Class 5 Steiner 

Celebrating Learning

Main Lesson

We recently concluded our Geometry main lesson. The children’s main lesson books are now filled with beautiful examples of their learning, showcasing how they can estimate, construct, and measure acute, right, obtuse and reflex angles in degrees. Using rulers and protractors, students constructed a variety of triangles, working from given side lengths and angles. 

A highlight of the lesson was drawing inspiration from our previous Ancient Egypt studies to explore how ancient farmers could create a perfect right angle using only a rope with evenly spaced knots. This hands-on mathematical discovery was a challenge the children embraced with great excitement and success. 

In addition to measuring and drawing, students used their understanding of angles to create beautiful pattern designs within circles and to explore which shapes tessellate and why. 

We have now launched into our Ancient Greece main lesson. Students began by drawing detailed and accurate maps of Greece, using grid systems to locate its many small islands. They identified key city-states and topographical features, including Mount Olympus, which now form the backdrop for the myths we are reading and discussing in class. 

As part of our integrated literacy work, students are developing their writing based on these myths and related texts. They create paragraphs that build cohesion and sequence, usedescriptive language and precise vocabulary, and experiment with literary techniques suchas figurative language. Drafts are carefully edited according to an agreed set of criteriabefore being beautifully rewritten by hand into their main lesson books, accompanied bydrawings. The results are truly stunning.

Literacy

Our literacy work is closely woven into the Ancient Greece main lesson. Students are deepening their comprehension through the myths of Ancient Greece and selected stories from Homer. They are learning to interpret and reflect on these stories, while expanding their vocabulary and refining their writing through retelling and structured descriptive reports and passages. Writing sessions focus on sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling strategies. Children are further developing confidence in their ability to spell unfamiliar words using their knowledge of phonics, morphemes, and grammatical rules.

Numeracy

We have been working with time, particularly converting, identifying problems and finding solutions regarding elapsed time and intervals, converting between 12- and 24-hour clock systems. Students are solving practical problems using both analog and digital formats, reading and interpreting timetables and schedules, and converting between time systems with growing confidence. They are also engaging with multi-step worded problems that challenge them to apply mathematical reasoning in real-world contexts, reinforcing number relationships and problem-solving skills.

Play

We are thrilled to be preparing for our Class 5 play: Demeter and Persephone. Over the past week, we’ve read through the script and gotten to know the characters. Focused rehearsals will begin in Week 5, but students are already beginning to learn their lines at home and are doing a wonderful job. Each morning during main lesson, we practice the songs from the play, and already the classis singing them beautifully. There is a real sense of excitement and dedication in the air. 

The performance will take place on Thursday, 11th September. Please mark the date in your diaries – we can’t wait to share it with you!It is a joy to see the children grow in confidence, creativity, and capability each day.

Warm regards,

Robin