Year 3

In year 3 we kick-started our week with a trip to the Live Room in Twickenham stadium, for an inspiring author talk as part of Barnes Literature Festival! Zoe Antoinades read extracts from her unreleased fourth story and taught us how to create interesting characters and plots by using a story mountain plan. In the classroom, the children have written newspaper reports about the life of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah. These have been extremely impressive and the everyone has really understood the importance of the story. 

In maths we have concluded our learning on time, but as this is a tricky topic we will continue to practise this during KIRFS lessons. We are now moving on to shape, angles and movement. Many children thoroughly enjoyed the Maths Challenge on Thursday - and are anticipating the results with excitement!

In science, the children have considered how animals are suited to their environments. We have delved into the concept of natural selection, and considered how Charles Darwin’s seminal work challenged and changed understandings of the world. The children have enjoyed building upon their knowledge of ancient Egypt in history, and next week will be considering how the River Nile was so crucial to the civilisation.

At the time of writing, the children are eagerly anticipating the visit of author John Patrick Green to the school on Friday. There is a palpable enthusiasm for, and love of reading within the year group which is amazing to see.

  

       

Key Messages

• Key vocab: angle, quotation, natural selection, adaptation, hieroglyphics, papyrus, pharaoh

• KIRFS: Time (analogue and digital)

• Spellings: homophones and near homophones

 

Year 4 

It has been a busy week in Year 4. From workshops to trips to Barnes, the children have engaged with our crazy timetable this week and taken it in their stride. Our Egyptians workshop was an absolute success, the actors really hooked the children's interest and their behavior was fantastic. The workshop was an opportunity to build on and solidify previous learning, especially of gods and goddesses and key figures to the Egyptians. In writing, the children have continued to write their biographies inspired by Marcy Brownstone from our story. They have been using a variety of sentence starters, and writing key facts with a formula tone. We have had a real focus on authors this week, with a visit into school and our trip to The Barnes Literary Festival. The children had the opportunity to ask a range of questions and actively take part in the workshops. Following our comparison of Judaism and Hinduism, the children have been delving into the creation stories of both religions, linking these to others they may be familiar with.

       

                         

Key messages

• As it gets warm, please send children in with water bottles, hats and sunscreen

• Spelling - see week 3 list

• KIRFS - well done to all the children who took part in the Maths Challenge, next week it is all about equivalent fractions and decimals

• Keywords - space, solar system, Egyptian, pyramid, x-axis, y-axis