HALF TERM FUN

Hiya. Hope that you are all having fun so far. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for better weather!

If you are bored already check out these interactive websites just for fun:

http://www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/ - for the budding artist

http://www.connected-earth.com/LearningCentre/HowhaslifeinBritainchanged/index.htm - for anyone who wants to look at World War 2 a little more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/planetearth/ - super information on animals.

http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/timepirates/ - if you like being a detective and solving clues then check out this lively story.

http://www.vocabulary.co.il/ - do you want to get ahead with your ambitious vocabulary? Then check out the games on this site.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mw/ - if you want to work on your maths. Grade 2 = Year 3. It is a bit americanised but the activities are good.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ - do you want to learn how to type faster? This site shows you how - it's called dance mat typing and it's as easy as a b c!

Monday 22nd May

Well done to the Year 3 and 4 children for trying so hard in their tests last week. There are just a couple of tests that need 'mopping up' this week.

Our focus for Literacy this week is POETRY. The children will be looking at a range of poems and learning how poets use humour, rhyming patterns, figurative language, metaphors and onomatopeia to create effects for the reader to enjoy. They will then use this learning to create poems of their own.
If you fancy reading poetry or writing poems of your own check out:
http://www.poetry4kids.com/index.php
http://www.poetryzone.ndirect.co.uk/index2.htm

We are reviewing sound this week in Science, concentrating on how we hear.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/sound_hearing.shtml

The children will be continuing to work on their Geography project on Weather Around the World.

Don't forget that we break up on Thursday this week as the staff have an INSET day on Friday.

On behalf of all the Year 3 and 4 staff can I wish you all a happy and safe Whit holiday. I hope that you enjoy all that you do and fingers crossed for at least a few sunny days!

Monday 15th May

This week our Year 3 and 4 children will be sitting their exams. These are the optional SATs that will enable us to assess and monitor each child's progress. The papers will be marked as soon as possible to inform our planning for the remainder of the year. Results will be sent out to parents with the annual reports.

It would be great if during this week you could check out the websites previously mentioned or take a look at the links in our school website:

http://www.stvincent.ik.org

Through the course of the week the Year 3 children will be undergoing Communion preparation. It would be good if you could find opportunities to talk with your child about their experiences, hopes and fears about receiving Holy Communion during this time.

While our Year 3 are learning more about this important Sacrament the Year 4's will have the opportunity to become travel agents in our topic Weather around the World. They will have the chance to work together in co-operative learning teams to match a family to a suitable holiday destination, thinking carefully about weather, type of holiday, destination, people, things to see and do, etc.

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/mappingourworld/
mapping_our_world/l/home/index.htm

Our Science topics on rocks continues this week with the children learning about how and when rocks are formed. They will also be introduced to the terms sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock types. If you have not already had the chance to, check out:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/index_flash.shtml

Weekly Update - 8/5/06

This week is an important week for our Year 6 as they sit their SATs. Good luck everyone - we know you'll all try to do your best. I'm sure that all the hard work put in by the staff and children will pay off!

In Literacy this week we are reviewing and revising in preparation for our exams which take place next week (week beginning 15/5/06). The children are practising their understanding of what they read, as well as consolidating their skills in writing through a review of the elements of VCOP Vocabulary, Connectives, Openers and Punctuation).

In Numeracy the children will continue to work on their mental maths skills and times tables knowledge. Alongside this they will be working on developing further their basic skills and understanding of number. If you would like to support your child in this then http://www.mathszone.co.uk is a site that was recommended last week.

Our Science topic of Rocks and Soils continues this week. Already our budding geologists have observed and recorded a variety of rocks, and tested them according to hardness and durability. This week they will be exploring the porosity of rocks - identifying which rocks are permeable (allow water to pass through), and which are impermeable (don't allow water to pass through).

A super website that explores Literacy, Numeracy and Science can be found at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/digger/

If your child enjoys writing their own stories then check out http://kotn.ntu.ac.uk/

We are continuing with our Weather Around the World topic this week by thinking about the links between weather and human activity. It would be fantastic if you could keep a WEATHER DIARY with your child this week using their Home/School diary to record their findings in. Encourage them every day to jot down what the weather is like: each morning when they get up;when they are having their tea and just as they are going to bed.

Weekly Update

The Year 4 children had a fantastic time at Kingswood and their behaviour was excellent. They were a real credit to the school and their families. We all came back exhausted but happy, having tried our hand at such activities as zip wire, archery,climbing and circus skills to name just a few. A date now just has to be found for the children to present some of the work they did. Further information on the presentation will follow soon.

The teachers who worked with the Year 3 children all said they had a lovely time with them and that the children had produced some really good work. In the afternoon sessions the Year 3's became travel agents and looked at holiday destinations. Year 4's will have opportunity to do this at a later date. In the meantime it would be worth checking out the site below which develops skills and understanding in reading maps:
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/coolplanet/mappingourworld/
mapping_our_world/l/home/index.htm

Well done to the Year 3 and 4 children for a super week last week - you did us proud.

Moving on to this week now. In Literacy the children will be continuing to study narrative texts, thinking carefully about plot. We will be looking at how to use paragraphs and exploring how authors build up tension in adventure stories. If you enjoy reading stories with your child check out these online book collections:
http://www.storiesfromtheweb.org/8_11homepage.htm
http://www.magickeys.com/books/index.html

In Science we are continuing to study Rocks and Soils. The children will be learning about permeable and impermeable rocks as well as testing hardness.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/index_flash.shtml

If you want to work on Numeracy skills check out:
http://www.mathszone.co.uk/