It’s been another fascinating week in Willow Class, packed with exploration, new learning and some truly memorable experiences.
This week in Maths, we have been learning how to translate points in all four quadrants of a coordinate grid. We practised moving shapes and points both horizontally and vertically, carefully tracking how their coordinates changed. It was good fun challenging ourselves to predict where points would end up after each translation!
In English, we have been preparing for our next piece of writing: a diary entry from the perspective of the famous naturalist Charles Darwin. To help us write authentically, we have been researching the Galápagos Islands and collecting ambitious vocabulary to bring our descriptions to life. Some of our favourite phrases included:
- lush vegetation
- an enchanted world
- extraordinary species living harmoniously
- an untouched wilderness
We also researched some of the incredible animals that inhabit the islands and gathered scientific vocabulary that Darwin himself might have used. We learnt how an animal’s adaptations help it to survive, how some species live in colonies on rocky shores, and how others forage in the sea for algae.
We are looking forward to stepping into Darwin’s shoes and using our research to write detailed and engaging diary entries next week.
On Thursday, we joined Year 6 pupils from schools across the local area for a very special online event with Chris Lubbe, former bodyguard to Nelson Mandela.
For over an hour, Chris captivated us with stories from his life growing up during apartheid in South Africa. He shared some shocking and deeply moving experiences of racism that he witnessed and endured, helping us to understand the realities of injustice and discrimination.
We were fortunate to have the opportunity to ask questions. Many of us wanted to know what inspired him to take a stand against racism. In response, Chris told an incredibly powerful story from his childhood when he was violently beaten on a train and witnessed hatred first-hand. His courage and determination to create change left a lasting impression on us all.
Chris ended the session with a message of hope and responsibility. He reminded us that together we can challenge racism and prejudice, and shared one of his most inspiring beliefs:
“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
We were left deeply moved by Chris’ words and grateful for the opportunity to hear his remarkable story.
As always, we are incredibly proud of the thoughtful discussions, curiosity and maturity shown by Year 6 throughout the week.
Have a wonderful weekend!