Food, farming and faith fortnight

 

Hello everyone,

We hope you are having a super weekend so far. 

Food, Farming and Faith Fortnight starts tomorrow and we have a range of educational and fun experiences in store for your child. 

On Thursday, please could your child come dressed as an evacuee (ready to do some farm work). The forecast is looking like rain over the next few days so please also send them in with a raincoat and shoes or boots that can withstand working in muddy conditions. 

This week's home learning was to make a gas mask box. There are plenty of examples on the internet to give you ideas but here is the home learning sheet that was sent home on Friday.  

We are all so impressed with year 4 for yet again all completing their home learning. This is fantastic and we are so proud of you all. Well done also to the significant number of children completing their reading record books. These will be collected and looked at on Fridays (but it is helpful for children to bring them into school everyday). As with the home learning, no child will ever be in trouble for not completing their record book. Regular reading has clear educational benefits and recording reading completed is a good habit ready for middle school.  

As ever, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please email me or talk to me or a member of the team at the beginning or end of the day. 

Kind regards,

Ms Browne, Mrs Hall, Mrs Thompson, Miss Street & Mrs Burgess. xx

#ROAR2021 Competition

Today in class Mr Spracklen and Peter (from the Dorchester Lions) launched the #ROAR2021 competition with Year Four.

The #ROAR2021 competition intends to promote an entrepreneurial spirit for all students, unlocking their innovative DNA. Our involvement with the 8BillionIdeas led competition has been sponsored by our local Lions International Club - Dorchester Lions.

The #ROAR2021 competition aims to promote an entrepreneurial spirit by challenging students to create a 'WORLD CHANGING IDEA'

The #ROAR2021 competition will have the following impact -

- Drive an entrepreneurial spirit across the school

- Provide an excellent education opportunity to all students

- Build confidence in speaking, listening and teamwork skills

- Enhance curriculum in literacy, maths, science, DT, citizenship and PSHE.

Today we watched the following launch assembly -

We also started to thinking about 'the problem' - that one problem that we want to solve -

Each child in Year Four should have brought home a worksheet home to consider -

1. What is the problem you’re solving?
2. When does the problem occur?
3. Where does the problem occur?
4. Why does the problem occur?
5. How large is the problem?
6. Complete a problem statement

Mr Spracklen would like these handed into his office before next Tuesday.

Both Mr Spracklen and Peter (from the Dorchester Lions) cannot wait to see what #InspiredToLearn ideas are generated from the #ROAR2021 competition.

FAMILIES - Find out more about #ROAR21 at - https://www.lions-roar.com/

This week's home learning and upcoming dress up days

 

Hello everyone,

It has been a good week in year 4, the children enjoyed their swimming lesson and have adjusted beautifully to year 4 life. We were particularly impressed that every child returned their home learning. This is a fantastic start to the year and it bodes well for getting the children into good home learning habits for middle school.  

This week's home learning
For this week's home learning:

1) children are asked to either create a family tree or research their family history during WW2 (this can be one family member). 

2) children are asked to practice their times tables and to read daily. The class have been given a reading journal for them to complete when they read at home. This is another home learning activity that both middle schools request, so again it is aimed to help prepare the children. Ideally, I would like them to record every time they read for 15 minutes or more (the middle schools request 5x 20 minutes) but to start off, if children could record their reading in the reading journal once a week in Autumn term 1, this would be a great start.  

Upcoming dress up days

At the end of the month we will have Food, Faith and Farming fortnight. In addition to other events, all children at POW will be invited to dress up as a farmer and year 4 children will be invited to dress up as a child evacuee and we will go to Maiden Castle Farm to have an evacuee experience.  More information will follow about this soon but I wanted to give you time to put together an evacuee costume.  

For the full evacuee experience children will be asked to try to wear similar clothes to those worn during the 1940s (where possible). As children will be working on the farm like evacuee children did they should try to wear wellies or boots. Other clothing suggestions include a woollen jumper or cardigan, a blouse or shirt, knee length shorts or skirt or dress.  Next week's home learning will be to make a gas mask box.  

As ever, if you have any questions, comments or concerns please either email me c.browne@princeofwales.dorset.sch.uk or talk to myself or a member of the team before or after school.

We all hope you all have a lovely weekend. 🌞

Kind regards,
Ms Browne, Mrs Hall, Mrs Thompson, Miss Street and Mrs Burgess.  

Computing with Mr Spracklen (Week 2)

Today in Computing with Mr Spracklen our aim was to begin to understand 'selection' in computer programming and to understand how an 'IF statement' works.

We all had a go at designing and coding our own version of this program -

Mr Spracklen was very impressed with all our hard work!

Year 4 Home learning and notices for next week.

 

Hello everyone,

We had a sporty end to a fantastic week today with half the class enjoying a session of basketball whilst the other had a cricket lesson. Both of these sessions were taught by professional coaches. The small groups allow for a more focused approach to their teaching and after three weeks the groups will swap so that all children experience both sports. 

Swimming and PE  next week

Please could all children have their PE kits in school by next Friday and full swimming kits on Wednesday. You should also have received a swimming letter for you to state your collection preferences after swimming. Please could I have these slips returned by Tuesday.  

School photographs on Thursday

School photos are on Thursday morning. Please could all children come to school with a year 4 jumper or cardigan. 

Home learning and other letters home

In addition to the swimming letter, your child should also have come home with an acceptable online useage form that I need returned to school as soon as possible and a letter for you to update your marvellous me logins should you need to. I have received some high 5's so I'm assuming that it is working for many of you but any problems please ask Mr Edmonds. 

Home Learning should also have come home today in a bright orange book. A link for the home learning sheet can be found here  

Please can all home learning books be returned by Thursday whether the home learning has been completed or not. In the front of the home learning book you will notice that there is a Time Tables Rockstars record sheet. This is a place for children to record their weekly studio scores. 

Mrs Hall, Mrs Thompson, Miss Street, Mrs Burgess and I have been so impressed with everyone this week. As part of their transition to middle school, classroom expectations are high in year 4 but the class are rising beautifully to the challenge of being the top of the school.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to get in touch with myself or a member of the classroom team.

We hope you have a lovely weekend.

Kind regards,

Ms Browne and the Year 4 team. x  

Fantastic first few days in Year Four

 

Hello everyone,

We have just enjoyed a wonderful first few days in Year 4. I have been really impressed with how well the class have settled and have adjusted to the increased expectations and responsibilities of Year 4. 

This afternoon the children met their reception buddies and it was fantastic to see how quickly ALL of the children in year 4 took to their role. Mrs Hall and Miss Street, who knew them well from last year, commented on how mature they seemed and it is clear that they are going to make wonderful buddies. 

The weather is set to be more unpredictable on Wednesday (tomorrow) so please send in a raincoat with your child. Our swimming lessons don't start until Wednesday 15th September and hopefully the weather will be drier then.

An autumn term newsletter will be sent out on Thursday but if you have any questions, comments of concerns please get in touch. You can talk to me or one of the year 4 team before or after school or you can email me c.browne@princeofwales.dorset.sch.uk  

Kind regards,

Ms Browne & the Year 4 Team. xx

  

Computing with Mr Spracklen (Week 1)

Today in Computing with Mr Spracklen our aim was to review our coding vocabulary and knowledge. We also tried to create a simple computer program using 'Free Code Gibbon' on Purple Mash.

Mr Spracklen has set Year 4 the challenge of carrying this work on at home using the following instructions -

N.B - All children should be able to access Purple Mash at home. If not, please let Mr Spracklen know.

Mr Spracklen looks forward to seeing how Year 4 get on with the above challenge!

Welcome to Year 4

Hello everyone,

We hope you all had a lovely summer holidays. We had a great break but now we are excited to welcome the children back into year 4. 

A few reminders for Monday:

- Please label everything that comes into school (that you don't want lost forever). This is particularly important for PE kits and school jumpers that often go missing.  

-  PE kits are due in on Monday (although our PE lessons are Wednesdays and Fridays so don't panic if you forget them on Monday). 

-  Children should bring in a healthy snack and a labelled bottle of water everyday. 

- Year 4 children can bring their own pencil cases and stationary into school (although we will always have all equipment your children need to use in school). 

- If you didn't order hot meals one week in advance please bring in a packed lunch next week. 

- The forecast for next week is looking warm and sunny so please still send in labelled hats and apply sunscreen (especially Monday - Wednesday). 

- On Monday we will be visiting the sunflowers at Maiden Castle farm. As your child might be wearing brand new school shoes please feel free to send in some trainers for them to change into for the walk.   

We hope you enjoy the weekend and we can't wait to see you on Monday morning. 

Kind regards,
The Year 4 Team 
(Ms Browne, Mrs Hall, Mrs Thompson, Miss Street & Mrs Burgess)