Category: Year 6 – St Paul

As we come to the end of the first spring half-term (and the half-way point of year six!), we have concluded our learning relating to Catholic social teaching on Solidarity and peace.

In geography, we have learnt about the factors that affect migration, both nationally and globally. We have learnt about the challenges faced by migrants and the impact on host countries. Using geographic data, we learnt that climate change might make migrants of us all and considered our own response.

We explored these ideas further as we read Armin Greder’s book, ‘The Island’. We used this as a starting point for our own writing, changing the setting to an island where the inhabitants welcomed new arrivals.

Finally, we explored ideas around our own agency and our power to make a difference through Amanda Gorman’s fantastic, ‘Change Sings’. We wrote our own verses on the theme of change using the meter and rhythm of Amanda Gorman’s poem.

As part of Safer Internet Week, we learnt about the danger of scams: the children certainly raised some interesting issues and it would be worth continuing the conversation at home.

Have a happy and safe break from school: I will see you for the downhill stretch later this month!

We’ve loved playing on our new trim trail this week! Thanks to our fabulous PTA for all of their hard work fundraising for our new play equipment.

This term, we are learning about the Catholic social teaching around solidarity and peace. We are called to commit ourselves to the common good and to bring peace to those around us. This is more than a feeling of compassion or distress at the misfortunes of others: it is a firm and persevering determination to do good in the world and work together to bring about positive action. In our learning, we found out about ways of peacefully effecting change, including through protest. We made placards addressed to some of the issues that are important to us.

We have been busy, getting creative, this week in DT. Learning to use a pattern and to sew using blanket and running stitches, we have all made a felt stocking to hang on our tree.
Next week, we will be applying our skills to create a tree decoration of our own design!

It’s been another busy week for Year Six and it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

On Wednesday, our year six Caritas Ambassadors journeyed to Westminster Cathedral to join children from across the diocese to hear again the Christmas story .

Thursday saw the culmination of all our hard work as we shared the Christmas story ourselves in the key stage two carol service. The children we fantastic, acting out their roles, narrating the story and singing angelically.

This week, in RE, we have learnt about Advent as the Church’s season of expectation of the coming of Christ. We read in Matthew’s Gospel, “Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

We made our own Advent promises as we reflect on our lives and how we can move closer to God through the season. We displayed out promises as candles, reflecting out learning about the Advent wreath.

As part of our learning about other major world religions, we have learnt about the concept of karma and belief in the cycle of reincarnation in Hinduism. On Wednesday, we enjoyed a workshop about some aspect of Hinduism led by Christine.

On Wednesday, as part of our learning in History, we visited Hampton Court Palace – one-time home of Henry VIII. It was great to see the places where the history we have learnt about happened. We used all of our history skills to learn from the building, artefacts, paintings and guides what life must have been like at the Tudor court. We had a great time, and no-one was left behind in the maze. A great big thank you to the parents who gave up their time to come with us.

Our learning in RE, this week, has focused on other world religions. We have learnt about the Hindu concept of karma and dharma and how valuing creation is lived through the lives of Hindus.

On Friday, there was an outbreak of spots across the school as children dressed up in support of Children in Need. It was great to see so much creativity in your spotty gear! Thanks also to our parents for their generosity.

It was lovely to see the whole class working together to perform in our Harvest celebration, with our Caritas Ambassadors leading our prayer and reflection. Thanks to all for your hard work and to the parents for the donations to the food bank at Feed.

Thanks also to everyone who supported our cake sale. You raised a staggering £370, some of which we have already spent: on pencil cases for everyone to avoid the complaint of lost stationary, and on a fan in anticipation of warmer days in year six: it is great to enjoy a sunny aspect over the playground, but the summer months often takes the temperature in our room to the mid-thirties. We hope that our fan will make these days more bearable. We still have quite a bit of money left and so are busy planning how to spend it.

I hope that you all have an enjoyable and safe half-term holiday. I look forward to seeing you all when we come back in November.

This week, we have enjoyed printing from the plates we made last week. Our artwork has been inspired by natural themes we have seen in the work of Peter Clayton. We have experimented with printing onto different colour papers and our own painted backgrounds.

Our Caritas Ambassadors are growing into their roles with the children, this week, leading our classes in praying the Rosary.

We look forward to next week, when our ambassadors will be helping us to celebrate in our Harvest assembly and our whole class will work together to perform our harvest song. We would be grateful for donations to our collection of items for the Feed food bank in St Albans which can be brought in at anytime over the next week.