Next week in Year 5 and 6

Dear Parents/Carers

In response to the Government announcement made yesterday, school will only reopen for the children of Critical Workers on Monday 4th January.

If you are a Critical Worker and would like to book a place for your child, please contact us via the phase email address. 

year5_6@downhallprimary.com

Home learning work will be uploaded onto Google Classroom on Monday morning.  Please ensure your child logs in and completes the work set.  

Any further updates will be posted on the school website, blogs and our social media platforms.  

Thank you for your continued support.  

We would like to wish you all a Happy New Year.  Stay safe.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall

Merry Christmas from Year 5 and 6

Dear Parents/Carers

As this term comes to a close, we would like to thank you all for your continued support this year.  Your children have been amazing to teach.  They returned to school in September, faced with many challenges and new routines.  They have adapted brilliantly and are a credit to you all.

We wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy and healthy new year.

Stay safe 

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin, Mrs Witherall and Mr Hussein 

Autumn Term Week 6

Dear Parents/Carers

Thank you to all of you who made a donation to our Christmas Jumper day and to all the children who came to school looking very festive.

This week, children in Year 5 and 6 have taken part in some e-safety training with the two Johns.  It was very informative and the children were sensible throughout and asked some interesting questions.

Homework for the children for this week has been uploaded to Google Classroom.  Next week we will send home homework books for the children to work in after Christmas.

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall 

Autumn 2 - Week 5

Dear Parents/Carers

This week in Year 5/6, the children have been completing their end of term assessments.  They have all worked hard and tried their best.  Therefore, there will be no homework this week.

We are looking forward to meeting with some of you via Zoom over the next two weeks.  Fingers crossed, technology is on our side.  We are not expecting any problems, however, if any occur either our end or yours, there are still appointments available for 14th and 15th, so please feel free to rebook if needed.  Appointments are limited to 10 minutes.  We will need to stick to a strict time schedule in order to make sure parents are not kept waiting.  If, after your allotted time, you feel you would like more information, please contact us via the 5/6 email address and your child's teacher will call you at a convenient time.

Finally, don't forget Christmas Jumper day on Friday 11th.  Donations should be dropped into the bucket at the gate.  Thank you.

Have a lovely weekend.  

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall 

Autumn Term Week 4

Dear Parents/Carers

This week in Year 5 and 6 we have been writing biographies.  The teachers became characters for the children to interview.  The writing they have produced so far has been very impressive.  They are clearly enjoying the task.

Next week is assessment week.  Teachers will be able to share information regarding results and progress during Parent Teacher Consultations.  For information on booking an appointment with your child's class teacher, please see this week's newsletter. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d32l8B0ya56FyUiG-_kdIiPZnkUuDOR0/view 

We are looking forward to seeing you.

Have a lovely weekend

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall 

Online Learning

If, for any reason, your child needs to learn from home, please us the link below to access our online learning guidance document.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PswKjCooqCqh3Vmle_yE48HhJAuEQC11/view

A message from Mrs Hurley

WHOLE SCHOOL SUMDOG COMPETITION

Calling all of you amazing mathematicians! 

You have been entered into the Down Hall Primary School Sumdog Competition. It starts on November 27th at 3.30pm, and finishes at 3.30pm on December 3rd.

Why not have a go and get your class on the school leaderboard?

I will be monitoring how well each class is doing. The winning class will get extra playtime!

Let's show our school what great mathematicians we are!

Good luck.

Mrs Hurley 

Autumn Term Week 3

 Dear Parents/Carers

This week in Year 5 and 6, we have been studying the art work of Andy Goldsworthy.  The children have used resources from the natural environment to create their own interpretations of his designs.  Photographs of the work produced by Sapphire Class are on our Instagram page, if you would like to have a look.

Please ask your children to check their Google Classroom page for this week's homework and a list of the days that they will be able to use the adventure playground next week.

We have noticed that a few Year 5 and 6 children still have not joined the Google Classroom page for their class.  We would appreciate it if parents could encourage their children to do so please.

Children will also need to log on to their MyOn account to complete a written project as part of their English/Project work.

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall

Autumn Term 2: Week 2

 Dear Parents/Carers

This week in Year 5 and 6 we have designed our own innovative products in English.  We have used informative and persuasive writing to explain why our product is environmentally friendly.  We have had some interesting designs ranging from food which uses an alternative ingredient to palm oil to a solar powered tooth brush.

In maths, we have been converting improper fractions to mixed number and comparing and ordering fractions.

Ruby class created some lovely art work inspired by Andy Goldsworthy using leaves, stones and other natural resources.

Finally this week, we have welcomed Mr Hussein back from his study weeks.  Mr Hussein is a student teacher following the SCITT Course and will be working with Miss Sharman in Sapphire Class until the end of this term.  He will introduce himself below.

A message from Mr Hussein

Hello to all Parents and Carers. It has been a pleasure learning to teach at Down Hall Primary. The children are really enthusiastic and I am looking forward to teaching them for the next couple of weeks. I hope you all have a lovely weekend. 

See you all on Monday.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall

Autumn Term 2 Week 1

Dear Parents/Carers

This week, we have begun our new project, One Earth, One Chance by learning about deforestation and the impact it has on our planet. Homework linked to our project has been posted on Google Classroom pages. Children will also need to continue to practise their Maths using Times Tables Rock Stars and Sumdog.

It has been lovely to welcome the Year 5 children into their classes and to see the children getting to know each other.

After a long wait, the children have been able to go on the new play equipment and have thoroughly enjoyed playing on it.

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall.

Year 5 and 6 Overview

 Dear Parents/Carers

Please click the link to view the overview slides for this academic year for Years 5 and 6.

Thank you

Miss Sharman

Year 5 and 6 yearly overview 2020-2021

Happy half term!

 Dear Parents/Carers

Teachers in Year 5 and 6 would like to wish you all a safe, healthy and happy half term break.  The children certainly deserve the rest!  They have worked so hard this half term and we are all extremely proud of the way they returned to school with such positive attitudes towards their learning and how they adapted to the new 'normal.'

We are very much looking forward to welcoming Year 5 and Year 6 back into their new classes after half term.  We have lots planned and we are excited to begin teaching new topics.  Our project next half term will be One Earth, One Chance.  The children will learn about issues affecting our planet and how we can help to protect it.  In science we will be learning about living things and will be studying the Five Pillars of Islam in RE.

We are sure the children will be pleased that we are not setting homework during half term.  However, they should still be reading at home, using Times Tables Rock Stars and learning spellings.  Spelling lists can be found on the Year 6 Google Classroom page.

Google Classroom pages have now been set up for Ruby, Sapphire and Topaz.  If your child is in Year 5 or 6 please ask them to join the page.  If they are unable to do this without support, their teacher will help them when they return after half term.  

Have a fab week.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall 

09.10.20

 Dear Parents/Carers

This week in Year 6, the children have been busy writing adventure stories based on a desert island they designed.  They have worked hard creating interesting characters and settings.  

In maths, we have been working on division.  The children have learnt a range of methods, including both short division and chunking.  

Unfortunately, the weather has prevented us from completing all of our Daily Miles this week.  We have tried to get outside as much as possible and have managed to get a few miles behind us.

Don't forget to remind your child that homework is on Google Classroom.  They should also be learning their spellings, times tables (don't forget Times Tables Rock Stars) and reading via MyOn.

Have a lovely weekend.  

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall 

02.10.20

 An important message to start this week's blog.

We currently live in strange times and those quick chats at the beginning and end of the day are not possible at the moment.  All of you would have received reports in February about your child's progress and areas to focus upon for next steps in learning.  Once new classes start next half term, there will be some form of Parent/Teacher Consultation - we will let you know details nearer the time of how we can make this happen.  However, in the meantime if you have any concerns or you would like to know how your child has settled back into school, please send us an email via our phase email address and we will get back to you.

year5_6@downhallprimary.com

In other news.......

On Monday, children in Year 6 took part in some activities which were supplied by the Young Shakespeare Company.  We usually have them in school performing a play for us.  Due to Covid-19, we were unable to arrange a visit this year, so they sent us a video version of their presentation of Twelfth Night.  Children took part in activities in class with their teacher, following the story and instructions on the video.  Children and teachers thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  

Homework

Please note that homework for Year 6 has been uploaded to the Year 6 Google Classroom page.  All children have been invited to join the page.  Please make sure that your child has accepted the invitation and can access the work set.

Alongside the maths and English work set, children are expected to be learning the Year 3/4 and 5/6 spellings and times tables which are also posted on the page.  Children should know their tables to 12 x 12 by the end of Year 4.  Therefore, it is vital that they revise these regularly at home as well as in school.  They should be using MyOn and quizzing on what they read via Accelerated Reader.  

Have a lovely weekend

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall 

25.09.20

Dear Parents/Carers

We've had a busy week in Year 6.  Children have completed assessment tasks in reading, maths, grammar, punctuation and spelling.  They tried really hard and should be extremely proud of themselves.  

Google Classroom

Please ask your child to join the new Year 6 Google Classroom.  All they need to do is log onto their google account, go to Classroom and accept the invitation.  

Starting from next Friday, we will be uploading homework activities for the children to complete.  We do have homework books ready for them but are unable to send them home at the present time.  Therefore, online homework will be set each week.  This should be completed using Google Docs.  Please do not print anything off and send it in as, due to Covid-19, we are unable to accept paper documents.

The Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 spelling lists and some times tables challenges have already been uploaded for children to use at home.  Please support your child with learning spellings and tables and remind them to read regularly.  MyOn should also be used by the children as they can quiz on what they read.  We are then able to monitor this from school.

PE

Unlucky for us in Year 6, PE resumed just as the weather changed.  Please make sure that your child wears suitable PE kit on Wednesdays and brings a PE sweatshirt with them just in case!  We will only have classroom based PE lessons if the weather is exceptionally wet, so intend to teach the children outside as much as possible, not allowing a bit of wind and rain to beat us! 

It is also advisable for children to start bringing coats into school as the weather is changeable at the moment.  There were a number of children without coats this week which made break and lunch very chilly for them.  

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall 

Back in the swing!

 Dear Parents/Carers

The children seem to be back in the swing of things here in Year 6!  They have continued to work hard for their teachers this week.

Don't forget PE starts again next week.  Our PE day is a Wednesday.

Please make sure that your child brings suitable clothing for changeable weather conditions.  We need to keep windows and doors open for ventilation, so it is advisable for children to have jumpers with them every day.  Unfortunately, we are unable to issue spare items of clothing.

A gentle reminder that the only items that children should be bringing into school are the following:

Lunch box

Reading book 

Water bottle

Coat - if the weather is chilly or wet

Other items such as tissues and hand sanitiser are available in school. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall 

Well done Year 6!

 Dear Parents and Carers

The Year 5 and 6 teachers would like to say a huge well done to the Year 6 children.  They have settled into school exceptionally well this week, it is like they've never been away.  They have all worked so hard in lessons and have adapted to the new routines well.

We would also like to thank  parents and carers for following the guidelines during drop off and pick ups.  

This week, children have been taking part in the Daily Mile each day.  That's 7 laps around the field!  Some walk, some jog and some try to cut corners.  It is a great opportunity to get some extra fresh air and exercise and everyone seems to be enjoying it.  

In class, we have been working on a spy story in English, revisiting  areas of maths and completing a range of PSHE and art activities in the afternoons.  We are particularly enjoying Draw With Rob.

Please make sure you read this week's newsletter as it has details of a homework project we would like the children to complete.  We would like them to design a poster celebrating the best bits of being back at school.  Please do not send completed work into school.  Posters should be photographed or scanned and emailed to the phase group email.  We will choose a selection and print them off to be displayed along the fence on Down Hall Park Way.  Please do not add surnames to work for Safeguarding reasons.

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall 

Year 5/6 Welcome back!

Dear Parents/Carers

We hope you are well and had an enjoyable summer and that your children are well rested and ready to return to school next week.  Year 5/6 teachers are looking forward to welcoming your children back to school on Monday.  We have been working hard in school to ensure a smooth return and appreciate your support by following the guidelines we have set.

A few things to remember:

The children will need to wear full school uniform and bring their water bottles, lunch box (washable, of any type) and a reading book from home.  Children will not be bringing books home or using the school library.  They will be taking part in independent reading each day and will need to bring their own book.  This should be something that is appropriate for their age and reading level.  

MyOn should still be used at home.

Arrival and departure from school will be staggered.  Make sure you are aware of the drop off and collection time for your child. 

Ruby: Start - 8:30am     Finish - 2:55pm

Sapphire:  Start - 8:35am    Finish - 3:00pm

Topaz:           Start - 8:40am   Finish - 3:05pm

If you have more than one child at the school, they can be dropped off and collected at the earliest time.  Times can be found here Start and finish times

All children will be entering and leaving by the Downhall Park Way entrance.  We have chosen this entrance as it enables us to have a distinct entry and exit point (like in most public buildings) so  we can maintain social distancing and keep our community safe.

Hot school dinners will not be available. However, a school packed lunch can be ordered each day and should be paid for using SCOPAY.  Lunch Menu.

The Curriculum

The children will be learning a combination of objectives they would have covered in the Summer Term as well as beginning to access the Year 6 curriculum.  Gaps in their knowledge will be established and planned for accordingly. 

Maths and English will be covered every morning, with a combination of art, PSHE, Daily Mile (no change of shoes needed) and other projects being taught in the afternoon.

Please note:  There will be NO PE for the first two weeks.

Unfortunately, we are unable to accept visitors into school, including the office, without an appointment.  Therefore, we would encourage parents to ensure that their child/children have everything they need for the school day and not drop off anything that has been forgotten.

If you have any questions, please contact your child’s class teacher via the Year 5/6 email.

Year5_6@downhallprimary.com

The DfE have published guidance for parents about children returning to school. This can be found here Returning To School DfE Guidance

Thank you in advance for your patience.  We are constantly reviewing the situation and will, of course, update you if necessary.

Have a lovely weekend

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Witherall

Dear Year 6 Parents

We have been invited to take part in an Active Lives Survey.  I would be grateful if you could ask your child to spare a few minutes to complete this by Friday 10th July.  Please use the following link:  https://ipsos.uk/PCZKV
Thank you in advance for your support.  I will also post this on the Year 6 Google Classroom page.

Important information for Year 6 parents

Dear Year 6 Parents
We hope you are well. 
Please click on the link below for information on the offer we are now able to make for the return of children in Year 6.
Please note: You have also been emailed these details.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zh0rCqMx7YrmX-2K0pNMaUK_dcM5p4Bx/view?usp=sharing

Half Term

Dear Parents /Carers

Next week is the half-term holiday so we want all the children (and parents) to enjoy a well-earned rest and take a break from school activities; it's time to relax and enjoy the sunshine. We are incredibly proud of them and have been so impressed with the effort and enthusiasm that the children have shown when completing the tasks set for them. It has been an absolute pleasure sharing their work and photos.

We would like to thank you all for your continued support.
Enjoy the break. Take care and stay safe.
Best wishes.
Mrs Devlin, Miss Sharman & Mrs Pasquale

MyON - Problem solved

Dear Parents and Carers

I have just logged on to MyON and am so pleased to be able to let you all know that the issue we were having with the amount of books available to our children has been resolved.

I have been working on this for the past two weeks and can understand if some of you have been a little frustrated - so have I!

We now have over 5000 books available (unlike the 996 we had before!)
There are now lots of books for our children who are reading at level 5 and beyond.

Please note:  When searching for books, what we call ZPD is the ASOS level.  I will put together a guide to searching for books over the weekend for anyone who may need it.

Thank you all so much for your patience and support over the past couple of weeks while I have tried to solve the issue. 
Happy reading folks :-)

Miss Sharman

The Year 5 and 6 Hand Washing Choir

Have a listen to the Year 5 and 6 children who are in school today singing Happy Birthday while washing their hands before lunch.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11uonYXmFg_26sXh7QcDzX20MgKb9-4tG/view?usp=sharing_eil&ts=5e78a646

Good morning Year 5/6

Dear Parents/Carers

It has been lovely to see how many children are online, accessing work this morning.
I am working to respond to questions they are posting as quickly as I can.  Please tell them not to worry if there is something they don't understand or are confused about.  This is new to us all and we are working hard to figure out how to make things as simple as possible.  We will all get used to it soon. 
Have a lovely day with your children.

Sending best wishes to you all
Miss Sharman

Year 5/6 - Just checking in

Dear Parents/Carers

Just thought I would check in with everyone to let you know that we are monitoring our Google Classroom pages and school email accounts throughout the weekend.
We are ready to begin uploading work for children to complete next week.  Monday's work will be posted tomorrow evening.
We are also ready to welcome the children who will be joining us in class next week.
Have a lovely weekend, relax and stay safe.

With best wishes
Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Pasquale

MyON

Dear Parents/Carers

Thank you so much for all your support with MyON so far.

I have received an email from MyON today. They have set up a free reading resource with over 7000 books for children to read from home.

I hope you find this useful

https://readon.myon.co.uk/

Best wishes
Miss Sharman

Dear Parents/Carers

As promised, a timetable for children to work from next week has been uploaded to our classroom pages. 

Work for Monday will be uploaded in the next few days.

Best wishes.  Take care.  Keep smiling!

Miss Sharman

Dear Parents/Carers

Please be assured that Year 5/6 staff are continuing to prepare home learning activities for your children.  We will begin uploading lesson instructions and resources in due course.
We understand that printing worksheets etc may be difficult for some of you. Therefore, we are attempting to set as much work as possible which can be completed using a google doc to minimise the use of paper and printer ink.

We will be uploading a timetable of activities, in the style of our usual school day later today.  This will inform you as to which activities should be completed each day.

Thank you all so much for your support with MyON (the online reading library).  So far, children in Years 5 and 6 have spent over 11 hours using MyON.  This is fantastic and shows just how keen our children are to continue their learning at home.

I have changed the name of the Year 6 SATs revision classroom page.  It is now the Year 6 Classwork page.  Year 6 children will still need to check this regularly.  Even though SATs will now not take place, I am still working hard to ensure that Year 6 children cover all areas of the curriculum and are Secondary School ready.

Mrs Pasquale, Mrs Devlin and I are here to support your children whether they are in school or working from home and are more than happy to help in any way we can.

Thanks again for your continued patience and support.

Miss Sharman 

Dear Parents/Carers

The Year 5/6 teaching team will be uploading home learning activities to our Google Classroom pages.  Please make sure that your child checks regularly for updates and completes any tasks given.  There is also a Year 6 SATs Classroom page which children joined in class last week.  I will post the joining code for this on the Home Classroom page for Ruby, Sapphire and Topaz for those children who were absent and may not have joined.

We are now using MyON (an online reading library) in school.  Children have been issued with their log in passwords today and are bringing home a letter for your information. Their log in is the same as for Accelerated Reader.  Books they read on MyON link directly with Accelerated Reader and they will be able to quiz on them from home until 4pm each day. 

Please keep checking the school web site, the Year 5/6 blog and Google Classroom for updates.

Your continued patience and support is very much appreciated at this time.

With kind regards

Miss Sharman and the Year 5/6 team

Dear Parents/Carers

The children have settled back into school after the half term break.
This week, they enjoyed celebrating Shrove Tuesday with a special menu.  Pancakes all round for pudding!
Year 6s received letters regarding a SATs and Isle of Wight talk which is coming up in March.  Please check your child's bag if you have not been given the letter and return the reply slip.  Both talks are on the same day, one after the other.
There will also be a talk on Belchamps for the parents of children in Year 5.  The date for this is yet to be set,  More details will follow.

Year 6 Homework Pages for this week are:
Maths - 55 and 56
English - 65-67

Have a lovely weekend.
Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Pasquale

Dear Parents/Carers

This week in Year 5/6 we have been researching animals and how they have evolved over time.  We used our computing skills to present our findings using Google Slides.  We have also been writing and performing speeches on topics which are important to us.

This week's homework
Year 5 English homework is on Google as usual.
For maths, please use half term to brush up on your times tables - TT Rockstars and SUMDOG

(Maths homework was uploaded to Google today.  However, one or two of the questions had multiple answers and Google did not recognise this.  Therefore, it has been removed so as not to cause the children any confusion.) 

Year 6 pages:
Maths - 8 and 9
English 50 and 51
(Please make sure you do the correct pages)

Have a fab half term.
Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Pasquale

This week's homework:

Year 5 maths is on Google as usual. 
Year 5 English is a paper based comprehension activity.

Year 6 maths: Pages 46 and 47
Year 6 English: pages 10 and 11

Have a lovely weekend. 

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Pasquale

Dear Parents/Carers

This week in Year 5 and 6, children have enjoyed making clay fossils as part of their work in science.
In English, we have been learning about persuasive arguments.  Children have chosen a topic to write about and have been thinking of reasons for and against the argument.  We have seen some interesting choices of topic, such as:
Should children wear school uniform?
Should children aged 10 be allowed to vote?
Should parking at hospitals be free?
Should women footballers be paid the same as men?

Miss Sharman would like to thank all those who came to Maths Club on Friday.  The club was extremely well attended.  It was great to see so many children taking the opportunity to ask for help with homework, solve puzzles, tackle arithmetic papers and play games to improve their understanding.  Well done to you all.

This week's homework pages for Year 6 are:
Maths: Pages 34 and 35
English: Pages 46 and 47

Year 5 homework is on Google Classroom as usual.

Have a lovely weekend.

Miss Sharman, Mrs Devlin and Mrs Pasquale

Dear Parents/Carers
This week in Year 5/6 we have enjoyed looking at our family photographs and spotting similarities that we may have inherited. Also this week, the children braved the cold, damp weather to take part in the final Southend United session. They have enjoyed the opportunity to get outside, take part in some new games and learn about how to keep themselves healthy.


This week, children in Year 6 have been issued with homework books for English and Maths to support them in preparing for the SATs tests they will take in May.

Year 6 homework pages for this week are:
English pages 2, 3 and 44
Maths pages 15 and 16

Your child should hand their homework in by Wednesday 29th January.  Miss Sharman will be available in Sapphire class on Monday lunchtime if they would like some help.

Year 5 English and Maths homework is online, on Google Classroom as usual. 

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Devlin, Miss Sharman and Mrs Pasquale

Blogging

Pupils will be learning about blogging during computing lessons this term.  We will study the features of blogs as well as their purpose and intended audience. Pupils are asked to find good examples of blogs and share them in class (not including this one!)