Friday, 25th March 2022

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The children in Year 4 this week, moved on with their fraction learning in Maths and started working on adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator. In English, they carried on with the publishing process of their Non-chronological reports, as well some basic sentence work to prepare them for the next unit of work. In Science, the class constructed simple series circuits and thought about how to make the shortest and longest functioning loop as well as evaluating circuits for their function and repairing them when necessary. In Geography, they compared the climate in Florida with the UK, looking at climate graphs and interpreting data. In RE, the children reflected on the deeper meaning of the Last Supper according to Luke and drew beliefs from the Gospel relevant to their lives now. They also participated in Mass this morning; well done for Eraldo for his lovely reading.

 

I hope you have a lovely and sunny weekend to celebrate Mother’s Day with your families,

Ms Varga

Home Learning

Your Home Learning this week is to learn the lyrics of our Stations of the Cross Service hymns. The children had opportunity to practise them in class and in the hall this week, as well as at the Church but it was evident that they need more time to learn them by heart.

We will have a practice again on Monday, before the Service on Tuesday.

 

 

Friday, 18th March 2022

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It has been another busy week in Year 4 with Science week and St Patrick’s day just to mention a few.

In English, the class started their final writing pieces of non-chronological reports and wrote lengthy paragraphs based on their plant and animal species. They will write further paragraphs next week about their inhabitants and a conclusion before publishing their reports with diagrams, maps and keys using a book proforma. In Maths, the children investigated equivalent fractions; ordered and compared fractions and applied their understanding when solving one and multi-step problems using bar-models.

In Science this week, following the theme of British Science Week- Growth, we looked at some important questions, like what would happen if we stopped planting trees. We also participated in a school challenge of growing the tallest sunflower simultaneously investigating conditions attributed to plant growth such as temperature. The class discussed ideas then designed individually possible animal species that could live and grow on Mars whilst also completing observations around the school grounds. We tidied our class gardens as well and planting tulips as an addition to our already blooming flower bed.

On St. Patrick’s day we had the chance to applaud our fantastic talents who  performed amazing routines of Irish dancing. It has been a real pleasure watching them in their elements!

In RE, we read Luke’s Gospel of Palm Sunday and drew beliefs from the Scripture whilst in PE we carried on with our Roman themed dance choreography.

Next week, Mrs Carrey and myself would like to lead a crystal growing workshop in class. To support this, please may you send a clean, small (300ml or 500ml) plastic bottle in, labelled.  Thank you for your support with this.

Have a safe and lovely weekend;I hope you can enjoy the sunshine with your families!

Ms Varga

Please see your Home Learning below:

Home Learning Due by Tuesday, 22nd March 2022
Spelling Spelling Rule 20 – Possessive apostrophe with plural words

https://spellingframe.co.uk/

Please practice this week’s spelling words before testing yourselves on them.
Reading https://readtheory.org/auth/login

Please log onto Read Theory and complete two activities. Please update your reading log and be ready to p[resent it on Wednesday.
Multiplication https://ttrockstars.com/

Please log onto your account and spend time practicing your mixed facts. Well done for Eliana, our overall leader! Also well done for everyone who improved on their scores and the number of days played. We shall check again on Tuesday!
Study Ladder https://www.studyladder.co.uk/

Please complete the activities assigned to your pod. They consolidate our learning of mixed factions and equivalent fraction.

Please also practise the songs for the Way of the Cross Service, by clicking here.

Friday, 11th March 2022

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The children in Year 4 had opportunities this week to live out their Mission statement of using their talents to the full. During Tuesday’s music concert, they showed off their beautiful skills playing the piano or the violin. Well done!

The class carried on extending their understanding of fractions in Maths calculating unit and non-unit fractions of different wholes, whilst in English they learnt to apply a specific set of conjunctions, openers and expanded noun phrases to use in their non-chronological reports. In Science, they evaluated common appliances to see what electricity generates/changes in them (like sound, heat, light or movement). In RE, we looked at symbols, words and actions that show we are a Catholic school and linked it with why we Pray the Stations of the Cross today. The children also discussed the third Lenten picture, titled the Dignity of Human Life. They then wrote heartfelt prayers to offer for the people of Ukraine. In D&T, the class painted their shells in preparation for next week’s task- building the simple series circuit.

Today the class took part in an exciting science workshop!

 

Have a lovely and safe weekend,

Ms Varga

See your Home Learning below:

Home Learning Due by Tuesday, 15th March 2022
Spelling Spelling Rule 19 – Words with the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey (e.g. eight, they… etc.)

https://spellingframe.co.uk/

Please practice this week’s spelling words before testing yourselves on them.
Reading https://readtheory.org/auth/login

Please log onto Read Theory and complete 2 activities.
Multiplication https://ttrockstars.com/

Please log onto your account and practice your allocated tables. Based on your test results from Thursday, your account will change and new/different tables might appear.
Study Ladder https://www.studyladder.co.uk/

Please log onto Study Ladder and complete the activities in your assigned pod. They are all tasks that will help you consolidate your fraction learning so far.

 

Friday, 4th March 2022

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The children in Year 4, had a fun filled week. They built their shells for their bedside lamps on Monday, whilst on Tuesday, they participated in a very busy Mardi Gras day. They flipped pancakes, decorated masks and sampled some lovely scotch pancakes in class.

On Wednesday, they have received ashes during Mass and thought about their Lenten promises. It has been lovely to see that the children not only decided to give up chocolates or sweets but promised to give up some of their free time as well, to play with siblings or to help out at home.

On Thursday, the class celebrated World Book Day and participated in a ‘parade’, showing off their imaginative costumes and book choices.

In the meantime, they consolidated their understanding of unit, and non-unit fractions of sets of objects and numbers in Maths. In English, they looked at features of historical reports and developed research and note taking techniques. In RE, they used Scripture to reflect on the symbolic meaning of the Stations of the Cross. In Geography, they used atlases and satellite pictures to locate Florida-the Sunshine State and look at its features. In French, they continued looking at specific items of clothing, creating different outfits in French.

Have a lovely weekend after such a busy week,

Ms Varga

Home Learning

Home Learning Due by Tuesday, 8th March 2022
Spelling Spelling Rule 18 – Words with the /s/ sound spelt sc (Latin in origin) (e.g. science, ascent… etc.)

https://spellingframe.co.uk/

Please practice this week’s spelling words before testing yourselves on them.
Reading Log onto Read Theory and complete 2 tasks. Please also update your reading logs and be prepared to present them on Wednesday.

https://readtheory.org/auth/login
Multiplication Please log onto TT Rockstars and practice your allocated tables. Well done for Eliana, our leader, who gained more than 27,000 coins so far! Excellent effort!

https://ttrockstars.com/
English Please be ready to present your A4 plans (1 detailed map+ 1 or more for 2 animal, 2 plant species and 1 inhabitant) about your ‘Land of Neverbelieve’ on MONDAY. Use last week’s blog info and watch the attached clip again, if necessary. Please include lots of details about habitat, diet, dimensions (hight, weight, parts, body parts, special features, climate they prefer, etc)

Friday, 25th February 2022

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The children in Year 4 came back to a busy week, after their well-deserved holiday.

In English, we introduced our new genre for this half term, non-chronological reports. They looked at exemplar texts identifying text and language features whilst also reading our book for inspiration, Norman Messenger’s The Land of Neverbelieve.

In Maths, the class began their learning of fractions using concrete resources such as Cuisenaire rods and magnetic fraction walls to grasp an understanding of the relationship between wholes and equal parts.

In Science the children planned and carried out their own investigation to test gases and liquids, whilst in Geography they introduced their new topic, the Sunshine State. In RE, we looked at the history of the traditional Stations of the Cross and also began our Lenten preparations. In PE, we introduced Dance as our next area of skills whilst in French, they focused on names of clothing. We also created our shells for our lamps and will plasticine them next week.

Thank you for those of you who arranged parent consultation meetings with me. It has been a real pleasure to share your children’s successes so far. Notes will be sent home soon.

Also a very warm welcome to the newest member of our community, Samarth, who joined our class on Wednesday.

The sun is supposed to be shining this weekend, so have a lovely and safe rest,

Ms Varga

Please see your Home Learning below:

Home Learning Due by Tuesday, 1st March 2022
Spelling Please log onto Spelling Frame and practice this week’s spelling words before testing yourselves on them.

Spelling Rule 17 – Words ending with the /g/ sound spelt – gue and the /k/ sound spelt –que (French in origin)

https://spellingframe.co.uk/
Reading Please log onto Read Theory and complete 2 tasks. Please also update your reading logs and be ready to present them on Wednesday.

https://readtheory.org/
Multiplication Please log onto your TT Rockstars account and practice the assigned tables. We are going to have another benchmark assessment in 2 weeks time.

https://ttrockstars.com/
English https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/542191242611582251/

Please use this link (with adult supervision as it contains other clips as well) to watch the book trailer. We read this book in class so the children should be familiar with the contents.

Using the book and the clip as inspiration, create a detailed A4 plan that you can present in class to use as the basis of your non-chronological report.

On the first page create a detailed map of your Land of Neverbelieve. What shape will the island be? What features will it have? Forest, crop gardens, lakes, rivers, coast, flower meadow, etc…

On the second page, design 2 plant species, 2 animal species and 1 species of ‘inhabitants’. Gather as much detail about these as possible, as you will have to include those in your report.

Be imaginative: marshmallow bush, toothbrush tree, candyfloss flowers, etc… It can be as far fetched as you want to, but you have to be able to describe these in detail:

Where on the island do these grow? How tall are they? what are their stems, leaves, stalks, trunks, flowers, fruits are? Do they need dry or wet climate? How often do they flower? How many fruits do they give, etc.

Same with your animals: where on the island do they live? Be able to talk about their habitat. Describe in detail their body, fur, any special features, like claws, talons, horns, tails, trunks, etc. What is their diet like?

This is a planning activity. So I am looking for pictures (diagrams) with labels and their ideas in bullet points. We are going to turn these into a report in class. I am not expecting full sentence paragraphs, rather a detailed plan that the children can use to build their reports upon. This task might involve researching existing animals and plants which then the children can develop further so it is worth looking at exotic plants or creatures.

The deadline for this task is 7th March Monday. On that day, all children need to be ready to present their plans, so they can start writing their final piece using these notes and ideas.

Any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

 

Friday, 11th February 2022

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A huge well done to Year 4 this week for their hard work, especially in English. They have written wonderful myths in class using all their writing tools and the features of the genre covered over the last 5 weeks. In Maths, they have furthered their understanding of parallel and perpendicular lines in quadrilaterals by partaking in a shape sort challenge.

The class also thought about strategies to keep themselves safe online and considered the dangers of online games as part of their e-safety week. Today, they further consolidated that learning by participating in an e-safety workshop in the hall. In Science, the children learnt about the water cycle whilst in art they created beautiful collages bringing together the different techniques they have studied leading up to their final piece.

The children worked very hard this half term and showed great perseverance with their learning. They are kind and dedicated and have been a pleasure to work with. I wish all of you a healthy, restful and well deserved half term!

 

 

We are sad to see Nataniel leave our class and school community but know that he will do very well in his new school and make us proud. I thank you for all your hard work, your happy smiles and your mature learning attitude. We wish him and his family all the best and keep them in our prayers!

Ms Varga

Please carry on reading over the half term and update your reading log when you can. Also of you have the time, please log onto TTRockstars and spend a few minutes practicing your mixed facts.

https://ttrockstars.com/

Friday, 4th February 2022

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Year 4 had yet another busy week.

In English, the children placed their last Roman myth into context looking at artifacts and maps to gain a deep understanding about the characters and settings. Later in the week, they used that myth to plan their own version upon. The children came up with brilliant ideas and are ready to write their narrative on Monday. In Maths, we have finished conversion of measurements with a practical comparing and ordering lesson before moving on to properties of 2D shapes using precise mathematical language. In Science, they investigated the melting points of different substances, collecting data of temperature in degrees Celsius and time.

On Wednesday, we celebrated Candlemas, Jesus’ presentation in the Temple and created paper lanterns using flame resistant paper bags and scented candles. The children wrote beautiful prayers showing gratitude for qualities that make them ‘Lights in the World’. In Swimming on Wednesday, all pupils were invited to swim lengths in the large pool and they all did very well. In PE, we also worked on our group balances before using apparatus to travel across the floor. In RE, the class reflected once more on where to find God in our words, actions and symbols. In History, they argued about the credibility of primary and secondary sources whilst learning about Boudicca, the ‘Celtic Queen’.

Thank you for facilitating the children to logon to TTRockstars and creating their avatars. They sounded excited about the new resource!

Have a lovely and safe weekend,

Ms Varga

Please see your Home Learning below:

Home Learning Due by Tuesday, 8th February 2022
Spelling Please log onto Spelling frame and practice this week’s spelling words before testing yourself.

Spelling Rule 15 – Words with the /k/ sound spelt ch (Greek in origin) (e.g. echo, chemist… etc.)

https://spellingframe.co.uk/
Reading Please log onto Read Theory and complete 2 activities. Please also update your reading logs and be ready to present them on Wednesday.

https://readtheory.org/auth/login
Multiplication Please log onto TT Rockstars and practice your allocated multiplication tables. We will share progress and leaderboard on Tuesday, 8th February.

https://ttrockstars.com/
Study Ladder Please log onto Study Ladder and complete the assigned activity in your pod, all centered around this week’s focus, sets of parallel and perpendicular line in common 2D shapes.

https://www.studyladder.co.uk/

Friday, 28th January 2022

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The children in Year 4 had a fantastic week following the theme of Other Faith Week, Hinduism. On Monday, the class visited the Bhaktivedanta Manor in Watford experiencing the Hindu way of life first hand. They had the opportunity to visit the stables, ride on a cart pulled by 2 of the newest oxen on the farm. They fed the cows and later visited the green houses, the meditational pond and the George Harrison memorial gardens. Following the outside tour, the children listened to a presentation explaining the main beliefs of Hinduism and dressed up as Gods and Goddesses. Soon after, we looked around the main buildings, dressing up in more casual every day saris and turbans and participated in one of the daily services. The children were then invited to eat a hearty and healthy lunch of curry, rice, chips and flat bread with a cup of orange juice, all cooked on site using ingredients the community grows on the farm. After lunch, the class took part in face painting where they received traditional symbols of fire, flames, flowers and snakes. The children had a lovely time and their impeccable behaviour was complimented on throughout the trip.

Later during the week, we learnt a little bit more about the main beliefs of Hinduism, the origins of this religion and its most important Gods and Goddesses. In Maths, we finished our learning of measurements, extending it towards weight, capacity and time. In English, the children used comic strips to retell the main events of the Aeneas and the adventures of the underworld myths focusing on single and multi clause sentences. In Science, they investigated gases and answered questions such as what would happen to gases if they are heated or if it is possible to make gases by combining liquids and solids. In History, they looked and the effects of the Roman invasion on religion in Britain, whilst in French, they made links between body parts and movements.

Thank you for all of you who sent in plastic bottles for our design and technology project. If you haven’t, you still have time until Tuesday morning, as we shall start creating the base shell early next week.

Have a lovely and safe weekend,

Ms Varga

Please see your Home Learning below:

Home Learning Due by Tuesday, 2nd February 2022
Spelling Please re-visit your spelling words from the last 2 weeks as they need consolidation. Focus on the 4 ways -ion suffix can be added to root words with different endings.

https://spellingframe.co.uk/

Spelling Rule 13 – Endings which sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian (1 of 2)

Spelling Rule 14 – Endings which sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian (2 of 2)
Reading Please log onto Read Theory and complete 2 activities. Please update your reading logs and present them on Wednesday.

https://readtheory.org/auth/login
Multiplication Please log onto Maths Chase and spend 15 minutes practicing your mixed tables.

https://www.mathschase.com/

Next week, the children will bring home a letter containing their unique login details for a new resource called Times Tables Rockstars. The reason we decided to purchase this resource as a school  is because it allows us teachers to tailor the children’s times tables activities in an online setting. It measures progress and creates reports about the children’s outcomes, enabling us to consolidate or stretch knowledge accordingly. I will set the link as Home Learning every Friday, but as with every ‘core recall fact’ type of activity, the more the children can do it during the week, the better outcomes we are going to get. For that reason, I strongly advise to ask the children to login for 5-10 minutes, 3 times a week if possible. As Home Learning, I am planning to set particular tables for groups of children, however as free practice the children can access all appropriate games. I am going to share the weekly leaderboard in class and promote the resource by using its reward features, such as certificates, etc. As the MTC (Multiplication tables check) is getting closer and closer (6th June), I would like to utilise all available resources to consolidate and promote the children’s fact recall and I would be grateful if you can do the same at home. As always, I appreciate your continued support with this.
Study Ladder Please log on to Study Ladder and complete the activities in your assigned pod. All activities are based around converting units of measurements, such as time, mass and volume. Although this site labels some of the activities as Y5 and Y6, I reassure you, they are taught in Year 4 and we covered these in class.

https://www.studyladder.co.uk/

 

Friday, 21st January 2022

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The children in Year 4 had yet another busy week. In English, they used role play to get into character and based on well-known Roman myths, such as the story of Diana and Orion or Aeneas and Jupiter, wrote diary entries and descriptive paragraphs using figurative language (metaphors, personification and similes). In Maths, the class moved on to converting units of length building on their understanding of how to make whole and decimal numbers 10, 100 times larger and smaller. The children used practical resources like place value sliders, classroom rulers and metre sticks to investigate length.

In Science, the children set up a series of fair tests to investigate the speed different liquids move at. They very much enjoyed this hands on task! They then created a data set of class average and plotted their data on a graph. Really impressive learning!

In History, they used e-books to research continuity in food and nutrition. They wrote in-depth explanations how food and eating changed during the Roman invasion and what similarities and differences they noticed between Celtic and Roman times. The class searched for the presence of God, exploring the meaning of the phrase: ‘Bidden or not bidden, God is present’ in RE, whilst in French they studied the names of basic body parts and sang a French equivalent of ‘Heads, shoulders, knees…’ In computing, they learnt about computing networks. The class also experimented with mosaic designs and started an art project creating a mosaic using paper tiles.

Next Monday, the class will visit the Bhaktivedanta Manor as part of our ‘Other Faith Week’. Just to reiterate some of the information that was sent home earlier this week:

  • Children need to wear their winter school uniform (no PE kits)
  • Girls must wear trousers (this can be their grey school uniform or a dark coloured tracksuit bottom. NO jeans, please)
  • Children will receive a hot meal at lunch time (very mild curry, plain rice, potato chips, orange juice and biscuit. All vegetarian (not vegan) and nut free). Unless the children have particular allergies that the school was notified about, they will eat the meal offered in the lunch hall. Please do not send in home packed lunches, as they are not allowed on site.

I am sure the class will very much enjoy this trip. Over the years, this beautiful place of worship offered a most comprehensive and exciting visit with opportunities to dress up, participate in face painting, visit the stables, etc.

Have a safe and lovely weekend,

Ms Varga

Please your Home Learning below:

Home Learning Due back by Tuesday, 25th January 2022
Spelling Please ,og onto Spelling Frame and practice this week’s spelling before testing yourself on the words.

Spelling Rule 14 – Endings which sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian (2 of 2)

https://spellingframe.co.uk/
Reading Please log onto Read Theory and complete 2 activities. Update your reading logs and be ready to present them on Wednesday.

https://readtheory.org/auth/login

 
Multiplication Log onto Maths Chase and spend 15 minutes practicing your mixed multiplication facts.

https://www.mathschase.com/
Study Ladder https://www.studyladder.co.uk/

Please log onto Study Ladder and complete the activities on your assigned pod. All 4 activities are related to measuring length.

Please also see our whole school RE learning for the week:

220121 Whole-school RE learning letter – Hinduism

Friday, 14th January 2022

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The children in Year 4 had a busy first full week. In Writing, the class started a new unit of Roman Myths, where we looked at Roman Gods and Goddesses; acting them out, writing a school report about their often naughty behaviour and composing free form poetry to depict their beauty. In Maths, we looked at decimal numbers and using place value sliders, we investigated the effect of multiplying and dividing numbers by 10 and 100.

In Pe, we started our indoor unit of gymnastics and looked at point and patch balances, whilst on Wednesday, we went swimming. I was very impressed with how organised the children were in the Sports Centre! Well done class.

In RE, we looked at a timeline and collected events to match the periods. From the time of Israel, through the time of Jesus, to then take a closer look at the time after Jesus, focusing on ways we can still find him although not seeing him any more. In History, the children looked at continuity again but this time on a much larger scale, thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of the Romans effect on Celtic life. In Science, we started our new topic of States of Matter, during which we identified gas, liquid and solid states whilst grouping substances accordingly.

Thank you for Christoph’s, Christina’s and Ellis’s mummy for offering their kind help to accompany us on the 24th January. I will share further information about the trip closer to the date.

I also wanted to thank all those parents who sent in boxes of tissues since the beginning of the year. Especially at this time of the year, we do go through quite a few boxes, so your help is much appreciated.

Have a lovely and safe weekend,

Ms Varga

Please see your Home Learning below:

Home Learning Due back on Tuesday, 18th January 2022
Spelling Please log onto Spelling Frame and spend time practicing this week’s spelling words, before testing yourself on them.

Spelling Rule 13 – Endings which sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian (1 of 2)

https://spellingframe.co.uk/
Reading Please log onto Read Theory and complete 2 tasks. Please also update your reading log and be ready to present them on Wednesday.

https://readtheory.org/auth/login
Multiplication Please log onto Maths Chase and spend 15 minutes practicing your mixed facts.

https://www.mathschase.com/

During our daily practice in class, we hit sub 10 seconds/question this term and children are gaining confidence with both the facts and the speed however it is still essential to continue with the fast recall at home.
Study Ladder Please log onto Study Ladder and complete the assigned activities, based on decimal numbers and multiplication facts.

https://www.studyladder.co.uk/
D&T/Science As a preparation for next term’s DT and Science project where children are going to design and build a functioning bedside lamp with a simple series circuit, please may I ask parents to send in a 2l (sometimes 2.5l) emptied and rinsed plastic bottle with lid and their child’s name on it. Unfortunately, any smaller size won’t be large enough so please only send in the larger bottles.

Coca cola 2.5l Any curved or other design will make it harder for the children to use as they will have to cut and re-assemble parts of the bottle to create a base shell for their projects.

It would be much appreciated if all children would have their bottles in by the 25th January, Tuesday.

Thank you for your support with this.