Year 5 2023 - 2024

Mr Campbell

Spring Term 2024

Hello and welcome to our Year 5 class page.  On here you will find everything you need to know about what your child is learning at school.  My name is Mr Campbell and I will be your child’s teacher this year and I will be assisted by highly skilled Mrs Rickett and Miss Hennessy.

Topic

This term, we will be learning all about the vast continent of North America.  We will be using atlases and online mapping tools to locate USA, Canada, Mexico as well as some of the smaller islands offshore. We will be comparing where we live in Ellesmere Port with a place in North America and drawing links between our lives and theirs.  Alongside building our geographical skills, we will also be participating in North American themed dance session with Mrs Bacon and sampling some local delicacies such as bagels, nachos and pretzels. In Forest School, we will be learning about the lives of the Native Americans and how they used the land to their advantage. 

English

In English, we will build on our writing skills from last term with a unit on Finding Winnie by Lindsay Mattick in which we will be writing a biography for Harry Colebourn.  Following on from our work on Finding Winnie, we will be expanding our diary writing skills as we read Race to the Frozen North by Catherine Johnson and Young, Gifted and Black by Jamia Wilson.  All three of our texts this term will be taught in a cross curricular manner with relevent links being made between our literacy skills and our topic on North America. 

Maths

During spring term, there will be a big emphasis on the basic skills in mathematics.  Because some of the concepts being explored being new to the children, a good knowledge of times tables and number bonds will be imperative.  We will begin by securing our understanding of written methods of multiplication up to 4 digit by 2 digit numbers before exploring short division with remainders (the bus stop method).   The children will then move onto our work on fractions which will include equivalent decimal values, as well as adding, subtracting and simplifying fractions whilst using concrete, pictorial and abstract methods.

As always, we will be focusing on the children securing key fluency skills before challenging themselves with problem solving and reasoning challenges.

Religious Education

In RE this term, we will be learning about inspirational people who make - or have made - the world a better place.  We will be sharing the people who inspire us and the reasons why before reflecting on the life of Josephine Bakhita.  We will also be discussing our favourite saints and studying what made them such good role models for us to follow.  Finally, we will be studying what it takes to be a true disciple and reading what Jesus teaches us through the messages he passed on to his disciples.  

Homework

At home, there are many different ways in which you can support your child with their learning this year. Each week, Google Classroom will have details of reinforcement activities that can be completed in Home Learning books. There are also the Spelling Shed and Times Table Rockstars apps that the children are warmly invited to use as regularly as possible.

Children should also continue to read every night and to have their reading logged in their reading record each time.  It is imperative that pupils read aloud regardless of their book band level.   Should I find a particular area of weakness in which I feel a child needs more work, I will note this in their planner along with an activity to help support them.

Children's planners will note when your child has read in school with an adult as well as times when your child has partaken in a Guided Reading group session and sometimes next steps will be suggested for you to best support your child at home.  All parents and carers are asked to sign page 4 in your child's planner which sets out our homework expectations for the year.

Children will have weekly spellings which are pertinent to their spelling needs and these will be written in their planners of a Friday.  Children will have a week of learning their spellings in school and at home before a spelling assessment the following Friday.

PE Days

Tuesday morning with Mrs Bacon (Dance specialist)

Friday afternoon with Mr Campbell/Mrs Rickett

Please make sure that your child comes to school in their PE kits on these days.

Music

In Year 5, the children have the wonderful opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument.  These sessions will be led by our violin tutor Miss Sherwood from Edsential Musical Routes.  Her expertise is second to none and we now have several Year 6 children who have opted to continue violin tuition this year.

Pupils will receive their instruments within the first two weeks of term and violin lessons will take place of a Thursday afternoon.  It is therefore vital that the children remember to bring their instrument into school with them every Thursday unless stated otherwise.

To keep the violins tuned and well looked after, please ensure that they are kept in a safe space which isn't too hot (like near a radiator) or somewhere that is too cold (for example the boot of a car in the winter months).

Forest School

Unless stated otherwise, our Forest School dates for this year are as follows:

Thursday 25th January 2024 (Exploring the lives of the Native Americans)

Thursday 14th March 2024 (A journey through our solar system)

Thursday 16th May 2024 (Mapping our local area)

Please ensure that your child comes to school on these days dressed accordingly to the weather forecast in old clothes which you don’t mind getting dirty.  During the winter months, it will be imperative that the children are wrapped up with multiple layers and wear boots/old shoes.

Open invitation

You are always welcome to chat with myself after school, or to make an appointment.  Thank you once more for your ongoing support.  Together everyone achieves more, so it is much appreciated.

Mr Campbell

Year 5 Teacher & Deputy Headteacher

Files to Download

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Year 5: Calendar items

Y5 Forest School, by Mrs Wilson

Y5 Boat Museum, by Mrs Wilson

St Mary of the Angels Primary School, Rossall Grove, Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH66 1NN