Welcome – Class 4
Spring Term 2024
English: High Quality Texts drive our curriculum and reading is threaded throughout all that we do. Reading quality text within English and across the curriculum is vital. Our guided reading text this term comes highly recommended, and has proved very popular in previous year. The book is titled: Who Let the Gods out by Maz Evans. It is a story based around the Olympian Gods and forges great links with our history topic. Our writing will focus on myths and legends and presenting a persuasive leaflet to visit Greece. We will write a balanced argument to answer the question: should Theseus have killed the Minotaur? And we will write a report about living in Greece. Grammar and spelling and the technical vocabulary is woven throughout all that we do.
Maths, as always is about securing the fundamental skills. It is so important that the children are fluent with X Tables and rapid recall of simple number bonds. As we move into fractions, ratio and proportion times tables are key. Fractions, algebra, decimals, percentages and geometry are also topics that will be covered. The application of these skills are embedded in two step and multi-step word problems.
In science, we will be looking at properties and changes of materials. We will think about how to compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity (electrical and thermal), and response to magnets. It will be great fun to see which materials will dissolve in liquid to form a solution, and describe how to recover a substance from a solution. This also links to work on reversible and irreversible changes. Then finally we will be thinking about how mixtures might be separated, including through filtering, sieving and evaporating. We will think about how we can use those materials in our everyday life. It’s a very hand on fun topic linking learning to real life.
We are taking a journey to Ancient Greece as part of our history topic. We will think about the legacy of Greek culture on later periods in British history, including the present day. We will of course look at and continue to develop the children’s sense of chronology – time is a tricky concept particularly when it is so long ago.
This topic links perfectly to our DT topic. Inspired by the Ancient Greek temples, we will learn how to strengthen and stiffen structures through triangulation. I am sure (as always) the children will demonstrate great creativity in their product design. If you could discuss structures around the home – windows, door frames shapes of rooves etc. that would be great.
In geography we seize on the opportunity for cross curricular learning by looking at the similarities and differences between physical and human geography of Greece and UK. While in art we will look at wax resist, sculpture and make slab pots from clay. RSE will look closer into the responsibilities of democracy. RSE we follow the Devon agreed syllabus investigating the question: what do people believe Jesus did to save people? Charanga music scheme is used to look at musical elements through the song A New Year Carol.
A great breadth and depth of work indeed, where links are forged to ensure learning is embedded and lifelong.
PE is planned for a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. However, it is always useful if the children have their PE Kit in school for the whole week. Class 4 will have Wild Tribe sessions on Tuesday afternoons please see the Newsletter for specific dates.
Times tables continues to be a priority. Practise will remain a major focus in class 4 as it is a crucial skill that supports learning in all areas. Please support your children by regularly practising their times tables so they are confident to quickly recall any calculation up to 12 x 12 including the related division facts. They can continue to use their Times Tables Rock Stars login which is recorded in their reading records.
Pupils will have daily opportunities to read and develop the skills within the reading curriculum, using VIPERS (Vocabulary, Inference, Predict, Explain, Retrieve, Summarise) including extended comprehension activities. Developing and extending the children’s vocabulary further is really important. Whenever we read we look at the impact of word choices and ways that we can apply this in our own writing.
Class Routines
Homework is set on a Tuesday. We will continue to set homework on Mathletics and Reading Budies. It is important that children complete tasks set so that they have regular reinforcement and practise.
The children have a spelling journal where they record spelling from the statutory word lists, which they test themselves on. Adults oversee this.
Reading five times a week, practising common exception word spellings and learning times tables are all essential. Please support your children’s learning by hearing them read, reading to them or discussing what they have read five times a week and initialling in their reading record. We ask the children to use the Reading Buddies platform at least 3 times a week. The platform is great and supports the children to develop fluency and pace. Importantly is also supports the children in developing comprehension skills. https://www.oxfordreadingbuddy.com/uk.
Children receive Fab ticks as a reward point. Rewards may link to our Carey Qualities, it may be for great work, it may be for a lovely smile…. the possibilities are endless!
It is a year 5/6 privilege to leave school on their own, once a permission form has been completed. Please appreciate, due to pupil safety being paramount, they are not permitted to walk younger siblings with them. The children are reminded regularly to return to school if their parent/carer is not in the usual meeting place.
Another exciting privilege in Class 4 is to bring their own pencil case! We provide the resources, but many of them like to bring a few of their own things too.
The children’s well-being is of the utmost importance and we aim to create a happy, healthy environment for all. If you have any worries or questions, please do not hesitate in coming to see us.
Many thanks,
Miss J Miners (Class Teacher) and Mrs R Skinner (Teaching Assistant) Mrs S Matthews.
Taxonomy
Learn about Carl Linnaeus
The heart
Circulation
Map of Ancient Greece
Find the City States
Ancient Greece
A map of the different States
Dance Mat Typing
Learn to type the fun way!