Welcome to Year 4 – ‘The Eco Explorers’
We are the Eco Explorers. We are explorers because we discover new ways to care for God’s world, and we protect creation because God has trusted us to look after it!
The staff working in Year 4 this year are Mrs Garner and Mrs Hamill!
Why did I become a teacher?
Since being a little girl I have always wanted to be a teacher! I had amazing teachers growing up and always enjoyed going to school and learning new things. I loved the idea of making a difference to young people’s lives and inspiring the next generation.
Teaching is a rewarding job, each day you get to watch your class grow and develop together. You get a true sense of fulfilment! Every day is different and the variety of challenges makes the job highly enjoyable as you continue to develop your own skills and knowledge.
You should never stop learning because life never stops teaching!
Physical Education activities in Year 4 will be:
Swimming: Wednesday
PE: Friday
Please can all children with a pen licence make sure that they have two labelled black gel pens in school. Children do not need to bring pencil cases into school.
Thank you
- Common Exception Word/ Spelling Pattern Activities – paper copy to be set home a Monday and to be tested in the following weeks through a spelling test and dictation.
- Reading at home – Reading with an adult or independently for the equivalent of at least 20 minutes a night across the week (2hrs 20mins). (School or home book) This to be logged onto Boom Reader.
- Beat That/Learn it challenges – paper copy Handed out on a Friday, to be handed back in by the following Friday. In school challenge will be completed on Thursday or Friday.
Curriculum RE
The RE topics which will be taught in Year 4 are:
· Creation and the story of Abraham to Joseph
In this unit the children will hear and learn about some important stories from the Book of Genesis. They will explore some important images of God found in these stories and consider what it mean for human beings to be made in the image and likeness of God.
· Jesus teaches us how to pray
In this unit the children will learn about the prayer life of Jesus as he grew up in the Jewish faith. The children will be introduced to some prayers from the Old Testament and they will consider the importance Jesus attached to prayer. The children will study the Our Father, the prayer of the Rosary and some other forms of prayer as part of this unit.
· Special roles and responsibly
· Advent
n this unit of work the children will learn about the ancestors of Jesus and that he was descended from the House of David. Through this work the children will be able to place the story of the first coming of Jesus into an historical context.
· Jesus light of the work and beloved son
In this unit the children study some important stories about the life of Jesus and the revelation of his presence in the world. The will also learn about some of the symbols of Baptism and their association with belonging to the Family of God.
· Lent: Living as the followers of Jesus
In this unit the children will explore some of the customs and practices associated with the celebration of the Season of Lent. Through the life and teaching of Christ they will learn about prayer, fasting and almsgiving and the forgiveness that God offers to those who believe in him.
· Easter & Holy Week
This unit provides the children with an opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of the story of Christ’s passion and death. They will be given opportunities to reflect upon the circumstances and reasons for his death.
· Moses-King David
n this unit the children will study some important stories about Moses and God’s relationship with the people of Israel. They will also learn about the life of King David. Through this unit children will be introduced to some images of God associated with these stories and also some important religious themes such as prayer and vocation which arise from this study.
· Sharing in the life of Christ
In this unit the children learn about the Universal Church established on the original teaching of the Apostles. They will reflect upon the Eucharist as the Sacrament which celebrates the Church’s Unity. They will also be given opportunities to find out about religious customs from around the world.
Children will have many opportunities to plan and lead collective worship with the class providing time for prayer and reflection.
English
- In Year 4, our writing is driven by high-quality texts from the Pathways to Write scheme.
- Each unit is built around a carefully chosen book, helping children develop a love for reading and writing while also building grammar, vocabulary, and creativity.
- Here’s what your child will be exploring this year:
7-Top-tips-for-reading-at-home-KS2
Recommended Reading List Year 4
Rocket Reading Challenge Year 4
Parent Guide To English In Year 4
ACCELERATED READER
We continue to use the Accelerated Reading scheme in our Year 2 and KS2 classes with much success. This programme has a proven track record of raising the enjoyment of reading as well as attainment levels alongside assessing children’s understanding of the text which they have just read.
To find out more information about the program please go to:
www.renlearn.co.uk
Curriculum Maths
Mathematics Mastery is taught in Year 4 where the deepening of key skills is the focus for all lessons. This gives pupils the opportunity to ‘master maths’; by using previous learning throughout the school year, they are able to develop mathematical fluency and conceptual understanding. Children will work though concrete, pictorial and abstract representations of numbers and/or equations and will use these representations to support their answers.
CLIC
CLIC (Counting, Learn Its, It’s Nothing New & Calculation) is taught 4x per week for 20 minutes allowing children to develop and consolidate their mathematical knowledge. For the ‘CLICs’ children are working on, please visit the Google Classrooms Year 4 page. Below are some key facts for children to practice at home.
Learn Its: Six Fact Challenge & 9, 11 and 12 times table
6 x 4 = 24, 6 x 6 = 36, 7 x 7 = 49, 9 x 6 = 54, 9 x 9 = 81, 9 x 8 = 72 (Autumn )
9 times table and related division facts. (Spring)
12 times table and related division facts (Summer)
Please keep practising your times table and division facts at home. Remember, you should be able to recall these facts as quickly as you can say your name!
In Year 4, children will be expected to complete the Times Table Check, which is currently scheduled for June.
For more information on the Times Table Check which all children will complete please visit this website
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/multiplication-tables-check-development-process
RHE
Module 1: Created and Loved by God
LKS2 Module One: Created and Loved by God explores the individual. Rooted in the teaching that we are made in the image and likeness of God, it helps children to develop an understanding of the importance of valuing themselves as the basis for personal relationships.
Module 2: Created to Love Others
LKS2 Module 2: Created to Love Others explores the individual’s relationship with others. Building on the understanding that we have been created out of love and for love, this module explores how we take this calling into our family, friendships and relationships, and teaches strategies for developing healthy relationships and keeping safe.
Module 3: Created to Live in Community
LKS2 Module Three: Created to Live in Community explores the individual’s relationship with the wider world. Here we explore how human beings are relational by nature and are called to love others in the wider community through service, through dialogue and through working for the Common Good.