Year 4

Welcome to Year 4

Class Teacher: Miss Bulmer

The children enjoyed the virtual Author event with poet Tomos Roberts - they asked lots of questions and listened to Tomos' answers well.

The children learnt about the Trinity and how God is Love shown by the Trinity - a 'communion of persons supporting each other in their self-giving relationship'. The children created a Trinity triangle to show that God is made of three separate persons that come together as a whole - the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity triangles showed that God is love - each person in the Trinity is loved and each person in the Trinity loves each other. 

The children had a fantastic trip to Hatfield Water Park. The children started the day with raft building - the children worked so hard in teams and tried really hard to build rafts that would get them across the lake. Out of the 4 groups, 1 group succeeded... the rest of the children got very wet! The children then had a go at kayaks, which they really enjoyed. After lunch, the children took on the challenge of the climbing wall. Miss Bulmer was very proud of the children as they showed resilience and even when they were scared had a go at the climbing wall. The children then took part in archery, some of the children had a very good aim and even got a gold! The children had a wonderful trip. 

In Science, the children have been very busy! We have started our new topic this half term which is Electricity. In our first lesson, the children looked at what Electricity is, worked in teams to write safety rules when using electricity and worked together to put different appliances in the correct columns (electric appliance - mains powered, electric appliance - battery powered and non-electric appliance). In the children's second lesson they explored how to create different circuits, they worked so well together and used their problem solving skills. In the third lesson, the children have investigated how to make a lamp light up in different ways. The children have loved their science lessons so far and they are looking forward to carrying on with this topic! 

The children have had a lovely school trip to the Jamia Mosque and the Sikh Temple in Doncaster as part of our Pilgrimage of Faith. The children learnt lots about Islam and Sikhism. At the Jamia Mosque the children learnt about the 5 pillars of Islam and even took part in a prayer. At the Sikh Temple we learnt about the history of Sikhism and the 5 K's. The children really enjoyed learning and visiting the different places of worship and finding out about how different religions pray. 

We had a lovely time celebrating the Queen's Jubilee. We made fact files about the 1990s, made bunting and practised our songs which we performed later on in the day! 

The children have had a lovely afternoon in French. To finish our French food unit this half term, the children have been finishing their menus and role playing a cafè. The children have had the opportunity to try a few French foods too. The children have really enjoyed this topic and enjoyed the croissants and pain au chocolat! 

This half term in PE,  the children have been learning all the techniques of tennis and how to play tennis. Before the children play tennis they participate in a warm up. The children have also took part in Scotty's Heroes too.

The children have started creating their Union Jack for the Jubilee celebrations we are having in school. The children are making a Union Jack but on a grand scale! The children have started their Union Jack by painting it using the red, white and blue colours. The children have started finishing their Union Jack by sewing some felt onto it. Also the children will be cutting pieces of felt and gluing them on so that our Union Jack is mixed media. The children did a fantastic job today and were very proud of not only creating their Union Jack but also leaving a Union Jack printed on the tables! 

The finished product: 

In Computing, the children have been looking at Iprogram Unit 2. The children have been working collaboratively to use the software Turtle Art to make their own algorithms. The children have been creating and testing different sequences of statements to see if they can get their turtle to move. The children have been using vocabulary such as: angle, sequence, forward, backwards, left, right and degrees. 

In RE, we have been looking at the topic New Life. In today's lesson the children learnt about what Pentecost is. The children answered questions about Peter's message and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The children then looked at the painting 'Pentecost by Titian' and described what they could see. 

This week, the children have been continuing to learn about their New Life topic in RE. Today, the children read and highlighted the scripture: God's Story, 4: 1-26. We cannot keep silent. The children learnt about how the Holy Spirit gave courage to Peter and John and allowed them to speak out about the Good News of Jesus even when they were threatened. The children then created some interview questions and participated in role play in which they asked Peter and John different questions. 

In French, the children are learning about French Food this half term. In today's lesson, the children recapped numbers from 1-30, as well as learning about money and how to say it in French. 

In Literacy, the children have been busy learning new skills to use in their historical narrative. The children have learnt about inverted commas, fronted adverbials and how to develop an idea so that their writing is coherent. The children started to plan their historical narrative, which they will start to write next week. 

In science, the children have started learning about Sound. In today's lesson, the children were learning about what Sound is. The children completed some excellent work in their books and in groups, they went around the school to investigate different sounds in different areas. For example, outside the classroom, the hall and the playground. 

This half term, the children are learning all about the Maya Civilization in topic. The children have been really interested in this topic so far and have learnt lots already. This week in our learning journey, the children learnt about the Maya social hierarchy, different Maya artefacts and looked at different cities where the Maya people lived. 

Recently, the children have been learning how to round one decimal place to the nearest whole number and recognising and writing decimal equivalents to 1/2, 1/4 and 3/4. 

Year 4 have started to learn their new song on Charanga which is Blackbird by The Beatles. We listened to the song, found out some interesting facts and then played some pulse and rhythm games. The children then started to learn the song verse by verse and the chorus. The children did really well learning this song so quickly!

This week, the children have started their painting topic. The Art produced is based around our current topic which is the Maya Civilization and our Book Talk book: Middleworld. The children started by making a mood board of different designs for a Maya mask. The children then annotated these to show what features each photograph had. The children then explored mix media by using oil pastels, pens, felt tips and colouring pencils and said which ones they liked and which ones they did not like. They also decided on what colours they would use for their art piece. In groups, some children created a Maya mask design for our immersive classroom. The children worked as a team - one person drew the design onto cardboard and then the children worked as a team to choose the different colours for their mask. Some children used paint, whilst others used oil pastel. 

Year 4 have been learning about area. They have been using square blocks to find the area of a given surface space and experimenting with what shapes they could create themselves around the classroom. During the last photograph, children had to solve a tricky word problem where certain quilt tiles couldn't touch each other. They worked as a class to solve the problem and were very proud of themselves!

Children joined in with a fantastic author event this week. They drew alongside an illustrator, practicing their artistic skills by drawing a character.

During our geography lesson this week, children were able to use their computing skills to research three different Amazon Rainforest animals: capybara, pygmy marmoset and the jaguar. We found incredible facts about each animal and wrote them in our topic books.

In RSE, we have been thinking about the word 'puberty' and what this means. We looked at who and where we wanted to be when we were older and created a hand print with our goal written on. This was then turned into a flower arrangement in the classroom.

Year 4 have been studying 'States of Matter' in science this term. We have investigated cooling and melting and used stop watches to time how fast different substances melted.

To remember Remebrance Day, we used our collage and painting skills to create these beautiful poppy pictures. Every child created one and they were displayed in the entrance to the school.

To understand what the Roman baths were like, children placed their hands in cold water whilst relaxing music played - just like at a Roman spa! Children splashed around in the water to understand what they could feel and the different sensations water can bring to someone.

During our Take10 for Reading, children participated in an author event by drawing alongside an illustrator. They also read somewhere in the classroom, in a comfy spot of their choice, and enjoyed reading their favourite stories.

Year 4 have enjoyed the digestive system in Science this term! We experimented using banana's, weetabix and orange juice and moved them through the oesophagus and out of the rectum. Children loved this gruesome experiment!

For history, children created their own Julius Caesar chant to chant on the battlefield. They also created Roman coins by pressing into foil with a blunt pencil.

Year 4 Key Information

►Reading - Reading is at the heart of all our learning at Holy Family. To support this at home, please could all children ensure that they read their school reading book every night and that the planner is signed by an adult. Alongside this, it is also key that all children select their own reading for pleasure book which they will also have opportunities to read and share with others in school. 

►Spellings - Every Friday, all children will receive a new spelling list based on spelling rules/patterns which have been our focus in class. Please can all children learn ready for the following Friday. It is also key that the children understand any new words met and can apply into their writing. To support this, please could all children take each spelling word and put it into their own engaging sentence which can shared back in class. All written homework must be presented to the highest standard. 

►Homework - All children will be given weekly English and maths homework. This is to be completed and returned to school as required. 

►PE - PE will take place every Tuesday and Wednesday. All children must have the correct school PE kit of white t-shirt and black shorts. (Track suits may be worn as the weather turns colder). Please ensure that all children have trainers to enable them to fully participate in this key subject. 

As always, thank you for your continued support.

Please don't hesitate to contact me at school if you have any questions or concerns.

Miss Bulmer