5th March 2007

Week Beginning 5th March 2007

We have a packed diary this week, but always up for a challenge, we are diving straight in!

Literacy

We are having a real push on writing this week and we will writing lots of ‘narratives’ by the end of the week. Just to prove that we really do have a go ourselves, we will be attempted a SATs writing task! Not only will this show the children how to tackle a SATs style question, it will hopefully trigger some of those key phrases and pieces of grammar which will help them achieve those higher levels.

Have a go at some of these writing tasks – remember to use the story mountain to plan it out.

Stories with a familiar setting

Jake awoke to the sound of the school alarm clock as usual and began to get dressed for school. ‘ Another boring day of SATs revision ahead’, he thought, but as he opened the new packet of Crazy Pops and poured them into his bowl, he realised that today wasn’t going to be such as boring day after all… Continue the story and make sure it is set in a familiar place.

Mystery stories

As Jimmy turned the corner and began walking towards his house, the sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. He could see broken glass and lots of blood…Finish this mystery story. You do not need to re-write the first two sentences.

Stories that raise issues

Hannah is upset. Bullies at her primary school are making her life a misery and doesn’t know why they are doing it. Write a story about this from Hannah’s point of view.

Remember these would be a long writing task, so you would have 45 minutes to do this. Don’t forget to use the Punctuation Pyramid and to use the VCOP!

http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/writingfun/writingfun.html This is lovely website, with all of the frameworks for a variety of genres, including narratives. Just click on the ‘narrative’ on the right hand side and then choose either 5 or 6 on the bottom toolbar. These are examples of the standard of work which we expect from 5/6.

http://www.buzzin.net/revision_tips/writing/wt-00.htm I like this one, as it gives you some brilliant tips and hints on how to succeed in writing. The site is mainly aimed at KS3, but it will give lots of really good advice and you may even pick up a few trade secrets, as it written by examiners!!

http://www.sutton.lincs.sch.uk/pages/playground/zone/story/adventure_story_create.html Think starting a story is the hard bit! Well, this site has a beginning already written for you. All you have to do, is to select the most appropriate word to complete the paragraph. You can then choose to write the rest of the story for your revision this week.

http://www.readingmission.org.uk/ Wow! I loved this site. Click on the author hide-outs and watch some videos of famous authors, giving you tips of where they get their inspiration. A real insight!

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/diary/index.htm more writing hints and tips.

http://myths.e2bn.net/mythsandlegends/ This is a great site! I can’t wait to read some of your stories from this!

Year 5’s

Must: I can move words and phrases around in a sentence to vary the effect on the reader
Should: I can add a clause to a sentence to add detail and interest
Could: I can create more complex sentences considering clauses, connectives and word order.

Year 6

Must: I can add a clause to a sentence to add detail and interest
Should: I can create more complex sentences considering clauses, connectives and word order
Could: I can move the clauses around in the sentence to have an effect on the reader

Numeracy

We will be looking at adding and subtracting numbers, but this time taking it a stage further, by looking at decimals.

By the end of the week, the children:

MUST Understand and use expanded addition and finding the difference (by counting up on a vertical numberline)
I can use expanded addition (up to HTU)
I can find the difference by counting up on a vertical numberline (up to HTU)
I can explain my methods using mathematical vocabulary
I remember to estimate the size of my answer first
I can solve real life problems where I have to first add then subtract or vice versa

SHOULD be able to use and explain compact addition and finding the difference on a vertical numberline
I can use compact addition (up to ThHTU)
I can find the difference by counting up on a vertical numberline (up to HTU)
I remember to estimate the size of my answer first
I can explain how I have used addition when counting on to find the difference
I can solve 2 stage real life problems using addition and subtraction

COULD Develop compact methods of addition and subtraction to solve real life and word problems
I can use the compact method of addition for any set of numbers including decimals
I can find the difference by counting up on a vertical numberline or using the written layout
I remember to estimate the size of my answer first and can use addition to check subtraction I can solve complex real life and word problems using compact addition and finding the difference methods

http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/phase4_20030829/Mathematics/Keystage2/Numbers/Tenthsandhundre/Introduction/default.htm tenths and hundredths . This is an interactive lesson which goes over some of the main points we have covered last term.

http://www.crick.northants.sch.uk/assets/Flash%20Studio/cfsmaths/Washline6/washindex6.html hang out the shirts on the washing line – ordering decimals on a number line

http://www.interactivestuff.org/sums4fun/switch.html keep clicking to order the decimals from smallest to biggest.

http://www.interactivestuff.org/sums4fun/decchall.html guess the decimal on the number line.

http://www.active-maths.co.uk/fractions/whiteboard/dec_index.html decimal number lines

http://www.funbrain.com/cgi-bin/tens.cgi?A1=s&A2=2&INSTRUCTS=1 follow the on screen instructions and click on the correct value

RE

On Wednesday, we will be visited by the Inspectors for our RE Inspection. They will be in school for one day, where they will be observing lessons, talking to staff and children and looking through some of the great work which has been going on in Here I Am.

We begin a new topic this week of Death and New Life. It can be a very sensitive topic, so your child may come home asking a few more questions than usual. We will be talking about loved ones who have left us and how we can remember them. We have some lovely activities planned which include balloons...all will be revealed this week!

Our focus for this week is:

RECOGNISE : loss and death bring about change for people.
REFLECT: on their experience of loss bringing about change in their lives.
RESPECT: Appreciate that even after people have gone they are ‘with us’ in a new way.

By the end of this topic, the children:

MUST be able to talk about experiences of loss and death. They will know that Lent is forty days when all Christians try to live in a new way; and will remember some of the details of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

SHOULD be able to identify experiences of loss and death that lead to a different quality of life. They will be able to describe what people do in Lent and explain how this helps them to ‘die’ in order to live differently. They will be able to use the Scripture stories explored to show how Holy Week and Easter celebrate the death and new life of Jesus.

COULD be able to use the Scripture stories explored to discuss how the death and resurrection of Jesus challenge people.

On Thursday morning, the Year 6 children will be walking up to St.Joseph’s to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the second time. The children will need to wear school uniform for this, and will also need either a hot dinner or a packed lunch that day, as we will be returning for lunch. Please remember that we need you to return the permission slips as soon as possible.

Spanish Visitors

Also on Thursday, we will have a visitor from Malaga with us. She is a headteacher from one of the schools we are linking with in Spain and she is really looking forward to how ‘we do things’ in sunny Penketh!

We will be presenting her with some keepsakes and souvenirs from ‘our school to theirs’ and these will be shared with her pupils when she returns home.
I feel the need to brush up on my Spanish this weekend!! If you would like to be able to say a few words to our visitor too, then have a look at these sites...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryspanish/

http://stepstar.esd101.net/k12/ps/activities.htm

http://www.prescot-school.knowsley.sch.uk/prescot-language/mfl-site/primarySchool/spanishPrimary.htm

http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/languages/Goldilocks/spanish.htm

http://ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/languages/Littlered/index.htm

Told you we had a lot to fit in! Have a good week.
Year 5/6 team