Oak Tree Class Blog
Oak Tree Class Blog
Week 5, ending 5 December
Mrs Amos (a.amos) on: Oak Tree Class Blog
Reader: Cameron
Special Mention: Sophie RE
Very well done to these children!
Dance music has been the music genre this week each morning. M People seemed to have the biggest impact on bopping heads!
It has been assessment week in Oak Tree Class, so some sessions have been used for our termly tests.
In English we still have found time to do some researching on Dr Barnardo. Next week, we will start writing up our notes.
Our DT was a big success – in groups of two or three, the children began the mammoth task of building the marble runs they had planned. It is all still ‘work in progress’ so more on this next week…
Fractions continues in Maths. This week, we have been trying to find ways in which we can compare two different fractions. This has been quite tricky to understand, but it is so useful when we move onto adding and subtracting fractions later in the term.
As part of our PSHE topic, where we are exploring how ‘we have more in common than not’, the children have voted to carry out our very own Secret Santa activity. Each child has drawn a child’s name out and needs to buy a gift for that child for between £3 and £5. Gifts should be brought into school by Friday, 12th December (wrapped, please!) and we will have fun opening them on our last day of term. I personally think the challenge will be keeping this a secret! (But if this task is a challenge for you, as a family, I have asked the children to let me know so I can sort out enough gifts for everyone. This is not an issue at all.) The gifts shall be exchanged on our last day of school, 19 December.
Homework this weekend includes learning by heart three verses from 'Twas the Night before Christmas. I hope you are able to come along to our Very Victorian Christmas in the last week of term.
I hope you have a lovely weekend – Christmas shopping?
Yours,
Mrs Adrienne Amos
Week 4, ending 28 November
Mrs Amos (a.amos) on: Oak Tree Class Blog
Reader: Erica
Special Mention: Ella
A super well done to these children!
This week, we have been listening to Northern Soul music as we have come into class eac morning. Lots of ‘bopping’ while doing our early morning tasks!
In English, we have continued to work on researching information biographies about Thomas Barnardo. Much time has been spent looking through fact sheets, books and using the Internet (safely!) to find key facts about his life. Next week, we shall begin writing up our biography texts.
In Maths, our work on fractions has moved onto looking at improper fractions and mixed numbers. The children’s efforts in these objectives have been brilliant! I have been really encouraged by their resilience in dealing with such a nuanced area of maths. Homework is to help to consolidate what an improper fraction actually is.
By far, the most exciting session has been the time spent in DT this week, where the children have designed their own marble runs. Work begins on the construction of these on Tuesday.
The children have been asking about our Very Victorian Christmas Assembly – it has been put on the school newsletter, but just so you are sure, it will be at 9.30am on Wednesday 17th December. Really hope lots of you can come along to support it! Song words have come home this week, too, for the children to practise and learn.
Have a fun weekend!
Yours,
Mrs Adrienne Amos
Week 3, ending 20/21 November
Mrs Amos (a.amos) on: Oak Tree Class Blog
Reader: Rutendo
Special Mention: Savannah
Well done to these children!
Rock-a-billy and Rock ‘n’ Roll music have greeted us in class each morning – Elvis was by far the most commented upon artist! Lots of children said that their parents/grandparents loved listening to Elvis Presley.
We have continued to learn about biographies this week, which will culminate in writing one about Thomas Barnardo. I have suggested that children may like to spend a bit of time at home collecting information as an extra homework task – it’s always really special to include extra facts found at home in a piece of school work!
Equivalent fractions have been the mainstay of maths this week – we shall be spending a little longer on this concept too, as it seems to be one that the children have found tricky. Any support you can give with this in homework would be welcomed. (Often, hearing it explained by someone else can work wonders!)
Finally, well done to those children who are remembering to read regularly at home! We have noticed a bit of a dip in this with our Y5 children and would just like to remind you of the importance of reading. In UKS2, the expectation is that children should still be reading at least 5 times a week (approx. 1 hour of reading combined!) and they can do this independently and fill in their own reading records or with an adult. We are always happy to provide your child with book recommendations and strongly encourage them to come and talk to us if they are not enjoying the books they have chosen.
The Reading Agency is a UK charity with a mission to empower people of all ages to read. Their research shows that:
- One in four children hasn't reached the expected level of reading by the age of 11. Many of these children will struggle to keep up at secondary school.
- Students are less able to learn other subjects if they do not develop sufficient reading skills by the middle of primary school.
- Only 35% of 10-year-olds in England report that they like reading 'very much'. This lags behind countries like Russia (46%), Ireland (46%), New Zealand (44%), and Australia (43%).
- Children who read books often at age 10 and more than once a week at age 16 gain higher results in maths, vocabulary and spelling tests at age 16 than those who read less regularly.
We greatly appreciate everything parents, carers and children do to support reading for pleasure already - please keep it up!
Have a lovely w/end.
Yours,
Mrs Amos
Week 2 - ending 14 November
Mrs Amos (a.amos) on: Oak Tree Class Blog
Just writing a quick note on behalf of Mrs Amos.
This week as part of anti-bullying week we enjoyed an online lesson, undertaking missions to show how the 'Power for Good' can help deal with bullying. On Thursday we had a wonderful collection of odd socks to mark the event too.
We have been busy with sports this week as children from across both Y5 classes represented school at a North West Cross Country event at Wharfe Meadows in Otley on Thursday.
Today some children visited The Vue Cinema (in Leeds Lights) for a free screening of Paddington in Peru.
We have also been working very hard in English, maths, science, computing, history etc... as we always do!
Have a lovely weekend.
Mr Cooke
Week 1, ending 7 November
Mrs Amos (a.amos) on: Oak Tree Class Blog
Reader: Zeeya
Special Mention: Amelia
Well done to these children!
Welcome back to school for Autumn 2! Blues music has greeted us each morning in Oak Tree Class and the children seemed mostly to enjoy Gary Clarke Junior.
In Maths, we are continuing our unit on multiplication- particularly looking at the roles of factors and multiples. These are quite difficult concepts to grasp and we will need to revisit them in the future. Any support you can give your child on their homework (and with their times tables) this weekend would be very much appreciated.
In English, we have published our fantastic poems, which use onomatopoeia to describe the conditions of a Victorian Mill. Hopefully your child will bring theirs home to show you.
In PE, we have begun our units on football (Mondays) and Gymnastics (Thursdays).
Next week, we begin our long-awaited DT work on structures – I look forward to telling you more next Friday!
Have a splendid weekend,
Yours,
Mrs Adrienne Amos