Welcome to Class 5D
(Mrs McKinnon and Mrs Wharton's class)
Happy New Year !
We hope you have had a fantastic Easter holiday. Your children have settled into the Juniors and we look forward to the following term as one where your child can really begin to progress and learn as a Key Stage 2 pupil. The children have worked really hard during the past terms to learn all the new routines and expectations in the juniors, so hopefully this next term will be a lot of fun!
We have a very exciting topic planned for this term. - - In this topic your children will learn
Science
In Science this term we will be exploring
Reading
Regular reading practice at home is vital to your child's progress and we ask that you hear your child read out loud as often as possible. As well as listening to them read it is important that your child has the opportunity to discuss the texts they read, make predictions regarding what could happen next and answer questions. This will ensure that they fully understand what they have read.
Reading
books are to be brought into school every day, along with the Reading Record. This will be checked once a week and books changed as necessary. As well as reading books, children will bring home a school library book and are also encouraged to read books that they like from home. Children are encouraged to read daily, as far as possible, and to record what they have read in the Reading Record (they may need a parent?s help to do this to begin with). It is also helpful if parents can occasionally write comments about the child?s reading in the Reading Record. Reading and writing have an important role in the entire school curriculum so it is really important that your child's reading skills progress steadily in order for them to be able to get the most out of every subject.
Spelling
Spelling lists will be set on a Monday and the children will be tested on a Friday. They will follow a specific spelling pattern or phoneme. We will complete work on these lists in school but ask that you help your child practise these words on a daily basis using the look, say, cover, write, check method. We also encourage the children to ensure they spell these words correctly in their independent work. As well as this, weekly times tables tests will take place each Tuesday, and your child will be reminded what they will be tested on each week, although a timetable of these was sent home a while back.
Homework
Homework is now in the form of a project, which can be completed over the duration of the half term. Your child will be given full details and information regarding this in school.
PE
We ask that PE kits are brought into school on a Monday and remain in school until Friday. Our allocated PE day is Tuesday although sometimes due to the weather we may have to change that day, thus it is vital your child has his or her kit in school all week. Below is a quick reminder of the kit your child should have.
- plain white t-shirt
- blue or black shorts
- trainers (preferably) or pumps
- plain black, blue or grey track suit bottoms (if possible)
We also attend swimming lessons at the Forum each Friday now until the end of the summer term. Please ensure that your child brings their correct swimming kit each Friday. Goggles are allowed in the pool.
Clubs
There are many clubs available to our KS2 pupils and it would be a good idea to regularly check your child's bag for letters regarding these clubs as they often work on a first come first served basis.
As always your support is greatly appreciated and if any parents have a burning desire to get involved in school life there are several options.
1. Join the Friends of Barrow Hall PTA. They organise super events during the school year and help to raise funds that benefit all children in school. Parental support is vital so look out for the next AGM and get yourself down there!
2. Come in and help out in the classroom. Parental help is always welcome and if you feel you have something to offer then pop in to see us and we'll see what we can organise.
3. Support our school by coming to the major events in the yearly calendar such as the Christmas Fair, Easter Bingo, summer bbq etc. Dates for these can be found on the school website, calendar and in news letters as these events approach.
Hopefully you will find this information useful. However if you have any concerns or worries, please do not hesitate to contact us to arrange an appointment.
Thanks for all your support
Mrs J McKinnon and Mrs S Wharton
