Author: Mr Roundtree

16 October 2020

This week’s homework is practice makes perfect. Complete the sheet and send a picture of it to stjamesy3y4@spherefederation.org

Year 3 – we have been looking at adding and subtracting a 1 digit number to/ from a 3 digit number. Remember, if you know 3+4=7 then you also know that 353+4=357.

Year 4 – we have been adding two 3 digit numbers. Be careful when you’re adding, and the total is more than 10, that you carry over the 10s or 100s to the correct place.

 

 Times tables

If you want some quick-fire practise, head to https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button .   Use the sheet to practise the times table you’ve been given.

Week beginning 12 October 2020

Maths

This week’s maths learning is linked to place value.

Year 3 children use these resources:

Year 4 children use these resources:

You don’t have to print the worksheet. Your child can write or draw their answers on paper. Your child’s learning will be most effective if you sit with them to pause the clip and check / praise / support your child as the clip moves on.

Practise times tables on Times Table Rockstars, too. If your child is in Y3, we’re concentrating on the 5 times table. If your child is in Y4, we’re concentrating on the 3 times table. Email the class teacher if you need your child’s login and password details.

(Suggested time: 30 minutes of Maths and 15 minutes of Rockstars daily)

 

Spelling

Look on the homework page to find this week’s spellings. Your child should complete one task each day.

  • Day 1: Generate more words linked to the spelling pattern or ‘rule’. You could look out for the words in the book you’re reading at home, or any other text, like a website linked to our science topic of Living Things and their Habitat.
  • Day 2: Practise the spellings using two of the ideas in our Super Spelling Strategies guide. (Set yourself and others at home a challenge of using some of the words when you’re speaking, too!)
  • Day 3: Write separate sentences, each containing one of the spellings. (Don’t forget to show off really neat handwriting and make sure you sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, exclamation mark (!) or question mark (?).
  • Day 4: Repeat Task 2 or 3.
  • Day 5: Get an adult at home to test you on your spellings. Practise any you spell incorrectly – you could write them out carefully until you’re sure.

(Suggested time: 15-20 minutes daily)

 

Reading fluency

This is the text we’re using in class this week to build up fluency skills.

In school, we generally follow this sequence:

  • Day 1: Read the text aloud with your child listening. Read it clearly and slowly, pointing to each word as you read. Have a chat about any unfamiliar words.
  • Day 2: Read aloud each sentence (a full short sentence or part of a longer sentence), and have your child read it back to you. Do this ‘echo reading’ for the whole text.
  • Day 3: Read the text and talk about the effect of the punctuation on how you read it – pauses for full stops and expression for exclamations (!) or questions (?). Your child reads the text aloud.
  • Day 4: Read together with expression (just like you practised on Day 3).
  • Day 5: Your child reads independently and fluently.

(Suggested time: 15 minutes daily)

 

Reading comprehension

Day 1: We’ll be using this ‘RIC’ text in class to practise comprehension skills. RIC stands for:

  • Retrieve: finding information in a text
  • Interpret: using clues in the text to unlock information
  • Choice: thinking about the author’s choice of words, techniques or organisation that make the text interesting and enjoyable to read

Day 2: Agree with your child three words from any text they’ve read which they’re less familiar with. Your child should find out what they mean (eg by checking an online dictionary or simply discuss with you) and how to use them in sentences (both when speaking and when writing). Challenge your child to write a sentence with each word in, or to drop the words into conversations at home.

Day 3: Read this article from First News, a newspaper for children, and complete the activity.

Day 4: Read your fluency or RIC text again. Next, do one of the following:

  • Your child could list at least ten facts they’ve read in the text. (If it’s a fiction text (a story), then the facts would be based on the story, like ‘Harry Potter picked up his broomstick’, rather than actual facts from the real world.)
  • Your child could create questions and answers for what they’ve read. (For example, it could be a TV or radio interview based on what they’ve read.)
  • Your child could create their own ‘RIC’ questions.
  • Your child could draw and label a character or setting that they’ve read about.

Day 5: Book Club. Once a week, we have a relaxing lesson where we sit and read quietly, often with an adult. At home, we’d like you to read your favourite book or text, too. If possible, discuss the book with an adult, talking about some or all of the sections of this sheet.

(Suggested time: 30 minutes daily)

 

Writing

Activity 1: This video lesson about fronted adverbials from Oak National Academy links to some of the learning that we’ve been doing in class recently.

Activity 2:

Children should write six sentences about a picture or photograph you choose. Your child should remember capital letters, finger spaces, joined up letters (use our handwriting guide to help, paying particular attention to tall letters and letters that go beneath the line), and a full stop, exclamation mark (!) or question mark (?) to end the sentence. Encourage interesting words to make their writing more interesting.

 (Suggested time: 30 minutes daily)

 

Topic

This week’s topic learning is linked to our class novel and is all about looking after our planet. In particular, the focus is on deforestation.

Have a go at this Oak National Academy video and complete the task.

(Suggested time: 30-45 minutes)

 

Science   

We’re continuing our learning about living things and their habitats. This week, we’re focusing on how changing environments pose dangers to living things.

Have a go at this Oak National Academy video.

(Suggested time: 30-45 minutes)

09 October 2020

Whole school homework
I can share my views about health

Each year, we ask you to complete a short health questionnaire.
Your views can help us to become happier and healthier.
Parents/carers: please complete the online survey with your child and comment at the end. Please submit before Thursday 15 October.
If you need a paper copy, please request one from your child’s class teacher. The link will be on your child’s Homework page.

Our weekly message (09 October 2020)

Some statistics to start this week’s message…

It sadly seems that the country is facing more restrictions due to coronavirus. Despite the challenges facing Leeds, it was encouraging to note earlier in the week that:

  • no school in Leeds is completely closed
  • in fact, 191 schools are fully open
  • a further 84 schools are operating despite a bubble closure
  • so, all 275 schools in Leeds are open to 114,814 pupils and 13,539 staff

Whilst the rate per 100,000 in Leeds has risen significantly (it’s around the 300 mark), there’s not been a significant increase in the number of pupils and staff testing positive. The numbers are currently relatively stable.

In our three Sphere Federation schools, although individual children have stayed away from school to self-isolate or to wait for a test result, we’ve not yet had to close a bubble. Thank you for your support with this. You’ve been sticking to the drop-off and collection times and it’s great that so many of you continue to wear face masks – we appreciate how responsive you’ve been.

Think carefully before seeking a Covid-19 test because colds are common at this time of year. When we showed his chart a couple of weeks ago, it proved popular. Read the full article.

Symptoms chart

Home learning

If your child is absent from school due to coronavirus, make sure you check out our home learning page. Every Monday morning, you’ll find some learning for the week:

  • five Maths lessons (usually from White Rose Maths, which is what’s used in school) (suggested time: about 30 minutes each day)
  • Times Tables practice using Time Tables Rock Stars (suggested time: about 15 minutes each day)
  • Spellings practice using the spellings list that’s published each week (suggested time: about 15 minutes each day)
  • some Reading fluency using the same text that’s used in school (suggested time: about 15 minutes each day)
  • five Reading sessions, including using the ‘RIC’ text used in school (suggested time: about 30 minutes each day)
  • two Writing sessions (suggested time: about 30 minutes each)
  • a Topic lesson which will link closely with the learning happening in school (suggested time: about 30 minutes)
  • a Science lesson which will link closely with the learning happening in school (suggested time: about 30 minutes)

Lunches

If you’re entitled to free school meals, you’re also able to arrange for a light lunch for your child each day, too – contact the school office.

Parent-teacher meetings

We’re doing things a bit differently this year… The parent-teacher meetings coming up in the last week of the half-term will be via Zoom. Look out for the email that’s been sent earlier today – it allows you to sign up for an appointment online.

This is the first time we’ve run a parents’ evening online so please be patient with us. We’ll work hard to stick to timings and keep our fingers crossed for good WiFi!

If you don’t have access to Zoom, let us know – we can arrange for the discussion to be a phone call instead.

And something completely unrelated to coronavirus…

We’ve added an extra feature to our website. If you go to the Safeguarding page, you’ll see on the right hand side some new content from Parent Info. Parent Info is a collaboration between  and . It provides support and guidance for parents from The content is updated regularly, and it covers six broad areas, such as technology, relationships and parenting, all linked to keeping your child happy, healthy and safe.

09 October 2020

This week, please learn the following spellings ready to be tested on Friday 16 October. There are many ways to practise these, for example:

  • Rainbow write (write them in many different colours)
  • Speed write (how many times can you write a word in a minute)
  • Pyramid write (write one letter, then two, then three etc till you’ve written the whole word
  • Look, cover, write

This week, all of your spellings contain the “e” sound but spelt in different ways.

many busy tricky complete relief
quickly money chimney breath money

 

Living and Learning: I can talk about my feelings

This week, our Living and Learning statement is  “I can talk about my feelings.”

We discussed our feelings and who we could talk to about them. We also talked about how we can identify other peoples emotions. For example; their body language and their facial expression.  Then we played an emotions game.

“We played an emotions game. There are different emotions – each colour means a different emotion.”

It was really fun playing the emotions game. I enjoyed making the emotions.”

“I enjoyed play the game because I liked drawing the emotions.”

 

Week beginning 05 October 2020

Maths

This week’s maths learning is linked to addition and subtraction.

Year 3 children use these resources:

Year 4 children use these resources:

You don’t have to print the worksheet. Your child can write or draw their answers on paper. Your child’s learning will be most effective if you sit with them to pause the clip and check / praise / support your child as the clip moves on.

Practise times tables on Times Table Rockstars, too. If your child is in Y3, we’re concentrating on the 5 times table. If your child is in Y4, we’re concentrating on the 3 times table. Email the class teacher if you need your child’s login and password details.

(Suggested time: 30 minutes of Maths and 15 minutes of Rockstars daily)

 

Spelling

Look on the homework page to find this week’s spellings. Your child should complete one task each day.

  • Day 1: Generate more words linked to the spelling pattern or ‘rule’. You could look out for the words in the book you’re reading at home, or any other text, like a website linked to our science topic of Living Things and their Habitat.
  • Day 2: Practise the spellings using two of the ideas in our Super Spelling Strategies guide. (Set yourself and others at home a challenge of using some of the words when you’re speaking, too!)
  • Day 3: Write separate sentences, each containing one of the spellings. (Don’t forget to show off really neat handwriting and make sure you sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, exclamation mark (!) or question mark (?).
  • Day 4: Repeat Task 2 or 3.
  • Day 5: Get an adult at home to test you on your spellings. Practise any you spell incorrectly – you could write them out carefully until you’re sure.

(Suggested time: 15-20 minutes daily)

 

Reading fluency

This is the text we’re using in class this week to build up fluency skills.

In school, we generally follow this sequence:

  • Day 1: Read the text aloud with your child listening. Read it clearly and slowly, pointing to each word as you read. Have a chat about any unfamiliar words.
  • Day 2: Read aloud each sentence (a full short sentence or part of a longer sentence), and have your child read it back to you. Do this ‘echo reading’ for the whole text.
  • Day 3: Read the text and talk about the effect of the punctuation on how you read it – pauses for full stops and expression for exclamations (!) or questions (?). Your child reads the text aloud.
  • Day 4: Read together with expression (just like you practised on Day 3).
  • Day 5: Your child reads independently and fluently.

(Suggested time: 15 minutes daily)

 

Reading comprehension

Day 1: We’ll be using this ‘RIC’ text in class to practise comprehension skills. RIC stands for:

  • Retrieve: finding information in a text
  • Interpret: using clues in the text to unlock information
  • Choice: thinking about the author’s choice of words, techniques or organisation that make the text interesting and enjoyable to read

Day 2: Agree with your child three words from any text they’ve read which they’re less familiar with. Your child should find out what they mean (eg by checking an online dictionary or simply discuss with you) and how to use them in sentences (both when speaking and when writing). Challenge your child to write a sentence with each word in, or to drop the words into conversations at home.

Day 3: Read this article from First News, a newspaper for children, and complete the activity.

Day 4: Read your fluency or RIC text again. Next, do one of the following:

  • Your child could list at least ten facts they’ve read in the text. (If it’s a fiction text (a story), then the facts would be based on the story, like ‘Harry Potter picked up his broomstick’, rather than actual facts from the real world.)
  • Your child could create questions and answers for what they’ve read. (For example, it could be a TV or radio interview based on what they’ve read.)
  • Your child could create their own ‘RIC’ questions.
  • Your child could draw and label a character or setting that they’ve read about.

Day 5: Book Club. Once a week, we have a relaxing lesson where we sit and read quietly, often with an adult. At home, we’d like you to read your favourite book or text, too. If possible, discuss the book with an adult, talking about some or all of the sections of this sheet.

(Suggested time: 30 minutes daily)

 

Writing

Activity 1: This video lesson about writing instructions from BBC Bitesize links to some of the learning that we’ve been doing in class recently. Watch the videos and try the activities. When you get to activity 3 (writing a set of instructions for walking to the South Pole), you can choose to do this. Or, write a set of instructions for how to keep our plant happy and healthy – this is what we’ll be doing in class.

Activity 2:

Children should write six sentences about a picture or photograph you choose. Your child should remember capital letters, finger spaces, joined up letters (use our handwriting guide to help, paying particular attention to tall letters and letters that go beneath the line), and a full stop, exclamation mark (!) or question mark (?) to end the sentence. Encourage interesting words to make their writing more interesting.

 (Suggested time: 30 minutes daily)

 

Topic

This week’s topic learning is linked to our class novel and is all about art.

Have a go at this lesson about complementary colours and complete the activities at the end. Don’t worry if you can’t print the colour wheel. Instead, just write down what the complementary colours are.

(Suggested time: 30-45 minutes)

 

Science   

We’re continuing our learning about living things and their habitats. This week, we’re focusing on how we can classify animals – specifically, vertebrates and invertebrates.

Watch this BBC Bitesize lesson about vertebrates.

Then, this BBC Bitesize lesson about invertebrates.

(Suggested time: 30-45 minutes)

 

02 October 2020

This week’s homework is Talk Time and is due on Thursday 08 October

This half term, our Christian value is friendship. Sometimes we find ourselves in difficult situations, which leave us in a moral dilemma. Talk to somebody about the examples below.

What you would do in the same situation? Why are these moral dilemmas?

  • You see your friend cheating in a maths test.
  • Your friends are in a club with you at school. A new child joins the class but they won’t let them join the club.
  • Someone is saying unkind things about your friend behind their back.
  • Your parents have asked you to come straight home after school. Your friends want you to go to the park with them. They say that you should go to the park.

Talk to somebody and make notes so you are ready to feedback in our homework review on Thursday 08 October.

There’s an old saying that goes, “In order to have good friends, you have to be a good friend.” What does that mean? Do you think it’s true? Why? What are the benefits of having friends who are different from us?

 

Email your thoughts and ideas to Miss Beatson

( nataliebeatson@spherefederation.org )

 

02 October 2020

This week, please learn the following spellings ready to be tested on Friday 09 October. There are many ways to practise these, for example:

  • Rainbow write (write them in many different colours)
  • Speed write (how many times can you write a word in a minute)
  • Pyramid write (write one letter, then two, then three etc till you’ve written the whole word
  • Look, cover, write

This week, all of your spellings contain the “a” sound but spelt in different ways.

eighty favourite great they
famous everyday straight snake

 

 

02 October 2020

This week’s homework is Talk Time and is due on Thursday 08 October

This half term, our Christian value is friendship. Sometimes we find ourselves in difficult situations, which leave us in a moral dilemma. Talk to somebody about the examples below.

What you would do in the same situation? Why are these moral dilemmas?

  • You see your friend cheating in a maths test.
  • Your friends are in a club with you at school. A new child joins the class but they won’t let them join the club.
  • Someone is saying unkind things about your friend behind their back.
  • Your parents have asked you to come straight home after school. Your friends want you to go to the park with them. They say that you should go to the park.

Talk to somebody and make notes so you are ready to feedback in our homework review on Thursday 08 October.

There’s an old saying that goes, “In order to have good friends, you have to be a good friend.” What does that mean? Do you think it’s true? Why? What are the benefits of having friends who are different from us?

 

Email your thoughts and ideas to Mrs Rowley ( stjamesy3y4@spherefederation.org )

 

Times tables

Times tables

 If you want some quick fire practise, head to https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button .   Use the sheet to practise the times table you’ve been given.