Welcome to the Spring term in Years 5 & 6

1. Welcome to the Spring term in Years 5 & 6 Slide 2: Overview of topic Slide 3: Newsletter Slide 4: The Year 5 & 6 staff Slide 5: Useful dates Slide 6: How you can help your child at home Slide 7: Key Instant Recall Facts Slide 8: Writing signposts Slide 9: Useful websites

2. Years 5 & 6 Learning Journey SPRING Term 2013 Week 3 Why do people visit Antarctica? What is the nature of an explorer. Descriptive writing Week 2 Weather and climate. Glaciers and icebergs. Explanatory texts – Big Write Week 1 Topic introduction. Where is Antarctica? Investigating the physical features. Week 4 The race to the pole. Scott v Amundsen. Descriptive writing – Big Write Weeks 9-11 Topic development using ideas from the children. Antarctica Week 8 Topic evaluation and assessment. Week 5 What wildlife exists in Antarctica? Food chains. Diary writing. Week 7 The future for Antarctica – what is its value? Writing an Antarctic Treaty Week 6 Animals, habitats and adaptation. Last diary entry of Captain Oates – Big Write

3. THE TERM AHEAD IN YEARS 5 & 6 Welcome back and a Happy New year to all! Homework Homework is given out on a Friday to be completed and handed in the following Wednesday. Each child will receive maths homework and a topic/literacy related homework each week. This term, the children once again have a homework menu to choose from which has been sent as a separate email. It is also posted on the school’s website Signposts Children’s writing signposts are assessed and updated on a fortnightly basis following their Big Writes. Children and staff are finding this system very helpful. Maths signposts will continue to be set as an element of homework tasks whilst reading signposts are discussed and shared during weekly guided reading. PE Please ensure that your child has the correct PE kit in school. This should consist of pumps or trainers, black or grey shorts and a white T-shirt. School jumpers or sweatshirts and jogging bottoms can be worn in colder weather. Water bottles and snacks Children are encouraged to bring a water bottle and a healthy snack to school each day.

4. The staff IN YEARS 5 & 6 Teaching staff Mr Broad, Mrs Stewart, Mrs Wood, Miss Riddle, Miss Richardson Classroom assistants Mrs Tilson, Mrs Jackson, Mrs Gray, Mrs Carter, Mrs Frostick, Mrs Mabbott Miss Thwaites Inclusion team Mrs Wilson. Mrs Coghlan Mrs Mansfield, Miss Arkley Mrs Couldwell

5. KEY DATES THIS TERM 21st January – Mrs Stewart’s class and Mr Broad/Mrs Wood’s class to visit the Synagogue. 29th January – KS2 Literacy workshops (details to follow). Tuesday 5th & Thursday 7th February – parents’ evenings. 7th March – Y6 to Crucial Crew (details to follow). 12th March – Y6 information evening re - SATs & E. Barnby (details to follow) 26th March – Y5 & 6 Extreme Environments event (details to follow) 28th March – school closes for Easter holiday at 2.30 pm Reminder: 15th – 19th April – Y6 at East Barnby

6. How you can help your child at home Talking! By asking your child to talk about what they are doing at school, you not only reinforce their learning but also help to develop key speaking and listening skills. Spellings As part of their homework, each child will bring a spelling list home each week. Please help your child to learn these spellings and put them into a written context. KIRFs Children are asked to spend 20 minutes per week learning these recall facts at home. Please help your child by using some of the activities suggested on their KIRF sheets. General homework support Please encourage your child to take pride in their homework and ensure that it is completed to the best of his or her ability. Feel free to help and support but remember that they also need to be practising independence. HOME

7. KEY INSTANT RECALL FACTS (KIRFs) These helpful fact sheets are stuck into maths homework books each half term. They can also be found on the Western School Website (www.western.n-yorks.sch.uk) on page 2 of the ‘Forms to Download’ section. A further explanation of their use can be found in the ‘Curriculum Information’ section. These are facts which the children need to commit to memory and which will be very valuable to them as mathematicians. The children will be tested on their knowledge of these facts towards the end of each half term.

8. Writing signposts Each child in Years 5 & 6 has been given a guide to writing at the level they are aiming for. They have a copy in two of their writing books where teachers can sign off objectives as they are achieved. In addition, a copy has been stuck in their homework books as a guide for parents. One or two of the objectives have been identified for each child to work towards. It is hoped that this guide will provide parents with a clear idea of their child’s objectives for writing.

9. USEFUL WEBSITES FOR YOUR CHILD TO VISIT • www.conkermaths.com - a very useful site with links to KIRF objectives. • www.bbc.co.uk/learning - lots of links for all ages covering almost everything! • www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch – a brilliant school website with games & activities. • www.satstestsonline.co.uk – a great site for Y6 children to practise SAT type questions. (username = broad, password = smart653) – this website is now active. Each child has his or her individual password which enables us to monitor progress. We would encourage children in Y6 to use this site at least once per week. • www.discoveringantarctica.org – all you will ever want to know about the frozen continent.