Year 4: Blog items

Dance From the Heart

Date: 7th Jun 2022 @ 3:03pm

Here is the Dance From the Heart video to practise before the roadshow on Tuesday 21st June 2022.

Year 4 Blog 27th May 2022

Date: 27th May 2022 @ 4:10pm

Year 4

Home Practice 27^th May 2022

Welcome to the final blog of this half term. Here’s what we have been learning this week ….

In English, we planned and created our own cartoon strip which included narrative and speech bubbles. We are very proud of our first attempt at a cartoon strip and enjoyed sharing them with our partner.

In Maths, we started learning about time. Firstly, we revised o’clock, half past, quarter past and quarter to.  Following this, we moved onto more complicated times, such as 19 minutes to 5 or 4.41am. Many of us have found time very tricky, therefore, please try and practise this daily at home.  

In Music, we practised the National Anthem, Platinum Jubilee Song and, of course, YMCA.    Then we played DEFinitely on the glocks and revised ‘What’s up’ from our last lesson. Finally, we began to learn a new piece of music called Dee Cees’ Blues.

In French, we designed and described a crown for the Queen. She would be very pleased with her new crowns, I'm sure! well done year 4

In Geography, we learnt that coasts are always changing, and some of the reasons why.  Using some of this knowledge, we learnt how bays and headlands are formed.

In other news …. We had a fantastic Platinum Jubilee Celebration on Wednesday afternoon.  Everyone looked fabulous in their red, white and blue clothes.  Each class sang a song according to the decade they had been given. Year 4 gave a supreme performance of YMCA – you should all be very proud of yourselves.

As always, a very busy week in Year 4. Over half term, please continue to read every day, as well as practising any times tables you know you find especially tricky and telling the time!

Online Safety Update

This week, our update is focused on keeping children safe when accessing online content. A lot of platforms that our children use are dependent on uploaded content. Due to the sheer number of videos added to these sites, moderators find it almost impossible to stop all harmful or distressing content from reaching your phone or tablet screens. The guide below outlines ways in which you as parents and carers can limit the risk.

Have a lovely holiday – relax and recharge your batteries.

See you all on Tuesday 7^th June for your last 7 weeks in Year 4!

Mrs Tipping and Mrs Dexter

Year 4 Home Practice 20th May 2022

Date: 20th May 2022 @ 3:39pm

Year 4

Home Practice 20^th May 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning this week …

In English, we wrote a conversation between two of the characters from the novel.  We tried to use vocabulary from the book, and use the correct punctuation for speech. In addition, we wrote sentences using co-ordinating conjunctions correctly and trying to remember when to use a comma!

In Maths, we learnt some different mental strategies for addition and subtraction using a numberline.  For example, finding a difference by counting on and using the compensating strategy.  We also revised and refined the written methods of addition and subtraction, including numbers to 2 decimal places.

In RE, we started our new topic ‘Reconciliation – Building Bridges’.  We talked about how friendship is similar to a bridge between people – it needs to be strengthened, maintained and repaired. We then wrote words to describe what makes a friendship strong, and conversely, what can weaken friendship.

In Geography, we wrote a definition of the coast and identified man-made and natural features found on the coast.

In French, we practised the phonic sound 'gn' with a song and dance about une araignee in the baignoire (a spider in the bath). Then we finished our descriptions of our Matisse art and presented our work for display. They look great on the display board. Fantastique!

In Computing, we began our ‘animation’ topic.  We started by creating our very own flip books so that we could try and understand the concept of moving pictures.

Throughout this week, and in preparation for the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations next Wednesday, we have completed our sketches of Queen Elizabeth, practised our 1970’s song – YMCA, and all written a message which will be included in a special card for her Majesty. This card will be posted next week by Year 6!

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (26^th May 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

PLEASE REMEMBER – You will be taking part in the Multiplication Tables Check in June.  It is crucial that that you learn your tables as they are needed in many maths topics.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 10’s and 100’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 10’s – bridging 100

For example, start at 264 and count up to 424 and back again

264   274   284               424   414   404     etc

Count in 100’s – bridging 1000’s

For example, start at 573 and count up to 2173 and back again.  This is just like counting in your 7 times tables, except each time, the number is 10 times larger.

573   673   773         2173   2073   1973 etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the suffix ‘sion’. A suffix is a group of letters that are added to the end of the word, and which change the meaning or make a new word.  ‘Sion’ is usually used if the root word ends in ‘d’ (eg extend, extension) or ‘se’ (adverse, adversion).  These words will be tested on Thursday (26^th May 2022). 

expansion     extension     tension        suspension   exclusion

explosion      collision        erosion        invasion        television

illusion         confusion     inclusion       intrusion      division

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on all multiplication facts up to 12 x 12
• A maths challenge based on addition and subtraction up to 4 digits

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Online Safety Update

Below you will find this week's online safety guides on YouTube and YouTube Kids. In the guides you will find tips on a number of potential risks such as connecting with strangers and inappropriate content.

Year 4 HOME PRACTICE 13th May 2022

Date: 13th May 2022 @ 1:36pm

Year 4

Home Practice 13^th May 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning this week …

In English, we planned and wrote a formal letter to Grandfather, urging him to support the war effort and move out of his home in Slapton.  In addition, we wrote a postcard from Barry, one of the evacuees, to his mother in London planning every word carefully.

In Maths, we learnt how to subtract fractions when they have the same denominator (bottom number). We also refined our mental addition and subtraction skills using the strategy of bridging through 10. Knowing our pairs to 10 and being able to partition numbers confidently helped with these strategies.

In RE, we listened to the story of St Paul and learnt about his conversion to Christianity on the road to Damascus.  Following this, we made links between the places Paul visited and the names of the people he wrote letters to. We also read a passage from one of St Paul’s letters. We chose our favourite part and explained how we could follow this example in our everyday life.

In Geography, we used ‘Digimaps’ and labelled a map to show the features of our local coastal area.  

In French, we had a go at writing a description of our picture in the style of Matisse . There was a lot of grammar to think about - adjectival position and agreement and using conjunctions to help our writing flow. Bon effort, year 4

In Music, we rehearsed the National Anthem and Platinum Jubilee Song.  On the glocks, we recapped ‘DEFinitely’, reading and explaining notation for notes D, E and F.  We then improvised using notes C, D and E to play ‘Roundabout’. Finally, we started learning how to play ‘What’s up?’ reading semibreves, minims, crotchets and their rests.

In Art, we learnt some sketching and shading skills. We then attempted to use these when sketching a picture of Queen Elizabeth.  We will be refining these skills next week and producing a final pencil sketch of the Queen.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (19^th May 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

PLEASE REMEMBER – You will be taking part in the Multiplication Tables Check in June.  It is crucial that that you learn your tables as they are needed in many maths topics.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 7’s and 70’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in sevens

For example, start at 7 and count up to 84 and back again (this will help with your 7 times tables)

7  14  21               84  77  70     etc

Count in seventies

For example, start at 70 and count up to 840 and back again.  This is just like counting in your 7 times tables, except each time, the number is 10 times larger.

70  140  210         840  770  700 etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the suffix ‘ssion’. A suffix is a group of letters that are added to the end of the word, and which change the meaning or make a new word.  ‘Ssion’ is usually used if the root word ends with a double s (express becomes expression) or ‘mit’ (admit becomes admission).   You will be tested on them next Thursday (19^th May 2022).

expression   discussion    confession    permission   admission

impression   obsession     procession   omission       succession

profession    oppression   progression  aggression   depression  

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on 7 to 12 division facts
• A maths challenge based on using known facts to multiply and divide

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Online Safety Update

Age ratings can be used by adults to make an informed choice as to whether a game or platform is suitable for their child. 

Below you will find our guide with tips on a number of potential risks including inappropriate content, peer pressure and online spending.

Year 4 Home Practice 6th May 2022

Date: 6th May 2022 @ 4:14pm

Year 4

Home Practice 6^th May 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning this week …

In English, we wrote down the similarities between ‘The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips’ and ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’, and then made a prediction about our new novel. In addition, we wrote a diary from Lily’s point of view using lots of feelings and emotions, and a variety of sentence openers.

In Maths, we learnt how to find fractions of numbers using a bar model. We also learnt how to compare fractions, and how to add fractions when they have the same denominator (bottom number).

In RE, we read the story of Philip (a follower of Jesus) and the Ethiopian Official.  Philip spoke of the Good News of Jesus everywhere he went and baptised the Ethiopian in the river before continuing on his journey. Following this story, we hot-seated both Philip and the Ethiopian – Year 4 asked some very thought-provoking questions, well done.

In Geography, we looked at a map of the UK and located our local coastline (Lancashire and Merseyside).  We then investiged the local coastline using ‘Digimaps’.

In French, we cut out shapes from coloured paper and stuck then onto our painted backgrounds to finish our picture in the style of Henri Matisse. We were able to read some sentences and decide if they were true or false for some if his art works eg Il y a des formes jaunes; Il y a un fond bleu.

In Music, we started to learn the National Anthem and YMCA for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.  We also continued learning ‘The Platinum Jubilee Song’.   On the glocks, we recapped ‘DEFinitely’ using notes D, E and F.  We then learnt to play ‘Roundabout’ improvising using notes C, D and E. Finally, we learnt to play ‘Strictly D’ using notes and rests.  What a busy lesson – well done Year 4.

In PE, we continued practising and developing our throwing, catching and batting skills.  We then used these skills to play mini games of cricket. Again, Year 4 worked well to improve these skills, supporting and coaching others within their team.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (12^th May 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

PLEASE REMEMBER – You will be taking part in the Multiplication Tables Check in June.  It is crucial that that you learn your tables as they are needed in many maths topics.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 9’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in nines

For example, start at 9 and count up to 108 and back again (this will help with your 9 times tables)

9   18   27                         108   99    90     etc

Start at 25 and count up to 142 and back again. Remember, in most cases, it is easier to add 10 then subtract 1 when counting up. When counting down, in most cases, it is easier to subtract 10 then add 1 back on. Counting like this will help with your mental maths skills.

25   34    43                     142   133   124  etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the suffix ‘cian’. A suffix is a group of letters that are added to the end of the word, and which change the meaning or make a new word.  ‘Cian’ is usually used if the root word ends in a ‘c’ or ‘cs’.   You will be tested on them next Thursday (12^th May 2022).

action          fraction       creation       election       evaluation

subtraction  invention      injection      illustration   demonstration

completion   hesitation    narration     section        digestion

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on all tables from x2 to x12
• A maths challenge based decimal equivalents of tenths and hundredths

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Online Safety Update

Lately, we have seen a huge increase in the number of children accessing the Roblox gaming platform. This includes children in our infant classes. This week's guide dives into what to expect your children to find when they use Roblox including any potential risks they may meet. These risks include in-app purchases and chatting to strangers online.

Year 4 Home Practice 29th April 2022

Date: 29th Apr 2022 @ 2:59pm

Year 4

Home Practice 29^th April 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Another busy week in Year 4 – here’s what we have been learning …

In English, we wrote a book review of Kensuke’s Kingdom.  In addition, we started our new novel ‘The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips’. We studied the cover of the book and read the blurb to find out what the novel would be about, then discussed some of the similarities with Kensuke’s Kingdom.

In Maths, we learnt how to mentally divide numbers using partitioning.  We then learnt the written method of division, called chunking.  Some of our answers had remainders and some didn’t.  We found this tricky, but so much easier if we are confident with our times tables.

In RE, we read the story of Peter and John who were given the courage to speak out about the Good News of Jesus, even when they were threatened. Following this, we worked in groups to prepare and present a short drama about an aspect of life today when we might be afraid to speak out.

In Science, we made and evaluated a model of the water cycle.  We drew and labelled a diagram and then provided an explanation of our model.

This week in French we practised reading short texts in French and finding information. Then we painted a background for our Matisse-style picture that we will add collage shapes to next week.

In Music, we enjoyed singing outside to ‘Crazy Moose’ (composing our own verses) and ‘Hands on my head’.  We then improved our glock playing by listening and copying the notes D and F. We finished the session by learning our Platinum Jubilee Song and recapping the ‘Mambo Cup’ rhythm from last half term.

In PE, we practised and developed our throwing and catching skills.  We then used these skills to play mini games of cricket. Well done Year 4 – you worked well to improve these skills and you have worked brilliantly in your groups.

In PSHE, we discussed the importance of feelings and how they can be expressed in different ways, for example: colours – such as feeling blue, tickled pink etc, temperature – such as cool as a cucumber and images – over the moon and shaking like a leaf. 

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (5^th May 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in hundredths (0.01’s) – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in hundredths

For example, start at 4.23 and count up to 4.35 and back again

4.23   4.24   4.25             4.35  4.34   4.33     etc

Start at 17.94 and count up to 18.11 and back again

17.94   17.95   17.96         18.11   18.10   18.09  etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the suffix ‘cian’. A suffix is a group of letters that are added to the end of the word, and which change the meaning or make a new word.  ‘Cian’ is usually used if the root word ends in a ‘c’ or ‘cs’.   You will be tested on them next Thursday (5^th May 2022).

magician       musician       mathematician       electrician   politician

physician      optician       technician              beautician    dietician

statistician  clinician       magicians               musicians     paediatrician

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 3, 6 and 9 times tables
• A maths challenge based on using place value and known facts to multiply and divide mentally.

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Online Safety Update

This week's Online Safety Update is all about age-appropriate content online. Children can chance upon inappropriate content in various ways, from pop up ads to TikTok or YouTube videos. In this guide you will find tips on a number of potential risks such as social media, gaming and adverts.

YEAR 4 SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME

Date: 25th Apr 2022 @ 4:31pm

Sacramental Programme – Session 4

Year 4 had an interesting and informative session in church on Monday. The children listened respectfully and asked some very thoughtful questions. 

This week, the children learnt more about the celebration of Mass and the people who help to prepare for each Mass.

There are many people who work together to prepare for our celebration of Mass.  All these people have a variety of skills and talents and they help to make each Mass special.  These people are usually volunteers who take turns so that everyone has a chance to help.

During the session, the children met some of the people who help with Mass and learnt what their job and responsibilities are.  These people included: the Sacristan, Altar Server, Eucharistic Minister, Priest, Reader and Welcomer.

The session finished with the children saying a prayer together whilst stood on the altar.

Your children will have brought home a sheet they completed during their time in church and a discussion in school. Please have a look at the sheets your child has brought home and discuss these with them. 

We appreciate your time and support in helping your children understand the significance of the work they are completing as part of their Faith Journey.

Year 4 Home Practice 22nd April 2022

Date: 22nd Apr 2022 @ 3:32pm

Year 4

Home Practice 22^nd April 2022

What lovely weather for our first week back after the Easter break.  Well done for working so hard Year 4 – you all looked very smart in your summer uniforms too.

This is what we’ve been learning this week …

In English, we finished our class novel ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’.  We wrote a character description of Kensuke, including information about his appearance, his hobbies, and his emotions and feelings.  In addition, we planned a book review which we will be writing next week. 

In our Maths lessons, we used factors to help with more tricky multiplications. We also learnt how to use the grid method to multiply a 3 digit number by a 1 digit number.  In addition, we started our division topic which involved halving some quite tricky numbers. During these topics, Year 4 have realised how important it is to know their times tables!

In RE, we started our new topic of Pentecost and ‘New Life’.  First, we discussed how good news brings life and responded to our own experiences of how when good things happen, it brings us new life and happiness. Then, we discussed the meaning of Pentecost and described the actions, symbols and colour in a painting depicting Pentecost.

In Science, we carried out an experiment to investigate whether the amount of water affected the time taken for it to evaporate completely.  Following this, we discussed whether our experiment was fair and how we could improve it. Well done Year 4, you are becoming experts on carrying out experiments and recording results.

In French, we looked at some examples of Henri Matisse’s art works, some of which we preferred to others! The children had some great, individual ideas of what the artist might have been trying to portray. We recapped the vocabulary needed to describe them, ready to write about our chosen picture next week.

We practised and developed our throwing and catching skills in PE.  We then used these skills to play mini games of cricket. Well done Year 4 – you worked well to improve these skills.

We enjoyed our outdoor learning making shelters outside.  We made some fantastic and very imaginative shelters and showed some great team working skills.  We are looking forward to making shelters again and improving our designs.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (28^th April 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 2’s and 0.2’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 2’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 24 and back again (this will help with your 2 times table)

0   2   4   6                       24   22   20     etc

Start at 85 and count up to 105 and back again

85   87   89                      105   103   101  etc

Count in 0.2’s

Start at 0.2 and count up to 2.4 and back again

0.2   0.4   0.6                 2.4   2.2   2.0  etc

Start at 23.2 and count up to 25.2 and back again

23.2   23.4   23.6           25.2    25.0    24.8  etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the prefix ‘anti’.  A prefix is a group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word, and which change the meaning or make a new word.  ‘Anti’ means against.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (28^th April 2022).

antiwrinkle            antibody                antifreeze             antidote

anticlimax              antisocial               antiseptic              anti-aircraft

anti-aging              antihero                antivirus                anticlockwise

antiperspirant       antibodies             antihistamine

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 2, 4 and 8 times tables
• A maths challenge based on recognising and using factor pairs

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Online safety update

Please read our guide for TikTok below.

In this guide you will find tips on a number of potential risks such as age inappropriate content, addiction and in app spending.

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Year 4 Home Practice Friday 25th March 2022

Date: 25th Mar 2022 @ 3:54pm

Year 4

Home Practice 25^th March 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. This is what we’ve been learning this week …

We have continued reading our class novel and are nearly at the end of it now – we are eager to know whether Michael is rescued or remains with Kensuke on the island.  We have written a ‘message in a bottle’ from Michael to his parents as well as our own ending to a chapter, which included a conversation between Michael and Kensuke.

In Maths, we learnt about sequences. Some of these were quite straightforward and others more tricky to solve.  Knowing our times tables and using this knowledge really helped when there were quite a few missing numbers in the sequence.  In addition, we have been practising our tables and counting in 12’s.

In French, we learned about French Easter traditions and learnt some prepositions. We used them to say where the Easter eggs were in relation to the Easter basket: in, on under, to the left or to the right. We wrote lots of great sentences - well done Y4!

In Music, we prepared 2 songs for our Reconciliation service next Monday.  Then, we revised ‘Pat, click, clap, groove’ and ‘Boom, snap, clap’.  We then layered both grooves together, swapping groups.

In PE, we practised some handball skills – bouncing the ball, passing to a team member and then scoring a goal.  Following this, we took part in a Year 4 Handball Tournament.  It was a beautiful sunny day and everyone played well as a team – well done Year 4, it was a superb PE lesson!

In Art, we finished sketching different gerberas in a variety of pencil grades.  We chose different parts of the flower to sketch, as well as making sure one of the pictures was a whole gerbera. Following this, we experimented with shades and tints – choosing one colour and investigating how to make it lighter.  Eventually, we had lots of shades of the same colour.  Next, we completed a wash in water colour and painted a gerbera.  Finally, we put all our ideas together and will show you our finished project this weekend!

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (24^th March 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 11’s and hundredths – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 12’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 144 and back again (this will help with your 12 times table)

0   12    24    36                     144   132   120     etc

Spellings

This week’s spellings are from the Year 3 / 4 spellings list.  Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (31^st March 2022).

group           height          particular    potatoes      separate

surprise       through       various         though         woman

possession   different     continue       naughty        favourite

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 6 and 12 times tables
• A grammar challenge based on speech marks

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Year 4 Sacramental Programme Session 3

Date: 21st Mar 2022 @ 4:50pm

Sacramental Programme – Session 3

Year 4 had another interesting and successful session in church on Monday. 

This week, the children discussed their relationship with God through different types of prayer.  The children considered how we can pray anywhere and at anytime, and that prayer is:

• talking to God and listening to Him
• words, silence and songs of praise
• actions, movement and stillness.

The children read through the words of The Lord’s Prayer and then examined more closely some of the words and phrases, and their meaning. Following this, the children discussed how Mass is the most perfect form of prayer and talked about the different parts of the service and the order in which they come. 

Finally, the children were shown how to use each finger of their hand to pray for different people.  They drew their hand on a sheet of paper and were given a prayer suggestion for each finger. The session finished with the children standing on the altar and saying prayers together. 

Please have a look at the sheets your child has brought home and discuss The Lord’s Prayer with them.  The children have also been asked to write their own prayer on the back page of the worksheet. 

We appreciate your time and support in helping your children understand the significance of the work they are completing as part of their Faith Journey.

Please remember Y4 Reconciliation Day is on Monday 28th March. Y4 Parents are invited to come along to church at 2.15pm to join in with the Service.

YEAR 4 HOME PRACTICE 18th March 2022

Date: 18th Mar 2022 @ 3:37pm

Year 4

Home Practice 18^th March 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. We’ve had such a busy week in Year 4 - here’s what we have been learning ….

In English, we wrote a chapter from Kensuke’s point of view and explained his feelings about Michael.  In addition, we chose words to describe Kensuke’s character.  We then wrote a character description of Kensuke using evidence from the text to support our ideas. 

In Maths, we learnt how to compare and order numbers with tens, ones, tenths and hundredths; place hundredths on a numberline and describe the effect of dividing a number by 100. We understood that when a number is divided by 100 it gets 100 times smaller and the digits move 2 places to the right hand side.

In RE, we discussed Ash Wednesday, how to live during Lent and Living in God’s way.  We linked these discussions to our own lives and reminded ourselves of our Lenten Promises.

This week in French, we practised reading and writing sentences with shapes and colours. We are working towards creating a piece of art in the style of Matisse and being able to describe it in French.

In Music, we practised Roman Numerals to 100 with actions as we sang the ‘Roman Numerals Song’.  Then, we played the rhythm / body percussion game from last week - ‘Pat, click, clap, groove’.  Finally, we layered together ‘Boom, snap, clap’ with ‘Pat, click, clap, groove’ and were really impressed with what we had accomplished.

In Art, we experimented with different pencils to investigate their different tones (how dark or light they are).  Following this, we sketched different gerberas in a variety of pencils. Next week, we will be experimenting with shades and tints, and then painting a gerbera.

We have also been very lucky this week as we had 2 visitors.  The children in Year 3 have hatched some chicks from eggs and these came to visit us on Monday afternoon.  We were fascinated with the chicks and asked some very thoughtful questions.  In addition, Freddie Fit came into school and put us through our paces on Wednesday.  This is the first time we have seen Freddie for over two years.  We had a fabulous workout and talked about the benefits of exercise and eating healthily.  Thank you Freddie – we’re looking forward to your next visit!

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (24^th March 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 11’s and hundredths – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 11’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 132 and back again (this will help with your 11 times table)

0   11   22    33  etc               132   121   110  etc

Start at 87 and count up to

87   98   109  etc                  230  219  208   etc

Count in hundredths

For example, start at 0.65 and count up to 0.77 and back again  

0.65    0.66    0.67   etc              0.77   0.76   0.75    etc

And start at 2.37 and count up to 2.49 and back again

2.37   2.38   2.39  etc                2.49   2.48   2.47 etc

Spellings

This week’s spellings all have the suffix -ous.  Sometimes the root word is obvious (eg fame becomes famous) whereas others might not have an obvious root word (generous, obvious, jealous).  Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (24^th March 2022).

famous         jealous         enormous     nervous        dangerous

anxious        generous      obvious        fabulous       curious

glorious        glamorous     hazardous    marvellous    ridiculous

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 11 times tables
• A division challenge recognising the effect of dividing 1 and 2 digit numbers by 10 and 100

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Year 4 Sacramental Programme

Date: 14th Mar 2022 @ 3:36pm

The children had another successful session in the church this week. Everyone was thoughtful and respectful and listened attentively to our learning.

This week we explored our names and why we were given them. We talked about how Jesus gave new names to some of his disciples and what that meant.

The children took part in a treasure hunt this week looking at all the statues, memorials and paintings and learning about their significance. They also created an acrostic poem using their name and features/traits that they have. Please have a look at the sheets that they brought home. There is an activity to complete together on the acrostic page and some discussions to have on the double page worksheet. 

We appreciate your time and support in helping your children understand the significance of the work they are completing as part of their Faith Journey.

YEAR 4 Home Practice 11th March 2022

Date: 11th Mar 2022 @ 10:25am

Year 4

Home Practice 11^th March 2022

Reminder - Sunday 13th March 2022

There is a Sacramental Preparation Mass on Sunday 13^th March at 10.30am for the children in Year 4 who are taking part in the Sacramental Preparation Programme. We look forward to seeing you there.

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning in school this week ….

In English, we learnt more about inverted commas and practised using them in our own writing.  We also discussed how Michael’s emotions changed throughout a chapter of the novel.  In addition, we wrote a powerful description of a thunderstorm using our senses to help with our narrative.

In Maths, we continued to learn about hundredths, discovering how to write fraction and decimal equivalents of halves, quarters and three quarters. We also made links between decimal notation and money. Finally, we used our understanding of equivalences between tenths and hundredths to recognise that a number with 2 decimal places can be represented in different ways. Again, another tricky concept – well done for working so hard in maths Year 4!

In RE, we started our new topic ‘Self-discipline’. We shared a story and discussed whether or not the main character had shown self-discipline.  We also considered times in our own lives when we needed to make choices which required self-discipline.  In addition, on Monday, we attended church for the first session of our Sacramental Journey.  Please see the blog posted on Monday for more information about this.

We learnt that in French, the adjective has to match its noun. So if the noun is feminine or plural, the adjective has to be feminine or plural too. We practised this by drawing shapes and adding a colour, making it agree. We are working towards doing a piece of artwork and describing it in French.

In Music, we learnt a new song ‘Everything starts with a seed’ for Science week. We will be singing this in Golden Assembly on Friday. Following this, we played the rhythm game from last week - ‘Pat, click, clap, groove’.  Finally, we played a musical challenge which involved body percussion, reading symbols and counting in 4’s.

In Science, we carried out an investigation into the viscosity (thickness) of liquids.  We poured equal volumes of different liquids into separate cups.  We then chose 2 liquids to ‘race’.  Before we began the race, we made a prediction, then we carried out the race and recorded our results.  We tried racing different liquids and then attempted to order the liquids from thickest to least thick.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (17^th March 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 9’s and hundredths – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 9’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 108 and back again (this will help with your 9 times table)

0   9   18   27  etc               108   99   90  etc

Count in hundredths

For example, start at 0.05 and count up to 0.14 and back again  

0.05    0.06    0.07   etc              0.14    0.13    0.12    etc

And start at 0.57 and count up to 0.72 and back again

0.57   0.58   0.59  etc                0.72    0.71    0.71  etc

Spellings

This week’s spellings are irregular plurals.  Each time ‘ves’ needs to be added to the word ending in ‘f’ or ‘fe’, to spell the plural.  Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (17^th March 2022).

calf              calves          half             halves          knife           knives

leaf             leaves          shelf            shelves        thief           thieves

yourself       yourselves    themselves

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 3, 6 and 9 times tables
• A decimal equivalents challenge – recognising and writing decimal equivalents of any number of tenths or hundredths

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Sacramental Programme Session 1

Date: 7th Mar 2022 @ 4:59pm

Sacramental Programme – Session 1

This week, Year 4 started their Sacramental Journey. 

Our journey started with a visit to church on Monday afternoon during which we worked with Father Michael and the Catechists from St Oswald’s. During our visit, we explored the church and discovered some of the treasures to be found within.  Father Michael and the Catechists spoke to Year 4 about the Holy Oils, the Sanctuary Lamp, the lectern, the Easter Candle, the Baptismal Font, the altar and the Reconciliation Room.   Year 4 were also able to walk around the church and look at the Stations of the Cross and various statues and paintings.

All Year 4 children, whether they are taking part in the Sacramental Programme or not, will take part in these sessions.  The children will bring a folder home each week which will contain a worksheet.  Those children completing the Sacramental Programme will also have a booklet called “Thank God for Mass”. Please support your child in their journey by reading the worksheet and the booklet with them.

The children not completing the Sacramental Programme will learn about the Sacraments as part of the RE curriculum and to support their friends on their faith journey.

Points for discussion at home

Father Michael spoke to the children about Baptism, which begins a journey of faith which lasts a whole lifetime.  He asked the children to discuss their own baptism with their families, for example, who was there?  Who are their Godparents?  Have they seen the baptism of a baby, child or adult? What happened at that baptism?

Father also discussed how Christian names may have been chosen. In Father Michael’s family there is a tradition of naming babies after a Saint that has a feast day in the month in which they are born.  Since Father Michael was born in September and the feast of St Michael is on 29^th September, therefore, he was named after this saint.   Please have a chat with your child about how you chose there name - there may be a family tradition or a family name which is passed down through generations, or you may have named them after someone special.

Reminder

There is a family mass on Sunday 13^th March at 10.30am for the children taking part in the Sacramental Programme, and their families. We look forward to seeing you there.

Year 4 HOME PRACTICE Friday 4th March 2022

Date: 4th Mar 2022 @ 3:45pm

Year 4

Home Practice 4^th March 2022

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS TO THE TIPPY TOES UKRAINE APPEAL – YOU HAVE BEEN VERY GENEROUS

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning in school this week …

In English, we started to investigate inverted commas and how to punctuate speech correctly.  In addition, we wrote a diary extract from Kensuke’s point of view and his feelings towards Michael, especially about the fire he had started.

In Maths, we continued to learn about hundredths, writing fraction and decimal equivalents. Year 4 have worked hard on their maths this week and shown a very good understanding of a tricky concept. Well done Year 4!

In RE, we learnt about different parts of the Mass, such as the Penitential Act, the Communion Rite and the Concluding Rite.  In addition, we wrote Lenten Promises which we took to Golden Assembly, and we went to church on Ash Wednesday when Father Michael blessed us with ashes.   

As it was Mardi Gras this week, we had a pancake themed French lesson. The children practised saying what kind of pancakes they liked and then they wrote some excellent sentences in French about this. Well done

We started learning a new song called ‘Boudicca’ from the musical ‘Rockin’ Romans’ in Music this week.  We also played the rhythm game, ‘Gimme 1’, and continued with the cup game, ‘Mambo Cup Rhythm’ from last week.  Finally, we began to learn ‘Pat, click, clap, groove’ – we needed lots of co-ordination for this!

In Science, we deepened our learning of ‘states of matter’. We were given a range of items, such as flour, rice, jam, toothpaste, a raw egg, milk etc which we needed to classify into the headings ‘solids, liquids and gases’. Some of these items were tricky to classify and overlapped 2 of the headings!  In addition, we carried out some science experiments to find evidence of gases around us.

This week in PSHE, we talked about how feelings change over time, including throughout the day, and how everyday things can affect our feelings. 

As part of Fairtrade Fortnight, we talked about the difference between needs and wants.  We discussed what we need to survive and to live a happy and healthy life, as well as what we ‘want’, which isn’t necessary, but nice to have.  We also listened to a story about a cocoa bean farmer who lives in West Africa and how joining Fairtrade means she is paid a better price for her cocoa beans.

This week’s Home Practice …

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (10^th March 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 4’s and 8’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 4’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 48 and back again (this will help with your 4 times table)

0   4   8   12                          48   44   40  etc

Count in 8’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 96 and back again (this will help with your 8 times table)

0   8   16   24   etc              96  88   80    etc

Spellings

This week’s spellings all have the suffix -ation.  A suffix is a letter or group of letters which is added to the end of a word which makes a new word.  The suffix -ation is added to verbs to form nouns.  For example educate becomes education. Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (10^th March 2022).

education               creation                frustration            conversation

celebration            punctuation            calculation             hesitation

imagination            invitation               location                 investigation

sensation               explanation            determination

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 4 and 8 times tables
• A decimal equivalents challenge – recognising and writing decimal equivalents of any number of tenths or hundredths

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Year 4 Home Practice Friday 25th February 2022

Date: 25th Feb 2022 @ 4:01pm

Year 4

Home Practice 25^th February 2022

Welcome back to school and this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning in school this week ….

In English, we continued reading Kensuke’s Kingdom. We are thoroughly enjoying the book so far and are keen to find out what will happen to Michael.  This week we have written the continuation of a chapter and drawn and labelled a map of the island using description and vocabulary from the text.

In Maths, we learnt more about place value – we rounded numbers to the nearest thousand, labelled negative numbers on a numberline, and investigated hundredths.  In addition, we practised our tables and counting in 3’s and 6’s.

In RE, we learnt about the joys and demands of giving and receiving as well as what happens at the beginning of the Eucharist and the reasons for these actions and symbols.

In French, we practised the phonic sound 'ou' with a song called Mon Petit Loup then we looked at the Carnaval de Nice which takes place every year at this time. The theme this year is Animaux. We admired the massive floats and the amazing costumes. Quelle spectacle!

We started learning the song “Rockin’ Romans" in Music this week.  We also played the rhythm game, “Gimme 1”, and learnt a cup game, “Mambo Cup Rhythm”.  Again, a busy and enjoyable Music Lesson – thank you Mrs Winter.

We began our PE lesson running 4 times around both playgrounds without stopping.  We then practised baton changes when running in relays.  Following this, we practised bouncing a ball whilst running and then passing it to our partner.  Finally, we used these skills in a friendly game of handball.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (3^rd March 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 3’s and 6’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 3’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 36 and back again

0  3   6   9                          36   33   30  etc

Then try counting from 30 to 66 and back again

30   33   36     etc              66  63   60   etc

Count in 6’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 72 and back again

0   6   12   18   etc              72   66   60    etc

Spellings

The spellings all have the ‘k’ sound, which is spelt ‘ch’. These words are usually Greek in origin. Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (3^rd March 2022).

scheme        chorus         ache            echo            chemist

stomach       anchor         monarch       orchid          school

chaos           character    technology   mechanic      chemistry

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 3 and 6 times tables

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

PLEASE REMEMBER

Year 4 will shortly begin their preparation for First Holy Communion. There is an Enrolment Mass on Sunday 27^th February at 10.30am for the children who will be undertaking this journey, and their families. We look forward to seeing you there.

Year 4 Half Term Blog

Date: 10th Feb 2022 @ 4:03pm

Year 4

Home Practice 10^th February 2022

Welcome to the last blog of this half term. These 6 weeks have flown by with all the learning Year 4 have been doing! Here’s what we have been learning this week ….

In English, we planned and wrote a letter. We revised the features of an informal letter and then wrote a letter from Michael to his best friend Eddie, which included details from the novel.  Year 4 have worked hard to improve their writing this week – well done. 

In Maths, we finished our division topic. We revisited the chunking method, learnt the effect of dividing a 2 digit number by 10, and solved division problems using strategies we had learnt.  Super work Year 4 as division can be quite tricky – you have shown a much greater understanding this week.

In Music, we played a rhythm game called ‘Give me One’.  Then, we practised the chords C, F and G on the ukuleles.  We played along to ‘Lean on Me’ using these chords, and tried to improve our chord shapes and chord changes. Mrs Winter was so impressed with our playing that she asked us to perform in Golden Assembly!  Fantastic Year 4, you should be very proud!

This week in French, we looked at the atlas to find the Francophone countries in Africa. Then we read an interview with Sadio Mane, the Senegalese football player, whose team have just won the African Cup of nations.  We then asked and answered questions about ourselves.

This week was Children’s Mental Health week and the theme was ‘Growing Together’.  We celebrated lots of things we are good at, things that we have achieved and how we have grown both physically and mentally.  We also enjoyed seeing all the outfits you wore on ‘Dress to Express’ day! You all looked amazing!

As always, a very busy week in Year 4. Over half term, please continue to read every day, as well as practising any times tables you know you find especially tricky.

Have a lovely holiday – relax and recharge your batteries.

See you all on Monday 21^st February

Mrs Tipping and Mrs Dexter

Year 4 Home Practice Friday 4th February 2022

Date: 4th Feb 2022 @ 1:24pm

Year 4

Home Practice 4th February 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning this week ...

We started a new class novel this week called Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. It is a story of adventure and excitement. Everyone created some fantastic character descriptions, wrote an amazing diary entry and looked at how to write a captain's log. We have worked hard with our handwriting this week - well done Year 4.

In Maths, we have learned how to solve complex division problems by using repeated subtraction and chunking. This was new and tricky, but everyone showed great resilience. We practised writing down what we already know as a 'cheat sheet' - this helped us to solve the calculations.

In PE, we learned some new orienteering skills and took part in a whole school competition. Everyone enjoyed this and hardly anyone got lost! We also practised our hockey skills with Mrs Cookson. She was very impressed with our team work and effort.

In Music, we learnt the song ‘Each and Every Day’ for Children’s Mental Health Week.  Then, we played a rhythm game called ‘Give me One’ and started to read music with 4 beats.  Finally, we learnt a new chord, G, on the ukuleles, and played along to ‘Lean on Me’ with the chords C, F and G. A fantastic music lesson with lots of new learning – well done Year 4!

This week in Science, we started a new topic - Solids, Liquids and Gases. We met some new vocabulary and looked at some features of the different states of matter. Some of the new words we learnt were:

solid, liquid, gas, particle, volume

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

Although you haven’t been given any tables targets this week, please make sure you continue to practise your times tables and division facts, especially those that you find tricky. Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 10’s and 100’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 10’s

For example, start at 57 and count up to 217 and back again  

57   67   77     etc                     217   207   197  etc

Count in 100’s

For example, start at 600 and count up to 2400 and back again

600    700     800     etc                    2400    2300   2200   etc

Spellings

This week, the spellings are all homophones.  Homophones are words which sound the same but are spelt differently. Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (11^th February 2022). Remember you need to know the meanings of the words, so that you know which spelling to write!

him    hymn            new    knew            no      know

mist   missed         side   sighed         piece  peace

rain    rein             reign  to                too     two

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 3, 4 and 8 times tables (this involves missing numbers)
• Revision of place value in 4 digit numbers

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Thank you for your support - have a lovely weekend.

Year 4 HOME PRACTICE Friday 28th January 2022

Date: 28th Jan 2022 @ 5:07pm

Year 4

Home Practice 28^th January 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning in school this week ….

In English, we wrote and published our own story based on The Iron Man.  We tried to write in the style of Ted Hughes and enjoyed using Word to publish them.  In addition, we learnt more about the apostrophe and how it is used in contractions (eg cannot becomes can’t).

In Maths, we used the grid method to solve problems with missing numbers.  We also revised many of the mental strategies we have learnt over the past couple of weeks. We then used different multiplication strategies to solve word problems – although we found these tricky, it was a great feeling when we were successful. Additionally, we have been practising our tables, especially our 2 and 5 times tables.

In RE, we discussed what it meant to minister to the community and any sacrifices this may entail.  We then considered what the parish would be like if no one offered to minister.

We talked last week about some of the Roman buildings in Nimes. This week, we had some postcards from Nimes from our partner school there. The children drew some of the places. There are some great artists in y4! Well done.

We practised the chords C and F on the ukuleles in Music this week.  We also enjoyed exploring body percussion and were surprised by the sounds we could make!

In Science, we finished our evaluation of different switches.  We needed to be able to make a switch as we needed to include this in our DT design.

We began our PE lesson running 4 times around both playgrounds without stopping.  We then split into 2 groups.  Inside, we learnt 2 different balances and then devised our own gymnastics routine which we performed for the rest of our group. Outside, we practised our hockey skills – passing the ball to a partner and then trying to score a goal. We then took part in mini games using the skills we had learnt.

Our week ended with a DT day making our own ‘Iron model’. This was inspired by The Iron Man novel. We planned our model carefully and labelled it with items we wanted to use for decoration.  An electrical circuit, including a switch, was also incorporated into the design.  We had great fun and produced some interesting and fantastic models.  Well done Year 4!

This week’s Home Practice …

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (3^rd February 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 20’s and 50’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 20’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 240 and back again

0   20   40   60  etc                     240   220   200  etc

Then try counting from 150 to 390 and back again

150   170   190  etc                      390   370   350  etc

Count in 50’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 600 and back again

0  50   100   150  etc                    600   550   500   etc

Spellings

The spellings this week are contractions. This is when we shorten words and use an apostrophe to indicate the missing letter(s).  Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (3^rd February 2022).

can’t            didn’t           doesn’t         it’s     couldn’t

won’t            wasn’t          hadn’t          you’re          you’ll

you’ve          they’ve        haven’t         aren’t          they’re

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 2, 5 and 10 times tables
• A problem solving challenge using knowledge of multiplication

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Year 4 Home Practice Friday 21st January 2022

Date: 21st Jan 2022 @ 5:28pm

Year 4

Home Practice 21^st January 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning in school this week ….

In English, we finished our class novel, The Iron Man, and discussed the ending and the moral to the story.  In addition, we planned our own story based on the The Iron Man.  We wrote the beginning of the story and edited this with a partner. Next week we will write the middle and the end, and hope to publish our story, so that we can share it with our classmates.

In Maths, we continued learning about multiplication. This involved multiplying larger numbers using partitioning (eg 36 x 7), doubling numbers up to 4 digits and refining the grid method of multiplication.  Initially we used arrays to help with our understanding. Additionally, we have been practising our tables, and counting in 12’s to help with our times tables.

In RE, we learnt more about the parish community, such as the name of our parish, what the parish does to spread the Good News and how the school and parish links up.  In addition, we discussed how people within the parish serve the community in church.  For example, the priest guides the Christian community with the help of the deacon, and lay people also work with the priest to serve the parish.

This week in French we learnt about the Romans in Nimes. There are some amazing Roman buildings which have been beautifully restored and are central to life in Nimes to this day. We then listened to the official song of AFCON -The African Cup of Nations football tournament which is taking place in Cameroon at the moment. Many African countries speak French so we discussed this.

In Science, we started to make and evaluate different switches. We needed to have an understanding of which materials conducted electricity and how a switch worked. 

We began our PE lesson by running around both playgrounds 4 times, without stopping.  We then split into 2 groups.  Inside, the children learnt 3 different techniques (the broad jump, the pencil roll and the teddy bear roll).  These were then incorporated into a gymnastic sequence the children devised themselves. Outside, the children practised their hockey skills – passing, receiving and moving with the hockey ball. They then took part in mini games using the skills they had learnt.

This week we also went outside to plant some saplings near the footpath.  We hope that the children will enjoy seeing the saplings grow and flourish.

NEXT WEEK IN DT we are hoping to make our own ‘Iron’ creature, based on the Iron Man.  If you need anything for your design, such as a cardboard tube, box or tub, please bring these into school.  In addition, you may wish to bring any ‘decorations’ into school too. School will provide cups, tin foil, some decorations, card and paper, along with the electrical circuit components.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (27^th January 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’ and https://www.timestables.co.uk/

It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 12’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 12’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 144 and back again (this will help with your 12 times tables)

0   12     24     36  etc                     144    132    120  etc

Then try counting from 40 to 148 and back again

40   52   64   etc                            148   136    124   etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the prefix ‘inter’.  A prefix is a group of letters that change the meaning of a word when they are added to the start.  ‘Inter’ means ‘among’ or ‘between’.  Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (27^th January 2022).

interact       intercity      interview     intermediate         international

internet       interface     intercept     intercom      interchange

interfere     intervene     interrupt     intermittent          intergalactic

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 12 times tables
• Multiplying 2 and 3 digit numbers by 1 digit

(eg 32 x 8     30 x 8 = 240     2 x 8 = 16       240 + 16 = 256)

(Use the grid method which we have practised in class this week for 3 digit multiplications)

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Year 4 HOME PRACTICE Friday 14th January 2022

Date: 14th Jan 2022 @ 5:12pm

Year 4

Home Practice 14^th January 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning in school this week ….

In English, we dramatised an interview between a family and a reporter following the family’s encounter with the Iron Man during a picnic.  In addition, we wrote a menu fit for the Iron Man which used alliteration and ambitious vocabulary – the descriptions really made our mouths water!

In Maths, we learnt more about multiplication this week. Initially we used arrays to help with our understanding. Then, we learnt how to use a multiplication square to find the product when 2 numbers are multiplied together, and how to find factors.  Following this, we developed our understanding of the effect of multiplying a 1 and 2 digit number by 10 and 100, and used this to help with multiplication. Additionally, we have been practising our tables, and counting in 11’s and 25’s.

In RE, we hot seated different ‘apostles’ and asked them how they felt when Jesus chose them to help spread the Good News. 

In History, we discussed some of the legacies the Romans left, such as roads, the sewage system and Roman Numerals.  We then started to make a PowerPoint presentation to showcase our learning.

This week in French we revised colours in the masculine and feminine forms. Then we listened to the French alphabet and tried to spell out words using the French letters. 

In Science, we discussed the 6 types of scientific enquiry and wrote questions for each one. Super scientific thinking - it wasn't easy but the children did really well.

We began our PE lesson running 4 times around both playgrounds without stopping – we are aiming to build up our running technique and our stamina.  We then split into 2 groups.  Inside, the children learnt how to perform the dish and arch shapes and explored how to use these in a sequence.  Outside, the children continued learning how to control a ball using a hockey stick and played a mini game.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (20^th January 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’.   

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 11’s and 25’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 11’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 132 and back again (this will help with your 11 times tables)

0   11   22   33  etc                     132   121    110  etc

Then try counting from 40 to 139 and back again

40  51   62 etc                       139   128    117

Count in 25’s

Start at 0 and count up to 250 and back again

0   25   50    75     etc                    250   225   220   etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the prefix ‘super’.  A prefix is a group of letters that change the meaning of a word when they are added to the start.  Super means ‘above’ or ‘over’.  Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (20^th January 2022). We have discussed different strategies you could use to help you learn them and you could also use ‘Look say cover write check’.

superstar    supermarket          supernova              supermodel  superhuman

superpower  superhero              supernatural          superglue     Superman

supersonic   superintendent      supersaturated      superstore   superheroes

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 11 times tables
• An ‘array’ challenge – lots of arrays and different questions to help with your understanding of times tables

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Year 4 Home Practice Friday 7th January 2022

Date: 7th Jan 2022 @ 5:01pm

Year 4

Home Practice 7^th January 2022

Welcome back to school and to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning in school this week ….

In English, we learnt more about adverbs and how to correctly use them at the beginning of a sentence. We tried to include some of these in our writing about our first day back at school after the Christmas holidays.  In addition, we have continued reading our class novel, The Iron Man, and discuss the different characters we have been introduced to.

In Maths, we revised rounding to 10, 100 and 1000.  In addition, we have continued to refine the formal written method of subtraction, especially where there were zero’s in the numbers – some of these were quite tricky but Year 4 worked hard to try and master this. Additionally, we have been practising our tables, and counting in 3’s and 6’s.

In RE, we learnt about community – we discussed the different communities we belong to and what makes it function well.  In addition, we talked about the advantages and demands of being part of a community, and what causes a community to either break down or helps to build it up. 

In History, we learnt about the types of houses the Romans lived in and looked at various different mosaic patterns.  We then looked more carefully at mosaics and started to appreciate which mosaic patterns we liked and why.

Bonne annee! In French this week, we learnt about how French people celebrate La fete des Rois - the Feast of the Epiphany. A special cake which contains a lucky charm is shared. Whoever gets the lucky charm in their slice becomes the King or Queen for the day. We then focussed on the phonic sound oi (wa) as in roi, listening to a song with lots of oi words and reading them. Tres bien!

Our PE lesson involved both gymnastics and hockey. In gymnastics, we practised a one-foot balance, explored different ways of travelling and refined the front and back support. We then started to create our own sequence and showed this to the class.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (13^th January 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’.   

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 3’s and 6’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 3’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 36 and back again (this will help with your 3 times tables)

0   3   6    9  etc                     36   33    30  etc

Then try counting from 30 to 66 and back again

30  33   36 etc                       66    63    60

Count in 6’s

Start at 0 and count up to 72 and back again (this will help with your 6 times tables)

0   6   12   18     etc                    72   66   60   etc

Do this a few times to help you learn them!

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the ending ‘sure’ or ‘ture’.  The ending sounding like ‘zhuh’ is spelt ‘sure’.  The ending sounding like ‘chuh’ is spelt ‘ture’.  Please practise your spellings each evening at home as many of you are still not doing this.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (13^th January 2022). We have discussed different strategies you could use to help you learn them and you could also use ‘Look say cover write check’.

future         nature         creature      feature        mixture

picture        adventure    fracture      vulture         closure

leisure         measure       enclosure     pleasure       treasure

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 3 and 6 times tables
• Rounding to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000 (we have practised this in class this week)

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Number bonds are very important and help with many aspects of maths. The more confident you are with these, the easier you will find addition, subtraction, mental calculations etc.  Therefore, please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.

Online Safety Update

Date: 5th Jan 2022 @ 11:44am

Filters

Filters are amazing and can set healthy, age-appropriate boundaries for free on any device connected to the home WiFi. These can be set through a phone call to any internet provider and updated as children grow. Updates are incredibly important to gradually increase exposure and allow young people to build resilience as they mature. 

Make sure that you are aware that any devices with their own data sets, like phones, will need their filters set separately. And remember that you can set passwords to override the filter system so you don't miss out on any of the film releases that would be less suitable for your 10-year-old.

Safe search engines

For under 10s, setting the homepage to a safe search engine is an excellent way to overcome mishaps. We have all had a seemingly innocent image search go awry, and by using child-friendly sites like Smiggle, YouTube Kids and KidRex, we can reduce that risk substantially. Some large web search providers do have safe search options but, be aware, these are very easy to switch off.

As for older children (year 6), it's all about reinforcing the importance of responsibility. Leaning over a child's shoulder at all times or attempting to monitor their screens using apps is less likely to create a healthy relationship and more likely to teach them how to creatively sneak past you. 

Algorithms

Have you ever bought a pair of jeans and then been bombarded with ads for jeans for the next three months? That's an algorithm. They collect information and send us materials that will make us tick. While this may be great for our wardrobe, it can create problems regarding echo chambers and fake news.

Reinforce the importance of learning about the world from mainstream media channels rather than stories from social media or news suggestions from their phones. This can build a more balanced knowledge of the world within the home and help you recognise when you or your children are straying into conspiracy theories and bias debates, and instead form healthy informational environments.

Social media

Social media is often the centre of a young person's world and while many parents may have a Facebook account, they may be less au fait with the newer, young models.

For younger children, play around on social media sites alongside your child, learn together how to block and apply appropriate privacy settings to form a positive online space.

For older children, reinforce the message of accountability. What happens on the internet can be difficult to erase. Many young people have no interest in "friending" their parents, and respect of space can build trust, but if you have any concerns, ensure that the parents feel they can have an open a supportive dialogue to air out any worries. 

National Online Safety Training Hub

Continue to access all information on the National Online Safety website. You will get access to all videos and guides by clicking the link below and joining free to our school online safety hub.

http://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/st-oswald-s-catholic-primary-school-pr45eb

We have set up a watchlist which includes some videos and training we think you will find beneficial.

Year 4 Christmas Blog

Date: 17th Dec 2021 @ 1:59pm

Year 4

Christmas Blog Friday 17^th December 2021

Welcome to this week’s blog. What a busy week and a fantastic term we’ve had! 

Even though it has been the last week of term, we have still been working hard. We have written letters following our trip to Lancaster City Museum last week and learnt how to subtract 4-digit numbers using the formal written method.  In addition, we made Christmas cards and calendars, and learnt what the Romans built after they settled in Britain.

We hope you enjoyed listening to our Christmas carols on Tuesday afternoon and that this helped to put you in a festive mood. 

Mrs Tipping and Mrs Dexter would like to wish you all a happy, healthy and safe Christmas and New Year. Enjoy spending some quality time with your families. We look forward to seeing Year 4’s bright, smiley faces again on Tuesday 4^th January 2022.

Year 4 Home Practice Friday 10th December 2021

Date: 10th Dec 2021 @ 4:15pm

Year 4

Home Practice 10^th December 2021

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here’s what we have been learning in school this week ….

In English, we looked at the features of a ‘Wanted’ poster and created our own for the Iron Man who was last seen walking into the sea.  We made sure that we included a picture, a detailed description of the Iron Man and information about the crimes he had committed!

In Maths, we learnt to look very carefully at addition calculations and decide whether it was more efficient to work them out in our head, use jottings or a formal written method. In addition, we revised the formal written method of subtraction.  We started by using the compact method of subtraction to subtract 2 digit numbers and then 3 digit numbers - some of these calculations required exchanging which can be quite tricky! Additionally, we have been practising our tables, and counting in 7’s and 0.2’s.

In RE, we learnt about the birth of Jesus and the story of the Wise Men.  We learnt the names of the Wise Men and talked about the symbolism of their gifts.  In addition, we discussed the signs and symbols that can be seen in Church and at home at Christmas.

In History, we learnt how Britain became part of the Roman Empire and the 3 invasion attempts. We also pretended we were Roman Generals and discussed the pros and cons of invading Britain – Julius Caesar was pleased with our ideas!

We are in the process of designing and describing a Christmas jumper in French - hopefully we'll finish next week. It was tricky and we all rose well to the challenge! Year 4 will be super proud of their work once it's finished!

In Science, we identified and classified electrical conductors and insulators by testing different materials. Then we explained our results.  We need to make a variety of switches next week then we are qualified junior electricians! Well done, year 4!

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the Lancaster City Museum on Thursday. We had an action-packed day which included a Roman workshop in the morning when we met Marcus Aurus Nepus, and a visit to both the history and Military museums in the afternoon.  During the trip, we learnt more about life in the Roman Army, especially what the soldiers wore and what they were required to keep in their back packs. As it has been a few years since our last school trip, it really was an exciting day out!  

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters.  Find the meaning of any new words too.  Reading every night will help you read more fluently and with understanding. 

Times tables

You have been given your own individual times table target.  Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (16^th December 2021). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

Remember - you can also practise your tables playing ‘Hit the button’.   

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 7’s and 0.2’s – draw a line and some marks on it like I do in class. You could write the numbers down as you count up.  When you count down, cover the numbers up, say the number, then reveal what you have got written down to check you’ve said the correct number.

Count in 7’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 84 and back again (this will help with your 9 times tables)

0   7   14    21  etc                     84   77    70   etc

Count in 0.2’s

Start at 0 and count up to 1.8 and back again

0   0.2   0.4   etc                    1.8   1.6   1.4   etc

Do this a few times to help you learn them!

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the prefix ‘uni’, ‘bi’ or ‘tri’.  A prefix is a group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word and change the meaning or make a new word.  Uni means one, bi means two and tri means three. Please practise your spellings each evening at home.  You will be tested on them next Thursday (16^th December 2021). We have discussed different strategies you could use to help you learn them and you could also use ‘Look say cover write check’.

unicycle        unicorn         uniform        universe       binoculars

bicycle         biceps          bifocal         bilingual       biannual

triathlon      triangle       trilogy         tricycle        triplets

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times table challenge based on the 7 times tables
• A 2digit column addition and subtraction challenge

Please make sure you log on and have a go! Many of you are still not accessing Sumdog on a daily basis. Little and often is the key to success!

Number bonds

Please continue practising your number bonds / addition skills playing Hit the Button

The game you will play will help with your number bonds and quick addition skills. For example:

8 + 6               you could partition this into         8 + 2 + 4 = 14

This is because 8 + 2 is a pair to 10, then add the 4 to 10

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

On the left-hand side you will see the words ‘Up to 20’

Click on Addition within 20

See how many you can get correct in 1 minute. Then have another go and try and beat your score.

Maths and spelling training

Please continue to use the maths and spellings training sections as these are tailored for your child to practise skills, facts and words that they find difficult.