English

In English this week, have being writing out own poems using figurative language – similes, metaphors and personification. We have looked at a poem about a volcano and about an earthquake. For our end of unit ‘Show Piece’ we wrote about a pebble and the journey it could have. Unfortunately we were unable to go on the trip due to the weather, but their writing was still amazing and imaginative!

Here are a few examples of writing from Team Turquoise…

Next term, we will be reading ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’.

This beautifully written story by Onjali Q. Raúf tells the story of Ahmet, a young Kurdish refugee from Syria who was separated from his family en-route to Britain. Narrated by one of the children in his new class, this touching novel conveys the seriousness of the situation while maintaining a humorous tone when describing the scrapes, they get into while trying to help Ahmet.

The first genre we will learn out whilst ready ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’ is stories that raise issues and dilemmas. In this unit, the children will learn to write in character to explore difficulties, issues and dilemmas, presenting viewpoints using carefully selected vocabulary. We will write diaries, letters and emails. The children will explore the issues from different points of view, looking at word choices that have an impact on the reader and infer meaning. We will look also at how our sentence construction can be used for impact; use of openers and complex sentences. We will also learn to use paragraphing and sequence our ideas carefully, using introductions and summaries to help shape the texts that we write.

In our next writing unit, persuasion, we will firstly learn how to structure a persuasive piece; using an introduction, paragraphs organised by argument and then a summary. The children will learn to use superlatives, adjectives, adverbs, verbs and nouns that are emotive and ambitious. We will learn to use modal verbs to aid our persuasion and will also find out about when to use formal and information language and ensuring we use standard English including verb inflections (did, done, were, was). The children will also learn about bias and the differing opinions surrounding the issues in the book. We will use a variety of conjunctions to join and extend our ideas, and also learn about the correct use of rhetorical questions.

The next genre that we will cover will be Recounts and Newspapers. We will learn about the structure of a recount starting with an introduction followed by background information, chronological events and finished off with a summary. We will learn how to include reported and direct speech and other text type features such as headings, bi-lines and subheadings. We will choose emotive language to use in our reports and also choose language that will show writer bias and/or viewpoint. Again, we will ensure nouns and pronouns are varied to avoid repetition and we will choose a variety of conjunctions to link ideas and sections of writing. Throughout this genre, the children will maintain and accurately manipulate tense, 3^rd person and viewpoint. We will use paragraphs to explore and thoroughly explain an idea, issue or subject matter. This unit will culminate in the children writing a newspaper article about an emotive issue from our story ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class.’

The last genre of the term that we will cover is stories from different cultures. The children will learn to describe settings and characters from different cultures choosing a wide range of vocabulary; adjectives, adverbs, verbs and nouns. They will learn to use expanded noun phrases and prepositions and about the importance of varying pronouns and nouns to add clarity and avoid repetition. We will rewrite the action from the story, choosing adverbs and verbs that add detail and move the action on. We will also learn to use a range of complex and compound sentences and adverbials including fronted adverbials. We will continue to learn to organise our ideas into paragraphs, and learn to make links between paragraphs. We will learn to use dialogue accurately.

 

Maths

This week we have been learning about coordinates using the saying ‘along the corridor and up( and down) the stairs’. The children did some incredible work and thought of this learning, more like a game!

Next term in maths we will be covering the following units:

Statistics

To understand and use a range of scales.

To interpret and present continuous data in time and bar graphs.

To solve comparison, sum and difference problems when interpreting data presented in time graphs.

To record data into Venn and Carroll diagrams. 

Measurement – money

To estimate and compare money in pounds and pence.

To calculate money in pounds and pence using four operations.

Four operations

Mental strategies:

Derive quickly related facts

Add and subtract pairs of multiples

Add 3 numbers mentally

Know by heart all doubles and halves

Measurement – time

To convert time between analogue (including Roman Numeral clock faces) and digital clocks (12 hour and 24 hour).

To convert units of time.

To solve problems involving converting time (including hours to minutes, minutes to seconds, years to months, weeks to days).

To calculate time durations that pass through the hour.

Geometry – properties of shape

To identify acute and obtuse angles.

To compare and order angles up to two right angles, by size.

 

Thematic – Cracking the Earth’s Core

This week, we concluded our focus on ‘Cracking the Earth’s Core’ by taking an end of unit quiz! This helps us to identify any gaps in the children’s understanding and celebrate their knowledge. The children thoroughly enjoyed this Thematic focus!

This week, in RE, we found out about Hinduism and how Hindus worship at home and in the Mandir. It was also Internet Safety Day on Tuesday and we spent the whole day learning about online safety, focusing on screen time, being kind and being safe.

Next term, our thematic topic is… Innovation Station! Our big question is ‘What inventions have really changed the world?’ During this unit, we will be learning about the Golden age of Islam. We will learn about the impact this period of time had on the world and the inventions made during that time. In science, we will focus on electricity, learning about circuits and how to create them. We will then apply our knowledge of circuits in Design Technology, creating our own inventions.

 

Love to Learn and Viking Speaker Competition

Each year we hold a speaker competition, with the aim of increasing the children's oracy skills. All Key Stage 2 children are invited to enter. For their home learning over half term, we would like your child to write their entry to the competition.

Their speech is to last no longer than two minutes. No slides or props are allowed in the competition and we encourage the children, as much as possible, to perform their speech from memory (cue cards are allowed if needed).

This year, the children can write about anything they wish, but the spech must start "If I ruled the world, the first thing I would do would be to......"

The children will have the opportunity to edit, improve and rehearse their speech during the first week back. Each class will hold a class competition during week two, where their class winner will be announced.

On Friday 8th March, we will hold our school final, where three Chilton winners will be chosen. These three children will be invited to the Trust final, held at Royal Harbour, on Friday 22nd March.

Once the children have written their speech, we advise them to practice it as much as possible in front of a small group at home and at school, in order to build their confidence.

We look forward to hearing the children's speeches and wish them all the best of luck!

Art Competition

Rotary club art competition

Children have been invited to enter the Rotary Club Art competition. The theme this year is ‘rebuilding’, and children can create a piece of art which represents what this means to them.

It is a 2D art competition with art entered being up to a maximum of A2 unframed, using any medium eg pen & ink, paint, collage, print making or digital formats.

Children need to write a brief sentence to explain the link to the theme and enter this along with your piece of art and the entry form.

On the entry form you will need to tick which level the child’s age falls into-

Junior- up to and including 10 years old.

Intermediate- 11 to 13 years old.

Mrs Walker will be collecting all entrants on Friday 23^rd February.

Dates to remember

• Monday 19^th February – Term 4 begins

• Friday 24^th February – Year 4 to Discovery Planet

• Saturday 2^nd March – KS2 Cross Country at Quex

• Thursday 7^th March – World Book Day (more information to follow)

• Thursday 7^th March – Autism workshop in school hall 9:00

• Thursday 14^th March – Year 4 Assembly 9:00 – Parents invited

• Monday 11^th March - Science day (More information to follow)

• Monday 11^th – Thursday 14^th March – Book Fair in school

• Friday 15^th March – Red Nose Day - Wear something funny for money

• Friday 15^th March – Parent Book Look 3:15 for Parent-Teacher Consultations

• Monday 18^th – Thursday 21^st March – Parent-Teacher Consultations – dates and times coming soon

• Thursday 21^st March – Rock Your Socks Day in support of Down Syndrome Awareness

• Friday 22^nd March – The Speaker Finals at Royal Harbour Academy

• Tuesday 26^th March – Come Dine With Me for Years 1, 4 & 5

• Thursday 28^th March – Easter Egg Hunts

• Thursday 28^th March – Term 4 ends (normal time @3:15)

• Friday 29^th March – Good Friday

• Monday 15^th April - Term 5 begins

Many thanks,

The Year 4 Team