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I hope you have all enjoyed your summer holidays with your friends and families and are looking forward to a fantastic school year! I am so happy to be back after a year away and what a wonderful class to return to. I am sure we are all going to have a great year together, learning about some wonderful new topics and having fun along the way.
Parents, if at any time you wish to see me, I am more than happy for you to catch me at the end of the school day or if you would prefer to make an appointment, please make a note in the message book or contact the office so that we can arrange a meeting.
This year, Mrs Proctor will be with the class on a Monday teaching: Spellings, Times Tables, P.E. Computing and R.E.
Miss Sudworth, who is new to school this year, will also be supporting us in class with all of our learning, which is very exciting!
I shall be documenting our learning using the school Twitter account, @LittleLeighSch, so please make sure you are following us to see all of our wonderful experiences!
Miss Hawksworth
OIL AROUND THE WORLD
PALM OIL - How does it affect the Rainforest and it's inhabitants?
Due to the recent distressing news of the wildfires taking hold of the Amazon rainforest, I felt that this subject was topical and would undoubtedly be emotive for those of you who love nature and animals! In the first instance, we will be focusing primarily on the impact the production of Palm Oil is having on the rainforests as a habitat.
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As Geographers, we shall be learning about the physical features of the landscape of South America, looking at Brazil in particular.
As Scientists, we will be expanding our existing knowledge of food chains and life cycles in animals. Although there are many, many creatures whose habitats are affected by the production of Palm Oil, we shall be focusing upon the orangutan, inspired by Iceland’s banned advert, ‘There’s a Rangatan in my room!’
As Writers, we shall be creating biographies of the life of Jane Goodall who spent her life attempting to understand the minds of a chimpanzee, making comparisons between chimps and orangutans. We shall be using Goodall's life experiences to influence our own narratives and poetry about orangutans.
As Mathematicians, we shall be securing our existing place value knowledge, expanding this into the thousands! We will also be practising our nine and seven times tables!
As Artists, we shall be using different media to create rainforest themed collages, rainforest themed animal masks and portraits.
As Design Technologists, we shall be creating rain shakers to be used in music, to represent and recreate the tropical sounds of the rainforest!
Later on in the term, we shall be looking closer to home at the impact of fracking on our local environments, the creatures which are affected and the impact it has on those people who live in the surrounding areas. This will allow us to make comparisons between the two habitats affected by oil production, the Amazon rainforest and local woodlands.
Our Class Authors this term are:
This term we shall have two class authors, the first will be the highly acclaimed and well-renowned children’s author, Michael Morpurgo. I chose Michael Morpurgo as the majority of his books feature animals, animals who are often going through hardship and require human intervention. Much like the animals in the Amazon rainforest who urgently require human intervention!
Later in the term, when we begin to look more closely at the impact of oil locally, through fracking sites, we shall be looking closely at the book: Frog, with Ellen Blain as the author and her father Alan as the illustrator. This is the duo's debut book, which tells a wonderful tale of a frog, who manages to save both the future of it’s species but also a local woodland from becoming a fracking site, saving the habitats and lives of many living creatures.
Alan is a secondary school art teacher, and also the father of one of my very good friends and Ellen is her younger sister, who both live locally in Chester.
Times Table Practice
Generate your own times table tests:
http://www.timestables.me.uk/printable-pdf-quiz-generator.htm
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Copy the link below to help with your multiplication practice. There are lots of games to choose from...
www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/7-11-years/times-tables
Here are a list of some of the best times table apps:
https://www.educationalappstore.com/best-apps/best-times-tables-apps-for-5-to-11-year-olds
Homework
Children in Year 4 receive the following homework:
English (on a weekly rotation)
Mathematics (on a weekly rotation)
Spellings (on a weekly basis)
Learning Log (on a half term basis)
Times Tables - please work with your child on learning their times tables.
All homework should be handed in on time unless otherwise agreed with the class teacher.
P.E
The children have two P.E sessions each week; one on a Monday and one on a Wednesday. We recommend kits are brought in a Monday and taken home on a Friday.
Children should have both an indoor and outdoor kit in case of inclement weather during the colder months.
Girls with long hair should tie it back and all jewellery, including earings, must be removed for P.E.
Any child who does not have a suitable P.E kit may be asked to complete alternate work.
Reading
Children receive one guided reading session with the teacher every week. Aside of this, they have follow up sessions which are linked to their text. They will also have the opportunity to participate in SPaG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) activities during guided reading sessions. I will endeavour to read with your child during any quiet reading time throughout the day but I cannot stress the importance of your child reading at home with you as much as possible.
Outside of school, we ask that children are read with 3 times a week. If you would like any extra support in how to get the most out of reading with your child, please do not hesitate to come and speak to me.
