Year Five - Classes Andromeda and Centaurus
TEACHER WELCOME
Hello and welcome to Year 5: classes Andromeda and Centaurus.
Andromeda is the closest galaxy to the Milky Way and is one of the few galaxies that can be seen unaided from the Earth. Centaurus is one of the largest constellations of the sky and contains 2 of the top 10 brightest stars; Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri.
Adults working in Year 5 are:
- Miss Barrow- Andromeda Class Teacher
- Mrs Bunting- Centaurus Class Teacher
- Miss Khan, Mrs Aswat and Mrs Bint-Yousuf will support the class throughout the week
- Mrs Basar will teach RE to both classes and music to Centaurus on Monday afternoons
- Mrs Dadhiwala will teach science to both classes and music to Andromeda Monday afternoons
In Year 5, children receive a holistic educational experience that involves enjoying all parts of the curriculum. We encourage children to use their growth mindset in every subject and above all, to have fun with their learning.
PARENT INFORMATION
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The school day will begin at 8.45am and finish at 3.15pm. Your child must be lined up and ready to enter school at 8:40am. Children should be registered and ready to learn by no later than 8:50am. Please drop off and pick up your child promptly from the ball court area.
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PE for Centaurus takes place on Wednesdays and PE for Andromeda takes place on Fridays. Please ensure your child comes to school wearing their PE kit for this day. It is important that your child does not come to school wearing jewellery or earrings on this day as they will not be able to participate.
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Spellings will be uploaded onto the website and on ParentHub every half-term. The children will be tested on their spellings weekly. Both classes will be tested on a Tuesday. Please ensure your child has practised their spellings and come prepared for their test.
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Homework will be uploaded weekly onto the following online platforms: TT Rockstars, Purple Mash, Serial Mash and Active Learn (Bug Club). Children should have their logins from previous years. If you are having trouble accessing these sites, please speak to a member of staff.
- Every class in school has a library slot. Year 5's book changing slot will be a Wednesday. Please ensure that children bring their books in on these days. Reading is embedded into our English sessions and we have one whole class and one group guided reading session per week. It is important that children continue with their good reading habits at home.
OUR CLASS RULES AND REWARDS
Our class rules are:
- To be respectful.
- Always be honest.
- To have FUN!
- To contribute to class discussions.
- To look after the environment.
- Never give up!
In Year 5, we also utilise the ‘Going for Gold’ behaviour chart which provides a consistent and fair approach to behaviour management; clear systems to reward good behaviour and sanctions for inappropriate behaviour; a system that allows children to take ownership of their behaviour and their rewards.
Secrets of Success
Every Friday, up to 5 children from each class will be awarded a certificate because they have demonstrated some of the Secrets of Success (see below). These qualities show positive behaviour for learning and with all of these ingredients, children will reach their maximum potential! Throughout the year, children aim to achieve as many different certificates as they can to achieve an additional reward!
UPCOMING AND EXCITING EVENTS
We are incredibly passionate about maximising opportunities to take the children on trips and visits to enhance their learning. We believe that the broader range of experiences that the children have and places that the children visit, the more they increase in confidence and self-belief. Every visit that the children enjoy is utilised as an opportunity to further develop social skills, cultural understanding and language development, alongside the key academic aims of the visit. Class teachers are always looking for new and exciting opportunities to enrich the curriculum.
Year 5's school trips for this academic year are:
Autumn Term- Classroom Kitchen and Sealife
Spring Term- Jorvik Viking Centre and Artist Workshop
Summer Term- Royal Armouries Museum (Tudor Workshop) and School Residential
HOW PARENTS CAN HELP AT HOME
READING
Reading with your child is vital. Research shows that it's the single most important thing you can do to help your child's education. It's best to read little and often, so try to put aside some time for it every day. Think of ways to make reading fun - you want your child to learn how pleasurable books can be. If you're both enjoying talking about the content of a particular page, linger over it for as long as you like. Books aren't just about reading the words on the page, they can also present new ideas and topics for you and your child to discuss.
Tips for helping your child develop reading skills:
- Visit the library as often as possible - take out CDs and DVDs as well as books.
- Schedule a regular time for reading - perhaps when you get home from school or just before bed.
- Ask probing questions in order to check understanding and enhance inference skills.
MATHS
As with reading, try to make maths as much fun as possible - games, puzzles and jigsaws are a great way to start. It's also important to show how we use maths skills in our everyday lives and to involve your child in this. Identifying problems and solving them can also help your child develop maths skills. If you see him or her thinking over something, talk about the problem and try to work out the solution together.
