Rowan

Spring One: Tomb Raiders

I hope that you have all enjoyed your Christmas break! Thank you very much for all of your kind cards and presents. 

This half term is very exciting as we are learning about Ancient Egypt. In our History lessons we will learn about the pyramids, the Pharaohs and the hieroglyphs they used to communicate. We will learn about life in Ancient Egypt, as well as the gods and mummification which they are famous for. 

In English, we will write newspaper reports about Howard Carter discovering the hidden tomb of Tutankhamun. This way we can include wild speculation about the mysterious curse, and include reported and direct speech. We will also write a recount of life in Ancient Egypt, to further build on our historical knowledge. 

In Science, we will learn about forces such as gravity, water resistance and friction. This allows us to think deeper about the forces that are in action during everyday activities. We will also be able to create designs to increase or decrease the effects of these forces. 

We will also be able to have interesting discussions about the morality of removing the treasures from the tombs as part of our SMSC development. 

We are lucky to have visitors teaching our PE on Mondays, and we will be practicing our basketball skills outdoors. Please ensure that PE kits are in school promptly after the weekend, and feel free to include black tracksuit bottoms for the colder weather. 

Overall a very exciting half term!

Pizza Express Visit 

We had a great time today at the Pizza Express in Festival Place! We were able to learn about working in a restaurant, and about making pizzas. We learnt about hygiene as we wore aprons and chef hats, and washed our hands carefully! We were able to see how a ball of dough is turned into a pizza base, and the ingredients that are used to make it. We were able to practice spreading the tomato and basil sauce and added our cheese on top. At the end, I think we were very pleased with the pizzas that we had made and really enjoyed eating them! 

We are very grateful for Pizza Express for providing this experience free of charge, and for helping every child to make their own pizza. 

Autumn Two: Bella Italia

I hope that everyone enjoyed their half term!

This half term we will be learning about modern Italy, which will build on your knowledge of the Romans in Year 4! 

In English we will be writing travel guides, so we will research some of Italy's most iconic landmarks cities, and combine this with some very convincing persuasive writing. We can also have a quick revisit of the facts and opinions that we looked at last half term, to ensure that we don't go too far! 

In Geography we will be comparing Basingstoke with an Italian city. This allows us to look at the differences in physical geography (and how this has impacted the cities) and how humans have made an impact as well. 

We will be learning some DT as well, which will start with a trip to Pizza Express who are very kindly providing this opportunity free of charge. This will help us learn about food preparation, kitchen safety, and we can revisit the Eatwell Plate. Please ensure that your form is back in time, and please let me know if any adults are available to come with us. 

We will continue to do PE on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so please make sure that you have your kit in school. MyMaths, Spelling Shed, Reading Records, and TT Rockstars will continue as before, so please keep up with those! 

Ciao for now!

Pizza Express Visit

We have organised a visit to Pizza Express in Festival Place as part of next term's work on Italy.  The objective of the visit is to learn about Italian food and culture, as well as to learn about preparing food safely.  The visit involves making and eating pizzas. 

Please complete the attached consent form and return to school no later than 5th November.  

Warburtons' Visit

We were very lucky to have a visit from the Warburtons bakery in our class. We learnt about the different types of food and why our bodies need them. Then we got to make our own healthy sandwiches with carbohydrates, protein and vegetables. We also learnt about the importance of hygiene when cooking as wore hair nets and aprons. 

Planetarium Trip

We had a great time on our trip to Winchester Science Centre! We got to go into the Planetarium to look at the planets close up. Then we had a workshop about the new James Webb telescope. We conducted experiments to find which material would make the best hear shield, and used mirrors to move lasers around space. Then, we had time to go into the Explore Space section and learn about life and space. 

Thank you to the parents who came with us, and for everyone for supporting this trip. 

Have a look at our pictures to see our learning!

Autumn One: Earth and Space

I hope that everyone has enjoyed their summer break and is ready to come back to school with lots of energy! 

This half term we will be learning about the Earth, our solar system, and the planets around us. 

In English, we will be completing a fictional piece of writing in the form of a newspaper article about the mysterious rocket launch in Cosmic by Frank Cattrell Boyce. We will be able to imagine what happens and where they end up. We will also write some non-fiction instructions about how to be an astronaut- so we will have to investigate this fully! How do they wash in space? What do they eat? We'll soon find out!

In Science we will look at how the Earth moves in relation to the other planets, the moon and the sun. We will look at day and night, and the seasons, and whether or not the Earth really is round. 

This also link to our Geography as we look at the equator, lines of longitude and latitude, and how to use grid references to find places using an atlas. 

We will be able to develop our learning on our trip to Winchester Planetarium! Please have your forms and money into the office by Friday 13th September, and please let a member of staff know if you are able to accompany us on the day. 

Our PE days will be Tuesdays and Thursdays, but please make sure that kits are in school on a Monday in case this changes. Homework will be on Mymaths and Spelling Shed, and please remember to keep up with timestables books and reading records. 

We have a very exciting term ahead!