The children all competed brilliantly in sports day. They gave their all and showed great sportmanship. Here are some action shots.
Sports Day in Year 4
Building Kew
Last week we painted Kew and this week we built it – at least part of it. Inspired by “The Hive ” pavilion, Year 4 designed and built their own pavilions. As preparation, the children worked in groups of 3 to see who could build the tallest tower using spaghetti and marshmallows. This led to discussions about strong shapes, structure, stability and reinforcement. The children collaborated very well and came up with different solutions to the problem.
Wonderful workshop week
Year 4 threw themselves into this week’s activities. They really enjoyed the wheelchair basketball/handball session on Monday, learning some new skills. On Tuesday we learnt some dance moves and on Wednesday had a very creative time playing percussion instruments and dancing to “jazz with Johnny”.
On Friday some children from year 4 attended the “World Games” at Oaklands College. We were part of the “Netherlands” team and did a great selection of sports and sporting activities. All the children showed great perseverance – really needed in the “slackrope” challenge! – and good sports skills. (Photos to follow).
We were sorry to miss “St Adrians Got Talent”, but have heard how fantastic the perfomers – Aiden & Jeremy and Sofia – from year 4 were. We also heard the other perfomers who auditioned, at lunchtime; and they were also excellent, putting a lot of preparation into their acts. Well done to everyone who participated.
Sketching and Science at Kew
Year 4 had glorious weather for their trip to Kew. The question was, on a day like Thursday, was the weather more tropical in Kew or the rainforest habitat in The Palm House? I was pleased to see the children remembered the geographical knowledge from the last two years, telling Katie – the Kew education leader – about the equator, why countries there were hotter, naming the Amazon Forest and the countries it covers. The children used specialist equipment to measure humidity, soil temperature, soil moisture and air temperature. We then explored The Palm House to find out how animals and plants co-exist in rainforest eco-systems. Can your child tell you some of the examples? The children also enjoyed sketching in the Temperate House – which was cooler than it was outside – and had lovely picnics sitting in the shade on the botannical garden’s beautiful lawns.
The lily pond house was stunning and the children enjoyed seeing, and some sketched, the enormous lilies. Wel also visited the hive which is an amazing structure – a type of pavilion – which “hums” the hotter it is.
A huge thank you to the very kind parents who gave up a day to help out on the trip. These events would not go nearly as well without your support. And apologies for the mix-up about collecting at the end of the day. I didn’t realise adults would wait at the front of the school and then thought we could dismiss children from the car park, but the children went through to the classroom first. Thank you for coming round to the playground where we could see everyone safely to their adults.
After the father’s day assembly, the children will be painting based on what they saw and experienced on Thursday.
First week back in year 4
We finished the very interesting book “Letters from the Lighthouse” this week and several mysteries were cleared up. Next week will we start reading “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”.
It was very exciting to see the works of art on display in the hall. If you purchased one, I’m sure it has pride of place in your home.
The season for athletics has arrived and the children had a great time running holding their arms in different positions – by their sides, for example – to understand the benefit of the pumping arm action when trying to run as fast as you can.
We are nearly at the end of our learning about the Anglo-Saxons and we are evaluating what remains of Anglo-Saxon culture and society today.
Our Maths topic is now money, which has become nearly redundant for lots of people! So any opportunity to use and count would really help your child’s Maths development.
I’m attaching the photos which I didn’t do before the half-term holiday.
I hope you have an enjoyable – and sunny! – weekend.
With best wishes
Katharine Gibbons
Sunshine at last!
Year 4 really enjoyed being outdoors this week – to bounce, on Wednesday. Thank you for your generosity in sponsoring the children. They all loved the activities, moreso for remembering them from last year so they looked forward to them with anticipation. The teamwork was improved from last year, as they guided each other across the chequer board. I took lots of photos of this and other activities this week, but forgot to upload them when at school (and to post this). Apologies for this: I’ll put them up next time I’m at school, where the i-pad is.
Year 4 loves their science and this week were fascinated to see what effect water, milk, coca-cola and orange juice had on an egg, which was a stand-in for a tooth. Can they tell you what they observed happened to the egg; and what conclusions they drew from this, in terms of the effects on teeth? And also the successful and less successful aspects of using an egg instead of a tooth.
I’ve been very impressed with the children’s understanding of the digestive system and their memory for the parts of the system – spelling oesophagus is a bit harder than saying it! But everyone could do the latter and had very good goes at achieving the former.
Rounders is a fantastic outdoor summer sport and this week the children were developing their tactics – when is it best to run and when to stop at a base, for example. We were a spectator sport for the nursery children and parents at the Pentecost party who looked like they were having a great time.
I can’t post any pictures of the careful paintings the children have done as these need to be a surprise straight after school on Wednesday 7th June. The children focused very well, following the style of the painter.
We have a little more of “Letters From the Lighthouse” to finish before starting “The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe”. The children have been doing a lot of individual reading out loud and so their confidence and expression have improved. It’s a riveting story and we’re all very keen to find out what happens.
I hope you all have a very relaxing, enjoyable half-term break whether it’s at home or away and look forward to seeing everyone again for the last 6 weeks of the school year.
This week in year 4
As we’re well into this half-term, the children have really got to grips with learning in lots of different areas. They have really enjoyed planning and sketching their works of art for the art display after May half-term and learning more about Anglo-Saxon England. They have a passion for the detail involved in the digestive system so I think there are many budding doctors in the class! And also some journalists, judging by the informative articles about Howard Carter’s discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb which the children wrote. We are nearly there with correct direct speech punctuation. We attended a lovely Ascension Day service yesterday, where the children were impeccably behaved and sang beautifully. It was lovely to step out into what finally felt like spring, to worship at church. Sorry for no photos this week – the mini i-pad went to PGL.
Wishing you all a relaxing weekend and good luck with the various sports tournaments and competitions taking place.
Coronation preparations!
Year 4 and school is ready for the big day tomorrow. The children looked stunning, and very cheerful, in their red, white and blue. They drew beautiful illustrations for their display and today designed coins for King Charles and created flags. It was a shame that the weather wasn’t good enough for a proper picnic, but no-body wants a “soggy bottom” and the children enjoyed chatting and having their packed lunches together in the classroom.
As you’ll see from the home learning, one of the ways to help learn how to use apostrophes correctly is by using a “fortune-teller” activity, Some year 4 members show you how below.
We have finished reading “Weslandia” and will start “The Story of Tutankhamun” next week. We will also start learning about decimals.
I hope you all have a wonderful bank holiday weekend with your friends and families.
A creative week
Year 4 have been reusing their sewing skills learnt last year and have really enjoyed making book covers, with fasteners. They look beautiful and I was very proud of the independence and co-operation with which the children completed the task.
The class has also been very creative with their writing, as they started writing a brochure to inform the reader about the lands they have created, inspired by the fantastic book “Weslandia”. The children are now confident, writing interesting noun phrases and starting to use adventurous words from their own reading.
The children have prepared artwork for two different coronations next week – for the Crowning of Mary and for the coronation of King Charles III on Friday.
We have completed the learning about the duration of time and will begin decimals next week.
I hope you all have a very happy May Bank Holiday!
Year 4’s first week’s round-up
Welcome back and to the summer term! Year 4 were outside in the sun yesterday, starting the rounders which is one of this half-term’s PE topics. It’s been a short week, during which we started our new History topic “The Anglo-Saxons and Scots”, our new book “Weslandia” and are getting into the plot of “Letters From The Lighthouse”.
The new home learning grid is now on Google Classroom. One of the possible activities is to draw aspects of Anglo-Saxon life. It would be fantastic to have these ready for our History display as it always looks so much better with original artwork.
The TTRS leaderboard is looking amazing – year 4 pupils up at the top, where they should be! Keep up the practice.
Let’s hope the sun stays out this weekend and I hope you all have a great few days.