Last week's attendance...

Hi all,

So, it's a disappointing one I'm afraid- we've missed our target again. Quite significantly 😢

6SB = 90%

This was the lowest attendance figure in the whole school last week...

That means we are effectively missing 10% of our learning and, as we are heading towards secondary school VERY soon, that worries me.

Let's try to go out on a high 6SB- there's not long left!

Thank you for your continued support, 

Miss Barrell x

Last week's attendance...

I have bad news everyone...

We have hit a record low for our attendance in 6SB 😢

89.2%

This was the second lowest in the entire school and is especially disappointing when you consider all the exciting things we have to look forward to at this time of year... Residential, end of year production, graduation, end of year party etc. Not to mention: your final days spent with all of your friends before many of you go your separate ways to secondary school!

I completely understand that sometimes we can fall victim to illness but aside from that, please make sure you are in school every day and are on time. 

Onwards and upwards please 6SB- we can't have attendance as low as this again!

Many thanks for your continued support, 

Miss Barrell x

Attendance last week...

Happy Monday everyone- it's attendance time again!
I have good news and some not so good news...


I'll start with the not so good news:
Last week was SATs week and, given how important that week is, we can typically expect attendance to be in the very high 90s if not 100%. Unfortunately this wasn't the case this year... 😢


Now on to the good news:
We reached the school target!! Our attendance as a class last week was...

96.2%

That's fantastic news and it just goes to show we can do it- so now let's keep it up! We have a lot coming up over the coming weeks- residential; meetings with secondary staff and transition sessions; end of year performance and end of year play etc. There's so much still left and we don't want you to miss a minute of it.


So... In school: everyday and on time.


You can do it!


Miss Barrell

The Royal Wedding: Harry and Meghan

6SB congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day!

On Thursday, in honour of the upcoming Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, we donned our best threads in celebration.

Maths homework 18.5.18

Hi all,


A bit of fun for your homework this week- stage directions!
Do your research to find out which label goes where first of all- you can print the picture below out or draw it in your homework book and then label on the correct position for each.

Next try the activity below...

Mental Health Awareness Week

Hi all,


6SB, in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week, have been exploring what mental health is, what can affect it and how we can take care of it.

We have spoken about the importance of:


* understanding it's okay to not feel okay ALL the time;


* talking about our mental health, having people around us that we feel comfortable to confide in;


* avoiding situations or people that are negative;


* getting enough sleep;

* eating right;

* getting active.

This morning, in a bid to wind down a little after SATs week, we enlisted the help of Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, who put us through our paces and showed us how exercise can release endorphins and improve mood and help fight off anxiety and depression.

We felt great afterwards! 😂

SATs update...

Well done everyone on the first 2 maths papers today- only one more reasoning paper left now and you're done!


In terms of revision tonight, of course we don't know what will come up but we can think ahead to what topics might appear. Try some of these on for size:


Shape- especially circles- http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z8c7qty
Angles

Algebra

Parallel/ perpendicular lines
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zp327hv


Fractions/ decimals/ percentages (equivalence)
https://www.mathplayground.com/matching_fraction_percent.html

Maths revision...

Hi everyone,


Well done for today with the reading paper- two down, 3 more to go!


Tomorrow is Maths Paper 1 (arithmetic) and Maths Paper 2 (reasoning). We've done some revision today- going over elements for both papers.


Things that we discussed:
* The importance of accuracy- making sure your times tables or miscalculating 'carries' doesn't let you down.
* Fractions- making sure you always turn mixed numbers to improper fractions before you start calculating.
* Written methods for multiplication and division- these are worth 2 marks as opposed to just 1- make them count!
* Multiplying or dividing by a decimal... Make it easy for yourself- calculate with whole numbers and convert back to a decimal afterwards, e.g. 2.6 x 312 = 26 x 312 /10


One thing that came up this afternoon was averages: mean, median, mode, range etc. Having covered it less than some other topics, some of us were a little sketchy on this, so please find a couple of links below to help you go over these things:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/data/mode_median_mean_range/read/1/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB_033ID7i8


Another request we had was for some measure and conversion work. So, below, there is another link to help you go over this:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/shape_space/measures/read/1/


If there's anything else you want, leave a comment or message me via Class Dojo and I'll do what I can.
Otherwise, get some rest and do something nice to unwind- you've worked hard; you've earned it!


See you tomorrow,


Miss Barrell x

Quick reading revision

Ahead of tomorrow's reading paper, we have spoken today, going over what is required to get full marks in 2 and 3 mark questions.
Generally speaking this questions require you to make a point(s) and support with evidence.

 

For a 2mark answer:
Point + evidence
If a point has already been given, e.g. Toby was excited, then 2 pieces of supporting evidence are required, e.g. He skipped along giddily + He could barely contain himself with squeaks and squeals escaping his lips!

 

For 3 mark answers there are a few possibilities:

• P + E + E
• P + P + E
• E + E + E (if a point is already given)

Below are a couple of texts and related questions for you to try in preparation for tomorrow. But remember: don't overdo it- make sure you get some rest.

 

SATs week...

Morning all!

So today's the day, it's finally here but don't be stressed and have no fear. You've got it, you've learnt it, you know your stuff- just give it your all and that is enough.


Good luck year 6 x

This week's homework...

Hi all,

SATs next week! Therefore, this week's homework is a little different...

You have done all the hard work- for years you have come to school, day in day out, many of you not missing a single day, absorbing all manner of facts and bits of information. It is that that has prepared you for the coming week. Now is not the time to worry- you've got this. Trust me. Over the last 8 months we have simply tried to top you up, filling in the final pieces of the jigsaw that make up your primary school education as well as reminding you of the pieces you fit in to place in the years before. We are thrilled with the finished product- it's nothing short of a work of art!

Over the weekend, yes- do go over things that you feel will help you to come in on Monday full of confidence; no- don't overdo it!
Rest is an important component of success too- your brain needs time to rest and absorb/ store everything you are feeding it! If you, or your brain, are too tired then we all know what it's like- we make careless mistakes. You're better than that.

If you do want anything in particular adding to the blog, drop me a message in the comment box below or on Class Dojo and I will get something sorted, otherwise make use of revision guides/ internet sites etc to help you go over anything you're unsure of.





And, as a little challenge, have a go at some of these...

• Go for a walk
• Exercise/ play sport
• Talk to someone
• Have a drink
• Make a healthy snack
• Read a book
• Take a nap
• Watch a movie
• Draw a picture

Think up some more with your family- the possibilities are endless. But remember, life is about balance. Don't forget that this weekend guys 😊

Just a reminder:
Monday: Grammar Punctuation and Spelling
Tuesday: Reading
Wednesday: Maths arithmetic and Reasoning Paper 1
Thursday: Maths Reasoning Paper 2
Friday: FRIYAY: NO TESTS!!!

See you Monday,

Miss Barrell x

Reading revision: Topical vocabulary

Hi all,

As previously mentioned, SATs are not a 'Year 6' test; the tests are intended to draw on knowledge gained from across your primary education. That includes: history, geography, science, religious education etc.
It is for that reason you will benefit from recapping key learning in each subject as, with this, you will be exposed to a range of key words. By ensuring you understand what certain words mean, it will enable you to better access texts you might come across.

I have produced some short comprehension questions that will require you to draw on this prior knowledge/ understanding below.
Identify key words/ words you are uncertain of and use their structure and/or context to help you determine their meaning before attempting the questions that accompany each text.

Miss Barrell x

Year 6 production...

This year, year 6 will be putting on a performance of 'Treasure Island'...
Our intended performance date is:

Wednesday 11th July

We hope you will be able to join us. Information will follow shortly with details on how to get tickets etc.

Thank you for your continued support,

Miss Barrell x

Last week's attendance...

Bad news everyone: Our attendance has dipped again 😓

Unfortunately, we have gone from 95.8% - only 2 tenths away from our 96% target- to 93.5%
That's a decrease of 2.3% in just 7 days!
😱

Come on everyone- keep my hope alive and let's get it back up. SATs week starts on Monday so hopefully we can all make it in everyday and on time next week instead.

🙏

Miss Barrell

Reading: Inference Answers 1 and 2

Hi all,

Here are the answers to the first 2 Inference comprehension question sets I posted:

• The Magic City
• Raider's Peril

Only open this post once you have completed the questions or, better still, especially if you don't finish both together, get an adult to open it and check your answers for you.

I'd love to hear how you got on, so comment your scores for each test as you do them along with any requests for further revision guidance.

Good luck,

Miss Barrell x

Reading Skills: Inference 2- Raider's Peril

Hi all,

One of the most frequent question types you will encounter in reading comprehension tests will be INFERENCE. As you know (hopefully!), this requires you to play the role of detective and figure things out for yourself. You need to 'read between the lines' and get information that isn't directly given to you.
Often, these questions will be about characters or settings. Remember to consider things that characters DO or SAY that give us clues about how they're feeling etc.
Thinking about word choices made by the author and what they mean can also help you.
For example, if when speaking about someone's singing voice the author describes them as having 'the voice of an angel', we would understand that they sound nice, or heavenly even! If, however, they described them as sounding like 'a bag of spanners', we would get a very different impression!

Open this post to read more. 
Take a look at the text and have a go at the questions. Answers will be provided in a separate post for someone to mark your answers. Don't forget to post with what your score was!

Good luck,

Miss Barrell x

Reading skills: Inference 1- The Magic City

Hi all,

One of the most frequent question types you will encounter in reading comprehension tests will be INFERENCE. As you know (hopefully!), this requires you to play the role of detective and figure things out for yourself. You need to 'read between the lines' and get information that isn't directly given to you.
Often, these questions will be about characters or settings. Remember to consider things that characters DO or SAY that give us clues about how they're feeling etc.
Thinking about word choices made by the author and what they mean can also help you.
For example, if when speaking about someone's singing voice the author describes them as having 'the voice of an angel', we would understand that they sound nice, or heavenly even! If, however, they described them as sounding like 'a bag of spanners', we would get a very different impression!

Open this post to read more. 
Take a look at the text and have a go at the questions. Answers will be provided in a separate post for someone to mark your answers. Don't forget to post with what your score was!

Good luck,

Miss Barrell x

QUIZ ANSWERS: Maths Reasoning and SPaG (1-3)

Hi all,

Here are the answers to the first 3 quiz papers I posted for Maths Reasoning AND SPaG. Only open this post once you have completed the papers or better still, especially if you don't finish them all in one go, get an adult to open it and check your answers for you.

I'd love to hear how you got on, so comment your scores for each test as you do them along with any requests for further revision guidance.

Good luck,

Miss Barrell x

SPaG Quiz 3

Hi all, 

Open this post to for the third Year 6 SPaG Quiz- it might help you identify any areas of spelling, punctuation or grammar that you still need to work on. Feel free to make it fun by challenging friends and family- who can get the highest score?!

I'll post more of these in coming posts. Answers will be posted separately for an adult/family member/friend to check your answers. Remember- don't look ahead! You'll only cheat yourself. Give it a go and check after 👍

Enjoy!

Maths Reasoning Quiz 3

Hi again, 

Open this post to for your third Year 6 Reasoning Quiz- it might help you identify any areas of maths that you still need to work on. Feel free to make it fun by challenging friends and family- who can get the highest score?!

I'll post more of these in coming posts. Answers will be posted separately for an adult/family member/friend to check your answers. Remember- don't look ahead! You'll only cheat yourself. Give it a go and check after 👍

Enjoy!

SPaG Quiz 2

Hi all, 

Open this post to for a Year 6 SPaG Quiz- it might help you identify any areas in spelling, punctuation or grammar that you still need to work on. Feel free to make it fun by challenging friends and family- who can get the highest score?!

I'll post more of these in coming posts. Answers will be posted separately for an adult/family member/friend to check your answers. Remember- don't look ahead! You'll only cheat yourself. Give it a go and check after 👍

Enjoy!

Maths Reasoning Quiz 2

Hi all, 

Open this post to for the second Year 6 Reasoning Quiz- it might help you identify any areas of maths that you still need to work on. Feel free to make it fun by challenging friends and family- who can get the highest score?!

I'll post more of these in coming posts. Answers will be posted separately for an adult/family member/friend to check your answers. Remember- don't look ahead! You'll only cheat yourself. Give it a go and check after 👍

Enjoy!

Maths reasoning Quiz 1

Hi all,

Open this post to for a Year 6 Reasoning Quiz- it might help you identify any areas of maths that you still need to work on. Feel free to make it fun by challenging friends and family- who can get the highest score?!

I'll post more of these in coming posts. Answers will be posted separately for an adult/family member/friend to check your answers. Remember- don't look ahead! You'll only cheat yourself. Give it a go and check after 👍

Enjoy!

This week's homework...

Hi all,

I mentioned yesterday that your focus for the next week, with only 4 school days until SATs, should be on revising. Focus, not on the things you are good at, but on the things you know you don't feel as secure with so that, by the time testing week arrives, you will be full of confidence knowing you have given it your best shot. That is all we ask.

I have delayed putting this up as I didn't want to distract you from the lovely sunny weather we have been enjoying this bank holiday Saturday. Balance is important; make sure you build in rest to recharge your batteries.

So, in between your rest intervals:

• Practise any arithmetic skills you make errors in.
• Apply your arithmetic skills to reasoning questions.
• READ!! Read on a wide range of topics- science, history, geography etc. as well as narrative and poetry- exposing yourself to new and varied vocabulary and practise figuring out what unfamiliar words mean.
• Revise any grammar terms you are less confident about- can you tell a phrase from a clause?!
• Learn your spellings! On Friday I gave you all the spellings you didn't get right from across this term- keep working on them.
• Make use of the blog posts from across the year as well as revision guides and online resources.

Open this post to read more as I have attached a practise SPaG test below for you to try- give it a go and if there's anything on there you struggle with then revise it! 

Similarly with maths, I have put up some questions for you to try.

LASTLY, comment on this post if you want me to put anything in particular up to help you or to timetable in for next week's lessons.

Enjoy the rest of the bank holiday and I'll see you Tuesday,

Miss Barrell x

Last week's attendance...

Good news: Our attendance, once again, has increased from last week!

From 94.2 %we have crept even closer to the minimum 96% target... 
Last week we reached: 

95.8%

We are just 0.2% away from that target but we have the ability to reach even higher than that so let's make this week the week we do it! We had a fantastic start this morning with everyone in and on time (with reading books and logs)! 

Keep it up and I look forward to keeping you posted about our progress next week :) 

Thanks for your continued support everyone, 

Miss Barrell x

Spellings WC 30.4.18

Hi all,


A little disappointing this week on the spelling front I'm afraid...
We have now covered everything we need to in terms of spellings- looking at different rules, patterns, exceptions etc. but nobody got full marks every week so it's really important, now that we are revisiting them, that we take the time to learn the words that are provided as we are going to focus on the ones that caused us problems first time round!


Here are some links that might help you with this week's focus and there is a game below the spelling sheet that you might find quite fun (let me know if you struggle as I can give you clues)!


http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en01soun-game-silent-invaders
https://howtospell.co.uk/silent.php

Maths homework 27.4.18

Hi all,


Please see below for this week's maths homework- some revision on angles as well as some arithmetic practise to keep the grey matter active!

We have focussed on revision of angles this week as well as strategies for reasoning questions so hopefully that should help you with these.

HOWEVER- if you need an extra refresher to make it all stick/ sink in, then here are some links to help you develop that understanding even further:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zg68k7h
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/shape_space/angles/read/1/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/shape_space/angles/play/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGKwdHMiqCg

Reading homework 27.4.18

Take a look at this...

Have a listen to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjxugyZCfuw 

Last week's reading homework caused some confusion for some of us unfortunately. No need to worry though- as long as we learn from our experiences they shouldn't continue to repeat themselves. It's really important we read the questions carefully, so bear that in mind with this week's RIC.

BONUS QUESTION:

How does the artist help you to understand the subject is in control?

Remember to:

• Consider what you need to understand in the question to be able to answer it- what do words mean?
• Look for the cues from the question to help you find the right part of the text to answer.
• Think about the marks available for each question and what you need to put in your answer to make sure you get them.
• Only use what you need to- don't waste time waffling!
• Check- does your response actually answers the question? Does any evidence you use match the point you're making?

If you need any help, come and talk to me and we can work through it together.

Enjoy,

Miss Barrell x

Last week's attendance...

Okay... I have good news and I have bad news:


Good news: we have improved AGAIN upon our weekly attendance score from 93.1% last week to  94.2% this week!


Bad news: Ours was the lowest attendance out of the whole of KS2 (years 3-6) AND we're still below the 96% target 😢


Once again year 6- let's keep pushing this- In school. On time. Every day.
You have improved week on week so let's keep it as an improving trend!


Thanks for your continued support,


Miss Barrell x

Maths homework 20.4.18

Hi all,

Here is your homework for this week. Remember- calculations should be neatly recorded, 1 digit per square, in your homework books with a ruler used for straight lines. If you have trouble accessing this, please make sure you come to one of us ASAP and we can get you a paper copy.

If you are struggling with anything or are in doubt over how to tackle any of these questions, please make sure you come and see us too so that we can go over it- we want you to feel confident in these questions as you will almost certainly come up again something similar in your SATs tests.

Miss Barrell x

Spellings WC 23.4.18

Hi all,

Here are this week's spellings. Given that we have covered everything we need to, we are going in with revision- starting with some of the words/ rules/ patterns that proved tricky for some of us earlier in the year.

Start with this recap:

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zp7dk7h 

Try the 'Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check' activity here:

• https://www.spellzone.com/word_lists/learn_practise_test.cfm?wordlist=9765 

These activities are also fun ways to practise:

• https://www.spellzone.com/games/against_clock/index.cfm?wordlist=9765 
• https://www.spellzone.com/games/bouncing_anagram/index.cfm?wordlist=9765&speed=2 

Reading homework 20.4.18

Hi all,

Here is your reading homework for this week- this time we are going to look at a poem!

'Leisure' by W.H. Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance. 

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare. 

You might find it helpful to watch the following clip too...

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Lt30YbleE 

Based on this poem, answer the questions below:

1. R- W.H. Davies speaks of being able to 'stand and stare'. Name three things he talks about standing and staring at.
2. I- What is the authors opinion of life? Explain with reference to the text.
3. C- Why did Davies describe 'Streams full of stars'? What was he trying to convey through this?

Last week's attendance...

Good news everybody: our attendance is creeping up again! 👍
Before Easter break it was 91.9% 😢
Thankfully, this week we have managed to raise it to:

93.1%

Let's keep it going now 6SB- we're not far off of our minimum target and with only a few weeks left before SATs we want to make the most out of the time we have left to make sure we are ready for anything they throw our way!

See you bright and early tomorrow!

Miss Barrell x

Reading RIC homework 13.4.18

Hi all,

Apologies for the delay in posting this- technical issues, unfortunately!
Anyway, here's the text- page 40 from our class text:

And 3 questions- Retrieval(and word meaning), Inference, (language) Choice to answer based on your reading.

Use the skills we have been focussing on to help you answer the questions quickly and accurately.

• Skim and scan for key words/ synonyms to help you focus in on target information;
• Analyse words and actions to figure things out about them (inference);
• Consider meanings of words to help you understand what the author is trying to convey, e.g. if something is described as 'thunderous' we can understand that it is loud and perhaps scary.
• Make sure any evidence you select clearly supports the point being made.

Remember- these are the most common question types you will come across so it pays to be comfortable with them. If you're having difficulty, come to us and we will be able to help you but you've got to work at it.

Please complete answers in your homework books as normal, neatly,  by Wednesday.

Miss Barrell x

REVISION: Percentages

Soooooo... I first posted about this aaaaaall the way back in October last year: PERCENTAGES!


This week we returned to the topic to see how we were getting on with it.Today we tackled this:

Our challenge was to make our way through the maze within in a minute (we didn't manage it!). We tried a number of different calculations too and whilst we weren't bad, there was definite room for improvement at times, particularly with speed and accuracy.


So, here is the link to my original post:
https://missbarrellsclass.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/percentages-of-amounts.html


As well as some online resources you may find useful:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/maths/number/percentages/read/1/


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR95Cbcjzus


https://www.khanacademy.org/math/pre-algebra/pre-algebra-ratios-rates/pre-algebra-percent-problems/v/finding-percentages-example


https://www.khanacademy.org/math/pre-algebra/pre-algebra-ratios-rates/pre-algebra-percent-problems/v/taking-a-percentage-example


If you want some extra help, I will be going over percentages next week before school (from 8:15am- come in through breakfast club) on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday- I'd love to see you there :)


Enjoy!


Miss Barrell x

Maths homework 13.4.18

Hi all,
Some more arithmetic practise this week for homework (12 questions). Complete the calculations in your homework books, neatly, one digit per square, using a ruler for straight lines.
Q1

Maths: Finding the half way point

Hi all,




This week we went over how to calculate a point that lies exactly half way between two other given points. Here are some examples of the sorts of things we have been dealing with:

These questions have been causing some of us some problems...

Now I know it's a little more complex than what is half way between 1 and 3 for example, but none the less, we all have the necessary skills/ understanding to be able to break this problem apart.

Steps to success:

1) If the numbers are in different formats, e.g. fractions/ decimals or percentages/ fractions, then make them the same.

2) Find the difference.

3) Half the difference (remember though, with fractions, you cannot have a decimal numerator- if this is the case then you will have to switch from a fraction to a decimal or percentage instead).

4) Add half the difference to the number at the start of the number line.

 

The following image might help you to remember this:

Try the following... A, B and C:

 

 

CHALLENGE:

If you managed to find the half way mark, tell me:

1. What point would lie 1/4 of the way across?
2. What point would lie 3/4 of the way across?
3. What point would lie 1/3 of the way across?
4. What point would lie 2/3 of the way across?
5. What other point along the line can you find?

If you find you're struggling with these, embrace it as a failure (see earlier blog post) and rather than shying away from it, come and see me next week- I will be holding extra sessions over break times on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday where we can go over it and get some extra practise.

See you then,

Miss Barrell x



Focus on: Failure...

I know, I know! Why are we focussing on failure?!
It seems counter-productive I know but if we've told you this once, we must have told you a thousand times over the course of your school careers but just as a reminder:

FAILURE IS NOT A BAD THING!!

It helps you to learn, understand and grow as a person. Never has this been so relevant as it is now as you approach the challenge of SATs. Of course you want to do your best- we want that for you also- you've worked too hard not to achieve that. But it is just that: YOUR best. You are in competition with no one but yourself, striving only to do better than yourself previously.


Hopefully the clip below with some wise words from Will Smith will help you see things in a different light if you're feeling the pressure... Let this advise inspire you as you begin revising the topics you have covered in school; let it motivate you as and when you come to things you find tricky and let it encourage you to not give up but to keep going and adapt!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wFf6rhcYkXw 

"Fail early, fail often and fail forward"
-Will Smith


Miss Barrell x

Focus on: Reading

This week we have really put our reading skills to the test with a variety of texts and question types.
It has exposed us to some new authors and writing styles which will improve our writing.
You can see how enthralled we have been in these pictures below:

Remember to keep practising. Over the coming days/ weeks, I will be uploading some extra reading comprehensions for you to try at home so keep a look out for them!


Miss Barrell x

Attendance- final week before Easter break

 Welcome back everybody!


I hope you had a restful and enjoyable Easter break and are ready and raring to go for the final term before Summer- there's a lot to fit in so we need to make sure our attendance is up to scratch, especially with SATs fast approaching as we dig in with our revision and then we have residential and end of year parties and performances to look forward to!


I certainly hope we can improve upon the 91.9% we got before we broke off 😢


Let's really go for it this half term Year 6!


Thank you again for your continued support,


Miss Barrell x

Algebra sequences...

Wow!
I just want everyone to know how incredibly 6SB have taken to the concept of algebra this week! If I'm honest, I remember not liking algebra to begin with when I was younger but not you guys!


We have been exploring number sequences this week, looking for similarities and differences and noticing patterns in the terms of the sequence to help us come up with the 'rule', 'expression' or 'formula' for the nth term.


Here you can see some of the sequences we have explored so far:

So here are a couple more for you to take a look at... Can you think of a formula for the different sequences below? Can you find the 25th, 50th and 80th terms?


1)

2)

Enjoy exploring and maybe you can come up with a sequence of your own for others to explore!


Miss Barrell x

Easter craft afternoon...

Good afternoon everyone!


Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is Easter Craft afternoon. You can bring in materials for a design to decorate and create a scene for your (hard boiled) eggs. If you are short on ideas and are in need of inspiration, take a look at the pictures below- they might not be quite what you're looking to produce but they might spark an idea off!

I can't wait to see what you produce!


Miss Barrell x

Last week's attendance...

Happy Monday everyone!




So, last week I updated you on our seemingly improving attendance trend. I am pleased to announce that this trend appears to be continuing.
Last week's attendance rose to 94.2% (from 93.8% the previous week) which is good news, so thank you for your continued efforts.




I was a little disappointed to learn however that this was the lowest attendance in Upper Key Stage 2... Remember, we are working towards a minimum of 96% This is especially important for all of our year 6s as we are fast approaching a very important time of year for them and we really don't want them missing out on a thing.


Keep going 6SB- we can do it! We've done it before and we will do it again- team 100!


Miss Barrell x

Spellings: Homophones

Hi all,

 

So this week we really focussed in on homophones: words that sound the same (or very similar) but have different meanings.
We have been working on developing our understanding our understanding of the different words in context as this is what enables us to tell them apart using the spelling homework resource I put on the blog last week. This is really beginning to help and there have been some really good conversations happening about whether a word is a noun or a verb or an adjective and all sorts of other reasoning about which word is the right one to use.
The key message we have come away with this week however is that: homophones will not learn themselves- you must put the effort in to learn them properly. Not only are we facing the challenge of spelling them correctly but because we have to know the difference between 2 or more spellings to begin with, meaning the whole thing is twice as hard!

 

The words we tested on this week were:
Advice, devise, guest, steel, aisle, prophet, weary, mourning, herd, stationary, father, proceed and guessed.
The bold words that have been underlined were the most commonly misspelt words.

 

To make working on homophones a bit more fun, click the links below to take you to games and other online resources:

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/zsvnp39 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw4IjeGPaz0 
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/game/en21watc-game-paris-word 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJUqJyX5NSA 
• http://www.galacticphonics.com/homonyms/interactive/theretheirtheyre/theretheirtheyre.htm 

Reading homework 16.3.18

Hi all,


A little something extra this week... Reading!

First of all, a HUGE well done to all of our keen readers from this week, bringing their home reading books in every single day- very impressive! One more week until Easter break now so keep it up and fingers crossed- it could be your name being drawn out of our reading raffle next week- you've got to be in it to win it!

Secondly, this week we have been focussing on how to write a strong '3 mark answer' to maximise the points we achieve in comprehension tests. Sooooo...

As part of your homework, based on an extract from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- Chapter 2: The Vanishing Glass. I have set 3 questions for you to answer for which I have devised a mark scheme of plausible responses (just as they would in a test) which we will use next week to see how many marks we achieve.

You each have a booklet- these can be stuck in to your homework books; there's no need to write anything extra out; just work straight on to the sheet.


Use the skills we have practised as a checklist:


* Clarify the question in your mind: What is it asking me? e.g. What impression are you given of character A?


* Think of synonyms or generalisations for the point(s) you want to make, e.g. He is unkind


* Text mark to find your evidence but remember to only take what you need.


* Don't waffle and repeat yourself- be concise!


* Check that your evidence supports the point(s) you're making, e.g. He is unkind because he deliberately kicked the ball at her.


* Ask yourself: Have I answered the question?




As always, let me know if you need any help, but otherwise- happy reading!


Miss Barrell x