Welcome to class 5 Activities 2024 – 2025
Homework – 9.6.25
This week’s homework – Literacy – Leaver’s Assembly Scrip & Lyrics.
We are very excited to have received our scripts and song lyrics for our upcoming Year 6 Leaver’s Assembly. We have decided, as a class, to dedicate this week’s homework to reading and performing arts where the children are to become familiar with their script and try to choose a suitable role that they may like to have in the play. Please read your script and practice the song lyrics each night in preparation for casting – sometime this week or early next. Remember, enjoy!
Cornerstones Curriculum Engagement – Firedamp and Davy Lamps – 3.6.25
What a fabulous session we have had again with the wonderful illustrator (Liz Million). We welcomed her into school to launch our new Cornerstones Curriculum topic Firedamp and Davy Lamps. We told stories whilst sketching 2 Victorian characters that were links to coal mining. We are very impressed with our finished creations.
Cornerstones Curriculum Summer Term 2 – Class 5
I hope that you are all fit and well and have had a relaxing half-term break. During the Summer 2nd half term in Class 5, we are looking forward to learning about our next topic – A Firedamp and Davy Lamps.
Descend into the depths of Britain’s coal mines and discover how coal miners brought the precious coal up to the surface that was needed to power industry. During this half term, we’ll find out about the many dangers of mining and why health and safety laws are important in the world today, and we’ll use geological maps to identify coal seams in the UK. We’ll also learn about the importance of coal during the Industrial Revolution, the process of the ‘no choice’ lottery and the miners’ strikes. Getting creative, we’ll study the work of the Pitmen Painters and recreate their style using a variety of art materials and techniques.
We’ll also consider the future of coal mining and how a coal-free future would be better for the environment
As well as our topic, the children will develop Fitness with Leanne and Swimming in PE, Forest School will continue on Wednesdays, enhance their understanding of Christianity in RE, as well as enhancing our Literacy and Numeracy skills. Our extra-curricular SAT Clubs are on Tuesday and Thursdays where we will begin to prepare our children for Year 6 and 7 (KS3). All children in Class 5 are encouraged to join in the fun on these After-School Clubs.
Homework will be issued weekly. Spellings will be issued on Wednesday and returned ready for a test on Mondays. Either Literacy, Numeracy or Science will be issued on Mondays, to be returned on Fridays. To continue all our hard work to develop our Remote Learning, we are encouraging our children to access their homework via DB Primary and upload their homework onto the MY WORK section by the Friday deadline – paper copies will still be distributed if necessary. We are trying to encourage our children to read daily, asking parents / carers to give a brief comment in their reading diary. Please ensure that your child returns their reading book to school daily.
Class 5 will have PE on Mondays, Thursdays (Swimming) and Fridays (Football) this half term. Please ensure your child has their PE kits in school on Monday morning and leave it in school for the whole week. Naturally, swimming kits will need to be in school on Thursday morning and will be returned on the Thursday evening. We will send PE kits home on Fridays.
Please feel free to contact me with any queries; I genuinely believe that a happy child is the result of outstanding home / school links. Once again, thank you for your continuing support.
Cornerstones Curriculum Celebration – Eden Camp – 21.5.25
What a fabulous day we have had – we’ve been to Eden Cam to celebrate the end of our topic – A Child’s War. We really enjoyed searching through the large variety of huts that gave an individual story into an aspect of war – we didn’t realise just how many wars there were!
We also loved walking through the exhibitions that were real-life sized and gave us some idea of what it was like during World War.
Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all our children – very impressed.
Homework – 19.5.25
This week’s homework – Literacy – Young Writer’s Poem.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
End of SATs Party – 16.5.25
Oh wow! You have all done amazingly well.
It was an absolute delight to experience the SAT week with our Year 6 children; they were calm, resilient and so determined to succeed that you are going to reap such rich rewards. Well done to our Year 5 children also who have integrated seamlessly into other classes during the morning to complete your tasks. You have all earned our End of SATs Party! Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all our wonderful children.
Homework – 12.5.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Science.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
KS2 SAT Week – 12 – 15th May 2025
We are immensely proud of all our Year 6 children…you have worked incredibly hard over the year and this is the week where you can thrive and showcase your skills. Remember to stay focussed and enjoy. We are so impressed with each and everyone of you.
Quidditch with Caitlin – 2.6.25
UNCRC Article 31 – Take part in a range of activities.
Class 5 had an excellent afternoon playing Quidditch. They learnt a variety of skills and built up to playing each team in a tournament.
Homework – 28.4.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Literacy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Summer Term 1
I hope that you are all fit and well and have had a wonderful, relaxing Easter holiday. During the Summer 1st half term in Class 5, we are looking forward to learning about our next topic – A Child’s War!
A siren sounds and a Spitfire zooms overhead! It’s 1939 and Britain is at war.
This half term, we’ll imagine what it was like to be evacuated and live with a family other than our own. Using different source materials, we’ll learn about evacuation and write letters to our families ‘back home’. We’ll plot the Second World War’s events on a timeline and learn about rationing, Pearl Harbour and the Battle of Britain.
From a range of maps, we’ll identify safe and dangerous places during the war and make persuasive posters to support the war effort. After reading an extract from The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, we’ll write our own diaries. We’ll learn about what it was like during the Blitz and think about how soldiers might have felt.
As well as our topic, the children will develop Outdoor and Adventurous Activities PE, Forest School will continue on Wednesdays, enhance their understanding of Christianity in RE, as well as enhancing our Literacy and Numeracy skills. Our children are excited to continue their preparations for the upcoming SATs, extra-curricular clubs are on Tuesday and Thursdays. All children in Class 5 are encouraged to join in the fun on these After-School Clubs.
Homework will be issued weekly. Spellings will be issued on Wednesday and returned ready for a test on Mondays. Either Literacy, Numeracy or Science will be issued on Mondays, to be returned on Fridays. To continue all our hard work to develop our Remote Learning, we are encouraging our children to access their homework via DB Primary and upload their homework onto the MY WORK section by the Friday deadline – paper copies will still be distributed if necessary. We are trying to encourage our children to read daily, asking parents / carers to give a brief comment in their reading diary. Please ensure that your child returns their reading book to school daily.
Class 5 will have PE on Monday and Thursdays this half term. Please ensure your child has their PE kits in school on Monday morning and leave it in school for the whole week. We will send PE kits home on Fridays.
Please feel free to contact me with any queries; I genuinely believe that a happy child is the result of outstanding home / school links. Once again, thank you for your continuing support.
Cornerstones Curriculum Celebration – 10.4.25
UNCRC Article 29 – Goals of Education
Beast Creator
Fabulous work today when the children of Class 5 created their very own habitat environment for their imaginary beasts created in our Cornerstones Curriculum – Beast Creator. They initiated their ideas as part of a team and created their Beast (Bug) Hotels within their Forest School sessions.
Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all.
Durham Enterprise Project – 5.4.25
UNCRC Article 29 – Goals of Education
Year 5/6 have been working with a business, who creates local textiles, for the past 10 weeks. Children have designed, manufactured and sold their product at Durham Market Place on Saturday. The children sold all of their finished products and demonstrated creativity and excellent teamwork skills. We would like to thank Melanie Kyle, a local textiles designer for this opportunity.
The Mayor of Durham visits Nettlesworth Primary School – 31.3.25
We were incredibly lucky to have a visit from the Mayor of Durham this afternoon, along with her bodyguards.
The children in class 5 ended the afternoon by sharing their work they have been doing with Durham Business Enterprise – she was blown away by the designs and detail put in and said she will pop by their market stall selling their products this weekend in Durham city. ✨
UNCRC Article 12 – every child has the right to be heard.
Homework – 24.3.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Literacy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
PE – Fitness – 25.3.25
UNCRC Article 31 – Leisure, Play and Artistic Culture
Well done to all our children who have demonstrated desire and resilience to complete their next session with Leanne in fitness. You really are working hard class 5.
Future Careers – Music – 21.3.25
UNCRC Article 31 – Leisure, Play and Artistic Culture
A massive well done to Jasleen who has completed her next Guitar Stage (4) demonstrating desire and willingness to succeed in her exam. A definite potential future career in Music. We are all very proud of you Jasleen.
Homework – 10.3.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Numeracy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read
Fractions-Decs-Perc-HW-10.3.25
Citizenship – 4.3.25
Well done to all the children in class 5 where we are planning our debate on a new playpark that will be built on ‘The Green’. We have been highlighting the positives and negatives for different society groups – children; parents; elderly and councilors.
What would your opinion be to a new playpark in your local area?
Homework – 3.3.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Literacy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read
County Durham Enterprise Project – FBM Market Makers
Throughout the Spring Term, the children in Class 5 have been working with a local textiles designer – Melanie Kyle – to participate in the County Durham Enterprise Project aimed at designing, manufacturing and selling a product to maximise potential profit whilst managing a budget to complete their goals.
The children have worked very hard in these sessions and have produced some lovely products that are planned to be sold at Market.
The FBM Market Makers event marks the culmination of the 10-week FBM Market Makers project, where Year 6 pupils from participating Durham Primary schools will showcase and sell the products they have developed. This hands-on experience is designed to foster enterprise skills, teamwork, and creativity, giving young people the opportunity to apply their learning in a real-world marketplace setting.
The FBM Market event will take place on Saturday 5th April from 9:00am until 3:00pm and will be located in front of St. Nic’s Church, Market Square in Durham City Centre.
We are aiming to rotate the children so that no more than 3 to 4 children from Class 5 man the stall at any given time and each time slot to last for 1 hour. This is purely due to congestion, health and safety reasons. It is the responsibility for the parents / carers to drop and pick-up their children for their designated times to man the stall. This is not a compulsory event that your child needs to attend and we are very aware that this is a weekend and other family commitments are in place. Please let me know if your child can or cannot participate in the Market Stall.
Please see the letter attached for more information.
Spring Term 2
I hope that you are all fit and well and have had a relaxing half-term. During the Spring 2nd half term in Class 5, we are looking forward to learning about our next topic – Beast Creator!
A bug, a creepy-crawly, a beast. He’ll tickle your skin then go in for the sting. Arachnids, insects, molluscs and myriapods, hiding in nooks and beneath darkened rocks. Come search for these minibeasts, and let’s sort them out. How many legs? How many wings? Who does it eat and who eats it? Can you classify it? Can you draw it or make it? Build a bug hotel or a wonderful wormery, then watch them wriggle and burrow, mixing earth as they go.
Discover where in the world you’ll find the deadliest beasts. Perhaps the Vespa Mandarina Japonica is the one that you fear? Why not become a beast creator? Selectively breed a killer predator that saves the world from the super strong aphid. You’ll be a hero. ‘There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don’t know why she swallowed a fly. Perhaps she’ll die?’
As well as our topic, the children will develop their fitness in PE with Leanne Kemp, as well as enhancing our Literacy and Numeracy skills. Our children are excited to continue their preparations for the upcoming SATs, extra-curricular clubs are on Tuesday and Thursdays. All children in Class 5 are encouraged to join in the fun on these After-School Clubs.
Homework will be issued weekly. Spellings will be issued on Wednesday and returned ready for a test on Mondays. Either Literacy, Numeracy or Science will be issued on Mondays, to be returned on Fridays. To continue all our hard work to develop our Remote Learning, we are encouraging our children to access their homework via DB Primary and upload their homework onto the MY WORK section by the Friday deadline – paper copies will still be distributed if necessary. We are trying to encourage our children to read daily, asking parents / carers to give a brief comment in their reading diary. Please ensure that your child returns their reading book to school daily.
Class 5 will have PE on Monday and Wednesdays this half term. Please ensure your child has their PE kits in school on Monday morning and leave it in school for the whole week. We will send PE kits home on Fridays.
We will continue to deliver our Forest School on Thursdays: the children are to come to school in their normal uniform as normal, but an extra pair of socks and appropriate footwear must be worn as we will be going outside and could get wet – Please bring a change of footwear as they could / will get dirty!
Cornerstones Curriculum Celebration – 17.2.25
What a lovely way to celebrate a wonderful creative topic when we welcomed our parents into school to become creative with us and be inspired by the 19th and 20th century artists we have been working on. We are very impressed with the artists within our class and their parents. Thank you to all of you who came.
Homework – 17.2.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Literacy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read
Homework – 10.2.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Numeracy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read
Homework – 3.2.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Literacy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Homework – 27.1.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Science.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Homework – 20.1.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Numeracy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Homework – 13.1.25
Please find attached this week’s homework – Literacy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Forest School – Spring Term 2025
We are very excited to be able to offer our children from Class 5 the chance to participate in Forest School sessions. These sessions will be a continuation from the lessons taught with Mrs Morton offsite with Class 1 and last term with myself (Mr. Graham) in KS2. The children will remain on the school grounds enhancing a variety of skills and problem-solving techniques based around Key Stage 2 objectives.
Over the next half term, the children will experience:
- Forest Art using natural resources – Clay
- Knots
- Safely make a fire – weather dependant
All lessons will be taught by myself (Mr. Graham) and the first session will begin Thursday 16th January 2025.
On Forest School days (Thursdays), the children are to come to school in their normal uniform as normal, but an extra pair of socks and appropriate footwear must be worn as we will be going outside and could get wet – Please bring a change of footwear as they could / will get dirty!
We are really looking forward to continuing our Forest School experience and learning about the great outdoors. Please feel free to contact me with any queries.
Spring Term 2025
Happy New Year; I hope that you are all fit and well and have had a wonderful, relaxing Christmas holiday. During the Spring 1st half term in Class 5, we are looking forward to learning about our next topic – Gallery Rebels!
Colours collide, melting together on the canvas: an impression of light, a rage of red, a lobster perched on a telephone…come and find out about the bizarre and eccentric minds of the gallery rebels!
Art can be an act of rebellion. Can you change the world with a paint brush, a thought, or an idea?
Dream the dream – or show us your nightmares! What do you see? Watches melting? Wheels spinning? A shark in a box? Can you express yourself without words? Well, a picture paints a thousand of them!
Try your hand at a ‘Damien Hirst’ sculpture, exploring the weird and wonderful to create a curious treasure for the next generation. Take up your arms and fight for the cause…paintbrushes and sketch books at the ready – let’s make art!
As well as our topic, the children will develop their Gymnastics in PE, as well as enhancing our Literacy and Numeracy skills. Our children are excited to continue their preparations for the upcoming SATs, extra-curricular clubs are on Tuesday and Thursdays. All children in Class 5 are encouraged to join in the fun on these After-School Clubs.
Homework will be issued weekly. Spellings will be issued on Wednesday and returned ready for a check on Mondays. Either Literacy, Numeracy or Science will be issued on Mondays, to be returned on Fridays. We are encouraging our children to access their homework via DB Primary and upload their homework onto the MY WORK section by the Friday deadline – paper copies will still be distributed if necessary. We are trying to encourage our children to read daily, asking parents / carers to give a brief comment in their reading diary. Please ensure that your child returns their reading book to school daily.
Class 5 will have PE on Tuesday and Wednesdays this half term. Please ensure your child has their PE kits in school on Monday morning and leave it in school for the whole week. We will send PE kits home on Fridays.
Reindeer Run – 16.12.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
Well done to all the children today who participated in the Reindeer Run and to the Sports Leaders and SOCs Crew who helped to organise the children across the school.
Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all.
Christingles – 16.12.24
UNCRC Article 14 – freedom of thought, belief and religion
Well done the the children in Class 5 today when we explored our critical thinking around the Christian Beliefs of Christmas and what this religious festival means to each other. We spoke about the artifacts used in church and in the home and we made our own Christingle ready for tomorrow’s Christingle Service at Church.
Forest School – 11.12.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
Fabulous work by the children in Class 5 today where they utilised all their Forest School skills and applied them to create a Christmas themed creation using natural resources and lashings.
We were all very impressed with our final outcomes.
Forest School – 4.12.24
A super session in Forest School today where we planted our allotments using a variety of plants, herbs and vegetables. We carefully labelled our sections and placed our structures in place.
We will carefully watch the progress over the coming months.
Christmas Tree Decorating – 2.12.24
A truly special occasion today where all our children across the whole school helped to decorate our school Christmas Tree by each adding one decoration. We then had a traditional story (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) with the Christmas lights on.
Speaking and Listening – 22.11.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
A fabulous session today when we were all very excited to receive the script of this year’s Christmas Performance – A Magical Christmas Jigsaw. We all enjoyed practicing a variety of parts and even had a sing song.
Forest School – 20.11.24
UNCRC Article 28 – right to education
A fabulous session today on a very chilly, snowy day where we made super progress with our structures for our allotments.
We are using lashings and a variety of knots to ensure our structures have strength.
Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all.
Music – Ukulele – 18.11.24
Another fabulous lesson from all our children on our ukuleles with Mr. Stokoe.
We are practicing very hard for our end of term showcase.
Sleepover – 15.11.24
UNCRC Article 24 – Health & Health Services
What a wonderful night the children from Class 5 have had when they participated in a Charitable Sleep Over in aid to raise funds for Crisis Support. The children enjoyed building shelters using material and cardboard boxes, a fashion show using a black, plastic-bag as they made their own outfit, and sampled soup, hotdogs and hot chocolate from our very own soup kitchen. The children settled down to sleep on the floor (PE mats with duvets and pillows) to try and envisage what it would be like to sleep on the streets as a homeless person. Well done to everyone, even Mrs. Lee, Mr. Graham and Mrs. Aspinall who also joined in the experience.
Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all.
Geography – 13.11.24
UNCRC Article 12 – right to an opinion
A superb session today when the children from Class 5 participated in a worldwide debate based on the world issue – Climate Change.
We attended the online 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly known as COP29 which was being held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The children discussed a variety of ways we could help to aid the problem and how we can raise the awareness of this international problem.
Forest School – 13.11.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
A challenging session today saw the children from Class 5 learning how to ‘lash’ sticks together using a variety of knots. The children will need to use their knots to create their structures in the coming weeks.
Superb resilience and patience demonstrated by the children – a special mention to Jake who even showcased his potential career of a teacher when he showed his peers how to tie a reef knot.
Well done everyone.
PE – Sports Hall Athletics – 12.11.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
Well done to all the children today in your efforts and willingness to succeed in the SSCo Sports Hall Athletics festival and Maiden Castle. It was lovely to see such commitment, dedication and teamwork across the whole class.
We are all very proud of you.
Remembrance Artwork – 11.11.24
UNCRC Article 38 – War and War Zones
A beautiful array of artwork has been produced by some simply stunning artists in Class 5 in aid for the remembrance service to all those service men and women who have been killed serving their country. The children used their skills to create a wonderful watercolour for our whole school display.
Rights Respecting Gold demonstrated by all.
Cornerstones Curriculum Engagement – Allotment – 11.11.24
UNCRC Article 28 – right to education
Let’s grow! A crispy carrot, a luscious lettuce or a tasty tomato. Dig deep and put your back into it, making your own tubs and planters and nurturing your greens.
Harvest your crops and make soups and dishes of seasonal foods that taste delicious. Learn about farms and where food comes from, writing reports on wide produce.
Discover which allotments are closest to your school and open the door to the secret garden.
After all your hard work, have your fingers gone green?
What a super trip we have had in Class 5 today – an excursion to one of our family’s real-life, working Allotments. It was wonderful to see the different sections to the allotment and the types of plantation and wild-life that is housed there. Our children particularly enjoyed looking at the orchid trees and the geese in the enclosure. We can’t wait to dive into our new topic and begin to design our very own allotments.
Homework – Science – 15.11.24
Please find attached this week’s homework – Science.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
PSHCE – UK Parliamentary – DEBATES – 7.11.24
UNCRC Article 13 – freedom of expression
A wonderful session today where the children participated in a debate in preparation for our UK Parliamentary Coffee Morning next week. We enjoyed debating the statement – All mobile phones should be banned for children under the age of 16.
We gave some super arguments for and against and can’t wait to have the debate with our adults.
Rights respecting gold ethos demonstrated by all.
PE – SSCo Kaitlin – 7.11.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
A super session today when our children enhanced their football skills with Kaitlin from the SSCo programme, to complete a series of football skills.
Rights respecting gold ethos demonstrated by all our children.
Forest School – 6.11.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
A super session today when the children from class 5 participated in their first Forest School session of the term. They worked collaborately as a team to search for a variety of natural resources in preparation to build a structure for their Allotment challenge in Cornerstones Curriculum – Allotment.
PSHCE – Confidence and Resilience – 5.11.24
UNCRC Article 28 – right to education
A super session today where we welcomed Louise into class 5 to discuss Confidence and Resilience and how these key skills can help us to make better decisions and succeed in life.
Rights Respecting gold ethos demonstrated by all.
Music – Ukulele – 5.11.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
Well done to Class 5 on their next ukulele session with Mr. Stokoe. We are really progressing with our chords and can begin to hear some lovely sounds as a whole class.
Homework – Numeracy – 8.11.24
Please find attached this week’s homework – Numeracy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Class 5’s Forest School
We are very excited to be able to offer our children from Class 5 the chance to participate in Forest School sessions. These sessions will be a continuation from the lessons taught with Mrs Morton offsite with Class 1 and last year with myself (Mr. Graham) in KS2. The children will remain on the school grounds enhancing a variety of skills and problem-solving techniques based around Key Stage 2 objectives.
Over the next half term, the children will experience:
- Forest Art using natural resources
- Knots
- Build Structures – Mini Allotments
- Safely make a fire
All lessons will be taught by myself (Mr. Graham) and the first session will begin Wednesday 6th November 2024.
On Forest School days, the children are to come to school in their normal uniform as normal, but an extra pair of socks and appropriate footwear must be worn as we will be going outside and could get wet – Please bring a change of footwear as they could / will get dirty!
I am really looking forward to working with your child during their Forest School experience and learning about the great outdoors. Please feel free to contact me with any queries.
Welcome Back Class 5
Cornerstones Curriculum – Allotment
I hope that you have all had a wonderful, relaxing half term and are ready for the next 7 weeks; welcome back Class 5, Year 5 and 6.
This half term in Class 5, we are looking forward to learning about our new topic – Allotment…
Let’s grow! A crispy carrot, a luscious lettuce or a tasty tomato. Dig deep and put your back into it, making your own tubs and planters and nurturing your greens.
Harvest your crops and make soups and dishes of seasonal foods that taste delicious. Learn about farms and where food comes from, writing reports on wide produce.
Discover which allotments are closest to your school and open the door to the secret garden.
After all your hard work, have your fingers gone green?
As well as our topic, the children will continue to develop their Ukulele in Music, as well as enhancing our Literacy and Numeracy skills. Our Year 6 children are excited to continue their preparations for the upcoming SATs, and our extra-curricular clubs will continue on Tuesday and Thursday. All children in Class 5 will be encouraged to join in the fun on these After-School Clubs.
We are trying to encourage our children to read at least once every week at home, asking parents / carers to give a brief comment in their reading diary. Please ensure that your child returns their reading book to school daily.
Homework will be issued weekly. Spellings will be issued on Wednesday and returned ready for a check on Mondays. Either Literacy, Numeracy or Science will be issued on Mondays, to be returned on Fridays. To continue all our hard work to develop our Remote Learning, we are encouraging our children to access their homework via DB Primary and upload their homework onto the MY WORK section by the Friday deadline – paper copies will still be distributed if necessary.
Class 5 will have PE on Wednesday and Thursdays. Please ensure your child has their PE kits in school on Monday morning and leave it in school for the whole week. We will send PE kits home on Fridays.
Please feel free to contact me with any queries; I genuinely believe that a happy child is the result of outstanding home / school links.
Harvest Festival – 25.10.24
UNCRC Article 12 – freedom of thought, belief and religion
Well done to all our children who participated in our Harvest Festival at the local Church with Rev. Michael; poems, songs and readings were beautifully shared with our parents, carers and families and thank you all for your kind donations of food that is now on its way to the foodbank in Chester-le-Street.
Rights Respecting gold ethos demonstrated by all.
Homework – Literacy – 21.10.24
Please find attached this week’s homework – Literacy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Homework – Science – 14.10.24
Please find attached this week’s homework – Science.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Art
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
We are all very proud and impressed with our efforts in art this term; we initially sketched then used pastels to create textures through shading and smudging to recreate drawings Charles Darwin created during his exhibition to the Galapagos.
Geography / Computing
UNCRC Article 28 – right to education
A super lesson today in Geography where the children identified all factors that endangered animals and how we can help reduce this. The children also found a variety of animal species who have become extinct giving geographical reasons for this.
Potential Future Careers – Cricket
Well done to both Archie and Harry for their fabulous efforts in cricket this year for their out of school club – Sacriston.
We definitely have potential superstars on our hands and potential future Careers in Cricket.
Potential Future Careers – Judo
Well done to Jacob who has been working very hard in his out of school club and earned an unbelievable achievement in becoming a junior coach in his Judo. We definitely have a future star and a potential future Career in martial arts.
UNCRC – Fair Trade – 20.9.24
Fabulous work today in Class 5 when we identified what Fair Trade is and how we can help support this.
Homework – Literacy – 30.9.24
Please find attached this week’s homework – Literacy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Computing / Geography – 25.9.24
UNCRC Article 17 – access to media
Well done to all our children today when we brilliantly researched the Galápagos Islands using trusted websites.
We created an information leaflet as part of our Geography to illustrate features of the Islands.
Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all.
French – Colours – 23.9.24
UNCRC Article 28 – right to education
Another excellent MFL lesson when we recap on the basic colours in French and learned a variety of new in preparation to add details to describe our clothing. Our pronunciation is certainly improving. Rights respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all our children.
Homework – Science – 23.9.24
Please find attached this week’s homework – Science.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
Computing / Geography – Darwin’s Route to the Galapagos – 19.9.24
UNCRC Article 17 – access to media
Another fabulous lesson on Darwin’s Delights today where our children were given the task to plot a variety of locations along Darwin’s route to the Galapagos. The children used Google Maps as part of their Computing skills as well as their Geographical knowledge of the equator and lines of Cancer, Capricorn, Northern and Southern Hemispheres to describe each location plotted.
Well done to all our wonderful children.
Music – Ukulele – 17.9.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
A wonderful second lesson with Mr Stokoe today when we recapped on our chords (C, A minor, F).
We listened to the fabulous Jake Shimabukuro – Over the Rainbow.
Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all our children.
Homework – Numeracy – 16.9.24
Please find attached this week’s homework – Numeracy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
PE – Rugby – Marc – 13.9.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
Our first rugby session of the term saw our children participate in passing and moving techniques. Well done everyone.
PE – Games – Mr. Beverage – 10.9.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
Another super PE session today with Mr. Beverage – indoors due to the rain – where our children developed their leadership and teamwork skills. Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all.
Music – Ukulele – 10.9.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
A wonderful first lesson with Mr Stokoe today when we began our ukulele lessons by relearning the chords C, C7, F and G.
We listened to the Beatles and have started to play Hey Jude.
Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all our children.
Homework – Literacy – 9.9.24
Please find attached this week’s homework – Literacy.
Once you have completed your homework, please upload your work onto DB Primary (MY WORK SECTION) by Friday’s deadline. Remember to try to read to your parent / carer and have your Reading Record signed to show how well you have read.
PE – Games – 6.9.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
A super PE session today when our children demonstrated teamwork and encouragement to work with a partner and complete a series of games in the quickest time possible. Rights Respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all.
Cornerstones Curriculum – Darwin’s Delights – 6.9.24
UNCRC Article 31 – leisure, play and artistic culture
UNCRC Article 28 – right to education
What a fabulous way to be introduced to our wonderful new Cornerstones topic with the Engagement – Specimen Studies. We all investigated a range of images of animals including snails, worms, gerbils, hamsters and chicks and observed their characteristics and features. We then became an explorer ourselves – like Charles Darwin – and drew the specimens and labelled common body parts. We then made a list of research questions that could help us to find out more about each specimen. Rights respecting Gold ethos demonstrated by all our children.
Welcome to Class 5
I hope that you have all had a wonderful, relaxing summer holiday and are ready for the year ahead; welcome to Class 5 – Year 5 and 6.
In Class 5, we are looking forward to learning about our new topic – Darwin’s Delights…
Ship ahoy! We’re off on an exciting expedition with Charles Darwin and his crew on HMS Beagle. Can you trace his route across the vast ocean?
Stop at the magical Galapagos Islands to see the amazing species that helped Darwin develop his theory of evolution by natural selection.
Do you know what’s so special about a lava lizard, or why the blue-footed booby has blue feet?
Imagine how humans will evolve in millions of years; it’s a scary thought!
Ready to trace the origin of species? Let’s set sail!
As well as our topic, the children will develop their rugby in PE, as well as enhancing our Literacy and Numeracy skills. Our Year 6 children are excited to start their preparations for the upcoming SATs, and an extra-curricular club has been organised to start on Tuesday and Thursday – please look-out for the club letters that will be handed out soon. All children in Class 5 will be encouraged to join in the fun on these After-School Clubs.
Homework will be issued weekly. Spellings will be issued on Wednesday and returned ready for a spell-check on Mondays. Either Literacy, Numeracy or Science will be issued on Mondays, to be returned on Fridays. To continue all our hard work to develop our Remote Learning, we are encouraging our children to access their homework via DB Primary and upload their homework onto the MY WORK section by the Friday deadline – paper copies will still be distributed if necessary. We are trying to encourage our children to read daily, asking parents / carers to give a brief comment in their reading diary. Please ensure that your child returns their reading book to school daily.
Class 5 will have PE on Thursday and Fridays. Please ensure your child has their PE kits in school on Monday morning and leave it in school for the whole week. We will send PE kits home on Fridays.
I am really looking forward to working with your child and getting to know them throughout the year. Please feel free to contact me with any queries; I genuinely believe that a happy child is the result of outstanding home / school links, and I am looking forward to meeting you.
Mr. Graham
