Olympics

At the beginning of the term we created a mind map of the questions we wanted to find out about the Olympics. We are now starting to answer these questions, broadening our understanding of Greek history. We have started by looking at the history of the Olympic torch, which stems from a Greek myth in which Prometheus stole fire from Zeus to give to the people.

Kingfisher Award

The Kingfisher award was designed to inspire children to be interested in the links between food, farming and wildlife. This is an opportunity for children in year 4 to work collaboratively and create displays on a given topical issue. This year the given topic is ‘Orchards’. We are very fortunate to have our own school orchard, which the children are exploring through Forest School activities. Later on in the year the children will take part in a themed workshop, which will give them some ideas of what to include in their display.

BTV studio

We have been writing our own Spooky stories. We planned the story in groups and edited our ideas together. We talked about how we can create atmosphere in a story through the words we use and also the expression in our voices. We filmed ourselves while we practised our story telling. This enabled us to watch back the footage and suggest how we could improve our language and expression. Following this we recorded our stories in the BTV studio. We are now editing our stories in Pinnacle so that they can be enjoyed across the school.

French Exchange:

As part of our links with France we have been learning some French phrases. Below are some of the phrases we have learnt:

• Enchanté  – pleased to meet you
• Comment t’appelles-tu? – what is your name
• Je m’appelle…  - my name is…
• Ça va – are you okay?
• Ça va bien merci  - I am good thank you
• Comme si comme ça  - I’m okay
• Et toi ? – and you ?
• Au revoir  - good bye

Over the year we will add to these phrases so that when our French friends arrive in the summer we will be able to talk to them.

Maths and Science:

In Maths we are continuing to develop our knowledge of the times tables and using them in a relevant context. We have also been learning about fractions and decimals and reflecting on the relationship between them. We are using our understanding of Maths to support investigations in Science.

Forest School

The aim of a Forest School experience is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age through positive outdoor experiences. Forest Schools provide children with the opportunity to learn about the natural environment, how to handle risks and most importantly to use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others.

Each Thursday Miss Cavallo and Mr Warren are working with groups of children from year 4 in the school orchard. They will be developing a range of skills through structured outdoor activities over a period of 6 weeks. Year 4 are also building links with the two local farms in Broadclyst to develop an understanding of the differences between them and some of the issues they may face (e.g. sustainability).

If you have any thoughts or questions then please feel free to come and see in the classroom before or after the school day.