Message from the teachers

Dear Parents and Carers, 

We hope you had a lovely bank holiday weekend.

The children have had a great week continuing with their learning and beginning some exciting new topics. They have especially enjoyed learning about the Great Barrier Reef and exploring the threats our oceans face. This links closely to our upcoming geography trip to Brighton Beach next Tuesday, where the children will be investigating plastic pollution and its impact on the environment.

Thank you to the parents who have volunteered to join us on the trip, your support is greatly appreciated. The children are very excited, and we are looking forward to a fantastic day of learning together. 

Please remember that children will need to bring a packed lunch, a snack, and a water bottle on the day of the trip. If the weather forecast suggests rain, please also ensure they bring a raincoat.

Have a lovely weekend!

The Year 5 Team

Free NHS Support for Parents – Helping Your Child Thrive at Home

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Supporting your child to sleep more independently and confidently
Managing specific fears (such as animals, needles, or sickness)
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Responding to anxiety or panic in the moment
Creating calmer routines and reducing conflict at home
This trusted NHS service supports hundreds of Merton families each year. Over 90% of parents report progress towards their goals and would recommend the service.

Sessions are practical, evidence-based, and focused on giving you tools that make a real difference in everyday family life.

Interested?
Find out more and apply here: https://forms.office.com/e/9hA10GNKqk. 
You can also collect a paper application form from the school office.

An update from the classroom and the teaching and learning taking place

* Maths sets - Just a reminder these groups will be flexible, meaning children may move between sets depending on their needs and progress. This will help ensure all pupils are appropriately supported and challenged in maths. 

* Homework - Each week, children will be set Maths homework alongside either Literacy, Science, or a foundation subject task. This will help reinforce learning across the curriculum and support children in developing a wider range of skills. Some children have been given Year 4 practice journals in Maths to help fill any gaps in learning and to build confidence with key skills. These journals are intended as extra support rather than a replacement for Year 5 work. These pieces of homework will be marked and set on a Friday and are due in the following Friday, please help your children stay on track by ensuring they bring their homework in on time. 

* Uniform and coats - As we move into the new term, please ensure that children are dressed appropriately for the weather. While we are hoping for brighter days ahead, it can still be quite cold, so coats may still be needed - please check the weather each morning to help your child come prepared. We have also noticed that some children are wearing their own brightly coloured trousers and trainers during PE and other days of the week. A reminder that all children should wear the correct school-approved PE kit and school shoes in line with our uniform policy. Thank you for your support in helping maintain consistency across the school.

* Snacks - Please send your child in with a healthy snack every day and please remember we have a strict no nuts policy at school.  

* Art T-shirts/ aprons - There are still lots of children who do not have a T-shirt or apron for our messier art lessons, and we are worried their uniforms will get very messy. We are going to be doing printing in Art so please get this sent in as soon as possible.

As part of our curriculum, all children take part in a variety of art activities throughout the year, many of which can get a little messy! To help protect school uniforms and allow pupils to fully enjoy these sessions, we kindly ask that each child brings in an old, oversized shirt or T-shirt to use as an art apron. They can also bring an apron. Please ensure the shirt is clearly labelled with your child’s name and sent into school to your child's class teacher at your earliest convenience. It will be kept in school and used whenever needed for art across the year. Thank you for your support in helping us make our art lessons fun, creative, and worry-free for all pupils.

Coming up over the next few weeks…

• Maths - Decimals & percentages / perimeter & area / statistics 
• Literacy - Writing a newspaper report (inspired by new class text Beowulf)
• Science - Living things and their habitats
• Geography - Why do Oceans matter?
• Art - Craft & Design: Architecture
• DT - Making Bridges 
• French - Chez Moi 
• Music (secondary model) 
• PSHE (secondary model)
• RE (secondary model)
• PE (secondary model)

Standing information

Beyond the classroom - trips and visits:

Trips

Brighton Beach (linking to Geography - Why do Oceans matter?) Tuesday 12th May

High Ashurst Monday 15th - Wednesday 17th June

PE Days (wear PE kit to school) 

In year 5, in Summer 1, all children will have PE on Mondays, Tuesdays and dance on Thursdays.

Website information

Remember to check out our website page for more information https://www.hollymount.org/Year-5/

Our website also includes all curriculum information so you can find out what your child is learning https://www.hollymount.org/Our-Curriculum/  and has advice for support positive mental health https://www.hollymount.org/Mental-Health-and-Wellbeing/