Year 4

Please find below this week's spellings. Remember to also complete your TTRS learning or, beginning today,  3 worksheets if you prefer not to work online. The worksheets MUST be given in on Fridays along with your Reading Record indicating you have read a minimum of three times to an adult. 

Regarding spellings, I expect you to know the definitions of the words you are learning. So, please use a dictionary and write the words' meanings in your home learning book. With adult support, you can use Hertfordshire Libraries' online Oxford dictionary for free (and the Britannica encyclopedia for juniors, ages 6 to 10.) You just need to be a member of your local library. 

Finally, to support your times tables learning further, we will begin using the multiplication booklets daily from next week.

Home Learning this week is to:

• read at least 3 times a week
• 30 Games on TTRS
• Spellings - the children in my group, are to revise all the spellings they have practised over recent weeks. This will be accompanied by in-class dictation, with the spelling test/dictation on Friday, 10th March. The children will not know which spellings I will choose, but, as indicated, they will also practise vocabulary during the week. Please support your child and ensure they recall the meanings of the words. 

TTRS

I am sorry to say that a few children are still not practising their daily TTRS and have had to spend part of their Friday lunchtime in class, with me, writing them. I will supply sheets of times tables for those children on Monday. If the sheets are not handed in this Friday and on following Fridays, they will complete them during their lunchbreak on the relevant Friday. May I remind you that the MTC (Multiplication Test Check) is in June, this is now March and it is important that children practise at home. 

Although World Book Day is once a year, of course, reading can be a daily, lifelong experience. We had a fun time today in Year 4 which included 'World Building' - creating fantasy worlds inspired by idea from the author Sibeal Pounder. The children worked together, or their own, to plan worlds populated by creatures, businesses - in fact everything you would expect in a city or town. They also generated extensive word lists for their re-imagining of new worlds. Then, they needed to move from the plan to creating a collage of these worlds: Hammerhead Heights, Lobstertown or Swirlyshell. Today was also a day for listening to stories. Some links are provided for audio stories the children can listen to. Please ensure they select the age-appropriate titles. 

A belated welcome back to the second half of the Spring Term!

There are now 5 weeks of learning and fun. In addition to usual schedule of learning, we also have on:

• Friday, 3rd March, World Book Day.
• Friday, 10th March, a whole school RE learning day with the focus on the festival of Holi.
• And during week beginning the 13th March, we celebrate national STEAM week, which will also include the International Day of Maths on Tuesday, 14th March.

Home learning is as before:

• To read at least 3 times a week
• 30 Games on TTRS
• Spellings with handwriting practice 

Finally, I will be providing additional guidance on the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC), a key stage 2 assessment that the children will take towards the end of Year 4.

Kind regards

Miss Prendergast

Today, we had a great time practising the Front Kick, Half Turning Kick the Axe Kick, then watching the Tornado and Flying Side Kick, courtesy of TTKD Taekwondo. TTKD Taekwondo Stevenage - Korean Martial Arts - TTKD Taekwondo Stevenage - Korean Martial Arts

We also learnt how those who learn Taekwondo also learn its five important values or tenents: self-control, courtesy, modesty, indomitable spirit and perseverance.

Dear Parents and Carers

In Spellings, children were introduced to the prefixes, 'super-' meaning 'above' and 'sub-' meaning 'below'. Knowing the origins of words helps in understanding their meanings. TTRS home learning has also been set, taking less than 5 minutes per day and gently helping to prepare the children for their Multiple Timestable Check in the Summer.  

Finally, Reading during half term or on holiday is not only a great way to relax but also develops self-expression, so thank you for your support in this area. 

Thank you very much and we wish you a Happy Half Term.

Miss Prendergast

A quick reminder about home learning expectations.

1. Children must complete their TTRS learning by 8pm the following Thursday. The Unofficial Multiplication Test Check is compulsory and children cannot continue with their multiplication tables until the Unofficial MTC is completed. 
2. Reading - at least 3 times per week. Please remember to write comments in the RRs.
3. Spellings and handwriting sheets:
   1. The children are learning to recognise verbs that are turned into nouns by adding the suffix - ation.
   2. My group has two sheets as the words are quite long for the software package to manage.
   3. I expect all children to complete their handwriting whether they have two sheets or one.
   4. Children with one sheet of handwriting are NOT expected to learn the words but to practise writing them. 

In Science this afternoon, children played a game to work out the difference between the natural and human events that have an impact on the habitats of animals and plants. Following on from that, we will be making collages of the different ecosystems in the world including animals and plants from the Ocean, Rainforest, Polar, Desert and British ecosystems. A few children may wish to make animals from these ecosystems (2D or 3D) or even a complete ecosystem for their animals to inhabit! This is not home learning but a response to a question about creating these items.  

Here are some helpful links:

• Arctic | Places | WWF (worldwildlife.org)
• What is a rainforest habitat? - BBC Bitesize
• What is an ocean habitat? - BBC Bitesize
• What is a woodland habitat? - BBC Bitesize

Home Learning Update - 20th January 2023

Our Topic

Year 4 continues to investigate the life of Leonardo da Vinci from designing their own inventions of flying machines and assessing whether the designs emulated those of da Vinci’s, through to reading about his life in Guided Reading. Today, the children sketched the ‘Mona Lisa’ before reproducing their images to paint next week.

Spellings

Spellings are on our class page and in the children’s home learning books. The children will be tested on ‘Homophones and Near Homophones’, Part 2 on Friday, 27th. We use dictionaries in class and using the same at home will consolidate the children’s understanding of their spellings as well as encourage the appropriate use of vocabulary in their speaking and writing.  

Home Learning

Home Learning remains reading, spelling and TTRS. The school is still waiting to receive my account from Mirodo but the main maths group, taught by me, has been learning about related facts between multiplication and division. In the small group, taught by Mrs Bond, the children have practised subtracting 2 numbers (across 10 and then across 100).

The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC)

The Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) is a statutory test for all year 4 pupils with the aim of finding out if pupils can recall their times tables fluently.

The MTC and Times Tables Rockstars

To assist the children, I have enrolled them on TT Rockstars’ own Multiplication Tables Check which they call the ‘Unofficial MTC’. It ends on the 3^rd February, while their summer version will be open from the 24^th April through to the 12^th May. When the children login next time, they will be guided through playing two Soundcheck games. Once completed, they will be able to use Times Tables Rock Stars as usual.

Welcome back to a New Year!

Dear Parents and Carers

My name is Miss Prendergast and I will be teaching your children through to the summer break. I am looking forward to getting to know you all!

Because I am new, home learning will start from next week in the usual way. However, one aspect of home learning that will continue as usual is the expectation that the children will read at least three times per week. Mrs Collarbone and I would also like to see Reading Records every Friday, as normal.  PE continues to be on Thursdays, so please ensure the children wear their full PE kit on that day.  Also, Thursday is library day and children who need to change their library books should bring them on that day.  

As you know, the children can arrive between 8:35am and 8:45am and the register will close at 8:50am. Arrivals past this time will be marked as late. Pickup remains at 3:15pm.

Kind regards

Miss Prendergast