“Dream beautiful dreams, then work hard to make those dreams come true”

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Dear Parents / Annwyl Rhieni,

Welcome to Year 3!
Please find below some useful information that you will need:

Aims of Year 3

• To support children adapting to the Year 3 routine.
• To build on skills already acquired within PS1 & PS2 and encourage cross curricular use (Literacy, Numeracy, DCF)
• To continue to develop independence and maturity.
• To provide a balanced and stimulating curriculum differentiated to suit the needs of each child.
• To have a fun and enjoyable year!

Curriculum Information- Big Questions.

Our aim is that pupil voice, which is at the core of our curriculum, will completely motivate and excite pupils to become independent learners.

We are very excited about exploring our big questions and I’m sure your children will share in our enthusiasm.

Autumn Term: How can the past shape our present?

Spring Term: How does light and sound affect our everyday lives?

Summer Term: Why do Rainforests matter?

Summer Term 2024:

PE Arrangements

P.E days for our class are on a Friday (outdoor) and Monday (indoor). Please ensure that appropriate P.E. kit is worn/brought to school on these days (navy jogging bottoms, white t-shirt and trainers).

Homework

• The Year 3 children are set Mental Maths homework every Friday. Mental maths books will be sent home weekly. Children will need to complete one test per week.
• Please ensure mental maths books are brought back into school on a Friday so that they can be marked in class.
• Children will be given a list of spelling words to learn at the start of term. These will be differentiated. The children will then be tested at the end of each half term.

Working Together

Home and school are the two most powerful influences on children and only by working together can we ensure children get the best education. Please do help us by:

• Ensuring that any homework, spellings or tables sent home are completed/ learned.
• Helping your child to be responsible. E.g. By having the correct equipment ready at the start of every lesson, taking care not to lose uniform, water bottles etc
• Helping your child to be independent. E.g. carrying their own book bag, handing in homework on time.
• Communicating any important information (e.g. medication), queries or concerns that arise throughout the year with us.

Reading

• Reading is key in Year 3 and there are plenty of ways you can help. It is still important to listen to your child read regularly. Ask questions about what they’re reading. This will encourage your child to think deeply about their reading, whether they are reading aloud or independently. Ideally 20 minutes reading a day.
• Reading to your child is still important at this age too. Listening to your intonation helps children with their own expression, and also enhances their writing. A fun way to encourage expression is to use silly voices – and even to make the occasional deliberate mistake. Allowing your child to correct you helps them to see why certain punctuation changes the way we read aloud.
• You can extend this to their own writing: encourage them to read their writing back to themselves and make punctuation choices based on their expression.
• We aim to listen to the children read at least twice a week during guided/independent reading.

Writing

• Please give your child access to as many different styles of writing as you can. This will assist with their reading fluency and expand their vocabulary and knowledge.
• Writing for a real purpose can be a great way to fit in some practice. Writing cards, shopping lists, or letters/emails to relatives can be motivating real life reasons for writing, and can show children how useful it is to be able to write well.
• Your child might enjoy keeping a diary or writing short stories based on books they have read or toys they enjoy playing with. Be sure to encourage your child to write about what most interests them, as this is the best way to keep them enthusiastic.

Mathematics

• Year 3 is a crucial year for times tables learning. Children are expected to learn multiplication facts for the 3, 4 and 6 times tables. Tables 2, 5 and 10 will also be consolidated throughout the year.
• Help your child to learn to tell the time (analogue and digital).
• Give your child the opportunity to use money in real life contexts. Asking them questions such as how much change you need when shopping will help them with their reasoning skills in and out of class.

Multilingualism

• Children are taught about Welsh heritage
• Children are taught incidental Welsh (commands in Welsh in every lesson)
• We have a 10 minute Welsh drilling slot every day.
• Emphasis on developing knowledge of the Welsh language as we work towards achieving our Siarter Iaith Silver Award.
• Children will be exposed to incidental French.

Snack

Please ensure that your child has a healthy snack and drink for morning snack time.

Water Bottles

We encourage children to bring water into class. Please ensure that water bottles are labelled with their name and is taken home on a daily basis to be cleaned.

The School Day

Children will be expected to line up in the junior yard before 8.50 a.m. and be collected from the infant yard at 3.20 p.m.

Class Dojo

Remember, I will be using class Dojo to keep you in the loop this year! I’ll share photos from class, important updates and wonderful moments. If you haven’t already done so, please sign up to class Dojo using the parent code you were given during the transition meeting.

I look forward to a happy, fun and productive year with you and your children. Should you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your continued support,

Miss Jones