This year you will have Mrs Walton in your class Monday to Friday.

Mrs Chaisty is our Teaching Assistant this year from Wednesday to Friday.

PE will take place every Monday .

For PE sessions please bring the following:

- Black shorts, leggings or jogging bottoms

- White t-shirt or polo shirt

- Black pumps or trainers

As the weather is colder and PE is outdoors this term: Hockey and Tag Rugby, please also provide a hoodie or something similar. 

It is usually best to leave your child's PE kit in school for the half-term so that it is always available to use. Please ensure that it is named.

It is important that your child brings their reading book into school each day as the days on which they will be able to read with an adult may change from time to time. It is also crucial that you listen to your child read each evening and ensure that you sign their reading record highlighting what they have read and how they performed.

Within the class, children are given time every day when they can complete a quiz on the accelerated reader app and change their book.

The children have the opportunity to join the 100% club if they get all the questions in their quizzes correct. Our challenge is to become word millionaires. The total word count in each book they read is totalled and we monitor progress on the board to celebrate our achievements as the word count increases. 

Homework will be set on a Tuesday through our online learning platform, SeeSaw. A link for which is placed below:

https://app.seesaw.me/#/login

All homework should be completed by the following Monday and will be checked by your teacher on this day. Please make sure that if you are having difficulties with the homework, that you contact your class teacher with plenty of time so that they can assist your child in its completion. In addition, the school also run a homework club which can really help support those children that struggle completing their tasks independently.

Rotten Romans

As writers we will:

Be reading 'The Fossil Hunter' and consolidating and further strengthening our writing skills through:

• Using punctuation - full stops, capital letters (including for proper nouns) and commas in a list consistently 
• Use a range of co-ordinating and subordinating conjunctions
• Use prepositions to express time, place and cause
• Use expanded noun phrases
• Use progressive forms of verbs
• Build an increasing range of sentence structures
• Use adverbs to express time, place and cause
• Use headings and sub-headings to aid presentation
• Assess the effectiveness of our own and others’ writing
• Use a balance of description and opinion
• Use a variety of sentence forms including statements and exclamations
• Use a range of past tense forms, including present perfect
• Write in 1st person
• Write an opening paragraph to set the scene of a narrative and pique the reader's interest
• Write a closing paragraph with a personal comment about hopes or concerns for the future

As linguists we will:

• explore new vocabulary and learn how to use it confidently
• investigate how authors create setting, character and atmosphere
• analyse word choices and discuss why they interest the reader
• build our understanding of similes, imagery and descriptive language
• look closely at how writers use tense and grammar for effect
• examine how dialogue is punctuated and used to show character
• explore conjunctions, adverbs and prepositions to add detail
• learn how narrative structure works through real texts
• discuss different viewpoints and make inferences from the text
• compare real and fantasy elements in storytelling
• make predictions about a story using clues from images and text
• practise creating rich noun phrases with detail and precision
• read key extracts and hunt for powerful verbs, adverbs and similes
• role-play scenes to understand characters’ feelings and motives
• write diary entries, letters and descriptive passages in character
• plan and write our own fantasy stories using the studied structure
• edit and improve our writing by applying grammar and vocabulary skills
• work with partners to share ideas, rehearse sentences and refine drafts
• take part in discussions, debates and hot-seating to deepen understanding
• present our work using clear intonation, expression and confidence

As mathematicians, we will:

• build confidence with multiplication using equal groups and arrays
• explore and recall multiples of 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10
• deepen understanding of the x2, ×3, ×4 and ×8 times tables looking at the relationship between the tables 
• learn how to multiply and divide using 2-digit and 3-digit numbers
• diving deeper into multiplication and division, building confidence by exploring number relationships and strengthening their recall of times tables
• Learning to make connections between facts, spot patterns and use their understanding of number to solve problems in a variety of real life contexts. Learning through practical activities, games and reasoning challenges 
• Develop the fluency and flexibility needed to apply theirtimes-table knowledge with growing independence
• estimate answers to check if calculations are sensible
• use inverse operations to prove and correct work
• make decisions about which strategies are most efficient

As scientists we will:

• explore why humans and animals need the right types and amounts of nutrition
• learn that animals cannot make their own food and must get nutrients by eating
• investigate skeletons and understand how they support, protect and help us move
• compare endoskeletons, exoskeletons and animals with no bony skeleton
• identify key bones in the human body and what they do
• understand how joints work and how they allow different types of movement
• explore how muscles contract and relax to move bones
• learn that muscles work in pairs and can only pull, not push
• find out how prosthetics and technology mimic real muscles and bones
• investigate why humans and animals need energy and how energy needs vary
• learn to read food labels to identify energy values and nutrients
• understand the seven main nutrient groups and what each one does
• explore how a balanced diet keeps the body healthy
• learn how nutritional knowledge has changed over time and who uses it today
• study a significant scientist (Marie Curie) and understand her contributions

As Geographers we will answer the question: 

Would you rather settle in Rome or Manchester through a series of enquiry questions exploring modern Italy?

• locate Italy and the UK on a world map, identify the countries which border Italy and understand it is split into regional locations similar to the United Kingdom
• Understand how Italy's location in relation to the Equator, Poles and Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn affect the climate. We will compare the climate to the UK through creating a climate graph
• Identify physical features of the Italian landscape including the Alps, Apennines and the River Po
• Consider why tourists visit Italy and identify tourist attractions dating back to Ancient Rome
• Investigate different aspects of Italian culture including family life, religious beliefs, food, fashion, and music

As Historians we will:

• Determine the historical period during which the Roman Empire existed
• Ask why the Romans left sunny Italy to invade this cold island on the edge of the Empire
• Consider whether Claudius invaded Britain for the same reason as Caesar.
• Decide if Boudicca was a hero or a villain.
• Find out how the Romans were able to keep control of such a vast empire.
• Learn how we can solve the mystery of how the great empire came to an end.
• Investigate the nature of religious life in Roman society
• Learn what the Romans have done for us.

As Textile Designers we will:

• learn how Roman purses were designed.
• Identify which stitches are best suited for decoration and which are most effective for joining fabric.
• Conduct design tests to determine which fabric is most suitable for a purse.
• design, create and evaluate a Roman purse.

As digital creators, in computing we will:

• understand how people can collaborate online using shared documents
• learn how to communicate respectfully and appropriately when working together digitally
• explore how online behaviour can differ from offline behaviour and why
• practise using Google Docs to edit, type and work on the same document at the same time
• learn how to share files safely using the blue “share” button and permission settings
• give constructive comments and feedback using commenting tools
• investigate how Google Slides can be used to create and collaborate on presentations
• create shared presentations using text, images and layout tools
• learn how to design and build a Google Form with different question types
• understand when to use multiple choice, check boxes or written answers
• explore how shared spreadsheets organise data from surveys
• learn how to sort, analyse and use simple formulas like SUM and AVERAGE
• understand how online collaborative tools help people work together efficiently
• compare advantages and disadvantages of paper vs digital collaboration
• build confidence using cloud-based tools to create, share and improve work together

As linguists we will:

• Count to 12 in Spanish, focusing on good pronunciation.
• Recognise and sound out phonemes for letters ‘u’ and ‘z’, ‘ñ’.
• Identify the structure for saying how old they are and modify the sentence using different number words.
• Begin to recognise the verb ‘to have’ in first person present (Tengo).
• Explain what a cognate is and suggest examples.
• Apply and describe different detective skills: using logic, context and knowledge of language.
• Compare Christmas traditions from Spain with other countries.

As theologists, we will be answering the question: 

How do festivals and worship show what matters to Muslims?

• explore the importance of the Quran to the Muslim faith
• learn how Muslims pray to Allah
• understand why the mosque is a special place
• learn why and how the end of Ramadan is celebrated
• make links between the Christian faith and the Muslim faith
• Ask questions to a visitor about their Islamic beliefs

As musicians we will:

• learn how to play the Samba drums, exploring percussion instruments playing different rhythms to layer the sounds for a harmonious effect.
• how to sing in tune
• understand what a motif is in music
• compose and notate a motif
• develop and transpose a motif 
• compose and perform a motif

In PHSE we will:

• Learn who we can ask for help and create our own helping hands network.
• Understand what to do if the fire alarm rings, a lockdown alarm sounds, or if we are injured.
• Make posters to show the rules for keeping safe in school.
• Identify dangers from people, places and things, and think of strategies to keep safe.
• Role play what to do if we get lost and create “being lost, being found” rules.
• Learn how to get help in an emergency, including when and how to call 999.
• Practise role plays for different emergency situations.
• Recognise our self-worth and share things we are proud of.
• Create a “garden of greatness” to celebrate our achievements.
• Set ourselves targets and ambitions for the future.
• Make dream jars to show our goals for the year ahead.