Dear parents and carers,

What a fantastic first full week we have had in Year 5! The children have made a brilliant start, showing excellent attendance, positive behaviour and wonderful energy throughout the week. We have been so impressed with how enthusiastically they have approached their learning and how well they are settling into the routines of Year 5.

In Maths, we have been developing our understanding of place value, working with numbers up to 1,000,000. The children have been working hard to recognise the value of each digit and explain how numbers can be represented in different ways.

During Guided Reading, we have been exploring non-fiction texts and learning to identify their different features. We have been using The Travel Book to spot and discuss features such as headings, captions, photographs and other ways information is presented to the reader.

Our English learning has been inspired by The Lost Words, focusing on the poems Conker and Adder. The children have particularly enjoyed exploring the rich vocabulary and imagery used by the author. This week, they became poets themselves and wrote a class poem inspired by the style of Adder. They used the power of three, including metaphors, similes and noun phrases, alongside repeating verb lines. We were incredibly impressed by the imaginative ideas and excellent vocabulary choices the children produced.

In Geography, we have been finding out about volcanoes and considering how volcanic activity can affect the lives of people living on Heimaey. The children have been thinking carefully about both the challenges and opportunities that volcanoes can bring to communities.

In Science, we have continued our work on forces. The children carried out an experiment using an ice cube and a wooden block on a ramp, making observations and thinking about how different forces affect movement. They enjoyed investigating and discussing what they noticed.

We are also continuing to work hard on our handwriting across all subjects. We are encouraging the children to take pride in the presentation of their work and to remember that neat, careful handwriting is important in every lesson.

After a few teething problems, homework on Ed Shed is now up and live! Thank you for your patience while we got everything sorted. Please encourage the children to log in and complete their activities.

We have had such a positive and productive first full week, and we are incredibly proud of the children. Well done, Year 5!

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Year 5 Team