Welcome to Life at KPS for Year 6

Mrs Nanda and Mrs Vitellaro warmly welcome you to Year 6.

The aim of this page is to highlight some of the fantastic learning that has been happening in Year 6, this page will be updated monthly, with photographs and information about the learning we have completed during the month.

We hope you enjoy looking through these updates and do discuss your child’s learning with them to celebrate their success. We look forward to any suggestions you may have to make your child’s learning a pleasant experience.

October 2021

Art

We have been looking at Shipibo-konibo artist Olinda Silvano who uses geometric Shipibo weaving designs, “kené,” to create large works of public art. She has created designs using traditional and contemporary geometric patterns to capture nature’s mystical power and draw a map to the future. All of her designs are the materialization of the visions and language of the Amazonian people interpreted through the ritual of Ayahuasca.

We have looked at key detail/section of her artwork and reflected on what we saw and what we thought about why the artist included these elements. We will be creating our own designs in the style of the artist.

Computing

Pupils are currently creating PowerPoint Presentations on Mount Picchu. They have been learning how to use their text box tools and picture tools and how to insert hyperlinks. After half-term children will continue to work on these presentations and insert audio and video clips to enhance their presentations. Once completed present them in their year groups.

Design Technology

In food technology this month we have researched and made dishes from Peru.

In Falcon class, we made a traditional quinoa stew. First we learned how to keep ourselves safe in the kitchen – ensuring our hands and equipment are clean, using a claw hand when chopping with sharp knives and making sure pot handles are facing inwards on the stove top.

We really enjoyed adding lots of flavor to our stew with a variety of herbs and spices. It was interesting to see how much the volume of quinoa changed once it had absorbed all of the water.

English

In English this month we have been learning how to effectively write to inform.  Using our topic – seven wonders of the world- with particular focus on Peru – as a stimulus, we have read writer’s and trip advisor’s blog on travelling to a destination and looked at the ingredients that makes a blog effective.

One of the first things we noticed was the tone; we looked at the different levels of formal and informal language within different way of reporting and how writers achieve a more formal tone.  We have learnt how to add in extra information by using Imagine three sentences to create imagery in the reader’s mind.

Geography

We have been learning about what makes a continent which is usually separated by water or
other natural features, like mountains. We also learnt about the seven continents in the world and what similarities and differences they have.

The children located the seven new wonders of the world on a map of the world and other significant places.

We have been looking at how the Inca people adapted to their environment in the Andes Mountains by developing terrace farming, aqueducts and earthquake proof buildings.

Maths

We have been learning to use our times tables to solve multiplication problems. We have used 5- digit multiplication with 2 or 3-digit number. We have also been learning that division is the sharing of a number and can use the formal written method of long division to solve division problems. We are able to identify when our answer has a remainder.

We have been solving number and practical problems involving place values. We can read write and understand what each digit represents in 6-digit numbers. We can apply our knowledge to addition and subtraction using place value. When we say ‘place value’, we mean the value of the digit, according to its place in the number. We also understand that the 0 is used as the place holder.

Music

Year 6 have used the chime bars to play a melodic ostinato (short repeated tune) as an accompaniment to the song.

In addition, they have learnt to read and write notes on a stave

They have learnt that the notes in the spaces (starting with the bottom space) spells ‘ F A C E ’ and the notes in on the lines use the acronym:

Eddie’s Green Boots Don’t Fit

The children understand how important it is to write the notes accurately on a stave and how the placement of the note determines the pitch.

Panjabi

In Year 6 children have been learning 6 sets of Panjabi letters. Children are reading and writing words by using these letters. This month they have also been learning how to make simple sentences in Panjabi like kp (ieh kp hY) and some children have been using adjectives in their sentences. Some children can read and write words and sentences with Kanna and Siharee symbols. For speaking and listening our topic for this term is Traditional sports of Panjab. Children also learning who to describe themselves in Panjabi. This term children have been learning the story of Bandi shorr and shabads related to this day.

Physical Education

The girls took part in a special football festival at Arbour Vale Sports Stadium.  The participants took part in lots of games and skill sessions where they got a chance to practice their shooting and dribbling.  They also took part in some friendly matches with girls from other schools.  This was a great experience for our students as it gave them an opportunity to play competitively against other schools in a friendly environment, where the emphasis was on having fun and trying your best!

PSHE

We have been learning about “Being me in my world” We have compared our school life with children in Ghana who work on a cocoa plantation. We have understood the difference between wants and needs by looking at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. We have also looked at different stories and made comparison to identify the needs that were met or not met for different individuals.

We were able to empathise with two different children to compare how the unmet needs might affect them and their ability to learn.

Religious Education

In RE this month we have been answering the key question: what is the best way for a Muslim to show commitment to God?

We have learned about the five pillars of Islam: Shahada – believing that there is one God and Muhammad is the messenger of God; Salat – praying 5 times a day; Zakat – donating money to charity; Sawn – fasting and Hajj – a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Science

During this biological module this term, we built in our children’s learning about the human body from Key Stage 1, when we learned that humans and other animals need water, food and air in order to survive, and also during lower Key Stage 2, when they investigated the muscular, skeletal and digestive systems.

They used this knowledge to learn about the human circulatory system and how it enables their bodies to function. They explored the main parts of the circulatory system: the heart, blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries) and blood, and how these work together to deliver oxygen and nutrients to every part of the body.

Our children also went onto discover how the heart works, the main components of blood and the function of the different types of blood vessels. They will also learn about how water is transported through the body and develop their understanding of the importance of water to human health.