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Week 14 Update

This week Elm Class have been really enjoying their reading time. Many children have moved up to higher reading levels due to the amazing progress they are making. We are very proud!

In Guided reading sessions, children have been getting immersed in short stories with cliff-hangers and have enjoyed making predictions about what might happen next using evidence from the text.

In English, we have been reading The Barnabus Project and the children have been applying their knowledge of direct speech punctuation to write stories based on this book. We have been really impressed with the results.

 

Week 13 Update

Last week Elm Class won Willow the Lion for having the most class PRIDE points, so he is spending the week with us.
He has been helping us with our maths works where we are using column addition to add 4-digit numbers. Willow really enjoyed investigating electrical circuits in Science and was impressed that the children were able to explain whether a circuit would work or not and how to fix it.
In Music, Willow was stunned by how good the children are at playing the recorders and thinks that the parents are in for a treat when they watch the class assembly on Monday 30th January at 2:40. There will be amazing talent on show!!!

Week 12 Update

This week Elm Class have been practising and performing the poem ‘What is Pink?’ by Christina Rosetti. They then used this as a model to write their own poems entitled ‘What is Christmas?’
We also had another session weaving, and many of the pupils are definitely getting the hand of it now. We will finish our pieces after Christmas.

Week 11 Update

It has been very busy in Elm Class trying to finish everything off before Christmas and prepare for the Christmas Play. In Maths, we have been practising our mental calculation strategies for addition and subtraction in preparation for column methods after Christmas. We are retelling the events of Mog’s Christmas Calamity in English through Mog’s perspective. We are finishing this next week. In Art, we had our first attempt at weaving. Some of the children found this very tricky at first, but we are going to show the school’s PRIDE value of determination to continue this next week. Mrs Tonks has been really impressed with the children’s recorder playing. The children already know 2 notes and have started to play different rhythms and melodies. 

Week 10 Update

Elm class have been busy writing their instructions on How to catch Santa this week and have been learning to use subordinate clauses to extend their sentences. In Maths, we have been continuing to complete addition calculations using mental strategies and they enjoyed playing a game against the clock in order to apply this. The children and the school mascot, Willow, really enjoyed their first recorder lesson. All of the children can now play the note B and have begun to play different rhythms. In RE, the class have been continuing to learn about the different Hindu Gods.

Week 9 Update

Children in Elm Class have enjoyed completing a Science investigation this week where they had to find the best material for muffling sound in order to make a new set of headphones.

They had to carefully plan the investigation so that it was a fair test and they used a soundmeter app to record the sound in decibels.

They had to make predications and give reasons for their thoughts based on prior scientific knowledge.

We all had to be silent when testing was in progress!!

Week 8 Update

The highlight of the last week in Elm class has to be the visit from Cain and Helen. Children learnt about different disabilities and were able to experience what having a disability might be like. They struggled to write their name with their feet and some children were challenged to put on a T-Shirt using only one arm. It was trickier than they thought it would be. Everyone was challenged to try this at home. The children found it very entertaining when they had to opportunity to feed the teachers. The teachers explained that is felt embarrassing and wasn’t very nice to be stared and laughed at. It was an important message to give the children.
Elm Class have been working really hard to write a biography about Malala Yousafzai and we have had a particular focus on improving our spellings. They have showed a great interest in her life and achievements.

Week 7 Update

Since we’ve been back after half term, we have had a real focus on learning new times tables (6, 7 and 9s). The children have been chanting, singing and using flashcards to try and memorise the facts.
Some children have been working extra hard with their reading and are making excellent progress!! Some have moved up 2 or 3 reading levels which is brilliant – keep up the good work Elm Class!
This week the children finished their Art project by creating their own masterpieces. There was a very peaceful mood in the classroom.

Week 6 Update

Elm Class have settled back into the new half term really well. We have started reading our new class novel ‘Varjak’s Paw’ and are basing our writing on ‘Malala’s Magic Pencil’. We are learning new times tables in Maths and you will see that this is a huge focus of their homework this half term too, in preparation for the end of Year 4 Multiplication Test.
The children have really enjoyed applying their Art knowledge of colour mixing by creating their own artwork.

Week 5 Update

The highlight of our week has been our class trip to Warwick Castle. The children had a Norman tour of the castle followed by a workshop, which reinforced all of their learning about Norman Britain. The class re-enacted the Battle of Hastings using Saxon shields. It was great to be able to climb the old keep of the castle. The views from the top were breath-taking and the children were amazed to see the sights of Warwick. We really enjoyed the falconry display, which included low-flying owls, eagles and hawks. You could feel the wind rush through your hair as they sailed past. To finish the day, we climbed up and down over 500 steps to reach the top of the tower and ramparts. The staircase was very narrow and steep, but the children all managed to make it to the top and back down to the ground safely, although a few were definitely a little scared of the climb and height. Elm Class did the school proud and showed our school values throughout the trip.

Week 4 Update

Elm Class really enjoyed finding out about their rights and responsibilities in PSHE this week. We talked about the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child and the work carried out by UNICEF. They used pictures to prompt their discussions on the topic and further explore their rights and responsibilities at school. The children continued to look at Motte and Bailey castles in History and prepared some brilliant work to go on display in the school. We are all very excited about our trip to Warwick Castle next week to find out more about Norman Britain. It was lovely to welcome so many of our parents to open afternoon this week. The children loved having the opportunity to showcase all the work they have been completing this half term. Elm Class would like to thank all parents for their ongoing support.

Week 3 Update

This week Elm Class have started the Year 4 shape unit in Maths. They have started by looking at lines of symmetry.
In English, the children have all written an acrostic poem. These have been written up ready to put on display in our classroom as they were all so excellent.
Food webs were created in Science and the children got themselves in a bit of a tangle as they were so complicated! They then showed their understanding further by explaining food webs and creating food chains in their books.
In Music, children began to compose their own phrases of music on the glockenspiels based on Dvorak’s 9th symphony. Considering this was their first attempt, Mrs Tonks was very impressed by their efforts.

Week 2 Update

This week children have been trying to master the concept of rounding in Maths. We have been playing games to help us practise this skill and reinforce our understanding.
We learnt about what life was like for children in Norman Britain and we were shocked to hear that boys were sent away to be knights at the age of 7 and girls got married at the age of 12!! We are very excited about our trip to Warwick Castle on Monday 17th October where we will be completing a Norman workshop. In Music, we have written graphic scores for Dvorak’s 9th Symphony in E minor. We followed our graphic scores when we listened to the piece of music again. It has really helped us to recognise the melody.

Week 1 Update

Elm have been working towards writing their own story based on Tuesday by David Weisner and now they are pulling all their learning and ideas together to create their finished piece. They have been working hard to include fronted adverbials to start their sentences.
The children are already making super progress in History and many of them can retell the events of 1066 using timelines they have created to support them. Mrs Tonks has been really impressed by how much they can remember. They will continue to study life in Norman England in preparation for their trip to Warwick Castle later this term.
Comparing and ordering 4-digit numbers in Maths is helping pupils consolidate their understanding of place value. They all completed extra challenges presented to them and showed our school value of determination.