Geography – Explorers
This half term will be learning all about Geography and exploring the Amazon rainforest. The vocabulary we have been learning about is listed below.
We will be learning about deforestation, biomes and climate zones as well as parts of the rainforest. The children are really looking forward to this topic. This week we have learnt about the different biomes in Brazil and how they compare with biomes in the UK.
We found out that Brazil has lots more biomes than the UK. I wonder if your child could tell you why.
Help at home by reading more about the Amazon rainforest. Can you find out 3 interesting bits of information?
Rhinos Rugbees
The sessions will take place on Monday evenings at Kirkstall Training Ground from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. The cost is £2 per session.
Times Tables Rock Stars
This week, we have talked through how the children can access and use Times Tables Rock Stars. Login details are the same as for Numbots.
In Year 2, the children learn the two, five and ten times tables and these are the tables that have been assigned to the children. There will be division questions related to those times tables too.
Soundcheck is used in Key Stage 2 to check all the times table facts up to x12 so this isn’t recommended in Year 2 as the children haven’t learned these other times tables yet.
We encourage the children to continue to use Numbots too to help to secure their addition and subtraction number facts.
Another resource to support times tables and other number facts is Hit the Button. This is a great, fast-paced game and children can choose which times tables or number facts to work on during each game. This game is free to play online.
If you have any further questions regarding the resources mentioned, do not hesitate to contact us.
Summer 1: Week 1
Welcome back! We hope you all had a happy and healthy break.
This half-term, our topic is Life on Earth. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be learning about life cycles. The children will closely observe caterpillars to help them understand the four stages of a life cycle. We’re very excited for our tiny caterpillars to arrive!
Help at home: Use the story map sheet to help retell the story.
We’ve been reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar and using story maps with actions to help retell the story. On Wednesday, the children created their own story maps, with some choosing to change parts of the story using their own ideas.
We’ve also made the most of the warmer weather by planting, going on bug hunts, and enjoying story time outdoors.
We’ve seen some fantastic independent learning during choosing time. The children have been highly engaged with the chilli challenges.
Tennis
Yesterday, we took part in a tennis session with Paul from Roundhay Tennis Club. The children had great fun learning new skills and using tennis rackets.
Reminders
- We will be adding new Phase 4 tricky words to your child’s phonics book. Please ensure your child brings their red phonics book every Thursday.
- As the weather gets warmer, children often remove jumpers and cardigans—please make sure all items are clearly labelled.
- Our final Stay & Learn session will take place next Wednesday at 2:15pm.
Home learning activity
Living and Learning – asking for permission/consent
This week, Year 3 have learnt about the importance of asking for permission and giving consent.
Asking for permission is important in many different scenarios…
- Asking to go to the toilet during learning time is important so that the teacher knows where I am if something happens.
- Asking to borrow something is important so that you are respecting another person’s belongings.
- Asking before taking a photo is important because someone may not want their photo shared.
- Asking before you step into someone’s personal space so that you’re respecting their feelings.
Help at home by generating more scenarios where you should ask for permission/consent.
In these scenarios, someone may say yes or they may say no. Saying no is acceptable and we must respect that!
When it comes to giving our own consent, we must remember that it’s always our choice.
Leeds Rhino rugby session
Leeds Rhinos came in to run a session with Year 3. We even had one of the reserve players supporting us with our skills.
They played lots of different evasion games where side stepping and tactics are key. These skills link to our previous PE topic of dodgeball.
We had opportunities to hold the rugby balls and practise the 10 point hold on the ball. The key is to have a gap between the ball and your palms.
Help at home: If your child is interested in taking up rugby as an extra curricular activity, research local rugby clubs near you.
Book Club: Group Reading
Hello!
This week, we’re beginning group reading again.
The class have been divided into groups and each group has been given a book to read at home. This will last for this half term.
During our Book Club sessions each Friday, each group will discuss what they have read so far and share their reading record activities related to their book. This will be a fantastic opportunity for the children to explore characters and storylines more than they might do normally!
Every Friday during Book Club, each group will be given a new page to read to by the following Friday.
What to remember:
- Your child has a book that they need to read every week (up to a chosen point marked with a post-it notes).
- Make the reading work for your child. Feel free to share the reading with them or even you read it to them here and there.
- The reading record activity needs to be completed using their new book.
- A comment from a grown up needs to be written in their reading record.
- Group reading books and reading records need to be brought in every Friday.
Help at home: ensure your child is reading up to the post-it note each week. Listen to your child read their new book and ask questions about the book to help prepare them for class discussions.
English, Maths and Topic
We’ve had a fantastic start to the summer term. In English, we’ve begun exploring our new class text, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. So far, we’ve really enjoyed listening to the story, sequencing key events and discussing statements about the text to decide whether they are true or false.
In Maths, we’re continuing to develop our multiplication skills. Our focus has been on the 2 times tables and we’ll soon be moving on to the 10 times tables.
In Topic, we have started our Geography Explorers unit. We’ve begun by revisiting the seven continents and five oceans . The children have enjoyed using atlases to locate these, as well as learning through fun and engaging songs.
(Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog along the play bar and turn off autoplay – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip.)
How you can help at home:
- Please practise the 2 and 10 times tables.
- Can your child name the seven continents and the five oceans?
- Do they remember which ocean is the largest?
Maths: multiplying and dividing by 10
Before the Easter break, Year 4 were multiplying by 10 in Maths. We discussed what happens when we make a number 10 times the size…
When multiplying a number by 10, we move it one place value column to the left. We can then place a zero after the final digit of that number.
This week, we’ve moved onto dividing by 10. As we were confident with multiplying by 10, we discussed how division is the inverse operation to multiplication and therefore…
When dividing a number by 10, we move it one place value column to the right.
We used counters and place value charts to practise dividing a number by 10.
Help at home: ask your child whether the answers to these equations are a multiple of 10 or not.
- 3 x 10
- 120 ÷ 10
- 200 ÷ 10
- 17 x 10
- 50 x 10
- 20 ÷ 10
Roundhay tennis opportunities
This week, we welcome Paul from Roundhay Tennis Club who will be running a taster tennis session for Reception and Year 1 classes, giving children the opportunity to try tennis and inspire them to pick up a racket.
