It has been a busy and exciting week in Year 4! The children are settling really well into our routines, and it has been lovely to see them growing in confidence as they get used to the expectations of their new year group.

It was also lovely to see so many of you at our Meet the Teacher session. We are really looking forward to working together with you to support your children to flourish throughout Year 4. Thank you for taking the time to come along.

English - We are continuing to develop our characterisation toolkit. This week, we have been exploring how to use direct speech effectively and how to describe characters' feelings using precise adjectives. The children have been working hard to make their writing more engaging and descriptive.

Next week, we will continue to develop our writing toolkit, focusing on similes and fronted time adverbials.

Maths - In Maths, we have continued to focus on place value, working with numbers up to 10,000. The children have been developing their understanding of the value of each digit and applying this to different mathematical problems.

Next week, we will be practising estimating, comparing and ordering numbers to 10,000.

Science - We have begun our new topic on the digestive system. We have been learning about the different organs involved and the important role each one plays in digestion.

We also had a wonderfully messy, hands-on lesson where we recreated the journey of food through the human body! There were lots of laughs, plenty of mess and, most importantly, lots of learning. We had great fun!

PSHE – We discussed how we can respond to one another in positive ways. We explored the importance of listening to others, showing kindness and thinking carefully about how our words and actions can affect those around us.

DT - We have begun our catapult topic in DT. The children started by researching how catapults work and exploring their history. We are looking forward to developing our understanding further as the project progresses.

Geography - we explored where volcanoes are located around the world. We began to identify patterns in their distribution and will continue to develop our understanding of volcanoes throughout the topic.

RE - We discussed how Christians make links between the 'good news' in the Bible and the way they live their lives. The children shared thoughtful ideas and considered how beliefs can influence actions.

Home Learning

• Reading: Please read 5 times and make sure your Reading Record book is signed.
• Doodle Learning: Two Maths activities have been set. Please also continue with English activities.
• Baseline assessments: There are still a few children who have not completed their baseline assessment. Please could you ensure this is completed by Wednesday, so that children do not need to complete it during lunchtime on Thursday.
• Spelling: We are no longer having weekly spelling tests. Instead, spelling will be assessed regularly during lessons through dictation and other spelling activities. Each week, we will send home three words from the statutory spelling list for children to practise. We encourage children to practise these regularly at home.
• Times Tables - Next week, we will be assessing the children's times tables. Following this assessment, we will send home the specific times table that each child should focus on practising. More information about this will be included in next week's blog.

Date for Your Diary – Science Museum Trip Tuesday 29th September

We are delighted to be able to take Year 4 to the Science Museum for a fantastic day of science learning. The children will take part in a workshop and have the opportunity to visit the Wonderlab, helping to enhance and bring to life our science curriculum.

Please check the letter from Mrs Palmer for further information. If you are able to help us on the day, please do let us know - we would be incredibly grateful for your support.

Friday 25th September - Vaccination UK – Flu Vaccinations

Tuesday 29th September - Year 4 class trip to the Science Museum

Wednesday 30th September - 8:50 - Class Rep meeting

Thursday 1st October - 9:00 - 10:00 - Harvest Festival at St Mary's Church - Years 1 to 6.  Drop off at the church (smart uniform)

Thursday 1st October - 16:00 - 18:00 - Multisports Event at St John's Catholic Primary School - limited spaces

Tuesday 6th October - morning - Individual and sibling photographs (smart uniform for Years 1 to 6)

Friday 16th October - Year 3 - Class trip to Celtic Harmony

Wednesday 21st October - 15:15 - 15:45 - Years 3 to 6 - Book Look

Emails sent this week

Y3 & Y4 Multisports Event

Choir – Young Voices

October Half term camp - Tech & STEM Camp

Nasal Flu Vaccine

Thank you, as always, for your continued support. We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and we look forward to another exciting week of learning in Year 4!

Mrs Bartram and Mrs Garland