Welcome to 6DD!

Hello,

Welcome to 6DD which is one of three Year 6 classes at Danesfield Middle School.  Over the next few weeks and months this page will be showcasing examples of work, information and learning from both inside and outside the classroom. 

If you are a pupil, please keep checking back to see your work and to remind yourself of the homework.  If there is something which you would like to see on here, do let me know.

If you are a parent and would like to inform me of any specific information relating to your child or if you have any concerns or questions, the best and quickest way to contact me is via e-mail at tdoughtydavis@educ.somerset.gov.uk.  During term time you can also write a note in your child’s planner which I will check and sign on a weekly basis. 

Here's to a successful year ahead,

Mrs Tiffany Doughty Davis

How's it going so far?

As we head into the second half term, there is certainly an air of focus and ambition coupled with kindness and being thoughtful towards others (which is something we worked on during the first half term).  The children are now very much used to the behaviour expectations, academic requirements and, most importantly, team work.  The seating plans are changed frequently as they are informed by daily marking; children are paired or grouped according to their academic and social needs which is something the children struggled with at first but are now very much used to!

We have finished reading The Odyssey which was greatly enjoyed by the class.  Most of the children agreed that they wouldn't have chosen to read this had they seen it in the library, this goes to show that we need to push them out of their comfort zones every now and then in order to stretch their range.  The only task remaining is to write the additional chapter for the book, which we planned prior to the holiday.  This work will form one of the SAT's pieces and is one of the first opportunities for the children to showcase all of the techniques they have mastered since the beginning of the year.

We will then be looking at a science-fiction piece which will hone our literary techniques further still.  This is a shorter text and will help us to focus on the technical aspects of English such as grammar and punctuation whilst considering how to create suspense and keep the reader interested.  Any areas of misunderstanding from the Odyssey will be given a focus here.

Maths will see us building on the work of the four operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division by starting with the 'Order of Operations' or 'BIDMAS'.  Fractions will then be our focus for the remainder of the second half term alongside some work on decimals and percentages.

Please do ask your son/daughter to show you what they have learnt each week and don't accept a shrug of the shoulders and "Nothing.".  Those conversations are invaluable for consolidation and generally encouraging a pride in their progress.  They really enjoy telling me that they gave parents a question which their parents couldn't solve/explain but they could!

A strong and positive attitude towards learning will be essential in the coming year both in the class and at home.  I really hope you share my enthusiasm for the year ahead which will see these children blossom into independent learners.

Last updated 27/10/16

Pupil of the Week

Each week a member of 6D is named as 'Pupil of the Week'.  The pupil in question could be nominated by a member of staff or a peer.  There are innumerable reasons for children to be nominated such as being a good listener or for determination even when the going gets tough.

Will it be you next....?

Homework

Reading remains a skill that is highly important for us at Danesfield.  Therefore, we expect Year 6 children to read at least 20mins a day at home.  We ask that parents sign their child’s homework diary and refer regularly to the homework set and homework time table.

A little extra help goes a long way

I believe that the home-school link is vital for the success and progression of all children.  With this in mind I thought it may be prudent to suggest ways in which children could further enhance their learning during holidays or on a wet weekend.

•  A daily 5 minute times table recall session for all of the times table facts up to 12.  If your child is struggling, please attempt the times tables in this order: 2, 5, 10, 3, 4, 8, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12.  There are lots of websites to aid practice, one of my favourite's is www.topmarks.co.uk.
• By now your child should be able to tell the time so daily practice of this with both analogue and digital clocks to 5 minutes, preferably in the 12 and 24 hour formats, would keep this skill sharp.  The Topmarks website and the BBC Bitesize website have lessons and games to help.
• A daily 20 minute reading session. To make this as useful as possible it would be good to vary the text so please encourage the use of books, magazines, leaflets, newspapers, online articles.  If you are able to question understanding then this would be most beneficial as would asking them to read to you on occasions as well as to themselves.  Variety is important so a trip to the local library may help.
• A journal of the holiday or weekends would ensure good handwriting is practised through writing a few sentences each day.  This should not be a long-winded task but just enough for an encouragement of good spelling, grammar and handwriting consistently over the weeks.

Any encouragement to keep the learning going over holidays or at weekends will ensure a firm base for classroom learning.