Welcome to Silver Birch Class - Year 5 & 6

Mrs Adamson (class teacher) works Monday - Tuesday and Mrs Mottram (class teacher) works Wednesday - Friday; Mrs Walker works Monday to Wednesday morning and Mrs Chapman supports a learner. 

Silver Birch Class Information

In Term 1 our learning overview is Go Green (Geography and Science focus). 

Our Term 2 learning overview is World War (History focus).

In Term 3 our learning overview is the Scots, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans (History focus), as well as States-of-matter (Science focus). 

In Term 4 our learning overview is Electricity, Light and our whole-school writing week (Science focus).  

Important dates for Terms 1&2 2023:

Term 1 diary dates

•  Return to school for pupils - Monday 5th September.

• Class swimming starts Thursday 7th for 5 weeks.
• Parent information meeting / welcome Friday 15th 8:50am (PPT attached).
• Parent and pupil residential meeting Wednesday 20th 8:50am. 
• Langtree School have their open evening on Thursday 21^st September 5.30 - 8pm.

• Gillots School have their open evening on Thursday 28^th September 6-8.15pm

• Parent meetings Tuesday 26th September Mrs Lloyd (online / in person).
• Parent meetings Thursday 28th September Mrs Mottram (online / in person).
• Silver Birch cross country event at Langtree 1-3:30pm. 
• Harvest Festival Service on Wednesday 4th October at 2:30 families all welcome - at church. 
• Class residential Wednesday 11th to Friday 13th October 2023. 
• Henley environment group talk about our local habitat 2-3pm 19.10.23. to our class. 
• Break up day Thursday 19th October 3:20pm, staff INSET Friday 20th.                                 
• Term 2 diary dates

• Pupil new term starts Monday 30th October 2023 8:40am. 
• Class WWII trip to Didcot Railway Museum 22.11.23. in WWII dress-up clothing & lunch please. 
• Anti-bullying week Monday 13th November 2023.
• Annual Christmas book fair in the hall 8:40am and 3:20pm on Thursday 30th November and Friday 1st December 2023. 
• WWII dress-up day, parents to visit classrooms for afternoon tea 2:50pm 13th December.
• Whole school church service Wednesday 20th time TBC.
• Break up day 1pm Wednesday 20th December. 
• Monday 8th January INSET day, pupils return Tuesday 9th.

Term 3 diary dates:

INSET day Monday 8th January

Pupils return Tuesday 9th January 8:40am

Additional learning project weeks 1-4 with Mrs Lovegrove - textiles and the Vikings (sewing DT). Postponed due to family matters. 

Parent meetings 23rd an 25th January 2024. 

Tuesday 7th February - class Viking Workshop Day £10 each - full day in school workshop.

Break up 3:20pm Friday 9th February.

Pupils return Monday 19th February for Term 4.

Term 4 diary dates:

Pupils return Monday 19th February

Whole-school writing week Monday 4th March

World Book Day - dress as your favourite scientist/ or a book character Thursday 7th March 2024.

Parents in to view writing in the hall 3:20pm Friday 8th March

Silver Birch to The Oratory - science week - all afternoon 12th March.

Year 6 SATs parent and pupil meeting  Thursday 21st March 3pm. 

Y6 weights and measures on 22nd March. 

Wednesday 27th Easter Service in church at 2pm

Wednesday 27th IMPS will visit and training the class in basic first aid. 

Thursday 28th March - break up day 1pm finish.

Pupils return Monday 15th April 2024. 

Term 5 diary dates:

Pupils return Monday 15th April

SATs revision 

Blue-bell walk 1:15pm Friday 26th April (local woods).

Bank Holiday Monday 6th May 2024.

SATS Y6 only Monday 13 - Thursday 16th (Friday for emergency exams).

Thursday 15th May - Mrs Lovegrove to do an ink and pen art workshop based on illustrator Quentin Blake. 

Church Service followed by Maypole Dancing Wednesday 22nd May 2024. 

Break up Friday 24th May 3:20pm

Term 6 diary dates:

INSET day Monday 3rd June 2024.

Pupils return Tuesday 4th June.

Class writing focus for end of year levels week 1 & 2.

Production rehearsals begin week 3. 

Year 6 Langtree Taster Day Tuesday 2nd July 2024. 

Sports day Wednesday 3rd July TBC (afternoon likely).

Class step-up day Tuesday 9th July morning only.

Wednesday 10th July back up sports day.

Monday 15th July summer reports to parents.

Monday 15th July Annual KS2 production to school and local community.

Tuesday 16th July production performance to parents 1:30pm.

Wednesday 17th July 2:30pm Y6 Leavers Service - church.

Wednesday 17th July production performance to parents 6pm.

Monday 22nd - Year 6 Leavers Water Day Henley.

Tuesday 23rd Y6 leavers celebration worship - open to all families 9am in the hall.

Tuesday 23rd term ends at 1pm. 

Wednesday 24th INSET day. 

Important dates for pupils going to Langtree School in September 2024.

Taster Day - Tuesday, 2 July 2024

Parents' only coffee morning - Weds 17 July 2024

Welcome Evening - Monday 22 July 2024

Yr 7 Induction Day - Tuesday 3 September 2024. 

New Beginnings (by invitation from HOY Mrs Belcher and Mrs Mottram) Weds 26 June 2024.

Class curriculum letters for parents

Thank you for supporting your child with homework. If you would like some tips on how to do that, you may find this website useful 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/primary_support/

Homework

Each Monday, children write the week's homework in their homework diary. Can a parent please read and sign it at the start of each week.  Monday: read the chapter online Serial Purple Mash and complete the opened ended comprehension and sequencing questions (sheet provided) and revise your spellings;  Tuesday:   complete the GPS/SPaG questions (sheet provided) and as an optional task, complete the multi-choice quiz on Serial Purple Mash, then revise your spellings and read your class reader; Wednesday: complete the writing task (sheet provided) and revise spellings, read your book if time; Thursday: complete the maths task (sheet provided) and read your book; and finally on Friday: revise spelling, read your book and practise your mental maths skills. There may be additional French or RE from time-to-time. Children should set aside at least 30 minutes per day to complete their home learning.

Home learning

WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD AT HOME WITH THEIR HOME LEARNING:

1. Set aside a regular time and a quiet place to do homework.
2. Ensure access to online resources Serial Purple Mash or Conquer Maths, as required.
3. Ensure children understand the task before encouraging them to complete it independently and have the adequate resources e.g. paper, pencil, pen, writing target, reading record.
4. Check completed work with your child, offering support and giving praise for effort in Growth Mindset (independence, resilience, learning from mistakes and thinking around a problem).
5. Ensure your child completes and returns the homework on time. Please sign the home learning diary each Monday afternoon (see what home work tasks have been set for the week), as well as each sheet of home learning once checked (comprehension, GPS, writing and maths Monday - Thursday). 

Reading

Children should read every day, and it is still important, even if they are able to read by themselves, that they still read to an adult, or are read to by an adult. We would appreciate you having 'book talk' discussions with your child in order to develop their enjoyment of reading and their comprehension and word skills. You may find these links useful in guiding you on reading for pleasure and supporting your child at home: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/reading-tips/encouraging-older-children-to-read/ or https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/reading-tips/ .

Above are some question stems to assist you with this (Vipers KS2). If you are looking for suitable books then this website may be helpful: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/1/100-best-books-9-11/

Subscribed Resources

Please don't forget to use Conquer Maths, as often as possible with your personal login in. Purple Mash logins are for home learning tasks.