Year 4 - Badger Class

Welcome to Badger Class

Class Teacher: Mr Chappell

Teaching Assistant: Mrs Chongbang

Here you will find out about each of the term's learning enquiries, special dates for your diary, PE days and forest school days.

Term 5

Welcome back Badger Class for term 5! Where has the time gone? As we begin to approach the final stages of the school year, we can look back on our learning and see the progress we have made. This term may only be short, but we have plenty of new and exciting learning to explore.

Enquiry Question - History

Were the Vikings raiders, traders or settlers?

In Term 5 we are looking at our new history enquiry, answering the question, 'Were the Vikings raiders, traders or settlers?' This follows on from our last history unit of the Anglo-Saxons. The Vikings invaded Britain during the Anglo-Saxon time period, conquering a piece of land for themselves known as 'The Danelaw', whilst continuously wreaking havoc along the coastline and challenging the Anglo-Saxons' way of life. However, it didn't always end up in a bloodthirsty battle, as there was also a lot of good that came from these two fierce fighting groups. Throughout this enquiry, we will look at who the Vikings were, their impact on Britain and across Europe, how the Vikings travelled and created trade routes and ultimately, the consequences of the Anglo-Saxon and Vikings' struggle for life in Britain.

Forest School and PE Days

      

Everyone loves a bright sunny day...so why not enjoy it in forest school?

The warmer weather has finally arrived, and the forest has awoken! Plants are blooming, trees are basking in the sunlight and getting greener each day and Mr Walsh is busy planning what real-world skills he wants to teach you this term. With our PSHE topic focusing on relationships, we will continue to grow our bonds with each other, build on our teamwork and collaborative learning and explore the many challenges we have to overcome to achieve our goals.

Every year group has the opportunity to take part in forest school and we are lucky to have Mr Walsh as our forest school leader,to prepare these activities. As this term is a shorter term, we will have two sessions to attend.

The official dates for Badger class are:

Thursday 8th May

Thursday 15th May

Please make sure your child brings their Forest School kit on these days to avoid disappointment. Please be prepared for the British weather and have the appropriate clothing for the day, like wellies, a coat, a jumper and jeans. We hope the weather will continue to stay warm, but being prepared with an extra layer I'm sure will be appreciated by the children.

Note: Wellies should be in school at all times, so the children can interact with the outdoor activity stations.

Our PE days are also important and require children to have their school PE kits. Ideally, we would like these to stay in the children's lockers, so they are available when we need them. Our PE day this term has changed and is now on a Tuesday afternoon (outdoors) where we will be learning the skills and game of cricket.

Home Learning and Reading

All children have got access to their TTRockstars accounts. However, we have also embraced a new platform, called Twinkl Learner, which children can access in school and at home. This is full of learning games, challenges and opportunities for them to practice their weekly spellings and timetables.

Please support us and make sure they are accessing this at home to support their learning. If you are unsure of any logins or access to the Twinkl account, please let me know and I will be happy to help.

All children will also have a home reading record and will be expected to read frequently throughout the week, completing reading quizzes whilst in school and changing their reading books throughout the term. Home records will need to be in school every day to be checked and also, so the class adults can listen to their reading throughout the week. Friday will be the day the children can complete reading quizzes. 

We have changed the way we now use dojos and how children can earn merits in school. Each pupil will start the term with 0 dojo points and will aim to achieve 30. Once they reach this target, they will be entitled to a prize from the class prize box. Their dojos will then be reset.

The children can also earn merits for demonstrating school values, exceptional work in class, earning the weekly star award and other learning achievements. These merits add up and once they receive 12 merits, they can trade these in for a gold coin that can be used in the school book vending machine. The children are excited to start earning their prizes and all want to be the first person to receive the golden coin.

If you ever have any concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact me or speak with one of the class team members who will be happy to help.  We will be available before and after school or, alternatively, you can email me on the Class Dojos to arrange a meeting.

We look forward to continuing our amazing journey with you in year 4.

The Year 4 Badger Class Team

The Term 5 knowledge organisers below provide information on our learning for this term.

Teachers can be contacted via Class Dojo if you have any questions or queries regarding home learning. 

Please click here to access extra phonics, reading and spelling resources.

Please click here to access links to other useful home learning resources published online.

If you are unsure of any log-in details, please contact the teacher through Class Dojo or email office@pilgrims-way.kent.sch.uk