Writing
We are preparing to write a spooky story based on the online video: Alma.
https://www.literacyshed.com/alma.html
The children were instantly hooked in and have shown lots on enthusiasm towards their work.
As we work towards our final written piece, we have been learning how to link clauses using dashes, semi-colons and colons.
How to use dashes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCg860btDfg
How to use semi-colons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcpaQc8VbU8
How to use colons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2iYA1sQUZQ
Here are some examples of our work:
She looks at the doll – the doll stares back. Honey.
Alma stared at her Doppel-ganger; the doll looked back at her with a creepy smile. Amelia.
Alma tried the door – it was bolted shut. How would she get in? Madeleine.
Alma looked at the clone; it glared at her like it was ready to fight. Kamile.
The chalkboard, filled with names, determined the next victim – Alma wrote her name beautifully. Summer.
As she peered through the frosty window, the doll-twin stared at her – it was as if they knew each other. Valerie.
The doll was an exact relica of her: green eyes, blue hat, pink gilet and red scarf. Chloe.
Alma knew she was alone; so she thought. Aubree.
Help at home – Ask your child to describe when they would use a dash/semi-colon/colon. Can they give an example? Role play them teaching you how to use them. Write spooky sentences using this week’s spellings.
Warm Spaces
Each term, children are invited to Warm Spaces at St James’ Church Hall, Wetherby. Today our children from Year 5 and 6, enjoyed chatting to the ladies and gentlemen about what they are doing in school. The children also enjoyed listening to school tales from long ago.
Our children, as always, where superb ambassadors for our school.
Leeds Rugby
We have had a wonderful afternoon with coaches from Leeds Rugby. We took part in a variety of games and activities, working well as a team.
It was lovely to see the children moving, competing and enjoying themselves during the activities. I have said it before, but we have some very talented sportspeople in our class.
Help at home – ask you child what skills they learnt today? Could you reenact some games at home? Find the closest rugby team to you.
Living and Learning
Internet Safety with D:side Dave
D:side Dave was in school this morning, sharing some important messages about internet safety. The children really enjoy his sessions and always engage well. He began his session by asking children how old they should be to access many social media platforms. The age for this is 13.
A key message from Dave is that internet safety is a partnership between the child and parents. We talked about these key points:
- Followers – when we receive a new friend request, we should ask ourselves – do I know them? If the answer is ‘no’, then we should decline. It is ok to decline requests and it is ok to delete followers once they have been added. We also need to consider if people online are telling the truth and they are who they say they are. Be careful when following older children – sometimes they post things which are not suitable for younger children. When following celebrities, make sure they are verified with a ‘tick’.
- Profiles should be made ‘private’.
- Always set passwords. Make sure these passwords are shared with parents. This builds trust between child and parent.
- Think carefully when posting images. Images can not be deleted once shared. You can delete from your phone but once shared with others, it is impossible to delete – this could cause problems in the future.
- If something appears to be too good to be true, it often is.
Help at home – read through this post with your child. Check that passwords are set and shared. Encourage transparency.
Maths
Arithmetic
We have been working really hard on our arithmetic skills in Year 5 and 6 and our confidence is really improving. As a result, we are seeing our scores steadily improve. We have seen many personal best scores today and the children have been very giddy and eager to share. Well done everyone!
Help at home – please encourage your child to go on Times Tables Rock Stars.
Cross Country!
Over 40 of our Key Stage Two pupils recently took part in the East Leeds Cross Country Competition. From Year 3 races of 900m, to Years 5 and 6 running a whopping 1500m, these tough tasks were met with enthusiasm and brilliant attitudes from the children at St James. Every single child managed to finish their race, showing resilience and determination throughout. I was really impressed with how well children conducted themselves – they were brilliant role models for our school. Finally, a huge congratulations to one of our runners, Lily, who has qualified for the next round of the competition by finishing 6th in her race!
Science
Light
This morning, Year 5 and Year 6 carried out an investigation to find out what will happen to our shadow at different times during the day.
We measured our shadow at 9.40am, 10.40am and 11.40am.
The children really enjoyed the process and recording their results. We found that our shadows were longer earlier in the day as the sun was at a lower angle causing longer shadows to form.
Help at home – How are shadows formed? Light travels in _________ lines. What does opaque mean? How did your child keep themself safe during the investigation?
Living and Learning
Being safe
Here at St James, we always speak about child safety and how the children can ‘Speak out, Stay safe’. Our children are confident at identifying who their own trusted adults are and feel comfortable that they could ask for help.
On a weekly basis, we revisit the Childline number and where our children can go should they have any worries.
Help at home: watch this video together https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRSJ0U3xWM4
Year 5 multi sports
Our Year 5 children visited Wetherby High School this afternoon to take part in a multi sports events. We tried lots of new sports/activities and developed new skills. We have some very talented children!
As usually, our children behaved really well and represented our school magnificently.
Update
Another very busy week in Year 5 and 6. Here are some highlights and key messages:
Light
Following on from our light topic in science last half term, we had a Zoom meet with lighting engineer, James Martin. He spoke to us about how crucial lights are in our busy world but also how he works hard to ensure we are using light effectively. We discussed light pollution and how that can impact wildlife and how blue lights, from our devices, can inhibit sleep and cause fatigue and stress.
Help at home – ask your child about how lighting at a swimming pool is carefully considered to ensure safety to all. Can your child reduce the amount of blue light exposure they experience before bed?
Maths – fractions
Converting between mixed numbers and improper fractions is sometimes tricky but it is becoming second nature to us. The children can use this knowledge to answer multi step problems and clearly explain their reasoning.
Help at home – Provide some fractions for your child to add and subtract, can they talk you through the process? Year 6 children, complete fraction pages of your revision booklet.
For some useful games, visit – https://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/menus/fractions.htm
Writing
We are in the process of writing a narrative including speech and action. The children have really impressed with their knowledge of dialogue and the key points to remember when punctuating speech:
– inverted commas to open and close direct speech
– direct speech starts with a capital letter
– punctuate your direct speech before closing inverted comma (, ! ? .)
– separate direct speech from reporting clause with punctuation
– new speaker, new line
Help at home – Can your children write using speech at home? Maybe they could write a conversation you have had at home or something they have seen on the television. Try to include a variety of ‘said verbs’, such as boomed or whispered.
Reading
Please continue to hear your child read at home on a regular basis. Children have a reading record with a variety of activities for them to complete. Please ensure reading records are in school every Friday.