Reading Books

We will be using Big Cat E-books for home reading. Your child should aim to read for 10 minutes, at least 5 times a week. Log-in information has been sent home with your child.

Please click here to access your reading books

PE

PE is every Wednesday, please make sure PE kits contain a t-shirt, pair of shorts and either pumps or trainers. PE kits should be in school and only taken home half termly for washing.

Active Maths

Active Maths is every Thursday, please make sure PE kits contain a t-shirt, pair of shorts and either pumps or trainers. PE kits should be in school and only taken home half termly for washing.

Spelling

Spellings will be given weekly- these will be firstly given as a paper copy and will then be available on Google Classroom for home access. Children should attempt to practice their spellings every day so that they are ready for the test on Fridays.

Homework

Homework will be given for English and Maths in Year 5. This will help consolidate knowledge the children have gained throughout the week. All homework will be on Google Classroom, as a written task or Purple Mash activity.

Labelling Belongings

Please label all of your child’s belongings, this is really important! We encourage the children to be responsible for their own belongings, however our classroom is very busy and it can be very difficult to identify belongings with no names in them.

Class Dojo

We use Class Dojo as our main form of communication across nursery and school. All you need to do is download the app on your smartphone or tablet, and type in the code we have given you. Please check Class Dojo on a regular basis so that you don’t miss any news or information. We also have a class page that we update regularly, showing you all of the fun things we get up to in class!

Attendance and Punctuality

At Darwen St James our aim is to promote good attendance and punctuality in partnership with parents and carers in Early Years, ensuring that good habits are formed early. In year 5, our day begins at 8.55 am and it is vital that your child arrives on time and ready to learn. Our free breakfast club starts at 8.40 am through the door on the KS2 yard and is available to all of our pupils here at Darwen St James. If your child is unwell, please contact the school office on 01254 703260 to let us know. Please try and arrange appointments around the school day when possible. If your child does have an appointment during school time, please bring their letter or appointment card into the school office.

Worship Through Celebration

Every Friday at 9.20 am we have our online worship through celebration to celebrate the pupils’ achievements throughout the week. All parents/carers will be invited to join us once the restrictions are lifted. Certificates and a green jumper are awarded to pupils from each class to recognise an outstanding achievement that week. We also clap and cheer for anyone who has had a birthday, which is great fun. We hear about the children who have been representing school in sport or music or any special events and we also hear about children who do activities outside of school like dancing or lifesaving. We also see which class has gathered the most Class Dojo points and who has had the highest attendance. There is lots of cheering and clapping at Our worship through celebration. We have a lot to celebrate here at Darwen St James!