Class 3

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Term 1 & 2 Newsletter – Class 3

Dear all,

I hope you have all had a wonderful summer holidays and enjoyed spending time with family and friends. 

Welcome to class 3! I am very excited to get to know the children and to begin their key stage 2 learning journey with lots of exciting experiences and engaging topics.

Please do come up and chat at the end of the day or email me if you have any questions.

Many thanks,

Miss Rietdyk

crietdyk@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk

English

In term 1, our focus text is ‘Journey’ by Aaron Becker. Journey is a wonderful first text to engage the children as they will need to use a lot of their imagination and detective skills because the book does not have any text. Journey follows a young girl who finds a magic crayon which takes her on an incredible adventure. During term 1, children will be developing their questioning and inference skills by analysing the images to make sense of the story and the key events. Journey gives them the opportunity to develop their descriptive writing skills and narrative writing skills.

In term 2, children will be showcasing all their history knowledge by writing a non-chronological report all about the Romans. The children will be focussing on the key features of a non-chronological report and practice applying this into their writing. We will then be putting ourselves into a Roman soldier’s boots and writing a diary entry as a Roman soldier who is guarding Hadrian’s Wall.

Science

In term 1, our topic is Rocks, Soils and Fossils. Children will be identifying and classifying rocks based on certain characteristics as well as learning about the process of fossilisation. We will also be taking part in an exciting experiment testing soil permeability which gives us the opportunity to plan, carry out and evaluate an experiment. In term 2, our topic is Animals, including humans. During this topic, we will be learning about the functions of the skeleton and how we move using our joints. We will be identifying bones in animal skeletons and try to answer the question ‘Are all animal skeletons the same?’

Art/Design & Technology

Our art topic starts with a focus on creating art for the Harvest festival; the children will be experimenting with texture and shading to design, draw and shade a Harvest scene. We will then move onto experimenting with colour and how we can create different effects with paint.

We will then be moving onto DT in term 2, where we will explore how levers and linkages work. We will then use this knowledge to make a moving Christmas card.

Whole Class Reading

Our whole class text for this term is ‘My Family and Other Romans’ by Marie Basting. Whole class reading sessions will be taking place 4 times a week to build children’s reading stamina and comprehension skills.

Music

Children will have their weekly singing lessons on a Wednesday afternoon with Mrs Bayman. We will be focussing on listening and appreciating different genres of music and identifying different musical instruments in a piece of music. In music lessons, children will be taking part in body percussion sessions as well a learning songs about the Romans using the musical ‘Rocking Romans!’ by the BBC.

French

In French for terms 1 and 2 we will be learning how to greet one another in French before moving onto ‘all about me’ which will include learning colours and classroom instructions.

Geography

Our first two terms has a heavy History focus with the Romans and much of the learning will naturally be a combination of both History and Geography. We will focus discretely on recapping the UK countries and cities as well as the surrounding seas, particularly those areas with a Roman past.

Spelling

In key Stage 2, we use the Superhero Spelling scheme which is the next level up from Monster Phonics. The outline of the weekly spellings can be found stuck into your child’s homework book as well as on class 3’s page on the school website. Children are expected to practise their weekly spellings alongside their homework and will be tested on their spellings every Friday morning.

Maths

To begin, we will be recapping our Key Stage 1 place value knowledge with representing numbers to 100 and using tens and ones when adding. This will be followed with representing numbers to 1000 and exploring part/whole models to show different ways of making a number. We will be comparing numbers and learning how to find 1,10,100 more or less as well as exchanging. Our place value work will support our work with addition and subtraction with 2 digit and 3 digit numbers as well what happens when you cross 10 and 100.  In year 3, we will be focussing heavily on our 3,4 and 8 times tables. Children will be learning how to multiply and divide by 3,4 and 8 by equal grouping and arrays.

Times table knowledge is heavily implemented in Class 3, so I strongly encourage the children to be using TT Rockstars at home to build their knowledge. The children will be shown how to log on and how to use TT Rockstars in the first couple of weeks of term 1 and I will be sending the children home with a copy of their username and password for you to support them at home.

RE

Our RE topic for term 1 is around the big question of ‘What do Christians learn from the Creation story?’ Term 2’s big question is ‘What is it like to follow God?’

History

We will start our History in Class 3 by recapping all events studied in Key Stage 1 to ensure that children have a strong understanding of how everything they have studied so far links chronologically. After this, we will delve into learning about the Romans. Our first question we will explore is ‘When did the Romans come to Britain and did everyone want them there?’ which will look at where the Romans based themselves in the UK and the conflict with the Celts. We will then move onto exploring our second question in term 2, ‘How did the Romans influence life in Britain’? with a focus on the Roman roads, architecture, number and calendar system.

PSHE

For PHSE in term 1 we will be exploring what it means to be ‘Me’ in the world before moving onto ‘Celebrating Differences’ with a focus on anti-bullying in term 2.

Computing

In computing this term will be looking at securing our navigation skills in terms of saving files as well as improving our proficiency using Microsoft Word and typing skills. In term 2, we will be focussing on online safety and how to touch type.

PE

In term 1, we will be developing our tennis skills by focussing on racket and ball control, how to use a forehand and back hand and learning the rules and how to score during a game. In term 2, we will continue to work on our ball skills by practicing dribbling both with our feet and hands, tracking, throwing, kicking and catching.  1 lesson a week will be led by our PE providers:  All Star Soccer in term 1 and Miss Zara from ZB Active in term 2.

Handwriting

Mrs Hall will be running handwriting sessions with Class 3 on a Tuesday morning to practice joining up our writing in order to obtain a pen license.

Reminders

PE kits

Our PE lessons are on Tuesday and Thursdays, so please make sure children have their full kits.  As the days will start to get colder, jogging bottoms for outdoor PE becomes acceptable.

Reading Records

Your children are encouraged to be independent with choosing a reading book to read at home and changing their book when finished. We expect children to read every night, even if it is only for a short while. Please continue to record all reading in their Reading Records. (Small comments such as ‘Read well’ or ‘Confused with word…’ would be useful.)

The Reading Records will be stamped once a page is completed. Children will receive a certificate in assembly when they fill up their Reading Record. We will be checking children’s Reading Records once a week, so please do make sure it is in their schoolbags on Tuesday Mornings.

The highest number of reading records we have had on a Tuesday is 11 out of a possible 21 last year, but we would love to have a full set. Whilst reading with your child, it would be beneficial to ask them some questions about the text or to find a key word they have read. This supports their reading comprehension skills which supports their whole class reading sessions.

Homework

Homework is to be completed once a week and children will be able to choose a piece of homework from a Homework menu. The orange Homework books will be handed out to children to take home on a Wednesday afternoon and will be expected back in school on a Monday morning. Please make sure you ask your child about their homework for the week and are working with them to complete it.

TT Rockstars

As a school we are now celebrating children’s times table achievements in gold book assembly.  TT rockstar logins are stuck in the front of your child’s homework book. The times tables class 3 are expected to be confident with are their 3, 4 and 8 times tables by the end of the year. Mr Boorman is checking children’s progress weekly so it would great to see class 3 earning certificates in gold book assembly to display all their hard work on their times tables this year!

Uniform

Please make sure children’s names are on their uniform so that we know exactly who owns what! In Class 3 children are expected to wear ties with their winter uniform. Please make sure your child has a tie and that it is named.

Water bottles

Please make sure your child’s water bottle is clearly named and that they bring them home with them every day.

Forest School

Class 3 will have Forest School on a Thursday afternoon. A rota will have been shared with you regarding which week your child will be participating in Forest School. Please make sure to check this carefully to ensure your child has all the necessary gear with them in school on the day that they have Forest School.

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