Sycamore Class Newsletters

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I hope you have had a lovely break! Our topic for term 6 is ‘Stay Healthy, Stay Happy’ and we will be using the text ‘The Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom’ by Louis Sachar and the Disney film ‘Inside Out’ to help us explore this topic. We will be looking at physical and emotional health & wellbeing, as well as what we can do to keep the planet healthy.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly. Their books and book bags will need to be in every day.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their reading diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking reading records on Fridays and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult. Adults at school will not write in the books as we have our own records. Don’t forget, children can earn raffle tickets for weekly reading!
Spellings/grammar	Spelling will be tested each week on a Friday.  Grammar will be sent out every other week on a Tuesday.
Times Tables	Please ensure that children are using Maths Rockstars at home to practise their times tables.
Maths	Maths homework will be on My Maths. Please ensure you support your children to complete this.

Helping to Enrich Our Ttopics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Mrs Mackarness and Mrs Hill

Reading at School and at Home

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Dear Parents,

I hope you have had a lovely Easter break! Our topic for term 5 is ‘Codebreakers’ and we will be using the text ‘Stormbreaker’ by Anthony Horowitz The topic will involve lots of exciting code-breaking activities.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly. Their books and book bags will need to be in every day.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their reading diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking reading records on Fridays and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult. Adults at school will not write in the books as we have our own records. Don’t forget, children can earn raffle tickets for weekly reading!
Spellings/grammar	Spelling will be tested each week on a Friday.  Grammar will be sent out every other week on a Tuesday.
Times Tables	Please ensure that children are using Maths Rockstars at home to practise their times tables.
Maths	Maths homework will be on My Maths. Please ensure you support your children to complete this.

Year 6

This term, homework will be in the form of revision based on your own personal learning leading up to SATs, this will be weekly.

Helping to Enrich Our Topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Mrs Mackarness and Mrs Hill

Useful Websites

• www.sheppardsoftware.com/braingames/codebreaking/codebreaking.htm
• www.mathplayground.com/break_the_code.html
• earthsunmoon.pingmooreandbloom.com/
• spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/play/

Questions You Could Ask Your Child About Their Learning This Term

• Who is Alex Rider and what has happened to him so far in the story?
• What do you know about cyphers? How can you use one to reveal a concealed message?
• What landmarks can you identify in London? – Do you know how you could travel to them on the London Underground?
• How is the world mapped and navigated? Do you know what lines of latitude and longitude are?

Learning Map

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Dear Parents,

I hope you had a restful break! This term we will be learning about The Shang Dynasty, with a focus on what is was like to live in during that time and the geographical features of China.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly. Their books and book bags will need to be in every day.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their reading diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking reading records on Fridays and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spellings will be tested each week on a Friday.
Times Tables	Please ensure that children are practising their times tables at home regularly.
Homework	Y5 Maths homework will be set weekly on My Maths. Please ensure you support your children to complete this. If for some reason My Maths is not working, there are always maths homework sheets in the classroom. Y6 homework will be set weekly from the CGP books they have been given. Grammar homework will be set fortnightly.

Helping to Enrich Our Topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any knowledge or items that may help us with any of the work we are doing this term, we would love to see and hear about them.

Parent Readers

We are always looking for extra parent helpers to hear readers, please let me know if you are available, even if it is a one off!

Reminders

Please make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks,

Mrs Mackarness and Mrs Hill

Learning Map

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you had a fantastic Christmas. This term we will be learning about Evolution and Inheritance through our topic of ‘Survival of the Fittest?’, focusing on habitats, famous scientists and animals around the world.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly. Their books and book bags will need to be in every day.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their reading diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking reading records on Fridays and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult. Adults at school will not write in the books as we have our own records. Don’t forget, children can earn raffle tickets for weekly reading!
Spellings/ grammar	Spelling will be tested each week on a Friday- please make sure your child has their spelling folder in school. Grammar is set every Monday and the children will have two weeks to complete this.
Times Tables	Please ensure that children are using Maths Rockstars at home to practise their times tables.
Homework	Maths homework will be on My Maths. Please ensure you support your children to complete this. Year 6 will use their Year 6 focus maths books to complete the relevant page.

Helping to Enrich Our Topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any knowledge or items that may help us with any of the work we are doing this term, we would love to see and hear about them.

Forest School

This term Sycamore will be taking part in Forest School on a Wednesday afternoon. Please make sure your child has their full Forest School kit including extra warm clothes and boots for this time of year.

Reminders

Please make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks,

Mrs Mackarness and Miss Brooks

Learning Map

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you had a fantastic half term! This term we will be continuing our topic of ‘The Victorians’, focusing on homes and Christmastime. Our PE days are Wednesday (indoors) and Friday (outdoors), but please ensure your child’s kit is always in school; as the timetable can sometimes change – trainers and coats everyday are essential.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly. Their books and book bags will need to be in every day.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their reading diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking reading records on Fridays and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult. Adults at school will not write in the books as we have our own records. Don’t forget, children can earn raffle tickets for weekly reading!
Spellings	Spelling will be tested each week on a Friday.
Times Tables	Please ensure that children are using Maths Rockstars at home to practise their times tables.
Maths	Maths homework will be on My Maths. Please ensure you support your children to complete this.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work we are doing this term, we would love to see and hear about them.

Parent Readers

We are always looking for extra parent helpers to hear readers, please let me know if you are available, even if it’s a one off!

Reminders

Please make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks and we hope you have a great term!

Mrs Mackarness and Miss Brookes

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• What books has Lewis Carroll written? Have you read any of them?
• What countries were in the British Empire?
• How are your Christmases similar to a Victorian Christmases?

Learning Map

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Dear Parents,

We hope you have had a lovely summer holiday! Our topic for term 1 is ‘The Victorians’ and we will be using the text: Street Child by Berlie Doherty. Our topic work this term will include learning about Queen Victoria, school life, home life, and workhouses.

Homework

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult. If they have, your child will receive a raffle ticket. One will be drawn out of a box each week and the winner will get a book as the prize!
Spellings	Due in on a Friday, new ones sent out on a Friday. (Please look out for a homework letter to explain this in more detail.)
Maths	Task set on a Friday, to be completed for the following Friday.
Grammar	Task set on a Monday and due in 2 weeks later on a Monday.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any knowledge, or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a named water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Project Based Home Learning (optional)

This term we would like you to choose a task from the following:

• Research a famous Victorian
• Create a powerpoint about school life
• Research an area of your interest in the Victorian era and present it in your own creative way!

We will be sharing these during the first week of term 2, we can’t wait to see how creative you are!

Many thanks for your continued support,

Mrs Mackarness and Miss Brooks

Reading at School and at Home

Useful Websites

• www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/victorian_britain/victorian_schools
• www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/victorians/children/schools.htm
• www.victorianschool.co.uk/schoolday.html
• victorianchildren.org/victorian-schools
• historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/education/teaching-activities/what-was-life-like-for-victorian-school-children

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• Who was Queen Victoria?
• Who was Prince Albert?
• What was it like to be a Victorian child?
• How has the Victorian era impacted on our lives?
• How were the poor treated in Victorian times?

Learning Map

 

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you had a lovely May holiday break. This term our topic is ‘The Vikings!’ We will find out all about a timeline of their lives, how they lived and the life-style they had. We will be exploring different ways of writing and doing investigations in mathematics. There are so many exciting things happening in Term 6. The special events include: Residential to Blacklands Farm, Safety in Action afternoon, Leaver’s Service and rehearsing for the School Production and Sports Day! We are all looking forward to it!

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult. This will be recorded and for children who read 3 times a week, they will receive a raffle ticket. Then a raffle ticket will be drawn from a hat. The winner will get a book as a prize!
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings. Year 5 will select in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be set on a Friday and will be expected to have been completed by the following Thursday. Maths homework will be set on ‘Mathletics’ and the children have their logins stuck in their Reading Record book. This homework should be completed independently and will be a follow-up of the work they have been completing in class. The homework should take around 30 minutes to complete.
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons. This should take around 40 minutes and should be completed as independently as possible. To help with our in-class assessments, please indicate when you have helped your child.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled, Please can they also bring in sun hats and sun cream.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Useful Websites

• www.bbc.com/education/topics/ztyr9j6
• primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/vikings.html
• www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/secondary_getting_ready

Vikings Learning Map

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Dear Parents,

I hope you had a lovely Easter break. This term our topic is ‘Parliament and Power!’ We will explore British Parliament then explore American Politics as well. In Literacy, we will be focusing on improving our grammar skills, creating newspaper reports and writing manifestos. We will explore the book ‘Skellig’ through reading activities. The SATs will be in Week 5. The class will continue to be split into year groups for maths (and some literacy sessions) to ensure the Year 6s cover their curriculum and the Year 5s continue with theirs.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings. Year 5 will select in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Year 6 will be given spelling patterns to learn each week. Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be set on a Friday and will be expected to have been completed by the following Thursday. Maths homework will be set on ‘Mathletics’ and the children have their logins stuck in their Reading Record book. This homework should be completed independently and will be a follow-up of the work they have been completing in class. The homework should take around 30 minutes to complete. Your child can come to ‘Homework club’ either on a Wednesday lunctimes
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons. This should take around 40 minutes and should be completed as independently as possible. To help with our in-class assessments, please indicate when you have helped your child.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Useful Websites

• davidalmond.com/skellig
• www.parliament.uk/education/teaching-resources-lesson-plans/introduction-to-parliament-ks2-video
• www.bbc.com/education/guides/zbtg87h/revision/2
• www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/materials/
• www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/living_things/keeping_healthy/read/1

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• How is a law made?
• Which party is in power in the government at the moment?
• Who is in charge of the opposition?
• Where do debates about new laws happen?
• What has happened so far in Skellig?
• What are the food groups you need to stay healthy?
• What have you learnt so far about the Islamic faith?

Learning Map

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you had a lovely half-term break. This term our topic is ‘Survival!’ and we will be using Bear Grylls’ novels as our texts. In Literacy, we will be focusing on non-fiction writing by learning about different survivalists and challenging environments. We will also be having Forest School so please ensure that your child has their kit in every Wednesday. We are hoping to do a whole day of Forest school and a letter will be sent out about this shortly. As we are drawing closer to SATs, the class will be split into year groups for maths (and some Literacy sessions) to ensure the Year 6s cover their curriculum and the Year 5s continue with theirs.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page. Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings they selected in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be set on a Friday and will be expected to have been completed by the following Thursday. Maths homework will be set on ‘Mathletics’ and the children have their logins stuck in their Reading Record book. This homework should be completed independently and will be a follow-up of the work they have been completing in class. The homework should take around 30 minutes to complete. Your child can come to ‘Homework club’ either on a Thursday lunchtime (in Willow classroom) or on a Friday lunchtime (in Sycamore classroom).
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons. This should take around 40 minutes and should be completed as independently as possible. To help with our in-class assessments, please indicate when you have helped your child.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Useful Websites

• www.beargrylls.com
• www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/games/deadly-defenders-game
• www.stevebackshall.com
• www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths
• www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/english/spelling_grammar
• www.conservation.org

Home learning tasks

• Write a ‘How to survive the…’ guide for an environment of your choice
• Cook some food on an outdoor fire
• Build a shelter out of natural materials

Learning Map

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you had a great Christmas holidays! This term, we are beginning a new topic called ‘The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore.’ We will focus on different books throughout the term including ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’, ‘Oliver Twist’, ‘Wonder’ and reading ‘Holes’ during our guided reading sessions. In maths, we will be working on Fractions, Decimals and Percentages all term. This is an area of mathematics that a lot of children find tricky so any extra support you could give them at home for this would really help improve their learning.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings they selected in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be set on a Friday and will be expected to have been completed by the following Thursday. Maths homework will be set on ‘Mathletics’ and the children have their logins stuck in their Reading Record book. This homework should be completed independently and will be a follow-up of the work they have been completing in class. The homework should take around 30 minutes to complete. Your child can come to ‘Homework club’ either on a Thursday lunchtime (in Willow classroom) or on a Friday lunchtime (in Sycamore classroom).
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons. This should take around 40 minutes and should be completed as independently as possible. To help with our in-class assessments, please indicate when you have helped your child.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Useful Websites

• www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad3CMri3hOs
• www.bbc.co.uk/education/topics/zgv39j6/resources/1
• www.bbc.co.uk/education/topics/zj44jxs

 Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• What is your favourite book and why?
• What should you include in a newspaper report?
• Who would you write a letter to?
• How can you find 5% of a number?
• What happens in the ‘The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore’?
• What is an equivalent fraction?

 Home learning tasks

• Create a new cover for your favourite book
• Research about a European city of your choice
• Write your own story set in a different world

Learning Map

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you had a lovely half term break! This term, we are continuing with our topic on World War 2 as there is so much to cover! We will focus more on the Home Front and what it was like to serve during this time. We will be reading ‘Carrie’s War’ and using ‘Rose Blanche’ to help us with our writing. In maths, we are working on measure, angles and shape. As a result of their assessments, I noticed that quite a few children find telling the time (in analogue and digital 24-hour) quite difficult. It would be really appreciated if you could work on this regularly at home as the year 5 and 6 maths curriculum does not include telling the time and quickly moves onto finding intervals and using different measures of time.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings they selected in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be set on a Friday and will be expected to have been completed by the following Thursday. Maths homework will be set on ‘Mathletics’ and the children have their logins stuck in their Reading Record book. This homework should be completed independently and will be a follow-up of the work they have been completing in class. The homework should take around 30 minutes to complete. Your child can come to ‘Homework club’ either on a Thursday lunchtime (in Willow classroom) or on a Friday lunchtime (in Sycamore classroom).
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons. This should take around 40 minutes and should be completed as independently as possible. To help with our in-class assessments, please indicate when you have helped your child.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Useful Websites

• www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/world_war2
• www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war
• resources.woodlands.kent.sch.uk/Homework/Britain.html
• Purple Mash – Topics – History – choose from a selection of activities based on WW2

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• What is the home front?
• What jobs did women do in WW2?
• What has happened so far in ‘Carrie’s War’?
• What does VE Day celebrate?
• How did the USA get involved in the war?
• What happened at Pearl Harbour?

World War 2 Learning Map

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you have had a lovely summer holiday! Our topic for term 1 is ‘World War 2’ and we will be using the text ‘My Secret War Diary’ by Marcia Williams. Our topic work this term will be based on how the second world war started and the use of propaganda to encourage people to join the war effort. We will also be looking at the story of Anne Frank to help us understand how the Jews were treated during this time.

Our PE days are Thursday and Friday, please ensure your child’s kit is always in school; trainers everyday are essential.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings they selected in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be set on a Friday and will be expected to have been completed by the following Friday. Maths homework will be set on ‘Mathletics’ and the children have their logins stuck in their Reading Record book. This homework should be completed independently and will be a follow-up of the work they have been completing in class. The homework should take around 30 minutes to complete.
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons. This should take around 40 minutes and should be completed as independently as possible. To help with our in-class assessments, please indicate when you have helped your child.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Useful Websites

• www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/world_war2
• www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war
• resources.woodlands.kent.sch.uk/Homework/Britain.html
• Purple Mash – Topics – History – choose from a selection of activities based on WW2

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• Who was Adolf Hitler?
• Why did WW2 begin?
• What does ‘Propaganda’ mean?
• Which festivals do Jews celebrate?
• Can you explain the difference between Morrison and Anderson shelters?
• What has happened so far in ‘My Secret War Diary’?
• Who are the main characters in the story? How do you feel about them?
• Can you predict what might happen next in the story?

World War 2 Learning Map

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Dear Parents,

I hope you have had a lovely half-term holiday! Our topic for term 6 is ‘Inside Out!’ and we will be using the text ‘There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom’ by Louis Sachar. Our science focus this term will be on ‘Life cycles’ and different environments. During this term, we will also be having our SRE (Sex and Relationships Education) sessions and a letter containing more information about this will follow soon. We are really looking forward to this year’s summer production which, this year, is ‘Alice – The Musical’. If you have any props you think may be helpful for the staging of this event, please let us know.  It would also be greatly appreciated if you could help your child learn their lines for the play as soon as possible so we can move onto script-free rehearsals in the second week. Our PE days are Thursday and Friday, please ensure your kit is always in school; as the weather gets better, we will be spending more time outdoors – trainers everyday are essential.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings they selected in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be sent home on a Friday and completed for the following Friday. The homework set will either be based on their learning in class or mental maths questions.
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Learning Map

Useful Websites

• www.bbc.co.uk/education/topics/zcyycdm
• wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/deforestation/importance_forests/tropical_rainforest
• www.bbc.co.uk/education/topics/z4vv4wx

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• What are the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle?
• Who is Jane Goodall and what is she famous for?
• What happens to the body as humans get older?
• What can we do to protect endangered environments?
• What strategies have you learnt to help you understand your emotions?
• How can you keep yourself safe on Social Media?
• Are you aware of the legal age limit for using different websites?

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you have had a lovely Easter break! Our topic for term 5 is ‘Codebreakers’  and we will be using the text ‘Stormbreaker’ by Anthony Horowitz We will also be doing a city study on London as this is where our text is set. In our guided reading, we will be reading Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and answering some questions on a range of fiction and poetry texts. In maths, we will be preparing for SATS by revising key concepts for the first couple of weeks and then we will move on to some exciting codebreaking activities.

In week 5, we are planning a ‘Spy Day’ at Chiddingly School. A letter including further details will be sent out soon.

Our PE days are Thursday and Friday, please ensure your kit is always in school; as the weather gets better, we will be spending more time outdoors – trainers are essential.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings they selected in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be sent home on a Friday and completed for the following Friday. The homework set will either be based on their learning in class or mental maths questions.
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for any wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Learning Map

Useful Websites

• www.sheppardsoftware.com/braingames/codebreaking/codebreaking.htm
• www.mathplayground.com/break_the_code.html
• earthsunmoon.pingmooreandbloom.com
• spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/play

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• Who is Alex Rider and what has happened to him so far in the story?
• What do you know about cyphers? How can you use one to reveal a concealed message?
• What landmarks can you identify in London? – Do you know how you could travel to them on the London Underground?
• How is the world mapped and navigated? Do you know what lines of latitude and longitude are?

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you have had a lovely half term break! Our topic for term 4 is ‘Evolution and Inheritance’ and we will also be continuing our work on classification and adaptation. We will be doing some research on Charles Darwin and Mary Anning to help us understand some of the science behind evolution. In our guided reading, we will be doing some work on non-fiction texts and understanding how these are structured to create our own in our Literacy lessons. In maths, we will be refreshing our memories on some of the areas we focused on in Term 1, and doing some work with statistics and formulas.

On Thursday 30^th March, we are off to the Natural History Museum in London. A letter including further details will be sent out in a couple of weeks. Thank you to those who have returned the slips and paid.

Please could I remind you that permission slips and payment need to be in by Friday 10^th March.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings they selected in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be sent home on a Friday and completed for the following Friday. The homework set will either be based on their learning in class or mental maths questions.
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Forest School

Please can you make sure your child has their Forest School kit in school every week. The woods are still fairly muddy so they will need wellies, a change of clothes and some extra layers as it can still feel quite cold. This will need to be in school for every Wednesday.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for the wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Useful Websites

• https://scienceforthekids.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/what-is-evolution/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/topics/z3pp34j/resources/1
• http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/scientists/charlesdarwin.html

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• Who was Charles Darwin?
• Who was Mary Anning?
• What does ‘adaptation’ mean?
• What have you inherited from your parents?
• What are the features of a non-fiction text?

Learning Map

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you have had a lovely Christmas holiday! Our topic for term 3 is ‘The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China’ and the geography of China. We will be reading a variety of Chinese folktales and reading ‘The Firework Maker’s Daughter’ by Phillip Pullman during our guided reading sessions. We will also be learning about dragons and doing some creative writing based around them!

On Friday 27^th January, we will be celebrating Chinese New Year! We will spend the day creating crafts and learning about how this is celebrated around the world. As this is a new topic, if you have anything you think might be useful for this topic (or Chinese New Year celebrations), it would be greatly appreciated!

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings they selected in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be sent home on a Friday and completed for the following Friday. The homework set will either be based on their learning in class or mental maths questions.
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for the wet weather.

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China’ Learning Map

 

Useful Websites

• http://www.theschoolrun.com/homework-help/shang-dynasty
• http://www.ducksters.com/history/china/shang_dynasty.php
• http://www.historyforkids.net/dynasties-of-ancient-china.html

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• What dates did the Shang Dynasty span from?
• Who were influential people during the Shang Dynasty?
• How is Chinese New Year celebrated?
• Which animal is the year 2017 going to be?
• Which year were you born in? Which animal is this?
• Do you know any characteristics of the animal whose year you were born in?

Possible home learning tasks

• Make a presentation of the similarities and differences between modern day China and China during the Shang Dynasty? (Think about how people live, government, religion, dress, food etc.)
• Make a model of a Chinese dragon.
• Find out about why dragons are an important part of Chinese history and culture.

Click here for a printable version of this newsletter

Dear Parents,

I hope you have had a lovely half-term break! This term, our topic is The Victorians and we will be using ‘The Street Child’ by Berlie Doherty to help us learn more about how the Victorians lived and the history of Barnardo’s charity. We will also be studying what our local area was like during the Victorian times and writing imaginative biographies about people who lived in those times.

On Thursday 10^th November, we will be having a Victorian day in school when the children should come to school in Victorian costumes and will experience what school would have been like in Victorian times. A letter with more information about this day is attached to this newsletter, including how to easily create a child’s costume at home.

Reading	Please read with your child regularly, even if it is just one page.  Their books and book bags will need to be in everyday for 1:1 reading.  You may like to add a positive or helpful comment in their homework diary, but please acknowledge the fact that the book has been read by signing and dating in the comments space. A member of staff will be checking homework diaries on a Friday and children are expected to have read at least 3 times a week with an adult.
Spellings	Spelling tests are every Thursday and your child will be tested on the ten spellings they selected in the previous week (from either the Year 3&4 or 5&6 curriculum spelling lists). There are a range of activities in their spelling folders to give them ideas on how to learn these. Their spelling tests results will be recorded in the back of their spelling books for them to share with you.
Maths	Maths homework will be sent home on a Friday and completed for the following Friday. The homework set will either be based on their learning in class or mental maths questions.
Grammar	Grammar homework will be sent home on a Friday and your child will have 2 weeks to complete this. The homework will be based on the grammar they will be learning within their literacy lessons.

Helping to enrich our topics

It is always great to have items or visitors that support our topic, so if anyone has any experience or items that may help us with any of the work above that we could hear about or borrow, we would love to see and hear about them.

Reminders

Please can you make sure your child brings in a water bottle each day with fresh water; ensure all jumpers are labelled and bring a coat for the wet weather.

Home learning – The Great Victorian Bake-off

Have a go at some Victorian baking! Below is a link to a website with ideas of different cakes or breads the Victorians used to enjoy. Bake these at home and write the recipe out to share with your friends, then bring these in to share with your friends (and teachers…)!

• www.recipespastandpresent.org.uk/victoriancooking/index.php

Useful Websites

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/victorian_britain/
• http://projectbritain.com/history/victorianbritain.html
• http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/victorians.html
• http://www.dkfindout.com/uk/history/victorian-britain/

Questions you could ask your child about their learning this term

• What were the differences between school life then and now?
• Who was the Queen during this period?
• What was our local area like during this time?
• What was invented during Victorian times?
• Who was Charles Dickens and what is he famous for?

Many thanks for your continued support,

Miss Hare

Reading at School and at Home

Victorians Learning Map