Reading – Mauna Loa
This week in Year 4 reading lessons, we are focusing our learning around a news report about Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa is a volcano in Hawaii that recently erupted in November 2022. This is very on topic for us as we are learning about volcanoes and how they are formed in Geography!
For the first lesson, we read the report together as a class, picked out any tricky or new words that we weren’t sure of and discussed the meanings. For example, ‘crimson hues’ which means ‘red colours’.
Our next task was to be real news reporters! We watched a short clip of Newsround to decide what the best tips are to reporting. We noticed that the reporter on Newsround had:
- good body language
- good eye contact
- fantastic prosody (reading with expression)
This children had 5 minutes to practise reading their report with these skills and then it was time to perform! Here are some of them in action. They all used the skills we identified really well.
Living and Learning – drugs, alcohol and tobacco
The last couple of weeks have been focused on talking about drugs, alcohol and tobacco. This topic is really important. The children have become familiar and educated on these substances so that once they are old enough, they can make safe and informed decisions on what they choose to do.
The year 4 children identified how certain drugs and household items (i.e. paracetamol or surface cleaner) should be used safely. They were really sensible and knew exactly what to do:
- Do not touch these items without permission from a trusted adult.
- The instructions on the products must be followed.
- Keep them out of reach of small children.
Our circle time was focused on this too! We spoke about how these substances can affect our health. The children responded to statements such as, I drank some water today, I think talking about my feelings makes me healthy and being thin automatically makes someone healthy. We decided that as long as we have things in moderation such as, chocolate and sweets and we balance them with fruit, vegetables and exercise then that will make us feel healthy.
Spring term after-school clubs
Science rocks!
The first week back after Christmas has been a week of starting new topics and units. This includes our new Science topic – Rocks, soils and fossils!
Our first week began with the question – How are rocks different? We made careful observations of 12 different rocks and thought about what made them special.
This included things such as;
- Colour – is it one solid colour or does it have mixed colours?
- Texture – is it smooth, rough or both?
- Crystals – does it shine or sparkle?
- Weight – is it heavy or light?
- Layers – does it have stripes or clear layers?
Here are some of the class making their observations:
We then sorted a selection of the rocks into a Venn Diagram. The children had the choice of which features to sort the rocks by.
The class loved the lesson and already had fantastic knowledge in identifying the names of some of the rocks. One person remembered that one of the rocks (Basalt rock) is in the Earth’s Crust! This was from our first Topic lesson about the Earth.
Help at home by seeing if your child can identify any of these rocks based on their appearance!
Group Reading – What do you need to know?
Year 4 have begun their group reading today!
The class have been divided into 6 groups and each group has been given a book to read at home. This will last for the next half term.
During our Book Club sessions, each group will discuss what they have read and complete 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!
Each Friday during Book Club, each group will be given a new page to read to for the next Friday.
What to remember:
- Your child has a book that they need to read every week (up to a chosen point).
- The reading record activity needs to be completed using their new book.
- Group reading books and reading records need to be brought in every Friday.
Help at home by listening to your child read their new book and ask questions about the book to help prepare them for in class discussions.
We look forward to hearing the children’s discussions next week!
The ‘Big Brain’ Art Gallery!
This morning, Year 3 and 4 hosted their first art gallery where they were able to showcase all the amazing art they have produced this half term.
We displayed all the pieces across the two classrooms and gave the children the opportunity to look around and comment on their classmates artwork.
A fantastic end to a fantastic half term!
All of the Year 3/4 team wish you a Merry Christmas and happy and healthy holiday.
See you in the New Year!
Topic – Art
During our Topic lessons, we have been learning about architecture (the history and the skills!).
Our skills lessons have been focused on creating digital art – art that is made using digital technology. We have been photographers, photo editors and graphic designers. But this week, we have been “collagers”! The children used photographs of the school and its architecture to create their own buildings. They used collage as their method.
The adults were blown away by the how fantastic they were. The children experimented with different layers and colours and building shapes. Here are just a few:
Next Friday, Year 3 and 4 will be creating their own art galleries for display. Other classes and teachers will be able to visit to celebrate their hard work! We are looking forward to it.
Living and Learning – Mental Wellbeing
What is mental health?
We all have mental health.
Mental health is about our feelings, our thinking, our emotions and our moods.
Looking after our mental health is as important as looking after our physical health – if not more!
In our Living and Learning lessons and circle times over the last three weeks, we have focused on our mental health and wellbeing. We have discussed what we can do to identify when we are feeling down or feeling a strong emotion. Then we have shared what we can do to help bring us back to feeling calm and positive: talk with friends and family; play a game; drawing; sport or go for a walk. The children then had many different ideas for how they can improve their mental wellbeing.
Our circle times have become a staple in our week where the children can listen to others, work together and understand each other on a different level. The third stage of our sessions are where they share worries and give advice. Year 4 have been mature and respectful to one another throughout each session. It’s been fantastic to watch them become more and more confident in this.
Skipping ropes
We continue to work with Skipping School as part of the Year 2 and Year 4 skipping festivals.
While you might be thinking about Christmas presents, we have skipping ropes available to purchase from school for a subsidised price of £3. These are available in two sizes and a range of colours.
Skipping School
Hello everyone,
Year 4 had a fantastic morning with Skipping School leader – Katie. She took the children through each step, such as how to hold your skipping rope in a smile shape and when to jump after the rope clicks the floor. They then worked up to doing complicated straddle jumps and crossing the skipping ropes! The children were great and were really resilient (as it can be quite tricky!) while working together and encouraging one another.
Year 4 will be participating in the Skipping School Competition after Easter which is all about getting moving and having fun while doing so! We will be practicing the skipping skills we learnt today, up until that point.
Help at home by getting the children skipping.