Both were studied this week – logic in the form of data which the children saved using data loggers, when they worked well in small groups. They were also inspired by Lewis Carroll in “The Jabberwocky” and wrote their own fantastic versions of the nonsense poem which will be made into an anthology. They also made good progress with multiplication, moving onto formal multiplication. It’s been a packed five weeks and I hope everyone has a really good break and rest. I look forward to seeing everyone after the half-term break.
.. has been the theme of this week. Some of what we have done is in the bulletin. On Thursday, the children also thought of an achievement they are proud of and shared this with their table. Also key to good mental health is a healthy outdoor environment and the Eco Councillors and other children planted some saplings on the field which will hopefully grow to provide shade and a home for birds and other animals.
The children are really enjoying “The Firework Maker’s Daughter” which is a beautifully written story of bravery and adventure, laced with plenty of humour.
Reading rich, varied and creative literature is a key aspect of good learning and the children are also loving exploring nonsense poetry, specifically “The Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll.
They have been learning about data – what it is, the pitfalls of collecting what seems to be straightforward data, and how well-suited computers are to gathering and processing it. They used data loggers, which are borrowed from a local computer hub.
Here is the display of the children’s writing about the (imitation) Roman artefacts we have here and their excellent accompanying sketches the children took great care in drawing.
The children used data loggers for the first time today. They recorded the levels of light and noise and the temperature in different parts of the classroom. Some children went to great lengths to ensure different readings!
Year IV know just what the Romans did for us and they told us all about it on Thursday. They did it with style, confidence and worked brilliantly as a team. The children learnt their lines off by heart so they could concentrate on delivering them clearly and loudly. Thank you for coming to support the children. We hope you enjoyed their ukelele playing. Thanks go to their teacher, Mrs Newman, who prepared all the music and tuned the ukeles the day before the performance.
We used the visit to Verulamium and the resources we have at school to complete some topical writing and Art which are now proudly displayed on the classroom wall. The children have very much enjoyed reading “Escape From Pompeii” and will start a new book very soon.
Everyone looked amazing on Number Day on Friday. Thank you for your donations to the NSPCC. The children played some games from the nrich website to use their multiplication and division fact recall in strategic problem-solving contexts. Maybe you could play the games with your children at home? The links are :
https://nrich.maths.org/6863 – Times Tables shifts,
https://nrich.maths.org/10094 – Four in a Row (or similar name)
… was one of the headlines year 4 chose to start their reports on their trip to Verulamium Museum. They also wrote about what they had learnt and their ideas show insight.
It was a beautiful day to walk across Verulamium Park and the interest in the dogs we passed along the way was almost as great as that shown in the Roman artefacts we handled during the workshop session. It was a fantastic opportunity to actually touch the same objects that Romans made nearly 2000 years ago. The children then had the opportunity to learn more about the Roman history of their city by exploring the museum exhibits.
We are very grateful to the two Mums who came with us, midweek; and without whose support we couldn’t do these very valuable enrichment activities. Thank you.
The Roman topic, studied in History and through reading “Escape From Pompeii”, has provided the children with opportunities to learn about vocabulary, practise art and understand the impact of a hugely significant civilisation.
With the freezing weather and roadworks getting to school has been tricky this week, but once in year 4 it’s really warm and cosy as the new heating does its job well. The sun has been streaming through the window to make the days bright.
The children are engrossed in our current book “Escape From Pompeii”
The children are engrossed in our current book “Escape From Pompeii” which contains a wealth of powerful verbs and interesting language. The children love the fascinating subject of volcanoes and this story shows the impact of a pyroclastic flow. They have been creating some excellent paragraphs with expanded noun phrases. On Google Classroom I’ve posted another two pages in the grammar book to help support this learning. I sent home a couple of sheets relating to this book, because I came across them in researching resources and they were so useful for vocabulary building and comprehension skills. Its purely optional to use these resources or not.
Linked with this, we are learning about the Romans, leading on from the children’s learning about the Iron Age last year. This another fascinating topic – “What did the Romans ever do for us?” is a question it’s always intriguing to answer. Our trip to Verulamium Museum on Wednesday will help deepen this understanding. If you are able to accompany us, please could you contact the office as we still need an adult (though I appreciate that Wednesday morning is not convenient for work schedules). Thank you.
We’re coming to the end of learning about times tables facts and soon will apply that knowledge in formal multiplication and division, involving instant recall of those facts.
States of Matter is our topic in Science. Can your child explain to you why solid objects retain their shape after being squashed and squeezed but a gas can occupy any size shape into which it is released?
The children’s ukelele playing is really progressing and the collective sound is very jolly and uplifting.
There were a few complaints about the number of spelling words last week – I did ask the class! – so apologies if the quantity and variety was a bit much for your child or you. However, there were good improvements and I’m very proud of the seriousness and commitment they children show to improving their spelling and writing.
I hope you all have a relaxing weekend, whether the weather stays bitterly cold or warms up.
The two weeks off have done everyone a lot of good and everyone is raring to go with learning. We started lots of new topics this week, including out book for writing “Escape From Pompeii”. The children role-played being citizens in Pompeii, before the volcano erupted.
The children explored replica Roman artefacts to better understand life in Ancient Rome. We shall see real versions of these when we visit Verulamium Museum on Wednesday 24th January.
In Maths, we have been learning about other ways to work out the answer to multiplication calculations and today the children used Dienes to show that multiplying a number by 12 is the same as mutliplying it by 12 and by 2, which are straightforward calculations to do; and then adding together these two answers.
I found out today that the cake sale raised £199.10 which is really fantastic! Thank you for your generosity in organising, making cakes as well as buying and selling them. I will discuss with the class what we would like to buy with the money.
I hope that you all have a lovely weekend and let’s all hope that it’s not going to be bitterly cold.
We will post important, relevant and up-to-date information on online safety and wellbeing here. As with all aspects of your child’s education, learning and wellbeing, close school/home relationship is the best way to support children, parents and carers. Navigating the internet so your family can benefit from all it has to offer, while protecting your young people, can be complicated and time-consuming. These resource should help. Please feedback with successes and particular issues so we can inform other parents and carers.
InEQE publishes a weekly electronic safeguarding newsletter – “Safeguarding Hub Newsletter” . If you would like to receive these into your email box please sign up here. https://ineqe.com/safeguarding-hub/. I’ll copy or post the features relevant to families (with younger and older children).
14th October 2024
Dear Parents and Carers
Roblox made headlines again this week and Colin Stitt, Head of Safer Schools at INEQE Safeguarding Group, spoke to the Mail Online about actions that parents, carers, and safeguarding professionals can take to make the gamers in their care safer online. He said The report is a stark reminder that we can’t simply assume a platform is safe for children just because it looks child-friendly. Parents and carers need to be proactive and educate themselves about the potential risks their children may face online, including exposure to inappropriate content, online predators, and harmful social interactions. It’s crucial for parents and carers to have open and honest conversations with their children about online safety, empowering them to navigate digital spaces responsibly.
This includes teaching them how to block and report users and content, and encouraging them to talk to a trusted adult if they encounter anything upsetting online. Remember, safeguarding our children in the digital world requires a collaborative effort. Parents, carers, educators, and platforms like Roblox all have a role to play in creating a safer and more positive online experience for young people.’
The link to the Daily Mail Online article was sent out in an email to parents and carers on 14.10.24. (The link is not included here as the article contained references to topics and images which are not appropriate for children.)
With kind regards
Katharine Gibbons
23rd February (sent out as Parent Mail Monday 26th February)
Online Safety Update – 23rd February 2024
Being informed about online safety can include awareness of activity that, as parents and carers, we’d rather not think about. But this awareness will help our children make the most of online life without getting in trouble.
The INEQUE Safeguarding Group Newsletter has recently highlighted two different aspects of online safety.
Computer Misuse Act 1990
A recent survey showed that 20% of children between the ages of 10-16 violate the Computers Misuse Act, which criminalises unauthorised access to computer systems and data. In gamers this rises to 25%. It’s important that children aged 10 and over understand what this criminal behaviour is as they may not realise that it is illegal and, as the age of criminal responsibility in England, Wales and N Ireland is 10, could get them into trouble with the police. This video explains the risks to young children if they abuse the Computer Misuse Act 1990 – https://youtu.be/smkXHZ6Qf3s. It shows how young people can break the law without realizing it and how that can jeopardise promising careers in Computing or other areas.
Examples of activity which 10-year-olds may not realise is illegal, under the 1990 Computer Misuse Act:
“Saltburn” – and proliferation on social media and online
The film contains highly explicit content and has spawned many videos, memes etc which young people can become aware of. For example, there are TikTok videos with up to 3.5 million views discussing and showing clips from the most graphic scenes. These scenes can be accessible even when logged into an account assigned to a 13-year-old. Also, reaction videos and images have been shared across platforms such as X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. There are gaming adaptations on platforms such as Roblox. . This link details the potential risks of “Saltburn”, should you need more information on it: https://ineqe.com/2024/02/15/safeguarding-risks-saltburn-movie/
10th February – ESports – The Esports industry has seen tremendous growth over the years, and you might have a young gamer in your care who is interested in participating or watching esports tournaments. However, are you familiar with the world of Esports?
Our informative shareable will help you understand what you need to know in the world of Esports, including the potential risks and explanations of commonly used buzzwords.
27th January – Instagram introduces new “night-time nudges” to reduce teens’ time on the app – https://tcrn.ch/3vDotns (copy and paste this link to go to the short article).
The organisations below publish authoritative, relevant information on online safety and their websites are updated. Together with ChildLine, they are the first places to go to to if you have queries or worries about your child or young person online.
Internet Matters has some guides for parents around setting up devices at home, and enabling home broadband filtering for each specific provider. https://www.internetmatters.org/setupsafe/
There’s no denying that the way we use tech continues to evolve. Let’s pledge some New Year resolutions to take on tech with a new approach, where we’re in control and can enjoy the advantages it brings.
Resolution 1 – We will speak more kindly online
Words matter. Whether spoken out loud or posted online, what we say to each other has an impact. This resolution means that, as a family, you’ll avoid online conflict (like engaging in arguments on Facebook, saying mean things out of frustration while gaming, or criticising a stranger’s outfit on Instagram), and instead pledge to say kind or encouraging things whenever possible. You can use our ‘What Are Your Words Worth’ activity pack to find more information, ideas, and ways to explain to the whole family what this resolution is all about. Find it here.
Resolution 2 – We will have healthier screentime habits, including mobile phones
If your family rules got thrown out the window over Christmas, you’re certainly not alone! Now that the New Year is here, it’s time to get everyone back on track. A lot of New Year resolutions fail because the expectations aren’t reasonable, so keep any ideas for new screentime limits realistic. A good example would be to have a device-free dinner time including all mobile phones. Use our Family Screen Time activity pack to help the whole family make better screentime decisions all year round.
Resolution 3 – We will be cyber-secure
Being privacy and security aware is one of the greatest tools for creating a safer online experience for the whole family. This resolution could include doing things like creating better passwords, learning how to spot dodgy links and emails and keeping scam aware. To help you on your way, check out our Cyber Security Toolkit for children. You’ll find more helpful articles and ideas in our Online Safety section.
Resolution 4 – We will use tech together to learn and explore
What are your most visited sites, platforms, or apps? For most of us, the answer is probably a social media site but there’s also a whole online world full of interesting platforms that can help us learn new and exciting things. You could learn a new skill to try together, like making simple origami or learning a new language. Watch our video for more hints about learning a language online.
Resolution 5 – We will stay in the loop of safeguarding news and alerts
Through our Home Learning Hub, and Safer Schools App (available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store), you can use practical tools to help you stay in the know. You can also listen to our weekly Safeguarding Soundbytes podcast. It’s free, easy to access, and delivers the latest safeguarding news in a ‘byte sized’ way. You can also sign up to our Online Safeguarding Hub newsletter. For the young people in your care, we have recently launched the brand-new Online Safety Show. Find it on our Safeguarding Apps and on Teach Hub.
It was a very relaxed last day to the school year today, deservedly so after all the hard work put in this term. Mrs Porter led an assembly where we remembered the important events all those years ago, listening to the same words from The Bible that so many people have heard over the years. The children sang “Silent Night” beautifully. It was also a time to say goodbye to Mrs Ruffell who had worked at St Adrians for twenty years! We also said goodbye to Mrs McSweeney, which was sad for Year 4, who are hoping that the next cook will prepare such good lunches.
The children enjoyed opening their KrisKringles and working out who gave them their gifts. We missed the children who weren’t here today and hope they get better soon.
Miss Cartwright, Miss Parkes, Miss Goodall and I thank you sincerely for the very generous gifts you gave us. They are all very much appreciated.
It only remains to wish you all a very happy, peaceful and safe Christmas with your family and friends, whether you are at home or away. There are no home learning activities on Google. Reading for enjoyment is always a good thing to do, along with getting lots of fresh air when possible and spending quality time with family and friends. I very much look forward to seeing you all on 8th January 2024!
The children looked very festive in their beautiful jumpers and tops today. Mrs Porter and the year sixes decorated the dining room so it was very colourful and cheerful for Christmas lunch.
This week, the children made their slingshot cars which they finished and tested today.
I hope you all have a lovely weekend and that the Christmas preparations are going well.
Year 4 is making good progress with learning the 6 times tables and have been exploring the links between the 3 and the 6 times tables. They have used resources and counting the multiples, backwards and forwards, to help understand and learn the facts.
This week they verbally built sentences based on “The Snowman” and said what they liked about their partners’ writing. By responding positively to other people’s ideas they are giving others feedback on what works well as well as reading ideas which they may want to magpie.
Singing of the songs is coming on, but everyone really needs to commit the lyrics to heart so they can sing the songs confidently and beautifully on Monday, when we’re all looking forward to seeing you at St Bart’s, starting at 6.30pm.
Thank you for all the hard work in providing cakes and selling them this afternoon. They looked really amazing! We will have to consider what we, collectively as a class, would like to spend the money on.
