To celebrate World Book Day children had the chance to come into school dressed as their favourite book character or even in their PJ's!
The day included drop everything and read (where ever you like), a chance to go book speed dating with unknown texts and a fantastic visit from a footballer author.
Year 4 enjoyed an afternoon of needlework that left everyone in stiches! First of all, a huge thank you to all parents and relatives who were able to come and join us, we truly could not have done this without you!
The children, although lacking in confidence to begin with, showed true resilience and determination throughout the afternoon. They learnt how to thread a needle, tie a knot and how to sew using a running stitch and a back stitch. Some even managed to use these skills to sew Egyptian hieroglyphics!
Every single child came away feeling proud of their sewing achievements, as were we. A seamless but busy afternoon!
Stepping into the tombs with Tutankhamun!
To kick start our learning about Ancient Egypt, Year 4 investigated the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of Egypt's youngest Pharaoh. Working in groups, children became either archaeologists, medical examiners, the infamous Howard Carter and architects. Then they spent the afternoon examining various clues from x-rays to snapshots of hidden treasurers found in King Tut's tomb. Children developed their own theories about his demise including foul play, unresolved injuries, chariot accidents etc. As you can see their mind were whirring and lots of enjoyment and learning took place.
Now we know we are only in September but Christmas card time is upon us!
The children have been busy learning about background and foreground to create a Christmas card with depth and layers.
We began by using watercolours to create a graduated wash and then began adding additional items thinking about perspective and relative size.
Year 4 have been busily preparing for their exciting presentations, all to do with saving water.
After studying the facts about water usage and the dangers of running out of water, the children decided the most useful tactic would be to teach people to turn taps off whenever possible. They are now preparing posters, presentations, songs, dances and animations to show off to the Affinity Water company in two weeks time.
Many thanks to three Barnwell Sixth Formers who have kindly led and encouraged active participation in this project.
The children in Year 4 have been developing some excellent Gymnastics skills this half term. In this lesson, you can see the children starting to get some extra height into their shapes. They even had a go at using the springboard! There were some hesitant attempts from the higher height for sure...
The children will be trying some more complex moves in the coming weeks.
Year 4 have not wasted any time this term. We have been learning from the first minute of the first day.
The children have settled well to the expectations of Year 4 and were brave enough to take part in a 'conscience alley' earlier this month. All of the children took part and had various pieces of advice for the lucky volunteer in the middle.
The question is...did our Pandora character actually decide to open the box?
Year 4 have had a very active start to January! The 'Daily Mile' has continued to challenge the children to beat their personal targets and improve their concentration levels throughout the day.
The children have also took part in a variety of sporting events including Gymnastics, Speedstacking and sports hall activities (On Tour session). They have been exploring bridge shapes in Gymnastics, including the use of apparatus.
I don't know who was more excited to start the term, myself or the kids! It has been great to see all of the children back again, and we all hope they have had a great holiday.
The children are settling in nicely to their new classroom, maintaining a positive attitude to learning and thriving on the opportunity to be Year 4 children. They are recognising the importance of hard work and respect for others and we hope to build on these important aspects over the coming weeks.
We are looking forward to embracing the challenges ahead in Year 4!
Well...don't they look different here!
Aspiration Week was a real success with Year 4 this month. We all mapped out our journey towards our ultimate aspirational goal. There are many professions that the children are interested in and our job is to harness these dreams and hopefully make them reality.
Over the week, we diesigned a 'sucss ladder' with achievable targets towards our goal before learning how to put these steps into practice. We also designed several 'Plan B' options just in case we didn't quite achieve what we set out to achieve.
Watch this space...in a few years these children may become superstars! And hopefully they'll remember where it all started...
The children have made a fast start to May, getting stuck into their learning and making a real effort to succeed.
It has been pleasing to visit Oak Class on a Friday afternoon to complete some paired reading. Each child has partnered up with a younger child to read with. They listen to each other read and encourage each other so well. I am delighted when I walk around and hear all the lovely comments the children are making to their reading buddies, and I believe they are making a real difference.
There is a real collaborative feel to Year Four at the moment. Long may it continue!
You can subscribe to a feed of the latest news items, using the link below. Subscribing to this news feed is free and will keep you up-to-date with the latest news stories that have been posted.To subscribe, simply right-click on the link below, click "copy shortcut" and then paste the URL into your feed reader software.
Subscribe via RSS (Year 4 Blog)