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Dear Parents,
Welcome back from the summer break. By the time you read this your children will be settling in to their new class and I hope that we all enjoy a happy and hard-working year together. It will be quite a change for them having to move classrooms, but it is good practice for their organisational skills! The children study Numeracy with Mr Walker and this takes place on a daily basis after play in the mornings.
Literacy
To begin the term we shall be looking at narratives: how they open; how characters are presented; how dialogue is used to further the action and how problems are resolved. Dramas, poetry, recounts, reports and instructional texts will also be studied.
National Book Week will be celebrated from the 5th to the 9th of October and we will have a book fair at school during this week.
Science
In Science we shall be studying the topic of forces in action. The children will be getting to grips with the nature of the different forces around us and then carry out their own investigations to find out more about these. Following on from this topic we shall be learning about the properties of materials.
ICT
In our ICT sessions we shall be examining how computers can be used for graphical modelling and exploring patterns and relationships.
Geography
The children will be covering a number of different topics under the heading of Mapping Skills. This will involve knowledge of political and physical maps, as well as understanding skills such as co-ordinates, scale, symbols and so on.
History
Some Literacy targets will be reinforced in History when we will be studying the Tudors. It is an exciting and glorious, if somewhat gruesome, period of our history. This term, we shall have a brief overview of the Tudor Monarchy before focussing primarily on Henry VIII and his six wives.
RE/PSHE
In RE the children will be comparing different religions’ creation stories.
On Thursday 15th October, classes 5 & 6 will be visiting Ely Cathedral to take part in a Schools’ Activity Day. More information regarding this will follow nearer the time. I am told that is quite an experience to see the cathedral taken over by hundreds of school children and it is a great way for the children to meet other children from the surrounding area. In PSHE we will be discussing feelings, relationships and self-esteem.
Art and Music
In Art we shall be using the artistic talents of Mrs Millar and Mrs Parr to reproduce classical Tudor paintings with a range of paint and textiles. In Music, we will be studying music and instruments from around the world, with particular reference to Africa.
For Art please ensure that your child is equipped with a suitable ‘named’ overall. Lessons are on a Tuesday afternoon, but the overalls can be stored centrally and be brought home for washing in the holidays.
French
Our French topic for the term is ‘The High Street’ where we shall be on locations in a town and doing some shopping!
PE, Dance and Games
These lessons take place on a Wednesday and Friday afternoon. Please make sure that your child’s shorts, T-shirt and trainers or plimsolls are clearly marked.
In the interest of a child’s safety, jewellery (including earrings) and watches may not be worn during PE/Games lessons. Long hair should be tied back.
Homework
Each night your child should be bringing home a library book and their reading record in order to make a note of the progress that they are making. Please help your child by listening to them read and discussing what they have read.
Homework will usually be set at the start of the week and should be handed in by Friday morning. Please support pupils constructively with their homework and encourage them to complete it neatly.
Your children will also be shortly receiving their spelling lists. You can help your child learn their spellings by not only focussing on the words themselves but also by encouraging them to find other words that follow the same spelling pattern or rule and by getting your child to write the words in context.
Thank you for your support – it really does make a difference. I look forward to meeting you on the consultation evenings and if you have any worries or concerns before then, please do not hesitate to contact me. This can be done either through the school office or in the playground at the end of the day.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Stephen Gillott
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