What’s the time?
This week, Year 3 have been learning how to tell the time on an analogue clock.
We recapped o’clock and half past and familiarised ourselves with the minute and hour hands.
After this, we looked at telling the time past the hour and to the next hour.
We notice that the numbers on the clock represent 5 minutes, so knowing our 5 times tables is very important.
We also tried to solve some word problems such as:
Year 3 leave for their trip at five past 9 and arrived at half past 9.
How long does it take them to travel there?
Help at home:
Use this virtual analogue clock with your child and ask them to make different times looking carefully at the hands.
Interactive clock | analog clock | digital | movable | teaching clock | visnos
Improving our knowledge of world religions
To start this week’s R.E lesson, we recapped what we already knew about some of the world’s major religions.
We also learnt new facts about religions that may have been less familiar to us.
Each week, we will keep looking at these facts and building on our learning of other faiths.
Help at home: Ask your child what facts they can remember about some world religions. Can they name the places of worship and holy books?
Spellings 19th May 2023
though
through
thought
straight
special
strange
strength
separate
remember
Finding Fractions Of Amounts
Year 3 have been using counters to find fractions of numbers.
City Artwork
Check out our beautiful artwork we produced this week with Mrs Bald.
Year 3 listened to Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin and imagined a bustling city. They then drew a busy city. 
When they showed me, I was blown away and wanted to share all of it!
Listen to Rhapsody In Blue again. Do you think it sounds like a bustling city?
Fantastic Forces!
Our new science topic is forces and magnets.
We started the topic by learning that a force is a push, pull or twist. We went out onto the play equipment and thought about which forces we were applying as we moved.
We observed how the more force we use the further and faster the movements.
Here is the vocabulary we will be improving our understanding of this half term. 
Help at home: When exercising, ask your child to consider which forces they are applying.
Working Scientifically: How Much Liquid Can A Nappy Absorb?
We made predictions first. In groups, we then started our experiment. First, we felt and weighed the nappy. It was only 19g and felt very light!
We put red food colouring into the water to make it clearer to see the liquid being absorbed into the nappy.
We then started pouring 100ml of water on the nappy. We continued feel the weight of the nappy and found out that it got heavier as we increased the amount of water.
Although no liquid came through the nappy, after we had poured 1000 ml (or 1 litre) onto water, it started to sit on the top of the nappy. We decided it was no longer absorbing the water.
Following this, we weighed the nappy again; it was 763g. We couldn’t believe how much liquid a nappy can actually absorb!
We are growing potatoes!
Over the past few weeks we have been reading some fantastic focus books.
‘A superhero like you’ by Dr Ranj and Liam Darcy
The children expressed what ‘real’ superhero they wanted to be when they are older. We transformed our provision into a world of occupations from a farmer to a dentist!
‘The girl is like Mummy’- Savannah
‘They don’t wear clothes like batman’-Deacon
‘I like building with my hammer’- George
‘Oliver’s Vegetables’ by Alison Bartlett and Vivian French
The children enjoyed learning about all the vegetables that grew in Oliver’s garden. We talked about what we have grown at home before and what we would like to grow in nursery. We all decided we wanted to grow some potatoes just like Oliver so we could make our own chips!
‘I grow peppers with my Grandad’ – Ella
‘I got carrots and potatoes’ – Frankie
‘I’ve not had beetroot before, it’s purple’- Austin
‘ Daisy eat your peas’ by Kes Gray and Nick Sharratt
Daisy does not like peas and there is nothing that her mum can do to get her to eat them! The children discussed their likes and dislikes around food. We then started to talk about which foods are healthy and which are not so healthy but in the end we all decided we love ice-cream!
‘Daisy didn’t want to eat her peas and then she tried to get mum to eat her brussel sprouts but she didn’t like them either’- Gracie
‘I don’t like sprouts, I like carrots’ – George
‘ I had sprouts at Christmas’- Austin
‘ I like Yorkshire pudding’- Ella
‘ I like to drink apple juice’- C
‘ Daisy is funny because she didn’t want to eat her peas’- Joshua
Notices
Thank you to those that have booked an appointment for parent consultations, I am excited to share with you your child/children’s progress this term. There are still some appointments left so the list will be displayed in the nursery window if you wish to attend.
Please keep sending in any photos you would like to share with nursery for the children to share in our circle times. The children really enjoy sharing what they have been getting up to at the weekend with their grown-ups!
Our email address is stjamesnursery@spherefederation.org
Have a lovely happy and healthy weekend!
Miss Ward
Reading Role Models!
On Friday, we enjoyed a visit to the reception children for some shared reading. Year 3 were fantastic role models for the younger children.
The half term wasn’t complete without another class shells win along with the highest attendance in the school!
Lunchtime and Breakfast Club staff required
We’re currently looking for lunchtime and breakfast club staff to supervise our children at our friendly school! Lunchtime hours are 12.00pm – 1.15pm Monday to Friday (6.25 hrs per week) and Breakfast Club hours are 7.30am – 8.45am. Please contact Mrs Quirk at stjamesfinance@spherefederation.org for further details.