Jewish Studies - 8th July - 9th Tammuz

It's been a week of general knowledge this week.  We know the Tanakh song incredibly well, as well as all our Jewish numbers, fasts, megillot, quotes and so much more besides.  I am so incredibly proud of both teams and how well they did at the quiz.  As we said before we left, it was not about the winning, but the learning and the team work - both of which the children have done so well.  We also said that a win for one team was a win for the class - so well done to the whole class for their fantastic win - coming 3rd out of 99 tables was a fantastic achievement, all the more so because we were up against schools who have more than double the amount of Jewish Studies time that we have!  Well done, Year 5 - I am super, super proud of you all!

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend!

Friday 10th June 2022

This week we visited JFS and took part in ETGAR. Some children also took part in the general knowledge quiz national finals. Congratulations to all the children for putting on a valiant effort  and well done to the Kerem School B team for coming third in the ETGAR competition.

This week in maths we completed an 11 plus exam paper under timed conditions.

In English, the children created an enticing piece titled 'I Spy'. The children created an advertisement for a spy gadget using imperative verbs and persuasive language, and used  bullet points to relay key points.

The children worked on a multiple choice style exam paper, exploring techniques and scanning and skimming skills to extract key information. In guided reading, we looked at the first few pages of the Secret Garden. Discussing the  meaning of the text, tricky vocabulary and story line. 

In art, we completed our yearly Summer term assessment piece.

On Friday we took part in Yom Talmud where the children were taught by several Year Six children. They had an English, JS lesson and PE lesson.

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies 1st July - 2nd Tammuz

This week has been an Etgar week.  We have learnt the Tanakh song, and can now remember (almost) all of the books in the whole Tanakh.  We learnt the names of the five megillot, which all appear in the book of Ketuvim, and we now know on which chag each megillah is read, and who wrote each one too. With just one week to go until the quiz, all the children should be attached to their Etgar books and trying to learn as much as they can.

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

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and a peaceful weekend.

Friday 1st July 2022

This week the children had a trip to St. Paul’s cathedral and the Museum of London. The children had a walking tour of the City of London, learning interesting historical facts and learning about the cathedral. In the Museum of London the children explored an exhibit on prehistoric London. Looking at the Stone, Bronze and Iron Age. Examining objects from each era and annotating hand sketched diagrams. We also were able to visit a Harry Kane exhibition which seemed to be a very exciting treat for many children.

This week in maths we discussed multiplication of decimals, using estimation first  to help the children reach a more accurate answer. As the week progressed we moved onto more challenging multi-step problems.

In English, we read chapters 21-26 of Cloud Busting and the children discussed they feelings about the story and the ending. In guided reading, we looked at the first chapter - The Wind in the Willows. Exploring the characters, setting and plot alongside some challenging vocabulary.

In NVR, we looked at merging shapes and the children were very good at this topic and most scored highly. In VR, we looked at  word meanings using a thesaurus to help us eliminate options.

In art, we looked at art on the underground examining design.The children looked at a variety of tube map designers and selected their favourite expressing their reasons for their choice and creating their own version of the design.

Coming up NEXT WEEK 

Monday- General knowledge Quiz

Wednesday- Trip to JFS

Thursday- ETGAR

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 Team

Friday 24th June 2022

This week in maths we discussed fractions of amounts. using bar modelling to help the children visualise this concept. As the week progressed we moved onto more challenging multi-step problems. We also introduced BIDMAS to the children and discussed the order of calculations. This week during our examination practice we discussed silly errors and methods for checking for errors i.e. estimating before calculating an answer.

In English, we read chapters 18-21 of Cloud Busting and the children were introduced to using PEPE(point, evidence, point, evidence) when answering extended questions. In guided reading, we looked at the first chapter of Rudyard Kipling's-Jungle book. Exploring the characters, setting and plot alongside some challenging vocabulary. Our grammar focus this week was modal verbs and the children were asked to  identify the most suitable modal verbs to complete a sentence.

In NVR, we looked at odd one out and the children were very good at identifying the differences. In VR, we looked at making words and how we can use a systematic approach to identify and locate words.

In art, we looked at the architects: Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry, examining their different styles and famous buildings.

In science, we looked at geocentric and heliocentric theories about our solar system. the children had to create a fact file on their chosen theory.

On Monday, we will be taking the class to St Paul's  cathedral and the Museum of London. Please remember to pack a kashrut lunch and snack, water and sunhat. If necessary apply sun cream.

Shabbat Shalom,

Year 5

Jewish Studies 17th June - 18th Sivan

There's just one word on all of our lips this week - Etgar!  We have created our teams and the learning is now well under way.  This week we have studied in detail the map of Israel and her borders, as well as looking at the flags of the tribes of Israel, which connects to our Parashah of Behaalotecha.  We have almost mastered the calendar dates for the chagim and are revising all our Jewish connections to numbers.

You should be receiving an email from me today with the details of the Etgar Quiz on 7th July.  Regrettably parents are not able to come along on the day (though in a roomful of around 1000 Year 5 children....!).

Please do encourage your child to keep on learning - we've not got long to go!

Shabbat Shalom and enjoy the sunshine.

Mrs Hill

STEAM week 2022

This week in maths we introduced the topic of timetables. Most children found this topic quite challenging and we spent the week exposing the children to a variety of timetables and asked them to use them to solve worded problems. It would be beneficial to ask your child to look for timetables over the weekend perhaps for any local trains or buses and ask them questions relating to the time a journey takes and timings. 

In English, we read chapters 15-17 of Cloudbusting and the children wrote a newspaper report to recount the events surrounding the incident in the lunchroom. In creative writing, the children were asked to write a rewrite the story of Chapter 16 from a chosen perspective. We were impressed by the quality of writing and the effort all children put into it.

In NVR, we looked at analogies and the children were very good at identifying the similarities. In VR, we looked at letter codes and how we can use a process of elimination to identify matching codes.

In art, we looked at geometric mathematical art, creating colourful and intricate parabolic curves. 

As part of STEAM week, the children took part in a science assembly by the Science Boffins, learning about the laws of physics and chemical reactions. The children met with the designer of Automata/Robotic machines and discussed their uses and even suggested his next project- following a Harry Potter theme! They had a talk by a marine biologist on Cetaceans and marine ecosystem.

Next week we will notify the KS2 children who will represent the school in the RAF Glider Challenge 2022 at the end of June.

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies 10th June - 11th Sivan

Welcome back to the final half term of the year!

This week we have been reviewing our Etgar knowledge, looking at the dates of all main chagim as well as the numbers and what they represent in Judaism - do you know how many letters there are in the entire Torah? - Ask your children, hopefully they know!  We created a matching game to help us learn these numbers too.

We talked about the traits of a Nazir, which appears in our parashah this week, and learnt the three things that a Nazir could not do.  We also recapped the story of Shimshon who was perhaps the best known Nazir in Tanakh.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom!

Mrs Hill

Friday 10th June 2022

This week in maths we continued our geometry topic revisiting translation and introducing reflecting 2D shapes across a mirror line. We discussed the difference between a translation and a reflection and strategies to do both accurately. We only focused on questions relating to the first quadrant this week, we also reinforced coordinates and how to write them correctly( first coordinate relates to x axis and the second to the y axis). The children completed challenges to reinforce their learning including a domino translation game where they had to match a translation to a description of the movement. We also completed an exam paper focusing on accuracy not speed.

In English, we read chapters 12-14 of Cloudbusting and the children wrote a poem entitled- Big Mistake- in the style of the poem we had read. We also discussed the difference between an antagonist and protagonist and discussed the antagonists  in the story. We completed a bond multiple choice paper focusing on accurate answering of specific questions. In creative writing,  we  introduced the elements of persuasive writing i.e. imperative verbs, repetition and adverbials. The children then had to write persuasive piece either for or against wearing a school uniform. We also attended the Year 6 debate where the children voted for their favourite candidate.

In NVR, we looked at sequences establishing strategies to find the missing pattern in a series. In VR, we looked at word meanings and how we can use elimination to help discover the synonyms and antonyms of words.

In art, we looked at the work of Antonio Gaudi and in particular the Sagrada Familia. Focussing on the distinctive features including: the vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, the spires, the gothic elements and the mosaic work.

In geography, we looked at 8-point compass directions and using them to describe location in relation to a specific geographical point.

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

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 team.

Friday 27th May 2022

This week in maths, we began our topic on shape looking at polygons, coordinates and translation.  As part of our exam practice this week, we looked at strategies to tackle complex questions and puzzles e.g. using number facts we know to assist in more complicated ones i.e. if we know 1/2 = 0.5 What is 1/20 ? Then extending to 1/200. What do we notice? We also spent time reinforcing  our square and cube number rapid recall. It would be beneficial for the children to learn these by heart.

In NVR our focus this week was sequences and we discussed looking for  patterns to help us eliminate options. In VR we focussed on letter codes, teaching the children different ways to decode and double check their answers. 

In English we continued reading 'Cloud Busting'- looking at the use of figurative language in Chapters 9-11. In particular we examined metaphors and the children created their own descriptions of clouds using metaphoric language.  In creative writing, the children wrote a recount of a sporting event using techniques to 'slow the pace' and 'add detail' to their writing. Our comprehension focus was non-fictional texts, including an autobiographical text and an informative piece on digital citizenship. In guided reading, we looked at the first chapter of the Hobbit, discussing the text, new vocabulary and plot so far.

In science, we looked at the solar system and the children collated information about each planet; researching using secondary resources to complete a table of facts.

In geography, we made a map of our local community from a bird's eye view, we included the direction, a key and a title.

In art, we learnt about Iranian architecture and the children drew their own intricate designs of buildings, arches and doorways.

This week, some boys took part in the Maccabi tournament well done to all of them for giving their best effort.

As year 6 were on their residential trip, Year 5 took over their Kabbalat shabbat duties this week with much enthusiasm.

Wishing you all a restful half-term.

Shabbat shalom,

Year 5 team.

Friday 20thMay 2022

This week the children celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The children took part in numerous cross-curricular activities including a whole school Jubilee party, Irish dancing lessons and a Jubilee fair.

This week we completed our end of year assessments including NVR, VR and a creative writing piece.

On Tuesday, the children visited the EYU to help create decorations for our Jubilee party. They worked together with the Reception class to create red, white and blue paper pompoms.

In history, we researched the Queen's life (focusing on the decade between 1962 and 1972) and the royal residences. Researching interesting facts and key events about the Queen's early reign.

In art, the class created their own depictions of some royal residences. Using sketching techniques to add detail and depth to our creations.

In English, we continued looking at our class reader- Cloud Busting. Focusing on the plot so far and predicting the next part of the story.

In maths, we looked at exam style questions and we discussed strategies for approaching more complex multistep questions. We introduced the topic of averages i.e. the mean, median, mode and range of a set of results.

In RSE this week we discussed peer pressure and what makes a healthy or unhealthy relationship, focussing particularly on friendships. We also discussed consent, talked about body autonomy and learned about the 'PANTS rule'.(Privates are private; Always remember your body belongs to you; No means no; Talk about secrets that upset you and Speak up, someone can help.)

Thank you to all the parents who were able to join us for the pre-Shavuot learning session.

Wishing you all a restful Shabbat.

The Year Five team.

Jewish Studies 6th May - 5th Iyar

This may have only been a short week, but what a week it’s been!  We started to learn Etgar with earnest, whilst linking it to our calendar - so this week we learnt about Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut as well as looking in some detail at the history of the birth of the State of Israel.  

And then came Yom Haatzmaut - did we celebrate in style!  Year 5 were by far the biggest ruach-builders as they sang and danced their way through the day, and helped lead the rest of the school in their celebration too.  Well done, Year 5 - I’m super-proud of you - and happy 74th birthday to our beautiful country of Israel!

Looking forward hugely to spending the week with your wonderful children next week!

Shabbat Shalom

Mrs Hill

Jewish Studies 29th April - 28th Nissan

Welcome back to the summer term.  I hope you all had a really lovely Pesach and enjoyed the beautiful Haggadot that the children made for their Sedarim.

Our week began by learning about the special brachah we say in the month of Nissan when seeing blossom growing on fruit trees.  Happily for us, the trees right outside of school were still in blossom, so we were able to say the brachah all together.  

We learnt about Sefirat HaOmer - both why we count and how we count.   Each child now has their own Homer Omer, so that they can keep track of the days of the omer, including all the special days that crop up during the seven weeks.

In preparation for Yom Haatzmaut, we began learning the background history which led to the birth of the State of Israel, discussing the meaning of the words ‘Zionism’ and ‘Aliyah’.  We will be continuing next week.

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

Mrs Hill

Friday 29th April

This week in English, we began reading our class book 'Cloud Busting'- a poignant story about friendship written in a variety of poetic forms. This week we discussed poetry and its many forms and the features of a variety of poetry. The children identified rhyming couplets and wrote their own. We discussed the use of similes to represent the building of emotion. In guided reading, we looked at the short story-Cicada by Shaun Tan. Despite being a relatively short piece it provided a source for great discussion on liberation and injustice. 

In maths, we began our topic on place value. This week focussing on rounding and negative numbers. The children applied their learning to justify an d eloquently answer complex challenges. We also played several games to help the children visualise a negative number line. Next week we will be completing our formal end of year assessments.   

In art, we began our summer term topic of architects and London architecture. The children practised their observational drawing skills making several drafts of their depictions of St Paul's Cathedral to improve techniques and add detail.

In science, we began out topic on Space, the children created questions relating to our solar system (with a scientific enquiry focus). Then used a variety of primary and secondary resources to answer them.

In geography, we introduced our topic on map reading skills. This week the children focused on developing their atlas skills. Using an atlas to answer questions about the location and features of places across the globe. As well as using grid references and the index to help locate places more easily.

Wishing you all a restful long weekend,

The Year 5 Team

Thursday 7th April

This week during our comprehension lessons we focussed on inference; using clues/vocabulary in a text to ascertain the meaning of unfamiliar words. In creative writing, the children wrote a story based on a photograph. The children focused on descriptive language and slowing the pace of their stories.We also introduced the children to the poetic style of limericks and the children really enjoyed creating their own version of a limerick with comical effect.

In maths, we reviewed all topics we have covered this year. Revisiting topics via examination style questions.
We discussed strategies and approaches to each question style and then revised the  common errors made by the children.

On Monday we had a body image workshop, where the children discussed having a positive body image, self esteem and confidence. The children were given characters to create, based on a their occupation and age. This led to a very enlightening discussion on preconceived gender roles and stereotyping.

On Tuesday, we had our Upper School Seder. The children enjoyed singing songs and participated in a seder meal; reciting brachot and learning about the different parts of the meal and their significance.

In art, we completed our depiction of the 'lady' in our painting. We looked at the features of her face and details in her clothing. The children practised sketching these details and examined proportion. The end results have been amazing.

In robotics, the children were given the opportunity to design and create their own theme park rides; from Ferris wheels to bumper cars. The children have proven to be imaginative and creative designers applying all the skills they have learned this term.

Wishing you all a restful break,

The Year 5 Team

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

Year 5 have been working so, so hard  on making their stunning haggadot! We have covered from kadesh to maror, with just a few more stages to pG finish next week.  I am so proud of how much care and attention every single child has displayed for their haggadah work. They really have gone all-out to ensure that their work is excellent!  

Our model Seder will be on Tuesday - we are all really looking forward to dipping our karpas in salt water and eating our maror!

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

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom, and keep warm!

Mrs Hill

Friday 1st April March 2022

This week the children continued examining- A Midsummer Night's Dream- by William Shakespeare. The children created a newspaper review of the play within the play 'Pyramus and Thisbe'. This week during our comprehension lessons we focussed on inference; using clues/vocabulary in a text to ascertain the meaning of unfamiliar words. In creative writing, the children wrote a story about 'A time they were scared' - focusing on adding figurative language and showing rather than telling their emotions. They also completed a short write and reading activity (to practise their scanning and skimming skills).

In maths, we continued our topic on fractions, decimals, and percentages. We converted fractions to decimals and percentages and solved challenging questions relating to this topic. Please continue to review this at home as we will continue to revisit the topic of fractions. On Friday we had our maths workshop, thank you to all parents who were able to join us and we hope you found it enlightening and informative.

In science, the children looked at irreversible change. The children carried out an experiment involving bicarbonate of soda and vinegar and observed the results via the inflation of a balloon. Observing the exothermic properties of the reaction. The children went on to research important scientists (including Spencer Silver) and their impact on the world we live in.

In art, we looked at adding a depiction of the 'lady' in our painting. We looked at the features of her face and details in her clothing. The children practised sketching these details and examined proportion. They really tried their best and the outcomes were terrific!

Wishing you a restful Shabbat,

The Year Five team.

25th March - 22nd Adar

This week has been all about Haggadot.  The class have worked so hard and so carefully to produce really beautiful work all ready for Pesach.  We have learnt about chametz - what they are, how to get rid of them and how to search for them, as well as covering the build-up to Pesach and the special days and events that occur in the time immediately before Pesach begins.  We are now looking at the items on the Seder Plate and what they each represent.  

This week’s Parasha work and Hebrew reading sheet are both on Google Classroom - please try for 5 minutes reading, 5 times per week.  Parashah work is due on Tuesday.

Shabbat shalom and have a lovely weekend!

Friday 25th March 2022

This week the children took part in an immersive theatre experience-A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. The children took part in a variety of writing activities throughout the week culminating with a carousel of activities which including creating props for a dramatic interpretation of a scene, re-writing a spell,  and writing imaginative poetry.

In art, the children continued painting their depiction of the painting ‘ The Lady of Shalott’. Wee looked at key features within the painting itself some of which included the candles- which gave a lot to the meaning behind her tragic end. 
In maths, we continued our topic on fractions. We added and subtracted fractions and solved word problems. Please continue to review this at home as we will continue to revisit the topic of fractions.
During our Robotics lesson the children created a challenging design which they had to complete individually. They applied their problem-solving skills and worked hard to make their creation. The children have really progressed in their ability to persist and are using their own initiative to find solutions when problems arise.
In science the children tested out items to find the best conductors within an electrical circuit.

In history, we explored a census document to extract key information about Queen Victoria's household.

Wishing you a restful Shabbat,

The Year Five team.

18th March - 15th Adar II - Jewish Studies

It's been another super-busy week this week.  We began with learning about Milah Manchah in Chumash - Milah Manchah is a key word which makes a number of appearances within a few verses of Torah text.  Our key words were 'dream' and 'bundles' - clearly we were learning about Yosef's dreams.

We summarized our learning of Purim, reviewing the story of the Megillah and looking at some of the deeper insights into the story.  We made our Purim infographics of the 4 mitzvot, including all the new information we had learnt about each of the 4.  On Thursday we celebrated Purim in style, with Megillah reading and the Purim fair as well as our fancy dress parade and sponsored Purim Zumba for Jewish Care. Please could you send all sponsor money into school on Monday.

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

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend!

Friday 18th March 2022

This week we celebrated Purim, the children took part in a Zumba lesson, attended a Purim fair and completed a Purim quiz. We saw some truly amazing costumes from SWAT policeman to a coronavirus.

This week we finished analysing Tennyson's poem- The Lady of Shalott. We reviewed the poem as a whole  and the children sequenced the story. We also looked at the use of figurative language in the poem. The children identified  examples of onomatopoeia and similes used by the poet. In art, the children continued painting their depiction of the painting ‘ The Lady of Shalott’. This week we focused on trees and the foreground. The children used a variety of techniques to paint on some willow trees; exploring the use of colour to add depth and interest.
In maths, we began our topic on fractions. We revisited terminology from last term and practised converting improper and equivalent fractions. We used manipulatives to help consolidate the children’s learning and played a selection of games using dominoes to revisit equivalence. Later in the week we focused on addition of fractions, next week we will move on to subtraction.
During our Robotics lesson the children created a challenging buggy design. They applied their problem-solving  skills and worked in pairs to make their vehicles. The children have really progressed in their ability to persist and are using their own initiative to find solutions when problems arise.
In NVR we looked at matrices and the children used their observations, skills to identify rotations, reflections and symmetry.

Wishing you a restful Shabbat,

The Year Five team.

8th Adar II - 11th March

This week in Jewish Studies, Year 5 have continued their study of Parashat Vayeishev.  We read the pessukim leading up to Yosef having his dream, and saw how he boasted to his brothers, realising that maybe the brothers had a valid reason to dislike their brother. 

We also continued to learn about Purim, first revising the four Mitzvot of the day and then linking them all, not only to the letter ‘mem’, but also to the concept of ‘achdut’ (unity).  We explored how each of the four are aimed at bringing people together, and completed some work on our Purim Padlet, sharing our ideas and working together in the true Purim spirit of Achdut.

In our Parasha lesson, we learnt that sacrifices were not to contain honey or yeast, but had to contain salt.  Just as salt enhances the flavour already within food, we too should work to enhance all the qualities and talents that are already inside of us.

Shabbat Shalom

Friday 11th March 2022

This week was Book Week and the children took part in several activities including a Book Quiz and meeting the best-selling author Gareth P. Jones, writer of 'The Considine Curse'.

This week we continued analysing Tennyson's poem- The Lady of Shalott. We looked at part three and four of the poem discussing the contrast between Sir Lancelot and the imprisoned lady; and the sad ending to the poem. In art, the children created their favourite villains in several ways both sketching and creating a wooden spoon version. The children also created wanted posters for their favourite book character villains.
During our creative writing lesson, we focused on rewriting a familiar fairy tale from a different perspective. We discussed alternate perspectives and the protagonists/antagonists of several fairy tales. 
In maths, we continued our topic on measure. We explored metric and imperial measures discussing how to convert between different units of measures. The children then explored the nrich mathematical  'pouring problem' predicting the capacity of a glass and the assumptions we make.
During our Robotics lesson the children created a orbiting/rotating contraption. They applied their problem-solving  skills and worked in pairs to make their devices. We discussed new terminology such as centrifugal force and investigated centrifugal properties. The children have really progressed in their ability to persist and are using their own initiative to find solutions when problems raise. The children have been asked to design a season pass for our theme park ' Toad World'.

In science we continued our experiment on dissolving and separating solutions. The children recorded the findings of our experiment on salt dissolution and wrote a scientific conclusion.

Congratulations to all three Kerem school teams who qualified for the Quiz Club general knowledge semi-finals. We ranked first, second and third in our heats, a truly brilliant result. The children were all great ambassadors for the school. We are looking forward to the semi-finals on the 22nd March!

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Shabbat shalom,

The Year 5 team 

4th March - 1 Adar 2

In Jewish Studies this week we continued our learning of Parashat Vayeshev.  We summarised our learning of Yosef and his brothers’ feelings towards him, creating a cartoon sheet of the events learnt so far.

We have been learning about Purim, which is just around the corner.  We learnt about the four mitzvot of Purim, that all begin with the letter ‘mem’, and began creating a Purim pictograph based on our learning.

Besides this, we practised, practised, practised our singing of Dror Yikra, and we had the best time singing it with the Chief Rabbi.  What an absolute honour to have had him visit us - it made our week so special. - And what a great example of ‘gam zu letovah’ (things happen for the best) - the girls netball was cancelled which meant that they too could join in all the excitement - Baruch HaShem!

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend!

Friday 4th March 2022

We have continued learning about the Victorians this week. In history, we looked at Victorian housing and inventions. The children revisited the Victorian painting - The Lady of Shalott. We looked at part two of the poem discussing the Lady of Shalott's imprisonment in the tower. In art, the children began painting their own version of the Lady of Shalott using watercolours. This week we created a background using a stippling technique to depict the sky and water in the lake.
During our creative writing lesson, we focused on using our imagination to develop a story from a picture prompt. The children continued developing their comprehension skills and continued scanning and skimming a text to find key vocabulary. We discussed how to ascertain meaning of unknown words from phrases/sentences within a text.
In maths, we continued our topic on measure. We explored volume and how to measure and estimate the volume of objects. The children completed a variety of activities and challenges to extend their understanding including building 3d cuboids and cubes. We also tested out Archimedes' Eureka moment- by using water displacement to measure volume of irregular shaped objects.
During our Robotics lesson the children created a spinning fling. They applied their collaboration skills and worked in pairs to make their designs. We discussed new terminology such as G-force and adrenaline.

In science we continued our experiment on dissolving and separating solutions. The children carried out a fair test and we discussed the differences between reversible and irreversible changes.

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Shabbat shalom,

The Year 5 team 

Friday 25th February 2022

We have continued learning about the Victorians this week. The children explored the Victorian painting - The Lady of Shalott. We looked at the first two stanzas of the poem and sketched a drawing to reflect the words we had read. 
During our English lessons this week, we focused on the difference between a myth and a legend, looking at the legend of King Arthur and the children began to plan their own mythical stories. In our spelling lesson we learnt about hyphens and when they are used. The children continued developing their comprehension skills this week and practised scanning and skimming a text to find key vocabulary and how to find evidence to justify an opinion.
In maths, we continued our topic on area and perimeter, focusing on finding the area and perimeter of composite rectilinear shapes.  We also introduced how to find missing lengths and the children completed several worded problems applying the skills they had learnt. 
During our Robotics lesson the children created a working rollercoaster. They have really developed their perseverance and worked in small groups to make their designs. 

In science we learnt about dissolving and separating solutions. We posed the scientific question 'Where is the best place to place a cup of salt water solution so that the water evaporates the quickest?'. Next week we will be collating the results to see if our predictions were correct. 

Reminders

Monday - Ivrit book reading 8:15-8:45am in the library.

Wednesday- Girls Year 5 Netball tournament

                    Boys Shabbat UK song (remember to bring full uniform)

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Shabbat shalom,

The Year 5 team 

Friday 11 th February
This week was Children's Mental Health week; the children took part in a variety of activities including designing T-shirts showing what made them feel happy(please iron before washing to help secure colours). We discussed how we grow emotionally from our experiences and the children thought about what area of emotional development they would like to focus on moving forward. On Thursday we did some meditation and thought about what we are grateful for and on Friday we discussed who we can turn to for support. We were very impressed with the mature and thoughtful responses the children gave.

We have continued learning about the Victorians this week. The children took part in a Victorian Live lesson looking at the lives of Victorians. We discussed the industrial revolution, differences in schooling, and the use of primary sources by historians to learn about this period of time. The children also wrote a persuasive letter to Queen Victoria from the perspective of a pauper Victorian child. 
During our English lessons this week we focussed on extended writing. The children completed several written tasks focussing on developing the literary techniques they apply. In our spelling lesson we revisited  suffixes, in particular words with a stressed ‘fer’ sound e.g. preferred. The children continued developing their comprehension skills this week and practised scanning and skimming a text to find key vocabulary and how to quote from a text effectively. 
In maths, we began our topic on perimeter, focusing on finding the perimeter of composite rectilinear shapes.  We also introduced how to find missing lengths and the children completed several challenges applying the skills they had learnt. We also took our selection quiz for the Maths Primary Challenge.  
During our Robotics lesson the children designed a Fair Game, creating a spinning hoop.They have really developed their ability to collaborate and work as team.  
 

Wishing you all a restful half-term.

Shabbat shalom,

The Year 5 team 

11th February - 10th Adar I

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

We have continued to focus on the topic of the Mishkan and the clothing of the Kohen Gadol, which feature strongly in this week’s Parashah - as well as being part of our Etgar learning.  We created a ‘Dress Your Own Kohen Gadol’, which involved all the special items that he wore and questioned why, with the exception of the Kohen Gadol, clothing was always mentioned in a negative light within the Torah (how many examples can you think of?).  Even the Hebrew word for clothes, Beged, has a negative connotation, as the word also means ‘betrayal’.

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

Friday 4th February
This week we have have continued learning about the Victorians, comparing the lives of the rich and poor, discussing the differences in their schooling, housing and clothing. 
During our English lessons we completed our class book - The Chimney Child. The children were all quite surprised when the culprit was revealed. Next week the children will act out the scripts they have written, retelling the story in their own words. In our spelling lesson we looked at suffixes, in particular words with a stressed ‘fer’ sound e.g. preferred. We also looked at commonly misspelt words. The children created mnemonics to help them remember these trickier spellings. One of my favourites was for the word through- ten hyenas running over umbrellas got hurt. The children continued developing their comprehension skills this week and practised scanning and skimming a text to find key vocabulary. 
In maths, we consolidated the children’s understanding of division, looking at word problems, remainders and long division. 
During our Robotics lesson the children designed their own rides and built bumper cars. Everyone enjoyed testing them out! We also discussed Newton’s laws of Motion. Do ask your child which laws they remember! 
In art, the children completed their Victorian houses. 
 

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

Shabbat shalom,

The Year 5 team 

Jewish Studies 4th Feb  – 3rd Adar I

In Jewish Studies this week we reviewed the new reading rule for the week and revised the family tree of Yoseph, making sure that we knew who his brothers and step brothers were, as well and the names of his mother and step mothers.  We looked in more depth at the 39 melachot, their origins and their application in modern-day life and we learnt about the six main items that were kept in the Mishkan. 

We pleasantly surprised ourselves when realising just how much of the Shema and Amidah we were able to understand, when we closely focussed on the words and their shorashim.  We also enjoyed discovering that there is more than one meaning to the word minion (aka Minyan)!

Shabbat Shalom!

Friday 28th January 

This week the children began the week by sharing with us their Victorian Bake-Off creations. We were so impressed by the time and effort all the children put in. We had Victorian sponges, lemon meringues and a trifle, to name a few of the delectable treats the children created.

In maths this week, the children learnt bus stop division extending up to 4 digit numbers divided by 1 digit and including some calculations with remainders. We discussed converting remainders to decimals and how to answer worded questions.

In English, we continued reading our class book-Chimney Child. We looked at chapter four and the children completed inference style questions relating to the text and began creating a script of the story so far.

In guided reading we continued our Titanic theme and read an article about 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown'. The children discussed challenging vocabulary and the difference between a true recount and a highly fictionalised story. The children also completed a short writing task focusing on describing a time and a place. Our comprehension focus this week for providing evidence to support our answers and opinions.

In science, we tested the properties of a variety of materials e.g. permeability , transparency and flexibility.

The children created a glossary of new terms and designed a test for each property.

In art, the children began sketching a Victorian house. We looked at proportion and the architectural details of Victorian homes.

In our Robo-think the children built a remote-controlled vehicle and embellished them.

In NVR this week the children looked at completing sequences and were taught to use certain criteria to help eliminate options. In VR we focussed on word meanings. The children had to find synonyms, antonyms  and descriptions for new vocabulary. We encouraged children to use a dictionary to find word meanings and a thesaurus for synonyms/antonyms.

This week all the children took part in either a netball or football match. We were very happy to hear all the positive comments we received from the schools they played against.

Wishing you all a restful weekend,

Shabbat shalom,

The Year 5 Team

Jewish Studies 28th January – 26th Shevat

In Jewish Studies this week we have continued our study of Parashat Vayeshev, and started to look at the meaning of the phrase ‘ketonet passim’, which describes the coat that Yaakov gave to Yoseph.  Next week we will continue, by looking at the different opinions of a number of commentators.

As part of our Shabbat topic, we focussed on the concept of Eruv, and looked at the maps and description of the North-West London Eruv, as well as discussing the benefits of having an Eruv.  We also explored the basis of the 39 melachot of Shabbat, linking them to the actions performed in the building of the Mishkan.

Our Parashah lesson led into a number of interesting discussions on the topic of na'aseh ve'nishmah.  I'm sure your children will be delighted to share their knowledge at the Shabbat table!

Parashah homework is on Google Classroom, as is this week's Hebrew reading sheet.

Shabbat Shalom and have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hill

Friday 21st January

This week the children had another busy week. In history, we continued learning about the Victorians and the children researched events from Queen Victoria's lifetime. On Monday we will be having our Great Victorian Bake-off; we are looking forward to seeing all your children's creations. 

In English, we continued reading Chimney Child ( Chapter 2 and 3) and the children completed a comprehension and retold the story so far. The children looked at perspectives and chose whose point of view they wished to tell the story from. Our grammar topic this week was homophones and we looked at commonly misspelt homophones or near homophones e.g. accept or except. The children also had an opportunity to apply their inference skills to decode information and word meaning from a more complex text. All the children impressed us with their proactive approach. In guided reading we looked at another article about the RMS Titanic and the children were really captured by the story and showed tremendous empathy for the people who had lost their lives.

During our Robo Think  session the children made a Ferris wheel and began to plan and design their theme park. The children worked collaboratively and some children were able to enhance and alter their designs to improve speed. The children were introduced to some new scientific vocabulary e.g. momentum and inertia. Do ask your children if they remember what each word means. 

In Science this week, we began our topic on Properties of Materials. The children looked at the properties of materials learning the meaning of scientific vocabulary and completed a quiz to test what they had learnt.

In mathematics we began our topic on  multiplication. The children used the column method to tackle calculations from 2 digit by 2 digit to more complex questions and worded problems.

In PSHE, we discussed friendships and dealing with difficult situations. We are encouraging the children to think about the language they use when talking to their peers. 

Thank you to all the parents who joined the virtual Kabbalat Shabbat this afternoon.

Wishing you all a restful weekend,

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 Team

Jewish Studies 21^st January – 19^th Shevat

At the start of the week, we celebrated Tu B’Shevat with a fruit party (thank you for sending in the fruit!) and we explored the Torah verse “Ki ha-adam etz hasadeh” – that man is like a tree of the field, discussing all the similarities between people and trees.

We examined the Jewish calendar, looking at why we need to have leap years and we introduced our new topic of Shabbat by creating word clouds from our current Shabbat knowledge.  We talked about the meaning of not working on Shabbat, and examined the Torah-meaning of “work” which introduced the concept of the 39 Melachot.

We reviewed the Hebrew reading rule of the week – the new rule is now on Google Classroom along with this week’s Parasha Choice Board.  Please ensure the children are practising their Hebrew reading on an almost-daily basis.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and a relaxing weekend,

Mrs Hill

Friday 14th January

This week we began our Victorian topic for this term. This topic is cross-curricular and the children have shown so much enthusiasm already! 

In history, we looked at the life of children during the Victorian era and in particular the lives of chimney sweeps. In art, the children created silhouette portraits with intricate cutwork frames. 

In English we read the poem "The Chimney Sweeper' by William Blake and discussed the use of literary techniques to engage the reader e.g. figurative language, stanza length and rhyme. We also began our class text-The Chimney Child. We read the first chapter and the children answered questions relating to the text. 

Our grammar focus this week was self-correction and we asked the children to both identify and correct spelling mistakes. In guided reading we looked at a newspaper article relating to Liverpool's connection with the Titanic. This text contained some challenging vocabulary and we discussed their meaning in depth. Many children were fascinated by the concept of a facsimile. Do ask your child if they can explain it to you.

In maths, we looked at time focussing on converting between different units of time and worded problems. 

This week the children had their first gymnastics lesson after a long overdue break. The children were enthusiastic about using all the equipment and practised using the parallel bars, trampoline and floor gymnastics.

This week the children had their first Robotics lesson following instructions to make a lizard or scorpion. The children worked in pairs and displayed excellent collaborative skills.

On the 24th of January we will be having a Great Victorian Bake-off Competition. We are looking forward to seeing all of your children's creations. Please make sure to use kosher ingredients and your entry should be nut free.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Shabbat Shalom, 

The Year 5 Team

Jewish Studies 14^th January – 12^th Shevat

Our focus this week has been Tu B’Shevat and the Shivat HaMinim.  We looked at the Passuk in Devarim 8:8 which teaches us about the seven special fruits of Israel, and linked to p.124 of Etgar where we read about which brachot to say after eating any of these seven types.

We also discussed all the many different things that trees provide for us within the world, creating a word cloud from all our ideas, and we thought about all the times that trees make an appearance in the Torah and the vital role they play in our Mitzvot.

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

Parashah homework is on Google Classroom as usual.

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

Have a lovely weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

Mrs Hill

It was lovely to welcome the children back yesterday and they have thrown themselves straight back onto working hard.

In maths this week we have been revising all the topics from last term, ensuring that the children have a secure knowledge of all areas covered. We also looked at a variety of word problems, requiring careful reading of the questions so that the children choose the correct operation to use.

In English yesterday, we continued developing our comprehension skills looking at how to back up views with evidence or quotes from the text. Some children also revised Homophones, focussing on those most commonly misused e.g there/they’re/their,  here/hear,  to/two/too etc.

At Forest School  this week the children showed excellent collaboration when they had to lead each other around the forest blindfolded. They also displayed great team work building and using zip lines.

In history this term we are starting our new topic on the Victorians; for homework the children have been asked to write about one Victorian invention of their choice.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• Gym is on a Wednesday
• Forest School is on a Thursday
• There is no p.e this half term- after half term p.e will resume and will be on a Thursday in place of Forest School

Shabbat shalom

The Year 5 Team

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

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

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

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

Jewish Studies 6^th Tevet – 10^th December

In Year 5 this week, we completed our learning about Chanukah, which led on to the topic of the Menorah in the Beit HaMikdash.  We looked at the (Etgar) dates of the destruction of each of the Batei Mikdash and then went on a (virtual) trip to The Arch of Titus in Rome to see the engraving of the Menorah there, which served as sound proof that the Menorah existed, exactly as described in the Torah.

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

Enjoy the winter holidays, and keep safe and healthy!

Shabbat Shalom

Mrs Hill

10th December 2021

This week our maths focus was angles and geometry. The children learnt about the different types of angles and their mathematical names. We also looked at directions(North, South, East and West) and turns eg. quarter, half and three quarter turns. This week the children practised estimating and measuring angles with a protractor and identified which type of angles they were.

In English, we continued working on our comprehension and inference skills and looked at extending our answers. Our grammar focus this week was clauses (subordinate and embedded). Our spelling focus was -ible ending words eg. invincible. We also looked at poetry, focusing on rhyming couplets and other techniques used in poetry. The children each wrote their own winter themed poem.

In science, we looked at simple mechanisms and machines. Do ask your children to name  a pulley, a lever or a gear.

In art this week, the children drew a one perspective river scene. The children focused on creating perspective in a drawing and then added details to add interest. We discussed how objects appear larger in the foreground of  a picture.

On Thursday, we had a special party to say farewell to Blake, Rafi and Ms Vinokur. We wish them all the best and they will all be sorely missed in the Year 5 classroom.

On Friday, we completed a quiz on all topics from this week. I was really impressed by all the children's efforts and enthusiasm. Our maths puzzle this week, needed perseverance and it was so lovely to see all children working together to solve it. 

Shabbat shalom,

The Year 5 team

Jewish Studies 29^th Kislev – 3^rd December

We finally made it to Chanukah!!  We’ve had a really busy Chanukah week here, with each day beginning with full-school Tefillah and Hallel, and each day ending with Chanukah candle lighting and a sing-a-long.  We have even had a few Year 5 children lighting the Chanukiah for the whole school. 

The main sing-a-long on Tuesday afternoon was really excellent – a huge well done to all of Year 5 for their amazing contribution, and a massive thank you to Mr Fingerhut and the Ivrit team for preparing the children so incredibly well!  You will be receiving the video of the event really soon.

We have been learning about the different laws connected with candle lighting, including how, where and why we light them. Chanukah would not have been complete without a game of Sevivon, which we did with a difference, with thanks to Seed’s amazing Sevivon Game.  Hopefully the children have brought this home and you can play over Shabbat!

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

Mrs Hill

03/12/21

This week the children have enjoyed a variety of Chanukah activities from a Chanukah fair to a Chanukah sing-a-long show. It was so lovely to hear all the children singing together.

During maths this week we continued our topic on measures focussing on conversions and worded reasoning problems. On Tuesday the children took part in a whole school Maths Day. Year 5 spent the morning creating maths games for every year group. They made tangrams, tessellation puzzles and even a maths themed guess who.

This week in English we looked at the use of apostrophes for possession or contraction and the spelling pattern - able. The children completed a comprehension exercise with an inference focus. We discussed how answers are not always literal and identified strategies to help us infer meaning from a text.

Our creative writing focus this week was using a variety of sentence openers during our writing- by adding spice to our writing! Our guided reading topic this week was based on a factual report about parachuting.

In science, we looked at water resistance and the meaning of streamlining. The children then tested out their theories to discover the best streamlined shapes.

In geography, we looked at the features of a river; the children played a game to find the names and definitions of different river parts. Furthermore, the children used an atlas to label and identify rivers of the world.

On Wednesday this week the children took part in an E-safety morning. Thank you to those parents who gave up their time to attend. It was a very informative discussion and all of the children enjoyed taking part. After the session, we discussed the importance of privacy settings and how to keep ourselves safe online.

Wishing you all shabbat shalom and a lovely chanukah. 

The Year 5 team.

Jewish Studies 22nd Kislev - 26th November

Chanukah is most definitely in the air this week!  Our main focus this week has been miracles. We discussed open miracles and hidden miracles.  We figured out that although at Chanukah we famously celebrate the miracle of the long-lasting oil and the miracle of the success of the small Jewish army over the large Syrian-Greek army, there is also a third miracle too.  That is, the survival of the Jewish people.  The class were amazed to learn that Jews make up a mere 0.2% of the world population - and yet we seem to be just about everywhere.  Meanwhile, what has become of the mighty Greek Empire, or the mighty, Roman Empire, or the Babylonian Empire.... etc! They all tried to wipe us off the face of the Earth, and yet we're still here to tell the tale - Baruch HaShem!!

This week's Parashah homework is on Google Classroom, as is this week's Hebrew reading - thank you for your support - it is greatly appreciated!

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

Mrs Hill

25.11.21

Maths 

This week in maths the students began their topic on measurement. They weighed a variety of objects to visualise what a gram and kg look like and how 1000grams is equal to 1kg. For the children to visually see this representation made them consolidate the concept with more ease. We then looked at length and measured the length of a range of items in both mm, cm and m so they could see and understand why there are different units of length. We then moved on to capacity and the students were able to measure and again visualise what the different units of measurement represent. Next week we will be taking part in a baking activity to aid further consolidation of conversion of metric units.

English 

In English this week the students read the Legend of Marathon. They discussed what are the key features in a legend, answered comprehension questions, acted out the legend and wrote their own interpretation of the legend. The children's dramatisation of the story had some humorous additions. This week we made additions to our Grammar Glossary. Please do ask your children the differences between homophones, homographs and homonyms. This week we completed a spelling dictation to assess the children’s application of the spelling patterns taught this term. We were very pleased to see that children are applying the patterns they have been taught. This week as part of our guided reading programme we looked at some crazy recipes by Heston Blumenthal, analysing the meaning of some adventurous vocabulary. The children were both excited and disgusted by his creations.

Art 

This week the children made still-life sketches of some orchids. Our focus was adding detail, perspective and shading techniques. The children impressed me with their perseverance and attention to detail.

PSHE

The children took part in a Mitzvah Day activity, creating get well cards for children at Great Ormand Street Hospital. We discussed how to show empathy to others and what would cheer them up if they were in hospital. The children went on to make both artistic designs and thoughtfully worded inscriptions.

NVR and VR 

Our NVR focus this week were 2D shape reflections and rotations and paper folds. We gave the children manipulative to aid them solve the questions and help them visualise what happens.

Our VR focus was letter pairs and letter codes.

Geography

The children used an atlas to find rivers of the world. The children learnt about the features of a river and labelled them. 

Next week we have some exciting Chanukah related activities as well as a Maths Day on Tuesday. Just a gentle reminder to send in food items for our whole-school Chanukiah making activity. Thank you to all who have sent items in already.

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 Team

Friday 19th November

This week was Anti-Bullying Week and we launched the week with our ‘odd socks day’ and an assembly after the whole-school tefillah on Monday. Mrs Sharman introduced the mantra ‘One Kind Word’ as a way to live our lives, not just for this week, as the words of others can really affect how people feel about themselves. This week we discussed what makes us all special and the importance of listening to others ideas.

This week the children had a debate, as part of our topic on UK Parliament. We turned our classroom into the House of Commons. The children debated  whether 10 year olds should have mobile phones and if we should be wearing a school uniform. The children were so enthusiastic and had some very valid points both for and against each topic.

In maths, we continued our topic on fractions with the children ordering and comparing fractions greater than 1. On Friday, the children applied all their fraction learning to solve a maths mystery. The children solved a series of clues which involved multiplication, addition, subtraction, ordering and creating equivalent fractions.

In English, the children learnt about the various parts of speech creating a grammar glossary and applying their learning to identify the different parts of speech with in a sentence. The children completed crosswords  as part of our spelling activities. As part of our guided reading programme we looked at the opening chapter of Peter Pan discussing new vocabulary, characters and the key points from the story.

the children also completed two comprehension texts, applying their inference skills to look for hidden meaning within a text. For creative writing, the children wrote a descriptive piece about a grandparent. We discussed descriptive techniques and the use of figurative language to enhance and add interest.

In science, we looked at the work of Isaac Newton and his discovery of the laws of motion. The children researched his life and answered questions about his theories.

In geography, the children began our topic on 'Rivers of the World'. The children used an atlas to locate and name UK rivers.

This week I introduced the children to my weekly quiz. Which will cover learning from the week and previous weeks. This week was mainly based on our learning relating to Parliament week.

Shabbat shalom 

The Year 5 Team

Jewish Studies 15th Kislev/19th November

This week, we've gone all out on our Chanukah preparations.  We began by creating an awesome answergarden word-cloud on what we remembered about Chanukah and then we 'read' the story of Chanukah, dingbat style.  The children figured out their own definitions for a hero, and thought about what super-power they would want to have if they were heroes.  The question is, do you need to have superpowers in order to be a hero?  Based on the characters from Torah and Jewish History that the children chose as their heroes, the answer to the above is clearly 'no'.  Anyone can be a hero if they are kind, thoughtful and helpful towards other people.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend.

Mrs Hill

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

Following on from our learning about Sigd last week, we spent much of the week learning the history of the Beta Israel community.  We learnt the details of Operation Moses and the secret runway that the Mossad built in the desert in order to land planes to bring the Ethiopian Jews to Israel.  The boys also learnt about Operation Solomon, the 35 hour mission that safely brought 8000 Jews to Israel in 1991.  The class have produced some excellent pieces of creative writing, imagining that they were involved in these dangerous operations.

We have practised our Hebrew reading - please remember, the children should be practising their reading at home for around 5 mins per day, 5 days per week, and we looked in detail at the story of this week's Parashah.  We even played 'angels and ladders' - our own version of snakes and ladders, which represented Yaakov's dream in this week's Parashah.  Parashah homework (Choice-board) is on the JS Google Classroom and is due in for Tuesday.

Shavuah tov - have a lovely week ahead!

Week of the 15.11.21

Maths 

This week students continued their unit on fractions by comparing and ordering fractions under 1, next week we will continue with this, using fractions over 1. They also had the opportunity to participate in the Primary Maths Challenge. Today the children were excited to complete our soft start activity, some have worked out the answer and some are working on it. Can you find the solution?

[see below]

English

We continued with our book study and looked at the next chapter; 'The Pearl Earring'. During creative writing, children wrote a piece entitled 'Stolen', retelling the story in their own words. We discussed the feelings and emotions of the main characters and used this to plan our writing. Y5 enjoyed doing a comprehension on a non-fiction text and applied their inference skills to analyse a text. 

Science

Children enjoyed investigating the difference between weight and mass. Children were able to see the relationship between them and explain the difference. They used Newton meters to compare various items from the classroom and recorded their results.

Music

Children have begun preparations for the Chanukah concert. Please remind children to go over the words (posted in Y5 Classroom).

This week we focused on UK Parliament week. The children took a virtual tour of The Houses of Parliament. We had many in depth discussions about the various roles in government and how laws are made. Please ask your children to share what they have learned. 

*REMINDER*

Thursdays- we have Forest School (for this term). Please ensure your child has waterproofs, wellies and a spare change of clothes. 

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 Team.

I am so proud of Year 5.

They have been incredible and such a joy to teach. It was amazing to see their resilience when they were faced with a challenging situation. I was truly inspired by them.  

English 

They wrote incredible stories based on an image of someone in a trapped location. 

For Parliament week they wrote a persuasive speech  that was used for a class debate on 2 topics. 

1) Computer games are bad for you. 

2) Should Animals live in a zoo. 

We then had a class debate on these topics which got a bit heated (you can ask them about that).

Maths 

We introduced our fractions topic by learning about equivalent fractions, reducing fractions and converting between improper and mixed fractions. 

Science 

In Science they experimented air resistance with hand made planes. 

Topic/Art

The children researched and designed images of different Greeks Gods or Heroes. 

I am looking forward to seeing them on Monday. Shabbat shalom and keep safe 

Ms Vinokur 

22nd October - 17th Cheshvan 5782

This week in Jewish Studies we have been examining different numbers and their relevance within Judaism.  We have created mini number books and are working on a shared Google Slides to create a visual guide to larger numbers.

We have also been working on creating a Biblical timeline.  We were amazed to learn that there were over 1500 years between the end of Creation and the Noah's flood, and enjoyed the fact that Avraham was born in the (Jewish) year 1948.

In our Parashah lesson we considered the huge amount of Emunah that both Avraham and Yitzchak show in HaShem, and recognised a number of other lessons, too, that we can learn from this week's Parashah.

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

Mrs Hill

22.10.21

We can't quite believe it is already half-term. This past few weeks have flown by.

Maths

In maths this week we did baseline assessments and reviewed dividing 3 digits by 1or 2 digit numbers. The students also completed a range of math puzzles, some were given for homework. The children enjoyed playing the 'Mathopoly' quizzes they created last week.

English 

Whilst completing a range of assessments, the students also wrote a piece of creative writing and reviewed synonyms and antonyms of words.

Science

The children carried out a fair test experiment to design the best parachute. The children then wrote a scientific write-up of their results, which included a prediction and conclusion.

Art 

The children drew a half self-portrait.

History 

The children took part in some kahoot quizzes (created by their peers) based on our Greek topic. The children also reviewed what they have learnt during Black History month. As a class we discussed the differences between being a slave and a prisoner.

After half-term we will be having Forest School every Thursday. Please make sure your children have waterproofs, wellington boots and spare clothes.

A message from Mrs Sharman:
'As part of anti-bullying week, the BBC are asking children to design an anti-bullying poster. The theme this year is 'ONE KIND WORD'. Please can your child use the attached sheet for their design. Posters should be handed in to Mrs Sharman directly after half term (closing date Tuesday 2nd November).
All entries will be displayed in school and be sent to the BBC. The BBC will select some posters to be shown on their website.
Anti-bullying week this year is 15th-19th November 2021- more information to follow.'

The poster can be found in the google classroom.

Wishing you all a lovely break.

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 Team

15th October - 9th Cheshvan 5782

This week in Year 5 Jewish Studies we have started to look at the Timeline of Jewish History, starting with the dates of Creation, the Flood and the birth of Avraham.  We discovered that Avraham had already been alive for 37 years before the Tower of Bavel, and that Noach and Avraham were both alive at the same time for 48 years.

We have started learning the Etgar numbers and have been creating a Book of Jewish Numbers to help us learn.  In Parashah we discussed why God had told Avraham to leave his land, his hometown and his father's house, rather than just mentioning one of these.

This week's Parashah homework is on Google classroom and work should be submitted by Tuesday please.

Have a lovely weekend and Shabbat Shalom!

Mrs Hill

15th October 2021

We have had a very busy week and can't believe it is almost the end of this half-term. The boys took part in the Maccabi football tournament and we had children representing Kerem in a cross-country race.

In maths, the children learnt about prime, composite numbers and square numbers. The children also learnt strategies for multiplication or division by 10,100 and 1000. On Friday the children applied all the skills they have learnt this term to create a Mathopoly board game which they will play next week. 

In English, the children continued learning about the different types of figurative language and focused on personification this week. In creative writing, the children improved  a text by creating interest and depth via the use of  figurative language and description. WE continued reading our class book 'The Diver's Daughter' and the children acted out scenes from the text. In guided reading, we explored the lyrics of the song 'Out There' from the Disney film 'The hunchback of Notre Dame'. The children explored complex vocabulary and had to infer meaning via examination of the text. We also examined the theme of the song and discussed the character's feelings.

In science, we looked at the work of Galileo Galilee and explored air resistance, friction and other forces. Next week we will be completing several experiments looking at these topics and testing out hypotheses.

In history, the children looked at famous ancient sites and created adverts for them.

Next week we will be having our formal assessments for the Autumn term.

Shabbat shalom,

The Year 5 team

Jewish Studies 8th October – 2nd Cheshvan

It’s been a full week in more ways than one this week, as the children have been working exceptionally hard in JS, and enjoying learning about more than Chagei Tishrei!

We have reviewed the family tree of Avraham, the class being visibly surprised that both Yitzhak and Yaakov had married their cousins.  We have also examined the 7 Noachide Laws, both as part of our Parashah lesson as well as in preparation for Etgar.  The children split the laws into different categories, based on their own understanding of the laws, and we did the same thing with the Ten Commandments.  In Tefillah today we read our first ‘Nothing Just Happens’ Story, which aim to show the children how HaShem is completely in charge of His world, and that nothing happens by coincidence. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and a lovely weekend,

Mrs Hill

8th October 2021

Yay! Finally a full week at school and what a busy week it was. 

Maths

We went over factors, multiples and understanding place value when multiplying 2 digits by 2 digits. We will be teaching the students about prime numbers, square numbers, and review multiplying multi-digit numbers. It is really important that the students continuously work on their timetables daily on doodle timetables. 

English 

The students went over figurative language and will continue with this next week. In creative writing, the children wrote a character description. Our comprehension this week was based on a Greek mythological story.

In science, we started our Forces topic the children created a glossary of scientific vocabulary and we completed a Science quiz. The children looked at the interaction of forces and learnt the difference between weight and mass.

In history, we looked at words with Greek origins.

This month is Black History Month, and w will be looking at the life and work of Olaudah Equiano a campaigner against slavery. We also began our class book ' The Diver's Daughter' which tells the story of a girl living in Elizabethan. London.

In art, the children began a watercolour depiction of the Parthenon.

Admin

Please let us know if you did not receive the email with the homework timetable and the questionnaire we would like you to fill out about your child. 

1st October - 25th Tishrei 5782

As we rewind the Torah scroll to the start of Bereishit once again, we asked ourselves what exactly is the Torah.  The children gave a number of interesting and well thought-out answers.

We asked the question, why does the Torah begins with the letter bet rather than any other letter.   We came up with many different suggestions, including the idea that the letter bet equals the number two to represent the two Torahs - the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.

Have a beautiful Shabbat Bereishit and looking forward to a full week back next week!

Mrs Hill

Friday 1st October

Another busy week has flown by and we can't believe it's Friday already, we hope that all our families had an enjoyable Succot.

In creative writing, the children wrote a piece entitled 'The Door' inspired by the class book "What We'll Build". The children explored the different locations their doors would take them.

In guided reading this week we had great fun looking at the lyrics to 'Be Prepared' from The Lion King. We identified key vocabulary and looked at double word meanings. eg, What are the two meanings of the word pride?

In history, we continued learning about Greece looking at its location and surrounding countries and seas. we then explored the Greek number system and the children solved number calculations and gave their answers in Greek.

In maths, the children developed their understanding of subtraction. We then continued to explore column subtraction. The children partook in several challenges applying their knowledge to solve puzzles learning  a variety of strategies to make subtraction calculations easier. The children then applied these strategies to play a deduction version of snakes and ladders.

Due to Yom Tov, the children only received a maths task on Thursday  which should be completed by Monday. 

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 team

Jewish Studies - 24th September ~ 18th Tishrei 5782

I hope you have all had an enjoyable first half of Sukkot.  Year 5 have been working hard to create a guide to Kosher Arba'ah Minim, learning about each of the 4 items in detail and what they should (or should not) include in order to be considered appropriate for the Arba'ah Minim.

We have been celebrating Sukkot by shaking our Arba'ah Minim in the Sukkah each day (see pics below), whilst also enjoying munching biscuits so that we could say the Brachah of Leishev baSukkah.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and enjoy the second half of this beautiful chag.

Mrs Hill

24.09.21

Please find below a brief overview of this week's learning.

Maths

This week the students began their topic of addition in maths, they explored different sums using a variety of manipulatives. They also enjoyed using their knowledge to solve challenging questions. 

English 

The students were given their spelling words for the next 2 weeks. They followed to rules and patterns of either 'cial' or 'tial'. They will continue with these words next week. 

They also wrote a detailed and descriptive piece of creative writing on receiving a letter and worked on expanding their sentences to build up tension.

History

We explored ancient Greek pottery and its historical significance. The children played a roll a Greek vase game and designed a vase including greek borders and figures.

We also assessed the children in verbal reasoning.

Shabbat Shalom

Year 5 Team

Jewish Studies 17th September - 11th Tishrei 5782

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

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

We learnt about the three 5's of Yom Kippur - the 5 things we do on Erev Yom Kippur, the five things we can't do on Yom Kippur and the five services that we say on Yom Kippur.  

Today we began discussing Sukkot, firstly reviewing the basics and then starting to learn about what is needed to make our Arbah Minim kosher.  Next week we will look in more detail at these Four Species.

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and an enjoyable weekend.

Mrs Hill

Friday 17th September 

Another busy week has flown by and we can't believe it's Friday already, we hope that all our families had a meaningful Yom Kippur and fasted well for those who did.

In creative writing, we introduced the children to the concept of choice in their writing. The children wrote a piece entitled 'The Burglary' applying their choices in reference to characters and plot, using a checklist to ensure they have an interesting hook( opening sentence); engaging characters and plot, and an understanding of motive.

In guided reading this week we had great fun looking at the lyrics to 'I've got a dream' from Tangled. We identified examples of negative adjectives, discussed the value of dreams and the word choices made by the lyricist.

In history, we made a timeline of ancient Greece. We then looked at the modern-day and ancient Olympic games and compared them. Do ask your children what they learned.

In PSHE we continued to make our way through the story of What We’ll Build. We focussed on the toolkit page. Discussing what we need in our class toolkit. We brainstormed ideas about attributes we feel are important such as flexibility and resilience.

In maths, the children developed their understanding of place value and extended this to rounding. We then continued to explore numbers to million. The children read and interpret numbers and partook in several challenges applying their knowledge to solve puzzles. We also introduced maths comprehensions and the children read a maths story and answered questions relating to it. 

Due to Yom Tov, the children will have homework today and then homework will begin again after Succot. In the meantime, children can complete work from the remote learning days, read a good book or revisit concepts on Doodle maths and Doodle English.

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 team

Jewish Studies 10th September - 4th Tishrei 5782

Shanah Tovah to you all 🍎🍯!

Year 5 have made such an excellent start to the new year in Jewish Studies, displaying so much enthusiasm and excitement for JS.  Our focus has been on Rosh HaShana (for obvious reasons!) and we have had some really interesting conversations and discussions.  I was blown away by the exceptionally perceptive and intelligent answers offered by many of the children in class.

We have learnt about Tashlich, the sound of the Shofar, considered why we eat apple and honey (beyond the obvious) and lots more too.   We went out to the stream that runs down the side of the playground and together we recited the Tashlich prayer.  Today we experienced first hand the power of Teshuvah by watching our mistakes vanish before our very eyes (see pics) - I'm sure your child will tell you all about it!

Wishing you all a peaceful and relaxing Shabbat!

Mrs Hill

Friday 10th September

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

This week the children completed some English and maths assessment exercises. The children’s comprehension skills were tested by looking at a poem called ‘Foreign lands’ and an informative text on extreme weather. We then discussed strategies to help us analyse texts and word meanings.eg looking at context and using skimming and scanning techniques.
Our focus in maths was mental strategies and we reviewed year 4 topics. The children were given a maths mystery to solve and maths puzzles to crack. Next week we will be looking at place value.

We also began our history topic on the Ancient Greeks. The children learnt about Alexander the Great’s empire and his conquering of Egypt and Thebes. The children used what they had learnt and read to give their opinion on the impact of the Grecian empire on the region.

The children were set their first homework on the Greeks. They have a selection of activities to choose from and a week to complete.

 
Wishing you all a lovely weekend.

Shabbat Shalom,

The Year 5 Team.

FRIDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER 2021

Welcome back to the new year at Kerem and welcome to Year 5. The children have settled in quickly and are definitely ready for Y5.

On Thursday we had a fantastic whole-school assembly for the first time in such a long time! It was amazing doing tefillah altogether. During assembly, the children were read the book 'What we'll build'. In class, we discussed behaviour expectations and how to be a mindful learner and spent some time catching up about our summer.

Despite being in school for two days we have been very busy. The children learned the terminology, synonyms, and antonyms and created word maps. We read and discussed the first chapter of 'Around the world in eighty days' focusing on vocabulary and word meaning. The children were very lucky to have an extra JS lesson, where they played games to get them in the mood for Rosh Hashanah. We reread the story What We'll Build and discussed building emotions and how to represent them in a creative way. The children began a sculptural art piece to represent a variety of emotions. We also reviewed maths strategies via a selection of games, including a column addition and subtraction dice game, furthermore, the children completed a mental arithmetic test.

The iPads will be brought home by the children today so that they can use them for the remote learning day on Monday. Please remind children to bring them to school on our return next Thursday. Please as always encourage the children to work independently and try their best. Instructions for tasks, a timetable for the day, and links for ‘live’ sessions can be found on the new Year 5 2021/2022 Google Classroom. The timetable for remote learning can also be found below.

This term the children should come to school in their PE kits on Tuesdays and Thursdays. PE will begin next week.

We will be uploading work on Sunday evening for the remote learning day on Monday 6th September; they will receive maths, English, and art. They should complete the tasks in their maths and English homework books which we have sent home. The art activity should be done on paper. The remote learning timetable is attached below. Here is the tefillah and Kabbalat Shabbat link :https://meet.google.com/phs-ghjo-emv?hs=122&authuser=1

Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova

Year 5 Team