Highmoor 9th September

Date: 9th Sep 2022 @ 11:49am

Welcome to the start of a new academic year in Highmoor class.

The children have settled in well to life back in the classroom. Year 4 children have been brilliant role models to the year 3s, helping them find their way around the classroom and understand all the little things that we do in Highmoor that are different to how Greys class operate. It has been lovely to see the older children helping the younger ones. The year 3s have done so well getting used to all the changes that come with a new classroom, new keystage and a more independent way of working.

We spent the first 2 days doing some settling in activities, we designed dream jars and put our wishes for the coming year inside, we played Guess Who, made posters about ourselves, we voted for our School and Worship Councillors, discussed class rules and did some times tables assessments.

With Mrs Claridge in literacy we read the poem 'The Magic Box' by Kit Wright. We looked in detail at the language used by the author identifying nouns and adjectives and alliteration. We started to think of our own ideas for what we would put into our own magic boxes and will write our own version of the poem next week. With Mrs Griffith we read 'The River' by Valerie Bloom and explored descriptive vocabulary by acting out sounds that rivers could make. This will tie into our rivers topic that we are starting next week in geography.

Next week we will start our class read 'The Firework Maker's Daughter' by Philip Pullman. If anyone has a copy of the book it would be beneficial if they bring it in to school. 

Place value and partitioning have been our focus in maths, understanding that the 5 in 53 has the value of 50 and that 2 and 3 digit numbers can be partitioned in many different ways! We will be focusing on place value for the next few weeks in maths. Year 4s are working with 4 digit numbers and year 3s 3 digits.

On Wednesday we went to Kennylands gym for our PE lesson. It was great to be back there and all children had fun exploring the equipment. Our Thursday PE lessons will normally be held on the Common unless it is torrential rain in which case the classroom is used, usually for a game of Bumball! 

Homework in Highmoor is to read every day and to record this in Home School Diaries. Times tables are also expected to be practised every day. Children have information in the back of their Home School Diaries telling them which table to focus on.  Children also have Doodle maths log ins and can access this at home. Doodle maths will become a daily homework expectation. Children were shown how to use this before the summer holidays. We will have a recap session next week to ensure all children are familiar and they will then be expected to complete their daily questions.

There is a Google meets virtual meeting next week on Tuesday at 7pm to discuss all things Highmoor! Details to join have been emailed. I will put the PowerPoint and curriculum information on the website following the meeting for those that can't attend. 

Have a lovely weekend everyone!