News & Events

Class 3 - Newsletter - Spring 2008

We have started our term by thinking about our SEAL topic; Good To Be Me.  During this topic, we have considered what it is that makes us unique and special, and where our strengths and weaknesses lie.  We have thought about the possible worries that children in Years 5 and 6 might have, and how we can deal with them - particularly important at this time, as our Year 6's are preparing for their SATs and the move to Secondary School.

As you will be aware, the Year 6's will be sitting end of KS2 tests (SATs) from Monday 12th - Friday 16th May.  We have already made a start on our revision in Literacy, Maths and Science.  During this time, it is particularly important that the Year 6's are completing their homework and revising for their tests.  However, it is just as important that they have time off to relax and that they are getting plenty of sleep!  During the week itself, it is vital that the children have a good night's sleep, followed by a filling breakfast, to set them up for the rest of the day.

If you have any concerns about the tests, or would like to know a little more, Woodlands Junior School website has information for parents:
www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/SATS.html#show

Likewise, the following websites are useful for revision:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/.

PE will continue to be on a Tuesday and Friday. This term we shall have Cricket coaching on a Tuesday, and will be doing Athletics on a Friday up until half term. Please note that children should have a suitable (named) PE kit in school on these days; white t-shirt, blue or black shorts / tracksuit bottoms and plimsolls. We will be outside, so a jumper may also be required. Swimming will start after half term and run for six weeks - girls will require a one-piece swimming costume, and boys; suitable swimming trunks.

Mrs Bett shall be taking the children for Art, DT and RE on a Monday afternoon.  This half term, the topics covered will be Life Drawings and Christian Buildings.  As part of their RE topic, the children will be visiting Babraham Church during the afternoon of May 19th.  Mrs Bett will also take the class on a Friday morning, when she is teaching Literacy and Music.

Mrs Bridstrup from Sawston Village College will continue assisting with our French teaching on a Tuesday afternoon, and over the next few weeks, we shall be looking at Months of the Year and Festivals.

Sawston Youth Drama will be visiting us for six weeks during June and July, and will be running drama workshops with the class.  We are looking forward to this interesting and exciting opportunity to develop our drama skills further.

HOMEWORK
Homework days will remain the same this term:

• Literacy and Maths homework will be given out on a Tuesday, and will be due in on a Monday.
• Spellings will be given out on a Monday for a test the following Monday.
• Children should be reading for about 20 minutes every day - either independently, to an adult, or being read to.

Our International Week will be the week commencing June 9th.  During the week, we shall come together with other Year 6's from local schools to experience Ghanaian drumming.  As part of our further activities on this day, we would like to collect as many items as possible with which to make drums and shakers.  Therefore, it would be much appreciated if, over the next month, the children could bring in clean, dry, empty items such as large yoghurt pots, Pringles tubes or other plastic pots.

In the later part of this term, Class 3 will be learning about the body changes experienced during puberty, as part of their Sex and Relationships Education. Before this is taught, parents will have the opportunity to come into school to discuss what will be covered by the lessons and to watch the videos which will be shown. Further details about this will be sent out at a later date.

In our Science lessons, we studied the Life Cycles of Plants.  After our SATs revision, we shall be studying Adaptation and Interdependence.  This will involve the children looking at the habitats of animals and how they have adapted to their environments.

Our topic this term is Investigating Coasts.  As part of this topic, we are planning a day trip to the East Anglian coast later in the term.  This will give the children an opportunity to study the effects which both nature and humans have on our coasts and to learn about the physical.

Year 6 Transition to Secondary School For those who will be attending Sawston Village College in September, there are a number of days being held which should help ease the move and enable the children to start the Autumn Term confidently.  The first is a DT day on Wednesday 21st May, and the second is the Transition Day on Wednesday the 2nd July.  These days should help the children get to know their new surroundings and new classmates a little before they start college in September.

Class 3's important dates:

12th - 16th May - SATs Week
21st May - Yr 6 DT day at SVC
25th June - Sports Day
27th June - Class 3's Assembly
2nd July - Transition Day (Yr 6 to SVC)
16th July - Summer Performance
21st July - Leavers Assembly for Year 6

If you have any questions or queries, please do pop in and see me - the best time are after school, Tuesdays to Fridays.

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, and I look forward to seeing during the course of the summer term.


Yours faithfully,


Mrs Sarah Barnes.