Dear Parents/Carers,
Staff – I (Mr Cook) will be the key teacher for this year group and will be teaching the class every day except Thursday afternoons. The class will be lead on this day by Mrs Blackburn who will be doing values and handwriting work with the children. I will ensure that lessons are stimulating and enjoyable for the children to give them the best chance of positive motivated attainment. Teaching assistant support, when I am teaching, will be provided by Mrs Moran and we will also have additional support in the classroom provided by Mrs Gerty and Mrs Heimour.
Early morning routine – On Monday and Friday your child can go into the playground from 8.20am (with book bag and lunchbox), and when the bell rings at 8.30am the children will line up with their belongings, and then go into class. Please let the children be independent in looking after their belongings in the playground before school. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday your child will be expected to come straight to class where they will be using the time to complete feedback marking from the previous day. The register will be taken in class at 8.35am.
Fruit – Your child can bring a piece of fruit/snack for their morning break time.
Drinks – Each child will need to bring in a named water bottle to drink throughout the day. It does get very hot in the Key Stage 2 classes so a drink will always be available. Water bottles will be easily accessible in the class room in a clearly labelled tray and the children will be given lots of opportunities to have a drink throughout the day, however they shall not be on the class tables during lessons to ensure that great work does not accidentally become spoiled.
Lunchboxes – These will be stored within the classroom.
End of the day routine- The day ends for the children at 3.15pm. Children with siblings in Key Stage 1 will leave at 3.00pm.
Uniform – I ask that you regularly check that all clothing is clearly labelled, especially jumpers and coats, including their P.E. kit, and that all children are provided with a hat in hot weather, and a coat when it is cold or wet. It’s important to get the children out at playtime everyday, even in light rain.
P.E. – P.E. lessons will take place on Monday afternoon and Friday afternoon, so please make sure that their P.E. kit is in school each week. Please could all children be provided with some jogging bottoms and a sports jumper so we can continue with P.E. outside when it becomes chilly! I only have a small amount of spare kit for anyone to use, otherwise the children will be provided with work to do to occupy themselves during P.E.
Reading – We will be doing various reading activities at school, therefore please make sure that the children always have their books in their reading bags at school. Every child will continue to have a reading record, and it is helpful if you can write in it each time you read with your child, and adults at school will do the same to keep you informed of your child’s progress. However, I do need to stress that these books are mainly a home reading book, and we will not always hear children read these books as we will be studying quality whole class guided reading books together. In the year 5 classroom we will have our very own reading area, which I have ensured has many high quality, interesting books populating its shelves, meaning children will have access to great books that are only available to our class. Hopefully every child will be able to find books that appeal to their interests.
Homework – I will be setting Numeracy, Reading/SPAG and Spellings homework each week. Spellings will be set twice over a two week period before a spelling test that will focus on the spellings they have been given. Spelling homework will be built around the spelling focus that your child is working on during spelling lessons in class, the homework will aim to further reinforce the rules they have been learning. Numeracy homework will be set on a Monday to be handed in on Friday. Reading comprehension and SPAG homework will be set on alternate weeks. Reading comprehension homework will be set for the first week, going out on the Monday and handed in on the next Monday, whilst the SPAG homework will go out on the second Monday and be due in the next Monday. This will then repeat. Topic homework will be set at the beginning of the topic and will have tasks related to the topic included, all the due in dates will also be included on this sheet, this will alternate between optional and compulsory. This homework will be optional in Autumn 1. I will expect children to be reading at home on a daily basis, even though many of the children are becoming confident readers it is important in order for them to hone the key facets of a great reader: fluency; vocabulary and reading style.
As your child gets older there will be an increase in the difficulty of homework and the attention needed towards it. I am sure that you will support me in ensuring that your child’s homework is neatly presented, written using a sharp pencil, with clear and joined handwriting. I do expect that homework is handed in on time otherwise it can be difficult to keep up with the marking and give the children quality feedback to help them see what they are doing well and how they can make their work even better.
If you have any questions/concerns about homework, please do not hesitate in coming to see me. If your child is struggling to find the time to complete all of their homework, I am happy to provide a homework club for some of lunchtime play so children can complete it. However, this will not be a time for additional teaching because I will need to set up for the afternoon’s learning.
Class Dojo –This is our completely electronic way of rewarding the children. One of the features of this system that is particularly useful is a message system (which can be accessed via computer or app). This feature allows there to be a better working relationship between myself and all of the parents in the class. I will be able to send class or individual messages out to inform you of particularly positive behaviour or work during the week, you will also be able to also message me if you have anything you would like to talk about or query. Other great elements of this system include the ability to view your child’s points total and to monitor what their points have been awarded for e.g. good work ethic. I will also post photos and videos onto Class Dojo so you can see the work your child is completing in school. I will be posting these regularly so make sure you check the app often. Your child will also be able to use their log in to edit their own avatar so they can see it in class and so it is completely individual to them.
Times Tables – I want to put a particular emphasis on learning the times table as these are very important, especially now that children are expected to know them up to 12×12. As the children grow confident reciting the tables in order, I am going to focus more this year on practising them out of order, so when going over the tables with your child at home can you choose a table to focus on and help them recite them out of order. I will test them on every Friday. In order to help with this, I will send a laminated copy of the times tables out in the first week.
Thank you for your time in reading this. Please remember, if you have ANY concerns or worries about your child throughout the year DO NOT hesitate in coming to see me after school. If there is any way that I can support your child and family then I will. I would much rather know about a problem and take steps to solve it before it becomes a bigger problem! I also try my best to respond quickly to any messages I receive on the Class Dojo so don’t hesitate to message me either. I am thoroughly looking forward to working with you and your child throughout this exciting school year.
Kind regards,
Mr Cook
Please click to download … Y5 Long Term Plan 2018-19
Y5 MTP Autumn 1 – Ancient Greece
Please see below some pictures of what we got up to in Y5 last year…
Some photos of our Sea Life Centre Trip, World Book Day 2018 and our Anglo Saxon/Viking Day
