Year 4 - Amethyst

Our Learning- Spring Term 1

Coming up this half term:

Maths-   Multiplication and Division B, Length and Perimeter, Decimals

English-  Shape Poems, Non-Fiction: Non-Chronological Reports, Fiction: Warning Tales

Science-  Archaeology (including rocks, soils and fossilisation)

Computing-  Online Safety

Geography-  Why Do People Live Near Volcanoes?

Art- Prehistoric Painting

RE-  Pilgrimages

Music- Playing the Recorder

We were invited to All Saint's Church to visit their Christmas Through The Keyhole event. There were lots of different activities to explore including some craft activities and a walk through of the nativity story. We got to talk to some of the key characters like the innkeeper, a shepherd, Mary and Joseph. The children even got a little bag of souvenirs to take home with them. It was a lovely way to learn more about the meaning behind Christmas. 

We had a wonderful visit from two reindeer named Flash and Jet along with their handlers. As well as getting to feed and stroke them we also found out information about where they live, what they eat and their special adaptations for living in the cold. It was really interesting to learn about these fascinating creatures. 

We were lucky enough to have a special day of Roman activities led by 'Marcus Antonius' from History into Schools. Lots of children enjoyed the opportunity to dress up to add to the experience. The children took part in a range of different tasks to enhance their learning about this topic. We learned about the Roman invasion of Britain, the legacy the Romans left behind as well as learning to play a traditional Roman board game and having the chance to explore some real Roman artefacts. In the afternoon, we found out more about life in the Roman army. There was a chance to handle some replica weapons and try on parts of their uniform. Then, we had a go at throwing some foam spears, creating shield walls and battling with pretend swords. The final activity was a gladiator contest! It was an amazing day with lots of exciting learning opportunities.

Our Learning- Autumn Term 2

Coming up this half term:

Maths-   Area and Multiplication and Division 

English-  non-fiction unit on explanation texts

Science-  Our Amazing Bodies (including teeth and digestion)

Computing-  Touch Typing

History-  How the Romans changed Britain

DT- Adapting a Recipe- making biscuits

Our Learning- Autumn Term 1

Amethyst Class have had a busy start to the year. In Maths we have been working through the first two White Rose units for Year 4. The first was place value where we worked on partitioning and recombining 4-digit numbers, comparing and ordering numbers and rounding to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000. The second unit has been addition and subtraction. In this unit we have recapped mental strategies for adding and subtracting as well as developing our knowledge of written column methods and solving more complex word problems. 

In English, we started with some work on poetry where we wrote our own acrostics, kennings and list poems about ourselves, our families and friends. Then, we moved onto a narrative unit with a focus on characters that have a bad habit. We explored our focus text 'Vain Vera' and learned it using a text map. After that, we planned, drafted and published our own story featuring a character we had created. 

Our Science topic this term is Our Amazing Bodies. So far, we have learned about skeletons and muscles and how they work. 

In Computing we have been improving our coding skills using 2Code on Purple Mash. We have learned about using timers to control events and using the repeat function. 

The History topic is Romans. In lessons we have discovered how the Roman Empire grew, why the Romans invaded Britain, what made the Roman army so strong and how Boudicca led the Celts in a rebellion against the Romans. 

In Art we have been experimenting with different type of media including charcoal, paint, collage and have even created our own scratch art pictures. 

As well as all this we have also done plenty of reading plus some PSHE, RE, Music, French and PE!

Amethyst Class Staff

Miss Henderson

I am Amethyst class teacher. I have been at Homer for quite a long time and have taught in lots of different age groups. I especially enjoy working with the Year 4s and helping them to get ready for middle school. English is my favourite subject to teach but I also really like doing lots of Art and DT lessons. When I am not at school I enjoy going to the theatre to see musicals, eating out in nice restaurants and spending time with my nephews. 

Mrs Bleach

I teach in several classes, often teaching Science as I really enjoy finding out about things and helping you to investigate the world.  My main hobby is music – I play the piano, clarinet and flute and I enjoy singing in a choir every week.  You’ll often find me singing to myself! I’m looking forward to getting to know you all and having lots of fun.