Living and Learning
I recognise that family and friends are important.
I can find solutions to different problems.
We have been focussing on these two statements over recent weeks and learnt how we can make positive changes to our life and to the lives of others. We recognise unkind words and behaviours and that often words and comments can sometimes to taken out of context and cause offence (particularly online). We have also viewed people with different emotions and discussed how we should speak to these people and talked about the kind of things we can say.
We have discussed working with different people in our class and that it is important to include everyone and not leave people out. We know that it doesn’t matter what differences we have with others, it is still important to be kind and respectful. The following video caused a lot of amusement but also has an important message.
Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog (it’s along the play bar) and turn off autoplay – this
avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip
after clip.
Oracy
We have all been focussing on our prosody skills this week. Using the poem Good Hope by Benjamin Zephaniah, we have strived to use intonation, tone and volume, whilst ensuring we project our voice and make eye contact with our classmates. We have also discussed some of the issues Zephaniah may have faced and the key messages taken from the poem.
Well done everyone!
World Book Day
We have had an incredible day today, celebrating World Book Day.
The children arrived dressed in some fantastic costumes, many of which were homemade. They loved staying in character during the day, it has been very funny!
We have taken part in many activities; designing our own book cover, reading part of our favourite book, listening to other staff members read, reading quizzes, online draw along sessions and much more. It has been a real celebration of books and reading.
Thank you for all your continued support.
Update
What a busy week we have had in the Year 3/4 classroom.
We were lucky to have a visit from PCSO Louise who came in to talk to us about how to keep safe and to remind us about the importance of making right choices.
In writing this week, we have been writing a recount about Tarragon, the dragon slayer. What fantastic work the children have produced. We have thoroughly enjoyed using challenging vocabulary and strived to make our work stand out. Mr Kilner has been so impressed!
In PE, we have loved learning and performing yoga poses and sequences. We have learnt common poses like Warrior 1, Warrior 2 and Airplane. Calming breathing techniques and meditation have helped us to find a feeling of calm and we have left feeling ‘reborn’, ‘relaxed’ and ‘refreshed’.
Help at home – Ask your children about some of the vocabulary they have used this week in their writing. What word did they use to describe Tarragon/the dragon/Black Bull. Can they remember any other yoga poses? Are they able to teach family at home about how to perform them? Can they think of any ways PCSO Louise told us to stay safe?
Litter Picking Crew
Thank you to some of our pupils who have been making a difference in our local community by picking up litter on Hallfield Lane. Some of the Year 4 children have noticed litter on the paths as they walk to swimming each week and they feel really strongly that they want to do something about it. Well done for suggesting a great way to keep our streets tidy!
Internet Safety Day
Today, we have learnt about some key aspects of keeping safe online:
- I know that some things online may not be true, either accidentally or deliberately.
- I know it’s important to check with a trusted adult before sharing personal information online.
The internet is such an amazing resource and one we use countless times throughout the day. It can however, be a place that is not always safe and secure. The children in Year 3 and 4 have learnt to be critical users of what we read and that some headlines and news stories may be misleading. We now know how to check the validity of a story and its source.
In addition, we are confident in knowing the dangers of sharing personal details online. We know that there are many platforms on the internet where we may need to share our details and what to do if we are unsure about sharing.
Help at home – Ask your children about some of the fake news stories that we read about today. How did we know that some news stories where misleading? Who should we check with when sharing personal data about ourselves? What might happen if we do share some personal details online?
Pesach in Year 3/4
This half term, we have been learning about Moses and the story of Passover (Pesach). We have learnt about Moses’ relationship with God and how he helped to free the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. We know that Jewish people today celebrate Pesach with a Seder Plate and eat special foods. In class, we had our very own Pesach celebration and tried some different foods from the Seder Plate. Whilst eating we spoke about the significance of each item and thought about how this can relate to our lives.
Living and Learning – speak out and stay safe
In Year 3 and Year 4, we have been learning about ways that children can stay safe if they are experiencing abuse.
We watched an assembly produced by the NSPCC and engaged really well throughout. We have learnt about the 5 types of abuse that children can experience and know that this is never OK. We know who we can talk to if we are worried about something and where we can get help if needed.
The Childline website is a useful place to visit if we need help and their phone number is easy for us to remember – 0800 11 11.
Help at home – Ask your child what NSPCC stands for. What are the 5 types of abuse that children can experience. What does each one mean? Who are their trusted adults? Is there an easy way to remember the Childline phone number? Who is Buddy? What does Buddy represent?
d:side
We have been fortunate enough to have a visit from Dave from d:side. He talked to us about smoking and the effects on the body, what is in a cigarette, E-cigarettes and why people smoke.
It was a very informative workshop and the children learnt how to say ‘no’ if pressured into smoking.
Help at home – Ask your child what chemicals are in a cigarette. What are the laws around smoking? Why do people start smoking? How can we say ‘no’?
Welcome back
We have had a very busy first week back in Year 3 and Year 4. We have been ensuring we stick to our routines and recapping on our rules and expectations in the classroom and around school. We have also welcomed Mr Goodwin and Mr Smith who will be based in our classroom from now on.
In writing, we have learnt about subordinate clauses and how these differ to main clauses. We have been able to identify subordinate clauses and we will look to use these in our recount writing next week.
In maths, we have begun using Frayer Models to represent number. The children have enjoyed the challenge that these models bring and enjoyed sharing their findings.
In Living and Learning, we have been learning about drugs and the benefits and risks surrounding them. We have also shared ways of reducing these risks and how we can keep safe at home and school.
Help at home – Ask your child if they can tell you what a subordinate clause is. Can they write a sentence using a subordinate clause, subordinate conjunction, and main clause? Can they check around the house to see if drugs are kept in a safe place?