That’s right – we are now re-writing the end of the myth of Prometheus and Pandora.  Maybe she won’t open the box at all?  Some have her trying to destroy the box by drowning it, or throwing it off the top of Mount Olympus!  And there are a variety of horrors waiting to emerge from the box.  Hopefully the stories won’t get too extreme – they should be written up finally early next week.  It has been a good exercise in listening skills and trying to interpret unfamiliar tales.

In Maths we have come to the end of the multiplication and division topic.  The focus towards the end of the unit has been on problem-solving – as mentioned last week that will become a bit of a theme over the next months.  Most of your children should now be able to multiply 4-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers and divide 4-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers.  In Year Six they will progress on to long division – dividing by a 2-digit number.  That is really as hard as it gets for the formal methods of multiplication and division – at secondary school and for GCSEs they move on to calculator papers.

We have continued with guided reading and spellings in the mornings.  Guided reading has included groups reading Tom’s Midnight Garden, Scare at Shadow Fair, History Hackers, and some have been listening and responding to a mysterious class reader called Laney Park.

Science this week saw the children experimenting with the various forces at play on a parachute, including experiments to see which parachutes did the job best and how long they could work for.

Computing this week focused on Morse Code.  There were three different approaches used to send messages, including light (torches), sound (clapping) and in written messages using our secure simulated email system.  Although the messages were simple, the children understood the importance of quick communications over limited bandwidth (e.g. during WWII).  We watched a couple of videos of the real thing.

Basketball today moved on to shooting and some small-sided games.  Interestingly, those who attended Basketball Club last term (or who go to an external club) are several steps ahead.  The others quickly catch up.

PSHE has continued with the study of borrowing and lending.  You may get questions about your mortgage – sorry!  The more prosaic example was someone needing a pair of trainers that cost £50, but they only had £10.  What to do?  Suggestions included I would ask my Mum (good luck!), I’d beg the shopkeeper (even more good luck with that!), I’d ask them to set them aside until I’d saved up, and I’d ask for a job stacking the shelves until I’d earned the £40.  Nice one!

RE was about challenging beliefs, with general discussion about being challenged on something held dear, and then more specifically on religious freedom and dealing with challenges to faith.

It has been a good week, but there has been some tiredness.  I think in many cases we can blame Young Voices for that.  It was worth it though – a stunning experience for all of us.  Please see the Newsletter for some details.

Best wishes for a calm and peaceful weekend.

Y5 Team