WELCOME TO YEAR 6 OWLS

Owls are creatures of great integrity. They are also serene and wise, using all their senses to adapt to their surroundings. The wisdom of an owl enables them to be unafraid and tackle any challenges they may face.

This Terms Theme

'Once upon a time...'

P.E & Dance days

Please ensure that a PE kit is brought into school on a Monday and taken home on a Friday. All items of PE kit (and school uniform) should be labelled with the child's name and class.

We will ensure that they are sent home at the end of every half term

Home Learning days

All home learning is to be completed in your Home Learning books and will be given on a Friday to be completed for the following Wednesday. All pupils in Year 6 are expected to complete their Home Learning to a high standard and handed in on the due date. Those pupils who have not completed the task will be expected to stay in during the first twenty minutes of Wednesday lunchtime.

Upcoming Events

Tuesday 8th January 2019 - Start of Spring Term

Wednesday 6th February - UK Parliament Assembly 

Thursday 14th February 2019 - Break up for half term

Monday 25th February 2019- First day back after half term 

Thursday 28th March 2019 at 2.30pm-3.00pm - Year 6 Learning Celebration

Friday 5th April 2019 - End of Spring  Term

Monday 23rd April 2019 - Start of Summer Term

Wednesday 24th April 2019 - Space Dome - Evolution and Inheritance 

Monday 13th May 2019 - SATs - English SPaG Paper 1 and 2

Tuesday 14th May 2019 - SATs - English Reading

Wednesday 15th May 2019 - SATs - Mathematics: Paper 1 - Arithmetic and Paper 2 - Reasoning

Thursday 16th May 2019 - Mathematics: Paper 3 - Reasoning

Friday 25th May 2019 - Break up for half term

Monday 20th May 2019 - Parent Meeting for the Year 6 Residential  6.00pm-6.30pm

Monday 3rd  June 2019- First day back after half term 

Monday 17th June 2019 - Thursday 20th June 2019 - Year 6 York Residential 

Thursday 18th July 2019 - Year 6 Performance @2pm and @6pm

Monday 22nd July 2019 - Year 6 Leavers Assembly @2pm

Monday 22nd July 2019 - Year 6 Leavers Disco - 6pm-7.30pm

Tuesday 23rd July 2019 - Woodlands Trip

Tuesday 23rd July 2019 - Last day of Summer Term 

Meet The Team

If there are any issues or concerns, please feel free to come in and see your teacher (Mr Aldredge) or alternatively please contact a team leader (Mrs Gidley or Mrs Foster).

saldredge@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk

rgidley@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk

lfoster@white-rock-primary.torbay.sch.uk

Tuesday 16th July 2019 - LGBTQ Workshop

Today, Year 6 took part in a LGBTQ workshop. We had visitors from an organisation called Proud2Be. They really got us thinking about what we say and how our actions can have an impact on others. 

Friday 12th July - Water Safety Workshop

Years 5 and 6 were fortunate today to have a visitor from Open Water, a charity which educates children in water safety and believes the best way to guard against drowning is to educate by sending professional open water beach lifeguards into schools. They have devised their own E.S.C.A.P.E WATER programme to comprehensively deliver drowning prevention and water awareness to local schools. 

Monday 8th July 2019- Drama -  Making props 

The end of year performance is getting very close. We have begun to make the set and props to use in the show. 

Monday 1st July - Money Minds Workshop

Today, Owls had visitors from the Yorkshire Building Society and participated in a workshop about budgeting and handling money. This involved booking a holiday to an exact budget.

Wednesday 26th June 2019- Drama -  Rehearsals

This week, Year 6 have begun their rehearsals for the end of year production. We have already managed to learn three songs and dances. We are all working really hard so that our audience enjoys 'Robin Hood and his Sherwood Hoodies'.

Friday 15th June 2019- Home Learning -  Lyrics

Here is a link for the second song (Helping Hand) in this year's performance - 'Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGcCoeKFuNw

Thursday 13th June 2019 - York Residential Information

Some of the pupils have asked for the itinerary and checklist.

Not long now!

Friday 7th June 2019- Home Learning -  Lyrics

Here is a link for the first song in this year's performance - 'Robin and the Sherwood Hoodies'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfrRgYafAeY

Tuesday 4th June 2019- York Residential - Facebook Page

Here is the information if you would like to sign up to the Facebook page. Remember you will need to look for the group and people will only be accepted if they have submitted their name on the slips. When we are away in York, you will be able to add people on a list in the office. When searching for the group, please click the 'group' tab at the top of the page!

Monday 3rd June 2019 - Science - Heart rate

Owls class have been using their scientific thinking skills to investigate this problem:

Laura says:

'I can control my heart rate.'

Is she correct?

They have thought about how they can conduct their experiment, the data that they need to collect and how they can make it a fair test.

Owls have learnt to take their own pulse rate and performed various different exercises to try and change their heart rate.

Friday 24th May 2019- Drama - Auditions for the Year 6 Performance.

Today, some of us auditioned for parts in the end of year production. We all felt a bit nervous but gave it a good go. Watch out for photos of our rehearsals after half term!

Friday 17th May - Computing.

Owls are beginning to create their own animation as part of their Computing learning. Using animation software on iPads they are producing stop-motion animations that will be considered for the Animation Oscars!

Monday 13th May - SATs Week.

This is an important week for Year 6 as they take their Key Stage 2 SATs assessments. We've charged their brains by filling their bellies with breakfast every morning this week... 

Tuesday 7th May - Guided Reading - Inference

As part of our revision for KS2 SATs assessments, owls have been practising their inference skills by playing a game. By answering questions about an ambiguous picture, the children are learning to understand when information is implied, or not directly stated. This will improve their skill in drawing conclusions and making inferences. 

Tuesday 30th April 2019- PHSE- Drug and Alcohol Awareness Workshop.

This week, Year 6 had a visitor come into class to talk about different drugs and how they can effect our bodies. We learnt that some drugs - such as the ones prescribed by a doctor - can help us, whereas others can be dangerous and are illegal. We also thought about drugs such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, which we can get over the counter. Here are some photos of us at the talk: 

Tuesday 23rd April - Science - Explorer Dome visit.

Year 6 were lucky enough to have been visited by Space Odyssey, who presented their Natural Selection and Evolution Show. This supports the year 6 Science Curriculum topic of Evolution and inheritance and this fascinating subject was presented in an original and spectacular fashion! A breathtaking film following Charles Darwin on his voyage of discovery.

Thursday 28th March 2019 - Year 6 Learning Celebration 

Today we performed our Learning Celebration to our parents. Here we are waiting for them to arrive:

We produced some fantastic Artwork to show our adults and we completed some magazine articles. 

Monday 11th March - Science - The Wind Turbine Challenge

To celebrate Science Week Owls took part in the Wind Turbine Challenge.

They were asked to design a simple wind turbine capable of lifting a cup off the
floor up to bench height. The winning team were the ones producing a machine that lifted the most weight.

The design of the wind turbines was linked to the work of charity Practical Action, who use science and technology to help lift the world's poorest people out of poverty by giving them solutions to their technical needs, such as renewable energy.

Friday 8th March 2019 - General Knowledge - Timeline

Today we were developing our general knowledge information by playing the game 'Timeline'. We talked about different historical events and decided on their chronological order. Any events we were unsure of, we researched online. 

World Book Day - Thursday 7th March

To celebrate World Book Day, Owls have dressed as their favourite characters, participated in a book quiz and shared their reading with some of Year 2.

Thursday 28th February 2019 - Music - Recorders 

In Music, we have been learning to play 'Tudor Feast' in preparation for our Learning Celebration. We have learnt the notes , A, B, C, D and E. We had to really concentrate to get all the note in the correct order. 

Wednesday 27th February - PSHE

As part of our learning about Citizenship and modern British Values, we have been focusing on Rule of Law and Democracy by seeing how the British Houses of Parliament operate and represent us.

We have been fortunate enough to borrow a Parliament Loan Box and use it to debate our own laws, including 'should children be made to wear School Uniform?'.

Parliament's loan boxes help develop classroom debates, introduce the concept of law making and support pupils' understanding of the democratic process through active learning.

Gymnastics Spring 1 Half Term

In Year 6 this half term, we have been practising our Gymnastics skills, including egg rolls, log rolls, rock'n'rolls and teddy bear rolls. We have also learnt how to do forward rolls accurately and to add balances to the end of the roll, as you can see in the photographs.

Thursday 15th February - Art.

We have continued to explore Tudor Portraits and the children have used their sketchbooks to research, collect ideas and explore techniques with paints, pencils and oil pastels before committing their ideas to a final portrait.

Thursday 7th February - Science

Owls are currently learning about evolution and inheritance. Today, they discussed genes and explored the characteristics that they have inherited from their parents. Initially, they were given a selection of characteristics and categorised them as inherited or adapted traits. Eye colour, ear lobes and the ability to roll the tongue have all been genetically inherited!

Friday 25th January 2019 - Art

Owls are using Isaac Oliver's 'Rainbow Portrait' of Elizabeth I to klearn about symbolism in Art. They are currently using their Sketchbooks to gather notes, images and ideas to create their own symbolic portrait of Elizabeth I using the techniques and styles of the Tudor artists.

Friday 25th January 2019 - Music Performance - 

Today we have been lucky enough to have two musicians come and share their amazing talent with us. They talked to us about some of the different percussion instruments they use. They played some songs that we know and others that made us feel calm.  Some of us were lucky enough to play some of the instruments with them. 

Thursday 8th January 2019 - Learning Journey - Elizabeth I's Religious Settlement

This week we have been beginning to look at the changes in religion during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The photos below are us deciding on whether the statements belong to the Catholic faith or the Protestant faith. Elizabeth I  knew that both faiths would need to compromise for them to get along. Next week we will be looking at one of her speeches. 

Tuesday 8th January 2019 - Fire Safety Talk

Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 had a very important talk this morning. They learned about fire safety, including fire hazards around the home, the emergency services and how to stay safe. The children had really good knowledge but also learned lots of new information to help keep them and those around them safe. 

Academic Year 2018-2019

Autumn Term Curriculum Map

Thursday 6th December 2017 - Performance Poetry

As part of Home learning, Owls all learned a poem to perform. Some presented their poetry for the rest of the class, and some to patents at our Learning Celebration, where they also received a copy of the Class Book, and are now published authors!

Tuesday 4th December 2018 - PE - Table Tennis Tournament Final

This Term, Year 6 have been taking part in a Table Tennis tournament.  Pupils from each of our four houses took part and today was the final. Well done to everyone who took part and made it such a success.

Tuesday 4th December - Art

Children from Owls and Eagles continued to work on their mixed media art display.

Friday 23rd November - Art

Year Six are currently working on an Art project for display in the school. They have been using drawing tools to explore making marks that represent both concrete and abstract forms and developing their colour mixing skills to apply to a large scale. These skills will contribute to a project that reflects the community in which they live and the ecological challenges on the coastline that is part of their home.

Tuesday 13th November 2018 - PHSE - Anti-Bullying Week

This week is Anti-Bullying week. In today's assembly, Miss Clayton talked to us about the importance of respecting one another.  She discussed the difference between being rude, being mean and bullying. To stand up to bullying we are wearing odd socks to show that we are all unique.

Friday 9th November - History, Art and Literacy

In order to commemorate Armistice Day on the 11th of November, Owls looked at Historical sources from World War 1. The children then used the information learnt from these sources to write a Diary entry from the perspective of a Soldier serving in the trenches in The Great War. Owls then used their learning around shape and colour in Art to create an illustration for their History learning.

Friday 2nd November - Anti-Bullying Workshop

To mark Anti-Bullying Week, White Rock invited Actionwork into school to deliver a workshop to the children about Anti-Bullying. This was a performance on all kinds of issues and topics such as health, racism, teenage pregnancy, cyberbullying, homophobia, body image, self-harm, citizenship, relationships, friendships, transitions, PSHE and safeguarding issues. This interactive workshop delivered a strong message about simply being kind.

https://www.actionwork.com/

http://www.antibullyingweek.co.uk/

Tuesday 16th October - Maths

As part of their Maths learning about Fractions, Owls have been exploring the value of fractions when expressed as decimals and percentages as well as fractions. They have also shown their understanding of the size of fractions below one whole by placing them on a numberline. Doing this practically on the tables really helps their understanding and fluency.

Thursday 10th October - Science

Owls are continuing to investigate light in their Science Learning. This week they discovered how to change the dimensions of a shadow by manipulating a light source. It wasn't as easy as they thought, as keeping a shadow still was very challenging!

Wednesday 3rd October - Maths: Fractions

In Maths, Owls are exploring fractions; they are able to express the relationship between equal parts and a whole using resources, images, context, written and mental methods.

Friday 28th September 2018 - Danceathon

After a day FULL of dancing (literally) Owls stepped up to finish the Danceathon! They gave a fantastic display of break dancing, twirling and showing off their cool moves. If your child came home today and told you all about our Danceathon and what a great time they had please go to our crowdfunding page to donate. We still have 96% to go before we reach our target!
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/dance-studio-at-white-rock-primary-school/

Tuesday 25th September - Science

This half term, Owls are exploring and learning about light. This week, they devised an investigation to find out how we can change the size of a shadow. They can now explain that this can be done by moving an object closer and further away from a light source. They also discovered the shape of the shadow can also be changed by adjusting the position of the light source.

Friday 21st September 2018 - Spelling - Words ending in '-able' and 'ible'

This week we have been using different strategies to help us remember how to add '-ible', '-able', '-ibly' and '-ably' to the end of words. We have created a class list of all the words we can think of and we know that if we are unsure of how to spell a word, the '-able' ending is more common. Here we are practising saying our spellings to other members of the class:

Tuesday 18th September 2018 - Art - Designing a front cover

As part of our Learning Journey 'A day in the life of a Writer', we have been looking at Anne Frank. In Art sessions, we have made our own designs of the front cover of her book. Here are a few of the finished pieces of artwork:

Thursday 13th September - Reach Outdoors.

Year 6 have had a fantastic outdoors experience; gorge scrambling and rock climbing. We have shown that we can work  as a team and lots of us have really challenged ourselves to try new things and face our fears. When doing our climbing, we all had to check that everyone was keeping up and talk to one another to help if someone was finding it difficult. Some of us were a bit unsure about gorge scrambling but once we started, it was AMAZING!