Welcome to Year 4 Mrs Burney Mrs Evans

Welcome to Year 4 Mrs Burney/ Mrs Evans, Mr Clyne Mrs Ross and Mr Holland

Our Year 4 aims • To settle the children back into school, ensuring they feel happy and safe • To develop independent , confident learners • To encourage the children to challenge themselves- Chilli challenge • To encourage the children to take risks and learn from mistakes

Wellbeing It’s really important as a school that the children can settle in to the new year and adapt back into our setting after such a disruptive few months. Our timetable will therefore include a few changes – classes have a weekly forest school slot as well as extra opportunity for outdoor time such as running for a mile or fun activities with the teacher. We will also use weekly circle times to check in on how we are all getting on from a social and emotional perspective. We will be making sure that in these first weeks in particular, our focus is on your child’s happiness in school.

CHILLI CHALLENGE Within Year four, we encourage the children to aim high and stretch themselves. Therefore, within the lessons the children will be introduced to the chilli challenge. The children will be able to choose the appropriate differentiated work during each lesson. This will be carefully guided by the class teachers, but the aim is for the children to be working in their stretch zone not their comfort zone most of the time. The children can move challenges if they begin one and then decided it is too easy or challenging. This system has been very successful in developing the children independence, whilst also improving their academic ability. MILD HOT SCORCHING

Restorative Approaches is a term used to describe a way of being, an underpinning ethos which enables us to build and maintain healthy relationships, resolve difficulties and repair harm when relationships breakdown. Aims of a Restorative Approach · To develop the skills and abilities of people to manage their thoughts and feelings. · To ensure people take responsibility for their own actions. · To aid people in developing the skills necessary to rebuild and repair relationships. · To reflect on their behaviours, attitudes and actions.

What if conflict occurs? • To repair the harm and mend the relationships we will arrange a restorative meeting if required. This is a meeting between two or more children, facilitated by a trained staff member. • Everyone has an opportunity to say what has happened, how they feel and what needs to happen for everyone to move on Questions used in Key Stage 2 1. What happened? 2. What were you thinking when it happened? 3. What did you feel inside when it happened? 4. How are you now? 5. Who else has been affected? 6. What do you need to feel better? 7. What needs to happen to put things right?

Main Topics Over the Year Term • A Topic Autumn 1 A Beast is Born (History – Ancient Greece) Autumn 2 Furious Fuji (Geography - Volcanoes) Spring 1 Plastic Fantastic? (Big Arts – Recycling) Spring 2 It must be destroyed (English – The Iron Man) Summer 1 Ecowarriors (Geography – the environment) Summer 2 Sinister Dexter (History – Ancient Rome)

A Beast is Born English Myths and Legends Descriptive writing Creative Curriculum. Aim to create a piece of art using a range of media. Focus on: Ancient Greece, Art, English Characters and settings DEAL (Drama) Maths Place value Rounding Ordering Column Addition Computing Coding and Scratch PSHE Going for Goals Developing our GROW values Science Sound

School Uniforms Sensible hair accessories in school colours Green jumper – not zippies/hoodies Appropriate black shoes/boots, no trainers White or green polo shirt – doesn’t have to be NBPS branded • Coats – it’s getting cold! • •

Bags and PE kits Due to our circumstances, children are not permitted to use the pegs in the corridor. This means that all belongings will be kept in the classroom. Please can your child bring a small bag into school, and leave anything they don’t need at home? While term is ongoing, PE kits should remain in school. Your child must also always have trainers in school, so that we can all go outside whenever we like.

PE Monday : Swimming- no earrings please Hats for long hair Tight swimming shorts( not baggy) No googles Friday : Outdoor Games No football kits – white plain T-shirt and black shorts/tracksuit bottoms Long hair tied back Earrings taken out or taped

Music We are very lucky in Year 4 to give every child the opportunity the learn to play a musical instrument. Each Monday Mr Jolly from the Stockport music service, will work with each Year 4 class. Each term the children will develop their skills using different instruments. This will be: • Autumn: Samba percussion • Spring: Ukulele • Summer: Brass (depending on the Covid restrictions) • The instruments will be sent home each week during the Spring and Summer terms for the children to practise, then brought into school every Monday. These instruments are on loan from Stockport music service and therefore need to be looked after, therefore we will be asking parents to sign an agreement.

Home Learning • In Year 4 children will be given homework grids. This gives parents the flexibility to work alongside your child in developing their passion for learning outside of school. Grids have been sent home. The aim is for children to stick in 6 pieces of homework each half term. • We have asked that children decorate their homework in a way that reflects them and their interests. • The 40 Things to do before I leave Norris Bank will continue, alongside a section that allows children to follow their own interests.

On-going Learning Spellings • Each Monday the children will be given weekly spellings to learn at home. It is VITAL that these are practised. • Please see the sheet for creative ways to learn spellings. • We will also stick in any spellings rules being learnt that week if appropriate.

Times Tables National Multiplication Tables Check Last year the government introduced a timetables check test for all Year 4 children. Although this did not take place last year due to covid, at present it will continue this year. It is the national expectation that ALL children are fluent in their times table up to 12 x 12 by the end of Year 4. • The test will take place in June 2021 • The test will be undertaken on the computer • The children will complete the test in small groups • The results will be reported to you in the children’s report.

How do we support the children learning their times tables • The children will have a multiplication and division test each week. They will aim to complete 30 questions in 3 minutes. • The test will be testing speed and fluency as by the end of Year 4 the children must know ALL x times table to x 12 AND the division facts. • Although we don’t send home written homework, we encourage the children to practise using various IT games or quick fire testing. • Little and often is the key. • Timestables Rockstars is a fantastic way for the children to develop their fluency.

Reading Our mission is to develop a love of reading while developing comprehension skills. • The children should be reading daily. Each child will have their reading diaries checked on a certain day. If they have read, and have a parents signature, 4 times a week they will receive 4 Dojos. If reading diaries are not signed, we will contact you to arrange a meeting • We will be checking when the children return books to ensure our stock of books stays full. • The children will also be able to read books from the library and will be encouraged to read a range of genres and authors.

You will already be familiar with Class. Dojo. Please contact your teacher if you are not yet connected for your child. We will be using Class Story to share news and photos about what we’ve been upto in school. We love your comments and emojis, however if it’s a personal message, please email the teacher rather than use the message facility.

Other business • Walking home or leaving the site: please ensure written permission is given • Contacting us. You can contact us by email, however if it is urgent please send in a letter. • Please do not contact us on dojo, use email. • If your child is ill, please let the office know, rather than emailing the teacher.

How can I help my child? • Read, Read!!!! • Practise Spellings • Practise Times tables • • Useful websites/ games: Timestables Rockstars Mathletics Hit the button Maths magician BBC bitesize Topmarks ICT games