Year 3 Welcome Meeting September 2018

Welcome to Year 3 Teacher:

Mrs Emily Manners

Teaching Assistants:

Mrs Mohan, Mrs Chondropoulou and Mrs Bates

The School Day 8.55am Registration 10.20am Break time 12.10 Lunch time 1.00pm Afternoon lessons 3.15pm Home time If you are late or absent please telephone the school office beforehand and follow up an absence with a written letter or email.

Classroom tables  Children have been given ‘talking partners’ with whom they sit for most of the day, unless specific groups are needed in a lesson.  These partners will change every 2 weeks and so they will move around the class sitting on different tables and talking with a different partners.  The aim is to foster a culture where we are not worried about making mistakes but that we always have a go and try to answer/write/draw as best as we possibly can.

Equipment PE will always be Thursdays with Mr Smith. The other session is on Tuesdays until October half term when the Windsor Sports Partnership will do a session on Wednesdays. Children will need a white T-shirt and black shorts with trainers or plimsolls. A navy tracksuit can be worn in colder weather.

Swimming lessons will start in November and finish in January. Girls need a one-piece swimming costume and boys need trunks or longer shorts. Goggles are optional but please remember the towel!

Pencil cases are staying in school at the moment but will go home for holidays.

A waterproof and warm coat is essential as soon as traditional Autumn weather begins as we often go outside for learning.

Healthy Eating Children in Year 3 are no longer given fruit and milk at break and they start lunch a little later.

To avoid energy levels dropping, we recommend that a healthy snack, such as fruit, rice cakes or a cereal bar, is brought into school each day, to be consumed at break time.

Please, no products should contain any nuts or peanuts.

Please also ensure that your child has a named water bottle at school.

Uniform At Trinity St Stephen First School:  We are always smart.  We know that we tuck our shirts in.  Long hair must be tied up or clipped back using brown, black or school colour hair accessories.  Please label ALL clothing.  Ties are now available as an optional item for Years 3 and 4

Year 3 Writing When we are writing:  We always use a pencil  We always use a cursive script  We draw a dotted line below words when we are unsure of the spelling  Every sentence starts with a capital letter and finishes with a full stop  Every piece of work is dated  The title or ‘WALT’ (we are learning to…) is written underneath  We miss a line before starting a new piece of work  We put a single line through work we have done wrong

Year 3 Maths When we are doing maths:       

We always use a pencil We write the date in the short, numeric way We write the title and/or ‘WALT’ underneath the date We miss a line before starting a new piece of work We draw pictures and diagrams using a pencil We use one square for each digit We put a single line through work we have done wrong

Our Learning- Maths We will be learning maths according to the National Curriculum. The weekly focus will be provided in the Class News.

We will be working on improving accuracy and speed of key number facts and times tables (2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 8x, 10x).

We will be thinking about how maths can relate to the world around us.

We will work on problem solving strategies.

This term’s units include place value and money, addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, shape and symmetry, time and data, and fractions.

I will provide information about the calculation methods that we use in class alongside the homework packs.

Help with Maths  There are several good websites with a multitude of free maths games e.g. snappymaths  We will be setting homework. Sometimes it will be a game or activity from the Abacus website, or a worksheet will be provided that is linked to the Abacus game, at other times it may be different.  I will provide a list of possible resources and games for use at home.

Our learning - writing We are starting with a unit on instruction writing and will continue with other text types including legends, poetry, letters and information texts.

Within these genres, we will be covering ‘spag’ objectives; spelling, punctuation and grammar We will be focussing on sentence construction and extending vocabulary choices.

We will be working regularly on cursive handwriting (including pencil grip) and presentation.

We will apply writing skills to other subjects.

Our Learning - Computing ď Ż The children will be working with Mrs Flynn, a specialist computing teacher. ď Ż This term class 3 will be learning to use the internet for research and look at popular websites. They will be introduced to computing terminology and develop an understanding of how the internet and search engines work. E- safety will be an ongoing part of lessons. The children will learn to format text to make their work clear and well presented. They will have the opportunity to create interactive games using simple code.

Our learning - Science  This term we will start with Rocks and Soils looking at using these materials in our buildings and then at volcanoes and how rocks are formed.  Later in the term we will study Forces and Magnets. During the year we will also study Plants,Animals and Light.  We will be working on our ‘working scientifically’ skills and the children will be asking and investigating their own questions as we develop these skills through the year.

Our Learning - Reading  We have started Guided Reading where the children will be heard reading in small groups. The focus will be on understanding the text as well as decoding.  Individual reading books can be changed every day; books should be kept in the book bag and brought in daily so that opportunities to read are not missed! Children should be reading (and recording the sessions) most days of the week. Golden points can be earned!  Please ensure that you sign (and comment) in the reading record; we need to know what books have been read before moving pupils on.

ď Ż Children can read books other than those on the scheme for some sessions. Try First News, The Week or the Whizz Bang Pop science magazine if they prefer non-fiction.

Our Learning – topics RE – Sikhism, Christmas, Miracles and The Easter Story.

PSHE – New beginnings and changes.

History- Who were the Ancient Egyptians? Geography – Locations around the world and volcanoes Music – Choir and Brass lessons P.E. Bench ball and invasion games, swimming November – February.

Art and Design Technology – techniques of drawing, Matisse ‘cut outs’, sculpture based on the work of Barbara Hepworth and sewing.

Assessment  The government removed levels and put in place a new primary curriculum in 2014  We introduced the Key Objectives to assess children’s progress  There is a copy of the Year 3 key objectives for you

Homework The government advises an hour of homework each week for children in Year 3.

Spelling lists will be given at the start of each short term and tested on Mondays. Pupils will also receive another homework activity, for example a maths game, tables to learn or a relevant maths worksheet. Optional, additional ‘challenges’ will also be offered for enthusiasts!

Reading is essential, as often and as varied as possible

Helping at home It is important that children complete their homework as this is truly independent working.

Let your child do their homework and only help if they are . struggling. In maths please help them with the process we have taught them rather than your own method.

Listen to them read and question them about what they have read. Try to read some different genres e.g. newspapers.

Using and applying their knowledge is important so if out shopping for instance talk to them about money and measures.

Handwriting – a cursive flowing script with the correct pencil grip and posture is essential Encourage independence – this is one of the greatest gift you can give your child! For example, they can start to pack their own book bags.

Handwriting and spelling  There are spelling lists and activities to help learn spellings on this website: spellanywhere.co.uk  Handwriting videos and practice sheets can be found at teachhandwriting.co.uk  Using the correct pencil grip is very important.

Visitors in School At Trinity St Stephen we welcome your support in school.

If you would like to help us in the classroom please ensure: •You have seen the safeguarding information and you understand that working with the children is both a privilege and a responsibility.

•You are dressed appropriately •You listen and follow the instructions given to you by the member of staff you are working with.

Communication with school  There may be occasions when you need to talk to the class teacher. Please understand that this is not always possible before school, unless by prior arrangement.  Messages may be left on the trolley on the playground before school.  Teachers can be more flexible at the end of the school day.  For the safety of all children in our school only come into school in exceptional circumstances. Please only use the front door.

The Class News Please check the class news on the school website. It is published on Monday. http://www.tssfirst.co.uk You will find out what we are learning each week and there may be messages about trips, swimming etc.