Class 4 Autumn Term 2015 Out and About This pamphlet outlines the content of the curriculum to be covered this term. Music Rhythmic patterns / Melodic phrases Topic related songs French Body Parts Classroom commands Music Rhythmic patterns / Melodic phrases Topic related songs French Body Parts Classroom commands RE/PSHCE RE: How and why do Christians follow Jesus? PSHE – New Beginnings RE/PSHCE RE: How and why do Christians follow Jesus? PSHE – New Beginnings ICT Coding, programming. Purple Mash, Education City, Learning Platform. Internet Research ‘We are co-authors’ ICT Coding, programming. Purple Mash, Education City, Learning Platform. Internet Research ‘We are co-authors’ Art/DT Recreating images of the local area Collage. Through a window. Design a Postcard for Leighton Buzzard. Art/DT Recreating images of the local area Collage. Through a window. Design a Postcard for Leighton Buzzard. PE & Games Gymnastics Dance Multi Skills PE & Games Gymnastics Dance Multi Skills History/ Geography Our local area – land use and changes over time. Map reading – where is Leighton Buzzrad? Looking at a Census. History/ Geography Our local area – land use and changes over time. Map reading – where is Leighton Buzzrad? Looking at a Census. Science Rocks and Soils, basic geology of the local area. The Water Cycle Science Rocks and Soils, basic geology of the local area. The Water Cycle English Stories with imaginary setting Report writing Descriptive writing Recounts Persuasive Writing Diary entries Homophones Editing and developing writing Weekly Guided Reading English Stories with imaginary setting Report writing Descriptive writing Recounts Persuasive Writing Diary entries Homophones Editing and developing writing Weekly Guided Reading Maths Number facts to 1000 and beyond Times tables to 12X12 Doubling and Halving Partitioning, Rounding 2D/3D shapes & their properties Solving problems Time, fractions & data. Investigation, Representation, Logical Thinking and Reasoning Maths Number facts to 1000 and beyond Times tables to 12X12 Doubling and Halving Partitioning, Rounding 2D/3D shapes & their properties Solving problems Time, fractions & data. Investigation, Representation, Logical Thinking and Reasoning Out and About

Dear Parents, Welcome to Class 4 and your child’s final year at Heathwood. I hope your son/daughter is pleased to be back at school and looking forward to the year ahead. I’m very excited about this year and can’t wait to get started. Staffing As you know I will be teaching the class. Mrs Aspinwall will be the class Teaching Assistant and will be working in class every morning. Mrs Bisby and Miss Murphy will also be working within the classroom. In addition, Mrs Dicocco will teach the class for one morning each week, whilst I have planning and preparation time. How can you help your child at home? Reading Reading is a key and imperative skill that is continually developed. In class we will aim to listen to your child read on a regular basis. In addition, I would also ask that you hear your child read at home. Just five or ten minutes a night would make a great contribution to your child’s reading ability and confidence. All children would benefit from this and I strongly encourage you spend this time, every night, with your child. Please ensure you ask lots of questions to show that your child understands what they are reading and remember to make a note in their ‘Reading Record’. If you would like any support on this please do not hesitate to come and see me. Homework A major aspect of Year 4 is to develop many independent study skills. To help develop this, the children are set regular homework which the children are expected to complete and hand in. The children are given dates when their homework is due in and are expected to meet these deadlines. Each week the children will be set one piece of English and one piece of Maths homework. It is not expected that the children need to spend more than half an hour on each piece. The English homework is set out in the form of a half term project and the details will follow shortly. I will provide feedback on this homework each week. The Numeracy homework this term will be a maths game for your child to play. The games will be sent out every Thursday (starting this week) and must be returned the following Tuesday. Maths games can increase children’s confidence in mental maths as well as consolidating mathematical concepts they are learning in class. I hope the children will enjoy playing the games and would greatly appreciate any feedback from you as parents. Occasionally the children may be given additional homework based around other subjects that are being covered in class. For example, the children may be asked to produce a project relating to the topic being covered in class or to bring in some information. I will send home information about any such homework in plenty of time so that the children are aware of it. The Learning Platform Your child continues to have access to the Learning Platform. I have some activities on there already for them to try and will continually update this as and when appropriate activities are available. If you need any support with your child’s login, please ensure your child asks for their login details. Topics and themes Our first topic of the term is “Out and About”. This is a study of the local area and looks at the Science, History and Geography of Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding area. I have arranged the Leighton Buzzard Historical society to visit our class to complete some local history activities and we will also be completing a High Street Walk with the Historical Society looking at the High Street in the past. These events are due to take place towards the end of September and the beginning of October. I have also organised a local trip to a local Sand processing plant and Rushmere with The Bedfordshire Geology Group and Greensand Trust on September 28th. It is anticipated that the overall cost for all the trips, school visitors and coach will be approximately £15.00 per child. Further details of the Quarry and Stockgrove trip and the High Street visit will be provided in an additional letter. To get us off to a Stunning Start, on Wednesday this week, the children will be taking part in ‘The Great Dig’. This will involve them digging down and looking at soils and rocks around our school and comparing different areas. Please ensure your child has a change of clothes (old clothes) and wellingtons or old trainers on Wednesday for this activity. PE This half-term PE lessons will take place on Monday and Thursday afternoons. Please ensure your child has the correct PE kit in school at all times (black shorts, purple t-shirt and plimsolls/trainers). I would also encourage you to ensure that when the weather turns colder the children should have black tracksuit bottoms, a black fleece/jumper and trainers within their PE bag. Swimming will commence again in the spring term. If you have any concerns about your son/daughter or any questions/queries then please feel free to call into class after school to speak to me. Many thanks, Mr Dicker Class 4 Teacher