Dear Parents/Carers,

I am looking forward to a fantastic Autumn Term 2011 and we have lots of exciting things planned.

PE

PE is now timetabled for  Wednesday and Thursday. However, we expect children to bring in their PE kit on a Monday and leave it in school all half term, or at the least until Friday as outdoor PE can change due to weather or we may get the opportunity for extra PE from visiting specialists.

Homework

The children are given one or two homework activities on a Friday to be returned by Wednesday the following week.  Homework usually includes one literacy activity and one numeracy activity – although occasionally an activity can be linked to a different area of the curriculum.  We thank you very much for supporting your children with their homework activities. Don't forget Homework Club is a great way to ensure your child completes homework on time!

Reading

At school, as part of our guided reading sessions, children regularly read and discuss a broad range of texts.  The home reading scheme is created to provide a broad range of texts for use at home although not every child will enjoy every book – if a child particularly dislikes a book then please return it to be changed.  Please encourage your child to read regularly and make some time to discuss the book with them.  In Year 4, children are expected to read their school reading book at least 3 times per week and this must be recorded in their diary. In addition, home-reading does not always have to be a reading scheme book – lots of children enjoy a range of reading at home, from Beast Quest to Rainbow Fairies.  Children could also record this in their reading diary.

Times Tables – Top-up

By the end of Year 4, most children are expected to know their times tables up to 10 x 10. Quick recall of times tables helps children in all aspects of maths.  This can only be achieved by regular practice.  There are lots of ways to do this at home, for example, clap out a rhythm with a times table, sing them to a favourite tune or  try out the games on the school website. 

Spelling

Spelling homework will not be set every week but maybe sent home when there are a number of new, topic related words to use. Spellings will be taught through literacy and phonics during the week. 

Visits

We are already looking forward to the exciting Roman Chester trip in April. Remember It's easy to save £1 or £2 a week and so spread the cost.[ Savings cards are available from the office in KS2] 

If you have any questions or concerns, please pop in and speak to me at the end of the school day– the door is always open! Thank you for your support – it is very much appreciated.

Mrs Krupinski