Team Whale – Year 5

Welcome to Team Whale 

Staff in our Team:

• Class Teacher: Mrs Borszowski
• Miss Wright –  Teaching Assistant
• Miss O’Riordan – Teaching Assistant
• Mr Garstin – Teaching Assistant
• Mr Whenman – Teaching Assistant

During the week we have the following activities…

• Daily literacy and maths lessons
• Daily guided and whole class reading lessons
• Weekly spelling lessons.
• Times tables rockstars, numbergym and IXL maths practise.
• PE will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• History, Geography, Art and Topic lessons will take place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
• RE will take place on a Tuesday afternoon
• Reading remains core to all learning and is used to drive our topic. We shall be focusing on ‘reading to learn’ and looking at a number of non-fiction texts as well as fiction. Children will also take part in whole class guided reading and additional adult-led group reading sessions during the week.
• Science will take place in two week blocks at the start or end of a half term. 
• External music instructors and P. E. coaches will also provide high quality sessions on a Thursday afternoon.

Recommended reads linked to topic: Biographies of Inspirational people

• Lampie
• Wonder
• A Good Kind of Trouble
• Timesnatch
• Invention of Hugo Cabret
• Humans

Reading

Home reading books are available from the school and can be changed by the children at any time.  Reading is part of your child’s homework and they have a challenge to read at least five times a week. Please, listen to your child read so that you can ask him/her questions and help them improve their understanding and fluency.  We would be grateful if you could then write a note in their planner to say they have read to you. We would like the children to write one sentence about what they have read.

Children will be expected to show that they have read for at least 20 minutes from Mondays to Friday. They can either ask an adult to sign that they have read or write a summary sentence to show their understanding in their reading record. Each child also has a personalised spelling list which will be practised and tested in class.

Class/Phase Newsletters:

UKS2 Newsletter Spring 2024

UKS2 Newsletter Summer 2024

Useful websites to help your child:

Spellzone – Your child has their own login and can access tasks set in class or set up their own spellings taken from their personalised lists in school. 

Numbergym – Your child has their own login and can work through the various levels at their own pace according to their ability. The children access this in class and it is tracked.

IXL – Personalised, adaptive maths resource which covers all essential skills for year 6. This provides ongoing practice throughout the year.

Times Table rockstars – Each child has their own login and can practise their tables and challenge and battle their friends whilst learning their times tables.

Reading Plus  – the school code is rphobmo1. The children’s usernames are their first name and the first letter of their surnames and they know their passwords. 

 If you have any queries about anything that is happening in class, please pop in to see us after school. Hopefully, we will be able to help you then or arrange a time to meet with you.