September 2018

Dear Parents and Children,

Welcome to Term 1 at Borough Green Primary School. 

Welcome back to what is going to be another exciting year; we hope you all had a wonderful, adventure-filled summer. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome all new children (and parents) to Key Stage 2 and the next stage of their learning journey. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any questions or queries.

 

The Curriculum in term 1 …

This term our experiences include: ‘Disney’s Designers’ as well as a whole school Maths experience on time and ‘The Tree Top Challenge’.

‘Disney’s Designers’ will give the children the opportunity to design their own electronic toy, create circuits and explore conductors. The whole school Maths experience will encourage the children to tell the time in both analogue and digital as well as exploring every day concepts such as reading timetables.  During ‘The Tree Top Challenge’ the children will have to design and make a tree house to scale for Legoland requiring the children to be creative but accurate.

Homework

Homework will be set on a Wednesday each week and will be expected to be handed in on the following Monday.  This is alternatively maths and literacy each week, with spelling every week.  As homework is a crucial part in consolidating learning, any child in Year 3/4 who does not have their homework completed on the hand in date will be expected to stay in during lunch break on Monday, to complete it. 

In order for us to check your child’s understanding of the topic that we are currently learning, please identify where input was required as this will ensure accurate, formative assessment. Spelling tests take place every Wednesday and new words to be learnt are issued on the same day.   All children need support learning their spellings and this should be done throughout the week, not just the night before.  Looking the words up in the dictionary with your child, as well as writing them up around the house, are tremendous ways of supporting your child.  We will be sending your child home with some other ideas for reinforcing spelling during the term.

Reading

We cannot stress to you how important it is for you to hear your child read OUT LOUD EVERY DAY. Reading out loud builds their confidence, fluency and extends their vocabulary.  We are continuing to use Accelerated Reader which gives your child the opportunity to read books at an appropriate level and to be tested on them before they move on to a new book.  I wonder how many children can make the 1,000,000 club this year.

Equipment and Uniform

All equipment that your child needs in year 3 and 4 will be provided by the school this means that pencil cases are not needed in school. All children in year 3 and 4 are expected to bring a book bag and not a backpack. Sadly, these are too big for the lockers and encourage the children to bring things into school that simply become a distraction.

This is to politely remind you of our school uniform as stated on the school website.  Please make sure your child has the correctly coloured items and that all school uniform is clearly named!

Boys – Winter Uniform Grey trousers White shirt/polo shirt Grey socks School tie (juniors only, optional) School bottle green round neck/v-neck sweatshirt

Girls – Winter Uniform Grey skirt, pinafore dress or tailored trousers White blouse/polo shirt White or grey socks Grey, black, green or white tights School tie (juniors only, optional) School bottle green round neck/v-neck sweatshirt or sweatshirt fabric cardigan

 

Please ensure that your child wears sensible black shoes to school, NOT TRAINERS or BOOTS. 

 

PE Kit

It is essential that children have a full P.E. kit in school at all times for our timetabled P.E. sessions and any impromptu sessions we are lucky enough to add in.  Please ensure that your child has trainers in their P.E. Kit and not plimsolls as these do not provide any grip when running on the hardcourt and get wet easily if the meadow is damp. Children need to be responsible, not just for having the kit in school, but also for putting it away after sessions and knowing where it is at all times.  If a child does not have a P.E. kit, they will still have to come outside to the lesson and contribute to the learning and assessment of others skills.  Pupils with long hair should have their hair tied back at all times and earrings must be taken out or protected with tape during P.E. lessons. Teachers are not allowed to take earrings out for children so if they struggle please ensure it is done before they arrive to school that morning. Year 3 and 4 will have P.E. on a Monday and Thursday.

Outdoor Learning

 

We hope to have lots of opportunities for outdoor learning so please make sure your children have suitable footwear and waterproof jackets in school every day.  This really is essential as we move into the winter months.

Extra-Curricular Activities

At BGPS we are very lucky to have so many clubs during lunchtimes, before and after school run voluntarily by many of our teaching staff and visitors.  Look out for the club list soon and sign up to as many as you can. It is a great way to keep your child active, and wakes them up early in the morning ready for a busy day ahead.

Important Dates for Year 3/4 in Term 1

Please find below some very important dates for Year 3 and 4 during term 1:

16^th September 2018 – Music on The Meadow

16^th October 2018 – School Photos

Please keep an eye on the school website and Parent Mail for any changes or additional events being added. The website also details the Learning Experiences and a regularly updated blog for Year 3/4.

Many thanks from,

Miss Wood, Miss Butterfield and Mr Wheatley