Summer Newsletter
April 2008
Assessments
The first six weeks of this term we will be revising for the SAT tests.
Year 6 tests are the week beginning 12th May. The children will be bringing home a timetable for that week.
Year 5 will also have their QCA tests during the same week. A useful website for the children to access, with your permission, at home is
BBC revisewise and choose maths, science or English. They should continue to use sam learning if they can successfully log on at home.
Year 6 children will have the opportunity to use the internet for revision, at lunch time on Tuesdays and Thursdays this half term.
English
The children will be following the New Literacy Framework revision unit. We are covering poetry, narrative and non narrative units. Once SATs are over we will be looking at some performance and narrative poetry as well as some transition units to yr 7 and yr 6 respectively.
We are having a drama workshop from the Helen O’Grady school of Dance on Friday 18th April and on Wednesday 23rd April we are going to the Hippodrome to watch “The Chronicles of Narnia” as part of the film festival week in Todmorden.
Mathematics
The children will be following the National Numeracy Strategy covering units on all aspects of maths. During the second half of the summer term year 6 will be working on some transition units on function machines and decimals, fractions and percentages. Year 5 will cover units from the new numeracy framework.
Science
This term the children will be covering units of work on: forces, electricity, light and sound. They will also cover sex and relationships and healthy lifestyles and the effects of drugs in both science and PSHE.
Religious Education
The children follow Salford RE vision 2000 scheme of work. This term we explore: the accounts of the resurrection, and the ascension; the action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of early Christians; learn about the special gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit; and recall the main influences on their own life journeys. After half term we explore the different images of the Church; the ministries in church; and prepare a celebration mass for year 6.
A “Crossroads programme”, involving some pupils from Blessed Trinity, will take place for year 6 as part of the transition process during the second half of the term.
We will have class and key stage liturgies as well as class and whole school masses to which all parents and parishioners are welcome.
ICT
This term we are exploring control and monitoring.
Geography
This term we are investigating “Coasts” studying the features of coastlines and tourism.
History
Our topic in this term is “Aztecs”.
Art
Our topic this term is “Rural and Urban scenery” and the children will be representing these scenes through 2D and 3D media.
We will also include art in cross-curricular topics.
Design & Technology
In the second half of the term we will be exploring “electrical control”, linking it to our ICT unit and science, to make moving, electrical models.
Music
Mrs Cooper will be taking the children for hymn practice and class music lessons.
Physical Education
This term we will be covering units on orienteering, athletics, hockey and football. Lessons are timetabled for Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, therefore P.E. kits need to be in school on these days, kept in a pump bag in school for the half-term. Trainers or pumps will be needed for outdoor games all through the summer term.
There will be an annual sports day towards the end of the summer term.
PSHE & Citizenship
In the SEAL programme of study for PSHE we are covering “Changes” and “relationships” which link into the science unit too.
The school nurse will be visiting this term to give talks on: health and hygiene in adolescence; and personal issues relating to physical changes to our bodies and sexual relationships.
Seat belt training will tale place through an assembly.
The “cycling proficiency programme” will take place in June for those in year 6 who wish to take part.
In citizenship we will be looking at “Local democracy for young children”. We are hoping to include a visit to the town hall when the new Mayor is elected next month.
Trips
- Year 6 are having an after SAT test treat- a trip to AMF bowling in Burnley.
- Visit to the town hall
- Walk in the country for our art topic
Homework
Each week your child will have a list of spellings and spelling rules to learn for a test the following Friday. Please also encourage their reading at home as much as possible. Homework for year 6 will be less intensive than in previous weeks once the SAT tests are completed.
January 2008
Dear Parent/Carer,
This is what we are covering in the subject areas throughout the spring term in class 4.
Religious Education
The children follow Salford RE vision 2000 scheme of work. This term we explore: vocations and forgiveness. We will also keep the Lenten observances and take part in whole school and class masses and liturgies.
English
The children will be following the National Literacy Strategy and this term we are: reading texts from a range of genre from different cultures; reading choral and performance poetry as well as humorous and narrative poems; composing poems to enter into several competitions; writing non chronological reports; writing persuasive leaflets and letters; writing balanced reports and revising for the SAT tests.
We are having a visit from an illustrator and a poet this half term with workshops for the children.
Mathematics
The children will be following the National Numeracy Strategy covering units on all aspects of maths. Target sheets for year groups and individual targets will be sent home later this half term.
Science
This term the children will be covering units of work on: reversible and irreversible changes, light, forces and electricity. We are having a visitor this half term from Bradford University, who will be showing us how to access a telescope on line to view beyond our planet.
Throughout the units the children will use scientific investigation in order to explore these areas of science for themselves.
PSHE & Citizenship
These subjects are cross curricular but we will also have a weekly circle time to discuss relationships, raise awareness and self esteem. This term in our SEAL programme we are “Going for Goals”. This involves the children setting personal goals, exploring the importance of taking responsibility for their own learning and behaviour and encouraging them to think of their dreams and aspirations for the future and how these might be achieved.
The School Council is on going and will meet once per term. Our elected class representatives are: Brittany, Jake, Lydia and Liam.
Physical Education
This term we will have some cricket lessons from a qualified coach and continue our dance programme. Some children will be continuing with a weekly swimming lesson on Monday afternoon whilst the rest of the class have circuit training. The children will need to have a pair of trainers and track suit bottoms in school on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as their PE kit.
ICT
This term we will be covering the topics on spreadsheets, evaluating information and monitoring the environment as well as using sound and film making IT skills, in other areas of the curriculum.
Geography
This term we will cover the topic on “Rivers.”
History
Our topic in the second half of the term will be Aztecs.
Art
Our topic this half term is “What a Performance!” Children will be designing their own piece of headwear for a particular character.
Design & Technology
A specialist D&T teacher from Blessed Trinity will be visiting each week this term to help in our “design a fair ground” topic. Children will be investigating how mechanisms work and doing some graphics work.
Music
The children have a weekly singing session and violin lessons.
Extra curricular activities
This term we have football, netball and basket ball, Chess, golf, recorders, cricket and Parish Pals.
Homework
Our homework booklets have been useful to me and I hope you feel the same. The children will still need to learn times tables and spellings on a weekly basis. Spelling tests will continue to be on Fridays.
Please monitor their reading at home and encourage it as much as possible.
Maths and English is given on a weekly basis and occasionally some science, particularly for year 6 leading up to the SAT tests.
If your child is in year 6, and has access to the internet at home, please encourage them to use the BBC revise wise programmes for English, Science and Maths to compliment their learning for the SAT tests in May and to access SAM learning on line. If you encounter any difficulties with SAM learning please let me know as soon as possible.
Reminder
SATs week for year 6 children is 12th May -16th May 2008.