Year 4: Blog items

Year 4 Blog Friday 20th January 2023

Date: 20th Jan 2023 @ 3:46pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 20^th January 2023

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here is a summary of our learning this week:

In English, we continued reading our class novel, The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. We used ideas and vocabulary from the story to write our own diary account.  In addition, we learnt more about verbs and adverbs and how choosing words carefully can really enhance our writing.

In Maths, we learnt more about time. We read time on both an analogue and a digital clock to the nearest minute.  We also learnt how to tell the time on a 24- hour clock, as well as converting between analogue, digital, and 12 and 24 hour clocks.  As highlighted last week, time is a tricky concept and needs lots of practice.  Why not ask someone at home to help you tell the time – you might find this resource helpful if you want to practise at home.

In RE, we learnt about the local parish and church.  We discussed the name of the parish and activities in the church which spread the Good News. We also considered how the school and parish link up and why the local parish community is important. 

In Science, we began a new topic about States of Matter by looking at the properties of solids, liquids and gases. We then classified a range of items using a Venn diagram, explaining why we knew, for example, that shampoo was a liquid. There was a lot of really good discussion using the new vocabulary. 

In PE, we continued with our swimming lessons. We are becoming more confident in the water, and much faster at getting changed and remembering to organise our clothes in our lockers!

In History, we started our new topic about the Anglo-Saxons.  To begin with, we learnt who the Anglo-Saxons were, where they came from and why they came to England.

To celebrate Chinese New Year which falls on Sunday 22^nd January, we had a visitor who came in to tell us about life in China. Our visitor (James) taught us a few words in Cantonese and how to count to 10. He also answered lots of questions about his time living in China. 

In PSHE we discussed our rights and responsibilities. Rights are the basic things that we are all entitled to – such as freedom, equality and the right to be treated fairly.  However, for each right, there is a responsibility placed on us.  For example, although we have the right to education, we also have a responsibility to work hard and do our best in school.

Home Practice

Reading

Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening.  Focus on fluency and understanding. If you find any new words, make sure you find out what they mean – write them in your reading diary and try and use them in your own writing.  

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 2’s and 20’s.  

For example, start at 184 and count up to 210 and back again

184   186   188  etc                   210   208   206   etc

Now have a go at counting in 20’s

Start at 240 and count up to 360 and back again

240   260   280 et                     360   340   320  etc

Times tables

You should know your individual tables target.  These will be tested next Wednesday (25^th January 2023). 

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk

Spellings

This week’s spellings are all homophones.

scene           seen            mail             male             bawl

ball              waist           waste          guest           guessed

new              knew            to                two              too    

These spellings will be tested next Friday (27^th January 2023).

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 time challenge – estimating time and reading analogue and digital clocks

Please make sure you log on and have a go!  Little and often is the key to success!

Please keep practising your times tables as much as you can.  Knowing your tables off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.

Using Hit the Button can also help you practise your number bonds.  Please have a go at brushing up your number bond skills, so that you can recall them quickly and accurately.

Have a relaxing weekend

The Year 4 Team

Year 4 Blog Friday 13th January 2023

Date: 13th Jan 2023 @ 12:53pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 13^th January 2023

Welcome to this week’s blog. Here is a summary of our learning this week:

In English, we started our new novel, The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo. We began by exploring the pictures on the cover, reading the blurb and looking inside the book. We found many similarities between this novel, Kensuke’s Kingdom, and other books we have read by Michael Morpurgo (for example, Toro Toro and the Butterfly Lion).  We also collected words and phrases to describe Lily, the main character, and then wrote a character description.

In Maths, we learnt more about division.  We consolidated the chunking method and also learnt how to record a remainder.  In addition, we investigated dividing numbers by 10 and completed some word problems. We also started our time topic. Time is a tricky concept and needs lots of practice.  Why not ask someone at home to help you tell the time – you might find this resource helpful if you want to practise at home.

In PE, we started swimming lessons.  Our first week went very well - we are looking forward to building our stamina and becoming more confident in the water over the coming weeks.

In French, we revisited all our learning from September to remind us what we have learnt. We know all the singular parts of the verb etre and how to make an adjective feminine if necessary. We looked at how to pronounce words with an and en in them and practised listening and reading in French

In RE, we started our new topic ‘Community’.  We discussed the different communities we belong to, as well as the advantages and demands of being part of a community.  Following this, we considered how the apostles felt when Jesus chose them to help him in his work.

In PSHE we started our ‘respect’ topic.  We considered how people’s behaviour affects us, and others, including online.

We also completed our DT project this week. This involved:

• sketching, labelling and annotating our design
• making the model, including the circuit and switch
• evaluating our final product

You can see some pictures of our finished models here.

Home Practice

Reading

Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening.  Focus on fluency and understanding, taking notice of punctuation. Remember to discuss the story with an adult.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 7’s.  

For example, start at 0 and count up to 84 and back again

0   7  14  21  etc                        84   77   70   etc

Now have a go at counting in 8’s

Times tables

You should know your individual tables target.  These will be tested next Wednesday (18^th January 2023). 

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk

Spellings

This week’s spellings all have the ending -ture.

mixture       capture        feature        moisture      adventure

nature         picture        vulture         future         torture

sculpture     creature      fracture      furniture     temperature

These spellings will be tested next Friday (20^th January 2023).

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 7 times tables
• A time challenge – telling the time on digital and analogue clocks

Please make sure you log on and have a go!  Little and often is the key to success!

Please keep practising your times tables as much as you can.  Knowing your tables off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.

Using Hit the Button can also help you practise your number bonds.  Please have a go at brushing up your number bond skills, so that you can recall them quickly and accurately.

Have a super weekend

The Year 4 Team

Year 4 Blog - Friday 6th January 2023

Date: 6th Jan 2023 @ 1:00pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 6^th January 2023

Welcome to the first blog of 2023 – it has been lovely to see everyone again this week. We’ve only been back 3 days, but what a busy 3 days we’ve had!

In English, we tried to use lots of different sentences (simple, compound and complex) in our writing.  We wrote about our first day back after the Christmas holidays and all the strange things that had happened in our classroom and to the teachers. 

In Maths, we started our new topic – division.  First, we used our knowledge of place value and multiplication facts to divide larger numbers (eg 540 ÷ 6).  Following this, we divided 2-digit numbers using the chunking method when there was no remainder.  Many of us found this tricky, but knowing our table facts really helped.

In PE, we practised our dodgeball and bench ball skills, as well as working as a team. Have a look at us in action! Remember, next week we will start swimming lessons on a Wednesday afternoon!

In Science, we made and tested a circuit. Following this, we made and evaluated switches.  We needed to have a good understanding of which materials conducted electricity and how a switch worked. You can see some of our switches here.

In Geography, we created a double page spread about the causes and impact of climate change along with ideas about how we can stop or limit climate change.  In addition, we carried out an experiment to see the effect of climate change on glaciers. You can see some pictures here.

Home Practice

Reading

Please read out loud to somebody for 20 minutes each evening.  Make sure you discuss the story and predict what you think will happen next.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 4’s and 8’s.  

For example, start at 0 and count up to 48 and back again

0   4  8  12  etc                         48   44   40   etc

Now have a go at counting in 8’s

Start at 0 and count to 96 and back again

0   8   16   24   etc                     96   88    80  etc                      

Times tables

You should know your individual tables target.  These will be tested next Wednesday (11^th January 2023). 

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk

Spellings

This week’s spellings all have the g sound, but it is spelt gu.

guide           guitar          guard           guest           guardian

guess           guilt            guinea          guile            guarantee

guilty           guild            guitarist      guillotine      guaranteed

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A times tables challenge based on 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!

As you have only been given 2 Sumdog challenges, please practise your times tables as much as you can.  Knowing your tables off by heart is crucial and will help you in many different areas of maths.

Using Hit the Button can also help you practise your number bonds.  Please have a go at brushing up your number bond skills, so that you can recall them quickly and accurately.

Have a super weekend

The Year 4 Team

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

Year 4 Blog Friday 16th December 2022

Date: 20th Dec 2022 @ 7:52am

Year 4 Blog

Friday 16^th December 2022

We've had a lovely last week of term in Year 4 with lots of Christmas activities.

On Monday, we were entertained by All Hallow’s who performed a musical showcase. During the week, we also enjoyed: exchanging cards during the 'Grand Christmas Post', wearing our Christmas jumpers and eating a delicious Christmas lunch. On Thursday afternoon, we took part in a Christingle service in church which reminded us that Jesus is the light of the world.

In addition, this week we also made Christmas cards and calendars, created a podcast in computing and learnt more about Antarctica and the Arctic Circle, including their similarities and differences. We are certainly ready for a rest!

Well done for all your hard work Year 4 - have a happy and relaxing Christmas and New Year.  We look forward to seeing your bright, smiley faces again on Wednesday 4^th January 2023.

Have a lovely Christmas break.

The Year 4 Team.

Year 4 Blog Friday 9th December 2022

Date: 9th Dec 2022 @ 4:10pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 9^th December 2022

We have had another great week in Year 4.

In English, we imagined we were the owner of a restaurant and designed a menu specifically for the Iron Man who loves eating metal.  We included alliteration in the titles of the dishes along with a description which used lots of adjectives and mouth-watering phrases! In addition, we were introduced to the Space-Bat-Angel-Dragon.  We used evidence from the text to write a detailed character description which included similes.

In Maths, we finished our multiplication topic by consolidating the different strategies we have learnt and using bar models to help solve word problems. Many of us found this tricky but we persevered.  

In RE, we continued our ‘Gift’ topic. We learnt that God sent Jesus as a gift for everyone, and were introduced to the prophet Isaiah who was waiting for the coming of the Messiah.  In addition, we learnt about the third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday.

In French, we described the jumper that we designed last week using a conjunction to extend the sentence and including a negative sentence. They look great! Fantastique, Y4.

In PE, as part of our invasion games unit, we practised our hockey skills. We practised the skills of stopping the ball, turning and then pushing the ball to our partner. Following this, we played a mini tournament. 

This week, we have also painted Christmas trees in the style of Monet and enjoyed listening to the drumming showcase on Thursday afternoon. We were all very impressed with the drummers and some of us now feel inspired to have a go at drumming ourselves! 

Home Practice

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and predict what you think will happen next.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 0.1’s and 12’s.  

For example, start at 0.6 and count up to 2.3 and back again

0.6   0.7   0.8     etc                            2.3   2.2   2.1   etc

Now have a go at counting in 12’s

Start at 0 and count to 144 and back again

0   12   24   36   etc                             144   132   120  etc                      

Times tables

As we have had a tables test on all tables this week, we will not have a tables test next week. However, you should know your individual tables target and these will be tested after Christmas. 

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk

Spellings

This week, the children have worked extremely hard on their spellings as they have also been tested on all the words on the Year 3/4 Spelling list.  Therefore, there will be no spellings to learn for next week.

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:

• A times tables challenge based on the 12 times tables
• A times table challenge based on the 3, 4 and 8 times tables (this is revision of Year 3 learning and involves missing numbers)

Please make sure you log on and have a go!  Little and often is the key to success!

Have a super weekend

The Year 4 Team

Year 4 Blog Friday 2nd December 2022

Date: 2nd Dec 2022 @ 3:40pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 2^nd December 2022

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

In English, we learnt what alliteration was and then wrote sentences using our names and alliteration.  Following this, we wrote animal poems which again used alliteration.

In Maths, we learnt how to double numbers efficiently. In addition, we learnt how to multiply using the grid method, and started to reason using the grid method by identifying missing numbers in a calculation. 

In RE, we started our new topic ‘Gift’ during which we will explore God’s gift of love and friendship in Jesus.  We started the topic by listening to a story and writing our own ‘recipe’ which showed what we look for in our ideal friend.  We also described how Christians prepare during Advent for the coming of Jesus.

In French, we designed a Christmas jumper ready to describe it next week.

In Science, we tested materials and classified them as conductors or insulators of electricity. We then thought carefully about how to explain the results.

In PE, as part of our invasion games unit, we practised our hockey skills. Our hockey skills included dribbling, passing and intercepting the ball. 

In Computing, we practised recording sound, editing it and then tried moving sections of audio using the ‘time shift’ tool. We then started planning our own podcast. 

In Geography, we learnt more about the North and South Poles and their similarities and differences.    

On Monday, we spent the day with Father Michael and the catechists preparing for our Reconciliation. Throughout the day, we considered what ‘reconciliation’ means and how when we say sorry, we should mean it. Following this, we took part in a Celebration of Reconciliation and came forward to Father Michael or Father John to say sorry for one thing.  Many thanks to all the parents and family members who have supported Year 4 on this journey and who came to the service on Monday afternoon.

We finished our week with a ‘Santa Dash’.  You can see some pictures here.

Home Practice

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and predict what you think will happen next.

Counting

This week, please practise counting in 4’s and 25’s.  

For example, start at 0 and count up to 48 and back again

0   4   12   16     etc                            48   44    40   etc

Now have a go at counting in 25’s

Start at 0 and count to 250 and back again

0   25   50   75   etc                            250   220   200  etc                      

Times tables

Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Wednesday (7^th December 2022) Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk

Spellings

Your spellings next week practise adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words of more than one syllable (eg -ing, -er, -en, -er). Your test will be on Friday 9^th December 2022.

forgetting   excelling      excelled       regretting   regretted

upsetting     beginning     beginner      recapping     recapped

travelling     traveller      travelled      forbidding   forbidden   

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above (Please note, not all the words are on Sumdog)
• A times tables challenge based on the 2, 4 and 8 times tables
• A challenge based on multiplying 2 and 3 digits by 1 digit

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

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

Please make sure you log on and have a go!  Little and often is the key to success!

Have a super weekend

The Year 4 Team

Year 4 Blog Friday 25th November 2022

Date: 25th Nov 2022 @ 3:44pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 25^th November 2022

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

In English, we created our own ‘Wanted’ poster for the Iron Man. We tried to include lots of description, so that he could be easily identified. Have a look at some of our posters in the gallery. We also wrote a diary extract as if we were Hogarth when he enticed the Iron Man into the pit.  We felt very guilty for our actions and tried to explain this in our diary account.

In Maths, we learnt how to multiply by 10 and 100.  We used counters and place value charts to demonstrate the digits getting either 10 or 100 times larger.  In addition, we learnt how to multiply using compensating (eg using 20 x 6 to help calculate 19 x 6).

In French, we practised saying some words with the an/en sound and we continued to learn the verb etre, to be by listening and reading

We made simple electrical circuits in science this week and tried to problem solve when they didn’t work. We now understand that a complete circuit is needed for a component to work. You can see some pictures here. To extend our learning, we also drew a picture of the circuit in our books.

In PE we practised our hockey skills. We got into pairs and practised stopping the ball and pushing it back. We also practised dribbling the ball around a cone and then passing it back to our partner. Following this, we took part in a mini competition which involved dribbling a ball, turning around a cone, dribbling back and passing to our partner. This was very competitive! 

In Computing, we practised recording sound and editing it.  We also discussed what makes a good audio recording so that we could make improvements to our work.

In Geography we started our new topic ‘Climate Change’. Throughout this topic, we will be learning what climate change is and how it affects different environments (eg a local area, oceans and glaciers).  We started the topic by looking at atlases and finding the position of the Equator, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, the Prime Meridian and the Arctic and Antarctic Circle. We then labelled these on our own maps.  Next, we located the North and South Poles and briefly discussed any differences we would see on the map.  

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 and 9’s as many of you are finding this tricky.

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

0   6   12   18     etc                            72   66   60   etc

Start at 0 and count up to 108 and back again 

0   9   18   27     etc                             108   99   81   etc

Now have a go at this, still adding 9 (Tip – add 10 and subtract 1).

Start at 56 and count to 155 and back again

56   65   74   etc                                 155   146   137  etc                      

Times tables

Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Wednesday (30^th November 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and 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 are all from the Year 3 / 4 Tricky words list.  You will be given a paper copy home on Monday and we will practise these in class during the week.  Your test will be on Friday 2^nd December 2022.

caught         experiment            increase       particular    separate

certain        extreme                interest       peculiar       special

complete      famous                  island           potatoes      thought

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, 6 and 9 times tables
• A challenge based on multiplying by 10 and 100, as well as using known facts to work out other multiplications (eg 30 x 6, use 3 x 6 = 18, then multiply by 10)

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 18th November 2022

Date: 18th Nov 2022 @ 3:50pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 18^th November 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog. Another super week of learning in Year 4 which included a visit from Freddie Fit – you can see some photos in our gallery.

Here’s what we have been learning this week:

In English, we started our new novel - The Iron Man by Ted Hughes.  We made predictions about the book by looking carefully at different front covers and reading the blurb on the back.  We also discussed which descriptive phrases we liked in Chapter 1 and their impact and effect on the reader.  Following this, we rewrote the first Chapter from The Iron Man’s point of view as his body parts reconnected. Everyone was very proud of their work and used lots of vocabulary and ideas from the novel.

In Maths, we finished our addition and subtraction topic and moved onto multiplication. We started the topic by using arrays to help understand multiplication facts for the 9 and 11 times tables. Next, 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! You can see some pictures in our gallery.

In RE, we finished our ‘Belonging’ topic.  We watched a two video clips so that we could understand what happens at Confirmation, and discussed the people present and some of the key points (eg the anointing, the blessing and the name.)  We also considered 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 started our new Science topic this week – Electricity. First, we discussed what electricity is, how it is made and what it is converted into (light, heat, sound and movement).  We then classified different appliances according to whether they run on mains electricity or batteries. We also learnt about the dangers of electricity and designed posters to warn children about the different ways it can be dangerous. These are going to be judged by a local electrician – we look forward to hearing what he says!   

In PE we split into 2 groups. Whilst one group learnt hockey skills with Mrs Cookson, the other revised different balances and travel movements with Mrs Tipping.  The children then put together a short sequence which combined balances and travel movements.  They will be adding to this sequence over the coming weeks. You can see some photos here.

We made Clips videos in our PSHE session to demonstrate how to be more resilient and highlight how to ‘reframe’ unhelpful thinking.  We were given a scenario and acted it out twice. The first time demonstrating what unhelpful thinking might look like, and the second time showing how to reframe the thinking in a positive way.

In Art, we continued creating our own mosaic design and also made flags using paper and creating a collage.  We discussed the countries taking part in the World Cup and then chose one we wanted to collage. These will be hung up in the hall so everyone can see our work.

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 9’s.

For example, start at 0 and count up to 108 and back again 

0   9   18   27     etc                             108   99   81   etc

Times tables

Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Wednesday (23^rd November 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and 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

Here are your spellings for this week.  You have also brought a paper copy home with you, so that you can practise these during the week.  Please remember to use neat joined up writing and check them very carefully once you have written them! We will be practising these spellings in class too. Your test will be on Friday 25^th November 2022.

they            weigh           eight           grey             sleigh

young           touch           blood           trouble        country

does            chef            brochure      parachute    machine

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 9 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!

Have a great weekend

The Year 4 Team

Year 4 Blog Friday 11th November 2022

Date: 11th Nov 2022 @ 3:42pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 11^th November 2022

Welcome to this week’s blog.

If your child is following the Reconciliation program at church, they will have come home with a leaflet, ‘Celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation at home’. Please discuss and share this information with your child.

Here’s what we have been learning this week:

We read some Remembrance poetry this week, listening very carefully to the words. We then copied a poem into our books, making a big effort to make our writing look beautiful on the page and not to make any mistakes. Following this, we wrote our own Remembrance poetry using the poem ‘What are we fighting for?’ as a stimulus. Our poems were very thoughtful and beautifully written.

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.  We were very proud of our efforts, especially when we needed to include exchanging!

In RE, we have been learning about Judaism. We learnt about the rules of the Jewish faith and the Torah.

We also finished our History topic about the Romans this week.  We learnt about the 3 invasions of Britannia and why the first 2 were unsuccessful. We also learnt about Boudicca, her army and how she rebelled against the Romans. Finally, we considered the lasting legacy the Romans have left on Britain.

In French this week, we learnt the verbs J'ai (I have) and Je suis (I am) in the context of World War 1 soldiers. We thought about how the soldiers must have felt and used expressions such as J'ai froid - I am cold.

We started our new computing topic – audio production. Over the course of the topic we will be making digital recordings and editing them.

On Friday afternoon, we also had a visit from Mr Maloney and his dog Poppy.  Poppy was so well behaved and we enjoyed stroking her and asking lots of questions. You can see some photos in our 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 6’s.

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

0   6   12   18     etc                             72   66   60   etc

Times tables

Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Wednesday (16^th November 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and 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

Here are your spellings for this week.  You have also brought a paper copy home with you, so that you can practise these during the week.  Please remember to use neat joined up writing and check them very carefully once you have written them! We will be practising these spellings in class too. Your test will be on Friday 18^th November 2022.

busy            business      exercise      imagine        opposite

regular        calendar       experience   important    ordinary

remember    caught         circle           forward       library

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 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!

Have a great weekend

The Year 4 Team

Year 4 Blog - Friday 4th November 2022

Date: 4th Nov 2022 @ 4:45pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 4^th November 2022

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 wrote a chapter from another person’s point of view trying to include vocabulary from the novel and lots of thoughts and feelings.  In addition, we wrote questions about a chapter and planned a book review.

In Maths, we finished our statistics unit. We learnt how to interpret data and solve questions using information in a table, and also presented and interpreted data using pictograms.  Following this, 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 and decimal numbers together, including exchanging. 

In Science this week, we carried out an environmental survey to look at the impact humans have on the landscape and how this can impact living organisms. We found out that the best place for wildlife in our school is the nature area.  

In RE, we explored how we are all unique and different.  We understood that we should treat each other as we would like to be treated and designed a poster to explain this. We also wrote our own set of Golden Rules to live by, and chose a reading from the Bible which we felt celebrated the uniqueness of each of us.

In History, we learnt more about life in the Roman Army and wrote an account as if we were a Roman Legionary - we tried to include as much historical information and detail as possible.

In PE, we practised our dodgeball skills in preparation for the competition in a few weeks time.

In PSHE, we thought about a skill or character strength we would like to develop. We then set a goal for our own development.

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 (9^th November 2022). Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and 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 prefixes in-, il-, im- or ir-.  You have also brought a paper copy home with you, so that you can practise these during the week.  Please remember to use neat joined up writing and check them very carefully once you have written them! We will be practising these spellings in class too. Your test will be on Friday 11^th November 2022.

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 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

The Year 4 Team

Year 4 Blog Thursday 20th October 2022

Date: 20th Oct 2022 @ 2:39pm

Year 4 Blog

Thursday 20^th October 2022

Year 4 have had a great half term! They have worked hard and already made good progress in their learning. Being part of the Harvest celebration in church was also a highlight of the week.

Our learning this week:

In English, we used words to describe Kensuke’s personality.  We then used these words in complex sentences to explain our thinking. We also wrote a message in a bottle as if we were the character Michael.  As space was limited, we had to ensure we chose our words carefully.

In Maths, we drew bar charts.  We needed to use a scale which was appropriate to the numbers involved and needed to accurately draw the bars on the chart.  In addition, we interpreted data and solved one-step questions using information in a bar chart. 

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 this week, we learned how to ask a question in French just by changing the intonation in our voices. We listened to, read and spoke sentences and questions, using the correct intonation.  We practiced reading words with silent final consonants too.

In PE, we warmed up by running around the track.  We then finished our invasion games unit by playing a netball tournament.  It was fantastic to see the children putting into practice the skills they had learnt – brilliant Year 4!  

In History, we learnt about the 4 main formations the Roman Army used. We learnt their names, how they were formed and what they were used for (eg fighting against cavalry or advancing against the enemy).  We also got into groups to make the formations, using our history books as shields!

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.

We hope you have a peaceful and relaxing holiday and look forward to seeing you all again on Monday 31st October 2022.

The Year 4 Team

Online Safety Update

Date: 19th Oct 2022 @ 1:52pm

Welcome to your latest Online Safety Update

At St Oswald's, we regularly discuss online safety with the children to find out what they are experiencing in their online spaces. We find out what new games and platforms are trending and if any of our children have worries or concerns about what they experience online. A lot of children continue to access YouTube so we have added a refresher guide on the platform. 

In the guide, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as connecting with strangers, inappropriate content and high visibility.

We have also spotted that some children have the new FIFA 23 football game for the PlayStation and XBox. Gaming has changed massively in the past few years with social connection now becoming an integral part of the gaming experience. We have added the latest guide for this game also. 

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.

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

Year 4 Blog Friday 14th October 2022

Date: 14th Oct 2022 @ 4:35pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 14^th October 2022

Year 4 have had such a busy week! Lots of learning, a trip to Lancaster City Museum and we also attended Mass at church on Friday morning.   

In English, we investigated subordinating conjunctions and used these to write sentences about Kensuke.  In addition, we wrote Michael’s thoughts and feelings at the start and end of a chapter.

In Maths, we calculated the perimeter of rectilinear shapes when we had to work out missing sides using known dimensions.  Following this, we started a new unit - statistics. The topic began by calculating addition facts to 10 when numbers to one decimal place were involved (eg 4.7 + 5.3 = 10).

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 PE, we warmed up with a train run.  We then practised our dodgeball skills again in preparation for the tournament which is coming up soon.

In Art, we drew our own mosaic designs following on from our investigation last week.  We experimented with different colours and different designs, which ranged from pictures of specific things (eg a flower) to patterns which we found appealing.

In History, we learnt what Roman Legionaries wore and what equipment they carried. We also looked at these items in the classroom. Have a look at our pictures in the gallery.

During our trip to Lancaster City Museum, we met Marcus, a Roman Legionary, and found out much more about the life of a Roman Soldier.  Year 4 had a fantastic day and learnt a lot of interesting facts about the Romans. The children’s behaviour was superb too – they were excellent ambassadors for the school. You can see lots of pictures of our trip 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 4’s and 40’s.

For example, start at 0 and count up to 48 and back again 

0   4   8   12     etc                             48   44   40   etc

For example, start at 0 and down up to 480 and back again

0   40   80   120  etc                           480   440   400  etc

Times tables

Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Thursday (20^th October 2022).  Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and 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.  You have also brought a paper copy home with you, so that you can practise these during the week.  Please remember to use neat joined up writing and check them very carefully once you have written them! We will be practising these spellings in class too. Your test will be on Thursday 20^th October 2022.

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 2 and 4 times tables
• A challenge based on calculating the perimeter of rectilinear shapes – this is repeated from last week as it consolidates this tricky area of maths

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 7th October 2022

Date: 7th Oct 2022 @ 2:56pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 7^th October 2022

Year 4 have had a fabulous week and have shown an excellent attitude to their learning.  You are all superstars!

Here’s what we have been learning:

In English, we wrote sentences using co-ordinating conjunctions to make them more interesting. We also wrote a diary account from Kensuke’s point of view and listed words to describe Michael’s thoughts and feelings. During the week, we have also been practising our spellings in preparation for our weekly test – have a look at our gallery to see us playing Spelling Countdown!

In Maths, we measured lengths in centimetres and millimetres, including cm as decimals with 1 decimal place.  In addition, we measured and calculated the perimeter of rectilinear shapes where all the side lengths are given.

In RE, we finished our ‘Families’ topic.  Four children gave a lovely ‘Respond’ to remind the class of their learning – this was beautifully presented and very respectful. Please see the pictures in our gallery.

In Science, we created our own classification keys using a computer program called Flexitree.

In French, we practised reading words with the vowel sounds in then we looked at classroom instructions such as asseyez-vous, ecrivez, dessinez and looked at the sound ‘ay’ spelt ‘ez’.  We also chose the first pair of Language Leaders who will be helping everyone to answer questions in French about themselves.

In PE, we warmed up with a train run.  We are definitely getting better at baton changes and building our stamina with these relay races. In addition, we played dodgeball in preparation for a tournament in a couple of weeks time. You can see some pictures of our PE lesson in the gallery.

In Art, we found out what Roman mosaics were made of. We looked at lots of examples and discussed what made them effective, which ones appealed to us and what especially stood out to us.  Following this, we selected different examples and stuck them in our Art Jotters – we also explained what we liked about them. We will use these to help us design our own mosaic in the coming weeks. Have a look at us exploring mosaics in the gallery.

In PSHE, as part of World Smile Day, we discussed what makes us happy and brings a smile to our faces.  In addition, we thought of acts of kindness we could do to bring a smile to the faces of others.

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 3’s

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

0   3   6   9     etc                             36   33   30   etc

For example, start at 42 and down up to 66 and back again

42   45   48  etc                               66   63   60  etc

Times tables

Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Friday (14^th October 2022).  Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and 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 k sound spelt ch.  You have also brought a paper copy home with you, so that you can practise these during the week.  Please remember to use neat joined up writing and check them very carefully once you have written them! We will be practising these spellings in class too. Your test will be on Friday 14^th October 2022.

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 and 3 times tables
• A challenge based on 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 30th September 2022

Date: 30th Sep 2022 @ 3:56pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 30^th September 2022

Year 4 have worked hard this week with many children getting on triple and quadruple gold! What a super achievement!

Here’s what we have been learning:

In English, we used our senses to complete a piece of writing which contained descriptive and expressive language. We found this tricky as we were explaining what we could see, hear, smell etc, without using the words I could see…. I could hear… I could smell…. etc. However, we were extremely proud with our finished pieces of writing and some of the descriptive language we used. We also wrote some super poems called What’s the difference between … eg dogs and deckchairs? There were some great ideas and some were very amusing!

In Maths, we continued using numberlines to add and subtract numbers.   We also practised measuring and drawing lengths as properties of 2D shapes. In addition, we put our measuring skills into practise as we collected leaves and then tried to accurately measure them in cm and mm!

In RE, we listened to the story of Ruth and then hot-seated her. We also learnt about the wisdom of Solomon and how the Book of Proverbs in the Bible is attributed to him.

In History, we learnt where the Romans came from, when Rome was founded, how the Roman Empire grew, and listened to the story of Romulus and Remus.

In Science, we learnt how to use a classification key to identify living things.  We then played Guess Who to practise asking yes / no questions ready to create our own classification key next week.

In French, we had a taste of Polish and German as well as French this week. We talked about similarities and differences between the sound of the languages and how the skills acquired when learning one language can really help learn another.

Many thanks to everyone who came to the ‘Open Morning’ on Tuesday - we hope you enjoyed seeing the school in action.  

We would also like to thank Mrs Nowak and Mr Hawryluk who read stories in Polish to us on European Languages Day.

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 1000’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 12 000 and back again 

0   1000    2000   etc                      12 000   11 000    10 000   etc

For example, start at 452 and down up to 10 452 and back again

452   1452   2452  etc                    10 452    9452    8452  etc

Times tables

Please practise your individual tables target for your test next week on Thursday (6^th October 2022).  Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and timestables.co.uk

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

Measuring

If you can, please draw some lines on a piece of paper and practise measuring them with a ruler like we have done in class.  You may also want to use your ruler to measure things around your home, for example, a book, an envelope, a CD cover.  You could even go outside and collect leaves or other items to measure like you did in school. Think carefully about the measurements in cm and mm and try and be as accurate as you can.

Spellings

Your spellings next week are all from the Year 3 / 4 Statutory Spelling list.  You have also brought a paper copy home with you, so that you can practise these during the week.  Please remember to use neat joined up writing and check them very carefully once you have written them! We will be practising these spellings in class too. Your test will be on Friday 7^th October 2022.

appear         continue       grammar      material       possible

suppose       breadth       different     group           medicine

accident       century        February     pressure      surprise

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:

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

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 23rd September 2022

Date: 23rd Sep 2022 @ 3:36pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 23^rd September 2022

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 described the moment that Michael fell into the sea and his thoughts and feelings at this time. We also tried to use ambitious vocabulary and a variety of co-ordinating conjunctions in our writing.

In Maths, we learnt how to accurately use a numberline to add and subtract numbers.  We also identified step sizes in sequences and then continued the sequence as accurately as we could.

In RE, we heard the story of Esau and Jacob, and discussed their differences -especially how Jacob managed to get God’s blessing!

In PE, we warmed up by running in teams in a 'relay race'. We also continued practising our ‘pass then move’ skills.  We then used these skills in small games of netball. See our pictures in the gallery.

In PSHE, we further explored self-esteem by identifying positive things about ourselves and explaining how they contribute to our self-esteem.

In Science, we discussed how to group or classify animals according to their characteristics. We especially revised our learning about the 5 vertebrate groups – mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. You can see our learning in the gallery.

In French, we recapped the French vowel sounds and actions. Then we played some games to practise reading words with the vowel sounds in.

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 this times table in preparation for your test next week, on Thursday (29^th September 2022).  Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and 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 are all homophones.  You have also brought a paper copy home with you, so that you can practise these every night during the week.  Please remember to use neat joined up writing and check them very carefully once you have written them! We will be practising these spellings in class too. Your test will be on Friday 30^th September 2022.

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 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!

Please also have a look at our galleries which some of our learning this week.

Have a fabulous weekend

The Year 4 Team

Year 4 Blog Friday 16th September 2022

Date: 16th Sep 2022 @ 3:53pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 16^th September 2022

Another fabulous week in Year 4. Here’s what we have been learning this week:

In English, we wrote a character description of Michael, the main character in Kensuke’s Kingdom.  In addition, we wrote a ship’s log – we tried to use words we had learnt from the novel and write in the style of Michael Morpurgo.

In Maths, we compared whole and decimal numbers using the greater than and less than symbols ( < means less than and > means greater than).  We also practised rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100. Later on in the week, we investigated adding and subtracting 1, 10, 100 and 1000 from different numbers. This was especially tricky when we needed to bridge the tens and hundreds. In addition, we have being playing ‘Exchange up’ and ‘Exchange down’ which has helped with our understanding of number. Have a look at our learning in the gallery.

In RE, we learnt about Jesus’ human family and discussed the names we recognised from the Bible. We also retold the story of Abraham and tried to include reasons for the choices he made.

In History, we started our Romans topic.  We looked at different books about the Romans and shared what we already knew.  Then, we wrote down some of the things we would like to learn throughout this topic.

In PE, we continued practising our throwing and catching skills.  We then used these skills in small games of netball. Have a look at the pictures in our gallery here.

In PSHE, we agreed ‘ground rules’ which we must all abide by when taking part in discussions. We also started our first topic, self-esteem, and considered what makes a person happy and what helps to build self-esteem.

In Science, we went outside and looked at different types of leaves. We then brought some leaves back into the classroom and classified them in different ways.

In French, we recapped numbers and did our best to recall the numbers without having to count up.  Then used bilingual dictionaries to do our first piece of writing this year about ourselves.  These are already on display and look great!

Home Practice

Reading

Please read for 20 minutes each evening to an adult at home.  Make sure you discuss the story and the characters and try to find out 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 down 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 Friday (23^rd September 2022).  Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?

Remember you can also practise your tables playing Hit the Button and 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 we will be learning how to use an apostrophe correctly when it shows possession therefore there are no words to learn.  We will be learning the rules for using an apostrophe when the noun is singular.

For example: Tom’s coat was in the classroom. (The coat belongs to Tom)   

Jane’s hat was blue. (The hat belongs to Jane)

James’ (or James’s) dog was called Bingo. (The dog belongs to James)

We will be practising this each day in class and you will be tested on this rule next Friday (23^rd September 2022).

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 2 challenges on Sumdog:

• A maths challenge ordering and comparing number beyond 1000
• A times tables challenge based on the 2 and 10 times tables

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 Tuesday evening.  We have attached the PowerPoint below.

Have a lovely weekend.

The Year 4 Team

Online Safety Update

Date: 9th Sep 2022 @ 5:42pm

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

Year 4 Blog - Friday 9th September 2022

Date: 9th Sep 2022 @ 3:39pm

Year 4 Blog

Friday 9^th September 2022

Welcome to the Year 4 Blog.  We have had a fabulous first week back at school and the children have settled down very well to their new routines, teachers and 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 (16^th September 2022).

In the meantime, we have sent some spellings home tonight. We will discuss and investigate these words in depth on Monday.  However, please feel free to look at these words over the weekend. The children will be tested on these spellings next Friday (16^th September 2022). Please also continue to read with your child every evening.  You child will be given an individual tables target next week.

Here is a brief outline of our learning this week:

In English, we started our new novel Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. We made predictions about the book based on the cover and blurb.  In addition, we wrote reasons for and against sailing around the world.

In Maths, we learnt about place value especially tenths.

In Science, we went outside to look at the fruit, berries and seeds we could find on trees.  We drew pictures and described what we could see in our Nature Journals.

In PE, we practised throwing and catching skills and played mini games of netball.

In RE, we started our first topic about ‘Families’. We looked at a family tree and then drew a picture of our own families in our book. We also wrote what we enjoyed doing with them.  In addition, we reflected on the 70 years of service Queen Elizabeth has given and wrote very thoughtful and respectful prayers.

We also had a very special Golden Assembly in school as we took some time to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We had a minute silence and said some prayers for the Royal Family at this difficult time. 

_______________

Enjoy looking at the photos in the gallery which show the children walking around the school grounds and completing their Nature Journal.

Please remember your Meet the Teacher Meeting in the hall at 6.30pm on Tuesday 13th September 2022. We look forward to seeing you there.

Year 4 Final Blog - Friday 22nd July 2022

Date: 21st Jul 2022 @ 9:03am

A final blog to wish each and every one of you a happy, restful and safe summer holiday.  We have had a fabulous year getting to know you and have loved teaching you. You will be just as amazing in Year 5, but please pop in and see us every now and again.

Keep reading as much as you can over the holiday.

Best wishes

Mrs Tipping and Mrs Dexter

Year 4 Blog Friday 15th July 2022

Date: 15th Jul 2022 @ 3:30pm

Year 4

Home Practice 15^th July 2022

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

In English, we drew and labelled a picture of Bill’s playground using evidence from the text.  In addition, we looked at the features of a playscript. Following this, we wrote our own playscript using Chapter 3 of the novel and then acted this out.  

In Maths, we learnt different strategies for mental addition.  We practised these using a numberline. We also practised our tables playing different games in class.

In RE, we continued our topic, God’s people.  We learnt about the life of Oscar Romero and Saint Teresa of Calcutta and discussed what made these people extraordinary. 

During our PSHE lesson we learnt what ‘risks’ were and how to assess and manage risk in different situations. Following this, we discussed how we can be influenced by our peers and how to manage this influence.

In Science, we continued our topic of ‘Teeth and digestion’.  We revised the different types of teeth in our mouths and their function. We also set up an experiment to find out what damages teeth. We used boiled eggs and left them in different liquids to see what effect the different liquids would have on the egg shells. We are looking forward to finding out the results next Monday.  We also learnt the names of the basic parts of the digestive system, labelled a diagram and described how the digestive system works.

In Art, we sketched different patterns and shaded them in carefully.  We repeated the same pattern 4 times and and experimented using different grades of pencil. We were impressed with our sketches and how different pencils made different marks.

We also had great fun at the Tough Kidder event on Wednesday afternoon. Thank you for the sponsorship money, this is being put towards the firepit for our Forest School.

REMINDERS

Please:

• bring you PE kit back into school – you will need it next week.
• return all reading books by Tuesday 19^th
• bring a carrier bag into school on Monday for everything you will need to bring home next week.

DON’T FORGET SCHOOL CLOSES AT 1.30pm ON FRIDAY 22^nd JULY

Year 4 Blog Friday 8th July 2022

Date: 8th Jul 2022 @ 3:39pm

Year 4

Home Practice 8^th July 2022

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

In English, we chose 3 characters from Chapter 1 and described how they treated Bill.  We complemented our work by drawing a picture of the characters.  In addition, we wrote a diary account from Bill’s point of view which included lots of thoughts and feelings.

In Maths, we learnt how to round decimal numbers to the nearest whole number and revised some mental addition strategies.

In RE, we started our new topic – God’s people.  We learnt about the life of an 8 year old boy called Eric who lives in Rwanda.  We then compared his life to our own.  In addition, we discussed role models, the qualities we like in them and what makes someone extraordinary.

In PE, we took part in an orienteering activity. We used a map to follow a sequence of cones – this was quite challenging at times, especially if we had the map upside down! In addition, we practised our tennis skills and attempted to return the ball to our partner accurately!

In French this week, we drew a monster and coloured it, then described it using super sentences. The children had to make the colours match the noun eg les jambes is feminine plural so the colour had to be feminine plural as well. Some children even managed to include a negative sentence too - great job, year 4.

During our PSHE lesson we finished our clips videos on the ipads.  We were all delighted with our videos which included ideas of simple changes we can all make to reduce plastic pollution. 

In Geography, we completed our double page spread about climate change. We wrote sections about what causes climate change, and how we can try and reduce global warming.  We were all incredibly proud of our work which is bright, colourful and informative.

In Science, we started our new topic – Teeth and digestion.  We looked at our teeth in a mirror and then identified the different types of teeth in our mouths and their functions.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

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

Times tables

Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables and division facts, especially those that you find tricky. Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

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

Please continue to practise your tables as they will prove invaluable in Year 5 and 6!

Counting

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

Count in 12’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 144 and back again  

0   12   24   etc                      144   132   120  etc

For example, start at 1.2’s and down up to 14.4 and back again

0   1.2   2.4        etc              14.4   13.2   12.0   etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the prefix ‘auto’ or ‘sub’.  A prefix is a group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word and change the meaning or make a new word. ‘Sub’ means under or below and ‘auto’ means self-controlled or about yourself (eg autobiography). The spellings are on Sumdog this week and will be tested next Friday (15^th July 2022).

automatic     autograph              autocue        autopilot      autobiography

automobile   automatically         submarine    subway         submerge

submit         subdivide               subheading   subordinate

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A maths challenge based on the 6 and 12 times tables
• A maths challenge – rounding to the nearest whole number

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

Number bonds

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

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

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

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

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

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

Click on Addition within 20

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

Maths and spelling training

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

Year 4 Blog Friday 1st July 2022

Date: 1st Jul 2022 @ 4:52pm

Year 4

Home Practice 1^st July 2022

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

In English, we started our new novel – Bill’s New Frock by Anne Fine. We looked at the front cover and made predictions about the story. Then we read the blurb on the back and wrote a paragraph to explain whether our prediction had changed and reasons why.

In Maths, we learnt how to compare and order decimal numbers. In addition, we revised rounding numbers to the nearest 10, 100 and 1000. Following this, we rounded decimals to the nearest whole number.

In French, we described a monster together, remembering to put the colour adjectives after the nouns and make them agree. Then we read a story about a monster. Next week, we will design our own monster and describe it.

During our PSHE lesson we discussed whose responsibility it is to protect the world around us. We then reminded ourselves of simple changes we can all make to help reduce plastic pollution. We then enjoyed making a clips video on the ipads to explain what we have learnt and suggest changes that people can make to help the environment and reduce plastic pollution.

In Computing, we made our final animations. We thoroughly enjoyed making these and are really proud of our end results.  Over the past few weeks, we have learnt a lot about making an animation, and now understand that the ipad and background need to be secure, and the characters should only move a small amount each time.

In Geography, we started to write a double page spread about climate change. We wrote the title, a definition of climate change and the impact of climate change on the world, such as: drought, more frequent and powerful storms, and rising sea levels which can lead to flooding. We will be adding more information to our work next week.

We also enjoyed wild weaving outside. We found twigs of a similar size and bound the ends together to make a rectangular shape. We then wrapped wool or string around it to make a loom. Following this, we threaded natural materials into the loom – these looked beautiful, well done Year 4.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

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

Times tables

Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables and division facts, especially those that you find tricky. Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

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

Please continue to practise your tables as they will prove invaluable in Year 5 and 6!

Counting

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

Count in 25’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 275 and back again  

0   25   50   etc                      275   250   225  etc

For example, start at 1125 and down up to 925 and back again

1125   1100   1075        etc              925   950   975   etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the prefix ‘in’ or ‘ir’.  A prefix is a group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word and change the meaning or make a new word.  ‘In’ and ‘ir’ both mean not.  Therefore, when they are added to the beginning of a word, they form words with the opposite meaning.  For example inaccurate means not accurate and irrelevant means not relevant.  The spellings are on Sumdog this week.

inaccurate    incomplete   inactive       incorrect     inconvenient

inexpensive  inefficient   inedible       irregular      irresponsible

irrelevant    irreversible irresistible  irrational     irreplaceable

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A maths challenge based on the 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables
• A maths challenge – rounding to the nearest whole number, 10, 100 and 1000

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

Number bonds

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

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

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

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

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

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

Click on Addition within 20

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

Year 4 Blog Friday 24th June 2022

Date: 24th Jun 2022 @ 3:04pm

Year 4

Home Practice 24^th June 2022

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

In English, we finished our class novel - The Amazing Story of Adophus Tips. We were quite surprised by the ending when Lily / Grandma met up with Adie / Adophus T Madison and they got married, but we loved the happy ending too.  Following this, we planned and wrote a book review to recommend the book to other children.

In Maths, we completed our learning about 3D shapes. We then revisited finding powers of 10 more and less than a given number (eg 6548 + 100 = 5648 ; 4309 – 10 = 4299).  We found this quite tricky when we needed to bridge hundreds and tens however we persevered. We also compared and ordered numbers beyond 10 000.     

In RE, we took part in an act of worship to finish our topic of ‘Building Bridges’.  This was beautifully presented and allowed Year 4 to reflect on their learning from this topic.

In PE, we took part in some orienteering activities. This involved following instructions/a map carefully and making a ‘funny face’ out of bean bags, hoops and cones.  We also played rounders to practise our throwing, catching and fielding skills.

In French, we listened to a song and tried to understand as much as we could. It was about Gaston le gorille qui joue de la guitar – all the g sounds! We talked about how to spell a hard g and a soft g in English, then found out that it’s the same in French. We also learned the nouns for body parts.

During out PSHE lesson we discussed how we have a shared responsibility to look after our world. We also considered different scenarios and suggested changes which could be made to help stop plastic pollution.

In Computing, we practised making an animation and then evaluated what we did well and what we need to improve. Next week, we are going to make an animation which we hope will be an improved version, based on our evaluation and feedback from today.

Following our First Holy Communion last weekend, we attended a Thanksgiving Mass on Monday afternoon. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Father Michael, the catechists and our families for helping and supporting us over the past few weeks, so that we were fully prepared to take this sacrament.

Online Saftey Update - Live Streaming

Many of our children access YouTube and TikTok as their primary source of online content. Live streamers are becoming ever more popular with children and young people.

Live streaming is the term used to describe the broadcast of a real time video from a mobile device, tablet or games console. Many live streaming apps have functionality for interactions from viewers, such as commenting, live chats and sending reactions during the broadcast. 

In this guide, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as online grooming, privacy & security and online reputation. Also, be aware of age ratings on any platforms you allow your children to use.

This week’s Home Practice …

Reading

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

Times tables

Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables and division facts, especially those that you find tricky. Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

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

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

Counting

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

Count in 9’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 108 and back again  

0   9    18   etc                      108     99      90  etc

For example, start at 75 and count up to 183 and back again

Remember to +10 then -1 when counting up.

Remember to -10 then +1 when counting down.

75    84   93        etc              183   174    165   etc

Spellings

The spellings this week all have the prefix ‘il’ or ‘im’.  A prefix is a group of letters that are added to the beginning of a word and change the meaning or make a new word.  ‘Il’ and ‘im’ both mean not.  Therefore, when they are added to the beginning of a word, they form words with the opposite meaning.  For example illegal means not legal and impatient means not patient.  The spellings are on Sumdog this week and will be tested on Thursday 30^th June.

illegal           illegible                 illiterate      illogical        illegally

improper      imperfect              improbable   impatient     immature

immobile      immortal                impractical   impossible    implausible

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A spelling challenge based on the spellings above
• A maths challenge based on 7 to 12 division tables
• A maths challenge – find up to 1000 more or less than a given number

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

Number bonds

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

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

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

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

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

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

Click on Addition within 20

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

Maths and spelling training

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

Year 4 Blog Friday 17th June 2022

Date: 17th Jun 2022 @ 4:40pm

Year 4

Home Practice 17^th June 2022

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

In English, we completed an extended piece of writing. We wrote a story as if we were the character Tips from the novel and added to our writing each day. We are extremely proud of the vocabulary we used, together with our handwriting and sentence openers.  Year 3 thoroughly enjoyed listening to our stories and were really impressed with our writing too!

In Maths, we continued learning about 3D shapes. We learnt about the properties of pyramids as well as some new vocabulary – apex and congruent. We have really worked hard these past 2 weeks to recap and extend our knowledge of 2D and 3D shapes – well done Year 4!    

In RE, we wrote our own liturgy of Reconciliation.  We chose our own hymns, readings, prayers and responses, and made sure we included an examination of conscience, a penitential rite and an Act of Contrition. We also gave reasons for the actions and symbols used in the liturgy.  The children were very proud of their outcomes – well done.

In PE, we took part in our very own Sports Day! Year 4 were proud of their hard work and resilience, as well as having fun competing against their peers.  Many thanks for coming and supporting Year 4 – the video is on the school website for you to watch at home.  

In French, we read a description of a face and drew it to show we had understood the text.

In Science, we learnt about pitch – the pitch of a sound is how high or low the sound is. We used different musical instruments, glasses containing different amounts of water, and various thickness of rubber bands, to find out what effect any differences had on pitch. We found some interesting results, for example, the thinner the elastic band the higher the pitch.

In Geography, we learnt how a stump is formed at the coast.  We watched a video and an animation which demonstrated how a crack (weak point) may, after many years, become a stump.  We then ordered a set of pictures to sequence this geographical process.

This week’s Home Practice ….

Reading

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

Times tables

Please make sure you continue to practise your times tables and division facts, especially those that you find tricky. Ask someone at home to test you on your tables – can you recall them quickly and accurately?  

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

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

Counting

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

Count in 7’s

For example, start at 0 and count up to 112 and back again  

0   7    14   etc                      112   105   98  etc

For example, start at 70 and count up to 1120 and back again

70   140   210     etc              1120    1050     980   etc

Spellings

This week we are learning how to use an apostrophe correctly when it shows possession, therefore there are no words to learn.  We have however learnt the rules for using apostrophes when the noun is plural.  We will be practising these each day in class and you will be tested on this rule next Thursday (23^rd June 2022).

Sumdog challenges

You have been set 3 challenges on Sumdog:

• A 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 times tables division challenge
• A grammar challenge – Plurals and apostrophes
• A maths challenge – 3D shapes and their properties / parallel and perpendicular lines

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

Number bonds

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

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

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

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

Click on the link above, then on Play Game.

Click on Number bonds

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

Click on Addition within 20

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

Maths and spelling training

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