completed a times tables test in Greek.

In NVR the children explored merging shape problems, we focussed on looking for and identifying the shape. We also discussed the importance of the shape remaining the same size and reading the questions carefully. In VR the children were looking at letter codes and the children were taught how to use the alphabet given to establish the pattern being used. Then eliminating answers that did not fit these criteria.

This week in music the children went through our Greek rap. The children will have specific parts to sing and will need to learn a verse to perform. The rap and accompanying beat are available in the google classroom. Please encourage your child to learn their specific lines.

In PSHE the children discussed different friendship related  scenarios which have left them feeling different levels of emotions. The children had to define the level of emotion they may feel and name their emotion. We explored both positive and negative emotions via the use of a metaphorical friendship wave.

Questions to ask

What does kudos mean?

What does the prefix centi- mean?

How many ml in a litre?

What is the difference between volume and capacity?

Can you explain what is a pronoun? Can you give me three examples?

How do we write 25 in Greek?

Can you tell me the three types of solar eclipse that occur?

Where did the Christmas ship sink?

Which Greek myth did you write?

What is a super blood moon?

How do you feel today on your friendship wave?

Shabbat Shalom 

The Year 5 Team

Jewish Studies 8^th Kislev – 2^nd December

We have started learning about Chanukah!  We reviewed the details of the story, and then had to sequence the events. We have also been working on the timeline of Chanukah, placing major events and dates of Jewish History into the correct order. We didn’t realise that the events of Purim and those of Chanukah were less than 200 years apart.  We also plotted some of these dates onto our online timeline that we are creating.

In Parasha, we reviewed many of the details of this week’s exciting episode, then we chose a scene from the story to act out with a partner.  We especially enjoyed the ‘frisking’ scene as well as 12 stones that became one.

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend.

Friday 2^nd December

This week the children researched a Greek Mythological creature to be able to write a Greek myth story next week.  In guided reading we looked at the first two chapters of Cosmic, a space themed story about a young boy. In creative writing, the children explores creating mystery in their writing, they first identified the use of similes and strong verbs in a literary piece  and the ways the  author created imagery. The children then went on to apply these techniques 

by writing their own mystery stories.

In maths, we began our topic on measures exploring mass and length. The children were asked to estimate then measure a variety of items around the classroom using the appropriate equipment and then went on to explore converting measures. The children went on to complete a variety of challenges to apply their learning and decipher more complex worded problems.

In art, the children began making their Greek vase out of paper mache. Next week they will paint and decorate them.

In science the children conducted an experiment to represent and understand the different lunar phases. They then went on to identify the different steps in a lunar cycle.

As part of our Greek topic, the children researched the location of ancient Greek cities and placed them on a map.

In NVR the children explored finding the odd one out in a sequence of images, we discussed using eliminating all impossible answers first before looking for the odd one out. In VR the children were looking at worded problems and the children were taught how to use a systematic approach in order to tackle each step one by one.

This week in music the children went through our Greek rap. The children will have specific parts to sing and will need to learn a verse to perform. The rap and accompanying beat are available in the google classroom. Please encourage your child to learn their specific lines.

In PSHE the children learnt to identify different levels of emotions and the importance of knowing and naming the level of emotion they are feeling.

Questions to ask

What does jovial mean?

What does the prefix milli- mean?

How many grams in a kilogram?

What is the difference between mass and weight?

Can you explain what is a homophone?

Where was Knossos in ancient Greece?

Can you name the eight phases of the moon?

Where on the moon is the sea of tranquillity?

Which Greek myth did you research?

Can you name different words to describe the emotion of happiness?

Friday 25th November

This week the children completed a comprehension task entitled – Treason. We discussed the meaning of treason and life in Medieval England. We then went on to discuss characters’ feelings and how to provide evidence in our answers. Our spelling focus this week, was the suffix – able. In our grammar lesson we explored the uses of an apostrophe. The children wrote sentences to indicate contraction or possession. In guided reading we looked at the first chapter of A Diver’s Daughter; an Elizabethan story about a young girl. In creative writing, the children retold the story of the Battle of Marathon. We also completed a short write story continuation based on ‘A Diver’s Daughter’.

In maths, we continued our fractions topic exploring converting mixed fractions into improper fractions and comparing and ordering fractions.

As part of our Greek topic, the children researched a Greek god/goddess to create a top trump style card of their character.

In NVR the children explored finding the odd one out in a sequence of images, we discussed looking for similarities as a strategy. In VR the children were looking at word meanings using a thesaurus to broaden their vocabulary.

This week in music the children went through the Greek rap. The children will have specific parts to sing and will need to learn a verse to perform. The rap and accompanying beat are available in the google classroom.

Questions to ask

What does erroneous mean?

What are the rules when making equivalent fractions?

Which Top Trump Greek character did you make?

What is a compliment circle?

What is a mixed number fraction?

Can you give three equivalent fractions for 1/2?

Which Greek God/Goddess are you in the Greek rap?

Jewish Studies 1st Kislev 25th November

This week in Jewish Studies we focused on the Ethiopian Jewish festival of Sigd, which fell on Tuesday night and Wednesday, being 29^th Cheshvan.

We learnt about the different customs and practices that the Ethiopian Jews keep for Sigd, and also explored how this is now celebrated by the Ethiopian community in Israel.  We worked out that Sigd is a cross between Yom Kippur and Shavuot, and decided that possibly the reason the Jews of Ethiopia would climb a mountain on Sigd was to recall Moshe climbing up Har Sinai to receive the Torah. We also learnt that we should truly appreciate how lucky we are that we are able to fly to Israel and visit our beautiful city of Jerusalem whenever we want, as this is still not the case nowadays for some Jews around the world.

Chodesh Tov and Shabbat Shalom

Anti-Bullying Week 

This week the children started the week with an odd socks day as part of our Anti-Bullying activities.

During our Anti-bullying themed week, we looked at the book-Wonder. Examining themes from the book via a range of cross-curricular activities. For science, the children researched an animal discovering facts about its habitat and the purpose of specific features. For art, the children practised their sketching skills; creating their own individual animal characters, which had something that made it special and different from all the other animals. In PSHE, the children decorated their own odd socks with the items that represented them, from flags of countries to drawings of their favourite things. On Wednesday, the children  took part in an Anti-Bullying workshop discussing how to notice and stop bullying by acting out a variety of scenarios. We also completed a variety of other activities to help the children make good choices. From thinking about the words they use when talking with each other,  to helping them understand the nuances between bullying and unkind behaviour. In creative writing the children wrote about being different from the perspective of their chosen animal.

In NVR and VR  the children completed their autumn term assessments.

This week the children completed a comprehension task titled – Game Ranger Diaries. We discussed why we might write  a diary and it’s features. Our spelling focus this week, was the suffix – ible. In guided reading we looked at the first two chapters of the Jamie Drake Equation. A space- themed story which all the children enjoyed.

In maths, we began our topic on fractions, examining equivalent fractions and terminology associated with this topic eg. Lowest term, reducing or scaling up a fraction. We also looked at  mental arithmetic skills and the children explored metric conversions and mental strategies to speed up maths calculations e.g. rounding up then subtracting (19 x13 is the same as 20x13 minus 13).On Friday, the children completed a maths investigation creating tangrams and using fraction equivalence to help them.

As part of our Greek topic, the children explored Greek pattern making and their significance eg. Olympian symbols and their relevance. Additionally, the children listened to the story of Theseus and the Minotaur.

This week the children were introduced to our Greek rap, The children will have specific parts to sing and will need to learn a verse to perform.

Questions to ask

What is a tangram?

What are the rules when making equivalent fractions?

Who is Theseus?

Who was his nemesis?

What is the lowest term of a fraction?

Which Greek symbols did you draw in your pattern?

Which Auggie animal did you create?

What is an Upstander? How can you be one?

Can you give three equivalent fractions for ¼?

Can you name some characters from the book Wonder?

Which Greek God/Goddess are you in the Greek rap?

Wishing you all a restful weekend,

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 5 team 

Friday 11th November 

This week the children have had a busy week.

In science, the children took part in a STEAM challenge to create a Greek Labyrinth out of Lego. They cam up with some interesting designs.

In art, the children practised their sketching skills; learning techniques to add depth and methods of shading.

In history, as part of our Greek topic, the children learnt about Alexander the Great and the lands he conquered. Discussing the positive and negative effects of his rule, on the people he ruled.

In NVR, the children revisited nets and cubes. Applying three different strategies to help them eliminate answers. These included opposites, edges and rotation.

In VR, the children looked at word meaning- identifying words with either the closest meaning or opposite meaning.

In creative writing the children the acronym DDAFT( description, dialogue,action, feeling, thought) and wrote a piece incorporating each element.

Our spelling focus this week, was the suffixes- ent, -ency and - ence. We also revisited figurative language exploring all the varieties we can apply to our writing such as metaphors, similes and personification. The children had to sort a selection of phrases and decide which type of figurative language their phrase represented.

In maths, we continued our exploration of multiplication; introducing the terms lowest common multiple(LCM) and highest common factor(HCF). On Friday the children applied theses skills to solve a maths murder mystery. This week we also took part in the Primary Maths Challenge.

Questions to ask

What is a LCM?

Where is Macedonia?

Which lands did Alexander the Great conquer?

What is the HCF for the numbers 18 and 42?

Name three Olympian gods or goddesses?

On Monday what must you remember to wear?

What is an idiom? Can you give an example?

Who was the Greek God of the Underworld?

Why did we take part in a two minute silence?

Wishing you a restful weekend,

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 5 team 

Faces of Israel Week

This week the children had an exciting week learning about Iranian culture. The children took part in a variety of activities including a fabulous talk by Mrs Abramson about the history of Purim, modern Iranian dance and Iranian cuisine.

As part of our 'Faces of Israel' week the children had an opportunity to cook variety of Iranian delicacies sending delicious smells across the school. Do ask your child which dish they prepared?

In science, the children learnt about the origins of spices, learning about the plants they come from and their scientific names. The children went on to create paint t form these spices and their own spicy art creations.

In art, the children learnt about weaving and began to create an Iran inspired carpet design.

In geography, the children learnt about the location of Iran and its surrounding countries and completed a a general knowledge quiz about this topic.

In NVR, the children learnt about nets and cubes. The children learnt three different strategies to help them eliminate answers. These included opposites, edges and rotation.

In creative writing the children wrote a narrative piece from the perspective of an Iranian child titled- A New Beginning.

Our spelling focus this week, was the suffixes- ant, -ancy and - ance.

In maths, we continued our exploration of multiplication; introducing the terms prime factorisation, square and cube numbers and factor trees.

In our Greek mythology topic we learnt about the Greek alphabet and the children wrote their names in ancient Greek. The children learnt the story of 'Athena and the Olive tree' explaining the story of the creation of this particular Goddess. The children went on to research one of the 12 Olympian gods, creating a fact file on one of them. 

Questions to ask

What is a square number?

Where is Iran?

What is the name of its capital?

Which language do they speak in Iran?

Who was Henry V?

Which battle is he most remembered for?

Name three Olympian gods or goddesses?

Which part of a plant is cinnamon from?

Name three spices used in Iranian cooking?

Can you remember any of the ancient Greek letters?

What is personification? Can you give an example?

Wishing you a restful weekend,

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 5 team 

Jewish Studies 10th Cheshvan - 3rd November

During this past week, we have been focussing on the Jews of Iran/Persia as part of our Faces of Israel project.  We were fascinated to learn that Jews have lived in Iran since Biblical times, as evidenced by the Purim story. We learnt that Mordechai and Esther are buried in Iran, and discussed the impact this has on our understanding of the Purim story, and on the Torah in general.

We also learnt about the different after-brachot that we say following a meal and continued our Chumash learning of Bereishit ch.37. It's been a busy week!

Wishing  you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hill

Jewish Studies 3^rd Cheshvan – 28^th October

This week we have been focusing on significant numbers in Judaism, learning lots of new, interesting facts along the way. Do you know how many Minor Prophets there are, or how many generations there were between Adam to Noach, and Noach to Avraham? – It’s all in the Etgar book!

We have also started working on creating our own online timeline, charting all the events and personalities that we will be learning about this coming year.  We figured out that the secular year for the end of creation was the year 3761 BCE.  We were really surprised to learn that the flood from this week’s parashah of Noach happened over 1600 years after the end of creation.

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend.

Friday 28th October 2022

It feels like a long time since we have had a full week in school!

This week was assessment week and the children completed a variety of assessments including:

-Spelling

-Grammar & Punctuation

-Comprehension ( including both fictional and informative texts)

-Mental arithmetic 

-Maths

-Creative Writing 

The results of these will be discussed during our autumn term parents' evening later this term.

Along with our assessments, in maths, we began our multiplication topic. The children were introduced to the concept of factors and prime numbers, learning methods to factorise any given two digit positive integer. We also completed our mental arithmetic test, and the children were taught methods to speed up mental calculations eg. when multiplying by 4 (we double then double again) or using our timetables to help us so rather than doing 14x4 we would do 7x8.

In guided reading, we looked at a factual text about the medieval monarch Henry II. Discussing tricky vocabulary and the history of that period of time.

In our grammar lesson this week, the children constructed sentences incorporating figurative language e.g. similes, metaphors and personification. 

In science,the children conducted an investigation on shadow size ( which they began last week), discussing the effect of the movement of the light source /puppet on the shadow projected. The children made predictions, recorded their results, plotted a graph and wrote a scientific conclusion.

This week, we began our topic on Greek Mythology, the children created a black figure vase; with depictions of various sporting activities. The children learnt about the importance of Greek pottery as a means of learning about life in Ancient Greece. The children also listened to a story about some Greek gods.

Questions to ask

What is a prime number?

How many factors does 24 have? Can you list them all?

Who was Henry II?

What does double double mean?

What is a light source?

What happens to a shadow when you move the light source further away?

Where is Greece?

Can you name a Greek god/goddess?

Who is Cronos?

What is a metaphor? Can you give me an example?

Please can we remind parents to make sure that their child and any others that they are collecting have told the teacher that is dismissing them that they are leaving. This will ensure that we know who has left and who is still in the teacher's care.

Please may we also ask that you let the class teacher know if your child is being taken by someone who is not the person who collects them on a regular basis. Even if it is another parent from the school we need to know that they have permission to go with them. 

Wishing you all a restful Shabbat.

Shabbat shalom 

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies 21st October - 26th Tishrei 5783

Welcome back to school - I hope you all had a beautiful Sukkot and an enjoyable half term break.

This week we have been focussing on Briat HaOlam - The Creation of the World, in line with our Parashah of Bereishit.  We looked at what HaShem created on each day and made our Creation crafts.  We also discussed why the Torah includes the details of the Creation, rather than beginning with the story of Bnei Yisrael, and we explored why it was that HaShem created the world in the order that He did.

This week's Hebrew reading homework is from the Amidah - the children have all been given a ready-printed sheet - I hope this is helpful.  They also have a parasha sheet and should complete just question 2, by Tuesday. 

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend.

Jewish Studies 30th September - 5th Tishrei 5783

Firstly, I wish you all shanah tovah umevorechet, and good and blessed year ahead.

This week we have learnt about and performed the mitzvah of Tashlich, paying a visit to Mutton Brook, the stream which runs alongside the playground. We learnt that when saying tashlich, it is preferable for the water to contain fish, as fish represent HaShem in that they never close their eyes, and neither does HaShem, Who is always guarding and protecting us.

We have learnt about the 5 different services which are said on Yom Kippur, and understood that Ma'ariv is the first service of the day, as each Jewish day begins at nightfall.  Our own Tefillah this week has taken longer than usual as we have been adding in Selichot and Avinu Malkeinu, in preparation for Yom Kippur.

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom, and a meaningful and easy fast.

Mrs Hill

Friday 30th September 2022

I hope you all had a lovely Rosh Hashanah. This week has been a short but busy week in Year 5.

This week in English, we completed a comprehension exercise continuing a story we read last week. We discussed plot and characters and effective scanning and skimming techniques to find answers to questions.

In guided reading, we looked at factual book about Nigeria discussing geography of the region and layout of informative texts.

Our maths focus this week was partitioning and negative numbers. The children completed a variety of tasks and discussed when we use negative numbers. We also completed our weekly mental arithmetic task, with a focus on speed and timing.

In science, read through and acted out their scripts. The children recorded Space themed ‘stargazing style’ documentary of their research which they will complete editing next week. 

In our VR  lesson this week the children were introduced to letter pattern problems and were taught how to identify a pattern and how to use the alphabet to support them find links.
 

This week the children took part in the ‘Quiz of the Week’ where the children were asked questions from a range of topics covered this week from facts about planets to the meaning of bias.

Sometimes after a long day at school some children are not so forthcoming to discuss what they have learnt so I thought it may be useful to give you some questions relating to our learning this week.

Suggested questions to ask your children about their week:

When do we use negative numbers?

Can you tell me the meaning of the word cacophony?

Which countries border with Nigeria?

Where is the Congo river?

What did you talk about in your Stargazing episode?

Which river/mountain are you going to make a poster on?

Can you tell me an antonym for the word calm?

Wishing you all a restful Shabbat.

The Year 5 Team

Jewish Studies - 26th Elul - 23rd September

It may have been a short week, but it has also been incredibly full!  We looked at how doing Teshuvah can bring us closer to HaShem, using a piece of rope and a pair of scissors (ask your child - they'll explain!).  We have also worked extremely hard to learn some of the Selichot that are being recited in shuls all around the world at the current time.  I hope that the children will be able to participate in some of the shul service during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur as a result of their learning.

We hugely enjoyed the Shofar Workshop, in which we learnt so much about the shofar, including how one is made, and from which animals the horns can and also can not be used.  Rabbi Simon, who was running the workshop, even showed us how you can blow a watering can as if it was a shofar! 

I wish everyone a healthy, happy and successful 5783 - have a beautiful Shabbat and Yom Tov, and my warmest good wishes to you and all your lovely family for a Shanah Tovah uMevorechet!

Mrs Hill

Friday 23rd September 2022 

This week has been a very busy week in Year 5. On Thursday, the children participated in a shofar workshop, in preparation for Rosh Hashana. They had the opportunity to learn how shofars are created and how to use them. Do ask your children about what they learnt!

This week in English, we completed a comprehension exercise focussing on inference of new word meanings and how to use the text to ascertain the meaning of unfamiliar words.

In creative writing, the children wrote a piece entitled- Rosh Hashana dreams- using descriptive language and focussing on creating interest and including specific elements eg a rhetorical question, a double verb beginning and starting a sentence with an adverb.

In guided reading, we looked at factual newspaper article in the Guardian about the NASA scientist-Margaret Hamilton discussing vocabulary features and the layout of informative pieces eg. sub headings and tag lines.

Our maths focus this week was place value we had a more in depth look at place value to  100,000. The children completed a variety of challenges and problem solving exercises and completed a lucky dip game to reinforce their ability to read and write numbers to 100000. We also completed our weekly mental arithmetic task, with a focus on mental strategies and explaining the steps they took to reach the answer.

This week, in geography, the children applied their atlas skills  to extrapolate facts about countries of the world using an atlas.

In science, we looked at the vocabulary of scientific questioning and how to improve the quality of our questions. The children will be spending the next few weeks researching a topic on Space and recording a ‘stargazing style’ documentary of their findings.

In our VR  lesson this week the children were introduced to number logic problems and were taught how to find links between a sequence and how to identify a pattern
 

This week the children took part in the ‘Quiz of the Week’ where the children were asked questions from a range of topics covered this week from facts about planets to the meaning of bias.

Sometimes after a long day at school some children are not so forthcoming to discuss what they have learnt so I thought it may be useful to give you some questions relating to our learning this week.

Suggested questions to ask your children about their week:

What is place value?

Can you tell me 3 antonyms for the word -happy?

Which animal's horns can be used to make a shofar?

Where is Dubrovnik?

Which science topic are you researching for your episode of Stargazing?

Which river/mountain are you going to make a poster on?

What is the meaning of the word belligerent?

Wishing you all Shana Tova.

The Year 5 team

Jewish Studies 20th Elul - 16th September

It's been another busy week in Jewish Studies.  We wrote some really excellent stories on The Shofar that Ran Away or The Magic Honeypot, which was a lovely way to integrate our English and Jewish Studies work. Besides this, we have each created our own Guide to Teshuvah, which you will see on the classroom wall next Tuesday evening.

Today we enjoyed a special Zoom session with a beekeeper on Quince Farm in Devon.  She explained to us the honey-making process and we were able to see inside the hive, where the bees were busy doing what bees do best - making honey, all ready for Rosh Hashanah. This further enhanced our integrated learning and was fascinating too.

I wish you all Shabbat Shalom and have a relaxing (long) weekend.

Mrs Hill

Friday 16th September 2022

Dear Parents, 

This week has been a very busy week in Year 5. On Friday, the children participated in a zoom session called ‘Live from the Hive’, in preparation for Rosh Hashana. They had the opportunity to see the bees up close and learnt some very interesting facts about bees and the different types of bees in the hive. Do ask your children about what they learnt!

This week in English, we completed a comprehension exercise focussing on vocabulary and completing concise but specific answers. In our spelling lessons we looked at the suffixes -cious and -tious  and how they are formed by turning a noun into an adjective eg malice becomes malicious.

In creative writing, the children wrote a piece entitled- The Burglary- using descriptive language and focussing on how to start their piece; the mood of their story and the perspective from which the story is told.

In guided reading, we continued looking at lyrics, focussing on two songs by the artist Sia. The children discussed hidden meanings and the use of figurative language as well as looking at the synonyms of unfamiliar words. 

Our maths focus this week was place value we revisited Roman numerals, place value and discussed rounding of numbers up to 100,000. The children completed a variety of challenges and problem solving exercises. We also completed our weekly mental arithmetic task with a focus on timely work and effective techniques. The children shared their most effective mental strategies and when they might be useful.

This week, in geography, the children applied the skills taught last week to extrapolate information about rivers of the world using an atlas.

In science, we looked at the vocabulary of scientific questioning and how to improve the quality of our questions. The children will be spending the next few weeks researching a topic on Space and recording a ‘stargazing style’ documentary of their findings.

In our NVR and VR  lessons this week the children were introduced to the different styles of questions.

This week we focussed on breaking down the steps we use to get to our answers. We highlighted the importance of looking for patterns and effective elimination techniques. 
 

This week the children took part in their first ‘Quiz of the Week’ where the children were asked questions from a range of topics covered this week from facts about bees to mathematical vocabulary. 

Sometimes after a long day at school some children are not so forthcoming to discuss what they have learnt so I thought it may be useful to give you some questions relating to our learning this week.

Suggested questions to ask your children about their week:

What is an integer?

What does a Queen bee do? How is she different to other bees?

Can you name 5 rivers of the world?

Can you write the date in Roman numerals? 
Can you give me three synonyms for sad?

Wishing you all a restful Shabbat.

The Year 5 team

First week of school

What an amazing first week! The children have all been engaged  and enthusiastic learners.  

On Monday we had a settling-in day where the children had their first whole school tefillah and assembly of the year. In the assembly Ms Simon announced the new house teams which were selected by last year’s Year 6. In class, the children were given their house badges. This week we discussed the timetable as well as expectations for the year ahead. Each child has a timetable stuck in their homework diary. Next week the children will receive homework and will be explained the schedule. Overall the children have settled in very well this week which has, in turn, supported their transition.

In maths the children were introduced to Roman numerals to 1000. We also completed some mental arithmetic style challenges looking at strategies to aid quick calculations and revisiting topics learnt in year 4.

In English, the children looked at synonyms and using a thesaurus this week.We discussed how to find the meanings of unfamiliar words and the importance of knowing the precise meaning.The children have been given a vocabulary book to note down new vocabulary and their meaning.  In creative writing, the children had to write the opening to a story using n interesting hook to engage the reader. . The children have many opportunities to revisit their spelling and grammar skills within the week through our soft start activities as well. In guided reading, the children read the lyrics of ‘Titanium’ by Sia. This was a surprisingly insightful text and the children had a very deep discussion around the reasons behind the lyricists use of Titanium as the title for this piece. On Friday , the children were given a quote by our late Queen; Queen Elizabeth II. Next week we will discuss her life and her legacy.

The children had their first computing lesson on Tuesday, where they were introduced to the school’s computing code of conduct. They were also shown how to organise all of their older documents and images on the drive and set up folders for this year’s work.

In music, the class collaborated to make up their own song and tune, which turned out very well.

In science, we began our topic on Space and the solar system discussing high order questioning and the methods of research. The children will be completing a project over the next few weeks exploring a hypothesis and finding evidence to support it.

In geography, the children were introduced to our rivers topic. The children used an atlas to identify rivers in the UK. Then using the key, scale and map reading skills identified each rivers location and approximate length.
In NVR, we introduced the children to similarities and odd ones out. Discussing how to approach these style of questions and elimination techniques.

In art, the children looked at the work of Chihuly and began to make their own 3D representations of an emotion.

On Thursday, we had our first Forest School session the children were thrilled to explore, build dens and  make naturals paints amongst many other fun activities. Could I please request that all children bring waterproofs and appropriate footwear for these sessions so that they can thoroughly enjoy the experience during all weather conditions.

I hope you all have a good weekend.

Shabbat Shalom

The Year 5 team

Jewish Studies 13^th Elul - 9^th September

Welcome back!  It has been so, so lovely to see all the children back at school and to hear all about their wonderful summer holidays. The children have made an excellent start to Year 5, brimming with enthusiasm and excitement for their Jewish learning.

This week we have begun learning about the month of Elul in preparation for Rosh HaShanah.  We have looked at the meaning of Teshuvah as well as Teshuvah Gemurah (complete Teshuvah) and have discussed the difference between the two.  We have also created short scenarios showing the difference between these two concepts, some of which had us all laughing!

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hill