Building community, Enriching Lives
Dear Parents and Children of Class 3,
Welcome back to the final term of the year. I hope you all enjoyed your extended half term. This is just a
quick newsletter to keep you up to date.
Topic
‘Our Island Home’ topic will continue this term; however, rather than the geography, we will be focusing on
the history and changes in our local area. For Topic homework, children will be asked to research an aspect of
the local history of their choice. This could be the Berkeley family, Edward Jenner, The Cotswold escarpment
or way (all 100 miles!) Gloucestershire Docks or cathedral, Elvers (baby eels) in the Severn (this could include
life cycles.) village life in the local villages; in fact the list is endless. The project will be self-managed over the
course of 5 weeks and children will be asked to present their findings during the final two weeks of term.
Children can find additional sheets in the back of their homework pack to support this homework.
English
In English we will be writing some arguments which link to our topic. It would be very helpful, if you are
driving from Elmore into Quedgeley, if you could discuss, with your child/children, the differences they notice
on either side of the canal. For example: farms, country lanes with no road markings or pavements and very
few houses as opposed to lots of housing, pubs shops, road markings, roundabouts pavements, street lighting
etc.
PE
On a Monday morning the children will be starting rounders with Mr Marshall and on Friday morning they will
be continuing with their athletics training, with a coach. Please ensure relevant kit is in school and hopefully
as the weather warms up the children will be able to wear shorts and t-shirts more often.
Homework
Please see whole school newsletter for information about homework throughout the school. Class 3 will
receive their homework on Wednesday and will need to return it by Monday; although they are welcome to
hand it in earlier. The box and tick sheet is always at the front of the classroom next to book bag boxes.
Please note - homework may not always receive a written but children will be able to earn points and will be
given verbal feedback for some pieces of work. Information can be found in the homework pack.
Spellings
This term the whole school has adopted a new spelling scheme. This may result in repetition of some
spellings from this year, but this can be used as consolidation. Spellings will be given out on Wednesday;
(following a spelling lesson/activity) children will participate in another activity on Monday before their test
on Wednesday. It may be helpful to check that your child has remembered to pick up their spellings (and
homework pack) every Wednesday. Please refer to English curriculum overview on the website if you would
like to look at the spelling expectations.
Reading
Please continue to read with your child for ten minutes each day, discussing the text. In particular, please
identify dialogue in the text and discuss the use of inverted commas, punctuation and grammatical features;
Building community, Enriching Lives
for example: first speaker = new line and new speaker = new line. Children are reminded to change their
books at least once a week, but are welcome to change them at any time.
Some questions you can ask when reading together include:
Non-Fiction
How does the layout help the reader?
Why is this word/paragraph etc. in italics/bold etc?
Why has the information been presented in this way?
Fiction
Why did the author choose to begin a new paragraph here?
Why did the author use this vocabulary/simile/adverb?
How do think …. was feeling when….?
What do you think will happen next/in the end?
Can you identify the hidden meaning (inference) in the sentence/paragraph?
Times Tables
There will be a huge drive on the quick recall of multiplication tables and division facts ready for children
going up into the next year group. Children will be given aids and prompts for homework every other week
and encouraged to use their own posters, cubes, books etc. that they have been telling me all about.
Children will still be asked to complete ONE PAGE of their Mental Maths books on the alternate week, these
books will now be given out on Wednesday and need to be returned by Monday for marking. If returned after
Monday they may not be marked.
Wednesday
Monday
Wednesday
Spellings, Mental Maths books or tables given out.
Mental maths books and homework packs returned for
marking.
Spellings test in class and cycle starts again.
Please do not forget to look at the Class page on our school website www.longney.gloucs.sch.uk
for (almost) up to date photographs and information.
If you have any issues concerning your child I am free to speak to you most days after school.
Kind regards
Miss Formoso