Maple Class Blog 2025 Onwards
Maple Tree Class Blog
7.2.25 - Weekly Update
Miss Bairstow (d.bairstow) on: Maple Tree Class Blog
Hello,
This week Year 6 have been completing some assessments so that we can see how much progress they have made so far this term. While they have been busy with this Year 5 have been focussing on improving their arithmetic skills and have published their rainforest poems.
In other news, there have been lots of other exciting events going on for some pupils in UKS2. On Tuesday, we had a PSHE workshop on resilience delivered by Mindmate, some Y5 and Y6 pupils played in a football match on at Immaculate Heart, on Thursday some Year 5 pupils attended a full day music event at Benton Park and on Friday morning some Y5 and Y6 pupils went ice skating at Planet Ice as part of a P.E "Come and Try Event".
What a busy week!
Have a great weekend and look forward to the slightly shorter LAST week of the half term next week!
Miss Bairstow :)
Weekly Update - 31.1.25
Miss Bairstow (d.bairstow) on: Maple Tree Class Blog
Hello,
In English this week we have been busy finishing writing our rainforest poetry and are now ready to publish these next week.
In maths, Miss Bairstow's group completed their unit on multiplication and division and Mrs Trotter's group were learning how to multiply fractions.
In science, we completed our final life cycles studies looking at insects and birds. We learnt about the layers of the rainforest in topic and have been busy reading The Explorer in guided reading.
Have a great weekend!
Miss Bairstow :)
Weekly Update - 24.1.25
Miss Bairstow (d.bairstow) on: Maple Tree Class Blog
Hello,
Ash Tree Class have been using figurative language to write a rainforest poem this week in English. In maths, Miss Bairstow's group have been practising short and long multiplication and the children have been multiplying and dividing decimal numbers by integers.
The children have also been learning about different biomes and completing research on their chosen biome.
Parents and carers should have received a text regarding the forthcoming meeting about the Y6 Peat Rigg residential trip. This will be held on Monday 10th February at 3:30pm in Maple Tree Class (Year 6). Required documentation will shortly be sent home to be completed and returned.
Y5 should be busy learning their lines and lyrics for Bugsy - please encourage them to do so if they haven't already made a start!
Have a great weekend!
Miss Bairstow
Weekly Update - 17.1.25
Miss Bairstow (d.bairstow) on: Maple Tree Class Blog
Hello,
A much more "normal" week this week! Everyone was glad to finally get back outside at breaktimes and lunchtimes and we definitely feel like we are back into the swing of things now!
In English, we started looking at figurative language and other poetic devices as well as reading some rainforest themed poetry. In maths, Miss Bairstow's group have been finishing their work on fractions and Mrs Trotter's group have been learning about decimals.
We started our new science unit - Life Cycles - and computing unit - Selection in Physical Computing.
Y5 were very excited as auditions were held and parts were cast for our upcoming Easter production of Bugsy Malone. The children have until half term to learn all their lines and cues – they are all so very keen, which is marvellous. Some may be a little disappointed about the role they have been given, but whatever their role, it will definitely be a fun show to participate in, so please do encourage them.
And finally... READING! I have spent some time over the last two weeks listening to all children in Ash Tree read. It is really important still in Years 5 and 6 that even if your child sounds like a fluent reader, they continue to read regularly both independently and with an adult at home to develop their comprehension skills as texts they read become trickier. Please support us by encouraging your child to read for a minimum of 20 minutes 5x a week.
Some interesting statistics from The Reading Agency (a UK charity with a mission to empower people of all ages to read) are:
- One in four children hasn’t reached the expected level of reading by the age of 11. Many of these children will struggle to keep up at secondary school.
- Students are less able to learn other curricula if they do not develop sufficient reading skills by the middle of primary school.
- Children who read books often at age 10 and more than once a week at age 16 gain higher results in maths, vocabulary and spelling tests at age 16 than those who read less regularly.
Reading is an essential life skill and investing time in this now will help prepare your children for their future. We greatly appreciate the support you give to this at home.
Have a great weekend!
Miss Bairstow
Weekly Update - 10.1.25
Miss Bairstow (d.bairstow) on: Maple Tree Class Blog
Hello and Happy New Year!
This week has not been the start we expected but despite the weather conditions we have made it through and still done lots of learning!
Some children in UKS2 were busy on Thursday at both the Leeds Athletics Finals and the Young Voices Choir event at Sheffield arena on Thursday. Check out the school Facebook page for lots of Young Voices highlights!
On Friday morning, UKS2 had an immersive topic morning to launch our new "Rainforests" topic. Sadly, a school trip to the Amazon was off the cards so instead we made do in our classrooms and made our own rainforests in a bottle! This was a great activity to help us understand more about biomes and ecosystems and we will continue to monitor our rainforests throughout the half term!
Have a great weekend and hopefully a more "normal" week next week!
Miss Bairstow :)