Spellings with the shortened ‘u’ sound spelt ‘ou’
Author: Mrs Brunyard
Sycamore Newsletter – 9th October 2020
Hello everyone!
In Maths this week, we have started our unit on addition and subtraction. The children have been adding 3 and 4-digit numbers together using a formal written method. I have been very impressed by their work ethic this week and theire perseverance to present their work neatly. Well done to all of the children! We have access to online platforms such as Mathletics and NumberGym which the children can access from home to help support their learning. I have allocated work on Mathletics for them that is linked to the work we have been doing in class. All children have been given their log-in and password details (a laminated card which they had at the start of the term). Any problems, please ask!
In Literacy, the children have been writing poems which link to our topic on ‘Fairgrounds’. We have been looking at using apostrophes for possession and similes. The children used similes to describe themselves on Tuesday and came up with some great similes! In Year 4, we are currently having a big push to improve our presentation and handwriting as it is a requirement for the end of Year 4 in Literacy. We have been having handwriting practice to help us write cursively and we are trying to implement this into all aspects of our learning. I know that some children have found this difficult but their presentation is improving and they will find cursive handwriting more easy in time.
During our Science lessons, we have been looking at electricity and electrical appliances. The children have studied how electricity travels from power stations to our homes and the different types of fuel used to generate electricity such as solar energy, fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil) and wind power. We discussed how we can stay safe around the home when using electrical appliances and could identify the dangers of electricity.
We have been continuing our ukulele lessons this week with children practising the chords C and A Minor. They participate really well and seem to really enjoy the sessions!
New spellings have been handed out today and they will be tested next Friday. The children also need to be practising their times tables as they will be required to take the mandatory, online Multiplication Tables Check as set out by the DfE in June. The children have a website in their reading records which shows them a good example of what the real test will be like. Accelerated Reading is still going strong and the children have the opportunity to change their books on Tuesdays. Lots of the children are reading regularly which is fantastic to see!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mrs Brunyard and Mrs Martin
Spellings – 2.10.20
Spellings for next week. The spelling rule is prefixes im-, ir-, il- and in-
Sycamore Newsletter – 2nd October 2020
Hello everyone!
We’ve had a very busy week this week! We built our model fairground rides on Monday and Tuesday and they look brilliant! The children used small circuits to power their ride and they used a range of materials to create the frame of the ride. The children will be able to tell you all about their rides!
In Literacy, we have started our work on poetry. The children have been identifying the features (some of which are similar to those we studied in our most recent unit on setting descriptions). Our unit on place value in Maths is coming to an end this week with children learning about negative numbers and Roman Numerals.
Our ukulele lessons are going well with Shropshire Music Service. All of the children have their own ukulele which is kept in school. The children have been learning about the different musical notations and the parts of the ukulele. On Tuesday, children had the opportunity to have a virtual player visit from Daniel Udoh from Shrewsbury Town FC. They got to ask him questions and pick up some tips on how to keep fit and healthy.
I have seen some fantastic pieces of homework from the children – they have worked really hard! Spellings have been given out again today for a test next Friday. This week, the spelling rule is prefixes ‘im-, il-, in- and ir-‘. These can be found on the ‘Spellings’ section of our class page.
Have a lovely weekend!
Mrs Brunyard and Mrs Martin
Sycamore Spellings – 25.9.20
Here are the spellings for next week. The focus is on homophones.
Sycamore Newsletter – 25th September 2020
Hello everyone!
I hope you’ve all had a great week! This week in Sycamore Class, we have been continuing our unit on place value in Maths. We have been ordering and comparing large numbers and finding 1, 10, 100 and 1000 more or less than a number.
In Literacy, the children have been applying their work from last week to help them create a setting description all about a fairground. They have been using expanded noun phrases, adverbial phrases and conjunctions and commas.
We have started building our own fairground rides in Design and Technology. We have created the base for our ride and have started to build the circuits to power them too. Next week, we will hopefully build the rest of them – I will add photos to next week’s newsletter to show you!
In Geography, we have been looking at where we live on a map and where Shrewsbury is on a map of the United Kingdom and also on a world map. The children worked together to help label different elements of their maps using atlases to help them.
In PE, the children are continuing with their invasion games unit. They have also been developing their team-work skills and their resilience.
The new spellings for the week commencing 28th September will be added to our ‘Spellings’ page of the website. Each child has also been given a copy of the spellings in their reading records and a practise sheet in their homework books. It is great to see so many children reading regularly at home. It really benefits the children if they are listened to read throughout the week.
The weather has definitely turned much colder therefore it is really important that children have a warm coat and a jumper with them in school. We have all of the windows and doors open so it can get a bit chilly at times!
Thanks for your continued support and enjoy the weekend!
Mrs Brunyard and Mrs Martin
Sycamore Spellings – 18.9.20
Here are this week’s spellings with the focus being on apostrophes for contraction.
Sycamore Newsletter – 18th September 2020
Hello everyone!
We’ve had another busy week in Sycamore class. In Maths, we have been continuing our place value unit and have been partitioning numbers, adding and subtracting 1000s and looking at the value of each digit in larger numbers.
We have been carrying on our work on setting descriptions in Literacy and the children have been trying to create their own setting descriptions using expanded noun phrases, co-ordinating conjunctions, adverbial phrases and determiners. The children have written some wonderful descriptions – I have been very impressed!
We have continued our music lessons with Shropshire Music Service. The children have been looking at the value of different music notations and learning about call and response. As part of our topic on ‘Fairgrounds’, the children have designed their own fairground ride and we have also been studying the works of L.S. Lowry in more depth. The children have tried to recreate their own version of Lowry’s work and they created some fantastic pieces.
PE continues to be on a Thursday with Mr Lloyd. Spellings and times tables are tested every Friday with new spellings handed out then. The spellings have also been added to the ‘Sycamore Class Spellings’ page on the website too.
I am really impressed at how well the children are settling back into the school routines. They have done very well in tricky circumstances. Thank you to everyone who has returned their child’s one-page profiles too!
Have a fantastic weekend in the sunshine!
Mrs Brunyard and Mrs Martin
Sycamore Remote Learning – Autumn Term
Year 4 Autumn Remote Learning Timetable using Oak Academy
Here is the work for anyone who is self-isolating due to Covid-19. The work broadly follows the work that we will be doing in class for the Autumn term. Click on the links in the timetable for tutorials and activities for your child(ren) to complete. If you have any queries or questions, please email sycamore@crowmoorschool.co.uk and I will endeavour to help you out as much as I can (just a note that this email is not constantly monitored but I will reply as soon as I can).
Take care,
Mrs Brunyard
Sycamore Newsletter – 11.9.20
Hello everyone!
We have completed our first full week back at school and what a busy week it has been! In Maths, we have been refreshing our knowledge of numbers up to 1000 and the place value of each digit. We have also been rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100.
In Literacy, we have started our unit on setting descriptions. We looked at the features of a setting description and then retold the text verbally and then in written form.
On Monday, the children started a block of whole-class music lessons where they will learn to play the ukelele. The ukeleles are provided by Shropshire Music Service and will be kept in school. The children were fantastic during their first lesson where they learned about pitch, tempo and dynamics. We’re not allowed to sing sadly so the children use body percussion skills to help them show the beat.
Similar to last year, the children have PE on a Thursday afternoon with Mr Lloyd. This term, they are doing invasion games. Apologies for the mix-up with Monday – the children will not be doing PE on a Monday at the moment but will be doing so in the near future. We will keep you informed when this begins!
We have started our new topic on ‘Fairgrounds’ this week. The children looked at different fairground rides and thought about how the rides work. We also started our Art unit on L.S. Lowry and his painting ‘Fun at the Fair, Daisy Nook’. We discussed his use of tone and shades and looked at some of Lowry’s other works too.
New spellings are handed out on a Friday and then the children are tested on the following Friday. Due to the current situation, we are changing our reading books on a Tuesday only. Children are more than welcome to bring their book back in to school if they finish it before then and they can read a book from home for the rest of the week.
Have a lovely weekend!
Mrs Brunyard and Mrs Martin