Thursday 19th December
I cannot believe that we are at the end of Autumn term already! This week has been full of exciting treats. On Monday morning, we went to the Tyneside Cinema to see Home Alone. We had such a fun time, it was a lovely morning out.
On Tuesday, we donned our Christmas jumpers and had a delicious Christmas dinner. We spent the afternoon making Christmas decorations for patients spending the 25th in hospital – the children made such beautiful baubles and I know that they will make people so happy.
Today is, of course, the Christmas party! It is due to be a fantastic afternoon.
Sadly, we are saying goodbye to one of our friends this week, as Isabelle is leaving for a new school. We wish you all the luck in the world, Isabelle, and we know that you will be amazing!
Have a fantastic Christmas break, and enjoy whatever festivities you have lined up. Miss O’Hara and I can’t wait to see you all again in January!
Merry Christmas,
Miss McKean and Miss O’Hara
Friday 13th December
Wow – what a week we have had for our Enrichment Week!
On Tuesday, we had a music workshop with Tongesayi Gumbo. He is from Zimbabwe, and travels all over the UK and Africa performing music. We had a drumming workshop with him, where we learned how to play the djembe. We learned a few different rhythms, and even had some drum solos, you’ll see Josh having a whale of a time below.
On Wednesday, we were lucky enough to have one of our favourite authors, Adam Bushnell, come to work with us. We wrote African creation stories, and used our senses to describe what we would be able to see if we were in Africa. We used this knowledge to annotate our own images of African scenery and animals. We then had a special guest… Jet the Tortoise! Jet is 20, but will live to be around 130 years old!
On Thursday, we travelled further than we will ever travel again! We took part in a VR workshop, that helped us blast off into space and explore the planets as part of our science learning about Earth and Space. It was truly a mindboggling experience, and it really solidified for us just how small we are in the grand scheme of things – what an adventure!
Finally, on Thursday afternoon, we used our clay skills to craft some African masks. We used different tools to create texture, and thought about how each mask has a story.
Have a fantastic weekend, we can’t wait to see you all on Monday for our final 4 days before Christmas!
Miss McKean and Miss O’Hara
What a fantastic week we have had! On Tuesday, we jumped on the coach to Durham. We walked up to the Cathedral, and it is such a great building as it comes into view. Once there, we headed to the Great Kitchen and explored the treasures of St Cuthbert, seeing parts of his original coffin, his comb, and his pectoral cross. Afterwards, we went into what was the monk’s dormitory all those years ago, but is now a museum, and looked at what life was like for the monks. Florence even dressed up as a monk! There was a scale model of the cathedral itself, made from Lego! We then went on a tour of the main parts of the cathedral, admiring the incredible stained-glass windows and carved stonework. It is an incredibly fascinating building.
After eating our lunch where parts of Harry Potter were filmed, which naturally caused a lot of excitement, it was time to head into Durham marketplace. We did some mapwork skills as we went, and spotted some of the colleges linked to Durham University – the Principle of St John’s College even chatted to us about his job at the college and what he does every day. After a walk along Prebends bridge to admire the cathedral from afar, it was along the riverside and into the market square to see the timeline of Durham’s heritage.
The children were incredible, and made us all so proud with their curiosity and desire to learn. They are absolute superstars!
It is also the week of our Class Assembly – and the children have been working hard to make sure it is an enjoyable and entertaining afternoon.
Have a great weekend,
Miss McKean and Miss O’Hara
Friday 8th November
Happy first week back!
This week in Antarctica class, we have been learning about discrimination in PSHE. We have been talking about the different groups in society that may be left out, or that people may be unkind to. This week, we focussed on the topic of racism. I was so proud of the children for their mature and sensible attitude, and their opinion that this is NEVER okay! The children have made some discrimination ribbons, as ways to promote this message of hope and love. I am so impressed with the children for their beautiful work, and I hope that they continue to spread such joy and love to everyone!
Have a great (and well deserved!) weekend.
Miss McKean and Miss O’Hara
Thursday 24th October
Wow – I can’t believe that our first half term in year 5 is finished! We have worked so hard for 8 weeks and have settled into the routines and expectations well.
One thing that I want to celebrate this week is how hard the children have worked in maths. We have been looking at money, using column methods to add and subtract. This was not easy, as many of us couldn’t remember the steps, and we found it super tricky at first. We have used our Growth Mindset to make sure we do not give up – and it has been worth it! The children all did incredibly at their end of topic mini-test. We could not be prouder of their progress, from being underconfident and not very sure to being superstar mathematicians!
Have a great half term, and a well-deserved rest!
Miss McKean and Miss O’Hara
Friday 18th October
This week saw us carry out our experiment that we had planned in our previous science lesson. We got our equipment set up, and started to gather and record results. We had to work out the mean average of the results, to give us an accurate reading. Most of our predictions were correct! It is always great as a teacher when you return from some time out of class and another teacher tells you how great your class have been – this week, Mr Saddington was so impressed with the children in our science lesson. I couldn’t be prouder!
Have a great weekend,
Miss McKean and Miss O’Hara
Friday 11th October
In science this week, we have been super scientists and have been designing our own experiment! We want to investigate if the temperature of water or the amount that we stir the water will change the speed that sugar dissolves. We can’t wait to test it out next week!
Since the start of term, we have been lucky enough to get some football coaching from Warren. Warren has been teaching us key skills needed for football; like reactions and reflexes, pivoting, and moving with agility. These sessions have been so much fun, and we are learning so much!
Have a great weekend,
Miss McKean and Miss O'Hara
Friday 27th September
Wow – another busy week has ended! We have worked so hard this week, and made so much progress.
In science, we have been looking at dissolving – our big question was: where do things go when they dissolve? We stirred some sugar into water, and it looked like it had simply disappeared! We found out more about the particle model, and now we understand that it does not disappear, but the sugar particles mix into the water particles and it becomes a solution.
In PSHE, we have been learning more about the Rights of a Child in Britain. We are very fortunate to live in a country where we are safe, respected and have the right to an education. I was so impressed with the children in their discussions about why it is great to live in the UK – they are such empathetic children. They have made me so proud today!
Miss McKean and Miss O'Hara
Friday 13th September
What a busy week it has been! We have started to get into the swing of year 5, and the children have been amazing. I have two amazing things to share with you this week – the children have made us so proud!
In English, we have been writing poetry using figurative language to describe a shark. Here are a few examples;
Shark – Joshua K
Super eyes see like x-ray cameras
How sharp are those daggers of teeth?
A shark’s nose could smell a salmon from a mile away!
Racing through the sea like a rocket
Kick that beast? Take it from me, if I were you, I wouldn’t!
Shark – Holly A
Sharp teeth to scare
Head of a devil
Ancient scars to show he’s tough
Roaring flippers like a jet
Careful if you approach the glider of the night!
Shark – Liam E
Teeth as pointy as the sharpest knife,
Eyes as black as the darkest ink,
Opening its mouth, ready for a fishy bite!
Scars like it has been in the war,
A demon of the water,
Fin as triangular as the perfect pizza slice,
As tall as the tallest skyscraper,
As fast as an F1 car!
Shark – Ella W
Fin as strong as a bodybuilder’s arm,
Teeth as sharp as a knife,
A heart that can beat you up,
Skin as soft as satin.
Eyes like black holes,
Skin the colour of the moon!
Wow! I am sure you’ll agree that they are absolutely fab.
I also want to share some of the artwork that the children have created, using watercolours. We were painting pictures of Antarctic scenes, inspired by David McEown. Miss O'Hara and I couldn't believe the painting skill of our class, they were absolutely incredible and made sure to put their best effort into their work. Well done Antarctica class, you are amazing!
Have a great weekend!
Miss McKean and Miss O'Hara