Welcome to Year 6

 

Eagle Class is taught by Mr Cadman and supported by Mrs Hart, alongside Mrs Rides and Mrs McLaren. Take a look at what we have been learning at school. There is also additional information for parents at the bottom of this page.

SUMMER TERM: Fantastique France, Chamonix et moi

Key learning enquiries: What does food tell us about a culture ? / What difference can I make?

Curriculum Mapping – Summer 2013

Summer Term Letter 2013

They think it’s all over; it is now!

After some really hard work and lots of effort, the Key Stage 2 SATs have finally finished. Huge congratulations to all the children for their enthusiasm and dedication to prepare for the assessments. They have made significant progress over the year and I am sure they will all be pleased when they hear their results in July. Also, a thank you to all the staff who have given their time and energy to helping the children, and the parents and families who have supported their children in their learning. A special thank you to Mrs Rides for baking this beautiful Eagle class cake for the children to enjoy on a relaxing Friday.  Here are some the children’s reflections on the week:

“I feel proud and amazed that I answered almost all the questions.” (Aidan)

“I feel my SATs week went really well and I feel more confident about my learning.” (Victoria)

“I feel my SATs went really well and I am sooooo glad they are finished.” (Caitlin)

“I think everything went very well; I’m happy it’s over and I loved the cake and cookies!!!” (Asher)

“I think it went well but I was really nervous! (my hand was shaking).” (Freya)

“I actually thought it was easy (well easier than I thought). I’m glad of what I’ve achieved and have worked hard at school and home for it.” (Tori)

“It went really well and enjoyed the reward at the end of it.” (Kiry)

“I am really proud of what I have achieved this week and am just going to relax this weekend.” (Grace)

 

                French Cheese Tasting

Today Eagle class followed on from the morning’s French Cafe and enjoyed a selection of five French cheeses: Reblochon, Camembert, Brie, Bleu d’Auvergne and Saint Agur. We read about the origins of the cheeses – their locations, history and production process – all enjoyed with some fresh baguettes. Some were very popular, others no so! The most popular was the creamy Brie, with strong blue Saint Agur proving least liked. Here are some of the class’ reflections:   

 “The hard, smooth shell of the Reblochon hid the luxurious, creamy inside. It was delicieux!” (Thomas S)

“I enjoyed the succulent mouth-watering Brie de Meaux; it was absolutely delicious.” (Luca Bruno)

“The Brie was my favourite; it danced down my throat delightfully.” (Tori)

“The oozing Saint Agur tasted like it had been brought up from the depths of Hell. As it burnt my tongue with its vulgar taste, I thought to myself: this really is degoutant.” (Kiry)

“The horrific odour of the Saint Agur surreptitiously crept up my nostrils, choking me and making my eyes water. Degoutant.” (Ashleigh)

“Agur, oh Agur, I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you down the sink.” (Maya)

 

SPRING TERM: Antarctica: A Frozen Continent / Climate Change and Sustainability

Key learning enquiries: Is Antarctica worth protecting? / What is Great Leadership?

Curriculum Mapping – Spring 2013

Spring Term Letter 2013 

What is Great Leadership?

The term came to a close with some interesting presentations on great leaders, including: Barack Obama, Mother Teresa, William the Conqueror, Alex Ferguson and Steve Jobs, to name just a few. The conclusion to our topic was final reflections on our learning enquiry: what is great leadership?

“In my opinion, great leadership is treating all your team members equally, being gracious in defeat and most importantly, being a role model to people of all ages.” (Thomas S)

“To me leadership is being strong and careful about the steps you take.” (Tia)      

“You need to have passion about your vision.” (Aidan)

“Someone who is positive, supportive and inspiring.” (Ashleigh)

“Sir Ernest Shackleton was a great leader because he had perseverance.” (Luca Bonini)

 

‘Life in Antarctica’ Eagle Class Assembly

Eagle Class shared their last class assembly with AshleySchool; it was a memorable assembly that the children and school will not forget. David Attenborough and his camera crew presented ‘Life in Antarctica’ to the school. In their original programme, they filmed four stages of the emperor penguin’s life, all performed through dance: The March (Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet), Finding a Mate (The Beatles, Love Me Do), The Winter (Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake) and The Return of the Mate (Sigur Ros, Hoppipolla). In addition, two beautiful poems were read to express the magic and mystery of the continent. Finally, the class shared the qualities that penguins need to survive in Antarctica, culminating in the most important of all: Love. This assembly brought together their topic, English and dance learning over the last term. Thank you parents for making it more special with your attendance.

 

Mothers’Day Craft Making Fundraiser

With Mothers’ Day fast approaching, Eagle class were lucky to have a fantastic group of parents come in to make a variety of crafts which will go on sale at the Mothers’ Day Cafe Chamonix Fundraiser on Friday 8th March. Children who come to the cafe will be able to buy peppermint creams, decorated tea lights, tissue cases and lots more, all made by the year six children and all for a great price going to an even greater cause. Thank you so much for a lovely morning and your continued support parents.

 

Eagle Class Welcomes a Guest

On Tuesday, 26th February, Eagle class welcomed a special guest. Nic Whitfeld has led teams and expeditions to Antarctica with a focus on developing team and leadership skills – he also accompanied last year’s year six on theirChamonixexpedition. Nic has worked with Harlequins rugby team and theEnglandrugby league team and so brought lots of experience and knowledge to the class. However, to make things interesting, his visit was set up by the class in the style of a game show, with presenters, a question panel, a news bulletin, advertisements, a film crew and even a ‘Can you beat an 11 year old?’ quiz. I don’t think Nic expected to be hopping on one foot with his eyes closed and hands in the air before he arrived! A huge thank you to Nic for giving his time and experience to the class who learnt so much aboutAntarcticaand leadership. Our minds are now fully focused on our key learning enquiry: ‘What is Great Leadership?”

 

Top of the Form Quiz

On Tuesday 26^th February, four children from Eagle class (Kiry, Tom S, Caitlin and Ashleigh) competed in a general knowledge quiz against four children from St.Charles Borromeo. Before the visitors arrived, they helped to set up the hall in preparation. Then the quizmaster and scorer arrived. Subsequently, after a few minutes, the opposition finally turned up; the quiz started when the audience and players were seated. After the first round, the score was five to Ashley, and five to St.Charles Borremeo. Then one of the teams peeled away. The final score was 64-44 to … St.Charles Borromeo. Despite losing it was great fun being tested on our general knowledge and practising for the event. Thank you to Mrs Hart for all her help with the event.

A report by Thomas S and Kiry

Antarctic Art and Literature Exhibition

On Tuesday 12th February, Year Six hosted an Antarctic Exhibition showcasing our work from over the term.

 

 

 

 

Can you Find Beauty in Ice?

We started our exploration of ice by watching video footage of ice caves and listening to music. At first we just wrote down words and phrases inspired by the images and music. The next day we observed ice on our tables. We continued our descriptions of ice, admiring how it felt, how the light reflected through it and how it melted in front of us. Finally, we took our ideas and composed poems and descriptive writing of what ice meant to us. One thing is for certain, we did find beauty in ice. Here are just a few of the poems we created:

Ice

Twinkling in the sunlight, the icicle hangs,

his glossy fingers, long and jagged

reach down to the crisp white snow.

 

As sharp as a dagger the icicle listens to the

shimmering, sapphire sea lapping up upon the crunchy snow.

He wonders how soon it will be before he becomes a rippling puddle of electric blue.

 

He dangles down in beauty, his stunning,

elegant spikes catch the sunlight and

drip, drip, drip…..

A turquoise puddle forms beneath him.

He is nearly gone.

 

By Caitlin Dunne

The Beauty of Ice

The colossal iceberg emerges from the depths of the azure sea.

It swims slowly, wanting all to gaze at its beauty

Before forming around the white nothingness that is Antarctica.

 

When the ivory moon shines down on the vast land,

The ice caves glow a luminous blue and the crystal clear, sparkling icicles loom down.

 

The Ice Mountains tower above the bewildered land.

They stare down into the pure white snow,

whilst it gracefully falls from the sapphire sky.

 

As the dripping ice gradually fades away, there is only one question to ask;

Is Antarctica worth saving?

 

By Thomas Settle

 

An Ice Princess

He was lost. His skin was black and had been for some time. As he started to walk he felt as though he was drifting, as though his feet weren’t firmly on the ground anymore – as though he was somewhere else entirely. However, he was actually in an ice cave.

All there was to see was vast blocks of ice. Glaring, he realised they were changing, growing taller and taller as he gazed. He heard tears as the ice melted, revealing a small girl. Her radiant black hair shined like jewels on a necklace. As he came closer, he realised she was not real; she was just another dense layer of ice glaring at him. He leant on the ice girl’s shoulder and started to cry. As the tears fell on the ice, the girl started to move – then started to dance. Her dancing filled the man with joy. He watched her dance for days on end, until he was gone. He didn’t find his way back and he was never seen again. No one knows what became of the man who fell in love with an ice princess. 

By Maya Lewsey

What qualities do penguins need to survive in the Antarctic?

 

For the first day back after Christmas, we spent the day learning about our new topic, specifically focusing on penguins. Following watching a documentary on the life of an Emperor penguin, we discussed the qualities penguins need to survive in the harsh climate ofAntarctica. We put on flippers, made beaks and participated in some of the challenges penguins face, such as: marching long distances, working as a team to keep warm and passing their eggs to their partner. The activity supported deeper empathy and understanding. At the end of the day, the class decided that the following qualities are required (we also reflected that these are very similar to those humans require):

Co-operation, bravery, trust, perseverance, patience, commitment, confidence, determination and love.

 

AUTUMN TERM:  World War II: Life on the Home Front / Propaganda and the horrors of war

Key learning enquiries: What can we learn from life on the Home Front? / How does war affect indiviudals and Communities?

Curriculum Mapping – Autumn 2012

Autumn Term Letter 2012

                Christmas Production

On Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th December, the junior school performed their Christmas production – Stable Manners. It was the last Christmas production for our year six children at Ashley and they did a fantastic job. Well done to all the children for their invlovment and enthusiasm. It was wonderful seeing our ‘Glory Rap’ performance on stage. Another great colective achievement.       

                   

                  Energy Monitoring

In year six we have been analysing ecoDriver and our solar energy, linked to our learning on percentages. We have been calculating what percent of our total energy, both consumed and created (in the Jubilee block) has been solar energy. We have realised that in the winter, about 28% of our energy is solar energy and in the summer 75%. We decided to work out how much we earn from the solar energy. For every 1Kwh we use, it costs us 12p, but for every 1Kwh we generate, we earn 42p. As a result, for the year we estimate we will earn a £1,200 net profit from our solar energy, including the costs for the energy we consume. It is amazing what we can achieve with the sun’s energy, whilst at the same time, producing no pollution that harms our world.

A report by Kiry Valambhia and Thomas Settle.

 

              Poetry Recital – Who is War?

 

On Thursday 25th October, Eagle class performed a poetry recital to their parents in the school hall. The recital was entitled ‘Who is War?’ and showcased some of the poetry and learning around personification that the class has undertaken over the past four weeks. The afternoon started with the King’s Speech, followed by each child’s poem personifying war – with all children dressed in 1940′s attire, and all reading their poems in front of an image of their choice. The audience were then treated to group performances personifying peace. Finally, a beautiful rendition of The White Cliffs of Dover by the class, with an opening solo by Maya, completed a truly special and touching afternoon. Thank you for all those who were able to come.

Here is just one of the wonderful poems shared:

War

She has black hair, as black as midnight.

It reaches down to the rocky floor under me.

She takes a step, a step towards me.

The teenager has red lips, as red as fresh blood.

She tightened them as she looked sharply into my eyes.

She takes a step, a step towards me.

Her face as pale as a new sheet of paper.

There is nothing to see.

She takes a step, a step towards me.

Her clothing is a gown of black,

draped around her body in a loose and careless way.

She takes a step, a step towards me.

A click of her finger; I hear a scream.

She is war, such a deadly thing.

By Molly

                       Harvest Festival

This year’s harvest festival was in celebration of the potato. Year six presented their two potatoes to the school and grandparents: the Bonny Dundee and the Rubesse. The class performed a great song inspired by Mexican music. A great job and a fun way to enjoy their last harvest festival at Ashley.

Here are the words to the song we sang:

Potato Song

They’re red, they’re white, they’re brown
They get that way underground
There can’t be much to do
So now they have blue ones too

We don’t care what they look like we’ll eat them
Any way they can fit on our plate
Every way we can conjure to heat them
We’re delighted and think they’re just great

Chorus
Po ta to, Po ta to,Po ta to Po ta to, Po ta to, Potato

Po ta to, Po ta to,Pota to, Po ta to, Po ta to, Potate

Sometimes we ditch the skin
To eat what it’s holding in
Sometimes we’d rather please
Have just the outside with cheese

They have eyes but they do not have faces
I don’t know if their feelings get hurt
By just hanging around in dark places
Where they only can stare at the dirt

Chorus

I guess the use is scant
For other parts of the plant
But that which grows in view
Is eating potato too

I imagine them under the soil
waiting to come out and see
Maybe wondering if they’ll be boiled
or maybe if they’ll be our tea

Chorus

        Harvest Soup making

In honour of our harvest festival, year 6 prepared, cooked and served two delicious soups to the grandparents before the festival commenced. The class really got into the Home Front spirit and pulled together to prepare ingredients grown  at our school. With Home Front music playing, the children peeled and chopped away for hours, producing a beautiful potato, garlic and rosemary soup, along with a sumptuous squash and celery soup. The greatest reward was serving the soup to grandparents. A big thank you to Mrs Long in the kitchen and our parent helpers who facilitated the serving of the soup.  Working together for a shared goal truly invoked the World War II spirit, allowing the class to gain greater appreciation for life on the Home Front.

               Royal Albert Hall Performance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Sunday 23rd September Eagle Class performed as part of the choir at this year’s Royal Albert Hall schools performance. The ‘Licence to Thrill’ show – with a James Bond theme – was performed by over ten stage schools and over ten primary schools. Here is a report of the day:

“As I stood in the Albert Hall, I suddenly got extremely excited. I knew that it was eight hours before we performed, but it was still amazing just being in the historic hall. We rehearsed for hours and ran through all the routines twice – we were finally ready after months of practice. In the evening we performed to over 1000 people. It was thrilling to hear so many people cheering for us. Shattered after an amazing day, we returned to our parents and told them all about how much fun we had. I will never forget this day.

By Ashleigh

                        Henley Fort Trip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday, 19th September Eagle Class went on a fascinating school trip back in time to Henley Fort. We all learnt about what life was like on the Home Front. The Home Guard officer was very strict. We all got to put on army clothes and spent the day protecting Britain from the Germans. One of our favourite bits was going in the air raid shelter and seeing how dark it was, and we got to look at old gas masks, which we couldn’t wear because they had chemicals in them. While there, we even got to put out a real fire. We had a really fun, interesting day!

A report by Luca Bonini and Tayla.

 

           What was life like in 1930′s Britain?

 

To start off our topic learning, we have investigated how life was during the 1930′s in Britain. We learnt that we can find out lots as historians, simply by analysing photographs. Different groups were responsible for different areas of living in Britain. Following our discoveries, the groups reported their learning to the rest of the class and suggested whether they thought today’s lifestyle, or that of the 1930′s, was better.

 

 

Here are some of the observations that we made:

“Steam trains produced lots of pollution and were bad for the environment. Today’s electric trains aren’t as bad.”  (George)

“Washing clothes by hand was really time consuming and not as convenient as today, but it doesn’t require any energy, saves water and gives your body exercise.” (Ashleigh)

“Most people didn’t have T.Vs but had a radio. That would have made family life more sociable than today.” (Luca Bruno) 

Information for parents

2013 SATs Information

Please click on the above link to see the 2013 KS2 SATs timetable, giving information on when tests will take place. There is also additional information on the assessment process and a link to the Department for Education page.

Bike Safety Check booklet

Cycle Helmet Fitting Guidance

Please look at the resources above which give information on how to ensure that your child’s bicycle is properly set up and safe, and also how to fit their helmets safely. Your child’s equipment should be checked using this guidance in preparation for the Bikability course commencing in the week of 15th April.

Chamonix 2013 Kit List

Click on the link above to see the kit list for our June 2013 expedition to Chamonix.

Progression in Maths Operations

Year 6 Maths Home Learning Leaflet

Click on the above links to see a PowerPoint for progression of maths skills at Ashley school. These will be useful so that you are able to understand the methods your child uses, which may be different to the methods you use, so that you can best support them. Please ask your child which method they use as it will differ for each child. The key is that they are comfortable and secure in the method they use.  You will also find a home learning information leaflet giving extra details on how to support your child at home with their maths.