Tuesday 20^th February 2024

Dear parents/carers of Year 5 pupil

We hope you had a relaxing break and that you, like us, are looking forward to the weather warming up a little! Our Learning Journey topic this term is all about Ancient Egypt. The Depth Enquiry Question is: Cleopatra – a hero or a villain?

Below we have outlined some important information.

P.E. Lessons

Please ensure your child wears the school uniform PE kit and trainers into school on all PE days.  PE days are PPA Mondays (19th February, 4^th March, 18^th March) and every Wednesday.  For warmth and comfort, black or grey tracksuit bottoms/leggings are permitted and children wear their red school jumper or cardigan – no hoodies please.

Homework           

Reading: Reading with your child and discussing what has been read each day is essential to helping them make progress in all areas of the curriculum. The expectation is that your child reads for at least 15-20 minutes each evening and that they record this in their Reading Record Book.  We ask that you support and monitor your child’s reading and check/sign it regularly.

Maths: Maths homework is set each Monday on Mathletics. This is to be completed by the Monday of the following week.

Times Tables: Please practice all times tables and their related division facts frequently. Your child can continue to use TTRS as this is what we also use in school.

Spellings: A spelling rule will be introduced on Mondays, and throughout the week lessons and activities will be completed based on this rule. Over the course of the half term, we will send home a spelling homework to consolidate spelling patterns taught in school.  When spelling homework is sent out it will have a clear due date for the work to be returned.  Typically, this happens once or twice each half term.

Home Learning Project: Your challenge is to create a leaflet, poster or PowerPoint about an animal or plant that lives in the rainforest.  You can choose any animal or plant but you may want to focus on an endangered species as we looked at some of these in last term in our topic and speech writing lessons.  We have provided some extra information as guidance on the second page of this letter.  This is due in on Wednesday 20^th March 2024.

Other information: Year 5 pupils can bring into school a healthy snack eg. a piece of fruit. If your child brings in what we would consider to be an unhealthy snack, they will not be allowed to eat it, and it will be returned to them for their packed lunch or at the end of the school day if they eat school dinners. Also, please ensure that your child does not bring in food that contains nuts. It is also essential that your child brings a named filled water bottle to school on a daily basis.

Encourage your child to wear full school uniform. As the weather is colder, please ensure they have a warm coat and that all hats, scarves and gloves are named. It is important that your child does not wear jewellery (unless it is for religious reasons) apart from stud earrings.

Thank you, and as always if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Mr Gough & Mrs Cooper

Year 5 Home Learning Challenge – Spring 2 2024

Your challenge is to create a leaflet, poster or PowerPoint about an animal or plant that lives in the rainforest.  You can choose any animal or plant but you may want to focus on an endangered species as we looked at some of these in last term in our topic and speech writing lessons.  This is due in on Wednesday 20^th March 2024.

Background Information:

There are rainforests in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Central and South America. The biggest rainforest is the Amazon rainforest. It’s about the size of the contiguous United States, which doesn’t include Alaska or Hawaii. More than half of it is in Brazil, but parts are in several other South American countries, including Ecuador and Bolivia. The next biggest rainforest is the Congo in Africa. Parts of the Congo can be found in several other countries too, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon.

Many kinds of plants grow in rainforests. Lianas are thick, woody vines that grow up the trees. When these vines get to the top of the trees, they spread to other trees and form a network of vines over the forest below. Orchids, bamboo, and bromeliads are other rainforest plants.

More than half of the world’s animals live in the rainforest. Vampire bats and anacondas live in the rainforests of South America. Bengal tigers and orangutans live in Asia’s rainforests, and chimpanzees live in the rainforests of Africa. Lots of smaller animals live in rainforests too, including dragonflies, tree frogs, and at least hundreds of species of ants. Many of the plants and animals in the rainforest haven’t even been discovered yet!

Support images for choosing an animal or plant but you can choose any other rainforest animal or plant