Year 4 Gingko Class

Class teacher Mrs JJ Lowes - email:  jj.lowes@stlawrence.thpt.org.uk 

and Mrs Emma Bayes - email: emma.bayes@stlawrence.thpt.org.uk

Please see below our Year 4 Curriculum Presentation 2022-23

 Year 4 Class Update 

Our learning theme this half term is Misty Mountains.

In English, we have been focusing on setting and character descriptions. We encourage the children to say each sentence aloud before they write it down, then to write it down, and then to read it back to themselves. This is to help the children to check that their sentence makes sense and that it has the correct punctuation. They have worked so hard on their descriptions and have really thought about the impact of their word choices on their reader.

In our guided reading, we have been reading extracts from classic texts. We have been unpicking new and unfamiliar vocabulary, and we’ve also been comparing the plots of the different stories.

In maths, we started off the term with division. We have introduced the ‘chunking’ method and we have been so impressed with the resilience that the children have shown during this new area of learning. This method involves taking ‘chunks’ (groups/multiples) of the divisor away at a time: https://www.theschoolrun.com/what-chunking#:~:text=Chunking%20is%20a%20method%20used,number%20fit%20into%20another%20number.

This term we have also started our French lessons. We are joined by specialist Madame Witty every fortnight to further support our learning. We have been learning how to describe the weather and we have been so impressed with how confident the children have been to have a go.

As you know, we have now started our 8-week course of swimming lessons. The children have adjusted very quickly to receiving this important component of the PE curriculum. Grateful thanks to the parent helpers who have volunteered to accompany the children and Year 4 team to Leatherhead Leisure Centre.

In art we have been developing our sketching skills using tone to create depth and 3D effect. We started off by looking at a piece called Wonderer above a sea of fog by David Friedrich and then we were inspired by Mont Sainte-Victoire by Paul Cezanne.

Our science theme this half-term is electricity and the children have enthusiastically discovered how to build a ‘complete circuit’. We will be investigating insulators, conductors and switches in the next few weeks.

In geography, we are studying the physical and human features of mountain environments and asking the question, ‘Why should we value our mountain environments?’

We hope that you feel your child has settled in well to the new term but as always, if you have any concerns then please contact us.

The Year 4 Team