Class 4 Newsletter Summer Term

Dear Parents

Welcome back, I hope you have all had a lovely Easter break. Class 4 have come back energised and read for our final term in Year 4!

Please see below an outline of areas we will cover this term.

English

We start the term by studying a historical book called ‘The Matchbox Diary’ by Paul Fleischman which tells the story of an Italian family who immigrated to America to start a new life. We will be writing non-chronological reports by researching the history of Italian immigrants. We will also be writing biographies, kenning poems as well as stories that raise issues linked to our Rainforest topic. Finally, we will be writing persuasive letters which will be linked to the book ‘Tar Beach’ by Faith Ringgold which is set in New York city in 1939 and focuses on African American history. Areas of grammar will be taught through activities based on these texts including using  and punctuating direct speech, using paragraphs and sub-headings to aid presentation, using the present perfect rather than simple past tense, using word families based on common words, expanding noun phrases using modifying adjectives, nouns and preposition phrases, using apostrophes to mark plural possessions and using fronted adverbials.

Listening to your child read continues to be very important, as does discussing their understanding of the texts they are reading. Once they have finished a book, please encourage your child to complete a reading challenge to work towards receiving their bronze, silver and gold certificates. There will be daily classroom time for reading, handwriting, grammar and spelling activities.

Maths

In maths, we will be continuing our work on fractions and decimals, recognising tenths and hundredths as decimals and on a place value grid. We will also look at comparing and ordering decimal numbers as well as rounding and writing halves and quarters as decimals. After this, we will be learning about money, consolidating our addition and subtraction skills in the process. We will look at estimating and giving change and converting between pounds and pence. We will learn about time looking at analogue and digital, converting between them and 24-hour time. Our statistics topic will involve interpreting charts and line graphs, after which we will learn about the properties of shape, identifying and comparing angles and exploring lines of symmetry.

Please continue to encourage your child to practise their times tables and related division facts using Times Table Rockstars (5-10 minutes as often as possible). In order to support your child in preparation for the Multiplication Tables Check in June, they will need to practice answering multiplication questions using the Soundcheck mode on Times Table Rockstars. At school, we will also be using Soundcheck so that children are familiar with the format as well as identifying the times tables they need to work on. This term, we will be revising all the times tables up to 12 x 12.

Science                                                                                                                                                                                                  We be learning about living things and their habitats where we will learn about sorting and classifying living things. During this topic, we will be spending time out in the school grounds and taking part in our class walk while making observations of the habitats around us. This will be followed by our topic on sound where we will learn how sounds are made, vibrations and the structure of the ear.

Topic- (History/Geography)

This half term, we will be learning about World War II. We will learn about the events leading up to the war, countries involved, the Blitz, evacuation, rationing as well as studying some of the key battles that took place. After the half term break, we will be learning about rainforests. This will include identifying where these rainforests can be found in the world, the types of life found in the rainforest and the problems caused by deforestation.

French

We will be learning about transportation and different ways we travel to school which will be followed by where we go on our holidays and what we do there. We will then spend some time consolidating our French learning over the last year.

Computing

We will be exploring how art and computing can be combined. This will focus on using the Inkscape program to create tessellating art.

Art and DT

In DT this term, we will be looking at savoury pastry, designing and making our own savoury tarts. In art, we will be looking at nature in art, creating observational sketches and natural/outdoor sculptures, leading on to clay sculptures.

RE

This term, we will be focusing on Human and Social Sciences by investigating the following philosophical questions: How do religious groups contribute to society and culture in the local area and beyond? and Why is there so much diversity of belief within Christianity? Through these topics, we will be learning about a range of religions including Christianity and Hinduism.

PSHE 

We will be learning about maintaining a balanced lifestyle; the importance of sleep, mental health and emotional wellbeing, followed by a topic on growing and changing in which we learn about the physical and emotional changes in puberty and keeping safe: medicines and household products; drugs common to everyday life.

Music                                                                                                                                                                  This term, we will continue to have music lessons taught through the ‘Charanga’ scheme. We will be continuing to learn the recorder and performing pieces of music in small groups and as a whole class.

PE

For the first half term, we will be focusing on bat and ball skills in rounders and a variety of activities in athletics. After half term, we will be focusing on cricket and tennis. PE will be on Mondays and Wednesdays. Please ensure that your child comes to school in their PE kit on these days.

Homework

As mentioned above, it is greatly beneficial to your child’s learning for you to hear them read whenever possible. Please make a note/initial in their orange reading journals when you hear them read.

Along with listening to your child read, the children will continue to be set spellings to learn each week. Six sets of spellings will be issued for the half term and tests will take place every Friday; please assist them with look, cover, write, check activities to consolidate their learning or an alternative method that suits your child’s way of learning.

Maths, English, Science, Topic or Art homework will be set on Fridays for return the following Wednesday. Tasks are set in order to support and consolidate the learning taking place in class.  Please support your child to ensure that they understand what has been asked of them and to make sure that their work is clearly and neatly completed but allow them to complete the work as independently as possible. If there is ever any confusion, or your child is having trouble with the homework, please let me know (preferably before Wednesday) so I am able to help them.

Show and Tell

Year 4 have been keen to share special achievements, artefacts, and souvenirs from trips with the class last term, however this term we would like to use the last week of half term for the children to share anything that is linked to the topics we have been studying. If your child would like to share a certificate/ trophy linked to an achievement, then we can find time for this and they also have the option of sharing this in a whole school assembly.

Water/Snacks

Children are actively encouraged to bring in water, and a snack for break time each day. It is often a long time between breakfast and lunch and a snack is important to keep us all going. We ask that these are healthy, in line with our Healthy Schools ethos (fruit or vegetables only).

If you have any particular questions or concerns, please feel free to speak to me at the end of the day or contact the office to arrange an appointment/call before or after school.

Best wishes

Miss Ullmann