Y5 News 19.05.23

Happy Friday everybody. I can't believe we've reached the end of another week. This term is whizzing by.

On Monday morning, we were back down the moss for our next John Muir session. This time we had fun pond dipping and bug hunting. The night before, Mrs Tibbetts set up a moth trap, and we waited expectantly to see what had been caught during the night. Inside, there were some beautiful moths. We learnt that one was called a chocolate tip moth. Next, it was then time to go bug hunting and pond dipping. We separated into two groups and went exploring. During pond dipping, we found more than we were expecting too. This included a water boatman, a leech and lots of other interesting things. When we went bug hunting, we found spiders, a damsel fly (which was very intriguing) and many more things too. We had lots of fun and enjoyed being out and about at the moss again.

In our English lessons, we successfully completed our shared write stories, and moved onto to planning our independent versions. I must say, the plans you came up with truly showcase your creativity and imagination. As I read through your finished pieces, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. You have all worked hard to incorporate the literary devices we have been learning about, such as alliteration, similes, metaphors, and personification. These devices add depth and richness to your writing, making it more vivid and engaging. Great work, team.

In Maths this week, we continued learning about decimals. We tackled the challenge of adding and subtracting decimals with varying decimal places. During the lessons, we learned the importance of regrouping and adjusting digits to ensure the correct placement of decimal points during addition and subtraction operations. This process not only reinforced our knowledge of place value but also sharpened our critical thinking and logical reasoning abilities

We jumped back into our MyHappyMind sessions this week. In this lesson, we reviewed our Big Dream Goal that we set ourselves last week. We went on to learn how perseverance and resilience can help us when goals are hard to achieve, and we learnt why it is easier to achieve Big Dream Goals that we are passionate about.

In PHSE, we have been learning about 'Great Groups'. To start the lesson, we played the logo game. You correctly identified the logos of 'The British Red Cross', 'The Trussell Trust' and the RNLI. We talked about the importance of these groups and what made them great. We reminded ourselves that these groups were started by one or two people seeing a need and doing something about it. We all agreed that it is important for us to look out for other people in need and do what we can to help them too just like it says in Psalm 1:17.

In R.E, we continued making our booklets about the 5 pillars of Islam and how they are connected to the Muslim concept of umma.

In Geography this week, we continued our exciting journey into the captivating realm of the Amazon rainforest. The focus of this lesson was the city of Manaus (a fascinating urban centre nestled amidst the lush greenery of the rainforest). To enhance our understanding, we embarked on research quests, exploring the wealth of information available to discover both the human and physical features of Manaus. Through our research, we uncovered intriguing facts about the city's history, culture, architecture, and infrastructure. We also gained insights into the geographical characteristics of the region, such as its rivers, climate, and vegetation. After completing the research, we worked together in table teams to create captivating information booklets about this intriguing city.

In our Computing lessons this week, we embarked on an exciting adventure with the iMovie app, delving into the world of digital storytelling. We learned how to import pictures and use audio. With each added audio element, from music tracks to recorded voices, our stories came to life. Through this process, we developed our creativity, critical thinking, and technical skills, embracing the role of filmmakers. We are looking forward to continuing our learning next week.

Study work was our focus on Wednesday afternoon. It felt like we time travelled back to the Spring Term as we have been working on a page all about our solar system (a topic we learnt about last term).

In Science this week, we engaged in the fascinating realm of experimentation by exploring the concept of solubility. To ensure the validity of our experiments, we prioritized the principles of fair testing. We understood the importance of changing only one variable at a time while keeping all other factors constant such as the amount of solvent used, the temperature, and the stirring technique. Through these hands-on experiences, we not only deepened our understanding of solubility but also honed our scientific inquiry skills. It was also lots of fun too.

In Design and Technology (D.T.) this week, we learnt about healthy diets and the importance of making nutritious food choices. We began by learning about the key elements of a healthy diet, exploring the different food groups and their respective nutritional benefits. Armed with this knowledge, we set out to create our own healthy meals. Working individually, we carefully planned and selected ingredients that aligned with the principles of a balanced diet, and we considered whether the last meal we ate had all these components.

In Music, you focused on keeping time. You learnt that percussion instruments like drums often so this job. In French, you recapped the names of different forms of transported and then used this knowledge ask and answer questions like 'How do you get to school'.

I hope you have a fab weekend,

Miss Pennance