Welcome to Year 3! 

I hope you have all had a lovely half term and have lots of energy ready for the run up to Christmas! This term we have some really interesting topics to be covered, especially in History and Science that I am sure the children will love. If there is ever anything you need or any support we can provide please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We are very fortunate to  have Mrs. Richards working with us to help us learn and grow this term. 

Reading.

Whilst the children are moving into KS2 it is still essential that they are reading regularly to an adult to build fluency and comprehension skills. We will continue to support this in class with weekly guided reading sessions and really hope to inspire a love of reading in class. Please try tp update your children's reading records as often as possible with comments, this really helps us in school and we appreciate the communication!  We have a brilliant selection of books at numerous ability levels and it would be fantastic to see children read books the whole way through to really deepen their understanding of literature. 

This term the children all have selected a 'free read' book of their choice (to be read as often as they would like), alongside their guided reading book (selected pages read each week). We will also be providing a book that best matches their reading ability, everyone will have a 'banded' reading book to also bring home, this is to be read throughout the week and the children are encouraged to change these as and when is needed. 

In the files below their is also a PDF document with some recommended reads for Year 3/ Year 4. We have lots of these in school avaliable and it is always really important the children are selecting books they are interested in. 

For our whole school read around the world challenge children need to be reading a miminum of 3 times a week with an adult. Comments in their reading record will help us to support your child further with developing fluency and pace.  

Art 

Please can you ensure that your child has a old overshirt/ t shirt in school, I would hate for their uniforms to be spoilt!

Forest school

We will try our best to get out into the forest for a full day at least twice per half term. These dates will be shared via spider and the weekly newsletter.  

When we go into forest please ensure your child has appropriate footwear, a waterproof coat and plenty of layers! 

PE.

P.E. will be Tuesday afternoons with Mrs. William’s. Please ensure your child has a full PE kit in school. PE kit should include appropriate footwear (pumps for indoor activities and trainers for outdoor activities), a jumper (weather dependent) and, for girls, spare socks if they tend to wear tights. Long hair should always be tied back but this is especially important for PE and earrings must be removed. If your child cannot do this independently, please ensure this is done before school. If prefered you are welcome to leave PE kit in school until half term. 

Spellings/ Timetables. 

Many of the children are already using TimesTables rock stars and it is excellent to see the enthusiasm in the class. This year we will set weekly ‘tournaments’ for the children in teams, we would love to see everyone get involved and will designate some time in school on the ipads to use TimesTables Rock Stars too. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if there are any log in/ connection issues. I have limited access to 20 minutes a day to reduce screen time. Little and often is recommended on this app and will help the children build fluency in number knowledge. If you prefer an alternative way to practise timestables please feel free to do this instead. 

For spellings we will be using the pathways to spell framework to support children in understanding spelling patterns and word definitions to ensure they feel confident in applying new vocabulary in their writing and general communication. Spelling tests will be held every Monday this term. The spelling list will be sent out half termly in the back of the children's reading diary (back pages), these will have the date of testing above the spelling list to help the children learn them on time. 

Homework. 

Homework will be set every Friday and returned the following Wednesday. We would like to ask for prompt and punctual hand-ins to help us mark and provide productive feedback before the next set is handed out. We will also be setting weekly reading homework to support our in class guided reading which will be recorded in the children’s reading diary and it is important this comes into school everyday. On the occasion a creative homework is set this will be the only peice given. Whilst the children have formal pieces of homework, it is also expected that all children engage in TimesTable's Rockstars, this is part of their weekly homework and we would really appreicate your support and involvement. Research suggests that children best learn their Timestables through 'little and often' recall and the app alongside flashcards, verbal recall and number games will prepare the children well for the statutory TimesTables check in Year 4. 

Water bottles

Please can all children ensure they are bringing in a water bottle daily, we have baskets at the front of class for these to be kept in and children are able to get a drink when needed as well as multiple opportunities to fill bottles up throughout the day.

Stationary

All equipment needed will be provided by school and should stay in school. If needed we will send out notice in advance for bringing in stationary from home. 

I look forward to working with you all, as always, any queries feel free to email the school office or pop in after school for a quick catch up.

Miss. Kelly