Welcome to Class 6’s page, where you will find our termly class news, lots of pictures of things we do and other bits and pieces too.
Year 6 Newsletter – January 2014
Dear Parents / Guardians,
Happy New Year to you all and I hope your child is looking forward to what will hopefully be an exciting new term at Harwell. I have very much enjoyed my first two terms at the school, and I have been made to feel very welcome by staff, pupils and parents alike. Here is a flavour of what is coming up in terms 3 and 4…
Curriculum – Terms 3 & 4
Topic: Our topic up until Easter is water. We are starting the term by looking at the ocean as a theme, including the biodiversity of the seas as a habitat. This links in to our Science topics of Interdependence and Adaptation. We will then move on to look at rivers and glaciers before half-term. After the holiday, we will switch our focus to the impact of humans on various aspects of water, including coastal defences, river courses, reservoirs and water usage.
Literacy: We have started the term looking at biographies, which links in to the water topic, and children will also have the chance to ghost-write an autobiography for another pupil in the class. This will be followed by work on persuasive writing towards the end of the half term. After Easter, the focus will be on poetry, non-fiction writing based on argument, and a study of authors and texts. There will also be a particular focus this term on grammar, spelling and punctuation in the run up to SATs exams in May.
Maths: We will be applying all the skills the children acquire in their maths lessons to problem-solving activities and investigations. There will also be an increased focus on developing the children’s agility at mental maths, as well as regular ‘SATs Clinics’ aimed at boosting the children’s skills in answering exam questions in the run-up to their May tests.
Science: We start the year with two topics running concurrently – our focus on micro-organisms continues from December with the study of fungi. The second topic of interdependence and adaptation comes as a part of our water topic, and pupils will be looking at how marine species have adapted to different ocean environments. Term 3 will end with a look at forces through a range of practical experiments and activities, specifically those of gases and liquids.
Art and D&T: The class will be working with Mrs Cansell on mask-making.
ICT: The children will be working to create their own basic websites for an imaginary water-based theme park.
French: We hope to be able to open the doors of our Class 6 French café (Café Les Frites Frisées) to you towards the end of term 3 or at the start of term 4. In the meantime, we will continue to work on the menu and calculation of costs, as well as the French the children will need to run the café.
P.E.: As well as a regular Key Stage 2 games session on Wednesday afternoons, we will spend a part of Friday mornings preparing for the Sportshall competition at Didcot Girls School. We will then move on to dance as a P.E. topic for Term 4.
R.E.: Mrs Cansell will be working with the children on the theme of stages in a Christian’s life.
You can find a typical weekly timetable here, but this is changeable. A timetable for each week and a Class 6 Calendar for the term are posted just inside the classroom door. Please feel free to have a look.
Homework and Reading
Homework for maths, spellings and one other aspect of literacy will be given weekly, and a topic-based project will also be assigned every three weeks. Children will receive a homework slip with details of when the homework was set, when it has to be given in and details of what is expected. It is very important that these tasks are completed as set and on time, as homework is an integral part of the children’s curricular study.
In addition, children are provided with a reading record book which will give them the opportunity to write short reflections on what they are reading at the moment. It is vital that children read regularly. We have a library system operating in the classroom, and children are welcome to borrow books to take home and read once they have been signed out. Oxfordshire County Council’s library van service will be coming to Harwell on XXX.
If there is anything you wish to discuss with me, please do come and see me either before registration or at the end of the day.
Best regards,
Carrick Cameron
Class 6 Teacher
Here is an outline of our timetable to give you a guide to what happens each week, BUT we do sometimes change things around to suit the circumstances, so don’t be too surprised if the children tell you they’ve been doing something different.
Please click here to see the Class 6 Term 3 Timetable
Archived Newsletters:-
