Learning this half term:

This half term, we will be learning all about influential women and how they have stood up for what they believed in, how they challenged the status quo, and their impact on the world. This will build on the children’s previous learning about key historical figures in KS1 and will give them some of the key skills and knowledge to prepare them for a more in-depth Human Rights study when they progress to year 5/6. During the next few weeks, we will also be learning about historical figures, such as Emeline Pankhurst, Mary Anning and Amelia Earhart, and studying some contemporary influential women, such as Malala Yousaf, Greta Thunburg, and Emma Watson. We will be looking at the lasting impact these women had on history, as well as highlighting that people are still fighting for what they believe in even today.

We will also, though our R.E. and Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education sessions, be examining how different religious and non-religious people aim to make the world a better place.  This will look at a range of viewpoints, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Humanists.

As always, if you have any pastoral concerns or observations you wish to share, please speak to your class teacher at the end of the day. Alternatively, you can email our pastoral team: pastoral@preston.torbay.sch.uk

Vocabulary: we will be exploring the following topic vocabulary:

Tier 2 – high level words:

Equal rights, fair, protest, explorer, criticism

Tier 3 – subject specific words:

Suffragettes, prejudice, activists, campaign, pioneer

Wider curriculum, including music, art, poetry, and film:

For our art lessons this half term, we will be studying female artists and learning to replicate their techniques.  In music we will be learning and performing a song with percussion instruments, and in our Spanish sessions we will continue to learn about the vocabulary of towns, focusing on holding simple conversations in Spanish.

School Value – Determination

Children will be able to confidently say what determination means to them, and give examples of when they, or characters in stories, have shown determination.

Maths In Maths this half term we will be deepening the children’s understanding of decimal numbers by applying what they know to money. We will also be looking at statistics and different ways that information can be presented and interpreted. Finally, we will be learning all about time and how to tell the time in both analogue and digital form. We would appreciate parental support in teaching the children how to tell the time, by encouraging them to read the different clocks around the house, and by asking questions. For example, if a clock is reading 11:40, you could ask ‘How long until 12:00? What are the two ways of saying this time? (Eleven forty and twenty to twelve)’.

Literacy

This half term in our literacy lessons, we will be focusing on two texts: ‘Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World’, and ‘Beatrice’s Dream – Life in an African Slum’. We will be using these texts as models to write our own biographies about a famous woman, and as inspiration to write diary entries.  We have been so pleased with what the children have written using the No-Nonsense Literacy structure and cannot wait to see all their fantastic writing.

Home Learning

Weekly spellings practice - Spellings are set every Friday on Spelling Shed. Please enable your child to spend time learning their spellings.

Daily reading – at least 15 minutes every day.

Project – Think of a woman who inspires you in your life. This might be a family member, pop star, politician, sports star etc. How does this person demonstrate each of our school values, and what makes them important to you? Please see Teams for the template for how this could be presented, or create your own.

Maths - Please also support your child to continue to learn their times tables by using TTRockstars each week as part of their maths homework.

Reading at Home

Please continue to support your child reading at home.  Remember, this can be a physical book, comic, or eBook (such as on MyOn). Please allow your child to quiz on the book (through Accelerated Reader) when they have finished, if possible.

Messages: Swimming – we are excited to start our swimming sessions this half term. All three classes (Swifts, Starlings and Sparrows) will be swimming on a Wednesday, and this will replace our usual P.E slots. As Starlings are swimming first in the morning, they may come into school with their costumes on underneath their uniform if needed. Please do ensure that your child arrives at school with everything they need for the swimming sessions (towel, swimming costume/shorts, underwear, bag for wet clothes etc.)

Everyday items: Can we remind you that your child should not be bringing anything in from home, other than a water bottle and a packed lunch if needed. They may also bring in a small, named bottle of sun cream, if required. Please ensure that you have applied sun cream to your child in the morning, so they are protected throughout the day.  

Allergies: We have a number of children with nut and kiwi allergies so please ensure these products are not brought into school.