A big welcome back to all of our Year 6 children!
Reflection on Creation & Covenant
This term in Religious Education, we have been studying the topic of Creation and Covenant. We began by exploring the two different accounts of creation in the Book of Genesis and discussed the differences and meanings behind each one. The children also created their own artistic interpretations of the Old Testament story of Creation, showing their understanding of God as the Creator.
We then looked at the idea of Original Sin and reflected on what it means for Christians today and how it affects the way we live our daily lives. We also learned about Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ letter about caring for our common home, and thought about how we can take responsibility for looking after the world God has given us.
Later, we studied the Sacrament of Baptism, learning about why baptism is important for Christians, what it symbolises, and the meaning behind each part of the ritual. Finally, we explored the Nicene Creed, understanding what it includes and how it expresses the key beliefs of our Christian faith.
English
This term in English, we have read the story Star of Fear, Star of Hope. Through this story, we have learnt more about the Holocaust and, through our own research using books and online resources, discovered how it affected those who lived through it and how it still impacts people today. Using both the story and our research, we have produced a range of narrative writing, as well as letters and diary extracts. We have focused on writing with cohesion and ensuring our ideas flow clearly. We have also explored the use of active and passive voice, learning how writers use this technique effectively and experimenting with it in our own writing. In addition, we have used a range of grammar features, including fronted adverbials, noun phrases, and adverbial phrases, to add detail and atmosphere to our work.
Maths
Maths No Problem has been a real revelation at St James’. Historically, we found that children were learning how to do something, but not always understanding why we did it in that way. This meant that when it came to using and applying maths, children were reluctant to try to solve problems, often the fear of failure weighed heavily. The introduction of Maths No Problem, a mastery programme, has given our children that problem solving mentality as each maths lesson is based around everyday issues. I am certainly seeing a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts in our children.
History
This term in History, we have linked our learning with our English book and explored the effects of World War I and World War II. Through our own research using books, online sources, and videos, we investigated the causes of World War II and learnt more about the Battle of Britain. We particularly enjoyed finding out about the impact of the Blitz and evacuation on people’s lives, using real accounts from evacuees to inspire our own diary extracts about life as an evacuee.
Some of the key historical skills we developed this term included using timelines effectively to place key events in chronological order, evaluating the usefulness of primary sources, and discussing how reliable different types of information might be depending on their source.
Science
In Science during our Autumn term, we will be focusing on evolution and inheritance. We will look at how things have evolved over time and how they have adapted to their environment and surroundings in the ever changing world. We will also focus on the classification of all living things.
Just a reminder of a few things:
Homework
Weekly
Spellings uploaded onto spelling shed (those without internet access will be given a paper copy)
(Spellings and times tables are set each Friday and then tested the following Friday)
Daily
Reading at least 10 minutes per night – Children are reading daily in school however we would like them to be reading at home where possible too. If you do not have any books then please visit www.lovereading4kids.co.uk where you can access lot of book extracts. You will need to sign up and create an account which is quick, easy and most importantly free!
Times tables at least 10 minutes per night (All children have TT rock stars logins)
Spelling practice at least 10 minutes per night (All children have spelling shed logins or will have a paper copy of spellings)
We cannot stress enough how important daily reading is, even for competent readers, as it helps to build reading stamina.
P.E
On Fridays, we have PE. Children are allowed to come into school in their PE kits and stay in them for the day.
Music
On Friday afternoons, we have music. Please do not forget your instruments.