Sir Henry Fermor Church of England Primary School
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Friday 9th July - Sports Week!
We had an absolutely fantastic time celebrating sports week. A huge well done to all of the children. We saw fabulous resilience, determination, teamwork, enthusiasm and encouragement. Let's hope that England can do the same on Sunday evening!
Before the Daily Mile Challenge
After the Daily Mile Challenge
History
Amidst the excitement of sports week, we have managed to do some academic work too, which has been concentrated upon ancient Arabia. This has included looking at the Silk road trading routes and the incense road, where frankincense and myrrh were treated as precious goods, culminating with eating hummous and pitta bread on Friday afternoon as part of our study of Arabic food.
RE
To compliment our study of Arabia, we have been studying Islam, which this week has included looking at the inside of a mosque, as well as learning about wudhu ( cleaning ) and the proper way to pray, part of which is the sujod (prostration). We were privileged to have two children, who are Muslims, demonstrate how to do so, using their own prayer mats.
Friday 2nd July
We are so proud of the children in Year 4. They represented our school well during our school trip and we hardly heard any complaining during the long walk. We all had great fun investigating the range of habitats, hunting for mini-beasts and creating leaf sketches.
English
This week in English, the children carried out research to find out about Arctic and Antarctic animals. They used this information to write an informative non-chronological text. We were very impressed with the fascinating facts that the children included.
D.T.
The children chose a specific design of paper aeroplane. They carefully followed the instructions in order to create their plane. We then had a competition to see which paper plane looked and flew the best.
Sports week next week:
We are very much looking forward to sports week next week.
Year 3 and 4 sports day is on Wednesday from 13:00 – 14:00. Please ensure that your child wears their school P.E. kit and house t-shirt on this day.
We are still hoping that it will be safe for parents to attend in small groups. In order to follow government guidelines, we can only accommodate one adult per child. You do not need to book for this event, please arrive at the field gate at 12:55. All adults must wear a face mask at all times even though we are outside. Unfortunately, we will need to be very strict on these rules to safeguard everyone involved and in order for parents to spectate.
On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, the children should attend school in their school P.E. kit or other appropriate sport clothing (no football kits). Due to the inclement weather, the field is quite wet. Please can you ensure that your child wears sturdy trainers with grips. During this week, the children will have the opportunity to take part in a range of sporting activities.
A separate letter went out about the Year 3 and 4 triathlon. It would be fantastic to have as many children as possible taking part in this exciting event. If your child is interested, please e-mail the office.
Friday 25th June
This week, we went off curriculum and got creative!
The theme of our creativity week was ‘Flying on, Flying high’.
Maths
In maths, the children used their knowledge of symmetry to create a perfectly symmetrical butterfly.
English
The children created some wonderful acrostic, shape and rhyming poems about butterflies. We were incredibly impressed by the performances that they put on (especially the butterfly actions!).
Art
The children came up with inventive ways to create a butterfly using wire. Once they were happy with their structure, they used tissue paper papier-mâché to coat their butterfly in blue (Year 4’s colour). A large rainbow display of butterflies is going to be created in our school.
Swimming
The children learnt some important life-saving skills this week in the swimming pool. This included: rope throwing, towing and the sensation of being in water wearing clothes. Apparently, there was some great acting by the children in Year 4.
Moving towards the end of term, there is a lot of exciting activities going on in school so please keep a close eye on your e-mails for information about up and coming events.
Dates:
Year 4 trip to Ashdown Forest - Thursday 1st July. An additional letter went out about this today reminding those who need a school packed lunch to let us know by Monday 28th. The booster and gala swimming groups will not be able to take place on this day.
Sports Week – Monday 5th – Friday 9th July. A letter will be sent out next week explaining what will be happening during sports week and sports day. The children will come in their P.E. kit all week and take part in a range of activities. Swimming will not take place for Year 4 this week but all of Year 4 will have an opportunity to swim the following week.
Last day of term – Friday 16th July
Friday 18th June
It is hard to believe that yet another week has flown by…which leads perfectly onto our topic for creativity week next week – Flying on, Flying high. During next week, the children will take part in a range of art, music and D.T. activities.
We have been thoroughly impressed this week with how the children have immersed themselves in the incredible voyage that Endurance and Shackleton took.
Maths
This week, we have been learning about turns and angles. They enjoyed using a right-angle eater to identify these angles around our school and to help them work out whether an angle was acute or obtuse. Next week, we will be learning about the features of 2D shapes and lines of symmetry.
English
This week, the children were imagining that they were part of Shackleton’s crew trapped in the ice. They wrote some wonderful descriptions of their surroundings and how they felt.
Science
This week, the children created a poster explaining what all living things are able to do. They used MRS NERG/MR SNERG to help them to remember these.
A letter has gone out about the Year 4 trip which will be linked to our science topic. This will take place on the 1st July (please look at the e-mail for more details).
Geography
The children were amazed to hear about the incredible journey that Shackleton took and the struggles that he encountered. The children numbered each stage of the mission on a map. They also watched this documentary which included footage from the actual mission:
History
This week, we have continued to find out about the Arab tribes and how they lived. Next lesson, we will be looking at the different trade routes went through ancient Arabia.
RE
In RE, we have been continuing our awareness of Islam, looking at some of the the symbols and the main beliefs. Also, we looked at the Arabic alphabet ( written right to left ) as well as trying to write some words using it. Next lesson, we are going to be looking at the prophets of Islam, in particular prophet Muhammad.
Music
We have been learning songs in connection with Saving the Planet, as well as appreciating songs and music about our wonderful world. This week, we learnt to sing: "Wonderful World" and "I, the Lord of Sea and Sky." Next lesson, we will be learning two more songs in connection with this theme.
Dates for the diary:
Swimming:
Drowning prevention week: Please remember to bring in some appropriate clothes that the children can wear in the swimming pool.
4EN – Wednesday 23rd June
The Thursday gala and booster groups will happen every week.
Creativity Week
Next week
Fair Activities
Week beginning 28th June
Trip to Ashdown Forest
Thursday 1st July
Sports Week
Week beginning 5th July
Sports Day – Wednesday 7th July
Friday 11th June
We hope that you all had a wonderful half-term and have been able to enjoy this beautiful weather.
Maths
This week, we have been data handling. This has involved: collecting, presenting and interpreting data. We collected data to discover what the most popular pet in our class is. We presented the results in a tally chart, bar chart and pictogram. The children were then able to use these results to answer a range of questions. Next week, we will move onto learning about turns and angles. To support your child at home, you could talk about clockwise and anticlockwise and the different size turns.
English
To support our Geography topic of ‘Polar Climate’, we have been looking at the fabulous book, ‘Shackleton’s Journey’. The children chose to be one of the men on board the Endurance, for example: a biologist, a geologist, a surgeon, a photographer, a carpenter, a cook. The children took part in a hot seating activity as their chosen character. They then wrote a letter to Shackleton persuading him to let them be part of his crew. Next week, we will move onto descriptive writing based on the Weddell Sea.
Science
We introduced our new topic of ‘Living things and their habitats’. We discussed what all living things have in common and the concept of MRS NERG or MR SNERG. Please ask your child to see if they can remember what each letter stands for. The children then created a detailed mind map expressing what they know about the topic.
Geography
We used an atlas to plot the initial part of the voyage that Endurance took to get to Antarctica. We discussed the journey from London to South Georgia and the stops along the way. Next week, we will learn about the Weddell Sea.
History
This week saw the start of our last topic, Ancient Arabia, in which we looked at the history of the different tribes, along with the meaning of some Arabic words, such as karwan meaning caravan. Next week, we will be looking at how and why the tribes migrated in order to gain wealth influence, with the help of trading roots through the Arabian peninsula.
RE
We have started looking at the second of our world religions, Islam, with particular attention to the history of its conception in the 610 AD, as well as the main beliefs and symbols. In future, we will be concentrating upon the Prophet Muhammad and how he spread the word of the Islamic faith through his actions and words, called hadith.
Art
Our art this week was based on the front cover of ‘Shackleton’s Journey’ by ‘William Grill’. The children used the front cover to create their own design in a similar style.
Dates for the diary:
Swimming:
Drowning prevention week: Please remember to bring in some appropriate clothes that the children can wear in the swimming pool.
4K – Wednesday 16th June
4EN – Wednesday 23rd June
The Thursday gala and booster groups will happen every week.
Creativity Week
Week beginning 21st June.
Fair Activities
Week beginning 28th June
Sports Week
Week beginning 5th July
Friday 28th May
We can't believe that Term 5 has come to an end already. We are impressed with the work the children have produced this term and the progress that they have made.
Maths
In maths this week, we continued our work on time. The children converted between units of time and then applied this knowledge to help them solve life problems. Next term, we will be learning about the properties of shapes and position and direction. Our weekly times tables test will continue next term, so please encourage your child to keep learning these at home.
English
The children really enjoyed studying the book 'Into the Forest' by Anthony Browne. We spent time coming up with predictions and links based on one picture from the book. The children then looked at a WABOLL (what a bad one looks like) narrative based on the book and it was their job to be teacher and correct and improve this piece of work.
Geography
We were discussing the term 'seasonality' this week and how we can only get some foods from the U.K. during certain months. For the other months of the year, we need to import these foods. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of importing food. We then looked at a map of the world and identified where our foods come from and the airmiles involved. At home, the children can look at the packages of some foods to see where they come from.
We hope that you all have a lovely relaxing half-term and look forward to seeing you all for our final term in Year 4!
Friday 21st May
We hope that you have had a lovely week and managed to avoid the downpours. Let’s hope the sun make a more consistent appearance soon!
Maths
This week in maths, we have been telling the time. Initially, we were using an analogue clock but we then moved onto converting between digital and analogue times. Next week, we will move onto reading timetables and solving word problems involving time. To support your child at home, please encourage them to tell the time on an analogue clock, read timetables and solve problems involving times.
English
This week, the children applied all their learning from this term to produce a piece of writing inspired by the picture below. We have been really impressed with some of the powerful descriptive vocabulary that the children have been using. The children have also been expanding their range of punctuation particularly when using direct speech.
Science
We had lots of fun creating more electrical circuits this week to help us solve problems. This week, the children investigated how to light three bulbs using one switch and they observed what impact this had on the brightness of the bulb. They then tried to create an electrical circuit without using wires (as there had been a storm on the island which had caused the wires to break).
History
This week, we have been looking at the events leading up to the Trojan war and the main characters involved, such as Paris, Helen, Achilles and Hector, as well as the significance of the Trojan horse. Next week, we will be detailing what these characters did, including acting out the main events of the battle.
RE
This week, we have been looking into the characters involved in the Rama and Sita story, with the opportunity to act out what they said and did. Next week, we will be looking at the festival of Divali, when Rama and Sita returned from exile, followed by the traditions associated with a Hindu marriage, which will include creating their own mehndi hand designs.
Geography
This week, we talk about trade. We discussed where in the world the products that we have are made. The children discovered that most of their shoes came from Cambodia! We then looked at the trade of the banana. In the U.K. we eat over 5 billion bananas a year. We learned about the supply chain from banana farmer to supermarket and predicted who got what cut of the money.
Music
Our journey through the archive of songs to do with the history of Eurovision has continued this week, looking at winners from the 2000s, including the rock anthem by Lordi, a group from Finland. For our final week, we will be looking at this decade, as well be as this year's UK entry, followed by learning "Love Shine a Light."
Friday 14th May
We have had another busy week in Year 4 and we are proud of how hard some of the children are working.
Maths
This week, we have continued our topic of money. We have been using the column method to add up different amounts of money and then a number line to calculate change. The children then applied their knowledge of calculating using money to plan a children’s party and solve a Sudoku type problem. Next week, we will move onto telling the time. To support your child, please ensure that your child knows the time at different points of the day and encourage them to look at clocks and watches.
Times tables are still a big focus for us so please encourage your child to practice these at home. Their times tables books will have come home with them and two pages should be filled in and handed in by next Thursday.
English
This week, we have been writing a narrative based Perseus and The River Styx. The children wrote some fabulous descriptions of Charon - the mysterious Ferry Man. We have been impressed by how the children have developed their use of direct speech and the punctuation involved. Next week, we will be doing some free-writing to allow the children to use their imagination and apply what they have learned to their own piece of writing.
Science
This week, our science focused on well-being and nature. We spent the afternoon in our lovely forest area looking at the trees. We used a range of strategies to measure the height and estimate the age of the trees around our school. Amazingly, we managed to get all of the Year 4 children silent in order to appreciate the sounds of nature that surrounded us whilst we stood/lay on the school field. We highly recommend taking some time out and sitting/lying still with your eyes closed whilst listening to nature – it was very peaceful.
History
This week, we started to look at life in the Greek city-states, such as Athens and Sparta. This included finding out about what an acropolis was and the different Greek gods and Greek alphabet ( made up of the first two letters Alpha and Beta). Next week, we will be learning about the Trojan war and Homer, who wrote an epic poem all about it.
RE
This week, we have been looking at the many duties that Hindus are expected to do as part of their dharma belief, with the children discussing what duties they and the teachers have at school. This led to us discussing the festival of Raksha Bhandan, where brothers and sisters exchange friendships bracelets, called a rhaki. Next week, we will acting out the story of Rama and Sita, which demonstrates how good a Hindu relationship should be.
Geography
This week, we introduced the concept of Globalisation. We explained this as the world becoming more interconnected. We discussed multi-national companies that are recognised all over the world. The children were very excited to talk about the well-known fast food restaurants which they enjoy visiting. The children took a quiz to see how much they knew about McDonalds and how many people it serves each day (68 million!). The children than came up with advantages and disadvantages of a McDonalds opening in Crowborough and what impact this would have.
Music
We have been continuing our journey through Eurovision song contest history, by looking at the winners from the 1990s, including our last ever UK winning song, "Love Shine a Light" by Katrina and the Waves. Next week, we will be looking at the winners from the 2000s.
Friday 7th May
We hope that you all enjoyed a lovely long weekend. With it being a four day week, the children have worked incredibly hard to fit all of our learning in.
Maths
This week, we have been focusing on money. At the beginning of the week, the children used money to make different amounts and drew number lines to work out how much change was due. On Thursday, the children put their learning into practice when we set up shopping stalls in the hall. 4K and 4EN took it in turns to be the shop keeper and the shopper. They thought about how much money they would need to buy certain object and how much change would be given. To help support this learning at home, please involve your child in shopping trips and paying for items with money.
English
This week, our focus has been on speech punctuation. The children watched a clip based on Perseus and the Gorgon's head. They used this clip to write a descriptive piece of writing which incorporated speech. We were very impressed with the descriptive language that some of the children used. In addition, many children were able to use direct speech effectively in their written work. Next week, we will continue to focus on using direct speech in a descriptive piece of writing. Whilst reading with your child at home, please point out where speech has been used and the punctuation that is involved.
Science
This week, we recapped on the electricity learning that was covered during lockdown to allow the children to carry out practical investigations. We read a story about a lighthouse keeper and the problems that he faced. The children thoroughly enjoyed using electrical components to help solve these problems. Working collaboratively, they came up with ways to make a switch and light multiple bulbs. It was fantastic to see how inventive the children were being and how well they were working as a team to carry out investigations.
History
This week, we have been finishing off our work on the battles between the Persians and Greeks, including the Battle of Thermopalyae and the famous 300 Spartans. Next lesson, we are looking at life in Greece around an acropolis, as well as some of the Greek gods and their alphabet.
RE
This week, we have been looking at the Hindu gods and the symbols of their religion, including Om and the Mandala. Next week, we are going to read and act out the story of Rama and Sita that inspires Hindu children to follow their dharma (duties on life ).
Music
We have been continuing our appreciation of the Eurovision Song Contest, by looking at the 1970s and 80s, with hits such as "Waterloo" by Abba, winners in 1974 in Brighton. Next week, we are moving onto the 1990s, when "Love Shine a Light" was the last time the UK won the competition.
Homework this week:
There are ten spellings under the spelling star to learn for next Friday (14th).
The children should come home with their times tables books. They should complete two pages of the times table that they are on. This is due in on Thursday 13th May.
Swimming - it is 4K's turn to swim next week.
Friday 30th April
Another week has flown by and it is hard to believe that we are heading into May. We hope that you all have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend planned.
English
Following on from our descriptive writing based on the Gardens of Babylon, this week we moved onto describing Elysium. Our grammar focus was fronted adverbials. We have been impressed with the descriptive vocabulary that the children have been using.
Times Tables
In Year 4, under normal circumstances, the children would complete a ‘Multiplication Tables Check’. This is a national assessment that is used to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently. Although the official test will not take place this year, we have decided that we will still complete a test. This will allow us to identify pupils who are struggling to learn their times tables so that additional support can be provided.
We would appreciate you encouraging your child to learn their times tables at home as they will be essential for their future success in mathematics. This week, we have sent the children home with their times tables books. They should complete two pages of the times table that they will be tested on next week. These are due in next Thursday. Once the children pass their test, they will move up to the next times table.
Number Day
Next Friday (7th May) will be number day. During this day, the children will take part in a range of activities which will focus on number. There will be problem solving challenges and practical investigations. The children are invited to make and wear a mathematical accessary. This could include a badge, necklace or headpiece.
Place value work this week
Science
This week’s lesson can only be described as a cacophony of noise! In order to investigate pitch, the children used straws to create kazoos. Once the children worked out how to play them, they altered the length of the kazoos to see how this affected the pitch. Some of the children even experimented with creating a melody. We have now sent the kazoos home - we hope that you enjoy them as much as we did!
History
This week, we have been looking at the battles between the Persians and Greece, including the Battle of Marathon, and where the word Nike comes from too, after which the modern day Marathon race got it's name. Next week, we will be finishing off the wars between the two sides before moving onto learning about life in Greece.
RE
This week, we have been finishing off our introduction to Hinduism, looking at their gods, beliefs and symbols, including the swastika and mandala. Next lesson, we will be studying the story of Rama and Sita, in order to demonstrate how Hindus should do their duty, called dharma, allowing them to live their lives by according to their religious beliefs.
Music
This week, we have started to look at the winners from the 1950s and 1960s, when France dominated the winners position, with the UK only winning twice. Next lesson, we are looking at the next two decades, 1970s and 1980s, when things look a little brighter for the UK songs.
Friday 23rd April
After the sad passing of HRH Prince Philip, the whole school congregated on the playground on Monday morning to commemorate his life. With the whole school circling the flag pole, it was a poignant time to reflect on his life.
English
This week, our English learning has been linked to our History. The children have been learning about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Using visual stimulus, they wrote a detailed description of this incredible wonder. Next week, we will continue to work on descriptive writing using more inspiration from our History topic this term. At home, whilst reading with your child, please encourage them to write down powerful vocabulary which they could use in their writing. We can add this vocabulary to our WOW words display to help expand the children’s vocabulary.
Maths
Having spent last term learning about fractions, this term we have moved onto decimals. We introduced the children to tenths and the different ways that these can be represented. We then investigated multiplying and dividing decimals by ten. Next week, we will move onto learning about hundredths. Next week, we will recommence the weekly times tables tests, please can you encourage your child to learn their times tables at home. They can use Times Tables Rockstars or Hit the Button to help with this.
Geography
In Geography, we introduced the children to their new topic of Globalisation using a scavenger hunt of logos from multinational companies. We discussed why the children recognised most of these logos and whether they could only be found locally. We them thought about why these companies have been so successful around the world. How did they grow?
HIstory
This term, our topic is about the Persian empire, started by Cyrus the Great, and how he became the first Persian king, leading to him living in the city of Babylon. His son, Darius I expanded the empire. Next week,we will be looking at how the Athenians and Spartans, from Greece, stopped him from taking over their country.
RE
This term, we are looking at the first of our world religions, Hinduism, in which we will be discovering the main elements of their beliefs. This week, we have looked at their main beliefs, such as dharma and karma and the similarities and differences between Hinduism and Christianity and Islam. Next week, we will be studying their festivals and gods.
Music
This term, we are appreciating the history of the Eurovision song contest, in connection with the topic of Globalization in Geography, which will include the history of the competition and some of the winners over the years, as well as learning some of the songs. This week, we looked at when and why it was established, with a look at the recent film about a pretend band called Fire Saga. Next week, we will look at the winners from the 1950s and 1960s, when the songs were rather formal, with the winning songs sung in French, and broadcast in black and white television.
Art
Following on from our descriptive writing in English, the children created a sketch of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. They used the technique of shading to help add detail.
Messages:
Swimming – It is 4K’s turn to swim next week. Please can you ensure that the children in 4K bring in their swimming kids (including their hats) next week.
Spelling and Homework – As of next week, Year 4 spellings and home learning project for this term will be placed on the shooting star on the class page labelled ‘Home Learning’.
Friday 26th March
Another jam packed week has flown by and it is hard to believe that we only have one week left before the Easter holidays.
Maths
In maths this week, we have been adding and subtracting fractions that have the same denominator. The children then applied this learning to a range of contexts by solving word problems. Next week, we will be learning how to find fractions of amounts. To support your child at home, you could involve them with problem solving; pizza and cake always seems to work well with fractions (and it is a good excuse for eating pizza and cake!).
English
Thank you for supporting your child to complete some research on their chosen famous person for their biography. The children worked hard to get this information into a detailed biography. They were encouraged to write in chronological order, using paragraphs to help organise their writing. It has been fantastic to learn about the range of people that the children chose.
Science
We had great fun this week making and experimenting with cup and string phones. We investigated how the sound travelled down different length string, how taut the string should be so that the sound could travel between the cups and the children even joined two and three sets of cups together to see if they still worked. Next week, we will learn about the science behind the cup and string phones and how they work.
RE
This week, we have looking at the role of Jesus as a servant to his disciples, when he washed their feet, and the significance of that for Christians. Next week, we will be exploring the symbols of Holy Communion in connection with the Last Supper and their meaning.
History
This week, we have tried to answer the question: "What did the Romans ever do for us?" Well, quite a lot actually. Also, locating Roman towns in Briton and finding out the Latin names for some of them. Did you know that that Dover used to be called Dubris and Manchester was once called Mamucium. Next week, we will be having our end of term quiz on the Roman Republic and Empire, followed by discussing their favourite aspects of this vast topic. S.P.Q R.
Geography
We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world. During our Geography lesson, it was great to listen to the children talk so enthusiastically about different local places and attractions that they enjoy visiting. The children then created a poster to promote Crowborough and describe the local attractions to encourage tourists to visit.
Easter Art Activities
Tag Rugby in P.E.
Reminders:
Swimming – it is 4K’s turn to swim next week.
Term ends on Thursday 1st April.
Friday 19th March
We hope that you have all had a good week. Two weeks in, and it feels like the children have never been away. It has been lovely to see how quickly the children have settled back to school life.
Maths
In maths this week, we have been continuing our work on fractions. We have been using our multiplication knowledge to find equivalent fractions and investigating how to convert between improper fractions and mixed numbers. Next week, we will be adding fractions. At home, please continue to help your child learn their times tables as this will support our fraction work.
English
Thank you to all of the children who brought in research for their biography. Please don't worry if you have not had a chance to do this yet, we will be using these next week. Just to clarify, we would like the children to bring in information about a chosen person. This could include their date of birth, what they are famous for, what they did as children. Next week, the children are going to use this information to help them write a biography about their chosen person. If your child is unable to do this at home for any reason, we will make sure that they have a chance to research someone at school.
Researching biographies
RE
This week, we have been looking at how the emotions of those involved in events of Holy week changed, as well as relating it to our own lives. Next week, we will be looking at the events of the Last Supper, including the significance of the washing of the disciples' feet and Jesus' role as a servant.
History
This week, we have looking at the expansion of the Roman empire into Caledonia (Scotland) and the building of walls, such as Hadrian's wall, to control the movement of the Caledonians and Picts. Next week, we will looking at how Roman Briton was improved by what the Romans did, including straight roads and under floor heating.
Science
This week, we continued our topic of sound. The children learned about the different parts of our ear and how we hear. At home, you could see how many parts of the ear they can remember. Next week, we will be looking at the pitch and volume.
Geography
We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of tourism on a country this week. Next week, we are going to discuss why people would choose to be a tourist in Crowborough and what tourist attractions there are near by for them to visit. We will then go onto designing our own new Crowborough to help attract more tourists. To support your child at home, you could discuss what you like to do in Crowborough and in the surrounding areas.
Reminders:
Swimming - It will be 4EN's turn to swim next week.
Friday 12th March
It has been so lovely to have all of the children back in our classrooms. Thank you very much for all of your support during lockdown. We have really enjoyed sharing the work that the children completed at home or in school.
World Book Day
Thank you for all of your efforts with the World Book Day outfits; we had a fabulous day celebrating.
Hopefully these photos will give you an idea of some of the fun that was had.
In addition, if you follow the link, there is a fabulous video on SHF World Book Day - we hope that you enjoy it.
https://henryfermor.primarysite.media/media/fermor-book-day-2021
Next Week
English - We look forward to starting our new topic of biographies in English. An e-mail has gone out explaining some research we would like the children to do about a chosen famous character.
Maths - In maths we will continue to learn about fractions.
Science - We will continue learning about sound.
History - We will continue to learn about what happened when the Romans invaded Britain.
Geography - We will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of tourism on a country. The lesson will end with a debate so that we can express our own opinions about tourism.
Have a lovely weekend
The Year 4 Team
Friday 18th December
Thank you for all the kind and thoughtful gifts - they are very much appreciated.
We would very much like all of our children to enjoy a well-deserved relax over the holidays, but please could you ensure that they are reading everyday. This could be them reading to you, you reading to them or listening to someone read on a story tape. Reading is so incredibly important and will support the children in everything that we do.
Have a brilliant Christmas
The Year 4 Team
Friday 11th December
Firstly, we would like to say a huge thank you and well done for all the effort that went into this term’s homework project. On Wednesday, we thoroughly enjoyed exhibiting the biome posters, dioramas and booklets in the hall for all of the Year 4 children to appreciate.
4EN's projects
4K's projects
English
This week, the children did a wonderful piece of descriptive writing using a winter scene for inspiration. We have been really impressed with the progress that the children are making. Next term, we will have a focus on presentation. At home, please can you encourage your child to consistently use their neatest joined up writing.
Maths
In maths, we used a range of strategies to find the perimeter of a rectangle. We then moved onto finding the perimeter of rectilinear shapes.
We have been really happy with the progress that the children have been making on the speed of their times tables recall. Please keep working on these at home.
Science
This week, we investigated how the temperature changes in our classroom over the course of the day. We set up a thermometer in our classroom and took a reading every hour. The children then plotted these results on a line graph and discussed the results.
During the second part of our science lesson, the children learnt about the water cycle. They drew a diagram to represent the cycle ensuring that they labelled the four steps.
What the children have to look forward to next week:
Monday 14th - Friends of Fermor Grand Raffle draw and the School raffle draw.
Tuesday 15th - Christmas Carol service streamed live from All Saints Crowborough.
Wednesday 16th – Art and craft morning. Christmas jumpers, Christmas dinner and Grotto day!
Thursday 17th – last day of term for the Children.
Reminders:
Swimming has finished for this term, but it will recommence the first week back. It will be 4K’s turn to swim on January 6th.
Over Christmas, please could you support your child in learning how to tie their own ties and shoelaces if they don’t already know how to do this – thank you.
Have a lovely restful weekend in preparation for our fun packed final week before Christmas.
Friday 4th December
Well that week has flown by! It has been lovely getting into the Christmas spirit this week with some art activities and carol singing, however the children have still been working extremely hard.
English
After working on speech punctuation and paragraphing, the children used a mountain template to help plan their adventure story. The children came up with their own character and thought of reasons why this person should be escaping Rome. Once they had planned their story, we hot seated the children in the role of their main character. The rest of the class came up with inventive questions to find out about this child’s story and what their mission was. We are looking forward to reading the stories that the children have written.
Maths
This week, we investigated how to work out the perimeter of different shapes using string and a ruler. The children then used a grid to help them calculate the perimeter of shapes. Next week, we will move onto working out the perimeter of compound shapes without using a ruler or grid.
Science
After making predictions about the temperature of different areas in the school, the children used a thermometer to accurately measure these temperatures. Despite the pouring rain, the children even braved the outside – we aren’t quite in negative figures yet! We planned and made predictions about how the temperature would change in our classroom throughout the course of the day. The children were slightly upset that we were not prepared to stay in school overnight to take the temperature!
To finish off the lesson, the children made predictions about which would melt the quickest – ice or chocolate. We used the scientific method of holding an ice cube in one hand and a chocolate button in the other. The results were slightly messy!
Geography
Thank you so much to all the children who have brought in their biome projects; they look incredible. Please could the children bring their projects in before Wednesday next week because we will be presenting these on Wednesday afternoon. We are really looking forward to seeing what the children have produced.
History
In history this week, we have been looking at the Roman class system, led by the Patricians (ruling class), followed by the Plebeians (common people) and the Slaves (no rights). Next week, will be finishing our work on the Roman Republic with an end of term quiz.
Have a lovely weekend
Friday 27th November
It is hard to believe that we will be heading into December next week. We can hopefully then inexcusably start to talk about Christmas and all the exciting things it encompasses. In the following weeks leading up to the holidays, there are quite a few festive activities planned which we will keep you informed of.
English
This week, the children have started to set the scene for their Roman adventure story by writing a detailed description of their setting and character. We have been really impressed with how imaginative the children have been and with the powerful adjectives and noun phrases they have been using. Next week, the children will plan and write the first draft of their story.
Maths
We moved onto our new topic of measurement. The children used their rulers to accurately measure a range of objects in millimetres and centimetres. They then proceeded to convert between measurements in metres and kilometres. Using a trundle wheel, we measured the distance around our playground to work out how many laps we had to run to make up a kilometre. On Thursday, the children solved a range of word problems having to identify whether they need to add or subtract. Next week, we will be calculating and investigating perimeters.
Science
Having discussed the properties of solids, liquids and gases last week, we moved onto investigating how substances change states. We discussed what happens when we add or take heat away from different substances. We used coloured ice-cubes to demonstrate this. We then made predictions about which substances melt when heat is added to them and how much heat needs to be added in order for a range of substances to melt.
Geography
This week, we started to learn about some of the different biomes on our planet. Next week we will continue to research the different biomes of our world. Hopefully lots of the children will have made a start on their home learning which focuses on biomes. We look forward to seeing these on the 7th December.
History
We have been looking at how the Carthaginian empire was destroyed by the Scipio, a Roman General. Next week, we will be looking at how the Roman class system was created, from the patricians, plebeians and slaves.
RE
We have been looking at the Holy Trinity and Baptism, which will lead into the Incarnation and the coming of the Messiah.
Messages:
Swimming – It is 4K’s turn to swim next week. Please can you ensure that the children in 4K bring in their swimming kids (including their hats) next week. The following week (9th) will be the last swimming session for Year 4 until January.
Christmas card - This year, to prevent cross contamination, we would like to encourage the children to bring in one Christmas card for the whole class which we can display. If the children would really like to bring in individual cards, these must only be for children in their own class and not for children in other classes.
Friday 20th November
What a busy week it has been! We have: performed speeches; acted out states of matter; learnt about how Rome tried to expand their empire and looked at how the Gulf Stream has an impact on our climate.
English
This week, the children used tea staining to create scroll type paper which they could present the final draft of their speech upon. On Wednesday afternoon, we thoroughly enjoyed listening to the children perform their speeches. Many of the children got into character and had the audience cheering them on. There were helmets, crowns, swords and we even had praetorian guards.
Next week, we are going to move onto writing an adventure story. This will be based on our class reader which is about a young boy and his siblings who are escaping from Rome.
Maths
This week, we have been focusing on maths puzzles to enable the children to apply a range of mental addition and subtraction strategies. Next week, we will start our new topic of measurement. The children will learn about the metric units of measurement and the relationship between them.
Geography
Having learnt about how the distance from the equator impacts on the climate of a country, we moved onto looking at how ocean currents can also affect the climate. We recreated the Gulf Stream using boiling water and red food dye. Next week, we will start to look at the different biomes and the animals and plants that might thrive there.
History
In history this week, we have been looking at how Rome tried to expand its empire by competing with the other powerful empire in North Africa. In addition, we looked at how two military commanders, Hannibal and Scipio, fought against each other in what were called the Punic Wars that lasted over a hundred years.
Science
The children really enjoyed acting out the particles in the different states of matter: solids, liquids and gases. We described how the particles move and discussed the properties of solids, liquids and gases. We then found out about a range of gases and their uses.
R.E.
In our lesson this week, we have looked at the meaning of the Holy Trinity and the meaning of the Baptism of Jesus.
Reminders:
Swimming – it will be 4EN’s turn to swim next Wednesday. Please could you ensure that all the children have their kit with them and their hats.
Thank you for your support.
Friday 13th November
Thank you for following the new drop off and collection rules. We apologise that this makes it more difficult to communicate during this time. Please communicate any important messages via your child’s contact book.
English
This week, we continued our work on speeches. The children planned and wrote a speech as Romulus or Remus explaining why we should vote for them to be the king of Rome. We were impressed with all the persuasive devises that the children used including: empathy, repetition, emotive language, alliteration and rhetorical questions. Next week, the children will be editing, presenting and performing their speech so that we can decide who should rule Rome.
Maths
After working on the formal written method for addition last week, this week we moved onto subtraction. The children learned what to do if the number on top is smaller than the number on the bottom. We then applied this learning to solve a range of word problems. When working on mixed word problems, the children found it difficult to decide whether they should add or subtract. Please involve your children with solving maths problems at home, for example with baking or shopping - this will help them to apply their learning to a range of contexts.
Geography
This week, we started to learn about different climate zones and how the distance from the equator impacts on the climate of a country. Next week we will investigate how the oceans affect the climate of different countries. This term, the home learning project will be based on world biomes. This will be put on the website over the weekend so please keep an eye out for this.
Remembrance
To commemorate Remembrance Day on Thursday, Year 6 created a beautiful poppy display. They made 28 large poppies – each one dedicated to a soldier from Sir Henry Fermor who did not return from the war. The children in Year 4 had an opportunity to go out and appreciate this display. They demonstrated a great level of respect whilst observing these poppies.
Reminders:
Swimming – it will be 4K’s turn to swim next Wednesday. Please could you ensure that all the children have their kit with them and their hats.
P.E. – this term, the children will be doing hockey. We will endeavour to do this outside despite the inclement weather. Please can you ensure that your child has the appropriate P.E. kit with them.
Thank you for your support.
Friday 6th November
We hope you had a lovely half-term and managed to avoid the persistent rain. It has been lovely to see all the children return to school ready and raring to learn.
English
This week, we started looking at speeches. The children really enjoyed listening to a range of speeches from Prince Charming in Shrek to Winston Churchill’s darkest hour to Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’. Using these speeches, the children identified the different features. They then used these features to write their own speech based on Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’. We were very impressed with how enthusiastic, persuasive and passionate the children were about some important issues in our world.
Maths
The children worked really hard this week when using the formal written method to solve addition problems. They used the column method to solve a range of word problems. Next week, we will move onto using a formal written method to solve subtraction problems.
Geography
When learning about the continents in Geography, it was lovely to hear the children spontaneously burst into a song about the seven continents of the world which they had learned lower down the school. Once we labelled the continents, we focused our learning on Europe. The children used an atlas to identify the countries that are islands and those that are landlocked. They also labelled the surrounding seas and oceans.
Art
To commemorate Remembrance Day, the children created a field of poppies using finger painting. These have been photographed and entered into a competition at Beacon School.
Reminders:
Swimming – it will be 4ENs turn to swim next Wednesday. Please could you ensure that all the children have their kit with them and their hats.
P.E. – this term, the children will be doing hockey. We will endeavour to do this outside despite the inclement weather. Please can you ensure that your child has the appropriate P.E. kit with them.
Poppy appeal – Poppies will be on sale next week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at break time.
Christmas shoe boxes - If you are preparing shoebox, these need to be in by Friday 13th November.
Thank you for your support.
Friday 23rd October
Happy half-term! Thank you for your support over the last 7 weeks. We have been very impressed with how well the children have settled into Year 4 and with the progress that they are making. Next term, we have lots to look forward to including learning about: The Roman Republic, biomes and states of matter.
English
This week, we focused on using the homophones there, their and they’re in the correct context. We then looked at different contractions and which expanded words they represent. Towards the end of the week, we looked at sentence structures. This will be a focus for next term: how do we write a range of grammatically correct sentences?
Over half-term, we would very much appreciate your support. Please could you read with your child every day. This could be them reading to you, or you modelling reading to them. If the children come across any ‘WOW words’ in their books, please could you ask them to write these words down so that they can go on our display and help expand the children’s vocabulary.
Maths
After the assessments that we carried out last week, we focused on areas that the children found more difficult. Before moving onto addition and subtraction next term, it is important that the children have a solid understanding of place value. This week, we played games to support the children with their knowledge of place value.
Over half-term, please encourage your child to keep learning their times tables. The children can use Times Tables Rockstars to help them with this. Next term, we will continue to frequently test the children on their times tables.
Science
The children really enjoyed coming up with their own investigation on tooth decay. There were some fantastic ideas including: whether processed sugar or natural sugar causes the most tooth decay; whether diet cola or full fat cola causes the most tooth decay; whether mouthwash protects the teeth from tooth decay. The children worked in a group to plan, set up and carry up their investigation. We will see what has happened to their eggs after the half-term!
Geography
Thank you so much for the effort that has gone into their Greece projects. The children did a brilliant job and should be very proud. Once the children had presented their projects, we put them around our classrooms so that the other children could walk around and read all the information.
We hope you all have a fabulous week off and look forward to seeing you all on the 2nd November.
Reminders:
Swimming: it is 4K’s turn to swim on Wednesday 4th November. Please can you make sure that they bring in their kits, including swimming hats.
Pyjama day: Friday 6th November.
Friday 16th October
English
After all their hard work researching, acting out and learning about The Battle of Gaugamela, we were really impressed with the newspaper articles that the children produced. The children took care over their presentation and thought carefully about the features of a newspaper.
Next week, the children will be focusing on description writing using photos of Greek Islands for inspiration.
Maths
In maths this week we have been carrying out some assessments. These will be used to support our planning next term so we know what we need to focus on to help the children. We would really appreciate your support in encouraging your child to lean their times tables so that they can quickly recall them. Each child should now have a log in for Times Tables Rockstars.
Science
In science this week, we looked at this concept cartoon and discussed which child we thought was correct. In 4K, some children thought that statement two was correct because even though the rabbits are dead, they’re still food for the foxes. In 4EN, we were even discussing how the dinosaurs became extinct. You could use this at home to discuss with your child. The children then learnt the definitions: producer, consumer, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, predator and prey. They then used these definitions and animals from the same habitat to produce food chains.
Geography
Thank you to all those children who have handed in their homework project. In geography next week, the children will be learning about tourism in Greece. As part of this, the children will be presenting their project to the rest of the class. We would very much appreciate it if the projects could be handed in on Monday morning.
History
This week in history, we have looked at how Alexander finally conquered the Persian empire and saw the end of Darius III. Next week, we will be looking at how Alexander's empire stopped in India, the end of his life and his legacy.
Reminders:
Swimming: 4EN will be swimming on Wednesday. Please can you ensure that the children have the correct kit with them including swimming hats.
Half term: The children will break up for half-term next Friday.
Friday 9th October
We have had an exciting week in Year 4 with a battle re-enactment, Roman Numeral investigation and a recreation of the digestive system using tights!
English
This week, we researched the Battle of Gaugamela where the Macedonian army, led by Alexander the Great, defeated King Darius III and the Persian army. This was a battle that changed history forever. On Wednesday, each class enjoyed being part of the Persian and Macedonian army and acting out the battle – we had cavalry, scythed chariots, elephants, phalanx, marching, fighting and celebrating! Hopefully your child can tell you all about the battle. We have planned a newspaper report based on this. Next week, the children will be writing up their newspaper report.
Maths
Earlier this week, we looked at negative numbers. The children ordered negative and positive numbers and then identified patterns in sequences. On Thursday, we did work on Roman Numerals. Once the children had looked at the patterns in Roman Numerals, they then converted them into our Arabic system and vice versa. Can the children write their date of birth in Roman Numerals? What about other important dates?
History
In history this week, we started to look at how Alexander the Great managed to conquer the Persian empire, using the most important battles and events that took place. Next week, we will discover how he finally beat his arch enemy, Darius III, and how his empire extended all the way to India.
Science
After spending the week observing the eggs in the different jars of liquid, the children enjoyed looking closely (not smelling) all of the eggs out of the liquids. They carefully recorded their observations and thought about why the egg in apple juice was the one that had changed the most.
Moving on/down from our work on teeth, we started learning about the digestive system. The children really enjoyed carrying out this experiment to recreate our digestive system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsa2auNfc34. Perhaps this is something that you could do again at home. I would definitely recommend a wipe-able surface. Thankfully we had already eaten our lunch! Next week, we will continue to learn about the digestive system and then move onto food chains.
Reminders:
Swimming: 4K will have their first session next week on Wednesday 14th October.
Coats: Now that the weather has become slightly more inclement, please can you ensure that your child has their coat every day.
Behaviour on the playground: Please could you remind your child about using the Power of Five on the playground. Across Year 4, we have set up a competition to see which child can produce the best poster promoting the Power of Five. This poster will be displayed in our classrooms and we will choose a poster to go outside.
Home Learning: Please remember to look at our termly home learning project. These will need to be ready to present to the rest of the class over the last week of term.
Friday 2nd October
Thank you for all your generous Harvest Festival contributions. These were all greatly appreciated by Crowborough Foodbanks who do a great job at providing food for those most in need.
It is hard to believe that we are in October already. We have had another busy week in Year 4 with water safety sessions, science investigations and more discoveries about Alexander the Great.
English
This week, the children enjoyed looking through First News Newspapers to identify the different features. We discussed the impact that each feature has and why they are used. The children also debated the difference between fact and opinion. Next week, the children will plan and write their own newspaper report based on Alexander the Great.
Maths
We have been using our place value knowledge to compare and order numbers. The children used the < and > and = symbol to describe the relationship between numbers. In order to support their times tables work, we will ensure that all the children are set up on Times Tables Rock Stars. If your child does not have an account, this will be sent out to you next week.
Geography
This week, the children used different resources to find out about the geographical features in Greece and England. They then compared the two countries. The children enjoyed using their atlases to find out about the seas around Greece and England. Hopefully the children will recognise these words in their spelling this week.
History
This week, we have looked at how Alexander the Great's father, King Philip II, paved the way for his son to be prepared in his quest to beat the Persians. Next week, we will looking into how his empire grew.
Science
The children really enjoyed setting up a science investigation this week. After discussing tooth decay, the children decided that they would like to find out which type of drink causes the worse tooth decay. We were all scientists for the afternoon and carefully set up the investigation by placing hard boiled eggs (an alternative for teeth) in a range of drinks. We are all excited to see what effect each drink has on the ‘teeth’.
Reminders:
Swimming: We are really fortunate to have swimming this term. Year 4’s slot will be on a Wednesday afternoon. 4EN will have their first session on the 7th of October and 4K will go the following week on Wednesday 14th October. Each class will then swim on alternative weeks.
Coats: Now that the weather has become slightly more inclement, please can you ensure that your child has their coat every day.
Friday 25th September
It has been lovely to see the children settling into the school routine and enthusiastically joining in with our lessons. We have been amazed by how resilient the children have been and how well they have coped with any changes after being out of school for so long.
English
This week, the children used their plans to write a poem based on one of Alexander the Great’s battles. The children worked hard to include all of the characteristics that we had learnt about the previous week: alliteration, similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia and repetition. Once the children had edited their poems and written their final drafts, we were incredibly impressed with how confidently they performed them in front of the whole class. Next week, we are going to move onto looking at newspaper reports. In order to support your child at home, you could talk about the features of a newspaper.
Maths
We have continued to work on place value this week. It is incredibly important that the children have a good understand of the place value of 4-digit numbers because this acts as a building block to many other concepts that we will cover this year. Please ensure that your child continues to learn their times tables. We will be moving onto the 4x tables next week.
Geography
After locating Greece on a map last week and looking at where it is in relation to where we live, this week we compared the two climates. The children looked at average temperatures and rainfall graphs of London and Athens. Using these graphs, they identified patterns between the two cities.
History
We have been looking at the character of Alexander the Great as well as the important people in his life. Next week, we are going to see how his father, King Philip II, paved the way for his son to commence his conquest of the known world.
Reminders:
Harvest Festival: Please could you bring in donations of non-perishable food items as part of our Harvest Worship. Between Monday (28th) and Wednesday (30th) there will be a box located by our Year 4 door for these items to go in. The Food Bank will collect these donations from us on the Thursday.
Coats: Now that the weather has become slightly more inclement, please can you ensure that your child has their coat every day.
Friday 18th September
The weather has been amazing this week so the children have enjoyed eating their lunch outside and playing on our school field during lunchtimes. Back in the classroom, the children have been working incredibly hard. We have been very impressed with how well they have settled back into school life.
Maths
This week, we have been focusing on place value. The children used practical equipment to help them partition numbers into hundreds, tens and units. See if the children can tell you the rhyme that we learnt so that we can remember the rule of rounding. To help your child at home, can you ask them to round 3-digit numbers to the nearest ten? E.g. can you round 346 to the nearest ten?
English
We have been learning about the different features of poem this week. The children then enjoyed watched a battle scene based on Alexander the Great which inspired them to come up with powerful vocabulary to put in their own poem. Next week they children will be writing and performing their own poem based on a battle of Alexander the Great. At home, please read through a range of poems with your child because this will give them a better understanding of how a poem should be set out.
Science
In science, the children started their topic on teeth and digestive systems. They enjoyed looking at their teeth in the mirror and seeing how many teeth they had. Can they tell you the names of the different types of teeth?
The children were introduced to their new topics this week. In History, they will be learning about Alexander the Great and in Geography they will be learning about Greece. We discussed what the children already know and what they would like to find out about over the course of the term.
We hope you have a lovely weekend.
Long may this beautiful weather continue.
