SYCAMORE CLASS
YEAR 4
MISS MILNER
2023-24
Autumn 2
Welcome to our class page! Hopefully you will find this page useful. On our class page we have details of our topics for this half term as well as other useful information about Sycamore Class and websites that we use to help our learning. We love to share what we learn in school every day, so please follow us on our Facebook page to see what we get up to on a daily basis.
Miss Milner
What will we be learning about this half term?
English
Mrs Noah's Pockets by Jackie Morris (create a story map; describe a weather type; invent and describe a mythical creature; write an information text; write a play script; write a narrative)
Taking Flight animation (write a setting and character description; compose a Kenning poem; produce a diary entry; write an inner monologue; write a conversation)
The Dreamgiver animation (write setting and character descriptions; write a fantasy narrative; create a newspaper report)
George's Marvellous Medicine (write character descriptions; create a list poem; compose a set of instructions for a recipe; create a witness statement)
The BFG (write a 'witching hour' poem; retell a story in first person; write a recipe; create an advertisement for a recipe book; write a report)
Maths
Place Value; Addition and Subtraction; Area; Multiplication and Division.
RE
Hinduism – What does it mean to be a Hindu in Britain today? (1st half term)
What do Christians learn from the Creation Story? (2nd half term)
Science
States of Matter (1st half term)
Changes in sound (2nd half term)
History (1st half term)
How have the Ancient Greeks shaped my world?
Geography (2nd half term)
Why do we have cities?
Art (1st half term)
LS Lowry
DT (2nd half term)
Mechanical systems - levers and linkages
PE
Tennis and Forest School (1st half term)
Gymnastics and Forest School (2nd half term)
PSHE/RSE
Being me in my world (1st half term)
Celebrating difference (2nd half term)
Computing
Online safety; Touch Typing; Simulations
Music
Ukulele
Key information
Arrival/collection
Our arrival time each morning is 8.45-9.00am and we leave at 3.10pm.
What to bring to school
The children should bring in a water bottle which they will take home each day as well as their packed lunch (if they do not receive a school lunch). They do not need any other equipment such as pencil cases, stationary etc as they will have everything they need at their own desk. Please make sure that children aren’t bringing in any toys to school.
Snacks
Children are allowed to bring a ‘healthy’ snack to school for breaktime. However, this must be either a piece of fruit or breakfast/cereal bar. Thank you for your cooperation.
PE days
Our PE days are now Wednesday and Friday The children should come into school wearing their school PE kit. They will remain in their PE kit all day. PE kit this year is: trainers, white PE t-shirt, purple shorts or plain black tracksuit bottoms/leggings, purple hoodie or purple school jumper. As PE lessons may take place outdoors, a waterproof jacket is also sensible on days when the weather is not so good. For Forest School sessions on a Friday, children wear their PE kit but must wear a pair of trainers or sturdy boots that are allowed to get wet and dirty.
Homework
We have Core Homework (weekly) and Optional Topic Homework (half-termly). Please see a further explanation of our Homework approach this year in the letter below.
Spellings Homework
Spelling practice 3x per week. Please see the attached list of words. These are the common exception words that children are expected to spell by the end of Year 6. We teach spelling patterns in school across the year as well as these common exception words, however it would be beneficial for the children to practise spelling the words on the attached list at home across the year. The websites below are a great way to practise these words at home in a fun way.
www.ictgames.com/mobilePage/spookySpellings/index.html
www.ictgames.com/littleBirdSpelling
Year and Year 4 Common Exception Words
Reading
Try to read at home 3x per week. Remember to bring your Accelerated Reader book back into school each day.
Times tables
Try to practise your times tables 3x per week. Suggested websites and apps to help to practise times tables include:
www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button
Useful websites
Visit these websites for help in learning times tables:
https://play.ttrockstars.com/auth/school/student
Hit the Button - Quick fire maths practise for 6-11 year olds (topmarks.co.uk)
Multiplication Tables Check - 2023 - Timestables.co.uk (Times Tables Check)
Visit these websites for some games to practice your English skills:
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/7-11-years/spelling-and-grammar
Vocab Ninja Mini Games (vocabularyninja.co.uk)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zv48q6f
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2literacy.html
Visit these websites for some games to practice your Maths skills:
Hit the Button - Quick fire maths practise for 6-11 year olds (topmarks.co.uk)
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/7-11-years/ordering-and-sequencing-numbers