Living and Learning: mental wellbeing
This week, Y6 looked at how to spot a worry.
We talked a lot about what works for us when we’re feeling worried or stressed out, including some of these ideas below.
We also had some great advice for others for what they should do in tricky situations. Most of it came down to speaking about it to someone you trust as soon as you recognise it as worrying you.
We said worries can be like a snowball: if it rolls down a hill it will get bigger and bigger, just like if you bottle up your emotions. Talking about things can make sure that it doesn’t turn into an avalanche!
Drop Down Morning
Drop Down Morning was topic learning this time! In this morning, we recapped our Geography learning from Y3/4; our History learning about the Romans and Anglo Saxons; and our DT learning from Y3/4.
In our Geography session, the children had to use atlases and google maps to locate the capital cities in the UK. Some children could do this without even looking at maps to help them! They then had to identify other cities and the four main rivers.
In our History lesson, the children had to match their key vocabulary to the definition. They then had time to use the iPads to research using secondary sources to find the answers to some key learning points about the Romans and Anglo Saxons. To finish off, Year 5 completed a word search.
In our DT session, the children recapped their famous designer: Jonathan Ive. The children could remember that he was chief designer officer for Apple. We then looked at different design criteria; the children were tasked with matching the design criteria to the bag. Finally, the had to create their own criteria for an umbrella.
Help at home: What can your child remember about the Anglo Saxons or Romans? Why not try to identify the design criteria for this coat?
Topic – Art
This half term, we are learning about art – both practically and some art history too.
We are learning about Georges Seurat, who used pointillism (dots), and Bridget Riley, who is an optical artist (uses shapes, pattern and colour to create illusions).
We have created dots using cotton buds and bubble wrap.
Help at home by talking about your preferences for certain artists or colours and shapes.
Guided Reading Week 5
Here are the target pages for this week’s guided reading. These need to be read by Friday 13th December.
Extra Time: up to chapter ‘Second Half’/page 139.
Divine Freaks: up to chapter 16/page 155.
Mr Gum: finish the book.
How To Train Your Dragon: up to chapter 15/page 191.
Kensuke’s Kingdom: up to chapter 9/page 131.
Living and Learning: Mental Wellbeing
This week was one of our mental wellbeing weeks in school. We’ve been focusing on how we can look after our own mental wellbeing, as well as supporting others.
During our L&L lesson this week, we spoke about change, grief, and loss and how these can cause a wide-range of feelings and behaviours. It’s important to understand that people can respond differently to these feelings and we must always respect that. We discussed lots of self-care techniques we can use when we’re finding something difficult or upsetting.
I can speak to a trusted adult like my mum or teachers at school.
I can write a note to put in the worry box.
I can play with my friends until I feel better.
I can watch my favourite TV show or play my favourite game.
It was great to hear all of your children’s brilliant and mature ideas about how we can promote our own mental wellbeing and support others’.
Help at home: encourage your children to talk openly about their emotions and feelings and discuss which techniques they find useful when they’re feeling down.
Reading records!
Here are some great reading record activities that have been completed recently…
Each week, the children are given one activity to complete in their reading records. This activity shows us at school that they’ve been reading at home!
Even though the children do the same activity, they all are very different e.g. different vocabulary, different stories, fiction, non-fiction.
If you’re ever unsure what do, please ask or choose one of them yourself!
The comment section is a chance to say how your child has read that week and if they have enjoyed it or not.
Help at home by listening to your child reading and leaving a comment about how they got on after!
Autumn 2: Week5
During this week, we have been practising our Christmas songs for the nativity. You may have even heard the children singing them at home. They are enjoying learning the songs and creating actions for them.
Our poem of the week this week is Wise Old Owl. Please encourage your child to share this with you and discuss the key vocabulary.
We are encouraging the children to begin sentence writing during our writing sessions and in the areas. We ask them to think of a sentence, count it, try and write it and then check it. We are not expecting these to be accurate but we are trying to develop a love of writing and modelling the thought process.
Math
We have been working on numeral recognition this week. The children have been finding numbers and then selecting the correct amount of objects to match the number. Alongside this, we’re supporting the children with their accuracy with counting and recognising that the number they finish on is the amount they have – the stopping number.
Help at home: by pointing out numbers in the environment
We have been having lots of fun both inside and outside this week. The children have been working as a team to erect different buildings.
PE: Gymnastics
We have really enjoyed our gymnastics sessions this half term in PE. We have been balancing, travelling and jumping. This week we put lots of these skills together whilst using the equipment. We were very courageous when climbing up the climbing frame and jumping off the high horses. I was very impressed by everybody’s hard work.
Help at home by practising our weekly challenge of balancing on one leg. Can you balance longer than a minute?
Drop-down Morning: geography, history & D&T
Today we had drop-down morning! We use this as an opportunity to recap and strengthen our topic knowledge from previous years.
Today we revisited:
- Geography – Where in the world am I?
- History – Romans and Anglo-Saxons
- D&T – Product design
We started with geography. We were focusing on maps and grid references. Your children had a go at reading maps, identifying and writing their own grid references.
Next, we moved onto history where we played a game of ‘hunt’. The children had a question sheet all about the Romans and Anglo-Saxons and had to hunt around the classroom, gathering the answers from their classmates. They then completed a crossword using all their historical knowledge!
Finally, in D&T we recapped all things product design! We discussed the design process that all products must go through and even had a go at ordering the design process of a new car!
Help at home: choose a product in your house and ask your child to identify some of the design criteria it might have had.
Topic – Art
Our Art Topic has been made up of two parts: art history and art skills.
Our art skills learning is building up to creating a collage inspired by the architecture we’ve been exploring. We’ve been looking at buildings by our chosen architects: Zaha Hadid and Christopher Wren.
To create our collages, we’re using lots of different skills…
- tracing
- observational drawing
- collage
and media…
- carbon paper
- different background materials
- pencils, pens
The media might be different colours like primary, secondary or complementary colours! 
We’re using a lot of line and shape when creating our art. We also might use shade to show darkness and shadows.
Help at home by spotting what shapes you can see on or as part of the architecture you see!