Dear Parents and Carers,

Well, we made it to the end of term! We have had such a busy week but we did manage to have some festive fun today. Miss Anya and Miss Patsy made hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream for the children and we watched The Nativity.

What a fabulous performance last night at Carols by Candlelight. All the hard work paid off and they sang their hearts out. Gorgeous.

We have spent most of the week doing end of term and end of unit tests and we are now ready for the spring term.

In DT, the children finished making their pavilions which should have come home yesterday. I was very impressed with the final outcome.

A massive thank you for all the lovely card and generous gifts include the envelope of cash! We were all very touched.

There is no homework over the holidays but it would be great if the children could keep reading for pleasure. Something they enjoy.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

We had a very successful trip to the Science Museum yesterday to see the Power Up exhibition. Thank you to Jasper’s dad Andrew who very kindly came with us. The children loved it. They made connections with the work they have been doing in Computing. While playing the games, the children focused on how input (giving a game instructions using a controller) leads to an output (something happening within a game) and how sprites and backgrounds are used to create compelling gaming experiences. For those children, parents and carers interested in delving into the world of ‘Power Up’ further, extra resources can be found here:

https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/power/resources

I have put a sheet showing the formation of letters for cursive handwriting on the website (underneath the spellings homework). We are having a big push on handwriting and I thought it might be useful for you to see how the letters should be formed as they prepare to join them.

We have had a very busy penultimate week.

In English, the children are going to turn the story of The Dot by Peter H Reynolds into a play. This week, they learnt about the features of a play script. We thought about why these features are necessary and how a play differs from a novel. Next week, the children will work in pairs to write the play. Then on Thursday, they will perform the play to the rest of the class.

The children are delighted because there is no more Maths this term. We finished this week with an end of term test.  I am delighted with the progress that the supported group have made and it was great to see their hard work being reflected in the end of term tests. They should be very proud of themselves.

In Geography, the children compared India with the United Kingdom. We discussed similarities and differences in geography, culture, agriculture and weather.

In RE, we looked at verses in Bible which talk about peace. We analysed these verses and tried to understand what they mean to Christians.

In DT, the children continued working on the foundations of their pavilions and making them more stable.

Finally, a message from Mrs Pereira:

The local story competition run by Daunt Books is back again, with every child who enters getting a £5 book voucher. Most years, we have a winner at St Stephen’s who receive a voucher and the glory of seeing their stories published – so a good success rate. Click on the link

https://www.ststephensce.lbhf.sch.uk/teaching-and-learning/library-corner/  and check out the info in the sidebar.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are nearly there. Just two weeks to go until the Christmas holidays!

Carols by Candlelight is fast approaching, and I would be hugely grateful if you could help the children practise their songs. The PDFs of the lyrics can be found in the blog post above, alongside their accompanying mp3s:

During Maths, we finished our unit of work on Multiplication and Division, and then had a week of consolidation, where we reviewed all work completed during the Autumn Term, ahead of our completing our end-of-term tests early next week.

In our English lessons, we planned and wrote our own versions of Chapter 26 of The Last Bear, an emotionally charged scene between the main character April and her father.

In RHE, we talked about how to respond to aggressive behaviour and how to apologise when we know we have behaved irrationally.

In RE, the class reflected upon how and why Christians believe Jesus brings peace.

We doubled up on Science this week, conducting an experiment in which we compared the melting point of various solids. We then used to the computers to find out the melting point of different materials and plotted the results on a graph.

During DT, the children started to construct their pavilions. While, in our Geography lesson, we explored India’s culture and the influence it has on other countries.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Lovely to see you at our class assembly. Your children are all great performers and I have had lots of compliments about them from the staff.

In English, the children have been preparing to rewrite a chapter from The Last Bear from Dad’s perspective. They have been thinking about how to interpret Dad’s thoughts and feeling from the book and how to incorporate their ideas in their writing. They also did a poetry comprehension.

In Maths, we have finished our unit on multiplication and division and the children will be taking an end of unit test on Monday. We will then spend a few days consolidating our Year 4 learning so far so if there is any topic in particular your child is struggling with, now is the time for them to speak up.

In Geography, we learnt about physical features and human features. In RE, we started a new topic on peace. We talked about internal and external peace, and decided that you could have internal peace in a chaotic environment as well as internal chaos in a peaceful environment. However, we all agreed that a peaceful environment positively impacts internal peace.

In Art, the children made a floor plan for their Pavilion. Meanwhile, in science we learnt about gases. We conducted an experiment with a meter rule and two balloons to show that air has mass.

Don’t forget to pop into the Christmas Fair tomorrow. FOSS is currently setting up and it looks like it will be a lot of fun.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Looking forward to seeing you all at 9am on Monday morning for our class assembly! It’s looking good but please could you encourage the children to practice the songs – especially Greased Lightning. I would also be very grateful if you could make sure they know their lines and help them remember to bring in their costumes on Monday morning.

In English, we have almost finished reading The Last Bear. The children did a comprehension on Chapter 19 focusing on how to answer inference questions. Next week, we will discuss the themes in the book and the children will re-write a chapter of the book from Dad’s perspective.

In Maths, we are working on multiplication and division. The children have been learning to multiply by partitioning. This means splitting a number such as 15 into 10 + 5 and then recognising that 15 x 7 is the same as adding 10 x 7 and 5 x 7.

In Geography, we learnt about rivers in India. In RE, the children wrote their own Beatitudes based on the people they thought should be valued. In RHE, we talked about everyone’s right to privacy and personal space.

Finally, in DT, the children started to design a pavilion.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and carers,

It’s just under two weeks until our class assembly. So, please put it in your diary if it isn’t already there! Thursday 28^th November 9am.

I’ve sent the scripts home and it would be fantastic if you could help the children learn their lines over the weekend. They will also need to know the words to David Bowie’s Space Oddity and the kids’ version of Greased Lightning which I have sent home with the script.

Lovely to see you all at Parents Evening and I’m sorry that so many of our conversations were cut off mid-speech.

In English, the children planned and wrote a descriptive piece based on April riding Bear across the wild plains of Bear Island.

In Maths, we started a new unit on Division and Multiplication so far focusing on the 3, 6 and 9 times tables.

In Science, they learnt how to use scientific language to explain the difference between a solid and a liquid. While in Geography, we looked at the 28 different mountain ranges in India and learnt to identify different types of mountains and understand how they are formed.

To mark anti-bullying week, we spent our RHE lesson discussing bullying. We learnt the definition of bullying and talked about how we would recognise it in the school playground. We discussed the reasons that people bully and how bullying makes the victim feel. We learnt about bystanders, who are people that witness bullying but don’t get actively involved in stopping the bullying. We discussed the important role that bystanders play and the positive impact they can have if they choose to speak up. Finally, the children thought about what they would do if they witnessed bullying in school.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Another busy week surprise, surprise!

Hispanic Day was so much fun. Thank you to Ingrid who came in to talk to the children about Argentina and in particular Patagonia. The children loved the history and geography lesson and knew all the answers to the quiz at the end. Thank you also for the delicious Dulce de Leche cake which we all enjoyed at the end of the day. In other lessons, the children wrote a haiku about Argentinian wildlife and created colourful version of the Red and Green Macaw.

On Tuesday, Kat Francois delivered a brilliant workshop on racism and unconscious bias.  It was child-friendly and as always, she provided the children with a safe space to talk about their experiences and concerns.  She asked the children to reflect on how they have felt or would feel if they were bullied or teased for being different.

During Maths, the children finished a short unit on area and took an end of unit test. In English, we continued to read ‘The Last Bear’ and the children answered some comprehension questions. They also wrote some similes and metaphors to describe the main characters. This was one of the best lessons we have done this year and I was super impressed with their creativity and wit.

In RE, we learnt about the Beatitudes and in Geography, we started a new unit on India.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Finally half term is upon us! There is no homework. The children have all worked incredible hard this term and deserve a break. It would be great if they could read a book though. Something of their own choice.

This week, we have celebrated Black Voices Week. Year 4 has been learning about the Saint Lucian born pianist Winifred Atwell who was a big name in the music scene in post-war Britain. Atwell was a classically trained musician who graduated from the Royal Academy of Music. However, she shunned the elite and half way through a concert would abandon her Steinway piano for what became known as her ‘other piano’ – a slightly out of tune instrument that she picked up in a junk shop. She delighted audiences with her Boogie-woogie and Ragtime tunes and won over a nation that was not very welcoming to black artists, helping to open doors for future generations. We listened to some of her hits including ‘Poor People in Paris’ and ‘Jubilee Rag’ and watched some video footage of her playing the piano on stage. Then, the children made posters celebrating her life and reminding everyone of how brilliant she was and why she needs to be remembered.

In Art, we focused on the work of Louise Jones, a black British artist who uses oil pastels and paint to create exciting and colourful works of art. We watched a video in which she explained how she uses technique and colour to express herself and to represent emotions. The children used oil pastel to create their own pictures in her style.

In between the fun, the children also took a number of end of unit tests.

It’s been a great start to the academic year. I have really enjoyed getting to know the children and I’m looking forward to the rest of my year with them. A big thank you to Miss Anya and Miss Patsy who have made the transition easier for us all.

Have a lovely half term break and see you on Monday 4^th November.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

Just one more week until half term and then the children can have a well-earned rest. Needless to say, it has been another very busy week!

Today, we all wore red in celebration of the 10^th anniversary of Wear Red Day which is an annual even set up by the charity Show Racism the Red Card. Mr Schumm led an assembly which clearly set out the school’s policy towards racism and challenged the children to think about why people might be racist and what they could do to help anyone who is a victim of racism. We also watched an educational video made by the charity to promote understanding and awareness.

In English, we started reading The Last Bear by Hannah Gold which is set on a remote Norwegian Island in the Arctic Circle. We used our inference skills to decipher the characteristics of the protagonist April, and then our skills of comparison to find similarities and differences between April’s city home and the Norwegian island where the majority of the book is set. The children also used the computers to research a fact file on polar bears which they later wrote in their books.

In Maths, we are coming to the end of our topic on addition and subtraction. The children will take an end of unit test on Monday. Our next unit is Area.

In RE, we talked about how Buddhists use the teaching of the Buddha in their everyday lives. In History, the children learnt about the spread of Christianity in Britain during the Anglo-Saxon period. In RHE, we thought about how we could help our friends by using facial expression and body language to interpret emotions.

Finally, in Art, the children used their knowledge of painting techniques and their understanding of tone and shade to paint their still life compositions.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

It was mental health day on Thursday and all the children looked amazing in yellow. We read a book called Words and your Heart by Kate Jane Neal which is about the power of words. We talked about how we can use words to make people feel happy, or to make people feel sad. We discussed all the kind things we wanted to say to each other and I challenged them to say at least three of these things during lunch.

In English, we finished reading Varjak Paw and the children wrote their own version of the last chapter. They had a lot to think about and were asked to include inverted commas for speech, subordinate clauses, apostrophes for possession as well as descriptive vocabulary and interesting sentence starters. It was the first long piece of written work that they have done this term and I was impressed with their efforts. Today, they edited and upskilled their chapters and on Monday, they will copy them out in neat handwriting to go on the wall.

We also took part in an online workshop on creative writing led by the British Library. The children were encouraged to think about their spark (the things that make them happy) and to think about how they can put their spark at the centre of their writing. They drew beautiful illustrations of themselves on a journey with their sparks.

In Maths, we have moved on to addition and subtraction. I’m happy to report that most of them can now do column addition with exchange. Wahoo! We start subtraction with exchange next week.

In History, the children recounted the story of Beowulf. In RE, we read the story of the Buddha and the Angry Elephant and discussed how Buddhists believe in being kind and gentle – not just to people but to animals too. We discussed the recurring theme of good versus evil and drew comparisons with the story of Varjak Paw.

In Art, the children worked in pairs to make a still life composition which they will paint next week.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

We didn’t find time to do today’s spelling test so we will be doing it on Monday. I will give the children a chance to practice beforehand to make sure they haven’t forgotten!

Today, we finished reading Varjak Paw and spent some time discussing the themes in the book. The children chose a theme that was important to them and then explained where the theme appeared in the book and how it related to their lives. Next week, the children will plan and write their own final chapter to the book. The grammar focus this week has been apostrophes for possession and subordinate clauses.

In Maths, we finished Place Value and the children took an end of unit test to show off all their new learning. Our new topic is Addition and Subtraction.

In History, we discussed Anglo-Saxon culture. We told riddles, looked at some of the incredible metal work from that period, listened to music played by the lyre and learnt a bit about Paganism.

In RE, we read the story of the Insured Swan and discussed how kindness nurtures love and happiness whereas meanness leads to hurt and anger. The children told me all the kind things they do on a regular basis!

In Art, we watched a video showing different paining techniques such as pointillism and stippling. We related the techniques to artists that use them. Then, the children practiced these techniques before choosing two or three to use to draw a 3D apple.

Finally, in Science, the children constructed their own circuits and set out to prove that the predictions they made about circuits last week are correct.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

It was great to see some of you at the Family Supper last night.

We’ve been very busy at school. In English, we are getting towards the end of our book Varjak Paw. This week, the children learnt how to recognise and write a subordinate clause. They first thought of a main clause and then chose a subordinate conjunction to introduce a subordinate clause. Finally, they wrote out the whole sentence. Next week, we will start discussing some of the themes in the book which include identity, friendship, family, difference and hope.

In Maths, we have been learning how to round numbers to 10 and 100. We have also been revising number bonds and multiples.

In Science, we learnt how electricity flows through a circuit. In History, we used the computers to research the Picts and the Scots and to find out why these tribes were never conquered by the Romans and why it took the Anglo-Saxons so long.

In RE, we rewrote the story of the Monkey King thinking in particular about the meaning of sacrifice. In Art, the children used tints and shades to paint a 3D object.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers

We’ve had another successful week and a delicious Ethiopian, Eritrean lunch today!

In English, we continued reading Varjak Paw. The children have been recapping on different word classes and this week we discussed determiners. The children also answered some comprehension questions focusing on how to back up their answers to inference and prediction questions with evidence from the text.

In Maths, we have been looking at how to read number lines. In RE, we talked about the different kinds of suffering – both man-made and natural. In Science, we learnt how to stay safe around electrical appliances. Meanwhile in History, we discovered the origins of the Anglo-Saxons.

Quick admin point: We have made a slight change to the homework. From now on, the children will receive a grammar sheet on the weeks when there is no comprehension. These sheets will be loose inside their homework books and should be returned with the homework by Thursday. The grammar sheets will be based on our learning that week.

If it isn’t already in your diary, please remember it is Family Supper on Thursday.  Bring a dish and watch as the children run wild in the playground! Hopefully see lots of you there.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

We’ve had a great first full week. The children have all been brilliant and I think we’re going to have a fantastic year. We had a wonderful trip to Delina’s restaurant on Thursday where the children took part in a clay workshop to celebrate Ethiopian and Eritrean New Year. Thank you to Naz who ran it and so kindly offered to host Year 4!

In English, we have started reading Varjak Paw by SF Said. We talked about how to predict what might happen in a story and the need to back up our ideas with evidence from the text. Our grammar focus has been apostrophes for possession, and noun phrases.

In Maths, we are revisiting Place Value and the class has been learning how to represent and partition numbers up to 10,000.

In History, we are studying the Anglo-Saxons and we started the topic by looking at some artefacts that were found at the archaeological site Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. We talked about the importance of artefacts as primary sources for historians and though about what we could learn about the ones we looked at.

In Science, our topic is electricity. We looked at different examples of electricity from naturally occurring sources such as lightning and static electricity to the electricity made from burning fossil fuels. We discussed the disadvantages of tradition sources of electricity and look at the renewable alternatives.

In RE, we are studying Buddhism and we began with the story of Prince Siddhartha who starts life living in luxury before becoming a monk and mediating until he discovers how to end suffering at which point he reaches enlightenment and becomes known as the Buddha.

Homework starts this week and can be found on the website. I have fished reading with the children and have assessed their reading level so reading books will come home on Monday. Please make sure you return them by Friday at the latest.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Walsh

Dear Parents and Carers,

We’ve had a fantastic first three days and it’s lovely to start getting to know the children. We started on Wednesday with Art and the class created some multi-media self-portraits which will soon be on display in our class room. On Thursday, the children wrote a recount of their summer holiday, choosing a particularly memorable event to describe. They also took a number of Maths and English tests so that I could begin to assess where they are with their learning and to highlight any gaps in their knowledge. These are not important for the children and the scores will not be recorded.

Next week, we will start following the timetable which you should have been emailed and is now on the website. There is no homework this week but a number of the children have volunteered to represent our class on the School Council. I have asked these children to make a quick presentation (one minute) explaining why they would be a good candidate. They will read these to the class on Monday before we all vote. If anyone that didn’t volunteer has changed their mind and would like to present, it’s not too late. Just come prepared with your notes on Monday.

Have a lovely weekend and I look forward to meeting you all soon.

Mrs Walsh