Welcome to Class 4D
I hope everybody had a fantastic summer break and that you are both refreshed and excited for the challenges of life in Year 4.
When we return to school, our immediate topic will be ?Commotion in the Ocean?
This topic allows us to study all things related to life under the sea. It should be a thoroughly enjoyable topic which will allow us to look closely at a number of interesting subjects
R.E. Stories from the Old Testament ? e.g. Noah and the Arc
GEOGRAPHY ? Similarities and differences in the world?s major oceans
PSHCE ? water safety
D.T design and create a fish themed mobile
ART ? underwater scenes
SCIENCE - At Barrow Hall we follow the QCA scheme of work for science. '
HOME LEARNING PROJECTS
There will be two home learning projects to complete this term both relating to our creative curriculum topic. The projects are to be carried out over a number of weeks. Guidance will be given as to which tasks should be completed each week. I recommend that parents work with their child to ensure the tasks are done as suggested to ensure it is completed in time and not rushed in the final week!
MATHS BAGS
Maths homework in year 4 is given in the form of maths bag activities. These are maths based games which children play with family members at home. Their aim is to build on the new skills learnt throughout year 4 in a fun manner. Children will also be expected to practice multiplication tables each week so as they will leave year 4 confident in reciting multiplication and division facts. There will be regular multiplication tests in class.
READING
It is important that your child reads at home on a regular basis to develop their skills and develop good reading habits. We recommend that home reading should take place a minimum of four times per week, but this is dependant on the stage of reading your child is at. More advanced readers need not necessarily read aloud to adults, but require general supervision and opportunity to discuss what they have read. Children at the earlier stages of reading acquisition will need to read aloud to parents at home on a regular basis. Key reading skills will be taught in class during the Guided Reading sessions and Literacy lessons.
Reading books are to be brought into school every day, along with the Reading Record. This will be checked once a week and books changed as necessary. As well as reading books, children will bring home a school library book and are also encouraged to read books that they like from home. Children are encouraged to read daily, as far as possible, and to record what they have read in the Reading Record (they may need a parent?s help to do this to begin with). It is also helpful if parents can occasionally write comments about the child?s reading in the Reading Record. Reading and writing have an important role in the entire school curriculum so it is really important that your child?s reading skills progress steadily in order for them to be able to get the most out of every subject.
SPELLING and TIMES TABLES TESTS
Spelling lists will be set on a Monday and the children will be tested on a Friday. They will follow a specific spelling pattern or phoneme. The children are expected to practice these words on a daily basis using the look, say, cover, write, check method.
There will also be a times table test each Friday. As the 6 and 9 times tables are the target for Year 4, these will be our focus in the first half term. The children are expected to learn these tables in a random order and also become familiar with the division facts to help further secure their knowledge of them.
PARENTAL SUPPORT
As always your support is greatly appreciated and if any parents have a burning desire to get involved in school life there are several options.
1. Join the Friends of Barrow Hall PTA. They
organise
super events during the school year and help to raise funds that benefit all children in school. Parental support is vital so look out for the next AGM and get yourself down there!
2. Come in and help out in the classroom. Parental help is always welcome and if you feel you have something to offer then pop in to see me and I?ll see what I can organise.
3. Support our school by coming to the major events in the yearly calendar such as the Christmas Fair, Easter Bingo etc. Dates for these can be found on the school website, calendar and in news letters as these events approach.
Hopefully you will find this information useful. However if you have any concerns or worries, please do not hesitate to contact me to arrange an appointment.
Regards
Mr. J. Gibbons
