Year 4 - Summer term, week 1

Happy Sunday everyone! We hope you have been enjoying the sunshine this weekend.

We’ve had a fantastic start to the summer term in Year 4. The children have returned to school settled, focused, and ready to learn, which has been wonderful to see. There’s also a real sense of excitement in the classroom as they found out which middle school they are going to.

In Maths this week, we have been learning about perimeter, developing our understanding of how to measure and calculate the distance around shapes. In English, the children have begun an exciting immersion into the life of Tutankhamun, sparking lots of curiosity and great discussion. In Science, we have started our new topic on electricity, where the children are exploring different electrical objects.

Looking ahead to next week, in Maths we will be moving on to fractions. In English, the focus will shift to sentence work linked to Tutankhamun’s life, building on what the children have already learned. In Science, we will continue developing our understanding of electricity.

On Wednesday, we are looking forward to a visit from SCARF and their Life Education Van, where the children will take part in a workshop. On Thursday, the children will also begin their ukulele lessons, which is always a highlight of the term.

A quick reminder that some children still need to bring in their PE kits and appropriate clothing for Forest School sessions. Please ensure these are in school so everyone can take part comfortably and safely.

Thank you for your continued support.

Miss White, Miss Lawless, Mrs Bernard and Mrs Thomas

Welcome Back to the Summer Term - Year 4

We hope you all had a lovely Easter break and that the children are feeling rested and ready to come back to school. We’re really looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow and getting started on what should be a fun, busy and positive Summer Term!

It’s hard to believe we’re already in the final term of Year 4, the year really has flown by. The children have all worked so hard and made such great progress, and we’re really proud of everything they’ve achieved so far. This last term is always a special one, so we’ll be doing everything we can to make it as happy, exciting and memorable as possible.

As we move through the term, we’ll also begin to gently prepare the children for middle school. We’ll be encouraging them to become more independent, confident and organised, while making sure they feel supported every step of the way. Our aim is for them to finish Year 4 feeling proud of themselves and excited about what’s coming next.

There’s lots to look forward to over the coming weeks, with a range of activities, learning opportunities and time spent outdoors. We’re hoping to make the most of the (hopefully!) nicer weather and keep the children engaged and enjoying their learning right up to the end of term.

Just a couple of helpful reminders:

• Forest School will continue on Wednesdays. This is always a favourite part of the week, so please make sure children come in with suitable outdoor clothing, including appropriate footwear, whatever the weather.
• PE will be on Thursdays, so please ensure PE kits are in school all week and clearly labelled.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support, it really does make a big difference. If you ever have any questions or anything you’d like to discuss, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

We can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow and are really looking forward to a fantastic final term together!

Miss White, Mrs Bernard, Mrs Thomas and Miss Lawless

Year 4 - Week 4

 What an exciting and busy week it has been in Year 4!

This week, we have been celebrating Science Week, and the children have shown fantastic enthusiasm, curiosity, and teamwork throughout. It has been wonderful to see them exploring, questioning, and thinking like real scientists. In our curiosity box we had a pig's jaw!! The children were amazed when this box opened on Friday and they saw what was inside!

On Monday, we also had our concert rehearsal, where the children worked incredibly hard to prepare for their performance. Later that day, we took to the stage for our after-school concert, and what a performance it was!

In Maths, we have been focusing on dividing 2-digit numbers. The children have been learning how to exchange numbers to help them divide more accurately, as well as understanding what happens when numbers do not divide equally. We have also explored remainders, and the class has worked really hard to apply this in their calculations.

In English, we have been learning about homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings). The children have enjoyed spotting these in sentences and practising using the correct spelling in their own writing.

In Science, we have been learning all about the digestive system and how it works. The children explored the journey food takes through the body and learned about the important roles of different organs. They showed great interest and asked some fantastic questions!

We went to the farm on Thursday to learn about the cows and lambs for our science topic! We even got to see some day-old lambs and stroke them.

A huge well done to everyone for their hard work and commitment this week. You have all been amazing!

We’re looking forward to another fantastic week ahead.

Miss White, Mrs Bernard, Mrs Thomas and Miss Lawless

Year 4 - Week 3

Another great week in Year 4! The children have been practising their songs for the upcoming singing concert and have been working really hard to learn the words and melodies. It has been lovely to hear their enthusiasm and confidence growing each time we practise, and they are very excited to perform.

In Maths, we continued our work on multiplication and division. The children have been learning how to multiply two-digit numbers by one-digit numbers and also how to multiply three-digit numbers by one digit using written methods. We spent time discussing the different steps involved and practising how to set out our calculations clearly. The children have also begun looking at simple division problems and thinking about how multiplication and division are related. Everyone has shown great effort and perseverance when tackling these new challenges.

In English, we continued reading our class text Tar Beach. The children explored the story in more detail and thought carefully about the characters and their experiences. They then wrote in the role of different characters from the story, imagining what they might be thinking and feeling. It was wonderful to see the children using their creativity and developing their descriptive writing skills.

In Science, we revisited the experiment we started last week to investigate the effect of different drinks on our teeth. The children observed the changes that had taken place and discussed what this might tell us about how different drinks can affect our teeth. They enjoyed sharing their ideas and making predictions about why certain changes had occurred.

On Friday, we were very lucky to attend a live Science Show at Thomas Hardye School. The show was all about explosive foods, which the children found very exciting! We watched a range of fun and surprising demonstrations showing how certain foods can react and create explosive effects through different scientific processes. The children were fascinated by the experiments and enjoyed learning about the science behind them.

We also welcomed Miss Lawless, who will be our trainee teacher for the next 13 weeks. 

See you in the morning!

Miss White, Mrs Bernard and Mrs Thomas

Year 4 - Week 2

Hi everyone! 

We have had another fantastic and busy week in class! A huge thank you to all of our wonderful mystery readers who came in to share stories with the children. The class absolutely loved the surprise visits and it has been lovely to see their excitement around reading. We would also like to say a very special thank you for the Year 4 poem that was shared with us. It was a truly memorable moment and definitely one of the highlights of our week.

In Maths, we continued our learning on multiplication and division. This week we focused particularly on the 4 times table. The children worked hard to recognise patterns within the times table and used different strategies to help them solve multiplication and division problems. They have been practising recalling the facts quickly and applying them to a range of activities.

In English, we started exploring our new book, Tar Beach. Before reading the story, the children spent time discussing what they thought the book might be about by looking closely at the illustrations and title. This led to some thoughtful conversations about the theme of freedom and what that word means to them. It was wonderful to hear the children sharing their ideas and predictions, and we are excited to continue exploring the story together.

In Science, we began a new investigation to learn about the effects of different liquids on our teeth. To help us explore this, we used eggs as a model for tooth enamel and placed them into a variety of liquids. Over the coming days we will observe any changes that happen to the eggs and discuss what this might tell us about looking after our teeth.

In Art, the children began working on their self-portraits. They carefully observed their own features and practised drawing facial shapes, eyes, noses and mouths in the correct proportions. It has been lovely to see the children taking their time and thinking carefully about the details in their artwork.

World Book Day was a huge success and the children thoroughly enjoyed celebrating their love of reading. We finished the week by taking part in a workshop with an author, which was a fantastic experience. The children had the opportunity to listen to the author talk about their writing process and what inspires their stories, which helped to spark even more excitement about books and storytelling.

Well done to everyone for another wonderful week of learning!

Miss White, Mrs Bernard and Mrs Thomas 

Year 4 – A Fantastic First Week Back!

 What a great first week back! The children have settled in brilliantly, and we can’t quite believe we are already in the second half of Year 4.

In Maths, we continued our work on multiplication and subtraction, building on our understanding and applying our skills to a range of problems.

In English, we had a SPaG focus before starting our new book, Tar Beach. We explored expanded noun phrases and prepositions to help strengthen our descriptive writing.

In Science, we began our new unit, Animals Including Humans. We explored the different types of teeth and discussed what they are used for.

In Art, we started our new unit on portraits and explored the colour wheel, looking at how colours can be mixed and used effectively.

In History, we organised and discussed a timeline of the Tudors, helping us to understand where this period fits within British history.

In Computing, we explored effective searching and discussed how to find reliable information online.

It was also our first week in Forest School, and the children absolutely loved exploring the outdoor area and building dens together.

On Friday, as a special treat, we watched our production of Romeo and Juliet in the hall on the big screen — a wonderful way to celebrate all of the children’s hard work!

We still have one space available for our Mystery Reader slot on Wednesday. Please let me know if you are able to come in and read to the class.

Reminders:

All children need suitable clothes for Forest School sessions and PE kits need to be in school. 

Thank you for your continued support!

Miss White, Mrs Bernard and Mrs Thomas