Friday 7th March

I think you'll all agree that having the sun out has been a real treat this week and even more so for the Book Day parade on Thursday. Well done to everyone for putting such effort into this, you all looked marvellous! 

In maths, we have continued with our learning of money and focused on subtraction. The children have tried to use different strategies for this, from part-whole model to columns, to pictorial methods. It has been hard going so don't worry if they find i tough. We will continue to revisit next week and practise the various methods again. 

In english, the children have composed some superb poems. We have used the My Shadow poem as a starting point before exploring all the things a shadow can or can't do. It's really fitted well with out topic! The children have then used rhyming couplets and focused on the layout of a poem when doing their own. An example of a phrase from our class discussion:

'My shadow has an invisibility power, 

You won't find him in the shower.'

Do see photos below of us exploring our shadows in the playground on a very sunny day! 

In topic, the children have looked at how shadows are formed and affected by different types of materials. i.e. opaque, translucent or transparent. The children have also looked at the different forces around us, from push and pull, and identifying these in everyday scenarios. 

In RE, we have started to look at the Sikhi festival - Vasaiki and will look at this more next week. 

HOMEWORK 

Monday - Reading books. Please do encourage your child to read a range of books. If they have been with the same author for a while, then time to mix it up. It really does widen their vocabulary and develop their comprehension skills. 

Monday - spelling test

Atom maths - due in 14.3.25 - on money and word problems. The children will need a pad of paper to write their workings out. They can bring this in to show me.

Atom GPS - due in 14.3.25 - on homophones to help them with their spellings.   

Dates for your diary

Tuesday 11th March - STEM science show at Sevenoaks school 

Tuesday 1st April - meeting about the upcoming camping trip in May. In class 3 at 2:45pm. 

Many thanks for your continued support, 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 28th February

Welcome back to Term 4! We have had a good week in Year 3, a very active one thanks to the swimming. The children all seemed to really enjoy the swimming and the teaching at Tonbridge school was at an excellent standard. 

In Maths, we have started a new MNP book and chapter on money. We recapped what the children know about money so far, recapping their knowledge of notes and coins as well as the purpose of money in the world. Don't worry, no discussions about the political or economic climate took place! The children spent the latter part of the week adding money together, we will move onto subtraction with money next week. Please see some great teamwork and partner work in class in the photos below. If the children have any unusual notes or coins at home, they are welcome to bring in for show and tell. Please can they ensure they know what countries the currency is from and the exchange rate, so it is more meaningful for the class. 

In English, we have completed some comprehension work as well as studying the poem, My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson. The children identified the parts of the poem they liked before then using some retrieval and inference skills to understand the poem in more detail. 

We have two topics this term, both science ones, Light and Shadows and Forces and Magnets. The children are welcome to bring in items or books (labelled please) for our topic corner and for any show and tell opportunities. They have started by looking at their current understanding of light and how there are different light sources. The children enjoyed a good discussion about why the moon is not a light source!

In RE, we continue with our world religions learning on the Sikhi faith. The children focused on the five K's and their symbolic meaning for Sikhs. 

Homework

Usual routine commences....

Monday - reading books with at least one entry of them reading to you. Please could you encourage your child to vary what they read, rather than sticking to the same genre. 

Monday - spellings (main list attached below) 

Atom learning in maths is on money and in GPS, it is on word meanings (links well to our work in comprehension this week) and sentence punctuation. If you want to do a revisit, then do use the bbc bitesize site: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zvwwxnb

Hopefully the sun continues to shine for us into the weekend, 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 14th February

HURRAH! We have made it to the end of term and what a way to finish with our brilliant trip to the Natural History Museum on Tuesday. The show on volcanoes and earthquakes was great and really interesting, engaging and interactive for the children (and adults!) It was also a delight to see how well the children answered questions about their topic, even remembering different rock types, such as, igneous rock. The children also got to look round the museum and visit other galleries, seeing ammonites, fossils and the big gallery on Mary Anning. Finally, all the children enjoyed experiencing what an earthquake feels like on the simulator in the Earthquake and Tsunami gallery. The children behaved really well, both at the museum and on the train and tube. Well done, Class 3. Do take a look at the photos below.

The rest of the week has been a mixture of different lessons, including a music lesson on, the 19th century German composer and pianist, Felix Mendelssohn. He wrote a piece of music - Hebrides Overture, which is based on his experience of Fingal's Cave. He was so mesmerised by it that he wrote a wonderful piece of music about it. The children also enjoyed becoming composers and working in groups to create a composition to show the journey the pebble went on from our class text, The Pebble in my Pocket. Do take a look at the photos below.

There is NO homework for the holidays. The children need a break and have worked so hard this term. If you are desperate for your child to do something, then I suggest looking at BBC bitesize videos or going over their times tables. https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button is a super site to use for this. 

Please can you check your child has a few handwriting pens for next term. The majority of the class do but there are a few children that don't and end up writing in pencil or borrowing off a friend. They run out quickly so it is worth getting a pack and please label each one to avoid disagreements! 

Thank you for your continued support.

Have a super half term,

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 7th February

We had a brilliant trip on Wednesday to the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara. Please do take a look at the photos below. The children enjoyed looking round the gurdwara and seeing how beautiful it is decorated as well as experiencing how Sikhs pay their respects to the Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikhi holy book).The children were given a talk and had many of their questions answered. They also got to enjoy eating the prashad, this is a sacred sweet offering made from whole wheat flour, sugar, and ghee, which is distributed at Gurdwaras and considered a symbol of divine grace and equality among all people, regardless of caste or social status. Another highlight was going to the langar (a big communal kitchen) where the children (and adults!) got to taste a delicious curry. Almost all the children tried it, well done Class 3!

In English, we have created and finished off our information fact pages on a part of our book, The Pebble in my Pocket. The children were given a period of time, such as 37 million years ago, and using the book had to identify the main features of the time. We used our GPS skills of headings and subheadings to group information into a clearly laid out fact page. 

In Maths, we have finished off our last MNP assessment and continued solving word problems. 

In topic, the children have finished painting their ammonites and looked at earthquakes in preparation for our trip on Tuesday!

A reminder of the details for our trip the Natural History Museum, Tuesday 11th February:-

- children need to be dropped at Hildenborough Station by 08:50.

- We will return on the 14:56 train from Charing Cross which gets into Hildenborough Station at 15:38 pm.

- Children will need to be in school uniform, a school coat, red cap (compulsory) and a small rucksack containing packed lunch and a bottle of water. Children may bring some pocket money to a maximum of £5 in a named purse or wallet.  

Homework

- Reading books and yellow reading diaries on Monday

- Spelling test on Monday; dislike, disobey, discover, disappear, dishonest and minute, natural, naughty, notice, occasion

- Atom homework; GPS is on adjectives/adverbs and sentence punctuation, Maths is on word problems. 

Have a great weekend - final push now for the last week before half term!

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson

Friday 31st January 

It has been a good week in Year 3 and the children have enjoyed much of their learning. 

In Maths, they have been focusing on word problems in measure, whether that is with length word problems or mass. They have had to use their skills of deduction to work out whether they need to add, take-away, multiply or divide. Using a bar model to 'draw' out the problem is a good way to do this. The children don't necessarily feel confident with it at the moment but it is a great tool to use in maths word problems. You and your child may like to watch this video to understand it further: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Ipio8JntU 

In English, the children continued writing their narratives on how the pebble travelled from mountain to beach, using different types of clauses. i.e. Main clause/ subordinate clause. They then edited their work using purple pens and the school marking codes. Peer marking was a very helpful way to share ideas and consolidate understanding of GPS rules. Do check out the photos below.

In topic work, the children loved making their own ammonites using clay this week. Please do look at the photos below. They also enjoyed exploring the different types of volcanoes that there are. 

In RE, we did some trip prep by looking at a video of a Gurdwara and identifying key aspects of it. Just a reminder for the trip on Wednesday 5th of what is required:-

- school rucksack with lunch (NO MEAT/FISH/EGGS) and water bottle (no need for £ for a gift shop)

- HEAD SCARF/COVERING (not a hat or cap please)  

- we leave and return to school within the school day so children can still attend their before/after school clubs etc. 

Looking forward to it!

Homework 

- reading books in on Monday, with yellow reading diaries

- Atom homework due in by 7/2/24. Maths is on worded problems to link what we have done in class; GPS is based on phrases (e.g. a noun phrase) and subordinate clauses. Please do get your child to watch the 'hint' videos to remind them what they are. It really does help. This site may help with the GPS: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z3nfw6f#zc8tvj6 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT1HhMcB8aw

Have a great (and hopefully drier!) weekend,

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 24th January 

The children had a super time at the African drumming workshop on Wednesday. Do take a look at the photos and videos below. They learnt some new music terminology: tempo, tone and pitch. They did a few call and response rhythms as well as used syllables in words to help them with the rhythm, 'jabba jabba djembe' being one of them! Do ask your child about it. 

In Maths, we looked at volume and capacity. The children measured different amounts of water from different containers. Evie's tiny doll's house jug was very helpful in showing the class how tiny 13ml is! The children have started to look at word problems for all aspects of their measure topics, which is where they have to apply their understanding in different contexts. 

In English, the children have been building up to a big write from the class text, 'A pebble in my pocket.' They worked in groups to make journey maps of how the pebble travelled from mountain to beach. They also recorded any wonderful language and put on our working wall. This was all helpful in getting ready for a big write on Wednesday. Next week, we will continue these stories as well as work on our editing skills. 

In RE, we have discussed our upcoming trip and what Sikhs believe. The children were able to make comparisons to other faiths they have looked at so far at school over the years, i.e. Judaism in Y1 and Islam in Y2. 

In topic work, the children have looked at Mary Anning and her influence as a palaeontologist many years ago. The children used ipads to help gather information. 

Homework

Reading books for Monday please - remembering to record how the children have read with you over the week. 

Spelling test on Monday

Atom maths and GPS online - due in by 24.1.25. A reminder that the 'help' or 'hints' videos are brilliant and great to use if either your child is finding a question hard and needs some extra explanation or useful after a question if they have one wrong. Do use this tool as it really helps the children consolidate their learning. 

Have a super weekend,

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson  

Friday 17th January 

It has been a busy week filled with assessments so well done to all the children, they have worked so hard. It means many of the ‘normal’ lessons in core subjects have had to pause to enable time to complete these assessments.

In Maths, we have moved from length onto Mass and the children have enjoyed some hands-on lessons with this. Reading scales is a big challenge as the increments can vary; jumping from 20s, 10s, 100s etc. The children have had to carefully read the exact weight – do take a look at the photos below. Next week, we will move onto volume. If you have any different size of containers at home that can hold anything, please do bring in for Monday so we can guess how much volume can fit in a container. e.g. plastic bottles, milk cartons, etc.  

In English, the children have enjoyed exploring different types of words found in our class text, The Pebble in my Pocket. They had to identify nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs before then extending their learning by finding synonyms for these words. The ‘golden lines’ or ‘wow words’ were written by children on a post-it and put up on our English working wall.

In topic work, the children have started looked at the stages of fossilization as well as the different types of rock. The children seem very engrossed by this topic already and we have had lots of show and tell. If the children bring in any books/objects on the topic, please remember to put a name on it so we can return it at the end of the term. 

In RE, we looked at the symbol of Sikhism called a Khanda. This is made up of three precious items; a double edged sword, the kara bracelet which Sikhs wear on their wrist and two swords to represent justice and respect. The children decorated their khanda with tissue paper and paper for our RE working wall in the classroom. 

Homework

- Reading books for Monday, please. Thank you for continuing to write in their reading diaries – it has been very helpful to see how they are getting on with reading at home.

- Spellings will tested on Monday

- ATOM maths and GPS homework is due in by 24.1.25. Please remember to use to the help videos by pressing 'hint' in the bottom corner. As the questions can vary in difficulty, this tool is very helpful in reminding children how to work something out. Encourage the children not to rush through but take their time. 

 - Weekly flute group is on Tuesday so please remember flutes then.

Many thanks for your support – have a super weekend,

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 10th January

Happy New Year! We hope you had a good rest over Christmas amongst the busyness of excited children. 

It has been great to welcome the children back this week and we have got stuck into our topics: 

Rocks, Relics and Rumbles (Geography focused topic)

Ammonite (Art focused topic)

In Maths, we have started a new chapter with Maths No Problem on measurement - Length. We did a recap of all the units of measurement for length, weight and volume, and enjoyed a fun lesson measuring items in the classroom using a metre stick. The children then recorded their results into, 'smaller than 1m' and 'bigger than 1m.' Lots of great teamwork went on which was lovely to see. Since then we have explored measuring and converting length into cm, m and mm. Please do talk to your children about this and see what measurement you do each day. e.g. travelling distances in the car and how long it may take, a remote controlled car that can go 15km/h or even foot size and see if their feet have grown over the next few weeks.

In English, we have a new book called 'Pebble in my Pocket' which explores the history of the earth. It fits into our topic on Rocks, Relics and Rumbles quite nicely. To ease the children back into school this week, they had to listen to two types of descriptions of the earth and identify some 'golden lines' - i.e. exciting, descriptive sentences. They then used pastels and black paper to create pictures of what they had heard. Do see the photos below. 

In RE, we have started our new world religion - Sikhism which we will look at for both Terms 3 and 4. The children learnt about what Sikhi is and how they live. 

Dates for the diary

Wednesday 22nd January - African drumming workshop (at school) to link to our Geography topic and link school, Bondeni. 

Wednesday 4th February - Trip to the Gurdwara in Gravesend (full day trip - more details to follow)

Tuesday 11th February - Trip to Natural History Museum, in London (full day trip - more details to follow) 

Homework

Reading books to be checked on Monday - please continue to write in their yellow reading diaries and aim to hear them to read to you at least once a week.

Spellings - sent out via email earlier this week. Test to be on Mondays as usual. Spelling rule this week is the short 'i' sound spelt with a 'y'

Atom homework - maths is on length and perimeter; GPS is on both conjunctions and speech. Both to be completed by Friday 17th January. 

Many thanks as always for your support,

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 19th December

HURRAH! We have made it to the end of term and what a term it has been. The children have had two inspections: SIAMS and Ofsted, as well as their first experience of the KS2 Carol service last night. I think you'll agree, they did marvelously and really sang their hearts out. 

There is not much to report on this week as it has been busy with rehearsals, finishing off work from last week and making Christmas cards. 

There will be no set homework for the holidays. However, please do keep a note of which books your child reads in their yellow reading diaries (or on a bit of paper in case that didn't quite make it into their bag today!) It really helps us to check that they are reading regularly and a variety of texts rather than always the same thing. 

Next term, we will have two topics:

1. Rocks, Relics and Rumbles - geography focus. It teaches children about the features and characteristics of Earth's layers, including a detailed exploration of volcanic, tectonic and seismic activity.

2. Ammonite - art based companion topic  to RRR. It teaches children about artistic techniques used in sketching, printmaking and sculpture.

Dates for your diary:-

In RE, we will be looking at another word religion, Sikhism. As part of our understanding, we will be visiting the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara, in Gravesend, on Wednesday 5th February. 

On Wednesday 22nd January, the children will enjoy an African drumming workshop to develop their music skills and to draw links with our partner school in Bondeni, Tanzania. 

More details to follow but save the dates now.

Finally, a HUGE thank you for the very generous Christmas gifts for us. We were incredibly touched by your generosity and we are both BIG fans of fizz so thank you so much. The children have really come on this term and we feel fortunate to be their teachers and to have you all as supportive parents. 

Have a wonderful, relaxing and refreshing Christmas break. 

See you on Tuesday 7th January - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson  

Friday 13th December

WHAT a week! Phew! Well done to the children who coped really well with inspectors in and out of the classroom as well as around the school. Our usual routine has been a bit different with watching Nativity rehearsals to having a few more topic lessons. 

In english, we have written narratives on our own scene based on the Funnybones book. From Christmas scenes with Santa and his elves to ideas based on Funnybones characters going to the pet store! The children had to ensure they use inverted commas as well as other grammar devices which we have looked at this term. I look forward to marking them in due course.

In maths, the children have focused on short division. i.e. the bus stop method. They tried doing this on Monday in a more expanded way but after this being quite confusing for them, we have opted to just carry the ones over without expanding the tens number. We will revisit this over the next week. 

In science, we have looked at nutrition and why we need this to keep our muscles and bones strong. The children had to sort food items onto a plate and put them in different categories. 

In geography, the children loved exploring different land uses through the use of drama. It was a very energetic/ loud lesson! On Thursday, they went on a Geography fieldtrip around Chiddingstone village.  The children looked at the five different types of land use: residential, commercial, agricultural, recreational and transportation.  They enjoyed learning about and collecting data on the different uses of land around the village.

We have also enjoyed writing Kenning style poems in RE and practising our Swahili song for the KS2 Carol service. 

Homework

Atom GPS and Maths homework online and due in 18/12. I will not be setting any over Christmas - the children need a break!

Please continue the reading at home and writing in the yellow reading diary. We do check them every Monday.

Can children please practise the words for KS2 Carol service: to O Holy Night and Emmanuel, God with us - attached to this page below.  

DATES THIS WEEK

KS2 Carol service - 6pm in the St Mary's church. Children don't need anything other than to wear smart, full winter uniform and school shoes. 

Thursday - break up at 1:30pm. The children have earned their marbles so can bring in any games they'd like to play with their friends Thursday morning.  

Have a super weekend - we're almost there!

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson

Friday 6th December

December already and with only two weeks left of term, it is getting busier! Here is the weekly roundup:-

In Maths, the children continue to learn how to multiply two digit numbers using columns and have started to learn how to carry over the tens. We went through this slowly with diennes blocks and whiteboards to really cement what to do. We used the expanded method first and then later on in the week, have used the shorter version. This does need more practice though so anything you do at home to help this would be great. 

In English, we have continued to use inverted commas and try to think of other ways to say 'said' e.g. whispered, exclaimed, shouted, bellowed. We will write our own 'scenes' from Funnybones next week and hope to try and apply our understanding of inverted commas, adjectives and adverbs in a long piece of writing.

In Topic, we recapped our knowledge of the skeletal system and looked at our key questions: 

Why do animals and humans have skeleton? 

Why do muscles work in pairs? 

We have also started our song for KS2 Carol service which is a very special one as we learnt it when Bishop Luzineth was over in November. It is called 'Asante Sana Yesu' but I won't say too much more for now.....! N.B. KS2 Carol service is on Wednesday 18th December, 6pm. 

We have also enjoyed Coding with Ed Miles this week where the children were using scratch to move rubbish into a recycling bin, very in keeping with our topic Our Planet, One World.  

Homework

Reading books - please bring in on Monday so we can check to see how your child is reading at home. 

Atom GPS and Maths - due in next Friday 13th December. 

Thank you for all your support, 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson

Friday 29th November 

The weeks seem to be rushing by and we are over half way through the term! 

The children have had a good week with an exciting visitor - Mr Cornish! He came to talk to the children about his job as an osteopath and showed us some 3D models of the spine, hip and hand. He even got the children to draw on the bones in his hand! A huge thank you for coming in, we all loved it. 

In Maths, we have finished the first chapter on multiplication and division focusing on the 3x, 4x and 8x table. We now move onto multiplying and dividing two digit numbers. This is the summary from MNP:-

This chapter covers multiplying by a 2-digit number. The first few lessons look at decomposing a number into tens and ones so that the multiplication is easily managed and pupils can see the concept using Base 10 blocks. Lessons move onto multiplying where regrouping is neccessary before pupils start to look at division....

If you are looking for a good Christmas present for your child, I would recommend times tables games, to make it fun and exciting but also to ensure they keep their times tables ticking over. This is quite good when looking at patterns in x tables: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bigjigs-Toys-Educational-Wooden-Answers/dp/B01MFCMZZQ/ref=asc_df_B01MFCMZZQ?mcid=ef9a9f2f366638fa963442719205e3df&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696350735901&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14652868745495178734&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007171&hvtargid=pla-419774899860&psc=1&gad_source=1

In English, we have started to look at inverted commas and how we use these. The children loved acting out strategies to help them know where the 66/99 goes. Let's see if they can remember when we write some sentences on this next week. We have also looked at lots of different strategies to help with spelling - hopefully your child will show you these ideas at home (so do ask them!)

In RE, we looked at the trinity and how Christians believe that there are three parts to God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I likened it to a Twix bar! See if your child can explain it to you. The children also enjoyed the prayer stations in the church on Wednesday. They found them interactive and thought-provoking of how we can pray and reflect on our school vision. Photos to follow! 

In topic work, we looked at the different muscles in our body and why they work in pairs. i.e. as one contracts, the other lengthens and vice versa. Thank you again to Mr Cornish for coming in!

I had a very pleasant afternoon with the class today covering from Mrs Thompson. The children recreated Van Gogh's 'Starry Night' using pastels, considering the use of warm and cool colours and their effect. We recapped what a colour wheel is and what primary, secondary and tertiary colours are. Hopefully they will still be able to repeat this learning at home. Apologies for the blue hands and faces - the pastels required quite a bit of smudging, which somehow transferred on to cheeks!

As I was only with them for one afternoon, I didn't think it was fair to pick a Star of the Week, so this will be held over until Monday. We will also carry the 'golden time' earned on to next week.

Mrs Haysom

REMEMBER - Christmas fair this Saturday!  

Homework

1. Continue reading with your child regularly. Reading books in on Monday to be checked, thank you. 

2. Atom Maths and GPS to be completed online, due in by 6/12. 

Have a great weekend,

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson

Friday 22nd November

Thank you for taking the time to meet with us at parents consultations on Wednesday evening. It has been a busy and chilly week! 

In Maths, the children have been looking at division and understanding this in relation to the 4x table and 8x table. The children have understood this by using diennes apparatus to show how a number can be split equally in four groups and how this changes with sharing it across eight groups. See the photos below. In KS2, the focus of maths is continuing to look for patterns and applying their maths skills in context. Many of them are beginning to get used to this but don't worry if they find this hard for now, they're still very much at the beginning of their KS2 journey! 

In English, we have looked at character profiles of the different Funnybones characters. The children have been using adjectives and adverbs to describe a character and then creating their own character profile using headings and subheadings. 

On Wednesday, the children so enjoyed a whole morning of science, with our new topic - The Skeletal System. The children were so enthusiastic and we focused our learning on the bones and joints in the skeleton. The children learnt about the different bones in our body by drawing round someone and then labelling key parts of skeleton. They also got the opportunity to make skeleton pictures with a partner and label it using scientific vocabulary. Do take a look at the photos below. 

Homework

1. Please keep up the daily reading at home. If your child forgets to take their book home over the weekend, please can you write on a piece of paper to say what reading you have done (even if it hasn't been their reading book) and ensure your child brings it in on Monday. Thank you. 

2. Atom Maths and GPS both due in 29/11 

3. Spellings test on Monday as per normal 

Finally, if your child does a morning club at 8am at school, please do pack an extra snack which I have said can be eaten after they have got changed (if they'd like to). 

Have a super weekend,

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson  

Friday 15th November

The children have had a busy week with special moments and occasions. One of them being our Remembrance Day service in the church on Monday. The children reflected on this as a significant day and wrote prayers or thoughts on a poppy template which we then put in our reflective corner. Photo to follow! It has also been great to speak with you this week at parent consultations about your child. We look forward to the next session on 20/11. 

In Maths, we have continued our learning of times tables with focusing on the 4x and 8x table. The 8x table is something the children need to work on and whilst it sounds hard, the 8x is simply double the 4x table! We decided to focus on the trickiest sums and wrote these on a fortune teller template, which we will use as starters in our lessons. The children loved this activity so much that if they would like one for home, then there is a blank one attached below. House points given out for anyone that does this and goes above and beyond with work at home!

In English, we have been working on a new, well-known text, Funnybones. It links perfectly to our topic on the Skeletal system and also has helped us unpick some GPS elements-  synonyms and antonyms for the repeated word, 'dark.' They have then rewritten the start of the book using these new words. 

In RE, the children have looked at different paintings of Jesus' baptism. They have explored how the paintings show the trinity; God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They then created beautiful pastel pictures showing Jesus' baptism, remembering to show the trinity. They look brilliant and are on display at the back of the classroom....photos to follow! 

In their topic, Our Planet/One World, the children have been exploring physical and human features of maps. 

Homework

Well done to those children reading at home and to you, as parents, writing comments about their reading in the yellow reading diaries. We had more children with comments in their book this week so please keep it up!

Atom learning - 

we have almost all children completing this each week. Just a reminder that this is compulsory now and children should be completing it within the time frame. If there is an issue, please come and speak to us about it. 

5 x questions for Maths 

5 x questions for GPS 

Due date 22/11. The activity will close at 6am the day after it is due. 

Many thanks for all your support, 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson  

Friday 8th November 

Welcome back to school, it has been great to see the children again and we have been busy settling into our new term and topics. 

This week, in Maths, we have moved onto multiplication. We have looked at x3 and x4 and linked it to repeated addition as a way to work it out. The children have enjoyed moving onto this and using TTRS if you have their account is recommended to ensure children practise these. 

In English work, we have enjoyed looking at poetry. Children have studied different poems on fireworks to fit in with 'remember, remember the 5th November' on Tuesday. The children focused especially on onomatopoeia and alliteration as clever literary devices to make the poem come alive. The children then wrote their own firework poems using these techniques before performing them to their peers. Do see the photos below!

We have three topics this term: Our Planet, Our World, Animal Nutrition and the Skeletal System and Contrast and Complement. The geography topic on our planet is the main topic for the term and the children have already explored different countries and continents using an atlas to help them. 

In exciting news.... the Year 3 children have enjoyed reading the postcards that Bondeni school have sent us back. The bishop kindly gave them out to the class in our special AOW on Tuesday and we are so grateful for this wonderful friendship we have with Bondeni school. Do see more photos on the collective worship or the Global Links tab. 

Homework

1. Spellings have been sent out and are attached below. Whilst we do a lot of practise of them at school, please ensure you do them at home as well. Spelling tests are always Mondays. 

2. ATOM - there are now just 5 maths questions and then 5 GPS questions to do. Hopefully that will feel manageable and easy enough to fit into the week. 

3. Reading books - every Monday, we check the reading books and yellow reading diaries. Please can you ensure that you listen to your child read at home and write a comment. The reading questions bookmark is attached below for you to use if that is helpful. 

Many thanks as always for your support.

Have a great weekend, 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 18th October 

Well done Year 3, you have made it to the end of term! What a long and busy term it has been but the children have done so well. Hope they can now enjoy some calmer days and mornings. 

We so enjoyed welcoming you to the open classroom on Wednesday, do see photos below. The children had a super time making scones for you all and showing their work. Work that they should be very proud of! I couldn't upload the video of the song as it was too large but glad most of you got to hear the live version!

This week in Maths, we have been finishing off subtraction with renaming and attempting some word problems. We have relied upon a bar model method to help us working out what the question is asking us to do; add or subtract. Please see the photos! The children definitely need to take their time on this and keep revisiting questions like this to really apply their learning. 

In English, the children all enjoyed reading chapter 8 in our class book, Stig of the Dump and watch Mrs Ralph act it out in mime! Thankfully no videos or photos taken. The children then had to write a diary entry of this chapter from the view of either Barney or Lou. This was a good way to practise writing in the first person and consistently writing in past tense. At this age, children can still get their tenses mixed up but a recount or diary entry is a good way to ensure they don't do this. I must say the children all earned 5 marbles in their marble jar for amazing spelling results. Well done, Year 3! 

In topic work, the children have finished off Through the Ages by comparing stone age with the bronze age as well as how the iron age also changed the way people lived. Hopefully you got to enjoy their artwork both at home and around the classroom. 

Homework

ATOM MATHS - there are two activities to do on Atom (only five questions on each topic so one activity is on written subtraction and the other activity is on mental addition and subtraction) Due in by Monday 4th November

ATOM GPS - there is a short activity to do on punctuation on Atom (this is not like the hard baseline assessment they did on comprehension, it's completely grammar focused). Due date is also, Monday 4th November

Both maths and GPS homework on Atom should not take the children more than 30 mins to do and will ensure they keep these key skills ticking over the two week break. Remember you can access atom from any laptop, phone, ipad device so hopefully this makes it manageable. 

No spellings set for half term but please keep listening to your child read (and remember to write in the yellow reading diary how they got on). 

Have a superb holiday and look forward to seeing the children in November!

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 11th October

Time seems to be whizzing by and the children have had a really good week. They have listened well and we now have a class contract that every child and teacher in Year 3 has signed! This has a set of six points which we all agree to adhere to in Year 3. It has really helped the children understand what is expected of them in class and in the school. Please find it attached at the bottom of this page. 

In Maths, the children have been doing subtraction with renaming. They have understood the process of this but there is a common issue each time they do this in columns, writing on their workings! I.e. They need to ensure they cross off a ten and rename the ones into a new number with with ten ones in e.g. 3 becomes now 13. Most of you will understand this as borrowing and carrying a ten over. Nowadays, we call it renaming as to 'carry a ten' over can sound confusing, especially when children know that ones can't go in a tens column, tens in a hundred column etc. If you need to discuss this method with me, then do ask. 

In English, the children did really well with their first formal spelling test. They complete it and then as we mark it, we go over the 'prickly' bit in each spelling. It is a more engaging way to ensure your child learns from their errors rather than just looking at what score they get out of 10! In our writing lessons, we have enjoyed using imperative verbs to write a set of instructions for Stig. We talked about how Barney would teach Stig to make a fire...without matches! I am still amazed at how quickly the children can write something in detail. The children also used time conjunctions to write a recount of their trip. Some children wrote a whole page!

In RE, we continued our theme of God's promises by looking at a church wedding and the vows they exchange. Their role plays from last week are now below for you to see from last week. 

In Topic work, the children have made a poster on what they know so far about how the stone age people lived and the different time periods. They have also learnt about the cheddar man. 

Date for your diary:- 

Please do come to our open classroom event on, Wednesday 16th October, 2:45-3:30pm, to look at the children's books and find out more about what we have been doing this term. We also have a little surprise in store for you!

Homework

Maths homework on Atom  - due date 18.10.24. Please continue to encourage your child to write down their workings on a piece of paper whilst they do it. 

Spellings: tested on Monday 14th: - 

spelt with ey - they, obey, grey, prey, disobey. 

and: although, answer, appear, arrive, believe.

Reading: Please remember to write down how your child got on in their reading over the week/weekend. We have a look at this every Monday and some children's yellow reading diaries are empty. E.g. commenting on their fluency, prosody and comprehension is really helpful. 

Many thanks for your continued support.

Have a super weekend and let's hope the sun is still shining!

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 4th October

Well done everyone on completing the Maths homework on Atom this week. It has been great to see that everyone has managed it and completed within the time set. A huge well done to all the Year 3's at our Harvest service, from singing their hearts out in the KS2 song, to bringing in donations to support our link school Bondeni, in Tanzania. Thank you too for coming along, it is great to have your support. 

It has been a very busy week with extra activities but the big highlight was going on our school trip to Knole Park, on Wednesday. The children had four brilliant, hands-on workshops and I am delighted to say they behaved brilliantly throughout. Their answering of questions was very impressive and they enjoyed doing everything from handling objects and tools, making holes in flints, building a den for their tribe and understanding timelines through the use of rubbish! They have learnt so much more and a big thank you to the parents who assisted on the trip. Please do check out the photos below. 

In Maths, we have finished some of our addition work using three digit numbers and have moved onto simple subtracting. The Atom homework will support this. 

In English, we have been learning our spelling rule, Words with the long /ai/ sound spelt with ei. The children have also looked at punctuation in a sentence, ? and !

In RE, the children finished off their role plays on Abraham and Sarah - photos to follow!

Date for your diary:- 

Wednesday 16th October, 2:45-3:30pm - open classroom event.

The children would love to invite you to the classroom where you can enjoy seeing what they have been up to this term. 

Homework 

1. Atom Maths homework - due in on Friday 11th October. 

2. Spellings to learn this week: eight, weight, sleigh, neighbour, vein, accident, accidentally, actual, actually, address

3. Reading book/ yellow diaries are checked every Monday - please aim to write in at least once to show us you have been listening to your child. They can read mainly to themselves but need to aim to read to you once a week (minimum).

Thank you for your continued support.

Have a good weekend, 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 27th September

It has been great to get back to normal lessons this week and the children have again worked very hard. 

In Maths, we have worked on adding with renaming (another word for 'carrying over'). e.g. 346 + 28 = The children have looked at different methods including: column addition, bridging to ten and using number bonds to partition numbers using the part/whole method. I would say that most have preferred the column method but they must ensure they carry the ten or hundred over correctly and add the right amount in each column. We have been working with three digit numbers but if your child is finding it hard, do go back to using two digit numbers until they feel confident. 

In English, the children have become Mr Barnes - an estate agent! They have had to scan the text and find words which capture a reader's interest. These can be adjectives, similes or even unusual vocabulary. They have then used these words or phrases  to make an estate agent poster for Stig's dump. i.e. making his dump sellable! The children found some exciting vocabulary e.g. 'like a fossil monster' and 'fancy' and more. We have put some of these words on our 'wonderful words' board in the classroom. 

In topic, the children have been finishing off their wonderful pottery of stone age tools, e.g. pots and spears. They look fantastic, photos to follow so watch this space. 

In RE, we have looked at the story of Abraham and how he followed God's ways and that God fulfilled his promise. The children enjoyed a drama themed lesson thinking about Abraham felt at different parts of the story. Photos to follow!

What to remember this week:- 

READING BOOKS - these need to come back and forth in their bags to school. They need to have them each day at school as we do introduce quiet moments in the day to read and listen to them. 

HARVEST on TUESDAY 1ST - remember decorated envelope and tinned/dry goods for Harvest service. Can these be brought in on MONDAY 30TH PLEASE. Also, all children need to be in smart winter uniform. 

KNOLE PARK TRIP -  On Wednesday 2nd. We leave and return within school hours so the children can do their various clubs before/after school. The children need to wear smart school uniform, school coat (black or red one), a packed lunch, water bottle, red school cap, max. £5 money in a named purse for the gift shop. We are all VERY excited!  

HOMEWORK this week:-

Atom - Well done on everyone completing the baseline assessment. It was tough going, especially the English so I have decided to wait on introducing this just yet. Please find the children's first set of maths atom homework, due by Friday 4th October. 

Spellings - We will be introducing the new spelling rule this coming week with the first spelling test on Monday 7th October. Please find the spellings set for the rest of the term below.  
 

Many thanks for your support.  

Have a great (and drier!) weekend. 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 20th September

It has been an intense week for the class with assessments in Maths, Grammar, spelling and reading. The children have worked really hard and whilst it has felt quite tiring, it will provide very helpful in showing us what the children know already and what they need to learn or go over. Ultimately, it informs our planning!

In Maths, we have managed to complete a few MNP lessons on adding. The children have tried using two methods to add numbers together: the numberline and expanded columns (using diennes). They have successfully managed to add ones and then add tens to a three digit number. Well done, Class 3.  

In English, the children have looked at using commas in a list. I must say they have done this very successfully! The children listed the different items in Stig's den and even used some interesting adjectives to captivate the reader.

In topic work, the children have enjoyed designing and then making pots out of clay. A great way to end a busy week of assessments. Photos to follow!

It was great to see some of you at the curriculum meeting on Wednesday afternoon - both in person and virtually. I have attached the curriculum handout for you but you should have also received one in your bag. 

Just to reiterate a few key points from that meeting:-

1. Please can you remember to check the classpage for updates. It helps keep you informed and saves several emails through the week.

2. In regards to a reading book, the children need to bring their reading book to school and from school every day. There will be pockets of time through the week that they can read their book so they do need it everyday. Please also remember to write in how they got on with the book.

3. Please can all children complete their Atom baseline assessment (WITHOUT ANY HELP) for both Maths and English at home this weekend. As I mentioned in the meeting, if you help them with an answer, the algorithms will be affected and their future homework will be too difficult. 

4. Anyone that would like to help with Guided Reading on either Tues, Thurs or Friday afternoons, please speak to either one of us or email via the office. Any help is hugely appreciated!

Dates this week:- 

Bookfair every day 3:30-4:00pm - please remember to visit it as the up to 60p in every £1 you spend is given back to our school in free books. For exmaple, we have a Y3 class set of Stig of the Dump due to the commission gained on previous book fairs.

Flute group on Tuesday  - those in the group, please remember your flute. Thank you.

Homework

- Thank you to those that sent in pictures (and the multiple optional homework of book reviews!) that are now up in our book corner. If you didn't get a chance to send one in, please can it be brought in on Monday. 

- Atom baseline tests for both Maths and English completed (as mentioned above) 

The class are a keen bunch to learn, which has been great, but have been very chatty this week. So our aim for next week will be to really listen carefully and not speak over the members of staff - perhaps you could reiterate this at home. 

Many thanks for your support and have a wonderful weekend, 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 13th September 

Well done everyone on another great week at school! 

In Maths, the children have enjoyed exploring number patterns, counting on in 1s and 100s as well as 4s and 8s. The children are doing really well with the faster pace of lessons. We have to fit more in during lessons and have more opportunity to explain their working out rather than just writing the correct answer. This is a big difference between KS1 and KS2 in maths. The children have yellow maths journals which allow then to answer big questions, such as, How did you know to put the 2 in the hundreds column? Which method worked best for you and why? Don't worry if your child finds this difficult at the moment, the more practice, the more confident they will become. 

In English, the children have enjoyed exploring the character Stig in our class text. We had good conversations about how we know he looks like a caveman and what the text says. Children have had to use their good inference skills in reading to find the answers in the book. The children also enjoyed using adjectives to describe him and I continue to be impressed with their writing. Well done, Year 3! In GPS lessons, the children enjoy doing 'Mrs Ralph's karate punctuation' each day to remind them of the different punctuation they need to know. Why not challenge your child to act it out to you....watch out for the punches!

In RE, we have started our learning of the people of God within Christianity and how God chose different people to help the world. First up is Noah and we enjoyed acting out the story of the Big Flood together - just sorry there are no photos! 

In topic, the children continue to learn about the Stone Age and the tools they used as well as their settlements. We look forward to our trip in a couple of weeks which will really help consolidate their learning. I now have enough parent volunteers, thank you to those that have offered. 

Flutes - as mentioned in my email, Year 3 pupils get the opportunity to learn a musical instrument for ten sessions as part of the MusicPlus funding from Kent Music. Please see photos of the first group enjoying their first session this week.  

Homework

The class will be set with regular homework on Atom learning but I will explain a bit more about this at the curriculum meeting. For now, please just keep hold of your logins. 

THIS WEEK - Please can you take a photo of your child reading a book/magazine in their favourite place. e.g. the garden, their bedroom, a teepee, a treehouse, the car, etc. It would be really helpful if you could print out this photo and bring in on Monday 16th September. It saves me getting 30 emails! No bigger than an A5 piece of paper please as it is for our book corner which is now looking really welcoming and cosy. Thank you! Extra (but optional!) homework is to write a short book review on their favourite book - this should be handwritten in pen and your child will gain some housepoints as well as points for their table team! I have attached a template to this classpage or the children can just write a paragraph if they prefer. 

Reading books - children will have come home with a reading book in the book corner. I will explain how this works at the curriculum meeting but for now, ensure they read this book to you (not all of it but a few pages here and there) and please write a comment in the yellow reading diaries. You only need to return this book once your child has finished it rather than each week. 

Dates to remember:- 

Year 3 curriculum meeting - Wednesday 18th, 2:30-3:00pm, in Class 3. Zoom details for those that can't come have been sent by email. 

Have a great weekend, 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson 

Friday 6th September, 2024. 

WELCOME TO YEAR 3!

It has been lovely to meet the children and teach them this week. They have done very well settling back into school life and adjusting to KS2 timings. I am sure they will sleep well tonight for you!

In Maths, we have recapped our understanding of place value, using manipulatives to help us with this. The children have explored large two digit numbers as well as three digit numbers. They have also looked at number patterns and put three digit numbers in order. 

In English, we have written postcards to the children at Bondeni school, Tanzania, all about ourselves. Not only has it been a good writing task, it has also been helpful for me in getting to know the children. These postcards are going to be hand delivered (!) to the children in Tanzania next week. We are hoping they will write back - watch this space! Our class book for this term is Stig of the Dump which fits perfectly with our topic, see below. The children will also be studying the book, The First Drawing by Mordicai Gerstein, which looks at the Stone Age and cave paintings so again, very in keeping with our topic. 

Our two topics for this term are Through the Ages and Prehistoric Pots. The children have got a fantastic trip booked on Wednesday 2nd October at Knole Park where the children will explore the Stone Age through fun hands-on workshops, including handling prehistoric tools and weapons as well as building dens. More details to follow but if any parents would like to help, please let the office know.  

Thank you to all the children (and parents!) for remembering to bring in PE kit on Wednesdays. It all went smoothly this week!

A reminder that further to Mrs Haysom's letter, Year 3 pupils can wear their PE kit for Forest school days. We would like them to come into school in their usual school uniform, bringing their PE kit with them, but change before they head off. The usual FS gear will be required too, especially with these autumnal showers!

Dates for the diary

Weekly timetable attached below

Year 3 curriculum meeting - Wednesday 18th September, 2:30-3:00pm

Harvest service - Tuesday 1st October, 9:15am

Year 3 class trip to Knole Park - Wednesday 2nd October (parent helpers will be required)

Homework and Reading 

There will be no homework or spellings/times tables to learn at home for the next couple of weeks. We will be assessing where the children are before we do this so for now, please just keep up any reading for pleasure at home. 

As per my recent email, erasable blue pens in a (named) pencil case for Monday please. Thank you for all being on board with this, the children seem very excited to all be able to write in pen from the start!   

Reading books will be sent home from next week and more details to follow on this.

Request

1. If you have any children's magazines that are finished with e.g. national geograpahic, junior week or Storytime/Aquilla. Then please could you pass them onto Year 3 for our book corner? Reading doesn't always have to be a book! 

 2. If anyone has any spare cushions or small rugs to spruce up our book corner, then we'd be so grateful. 
 

Have a super weekend, 

Mrs Ralph and Mrs Thompson