Year 4
Autumn Term
Year 4 Newsletter Autumn October 2024
It has been a busy (and long!) half term! We are really proud of how well all the children have settled into Year 4 and are looking forward to lots more exciting learning opportunities next half term.
This Half Term
In maths we focused first on place value and moved on to addition and subtraction. We have looked at partitioning numbers, rounding to 10, 100 and 1000 and learned about Roman Numerals. We have also worked on column addition and subtraction, looked at efficient methods for adding and subtracting and explored estimation.
In our writing, we focused on writing a disaster story about a flood, developing our skills in using fronted adverbials and subordinating conjunctions. Can your child remember the I SAW A WABUB words? This week, we have finished writing our own chapters for the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. The children have explored what makes a good character, creating their own to star in their chapter.
Edward Tulane was our first class novel and the children loved it. We are now reading “The Midnight Guardians” by Ross Montgomery. This is an exciting book, which we will continue to work on through next half term. It has a Christmassy feel to it and is perfect for this time of year. In Library Week, we read with Year 2 buddies and elected our Reading Ambassadors.
We have had a lot of fun in science this half term as we explored states of matter. We conducted experiments measuring the weight of fizzy drinks before and after shaking them to remove the gas and melted chocolate at different temperatures then tested how temperature affects the process of evaporation. The children have also explored the water cycle, which will lead us into our writing for next half term.
You will have enjoyed the children’s artwork when you visited for PCEs. They loved exploring the work of Paul Klee and producing their own work inspired by his painting “The Rose Garden.”
In geography, we have focused on our local area, looking at the towns and cities that surround Leeds, and discussing how Horsforth has changed over time. We have also explored what resources there are in Yorkshire and trade links that exist. This week, the children have had opportunities to deepen their knowledge in a way that interests them.
Willow have enjoyed swimming while Acacia have been working on their tennis skills (when weather allowed!). Both classes have been enjoying orienteering too. Many children have also had opportunities to take part in football and cross-country events outside school.
Acacia made a great start playing recorder. Willow will start recorder next half term when Acacia are swimming.
Coming up in Autumn 2:
Always a very busy and exciting half term, we have lots to get through before Christmas!
In maths, we will be exploring multiplication and division in greater depth as well as looking at area.
In our writing, we are going to explore the diary format and writing in the first person to describe the journey of a raindrop in the water cycle before using our class reader “The Midnight Guardians” to create some atmospheric fantasy writing linked to Christmas.
We will continue our focus on spelling and focus on learning the next set of Year 3 and 4 words.
In science, we will be exploring electricity and this will lead into our DT where we will be building a paper circuit to create a light up Christmas card.
We will be revisiting the Stone Age in history, building on the work the children did in Year 3. We will think about Stone Age settlements and look at how the discovery of metal changed people’s lives as we enter the Bronze Age.
We will be taking part in “Rewind to Christmas”, an event provided by Horsforth Churches, as well as preparing for the Christmas Concert at St Margaret’s Church, along with the rest of KS2.
Acacia will now be swimming on Tuesdays and Willow will stay in school for PE.
Important Reminders
If you need to contact us, please use the following emails:
david.alston@stf.newlaithes.co.uk
clare.lavelle@stf.newlaithes.co.uk
- Don’t forget to check the Homework Slip each week for homework and weekly reminders.
- Please make sure that homework books are handed in by WEDNESDAY morning at the latest each week.
- PE Days will be TUESDAY and THURSDAY for both Acacia (swimming) and Willow.
- Please continue with your daily 10 minute reads at home. This really does make all the difference.
- Remember to use TTRS and the 1 minute White Rose Maths App to practise quick retrieval.
- Work on a few spellings at a time from your highlighted list (new lists will come home in week 1).
- Children should have a named water bottle in school daily and a coat – particularly in the changeable weather we are having. Remind your children to stay off the grass and stick to paths around school to avoid muddy feet coming into school.
- Please make sure reading books and bookmarks are kept in their plastic wallets and are in school daily.
Key Dates
- TUESDAY 5th NOVEMBER Swimming starts for Acacia
- Friday 22nd November PTA disco
- Thursday 28th November Police talk on Internet Safety
- Wednesday 4th December – Christmas jumper day and Christmas dinner
- Friday 6th December – Christmas Fair 3.30 – 5.30
- Thursday 12th December – Church rehearsal for KS2 Christmas Concert
- Tuesday 17th December – Christmas Concert at St Margaret’s Church 6pm
- Wednesday 18th December – Y4 Christmas Party
- Thursday 19th December – Enrichment morning
- Friday 20th December – Break up for Christmas