Autumn Term

Welcome back and we hope that you had a really good Christmas break and would like to wish you a Happy New Year! Many thanks for all our lovely presents which we really appreciated. We are looking forward to a busy and exciting term with lots of fascinating learning opportunities. We believe that parents and teachers work best in partnership so please come and talk to us if there is anything that you are unsure about.

English/History/Geography

We are starting the term with a topic on natural disasters which will include investigating volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. We will study Mount Vesuvius in Pompeii and other volcanoes around the world. Some of our English stories will be linked to natural disasters, such as ‘Escape from Pompeii’ and we look forward to the great writing that this will inspire. We will continue with ‘Talk for Writing’ focusing on non-fiction writing about natural disasters. Through our geography the children will investigate where these natural disasters take place and how they happen. We feel sure that the children will find this topic interesting and engaging. We hope to visit the Natural History Museum to find out more about this fascinating topic.

Maths

This term we will be covering the following topics: Time and Measure, Addition and Subtraction, multiplication and division, Problem solving and Fractions and decimals.

Please support your child at home

Please support your child at home by asking them to show you what they have been learning at school and by making sure that they have a quiet, calm time to read and do their homework each evening.
We are having a big focus on times tables so please test your child each evening. They should now have quick recall and be super confident on their 2, 5, 10, 3 and 4 times tables.

Science

In Science we will be learning about ‘habitats and adaptation’. We will then be learning about ‘moving & growing’ which involves food groups, how food energy effects our body and our digestion, as well as studying teeth. We will continue to carry out experiments weekly to improve the children’s scientific skills.

General Reminders

• PLEASE NAME all sweaters, coats, gloves, hats, plimsolls etc.
• Please ensure your child has the correct PE kit in school at all times.Parents and children are encouraged to check book bags for letters each day.
• We expect children to have a book with them at school (that they are currently reading) that goes between home and school each day. Please support your child by checking that this is the case.
• In addition to their chosen book, children who are not free readers should also bring home their school ‘reading book’.
• Your child needs to read with an adult every evening. The most important thing is that this is an enjoyable and special experience so that children really develop a passion for reading!
• Homework, spellings and times tables will be given out on Fridays and returned on the following Tuesday. Spellings and times tables will be tested the following Friday.
• It would be really helpful if you could send in tissues for the class.
• We welcome parent volunteers so please do let us know if you are able to help on trips or in the classroom.