St John’s C of E Primary School Hertford Road, Digswell, Welwyn, Herts AL6 0BX Tel: 01438 714283 Fax 01438 712991 E-mail: admin@digswell.herts.sch.uk www.digswell.herts.sch.uk Headteacher: Mr R. A. Price, B.Ed.(Hons) Class 4 Spring Term Newsletter 13th January 2015 Dear Parents, A little late I know, but let me wish everyone a Happy New Year for 2015! I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas enjoying a very special time with your families. I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the lovely gifts and kind wishes, they are all very much appreciated. I find it difficult to believe that we have already reached Spring Term in Class 4, the time has passed so quickly. I would like to say a big thank you to all the children for all their hard work and effort and to all of you for your support you have given your children during our first term together. I hope the children have enjoyed the Autumn term in Class 4 and are now looking forward to a very exciting new Spring term. It has been a really wonderful and enjoyable first term together which has been filled with your children’s happiness, success and their own surprise as to what they can achieve through their own hard work, growing confidence, enthusiasm and above all, having great fun whilst learning! General Information We have been very fortunate over the Christmas break to have had our classroom painted and decorated and carpeted! The room is now looking an extremely smart and pleasing learning environment for the children. During this term, Mrs Tann will continue to teach Spanish and Art to cover my PPA time on Monday afternoons. I would just like to give a brief mention of thanks to our team of dedicated support staff Mrs Tann, Mrs Budge, Mrs Vickers and Mrs Mistry all of whom provide a valuable and very special contribution within class 4. A planned outside educational visit will be arranged for Class 4 later in the year and I will provide further information as and when I have confirmation. Last Year I began a programme of outdoor learning for the previous Year 4 and would really like to continue this with my present Class. I am hoping to develop a Forest Schools programme for the children in Class 4 during the second half of the spring term and continue during the summer term. The aim is to offer an opportunity for the children to work in small groups of ten or twelve to learn outside the classroom and discover more about their surrounding woodland environment at St John’s school. The plan will be to link our curriculum topics within science and geography of; ‘Living things and their Habitats’ and ‘The Environment’ with the wonderful resources available outside. Further information will be forwarded to you nearer the time. Homework Thank your for your continued support with your child’s homework. I have been delighted by the children’s positive attitude to their homework tasks. The presentation and standard of the children’s work has been very impressive and they should be congratulated for their efforts, well done. Please do not hesitate to come in or ring me if your child is finding homework tasks difficult to complete for whatever reason. (As a parent, I am fully aware that the brief mention of the word ‘homework’ can send your child into ‘refusal mode’ or a major crisis!) Don’t worry, I have been there! Please just continue to encourage and support. We will be continuing a homework Club on Wednesday lunchtimes which the children can attend to help with their work or take the opportunity to practice Sam Learning or any research they may need to do. I will give homework out, including spellings on a Monday and would ask the children to complete and hand it in by the following Monday. A Lunch time art club organised by Mrs Budge and Mrs Mistry is also available for Class 4 on Thursday and is open to all to attend. There are a number of Clubs now available to children at St John’s which I hope Year 4 will take the opportunity to attend. Reading and Spelling I have been delighted with the enthusiasm Class 4 children have shown with their reading. They can all feel extremely pleased with their efforts. It is expected that the children should aim to read for at least 20 minutes every day and they will also be expected to learn their weekly spellings ready for their spelling test on Monday. I would therefore be most grateful for your continued support. Curriculum Topics Along with the National Literacy and Subject R.E Science ST 1 Electricity HalfBelonging Term Sikhism 2nd Half - Term Sharing Food as part of Religious worship Numeracy Strategy, we will be teaching the following topics this term. History/Geography Art/DT P.E. ICT Geography: Art: Dance Collecting ‘Earning a Living’ Journeys Multi skills and Gymnastics presenting information Living Geography: DT: A Sense of things and Improving the Place Games Data bases their Environment Activities Habitats PE PE lessons will be on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Please make sure your child has correct PE kit in school these days (white or blue T – shirt, white or navy cotton shorts, plimsolls or trainers) - navy tracksuit bottoms would also be very useful in the colder weather. Music This will again be taught by Miss Li on Wednesday afternoons and will continue to develop strengthen and enthuse the children’s interest in music. This term our focus will surround wider opportunities for the children using different instruments and later in the term preparation for the Schools Easter Service. I hope this brief insight into the forthcoming term for children in Class 4 is helpful. If you would like to speak to me regarding your child’s education please do not hesitate to contact me. Kind Regards, Glenn Stead Glenn Stead