Autumn Newsletter 2020 – Year 3

Dear parents/carers,

Welcome to Year 3. It is fantastic to be back and the year 3 bubble are looking forward to all the learning coming up this year.

English

To begin with, we will be sharing texts from different cultures to help our development of sentence structure, determiners and conjunctions. We will have a continued focus on handwriting and general punctuation. Through other aspects of the curriculum (science, geography, history etc.) we will be developing our non-narrative skills with information and instructions writing. Ensuring your child reads for at least 15 minutes a day will help their reading skills to develop along with discussions around the text read. It is just as important to read to your child regularly along with listening to audio books. Due to the need of quarantining books, we will change books on a Monday and Friday only. Depending on your child’s stage, they may be sent home with a selection of books to read during the week/weekend.

Maths

To begin the term, we will be looking at number systems with a focus on place value, addition and subtraction with explorations around money. We will be using a variety of equipment to help children build their practical mathematical skills to support problem solving and calculations. The children will also be developing their mathematical vocabulary to develop reasoning tasks. To assist with children’s mathematical development encourage them to handle real money and understand the value of coins and notes along with reading analogue and digital time in a 12hr and 24hr format.  Continue to practise the times tables and use Times Table Rock Stars.

History and Geography

We begin the year with a history topic – Ancient Egypt. We will be focusing on the achievements of the earliest civilisation and using our skills of research. In geography we will be exploring climate zones and learning lots of geographical vocabulary and applying this to our class work.

Science

Throughout the Autumn term we will be looking at the area of Science ‘Light & Shadow’ followed by ‘Forces’. For light and shadow, we will be exploring reflection, the need for light to be able to see and much more. In forces we will look at how things move on different surfaces and the affects of magnets on different material.

Computing

We will be starting with ‘how to stay safe online’ which will an ongoing theme throughout the school year. Children will be using the school laptops to learn how to combine text and graphics and will be consolidating their word processing and keyboard skills.

Art and DT

In art we will be developing our sketching skills and getting creative with a range of material through our Egyptian topic. Through DT we will be looking at, designing and making Shadufs to support our Egyptian learning.

 RE

In RE we be looking at the local parish church, ideas and beliefs about God, our own ideas, Christian beliefs, Mother Theresa and Advent.

PSHE

Our PSHE learning will lead us to think about mental health, Families and Friendships – what makes a family and features of family life. Safe Relationships – personal boundaries, safely responding to others and the impact of hurtful behaviour. Respecting Ourselves and Others – recognising respectful behaviour, the importance of self-respect and courtesy & being polite.

Music

In Music we will be developing the skills of listening and appraising, musical activities and perform and review.

PE

The children will have PE on a Tuesday and Friday afternoons.  Each child will need trainers suitable for use on the field as well as the playground and when necessary, warm outer layers to be worn over their PE shorts and T-shirts. Children must come to school dressed in their PE kits for the day.  Children will be focusing on cross country and multi-skills.

French

This year, children will begin to learn French at Clavering. We will be starting with the topic ‘Bonjour, ca va?’

Homework

Along with listening to your child read, the children will be set spellings to learn each week on a Friday, ready for a test on the following Thursday; please assist them with look, cover, write, check activities to consolidate their learning or an alternative method that suit your child’s way of learning. The children will have one to two pieces of homework to complete each week: these will be English, Maths, Science or Topic work to help support their learning in the classroom. Spellings and homework will be posted via Teams.

Kind Regards,

Miss Morton