Muffling Sound!
In our science lessons this half term, we have been learning all about sound.
Last week, we learnt about how sound travels in waves and that it has to travel through a medium to reach our ears.
Most recently, we have been learning about which materials muffle (make quieter) sound the best – these are called sound insulators.
Here are some pictures of us muffling the sound of a buzzer using different materials such as foil, cloth and a plastic box.
After we had observed what happened when we muffled the buzzer with the different materials, we measured the number of decibels the buzzer produced before and after we muffled it.
We recorded these using the Numbers app and then made our own bar charts to show the data.
Ask your child if they can remember which material was the best sound insulator and why!
As an added challenge for your child, see if they can remember what medium and sound source mean!
Living and Learning
During the last 3 weeks of term, in our Living and Learning sessions, we have been learning about relationships.
Recently, in Y3, we talked about the different relationships we have with our family and friends. We also discussed the stages of life that our family and ourselves are at, ranging from babies, children, teenagers, adults to elders.
Here are some pictures of the Y3s drawing the people in their family and labelling what stage of life they are in.
Santa dash Friday 11 December
School menu change and Christmas meal
Virtual after-school sport club
Aimed mainly at primary-aged children, a different theme has been assigned for each day of the club – Adventure Monday, Tuesday Play, Wild Wednesday, Thinking Thursday and Fun Friday.
Click here to find out more.
Times Table Rock Stars!
Watch this video below to see the progress that Y3 have made with their times tables from when they were in Y2 back in January.
The lighter the colour of the box, the faster that particular times table fact has been answered. A white box indicates a times table that has not been attempted at that time.
There has been some amazing improvement in Y3 and we must keep going to get even better!
Now you’ve watched it, click at the start and then at the end to quickly see their entire progress!
Synonyms and Antonyms!
This week in Y3, we have been up-levelling our vocabulary using synonyms of words we commonly use to describe things.
We also found antonyms for these words, too.
As we’re preparing to write a setting description, the children made a bank of all the best, and relevant, pieces of vocabulary they found.
Here it is:
We used the iPads and thesauruses in order to up-level our vocab. The original words are displayed at the top with the synonyms below.
Ask your child if they can tell you what synonyms and antonyms are!
Living and Learning: United against bullying
This week, it’s Anti-Bullying Week and the theme for this year is ‘United against bullying’.
Don’t forget – we are also taking part in Odd Socks Day on Monday 16 November.
STOP is a key message linked to bullying. In our school, STOP stands for two things:
- the definition: Several Times On Purpose
- the solution: Start Telling Other People
Recently, our school council met to review our school definition of bullying and our child friendly anti-bullying policy. Thank you to the school councillors for their valued contributions. As a result, our definition and policy have now been updated.
Child friendly anti-bullying policy
What is bullying?
In our school, this is what bullying means:
Bullying is where you hurt someone, physically or emotionally (including online), several times on purpose.
What might bullying look like?
If any of these things happen several (lots of) times, it is bullying.
- Hurting peoples’ feelings, for example, name calling, teasing, threatening, ignoring, leaving people out or spreading rumours
- Hurting peoples’ bodies, for example, hitting, punching or kicking
This could be in person or online (cyber bullying) and could be because of someone’s race, disability, gender, appearance, age or any other protected characteristic.
What could you do if you are being bullied?
Start
Telling
Other
People
Who could you tell?
- Mrs Weekes/Mrs Freeman/Mrs Russell/Mrs Small (they are child protection staff)
- Mrs Taylor (Health Leader)
- Any other members of staff
- Friends
- Someone in your family
- A trusted adult
- Childline (0800 1111)
- Write a worry slip and put it in your Living and Learning box or the whole school worry box
- Email stayingsafe@spherefederation.org
Our views on bullying
STOP bullying – bullying is wrong! We’re a happy and healthy school.
Times Tables Rock Stars/NumBots
As you all know, Times Tables Rock Stars is an app and website that we use in school to quicken the recall of tables facts.
Here in Y3, we have been using this app on a regular basis and there has been progress in our recalling speed of our table facts.
This post is simply a reminder that it’s something that you can use at home, too. If you have any questions, send me an email and I am more than happy to help.
Each game is short so you don’t need lots of time – ten minutes each day would be ideal.
Regular practise has shown great progress with children’s times tables.
We also know that our times tables open up the door to many other areas of maths.
We’ve just signed up to Numbots, too. Perhaps more suited to younger children or children who need a bit of extra support with the basics, this is a great app and website for practising addition and subtraction facts. Your child can use it at home too – they login using the same details they use for Times Tables Rock Stars. There are 15 different games, each with a different focus. Topics covered include doubles and number bonds to 10, 20 and 100.
Thanks for all your support so far this year and as always, if you have any questions, comments or concerns, send me an email: oliwain@spherefederation.org
Living and Learning
Our Living and Learning statement this week is:
In Y3, we have been reflecting on this statement all week.
For our homework, we talked about and wrote down some of the things that make us special.
We also enjoyed an assembly about how we are all the same and different. The children in Y3 had lots to share about this statement – it was great!
I’m looking forward to our L&L session on Friday where we will revisit working cooperatively and remind ourselves to do this all the time!
If you haven’t done so already, ask your child what makes them the same and different!