Merry Christmas and Thank you

 

As we come to the end of this first full term, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on how far the children have come. Myself, Mrs. Bernard, Mr Spracklen, Mrs March and Mrs Thomas have all remarked on the noticeable growth and maturity in the class. They are developing into wonderful buddies and role models, and we couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of them.

On behalf of all the Year 4 staff, I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you for your ongoing support, kind words, and the thoughtful Christmas gifts. Your generosity is truly appreciated.

We wish you all a joyful, restful, and healthy holidays and look forward to an exciting Spring term full of more inspired to learn activities.  

Kindest regards,

The year 4 team. xxx

Christmas Performance Clothes & Pencil Cases

 

Hello everyone,
Just a quick update to let you know that the children will need to wear a Christmas jumper (if you have one) for the Christmas performances next week. As I explained to the children, they should still come to school in uniform but have their jumper to change into on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday next week.  If your child doesn't have a Christmas jumper they are welcome to wear a Christmas hat and or tinsel to decorate themselves. 

Secondly, next term the children are welcome to start bringing their own pencil cases into school. Ideally any new pencil cases should fit inside your child's trays and not be so busy that they are a distraction. Please be aware that this is optional and we will always provide all stationary your child needs for school.        

Year 4 Carol Concert readers

 

Next Wednesday (18th December), it will the Prince of Wales yearly Christmas carol concert. If your child attended our preschool or were with us in reception you may remember when they dressed up as characters from the nativity. 

For their last Carol concert with the Prince of Wales school, Year 4 are invited back to read passages that tell the nativity story. 

Mr Spracklen will be speaking to the children about the concert this afternoon and are encouraged to talk to you this evening about their availability next Wednesday.     

If your child would like to be involved they will need to be free between 4.45 - 6pm next Wednesday. I will collect names of those that are interested tomorrow. 

Kind regards,

Ms Browne 

 

What a busy week

 

Hello everyone,

What a busy week the children have had this week! On Monday, the children were all very excited to receive their books that they had written with the wonderful team from the Bank of Dreams and Nightmares. These were specially delivered by PCSO Jane Goodwin and Ed from the Bank of Dreams and Nightmares after they were taken as 'evidence' during our Inspired writing week. 

Well done to those year 4 children that represented the school on Thursday's Abbeyfield Christmas Carol Concert. The children sang beautifully and we are all so very proud of them. 

On Friday, the children learnt about the work of Jeff Koons, a successful sculptor who is famous for creating fun balloon inspired sculptures. The children had a go at making their own balloon dogs working in small groups. They were warned that working with balloons can be very tricky and that it was a great opportunity for the children to develop team work and resilience. They thoroughly enjoyed the activity and we will try to find another opportunity for them to individually have a go nearer Christmas.      

The children have now been given their roles for our Shakespeare play the Tempest. I hope to have finished adapting the script this weekend and aim to give the children their own script by the end of next week. This year, we are delighted to be working with Lauren from Razzmatazz on Friday afternoons, who is bringing her expertise to help us develop dance and musical additions to the play. Lauren started teaching the children a routine on Friday and Mrs Bernard and I were so impressed by what the children achieved in a relatively short space of time. We are so excited to watch the children grow into confident performers over the next few months. 

I will let you know what the costumes are likely to be at the beginning of next term, but usually we do ask that all children have black leggings of black tracksuit bottoms and black trainers or plimsolls. 

Tickets for the performance at the Weymouth Pavilion are now available. Click here for the link to book.  

Home learning

Apologies that Home learning was late this week. We are asking the children to come up with their own Christmas inspired Maths problems. Hopefully we will use some of the children's problems in our maths lessons next week.  The children were given a paper copy or electronic ones can be found here.  

Upcoming dates

Sunday 8th December - POWSA Christmas Fair, 2 - 5pm

Thursday 12th Dec - Save the Children Christmas Jumper Day. 

Thursday 12th Dec - Last swimming session. 

Tuesday 17th Dec - KS2 Christmas performance 10.30am

Wednesday 18th Dec - Pantomime Day and Whole School Carol service 5 - 6pm 

Thursday 19th Dec - KS2 Christmas performance 10.30am 

Friday 20th Dec - Last Day of term and Christmas Packed Lunch Day

Monday 6th January - All Children Back to school

Wednesday 8th Jan - Class trip

Monday 13th Jan - Shakespeare orientation trip

Wednesday 12th Feb - Shakespeare by the sea performance Day

17th - 21st Feb - Half Term

Monday 24th Feb - INSET

Tuesday 25th Feb - All Children back to school

Monday 17th March - Local schools year 4 singing concert 6.30 - 7.30pm  (Details to follow) 

Kind regards,

The Year 4 team 

 

Artists in Residence

 Hello Year Four Families

On Wednesday we had a trip to the Jubilee Hall in Poundbury to see our art work displayed alongside lots of other local artists in the 'A Hive of Creativity Winter Exhibition. . The children had a really good look around, choosing their favourite 2D and 3D piece of art. It was clear to see that the children really enjoyed the experience and really immersed themselves in the experience. We saw one of our pupils mum's work as well as former pupil Lucas Greenfield who just happened to be a buddy to one of the current Y4 pupils!

A big thank you to Lizzie and Barbara from the team at "Art in Poundbury' for giving the children this opportunity to becomes artists in residence.

The Year Four Team

Exploring the World of Artificial Intelligence in Year 4

Today, our Year 4 pupils began an exciting journey into the ever-evolving world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As part of their new computing unit, we introduced them to this transformative technology that is reshaping industries and daily life.

What Is Artificial Intelligence? To start, we explored the question: What is AI? The pupils learned that AI is a tool that enables machines to mimic human intelligence. From understanding language to recognising patterns and even creating art, AI has the ability to process information and make decisions in ways that once seemed impossible.

How Is AI Being Used Today? We discussed real-world examples of AI in action, such as:

Virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa.

Recommendation systems on platforms such as YouTube and Netflix.

Self-driving cars and robotics in factories.

The pupils were amazed to learn that AI isn’t just a futuristic concept; it’s already part of our everyday lives!

The Future Potential of AI - Our conversation then turned to what the future might hold. Could AI help solve climate change? Could it revolutionise healthcare? The pupils shared their imaginative ideas, from AI-powered classrooms to robot doctors.

Hands-On Learning with AI Tools - Mr Spracklen gave an engaging demonstration of an AI music-building tool (https://aimusic.so/app). The pupils were fascinated to see how AI could create unique melodies, sparking a lively discussion about AI’s role in creative fields.

We also explored Google Gemini, an AI platform that can generate images. Pupils were inspired by its ability to create art from just a few words, showcasing how technology can combine creativity and innovation.

Finally, we looked at tools like Merlyn Mind, an AI system designed for classrooms, and ChatGPT, a tool that can support teachers by generating ideas, lesson plans and more. The pupils were curious about how these tools could make learning and teaching more efficient.

Why Teach AI in Year 4? The world of technology is changing rapidly, and by introducing our pupils to AI, we’re helping them become informed digital citizens. This unit not only develops their computing skills but also encourages them to think critically about the ethical implications and opportunities AI brings.

As we continue this unit, our Year 4 pupils will get hands-on experience with more AI tools, develop projects, and reflect on how AI can be a force for good in the world. Stay tuned for updates as our pupils dive deeper into the world of AI—they’re already buzzing with excitement!

#InspiredToLearn

Exciting times ahead (key upcoming events)

Hello everyone,

It's that time of year when the school entrance gets transformed into a winter wonderland. I was a parent before I was a teacher at POW and I still remember my first experience of the magic that is Christmas at POW. This year, our theme is the Jolly Christmas Postman. Year 4, like the other classes will take part in our inspired writing week. Year 4 will be writing letters with Ms Browne, Mrs March and the team from the Bank of Dreams and Nightmares. 

Tempest auditions

This week the children were given audition scripts ahead of their Tempest auditions next Friday. If your child's audition script didn't make it home the link can be found here.

Next week, the children will be asked to list up to 4 roles that they would like, although they will only be invited to audition for their 1st choice. 

Home learning

The children's home learning for this week is for the children to practice their lines for their audition. If they can learn them this really helps to free up their hands. Lauren from Razzmatazz gave the children some tips today such as line delivery and projecting their voice, using body language gestures and facial expressions. 

Spellings

The spellings for this week have been sent home and are available on spelling shed. For reference they are also here: 

Mrs Bernard's group:

RWI4

RWI5

Upcoming events

Monday 25th November - Inspired writing week launch

Tuesday 26th November - The bank of dreams and nightmare

Wednesday 27th November - Year 4 artwork display visit (see emailed letter)

Thursday 28th November - School disco

Friday 29th November - Christmas Craft day 

Friday 29th November - Tempest Auditions