Hello everyone!

What a busy week it has been! After several shorter weeks, it has been lovely to have our first full week back in school for a while, although it has absolutely flown by! It’s hard to believe that we are already approaching Week 9 and that our next school break is just around the corner.

A big thank you to everyone for completing the permission forms and sending in the payments for our upcoming trip to Gyeongju Gyocheon Village on October 22nd. Everything is now organised, and we are all looking forward to a wonderful day together!

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths 

Y5

Y6

Year 5 will have their End of Unit Assessment for Multiplication and Division on Tuesday, October 20th. As we have covered several different steps throughout this unit, it may be helpful for students to spend a little time over the weekend reviewing any areas they feel less confident in. Looking back through the lesson slides and practising a few questions at home could help them feel more prepared and confident for Tuesday’s assessment.

Literacy

This week in Literacy, we have been busy preparing for the exciting final writing task of our Queen of the Falls unit! Our focus has been on direct speech and reported speech, two important techniques used by journalists to bring their stories to life. The students explored how reporters use quotations and interviews to share different perspectives, before practising how to accurately change direct speech into reported speech. We also discussed how these techniques can help make newspaper articles more engaging, informative and realistic.

All of this learning is building towards our final writing challenge next week, when the students will step into the shoes of journalists reporting on Annie Edson Taylor’s extraordinary journey over Niagara Falls! They will draw upon the vocabulary, grammar and descriptive writing skills developed throughout the unit to create their own newspaper reports, capturing the excitement, tension and amazement surrounding Annie’s incredible achievement.

Meanwhile, in Guided Reading, we have embarked on a new literary adventure with Beowulf, one of the oldest surviving stories in English literature. The students have begun familiarising themselves with this legendary tale of bravery, heroes and fearsome monsters, laying the foundations for our next Literacy unit after the week break. We are looking forward to exploring the story further and discovering the fascinating world of Anglo-Saxon storytelling!

IPC

It has been another exciting week in IPC as our young forensic investigators have been busy putting their scientific skills to the test! With more clues to uncover in our mysterious missing mascot case, the students have been working hard to examine evidence, test their theories and get one step closer to identifying our suspect!

We began the week by exploring the fascinating science of chromatography! The students discovered that black ink is not always as black as it seems and that some pens actually contain a surprising mixture of different colours. Using chromatography, they examined the ink from our mysterious ransom note before taking on the challenge of identifying which of five black pens could have been used to write it. This involved carefully planning a fair test, making predictions and observing the colourful patterns that appeared as the inks separated. There was plenty of excitement as the hidden colours began to emerge, and our investigators eagerly compared their results to see if they had found a match!

Our detective work did not stop there! We also returned to another important piece of evidence from our crime scene: the mysterious cup of tea! Building on our previous learning about acids, alkalis and the pH scale, the students investigated whether adding different substances to tea would change its pH. They tested a variety of tea samples and compared their results with the original evidence provided by the police. Could the pH of the tea help us work out exactly what our suspect had been drinking? Our investigators certainly enjoyed putting their scientific knowledge to work as they searched for another valuable clue!

To finish the week, the students had the opportunity to explore chromatography further through a creative investigation of their own. They experimented with different types of pens and inks, discovering why some spread and separate in water while others remain unchanged. They then used their observations and scientific understanding to create informative posters explaining their discoveries.

It has been wonderful to see the students becoming increasingly confident in their roles as forensic scientists. From making predictions and carrying out fair tests to analysing results and drawing conclusions, they are learning that every tiny piece of evidence could be the clue that cracks the case!

Important Information

Class Trip – Thursday, October 22nd

We are all looking forward to our trip to Gyeongju Gyocheon Village on Thursday! Please make sure your child comes to school wearing their UHIS polo shirt or PE top and brings a packed lunch, a snack and a water bottle. Students are welcome to bring a little spending money if they would like to buy something from the convenience store during our visit, but this is completely optional and is not necessary for the trip.

Halloween Party – Friday, October 23rd

Our Halloween celebrations will take place on Friday! Please take a look at the school’s weekly newsletter for more information about the exciting activities planned for the afternoon. Dressing up is completely optional, but for those who would like to join in, there will be a prize for the best costume in each class, as well as an overall prize for the best costume in the whole school! We can’t wait to see everyone’s creativity!

Have a lovely weekend! ☺️

Hello everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely, restful three day weekend and had the chance to relax and recharge!

Thank you to everyone who has already paid for our upcoming trip to Gyeongju Gyocheon Village on October 22nd. For those who haven’t had a chance to bring in the money yet, there is no rush! Any time before the day of the trip is absolutely fine.

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths 

Y5

Y6

Year 6 will have a revision day on Monday 12th October, followed by their end of unit assessment on Tuesday 13th October. This has been a particularly big unit, with lots of different skills and methods to learn, so it may be helpful for students to spend a little time at home revisiting the lesson slides. I would especially encourage them to focus on any areas they have found more challenging, as this will help build their confidence and ensure they feel well prepared for the assessment.

Literacy

This week, the students continued their journey through Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg, turning their attention to the exciting world of newspaper reporting. Having explored Annie Edson Taylor’s extraordinary story, we began looking at how journalists can use language to make their reports both informative and engaging.

Our main grammar focus was fronted adverbials, which help writers provide information about when, where or how something happened. The students explored different examples, practised adding fronted adverbials to sentences and discussed how carefully chosen vocabulary can transform a simple sentence into something much more interesting for the reader.

The students then stepped into the shoes of newspaper reporters in 1901, imagining they had been sent to Niagara Falls to cover Annie’s arrival and her astonishing announcement. They considered what a reporter might see, hear and experience before writing their own detailed sentences describing the events. Their challenge was to use a variety of fronted adverbials while maintaining the informative and engaging style of a newspaper report.

Next week, the students will put these skills into practice as they begin planning and writing their own newspaper reports, bringing Annie’s remarkable adventure to life through the eyes of a journalist!

IPC

This week, our young forensic investigators continued their scientific training by exploring acids, alkalis and the pH scale. Their latest challenge came from the police laboratory, where they were asked to develop their skills in pH testing to help them analyse mysterious liquid evidence from a crime scene.

The students began by making predictions about six everyday substances: lemon juice, vinegar, milk, baking soda solution, water and washing-up liquid. They then used pH paper to test each substance, carefully observing colour changes and comparing their results with a pH chart to determine whether each substance was acidic, neutral or alkaline. Throughout the investigation, they focused on working systematically, following a consistent method and recording their observations accurately.

Following their practical investigation, the students explored the science behind their results, learning how the pH scale works and why different substances have different pH values. They also discussed unexpected results and discovered that scientific investigations do not always produce the results we predict!

To consolidate their learning, the students began creating their own colourful pH scale posters. The students were then given the freedom to design their own pH scale posters, allowing them to express their creativity and present their learning in their own unique ways. They researched the pH values of familiar substances, created illustrations and placed them at the appropriate points on their scales, combining their scientific understanding with their artistic skills. This allowed them to apply their new scientific knowledge while developing their research and presentation skills.

Have a lovely weekend! ☺️

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone had a lovely Chuseok! Thank you to everyone who has signed the permission form for our trip to Gyeongju Gyocheon Village on October 22nd so far.

If you haven’t had a chance to complete the form yet, please do so by October 9th, as we need to confirm numbers for the pottery experience. Thank you! 😊

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths 

Y5

Y6

Literacy

This week in Literacy, we reached the exciting conclusion of Queen of the Falls and turned our attention to the difficult decision facing Annie Edson Taylor. After finishing the story, the students reflected on Annie’s extraordinary determination, courage and ambition, considering what might drive someone to attempt such a dangerous feat.

Putting themselves in the shoes of Annie’s closest friends, the students explored the different emotions they might experience knowing that someone they cared about was preparing to risk their life. We considered both sides of the argument, discussing why a friend might encourage Annie to follow her dreams while also exploring the very real concerns they might have about her safety.

Building on these discussions, the students were given an important decision of their own: would they write a letter supporting Annie’s daring adventure or attempt to persuade her to abandon her plans? Once they had chosen their position, they began carefully planning their letters, developing convincing arguments and considering how to communicate their thoughts and feelings effectively. We also explored the importance of balancing persuasive language with a warm, personal tone, remembering that they were writing as someone who genuinely cared about Annie.

These activities have provided an excellent opportunity for the students to develop their critical thinking, consider different perspectives and strengthen their persuasive writing skills as they prepare to write their letters.

IPC

This week, we made an exciting start to our new IPC unit, Investigators! The students stepped into the role of forensic investigators when our classroom was transformed into a crime scene following the mysterious disappearance of Ddalgi Joe, our class mascot. They carefully examined and recorded evidence including his hat, a cup of warm tea with a temperature reading, a handwritten note, a puzzle piece, a die and a keyring. We also explored what the students already knew about investigation and introduced key vocabulary such as hypothesis, observation, fair test and insulation.

The students also considered the different qualities and skills needed to be a successful investigator, thinking about their own strengths and the areas they would like to develop as they become our Forensic Investigators in Training!

For their first investigation, our investigators were given an important problem to solve: all of the school freezers have broken, but we still need to keep our ice packs frozen for as long as possible to treat injuries! Using their investigative skills, the students set out to discover which of the following materials would be the most effective insulator and keep the ice frozen for the longest: felt, bubble wrap, cotton wool, aluminium foil or tissue paper.

They developed hypotheses and predictions, considered how to make the investigation a fair test and carefully weighed their ice before and after the experiment. Our results showed that felt was the most effective insulator, as it protected the ice from melting more effectively than the other materials.

It has already been a fantastic start to Investigators, full of mystery, careful observation, scientific thinking and problem solving!

Useful Information

Our Term 1 school trip to Gyeongju Gyocheon Village will take place on October 22nd. Please take a moment to read the information and complete the attached Google Form by October 9th. 

Link to Google Form

Have a lovely weekend! ☺️

Hello everyone!

What a short week it’s been! Despite the shorter week, the students have worked hard and made the most of our time in the classroom. I hope everyone has a wonderful and restful Chuseok break, and I look forward to seeing the students again next week! 

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths 

Y5

Year 5 will have an end of unit assessment on Thursday October 1st. 

Y6

Literacy

This week in Literacy, we continued practising the passive voice and subordinate clauses before bringing these grammar skills together in our writing. The students imagined they were Annie Edson Taylor inside the barrel in the tense moments leading up to her journey over Niagara Falls. Writing from Annie’s perspective, they described what she could hear around her and how she might have been feeling, using subordinate clauses and the passive voice to add detail and variety to their writing. 

IPC

This week, we completed our IPC unit with our Exit Point. The students worked in small groups to create an informative poster bringing together everything they have learned about the human body throughout the unit. Before starting, they revisited the Knowledge Harvest task from the beginning of the unit, which gave them a great opportunity to see just how much their knowledge and understanding have grown. No technology was used for the Exit Point; instead, the students relied on their IPC books, previous learning and classroom display materials to help them. They worked really well together and produced some fantastic posters that demonstrated just how much they have learned! 

Useful Information

I have sent an email today with information about our Term 1 school trip to Gyeongju Gyochon Village on October 22nd. Please take a moment to read the information and complete the attached Google Form by October 9th. 

Link to Google Form

Have a lovely weekend! ☺️

Hello everyone!

Week 4 has come to a close, and the weather still seems to be making up its mind! Are we still in Summer? Is Autumn/Fall just around the corner? Hopefully, the cooler days will arrive soon and we’ll start to see the leaves changing. 

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths 

Y5

Y6

Literacy

This week in Literacy, we continued our work on Queen of the Falls while focusing on some important grammar skills. We explored subordinate clauses and how they can be used to add extra information to a sentence. For example, the students took a simple sentence such as “Annie came up with a daring plan” and developed it into sentences such as “Because Annie needed money, she came up with a daring plan.” They then practised creating their own sentences about Annie using a range of subordinate clauses.

We also explored the difference between active and passive voice and how we can change the focus of a sentence. For example, “Annie designed the barrel” can become “The barrel was designed by Annie.” The students practised spotting who or what was carrying out an action before changing active sentences into passive ones.

Alongside our grammar work, we continued reading Queen of the Falls and discovered more about Annie’s story and her preparations for her incredible stunt. This will give the students plenty of ideas and information to draw upon as we continue with our writing next week.

IPC

This week in IPC, we continued exploring how the different parts of our bodies work together to keep us healthy. We began by following the journey of food through the digestive system, from the mouth and stomach to the intestines, and discovered how nutrients from our food eventually enter the bloodstream and are transported around the body.

We then took a closer look at some of the nutrients our bodies need, including carbohydrates, protein, iron, calcium, fibre, fats and water. The students explored what each nutrient does, which parts of the body need it, where we can find it and what can happen if we do not get enough. They used their research to create informative posters and become our class “nutrient experts”.

Later in the week, we ventured into the fascinating world of genetic engineering! We learnt that scientists can deliberately change the genes of living things and explored a range of possible uses. The students considered both sides of each example, discussing who or what might benefit as well as the possible risks or problems.

Finally, we investigated what happens inside our bodies when we catch a cold. We discovered how viruses enter the body and how our immune system fights back, including the important role played by white blood cells and antibodies. We also found out that some of the things that make us feel miserable when we are ill, such as a runny nose, fever and swollen glands, are actually connected to our body’s response to infection.

Useful Information

Next week will be a short one as we will only be in school for three days before the Chuseok holiday on Thursday and Friday. Please note that the Week 4 homework sent home this week does not need to be handed in on Wednesday 23rd, but it can be if the students want to. The following Monday is absolutely fine, as I don’t want anyone to feel they need to rush through it before the holiday.

I will send home some Maths homework next week based on what we cover during our three days in class.

Have a lovely weekend! ☺️

Hello everyone!

The weeks really are flying by: time flies when you’re having fun! It’s been another busy week in Year 5/6, with the students completing two assessments, one in Maths and one in Reading. Everyone worked hard and tried their best, and I’m really proud of the positive attitude they showed. The students will complete one MAP Growth test each term, which will help us track their progress and see how much they grow throughout the year. 

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths 

Y5

Wednesday (16/09) will be an End of Unit Assessment for Year 5 🙂

Y6

Literacy

This week in Literacy, we recapped what we already knew about Queen of the Falls and Annie Edson Taylor before continuing with our writing. The students imagined they were standing amongst the thousands of people waiting at Niagara Falls to watch Annie attempt her daring stunt. They wrote descriptions of the powerful Falls, the watching crowd and the tense atmosphere, thinking carefully about how to organise their ideas into clear paragraphs and make the reader feel as though they were really there.

We then turned our attention back to Annie herself, retrieving key information about her life and thinking more deeply about her personality and what her actions tell us about her. We explored a wide range of vocabulary that could be used to describe Annie, including words such as courageous, determined, headstrong, adventurous, quick-thinking, rebellious and trailblazing. The students discussed the meanings of unfamiliar words and considered which ones best suited Annie’s character.

IPC

This week in IPC, we continued exploring the human body and circulatory system. We learned how the heart pumps blood around the body through arteries and veins, and followed the journey of blood between the heart, lungs and the rest of the body. We also discovered what our blood is made from, including red and white blood cells, platelets and plasma, and discussed why our heart beats faster during exercise.

The students then worked in groups to research different areas of the circulatory system and combined their work to create a class Canva presentation about the heart, blood and keeping our circulatory system healthy.

Later in the week, we moved on to inheritance and genetics, learning how some characteristics are passed from biological parents through genes. We finished by exploring nature vs nurture, sorting different characteristics into a Venn diagram to decide whether they are influenced by our genes, our environment and experiences, or a combination of both. This led to some really interesting discussions about what makes us who we are!

Have a lovely weekend! ☺️

Hello everyone!

I can’t believe we have been back at school for two weeks already! Thank you so much to all the parents who were able to attend the Information Meeting on Wednesday. I hope it was useful. As always, if there is anything you are unsure about please feel free to email me at any time. 

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths 

Y5

Y6

Monday (07/09) will be an End of Unit Assessment for Year 6 🙂

Literacy

This week, we learned about the features of diary writing before putting these skills into practice by writing diary entries from the perspective of a daredevil. Everyone came up with some really interesting ideas and did a great job of bringing their daring experiences to life!

We also explored descriptive writing by looking closely at an image of Niagara Falls and watching a short video. We thought about what we might be able to see, hear and feel if we were really there and collected lots of descriptive vocabulary to help make our writing more vivid.

The students also completed their weekly vocabulary test and used this week’s words to create their own sentences in their classroom vocabulary books. Building up this bank of vocabulary will give them a fantastic resource to draw upon in their future writing and help them make more ambitious word choices.

Finally, congratulations to the first students who have earned their pen licences! Students can earn a pen licence by showing a noticeable improvement in their handwriting and consistently taking care with the presentation of their work. Once earned, they can complete their future written work in pen.

IPC

We have had another very active week in IPC! We began by learning about our pulse and how we can use it to measure our heart rate in beats per minute (BPM). The students measured their resting heart rate before walking up the stairs and measuring it again. We discussed why our heart beats faster during exercise and how this helps our working muscles.

We then explored four different areas of fitness: cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility and balance. We headed to the hall and tried a variety of exercises together, thinking carefully about which area of fitness each activity was developing.

Moving inside the body, we turned our attention to the skeleton. We investigated why the bones in our bodies come in so many different shapes and sizes and looked at their three main jobs: support, protection and movement. The students classified different bones according to their function and explained the reasoning behind their choices.

Finally, we began investigating joints. Working in pairs, each group was given a different joint to research, such as the knee, elbow, shoulder or hip. They are creating posters to teach the rest of the class about their joint, including the bones and muscles involved, the type of joint, how it moves and what those movements allow us to do.

Have a lovely weekend! ☺️

Hello everyone!

It’s great to be back and what a lovely first week we have had.

Here is what Year 5/6 have been up to this week:

Maths 

Y5

Y6

Literacy

We have made an exciting start to our first Literacy unit of the year! The students have been exploring the idea of daredevil feats and discussing what might drive someone to take on an extraordinary challenge. They then stepped into the role of Annie Edson Taylor’s publicist, creating social media posts designed to build excitement around her mysterious upcoming stunt. We can’t wait to discover what daring feat Annie has in store! 

IPC

We have also made an exciting start to our first IPC unit! We began by exploring what it really means to be fit and healthy, discussing how fitness can look very different for different people. While one person might need the strength to lift heavy weights, another might simply want the fitness and stamina to enjoy gardening or everyday activities.

The students then took part in our own version of the beep test, putting their endurance to the test and recording their starting point. At the end of the unit, they will repeat the challenge to see whether they have been able to improve their fitness and endurance.

We finished with our Knowledge Harvest, finding out what the students already know about the human body. Where exactly is the heart located? What does the liver do? How do all the different organs and systems work together to keep us alive and healthy? We can’t wait to investigate and find out!

Important Information

• I would love to invite you to our Year 5/6 Class Information Meeting on Wednesday 2nd September at 2:45pm.

This will be a chance to find out more about what your child will be learning this year, our classroom routines and expectations, homework, and other useful information about life in Year 5/6. It will also be a lovely opportunity to meet other parents in our class.

I look forward to welcoming you to our classroom and sharing a little more about the year ahead! 

Have a lovely weekend! ☺️