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YEAR 3 NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2015
“WE SHINE LIKE STARS WHEN WE WORK SUPER HARD”
Dear Parent/Carer,
Firstly, a huge welcome to Year 3! We have lots of exciting things planned already and look
forward to the year ahead.
As you may already be aware, we are following the new National Curriculum set out by the
government. We will be working in blocks of six weeks, the first five weeks will be using a
text as the main focus – our first text will be Stig of the Dump. During the five weeks, we ask
that you share newspapers with your child and that if they see an article they are
particularly interested in they should cut it out and bring it in to display in the classroom. At
the end of week five, we will vote as a class as to which article we would like to find out
more about. This will then become the focus of week six.
Year 3 is an important year for your child as it’s the first year of Key Stage 2. We hope to
cover lots of important information within this newsletter but please do not hesitate to pop
and see us out on the playground if you have any questions that arise. Alternatively, you can
make a note in your child’s organiser and ask them to show us in the morning.
Below is some information about the curriculum we will be teaching over the following Half
Term.
English
As mentioned above, English over the next five weeks will be based around Stig of the Dump.
We hope that you will purchase a copy so that you can enjoy reading it along with your child.
We will be working towards writing adventure stories of our own, as well as writing recounts
and instructional texts.
We will be regularly practising our handwriting, progressing to a cursive joined up style. All
children in Year 3 will write with a pencil to begin with. When we feel a developed joined
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YEAR 3 NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2015
“WE SHINE LIKE STARS WHEN WE WORK SUPER HARD”
handwriting style has been achieved then a pen will be given to your child by a teacher. We
do not anticipate this happening too early in the school year, but it is something to bare in
mind. Presentation is the key!
There will be a weekly spelling test and spellings will be sent home to practise. We hope that
you support your child in the learning of these and also in finding adventurous ‘bonus’ words.
Guided reading will take place each week with a teacher. Homework will be set from this and
a text occasionally sent home with your child.
Maths
The following areas of Maths will be covered in the first half term.
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Number: Number & Place Value
Number: Addition & Subtraction
Geometry: Properties of shape
Number: multiplication & division
Homework will be linked to the current teaching each week.
Your child will take part in a multiplication speed test each day as well as a weekly
multiplication test. There is a display in the classroom where children can move themselves
along as they achieve the multiplication targets. Children will only be allowed to move along
as they achieve 100% in the weekly test. Children will write in their organisers the set of
multiplication facts they are learning. It is important that children also practise the related
division fact, for example:
2x3=6 or 3x2=6
So, 6÷2=3 or 6÷3=2
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YEAR 3 NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2015
“WE SHINE LIKE STARS WHEN WE WORK SUPER HARD”
Science
Our Science topic this half term will be Plants.
Plants is a repeated Science topic within the new curriculum for Year 3. We will look at
plants in winter, spring and summer and compare our findings.
We will be looking at naming parts of a plant and its functions.
Topic
Our first topic is called ‘If we travelled back in time, would we survive in the Stone Age?’ This
will include learning about the Stone Age in History.
This will link closely to our English and the story Stig of the Dump by Clive King.
We will be researching and finding out how Britain has changed since the Stone Age. If you
can think of any interesting questions regarding these changes in Britain, or more specifically
the Stone Age, then please let your child bring them to school and we will enjoy finding out
the answers together. Alternatively, if you research this Historic period in the library or on the
internet, please don’t hesitate to send it into school with your child.
PE
Weekly PE sessions will take place each Tuesday and Thursday.
This term, in our Tuesday sessions, we will be learning skills linked with the game of tennis.
Hopefully, we will be able to use the field or the playground while the weather is still warm
enough, therefore your child will need their outdoor PE kit in school. This must include a black
or grey tracksuit and black plimsolls or trainers suitable for PE.
Thursday’s PE sessions will be led by a PE specialist teacher, and will focus on Basketball.
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YEAR 3 NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2015
“WE SHINE LIKE STARS WHEN WE WORK SUPER HARD”
French
In Year 3 we will be learning to speak French. We will be focussing on key vocabulary but
also learning some French songs. We hope you will support your child with this new learning
at home. There is some French vocabulary included in your child’s Personal Organiser.
Computing
Our first focus within Computing will be Computer Science where children will become
familiar with a program called Purple Mash. Children will learn to use sequence, selection,
and repetition in programs as well as work with variables and various forms of input and
output.
RE
We will be focusing on Christianity firstly, particularly concentrating on Signs, Symbols and
Parables.
We will also be looking at British Values and creating a poster about these.
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YEAR 3 NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2015
“WE SHINE LIKE STARS WHEN WE WORK SUPER HARD”
Art and Design Technology
In DT, we will be heading on down to Forest School where the children will firstly design and
then build Dens linked to Stig of the Dump. Children will need to select and use a wide range
of construction materials according to their functional properties. Children will then
evaluate their ideas as well as keep a photo diary of their progress.
In Art we will be creating Sculptures using clay to make models of the dens built at Forest
School.
Music
Performing will be the first strand of Music we focus on in Year 3. Children will have the
opportunity to play and perform in ensemble contexts as well as be given opportunities for
solo performances within the classroom. The instrument we will be focussing on for the
year is the recorder. If you child has a recorder, they are welcome to bring it to school in
their book bag each Thursday.
Children should use their voices and play musical instruments with increasing accuracy,
fluency, control and expression.
We will be learning new songs in French as well as in preparation for the Harvest Festival
assembly.
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YEAR 3 NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2015
“WE SHINE LIKE STARS WHEN WE WORK SUPER HARD”
PSHE
We have been setting ourselves personal achievable targets which we will review every six
weeks. These are presented on our Bee display in the classroom.
We will also focus on New Beginnings, looking at starting a new school year and Key Stage.
Homework
Your child will receive a weekly piece of English and Maths homework. It will be set on a Friday
and will need to be handed in by the following Thursday. Please encourage your child to take
pride in their homework, keeping their homework books clean and tidy and using their best
presentation.
In addition to this, your child will be preparing for a weekly times tables test each Friday and
spelling test each Wednesday. Please note, that your child will need to get 100% on the
multiplication test including the inverse operations (corresponding division facts) before they
can move onto the next set.
Please support your child regularly with their independent reading text and guided reading
text which they will need to bring into school each day. We will be continuing with Reading
Rockets, where your child will be given a raffle ticket to be entered into a prize draw when 3
comments per week are written in their Personal Organiser to show they have read at home
We do ask that you support your child with their homework. If your child is unable to
complete their homework, for whatever reason, ask him/her to come and see us, prior to the
deadline, so that we can help.
As always, we ask that children produce a piece of creative homework linked to any part of
our topic. It can be ICT based, writing, art and beyond. It can be independent or with your
support. Enjoy! The deadline for the creative homework is Monday 19th October.
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YEAR 3 NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2015
“WE SHINE LIKE STARS WHEN WE WORK SUPER HARD”
Diary Dates
 Rise and Shine Reading in the classroom - each Tuesday and Friday from 8:35
 PE days - Tuesdays and Thursdays
 Creative Homework deadline – Monday 19th October
And finally…
Independence is key in Year 3 and we will be expecting each child to hang their book
bags and belongings on their own peg each morning, bringing into the classroom their
Personal Organiser, reading book and any dinner money or letters to hand in. There will
be an activity for your child to complete each morning as they enter the classroom.
As you will be aware, we both work part-time and will job-share Year 3. Mrs Ripley will
teach each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Mrs Worthington will teach each
Thursday and Friday.
We will be out on the playground each morning to collect the children.
We are looking forward to the year ahead, many thanks,
Mrs Ripley, Mrs Worthington, Mrs Steeples and Miss Blewitt