Welcome to Team Helios

The adults working in Team Helios are:

Mr Straw, Miss Don and Mrs Hopkinson

The Year 5 team will be striving to ensure that your child achieves their potential during their time in Team Helios. The adults in our team are always available either before or after school to answer any questions that you may have.

During the Autumn term, our topic is 'To infinity and beyond' where we will be learning about space and our Solar System. Throughout the Spring term, we will be comparing and contrasting Ancient Greece and Baghdad during our 'Tale of two cities' topic.  Finally, during the Summer term, we will be learning about 'Our changing planet' where we will be developing our understanding of Earth. We will investigate how our planet is changing and how our choices and actions can help to protect our planet and conserve resources.

Our PE day in school is on a Tuesday. 

Our PE kit at Springfield is:

• Black shorts, jogging bottoms or leggings.
• Plain white t-shirt
• Trainers or plimsolls

We are also having swimming lessons at the Ken Martin Leisure Centre each Friday afternoon. Please make sure you bring a swimming kit each Friday. This should include your costume and a towel. 

It is essential that your child reads outside of school. They can do this by logging into their Boom Reader account and registering their read. This will earn Reading Gems for their team. It is important that children continue to build and develop their fluency of times tables by logging into Times Table Rockstars and practise their spellings using our Spelling Shed online resources. 

Aspiring Leaders trip to Nottingham Trent University:

Four lucky students from Team Helios had the oppertunity to visit Nottingham Trent University alongside other Year 5 students from our other Djanogly schools. We experienced a tour of the campus at Nottingham Trent University, listened to inspirational speakers and discovered how our planet was changing as a result of human actions. The children used and applied their understanding and voted to plant new trees, provide food for communities and vowed to conserve resources in school and at home. 

Me vs Me Challenge:

On Monday 11th September children from Year 5 participated in the 'Me vs Me' challenge. This involved children from Team Helios competing against each other and themselves in order to beat their personal best scores in 6 different events. The children really demonstrated their resilience and determination and are already looking forwards to their next session in 3 weeks time! 

Solar System experience:

Children in Year 5 recreated the planets in our Solar System orbiting the Sun on our playground. The children now understand that the Sun is at the centre of the Solar System and it is orbited by Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. We also learnt that the sun never moves! 

Layers of the Earth:

Team Helios have been learning about the layers of the Earth. Using Playdough the children created models of the Earth using a different colour for each of the layers ; the Inner Core, the Outer Core, the Mantle and the Crust. The children were shocked to learn how thin the crust was compared to the other layers.

How could I live on a different planet?

Year 5 explored what would need to happen to our bodies if we were to survive on another planet! We discovered that on Mercury the temperature is extremely hot and humans would have to live underground. This means that larger eyes would be needed to adapt to the darkness.

On Venus we discovered this planet was very hostile to human life. Humans would need a metal outer skeleton and larger lungs to filter toxins out of the air! 

On Mars we were shocked to learn that our skin would begin to turn bright orange! Weaker gravity will cause bones to shrink. This means that humans living there would need to be much heavier! 

Jupiter is a gas giant. The atmosphere of this planet absorbs soundwaves so we would not be able to speak to each other or hear any sound. This planet has no solid land and is made of gas. We would not be able to see each other because of the intense storms and wind.

On Uranus our bodies would feel extreme cold. This planet smells strongly of rotten eggs due to the toxic sulfur dioxide clouds. 

Solar System Models:

Year 5 have worked hard to use and apply their understanding of the Solar System. They have built models showing the Sun at the centre of the Solar System with all of the planets orbiting in the correct order.

Me vs Me Challenge:

Year 5 completed their second 'Me vs Me Challenge' They have trained over the last month to get better at the sports and activities from their last session. All of the children managed to beat their previous score and achieved either a silver or gold wristband. The top 3 children who showed the most improvement were even awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals!

The Sun, Earth and Moon:

The children in Team Helios have been learning about the Sun, Earth and Moon. We discovered that the Sun is at the centre of the Solar System and that the Sun is orbited by planet Earth. This takes 365 and one quarter days. At the same time the Moon is orbiting the Earth and this takes a 'Lunar Month' which is 28 days long. To demonstrate this we made moving models showing off our knowledge.

Problem Solving:

Year 5 have been enjoying our challenging problem solving lessons in Maths. The children have enjoyed using practical manipulative and using trial and error to help them to solve problems which may have more than one solution. 

Maths Problem Solving: 

The Matchstick Challenge

Year 5 pupils were set the puzzling challenge of making the biggest number possible by moving only 2 matchsticks from the original number of 484. This challenge required us to work together and use trial and error to learn from our mistakes in order to solve the problem. 

Phases of the Moon:

Year 5 have been investigating  Phases of the Moon. We explored why the Moon appears to change shape during different times of the month. We replicated these shapes using Oreo biscuits! The children particularly enjoyed creating a "Waning Gibbous" between a full moon and a half moon because this describes when the moon is getting smaller! A "Waxing Gibbous" happens between the "First Quarter" and lasts until a "Full Moon" this means the moon is getting bigger.

Moon Landing Exerperience:

Team Helios experienced what it was like to have been part of the historic moon landing in 1969. The children watched a point of view video simulation in the role of Buzz Aldrin onboard the shuttle. The children experienced the horizontal launch position and the sensation of blasting through the Earth's atmosphere and through space before landing on the Moon. They witnessed what it would be like to be on the Moon with reduced gravity before attempting the challenging journey back to Earth.

The children then ordered the events from this journey in chronological order before adding the dates and times to match their images.

How does light travel experiment:

Year 5 have been investigating how does light travel? They investigated this using a torch and card with holes made into it to discover how far light would travel and they learnt that it only travels in straight lines. The holes had to be perfectly lined up for the light to reach the final object.

Moon Landing Virtual Reality Experience:

Team Helios have been investigating what it would have been like landing on the Moon in 1969. As well as a point of view YouTube simulation they have used our amazing Virtual Reality kits to experience what landing on the Moon would have been like. They were able to wonder around the moon and experience an immersive 360 degree insight into what being on the Moon was like. They really enjoyed this experience and their understanding of the surface of the Moon really progressed. 

Moon Landing Experience:

The children from Years 5 and 6 worked together to create a renenactment of the moon landing from 1969. The children watched the shuttle launch and acted in role as the astronauts, whilst other children assumed the roles of Misson Control, and shocked viewers of the news from around the world. 

The children's knowledge and understanding of this event increased signficantly as they were able to experience the excitment and tension that this historic event created.

Trip to the University of Nottingham 

Year 5 visited the University of Nottingham to discover what life was like for students at the University of Nottingham. We had a tour of the campus, discovered information about the societies that currently exist at the University of Nottingham and had the chance to create our own! We investigated how students have to budget their money and even had a lecture in a huge lecture theatre!

Life as a child in Sparta experience:

Year 5 children travelled back in time to experience what life was like for children their age in the ancient Greek city of Sparta. Children of this age undertook military training to ensure they would be ready for battle as they grew older. We tested our balance, sword fighting and our balance along with fitness drills. The children enjoyed the experience and developed their understanding of what life would have been like for Spartan children and decided they much prefer living in Bulwell today! 

Rugby coaching with a Nottingham Rugby Club player: 

During this half term Year 5 are very fortunate to be having rugby coaching from a Nottingham Rugby club player. Year 5 have practiced their throwing and catching skills before applying these into whole game settings.

Street Dance:

Year 5 children enjoyed a Street Dance session with a dance teacher. They learnt an entire routine and explored different dance moves which they really enjoyed!

Elgin Marbles Experience:

Years 5 and 6 have been studying the Elgin Marbles and the controversy which surrounds them. The children had an Upper Key Stage Two debate about the Elgin Marbles and explored whether Lord Elgin was a saviour or a thief! The children introduced the Elgin Marbles and discussed their history before listening to perspectives from both sides of the debate from children in the role of Greek and British people. Finally, the children voted on their opinion after listening to the debate. 

Safer Internet Day:

As part of Safer Internet Day children from Team Helios joined thousands of children around the world and joined an online lesson all about Artificial Intelligence. The children discovered how to use Artificial Intelligence safely and were interested to learn about how this can be used to design and make cartoons. 

Ancient Greek Olympics Experience: 

Team Helios have been learning about the Ancient Greek Olympics. We began by watching a video about how the Olympics were created by Zeus the most powerful God in Ancient Greece. We then acted out a play telling the story of how the games first began. We discovered that the only event in the original Olympics was a male sprint race. We discovered that competitors only came from Greece cities such as Athens, Sparta, Argos and Thebes. After the races had concluded the athletes and spectators all bowed to the Ancient Greek God Zeus to show their gratitude! 

Modern Olympics Experience:

Children from Team Helios and Team Supernova had the chance to experience some events in the modern Olympic Games. Together we watched a short documentary about the history of the Olympic Games before attemping some of the sports for ourselves. The children enjoyed competing against each other and trying; Long jump, Relay races, Discus, Shot put, Hurdles and Javelin. 

Handball Festival:

A team of Handball players from Year 5 were selected to represent Springfield Academy in a Handball Festival at Harvey Hadden competing against other schools from Nottingham. The children played incredibly well and achieved some fantastic results and should be incredibly proud of their efforts and sportsmanship. 

World Book Day:

Year 5 enjoyed participating in World Book Day and has some incredible costumes on show! The children dressed up as their favourite characters from books they had read. We took part in an online lesson with an author, did an A to Z of our favourite books and even wrote a chapter of a whole school story which was shared with the whole school at the end of the day.