WELCOME TO YEAR 5 MERLINS

Merlins are resilient, resourceful and energetic. They are independent and use creativity to achieve excellent results to become successful young adults. Merlins are keen to explore their environments and enjoy exciting adventures further afield.

THIS TERM'S THEME

'#ExploreMore'

By the end of the topic the children will have looked at how forces impact our daily lives and Investigate how scientists have used their understanding of forces to improve and develop new technology.

We will share our knowledge at the White Rock Science Museum on Wednesday 7th July 2021.

P.E AND DANCE DAYS

PE for Merlins will be on a Friday and Dance in on a Thursday. Please ensure your child comes to school with the correct kit, which is clearly labelled. For more information about kit requirements, please visit our 'Physical Education & School Sport' Page. 
We will ensure that PE kits are sent home at the end of every half term.  

HOME LEARNING DAYS

Home learning will be sent home on Fridays and should be returned to school on Wednesday. Home learning should be completed to the best standard possible and Mathletics and Times Table Rock Stars should also be completed weekly. We celebrate the efforts of Mathletics and Times Table Rock Stars in our assemblies with special class shout outs and certificates.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

Monday 19th April 2021 - First day of the Summer Term

Monday 26th May 2021 - Residential Meeting on Teams with Reach Outdoors

Monday 3rd May 2021 - Bank Holiday 

Monday 17th May 2021 - Parent's Evening

Thursday 19th May 2021 - Parent'a Evening 

Friday 28th May 2021 - Last day of Summer 1

Monday 7th June 2021 - First day of Summer 2

Monday 7th June 2021 -Wednesday 9th June 2021 - Merlins Residential 

Wednesday 7th July 2021 - Science Fair

Wednesday 14th July 2021 - Pupils Reports

Wednesday 21st July 2021 - Sports Day

Friday 23rd July 2021 - 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 (Mrs Gidley) or alternatively please contact a team leader (Mrs Foster).

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

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

ACADEMIC YEAR 2020/2021

SUMMER TERM

Summer term curriculum map

Friday 16^th July 2021 - #ExploreMore – A celebration of our learning.

This term, our learning journey has been called ‘#ExploreMore’. We have been linking our learning to the topic of forces. We have looked at famous scientist and their discoveries, such as, Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. We have even looked at how artists create their work by using gravity. One artist, in particular, was called Amy Shackleton. She turns he canvases to make the shapes and patterns she wants from the painted she has poured onto it.

We linked our Scientific learning, about air resistance, to our Design and Technology learning. We looked at known designs of paper aeroplanes to see how well they flew. We looked at their shape and size and thought about the way they move. Some were long and thin, and these went quickly; others were wider, and these were designed to stay in the air the longest. We took measurements to see which the best was to inform our designs.

Here we are flying the different planes.

Next, we had a go at designing and making our own. We used scrap paper to experiment with folding and shaping the planes and seeing what impact this had on the way they flew.

Finally, we made our design and tested them to see how well they flew. Some of them went really far and others stayed in the air for a long time – this depended on what we had chosen for our design. Once we had finished, we thought about what we could change if we made them again.

Here are some of our complete designs and evaluations.

Friday 9th July 2021 - PE - Practising for Sports Day

Over the last few weeks, we have been practising various races for Sports Day. This week, we were practising for the long distance run, which is two laps of the track. We are getting better everytime we run and we support each other really well. 

Tuesday 22nd June 2021 - Maths - Identifying co-ordinates

This week in Maths, we have been finding and plotting co-ordinates in the first quadrant. We then had a go at playing battleships, using our co-ordinates knowledge, with our learning partner.

Friday 18th June 2021 - Writing - Sir Isaac Newton Biography

As part of our topic - #ExploreMore - we have been finding out about the life of Sir Isaac Newton. We found out some interesting facts about his life and achievements. It is amazing to think that his ideas still influence scientific thinking today. We wrote some biographies and incorporated the features of a biography in the text.

Wednesday 9th June 2021 - Year 5 Residential - Day Three

After doing an amazing job at packing up the camp, we set off for an action-packed day at Goodrington. In the morning, we had a god at raft building – developing our skills from the beginning of the year. Some were more successful than others, but we had a brilliant time. We then had a go at sand art. We had to create something from our residential - even the teachers had a go. 

In the afternoon we got to go on the Giant SUPs. It was so exciting running along the top and jumping off. We also had a great time sliding across it. 

Tuesday 8th June 2021 - Year 5 Residential - Day Two

We had a delicious breakfast to start off the day - with lots of cereals, an amazing sausage sandwich and as much toast as we could eat! For today’s activities we were split into two groups and then changed over after lunch. We went rock climbing on Hound Tor and weaselling at Bone Hill. Everyone challenged themselves to go as high as they could on the wall and also to squeeze in and around the small holes. 

Monday 7th June 2021 - Year 5 Residential - Day One 

Merlins have had a great start to their residential. We've walked along the coastal path and before we got to Shaldon we saw 3 Chinooks. We continued along the estuary to Hearn Field. 

We really enjoyed our walk. We covered lots of different terranes.

After we had our tea, we played some games with Al from Reach Outdoors. We were all very excited to get into our tents. 

Wenesday 26th May 2021 - Spanish - Linguascope

Today, Señorita Head has shown us how we can work on our Spanish at home. We have all written the Username and Password in our Reading Records. Here is the link to the Liguascope webpage.

Wednesday 19th May 2021 - Century

In Merlins, we have been using Century to help us with our learning. We can complete ‘nuggets’ on lots of different topics and Century helps us to practise and gain skills.

You can login by following the link or by using the QR code.

When you have got to the login page please click 'sign in with office 365'

Your login details are the same information you have used for Teams.

USERNAME: This is you computer username followed by:

---------@pupils.whiterockprimaryschool.co.uk

Login: This is the password you use to login at school.

Tuesday 18th May 2021 - Science - Using Force Meters

As part of our Science learning, we have been looking at the impact of friction on a range of different surfaces. We have used forces meters - which are measure in Newtons - to measure if there is high friction or low friction. We discovered that the smoother the surface the lower the friction and the easier it is to move. 

Friday 14th May 2021 - Home Learning

Friday 14th May 2021 - Maths - Measuring Angles

In Merlins, we have been working on identifying and measuring angles. We know that an angle below 90° is called an acute angle, an angle with is exactly 90° is called a right-angle and an angle which is larger than 90°, but below 180°, is an obtuse angle. 

We used our protractors to take accurate measurements of the angles on our table. 

Wednesday 5th May 2021 - Spanish - Body Parts

Merlins had fun in Spanish today! They learned parts of the body and face in Spanish. The children listened to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in Spanish and did the actions. They also described Jose el monstruo using body parts, key structures and connectives!  

Thursday 29th April 2021 - Dance - International Dance Day

In Dance today, we have been learning about International Dance Day that happens every year on 29th April. It is a global event that celebrates dances of all kind. The children have learnt the grapevine today and then used their creativity with a partner to change it slightly. The different ideas they came up with were turning their grapevine, jumping and twisting on the last step, lifting their knee on the last step and many more.

Wednesday 21st March 2021 – Science – Materials

This week, we have been writing a report about materials. We have completed two investigations about materials.

The first one got us to think about how soluble a material is. We used: plastic, newspaper, carboard, a paper towel, cotton and foil. We made predictions about which we thought would be the best a absorb the most water. Here we are writing our predictions and then making observations. 

Our second investigation got us thinking about how good an insulator a particular material can be. We wrapped plastic bottles in foil, newspaper, cling film, cotton fabric and bubble wrap. We then filled them with hot water and took the temperature every 30 minutes to see which was the best. We had some surprising results.

SPRING TERM

Spring term curriculum map 

Monday 29th March 2021 - Science - Irreversible changes 

Today, we have completed an experiment on irreversible changes. We had to make predications about what we thought would happen when we mixed together water and bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda and water and vinegar.

We understood that when a chemical reaction occurs this is known as an irreversible change – we cannot get it back to its original state. The reaction that has occurred is irreversible and permanent. In our experiment, carbon dioxide is being produced when there is a reaction, and this is what fills the balloon.

Have a look at our experiments below. Can you see which has reacted and which didn’t?

Monday 22nd March 2021 – Geography and Writing – South America

This week, we have been continuing with our topic of ‘Around the World’ and have learnt about different countries in North America. We have created a non-chronological report by using a variety of sources to research information. To give us some inspiration, we used some pages from a children’s atlas. It was bright, colourful and had engaging pictures. This helped us to think about what would motivate our audience to continue reading.

Friday 19th March 2021 - Red Nose Day

Today in Year 5, we wore our red noses and non-school uniform to support the fantastic work of Comic Relief. Below are a selection of photos of the class wearing their red noses. 

Thursday 11th March 2021 - PHSE - Welcome Back 

This week, we have really enjoyed being back together. In PHSE, we have reflected on our time during lockdown and our feelings about being back at school and having to leave our family. We have discussed the word 'Relationships' and thought about what it means to us and the kind of relationship we have and how over time they can change and adapt. We have worked really hard. 

AUTUMN TERM

Autumn term curriculum map

Thursday 17th December 2020 - Merry Christmas 

Wow! What a term. Merlins have been so busy. Well done everyone! Have a happy and restful Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all in the New Year. 

Tuesday 15th December 2020 - Art - Jo Di Bona: Self-portraits 

This term, we have really enjoyed learning about Jo Di Bona and have used his artwork and techniques to inspire our own self-portraits. We used: line, coloured pencils, layers of paper and inspirational words to reflect ourselves in our artwork. Here are some of the final results. 

Thursday 10th December 2020 - Writing/History - Evacuees 

This week, we having been learning about the life of an evacuee. As part of our Learning Journey, we have been exploring emotions. We have used our experiences during the COVID19 lockdown to relate and compare feelings. We used this to write a letter from the point-of-view of an evacuee to a loved one. Here are some examples:

Thursday 3rd December 2020 - PE - Handball 

This week, during PE sessions, we have been developing our skills in Handball. We have been thinking about strategies to defend and attack, which will help us when we're planning the game. As a class, we have played games that support us to improve our over arm throwing and our dodging skills. The object of the game is to get pass the attackers to help us score. 

Friday 27th November 2020 - Home Learning - Dialogue Writing 

Here are some links to Roald Dahl books to help you find a small section of dialogue to complete your home learning this week. 

Thursday 26th November 2020 - PHSE - NSPCC and Childline

This week, we have been thinking about how to keep ourselves safe. In class, we have discussed who we can talk to and who can support us. We watched an assembly created by the NSPCC and Childline. They gave us lots of information to help us and talked about who we can contact if we need help. 

Monday 16th November 2020 - PHSE - Anti-Bullying Week

Today marks the start of Anti-Bullying Week. This morning, we listened to Mrs Tomkinson's assembly and watched 'Andy and The Odd Socks' singing this years new song. Lots of us wore odd songs to celebrated that every is unique. 

Friday 13th November 2020 - PHSE - Armistice Day

This week, we have been remembering all those who have been in conflicts since The First World War. On Armistice Day, we did our two-minute silence while we thought of all those who had made sacrifices for others. To link this with our Learning Journey we looked at a poem. We thought about the structure, the poet's choice of language and the different ways we could interpret it. We have also been practising our handwriting to make sure that we are forming all our joins correctly and hitting the criteria for a Year 5 writer. 

Friday 13th November 2020 - Children in Need

Congratulations to Ramona and her Mum. Ramona said to her Mum that if she walked to school in her onesie she would donate TWO WEEKS pocket money to Children In Need. Well done - You looked amazing. 

Friday 6th November 2020 - PHSE - Parliament Week

As part of ‘Parliament Week 2020’, Year 5 have been learning about balanced arguments and debates. We started off by looking at the features of speech writing, in order to help us plan our own balanced argument. After we had completed our writing , some of us stood up and delivered our speech to the rest of the class. We had to make sure our voices were clear and we had a good pace - but not too rushed - so that everyone could hear what we had to say. We have shown that we have excellent listening and communication skills and that we are able to share our views with each other.  

Thursday 22nd October 2020 - Spanish

During Spanish sessions this half term, we have been learning to say greetings, numbers 1-31 and months of the year.  We have begun to write words in Spanish and have been working on the pronunciation of some of the more difficult Spanish words.  iFenomenal Merlins! iTrabajo estupendo! Have a look at our videos to see how we are getting on.

Thursday 22nd October - PE - Reach Outdoors at Goodrington - Part 2

For our second session with Reach Outdoors, we all got to build a raft. We worked together as a team, with one of the instructors, to see which team could build the strongest raft. It was such good fun!

Thursday 15th October - PE - Reach Outdoors at Goodrington

As part of our Outdoor and Adventurous activities learning, we were lucky enough to take part in some body boarding at Goodrington with Reach Outdoors. While we were in the water, we were able to work on our water confidence. We we also learning about important water-based skills and how to keep ourselves safe. 

Friday 9th October 2020 - Writing - Dr Mae Jemison 

To celebrate Black History Month and World Space Week, Year 5 have been looking at the life of Dr Mae C Jemison.  We have used our inference skills when looking at images of Jemison to look for clues that can lead us to finding out information about her life. As a class, we have looked at a variety of sources and have extracted key information that we will use in our biography writing.

Tuesday 29th September 2020 - PE - Swimming 

This term, we have been going to Brixham to swim. We have all gained in confidence and have been working on improving our strength and technique when in the water. 

Tuesday 22nd September 2020 - Art - Evaluation

As part of our Art learning in Year 5, we have been evaluating the work of a famous Parisian artist called Jo Di Bona. His artwork has a creative yet unique style, which mixes a range of pop culture with graffiti, collage and bright colours. He is often recognised for the large murals he creates for popular galleries across the world. As a class, we started off by evaluating his artwork into our sketch books with discussions about what we like and dislike. The end goal will be creating a self-potrait of ourselves in a similar style to his.

Wednesday 16th September 2020 - Science - Ozone Layer

As part of the 'International Day for the preservation of the Ozone layer' we started our first Science topic - Space. In our learning, we explored the importance of the ozone layer and why it needs to be preserved. As a class, we completed an experiment with hot water, cold water and chewing gum. The steam from the hot water caused holes to open through the chewing gum and this reflected the impact CFCs have on the ozone layer.  

Friday 11th September 2020 - PHSE/Art - Our first week in Year 5

This week, in our PSHE lessons, we have been thinking about ourselves and discussing our well-being. Individually, we identified strategies to manage our worries and anxieties using our five senses. As a class, we have spent time discussing what it feels like to be welcome and how we are a valued member of Merlins class. We linked our PSHE learning to Art, and were given the challenge to draw the missing half of our face. Have a look at the photos below to see how we got on.