March 2023
Apologies for not posting the following information sooner – in haste I had omitted to press the update key!
The class are getting rather excited at the thought of our 2 night residential – reminding me how many sleeps – which is a really positive approach to what might be a new experience for some. Mrs Minney has been doing a grand job sorting various little ‘treats’ for the children to enjoy – I’m hoping she has included us in the numbers! Everyone should have received a kit list of items to bring. I would ask that the children bring several layers, as I am expecting it to be quite chilly. Some children have asked whether they can bring some large soft toys with them – my reply being as long as you are able to carry them and your clothes, then I have no objections.
Below are the documents for the remainder of this term. All children were given a spelling sheet to stick into their reading diary at the end of last term. They have also been given a new login relating to a Young Writers website, where there are grammar challenges to complete. This login should also be found in their reading diary.
If you need to speak to me, please see me after school. If you would like an appointment, you can message me directly via my Teams email.
Mrs Jacobs
Spring 2 Newsletter Year 4 – 2023
Spring 2 homework grid Year 4 – Land Detectives
January 2023
Happy New Year!
I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and a celebratory New Year.
Mrs Aldridge, Mrs Minney & I would like to thank everyone for the thoughtful gifts and cards that we received – we sincerely appreciate your generosity and trust we can continue to give your children support in their learning and, most importantly, to show them how to enjoy the process of learning.
There are a few changes this term – notably with the times we will be doing PE. The days have altered and our new PE days are Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesday we will be playing dodgeball, while Thursday we are swimming. May I take this opportunity to remind you that the children should have their PE kits in school every day, as there are occasions when it may be necessary to alter the timetable and we need the children to always be able to wear the appropriate clothing. As we go swimming on Thursday morning, if your child wears their swimwear under their uniform, please remember to provide them with underwear to change into after the session!
In addition, this Friday morning is our scheduled Bikeability session. For those children who have enrolled, please ensure you have completed the checklist for your bike , as the instructors will check it is safe before the session starts. If any bike is not deemed suitable, the child will not be able to complete the training. There are no bikes or helmets provided, so it is vital you bring your own with you. On this day, those children may come to school in sensible mufti – trousers, jeans or leggings, a warm top, a coat and trainers. If your child is not participating in this training, they are to come to school in school uniform.
Below are several documents containing information that you may need this term. If there is anything you need in addition to this, please speak to me tomorrow morning and I will endeavour to assist you.
Lastly, can you ensure your child brings a coat and water bottle each day
We have planned an exciting Spring term and look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday, 3rd January.
Be happy
Mrs Jacobs, Mrs Aldridge & Mrs Minney
Spring 1 Newsletter Year 4 – 2023
Spring 1 homework grid Year 4 – Roaming Romans
11th November 2022
We have had a day focusing on remembering others and learning how we can be considerate in certain situations.
From using poetry to express our positive emotions, to engaging in discussions on negotiating and compromising, the children have been able to explain their reasons for their decision making and actions.
Next week, our maths lessons will be focusing on multiplication and division. However, I would like to stress the importance and value of continuing to practice times tables at home, little and often works well.
Below is the newsletter, homework grid and spellings. All the children were given a spellings grid and have been excellent in their tests. Homework is optional and if your child has an alternative piece of work that they would like to show, we are happy for them to bring it in.
I look forward to speaking to you all at parents evening next week.
Mrs Jacobs & Mrs Aldridge
Autumn 2 Newsletter Year 4 – 2022
Autumn 2 homework grid Year 4 – Deadly Disasters
Welcome to Year 4 2022 – 2023
We are all excited to be welcoming our new Year 4’s this week.
Below are some documents which will help you understand what we will be learning this term. There is a Meet the Teacher Zoom on Monday 5th September at 5pm, details will be sent via email, where you can ask me questions and I will endeavour to answer. If you need to speak to me on a less public forum, I am usually available before and after school, or you can make an appointment via the school office.
Keep smiling 🙂
Mrs Jacobs
Autumn 1 Newsletter Year 4 – 2022
Autumn 1 homework grid Year 4 – Climate Change & Transport
Statutory spellings year 3 & 4
June 2022
The end of the first week has seen some lovely sunshine, resulting in the children enjoying their Golden Time outside. We had a vote and they unanimously agreed – I wonder if they will always be in agreement? This term we are looking at balanced arguments in literacy, so they will have plenty of opportunities to put forward a cogent argument during future discussions.
We will be having our final cricket lesson on Monday 13th June but continue to have tennis lessons fortnightly, on a Tuesday. In fact, we gain an extra tennis lesson during the week that Year 6 attend residential, so please ensure your child has their P.E. kit in school every day. There will also be additional athletics sessions with Mr Roberts during the term.
Our class trip is currently being finalised and you will receive a letter shortly. The date of the trip will be Monday, 4th July so please pencil this in your diary. Your child will require a packed lunch on that day so make sure you don’t book a hot dinner.
Mrs Bailey will be taking charge of Year 4 week commencing 13th June, for one week. I am sure the children will enjoy the change and Mrs Bailey will be keeping me informed of the progress of the children, on a daily basis.
Below is the newsletter, homework grid and spellings for this term. The children achieved incredible results in their spelling test today and I am very proud of the way they are learning their words in class.
A huge WELL DONE to another word millionaire this week. Florence Needham has achieved that target and received her badge in our assembly on Wednesday. Please encourage your children to read daily – it not only enhances their vocabulary and understanding but is a fun way to relax.
If you need to speak to Mrs Bailey or myself, we are available most days when your child leaves at the end of the day. Alternatively, you can make an appointment via the school office.
Kind regards
Mrs Jacobs
Summer 2 Newsletter Year 4 – 2022
Summer 2 homework grid Year 4 – WW2
25th April 2022
It was great to see all the children back with such a positive attitude this week.
We began our Vikings topic with a DT project to make our own Longboats. The children had to use their drawing and cutting skills to ensure they had the correct pieces for their boats. We will be designing the patterns for our shields next week.
Friday morning was our first cricket lesson and the children were excited to be out on the field. They learnt some different ways to catch and throw the ball, and were able to practise their batting and bowling skills. Teamwork is a big part of sport and the children showed they were able to work well together.
All the children had an opportunity to practise their times tables, using our new lablets, in preparation for the times tables test later in the summer term. I hope we will be able to practise every week so they become familiar with the format.
We have changed our spelling scheme so the list I put on the website previously is no longer current. I have put the new spellings at the bottom of this page and will give all children a paper copy on Monday. There are only 4 more weeks as the final week we have sports day. I am delighted to report that, although the children only had 2 days to practise this week, they all achieved either 9 or 10 out of 10 in their spelling test last Friday.
On Tuesday we will be having our first swimming lesson and I would remind you that all children must wear a swimming hat and remove any earrings before they are allowed to enter the pool. Hats can be purchased from the school office.
Please see below some photos of our activities this week and the spelling list.
Mrs Jacobs
Year 4 Revised Spellings Summer term 1
April 2022
After a gloriously sunny weekend eating plenty of chocolate eggs, it is a return to an exciting Summer Term at Cogenhoe.
We have plenty of sport to look forward to: swimming, cricket and tennis, as well as our Sports Day before half term. Can you ensure P.E. kit is in school at all times as these activities will take place across the week.
It is also important for your child to bring a water bottle to school everyday, especially as the weather starts to warm up.
Mrs Short will be teaching the children science every week, on a Monday afternoon, so we will learn our spellings on a Tuesday. The spelling test will continue to be on a Friday morning.
We will be having regular times table practise to try to increase our speed of recall. This is important for two reasons: it will help children to focus on the methods for more complex problem solving questions, rather than worrying about multiplication; it will increase the time children have to understand questions when sitting tests; children will feel more prepared for the Times Table Test, set by the Dept. for Education, which happens later this term. Swift recall of the times tables facts will help your child at all stages of their life – not just within the school setting but as adults – and is invaluable as a tool to increase their confidence as mathematicians.
Below is the newsletter, homework grid and spelling list. The homework grid is there as a suggestion, however, alternative projects or related work would be welcomed. Although we look at the spellings during the week, the children will also need to practise these at home.
As usual, if you have anything you would like to discuss, please speak to me in the morning or make an appointment via the school office.
We look forward to welcoming your child back to school on Wednesday, 20th April.
Mrs Jacobs & Mrs Bailey
Summer 1 Newsletter Year 4 – 2021
Summer 1 homework grid Year 4 – Valiant Vikings
February 2022
We hope you have all managed to enjoy your half-term without being blown away.
Last term saw us making Roman coins, designing mosaic patterns and understanding some of the followings of the religion of Islam. This term, we will be looking at the importance of rivers and how they have shaped the land.
We will also be performing the dances we have been learning during our Monday sessions to the rest of KS2.
Can you please ensure your child’s P.E. kit is in school every day, and that they come to school with a water bottle and coat, as the weather is changeable.
Spring 2 Newsletter Year 4 – 2022
We look forward to seeing you all on Monday, 21st February
Mrs Jacobs & Mrs Bailey
January 2022
Happy New Year!
We hope you have all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and were able to meet up with family and friends.
Mrs Bailey and myself would like to thank you all for your generous Christmas gifts – they are very much appreciated.
We will be starting a new topic on our return – Roaming Romans – I hope we can be as creative as we were for our Deadly Disasters topic. Included below is the newsletter, homework grid and spellings sheet. We will continue with our weekly spellings that the children need to practise at home, plus some extra words that we will learn in class together. P.E. will be on a Monday morning and alternate Wednesday afternoons, so please ensure your child has their P.E. kit in school.
We look forward to welcoming your children back on Wednesday, 5th January 🙂
Mrs Jacobs & Mrs Bailey
Spring 1 Newsletter Year 4 – 2022
Spring 1 homework grid Year 4 – Roaming Romans
Y4 Spelling Term Spring 1 Overview
December 2021
Our final few weeks of term were a mixture of assessment and excitement!
We did many practical activities including a melting experiment in science, making our own volcanoes and getting them to ‘erupt’, competing against each other to construct a marshmallow building that was ‘earthquake’ proof and learning how to balance during gymnastics.
We finished with some amazing Christmas art – which I hope you enjoyed as decorations in your own homes – alongside a noisy Christmas party and a wonderful pantomime at The Derngate Theatre – oh, yes we did!
Below are some pictures of these events
Thursday 11th November 2021
We are almost at the end of our second week and we have had a creative time since returning.
Last week saw us celebrate Diwali, making colourful Rangoli and receiving some lovely treats from Amiya, Isla and Noah – what a delight.
This week, we started by making and decorating gingerbread men. The children used this activity to consider what they felt was essential to make a member of our Cogenhoe Community – showing those values of Courage, Curiosity, Confidence, Compassion and Pride that drive our curriculum and everything that we do.
Next, we had our first Christmas activity! They created their own designs which could be used on Christmas cards or wrapping paper. These will be printed and parents will have an opportunity to purchase different items with their child’s design on – an activity organised by the PTA.
Wednesday afternoon saw a team of 8 children from KS2 – including Amber, John and David from Year4 – represent the school in a badminton competition at Wollaston Secondary School. All the children were amazing, coming a close second place – see this weeks newsletter for a full report.
Today was a day of reflection and respect. We stood silently at 11am and held discussions about poems linked to Remembrance. The children wrote their own poems in a style of their choosing and analysed vocabulary and verse in the poems ‘In Flanders Field’, ‘The Soldier’ and ‘Perhaps’. These poems, along with poppies we had made earlier in the week, are displayed in the classroom and around the door.
Below are some photos of the activities described above.
Next week are the parent meetings and I look forward to speaking to you all.
Regards
Mrs Jacobs
Monday, 1st November
Welcome back Year 4 – I hope you had a spooktastic half term!
I would like to say how much the children enjoyed our art day during the final week of last half term. We looked at tone and shade, and how our colour choices could match our mood when we are painting. Our focus was the artist Marc Chagall and his painting ‘I and the Village’. After a class discussion, each child chose their own 5 positive experiences. They wrote a simple sentence then selected the noun in the sentence to draw. By rotating our paper as we drew, it gave a floating dimension – as Chagall painted in a way as to avoid perspective. You can see some of the images below.
During the week, we also made musical instruments in science and finished the week with a Halloween quiz – treats supplied generously by the PTA.
This term we will be having a new set of spellings added to the reading diaries. Each week, a further 5 words will be practised in class. These are in addition to the 10 which the children need to practise at home. A spelling test will be given every Friday.
P.E. will continue to be on a Wednesday & Friday, so please ensure the children have their P.E. kits in school and have joggers or jumpers as the weather gets colder.
Please ensure your child brings a coat and a water battle to school every day.
Mrs Jacobs
Autumn 2 Newsletter Year 4 – 2021
Autumn 2 homework grid Year 4 – Deadly Disasters
Y4 Spelling Term Autumn 2 Overview
Monday, 11th October
We have had a busy term and I am pleased to say that the children are remembering the class rules that we wrote together at the beginning of September. Accelerated reader books are being quizzed on regularly, spellings improving and times tables are being practised – along with our throwing and catching (ask your child!).
As so many of us had limited time away over the holidays, we wrote our own alternative Holiday Poems. Read a selection of them below and see if you can work out how we got our ideas.
Some children had an opportunity to take part in the Bikeability Level 1 training, a valuable experience. During this time, the remaining class looked at the work of the artist Mondrian, creating our own interpretation of his famous works.
A new skill that the children are learning this term is orienteering, with a slight difference. Our aim is to improve our map reading skills while enhancing the knowledge we are learning in the classroom. Below, you can see a few examples of our initial sessions. Starting with assembling funny faces, then progressing to matching symbols with environmental features, we are getting out into the playground, using up some of our excess energy in the process.
Year 4 are also doing an amazing job in developing their presentation skills. Each morning, our Book Talk groups are challenged to discuss aspects of their text and the Book Talk leader must feedback these thoughts to the class. This can be a daunting prospect, however, the leaders are creating some fantastic answers together and learning to deliver those answers to the rest of the class. We have also had some group presentations on different animals that are endangered – allowing the children to select important pieces of information from written texts and the internet to support their opinions.
Please continue to support your child with their reading, spelling and times tables. It really is invaluable in improving their ability across the curriculum.
If you need to speak to myself or Mrs Bailey, please make an appointment via the school office or you can see us at the class door at the end of the day.
Mrs Jacobs
Welcome to Year 4!
I hope you are all as excited as we are to start our new school year. Mrs Bailey and I are looking forward to welcoming you all and completing a whole year face-to-face.
Below is some information you may find useful. If you need to speak to me I will be available most days before school or, if required, you can make an appointment via the school office.
Keep safe and keep smiling 🙂
Mrs Jacobs
Autumn 1 Newsletter Year 4 – 2021
Y4 Spelling Term Autumn 1 Overview
Statutory spellings year 3 & 4
