Dear Parents,
Welcome back to a new term in Year 5 and Happy New Year!
I hope you have all had a wonderful time over Christmas and that you have had a fantastic start to 2016 so far. Also, may I take this opportunity to thank you for your generous Christmas gifts. They were all very much appreciated.
The curriculum for Year 5 is particularly exciting this term with lots of new topics to begin and below is a brief summary of the units we will be studying over the coming weeks.
This term, our first English topic will be a poetry unit on The Spider and the Fly. The children will also be learning about Myths and Legends, as well as completing a non-fiction unit on Instruction and Explanation texts.
Spellings will continue to be given out on a Monday and tested on Fridays. When reading at home, please encourage your children to record at least one detailed comment about what they have read each week. Please can I ask you to monitor your child’s reading and comment if necessary.
In Maths we will be continuing with calculation, fractions and understanding shape. The children have enjoyed the practical nature of these topics and there will be ample opportunity to build further upon their skills.
The Science topic for the term is Properties and Changes of Materials. The children will be examining the properties of gases and how these differ from those of liquids and solids. They will also be thinking about reversible and irreversible changes.
Our History topic on the Ancient Egyptians is always a firm favourite with the children. This links with our Art and Design topic using clay.
In RE, we will continue to compare Christianity with Judaism and the aim is to visit a local Synagogue if possible.
P.E. will be taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays so please make sure your child remembers to bring their kit on the appropriate day. We will work on several different units of PE over the course of the term beginning with Gymnastics and Basketball.
Over the course of the term, Year 5 will be learning and rehearsing a selection of songs with other local primary schools in St Albans. This will result in a performance at the Alban Arena on Monday 21st March. More details will follow on this in due course.
We will be holding an open afternoon on Wednesday 10th February between 3.15 pm and 4 pm; please come into the classroom to see your child’s learning.
Finally, the children will be covering a range of skills in Computing during their ‘Staying Connected’ unit. This involves the use of email accounts and blogging.
As you will be aware, there is a Parents Evening in March which will provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress. However, if any issues should arise in the meantime, either socially or academically, please do not hesitate to come in and see me.
As always, any parents who can spare an hour or so to help in the classroom are greatly appreciated, so please let me know if you are interested.
I look forward to another busy and exciting term!
Miss Caroline Stevens