KESTRELS - Years 4 & 5

Welcome to the Kestrel's Class Page

Our Autumn Term Topic is 'Mayan Mania!'

This term the children will be focusing on the Mayans who made their home in Mesoamerica.  We will be learning about their way of life and their beliefs.  Below you will find information regarding the Autumn term curriculum, our timetable and some useful links.

Online SPAG and Read Theory Practise

The children have received passwords to access the SPAG and Read Theory practise questions at home.  If the children could complete SPAG and Read Theory practise regularly at home, this would really support their progress at school. The tests do not take very long and the programmes enable the tracking of their progress both at school and at home, so you can see how they are getting on.

Thank you,

Mrs Baggaley, Mrs Griffiths and Ms Meredith

Some important information:

• Please encourage your child to read three times a week and record a small summary (independently) in their Reading Journals.
• Physical Education (P.E) will be every Tuesday Morning and Thursday morning - please ensure your child wears P.E. kit to school on a Tuesday and Thursday.

Other useful information:

• P.E. kit on Tuesday and Thursday: Please ensure that children wear warm joggers and a pair of outdoor trainers as P.E will take place outside, as much as possible.
• Book change: Please encourage your child to bring in their reading books daily - books will be changed on a Friday.
• Homelink books: To minimise the contact  of items between home and school, we will no longer be using the pink HomeLink books.  Messages for staff can be sent via email to admin@meadows.shropshire.sch.uk, marked for the attention of a specific member of staff or alternatively messages can be phoned through to the School Office on 01691 656080.
• Spelling test: Thursday - A practice book has been sent home so children can practice.
• Big maths: Friday - the CLIC and Learn It tests are completed in class and sent home on Fridays to practice.

Useful websites:

Below is a list of websites that may be useful when practicing times tables and place value.

When practicing times tables, as well as the websites above, you could play games, sing songs, make up rhymes, or use flash cards. Remember that children should be able to recall facts out of order without working up from 1 x something.

We are currently learning about place value in class. Below is a link to the place value game that children have been playing in class - it may be useful to play this game at home to increase your child's confidence with value and support their learning in class. 

There are a variety of ideas on the internet! You could try typing 'fun ways to learn multiplication tables' or 'fun ways to learn place value' into a search engine. The key to learning times table facts is regular practice in short bursts. For example, on the way home, in the car, or when going up to bed.