Walnut Class

Welcome to our Autumn Term in Walnut Class!

We hope you all had a lovely Summer break. We are very excited to welcome you to Walnut class and are very much looking forward to the year ahead. The children have settled fabulously; they are certainly feeling fresh, happy and ready to learn 😊

Year 4 is the second year of KS2 life for our children and we will continue to enable them to become responsible and independent members of our wonderful school community, learning many new skills along the way! 
 

Of course it’s important that we have LOTS of fun as we learn, and our Cornerstones Curriculum offers a range of exciting topics (starting with Rocks, Relics and Rumbles!) to help us to do so as well as a range of engaging subjects to broaden our knowledge. 
 

Throughout the year, we aim to collaboratively learn, share and explore the world around us. We continue to build friendships, make good choices and set high expectations both inside and outside of school. 

🏠 How to help your child at home:

Reading is key to all of our learning and reading for pleasure is celebrated throughout the year. Our expectation is that children are reading at home with an adult every day. Reading records are checked each morning, so please ensure they are completed and signed 📚

Below are a number of spelling strategies that we use in class; the children already have their favourites, so I’m sure they’ll be happy to show you at home!   A copy of the Year 3/4 Common Exception Words are also attached below- these are the non-decodable words that the children should be able to spell by the end of Lower KS2. 

Below is a copy of our 'Rocks, Relics and Relics’ homework grid. The children may self-select from a range of tasks, including creative, literacy and research-based activities. The children have been very excited by this smoldering topic, so we very much looking forward to sharing their home learning together in class. 

Home learning each week consists of reading (20 mins per week); Doodle Maths (5-10 mins per day) and topic grid homework (one piece each week). Thank you for your support in ensuring that your child completed their homework on time and to a good standard – this is such a valuable addition to their learning in school.

A quick reminder too about school uniform. Smart school uniform should be worn with polished black school shoes (leather upper) and not with trainers please. All children need to wear a tie to school every day. We have talked in class this week about taking pride in our school and in our school uniform and the children are very keen to ensure they are doing both. Hair should be tied back for school if it is long enough and should be fastened with plain green, navy or black hair fastenings.

We have seen first-hand the improvement DoodleMaths makes to the children’s mental maths, so please ensure your child remains in the green zone (little and often is best). 

Our P.E day is Monday, and children should continue to come to school wearing their PE kit- this allows optimal time in lessons and far fewer lost ties! Forest School will be on Tuesdays afternoons and the children to bring in old clothes, waterproofs and wellies for this.

As a team, we are always here for you. If you need to discuss anything, please don’t hesitate to send a Dojo message, or we can arrange an appointment so we can discuss your child without feeling rushed. 
 

As always, thank you for your continued support. 
 

Mrs Tyrrell, Mrs Holt and Mrs Burgess 😊❤️

Helping at home