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Term 1 & 2 Newsletter – Class 2

Houses and Homes

Dear parents,

A big, warm welcome to Class 2! I hope you all had some lovely family time in the sun this summer and feel ready for the year ahead. We have already had such a great start to the school year and I know we’re going to achieve so much and have lots of fun along the way! We have some exciting lessons within our subjects this term, mainly based around the overarching theme of Houses and Homes.

Literacy

In Literacy we shall be looking at a lovely picture book, called “The Something” by Rebecca Cobb, which is about a hole in a little boy’s garden and the imaginative ideas his family has about what might be in the hole. We will also be studying a poem called “The Deserted House” and trying to write some poems of our own. Finally, we will be using a non-fiction book about The Great Fire of London to complete some non-fiction writing.

Geopraphy

We will be using a few Geography skills this term when we look at maps of the local area and where the houses in our village are.

Computing

In Computing we will be considering what is meant by the term “technology” and will be identifying the main parts of a computer before practising using the keyboard to type and edit text.

PE

PE will be taught by Bright Sparks, who will be teaching the children football skills. These sessions will be on a Tuesday morning. Then on a Thursday morning, Mrs Hall will be teaching the children Striking and Fielding skills. Please ensure that your child has appropriate PE Kit ready on those two days. Tracksuit bottoms or leggings won’t be needed until after the October half term, so please ensure your child has a pair of shorts to wear before then.

Music

In Music, we will be focusing on the skills or listening and responding to music, especially classical music.

PSHE

In PSHE, using the Jigsaw scheme, the children will be thinking about and discussing what it means to Be Me in My World before Celebrating Differences in term 2.

Maths

In Maths we shall be looking at place value of numbers within 20, before moving onto addition and subtraction of these numbers. Following this we move into looking at the place value of numbers within 50 and finally, we will begin to learn about multiplication.

History

In History, we will be learning about how houses have changed throughout history from the Celts up to the modern day. After half term, we will be learning about the Great Fire of London and making links between what we know about how houses were made and why the fire spread so quickly. We will be trying to answer the enquiry questions: Why was there a “Great” fire of London? And Has London burned since?

Science

In Science this term we will be learning about everyday materials and learning the difference between objects and the materials they are made from. We will be sorting and grouping materials and testing the properties of these materials.

DT

For our DT project we will learn how buildings can be strengthened by the way they are built. We will be using this knowledge to design and make a house for the three little pigs to keep them safe from the big bad wolf!

Art

In Art, we will be learning how to draw, in particular looking at the concept of line and how line can be used for different effects. We will use this short unit to help us to create some Harvest Artwork ready for our Harvest Festival. After half term our focus will be on exploring and creating maps through various art forms, including drawing, printmaking and designing stained glass.

RE

In RE we will be learning about the religion of Islam, in particular asking the question: “Who is Muslim and how do they live?” This is a two part unit that we will return to after Christmas. After half term we will have a Christianity focus and will be asking the question: “Why does Christmas matter to Christians?” This learning will be supported by the performing of our Nativity Play.

Reading Books

Every child should be reading for a minimum of 10-15 minutes each evening. This is perhaps the most important piece of homework! As children progress through Year 2 they may start to want to read to themselves, but please do encourage them to also read aloud to you so that you can help them to really understand what they are reading. Remember to discuss the book, pick out favourite words, retell the story and make the reading fun! If your child is tired, support them by reading together or just sharing a book and talking about the characters, plot, setting – this is very important when learning to read.

As a reminder, the children will be given a “sharing book” on a Monday. This is part of our Guided Reading across the week and the children are encouraged to talk about what they did and didn’t like about the book in class. The idea is that they read this with an adult, as often it will be above their own reading level.

On a Friday, the children are given their Monster Phonics book. The children will have read, or at least looked at and talked about the book, 3 times before they bring it home. They should be able to tackle the reading of it with some sounding out of the key words. They need to practise reading this several times to support their development of fluency and understanding.

Therefore, the children need to make sure that they have the “sharing book” in their book bag on a Monday and the Phonics book on a Friday so that we can change the books each week.

All reading (including any books you have at home or from the class library) can be recorded on the Reading Record Booklet and then brought to school to be stamped – a certificate will be given in Thursday assemblies for each completed booklet. We will occasionally ask to see children’s reading records, so please also make sure that these are kept in your child’s book bag.

Homework

Your child will have a Home Learning Book and will be set a selection of Maths and English questions to work through each week, which will cover a variety of topics. Please support your child to work through as many of the questions as they can.

Reading

Every child should be reading for a minimum of 10-15 minutes each evening. This is perhaps the most important piece of homework! As children progress through Year 2 they may start to want to read to themselves, but please do encourage them to also read aloud to you so that you can help them to really understand what they are reading. Remember to discuss the book, pick out favourite words, retell the story and make the reading fun! If your child is tired, support them by reading together or just sharing a book and talking about the characters, plot, setting – this is very important when learning to read.

As a reminder, the children will be given a “sharing book” on a Monday. This is part of our Guided Reading across the week and the children are encouraged to talk about what they did and didn’t like about the book in class. The idea is that they read this with an adult, as often it will be above their own reading level.

On a Friday, the children are given their Monster Phonics book. The children will have read, or at least looked at and talked about the book, 3 times before they bring it home. They should be able to tackle the reading of it with some sounding out of the key words. They need to practise reading this several times to support their development of fluency and understanding.

Therefore, the children need to make sure that they have the “sharing book” in their book bag on a Monday and the Phonics book on a Friday so that we can change the books each week.

All reading (including any books you have at home or from the class library) can be recorded on the Reading Record Booklet and then brought to school to be stamped – a certificate will be given in Thursday assemblies for each completed booklet. We will occasionally ask to see children’s reading records, so please also make sure that these are kept in your child’s book bag.

Spelling

Our Spelling work is done through our Monster Phonics daily sessions rather than by weekly testing. However, it would be great if you could help your child to read and spell the common exception and high frequency words appropriate to the Phonics they are learning.

Numbots

Numbots is a fun way for your child to become proficient at those Maths fluency skills that are so important to help them to do more complicated calculations as they go through school. Please encourage your child to try to work through the program and there are certificates awarded each week for the biggest improvements in speed and accuracy of answering.

Uniform

Please check that all of your child’s uniform, including shoes, is clearly labelled with their name – this saves so much time when trying to sort out clothing!

Water Bottles

Please send a named bottle of water for your child to drink in class. The bottles will be kept in a box in the classroom to eliminate distractions on the tables, but the children are encouraged to drink regularly throughout the day. It is important to remind your child to take bottles home everyday to ensure they are clean and hygienic.

Stationery

Your child will have all the stationery they need provided for them. There is no need for the children to bring in pencil cases from home, however if they do bring in their own stationery, then I must insist that the pencil case is small enough to fit into their tray so that the tables are clear for cleaning at the end of the day.

Key Dates

Friday 11th September – PTA welcome back coffee morning. All parents invited. 9am in the hall.

Friday 11th September- Whole School Spirituality Day

Tuesday 22nd September – PTA AGM in School Hall (7.30pm)

Friday 25th September – European Day of Languages – breakfast from 8.15

Friday 25th September – In school poetry competition

Tuesday 29th September – Harvest Festival at Framfield Church

Thursday 1st October – Ringmer Alliance Poetry Competition

Tuesday 6th October – Lions Club Eye Checks

Friday 9th October – Parent Workshop on ADHD/Autism (1.30)

Monday 19th October and Wednesday 21st October – Parent Consultation Evenings

Monday 2nd November – School Photos

Friday 13th November – Crazy Catwalk for Children in Need

Monday 16th November – Odd Socks for Anti-bullying week

Tuesday 24th November – KS1 Multiskills event at Uckfield College (Year 2 only)

Friday 27th November – Takeover Day (Children become the teachers!)

Monday 30th November – start of assessment week

Wednesday 9th December – Open the Book Donkey Walk

Tuesday 15th December – Christmas Jumper Day & Whole School Christmas lunch

Wednesday 16th December – KS1 Nativity

Thursday 17th December – KS1 Christmas Party (1.30-3.00)

Friday 18th December – End of term Cup Assembly (2.15)

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me at hsullivan@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk

Many thanks

Mrs Sullivan

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Term 1 & 2 Newsletter – Class 1

Into the Castle

Dear Class 1 Parents,

Firstly, a very warm welcome to Class 1. We are delighted that you have chosen Blackboys C of E school and look forward to getting to know you and your families better. We are pleased to welcome back our Y1 children and hope that you have had a wonderful summer and are ready for an exciting year ahead.

In Class 1, Mrs Booth teaches the class from Monday to Wednesday, with Mrs Nobes teaching Thursday and Friday. We have a full time higher-level teaching assistant, Miss Butler. We also have volunteer helpers in class during the course of the week: 2 school Governors Mrs Gretzer and Mrs Field, and a former teaching assistant Mrs West.

As it is the beginning of the academic year, and for many members of our class the start of their Primary schooling, we feel that it is essential that we spend the first few weeks of this term getting to know your children as individuals, as well as helping them to get to know one another. We will be encouraging them to share with us their likes, dislikes, their interests, as well as identifying their strengths and areas for development with regard to the curriculum. This information will then be used to inform and personalise our future planning. In addition to this, we will also be spending time helping your children to learn about new routines, expectations, the school Christian Values and the Characteristics of Effective Learning. These key skills are all crucial for all children to learn as they will help support them throughout their school life.

To help parents/carers to settle in, please join our current parents/carets and PTA members at an informal coffee morning on Friday 11th September in the school hall straight after morning drop off.

Our theme for Term 1 will be ‘Into the Castle’ which will lead fluidly into our Term 2 theme Fire and Dragons’. A copy of our medium-term planning grid can be found on the school website.

Our year 1 pupils will naturally start the year 1 curriculum straight away and they are already enjoying rising to the challenges of year 1.

English

Children will be developing their vocabulary through role-play, drama, speaking and listening activities. We will focus on several different fiction and non-fiction texts to base our literacy work on, including:

Into the Castle:
Into the Castle
Cinderella
100 Facts Knights and castles
Rapunzal

Fire and Dragons:
Zog
The Egg
Dragons
…as well as many others!

Our writing focus for Reception children (YR) will be for them to gain confidence in their letter formation and for Year 1 children (Y1) to write sentences with increasing independence.

We use a phonic scheme called ‘Monster Phonics’. The children in reception and year 1 will be introduced to all the different letter sounds through a hook of different coloured ‘monsters’. The children will also learn to recognise common exception and High frequency words during the sessions. The sessions will then be followed up by Monster Phonics Reading books which will be sent home for your child to read with you. A phonics workshop will be on Friday 2nd October at 9am in the school hall which will give parents more details about how we teach phonics in school and how you can support your child at home.

Mathematics

Through the use of practical maths sessions, in which we will promote the use of a wide range of concrete apparatus, the children will be covering the following objectives:

Your child will also be given a log in for an online maths learning platform called ‘Numbots’. Your child is encouraged to use this as regularly as possible at home to help develop their maths skills.

Computing

In computing reception children will be exploring and “tinkering” with hardware to develop their understanding of technology. Year 1 children will be exploring technology around us and learning how to use the different parts of a computer.

History

We will be learning about the parts of a castle, their purposes, how they have changed over time and who lived in them. To support this learning, we be looking at local castles and their history. We will be visiting Lewes Castle towards the end of term 1 to participate in some exciting workshops. A letter will be sent out shortly giving you more information.

Reading

In school, we will be starting to read daily with the children through our guided reading sessions. On some days this will be 1:1, on other days group or choral reading, but every day your child will be involved in hearing several shared stories.

Please support your child with reading at home. The children will have a new phonics book sent home each Friday. These are the books your child reads to you. Please remember that the idea of this is that the books should be read and re-read. Whilst reading the same book over again can be ‘challenging’ for us as parents, this repetition is very important for early readers as it helps them to gain confidence; familiarity; build their vocabularies; develop an understanding of rhythm and pattern; as well as for developing comprehension skills. The larger ‘real book’ changed on a Monday is a book you can share together.

The reading record is for you to use at home but please ensure that it is kept in your child’s book bag. In the reading record please write one comment for each day that you read. When 6 pages of the white book have been completed then a reading certificate will be given to your child during our weekly Friday assembly. We will also be checking reading records for these certificates on Friday so in order to avoid disappointment with delayed certificates please be sure that your child’s reading record is in school.

This half term reception children will be receiving a set of letter sounds and high frequency words to learn.

PE

We have two PE sessions a week. These take place on a Tuesday and Friday. Please ensure your child has their full PE kit (fully named) in school for each session. Whenever possible these sessions will take place outside so please feel free to also include jogging bottoms and a sweatshirt to help keep them warm. Please ensure your child’s PE kit is clearly labelled and named.

DT

We will be learning about what makes a strong structure. We will have the opportunity to design and build a castle tower.

RE

In term 1 in RE, we will be exploring why the word God is so important to Christians. In term 2 we will be turning our thoughts to Christmas and the Nativity.

Science

We will be naming different parts of the body and we will be thinking about how we use our sense of touch, hearing, taste, sight and smell through investigations. We will also be learning about the changes that happen in the autumn season.

Art

We will be focusing on drawing and mark making. We will be exploring making marks and lines; working and experimenting with different materials to create an observational drawing for harvest. In the second half of term, we will be focusing on painting and mix media. Exploring colour mixing through paint play, using a range of tools to paint on different surfaces and creating paintings inspired by Clarice Cliff and Jasper Johns.

Year 1 Homework

This year, homework in Year 1 will be Maths and English, and it will greatly help your child if you can get them into a routine of completing the work each week and hand in the orange homework book to be marked. There will be a Maths sheet with a selection of questions related to the sorts of learning your child will have been doing in school, and a spelling and grammar sheet. Homework books will be given out on a Friday and need to be handed in on a Thursday morning.

Forest School

In Class 1, pupils are extremely privileged to be having Forest School sessions every other Monday afternoon. These will be run by a qualified forest school leader and former Blackboys’ parent; Mrs Lydia Godfrey. She is very skilled in this area and has been delivering Forest School lessons for us for a number of years now. In addition to Mrs Godfrey, Mrs Harper (TA) will also be attending these sessions. Please be aware that additional parents will also be required in order for these sessions to run. If you are interested in helping please speak to a member of the Class 1 team or write your name on the rota and sign-up sheet displayed on the external classroom door.

For Forest School your child will need the following items. Please ensure that your child brings the following items into school on your child’s set Monday (a forest school calendar is available).

Wellington boots
Long sleeved top
Trousers (not jeans)
Waterproof coat
Waterproof trousers (if possible)

Please be aware that the children will go out whatever the weather and can sometimes get wet and muddy so do not send them with their best clothes.

Uniform

At Blackboys we pride ourselves on making sure that our children take pride in their appearance as well as in their behaviour and learning. Thank you for ensuring that your child is looking smart for school each day. We do ask that you double check that your child’s uniform, including coat/lunch box, is clearly labelled with their name.

Water Bottles

Staying hydrated is very important for learning. The brain needs a considerable amount of water each day to function effectively. Therefore, we encourage the children to drink water at regular intervals. To aid us with this please send a named bottle of water for your child to drink in class. Children are able to drink from the water fountain but having a water bottle in the classroom is a lot easier.

Parent/Carer Helpers

If you (or a Grandparent) can spare any time each week to come and help in class or to listen to the children read we would be extremely appreciative as it is most beneficial to the children’s development. Please let me know if this is something you would be able to do – we can be flexible with days and times.

Class 1 Outside Classroom

Please may we ask that when you are waiting to pick up your children from school, it would be appreciated if younger children would not play with, or on, the equipment in Class 1’s outside area. This distracts the children already in the class and it takes a long time to re-organise ready for learning the following day.

Finally, if you ever have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to email us at:

sbooth@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk or jnobes@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk

Very Best Wishes, Mrs Booth, Mrs Nobes and the Class 1 team

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Term 1 & 2 Newsletter – Class 5

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back to school! I hope everyone was able to have a restful and enjoyable break, especially as there is so much to look forward to in term 1. The children have already made a great start to the term, and I look forward to the excellent opportunities for learning that are coming up.

Mr Boorman

History is our focus subject for this term. In term 1, we will be looking at the impact that the Anglo Saxons had on Britain as they settled after the Romans had left. After half term, we will find out more about the Vikings and the conflict that arose between the two cultures as they battled for control of England, leading up to the end of the Saxon age with the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Maths

We start the year by learning about place value and number, the building blocks of mathematics. We then move onto working with all four operations, (addition, subtraction, division, multiplication), before starting our work on fractions before the end of term.

Art

In art, we will start the year by focusing on our drawing skills. Then we will be learning about sculpture using different materials.

DT

After half term, we will be learning about cams in order to create a moving toy.

PSHE

In PSHE this year we will continue to follow the ‘Jigsaw’ scheme. In our first term, we will be looking at ‘Being Me in the World’ where children will learn about their role in making school a positive place. After half term, we will be studying the unit ‘Celebrating Differences’.

Computing

In computing, we will be following the Teach Computing scheme of work. In term 1 we will be learning about the internet before moving on to learning to create videos in term 2.

French and music will also continue to take place each week.

English

During the first part of this term, we will be studying a story version of the Old English poem, Beowulf. After half term, we will be reading ‘Viking Boy’. These exciting stories will enable us to complete different pieces of fiction and non-fiction writing, while also practising our reading skills. We will also be reading ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ by Cressida Cowell during our whole class reading sessions.

Spellings

There is a spelling session each day Monday – Friday, where children in Key Stage 2 are split into their year groups in order to cover the year group objectives using Superhero Spelling. Children will also be given a list of words each term from their year group’s statutory spelling list. These lists will be need to be learned over the whole term, and we will be doing dictation sentences using the words each Friday. Each term’s list will be added to the class page on the school website.

Science

In term 1, we will be learning about forces. After half term we will be learning about Earth and space.

RE

This term, we will be considering the questions ‘What does it mean if God is holy and loving?’ and ‘Was Jesus the Messiah?’

PE

Our Tuesday PE sessions will be run by Bright Sparks Sports, who will be teaching the class about invasion games. Children will then be learning about tennis. After half term children will be studying gymnastics and tag rugby.

Homework

Homework will be set each week on a Wednesday. A homework menu will be given out which will feature tasks involving writing, reading, spelling and grammar.

Please ensure that children do still get the chance to read at home with an adult – it is important that they get the chance to discuss their reading as much as possible outside of school as well as in class.

Monday: Homework handed in. PE with Mr Boorman
Tuesday: PE with Bright Sparks.
Wednesday: Homework handed out.
Friday: Spelling dictation sentences.

Key Dates

Friday 11th September – PTA coffee morning
Monday 14th September – start of Year 6 Bikeability week
Friday 25th September – European day of languages including breakfast – more details to follow.
Tuesday 29th September – Harvest festival. KS2 hike
Monday 19th October – Parent consultation evening
Wednesday 21st October – Parent consultation evening
Thursday 22nd October – Class 5 assembly
Monday 2nd November – Tempest school photos
Friday 13th November – Comic Relief crazy catwalk
Monday 16th November – Odd socks day
Friday 20th November – INSET day
Friday 27th November – Takeover day
Friday 4th December – Senior citizens Christmas party. Uckfield Late Night Shopping singing
Wednesday 9th December – Open the Book donkey walk
Tuesday 15th December – Christmas jumper day. Whole school Christmas lunch. KS2 carol concert
Thursday 17th December – KS2 Christmas party
Friday 18th December – Cup assembly. Last day of term

If you have any questions, or need to speak to me about any issues, please contact the school office in the first instance.

rboorman@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk

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Term 1 & 2 Newsletter – Class 4

Welcome back to school and the start of an exciting year. I hope everyone had a lovely and restful summer break and enjoyed the warm weather. It’s great to see everyone back in school and the children so enthusiastic and excited about their learning this term. I’m really excited for what is already looking to be a fantastic year!

Reminders

Please make sure all belongings (water bottles, jumpers and PE kits) are named to avoid missing items.

Mrs Taplin

dtaplin@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk

History

Our theme for both of these terms will be the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings. Our key questions are ‘What happened when the Romans left Britain?’ and ‘Did the Vikings deserve their reputation?’ We will begin by with the Anglo-Saxons settlement in Britain and what life was like once the Romans left. Following on from this after half term, we will be looking at Viking invasions, finishing with the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

Whole class reading

Our whole class reading book this term is Ted Hughes’s ‘The Iron Man’. These sessions give the class an opportunity to read a book together, practice reading aloud with expression, and answer comprehension style questions.

Maths

We will start the year by learning about place value and number, which are the building blocks of maths. After half term, we will be looking at calculating with the four operations. We will also be having a big focus on times tables throughout the year, which children should be practicing at home regularly. This will prepare year 4s for the Multiplication Tables Check in the summer.

RE

This term we will be considering the questions, ‘What does it mean if God is holy and loving?’ and ‘Was Jesus the Messiah?’.

Art

Before half term, we will be working on our drawing skills, with a particular focus on making some brilliant harvest artwork to decorate the church with at the harvest festival. After half term we will be working on sculpture.

Music

In term 1, we will be learning about the Leonard Bernstein’s – ‘Mambo’ from Symphonic Dances from ‘West Side Story’. This will involve listening, responding and creating compositions inspired by the song. After half term we will be starting our yearly recorder lessons. More information about this will be provided nearer the time. We will also be continuing our regular singing sessions with Mrs Bayman each week.

Computing

In Computing this term, we will be learning about computer networks and the internet and video production.

English

Before half term, we will be looking at the famous Old English poem, Beowulf, which is an Anglo-Saxon story. The children will be looking at various different versions of the story, including the Michael Morpurgo novel, which is going to inspire them to produce some amazing writing. After half term, we will be focusing on the text ‘Viking Boy’. This is a great story which links in nicely with our theme, as it looks at different aspects of Viking life and culture. We will also be doing handwriting practice and encouraging those who still need to earn their pen licences.

Spelling

During these terms, we will be using Superhero Spellings. This approach has 3 stages: learn, build and show. The children will be given opportunities to practice the words for the rule throughout the week, before completing dictation sentences on Fridays. These will be stuck in the back of homework books for the children to refer to if needed. The children will be split into year groups during these spelling sessions.

Science

In term 1, we will be learning about forces including gravity, air, and water resistance before moving onto learning about earth and space in term 2.

PSHE

PSHE lessons will be taught using the Jigsaw scheme of work. In the first term we will be looking at the piece ‘Being Me in My World.’ After half term our topic will be ‘Celebrating differences’.

PE

In term 1 we will be having our regular PE lessons with Bright Sparks, learning about invasion games, such as football. In our other PE lessons, we will be working on our tennis skills before moving onto tag rugby in term 2. PE sessions will take place on Mondays and Tuesdays. Full PE kit is expected and we will be outside.

DT

This term we will looking at pneumatic systems in DT.

MFL

We will begin the year by recapping any French learnt in year 3 before moving onto places in town after half term.

Homework

The children will be sent home with a homework menu for the term. Each week the children will select one task to complete. This is sent out on Wednesdays to be handed back in on a Monday.

Spelling

Each week, the children will be working on a different spelling rule and receive 10 spelling words. A list of these can be found stuck into homework books for the children to practise at home.

These will also be worked on in class and at the end of the week the children will complete dictation sentences including these 10 words.

Dictation sentences will be stuck into the back of homework books each week in order to see progress and any words/spelling rules that may need to be worked on further.

Reading

Reading is required every night which is to be shown in their reading records. Please bring completed reading records in for reading certificates.

Times tables

Don’t forget to keep practicing times tables at home whenever you can. We have a leader board for studio speed/Rockstar status up in the classroom which is updated weekly.

If you need your TT Rockstars login, just send me an email.

Key Dates

Thursday 24th September – Uckfield College PE

Friday 25th September – European Day of Languages

Friday 25th September – In School Poetry Recital

Tuesday 29th September – Harvest Festival and KS2 Hike

Monday 19th & Wednesday 21st October – Parent Consultations

Friday 23rd October – Last day of Term 1

Monday 2nd November – First day of Term 2 & School Photos

Friday 13th November – Children in Need Crazy Catwalk

Monday 16th November – Odd Socks Day

Thursday 19th November – Uckfield College PE

Friday 20th November – INSET Day

Friday 27th November – Takeover Day

Friday 4th December – Senior Citizen Christmas Party & Late Night Shopping Singing

Wednesday 9th December – Open the Book Donkey Walk

Tuesday 15th December – Christmas Jumper Day, School Christmas Lunch & KS2 Carol Concert

Thursday 17th December – KS2 Christmas Party

Friday 18th December – Last Day of Term 2 and Cup Assembly

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Term 1 & 2 Newsletter – Class 3

Dear all,

I hope you have all had a wonderful summer holidays and enjoyed spending time with family and friends.  Welcome to Class 3! I am very excited to get to know the children and to begin their Key Stage 2 learning journey with lots of exciting experiences and engaging topics.

English

In term 1, our focus text is ‘Journey’ by Aaron Becker. Journey is a wonderful and engaging first text to ease the children in as they will need to use a lot of their imagination and detective skills as the book does not have any text. Journey follows a young girl who finds a magic crayon which takes her on an incredible adventure. During term 1, children will be developing their questioning and inference skills by analysing the images to make sense of the story and the key events. Journey also will give the children the opportunity to develop their descriptive writing skills and narrative writing skills.

In term 2, we will be showcasing all our history knowledge by writing a non-chronological report all about the Romans. The children will be focussing on the key features of a non-chronological report and practice applying this into their writing. We will then be putting ourselves into a roman soldier’s boots and writing a diary entry as a roman soldier who is guarding Hadrian’s Wall.

Spelling

In key stage 2, we use the Superhero Spelling scheme which is the next level up from monster phonics. The outline of the weekly spellings can be found stuck into your child’s homework book as well as on class 3’s page on the school website. Children are expected to practise their weekly spellings alongside their homework by using the ‘Look,Say,Cover’ sheet or handwriting sheet.

Science

In term 1, our topic is Rocks, Soils and Fossils. Children will be identifying and classifying rocks based on certain characteristics as well as learning about the process of fossilisation. We will also be taking part in an exciting experiment testing soil permeability which gives us the opportunity to plan, carry out and evaluate an experiment. In term 2, our topic is Animals, including humans. During this topic, we will be learning about the functions of the skeleton and how we move using our joints. We will be identifying bones in animal skeletons and try to answer the question ‘Are all animal skeletons the same?’

Art / Design & Technology

Our art topic starts with a focus on creating art for the Harvest festival; the children will be experimenting with texture and shading to design, draw and shade a Harvest scene. We will then move onto experimenting with colour and how we can create different effects with paint.

We will then be moving onto DT in term 2, where we will explore how levers and linkages work. We will then use this knowledge to make a moving Christmas card.

Music

Children will have their weekly singing lessons on a Wednesday afternoon with Mrs Bayman. In term 1 music lessons, children will be having a go at body percussion and unison songs. In term 2 music lessons, we will be listening to ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ where we will create their own performance piece based on the music to reflect the characters moods and actions.

French

In French for terms 1 and 2 we will be learning how to greet one another in French before moving onto learning how to count 1 -31, the days of the week, months of the year and weather to create our own calendar.

History

We will start our History in Class 3 by recapping all events studied in Key Stage 1 to ensure that children have a strong understanding of how everything they have studied so far links chronologically. After this, we will delve into learning about the Romans. Our first question we will explore is ‘When did the Romans come to Britain and did everyone want them there?’ which will look at where the Romans based themselves in the UK and the conflict with the Celts. We will then move onto exploring our second question in term 2, ‘How did the Romans influence life in Britain’? with a focus on the Roman roads, architecture, number and calendar system.

Handwriting

Mrs Hall will be running handwriting sessions with Class 3 on a Tuesday morning to practice joining up our writing in order to obtain a pen license.

Maths

To begin, we will be recapping our KS1 place value knowledge with representing numbers to 100 and using tens and ones when adding. This will be followed with representing numbers to 1000 and exploring part whole models to show different ways of making a number. We will be comparing numbers and learning how to find 1,10,100 more or less as well as exchanging. Our place value work will support our work with addition and subtraction with 2 digit and 3 digit numbers as well what happens when you cross 10 and 100.  In year 3, we will be focussing heavily on our 3,4 and 8 timetables. Children will be learning how to multiply and divide by 3,4 and 8 by equal grouping and arrays.

Times table knowledge is heavily implemented in Class 3 so I strongly encourage the children to be using TT Rockstars at home to build their knowledge. The children will be shown how to log on and how to use TT Rockstars in the first couple of weeks of term 1 and I will be sending the children home with a copy of their username and password for you to support them at home.

RE

Our RE topic for term 1 is around the big question of ‘What do Christians learn from the Creation story?’ Term 2’s big question is ‘What is it like to follow God?’

Whole-Class Reading

Our whole class text for term 1 is ‘Bill’s New Frock’ by Anne Fine, followed by ‘Revolting Rhymes’ by Roald Dahl. Whole class reading sessions will be taking place 4 times a week to build children’s reading stamina and comprehension skills.

PSHE

For PHSE in term 1 we will be exploring what it means to be ‘Me’ in the world before moving onto ‘Celebrating Differences’ with a focus on anti-bullying in term 2.

Computing

In term 1, we will be learning about digital devices and how different networks work. In term 2, we will be building on our year 2 work with stop frame animation to create our own mini movies about online bullying.

PE

In term 1, we will be developing our tennis skills by focussing on racket and ball control, how to use a forehand and back hand and learning the rules and how to score during a game. In term 2, we will continue to work on our ball skills by practicing dribbling both with our feet and hands, tracking, throwing, kicking and catching.

Geography

Our first two terms has a heavy History focus with the Romans and much of the learning will naturally be a combination of both History and Geography. We will focus discretely on recapping the UK countries and cities as well as the surrounding seas, particularly those areas with a Roman past.

Reminders

PE kits

Our PE lessons are on Tuesday and Wednesday, so please make sure children have their full kits. 

Reading Records

Your children are encouraged to be independent with choosing a reading book to read at home and changing their book when finished. We expect children to read every night, even if it is only for a short while. Please continue to record all reading in their Reading Records. (Small comments such as ‘Read well’ or ‘Confused with word…’ would be useful.)

The Reading Records will be stamped once a page is completed. Children will receive a certificate in assembly when they fill up their Reading Record. We will be checking children’s Reading Records once a week, so please do make sure it is in their schoolbags on Tuesday Mornings.

The highest number of reading records we have had on a Tuesday is 8 out of a possible 20 last year, we would love to have a full set. Whilst reading with your child, it would be beneficial to ask them some questions about the text or to find a key word they have read. This supports their reading comprehension skills which supports their whole class reading sessions.

Homework

Homework is to be completed once a week and children will be able to choose a piece of homework from a Homework menu.  The orange homework books will be handed out to children to take home on a Tuesday afternoon and will be expected back in school on a Monday morning. Please make sure you ask your child about their homework for the week and are working with them to complete it.

TT Rockstars

As a school we are now celebrating children’s times table achievements in gold book assembly.  TT rockstar logins are stuck in the front of your child’s homework book. The times tables class 3 are expected to be confident with are their 3, 4 and 8 times tables by the end of the year. Mr Boorman is checking children’s progress weekly so it would great to see class 3 earning certificates in gold book assembly to show off their timestable skills. I will be checking the classes TTRS progress weekly and will be handing our prizes for children logging in and having a go.

Uniform

Please make sure children’s names are on their uniform so that we know exactly who owns what! In Class 3 children are expected to wear ties with their winter uniform. Please make sure your child has a tie and that it is named.

Water bottles

Please make sure your child’s water bottle is clearly named and that they bring them home with them every day.

Forest School

Class 3 will have Forest School on a Wednesday afternoon. A rota will have been shared with you regarding which week your child will be participating in Forest School. Please make sure to check this carefully to ensure your child has all the necessary gear with them in school on the day that they have Forest School.

Please feel free to come up and chat to me at the end of the school day or email me if you have any questions.

Many thanks,

Miss Rietdyk

crietdyk@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk

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