Year 5 Weekly News 06.06.25

Welcome back, Year 5!

I hope you all had a wonderful half-term holiday and enjoyed a well-deserved rest. I can't believe we're now in our final half term together -- where has the time gone?

There's still so much to look forward to and plenty of exciting things to do before the summer holidays, so let's jump in and see what we've been up to this week!

We're also thrilled to welcome Miss Griffiths back this term. She'll be teaching some of our lessons, and we're really excited to have her with us for the rest of our Year 5 journey.

In Maths, we've recently been delving into the world of shapes and coordinates. We've been honing our skills in reflecting shapes and points on a graph. This week, we also began a new unit on decimals, focusing on adding and subtracting -- a vital skill that's useful both in and out of the classroom.

We've also started an exciting new writing challenge -- creating our very own survival guides! We're still using the brilliant book The Lost Book of Adventure to inspire us, and it's been great fun so far. We explored examples of strong survival writing to learn what makes them effective, then began gathering research on the essential items and skills needed to survive in the jungle. From clean water and shelter to fire-starting and first aid, we're building up all the knowledge we'll need for our own guidebooks.

In Reading, we got stuck into an amazing new book called My Name is River. It's full of adventure and emotion. We tackled comprehension tasks that helped us explore the author's intent and dig deeper into the main character's feelings.

In RE, we began a brand new unit all about the women of the Old Testament. I was so impressed with how many names you were able to recall -- you are superstars! We were introduced to the key women we'll be learning more about in the coming weeks.

In Art, we continued building our 'dream big' or 'tiny house' models, using the 'design as we make' method. Your resilience and determination really shone through, and it was lovely to see you helping one another. We also painted our houses this week -- they now look even better! Each one is so unique and individual to you. I hope you're feeling proud of what you've created.

History took us on a journey back in time as we started our new unit on the Ancient Maya civilisation. In our first lesson, we used timelines to explore when the Maya lived and considered where they were from. Then, we became travel agents and created leaflets packed with interesting facts to promote the Ancient Maya world.

In Science, we continued learning about how to separate materials. This week, we explored different techniques, including sieving, filtering, evaporation, and magnetism. We planned and carried out our own experiments using these methods, observing how each one worked based on the properties of the materials. It was so exciting to see science in action!

In Geography, we had two fantastic lessons about the Amazon Rainforest. First, we focused on the city of Manaus and carried out research into its physical and human features, including its climate, rivers, culture, and infrastructure. We then worked in table teams to create colourful and informative booklets. Later in the week, we learned more about life in the rainforest. We discovered that while some people live in big cities like Manaus, others live in small rainforest communities, including tribal groups with traditional ways of life. We explored the method of shifting cultivation and created storyboards to explain how it works. We also compared nomadic and settled lifestyles and discussed the importance of protecting both people and nature in this unique environment.

In our HeartSmart lesson, we talked about times when things feel too difficult or like there's no way through. You shared such thoughtful and honest examples, and I was incredibly proud of how kind and respectful you were during the discussion. We explored how to approach these challenges and remembered that there's always a way forward -- even if it doesn't feel like it at first. This linked beautifully to the story of Moses, where he faced great obstacles. We reflected on the Bible verse:"Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind. It blew all night and turned the sea into dry land. The water was divided." – Exodus 14:21

In Wellbeing, we thought about our favourite places -- ones that make us feel happy, calm, and safe. We used these reflections to focus on the things that bring us joy and comfort.

In Music, our final two groups performed their beatboxing scenes. Then, we were introduced to Battle of the Bands! This half-term, we'll be working in small groups, focusing on singing, improvising, and composing. We can't wait to see what you create!

Finally, in PE, we began the week with a throwing and catching game to test our speed and reactions. We finished with a great game of diamond cricket, full of energy and teamwork.

Thank you for a brilliant start to our final half-term, Year 5.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend,

Miss P