In Year 6 this week we have been looking at division strategies to support our problem solving.

To begin, we learnt that sometimes it may be easier to use factors to divide by larger numbers. E.g. – If you want to solve 912 divided by 48, this can be done by dividing 912 by 8 and the answer to this by 6 (as 8 x 6 = 48).

Having secured that strategy, the children were introduced to good old fashioned long division. It was nice for their teachers to be able to say, “Just like we were taught when we were your age!”.

Sometimes, the old school methods are the best!

Have a lovely weekend!

The Year 6 Team

Our RE unit at present is focused on Catholic Social Teaching and how we can use these principles to look after all of God’s creation. The children have read the letter from Pope Francis – Laudato Si – and thought about what they consider to be having the strongest negative impact on God’s world today. They also identified how the world once was, and how it is now. See below for some examples of their work and thinking:

Have a great weekend

The Year 6 Team

In the run-up to Remembrance Weekend and Armistice Day, the children have spent time this week listening to first-hand recollections of what is was like to live and fight in the trenches. We had also previously read poetry by Siegfried Sassoon and responded to a range of images from the Western Front.

The children were tasked with writing a poignant WW1 poem that considers mood and atmosphere. We are proud of their results, particularly their ability to empathise with the situation the soldiers and their families found themselves in.

We chose Edith Swandell’s to be read aloud in our Remembrance Assembly:

“Your Country Needs You!”

the posters said,

I repeated the words over and over

As I sat in bed.

It will be a short war I would say,

I might even be back later that day.

 

The day we arrived,

Knee deep in mud,

Showered by rain and our neighbours’ blood,

The crimson skies called out their alarm,

As rifles and machine guns aimed for harm.

None of us expected it this way,

All of the things we saw that first day.

By the warmth of a candle I sat waiting,

How much more could I handle?

But we – daring men,

We stood our ground,

For all we wanted was for our country to be proud.

Months later,

With many lucky retreats,

I waited to go over,

Although I was weak.

I took one step towards the foe,

And all-of-a-sudden, my body fell low.

They couldn’t help,

They weren’t allowed,

But still I tried to stay strong and proud.

The courageous soldiers who fell for us,

So we could live freely.

They gave their tomorrow so that we could have our today.

Edith Swandell, 2022

Today, Year 6 children experienced a taste of what it must be like to work as an engineer or designer for Sir James Dyson when they took on the challenge of building their own vacuum devices! Not an easy task when all they were provided with was a plastic bottle, some card and a small electric motor.

Working in small groups, co-operation was key, as was the need to be resilient, curious and creative. Upon reflection, they all enjoyed the process and are keen to ‘try again’ and build upon their learning in this, their first STEM Day in Year 6.

See below for photographic evidence of their work in progress and final outcomes: