RECENT PHOTOGRAPHS
Ideas for the abstract noun poem
1/23
Ideas for the abstract noun poem
2/23
Setting multiplication challenges for each other
3/23
Representing multiplication using counters
4/23
Look what we can solve!
5/23
Preparation for our character descriptions
6/23
Using partitioning to solve multiplication
7/23
Representing multiplication using counters
8/23
Bug hunting in science
9/23
More bug hunting
10/23
Even more bug hunting!
11/23
When is water cleansing or dangerous?
12/23
When is water life-giving or beautiful?
13/23
Which five shall we keep and which do we 'wash' away?
14/23
Balancing
15/23
More balancing
16/23
Balances
17/23
Paired balances
18/23
Hold on tight.....
19/23
Balancing
20/23
Paired balancing
21/23
More paired balancing
22/23
Don't let go......
23/23
WELCOME TO ROWAN CLASS
2024 TO 2025
I am very pleased to welcome the Rowan class pupils back to school and I am very much looking forward to teaching them again this academic year. There is a lot to look forward to, with many interesting areas of learning planned.
The adults working in Rowan class this year are myself, Mrs Fielder and our wonderful teaching assistant Miss Gillbard. On Tuesdays my leadership time will be covered by Mrs Forward and on Wednesdays the class will have an hour of PE with Mr Gardener and an hour of science with Mrs Fourie.
Our topic area of learning this half term has a Geographical focus - we will be learning about Europe in particular Spain. In Science the unit of work for year three is Plants and for year four is Living Things and their Habitats.
Please refer to the Knowledge Organisers below for more detail on both these subjects as well as the Curriculum Map which outlines the units of work for the remaining subjects.
Week Ending January 24th
We have had another jammed pack couple of weeks. In English we have continued reading Arthur and the Golden Rope. We have written abstract noun poems, setting descriptions and character descriptions. These incidental writes as they are called have allowed the children to practice elements of grammar as well as become really familiar with the vocabulary which will help them when they write their own myth narratives in the next couple of weeks. The children are becoming more and more confident at exploring and experimenting with turns of phrases and sentence structures which is a delight to see.
In maths we have continued our work on multiplication and division. The year threes have used base 10, place value counters and partitioning to multiply a 2-digit number by a 1-digit number, learning how to solve calculations where exchange is required. For example 4 x 4 = 16, so ten ones can be exchanged for one ten. The year fours have been using place value counters to help understand how to multiply by 10 and 100. They have also been learning how to set out their calculations vertically and the importance of writing one digit per square so that the numbers are one above the other.
In science the year threes have started their work on plants and the year fours have been learning about vertebrates and invertebrates.
We have enjoyed using the atlases to locate European countries, capital cities as well as mountains and rivers. We have also used Google Maps to begin our comparison of Harting and the Costa Blanca in Spain.
Yesterday in RE we worked in small groups to think about when WATER is cleansing, or beautiful, or dangerous, or life-giving, or thirst-quenching. The children came up with some super ideas which they were allowed to write on the tables. They then had to decide which five of their ideas were the most important and wash off those they didn't want. This created a discussion with lots of reasoning as to what should stay and what should be 'washed' away.
Over the past few PE sessions the children have been practicing balancing on their own and with a partner. Last week they created a sequence of balances with moves to join these together, so that the performance would flow. Today they performed these to each other and we were all very impressed with how different they were.
Week Ending January 10th
It was lovely seeing all the children's smiling faces and confidence when entering Rowan class after the Christmas break. I enjoyed hearing about their amazing presents, their trips away and their visits with families and friends.
I want to congratulate Rowan class for a super first week back. They have settled back into the routines well and have produced some good pieces of work. In maths we have been looking at multiples of 10 and multiplying by 10. In English we have started our new core text, Arthur and the Golden Rope by Joe Todd-Stanton. It is a mythical text, one which I think we are going to enjoy studying. We have also spent time trying to complete our pneumatic systems in D.T. The children have shown resilience, determination and team work in order for them to function as effectively as they can.
Week Ending December 6th
Yesterday we visited The Weald and Downland Museum in Singleton to experience what it was like to be a child in Victorian times. The children used the dolly to wash the clothes, then turned the wheel of the mangle to squeeze out the excess water. They then had a go at using the heavy iron, sweeping the floor and beating a rug to remove the dust. We then visited the Victorian house where we learned how cramped the conditions were; two bedrooms for a family with eight children; an outside toilet or a chamber pot if you didn't fancy using the candle light to show you the way outside; one open fire upstairs to heat both rooms; the bathroom, not a room but a jug and bowl in the bedroom with water obtained from the pump outside. Two rooms downstairs, one the kitchen the other for food storage and washing up. Parents sat on chairs, the children on the floor. The cast iron range boiled water and cooked food with the parents and children who worked having the better food, the younger children the scraps. After our visit the children decided that living in the 21st century is definitely preferable to living in the Victorian era.
I just want to say a HUGE well done to Rowan class as they were fantastic, enthusiastic, and engaged all day. Well Done Everyone.
Week Ending November 22nd
News Flash!
On Thursday 21st November we had ...............SNOW. As the children walked into the classroom there was an air of excitement about them as the first few snow flakes fell. All they could talk about was snow and instead of colouring or reading they stood by the windows wishing. It was all I could do to get them quiet for the register and the order of the day. Eventually there was quiet and the snow stopped. Miss Gillbard and I couldn't decide, do we let the children have a play now or wait? We decided on the latter and thank goodness we did. How did we manage to learn the possessive apostrophe as the snow flakes grew larger and the landscape whiter? At 9:20, we could be mean no longer! Dressed in coats, hats, scarves and gloves the children ran into the playground leaving footprints where they went. It was so lovely watching them enjoying the snow, trying to build snowmen and throwing snow balls at whoever they could. Eventually, a little on the cold and wet side, we called the children in. Now we had the problem of how to warm their fingers and toes. Miss Gillbard and I decided that they could snuggle together under old duvet covers and blankets to help them warm up. Below are some super photographs of Rowan class having fun and warming up whilst watching a little something snowy!
Week Ending November 8th
Miss Gillbard and I want to say a huge WELL DONE and THANK YOU to all of Rowan Class for such a great start to the second half of the Autumn term. They have listened well, tried hard and are really beginning to show independence and resilience in their day to day learning. It is for these reasons that this week's STAR OF THE WEEK was given to the class.
We started our new core text in English, called Leaf written by Sandra Dieckmann. It is not often that the planning allows the whole text to be read in one session, but this week I had the great pleasure of reading the story to the class. You could have heard a pin drop, with every child hanging off my every word. The illustrations are beautiful too and have already been used to write prepositional phrases and poetry.
In maths year 4 have been learning how to calculate the area of simple 2-D shapes while year 3 have been continuing with addition and subtraction.
In Friday's PE lessons we will be participating in activities that focus around fitness. Rowan class had great fun today trying to balance with bean bags and hoops as well as working in teams of three to develop coordination.
Week Ending September 20th
What a super week we have had this week. Both Miss Gillbard and I noticed how the children have got back into the 'learning rhythm.'
On Tuesday afternoon, the children who wanted to be a school councillor read their speeches to the class. I was so impressed and touched by their commitment. Several children had remembered to write them at home or had spent some of their break time preparing them. Although only one pupil from each year group was voted in ( I was glad that I did not have that responsibility) I just wanted to say how proud I was of them all. Clearly some of the children were disappointed but at the same time were able to be happy for those who were successful. It was a special moment. Well Done.
Yesterday in maths we explored number sequences using a counting stick. The buzz from the children as they tried to work out what number the sequence would end with if we started at 2 and counted in fives, or what number the sequence would start with if it ended in 101 and we counted in twos or fives. Today each child had their own counting stick and had to set problems for their partners to solve. The children used many reasoning and proving strategies which was a delight to see and hear.
The children had their second French lesson on Monday, where we were learning to say car, bus, taxi, scooter and bicycle. They are so keen and confident at participating making it a fun lesson for all.
Well Done Rowan Class for this week. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as both myself and Miss Gillbard have.
PHOTOGRAPHS
RE - can you make the dog? What would make it easier? Was anything tricky? If yes, why?
1/17
RE
2/17
A finished dog
5/17
RE
6/17
RE
7/17
RE
8/17
RE
9/17
We did some drama to show tension
10/17
KNOWLEDGE ORGANISERS
SPRING ONE 2025
AUTUMN TWO 2024
AUTUMN ONE 2024
CURRICULUM MAPS
LEARNING CONVERSATIONS