Author: Mr Catherall

Amazing artists

Recently, in our topic lessons (inspired by our class novel: The Nowhere Emporium), we have been learning, practising and improving a range of new art skills.

In particular, we’ve focussed on observational drawing (ask your child what ‘observational’ means). After developing our skills with some more simple items in the classroom, we went outside to draw some of the structures we can see in our school grounds. Ask your child what they drew.

We’ll be applying these skills on our trip into Leeds city centre where we’ll study some of the more interesting buildings as well as finding out about the architects who designed them. Ask your child what an architect is – can they name any?

Super Scientists

This half-term, our science focus has been materials. After spending some time sorting different materials and finding out about their properties, (help at home by asking your child if they can describe some objects in the house or garden using their new scientific vocab: opaque, transparent, translucent, conductor, insulator, rigid, elastic, flexible) we planned our own scientific investigation – Which plastic bag can hold the most weight?

We worked scientifically, changing only one variable, to ensure our results would be as valid as possible. For each bag, we raised it and placed weights in gently in 1kg increments.

We used poo bags, nappy bags, sandwich bags, bags for life, bin liners, cheaper carrier bags and reinforced carrier bags.  Ask your child which plastic bag held the most weight – a whopping 27kg!

Reflect in this by asking your child: Can you spot the inconsistency in these pictures? Could this limitation have affected our results?

Friday 20 September 2019

Our spellings this week focus on an important spelling rule: drop the y for an i. This is a common spelling rule in the English language. In many root words ending in y, we change the y for an I when we change the word. For example, happy can be happier or happiest. This week, children should find words ending in y and explore how they can change the word – are there any exceptions to the rule? Here are a few words to get you started:

cry                         try                         worry                   copy                     funny

Friday 20 September 2019

This week, our homework is Practice Makes Perfect: I can start sentences in different ways.

In our recent writing lessons, we’ve been focussing on starting our sentences in different ways. We found some examples in different texts, practised starting sentences in different ways and then applied our learning when writing a setting description based on our class novel: The Nowhere Emporium. For their homework, we would like children to continue their learning by practising writing some sentences that start in different ways. This image shows the learning prompt we’ve been using in school and should help when completing the task.

For a challenge, create a short piece of descriptive writing where the sentence starters are varied. This homework will be reviewed as part of our weekly homework review in class and should be completed by Thursday 26 September.

Please remember, this homework should take no longer than 30 minutes.

Times Tables

This week, we will focus on the 4x tables. See the example in your homework book as an example of the kinds of questions asked during our times table test. Children will be tested on Friday 27 September 2019.

Friday 13 September 2019

Our spellings this week focus on an important spelling rule: double up for a short vowel sound. In our writing, lots of us are still not ‘doubling up’ for short vowel sounds. For example, when writing the word ‘hopping’, many of us might spell it ‘hoping’ which is incorrect. In this example, the ‘o’ makes a short vowel sound and so the next consonant ‘p’ needs to be doubled up. This is an especially significant error as it completely changes the meaning of the word. Children will be tested on these words on Friday 20 September 2019.

accommodate

accompany

correspond

immediately

opportunity

exaggerate

occupy

appreciate

Friday 13 September 2019

This week, our homework is Talk Time: Is it ever OK to take a risk? If so, when?

Our living & learning statement next week is ‘I can take a safe risk’. This homework is all about discussing risks and when it is acceptable to take one. Discuss when risks are safe and unsafe and when we come across risks in our life: at home, online, at school, in the community etc.

If you would like more information about staying safe online, visit our school website: https://www.scholeselmet.leeds.sch.uk/learn-more/online-safety/

Children should be ready to debate the above statement in class as part of our homework review by Thursday 19 September 2019.

Friday 06 September 2019

This week, our homework is Practice Makes Perfect: place value.

This week, children have been reading and writing numbers up to 1,000,000 (year 5) and 10,000,000 (year 6). Using the spinner, a pack of playing cards or the random number generator below, children should generate two numbers and say them aloud. Record your results and compare them in your book. You may repeat this several times.

2,766,059 > 386,472

Two million, seven hundred and sixty six thousand and fifty nine is greater than three hundred and eighty six thousand, four hundred and seventy two.

26,504 < 101,087

Twenty six thousand, five hundred and four is less than one hundred and one thousand and eighty seven.

https://www.mathgoodies.com/calculators/random_no_custom

We will review our learning on Friday 12 September 2019. The homework is due in on Thursday 11 September 2019

Times tables

This week, we will focus on the 2, 5 and 10x table with an emphasis on the related facts.

Friday 05 July 2019

This week, the whole school has the same Creative homework: I can illustrate happy and healthy choices.

This homework links to our weekly living and learning statement and is something we talk about a lot in our school. Can you encourage your child to make a new healthy choice every day this week? Or think about one new healthy change your child can make? Try to help them make sure the choice is a realistic, achievable one, such as avoiding being on an electronic device after a certain time to help sleep, or adding one extra daily portion of vegetables to their diet each day.

As this is a Creative homework, children could respond in a variety of ways:

  • Create a blog, video blog or diary to show the changes we’ve made.
  • Create a poster convincing others to make a happy and healthy change.
  • Make a cartoon strip in which a character makes a happy and healthy change.
  • Write a song, poem or rap that will encourage others to make changes.
  • Reflect on change they’ve made and how it made them feel.

There are of course lots of other ways to respond, too.

Children should be ready share, and celebrate, their homework in their class by Thursday 11 July 2019.

Friday 28 June 2019

This week, we continue to focus on the spelling rule ‘drop the e for ing’. Children should practice spelling the words below in preparation for a test on Friday 05 July 2019.

accommodating                    calculating

managing                               acquiring

surprising                              analysing

deciding                                 debating