Dear Parents,
We would like to welcome you and your child to Year 3 and hope that you had a wonderful summer holiday. We are very much looking forward to getting to know your children over the coming weeks and are sure that they will settle quickly into the Juniors. This letter will hopefully clarify some of your questions about curriculum coverage and classroom routines this year.
In Literacy, we will be exploring aspects of story writing focusing on traditional tales and fables as well as reading, writing and enjoying a range of poetry. Our non-fiction focus will be on recount texts and instructions. Due to the Curriculum requirement that ‘pupils should be using joined handwriting throughout their independent writing,’
handwriting will also be a particular focus in the early stages of the term with the aim to increase legibility, consistency and the quality of the childrens’ writing.
During Maths we will continue to build on prior learning from Year 2, developing skills in understanding number, calculating, shape, measuring and handling data. We will follow the Essential Maths Curriculum from Hertfordshire.
In Science, the children will study two topics this term, Rocks and Forces and Magnets. We will be learning about The Romans in History and this will link nicely with our work on Mosaics in Art and Design.
The children will be learning about the key values of Love, Respect and Tolerance, Community and Service, Justice and Charity, Truth and Honesty and Peace throughout the year in their RE lessons. Recorder lessons will be taught by Mrs Salway on a Wednesday morning with Music on a Thursday morning. The children will also be taught French and we are very lucky to have Mrs Cheshire’s expertise with this on a Wednesday afternoon.
Spellings will be given out each week on a Monday and tested on the Friday. The children will be given their learning logs each Friday, to be returned by the following Wednesday (unless stated otherwise). Your child/children will be issued with a Reading and Homework diary which will be completed each time they read to an adult in school. Please also feel free to comment in the diary about your child’s reading. Please also feel free to use these diaries as a means of communication. Also, the new spellings will be written in the diary each week. Please work with your child/children to learn their spellings and to generate any new spellings associated with the rule.
Year 3 are timetabled for PE on Mondays and Wednesdays but it would be helpful if the children have their PE kits in school all week in case an extra PE lesson is arranged. Please can you ensure all kit is clearly named before it is brought into school to minimise lost property. When possible we will be outside for PE lessons so please ensure your children also have appropriate outdoor kit and footwear for this purpose. The children will begin swimming lessons in the Summer Term as part of the PE curriculum at a cost of £25.00. Further information will be sent out during the Spring Term.
During the year, we will be taking Year 3 on class trips to support their learning. At present, we are planning to visit RomanVerulamium this term on Friday 18th October at a cost of £8.30. Celtic Harmony Camp in the Spring Term at a cost of £25.00 and Affinity Water Treatment Works in the Summer Term at a cost of £17.00.
It would be very helpful if any parents are able to assist in the classroom during the year. Parent helpers are always greatly appreciated for support with times tables and hearing the children read. Reading for enjoyment is key and we would greatly appreciate any support in order to listen to the children read. We are very flexible and would be happy to arrange times after drop off and just before collection of the children. Support with Guided Reading on a Tuesday or Thursday morning first thing would also be very much appreciated.
We hope that your child will be very happy in Year 3. We work hard to ensure that the children feel happy, safe and secure and confident to learn. We would like to thank you for your help and support in advance and if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us.
Kind regards,
Mrs Heidi Lewis and Mrs Julie McVeigh.