Term 5, week 1
Term 5 already! The children have worked so hard over the last four terms.
I promised to put together a list of authors to help encourage a love of reading and this has proved to be a tricky task! Therefore, please find below a link to a suitable reading list, which you will find includes a vast range of different authors. If anyone has any trouble accessing this list, please let me know and will aim to print a list for you.
https://www.booksfortopics.com/booklists/recommended-reads-2021-archive/year-3-2021/
A quick reminder, if you didn’t manage to arrange a date/time for a parent consultation meeting before the break, please do email on the Maple Class email and I will make sure to fit you in.
This term in English, we will be using ‘Cinderella of the Nile’ by Beverley Naidoo as our feature book. We will start off by introducing the text, creating characters and making predictions. This book, based on the earliest known version of Cinderella, takes us on a journey following the story of Rhodopis, and is beautifully illustrated throughout.
In guided reading this term, we will be reading The BFG together. You may recall we used the opening extract in whole class reading earlier this year, and the children all agreed that we should read the complete story! Each week, the children will investigate the vocabulary and answer questions about comprehension and composition. I am hoping that there will be a little drama involved too.
In Maths this week we are starting the fraction unit, starting with understanding the denominators of unit fractions, comparing and ordering fractions and then understanding the numerators of non-unit fractions. Times tables learning will continue throughout the week, with opportunities for the children to practise their tables and complete a times table challenge.
In art this week, the children will continue to construct their puppets, adding further features to the main body of the pigeons. We will also be starting our new Ancient Egyptian topic this term too.
Mrs Johnson will be introducing the Kingdom of God unit in RE, helping the children to make clear links between the story of the Day of Pentecost and Christian belief about the Kingdom of God on Earth. Mrs Hawker will be continuing the light science unit.
Maple class have PE on Thursday with myself and Mr Luckhurst, and then swimming on Friday as usual. Please do email if you have any questions about this and remember to send your children in with everything they need for these sessions. If in doubt please do ask.
Reading Records will continue to be changed generally on a Monday and Thursday. We would continue to ask however, that children bring their books and Reading Records in to school each day and that they aim to read daily, ideally with an adult – details of this can then be recorded in the Reading Record. Pleased do contact me if you feel your child’s book is either too easy or too difficult, or if your child’s book has not been changed. There are times when a book will be sent home more than once, either because a child is reading chapter books, or if it is felt that the book needs to be read more than once to enhance familiarity.
I am always happy to answer any questions you may have, so please do contact me if you have any queries, using the class email address:
Best wishes
Mrs Smallcombe and the Maple Team