Upcoming dates, times tables, week 4 home learning and Macbeth superstars

 

Dear parents and carers,

The children really impressed the year 4 team today with their super acting. The play is really beginning to come together and they are clearly putting a lot of effort into learning their lines and the rehearsals. I am hoping to do a full dress rehearsal on Thursday so could all costume items come to school by Thursday morning please (label the clothing and the bag they come in). 

Please let me know ASAP if you do not have any of the items of clothing needed for your child. 

We did a mock multiplication tables check today through Times Tables Rockstars. This replicated the time the children will have to answer the questions in June's national times table check. Some of the children were a little concerned by the test although as the test is in June we still have plenty of time to prepare them.

Having a quick and accurate recall of times tables will help children in their maths learning as they progress through middle school and beyond. Any help and support that you can give your child with learning their tables will be worthwhile for their ongoing maths learning. You are aiming for your child to instantly know the answer to a times table question as opposed to being able to count on to calculate the answer. I will send the children home with a times table poster for them to use or have on display somewhere at home. Repetition and over learning is key to helping your child develop a secure recall. For the rest of the term we will work on the 5 and 3 times tables. Whilst most children can count in 5s very easily the aim is that every child can answer any 5x question instantly up to 12 x 5. Please feel free to also ask your child x5 and x3 questions at home to further their grasp of these tables. We will focus on other tables after half term and I will let you know what they are when the time comes, so that you can also reinforce the learning at home.  

Home learning 

For this week's home learning I would like the children to go onto purple mash to write and draw about their favourite authors. 

I will send a hard copy explaining  what they need to do, although all information is on purple mash. If they don't know their purple mash login please encourage them to ask a member of the year 4 team. 

Upcoming dates

Monday 30th Jan - STEM fortnight starts.

Tuesday 31st Jan - Late parents evening.

Tuesday 31st Jan - Class trip visit (half the class).

Wednesday 1st Feb - Class trip visit (half the class).

Thursday 2nd Feb - Early parents evening.

Wednesday 8th Feb - Shakespeare by the sea performance.

Friday 10th Feb - INSET.

Monday 13th Feb - Half term.

Monday 20th Feb - Back to school

Monday 27th Feb - DASP singing concert - please note date change

From 27th Feb - Book Week

Thursday 2nd March - World Book Day

Friday 17th March - Year 4 assembly 

Friday 31st March - End of term

As ever, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please get in touch with a member of the year 4 team. 

Kind regards,

Ms Browne , Mr MacBean and the year 4 team,  

Costumes and Home learning

 

Dear Parents and Carers,
This week the children's home learning is to completely learn their lines so that we can have the last few weeks of rehearsals script free. 

There are also some mathletics activities that have been set for childre to work through over the next two weeks. 

Children in Mrs Bernard's spelling group have an updated personalised spelling list on Ed Shed, whereas mine and Mr MacBean's group will be given the hard copies of their spellings given to them tomorrow (these are currently available on Ed Shed).

Next week, please could you send your child's labelled Macbeth costumes into school in a labelled plastic bag. I would like to do the first full dress rehearsal on Thursday afternoon. 

If you have any questions about costumes or do not have any of the required costume items please email me ASAP (we do not expect families to purchase items). c.browne@princeofwales.dorset.sch.uk

Kind regards,

Ms Browne  

Macbeth Costumes

 

Dear parents and carers,

For our Macbeth performance, most children will need:

- dark trousers (black or navy)
- white T-shirt (without logos)
- black plimsolls or black trainers

Children playing the following roles will also need the following additional items:

Role	Additional costume needed
Assassin	Black shirt, jacket or cardigan
Doctor	Plain coloured top & stethoscope?
Lady Macduff	Smart dress
Maid	Dark coloured skirt, white apron
Stagehand	All in black
Servant	brown or grey trousers,
Witch	Black T-shirt, Black skirt, Black cape

If you are unable to source any of the items, please let the year 4 team know as soon as possible. 

If you have any other questions or queries please get in touch.

Kind regards,

Ms Browne

This week and next week plus home learning

 

Hello everyone,

We have had an out of this world week in year 4 so far and the week isn't even finished!

On Monday, we had a very successful morning at Weymouth Pavilion where the children had the opportunity to see where they will be performing in February. It is fair to say that we are all very excited!

Rehearsals of Macbeth have started in earnest and your child should have brought home their own script. Should their's not have made it home please follow the link in home learning section below, or ask a member of the year 4 team for a paper copy. 

Today (Thursday), the children got the chance to experience the space dome (a mini portable planetarium) which was erected in the school hall. The children's awe and wonder for space was certainly reignited in the space dome, with many children remembering their year 1 space learning. 

Tomorrow (Friday), the children will have a singing session from Hannah Trevorrow in preparation for the year 4 signing concert which will be held at Thomas Hardye school in March. 

We will also be saying goodbye to a much loved member of a class, who is emigrating to Australia. To give her a send off, Mr MacBean will be honing his DJ skills for a year 4 disco in the hall at the end of the day. We will all miss this pupil but wish her the very best on her new adventures. 

Home Learning.

For this week's home learning we are asking the children to LEARN THEIR LINES. In addition to this they are encouraged to practice their spellings, times tables and to do some daily reading. 

If you (or an older sibling) are able to help your child learn their lines this would be incredibly beneficial. It is hoped that the children will not need their scripts from the week beginning 24th January.   

The link to the script can be found in this home learning reminder. 

Upcoming Dates:

We will give more details about the following dates at the year 4 Parent Information session, but here are a few key dates this term. 

Friday 13th Jan - DASP singing concert practice session.

Monday 16th Jan - Parent information session 9am.

Monday 30th Jan - STEM fortnight starts.

Tuesday 31st Jan - Late parents evening.

Tuesday 31st Jan - Class trip visit (half the class).

Wednesday 1st Feb - Class trip visit (half the class).

Thursday 2nd Feb - Early parents evening.

Wednesday 8th Feb - Shakespeare by the sea performance.

Friday 10th Feb - INSET.

Monday 13th Feb - Half term starts.

As ever, if you have you have any questions, comments or concerns please get in touch with a member of the team. 

Kind regards,

The Year 4 team. 

      

Year 4 please return Outstanding Dorchester library books

 

A big thank you to those families that returned library books borrowed from Dorchester library when we went there as part of our Matilda experience.

We still have 10 books that are now outstanding. Most children borrowed a book so please can you look around at home to see if you have one of the following titles. If you have one of these books please either return it to school (making sure children give the book to school staff) or return it directly to Dorchester Library. 

• Where’s Wally

• Ghost dogs

• Walls

• Attack of the jack

• Krokol the father of fear

• Uki and the outcasts

• My headteacher is an evil genius

• The big top bonanza!

• The treasure under the jam factory

• The good turn

Thank you for your help,

The year 4 team. 

  

Computing: Animation Workshop

In Computing today we began our new unit of work with Mr Spracklen which is all about creating 'Animations'. 

In the coming weeks, we will all make Macbeth animations with the aim of selecting the best to play on the big screen during the interval at the 'Shakespeare by the Sea Festival' (08/02/2023 at The Weymouth Pavilion - tickets available now at - https://weymouthpavilion.com/shows/shakespeare-by-the-sea-festival-2/).

Please see below for some basic information about animation and the animation software we are using which is called '2Animate' from Purple Mash -

 

Brilliant Gymnasts

 In PE today, Year Four were inspired by Max Whitlock to become brilliant gymnasts! 

Mr Spracklen was blown away by Year Four's focus, determination and effort throughout their first gymnastics lesson together.

Bring on next week! 

Welcome back to year 4

 

Hello everyone,

I hope you had an enjoyable holiday. The children have had a great start to the new term and new year. They have been given their lines for Act 1 of our performance of Macbeth and I was very impressed by their initial read throughs and improvisations. 

Next week we will focus on Act 1, then we will start rehearsing Act 2 the week after. In addition to any additional home learning tasks it would be very helpful if you could work with your child at home to help them learn their lines. 

You will have received an email regarding our trip to Weymouth this Monday. This visit is very useful in preparing the children for their performance and it helps them gain an understanding of what the theatre looks like and where they will get changed. We need your permission to take your child to Weymouth on the 9th January and 8th February. Please provide this permission vis PAY360. 

This week's home learning

For this week's home learning the children have been asked to research interesting facts about William Shakespeare. Over the next week they will be writing biographies on Shakespeare. 

The children have also been given a sheet with some maths questions and they are also strongly encouraged to practice their lines. 

The year 4 Parent Information session will be on Monday 16th January at 9am where I will give you more information about the Macbeth performance and upcoming dates and information. 

In the meantime, if you have any questions please get in touch with myself, Mr MacBean or a member of the year 4 team. 

Kind regards,

Ms Browne, Mr MacBean, Mrs Bernard, Mrs Scott, Miss Street, Mrs McConnell and Mrs Thomas.