We are currently working on myths, legends, fables and traditional stories in our Literacy lessons.  5N wanted to share some of the critters they made for their myths and legends.  Can you create a better one?

Geography and er... ice creams?

Clipboards at the ready - off we go.

Awab and Andy studying hard.

Hamnah and Saira

Mrs. De Jager and Mrs. Roberts enjoy their ice creams.

The old saying goes, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."   Which, when work is such fun, is not really an issue when you're working hard in Year 5.  However, last week, before our half term break, we took our learning outside the classroom and applied our Geography knowledge to the community around us.

Officially, we were investigating land use, whether it was used for transport, housing, public buildings, industrial use, commercial, and so on.  Our compound here offered us the chance to investigate these different land uses, and to plot them on a map.

Ms. Thomas says that it was purely coincidental that we had to closely investigate commercial use, namely the compound shop, and that she doesn't know how it was that we all ended up with an ice cream.  All part of the research, we feel!

Muffling sound

Year 5 have had great fun with our Sound topic in Science, and carried out a formal test in class to try and see which materials would insulate sound and which would conduct sound.  We then had a bit of fun by making our own ear mufflers, and devising our own scientific enquiry to see how we could use these in an experiment.

You can see here some of the ear mufflers that we made!

 

Even Mrs. Roberts got in on the act!

Opportunist Poetry!

5S used the time while waiting for children to be collected from school with today's early closing to write their own poem in the style of Michael Rosen.

School’s Closing by 5S

 “Oh no!” declared the principal, “school has to close.”

Sherouq mentioned, “Oh no! Extra homework!”

Samar cried, “Oh no!  I don’t want to miss school.”

Haruka complained, “Oh no! I wanted to do our Science lesson.”

Ju Won mumbled, “Oh no!  I’m going to miss art!”

 Saud roared, “Oh no! I’m going to miss my friends!”

Awab exclaimed, “Oh no! We’re all going to die!”

Ayyan uttered, “Oh no! I’m going to be bossed around by my older sister!”

Fay groaned, “Oh no! I’ll be stuck in my house!”

Hala screamed, “Oh no!  That means I have to stay at home with my brother!”

Andy moaned, “Oh no! Too much extra work from Dad!”

Adam added, “Oh no! Geography’s my favourite subject!”

Amin shouted, “Wohoo!”

“Yipee!” cheered Mr. Suter, “now I can have a digestive biscuit in peace!”

Posting a comment

One of the things we love about the blog is the opportunity it gives for people to comment on what we post, notably the children themselves.  But how to you post a blog comment?  Please find here Mr. Suter's step-by-step guide.

1. Choose the blog entry that you want to respond to - for example, if you want to make a comment about yesterday's Science activity, go to that entry.  Look at the bottom of the entry and you will see a link that says "0 comments."  That means that there are no comments for that entry at the moment, although you may see the numbers change and rise.  Click on this link.

2. When you click the link, the following window should open.  You can type your message directly into the box, or you can type it in Word and then copy and paste it into the box.

3. Once you have written your message, choose from the drop down box who you are going to comment as.  Select Name/URL from the list.

4. Add your name in the box, and your class - that way, when your message has been posted we know who you are!  There is no need to add anything in the URL box.  Click continue.

5. If you want to see what your message is going to look like before you post it, choose the Preview button - this gives you a chance to check your spelling and punctuation!

6. If you like what you see, you can click to post your comment.  if you don't, choose the edit button and make changes to your message.

Please note: your message will not be posted straight away.  Every message posted gets checked before it is posted, just to make sure that no one has said anything naughty that we shouldn't see!  You will usually get a message saying that it will be posted by the next school day.  However, once your message has been moderated and posted, it should be there for you to see.  Go back and click the comments box underneath the original post, and there it will be, for all to see. 

Now - get typing!

Sources of sound

One of the wonderful aspects of the internet is that there are often many sites available that help us reinforce our teaching and learning in the classroom.  This screen shot comes from a website we've discovered called Engineering Interact, which describes itself thus:

Engineering Interact is a new and exciting free educational resource for primary school children aged 9 to 11. The resource provides fully interactive, engaging game environments and high-quality learning material tailored to the National Curriculum. Information about real world applications and cutting edge research motivates children and introduces them to the exciting subject of engineering.

http://www.engineeringinteract.org/interact.htm

 This Ocean Odyssey game supports this term's Science topic of Changing Sound - try it and see how you get on (those of you who participated in Under the Sea last year might see some similarities with our play then!).  The link underneath the picture should take you straight to the site.  Who says Science has to be boring?  Enjoy!

Reading with your child at home

Reading with your child at home

Ideas for parents of young children

Reading is important

• Reading has always been an important skill. In our modern world it is more important than ever.

• Children learn about the importance of reading as they watch family members use reading and writing for everyday purposes.

• Reading with your child at home will help your child in all learning areas of school.

• Children see you reading and writing in everyday life – reading for pleasure, sharing a story with your child, using a recipe, making a shopping list, writing a birthday card or reading street signs. This teaches them that reading and writing are useful skills in today’s world.

• Often parents are asked by the school to listen to their child read at home. It’s a good way of supporting your child’s reading. Books may be borrowed from your school library or your local library.

• Be confident that your child will learn to read.

What you can do at home to help

• Be yourself. Involve children in everyday conversations.

• Read aloud to children. It helps them to learn the language of books and will encourage them to enjoy books and reading.

• Talk about books, read together and make reading an enjoyable, shared activity.

• Make sure there is a wide range of reading material for your child at home, both fiction and non-fiction.

• It is important to read to your child in your home language if your first language is not English.  Experience shows that using your home language will help your child to learn to read in English.

• Try not to let television intrude on reading time. Make a special time for reading with your child, away from interruption.

• Listen to your child every day, even for a short time.

• Give books as treats and presents.

Hints for listening to your child read

• Before reading, talk about the cover, the title, the pictures, and discuss what the book may be

about.

• During reading, discuss what has been read up to that point, and imagine what will happen next time.

• After reading is finished, talk and ask questions about the story and the pictures.

• When reading a harder book together, take turns. Beginning readers can read the repetitive parts and more experienced readers can read a paragraph or a page.

• On finding an unknown word:

Pause to give your child time to work out the word

Prompt

– go back to the beginning of the sentence, or read past the difficult word to the end of the sentence.

– look for a clue in the picture or the words

– look at the first letter and think about what  the words could be

– ask “Does this make sense?”

– try to sound out the word

– if necessary tell your child the word

Praise your child for trying even if mistakes are made

What to read and do

• Tell and re-tell stories of all kinds including favourite stories, fairy tales, movie plots, local news items and family history.

• Play games such as “I spy... something beginning with d”.

• Ask your child to read out simple recipes while you cook together.

• Read comics, magazines, short stories, poems and rhymes, including nursery rhymes.

• Do crosswords & other word puzzles together.

• Read the TV guide before watching a program.

• Look at letterbox leaflets together.

• Read directions and signs when driving and shopping.

• Read and write notes and letters to family members.

• Play board games together and read the rules.

• Provide plastic letters, crayons, pencils, pens and writing paper.

And do remember...

• Discuss the meaning of stories and words.

• Encourage your child to read anywhere and at any time.

• Let your child see you enjoy reading.

• Visit and use a library near you. Borrow books for yourself as well as your child.

• Talk to your child’s classroom teacher or the principal for further help and advice.

• Enjoy reading – it should be fun.

*source: New South Wales Department of Education and Training