5EB

Autumn 2 Week 4

Wow what an enjoyable week we have had in Year 5. Thank you so much to all of our parents who attended the NewsWise Parent Workshop on Thursday. We had a visit from journalists from The Guardian. It was a really informative session where we learnt a lot about real vs fake news stories. Both parents and children enjoyed using iPads to look at forced perspective. We used objects to try and fool people into thinking that items were bigger than they appeared. Images in fake news often use forced perspective to trick readers into thinking animals and buildings are much larger than they are. We look forward to writing our news articles for The Guardian next week. 

Thursday was also Protect Our Planet Day. We discussed ways in which we can help the environment and how we can live sustainably. The children designed logos for the STEAM team to display. They were both eye catching and informative. 

In our Maths fluency session, we looked at sorting shapes into categories. 5EB and 5SO worked together in teams to identify how the shapes were different. 
 

On Friday, we completed an Advent craft activity with our Reception Buddies. The children worked together to create Advent wreaths. They look fabulous! Well done children. 
 

Next week we look forward to the Rudolph Run on Monday, our outdoor day on Tuesday and Christmas Jumper Day on Thursday. Please remember children to bring in your sponsor forms and donations on Monday for your Rudolph Run fundraising. 

Autumn 2 Week 1 

I hope that you have all had a fabulous half-term!

We have made a brilliant start to the the second autumn half-term. This week we have enjoyed taking part and supporting our Reception buddies with the Reception Blessing. We read in Church and sang hymns together. 

It was a lovely, reverent celebration. Thank you to all of the parents/carers who walked to Church with us and supported us at this special occasion. 

On Thursday, we enjoyed a Poppies and Poetry workshop. At the beginning of the session, we discussed what remembrance means and shared why we wear poppies. The children used a range of interesting vocabulary to describe what wearing the poppy means to them (showing gratitude, sorrow and respect). Throughout the session, we learnt a lot about key vocabulary surrounding remembrance and also about the history of World War 1. 

In our English lessons this week, we have been using the iPads to research background information about the Ancient Greeks. This will help us to write our own myths in a couple of weeks time. 

For RE this week, we have been creating leaflets to advertise places of pilgrimage. We explored why pilgrimages are special journeys that people embark on to be closer to God. The children taught me lots this week about different places in the world! 

Next week, we are lucky to have a visit from The Guardian and the NewsWise team. We will be looking at real news and fake news. This will lead the children up to writing their own newspaper article on a topic of their choice. There is the opportunity for the children to share their articles with The Guardian. 

Autumn 1 Week 2
 

On Thursday, we enjoyed a visit from Loudmouth Theatre Company. The performance covered the Department for Education’s guidance that pupils should know: 

• that sometimes people behave differently online (e.g. pretend to be someone they are not) and how data can be shared and used online.
• how to keep safe online and recognise risks and harmful content and how to report them.
• about the importance of privacy for both children and adults; and how some secrets can be unsafe to keep.
• that each person’s body belongs to them, the differences between appropriate and inappropriate or unsafe contact and recognise feelings of being unsafe.
• how to report concerns or abuse and get advice.

During the workshop that followed the performance, we discussed the matters covered as a group and our pupils were given the chance to share opinions, develop their learning and know where to get support.

Autumn 1 Week 1

I have been really impressed this week with how well the children have settled, especially in the heat! We have enjoyed lessons in English, Maths, RE, PE, Music and History. The children have all showed excitement and enthusiasm as we have started a lot of our new topics together. 

In English this week, the children completed a big write based on a video. This will enable me to set fresh targets for the new academic year. I have really enjoyed the action-packed recounts that the children have written! During our Maths lessons, we have revised our Year 4 place value knowledge. In PE, the children enjoyed playing football and learning some of the skills involved when playing cricket. 

We celebrated Mary's birthday on Friday by attending a prayer service in the hall and decorating flowers to display on our class prayer area. The children's work looks beautiful!

Well done children for a fabulous first week in Year 5! You are all absolutely brilliant. 

Have a lovely weekend, 

Miss Broadbent

Welcome to Year 5 2023/2024

Teacher Bio: 

Dear Year 5 children and parents,

My name is Miss Broadbent and this is my fifth year at St Edward’s. I lead English across the school. I am very passionate about English, as I believe that understanding the language provides children with access to the whole curriculum. Fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects. The subject plays an essential role in our lives as it helps in communication. English broadens the children's minds and develops emotional skills. Another subject that I enjoy and love teaching is Geography. I studied Geography for three years at the University of Manchester before I trained to be a teacher at Newman University.

Growing up, my main hobby was Irish dancing. I danced for fourteen years and enjoyed competing at world level. My greatest achievement was finishing 25^th at the World Championships in Glasgow back in 2007, with a second and a ninth placement from two of the judges. I competed all over the world and even qualified to dance at the World Championships in Philadelphia! I try to keep active now by going on long walks with my puppy, Billy. I have included an image of Billy for you all. He is extremely mischievous and keeps me on my toes!

At the weekend, I enjoy going to watch live sporting events such as football, tennis and cricket. I also enjoy travelling, art and cooking. During the school holidays, I like to experiment in the kitchen, trying out new recipes for my family and friends to enjoy. 

Year 5 is such a special year and I feel blessed to be teaching such a wonderful group of children  here at St Edward’s. It is an honour and a pleasure to work with such fantastic staff, children and parents. If you need anything at all, I am always here to listen and help where I can. I have attached a photo of myself just in case you are unsure of what I look like.

We have many ways to communicate here at school, but currently the most efficient way would be to email the teacher@stedward.bham.sch.uk email address. The office staff will pass on your message and I will try and respond as soon as I can. 

Homework will be set on a Monday. It will be  checked the following Monday. New spellings will be set on a Monday and spelling tests will take place each Monday.  

Our current PE days are Tuesday and Thursday, and the children can come into school in PE kit for the day. We are lucky this half-term to have Coach Dylan teaching PE on Tuesday and the Villa Couch teaching PE on Thursday.  Please remember no earrings should be worn for health and safety reasons and a white round neck t-shirt and plain blue or black shorts/ tracksuit bottoms should be worn. Trainers should be worn on PE days only. 

The children have settled in extremely well on their transition days and I have really enjoyed getting to know them. 5EB are so eager to please and have already earned lots of table team points!

The first two books we will be studying are 'FArTHER' and ‘Who Let the Gods Out’. I love stories and at times get carried away when reading them, but the children's enthusiasm fuels this even more. I am really looking forward to the wonderful lessons we can share together and the experiences that we will have in Year 5. We have so much to look forward to, including: plenty of workshops, trips and Outward Bounds.

Take care everybody,

Miss Broadbent

Year 5 Outward Bounds Updates - April 2023

The following link will take you to our Outward Bound update page:

Year 5 Outward Bounds Updates - April 2023 | St Edward's Catholic Primary School (secure-primarysite.net) 

Welcome to Year 5 2022/23

Weekly Important Dates:

P.E:

P.E will be every Friday, for Summer 2. Please send your child into school in their P.E kit, every Friday. 

Homework: 

Homework will be set on a Friday.

Reading comprehension and spellings, will be paper based and in children's bags. 

Mirodo homework tasks (online) are also set on a Friday. 

Homework is to be returned the following week by Thursday, which will be marked by the student as the class teacher goes through questions with the class, explaining any tricky questions and misconceptions. 

Year 5 will change their reading books on a Tuesday, so please ensure children bring them back in to be changed.

Dates for your diary:

-Trip to ThinkTank Tuesday 17th January  

-5PW Swimming Monday 23rd January - Friday 27th January 

-Trip to Hippodrome Thursday 26th January 

-5MT Swimming Monday 30th January - Friday 3rd February 

-Year 5 Outdoor Day - Monday 6th February 2023

Homework

What have we been up to?  

Summer 2, Week 6 - Egyptians
This week, we have enjoyed looking at some of the traditions of the Ancient Egyptians, including their use of death masks and canopic jars. We created our own canopic jars using toilet rolls and paper. 

Summer 2, Week 5

Summer 2, Week 4. - STEAM Week

This week we have been working scientifically and developing our skills as Scientists. It has been a fantastic week with lots of ‘eureka’ moments. The children worked well as part of small groups to problem solve and carry out a range of investigations. 

Summer 2, Week 3 - Mummy Mia!

Summer 2, Week 2

Summer 2, Week 1

Summer 1, Week 5

The children had the opportunity to chat to a journalist! Max Whittle was greeted with lots of excited children with many questions, such as:
- Why do you enjoy journalism?
- What has been your favourite report to write up to date?
- What research and writing goes into a match report?
- Who has been the nicest athlete you have interviewed?
- On average, how long does it take to write a report?
The children were FASCINATED at the fact he has met Phil Foden, Harry Kane and many more!
Thank you Max!

Feeling inspired, the children then began planning their own newspaper articles on a theme of their choice. They followed this by drafting and editing their work before finally publishing the finished article. Well done!

Summer 1, Week 4

In English, 5PW have been researching news stories as journalists.  Next week we will be planning, writing, editing and publishing! We can't wait to read their final news reports - they've been working so hard! 

Summer 1, Week 3

Summer 1, Week 2
We celebrated Italian Day on Tuesday and enjoyed developing our speaking and listening skills. We are able to greet one another, ask how our friends are feeling and reply to them. Don’t forget, you can access Language Angels at home to brush up on your skills!

In Maths, we have been deepening our understanding of decimal fractions and how dividing a number by 10 is the same as multiplying the number by 0.1. On Thursday, we enjoyed a “Green Shoots” eco workshop, where we learnt about the importance of growing plants and vegetables. In the workshop, we learnt how to make our own recycled plant pots and watering cans. 

Spring 2, Week 5 - Holy Week

This week, we focused on Holy Week and the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. We explored the reasons why some people wanted to kill Jesus and looked at the key links between the story of the Passover, the Last Supper and the celebration of Mass.

Spring 2, Week 4

In Science this week, we focused on our working scientifically skills by exploring how craters are made and recording our results. 

Spring 2 - Week 3…And that's a wrap!
An outstanding performance from every child in our Year 5 assembly this week - we are so proud of them. Clear reading, brilliant singing, fantastic dancing and some budding actors! A huge thank you to all parents/carers who came to watch and for your support over the last couple of weeks. Your very generous donations have helped us raise over £50 for our Lenten charities. 
 

In English this week, we began our new text ‘The Invention of Hugo Cabret’. The story takes place in France as a young boy tries to find purpose in his life. We have found the mixture of pictures and text to be fascinating, especially as we had to infer the story for the first forty-four pages! We got the chance to act in role, as news reporters by reporting live from Paris, informing people of the incident between Hugo and the old man at the toy store. 
 

We enjoyed building frame structure in D&T this week, using the Eiffel Tower as inspiration. It involved a lot of team building and problem solving to accomplish our goal. 

Spring 2 - Week 2
On Tuesday, the class created timelines of Brian Travers' life to remember the amazing life he lived. The timelines share highlights during his career in UB40. These will be sent to the band to show we remember Brian and celebrate his outstanding career. Some children even wrote prayers for his family - such a loving class.

Spring 2 - Week 1
UB40 visit St Edwards!

On 27th February we were privileged to welcome UB40 to St Edward's as they listened and watched our assembly dedicated to their music. We had great fun and thoroughly enjoyed listening to them and also how they appreciated the efforts that were put into the learning of the songs and lyrics, in addition to the research we undertook of the band. A huge shout out to Angel and Miss McDonald.. who made it on TV! 

https://www.itv.com/news/central/2023-02-27/primary-school-adds-ub40-to-music-curriculum

https://planetradio.co.uk/free/local/news/ub40-school-curriculum-birmingham/

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/ub40-birmingham-ukraine-kyiv-united-states-b1063351.html

Spring 1, Week 7 - Computing Day

We enjoyed our Computing Day this week, when we learnt about Infographics. Using Microsoft Sway, we created our own dual coded vocabulary cards for our Spring 2 topics. 

Spring 1, Week 6 - Outdoor Learning

 Despite the (very) cold weather on Monday, we had a fantastic time learning outdoor. In keeping with our Space topic, our first challenge was to design an outdoor activity or game themed around Earth and Beyond. There were some really creative ideas ranging from “Night and Day” which had rules similar to What’s the Time Mr Wolf, to ‘Asteroid Attack’. We are looking forward to introducing these to other children on the playground. 
 

In the forest, we designed training courses for astronauts with a focus on agility, balance and speed. It was fun to watch each other try our courses and beat our best times. 

To end mental health week, year 5 had their pyjama day. We rounded off the day by enjoying a hot chocolate and time outdoors for golden time. 

Spring 1, Week 5 - History of Space Travel

Spring 1, Week 4 - Swimming and The Pantomime 

Spring 1, Week 3 - ThinkTank 

What a busy week we’ve had this week! On Monday, we were joined by Mr Hunton who led an Eco workshop on the dangers of plastics to the environment. We discussed the importance of recycling and trying to reduce the number of single use plastics we use each day. 5PW are eager to try and be more ‘Eco Friendly’ members of society.  Using recycled materials, we each made a fish to represent the damage being done to our oceans by plastic waste. 
 

On Tuesday, we visited the ThinkTank in Birmingham. We visited the Planetarium and were able to see the night sky up close (without having to leave the comfort of our seats!). We learnt more about the Earth’s orbit around the Sun and the resulting seasons and how the Earth’s rotation on its axis results in night and day. 5PW were fascinated by the range of constellations that can be seen in the night sky, although not all of the looked like their name sake! After the planetarium show, we had time to explore the rest of the museum. We visited the Futures Gallery, Wild Life and Marines World, Things About Me, We Made It and Move It!

Our English and History lessons this week continued with work on Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. We drafted, edited and published a letter to King Charles III, asking him to consider giving Katherine Johnson a posthumous recognition for her valuable work to Science. 

Spring 1 - Week 2

This week’s highlights;

• Celebrating Mass with our friends from 4GK,
• Outward Bound meeting,
• Learning about the amazing work Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Dorothy Vaughan. These African-American women made NASA’s early space missions possible.
• Aston Villa coach teaching our Outdoor PE lesson.

In Science, we looked at how pulleys can be used to lift heavy objects.  As you see Mr Worthington was very excited that the demonstration worked!

Spring 1, Week 1 - Happy New Year

It has been wonderful to welcome everyone back after the Christmas break. I have been so proud of how the children have settled back in to their school work and how hard they have been working. 
 

This week, we started work on our new topic ‘To Infinity and Beyond’. Our guided reading session focused on the invention of the telescope and its impact on the study of astronomy. We studied the work of Peter Thorpe in our art lessons and evaluated some of his famous space themed art work. 

Autumn 2 Computing Day - Computers for communication and collaboration. 

We have been;

Thinking about how we can communicate with others through technology

Discussing how computers have changed (Year 5 were very amused with Mrs Taylor/Mr Worthington's stories of what computers/the internet was like when they were in school!

Sending emails 

Reading and writing morse code messages

Autumn 1, Week 7- Recycling and Upcycling

What a busy end to our (very busy) half term! Phil Hunton visited our class this week to give a Recycling and Upcycling workshop. His message of living sustainably and caring for the environment, really struck a chord with the class and it was wonderful to hear their plans for looking after our environment. Take a look at the pictures showing the notebooks we made from recycled materials. 
 

In Science this week, we looked at different types of chemical reactions. We noted that some reactions, such as ice melting, are reversible. A reversible reaction is a change of state. Others, such as toast burning or baking a cake, are irreversible and involve a chemical change. Mr Worthington demonstrated an irreversible reaction by adding bicarbonate of soda to vinegar and showing how a gas is produced by inflating a rubber glove. 
 

Our English work this week has focused on Show not Tell sentences. This technique allows the reader to experience the story through actions, words, thoughts and feelings rather than through the author’s description.

Autumn 1, Week 6- Maths Week

This week we have been celebrating Maths Week. We have been focusing on a renowned and inspirational mathematician - Pythagorus. Pythagorus is best known for his work on right angled triangles and the famous theorem named after him. He started a group of mathematicians, called the Pythagoreans, who worshiped numbers and lived like monks. He had an influence on Plato. I have been amazed by the amount of detail in the projects brought in by the children.

On Thursday, we supported our Reception buddies with their school blessing. It was wonderful to be a part of their special moment and we were blown away by their beautiful artwork, fantastic singing and confident reading of the bidding prayers. It was also the Feast Day of Saint Edward the Confessor which gave us another opportunity to work with our buddies by making crowns with them and teaching them some facts about Saint Edward’s life. 

Autumn 1, Week 5- Making New Buddies

Autumn 1, Week 4- Little Way Week

The children have learnt about St Therese of Liseux as we celebrated 'Little Way Week'.

Little Way Week is inspired by St Thérèse of Lisieux, patron of mission. As a child St Thérèse dreamed of being a missionary. With age she understood that very few of us are called to make big and radical gestures, but that through small, loving actions we too can deliver God’s love to the world.

Autumn 1, Week 3- Outdoor Learning

We had our first Outdoor Day on Tuesday and spent the day exploring our school grounds using our orienteering course. We used our map reading skills to find the markers dotted around the school grounds and work out the answers to a set of clues given to us. 
 

On Wednesday, Miss Avery led a whole school ‘wake up, shake up’ on the playground, to celebrate National Fitness Day. We were certainly left feeling invigorated and refreshed!

In Mathematics this week, we have been revising some key Place Value concepts such as rounding to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000 and identifying the value of each digit in a 4 digit number. In English, we have been looking at ways to improve our writing by using different sentence starters and developing our proof reading skills. 

Autumn 1, Week 2- Art Week ‘Good to be Me’

What a busy week we have had! On Monday, we were taught how to play Quidditch and learnt the role of the ‘beater’, ‘seeker’, ‘chaser’ and ‘keeper.’ We are looking forward to playing Quidditch next week during our Outdoor Day. 
 

On Tuesday, Mrs McGowern led an assembly to launch the new Modern Foreign Language we will be learning in school - Italian. This will be an exciting opportunity to learn about Italian culture.

This week has been Art Week on the theme of ‘Good to be Me.’ Our class artist is Maria Rojas, an artist who uses printing techniques to create pieces of art. 5PW have had so much fun working on their Art skills, whilst focusing on the following questions;

-Which print making technique gives the most detailed image?

-How can I show 'me' in a self portrait?

Thursday 15^th September

Year 5 enjoyed a PSHE and Safeguarding theatre performance, provided by Loudmouth Theatre Company, followed by a workshop. 

During the session, children reflected upon ways of how they can keep themselves safe, in both real life situations and online. 

The session enabled children to:

• Understand that their body belongs to them
• Encourage children to tell a trusted adult if something is worrying them
• Reflect upon the trusted adults that they have in their life (safeguarding paws)
• Discuss a variety of situations, explore the dangers and think about who they could confide in