WELCOME TO YEAR 4
Expectations in Year 4 We will encourage your children to be mature in their approach to school life. We want them to be independent in their thinking and to take responsibility in their learning and actions - remembering PE kits and taking toilet breaks at break and lunch time. We will aim to do this by carrying out research and investigations in all subjects and homework. School uniform needs to neat and correct every day. School diaries we expect a minimum of 3 reading comments per week, with daily recording of their reading page numbers and title of book.
Behaviour We will be following the School behaviour policy - Diamond procedures. Larch Behaviour Incentives Yew Behaviour Incentives Chestnut Behaviour Incentives
Maths and English We will expect your child to learn their times tables. This will be completed on a race track challenge. Once multiplication is mastered, the children will move onto using their tables for division. We will be covering and revisiting a range of mathematical topics over the year. Please help by encouraging your child to read every day. Listen to them and read with them. Talk to them about what they are reading and make sure they get a variety of different authors and text types. There are recommended reading lists and questions to ask your child when reading in the new school diaries. We will shortly be starting to look at books that work with our History topic of Stone Age. Learning Maps will give more detail on what is being studied each term. Mastery - Maths
Spelling and Dictation A spelling booklet for the term has already been sent home and your child has been told what spelling groups they are in (A, B, C). Children should, ideally, spend 5 minutes practising spellings a day. Some of the most effective ways to learn spellings are to write them into sentences so that you learn them in context, using repetition, and to make sure you know the meaning. Spelling Test days: Larch: Thursday Chestnut: Monday Yew: Monday
Topic We will be studying the history of the Stone Age in the first half of the Autumn term. After half term, we begin to look at the geography of rivers which leads us into the next history topic of Ancient Egypt which will be Spring s area of interest. During the Summer term, we will be studying the geography and history of Italy.
Science, PE, RE, Computing, French and Art/DT Our Science topics this term are States of Matter, and after half term Electricity. You can read more about our science topics on the Learning Map. In Physical Education we will be learning to develop our skills in football and we will all be learning how to street dance. After half term we will be teaching netball and gymnastics. Art this term will be linked to our Stone Age and rivers topics. We will be developing skills using a range of techniques and materials. The children will be continuing to learn French with Mrs Haughton. The children will be looking at Hinduism in RE. PPA Wednesday. During this time, lessons will be taught by Mrs Wylde and they will have their weekly Computing lesson with Mrs Hui.
Music Children will be learning Clarinets this year. They will be loaned a clarinet which they are able to take home and practice. Lessons will begin Friday 23rd September 2016
Homework Children will be given one Maths, English or topic piece of homework each week. The homework should take no longer than 30 minutes and whilst we recommend you support your child, please encourage independence. The homework will be explained and given out to the children on a Wednesday. They will be expected to hand the homework in the following Tuesday. Late homework will not be marked and persistent lateness may result in children missing some of their break time. On each Wednesday, your child will also receive a weekly newsletter explaining the homework and giving you any Year 4 specific information.
Swimming In the summer term we will be going to the Kingfisher Pool for swimming lessons as part of our Physical Education curriculum. Your support is really key in order for swimming to work well. Children are dropped off pool where the class teacher will meet them. Any children who attend breakfast club will be taken to the pool with their class teacher. The children then have their lesson and walk back to school in time for break. We will need volunteers to walk back with us each week and will give you more details in the Spring Term.
Key Days PE: Larch Monday and Tuesday Yew Monday and Tuesday Chestnut Tuesday and Wednesday Times tables: Chestnut Monday Larch Thursday Yew Monday Clarinets: All classes on Friday
Trips Butser Farm trip: Thursday 29 th September early start Thames Explorer River Trip: Thursday 3 rd 4 th November (Yew and Larch) (Chestnut) and Friday British Museum Rainbow Theatre Egyptian Workshop Pizza Express Thames Young Mariners Year 4 Sleepover
Pen Licences Lots of children are keen to start using pens and we will be awarding pen licenses. Writing needs to be consistently neat, well formed and the children should have a high standard of presentation in their books in order for pen licences to be awarded.
Any Questions?