Amethyst Class

Welcome to Year 6 (Amethyst Class)

Miss Oldroyd is your class teacher. 

Wednesday 14th June

This afternoon, we had a visit from the school nurse. She talked to us about the effects of smoking, vaping and drugs on the body. We also talked about how important it was to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Year 6 asked some wonderful, mature questions.

Monday 12th June

In Science this week, the children have begun to look at shadows. They first discussed the vocabulary 'translucent', 'opaque' and 'transparent' and talked about which object would make the best shadow and why. They were the encouraged to think about how their shadows are the same shape as the object that casts them and were asked to explain why this is. They then took the opportunity on one of the sunniest days to go outside and explore making shadows! 

Friday 9th June

Today we looked at birds eye view maps of our new school. We used tracing paper and had to trace the building and the surrounding features. We then had to include a key to explain what the different types of lines meant.

Tuesday 6th June

Today Year 6's leavers hoodies arrived! They were very excited to

receive them and show them off to the rest of the school. 

Monday 22nd May

Today we read the Grimm Fairytale The snake and the three leaves, we then had to complete a role on the wall to discuss the characters thoughts, characteristics and actions.

Thursday 18th May

Today in PE we played a warm up game, we had to set our cones up as if they were a goal and use our core muscles to plank. The aim of the game was like air hockey and we had to try and get our cone into our partners goal. 

Wednesday 17th May

Today for National Numbers Day we took part in an active outdoors Maths lesson linked to our new topic of Statistics. Firstly, we had to set up our stations. We recorded ourselves jumping 5 times and displayed this data in a table. We then drew our own line graphs on the playground in chalk and had to use sticks and rocks to plot our data and create our line graph. A wonderful lesson Year 6, well done. 

Monday 15th May

The children were given instructions that allowed them to create a periscope. They were required to follow these as independently as possible. We then discussed how the mirror enabled us to see in other directions. Next week we will look at the scientific aspect of periscopes further.

Thursday 11th May
 

Another wonderful day in Year 6 started off with pancakes in breakfast club this morning! With two maths tests completed today, we only have one test left to go. Keep working hard Year 6, we’re all so proud of you.

Wednesday 10th May
 

Wow Year 6, what a great start to the week! We have now completed all of our English SATS papers and only have the Maths to go. I’m so proud of how much resilience you have shown this week and your maturity  towards the tests. Today we played a range of Maths games to revise some of our key topics for tomorrows Maths test. Keep working hard Year 6; you are truly shining!

Friday 5th May
 

As SATS week approaches us, I just wanted to send a little reminder to all 

of our children about how amazing they are and how proud of them we are.

You've worked so hard all year, keep shining like the superstars we already know you are!

Friday 5th May

Today we are celebrating King Charles Coronation. We came to school in red, white and blue clothing and had a special afternoon tea for our lunch. We took part in a special reading activity using the Now Press Play headphones. During this activity, we had to try and discover who had stolen the Crown Jewels. We were very surprised at the plot twist to find out it was the primary school teacher!! Look at our photos below and watch the video to see us taking part. In the afternoon, we wore our coronation crowns that we had made and surprised the grown ups in the main hall with some songs. What a wonderful celebration!

Tuesday 25th April

Today, Mrs Morris came in to visit us with her newborn baby, Josh!
We were all very excited to see her. We hope she visits again soon.

Monday 24th April

Today the children explored how light can be reflected as well as the refraction of light and how this can be used to break up light particles. They were first given a bowl of water, a mirror, a torch and a piece of paper and they were asked to investigate what they could create. They quickly discovered a rainbow on the paper. Together, we discussed how this is light particles broken up and how white light is made up of 7 different colours. In terms of a rainbow, the children recognised that rainbows are seen when it rains and is sunny; we discussed how the white light is refracted through the raindrops which then creates a rainbow! 
 

Did you know - a rainbow is not an arch? Ask your child what shape it is and what they know about it! 

Wednesday 19th April

This morning we looked at revising different prefixes. We discussed how they

changed the meanings of words and which prefixes could be added to certain

root words. We then had a challenge on our tables to match them up.

Monday 17th April

Today the children began their new Science topic - "Light". 

Within this lesson, the children investigated how light travels in straight lines. The children were asked to cut holes in thick card and stand these on the table. They then shone torches through the holes in order for the light to hit an object at the opposite end. The children were then asked to move one piece of card to the left/right—which then allowed them the opportunity to see how light is unable to bend or curve in order to travel. 

The children went on to demonstrate their understanding of how light enables us to see. The children used a length of wool to act as the light and then modelled how light travels from the light source onto an object and how the light is then reflected from the object into our eyes.

Friday 31st March

Well done to everyone who took part in the Family Easter egg challenge.

Look at the photos below to see some of Year 6's entries.

Wednesday 29th March

Thank you for joining us for our Parent's Easter Craft workshop this afternoon.

It was lovely to see so many of you working with your children.

Tuesday 28th March

This afternoon we held a whole class debate to reach a conclusion about who was guilty,

the Three Little Pigs of the Big Bad Wolf. We had to work in teams to construct our

argument and counter arguments and then held a debate. At the end, we then thought

about our own opinions and had to vote and make the decision about who was guilty,

the wolf or the pigs! An overwhelming 22 / 29 of us voted that the pigs were guilty!

Thursday 23rd March

This afternoon in PE, we learned about different types of balances linked to our new

topic Gymnastics. We tried supporting each other in different ways and then looked at

each others positions and gave each other feedback about how we could improve.

Wednesday 22nd March

Today we had to use our knowledge of multiplying fractions to solve the

puzzle and make a shape. We had to simplify some of our answers if they didn’t

match. We then had a go at creating our own problem for a different team.

Tuesday 21st March

Wow Year 6! You blew me away with your wonderful performance in our musical showcase this afternoon. You looked so professional and sounded amazing, I am so proud! Watch our performance below.

Tuesday 21st March
 

Today the children began looking at microbes and designed an investigation to observe the growth of bacteria/mould on slices of bread. We discussed the dependent variable we would change (temperature) and talked about how fair testing. The children are really interested to find out which environment allows the fastest growth! 

Friday 17th March

Today we had a visit from our local police officers. They came in to speak about fingerprints and how they can be used to help solve crimes. The children asked a lot of wonderful questions and were thoroughly engaged in the conversation. We may have some future police officers on our hands!

Wednesday 15th March

In our new English topic this half term, we have been analysing the story of The Three Little Pigs.  In today's lesson, we used our interview skills to speak to key witnesses from the scene and  question them. We acted as police officers, neighbours, the pigs themselves and the fire brigade.  We think we know the TRUE story, but we still have a few more investigations to undertake!

Tuesday 14th March - British Science Week

To celebrate British Science Week—we focused upon all things FINGERPRINTS!

As a class, the children discussed how fingerprints are used in the modern world; unlocking phones, entering buildings, as well as solving crime mysteries!

The children were given the task of discovering how we can gather the clearest fingerprints. They studied the patterns on their fingerprints first and compared them to those of their peers. The children then worked on describing the patterns they could see and attempted to record these into their book. They looked at the names of groups of    fingerprints and decided where they would best fit.

As a class they then explored how to take an effective print—comparing using graphite to cocoa powder and printing these onto Sellotape. It was quickly identified that when using graphite, the patterns within our fingerprints were clearest to see.

They discussed as a class how we are all unique individuals!

Miss Redpath was very disappointed to discover that someone in the classroom had touched something they were not supposed to! An investigation has now been undertaken to identify the criminal, checking the item for fingerprints! The plot thickens!

Thursday 9th March

Today we took part in a Brazillian football workshop, we learned lots of new skills to

help us improve our football skills and took part in a range of challenges. Year 6

had a great time and really showed how wonderful they are. Well done!

Tuesday 7th March

Today we took part in an extremely fun Science lesson. We had to use our knowledge of

classification keys to help us classify different types of sweets. The children, as you can imagine, were fully engaged and certainly happy when they got to eat the sweets afterwards!

Thursday 2nd March - World Book Day

Today was World Book Day and we were asked to come dressed up as characters from our favourite stories! We took part in a parade around the school hall (which Year 6 certainly excelled in haha!)

We then took part in a live stream lesson with the author, Michael Morpurgo!

Wednesday 15th February

Today we had a tea party to say goodbye to our wonderful teaching assistant, Mrs Gibson, who leaves us on Friday! We're going to miss her so much but we know she'll be back to visit, she just can't stay away!

Monday 6th February

Wow! Today we walked into the classroom and our room had been turned into a boat!

We had to hand our tickets over and board the boat. We imagined what life would be like for the refugees aboard and role played different emotions for different parts of the journey.  This lesson was linked to our new text, 'The Arrival'.

Thursday 2nd February

Today we took part in the Secret Bunker Challenge with a box of WW2 artefacts we borrowed from the Discovery Museum. We learned all about Kenton Secret Bunker in Newcastle. This was where all of the RAF for the North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland were commanded during WW2. We learned about the jobs they did inside the bunker and how important they were in helping save lives. One of the activities we took part in was a plotting activity where someone had to act as the commander whilst the others used plotting sticks to move the enemy aircraft and friendly aircraft around the map following the commanders instructions. We learned that it was vital to stay calm as any mistakes could cost lives. 

Other activities we took part in was learning how to plot enemy and friendly aircrafts,

examining real artefacts from WW2, exploring maps to find there bombs had dropped,

learning morse code and identifying different types of British and German planes.

I’m sure your children will be able to tell you all about what they’ve been doing today!

Thursday 15th December

Making the most of the snow with some fun outside!

Tuesday 13th December

This afternoon we went to the pantomime at Nissan, the children

thoroughly enjoyed themselves (especially the dancing at the end!)

Friday 9th December
 

In Design and Technology this half term, we have been looking at different types of structures. Our focus has been on bridges and the different types we can find around the world. We were  tasked with designing a bridge that could span a river. Firstly, we looked at the dimensions and we  decided we would build our prototype on a 100:1 scale. This meant that our bridge had to be 50cm  wide and at least 30cm high to allow boats to pass underneath. These were our finished designs.

Tuesday 6th December

This afternoon we looked at different types of celebrations. We looked at a range of

Christmas traditions and discussed which ones linked to Christianity and which ones didn't.

We then worked in small groups to act out a celebration so the other groups could guess. 

Friday 25th November

This morning a group of wonderful children represented our school in the EFL Cup

playing at the Academy of Light. The whole team performed amazingly. Well done!

Thursday 17th November

This afternoon we explored different frame structures. Our task was to work as a

team to build a bridge that was strong and safe enough to transport a toy car

across. Mrs Hill then came and tested our bridges and judged them.

Tuesday 8th November

This afternoon we started our new topic of Electricity in Science. We were each given

a box of components needed to make a circuit and tasked with figuring out how to make

the light bulb light up, the buzzer to make a sound and the motor to move. 

Friday 4th November

This morning, Year 6 were invited to the brand-new City Hall in Sunderland for a celebratory event linked to their work on the Stephenson Railway project. They worked with a range of independent artists and met the Mayor of Sunderland. It was a fabulous day and they had lots of compliments about their enthusiasm for learning and how well behaved they were. Great job Year 6!

Wednesday 2nd November

Today we welcomed the children to our brand-new school!

It was amazing to see their reactions, they've had a wonderful day and

I'm so impressed with their attitudes towards learning. Well done Year 6.

This afternoon we started our new Geography topic learning all about North America,

we had to locate them in an atlas and label them on our maps. Did you know that

there are 23 countries within North America? I wonder if you could name them all.

Friday 14th October

Wow! What an end to Autumn term 1 in Year 6, it’s been a crazy 6 weeks.

I couldn’t be prouder of Year 6 today, hands down one of the best trips I’ve ever taken children on. Their enthusiasm and behaviour was incredible and they just made the whole day wonderful from beginning to end! I hope they told you all about their lesson with the Victorian teacher (I think it made some of them appreciate me a bit more haha)

Wednesday 12th October

Today 15 lucky children in Year 6 were invited to the Bring It On event at the Beacon of Light.

They got the chance to meet so many businesses linked to Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and taken part in lots of activities. Some children were given the opportunity to sit in a real digger and control it. It was a fantastic day and I'm sure it inspired some children to take up opportunities in STEM careers in the future.
 

Monday 10th October

This morning we all stopped what we were doing to take part in the ‘Take 10 minutes to read’ challenge 💙

Friday 16th September

This morning, some very brave Year 6 children stood up infront of the whole of school to read their Head Boy and Head Girl speeches. They were all incredible and we wish we could choose them all. Today children from the rest of the school will be given the opportunity to vote. We couldn't be prouder of how well they all did, future leaders in the making - well done!

Thursday 15th September

What a great week we have had. Today Year 6 were split in half whilst half the children took part in a glass workshop. They created some wonderful pieces of work which will be displayed at Houghton Feast this year based on the Royal Family and Queen Elizabeth. 

The other half worked with me in the hall on some artwork. We investigated different techniques in painting by looking at hue's and then experimenting how we could create our own tones and tints. Collectively, we created a piece of abstract art based on Queen Victoria as the Victorian's is our History topic, and Queen Elizabeth in her memory. They painted their own section using different tones and when all sections were added together they made portraits of both Queens. We talked about how abstract art doesn't always look the way it is supposed to and that's what makes it so beautiful!

They then switched over so all children took part in both activities, what a creative day!

Tuesday 13th September

Wow, I am so impressed! Today Year 6 took part in a pig heart dissection (they were braver than me!) Mrs Foster spent the afternoon showing them the different parts and they were allowed to hold and cut up the heart to identify them. They all participated and Mrs Foster said it was the best class she has ever done this activity with as they were so engaged and asked wonderful questions. Well done Year 6.

Monday 12th September

Today we spent some time learning about the Circulatory system in preparation for an exciting lesson we will be doing tomorrow. They had to use what they had learnt to create a model of the system using blue and red art straws to represent the veins and arteries. They then had to add arrows to show the direction in which the blood travelled around the system.

Friday 9th September

This afternoon, Year 6 took part in a Karate workshop.

They really enjoyed learning some new skills and definitely impressed the instructor!

I hope some of them are planning on attending the new Karate after school club on Fridays. 

Thursday 8th September

This morning we went on our first educational visit of Year 6. We visited the Locomotion Museum in Shildon to compliment the work that the children did at the end of Year 5. They thoroughly enjoyed looking at different types of trains and even took part in a team building activity to build their own railway track. They were very excited to see the train from Hetton Lyons Colliery which features on our school badge and spent some time sketching it. An excellent visit and very enthusiastic children.

Monday 5th September

Wow! What a wonderful first day in Year 6. The class showed they are ready for the challenges ahead and to be super role models across school. I'm positive we're going to have an excellent year!