18th October 2024

Hello Willow families!
As we wrap up another busy week before half term, here's what we've been getting up to in Year 3/4. It's been a week of learning, creativity, and lots of fun, as always!
Times Tables and Geometric Patterns 🎨🧮We kicked off the week with some times tables fun! The children worked hard on their multiplication skills while also spotting geometric and number patterns in everyday objects. We even got a bit arty by creating our own wallpaper prints based on those patterns. It was a brilliant combination of Maths and creativity!

Maths – A New Way of Working 🧮This week, Mrs Hoole took the time to explain a bit about how we structure our maths lessons with both Year 3 and Year 4. It’s a bit like plate spinning, but we’re getting really good at it!
For Year 4, we start by doing a group input and practising a few example questions together. Meanwhile, Year 3 work independently, reviewing previous work through KUCU (Keep Up, Catch Up) tasks. This week, Year 3 worked on reviewing odds and evens, which was a great refresher!
Then I do the Year 3 input while Year 4 complete their tasks, and after that, we all come back together to work on word problems. Those who need a little extra support work in small groups with our TA or get some one-on-one help. It’s been fantastic to see the Year 4s becoming so independent with their learning, and Year 3 are making great progress too.
One skill we’ve been focusing on recently is using estimation and the inverse to check our calculations. This helps the children become more confident when solving problems independently.
Rock Star Times Tables Day 🎸Next Friday, we’ll be celebrating Times Tables Rock Star Day! The children are encouraged to come dressed as rock stars (or in their own clothes if a rock star outfit isn't on hand). It's going to be a great way to add some fun into our maths learning. Don't forget to get your rock star gear ready!
Catapults Complete! 🏰After a couple of weeks of hard work, we’ve finally finished our Roman-style catapults! The children have really enjoyed learning about stability, structure, and teamwork throughout this project. We talked about how design is all about trial and error, and resilience was key to getting it right. The teamwork skills they’ve developed have been fantastic to see – they really helped each other out and communicated well to solve problems.
Show and Tell After Half Term 📅A quick reminder that after half term, the children will have the chance to take part in Show and Tell during our class assemblies. They can bring in anything they're proud of or would like to share, whether it’s a certificate, a toy, or even a photo! We’ve made a schedule to make sure everyone gets a turn, and the children are really excited about this opportunity.
That’s all for this week! I hope you all have a restful and enjoyable half term break. We’ve worked so hard this term, and it’s great to see how much progress the children are making. See you in November!
Enjoy the break,
Mrs Nuthall
Year 3/4 Willow Class Teacher