Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 16th January

We have had a super week of learning this week. The children have really impressed me with their listening and readiness for learning. They are following our Valued behaviours and showing our values every day. Keep up the great work Cedar Class!

Maths

In Maths this week, we have been focusing on learning the 8x tables. We have focused on the 8x tables as arrays, repeated addition and groups of objects. We have used our knowledge of the 4x tables to support us with learning the 8x tables. We have used sentences stems like, 'There are _____ equal groups with ______ in each group. There are ______ altogether. The groups are equal because_______.' to help us with our learning. Please do practise the 8x tables and related division facts at home on TTRockstars.

English

In our English lessons this week, we have come to the end of our Poetry unit. We have finished the week by writing our own limericks. Please enjoy reading a few examples at the bottom of this page. The children had great fun writing them and we have certainly become adept at counting syllables! Next week, we will begin reading ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes in order to write a diary entry and newspaper report.

History

The children clearly enjoyed learning about The Stone Age last term and are able to recall many facts learnt. We are now learning about The Bronze Age, discussing how and why bronze replaced stone and how bronze is made. The children recalled the ‘smelting process’ in their History books.

What we have enjoyed

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Effort Winner: Naomi for always listening and following instructions. Naomi always tries her best with whatever task is given to her. Well done, Naomi!

Values Winner: Ralph for always showing our Bourn values and being ready to learn. Well done, Ralph! You are a true values role model.

NOTICES

🟢 P.E. Days:

Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

🟢 End of Day Collection:
Children will be collected from the KS1 courts. They should stand behind the white line and signal to me that they have seen the adult collecting them before leaving. This helps us ensure every child is safely handed over.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 9th January

I have been very much welcomed into Cedar Class and Bourn School. I am thoroughly enjoying teaching your children, they are a lovely cohort. I am looking forward to getting to know them, and you, over the next half term.

Maths

In Maths this week, we have been focusing on learning the 4x tables. We have focused on the 4x tables as arrays, repeated addition and groups of objects. We have used sentences stems like, 'There are _____ equal groups with ______ in each group. There are ______ altogether. The groups are equal because_______.' to help us with our learning. Please do practise the 4x tables at home on TTRockstars.

English

In English this week, we have started a poetry unit. We have read different limericks and learnt off by heart 'There was an old man with a beard'. We also read the first verse of 'The Owl and The Pussycat'. We talked about what syllables are in words and practised counting the syllables in different words and in the lines of the limericks. We have learnt what 'Spoonerisms' and 'Neologisms' are!

Science

Our new Science topic this half term is 'Light'. This week we have learnt about light sources and what is and isn't a light source. We shared what we already know about light on a mind map and then we learnt about dark being the absence of light. We talked about shadows and had a very interesting discussion about whether the moon is a light source!

What we have enjoyed

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Values Winner: Beau for showing readiness for learning this week. Keep it up!

Effort Winner: Phoebe for showing excellent effort in her learning this week.

NOTICES

🟢Calendar dates:

14th January Smart Phone Free Childhood talk (Kids and Smartphones) 7 - 8pm

🟢 P.E. Days:

Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 19th December 2025

I can't believe how quickly the time has gone this past term. I have thoroughly enjoyed being in Class Cedar and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Maths

At the start of the week the children enjoyed carrying out a maths investigation into finding out possible solutions for sharing out an unknown quantity of lollipops with known remainders for different group sizes. This gave the children an opportunity to use and develop their knowledge of multiples of 2 and 5. Later in the week the children focused on multiples of 3 and the relationship between pision and multiplication.

English

The children have been exploring free verse poetry using The Robin as an example. They have learned how to use similes, metaphors and personification and created their own winter themed poems using these devices.

RE

Using the baptism of Jesus by John, the children have learned about the Trinity and what how each element is represented in this story. Watching a video of a modern day baptism helped them recognise the Trinity as The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. They learned how these different elements are represented symbolically and that they are all different forms of God.

Christmas

The children have enjoyed lots of Christmas activities in the days leading up to the holidays. They had a lively Christmas dinner with their friends on Wednesday. Over the week they have been creating some beautiful Christmas cards and tree decorations. At the end of the week, we went to church for a Christmas service which was a lovely way to end the term.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

There are no certificates this week.

NOTICES

🟢Calendar dates:

6th January new term starts

🟢 P.E. Days:

Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 5th December 2025

Maths

Children in Cedar Class have continued to build their column subtraction skills this week, applying their learning to a variety of practical and written problems. They are becoming more confident in setting out calculations accurately and explaining their reasoning, showing growing independence and perseverance in their maths work.

Art

This week we have been exploring landscapes in art, focusing on how colour can create different moods. The children experimented with cool and warm colour palettes, discussing how each one changes the feeling of a scene. The children enjoyed trying new techniques and using colour thoughtfully in their own landscape work.

PE

The children have been developing their gymnastics skills, practising different types of rolls with a focus on technique and form. They explored mirroring and matching movements with partners and began putting sequences together. The children showed great concentration and control as they worked to create smooth, confident routines.

English

This week in English, the children have begun planning a non-chronological report about Christmas. They explored ideas through discussion and note-making, focusing on using fronted adverbials, writing clear lists, and extending sentences with conjunctions such as because and as. Their plans show growing confidence in organising information effectively.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week: Emily for having a change in her attitude in maths and attacking lessons with positivity and courage.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week: Paisley for being a valued member of Cedar class and completing her work in the classroom with her peers

NOTICES

🟢Calendar dates:

6th December – Christmas Capers

8th December – GenR8 Christmas Assembly 9.10am

11th December – KS2 Christmas Panto in Cambridge

12th December – Christmas Gift Shop

17th December – Christmas Lunch

17th December - 2.45 to 3.15pm SEND 'Open' Afternoon with Miss Hensleigh

19th December - Carol Service in Church

🟢 P.E. Days:

Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 28th November 2025

Maths

The children have started to look at column method for subtraction. This has involved the children learning how to use DIenes (maths equipment that represents hundreds, tens and ones) to practise exchanging a ten for ten ones which is part of the written and conceptual process. This has enabled the children to understand how to write the exchange (traditionally known as borrowing by older folk!) in the column method. We have only just started so will continue to focus on this skill next week.

Geography

In Geography this week, the children focused on the Lake District and the physical features of that particular environment including the mountains and lakes and how it differs from Cambridgeshire. The children then used data on the different lengths of the lake, in units of miles and constructed bar graphs to represent them. The children did a really great job and enjoyed using maths in a different subject area. Some of the children weren't even aware that this was an application of maths as they were having so much fun!

Science

In our current unit the children have moved onto learning about magnets. They used their scientific enquiry skills to investigate magnetic and non-magnetic. They had to plan their investigation and describe the method they would use and identify all the equipment required. They then made predictions about the different materials, and recorded their results when testing them. Next week, the children will be using their knowledge of magnets to make magnetic cars.

English

The children have been working on the features of myths using Theseus and Minotaur as a model. They used these features: hero, villain, quest and a problem to create their own myths. They also focused on retelling the story using adverbials of time and subordination conjunctions: because and as.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week: Zoey for showing courage when attempting tricky maths and working independently.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week: Isabella for always showing the valued learning behaviours and putting in 100% effort into all she does.

NOTICES

🟢Calendar dates:

6th December – Christmas Capers

8th December – GenR8 Christmas Assembly 9.10am

11th December – KS2 Christmas Panto in Cambridge

12th December – Christmas Gift Shop

17th December – Christmas Lunch

17th December - 2.45 to 3.15pm SEND 'Open' Afternoon with Miss Hensleigh

19th December - Carol Service in Church

🟢 P.E. Days:

Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 21st November 2025

This week we have returned to our normal curriculum after our assessments last week. The children have been working really hard and definitely showing a growth mindset towards their learning which is something we started learning about on Monday.

Maths

We have been learning how to use column addition moving from no exchanges to regrouping across tens and then hundreds. The children have also looked at rounding in order to make estimates so that they can judge how realistic their answers are. This involved mental addition of multiples of tens and hundreds which was useful to revisit.

Geography

In Geography this week, the children looked at the physical features of the Lake District, especially focussing on the hilly landscape and lakes that have been formed. They looked at why the landscape has been shaped like that and specific lakes and the sizes of them. They then created a bar chart to show the different sizes of some lakes.

Computing

The children have continued their unit on coding. This week they created a background, added characters and animals and started to code for their characters to move across the screen. They have also started to debug their codes, running the programme and looking for errors.

Art

The children have been looking at landscapes, learning about the horizon line and perspective. This week they have looked at mark making and investigated using mark making to represent things in the school outdoor environment. They looked at some Van Gogh paintings which feature mark making and have tried to recreate their own landscape using this technique.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week: Sonny for showing Hope and Friendship by always working well with his peers and encouraging others around him with positivity and friendship.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week: Christiana for always working hard all of the time even when it is challenging.

NOTICES

🟢Calendar dates:

14th November Children in Need

19th November 2.45 - 3.25pm SEND Open Afternoon with Miss Hensleigh

19th November - 26th November Scholastic Book Fair

🟢 P.E. Days:

Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 14th November 2025

We have focused on assessments this week for maths, reading and writing. The children have shown great resilience and growth mindset in how they have approached their tasks. In the afternoon we have continued with our regular lessons as normal. Read on to find out more.

Science –

We have been learning about the different types of forces. Last week we looked at contact forces (pushes and pulls) and this week the children have been looking at friction. This has involved using tennis balls to investigate tennis balls and how they roll on different surfaces. This has enabled the children to use their scientific enquiry skills including making predictions, making observations and recording and interpreting results.

Geography –

This week the children focused on the physical features of Cambridgeshire. This has included identifying using photographs the different landscape features such as arable land, the Fenlands, rivers. They looked at maps of Cambrigdeshire and located the different towns and villages.

PSHE

This week has been Anti Bullying Week and we have used this to revisit what bullying is, and how to get help. The children have been very articulate in recognising their own powers - using their voice and being kind and supportive to others, to help spot and stop it. They have also had some discussions about the importance of getting on with people by showing respect and tolerance, even if they aren't a friend.

Computing

The children have started a new unit on coding. This week they looked at some examples of flow charts, and how they are used to create an animation and programme. They have begun to design their own flowchart for a computer programme including inserting events and timers for an animation.

We have begun our new Geography unit which is about how Cambridge is different to the Lake District. Our first lesson focused on using maps to become familiar with layout of the British Isles. We also compared images of flat lands and mountainous regions to identify the differences in landscape and topology.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week: Ralph for approaching everything with a positive mindset demonstrating the value of Hope.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week: Heath approaches everything consistently with enthusiasm, and always welcomes challenges.

NOTICES

🟢Calendar dates:

14th November Children in Need

19th November 2.45 - 3.25pm SEND Open Afternoon with Miss Hensleigh

19th November - 26th November Scholastic Book Fair

🟢 P.E. Days:

Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 7th November 2025

I have had a terrific first week in Cedar class, getting to know everyone. All of the children have coped very well with having a new member of the team join them. I have been impressed with how helpful and motivated they have been. Well done to everyone!

Maths – Subtraction

Our focus has been on subtraction this week. In particular subtracting 1s across tens and tens across hundreds. The key skill we have been developing is making use of our number bond knowledge for all numbers up to 9 so that we can subtract any ones digit from a 3 digit number by subtracting in two parts - first to the nearest multiple of ten and then subtracting the final part. You could help your child by encouraging them to practise their number bonds for all single digit numbers.

English – Grammar and Creative Writing

In English the children have been learning about coordinating conjunctions, time conjunctions and apostrophes for contractions with Mrs Wheatman. This has involved lots of practise in identifying different types of conjunctions and what their purpose is. The children are able to extend their sentences using time conjunctions - until, after, while and when. They are also becoming more confident at using apostrophes in their writing.

In our creative writing, we are learning how to write effective character descriptions. The first part of this has been to think deeply about the different aspects of a character first before crafting our description.

RE

We have started our new unit of work in RE called 'People of God'. This follows nicely on from our last unit about Creation. Our key person is Noah, and we have learned the story of Noah and compared it with how the children would feel if they had to suddenly build a huge boat and leave their home and school behind. The children were very empathetic sharing their ideas that they might feel worried or surprised, but also curious and excited.

PE

In PE the children have been developing their football skills. They have learnt ball control and tackling skills. Along with this, they have been taught the rules of the game and the need for good sportsmanship.

Geography

We have begun our new Geography unit which is about how Cambridge is different to the Lake District. Our first lesson focused on using maps to become familiar with layout of the British Isles. We also compared images of flat lands and mountainous regions to identify the differences in landscape and topology.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week: Ayrton for showing courage and coming in this week with positivity and adapting to change.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week: Nashe for being involved more in the classroom, completing his work and joining in more.

NOTICES

🟢Calendar dates:

10th November Anti Bullying Week - Odd Socks Day

14th November Children in Need

19th November 2.45 - 3.25pm SEND Open Afternoon with Miss Hensleigh

19th November - 26th November Scholastic Book Fair

🟢 P.E. Days:
Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Thursday 23rd October 2025

As my last day approaches I would like to say just how much I have enjoyed teaching all of the children in Cedar class, and I wish them the very best.

Maths – Addition

In maths we have been learning how to add 1s across tens in column method additions but using place value counters to represent the different addends. This has involved the children recognising how to make the next ten so they have revised their number bond knowledge, including moving up to complements to 100.

English – Creative writing

In English the children have been revising and developing their knowledge of apostrophes for possession and compound sentences including identify coordinating conjunctions. In creative writing, the children have been using images as a stimulus to practise simple and compound sentences along with punctuation that we have been focusing on this half term including end punctuation.

PSHE

We have been learning about our rights and responsibilities in school. The children are able to identify that everybody has a right to learn and to have a safe and calm environment. As a result, they are also able to describe their inpidual responsibilities such as making sure they look after equipment, listen and focus and show respect and kindness to others. They all contributed to a creating a class charter.

PE

Computing

We have been looking at how to be a good digital citizen, and how our identity online is very different to our offline identity. The children know how to keep themselves safe and which appropriate information can be shared online.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK: There are no certificates this week

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

NOTICES

🟢Calendar dates:

First day of Autumn 2 term: Monday 3rd November

🟢 P.E. Days:
Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 17th October 2025

Mrs Elbrow met with the new teacher, Miss Dakin, who will be taking over after half term for a handover. She is very excited to be joining the school and can't wait to begin teaching Cedar class.

Maths – Place Value and Flexible Partitioning

Maths - We continued our work on adding and subtracting 1s,10s and 100s. Children have focused on using column method and spotting mistakes.

English – Instructional texts

English - We finished our instructional writing for making a pizza. Children focused on specific instructions using time adverbials and bossy verbs. We have also finished our class novel: The Last Bear. The children loved the emphasis of looking after our environment whilst also learning about the wider world.

RE

We have been learning about the creation story in RE, and in particular what it tells Christians about their relationship with God, with each other and with nature. We have been looking at examples of different Christian groups and their efforts to look after the environment and world around them.

Art

We used oil pastels to recreate stone age cave paintings focusing on mixing colours for different effects. The children enjoyed smudging them to make their pictures look textured and weathered and the overall effects are very impressive.

Computing

This week we have been looking at our online identity as well as the differences from our offline identity, and how to keep ourselves and others safe online.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Nolan for always making great choices in his learning. He shows us the value of Hope.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Myra for always being ready to try her best. She is a wonderful role model for everyone.

NOTICES

🟢Calendar dates:

21st October - Parent Consultation Meetings 4pm to 6.30pm

22nd October - 2.45 to 3.15pm SEND 'Open' Afternoon with Miss Hensleigh

23rd October - Parent Consultation Meetings 4pm to 6.30pm

🟢 P.E. Days:
Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 10th October 2025

This week, I have been very impressed with seeing how the the children reflect the school values in their interactions. There have been many instances of showing good friendship in supporting and caring for each other.

Maths – Place Value and Flexible Partitioning

Maths - we have started our new unit on adding and subtracting. We have revisited our prior learning of number bonds and have been using them to transfer to larger numbers. We have also been working on our quick mental arithmetic.

English – Instructional texts

English - We are continuing our skills of instructional writing. This week we practiced writing in bossy verbs (imperative verbs), writing in present tense as well as writing instructions that are detailed but concise. It is important that children are practising writing simple and compound sentences in as many contexts as possible.

History

We have been learning about homes in our History topic. This week we discovered the types of houses that were built and lived in during the stone age. Round houses were predominately used until the Neolithic period, where rectangular houses became more popular, made of wood, mud, stones and organic matter.

Art

We have been using graphite pencils to sketch stone age animals, just like the ones found in prehistoric caves. We used our knowledge of artistic elements to ensure our sketches showed texture, value and excellent use of shape.

Computing

This week we discussed how our behaviour online can affect others. We discovered what kinds of behaviours are appropriate/inappropriate and how to spot behaviours that need to be reported.

PE

This week we started our PE unit on team games, focusing on playing football. We had to know what the rules of the game were, and how to work as team and how to show good sportsmanship.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Harper for trying her best and showing courage in pushing herself out of her comfort zone.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Ritika for being a wonderful role model of hope and friendship by being an excellent buddy to others.

NOTICES

🟢 P.E. Days:
Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 3rd October 2025

My first week in Cedar class has been wonderful. Thank you for the very warm welcome! The children have been wonderful 'buddies' and have been ever so helpful in the transition of teachers. The class are amazing and show so much pride in their learning which has been so wonderful to see.

Maths – Place Value and Flexible Partitioning

This week we have been developing our fluency of number focusing on our number facts ( knowing 100 is 10 x larger than 10, and 10 x 10 = 100), which has helped the children to estimate on a number line.

English – Instructional texts

We began our unit of writing on instructional texts, so we made instructions on how to make our favourite sandwiches. We focused on ensuring our instructions were detailed and concise.

History

We looked at the prehistoric timeline and the concept of chronology. We also discovered events that occurred during the stone age period. It was interesting to understand how much longer the palaeolithic period was compared to the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. It would take 2 whole toilet rolls to represent the Palaeolithic period, ½ of a sheet for the Mesolithic and 2.5 sheets for the neolithic period.

Science

This week we have discovered the layers of soil. The children explored how the topsoil helps our plants to thrive, and organic matter is a great fertiliser. They also were intrigued to learn about the bedrock and subsoil layers that comprise of clay, rocks, sand and grainy materials. We also learnt how our local land hides many treasures from history.

Computing

We talked about being safe online and good digital citizens. We explored how to behave online and who to report any concerns to.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

There are no certificates being awarded this week as we are in Church.

NOTICES

🟢 P.E. Days:
Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 26th September 2025

Week 4

As I come to the end of my time with Year 3 before heading off on maternity leave, I want to say how truly special this class has been. It has been an absolute joy to teach such a kind, curious, and hardworking group of children. I feel incredibly lucky to have spent this time with them and will miss them all very much.

Thank you for your ongoing support, it has made a real difference. I know the children will continue to flourish with your encouragement and care.

Welcome to Mrs Elbrow

This week, we welcomed Mrs Elbrow, who will be taking over the class. She spent time getting to know the children and has had a thorough handover with me to ensure a smooth transition. The children responded warmly to her, and I’m confident they are in excellent hands. She brings a calm, nurturing approach and a wealth of experience that will support the children beautifully.

Maths – Place Value and Flexible Partitioning

In Maths, we’ve continued our work on place value, moving into flexible partitioning up to 100. This involves breaking numbers down in different ways, for example, 87 can be partitioned as 80 + 7 or 70 + 17. The children are learning to identify how many tens, ones, and hundreds are in a number, which is a key skill for building number fluency.

We’ve had some challenging moments, but the children have shown great perseverance. Using Dienes blocks and other hands-on resources has helped make these abstract ideas more concrete. We’ve also been developing our reasoning and problem-solving skills, encouraging children to explain their thinking and explore different strategies.

English – Creative Writing Inspired by The Last Bear

In English, we’ve been using our Just Read book, The Last Bear, as inspiration for some beautiful creative writing. The children imagined what it would be like to meet a polar bear, and their stories were full of imagination, empathy, and adventure.

We’ve also focused on key writing skills, including:

Handwriting and presentation
Using capital letters and full stops correctly
Knowing when to use question marks and exclamation marks

It’s been lovely to see their confidence grow as writers, and their stories have been a joy to read.

History – Stone Age Tools and Hunters

In History, we’ve been exploring Stone Age tools—what they were used for, how they were made, and why they were important for survival. We looked at images and artefacts to understand tools like hammerstones, axes, and spears, and the children even created their own Stone Age tools using craft materials.

We also finished our Stone Age necklaces, and took a fantastic class photo pretending to be scary Stone Age hunters—a fun and memorable way to wrap up the topic!

Science – Fossils and Mary Anning

In Science, we’ve been learning about fossils and the life of Mary Anning, a famous fossil hunter from the 1800s. Mary discovered many important fossils along the coast of Lyme Regis and helped scientists learn more about prehistoric life.

We explored the fossilisation process, learning how living things can become fossils over millions of years through burial, pressure, and mineral replacement. Some children even brought in real fossils for us to observe—thank you!

I wonder if your child can share a fact with you about Mary Anning’s life or how fossils are formed?

Spanish

In Spanish this week, the children have been learning how to use simple verbs and phrases to build their own sentences. We introduced “estoy” (I am) and “estás” (you are), as well as location words like “allí” (there) and “aquí” (here).

The children practised putting these words into short sentences and even used them to answer the register in Spanish, both for themselves and each other! It’s been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they begin to use Spanish in everyday classroom routines.

Farewell

Although I’m sad to be leaving the classroom for now, I do so with a full heart and so much pride in what the children have achieved. I wish them all the very best for the rest of the year and beyond. I’ll be thinking of them often and cheering them on from afar.

Thank you again for your kindness and support.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Elsie

For always showing the value of being a kind friend. Your caring words, thoughtful actions, and gentle heart make our classroom a happier place. You are a wonderful friend to everyone around you.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Lio

For showing maturity in your learning. You approach each task with focus, responsibility, and a positive attitude. Your hard work and thoughtful choices make you a fantastic role model in our class.

NOTICES

🟢 Harvest Festival Friday 3rd October - The children who chose to have taken home their speaking parts to practice. Please support them in reading their parts slowly, clearly and loudly. There is no need to learn it off by heart but they should be familiar with the words.

🟢 P.E. Days:
Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 12th September 2025

Our First Full Week!

What a fantastic start we’ve had in Year 3. The children have returned full of energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm, and it’s been an absolute joy to see them pe into their learning with such excitement. Here's a look at what we've been up to across the curriculum

Maths

We’ve kicked off the term by exploring place value and number fluency. The children have been counting confidently in 2s, 5s, and 10s, and using number lines to find missing numbers and work out intervals. We’ve re-introduced the part-part-whole method to help with partitioning numbers, and the class now understands that:

94 is made up of 9 tens and 4 ones
9 tens is the same as 90

This foundational understanding is key to developing mental maths strategies and preparing for addition and subtraction later in the term. We’ve also used blank number lines to estimate and place numbers, which helps build number sense and estimation skills.

English

In English, we’ve been reinforcing the importance of capital letters and full stops. The children have been editing and correcting sentences, learning about proper nouns, and writing their own interesting sentences using picture prompts. We’ve focused on:

Self-editing: checking for punctuation and clarity
Sharing work: reading aloud and giving feedback
Marking improvements: making sure every sentence starts with a capital and ends with a full stop

This helps build confidence in writing and encourages pride in their work. The children are already showing great progress!

History - The Stone Age

There’s been massive excitement in our history lessons as we’ve begun our journey into the Stone Age. In our first lesson, we explored what life was like thousands of years ago, learning that the Stone Age is pided into three periods: Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic.

We’ve examined Stone Age artefacts, discussed their uses, and learned how tools were made from flint. A special highlight was when one of our very excited classmates brought in real examples to share – a brilliant moment of hands-on history!

Art

Our art lessons have linked beautifully with our history topic. The children have been making Stone Age-style bone and bead necklaces using clay. It’s been messy, creative, and lots of fun! This activity helped us understand how early humans used natural materials to create tools and jewellery.

Science

In science, we’ve started our topic on rocks. The children took part in a hands-on experiment to test the density of different rocks – asking the question: Do rocks float? This sparked lots of curiosity and discussion. We’ll continue exploring rock types, their properties, and how they’re used in everyday life.

Spelling

We’ve begun our spelling lessons by looking at homophones – words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. The children are learning why correct spelling is important for clear communication

Arithmetic

In arithmetic, we’ve been working on number fluency using cubes and 10-sided dice to quickly make number bonds to 10. These activities help build speed and confidence in mental maths, which supports all areas of numeracy.

Spanish

We’re incredibly lucky to have a specialist Spanish teacher this year! The children had their first ever Spanish lesson, learning greetings like:

Hola – Hello
Adiós – Goodbye
Hasta luego – See you later

They also discovered where Spain is on the map, explored some Spanish food (comida), and learned about the Spanish flag. It was a brilliant introduction, and the class is excited to learn more!

P.E.

In PE, we’ve focused on team-building games to encourage communication, cooperation, and problem-solving. One of the highlights was a challenge where children had to use three hoops to get their team from one side of the "river" to the other—without falling in! It was wonderful to see clear communication, strategic thinking, and lots of cheering each other on. These activities help build trust, resilience, and a strong sense of teamwork.

Final Thoughts

It’s been an absolutely brilliant first full week back. The children have shown they are hard-working, curious, and full of enthusiasm. I’m so proud of how they’ve settled in and embraced their learning. We’re looking forward to a term full of discovery, creativity, and growth.

Thank you for your continued support.

Please see below for a link to the slides that were shown at the 'Welcome to the Year Ahead' meeting on Thursday.

Cedar - Welcome to the Year Ahead 25-26

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Parker

For showing great courage in settling into Year 3 so confidently. You’ve made friends, worked hard, and become a valued member of our class. Well done!

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

River

For your amazing effort and enthusiasm in our Stone Age topic! Your excitement has sparked curiosity across the class and made our learning even more fun. Keep it up!

NOTICES

Meet the Teacher - Thursday 11th September 6-7pm

🟢 P.E. Days:
Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 5th September 2025

Welcome to Year 3!

Welcome back to school! I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable summer. I’m delighted to be welcoming your children into Year 3 and helping them begin their journey into Key Stage 2.

Introduction

My name is Sofia Camisa, and I will be the class teacher for the whole of  September. I’m an experienced teacher and taught Year 3 at Bourn Primary last year. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the children, building strong relationships, and setting them up for a successful year ahead.

My aim is to make sure every child feels safe, welcomed, and confident as they settle into their new classroom. We’ll spend time learning the routines and expectations of Year 3, and I’ll be supporting them to develop independence, resilience, and a love of learning.

What we've been up to this week!

It’s been a busy and exciting first few days back in Year 3! We started the week with a fun game of Would You Rather, which helped us get to know each other and settle in. The children have also been sharing their summer holiday experiences through writing, which has given us a lovely insight into their adventures and helped us practise using full sentences and descriptive language.

We’ve begun reading our new class novel, The Last Bear by Hannah Gold – a beautifully written story that’s already sparking lots of curiosity and discussion. In Science, we’ve started our topic on rocks, exploring different types of natural rocks, igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. I wonder if your child can explain how lava can turn into igneus rocks! In History, we’ve begun learning about the Stone Age, including looking at replica artefacts to help us imagine life in prehistoric times. We even created our own Stone Age cave art in our art lesson, using natural colours and textures to mimic ancient styles.

The children also had their first recorder lesson in music, which was a great introduction to rhythm and pitch. We’ve had our first P.E. sessions too, these have been focused on team building skills.

It’s been a fantastic start to the term, and I’m so proud of how well the children have settled in already.

Key Information

🟢 P.E. Days:
Our P.E. lessons will take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please ensure your child comes to school in their P.E. kit on these days.

Homework

📘 Reading, Spellings & Mental Maths:
Homework will be sent home on Fridays. This will include a set of spellings and a short mental maths task along with their reading book which will be going home daily.

Spellings: We will practise these together in school during the week, and children will have a spelling test on Friday. Please support your child by helping them practise at home—this really helps reinforce their learning and boosts confidence.
Mental Maths: This should be completed independently. It gives me a useful insight into which areas children may need more support with, and helps build fluency in number facts.

Reading - A top priority!

Reading is one of the most important things you can do with your child at home. Listening to your child read daily helps in so many ways:

It strengthens their ability to transfer knowledge from short-term to long-term memory

It expands their vocabulary and understanding of language

It improves fluency, comprehension, and confidence

It supports their progress across all subjects

Please make time to read with your child every day, even if just for 10 minutes. It makes a huge difference!

Thank you

Thank you for your support as we begin this exciting new year. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’m looking forward to a fantastic September with your children!

NOTICES

Meet the Teacher - Thursday 11th September 6-7pm

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Tuesday 22nd July 2025

Goodbye Year 3, Hello Year 4!

As we reach the end of a joyful and memorable Year 3, we want to take a moment to reflect on the wonderful journey we've shared in Cedar Class.

A Fond Farewell to Mrs. Latham

Monday marked a very special and emotional day as we celebrated Mrs. Latham’s final day of teaching before her well-earned retirement. We feel incredibly lucky that Cedar Class was her final class, what a beautiful way to end such a meaningful career. Her warmth, wisdom, and kindness will be deeply missed.

Karma, Creativity, and Games

This week, the children designed their own versions of Snakes and Ladders, themed around good and bad karma. It was a creative and thoughtful activity, and the children had so much fun playing the games they made themselves!

Art

The children created their own Matisse style art by cutting and sticking, they were not allowed to use pencils which they all found very challenging!

Leavers’ Assembly and Scavenger Hunts

On Tuesday, we said goodbye to our wonderful Year 6s during the leavers’ assembly. It was a bittersweet moment, full of both happy memories and heartfelt goodbyes. Later, Cedar Class took part in an exciting scavenger hunt around the playground, finding objects for every letter of the alphabet. Laughter and teamwork filled the air!

Memory Books and Picnics

The children also created their own mini memory books, capturing their favourite moments from Year 3. These special keepsakes will be going home with them to treasure. We then enjoyed a lovely family picnic, thank you to everyone who joined us. It was heartwarming to see so many smiling faces and shared moments of joy.

A Celebration of Us

We ended the day with a special class celebration, sharing stories, laughter, and memories from our time together. It was a beautiful way to close the chapter on a fantastic year.

A Poem for Cedar Class

As Year 3 ends, we look ahead,
With memories dancing in our head.
From games we played to books we read,
And all the kind words that were said.

We’ve grown in courage, heart, and mind,
With friendships strong and teachers kind.
Now Year 4 is drawing near,
A brand new start, a brand new year.

So here’s to laughter, learning, play,
To sunny skies and summer days.
We’ll carry Year 3 in our hearts,
As we prepare for brand new starts.

A Fond Farewell (for now!)

Thank you for all your support throughout the year. It has been a joy to teach your children and watch them grow. We wish you all a restful, fun-filled summer and look forward to hearing about the exciting adventures Year 4 will bring. I will still be next door in year 3 during September and really looking forward to checking in on all the children after their summer break!

Have a wonderful summer!
With warmest wishes,
The Cedar Class Team

NOTICES

Last day of the year - Tuesday 22nd July 3:15pm

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 18th July 2025

As we come to the end of a truly special year in Cedar Class, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on everything your wonderful children have achieved. It’s been a year full of learning, laughter, growth, and resilience — and I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of their journey.

Maths - Statistics

This week, we’ve been ping into the world of statistics. The children have been learning how to interpret and draw pictograms and bar charts, and they’ve really embraced the hands-on nature of this topic. They’ve enjoyed collecting their own data, organising it clearly, and then representing it visually. It was fantastic to see their confidence grow as they read and analysed different sets of data — they really got into it and showed great success. It’s been a brilliant way to round off our maths learning for the year.

English- Creative Writing

In English, we’ve been focusing on creative writing, with a particular emphasis on character and setting descriptions. The children have been building rich word banks filled with powerful adjectives and adverbs, and using them to bring their writing to life. They’ve worked hard to edit and improve their work, and we’ve had some lovely moments sharing their stories with the class. It’s been heartwarming to see how supportive they are of one another — celebrating each other’s ideas and successes with genuine enthusiasm.

Reading

Our class book this fortnight has been The Twits by Roald Dahl, and it’s been a huge hit! The children have loved the humour and mischief in the story, and it’s sparked lots of lively discussions. We’ve also completed a range of comprehension activities based on the book, helping the children to develop their inference and retrieval skills while having fun with the text.

Science - Pollination

We’ve wrapped up our science unit on pollination this week with an end-of-unit assessment and a chance to share everything we’ve learned. The children have really enjoyed exploring how plants reproduce and the vital role of pollinators in our ecosystem. Their curiosity and enthusiasm have been wonderful to see, and they’ve retained so much knowledge — a real testament to their engagement with the topic.

Art - Shading Techniques

In art, we’ve been experimenting with different types of shading using charcoal and soft pencils. The children explored how to create depth and texture by shading geometric shapes and patterns, and even had a go at drawing shadows. It’s been a calming and creative way to end the term, and the results were fantastic — they should be very proud of their work.

Swimming

This week also marked our final swimming lesson of the year. The children practised gliding, kicking, and water safety skills, and it was lovely to see how much progress they’ve made since the start of the term. They had a lot of fun in the water and ended the sessions on a high note, full of confidence and smiles.

Looking Ahead - Our Final Week

Next week is our last week of term — and I can hardly believe how quickly the year has flown by! It’s been a truly memorable year, and I couldn’t be prouder of everything the children have achieved.

Some of our standout moments include:

Our class assembly, where the children performed with such confidence and pride
The singing performance, which was full of joy and energy
Our unforgettable Stone Age Day at Celtic Harmony
Bikeability, where the children showed great independence and resilience
Sports Day, full of team spirit and determination
The Walk for Mrs Monks, a touching and meaningful event
Our creative and collaborative DT projects

Beyond the curriculum, it’s been a joy to watch the children grow — not just academically, but socially and emotionally too. They’ve formed new friendships, developed resilience, and matured in their learning styles. They’ve learned how to support one another, how to persevere through challenges, and how to celebrate their own and each other’s successes. It’s been a privilege to witness their journey and to be part of such a kind, caring, and hardworking class.

A Fond Farewell (for now!)

As the children move on to Year 4 with Mrs Cornwell, I know they’ll continue to shine. I’ll miss them all very much — their energy, their curiosity, and their wonderful personalities. But I’ll be just next door, and I’ll be sure to check in with them throughout September to see how they’re settling in.

Thank you so much for all your support this year. It’s been a pleasure working with you and your children, and I wish you all a restful, joyful, and sunny summer break.

NOTICES

Tuesday 22nd July - Family Picnic 12-1

Last day of the year - Tuesday 22nd July 3:15pm

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 11th July 2025

We’ve had another busy and exciting week in class, filled with creativity, curiosity, and lots of learning!

Maths - All About Time

In Maths, we are continuing our work on telling the time, which remains a tricky concept for many children but it's lovely to see it starting to click for many children especially as we move to more challenging concepts. We’ve been revisiting key time vocabulary such as o’clock, half past, quarter past, and quarter to, as well as understanding AM and PM. Thank you so much for your support at home—it really makes a difference!

We’ve also been playing lots of times tables games to build fluency. Quick recall of multiplication facts is essential as it underpins so many areas of maths, from pision to fractions and beyond. The games have been a fun and effective way to boost confidence and speed.

English- Balanced Arguments

This week, the children have been ping into the world of descriptive writing. They’ve been using adjectives and adverbs to bring their settings and characters to life, creating vivid imagery in their writing. After sharing their work with peers, they’ve been working hard on editing and improving their drafts—an important part of the writing process that helps them reflect on their choices and refine their ideas.

Next week, we’ll continue to focus on sentence structure, exploring how to vary sentence openers, use conjunctions to extend ideas, and ensure punctuation is used accurately. These skills help children write more fluently and expressively, making their writing more engaging and easier to follow.

Science

In Science, we’ve been exploring the fascinating process of pollination. The children have learned how insects, especially bees, play a vital role in transferring pollen from one flower to another. We took our learning outdoors to observe real flowers up close, identifying and labelling parts such as the stigma, stamen, and petals. This hands-on experience helped deepen their understanding of plant reproduction and the importance of biopersity.

Music

Our recorder sessions continue to be a highlight of the week! The children are developing their ability to play in time with one another, focusing on rhythm, listening skills, and coordination. It’s wonderful to see their confidence grow as they play simple melodies together, learning the value of teamwork and musical timing.

Art

In Art, we’ve been exploring geometric art, looking at how artists like Carl Krull, Paul Cézanne, and Piet Mondrian used shapes and lines in their work. The children experimented with constructing their own drawings using guidelines and geometric principles, linking beautifully with our maths learning. They practiced identifying and drawing shapes such as circles, rectangles, and straight lines, and even had a go at sketching a drinks can, using light pencil marks to map out the basic forms. We’re incredibly proud of their finished pieces!

Swimming

In swimming, the children have been working on gliding underwater, turning onto their backs, and kicking efficiently beneath the surface. These skills are helping them become more confident and controlled swimmers.

Spellings

As part of our spelling learning this week we have been looking at -tion words, exploring how verbs can be transformed into nouns (e.g., "invent" becomes "invention"). The children have even tried creating their own examples and writing definitions—an excellent way to build vocabulary and deepen their understanding of word formation.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Georgie

For showing the value of friendship - always being kind, thoughtful and a wonderful friend to to others.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Elliot

For showing a huge improvement in your learning - your growing self-confidence and determination have shone through!

NOTICES

**Swimming - Thursday - Next week our swimming lesson will take place on Thursday 17th July as we will be watching the Y6 Dress Rehearsal during our normal swimming time.

Please remember to send your child with their swimming costume, towel, and swimming cap.
Children will not be able to swim without a cap.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brought in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 4th July 2025

We’ve had a fantastic week in class, packed with learning, creativity, and some very special moments. Here’s a little peek at what we’ve been up to:

Maths - All About Time

Time has been the name of the game recently — and it’s certainly been a challenge! We’ve been exploring the concept of a.m. to p.m., times of day, and working hard to read analogue clocks. Many children are still developing this skill, so any extra practise at home would be hugely helpful. I gave some helpful tips in last week's newsletter. We’ve also looked at months of the year, how many days are in each month, and explored the seasons and key events like New Year’s Day and Christmas. Quizzing your child on these can be a fun and effective way to embed their learning!

English- Balanced Arguments

In English, we’ve been wrapping up our topic on balanced arguments. The children explored both sides of the debate around school uniforms and did a brilliant job expressing their opinions in a structured, thoughtful way. It’s been lovely to see such lively engagement and critical thinking. They are also working hard on their handwriting skills, now using every writing opportunity to practice cursive handwriting using a pen.

History

In History, we’ve been delving into Ancient Egypt — focusing on the fascinating world of pyramids. The children explored what these incredible structures look like from the inside and learned to label key features such as the burial chamber, corridor, air shafts, king’s chamber, and descending passage. We discussed why pyramids were built, how they were constructed, and what they reveal about life and beliefs in Ancient Egyptian times. The children were captivated by the mysteries of the past — it’s been a brilliant topic!

Art

Geometric art has been our focus this half term, as we examined the shapes and patterns found in everyday objects and nature. From noticing that a sunflower’s centre isn’t a perfect circle, to developing our sketching skills using light, short pencil strokes — it’s been all about the detail! We also channelled our inner Mondrians, using primary colours, straight lines, and rectangles to create striking abstract pieces.

Move-up Day

Our transition day to Year 4 went really smoothly. The children had the opportunity to meet their new teacher, Miss Cornwell, make catapults, and spend time getting to know the routines for next year. They approached the day with excitement and maturity — a lovely reflection of how much they’ve grown. If you have any questions or your child has any concerns about the transition, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Walk for Mrs Monks

On Wednesday we took part in a whole school walk in honour of Mrs Monks. The children behaved beautifully as we explored the fields and forests of Bourn. We paused in a peaceful woodland clearing to share her favourite book — Oh, the Places You’ll Go by Dr Seuss — followed by a quiet moment to listen to the sounds of nature. A biscuit and a drink gave everyone a little boost for the walk back to school — a truly special day.

Arithmetic

In our arithmetic sessions, we’ve been working hard to build fluency in times tables. It’s so important to keep practising these little and often — they provide a strong foundation for so much of the maths children will encounter in future years.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Bella

For the Value of Hope, showing true perseverance, always trying her best and never giving up, even when things get tough. Your determination shines bright, Bella!

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Aurelia

For Outstanding Effort, consistently giving 100% in every subject. Your dedication, focus, and quiet determination are an inspiration. Keep reaching for the stars, Aurelia!

NOTICES

Swimming - Wednesdays

Please remember to send your child with their swimming costume, towel, and swimming cap.
Children will not be able to swim without a cap.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 27th June 2025

We’ve had a busy and engaging week in class, full of exciting learning opportunities and challenges! Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to:

Maths - All About Time

This week, we’ve continued exploring the topic of time — a tricky but important concept! The children have been learning to tell the time to the minute, distinguish between a.m. and p.m., and read digital and analogue clocks. They've also worked on converting between the two formats, which has certainly stretched their thinking.

As this has proven challenging for many, any support at home would make a real difference. Here are a few suggestions:

Ask your child to tell you the time on both analogue and digital clocks throughout the day.
Discuss what activities happen in the morning vs. afternoon/evening (a.m. and p.m.).
If possible, consider letting your child wear an analogue watch to build familiarity.

English- Balanced Arguments and Empathy

In English, we’ve been exploring opposing and reinforcing conjunctions such as “Furthermore” and “In contrast”. The children have been using these to build balanced arguments by linking ideas— no easy feat!

Our current topic is whether or not children should exercise for 30 minutes each day. It’s been fantastic to see the class thoughtfully considering both sides of the argument, not just their own opinions. This has helped to develop empathy, open-mindedness, and the ability to see situations from multiple perspectives. We’re proud of how seriously they’ve taken this challenge and how well they’ve expressed their views.

History - A Step into Ancient Egypt

The classroom buzzed with curiosity as the children stepped into the shoes of Howard Carter, imagining what it must have felt like to discover Tutankhamun’s tomb. They wrote vivid diary entries capturing the mystery, awe, and excitement of uncovering ancient treasures after thousands of years. Their writing has been filled with creativity and historical insight!

Science

In Science, we’ve delved into the fascinating world of pollination. The children learned the names and functions of the male and female parts of a flower, such as the stigma and anther. We explored the important roles played by different pollinators — from insects and birds, to the wind, and yes, even lemurs! (Though we’re checking our facts on whether the black-and-white ruffed lemur really is the world’s largest pollinator!)

Their scientific vocabulary and curiosity are growing beautifully.

Swimming - Glide and Kick!

This week’s swimming session focused on building confidence and control in the water. The children practised pushing off from the wall and gliding underwater — a big achievement for many! They’ve also begun working with floats to develop proper leg kicks, keeping their legs straight and strong behind them. It’s wonderful to see their enjoyment and progress.

PSHE - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY FOR NEXT WEEK!

In PSHE we are currently learning about our changing bodies when we grow. Next week’s lesson will outline that sometimes changes feel exciting and good, sometimes difficult, and often a bit of both. One thing we can be sure of: there will always be changes in our lives, because living things are always changing. We are going to learn about an important change which happens gradually to everybody - for the children it will start sometime in the next few years and carry on into their teens.

We introduce the term puberty and ask whether anybody has heard the word and/or knows what it means. We explain that it refers to the collection of changes that will gradually change their bodies from a child’s body into an adult’s body. This lesson will only look at changes on the outside of the body, and next time they will learn about the changes on the inside. Emphasise that puberty is a natural part of growing up for everyone.

Learning Intentions:

Understand that boys’ and girls’ bodies need to change so that when they grow up their bodies can make babies
Can identify how boys’ and girls’ bodies change on the outside during this growing up process
Recognise how I feel about these changes happening to me and know how to cope with those feelings

Make sure the children understand the key vocabulary from these during the lesson so they can reflect on them at the end.

Change
Puberty
Control
Breasts

The following week’s lesson will cover:

Learning Intentions:

Can identify how boys’ and girls’ bodies change on the inside during the growing up process and why these changes are necessary so that their bodies can make babies when they grow up
Recognise how I feel about these changes happening to me and know how to cope with these feelings

Make sure the children understand the key vocabulary from these during the lesson so they can reflect on them at the end.

Puberty
Male
Female
Testicles
Sperm
Penis
Ovaries
Egg
Ovum/Ova
Womb/Uterus
Vagina
Cope

This lesson does not attempt any explanation of how the sperm and the egg come together. It is likely that the question may come up, though. In that case the teacher responds to say that that’s another special bit about making a baby, and we’re saving up learning about it until later. Teachers are advised to upbeat and positive about it and avoid, if you can, making it seem like a guilty secret.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Anton

For showing the value of courage in your reading. You’ve faced something that once felt daunting, and now you’re giving it your best effort, well done!

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Harry

For consistently showing good effort in in Maths. Your determination, positive attitude, and resilience have been truly impressive — well done!

NOTICES

Swimming Starts – Wednesday 11th June

Please remember to send your child with their swimming costume, towel, and swimming cap.
Children will not be able to swim without a cap.

Tuesday 1st July - 'Walk for Karen'. We will be going for a walk around Bourn in honour of Karen.

Thursday 3rd July - Move up Day. The children will have the opportunity to spend the morning in their new classroom with their new teacher.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 20th June 2025

Sports Day Success!

What a brilliant Sports Day we had! The sun certainly made an appearance, and Cedar Class rose to the challenge with determination and enthusiasm. Despite the heat, the children gave it their all across a variety of events—from sprints and javelin to speed jumps, football dribbling, egg and spoon races, wicket knockdowns and more. Every single child demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship, encouraging one another with cheers and high-fives all round. It was heartwarming to see such teamwork and positivity, and we're proud of the effort and spirit shown by everyone.

End-of-Year Testing

This week also saw the children ping into their end-of-year assessments. They tackled times tables, arithmetic, reading comprehension, writing tasks, and maths reasoning questions with focus and determination. It’s clear how hard they’ve been working throughout the term, and this week was a wonderful opportunity for them to show off all they’ve learned. They should feel immensely proud of themselves—we certainly are.

Spellings

In Spelling, we’ve been exploring a new rule: when a 'c' is followed by an i, e, or y, it usually changes from a /k/ sound to a /s/ sound. The children loved getting stuck into this concept through code-cracking activities and spotting patterns in new vocabulary. Look out—you may start hearing lots of ‘city’, ‘cycle’, and ‘celebrate’ talk at home!

History

In History, Cedar Class have wrapped up their wonderful work on Tutankhamun and his tomb. Their final posters are a testament to their curiosity and effort. Full of fascinating facts and vibrant illustrations, these creations are both informative and beautifully presented. The children can’t wait to bring them home and share their knowledge with you—get ready for some mini Egyptologists at your dinner table!

Science

Bark Rubbings & Nature Discoveries- Science took us outdoors this week as we investigated how and why bark forms on trees. The class headed to the nature reserve for some hands-on bark rubbing, examining textures, patterns, and tree types. This close-up look at nature sparked lots of thoughtful observations and conversations.

Swimming

Our swimming lessons continue to go swimmingly! The children are building confidence in the water, learning new techniques and practising essential water safety skills. There’s also been noticeable improvement in how swiftly (and sensibly!) they’re getting changed—well done, Cedar Class!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Immie

For demonstrating the value of friendship by offering kind and encouraging words to friends during Sports Day, showing thoughtfulness, support and a caring team spirit.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Harley

For the outstanding effort he has shown throughout this week, demonstrating a positive attitude and a strong commitment to doing his best during all of this tests.

NOTICES

Swimming Starts – Wednesday 11th June

Please remember to send your child with their swimming costume, towel, and swimming cap.
Children will not be able to swim without a cap.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 13th June 2025

Year 3/4 Singing Performance

The highlight of our week has undoubtedly been the final preparations and performance for our Year 3/4 singing showcase. The children dedicated almost the entire week to rehearsing, and I have to say, I was absolutely blown away by their enthusiasm, energy, and commitment. From perfecting their singing to choreographing their dance moves, every child fully embraced their inner rock star! Their positive attitude and growing confidence were wonderful to see.

When it came to performing for parents and families, they truly rose to the occasion, demonstrating incredible courage to stand in front of a large audience. It was clear how much effort they had put into their performance, and I hope you enjoyed watching it as much as we enjoyed preparing for it. Thank you for coming along and supporting them—it means so much to the children.

English

In English, we have been focusing on writing balanced arguments. The children have discussed the topic of a three-day weekend, carefully weighing up both the advantages and disadvantages. Interestingly, many children argued against the idea, showing a great deal of maturity in considering the wider implications!

They have been learning how to structure their arguments, summarise main points, and use rhetorical questions to engage the reader and strengthen their reasoning. The quality of their writing has been very impressive, and they are becoming increasingly skilled at presenting both sides of an argument clearly and thoughtfully.

Spelling

Our spelling focus this week has been homophones—words that sound the same but have different meanings and spellings. We discussed what homophones are and came up with fun and memorable rules to help us remember which spelling to use in different contexts. The children have enjoyed the challenge and have shown great progress in applying these tricky words in their writing.

Maths

In Maths, we have successfully completed our topic on money. The children have worked hard to develop their skills in adding, subtracting, and converting between pounds and pence, both mentally and using written methods. They demonstrated excellent problem-solving skills when tackling real-life scenarios involving money, and I am very pleased with their progress.

We have now begun a new topic on time. This week, we focused on reading Roman numerals and telling the time on analogue clocks with Roman numerals. The children have made a great start, and we will continue to build on these important life skills over the coming weeks.

P.E.

This week marked the beginning of our swimming lessons. The children were very excited and did brilliantly during their first session. We split into two groups, allowing for focused attention on developing basic swimming techniques and water safety. The children changed independently and listened carefully to instructions from Mr Puckey, showing great responsibility and maturity. The weather was kind to us with lovely sunshine, which made our first session even more enjoyable.

In addition to swimming, we have also continued our athletics practice in preparation for Sports Day next week. The children have been honing their skills in events such as the javelin, long jump, and sprinting. It’s been lovely to see their enthusiasm and team spirit as they support each other in improving their performances.

Music

In Music, we have been learning about different composers and their styles, as well as continuing our recorder practice. The children are making fantastic progress with their playing and are developing both their musical knowledge and technical skills.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support. It has been a wonderful week full of learning, growth, and celebration. We look forward to another exciting week ahead!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

The Entire Class

In recognition of your outstanding courage, confidence, and determination during your Year 3/4 singing performance.

You showed incredible bravery standing in front of your families and friends, singing and dancing with energy, enthusiasm, and true rock star spirit.

Your hard work, positive attitude, and team spirit made the performance a huge success — we are all so proud of you!

Well done, superstars! 🌟

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Emily - For showing incredible effort, determination, and positivity.
Even with a fractured foot, you continued to take part in the show, gave it your all, and kept a big smile on your face throughout.

NOTICES

Swimming Starts – Wednesday 11th June

Please remember to send your child with their swimming costume, towel, and swimming cap.
Children will not be able to swim without a cap.

Sports Day will take place on Wednesday 18th June 9:15am- 12pm

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 6th June 2025

PE – Golf
Despite the chilly weather on Tuesday morning, Cedar Class showed fantastic enthusiasm during their golf lesson with Joel from the Cambridge Country Club. The children learned how to correctly hold a golf club and practised hitting foam golf balls into designated target areas. Joel was impressed with their focus, determination, and how quickly they picked up the basic techniques. It was a great opportunity for the children to try a new sport and develop their coordination and concentration skills.

English
We’ve started an exciting new unit on balanced arguments, and the children have fully embraced it! We kicked off the topic by exploring big, emotive questions such as:

Homework should be banned at schools
Weekends should be three days long
All children should have mobile phones
Zoos should be shut down

The children physically moved to the “for” or “against” side of the classroom to show their opinions, then shared their reasons. It was fantastic to see such mature, thoughtful discussions—and many surprised us with how well they could articulate their views and respectfully listen to others.

We explored what makes a balanced argument fair and effective, discussing how both sides must be represented equally. The children identified key features in a model text, including rhetorical questions, formal language, the use of conjunctions to link ideas, third-person perspective, and writing in the present tense. They also reflected on the purpose of each feature.

Next, they’ll be summarising the main points of another balanced argument before planning their own. This has been an excellent unit for developing speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills—and most importantly, valuing each other's perspectives.

Maths
In Maths, we’ve begun a new unit on money. The children have been working hard to understand the relationship between pounds and pence (there are 100p in £1) and have practised converting between the two. They’ve also started solving problems involving addition and subtraction of money using both mental and written methods. This is a very practical unit, and we encourage you to involve your child in real-life money situations at home—like helping with shopping or checking change!

Music – Singing Production
This week has been full of energy and excitement as we prepare for our singing production next week. Cedar and Rosewood Classes have been rehearsing daily—learning lyrics, choreographing dance moves, and even helping with stage direction! The children have taken real ownership of the performance and are loving the chance to express themselves creatively. We can’t wait for you to see it!

Please read the Notices section below carefully for important information. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Thank you for all your support this half term.
Have a lovely weekend, and we’re looking forward to another very exciting, rock inspired week ahead!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Gus - for showing the value of forgiveness - letting go of bad feelings and choosing kindness. Well done Gus!

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Ethan - showing great effort in English lessons - especially when sorting and identifying the features of a balanced argument. Well done for staying focused and working hard!

NOTICES

Year 3/4 Singing Performance will be held on Tuesday 10th June at 2pm and Wednesday 11th June at 6pm.

Swimming Starts – Wednesday 11th June

Please remember to send your child with their swimming costume, towel, and swimming cap.
Children will not be able to swim without a cap.

Cedar & Rosewood Singing Production

Dress Rehearsal – Monday: Please bring in your child’s rock-inspired costume. These can stay at school ready for the next day.
Performance – Tuesday at 2:00pm: Children will wear their costumes home after the show.
Wednesday Evening Performance – 6:00pm start:
- Children must be dropped off at the classroom door (normal morning drop-off area) by 5:30pm, already dressed and ready in their costume.
- Collection will also be from the classroom door after the performance – please do not collect from the hall.
- The show is expected to last around 45 minutes.
- Your child should have brought home two tickets for each performance – please remember to bring these with you on the day.
- Please see my email for further details and instructions.

Sports Day will take place on Wednesday 18th June 9:15am- 12pm

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 23rd May 2025

As we reached the final week before the holidays, the children have shown great focus and enthusiasm, ending the half term on a real high.

Mathematics

This week, Cedar Class have been continuing their learning on fractions of an amount, with a particular focus on reasoning with non-unit fractions and understanding fractions of a set of objects. We’ve had some tricky moments, but the children are showing real perseverance!

We’ve been exploring how five-fifths (5/5) is equal to one whole, and how to find fractions like two-thirds (2/3) of an amount by first identifying one-third (1/3) and then multiplying the numerator. A key part of this learning has been understanding what the denominator tells us – how many equal parts the whole is pided into. It’s a challenging topic, but the children are doing their best and making great progress.

English

In English, the children have worked incredibly hard to write their own new chapters for The Enchanted Wood. They planned carefully, wrote thoughtful drafts, edited their work, and finally published their finished pieces neatly using pens. These chapters will become part of a class book for everyone to enjoy. The children are so proud of their writing – and so are we! We’ve been blown away by their creativity, focus, and passion for storytelling.

R.E. - Church Visit

On Thursday morning, we walked to church for our end-of-half-term Mass, led by Father Nigel. It was a special time for reflection, and we especially enjoyed hearing the beautiful singing from the choir.

Music - Singing Practice

Afternoons this week have been full of music as we prepare for the Singing Concert after half term. The children are learning the lyrics and working hard to stay in time with one another. Some of the songs are quite tricky – there are a few tongue twisters! Over the break, please encourage your child to practice daily. I’ve sent the songs via email, so do play them at home when you can.

Wishing you all a lovely long weekend and a restful half-term break.
We’re really looking forward to welcoming the children back for their final half term of Year 3 – full of more learning, fun, and celebrations ahead!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Mia - For showing the value of friendship by making a fantastic effort to share and take turns with others.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Alexander - For showing fantastic perseverance in Maths this week – especially when tackling tricky work on fractions. Well done for always trying your best

NOTICES

Year 3/4 Singing Performance will be held on Tuesday 10th June at 2pm and Wednesday 11th June at 6pm. More information to follow.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 16th May 2025

What we have been learning this week...

We’ve had a fantastic week in Year 3, and the children have been working incredibly hard across all areas of the curriculum. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to recently:

Mathematics

In Maths, we’ve been ping into the world of fractions. The children have been learning how to find fractions of numbers and fractions of amounts, as well as identifying unit fractions of a set of objects. A key focus has been on building a secure understanding of numerators and denominators, and how these relate to the parts and the whole in a fraction.

We’ve used a variety of practical activities and visual aids to support this learning, and the children are beginning to confidently explain what a fraction represents. This has included solving word problems and working collaboratively to find solutions — excellent skills that they’ll continue to develop.

English

We’ve been thoroughly enjoying our creative writing project inspired by The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton. The children have been planning and writing their own magical chapters to add to the story. They have each invented a new magical object, created an original character, and imagined an entirely new setting to bring their ideas to life.

Our focus has been on using ambitious adjectives, expanding our vocabulary, and building well-structured sentences. Editing has been a key part of the process — the children are learning to re-read their work, make improvements, and take pride in their final drafts.

It’s been wonderful to see such imaginative ideas and thoughtful writing. We’re very excited to compile everyone’s work into our own class version of the next Enchanted Wood adventure next week!

Computing

In Computing, we’ve been learning about branching databases using yes/no questions. The children have been developing their skills in classification, thinking carefully about the kinds of questions that help to sort and identify different objects or creatures.

Using Purple Mash, we created our own branching databases and played a digital version of ‘Guess Who’ to understand how databases work in real life. This topic has helped the children to think logically, spot patterns, and organise information clearly — all useful skills both in computing and across the curriculum.

PE

With Sports Day coming up next half term, our PE lessons have focused on athletics. The children have been practising a variety of events including sprinting, jumping, and throwing.

We’ve also discussed the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and trying our best, and it’s been great to see everyone giving their all during lessons. We can’t wait to see their enthusiasm and effort on show at Sports Day!

Design & Technology

In DT, we’ve been exploring levers and linkages to create moving mechanisms. The children have shown brilliant problem-solving skills as they worked through challenges and learned to persevere when things didn’t go to plan.

They’ve followed instructions carefully, experimented with different materials, and produced some fantastic moving designs. This hands-on project has really helped develop both their creativity and their resilience.

Singing

There has been a real buzz in the classroom as we begin rehearsing for our upcoming performance. The children have been working hard to learn lyrics, stay in time with the music, and sing with confidence and expression.

We’ve also been practising listening to each other and working as a group, which has helped build a strong sense of teamwork. It’s lovely to see their excitement grow as the performance draws nearer — we can’t wait to share it with you soon, more information to follow!

Thank you for your continued support. We’re looking forward to more exciting learning ahead as we approach the final half term of the year!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Sienna - for showing fantastic courage and determination in Maths lessons. You are tackling challenges with a positive attitude.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Roma - for a wonderful effort in writing about magical objects, creative settings and original characters. Your imagination shines through.

NOTICES

Thursday 22nd May - RSE information evening for all parents/carers (6-7pm, in the hall)

Year 3/4 Singing Performance will be held on Tuesday 10th June at 2pm and Wednesday 11th June at 6pm. More information to follow.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 9th May 2025

What we have been learning this week...

It’s been another busy and exciting week in Cedar Class! The children have shown great enthusiasm and curiosity across all areas of the curriculum. Here's a little insight into what we've been up to:

📚 English
We’ve continued reading The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton and the children are thoroughly enjoying the magical adventures of the characters. This week, they took on the role of one of the characters and wrote imaginative letters describing some of the adventures so far. This was a wonderful opportunity to explore creative writing while also focusing on grammar skills. We’ve been working hard on using the correct verb tenses — switching between first and third person and past and present tense. The children have done a fantastic job developing their narrative voice and using descriptive language.

➗ Maths
We are nearing the end of our unit on Capacity and Volume. The children have been learning how to compare different measurements, read a variety of scales accurately, and apply their pision facts to help interpret those scales. We've also been counting in hundreds and practising subtracting in hundreds, which has helped reinforce place value understanding. Well done to all the children for their effort and perseverance — especially when tackling those tricky measurement conversions!

🧪 Science
Our topic on Plants has taken a practical turn this week! The class planted seeds in different locations around the school, considering how factors like sunlight, water, and space impact growth. We’ve made predictions about which seeds will grow best and are keeping a close eye on any signs of sprouting. The children are developing their observation and scientific reasoning skills, and we’ll be documenting the growth over the coming weeks as part of our ongoing investigation.

🏏 P.E.
We’re continuing with Cricket this half-term and the children are growing in confidence with both batting and fielding skills. This week, we focused on improving hand-eye coordination, teamwork, and understanding the basic rules of the game. It’s been wonderful to see how supportive the children are of one another, encouraging their classmates and celebrating progress.

🏺 History

In our Ancient Egypt topic, the class had great fun deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics! They wrote their own secret messages using the ancient symbols and then tried to translate messages written by their classmates. We even included a bit of Maths by using number hieroglyphs to create addition and subtraction problems.

We also learned about the important role of the scribe in Ancient Egyptian society. Scribes were usually boys from wealthy families who began training at around six or seven years old. They spent years learning how to read and write in hieroglyphs and were highly respected for their skills. Because only a small number of people could read or write, scribes held very important positions — recording laws, trade records, and religious texts. The children were fascinated to learn how much dedication it took to become a scribe, and it helped them appreciate just how special writing was in the ancient world.

🔤 Spellings
This week in spellings, we’ve been exploring root words and how their meanings can change with the addition of different suffixes. For example, turning the adjective "sad" into the adverb "sadly" by adding "-ly." The children are learning how understanding the root of a word can help them spell more accurately and make better vocabulary choices in their writing. We’ve been practising this through games, partner activities, and writing sentences to show words in context.

Thank you for your continued support at home — whether it’s helping with reading, homework, or simply encouraging a love of learning. The children have worked incredibly hard and should be very proud of themselves.

How can you help...

Regular spelling practice is essential for building confidence in writing. Please take some time to go over your child’s spellings with them throughout the week. Our spelling test takes place on Fridays, and it’s always wonderful to see children feeling proud of their hard work and progress.

Encouraging your child to read aloud for at least 15 minutes a day will help develop their fluency, comprehension, and confidence. Asking questions about the story, discussing new words, or taking turns reading can make this even more engaging.

To support their times tables learning, try using flashcards, online games like TT Rockstars, or fun, everyday activities. For example, practice multiplication while setting the table (“We have 4 people and need 2 forks each—how many forks altogether?”) or while shopping (“If apples are 3p each, how much would 5 cost?”). Making learning interactive and part of daily life can make a big difference!

Other ways to support your child’s learning:

Encourage writing—whether it’s a diary entry, a short story, or even a shopping list, writing for different purposes helps develop skills.
Play number games—board games that involve counting or strategy can reinforce math skills in a fun way.
Ask about their learning—a simple “What was the best thing you learned today?” can spark great discussions and reinforce knowledge.

Thank you for your support in helping your child grow in confidence and independence with their learning!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Genevieve - For showing kindness, empathy and support to those around her. She is a shining example of what it means to be there for others.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Olivia - showing remarkable determination and a strong work ethic especially during Maths lessons.

NOTICES

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 2nd May 2025

What we have been learning this week...

🌟 What a Busy and Brilliant Week!
It’s been another fantastic week in Cedar Class, full of exciting learning, outdoor adventures, and lots of reading in some very unusual places!

📏 Maths – Mass, Capacity & Counting in 200s
This week, we’ve continued exploring mass and capacity. The children have been comparing different measurements and using their pision skills to calculate the intervals on a variety of beakers and measuring jugs. It’s been great to see them applying their knowledge so confidently in practical tasks.

We’ve also been counting in 200s all the way up to 1000—a great way to strengthen place value understanding. The class now knows that 1,000 millilitres equals 1 litre, and they’ve been using this fact to solve a range of real-life problems. Great job, Year 3!

📚 English – A Magical New Unit
We’ve started a new English unit based on The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton, and the children are already captivated by the story’s magical world and charming characters.

Our focus this week has been on improving our sentence writing. We've been using conjunctions to connect clauses and working hard to correct punctuation and grammar errors in our writing. This has helped the children develop greater awareness of how to structure clear and interesting sentences. Their editing and proofreading skills are really coming along!

🏺 History – Ancient Egyptian Mummification
We had a wonderfully gruesome lesson this week as we learned about the process of mummification in Ancient Egypt. The children were fascinated (and slightly horrified!) as they discovered how the ancient Egyptians preserved bodies for the afterlife. From removing internal organs to wrapping bodies in linen, they absorbed lots of memorable—and rather yucky—facts!

🚲 Bikeability – Early Cycling Skills
On Wednesday, the children took part in a two-hour Bikeability session. They practised key bike safety skills, including how to stop safely, check for traffic, and enter roads correctly. The instructors were impressed with how well the children listened and applied what they were taught.

For many, this was their first experience of formal cycling training, and they showed great confidence and focus throughout. We’re so proud of them for taking on this important learning with such enthusiasm.

📖 Sponsored Reading Week – Pages in Unusual Places!
Our Sponsored Reading Week has been a huge success! The children have embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, reading in the nature reserve, under desks, beneath shady trees, and more.

They’ve been carefully filling in their sponsor sheets and are rightly proud of the amount of reading they’ve completed. All money raised will go toward installing solar panels on the Book Bus, helping us take a big step toward making it fully carbon neutral. Thank you for your support!

🛠️ D.T. – Levers, Linkages and Moving Toys
In Design and Technology, we’ve started a fun and creative project exploring levers and linkages. The children are designing and building their own moving toys, including jumping dolphins and flying rockets! This hands-on learning has helped them understand how simple mechanisms work, while encouraging careful planning, imaginative thinking and critical evaluation.

💬 A Final Note

Thank you to all the parents who came in for consultations this week—it was truly lovely to have the opportunity to talk about each child and celebrate their progress so far. Your support at home makes such a big difference.

Wishing you a restful weekend!

How can you help...

Other ways to support your child’s learning:

Encourage writing—whether it’s a diary entry, a short story, or even a shopping list, writing for different purposes helps develop skills.
Play number games—board games that involve counting or strategy can reinforce math skills in a fun way.
Ask about their learning—a simple “What was the best thing you learned today?” can spark great discussions and reinforce knowledge.

Thank you for your support in helping your child grow in confidence and independence with their learning!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Lydia - for showing incredible courage and hope during Bikeability this week. We're so proud of your resilience and determination.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Megan - For showing fantastic effort in her writing this week.
She has been working hard to use conjunctions to join her ideas and improve her sentence structure. Keep it up—your hard work is really paying off!

NOTICES

Monday is a Bank Holiday

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: Friday 25th April 2025

What we have been learning this week...

A Wonderful Start to the Term!
Cedar Class have kicked off the new term with fantastic energy and enthusiasm. I’ve been so impressed with everyone’s work ethic and positive attitude—what a great start!

We’ve altered our seating plan and rearranged our classroom into a horseshoe table layout, which the children and I agree means we’re in for a lucky term ahead!

🌍 History
Our journey through Ancient Egypt continues! This week, we explored the significance of the River Nile and how essential it was to Egyptian life. Ask your child to share some fun facts—they’ve learned plenty!

📐 Maths
We’ve been learning all about volume and capacity. The children have been practicing reading different types of scales and now understand that there are 1000 grams in a kilogram. They've discovered lots of creative ways to show this, too!

✏️ English
In English, we’ve been focusing on the indefinite articles a and an. The children learned that words starting with a vowel sound usually use an, while consonant sounds use a. We’ve been spotting these all over our reading!

🏏 P.E.
In P.E., we’ve started learning about cricket, including some basic batting skills. We’re also working on sprinting techniques—learning how to take big strides and use our arms effectively. The children even counted each other’s strides during some fun running drills!

🇪🇸 Spanish
In Spanish, we’re beginning to conjugate the verb estar and have been practicing using it in conversations with partners. The children are growing more confident in using simple phrases like ¿Dónde está...? and are even beginning to build full sentences about location and feelings. ¡Muy bien!

🌱 Science
We’ve just started our new topic on plants. This week, we looked at the functions of different parts of a plant—roots, stem, leaves, and flowers. The children created informative and beautifully illustrated leaflets explaining each part's role.

📚 Sponsored Reading Week – Starts Monday!
Next week is Bourn Sponsored Reading Week! On Monday, each child will receive a reading record sheet to track the number of books they read throughout the week. They may ask friends and family to sponsor their efforts, with all funds going toward the Book Bus project. The school is raising money to buy solar panels and make the bus carbon neutral—how exciting!

We’ll also be making reading extra fun by exploring new and unusual places to read around school!

More details will be shared in an email from Mrs Latham.

🚲 Bikeability – Wednesday 30th
A quick reminder that Bikeability will be held on Wednesday, the 30th. Apologies once again for the confusion in my last newsletter.

How can you help...

Other ways to support your child’s learning:

Encourage writing—whether it’s a diary entry, a short story, or even a shopping list, writing for different purposes helps develop skills.
Play number games—board games that involve counting or strategy can reinforce math skills in a fun way.
Ask about their learning—a simple “What was the best thing you learned today?” can spark great discussions and reinforce knowledge.

Thank you for your support in helping your child grow in confidence and independence with their learning!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Sylvie - for showing courage and continuously challenging herself to grow and improve. You are capable of amazing things!

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Alfred - for always trying his best and demonstrating incredible perseverance. Keep believing in yourself, you are capable of great things!

NOTICES

Parent Consultations will be held after school next week

Bikeability will take place on Wednesday 30th April

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 4th April 2025

What we have been learning this week...

As we wrap up the term, Class Cedar has had an exciting and enriching week filled with hands-on learning and memorable experiences!

Celtic Harmony Trip

The highlight of last week was our fantastic school trip to Celtic Harmony, where the children were transported back to the Stone Age. They met Raven, our knowledgeable guide, who demonstrated how to make fire and taught them the skills of building sturdy dens in the woods. The children took part in hunting and gathering, learning about Stone Age foods and even creating a green soup in the cooking tent by mashing fresh herbs.

After a well-earned lunch and some playtime in the sun, they watched Raven skillfully craft Stone Age tools and weapons using flint knapping. The adventure continued as they participated in an obstacle course woolly mammoth hunting challenge, scoring impressively high! The children had a fantastic time and gained valuable knowledge about this fascinating period in history.

Back at school, they channeled their experiences into beautifully written recounts of the trip, focusing on:
✅ Writing in the first person
✅ Using the past tense
✅ Organising events in chronological order

Their hard work has resulted in some truly impressive pieces of writing!

Science – The Human Body and Skeletons

In science, Cedar class have been delving into the human body and skeletons. They have been exploring the importance of bones, learning about the functions of the skeleton, and discovering how it helps us move, grow, and stay protected. The children have been fascinated by the different types of bones and how they support our bodies every day!

Maths – Exploring Mass

In maths, we have begun new topic focusing on mass. The children have been developing key skills, including:
📏 Comparing weights in grams (g) and kilograms (kg)
⚖️ Reading scales with different interval gaps
➕ Using balance scales to calculate weights or various objects

They have enjoyed these lessons and are becoming confident in measuring and comparing mass accurately. We will continue this topic into the Summer Term

Easter Experience Day

We are looking forward to Easter Experience Day on Friday! The children will take part in a full day of RE activities based on the Stations of the Cross, helping them reflect on the significance of Easter in a meaningful and creative way.

We wish you all a wonderful Easter break! Thank you for your continued support.

How can you help...

Other ways to support your child’s learning:

Encourage writing—whether it’s a diary entry, a short story, or even a shopping list, writing for different purposes helps develop skills.
Play number games—board games that involve counting or strategy can reinforce math skills in a fun way.
Ask about their learning—a simple “What was the best thing you learned today?” can spark great discussions and reinforce knowledge.

Thank you for your support in helping your child grow in confidence and independence with their learning!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

There are no certificates this week.

NOTICES

Easter Holidays Monday 7th April and returning to school on Wednesday 23rd April

Bikeability will take place on Wednesday 23rd April

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 28th March 2025

What we have been learning this week...

As we approach the end of another engaging week in Cedar Class, I'm excited to share the wonderful progress and activities your children have been involved in across various subjects.

Mathematics: Mastering Equivalent Fractions

This week, our focus in mathematics has been on understanding equivalent fractions. Using bar models and number lines, the children explored how different fractions can represent the same value. For instance, they discovered that 1/2 is equivalent to 2/4 and 4/8 by visually comparing segment sizes on bar models. This hands-on approach has significantly enhanced their comprehension, and I'm pleased to report that the class has excelled in this area.

English: Delving into Grammar and Syntax

In English, we've concentrated on grammar and syntax, ensuring a solid understanding of various word classes. The students have identified and used adjectives, nouns, proper nouns, and verbs effectively. Additionally, some have ventured into more advanced word classes, including prepositions, conjunctions, and pronouns. This foundational knowledge is crucial for developing their writing skills, and the enthusiasm they've shown has been commendable.

Literature: Exploring 'Stone Age Boy'

Our class story this week is "Stone Age Boy" by Satoshi Kitamura. This captivating tale follows a young boy who unexpectedly finds himself in the Stone Age, offering a vivid glimpse into prehistoric life. The narrative has sparked insightful discussions about ancient cultures and survival techniques, perfectly aligning with our upcoming class trip on Friday, 28th March.

Science Week: Embracing 'Change and Adapt'

In celebration of British Science Week 2025, themed "Change and Adapt," we delved into the life and work of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. The children explored how species adapt over time to survive in their environments, fostering a deep appreciation for the persity of life on Earth. This theme also complements our ongoing studies on the human body.

Human Anatomy: Hands-On Learning

Continuing our exploration of the human body, Thursday's science lesson featured an interactive session with the school's life-size human skeleton. The children enthusiastically identified and labeled various bones, enhancing their understanding of human anatomy through tactile learning.

Music: Recorder Practice

In music, the children are progressing with their recorder practice. They've been learning new notes and simple melodies, focusing on breath control, finger positioning, and rhythm.

Physical Education: Tag Rugby and Tennis

Our P.E. sessions have been dynamic, with students engaging in tag rugby and tennis. In tag rugby, they've developed skills such as agility, teamwork, and strategic thinking. Tennis lessons have concentrated on hand-eye coordination, footwork, and racket handling. These activities not only promote physical fitness but also instill valuable life skills like perseverance and cooperation.

Thank you for your continued support in your child's educational journey. Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to reach out.

How can you help...

Other ways to support your child’s learning:

Encourage writing—whether it’s a diary entry, a short story, or even a shopping list, writing for different purposes helps develop skills.
Play number games—board games that involve counting or strategy can reinforce math skills in a fun way.
Ask about their learning—a simple “What was the best thing you learned today?” can spark great discussions and reinforce knowledge.

Thank you for your support in helping your child grow in confidence and independence with their learning!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Luna

This certificate is awarded to Luna for being a wonderful friend and always looking after others with kindness and compassion.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Jake

This certificate is awarded to Jake for demonstrating outstanding effort in all subjects. You approach every challenge with a positive attitude and a willingness to do your best.

NOTICES

Class trip to Celtic Harmony on Friday 28th March

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reser

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 21st March 2025

What we have been learning this week...

This week in Cedar Class, we have been doing some assessments in maths arithmetic, reasoning, reading, and comprehension, as well as a Big Write. The children wrote a beautifully descriptive piece about a tiny dragon, and I was so impressed with their creativity and use of language. I have been really proud of how the class have tackled these tests with resilience and, at times, even enthusiasm—well done to everyone!

We have also enjoyed the warmer weather with some brain breaks and fun P.E. lessons outside. The children have been learning to play tag rugby, getting used to passing the ball backward while running forward. They have also been working on their agility, teamwork, and dodging skills as they try to evade their opponents.

Alongside rugby, the children have been practicing their tennis skills, focusing on hand-eye coordination, controlling their racket, and developing a consistent rally with a partner. They have shown great improvement in their footwork and accuracy.

In computing, the children have been learning how to create spreadsheets, developing their understanding of how to organize and input data. They have also been spending time on TT Rockstars to practice their times tables, working hard to improve their speed and accuracy.

In music, the children have been practicing their recorder skills and have learned some fantastic rhythms to play together. It has been wonderful to hear them develop their timing and confidence as a group.

In history, the children designed their own Iron Age hillforts, creating some fantastic and imaginative designs. They really enjoyed sharing their ideas and explaining their defensive features to each other.

In art, the children have been practicing their watercolor skills by carefully observing and painting the details and colors of shells. They have worked hard on blending colors and adding delicate details to their artwork.

Reminder: Next Friday, the 28th, is our school trip to Celtic Harmony. I have sent more details via email, but please let me know if you have any questions. We are all really looking forward to it!

Have a great weekend!

How can you help...

Other ways to support your child’s learning:

Encourage writing—whether it’s a diary entry, a short story, or even a shopping list, writing for different purposes helps develop skills.
Play number games—board games that involve counting or strategy can reinforce math skills in a fun way.
Ask about their learning—a simple “What was the best thing you learned today?” can spark great discussions and reinforce knowledge.

Thank you for your support in helping your child grow in confidence and independence with their learning!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Georgie

This certificate is awarded to Georgie for showing the true value of friendship. You are always kind, supportive, and willing to help others, making our classroom a happier place.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Caelan

This certificate is awarded to Caelen for working hard to complete your tests this week. You showed perseverance and focus.

NOTICES

Class trip to Celtic Harmony on Friday 28th March

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reser

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 14th March 2025

What we have been learning this week...

English: This week, we have continued exploring The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo. The children have been working hard to write a setting description, create a character profile, and think about how to sequence the story by using story mapping boxes. These activities have allowed the children to engage more deeply with the story and develop their creative writing skills.

History: In History, we have been learning about Iron Age round houses and hillforts. The children have discovered why hillforts were built, with specific features such as high walls, ditches and being positioned on high ground. The children are becoming increasingly engaged with this topic, especially with our upcoming school trip to Celtic Harmony on the 28th of March, where they will see and experience this history first hand!

Maths: In Maths, we have been focusing on fractions. The children are progressing well with the following steps:

Understanding the denominators of unit fractions.
Comparing and ordering unit fractions.
Understanding the numerators of non-unit fractions.
Understanding the whole.
Comparing and ordering non-unit fractions.

PE: In PE, the children have been learning to play tag rugby. They have been developing key skills such as passing, catching, and dodging, while also improving their teamwork and communication. The Year 3 children are becoming more confident in their ability to work together during games, and they are learning the importance of strategy and fair play.

Science: In Science, we are learning about healthy eating. The children have been sorting foods into food groups and discussing the importance of balanced meals. They have also been getting creative by planning and designing their own healthy meals, considering the nutritional value of different foods.

It has been a busy and exciting week in Cedar Class, and the children are making fantastic progress across all subjects!

How can you help...

To support your child’s learning, please practice their spellings regularly with them. This is very important for their progress in writing. Our spelling test is on Friday and it is always fantastic to see the children who have put in lots of hard work feeling proud of themselves in this.

Additionally, children should be reading aloud for at least 15 minutes each day. Reading regularly helps improve fluency and comprehension, and it’s a valuable habit for their overall development.

To support your child in learning their times tables, consider using engaging tools like flashcards or online games such as TT rockstars. You can incorporate multiplication into everyday activities, such as cooking or shopping, to make learning both fun and practical.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Harry

This certificate is awarded to Harry for being a kind friend and showing great courage when approaching challenging tasks. His positive attitude and willingness to help others are truly appreciated. Well done, Harry!

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Rudy

This certificate is awarded to Rudy for completing all tasks this week and showing increased confidence in his strengths.

NOTICES

Class trip to Celtic Harmony on Friday 28th March

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 7th March 2025

What we have been learning this week...

Maths: Fractions

In maths, the children have learned how fractions represent parts of a whole. They have learned the number of parts a whole is pided into is called the denominator and that the numerator shows how many of the parts we are looking at. With unit fractions the children learned that the greater the denominator, the smaller the fraction and could use this understanding to compare fractions with different denominators, showing them on bar models as well.

English: The Egyptian Cinderella
The children have continued to develop their story ideas, working on planning their own version of the story based on the characters they are becoming familiar with. One of the activities which has helped them develop their understanding of the characters was to write a diary entry based on one of the them.

Art:
In Art, the children have been looking at the paintings of shells by Georgia O'Keefe. She is famous for her large, colourful images of nature. This week, the children looked at a selection of real shells and some images of shells and used these to sketch and colour their own, using coloured pencils or water colour paints.

World Book Day
It was so much fun to see the children dressing up for World Book Day, some of their costumes were incredible! In our collective worship, each class took a turn parading to the rest of the school so that everyone could see all the different characters. The children enjoyed a range of activities throughout the day including listening to stories on the Book Bus and reading with children in Oak Class. The children read 'The Day the Crayons Quit' outside in the sunshine on the top field making the most of the lovely weather.

Thank you for your continued support. We are looking forward to another great week of learning and adventure in Cedar Class!

How can you help...

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Anton

For showing justice by doing the right thing and not the easy thing when dealing with a difficult situation. Well done!

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Olivia C

For showing resilience and producing some amazing work this week. Well done!

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 28th February

What we have been learning this week...

We are excited to welcome Cedar Class back after the half-term holiday! It has been wonderful hearing about everyone's adventures, sleepovers, and fun activities over the break. We hope you all had a refreshing time!

This week, we’ve started some exciting new learning units.

Maths: Length and Perimeter
In Maths, the children are focusing on length and perimeter. They have been calculating the perimeter of different closed shapes and have learned that squares have four sides of equal length. To find the perimeter, the children use a ruler to measure each side of the shape, then add the lengths of all the sides together to find the total perimeter. It’s a fun and hands-on way to understand how measurements work!

English: The Egyptian Cinderella
In English, we have begun a new unit based on the story The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo. The children have been using a bag of ancient Egyptian artifacts to predict where and when the story takes place. The items include papyrus, a single shoe, hieroglyphics, and a picture of Tutankhamun. Using these items, the children made simple observations like, "There is only one shoe," or "The Ancient Egyptians used papyrus." They then worked together to convert these simple sentences into more complex ones by adding conjunctions and subordinate clauses, such as, "There is only one shoe because the other is missing," and "Before they had paper, they used papyrus in Ancient Egypt." This week, the children will be moving on to writing a setting description based on the first few pages of the story.

History: The Iron Age
In History, we’ve moved on from the Bronze Age and started learning about the Iron Age. The children are discovering fascinating facts about how people lived, where they lived, and when the Iron Age occurred. They are building up their knowledge in preparation for our exciting school trip to Celtic Harmony in March, where they’ll have the opportunity to experience Iron Age life first-hand!

PE: Tennis and 'Zombies' Game
In PE, the children have started a unit on tennis, practicing their skills outside. Inside, they played a fun game called ‘Zombies,’ which helps develop thinking under pressure, quick decision-making, and teamwork. I’m sure they’d love to teach you how to play this game at home!

Important Reminder
Don’t forget that next Thursday is World Book Day! The children might like to come to school dressed in a bright colour to represent a crayon, or as a favourite book character. We can’t wait to see all the creative costumes!

Thank you for your continued support. We are looking forward to another great week of learning and adventure in Cedar Class!

How can you help...

WINNERS OF THE WEEK: The children in cedar were having their life bus visit during assembly this morning so they will get their certificates next week

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Jake

For consistently showing bravery and determination when faced with difficulties, approaching every challenge with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Milo

For showing great determination and enthusiasm in learning about length and perimeter, always striving to do his best. Well done Milo!

NOTICES

WORLD BOOK DAY THURSDAY 6th MARCH

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 14th February

What we have been learning this week...

This week in Cedar Class, the children have wrapped up a fantastic half term filled with exciting learning experiences.

Maths:
In Maths, we’ve continued our work on comparing lengths. The children have been busy comparing measurements in millimetres, centimetres, and metres. They’ve been using their skills to convert different units of measurement into centimetres before ordering them, which has really helped them gain confidence in working with various formats. The children especially enjoyed measuring classroom items, as well as their own feet and heights!

English:
In English, the children have been putting the finishing touches on their unit on The Iron Man by writing their very own newspaper reports. They’ve been learning that a good newspaper report needs a catchy headline, an introduction with facts, a quote, and a clear sequence of events. They have worked hard practicing writing speech, sequencing events in the past tense, and identifying facts. To prepare, the children read several newspaper reports, helping them achieve their final goal of writing their own!

Dance:
In Dance, Cedar Class have completed their Egyptian dance routines and they’re excited to show them off in a final group performance. Everyone has worked really hard on learning the moves, and they can’t wait to share what they’ve learned with the rest of the class.

Science:
In Science, we’ve been exploring light and shadows. The children had the opportunity to go outside and measure their shadows at different times of the day. It was fascinating to observe how their shadows changed in length as the sun moved. The children learned about how and why shadows change, gaining a deeper understanding of this aspect of light and the world around them.

Church Service:
Finally, yesterday, we had a lovely visit to the church for a special service. The children behaved beautifully and sang with great enthusiasm. It was a peaceful and enjoyable time for everyone.

It’s been a wonderful half term, and I’m so proud of all the hard work and progress the children have made. Have a restful break, and we look forward to more learning adventures after the break!

How can you help...

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Harley

For showing great courage by always trying your best, even when the work is challenging. Your determination and positive attitude are truly inspiring. Keep up the amazing effort, Harley!

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Bella

For writing a fantastic newspaper report on The Iron Man. Your clear writing, great headline, and attention to detail are impressive. Well done, Bella!

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 7th February 2024

What we have been learning this week...

Cedar Class has had a fun-filled week of learning, exploring new topics and engaging in hands-on activities. Here's a look at what we've been up to:

Maths
This week in Maths, we have kicked off a brand new unit focusing on length and perimeter. After pausing our multiplication and pision learning, we’ve started by revisiting how to use rulers and measuring tapes. The children have enjoyed comparing the lengths of objects in millimetres, centimetres, and metres. It’s been exciting to see them measure various items using rulers, measuring tapes, and metre sticks! Their predictions were often accurate, but there were a few surprises, which helped identify some misconceptions for us to address in our learning.

English
In English, we continue to work with the text The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. This week, the children are focusing on writing a newspaper report as our final goal for the unit. We have been concentrating on recounting the story, using time connectives, and varying sentence lengths with conjunctions. On Friday, we will explore examples of real (appropriate) newspapers to learn about their specific features, helping the children understand the structure of a newspaper report. The children are enthusiastic about working towards this end goal!

Spanish
In Spanish, the children are expanding their vocabulary by learning how to describe the feelings of others using the verb Estar. They’ve been adding new words to their Spanish vocabulary, such as "calmado" (calm), "feliz" (happy), and "cansado" (tired). It’s wonderful to see their progress in building both their language skills and understanding of emotions.

Children’s Mental Health Week
This week is Children’s Mental Health Week, with the theme “Know Yourself, Grow Yourself.” During assemblies, the children have watched and discussed the movie Inside Out, exploring emotions and how they influence our actions. In class, the children reflected on their own memories by writing or drawing about experiences linked to each of the emotions represented in the film. They particularly enjoyed sharing their memories of Joy, including moments of big slides, holidays, playing with friends, and receiving cuddles. The children also listened thoughtfully to each other's stories about Fear and Sadness, showing empathy and offering supportive words to one another. It’s been a heartwarming experience for the class.

Art
In Art, we are ping into Ancient Egyptian art. The children have been very inspired by this topic, with many bringing in books and information from home to share. Their excitement is contagious as they learn about the rich history and artistic traditions of the Ancient Egyptians.

It's been a fantastic week of learning, and we look forward to continuing these exciting adventures next week!

How can you help...

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Theodore

Awarded to Theo for showing excellent courage during our dance lesson by standing at the front and performing confidently. Well done, Theo!

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Elliot

Awarded to Elliot for putting in outstanding effort in English lessons. His hard work and dedication are truly commendable. Keep it up, Elliot!

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 31st January 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week has been another fantastic week of learning and growth for our students. We’ve been busy across all subjects, and I’m excited to share some of the highlights with you.

English:
In English, we’ve continued reading The Iron Man and the children have been working hard towards writing their own diary entries from the perspective of the characters. To support this, we’ve focused on using the past tense, conjunctions, time connectives, and understanding character thoughts and feelings. The children have made excellent progress and should be incredibly proud of their finished pieces, which are all fantastic! They’ve also had the chance to showcase their editing skills by going back, re-reading, and improving their writing. One of the highlights was reading their work aloud to the class, where they emphasised intonation and enthusiasm to really capture the listeners' attention.

Maths:
In Maths, the children have wrapped up a comprehensive unit on multiplication and pision. This week, we focused on piding two- and one-digit numbers with remainders. This was a new concept for many, and it was wonderful to see the children apply their understanding of pision as equal groups. Their progress in this area has been impressive!

P.E.:
In P.E., the children have been practicing their Egyptian dances, both in groups and inpidually. They’ve been really enjoying expressing themselves through movement and working collaboratively. Additionally, they’ve been developing their hockey skills outdoors, which has been a great way to practice teamwork and coordination.

History:
In history, we’ve been learning about Bronze Age settlements. The children had a fun and creative task of designing their own Bronze Age settlements, labelling the key features and building materials used during that time. Their enthusiasm and attention to detail were wonderful to see, and they’ve learned a lot about how ancient people lived and built their homes.

Overall, it’s been a week full of hard work, creativity, and growth. We are so proud of the children’s progress and look forward to another exciting week of learning ahead.

Thank you for your continued support!

How can you help...

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Alexander

This certificate is awarded to Alexander for his courage and confidence in the public speaking competition. He showed true bravery in stepping up and speaking in front of an audience.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Immie

For her outstanding effort and dedication in every lesson. Immie has consistently shown perseverance and a strong work ethic, tackling each challenge with enthusiasm and determination. Her commitment to giving her best in all areas of learning is truly commendable.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve.

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 24th January 2025

What we have been learning this week...

Here’s a snapshot of the exciting things we’ve been up to in class recently.

In Maths, we have been linking multiplication and pision. The children are learning how multiplication facts, like 2 x 4, are similar to 2 x 40. This isn’t just about “adding a zero” – it’s all about place value! We used a place value grid to show how multiplying by 40 means you are multiplying by 4 tens instead of just 4 ones, which helps the children understand how the numbers grow. It's been a great way to reinforce their understanding of multiplication, pision, and place value all at once.

In English, we have begun reading The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. The children have engaged deeply with the story, taking part in comprehension activities, using the past tense to write a witness statement from Hogarth’s perspective, and sequencing the story so far. One of the highlights has been the role play sessions! The children have thoroughly enjoyed acting out parts of the story and really getting into character. It's been wonderful to see their creativity and enthusiasm shine through in these activities.

In Computing, we’ve started exploring spreadsheets and how to turn tables of collected information (data) into charts. The children have had the opportunity to collect their own data and create various types of charts, including bar graphs and pie charts. This has been a fun way for them to see how data can be visually represented, and they’ve enjoyed the hands-on experience of manipulating data and visualising it in different forms.

In History, we’ve been learning all about the Bronze Age. The children have explored the process of smelting and the huge impact that bronze tools had on the lives of people in the Bronze Age. They have also learned about the Beaker people and the fascinating ways in which they lived. I wonder if your child can share some of the interesting facts they’ve discovered about this era!

In PSHE, the children have begun a new topic focused on anger, de-escalation strategies, and self-regulation. They are learning valuable techniques for managing their emotions, particularly how to control their impulses and stay calm in challenging situations. The children are discovering that they have control over their own actions and are beginning to understand the importance of self-regulation in their day-to-day lives. We’ve been discussing different ways to de-escalate situations, and it’s been wonderful to see the children applying these strategies in their interactions with one another.

As we will be visiting the nature reserve on Tuesdays, we kindly ask that you send your child with wellies or suitable outdoor shoes, as the area can get very muddy. This will ensure that your child stays comfortable and dry while exploring the outdoors.

We are very proud of how well the children are engaging in their learning and how much they are enjoying these new topics. As always, thank you for your continued support.

How can you help...

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Emily B

For always being a kind and thoughtful friend, always showing generosity and care to others

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Mia S

For consistently putting in a great effort in class and showing determination to do her very best

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Please could wellies or outside shoes be brough in on Tuesdays for our visits to the Nature Reserve.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Camisa scamisa@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 17th January 2025

What we have been learning this week...

This week in Year 3, we have had an exciting and productive time across all subjects! Here’s a look at what we’ve been learning:

Maths: In Maths, we have been focusing on multiplication and pision, particularly working with the 10 times table. The children are now starting to multiply one- and two-digit numbers, using partitioning to break the numbers into parts. For example, when multiplying 23 by 4, they break it down into 20 x 4 and 3 x 4, then add the two results to find the final answer. The children have shown great progress in understanding this method and are becoming more confident with their calculations!

English: In English, the children have been working on writing limericks! They have learned about the structure of a limerick, counting syllables and ensuring the rhythm and rhyme are correct. By the end of the week, the children wrote their own limericks, and they absolutely loved it! It was wonderful to see their creativity shine through. I’m very proud of their efforts in both writing and understanding this fun poetry form.

Kindness: We have also been focusing on kindness this week. Each child was assigned a flower, and their classmates wrote messages of kindness on the petals, encouraging everyone to think about and appreciate each other. The children really enjoyed sharing these messages and felt loved, safe, and connected to their peers. In addition, we have been discussing acts of selfless kindness, and the children have been encouraged to carry out thoughtful actions for others. I would love to hear if you notice your child practicing acts of kindness at home!

Science: In Science, we began our topic on light. The children are exploring how light travels, how we see objects, and the importance of light in our everyday lives. We have been conducting experiments to understand how light reflects off different surfaces and how shadows are formed. The children are excited about the hands-on activities and are eager to learn more about this fascinating topic.

Thank you for your continued support! It’s been a wonderful week, and we look forward to what’s ahead. As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

How can you help...

This week we have been learning the ten times table. You may want to help your child by testing them on their ten times tables.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK: Please note that there will be no more certificates this term

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Aurelia - This certificate is awarded to Aurelia for consistently demonstrating the true value of friendship through kindness, empathy, and support to others.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Gus - For his fantastic effort, enthusiasm and dedication to learning particularly an impressive limerick poem

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday.

They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday.

Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Camisa scamisa@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 20th December 2024

What we have been learning this week...

I can hardly believe we’ve come to the end of the Autumn Term! The children are all extremely excited for Christmas and, after such a busy term, they’re certainly ready for some well-deserved relaxation at home.

It’s been a term full of change and growth, and I am incredibly proud of how well the children have adapted to all the new challenges while continuing their learning. I’ve loved getting to know each of them better — understanding their unique learning styles, friendships, interests, likes, and dislikes. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey with them next term.

This week, the children have been wrapping up their learning with end-of-unit assessments. I’ve been particularly impressed with how well they’ve retained their scientific knowledge, especially on forces and magnets, as well as in geography where they’ve learned about the United Kingdom, the Lake District, and Cambridgeshire. I hope they’ve had a chance to share some of these new facts with you at home!

In maths, we’ve continued our unit on multiplication and pision, focusing on the 8 times table this week. This has certainly been a challenge, as the children learn to count in 8s and some are now memorising their 8x table. This is something the children can practice over the holidays to reinforce their learning.

In P.E., the children have completed their netball programme. It’s been a pleasure watching them engage with Mr. Puki as he teaches them the rules of netball, and they’ve even enjoyed a few mini-games.

This week, the class has also been busy with Christmas arts and crafts. Without giving away all the surprises, they’ve worked hard to create ‘pud poms’ — Christmas pudding pom-poms! This has certainly been a challenging task, but the class has shown an incredible growth mindset, demonstrating determination, perseverance, and pride in their work. It’s been wonderful to see the children so proud of something they’ve created!

We’re all looking forward to the Christmas Mass on Friday morning and the class party in the afternoon. A big thank you to everyone who has contributed treats for the children to enjoy.

Looking ahead to next term, we’ll continue to build on our multiplication and pision skills in Maths, focusing on new times tables and developing problem-solving techniques. In English, we will begin exploring poetry and different styles of writing, encouraging the children to express themselves creatively. In History, the children will learn about the Bronze and Iron Ages, discovering how life changed during these periods. Our Science topic will focus on light, where the children will explore how light travels and its various properties. In Computing, we will be learning about spreadsheets and developing touch typing skills.

Finally, I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you for being so welcoming during my first (half) term here. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a restful holiday season!

How can you help...

It would be fantastic if you could continue practicing the 2, 3, and 4 times tables at home, perhaps during car journeys or other spare moments.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK: Please note that there will be no more certificates this term

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Children will have a spelling and mental maths test each Friday. They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday. Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Tuesday 7th January - first day of term.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Camisa Office@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 13th December 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week in Cedar Class, the children have been progressing with their maths learning by focusing on the 4 times table. We have been practicing counting in steps of 4 and exploring pision and multiplication in groups of 4. The children are becoming more confident with the 4 times table and have been working hard to master it.

Our current class read-aloud is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which the children are thoroughly enjoying. In English this week, the children took part in a "hot seating" activity. Some of them pretended to be characters like Edmund, Lucy, and Mr. Tumnus the Faun, while the rest of the class acted as journalists, asking insightful questions. I was really impressed by how well the children stayed in character and demonstrated a strong understanding of the characters' emotions and actions. They also produced fantastic diary entries, capturing the essence of the characters' experiences.

Another English lesson focused on creative writing. I encouraged the children to focus not only on the content of their writing but also on the quality of their presentation. I was pleasantly surprised by the neatness and attention to detail in their work.

In science, the children have finished their project on forces and magnets. They’ve explored topics such as pushes and pulls, the impact of friction, the metals magnets can attract, and the strength of different types of magnets. I hope they can share some of their newfound knowledge with you at home!

Cedar Class is also incredibly excited for their trip to see The Tiger's Tale on Friday! They’ve been eagerly anticipating the experience, and I’m sure it will be a memorable outing.

Next week, as we approach the end of the term, the children will be finishing up their units of work and creating Christmas decorations and gifts. We will end the week with our Christmas Mass at the church, followed by a class party on Friday afternoon. It would be wonderful if you could contribute a small amount of food for the party. Please see my email about it.

Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to our last week of this term in Cedar Class!

This week we have enjoyed hot-seating.

How can you help...

It would be fantastic if you could continue practicing the 2, 3, and 4 times tables at home, perhaps during car journeys or other spare moments.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK: Please note that there will be no more certificates this term

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Wednesday 18th December is Christmas Dinner.

Friday 20th December - Church Carol Service and last day of term.

Tuesday 7th January - first day of term.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Camisa Office@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 6th December 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week, Cedar Class has finished reading Charlotte’s Web, and we’ve had a wonderful time ping into the story. The children have really engaged with the book, and it has been the perfect focus for our English lessons. We’ve been reading a condensed version of the story and turning it into a comic strip with speech bubbles. I’ve been really impressed by the enthusiasm and motivation the students have shown in creating their comic strips, and many have asked to refer back to the text to support their work.

In addition to our reading, the class has been working hard on their spelling words. We’ve discussed various strategies for learning new words, including finding root words, checking meanings, using them in sentences, saying the words slowly to hear the sounds, focusing on spelling rules, and practicing writing the words in different ways. The children have been very dedicated to improving their spelling skills.

In Science, the children have been exploring magnets. Through a hands-on investigation, they discovered which materials are attracted to magnets. They also learned that magnets have two poles—north and south—and that like poles repel each other, while opposite poles attract. We will continue our magnet investigation next week, and the children are excited to explore this topic further.

Next week in Maths, the children will focus on multiplying and piding by 4. They will build on their knowledge of the relationship between these two operations and will have the opportunity to practice the 4x table.

Looking forward to another productive week ahead!

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

Reading is the most important thing to learn in school. All children should be bringing reading books home to read regularly with an adult. Please can you sign their reading records when they have read with you.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

Each week we will be sending home some mental maths and spellings homework for the children to learn and they will be tested the following week. Please can your child hand in their homework books by Thursday and we will send out homework on the Friday.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Megan for consistently demonstrating kindness and respect to others, making her a positive influence in the classroom.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Sylive for always putting in a great effort and approaching her work with a positive attitude. She always strives to do her best.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Saturday 7th December is Christmas Capers from 2pm to 4pm.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Camisa Office@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 29th November 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week in Cedar Class, the children have been ping into the world of coding with Purple Mash! They’ve been exploring step-by-step instructions to help a turtle navigate a square path. By using commands such as "move forward" and "turn 90 degrees," along with the ‘repeat’ code, they successfully programmed the turtle to complete a square. They’ve also practiced ‘nesting’ instructions within their codes, sharpening their problem-solving skills when things didn’t go quite as planned. It’s been wonderful to see their perseverance and creativity in action!

In English, the class has been focusing on the rules of regular and irregular past tense verbs. After discussing how some verbs change form in the past tense, the children applied their knowledge by crafting sentences that start with "Yesterday..." to describe events using the correct verb forms. Their writing has shown great progress as they continue to build on their grammar skills.

In Maths, we have been exploring arrays and practicing counting in 2s. The children are gaining a deeper understanding of multiplication, including the idea that 4 lots of 6 (4x6) and 6 lots of 4 (6x4) give the same total. This is helping them make important connections in their mathematical thinking.

Additionally, we wrapped up our class reading of Charlotte's Web this week. As part of the Just Read program, which aims to foster a love of reading and improve literacy, the children have been thoroughly engaged with the story. They’ve enjoyed discussing the plot, learning new vocabulary, and reflecting on the book’s themes and characters. It’s been a joy to see them so excited about literature!

On Wednesday, the children had a wonderful time sharing their work with their parents and carers during the Open Classroom. It was fantastic to see the pride on their faces as they showcased their learning and explained what they’ve been working on. The event was a great opportunity for families to see the progress the children have made so far this term.

Looking ahead to next week, we’ll be continuing our English journey by exploring adverbs and incorporating them into our writing. In Maths, we will continue building our understanding of multiplication, ensuring the children feel confident with these key concepts.

Thank you for your continued support in helping make this a fantastic term of learning!

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Sarah for consistently demonstrating the value of friendship. She shows kindness, respect and support to others.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Genevieve for her exceptional effort, dedication and enthusiasm in all aspects of learning.

What we will be learning next week...

Next week Cedar will continue to learn about the Lake District and begin to compare with their own familiar landscape of Cambridgeshire. In Science, the children will be carrying out some practical tasks to investigate the strengths of different magnets. They will use the scientific enquiry skills of making predictions and gathering data, as well as how to present their findings and draw conclusions from them.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Saturday 7th December is Christmas Capers from 2pm to 4pm.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Camisa Office@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 22nd November 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week, Cedar Class has worked really hard completing tests in reading, writing, and maths. They've put in a lot of effort to show what they've learned and do their best. They enjoyed planning a piece of writing based on an animation and have created some amazing stories of their own. They've also been busy getting ready for their assembly on Friday, enjoying learning their lines, singing the song, and preparing for the performance. We've spent some time this week thinking of ways to learn new spelling words too. In P.E., the children have been practicing their netball skills, playing games to improve their throwing and catching. They're also starting to get the hang of the basic rules of netball. On top of that, they've been working on their gymnastics skills in the school hall and have had some fun spending time in nature at the Nature Reserve.

We have enjoyed learning new gymnastic skills and planning and creating our own stories.

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Alfred for consistently demonstrating a strong ability to listen attentively to instructions in class and to his friends during break times, proving what a great friend he is.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Sienna for demonstrating outstanding dedication and effort in all of her lessons.

What we will be learning next week...

Next week Cedar will be learning more about friction and how to use it for an advantage as well as recognising its disadvantages. In Geography, the children will be looking at topographic maps as they compare the height and range of different mountains in the UK.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Camisa Office@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 15th November 2024

What we have been learning this week...

In English, the children have been watching a short animation called Rock, Paper, Scissors. This had inspired them to practise writing their own creative pieces and helped them to think about adjectives in their writing to add detail. In Science, the children have continued with their Forces unit and learnt about the different types of forces: gravity and air resistance, and how these act on different objects. The children enjoyed learning about different mountains and lakes in the Lake District in Geography, and have learned how some of these features were formed. In Maths the children are becoming very confident in exchanging tens when using the column method for addition and subtraction and spent a long time practising with manipulatives (equipment) to help them to understand the structure behind the exchanging. In Spanish, the children have been learning words for different emotions so that they can say how they feel in Spanish. On Thursday the children watched an author talk about her book and learned how to help themselves deal with worries by imagining their 'happy place'. The children have been developing their mindfulness this week to help them refocus for learning after coming in from break times. They are enjoying being creative with their colouring as they listen to calming music.

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Luna for her growing resilience when faced with challenges and forming new friendships.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Roma for trying his best and working incredibly hard particularly in maths lessons.

What we will be learning next week...

Next week is Cedar's class assembly. They will be bringing home scripts today, so please can you encourage your child to learn any lines they might have.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Camisa Office@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 8th November 2024

What we have been learning this week...

In Maths, the children have been learning to use column addition and subtraction. They began with digits in columns that did not add up to more than 9 so no exchanges were needed and moved onto addition and subtraction where exchanges are required. In English, the children have been using adjectives to expand their descriptive sentences about characters. The children have started to create their own story based on the characters: Rock, Paper and Scissors! They have explored how using adjectives is useful for describing the appearance as well as their personalities. In Science, the children have started a new unit about Forces. This week they have investigated push and pull forces on cars and how different surfaces can affect the friction. This half term the PE focus is Gymnastics and Netball. In computing, the children have enjoyed starting their new unit on coding.

We have been enjoying our Art topic: Landscapes.

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Ethan for showing great courage in making such a positive start and forming new friendships.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Lily for working incredibly throughout the entire week even when faced with challenges.

What we will be learning next week...

Next week the children will be participating in an Empathy Lab workshop in which the children will be able to develop their wellbeing and resilience through stories. In maths, the children will continue to apply their addition and subtraction column method. Next Friday is Children in Need day. The children can come into school wearing any items of clothing that are yellow or have spots.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Mrs Latham and Mrs Wheatman are continuing to teach the children together and we will let you know when we have organised a more permanent arrangement. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Wheatman SWheatman@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 18th October

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 18th October 2024

What we have been learning this week...

In Maths this week, we have continued to work with place value and addition and subtraction with the children mentally partitioning single digits in order to add or subtract across tens. This has involved some revisiting of number fact knowledge, so any extra practice at home would help them. In English, the children have enjoyed creating their own innovative versions of traditional tales which has helped them to develop their creative writing skills. In History, the children have painted and threaded their Stone Age necklaces. They have recapped on the different types of materials that were available for self adornment that featured in the period of history. In Science, we recapped the different types of soil as well as how soil is formed. The children learned about the different layers and their names. This week the children had a number bond test to 20.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

Making Stone Age necklaces.

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Alfred for setting a good example to the rest of the class.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Anton for increasing his effort to improve his handwriting.

What we will be learning next week...

Next week the children will be learning how to improve their sentences by including adjectives and adverbs. In Maths, the children will continue to explore addition and subtraction in place value, developing their knowledge of how to apply number facts in order to do this mentally. In Computing the children will be continuing with their unit on Keeping Safe on the internet, and in Science, the children will carry out a practical experiment investigating the permeability of different soils. Next week's mental maths test will be the 3x table. There is a maths worksheet to help them learn this, as well as their log in to TTRockstars with some information for parents on how to access it.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Children will have a spelling and mental test each Friday. They will bring home their spelling words and mental maths homework every Friday. Homework books should be brought back into school by Thursday.

Mrs Latham and Mrs Wheatman are continuing to teach the children together and we will let you know when we have organised a more permanent arrangement. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Wheatman SWheatman@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 11th October

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 11th October 2024

What we have been learning this week...

In Maths, the children have been learning how to add and subtract 1's, 10's and 100's without exchanging by looking at which place value digits to calculate. This has enabled them to consolidate their understanding of place value. In English, we have been revisiting the traditional tale: 'The Three Little Pigs' in order to retell an account from the Wolf's perspective. The children used role play and story telling to help them develop their ideas. Our Science topic is all about soil and this week the children became 'pedologists' by studying and drawing soil samples. They learnt about the three main types of soil: silt, clay and sandy soil, and how soil is made.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

Busy pedologists analysing soil samples!

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK:

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Jake for being a really good friend.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Georgie for putting in a great effort to improve her handwriting.

What we will be learning next week...

The children will explore innovating other traditional tales in English. In Maths, the children will be looking at adding subtracting where digits bridge across tens. In Art, we will be looking at creating Stone Age bison paintings.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Mrs Latham and Mrs Wheatman are continuing to teach the children together and we will let you know when we have organised a more permanent arrangement. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Email: Mrs Latham Head@bourn.cambs.sch.uk, Mrs Wheatman SWheatman@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 4th October

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 4th October 2024

What we have been learning this week...

In RE this half-term we have been learning about the Christian creation story and drawing pictures for each of the seven days. In English, we have used the creation story to help us practise improving our handwriting. Every child has made great improvements and they should be very proud of themselves!

Activities we enjoyed this week...

A selection of the incredible handwriting progress that children have made in just one week and their creation story pictures.

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

Reading is the most important thing to learn in school. All children should be bringing reading books home to read. The aim is for the children to do at least 30 minutes of reading each day at home so please support them with this and encourage them to bring their books home if they forget them so that they can get into a good routine of regular daily reading.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

Each child has a mental maths book to practise their mental arithmetic skills (times tables, halving, doubling etc...). The children should focus and work on one level at a time until they have mastered it and are secure.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK: Please note: the children will be given these certificates on Monday as they were in the church today.

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Harry for showing friendship to others and setting such a good example.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Milo for trying really hard with his handwriting this week.

What we will be learning next week...

In Art next week the children will be building on their drawing skills by learning how to produce a chalk drawing of a bison. In English, the children will continue to practise handwriting and sentence structuring by using the real story of the three little pigs (the wolf's version!). In Maths, the children will be moving on to learning about addition and subtraction where they will be adding and subtracting 1's, 10's and 100's from numbers up to 1,000.

NOTICES

On Monday, the children will get a copy of an eco-council application which they can fill out, with help, at home and then bring back in ready to read out to their class.

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Children will have a spelling test each Friday. They will bring home their spelling words every Friday. Homework books should be brought back into school on a Wednesday.

Children will each be given a Mental Maths booklet to practise their mental arithmetic. They should work on one level at a time at home until they have mastered it. They will be tested weekly in school before moving on to the next level.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 27th September

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 27th September 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week in Maths, we have been continuing with our unit on Place Value. We have looked at hundreds, tens and ones and found 1, 10 and 100 more and less than a 3 digit number. We also looked at number lines to 1000 and learnt where to place missing numbers.

In English we have been continuing to focus on handwriting and letter positioning and the children have been learning spelling patterns for adding the suffixes -ed and -ing.

In Computing we had another look at the class Blog and the children really enjoyed lerning how to write and post messages to the Blog and reply to each others messages and send pictures.

In History, we have continued learning about the Stone Age by learning about the different kinds of tools the people from that time period made and used, and in Science the children were paeleontologists as they searched for different fossils in the Nature Reserve and categorised them.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

The children really enjoyed learning how to access the class Blog and post messages to each other on it.

They also enjoyed hunting for fossils in the Nature Reserve.

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Theodore for showing the value of friendship and looking out for others when they need a helping hand with their learning.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Elliot for making a real effort this week to improve his active listening. Well done Elliot it has not gone unnoticed.

What we will be learning next week...

In Maths, we will be comparing and ordering numbers to 1000 and learning to count in 50s and in English we will continue focussing on handwriting, letter formation and positioning and spelling patterns.

In Computing we will be learning that we can't always believe everything we read on the internet; we will be comparing information found on the internet for the same topic and looking at some very realistic fake websites.

In History, we will looking at a timeline and learning about the three main time periods of the Stone Age (the paeleolithic, mesolithic and neolithic Stone Age).

In Art we will practise drawing a bison. The children will review their pictures at each step and try and identify ways of improving their drawing each time.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Children will have a spelling test each Friday. They will bring home their spelling words every Friday. Homework books should be brought back into school on a Wednesday.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 20th September

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 20th September 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week in Maths we have been focussing on 3 digit numbers. We have been looking at different representations of numbers up to 1000 and learning how to partition them in different ways.

In English we have been looking at sentence structure. The children have been using words from a word bank to write sentences that are correctly punctuated. The children are really enjoying their Just Read book 'The Last Bear'.

In Science we have been learning about the process of fossil formation and in Computing we set up a class Blog and learnt how to post messages to the class on it.

In History, we have continued learning about the Stone Age and the children have been drawing a comic strip illustrating the way of life in the Stone Age.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

The children have been practising drawing Stone Age pictures of hunters and different animals from the time.

They have also been creating a comic strip showing how the Stone Age people live.

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Genevieve for showing the value of friendship and being a great maths learning buddy this week.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Caelan for working really hard in maths this week. Excellent effort. Well done!

What we will be learning next week...

In Maths, we will be continuing with our unit on Place Value. We will be looking at hundereds, tens and ones and finding 1, 10 or 100 more and less than a 3 digit number. We will also be looking at number lines to 1000 and learning where to place missing numbers.

In English we will continue focussing on handwriting and letter positioning and also correct spelling of high frequency words by looking at spelling patterns.

In Computing we will have another look at the class Blog and the children will have a go writing and posting messages to the Blog and replying to each others messages.

In History, we will continue learning about the Stone Age by learning about the different kinds of tools the people from that time period made and used.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Children will have a spelling test each Friday. They will bring home their spelling words every Friday. Homework books should be brought back into school on a Wednesday.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 13th September

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 13th September 2024

What we have been learning this week...

A warm welcome to everyone for the start of this new school year!

The children have settled back into school well and are adjusting to their new routines and the expectations of year 3.

This week, in Maths, we have started a new unit on place value and we have been looking at different ways of representing number and we have been using different models to partition numbers in different ways. We have also been learning how to place numbers accurately on a number line.

In English, the children have been working on their imaginative writing and they have been rewriting well-known children stories. We have also been working on our handwriting and looking at correct letter formation and how to position our letters on the lines.

In Science, the children have been learning about rocks; they have learnt about the three main types of rock (metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous) and learnt how they were formed. They have also been investigating the properties of rocks.

We have also started our 'Just Read' book entitled 'the Last Bear' which the children are enjoying.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

The children got to enjoy some sunshine as they did their PE lesson outside. They had to work as a team to move along the line.

How can you help...

Please support your children with regular reading at home.

The children also have weekly spellings to practise for their spelling tests on Fridays. Please support your child by practising these words with them.

This is the link to our class timetable. Please note that this may change as we progress through the year.

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Values Award Winner this week:

Megan for showing the value of friendship and for being there for others when they need a helping hand.

Congratulations to our Effort Award Winner this week:

Lydia for her conscientious approach to her learning. You show great active listening in lessons and are always proactive in your learning. I am very impressed!

What we will be learning next week...

In Maths, we will be continuing with our unit on Place Value. We will moving into 3 digit numbers and representing numbers to 1000 and learning to partition them in different ways.

In English we will continue focussing on handwriting and letter positioning and we will be looking at sentence structure and writing sentences that are correctly punctuated.

In Science we will be learning about fossil formation and in Computing we will set up a class Blog and learn how to post messages to the class on it.

In History, we will continue learning about the Stone Age and the children will draw a comic strip illustrating the way of life in the Stone Age.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays each week. Our new topic for this half term is teamwork and team building.

Children will have a spelling test each Friday. They will bring home their spelling words every Friday. Homework books should be brought back into school on a Wednesday.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 19th July

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 19th July 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week, in Maths, we have been finishing our unit on shape and the children have learnt how to recognise and draw 2D shapes and polygons. They have also learnt how to recognise and make some 3D shapes. In English, we finished our class novel, 'The Five Children and It' and the children watched the final two episodes of the TV adaptation of the story. They have really enjoyed it and it has been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and excitement for the story. In Art, the children finished their building drawings and in Science, they learnt about the lifecycle of a flowering plant.

The children enjoyed their last outdoor session in the nature reserve as a Year 3 class and were also treated to the Year 6s end of year performance, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all!

Activities we enjoyed this week...

We have had a lovely last week and I have really enjoyed teaching the class. Goodbye from Year 3!!

How can you help...

Please continue to support your children with their learning over the summer holidays. It is a long period of time and it can take them a while to get back into their learning in September if they haven't done anything over the summer. Please support them to keep reading regularly and practice maths skills wherever possible.

Please click this link for more information on how to support your child learning their times tables using TTRockstars. Times Tables Rock Stars (ttrockstars.com) Another good website for practising Times Tables and mental arithmetic is Hit the Button. https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/hit-the-button

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

There are no certificates this week.

What we will be learning next week...

Next week we will all be enjoying a well deserved rest! I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful summer holiday and I look forward to seeing the children back next year and ready to move into year 4! Exciting times.

NOTICES

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 12th July

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 12th July 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week, in Maths, we have been continuing with our unit on shape and the children have learnt about different types of lines: horizontal vs vertical and parallel vs perpendicular. They have also learnt how to measure and draw shapes accurately. In English, we have continued with our story 'The Five Children and It' and the children have enjoyed writing their own chapter describing what wish they would make to the Psammead and how it might go wrong.

In Art, the children have continued with their building drawings trying hard to replicate the bilateral symmetry. In Geography, we have been looking at how humans have impacted the wonders of the world. We have been learning about climate change and the impact of the melting ice caps.

In Science, the children will be investigating water transportation in plants and, in PSHE, we will be finishing our unit on 'Changing Me' by looking ahead and the children will be starting to think about the changes they will make next year and how to go about it.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

As part of our community challenge, we took a trip to Merrybourn day centre on Thursday where the children met the elderly visitors there and chatted and played games with them. We had a really enjoyable afternoon and many of the children asked if we could return again another day.

We finally managed to explore Google Earth on the iPads, which the children really enjoyed. They loved being able to travel across the globe and visit different countries and places that they'd heard of or previously been to.

How can you help...

Please support your children with learning to tell the time. Thank you!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Manners Award Winner this week:

Marcus for consistently demonstrating a commendable willingness to assist adults, showing both initiative and a positive attitude towards helping others.

Congratulations to our Positive Learning Behaviour Award Winner this week:

Emily C for some great writing in English this week; you worked really hard to create an exciting story.

What we will be learning next week...

In Maths, we will be continuing with our unit on shape and the children will be learning how to recognise and draw 2D shapes and polygons. They will also be learning how to recognise and make some 3D shapes. In English we will finish our class novel the Five Children and It and the children will get to see the final episode of the 1980s TV adaptation of the story. We will look at a wordle from the story and the children will use it to come up with their own interesting questions and answers about the book. In Art, the children will finish their building drawings. In Science, the children will be learning about the lifecycle of a flowering plant.

We will enjoy our last outdoor session in the nature reserve as a year 3 class and the class will also be treated to Year 6s end of year performance, which we are all very much looking forward to!

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. Our new topic for the final half term of Summer is Swimming.

We are in need of some parent helpers to support with swimming this term so if you would like to help please email the office with your availability. Thank you!

Children will have a spelling test each Friday. They will bring home their spelling words as part of their homework. Homework books will go home every Friday and should be brought back into school on a Wednesday.

Maths homework: Children should work on one level at a time in their Mental Maths booklet until they have mastered it. They will be tested weekly in school before moving on to the next level.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 5th July

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 5th July 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week, in Maths, we started a new unit on shape and the children have been learning about turns and angles. They have learnt how to describe turns in terms of direction and size, how to recognise right angles and how to compare angles. In English, the children finished writing their character descriptions of the Psammead and we have done some more comprehension work on the story so far. In Art, we have been continuing to look at symmetry, this time in some of the most famous buildings in Cambridge and the children have been trying to draw half the building by recognising and replicating the symmetry in the building. In PSHE we have continued with our unit on 'Changing me' by looking at the changes that happen on the inside of our bodies as they prepare to be able to make babies. On Thursday, the children enjoyed move up morning and spending time with their new class teacher and classroom for next year.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

The children have made a good start with replicating and drawing the symmetry in their buildings.

How can you help...

Please support your children with learning to tell the time. Thank you!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Manners Award Winner this week:

Karisha for showing thoughtfulness towards others and exceptional kindness in her daily interactions.

Congratulations to our Positive Learning Behaviour Award Winner this week:

William B for demonstrating his keen desire to understand and contribute to our shared knowledge by asking thoughtful and sensible questions.

What we will be learning next week...

In Maths we will be continuing with our unit on shape and the children will be learning about different types of lines: horizontal vs vertical and parallel vs perpendicular. They will also be learning how to measure and draw shapes accurately. In English, we will be continuing with our story 'The Five Children and It' and the children will be writing their own chapter describing what wish they would make to the Psammead and how it might go wrong.

In Art the children will continue with their building drawings trying hard to replicate the symmetry.

In PSHE we will be continuing with our unit on 'Changing me' and we will be looking at family stereotypes and sharing and discussing some of the stereotypical ideas some people have. We will be looking at and using the vocabulary: Stereotypes, Task, Roles and Challenge.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. Our new topic for the final half term of Summer is Swimming.

We are in need of some parent helpers to support with swimming this term so if you would like to help please email the office with your availability. Thank you!

Maths homework: Children should work on one level at a time in their Mental Maths booklet until they have mastered it. They will be tested weekly in school before moving on to the next level.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 28th June

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 28th June 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week was assessment week so the children have been completing reading papers in English and arithmetic and reasoning papers in maths. They also completed a big write. They have worked really hard and I am really pleased with the progress they have made. We have also continued with our class novel 'The Five children and It', which the children are really enjoying. We have continued with our PSHE unit on 'Changing Me' and learnt that boys’ and girls’ bodies need to change so that when they grow up their bodies can make babies. As part of this we learnt how boys’ and girls’ bodies change on the outside during this growing up process. We started a new unit in Geography this week looking at how humans have impacted the wonders of the world. Our first lesson was learning about the Mariana trench. We also went on our school trip on Tuesday to Milton Country Park. The children navigated round the park using a map and a compass and really enjoyed finding all the control points along the way. We had a brilliant day in the sunshine and got some time to play at the playground after lunch. They were even treated to an ice lolly!

Activities we enjoyed this week...

Much fun was had at Milton Country Park on our school trip this week!

How can you help...

Please support your children with learning to tell the time. Thank you!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Manners Award Winner this week:

Imogen C for consistently being well-mannered and always remembering her please and thank yous during daily interactions.

Congratulations to our Positive Learning Behaviour Award Winner this week:

Ayden for improving his effort in sport this week. Well done. Keep it up!

What we will be learning next week...

In Maths we will be starting a new unit on shape and the children will be learning about turns and angles. They will learn how to recognise right angles and how to compare angles. In English, the children will finish writing their character descriptions of the Psammead and we will do some more comprehension work on the story so far.

In Art we will be looking at symmetry in some of the most famous buildings in Cambridge and the children will be trying to replicate the symmetry by drawing half the building.

In PSHE we will be continuing with our unit on 'Changing me' and we will be looking at the changes that happen on the inside of our bodies as they prepare to be able to make babies. We will be looking at and using the vocabulary: puberty, testicles, sperm, penis, ovaries, egg, ovum/ova, womb/uterus, vagina and breasts.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. Our new topic for the final half term of Summer is Swimming.

We are in need of some parent helpers to support with swimming this term so if you would like to help please email the office with your availability. Thank you!

Maths homework: Children should work on one level at a time in their Mental Maths booklet until they have mastered it. They will be tested weekly in school before moving on to the next level.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

21st June 2024

Bourn Church of England Primary Academy

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 21st June 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week we have had a jam-packed exciting week with a visit from the circus where the children had the opportunity to learn some exciting circus tricks and skills and we had our sports day on Wednesday too! In English, we continued with our class novel 'The Five Children and It' and the children wrote a character description of the Psammead. We brainstormed all of his characteristics and the children worked on one sentence at a time, editing as they went, to come up with the most descriptive sentences as they could to best describe him. In Maths, we continued with our unit on time; we learnt about duration and started some problem solving with time. In Art, we learned about radial symmetry and the children created their own radially symmetrical designs. We continued with our PSHE unit on 'Changing Me' and found out how babies grow and develop in the mother’s uterus and we discussed what a baby needs to live and grow.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

The children worked hard to finish their D/T mechanisms.

They also really enjoyed their circus workshop this week and practising their circus skills.

How can you help...

Please support your children with learning to tell the time. Thank you!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Manners Award Winner this week:

Felix for being a kind and supportive friend and going out of his way to look out for those around him.

Congratulations to our Positive Learning Behaviour Award Winner this week:

Kayla for showing great resilence during swimming this week and not letting a problem get in the way of her lesson. Well done!

What we will be learning next week...

Next week is assessment week so the children will be completing 2 reading papers in English and 3 maths papers. We will also continue with our class novel 'The Five children and It' and the children will also complete a Big Write.

We will continue with our PSHE unit on 'Changing Me' and we will be learning that boys’ and girls’ bodies need to change so that when they grow up their bodies can make babies. They will also learn how boys’ and girls’ bodies change on the outside during this growing up process. We will be using the vocabulary breasts, penis and testicles and pubic hair.

We are also going on our school trip on Tuesday to Milton Country Park to do some orienteering which is very exciting indeed! The children will get to practise their compass skills to direct us correctly around the orienteering route.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. Our new topic for the final half term of Summer is Swimming.

We are in need of some parent helpers to support with swimming this term so if you would like to help please email the office with your availability. Thank you!

Maths homework: Children should work on one level at a time in their Mental Maths booklet until they have mastered it. They will be tested weekly in school before moving on to the next level.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

Friday 14th June

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 14th June 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week we have been doing our D/T week and the children have been learning about levers and linkages using fixed and loose pivots. They have been constructing a variety of different mechanisms using a combination of different loose and fixed pivots and adding a variety of fun designs to them. Some of the children found it particularly challenging getting the mechanisms to work as they should so they have had to find their resilience to keep going!

In English, we have continued with our class novel 'The Five Children and It' and lots of comprehension and vocabulary work linked to the story which the children are actively participating in, which is lovely to see. We also enjoyed some 'popcorn' reading of one of the chapters and we talked about intonation and expression in reading. In Maths, we have continued learning about time by learning about years, months, days and hours, and start and end times and learning how to work our durations.

We started our new PSHE unit this week entitled 'Changing Me' where we celebrated everyone's uniqueness and learnt how lots of changes happen from birth to fully grown, and that in mammals it is the female who has the baby.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

The children really enjoyed starting their swimming lessons this week and fortunately we missed the rain!

They also enjoyed doing some orienteering around the school field and practising using the compasses.

How can you help...

Please support your children with learning to tell the time. Thank you!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Manners Award Winner this week:

Raff for being polite and respectful when asking questions to staff.

Congratulations to our Positive Learning Behaviour Award Winner this week:

Isla for showing brilliant resilience in D/T this week as she worked with real determination and independence to get her mechanism to work.

What we will be learning next week...

Next week we have an exciting week with a visit from the circus at the start of the week where the children will get the opportunity to enjoy a show and then take part in an active workshop where they will get to learn some exciting circus tricks and skills. On Wednesday next week we will enjoy Sports day!

In English we will continue with our class novel 'The Five Children and It' and the children will be writing their own chapter for the story and coming up with a wish they would make to the Psammead and what might go wrong with it.

In Maths, we will be continuing with our unit on time and we will be learning about minutes and seconds, units of time and starting some problem solving with time. In Art, we will be looking at radial symmetry and the children will be creating their own radially symmetrical designs.

We will continue with our PSHE unit on 'Changing Me' and we will be learning how babies grow and develop in the mother’s uterus and appreciating what a baby needs to live and grow. They will learn the words womb and uterus.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. Our new topic for the final half term of Summer is Swimming.

We are in need of some parent helpers to support with swimming this term so if you would like to help please email the office with your availability. Thank you!

Maths homework: Children should work on one level at a time in their Mental Maths booklet until they have mastered it. They will be tested weekly in school before moving on to the next level.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk

7th June 2024

Cedar Class - Year 3

Date: 7th June 2024

What we have been learning this week...

This week in Maths we have been continuing with time and the children have been learning about the meaning of a.m and p.m and learning to convert between analogue time and digital time. We have also learnt about days, months and years. In English, we have started our new novel 'The Five Children and It' and we have been doing some comprehension and vocabulary work linked to the story. The children thoroughly enjoyed seeing the story and characters come to life in an episode of the original !990 TV series of the book. In Science, we have been looking at what plants need to grow and we have been planning an investigation to test this.

The children also enjoyed getting back to the Nature Reserve this week and enjoyed some sunshine as they explored and adventured with year 4.

Activities we enjoyed this week...

The children really enjoyed the Nature reserve this week and the sunshine!

How can you help...

Please support your children with learning to tell the time. Thank you!

WINNERS OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to our Manners Award Winner this week:

Iris for showing kindness and friendship to her classmates.

Congratulations to our Positive Learning Behaviour Award Winner this week:

Theo F for giving his best efforts and concentration to learn how to read analogue time.

What we will be learning next week...

Next week we will be doing D/T week. The children will be learning about levers and linkages using fixed and loose pivots. They will be constructing a variety of different mechanisms and testing them out to see if they can get them to work. Then they will be designing and contructing their own mechanisms using their choice of linkages and then evaluating them to see if they worked and did what they were supposed to!

In English we will continue with our class novel 'The Five Children and It' and lots of vocabulary work related to the story and in Maths we will continue learning about time by learning about start and end times and learning how to work our durations.

We will also be starting a new PSHE unit next week entitled 'Changing Me' where the children will be learning about their changing bodies as they grow. Our PSHE lesson will be on Friday and next week we will be learning about how babies grow and celebrating that everyone is unique and special.

NOTICES

PE lessons take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week. Our new topic for the final half term of Summer is Swimming.

We are in need of some parent helpers to support with swimming this term so if you would like to help please email the office with your availability. Thank you!

Maths homework: Children should work on one level at a time in their Mental Maths booklet until they have mastered it. They will be tested weekly in school before moving on to the next level.

Email (Miss Nutland): snutland@bourn.cambs.sch.uk