St Oswald's Catholic Primary SchoolYear 4: Blog items
Year 4 Blog Friday 17th November 2023
Date: 16th Nov 2023 @ 3:46pm
Help the homeless – Foxton Centre Big PNE Sleepout Friday 17th November
Miss Smith and Mrs Dexter are sleeping by the football pitch at PNE’s Deepdale Stadium this Friday 17th November. This is to raise money for a day centre called The Foxton Centre who provide food and warmth to the homeless people of Preston. Miss Smith and Mrs Dexter will sleep on cardboard and will only have with them what they can carry. This will give them an insight into how difficult it is for people sleeping on the streets, particularly as the nights are getting colder. We are all fortunate that we have food and somewhere warm to go to sleep every night, this is not the case for some people in Preston. Miss Smith and Mrs Dexter are asking for sponsorship, any donation would go a long way to help Preston’s vulnerable homeless community.
You can read more and donate here:
Welcome to your Friday blog
In English this week, we wrote a message in a bottle as if we were the character Michael. As space was limited, we had to ensure that we chose our words carefully.
In Maths, we used arrays to identify what the term factor means. Arrays and multiplication squares were then used to find all the factor pairs of a given number. This new learning was tricky to start with, but with perseverance we have hopefully mastered it!
In Science we started our new topic - Electricity. At the start of the lesson, we tried to think of as many electrical appliances as they could, using the alphabet as a guide for ideas. We then discussed how all of these appliances get electricity, whether it is mains power or battery power. We then sorted some appliances into a Venn Diagram to show which type of electricity powers them, or whether they need both.
In RE, we finished our ‘Belonging’ topic by considering what it means to ‘live in the light’ and how at Confirmation, people promise to try and turn away from what is wrong and follow in God’s light. We also learnt about the work of Sean Devereax who was a missionary and aid worker in Somalia.
In Geography, we watched a video to investigate how people use a river. We found out that rivers can be used for a variety of purposes including helping to water crops, wash clothes and cooking utensils, make energy in the form of hydro-electric power and were vital for our survival.
In Art, following on from last week, we were given another ‘rule’ which we needed to follow. The rule involved drawing parallel lines and some shading. We were impressed with our efforts.
In French, we finished out Pets topic. To show our understanding of what we have learnt, we completed a listening activity, a reading activity and a writing activity. We did very well and we are ready to move on to our new topic of Home next week.
In Music, we continued to learn Au Clair de la Lune on our recorders, using the notes we already know – B A and G. We also started to practise some Carols for Christmas – Starry Night and O little town of Bethlehem.
In PSHE, as it was anti-bullying week, we watched the BBC Teach live lesson about this year's theme 'Make a Noise about Bullying'. We discussed what bullying is and learned how to speak out if it is happening. We also decided whether each scenario was 'banter or bullying' and gave reasons to show the difference. In addition, we discussed ideas of what we should say to someone if their joke isn't funny anymore and who our trusted adults are if we think we are being bullied.
We were also lucky to be put through our paces by Freddie Fit on Tuesday afternoon. You can see some pictures of us enjoying our fitness session here.
In addition, on Friday, we dressed in our pyjamas for Children in Need. Thank you for supporting this worthy cause. If you haven't brought in your £1, you can still bring it in next week!
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.
Counting
This week, please practise counting 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
Then practise counting in 60’s.
For example, start at 0 and down up to 720 and back again
0 60 120 180 etc 720 660 600 etc
Times tables
Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week. Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?
You can practise your tables on Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Please also practise your number facts. It has become evident that many of you are finding this tricky when you have been completing your written addition and subtraction.
You can practise your number facts on Hit the Button
It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts and your number facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.
Spellings
Your spellings next week all have the prefixes in-, il-, im- or ir-.
inactive incapable incredible inaccurate
immature immobile impossible impatient
irregular irrational irresistible irresponsible
illegal illiterate illogical illegible
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A times tables challenge based on the 6 times tables
- A challenge based on multiplication arrays and the 3, 4 and 8 times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 10th November 2023
Date: 9th Nov 2023 @ 1:10pm
Welcome to your Friday blog
Here’s what we have been learning this week:
In English, we have been learning more about subordinating conjunctions – how to identify them in a sentence and where to use them. We learnt an acronym to help us remember some subordinating conjunctions (AWhITEBUS) and also made ‘human sentences’. We had great fun changing the words around and adding punctuation where needed so that the sentence started with the subordinate clause and was still grammatically correct.
In Maths, we revised and learnt more about the formal written method of subtraction. We used this to subtract 4 digit numbers from 4 digit numbers, including when zero was used as a place holder. In addition, we identified missing numbers in column subtraction calculations. We were very proud of our efforts, especially when we needed to include exchanging!
In RE, we learnt about Judaism. We watched a video which developed our understanding about the rules of the Jewish faith and the Torah.
In History, we learnt more about the Roman Army – especially the formations used when in battle. We re-enacted some of these and also had a closer look at the Roman Legionary armour which was on loan from the library. You can see some pictures of us looking at this here.
In French, we continued with our pets topic. We started the lesson by writing the correct word on our whiteboard for the picture that had been drawn and then listened to Mr French ‘Les animaux’ song again. We then wrote sentences in our books to show each character’s response for ‘Tu as des animaux?’. We used the sentence stem ‘Oui, j’ai (number) (animal) et (number) (animal)’ each time, remembering to check the spellings and whether it needed to be plural.
In Art, we continued with our topic of ‘Exploring Pattern’. We were given a ‘rule’ and then needed to adhere to the rule in order to create a pattern. You can see us in action here.
In Music, we started to learn Au Clair de la Lune on our recorders, using the notes we already know – B A and G. We also started to rehearse the songs for our Reconciliation day on Monday 4th December.
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.
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 8’s.
For example, start at 0 and count up to 96 and back again
0 8 16 24 etc 96 88 80 etc
Then count in 80’s
For example, start at 0 and count to 960 and back again
0 80 160 240 etc 960 880 800 etc
Maths - Times tables and number facts
Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week. Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?
You can practise your tables on Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Please also practise your number facts. It has become evident that many of you are finding this tricky when you have been completing your written addition and subtraction.
You can practise your number facts on Hit the Button
It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts and your number facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.
Spellings
Your spellings next week are all taken from the Year 3 / 4 Statutory word list.
length popular strange breathe difficult
guard mention probably therefore build
disappear guide natural recent though
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A times tables challenge based on the 8 times tables
- A challenge based on the formal written method of column subtraction – please note this only goes up to 3 digit subtract 3 digit numbers
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog - Friday 3rd November 2023
Date: 2nd Nov 2023 @ 12:56pm
Welcome to the Year 4 blog and another busy half term. We have worked our socks off this week and are very proud of our learning.
In English, we concentrated on evaluating how Michael’s feelings and emotions changed throughout a chapter. We also identified and underlined main and subordinate clauses in sentences. We hope to develop our understanding of subordinate clauses and begin to use these within our independent writing.
- A subordinate clause starts with a subordinating conjunction.
- A conjunction is a word, or words, used to connect two clauses together. Words such as: although, because or when.
- These are all examples of subordinating conjunctions
In Maths, we started our new unit – Addition and Subtraction. We began by revising the formal written method of addition and used this to add 4 digit numbers together, including exchanging. We then extended our learning to identify missing digits in column addition calculations, and adding three numbers together with four digits.
In RE, we read a passage of the Bible during which Jesus called Andrew, Simon, James and John to help him deliver the ‘Good News’. Some of us were then chosen to be ‘hotseated’ as an apostle. We gave some very thoughtful and interesting responses which gave an insight into how the apostles may have been feeling about their mission.
In Art, we started our new topic ‘Exploring Pattern’. We started by making a sensory drawing using a needle. We were very proud of our finished drawings – have a look at some of them here.
In Science, we created our own classification keys to help identify different animals. We also finished our ‘Living Things’ topic with a lesson about environmental changes. We discussed natural changes and changes caused by humans, and explained the impact of changes on habitats and the animals that live there.
In P.S.H.E., we started our Relationships topic 'Play the right way and inclusion'. We wrote down what we thought respect means and discussed what it involves. We watched a video and identified the positive attitudes and behaviours shown, especially when in a team. We also discussed what happens and what it feels like when people show respect / don't show respect.
In French, we discussed whether some facts about Halloween in France were vrai o faux (true or false). We learned some vocabulary for typical Halloween things and were able to write the correct French word and English meaning for each picture in our books. We then played ‘What’s missing?’ and ‘Guess Who?’.
In Music, we started to learn the song Mama Mia and played some warm up games. Following this, we recapped the notes we learnt on the recorders in year 3 – B A and G.
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.
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 4’s.
For example, start at 0 and count up to 48 and back again
0 4 8 12 etc 48 44 40 etc
Then practise counting in 8’s.
For example, start at 0 and down up to 96 and back again
0 8 16 24 etc 96 88 80 etc
Times tables
Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Wednesday. 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 timestables.co.uk
It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.
Spellings
Your spellings next week all have the i sound spelt y.
gym myth pyramid symbol synonym
mystery Egypt system lyrics hymn
gymnastics typical cylinder physical oxygen
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A times tables challenge based on the 4 and 8 times tables
- A challenge based on the formal written method of column addition – please note this only goes up to 3 digit plus 3 digit numbers
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Have a great weekend - stay safe if you go to a bonfire.
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Thursday 19th October 2023
Date: 19th Oct 2023 @ 8:37am
Welcome to the Year 4 Blog
We have had a brilliant half term in Year 4! We have worked really hard and already made good progress in our learning. Our teachers want to thank us for being such fun and enthusiastic learners and said we should all feel very proud of ourselves.
Our learning this week:
In English, we wrote 2 poems. One of our poems was based on Hamster Hamster by Joseph Coelho who is the children’s laureate. We used the structure of Hamster Hamster to write a poem about a class pet – describing it as either charming and loveable, or nasty and ferocious! We also read a poem by Ian Bland and used this as inspiration to write our own poem about a topic of our choice. We were very proud of our poems which included a chorus and rhyming words. We performed these to the class and some of us even performed them in Golden Assembly.
In Maths, we interpreted data and solved one step questions using information in a table. In addition, we presented and interpreted data used in pictograms.
In RE, we read Mark 1: 14-20. This passage tells of Jesus calling his Apostles. We discussed how Andrew, Simon, James and John might have felt when Jesus called them and talked about the meaning of the Kingdom of God.
In French, we continued with our pets topic. To help learn the vocabulary, we used our word bank from last week and listened to the ‘Les Animaux’ song again. We also learnt how to say if and how many pets we have.
In Music, we videoed our final performance of the Mambo Cup Rhythm. We learnt all the actions to the song Just like a Roman and started to learn a new song Roman Numerals.
In Art, we finished our ‘telling a story through sketching’ topic. We tried our best to include shading so that our pictures looked more ‘3D’.
In History, we learnt how the Roman Empire expanded. We also looked at the uniform worn by Roman legionaries (supplied by the Museum Loans Service) and learnt the Roman names for the different weapons and parts of the uniform. Some of us were lucky enough to try on the Roman uniform and appreciate how heavy the body army was!
As it is half term, there is no Home Practice. However, please try and read every single day as this really helps unlock your learning.
Thank you to everyone who came to Parent’s Evening this week. It was lovely to see you and we hope you enjoyed looking at your child’s work.
We hope you have a peaceful and relaxing holiday and look forward to seeing you all again on Monday 30th October 2023.
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 13th October 2023
Date: 12th Oct 2023 @ 1:22pm
Welcome to your Friday blog.
This week in English, we read the part of the novel where Kensuke meets Michael for the first time, and Kensuke shows his anger and frustration at Michael for lighting a fire. After reading this extract, we planned and wrote a diary account as if we were Kensuke. We attempted to include lots of thoughts, feelings and emotions in our writing rather than just retelling the story. In addition, we also wrote a poem this week which we performed in class – we had great fun writing this!
In Maths, we drew bar charts. We needed to use a scale which was appropriate to the numbers involved as well as accurately draw the bars on the chart. In addition, we interpreted data and solved one-step questions using information in a bar chart.
In PSHE, we recapped the things we have discussed so far to help build our self-esteem, such as: what we are good at, what our friends think we are good at, our achievements and our strengths. We then discussed how it feels if we make a mistake or do something difficult. To help overcome these challenges, we decided which skills we want to develop and explained why.
In Science, we wrote a definition of a habitat and shared examples of different habitats already known to us. We then recapped how animals can only survive in certain habitats.
In French, we started the topic Pets. We revised the French words for some common pets and played some memory games to match the pairs using French vocabulary.
In RE, we started our new topic ‘Called’. We considered our feelings when we are chosen to do something as well as recalling times we have been chosen.
In Geography, we defined a river and discussed its features. In addition, we also made a list of both examples and non-examples of a river.
In Computing, we explored Keynote. We discovered what it could be used for and investigated adding slides, backgrounds and text to our presentations.
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.
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 50’s and 25’s.
For example, start at 0 and count up to 750 and back again
0 50 100 150 etc 750 725 700 etc
For example, start at 0 and down up to 425 and back again
0 25 50 75 etc 425 400 375 etc
Times tables
Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on. 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 timestables.co.uk
It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.
Spellings
Next week’s spellings all have the k sound spelt ch.
ache anchor Christmas school choir
echo scheme chorus chemist chemistry
chemical chaos character chameleon chasm
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A times tables challenge based on the 2, 5 and 10 times tables
- A challenge based on interpreting and solving questions using bar charts, pictograms and tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Thank you to everyone who came along to Parent’s Evening this week. It was lovely to see you and we hope you enjoyed looking at your child’s work.
Have a great weekend
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 6th October 2023
Date: 6th Oct 2023 @ 8:53am
Welcome to your Friday blog.
Another brilliant week of learning in Year 4.
In English, we drew and labelled the island Michael found himself on. We used description from the text and tried to use some of the same vocabulary to help us describe the island in detail. In addition, we looked at the features of a diary in preparation for planning and writing our own diary account.
In Maths, we measured and drew lengths as properties of 2D shapes. We practised measuring lines and sides of shapes, and then compared their lengths including numbers to one decimal place. We did a brilliant job and were really proud of our achievements. Later in the week, we calculated the perimeter of a rectilinear shape including finding the length of missing sides. Our learning was fantastic and we showed an excellent understanding. However, we needed to ensure we added the numbers given accurately!
In RE, we finished our topic about people / families with a beautiful class collective worship led by 4 of the children. We wrote thoughtful responses about what it means to us to be part of God’s family.
In History, we became archaeologists this week! We looked at various Roman artefacts and considered what we thought they were, what they were made of and what it told us about the Romans.
In Science, we reviewed our learning so far. Then, we introduced a new way to group animals – according to whether they are a vertebrate or an invertebrate (vertebrates have a spine, invertebrates do not).To show our understanding, we sorted some animals according to which group they belonged to and explained the difference.
In French, we reviewed how to say how many siblings we have, as well as say the date and our birthdays.
In PE this week, we focussed on chest passes and teamwork skills. We took turns to pass and receive the ball and put these skills into a game of netball.
In PSHE, we learnt to recognise and appreciate our differences. We made a tally of the things we had in common with others in the class and highlighted any differences. It became clear that even though we have a lot of things in common with our friends, we are also all individuals and unique.
In Art, we continued with our topic of telling a story through sketching.
On Friday afternoon we went to church for the Harvest Festival. It was a lovely celebration and reminded us that crops have been gathered from the field. It also enabled us to reflect and show gratitude for the food we enjoy every day. Many thanks for all your generous contributions. These will be taken to a local foodbank.
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.
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 5’s
For example, start at 0 and count up to 60 and back again
0 5 10 15 etc 60 55 50 etc
Notice that the unit is always 5 or 0
For example, start at 8 and count upto 83 and back again
8 13 18 etc 83 78 73 etc
Notice that the unit is always 8 or 3
Times tables
Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Wednesday. 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 timestables.co.uk
It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.
Spellings
Your spellings this week are from the Year 3 / 4 spelling list. You will be tested on them next Wednesday. Please practise them every evening.
appear continue grammar material possible
suppose breadth different group medicine
accident century February pressure surprise
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A times tables challenge based on the 2, 5 and 10 times tables
- A maths challenge calculating the perimeter of rectilinear shapes
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Have a great weekend
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 29th September 2023
Date: 29th Sep 2023 @ 8:25am
Welcome to your Friday Blog
Year 4 have worked hard this week with many children getting on triple gold! What a super achievement!
Our learning this week:
In English, we planned and wrote a letter from Michael to his best friend Eddie. We tried to ensure that our letters were friendly and chatty, included different sentences openers and our ideas followed on from each other. We also extended our learning about co-ordinating conjunctions and practised using them in sentences. In addition, we played 'spelling countdown' to practise our new spellings - see us in action here!
In Maths, we used numberlines to add and subtract numbers when we needed to bridge 10 and 100. In addition, we practised measuring and drawing lengths as properties of 2D shapes.
In RE, we learnt about the wisdom of Solomon and how the Book of Proverbs in the Bible is attributed to him. We then read some proverbs and considered how we could apply them to our everyday lives.
In Geography, we learnt about the importance of the water cycle. We then labelled a diagram to help with our understanding.
In Science, we started the lesson by describing an animal’s key features. In groups, we wrote down what we could see from a picture and then presented our thoughts to the class. We then decided which category the animal belonged to - mammal, fish, bird, reptile or amphibian / carnivore, herbivore or omnivore.
In French, we celebrated ‘European Day of Languages’. We shared any languages we knew, any which we have been learning and any which we would like to learn. We listened to a few languages being spoken, suggested which language it was and worked out what each word meant. We also watched some videos of children speaking in another language.
In PE this week, we continued with our netball skills. We focussed on our chest pass and teamwork skills, and played a game of 'Pepper Pot' which involved us taking turns to pass and receive the ball.
In PSHE, we identified positive things about ourselves and our achievements. After talking to our partner, we walked around the class and shared what we thought our friends' personal achievements / attributes / strengths / skills are. Finally, we shared how this has made us feel and how it feels to be proud.
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.
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 10’s and 100’s
For example, start at 256 and count up to 406 and back again (counting in 10's)
256 266 276 etc 406 396 386 etc
Notice that the ones digit does not change
For example, start at 278 and down up to 1878 and back again (counting in 100's)
278 378 478 etc 1878 1778 1678 etc
Notice that the ones digit and the tens digit do not change
Times tables
Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Wednesday. 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 timestables.co.uk
It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.
Spellings
Your spellings this week are all homophones. You will be tested on them next Wednesday. Please practise them every evening.
main mane piece peace fair fare
plane plain there their they’re
here hear heel heal
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A times tables challenge based on the 3 times tables
- A maths challenge adding and subtracting 10, 100 and 1000 from 4 digit numbers
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 22nd September 2023
Date: 21st Sep 2023 @ 8:54am
Welcome to your Friday blog. We have had a very busy week in Year 4! Here’s what we have been learning:
In English, we continued reading our class novel ‘Kensuke’s Kingdom’. We discussed Michael’s personality and then wrote a character description, attempting to use different sentence openers. In addition, we looked at the features of an informal letter. Next week we will be planning and writing our own letter from Michael to his best friend Eddie Dodds.
In Maths, we practised rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100. We also investigated adding and subtracting 1, 10, 100 and 1000 from 4 digit numbers. This was especially tricky when we needed to bridge the tens and hundreds.
In RE, we heard the story of Esau and Jacob. We discussed their differences and how Jacob managed to get God’s blessing!
In Computing, we refined our symmetrical patterns by accurately rotating, resizing and recolouring different shapes.
In PSHE, we recapped our ground rules and then discussed what we thought ‘self-esteem' meant. After watching a video, we shared and wrote down our ideas about how we can boost our self-esteem. Some suggestions were: be confident in the things you do, keep practising, believe in yourself, be positive, try to achieve new things and don't give up.
In Science, we continued our topic Living Things and their Habitats and learnt how we can group animals in different ways. We recapped the five animal groups and their features: Fish, Mammals, Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds.
In PE, we continued with our netball skills, practising a chest pass and thinking about our footwork. We then applied these skills in a match.
This week in French we used our review sheets to practise responding to key questions: ‘comment ?a va?’, ‘comment tu t’appelles’, ‘comment ?a s’écrit?’, ‘quel âge as-tu?’ and ‘quelle est ta couleur préférée?’. We also started to learn how to say names of family members, for example, brother and sister.
In Art, we had a brief look at the work of Shaun Tan. We also made our own 'scene' and gave it a title. Following this, we practised sketching our scene carefully in our sketch books. Over the coming weeks, we will be exploring how we can create sequenced imagery to share and tell stories. Have a look at us hard at work sketching in the gallery.
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.
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 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 100’s
For example, start at 0 and count up to 1500 and back again
0 100 200 etc 1500 1400 1300 etc
For example, start at 278 and down up to 1878 and back again
278 378 478 etc 1878 1778 1678 etc
Times tables
You should have been given your times table target this week. Please therefore practise your times table in preparation for your test next week. 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 timestables.co.uk
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
It is crucial that you learn all of your table facts as this will help you with many aspects of maths.
Spellings
Next week, our spellings will involve revisiting and revising the possessive apostrophe with singular proper nouns. Therefore, there will be no spellings to learn. Instead, we will practise this spelling rule each day in class. You will be tested on this rule next Wednesday.
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:
- A maths challenge adding and subtracting numbers mentally
- A times tables challenge based on the 5 and 10 times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Have a fabulous weekend
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 15th September 2023
Date: 15th Sep 2023 @ 11:17am
Welcome to your Friday blog. We’ve had a great week in Year 4. We’ve been settling in to our new routines and been working extremely hard.
In English, we listed ideas for and against Michael and his family sailing around the world. We then wrote a balanced argument explaining in more detail arguments for and against the sailing adventure. We tried our best to give detail and use paragraphs.
In Maths, we learnt more about place value to 10 000 using part whole diagrams, and partitioning and recombing numbers. In addition, we built on our learning of decimal tenths and used place value counters to help with our understanding. We also compared whole and decimal numbers using the greater than and less than symbols.
In RE, we learnt about Jesus’ human family and discussed the names we recognised from the Bible. In addition, we read the story of Abraham, the father of a great nation, who trusted God and discussed the reasons for his actions.
In History, we started our Romans topic. We learnt where the Roman Empire started and when.
In Computing, we explored Publisher. We used different shapes to try and make a symmetrical pattern, including rotating, resizing and adding colour to the shapes.
In PSHE, we discussed what makes a person happy. We shared our ideas and then wrote words and illustrated our thoughts in our books. We came up with some lovely ideas including family, friends, compliments, smiles, sports and hobbies. We also discussed as a class what our ground rules should be during the PSHE lessons.
In Science, we started the topic Living Things and their Habitats. The first lesson was learning about the 7 Life Processes: Movement, Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion and Nutrition. We used the acronym MRS GREN to help us remember what these were and explain what each one means.
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.
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 10’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 0 and count up to 120 and back again
0 10 20 etc 120 110 100 etc
For example, start at 157 and count up to 207 and back again
157 167 177 etc 207 197 187 etc
Times tables
You should have been given your times table target this week. Please therefore practise this times table in preparation for your test next week, on Wednesday (20th September 2023). 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 timestables.co.uk
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
Spellings
Here are this week’s spellings. You will be tested on these words next Wednesday.
treasure measure pleasure enclosure closure
displeasure composure leisure exposure disclosure
address appear breadth answer accidentally
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A maths challenge to recognise the place value of each digit in a 4 digit number
- A times tables challenge based on the 2 and 10 times tables
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Thank you for attending our Meet the Teacher meeting on Thursday evening. We have attached the PowerPoint below.
Have a lovely weekend
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 8th September 2023
Date: 8th Sep 2023 @ 12:53pm
Welcome to the first Year 4 Blog of this school year.
We have had a fabulous first week back at school and the children have been settling well into their new routines and been enthusiastic about their learning.
Each week the Year 4 blog will include a brief summary of our learning and the children’s Home Practice to be completed during the week. Home Practice will start next Friday (15th September 2023).
Our learning this week:
In English, we used the front cover of the class novel – Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo - to make predictions about the story. We also met the main characters and read the blurb on the back cover to see if our predictions were correct.
In Maths, we learnt the meaning of ‘place value’ and revised exchanging up and down when we bridge 10 and 100.
We started our first topic in RE – Family. We looked at some family trees and considered how surnames may change through marriage. We then described what our family enjoys doing together and drew a picture.
In Geography, we located the four countries of the United Kingdom and named their capital cities.
In Computing, we discussed the online social environments we might use and described strategies to keep safe on these.
We also had a ‘boxercise’ taster session with Emily on Friday morning. Emily will be running a boxercise club on Friday mornings. This will start next Friday at 8.15am. If your child is interested in joining, please complete the form and send it back to school as soon as possible to guarantee a place.
Your child will have brought a reading book home this week. Please read for at least 15-20 minutes each night – this is the key to success and building up stamina. Books can be brought in and changed on any day of the week.
Year 4's PE lesson will be on a Monday, please ensure your child’s PE kit is in school ready for our first lesson.
Have a lovely weekend – enjoy the sunshine whilst it lasts!
The Year 4 team
Back to School Online Safety Tips for Children
Date: 30th Aug 2023 @ 11:55am
With your children returning to school, it is a great time to review online safety in your homes and make sure we are all up to date with developments in the online world. At St Oswald's, all classes will be beginning their Online Saftety learning where they will learn all about safe practices online in the following areas.
Self image and identitiy
Online relationships
Online bulllying
Health, Well-being and lifestyle
Online reputation
Managing online information
Copyright and ownership
We will blog regularly to keep you updated with developments in the online space, sharing platform guides and links to expert training for you to keep your children safe when exploring the internet. Below you will find a guide on some back to school online safety tips for children.
To access a huge range of information on the National Online Safety website click the link below and join our school online safety hub.You will get access to videos, training and guides to keep you informed of the best practices in keeping your children safe online.
http://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/st-oswald-s-catholic-primary-school-pr45eb
Click to View
Year 4 Blog Thursday 20th July 2023
Date: 20th Jul 2023 @ 11:20am
Welcome to the final blog of this school year!
Year 4 - well done for all your hard work this year and a big thank you to all your families for their help and support.
We hope you have a happy and safe summer holiday.
Keep reading and enjoy spending time with friends and family.
We look forward to seeing you in September – make sure you pop into Year 4 to say hello.
Best wishes
Mrs Tipping, Mrs Dexter and Mrs Wilson
Year 4 Blog Friday 14th July 2023
Date: 13th Jul 2023 @ 12:06pm
Welcome to your Friday blog
In English, we published our non-chronological reports. We are so proud of our finished reports which all look very professional. We then shared these with both Year 3 and Year 5! You can see us sharing our reports here.
In Maths, we learnt how to find out the area of shapes when not all the shapes were whole. In addition, we used pictorial representations such as fraction walls to recognise were more than two fractions are equivalent.
In RE, we learnt more about God’s People. We read the first letter of St John which encourages readers to follow God’s way and offers ideas about how we can become a bit more like God. In addition, we watched a video about the life of St Oswald and researched his life. We then made a collage in our books about the information.
In French, we learnt to play Rock, paper, scissors in French and then we played a hoop hop version outside. Great fun! We also talked about La Fete Nationale or Bastille Day on the 14th July - why and how this is celebrated in France. Then we managed a quick visit to the Tour de France as well.
Mrs Quilliam also wanted to thank us for being such brilliant language learners. She said it has been a pleasure to teach us French and watch us gain confidence as French speakers. We need to keep it up!
In Science, we learnt more about the digestive system. First, we consolidated our learning about the structure and function of each part of the digestive system. Then, we used food, water, orange juice, scissors, a plastic bag and a pair of tights to demonstrate how food is softened, changed, absorbed and finally expelled from the body! This was the best science lesson of the year!! Why not have a look at the pictures!
In Geography, we finished our PowerPoints about climate change and oceans. We are very pleased with our final presentations which are informative and include some hyperlinks and transitions.
In PE, we played a whole class game of cricket which practised our catching and team work skills. We then played a mini football tournament.
This week, we have also watched the Year 6 production of Oliver, been to the drumming showcase and watched Year 6’s sports day! And on Friday, we tried out lots of new and interesting activities at Super Learning Day! What a brilliant week!
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Discuss what you have read with an adult and predict what you think will happen next.
Spellings
Last week we were tested on all the Year 3/4 statutory spelling words. This was the final test of this term.
Over the summer, please try and look over the spelling rules we have learnt throughout the year. You will be able to find the spellings on the Year 4 blogs. In addition, and in preparation for Year 5, please have a look at, and try and learn some of the Year 5/6 statutory spelling words. These have been attached to this blog.
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 25’s
Start at 25 and count up to 325 and back again
25 50 75 100 etc 325 300 275 etc
Times tables
This week was the last times tables test of this half term. Please do your best to keep practising your tables over the summer holidays as it is very easy to forget them! Challenge yourself to have a go at your division facts too.
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:
- A revision challenge based on finding multiples of 10, 100 and 1000 more or less than a number
- A times table challenge
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 7th July 2023
Date: 7th Jul 2023 @ 1:05pm
Welcome to your Friday blog.
In English, we wrote, proof read and edited our non-chronological reports. We will be publishing these and sharing them with other classes next week,
In Maths, we consolidated our area learning by counting squares in groups.
As this week has been art week, we spent a considerable amount of time experimenting with different art styles which follow rules. We made our own rules and resolutions, and then chose a style we especially liked to create our final piece. These will be framed and sold at the summer fair! You can see us experimenting here.
In French, we concentrated on phonics - the sounds are different in French. We went on a treasure hunt to find words and grouped them according to the sounds in the words. We made sure we could read them all. Then we used bilingual dictionaries to find more words with the same sounds. The children's ability to pronounce unknown words correctly is really good - I am proud to be handing them on to the next French teacher! We also managed to watch a few highlights of the Tour de France.
In PE, we played a whole class game of cricket which practised our catching and team work skills.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Discuss what you have read with an adult and predict what you think will happen next.
Spellings
This week we were tested on all the Year 3/4 statutory spelling words. This was the final test of this term.
Over the summer, please try and look over the spelling rules we have learnt throughout the year. You will be able to find the spellings on the Year 4 blogs. In addition, and in preparation for Year 5, please have a look at, and try and learn some of the Year 5/6 statutory spelling words. These have been attached to this blog.
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 9’s
Start at 9 and count up to 108 and back again
9 18 27 etc 108 99 90 etc
Times tables
Next week will be the final tables test of this term. You should either practise your own individual target or division by 6.
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:
- A challenge based on addition to 3 digit numbers
- A division challenge
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 30th June 2023
Date: 30th Jun 2023 @ 12:48pm
Welcome to your Friday blog.
On Monday, we had a visit from Ian Bland who is a children’s poet from Lancashire. Following a workshop, we all wrote a ‘Kenning’ – Kennings were first used in Anglo-Saxon and Norse poetry. We performed the Kennings to our class and some of us also performed them in the whole school assembly at the end of the day. We had a brilliant day and enjoyed both writing and performing our poetry.
In other English lessons this week, we looked in detail at different non-chronological reports and identified the features of these. We then chose our own topics and planned our own non-chronological reports using a spider diagram. We have started to write our reports and will finish these next week!
In Maths, we learnt how to convert between metres and kilometres. In addition, we learnt how to find area by counting squares in groups (making a connection between multiplication and arrays).
In RE, we completed our topic about ‘Building Bridges’ with a beautiful class collective worship led by some of the children. We also learnt about Islam and the importance of the Qur’an.
In French, we learnt how to ask for an ice cream in a shop. Then we described some aliens, remembering to put the words in the right order and make the adjectives agree with their noun.
In Science, we learnt about the structure and function of each part of the digestive system and tried to draw a life size version of our own. You can see some of us modelling our digestive systems here - there were some interesting variations!
In Art, we created a sensory picture using pencils and needles. Have a look at some of our designs!
In PE, we practised our net and wall skills during a tennis session, and our throwing and catching skills in a game of rounders. Unfortunately, we were rained off after about 45 minutes!
On Thursday afternoon, we also attended church for St Peter and Paul’s Feast Day Mass.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Look at all the different types of punctuation you can find.
Spellings
Next week we will be tested on the Year 3/4 statutory spelling words. We will be practising a few of these each day in class. The words have also been attached, so that you can have a practise at home!
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 7’s
Start at 7 and count up to 84 and back again
7 14 21 etc 84 77 70 etc
Times tables
You will be tested on all your times tables next week. Please therefore keep practising your times tables, especially those which you find tricky!
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on some of the spellings Year 3/4 spellings
- A challenge based on area of rectilinear shapes
- A times tables challenge based on all the times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 23rd June 2023
Date: 23rd Jun 2023 @ 1:25pm
Welcome to your Friday blog.
In English, we planned and wrote a letter from Ashley (the main character) to his father, following Ashley’s departure from the village. Following this, we proof read and edited our work in pairs. We enjoyed doing this outside - you can see some pictures here.
In Maths, we learnt how to accurately measure and draw lengths, converting between cm and mm. We then extended this learning to measure and draw lengths which included numbers up to 2 decimal places (converting between metres and centimetres). You can see some pictures of us measuring accurately outside here.
In RE, we wrote prayers to the Holy Spirit asking for help when we feel we have broken a bridge of friendship. We also read part of Paul’s letter to the Colossians and explained how his words can help us to build bridges in our everyday lives.
In French, we learnt how to say 6 ice cream flavours and give our opinion of them - either I love, I like, I don't like or I hate.... We looked at the phonic sounds in 'vanille' and 'menthe' and added actions to help us remember how to pronounce these words. Then we revised the position of adjectives relative to the noun and how to make them match their noun eg blue eyes = les yeux bleus. We're ready to have a go at describing an alien next week!
In Science, we looked at the results of the investigation we set up last week – eggs had been left to soak in different liquids. We carefully examined any damage which had been done to the egg and then described how the egg shell had changed. We then decided which liquid had done the most damage to the egg shell and which had done the least! We were shocked by the results!
In PSHE, we finished our living in the wider world topic by writing a pledge which outlined a change we could make in our everyday lives, and demonstrated how we care and have concern for others.
In Outdoor Learning, we built our very own dens. You can see how creative we were here!
This week we also took part in our 3rd Yoga session on Monday morning and Tough Kidder on Friday afternoon. In addition, we had a fantastic sports day on Wednesday afternoon - many thanks to everyone who came and supported us!
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Discuss what you have read with someone at home.
Spellings
Here are this week’s spellings. You will be tested on these words next Friday (30th June 2023).
happily prettily easily sleepily greedily
clumsily angrily lazily gently simply
humbly nobly basically frantically dramatically
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 5’s
Start at 5 and count up to 150 and back again
5 10 15 etc 150 145 140 etc
Start at 29 and count 134 and back again
29 34 39 134 129 124 etc
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (28th June 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A challenge to revise place value in 4 digit numbers
- A times tables challenge based on all the times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog - Friday 16th June 2023
Date: 16th Jun 2023 @ 8:52am
Year 4 Blog
Friday 16th June 2023
Welcome to your Friday blog.
In English, we continued reading our class novel. We described the main character’s feelings after a bomb had landed on his house and tried to include lots of thoughts and feelings.
In Maths, we learnt how to answer questions using line graphs. Line graphs are used to represent continuous data, for example, the height of an air balloon over an hour’s journey. Following this, we deepened our understanding by drawing a line graph from given data.
In RE, we considered how we try to build bridges towards one another every day and ‘examine our conscience’. We reflected on how we feel when we have done something wrong, and ways in which saying sorry might be expressed in our daily lives.
In Geography, we created information leaflets about climate change and its impact on the Great Barrier Reef. We tried to include lots of information about the location of the Great Barrier Reef, what it actually is and how it is changing due to climate change. We shared our leaflets with Year 3 and Year 5 on Friday afternoon and they were very impressed!
In French, we described the Picasso-style face that we drew last week. Then we moved onto learn all the nouns for parts of the body, noticing whether they are masculine or feminine.
In Science, we started a new topic about Teeth and Digestion. We began by learning that we have different shapes of teeth for different jobs, and that our mouth is the first part of our digestive system. Then we discussed how teeth and gums have to be cared for to keep them healthy. We set up an investigation to check what happens to eggs when they are left to soak in different liquids for a week. (Eggs and teeth both contain calcium so we can use egg shells as a model for teeth.) This would happen to our teeth if we don’t keep them clean! Let’s see which egg has the most damage next week!
In PSHE, we explained how everyday choices can affect the environment. We were given different scenarios and made suggestions as to how plastic pollution could be reduced.
In outdoor learning, we found our favourite stick and then decorated it using natural items, string, wool and pipe cleaners. We then described the special power or use that our stick had! You can see our sticks here.
On Thursday, we also enjoyed taking part in the ‘Dance from the Heart’ roadshow.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Discuss what you have read with someone at home.
Spellings
Here are this week’s spellings. You will be tested on these words next Friday (23rd June 2023).
interrelated interview intercom intermittent
superglue superpower superintendent supernatural
anti-aircraft antiperspirant antifreeze antibacterial
autopilot automatic autobiography
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 100’s
Start at 350 and count up to 1850 and back again
350 450 550 etc 1850 1750 1650 etc
Start at 657 and count upto 2357 and back again
657 757 857 2357 2257 2157 etc
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (21st June 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A challenge based on line graphs and line plots
- A times tables challenge based on the 2, 4 and 8 times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
Enjoy a lovely sunny weekend!
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog - Friday 9th June 2023
Date: 9th Jun 2023 @ 8:58am
Year 4 Blog
Friday 9th June 2023
Welcome to your Friday blog. We have had a fantastic first week back and it has been lovely to enjoy the sunny weather outside.
In English, we started our new class novel, King of the Cloud Forest by Michael Morpurgo. We looked carefully at different covers of the book and then made predictions about what we thought the book would be about. We also wrote questions about a chapter for our partner to answer.
In Maths, we played ‘Times Tables Masters’ – you can see us in actions here. We also consolidated our knowledge of 2D shape and learnt about diagonals. In addition, we learnt how to describe and plot coordinates, complete a polygon on a coordinate grid, and describe movements on a coordinate grid as translations.
Translation is simply moving a point – it does not change its appearance in any other way.
In RE, we started our new topic – building bridges. We considered how friendship is like a bridge between people – it needs to be strengthened, maintained or repaired.
In French, we practised listening for certain words within a dialogue. Then we looked at some faces painted by Picasso and had a go at drawing a Picasso-style face. Next week, we will describe it in French.
In PE, we practised our athletic skills in preparation for sports day!
In Art, we painted our illuminated letters. We are very proud of them.
As the weather has been so beautiful this week, we also went outdoors and designed our own obstacle courses. We showed great teamwork and used lots of natural items to create some very ingenious courses. You can see some pictures here.
This week, we have also been lucky enough to try out yoga and boxercise.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Discuss what you have read with someone at home.
Spellings
Here are this week’s spellings. You will be tested on these words next Friday (16th June 2023).
unfortunate unlikely unbelievable disagree disappear
dishonest independent inaccurate inactive recreate
revisit redo submerge submarine subway
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 10’s
Start at 150 and count up to 310 and back again
150 160 170 etc 310 300 290 etc
Start at 53 and count upto 233 and back again
53 63 73 233 223 213 etc
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (14th June 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A challenge based on describing positions on a coordinate grid
- A times tables challenge based on the 6 and 12 times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
Have a brilliant sunny weekend - make sure you go outside and do something you enjoy.
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Friday 26th May 2023
Date: 26th May 2023 @ 3:50pm
Year 4 Blog
Friday 26th May 2023
Welcome to the final blog of this half term. We have worked hard over the past 5 weeks and are ready for a rest before the Summer Term continues. Here is a summary of our learning this week:
In English, we wrote our own powerful descriptions of the grotto of the fire fiend. We tried to use noun phrases and ambitious vocabulary in our writing. We also investigated the features of an instructional text and then wrote our own set of instructions about how to make a firework. We made up our own name for the firework, as well as some wild and wacky ingredients - we hoped it would be a firework Lila (from the novel) would be proud of.
In Maths, we named and learnt the properties of different quadrilaterals. We discussed their sides and angles and tried to include the words perpendicular, next to and parallel as appropriate. We also used geoboards to make different quadrilaterals and then drew them in our books.
We also practised our tables outside playing ‘Times Tables Masters’. Have a look at some pictures of us enjoying our learning in the sunshine.
In RE, we finished our topic ‘New Life’ with a ‘Respond’ led by 4 children. We reflected on our learning from the topic and considered how we could spread the Good News at school and at home.
In French, we recapped the parts of the face that we learnt last week then showed that we understood the vocabulary by reading some descriptions of faces in French and drawing to match.
In Science, we learnt about the volume of sound and how volume is affected by the distance from the sound source. We related it to practical examples from our lives, for example, the ice cream van sounds louder when it gets closer!
In PE, we practised our net / wall skills. First, we tried bouncing a tennis ball gently on our tennis rackets. Then we practised returning the ball to our partner. Take a look at us in action!
In Geography, we created our PowerPoints highlighting the impact of climate change on our local environment. We made ensure they were informative, bright and colourful and include geographical vocabulary.
In PSHE, we started our new topic by posing the question - How can our choices make a difference to others and the environment? We watched a short film about ocean plastic pollution and the effect on our world environment. Then we defined single use, limited use and extended use plastic. Finally, we placed different plastics into these different categories
As it is half term, there is no Home Practice. However, please try and
- read every single day as this really helps to unlock your learning
- practise your times tables and number bonds
You can practise times tables and number bonds using Hit the Button / timestables.co.uk and White Rose 1 Minute maths.
We hope you have a great half term break and look forward to seeing you again on Monday 5th June 2023.
The Year 4 Team
Date: 23rd May 2023 @ 12:10pm
We have noticed a growing number of children from all classes accessing this platform and so here is a guide on how to use the platform, including what potential risks come with allowing your children on Roblox.
Below you will find a link to join the National Online Safety platform and gain free access to a huge range of videos, resources and support, incuding filtering and the best ways to monitor your child's online activity.
http://nationalonlinesafety.com/enrol/st-oswald-s-catholic-primar-school-pr45eb
Year 4 Blog - Friday 19th May 2023
Date: 19th May 2023 @ 1:18pm
Year 4 Blog
Friday 19th May 2023
We have had a very busy week in Year 4! Here’s a brief overview of what we have been learning:
In English, we continued to explore noun phrases and tried to write our own which also included a prepositional phrase. In order to write an expanded noun phrase we:
- Chose a noun - for example, cookie
- Added a determiner - The cookie
- Chose 2 adjectives - The tasty, crumbly cookie
- Included a prepositional phrase - The tasty, crumbly cookie with the marshmallow pieces
- Finished the sentence - The tasty, crumbly cookie with the marshmallow pieces fell on the floor.
Next week we hope to include some noun phases / expanded noun phrases in our writing.
In Maths, we compared and ordered angles. We also identified vertical and horizontal lines of symmetry in shapes, completed symmetrical figures and named and identified the 3 different types triangle.
In RE, we listened to the story of Paul and discussed how he changed. Following this, we learnt about some of the places Paul visited to spread the Good News, and how the Holy Spirit gave Paul new life and happiness.
In French, we practised spelling number words to 12 using our phonics to help. Then we moved on to learning the vocabulary for parts of the face.
In PE, we took part in some athletic activities in preparation for our sports day.
In Science, we experimented with our home-made string telephones. We investigated how they worked, how the sound travelled and what stopped the telephone from working. We also tried to make improvements if needed. Well done Year 4 – you can see some pictures of our science investigation here.
This week we also attended the parish mass on Monday morning. Following this, we enjoyed juice and cake in the school hall as part of our First Holy Communion Celebrations. You can see some pictures here. In addition, we attended the Ascension Day Mass on Thursday afternoon.
The CEO of the Foxton Centre in Preston also visited on Friday morning. He gave us a very interesting talk about how they help the homeless community of Preston.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Please discuss what you have read with the person who has listened to you read.
Spellings
Next week our spellings are all homophones – words which sound the same but are spelt differently. You will be tested on these words next Friday. (26th May 2023).
The words are:
weather whether who's whose medal meddle
missed mist there their they're
aloud allowed groan grown
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 11’s
Start at 0 and count up to 132 and back again
0 11 22 etc 132 121 110 etc
Start at 20 and count up to 141 and back again
20 31 42 etc 141 130 119 etc
(TIPS - When counting up, add on 10 and then add another 1
When counting down, subtract 10 and then take away another 1)
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (24th May 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Please also practise the ‘Multiplication Tables Check’ on timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A symmetry challenge
- A times tables challenge based on the 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog - Friday 12th May 2023
Date: 12th May 2023 @ 12:46pm
Year 4 Blog
Friday 12th May 2023
Another very busy week in Year 4! Here’s a brief overview of what we have been learning:
In English, we investigated contrasting settings. We read two descriptions of the grotto of the fire fiend and considered how the words and phrases described the setting. We also explored noun phrases and had great fun writing sentences which included interesting adjectives.
In Maths, we subtracted two numbers with one decimal place using the formal written method. We needed to be confident with our number facts and this is something which some of us need to practise a little bit more. We also started our new topic - 2d shape. We started by identifying acute and obtuse angles and understanding what these words meant. (An acute angle is less than a right angle. An obtuse angle is larger than a right angle, but less than a straight line.)
In RE, we learnt how the Holy Spirit gave courage to Peter and John. We hot seated Peter and John, and this helped us to understand how the Holy Spirit confirmed their faith in Jesus and gave them the courage they needed to speak out about the Good New, even when they were threatened.
In French, we produced the grand finale of our Matisse project. We described our picture in French, remembering to put the adjectives after the nouns and make them agree. (A feminine noun needs a feminine form of the adjective etc). Well done Y4 - these will be on display now to show everyone your amazing French!
In PE, we continued with our striking and fielding topic. We learnt how to bat off a tee and then played mini games of ‘cricket’ which involved all the players on the batting team running and all the fielders throwing and catching to each other. This ensured everyone was actively involved in the game.
We also perfected our hymns and words for the parent assembly. We all worked really hard to make sure we could be heard clearly, didn’t rush when we were speaking and knew exactly when we needed to speak. Well done to everyone in Year 4 you were fantastic.
Thank you also to everyone who came to our Parent Assembly, we hope you enjoyed it.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Look carefully at any descriptions – what makes them descriptive? Can you use any of the words in your own writing?
Spellings
Next week we will be revising apostrophes for possession, including singular and plural, therefore there will be no words to learn. We will be practising this each day in class and you will be tested on this rule next Friday. (19th May 2023).
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 9’s
Start at 0 and count up to 108 and back again
0 9 18 etc 108 99 90 etc
Start at 20 and count up to 146 and back again
20 29 38 47 146 137 128 119 etc
(TIPS - When counting up, add on 10 and take one away
When counting down, subtract 10 and add one back on)
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (17th May 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Please also practise the ‘Multiplication Tables Check’ on timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:
- An acute and obtuse angles challenge, including comparing and ordering angles
- A times tables challenge based on all the times tables
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
AS YOU ONLY HAVE 2 SUMDOG CHALLENGES THIS WEEK, PLEASE TAKE SOME MORE TIME TO PRACTISE YOUR TABLES !
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
The Year 4 Team
We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy your First Holy Communion Celebrations.
Year 4 Blog - Friday 5th May 2023
Date: 5th May 2023 @ 3:39pm
Year 4 Blog
Friday 5th May 2023
We have only been in school for 4 days, but we have been very busy! Here’s a brief outline of what we have been learning:
In English, we wrote our ideas for our parent assembly. We then practised performing our songs and readings. We tried hard to put expression into our reading - speaking slowly and clearly - and at a volume which could be heard by the audience. This week, we also worked hard on our handwriting, making sure that anything that we wrote looked beautiful on the page.
In Maths, we practised counting on to find a difference – this method was most efficient when the numbers in the calculation were close to a multiple of 10 or 100. In addition, we consolidated our knowledge of column addition – adding more than 2 numbers together with up to 4 digits, and 2 numbers with one decimal place.
In RE, we learnt about Pentecost. We listened to an account of the coming of the Holy Spirit, and to another when Peter addressed the crowd and discussed the effect of the Holy Spirit on people’s lives. We also looked in detail at a picture depicting Pentecost and described the people, symbols and colours we could see.
In French, in made a collage in the style of Matisse and began to describe our pictures. There are some beautiful pictures and a great start to the descriptions. Magnifique, Year 4!
In PE, we practised our throwing and catching skills again and then played a game which involved batters and fielders. Well done Year 4 – our overarm throwing and catching is certainly improving.
In Science, we investigated the link between the pitch made by musical instruments and their features. They described the patterns they found such as the thicker the guitar string, the lower the pitch. For next week, please make a string telephone. A sheet of instructions is provided. Ask someone at home to help you and remember to thank them for their time and assistance.
In PSHE, we talked about self-control and how as we are growing up, we need to be more mindful of our actions and the things that we say.
In Art, we finished our pictures for our parent assembly. These look beautiful and we are looking forward to sharing these with you at the assembly.
We also enjoyed celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III. We all dressed in red, white and blue and went onto the field for a picnic. You can see some pictures of us enjoying ourselves here.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Look carefully at any descriptions and see if you can identify any noun phrases.
Spellings
Here are this week’s spellings. You will be tested on these words next Friday (12th May 2023).
centre probably separate library occasionally
peculiar straight remember possible question
famous difficult increase interest ordinary
Counting
This week, please practise counting in 10’s
Start at 76 and count up to 256 and back again
76 86 96 etc 256 246 236 etc
Start at 32.5 and count up to 152.5 and back again
32.5 33.5 35.5 152.5 142.5 132.5 etc
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (10th May 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Please also practise the ‘Multiplication Tables Check’ on timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A times tables challenge based on the 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables
- A column addition and subtraction challenge
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
Enjoy the Coronation and the Bank Holiday weekend.
The Year 4 Team
PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING IN YOUR STRING TELEPHONE NEXT THURSDAY
Year 4 Blog Friday 28th April 2023
Date: 28th Apr 2023 @ 4:00pm
Year 4 Blog
Friday 28th April 2023
Welcome to the first blog of the Summer Term. It has been lovely to see everyone again this week and although it’s been a little bit chilly the sun has been shining a little bit! Here’s what we have been learning this week:
In English, we learnt how to identify, select and effectively use pronouns. We also wrote a description of the water goddess and the ‘Ceremony of the Full Moon’ using our senses and vocabulary from the novel.
In Maths, we learnt how to find fractions of numbers using a bar model split into equal parts. We used counters to share an amount equally and then found unit (eg 1/3 1/4 1/5) and non-unit (eg 2/3 ¾ 2/5) amounts. Following this, we used bar modelling to help add and subtract fractions with the same denominator.
In RE, we started our new topic – New Life. We listened to a story and then talked about our own experiences of feeling a bit miserable or something upsetting us, and then something happened which brightened our day and made us feel alive. We also considered what we learnt from the experience and how good news changed the way we felt.
In French, we learnt lots of different ways of spelling the 'ay' sound which I thought was difficult, but the children proved me wrong! Then we looked again some artwork by Matisse and described them. Some children excelled themselves - super French writing Y4! Next week, we'll make our own picture in the style of Matisse.
In PE, we started our striking and fielding topic. We started by practising throwing and catching both underarm and overarm and the played a mini game similar to cricket. We will be developing our fielding and batting skills over the coming weeks!
In Science, we carried out a practical experiment around the school to help us recognise that vibrations from sounds travel through a medium to the ear. We were surprised to find out that sound travels best through a solid, then a liquid and then a gas! Look at some of our experiments here.
In Geography, we recapped some of our findings from the Formby trip. We will be creating a PowerPoint to highlight the impact of climate change on our local coastline. This is a work in progress and will take a few weeks to complete.
In PSHE, we described how someone could respond to, and manage feelings in different circumstances. We read different scenarios and discussed how the main character might be feeling and what they might do and say at the time. Finally, we thought about who the character could talk to after the situation. This was an interesting and thought-provoking discussion – well done Year 4.
In Art, we painted some pictures for our parent assembly.
Have a look at our Summer Term Class Overview to see what else we will be learning this term.
Home Practice
Reading
Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening. Look out for speech marks and pronouns when you are reading. Look carefully at the punctuation used with inverted commas and think carefully about what noun the pronoun has replaced.
Spellings
Here are this week’s spellings. You will be tested on these words next Friday (5th May 2023).
corrode corrosion intrude intrusion
conclude conclusion comprehend comprehension
suspend suspension decide decision
erode erosion expand expansion
Counting
This week, please practise counting in fractions
Start at ½ and count up to 10 and back again
½ 1 1 ½ etc 10 9 ½ 9 etc
Start at 1/3 and count up to 4 and back again
1/3 2/3 1 1 1/3 4 3 2/3 3 1/3 3 etc
Times tables
You will be tested on your tables target next Wednesday (3rd May 2023). Please practise every day. Remember you can practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk
Please also practise the ‘Multiplication Tables Check’ on timestables.co.uk
Sumdog challenges
You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:
- A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
- A times tables challenge based on all the tables
AND a class competition based on adding and subtracting fractions – have fun!
Please make sure you log on and have a go! Little and often is the key to success!
Another app for practising tables and number facts is One Minute Maths from White Rose. It is free to download from the AppStore and PlayStore. There are lots of excellent games you can play which will help you brush up your mental maths skills. Please do your best to access this fabulous free resource! Knowing your tables and number facts off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.
Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend
The Year 4 Team
Year 4 Blog Thursday 6th April 2023
Date: 6th Apr 2023 @ 8:21am
Happy Easter and Happy Easter Holiday
We have had a fantastic last week of term in Year 4. The sunshine on Monday and Tuesday really helped too!
Here is a brief overview of this week’s learning:
In English, we revised the rules for writing dialogue. We then discussed different words for ‘said’ and how Lila and the chief pirate (Rambashi) might speak. Following this, we write a scene which included dialogue between these two characters.
In Maths, we practised our mental addition and subtraction skills. We learnt and refined the strategies of bridging through 10, and compensating using a number line.
In RE, we learnt more about Holy Week and completed a beautiful piece of work in our books which showed our understanding of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We also took part in a class worship which was led by some of the children in Year 4.
In DT, we finished our sewing projects. We also evaluated our creations, describing what we felt went well, what didn’t go so well, and whether the product was fit for purpose. You can see some pictures of our finished items here.
On Tuesday afternoon, we also took part in an Easter Liturgy in church which was led by Year 6.
Well done for all your hard work this term Year 4. We hope you have a lovely Easter Holiday - make sure you enjoy yourselves and spend time having fun with your friends and families.
We look forward to seeing you again on Monday 24th April 2023 in your summer uniforms.
Please remember to keep reading over the holiday!
The Year 4 Team.