Newsletter - 13.09.13

Lower Key Stage 2 Newsletter

Well, what another exciting week we have had. We have continued to be impressed by EVEN MORE Viking home learning consisting of longships, swords, shields, posters and helmets. Well done and thank you to everyone for their efforts, we have been well and truly blown away by the fabulous quality.

This week Year 3/4 visited the Danelaw Viking village in York where they spent the day living and working as a real Viking. They helped their Viking ‘family’ to farm the land, make clay oil lamps, grind wheat to make bread and even train as a warrior to help defend the village against Saxon intruders. The day was truly wonderful and the children were thoroughly immersed in all of the activities. The staff at the centre were so impressed with each and every single person and commented that Robin Hood were “a fabulous group to start off the new school year.” Well done Year 3/4 - you really did us proud!

Our Achiever this week is all of Year 4 for their impeccable behaviour and enthusiastic approach to our Danelaw visit on Monday. You really threw yourselves into the whole experience and played the role of a Viking extremely well. Congratulations Year 4.

Home Learning

As part of the children’s home learning in 3/4, we ask that the children read as often as they can across the week. All of the children should by now have a reading record book and a reading book from their book band colour. Please continue to encourage your child to read on a regular basis and fill in the reading record. We ask that your child hands their record in on a Monday so we can reward them for each day they have read. If a child reads every day they will be rewarded with a sticker.

All children will also be receiving a blue Home Learning book where they will complete the weekly home learning task. The home learning will be given out every Friday and will be collected in the following Friday morning for marking. However, if your child completes the task sooner, they are more than welcome to bring it into school to be marked before the hand in date.

Numeracy

This week we have been learning all about ordering and comparing numbers (including decimals) and have used the correct symbols ( < = >). We have also applied our skills to recognising the different values of coins and solving problems involving money. Next week we will be looking at number sequences and how to spot the patterns within them. Home learning: your child will have received a selection of questions and problems from this week’s learning as a means of embedding and securing the learning that has taken place. Please also continue to support your child with their learning of their times tables and basic number bonds to 10 and 100. These basic number facts underpin almost everything that we cover during numeracy lessons. Thank you. Next week’s times table focus will be the 2 X tables…get practising!

Literacy

This week, we have been focussing our attention on the use of conjunctions (but, so, and, which, however, because)  to join simple sentences to form compound sentences. We have been applying these skills to shared and independent writes about school and family life in the style of a non-chronological report. Next week we will be continuing to apply these skills to begin writing a non-chronological report about the Vicious Vikings.

Spellings

These Spellings will be tested on Monday 16^th September. Please support your child in practicing their spellings every day to help them achieve 10/10 in their spelling test every week.

Group One	Group Two
rain	pretty
jail	listen
tail	large
snail	college
daisy	rigid
maid	family
train	conduct
paint	river
brain	nothing
rainbow	column

Reminders

·         Please can all Year 4 children remember to bring their swimming kit and goggles if needed every Friday. They may also bring a snack to eat on the coach on the way back to school. This can be a biscuit or a piece of fruit.

·         Please ensure your child’s PE kit is kept in school from Monday-Friday every week.

·         As the weather begins to turn that little bit cooler and wetter, please ensure your child has a suitable outdoor coat/jacket.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Team 3/4