Cardinals (Year 3)

Welcome to Cardinals Class page. We are taught by Mrs Khalid and supported by Mrs Djafari and Mrs Hill

Pe days

P.E. lessons will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Children should come into school wearing their PE kit on Tuesday and Thursday. There is no need to bring a change of clothes. Please ensure the children are wearing kit that complies with the school uniform policy in order that they can take part successfully. 

Reading and library days

Cardinals Class will visit the school library on Friday afternoons. The children will have an opportunity to change their sharing book and their practise book. Please ensure the children bring both books to school on daily. It is expected that children read for a minimum of 10 minutes daily and this should be recorded in their reading record. Please visit the reading star at the top of this page where you find lots of useful information about how you can support you child when reading at home.

Home learning 

Home learning will be sent home on Friday and should be returned by the following Wednesday. Home learning will involve some spelling practise and other questions or tasks that are directly related to learning that is taking place in class. Home learning should take no longer than 30 minutes each week.

Handwriting 

Using www.letterjoin.co.uk, your child can practise their handwriting at home. There are desktop and tablet login details that can be found by clicking on the writing star at the top of the page.

Spelling 

In school, we will teach the children spelling patterns and rules. At home, we would like the focus to be on learning and practising the Year 3 and 4 statutory spellings (you can find these by clicking on the spelling star at the top of this page)

Maths Magicians 

As well as 10 minutes daily reading, this year, we are launching a brand new maths initiative, called ‘Maths Magicians!’, focusing on supporting pupils to learn key mathematical facts that are essential to understand more complex concepts. Children across the school will be expected to work towards knowing and remembering the key facts for their year group, which have been identified on the parent information sheet linked below. Of course, children will be taught these in class, but it is important that they practise these at home too. Please practise the relevant facts for 10 minutes each day and sign the maths record when this is completed each day. There are 12 stages for the children to work through each term, with a quiz each Friday. Successful completion of quizzes will result in prizes being awarded in our weekly celebration assembly.

Thank you for your ongoing support 

Spring Two update.

During our English lessons, children have been enjoying different texts as a model for writing. We started this half-term with our focus on sustainability week and our text was ‘Dear Earth.’ Children used this to support them in writing a letter to Earth; showing appreciation of its wonders and making promises on how they will look after it. Continuing with the sustainability theme, children produced a leaflet to persuade the reader to: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Over the last week, they have produced a persuasive leaflet inviting people to visit Florida linking to their Geography topic.

In Maths, children have continued to learn their times tables and use them to solve one step and two step multiplication and division word problems. They have been using a range of resources to work out their calculations such as bar models and part wholes. They have been learning about fractions including comparing, ordering, finding fractions of numbers and solving fraction word problems.

During Science, our topic on, ‘Forces and Magnets,’ provided children with many opportunities to develop their scientific enquiry. They had opportunities to learn how forces work, how they are measured. Children carried out many investigations such as how friction impacts different surfaces. They used magnets to test different materials and tested how magnets repel and attract. They also learnt the different uses of magnets in our daily lives.

For Geography, children have been learning all about, ’The Sunshine State of Florida. They have used maps to locate the state and learned all about the climate in comparison to the UK. Children looked at the ten different peninsulas of the world and studied time zones on either side of the UK.

In Religious Education, our key question was, ‘What is good about Good Friday.’ Children studied the events the Easter Story and why Christians believe Good Friday is a good day. Children used oracy skills to debate possibilities to help answer this question.

PSHE has taught children the importance of exercise and eating a balanced diet. They have spent time looking at food label and calories for different items. Children have been looking at different case studies to understand how to keep themselves safe from drugs and what to do if they came across them.

For Design and technology, children made castles. This linked to our Geography theme of Florida and the Magic Kingdom of Disney Land. Children identified the key features of a castle and then designed their own using detailed sketches and labelling. They used 3D shapes to construct castles and evaluated their models.

In Art, children have been exploring prehistoric art, recreating the style of cave artists using charcoal and natural pigments. They have been experimenting with colour mixing and creating large-scale artworks; enhancing both artistic skills and historical knowledge.

During Computing, children have been developing their understanding of ordering objects and images in a branching database structure. They learned how to use an online database tool to arrange objects into a branching database and created their own questions with yes or no answers.

During French, children have been learning the names of musical instruments and singing tunes to rehearse their names. They have revised their knowledge using worksheets and orally rehearsing during role-play.

In PE, children have been exploring how our minds and our bodies experience various emotions. They have learned how to execute meditative balances and relaxation techniques to help combat of feelings and anxiety.

They have also, used circuit training to build techniques such as: planks, sit ups, squats, star jumps and much more.

Mrs Khalid Year 3 Class Teacher

Spring one update

What an amazing half-term; full of exciting topics to explore. Learning to use our communication skills and becoming confident speakers as well as good listeners. Working in teams to achieve our goals and becoming confident in all areas of our learning.

During our English lessons, we have read ‘The Finger Eater,’ and used it as a model for writing integrating grammar and punctuation to write a diary entry. We have also written a diary entry about ‘Life in the Bronze Age.’ Children felt confident with the skills they acquired from History and enjoyed developing their writing skills on a topic they were familiar with.

In Maths, there has been a big focus on times tables and children have risen to the challenge of learning through songs, visuals and revision using abstract methods. They have applied these skills solving multiplication and division to contextualise their learning. They have used part-whole and bar models to solve large numbers problems using multiplication and division.

Science has been focusing on the topic of ‘Light,’ and children have thoroughly enjoyed carrying out investigations. They have made their own sunglasses using materials they tested to protect them from UV light. They have explored how shadows are formed and carried out fair tests, using scientific skills, to support their understanding.

History has been a favourite for the children because they have demonstrated an excellent understanding of the Bronze Age. They have used role play and artefacts to find out how the Bronze Age followed the Stone Age. They were fascinated to learn how the bronze metal was made through the process of smelting and how this metal transformed the lives of the people from this era.

In Religious Education children were learning to understand the believes of Christianity and make sense of how Bible stories have made an impact on Christians. Their focus question was ‘could Jesus heal people? Or was there some other explanation. Children had very interesting opinions on this topic and were able to have lengthy debates giving their answers for possible explanations.

PSHE focus for this half-term was ‘Dreams and Goals,’ which involved team buildings skills, aspirations for the future and how to achieve them. They have been learning the importance of many skills to support them in achieving their dreams.

For Design and technology, children made mechanical toys and learned how pneumatic pressure of air and water can move objects. They carefully, designed their toys, constructed them, and tested to see if they worked successfully; we had excellent results, and they were fascinated with the outcome.

In Art children have made 3D structures such slides, swings, bridges, climbing frames and more. Children tried out different ways to make card shapes three dimensional, e.g. folding and curving the card or joining the flat shapes together. They produced excellent results.

During French, children learned to listen to names of musical instruments using Language Angels and pronouncing these correctly with their determiners.

In PE, children played Dodge ball and developed their dodging, throwing, and catching skills to outwit their opponents and win the game. They were able to apply their skills with developing confidence. They are beginning to understand how working as a team is essential for achieving their goals. They have also enjoyed do yoga for relaxation skills.

Children have worked so hard and deserve a good break. I hope you all have a wonderful half-term.

Mrs Khalid Year 3 Class Teacher

Autumn 2 Update (December 2023)

Autumn 2 has been a very busy time for Cardinals learning to work together as a team and using our learning powers. Children have enjoyed many special activities including an Aspirational day when they were able to meet a range of entrepreneurs from different backgrounds. They also took part in anti-bullying week and learnt the importance of staying safe online.

In maths, children have been learning addition and subtraction using a range of resources and formal written methods. They have learnt language needed to solve worded problems with missing numbers and how to record their work using bar models and other pictorial representations. Children have also been learning to secure their vital maths skills using Math Magicians including number bonds to 100, halves, doubles, quarters, thirds and multiplication facts.

In English, children have been revising spellings and grammatical skills to be able to be write confidently. They started the second half term with using the text, ‘That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown.’ This was used for reading, role play and a model for writing. Children thoroughly enjoyed writing in this style and had great pleasure in sharing their work with their parents during wondrous writing week. They also did an excellent extended writing piece which included a cross-curricular link with Geography, in which they were learning about ‘Earthquakes.’ This allowed children to be confident with the knowledge needed to be able to write a non-chronological report using key facts and vocabulary in this topic. After analysing examples of reports, children had to use the correct features and layout to write their own.

During the last week, we have been learning about different poems with the focus on, ‘The Magic Box.’ They have been looking closely at poems to identify features such as alliteration, repetition, onomatopoeia, rhyme, and free verse. Children have written their own poems in this style.

Our science topic this half-term was rocks. Children have enjoyed working scientifically and sorting rocks using different criteria. They have been learning how rocks are formed and which rocks are man-made.  Children have been understanding the importance of a fair test when carrying out an experiment. They have tested the solubility of soils and have looked at the durability of different rocks. They have studied the three main types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary and how they form through the rock cycle.

In geography, children have been learning about earthquakes and looking at countries which are prone to them. They have been learning how certain countries are more prone to earthquakes due to their geographical position: sitting on tectonic plates. They have studied how richer countries are much more prepared to deal with these natural disasters with stable building structures, regular drills and trained search and rescue teams in comparison to poorer countries. Children have used a range of resources including maps, globes and atlases to locate countries which sit around the 'ring of fire'. They really enjoyed learning about the layers of the earth and how volcanoes are formed too.

Computing lessons have been focusing on ‘Stop-frame Animation.’ Children have been using digital devices to create media, exploring how they can create moving images. They have been learning to apply skills to create a story-based animation by creating stories by using a story board. They added different types of media to their animation such as music and text.

During RE, children have been trying to answer the question: ‘Has Christmas lost its true meaning?’ They have written about what Christmas means to them, they have revisited the Nativity story and learnt how Advent links to Christmas.

In PSHE, children have been learning the importance of using a step-by-step approach to solving conflicts and talking to adults for support. Children have learnt about tolerance and the importance of celebrating differences.

Our PE focus this half-term has been Tag rugby and gymnastics. In tag rugby, children have learnt the importance of working as team to score a try. In gymnastics, children have worked in pairs to perform different moves reflecting their partners in a controlled and synchronised way. They have created movements on the floor and used benches to perform.

In art, Cardinals were given a brief to create a poster for a museum that will be opening up. The children created posters based on the brief we were given by the museum to give the public a better understanding of The Stone Age. The children showed off their knowledge from last half term and their ability to follow a design brief given to them. 

Over the last few days, children have been involved in festive activities such as decorating the class Christmas tree, making shortbread biscuits and learning songs for the Christmas choir. We also enjoyed a Christmas lunch, wearing our Christmas jumpers and hats.

We have achieved so much this half-term and the children have been working extremely hard and are ready for a well-earned break. It has been wonderful getting to know the children, supporting them with their learning and watching them grow in confidence. Have a wonderful break and see you in the New Year.

Mrs Khalid

Cardinals Year 3 Class Teacher

Autumn 1 Update (October 2023)

It has been a busy start to the school year. Thank you for all your support during the first half of the Autumn Term. The Year 3 children have settled fantastically into the routines of key stage two and all the children have contributed to a positive learning environment for their new classmates.

This term, in English, we have produced a non-chronological report about our class butterfly, our own fables and a newspaper report based on a well known fairy tale. The children have worked very hard and produced some lovely pieces that have included prepositions and conjunctions to create multi-clause sentences. I am very proud of how the class have embraced their creative selves when they are writing. Our favourite lessons this term involved writing and drama, as we described a scene from ‘The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs’.

In Maths, the children have been working on place value and this led nicely into our recent work around addition and subtraction. The children have used a variety of techniques and equipment to help them improve their knowledge and have worked very hard to ensure they are ready to move onto more complex problems.

In P.E. the children have focused on netball, specifically passing and moving techniques. They have also enjoyed using the gymnastics equipment in the hall to solve problems as a team. It has been amazing to see the progress the children have made and the fun they had together learning an important life skill.

In history, we have studied the Stone Age. The children found this very interesting and were engaged in the practices and lifestyles of the people that lived in this time of pre-history. Building our own Stone Age shelter was one of the highlights of the term.

In Science, we have studied the topics of Plants. We were able to conduct many practical tasks to help our learning including using coloured water to show Capillary action and making our own dispersing seeds.

R.E. lessons have provoked amazing discussions about belonging and we have learned a great deal about how Hindus come together to celebrate Divali. The children have excelled in music and Mr Mitchell has been amazed with their progress.

I feel extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and get to know the children over the last seven weeks. It has been a genuine pleasure to spend every school day with them, laughing, talking, listening and learning. I know they are on a journey to becoming amazing, well-rounded individuals and I feel honoured to have shared part of that journey with them. I wish everyone a wonderful and joyful half term and wish everyone good fortune for the future. Over to you, Mrs Khalid!

Mr Milbourn