Welcome to Sycamore Class (Year 4)
Welcome to Sycamore class!
Dates for your diary
- 10th April - Children return to school
- 16th and 17th April - FabLab Group 2
- 22nd April - Clubs start
- w/b 22nd April - Parent drop-ins - Maths Focus
- 25th April - Swimming starts
- 6th May - School closed for Bank Holiday
- 7th May - Trip to Nell Bank
- 21st May - School photographs
- 24th May - School closes for half term
- 10th June - School reopens
Homework
Reading
Children should be reading every night at home for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Their homework diary should be signed and brought into school EVERYDAY and will be checked frequently. Children can read a book from school, a book from home or access Oxford Reading Buddy to complete this.
https://www.oxfordreadingbuddy.com/uk
Spellings
New spellings will be given on Wednesday and there will be a dictation session on the following Wednesday.
Maths
Children should also be practising their times tables every night at home. Their signed homework diaries should be brought into school EVERYDAY and will be checked frequently. TT Rock stars is an excellent programme to pratice times tables.
Friday Homework
The children will also be given additional homework on an A4 sheet. This will be handed out on a Friday and is due in on a Wednesday.
PE
The children have PE on Wednesday this term. Children need a full PE kit on these days; school PE top, black shorts or tracksuit and trainers. Please ensure you child has sun cream on and a sun hat for warmer weather.
English
This term, we will be focusing on writing non-chronological reports and explanation texts. We will be focusing on including appropriate layout features, using technical vocabulary and writing in the present tense.
During our English sessions, we will be focusing on adding clauses using a range of conjunctions, using expanded noun phrases to modify verbs and using fronted adverbials to build cohesion between paragraphs.
Our class novels this term are Boy in the Jam Jar by Joyce Dunbar and Harriet Versus The Galaxy by Samantha Baines.
The children have an opportunity to read everyday and as a class we read a wide range of texts. We have an enormous school library and a class library filled with the lastest books to suit the childrens interests and needs. We encourage the children to discuss books with confidence and explore a range of genres and authors.
Below is a useful website, which will show you a range of Year 4 texts, which your child may enjoy.
Maths
This half term the children will learn about solving problems that involve money. Children will learn to count and record in pounds and pence. They will make links between tenths and hundredths, and decimal notation for money. They will learn how to compare amounts of money by looking at significant digits, and by converting amounts from pounds to pence, and vice versa. Children will be taught how to round money to the nearest pound and understand contexts — in which this would be a useful skill to know. They will use this skill to estimate amounts and totals. They will apply these skills to problem-solving situations, finding totals and calculating change. They will also learn how to visualise a money problem using a bar model and begin to explore unequal sharing in the context of money.
Year 4 children complete their times tables check at the end of the year. Please help with this by practising time tables at home as much as possible.
You may find the following websites useful:
Science
This term children will be learning about Sound and Electricity. Before the holidays, the children will learn about how sound is made and how it travels to their ears. They will take part in an experiment to discover what happens to a sound when you move further away.
Following the holidays, the children will learn how to build their own circuits, and be able to identify and explain the function of each element. They will also learn about different electrical conductors and insulators.
Below are some links related to our topic.
Our key scientist this half term is Chrsitian Doppler. Click here to find out more!
Foundation Subjects
History
Who was victorious in the battle for Britain?
We will be building on our history learning from spring term and continuing our journey through time. Children will look at some of the key battles in the claim for England, including the Battle of Edington and the Battle of Hastings.
Geography
What are the features of a river?
During our geography lessons, children will learn about the different features of a river, some of the key rivers in Europe. Children will also have the opportunity to plan, conduct and present their findings of their own river enquiry.
Other Subjects:
RE - Why do Muslims fast during Ramadan?
PSHE - Relationships
Music - Body Percussion
Art - Craft and Design
Design and Technology - Cooking and Nutirtion
Spanish - TBC
Computing - Computational thinking
Foundation subjects links
History - Vikings
Geography - Rivers
RE- Ramadan
Computing - Computational Thinking
Music - Body Percussion
PSHE - Relationships
Spanish - Spanish Phrases
Art - William Morris
Key Documents
Google Classroom
Google Classroom is an essential part of our everyday teaching and it is important to have the children logging in regularly so that they are familiar with this online platform. Homework is set on google classroom and it is another way in which teachers communicate with pupils about their learning. Guided reading texts are posted each week and the children can begin to read them before the lesson if they wish to. Important messages are also posted online. Your child has been given their log in details and they are expected to log in and check their class page for any updates.