Check us out in the news: Upton’s flexible ‘Seat of Learning’ – The Isle Of Thanet News

Thematic

In our thematic learning this week, exploration led us to an essential topic—nutrition! We delved into the significance of proper nutrition for all living beings, including animals and humans and have developed our understanding of what makes a balanced diet, for maintaining health, growth, and overall well-being. To help us better understand the components of a balanced diet, children explored the Eatwell Guide as well as the seven nutrition groups necessary to keep our bodies healthy. Using this knowledge, children produced their own Eatwell Plate and likewise, produced a class ‘Healthy food mural’ to promote healthy eating. Building on this, children investigated Vegetarian and Vegan diets and as such, they were challenged to design a vegetarian/vegan dish, using their knowledge of the Eatwell Guide.

Our Year 3’s also investigated the diets of other animals. They learnt the terms: herbivore, carnivore and omnivore and then categorised animals using these terms on a Venn diagram. Inspired by the work of David Attenborough, children then spent time further exploring the diets of different animals.

Next week, we will be moving onto investigating human anatomy. Children will be learning how humans and some other animals have skeletons and muscles for support, protection, and movement. They will investigate the function and purpose of bones and muscles.

Maths

This week in Maths, we have been focusing on problem-solving using a variety of strategies and models to help us understand and tackle different types of mathematical challenges linked to subtraction. By exploring multiple methods, we have gained a deeper understanding of numbers and calculations, improving our confidence and accuracy.

This week, we have been using:

• Bar models to help us visualise and represent mathematical problems. By drawing bars to represent different quantities, we have been able to break problems down into smaller, more manageable parts.

• Part-Whole Models in order to explore the relationship between numbers. This strategy has helped us understand addition and subtraction problems by showing how numbers can be split into different parts.

• Dienes as a hands-on way to understand place value and regrouping in addition and subtraction. These physical models have helped us visualise how numbers are made up of ones, tens, and hundreds, making complex calculations easier to grasp.

• Column written methods, to ensure accuracy when working with larger numbers. This has been a key tool for mastering place value alignment with regrouping and exchanging.

By using these different strategies, children have become more flexible and efficient problem solvers. Each method has provided our Year 3’s with new insights and a greater appreciation for the power of mathematical models.

       

Next week, we will be moving ono a new topic within Maths: length and perimeter.

English

In English, we have been busy using our notes and plans from last week to write up our fact files about tortoises. This has been a great opportunity to put our writing skills to the test, focusing on key organisational and layout features to ensure our writing is clear and informative for the reader.

To make our fact files easy to read, we structured them carefully, started with an introduction that gave a brief overview of tortoises, explaining what they are and why they are interesting creatures. Children also made sure they included a bold heading, subheadings and labelled diagrams to make sure readers were able to navigate the information smoothly. One of the key skills we practised was using bullet points to present facts in a concise and engaging way, likewise, children included a Glossary to support readers in clarifying the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.

      

  

Also this week, our Year 3’s embarked on an exciting creative journey, bringing to life the setting of Mr. Hoppy’s balcony, inspired by the words of Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot.  Through our study of the text, the children imagined every detail of Mr. Hoppy’s world, from the cascading pots of flowers to the intricate metal railings that framed his view. Using the text, our Year 3’s then made a class diorama serving as a visual blueprint, helping them to craft vivid descriptions filled with sensory details.

Next week, the children will be using their dioramas, along with the vocabulary they have generated, to create a setting description of the balcony.

 

 

 

     

  

 

Reading engagement afternoon

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the parents who joined us for our Year 3 Reading Engagement Afternoon. Your presence and participation made the event truly special, and we are so grateful for your support in fostering a love of reading with our children. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and joy on our Year 3’s faces as they immersed themselves in stories and engaged in discussions about their favourite characters and plots.

We hope you enjoyed the experience as much as we did! Thank you once again for your time, energy, and commitment to your child's learning journey. We look forward to more opportunities to celebrate reading with you in the future.

Happy reading!

     

  

 

          

Home Learning

Attached below is the overarching Thematic Curriculum homework ideas. Please refer to the homework menu which gives a variety of creative tasks for the children to choose from. Children only need to complete one task as a minimum, but can choose to complete more if they wish. Homework is due in on Friday 14^th February.

Spellings

To support children with their spellings, we would like children to practise ‘Level 2- BLUE BLYTON Bundle’ 

To access it on a laptop, PC, Mac or Chromebook (therefore IWBs): 
1. Type in the browser itself where you normally type www (not a search engine)...app.sirlinkalot.org (with no Ws before it) 
2. Click on 'More' (top right) 
3. Click on 'Sign in' 
4. The children will then need to type in their access code  

Times Tables Rock Stars  

• Tasks to be completed online. 

• Children’s logins are stuck in their Reading journal.   

Mathletics  

• Mathletics tasks will be set from Friday to Friday.  

• Tasks will always follow the learning that week.  

• Children’s logins are stuck into their Reading journal.  

Key messages:

On Friday 24th January, children are invited to bring in their favourite book from home for the 'Book Banter' Reading session.

On Wednesday 5th February and Thursday 6th February, our Year 3's have their DT project days (see letter attached below). To ensure the activity runs smoothly and is both fun and safe for everyone, we kindly ask for your assistance with the following:

• Please send your child to school with an apron or an old, large adult t-shirt that they can wear over their uniform to protect their clothes while cooking.

• Whilst we have records of children’s dietary requirements, please can you update us if your child has any allergies or dietary restrictions. Please let us know as soon as possible so we can plan an appropriate alternative dish for them.

Reminder to ensure:

• Children are wearing correct school uniform and shoes.

• Children are bringing in their water bottles.

• Coats are being worn to school.

• Children to bring in healthy snacks for breaktimes.  

• 3B and 3G will have their swimming sessions on Mondays. Children will need to come dressed in their PE kit to school on this day, and bring with them their swimming costumes to change into. 

• Swimming kit reminder:  full swimming costume/swim shorts and swimming hat.