This week in maths, we’ve started our new unit: division! The children have been enthusiastic learners, showing incredible focus! We have learnt new vocabulary this week such as divisor, dividend, quotient and partial quotient.
We’ve been using a range of resources to deepen our understanding. BrainingCamp has been a fantastic tool for visually partitioning numbers, helping the children see how numbers can be broken down to make division easier to grasp. We also used our trusty plastic wallets with the part-whole models to practise partitioning numbers in more practical ways.
Additionally, we have applied our learning to solve worded maths problems. Year 5 have demonstrated a great understanding of how to break down problems and use the tools and methods we’ve practiced to find solutions.
By the end of the week, we’ll be diving with remianders using the short division method – an important step that will help the children build confidence in solving division problems more efficiently.

In our art unit, we have been looking at the work of Frida Kahlo and her self portraits.  In today's lesson, we have been looking closely at the scale and proportion of a face.  We spent some time looking at where the different facial features should be on a portrait.

In RE this term, we will look at Buddhism and Judaism as part of Barnsley, the UK and the wider world, their places of worship and how they contribute to their community! We have started looking at how some followers of the Buddha work for a better world through the Karuna Trust. We learnt that Karuna is a charity inspired by Buddhist values, it works alongside the most excluded people in South Asia, overcoming discrimination with locally-led education, gender equality and sustainable livelihood projects. Our task today was to create a poster to encourage people to donate to the charity and to educate people about the work that the charity carries out. Take a look at some of our fantastic posters!

Year 5 has begun an exciting new topic all about South America! Throughout this topic, the children will be exploring fascinating geographical features, the vibrant ecosystems of the rainforest, and the ways people live and work in this incredible part of the world.

Here’s a snapshot of what we’ll be covering:

• World Geography Recap: We’ll start by revisiting the seven continents and using maps to locate South America, highlighting its key features.
• Rainforests: we will learn where rainforests are found, their unique characteristics, and their vital role in supporting ecosystems and human life.
• Deforestation and Human Impact: We'll explore the causes and effects of deforestation, as well as the broader impact of human activity on the rainforest.
• The River Amazon: Using aerial photographs, we will study the features of this majestic river and understand its importance to the region.
• Life in South America: Finally, we’ll look at how people live near the Amazon, comparing their lifestyles and land use to life in the UK, while discussing the differences between wealth and poverty in the region.

This half term in Year 5, we are diving into an exciting new adventure with Katherine Rundell’s captivating novel, The Explorer. Set in the Amazon rainforest, this thrilling story follows the journey of four children who find themselves stranded after a plane crash. As they navigate the challenges of survival, courage, and teamwork.
At the end of this half term, we’ll reflect on how The Explorer connects to last half term’s novel, Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. Both stories centre around survival in remote environments and highlight the importance of friendship, perseverance, and respect for the natural world.
Year 5 is ready to explore!

In art we have been combining different paint and collage techniques to create our Viking Seascape masterpieces.  We have all really enjoyed this unit and we love our final creations! 

In RE lessons, we’ve started learning about Judaism, focusing on the special rituals of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. These ceremonies mark an important milestone in the lives of Jewish boys and girls as they take on new responsibilities within their community.
To deepen our understanding, we watched videos that explained what happens during a Bar or Bat Mitzvah and why these events are so meaningful. We then linked this learning to our own lives by discussing the milestones that have been important to us, such as birthdays, starting school, or achieving a personal goal. It was fascinating to see the similarities and differences between the Jewish traditions and our own experiences!
If you'd like to revisit what we learned, here are two helpful links:

• BBC One - Being... Ethan prepares for his Bar Mitzvah
• Religious Studies KS2: What is a Bat Mitzvah? - BBC Teach

We’re looking forward to learning more about Jewish rituals and traditions in the coming weeks! 

In science this week, we have been looking at different mixtures of materials.  
We were challenged with the task of separating flour and raisins, paper clips and rice, a salt and water solution and a mixture of sand and water.
We learnt about some new processes including filtration and evaporation as well as using our knowledge of magnetism and sieving to help us separate the different mixtures!

After several weeks trying out different techniques of paint and collage, this week we started our final masterpieces.  We were all very excited to start painting our sky and starting our collage sea!  We can;t wait for next week when we can add the Viking boats!