Welcome to Year 3!

The class teacher is Mrs De La Bertauche (Mrs D) and the teaching assistants is Ms Lloyd 

We have had a fantastic first week back at school, filled with lots of fun and exciting learning opportunities.

In English, we have been immersing ourselves in the beautiful book Dear Earth. We have explored why the author chose to write a letter to the Earth, discussing the things we love about our world as well as some of the challenges that are harming it. We then looked at the key features of a letter and considered why each of these features is important for effective communication.

Next week, we are looking forward to analysing a variety of letters in greater detail before planning, drafting, and writing our own letters inspired by our learning. We can't wait to share our work with you!

Maths

This week in Maths, we have been focusing on the place value of three-digit numbers. We have been exploring how numbers are made up of hundreds, tens and ones, helping us to understand the value of each digit depending on its position. We have also been practising plotting numbers on number lines to 100, developing our understanding of number sequences and where numbers fit in relation to one another.

As part of our learning, we have been using mathematical vocabulary such as greater than, less than, and equal to to compare numbers confidently. We have also been developing our estimating skills by making sensible predictions and checking whether our answers are reasonable.

In Year 3, place value is a key area of learning as it forms the foundation for many other mathematical concepts. Children learn to read, write, represent, compare and order three-digit numbers, as well as count forwards and backwards in different steps. Building a secure understanding of place value helps children become more confident when tackling addition, subtraction, multiplication and division later in the year.

We are looking forward to continuing our place value learning next week and applying our knowledge to solve a range of mathematical problems.

In History, we have been exploring the fascinating story of Pompeii and discovering why this site is so historically important. We learned about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and discussed how the preserved remains of the city provide historians with valuable evidence about life in Roman times. We also explored different sources of evidence that help us learn about the events that took place and what life was like for the people who lived there.

To develop our understanding of chronology, we then looked at a timeline of key events and worked together to place them in the correct chronological order. This helped us understand the sequence of events and how historians use timelines to organise and interpret the past. We are excited to continue our learning about Pompeii and uncover more about this remarkable period in history.

In Science this term, we are learning about rocks as part of our topic, Beneath the Surface. We carried out an investigation to explore the properties of different types of rocks. First, we examined their appearance and tested them using a range of materials to find out whether they were hard or permeable. We also investigated how the rocks reacted to water to see if they absorbed the liquid, and used vinegar to observe whether any of the rocks fizzed, which helped us identify different characteristics.

After collecting our results, we organised the information into a Venn diagram to compare the properties of the rocks. We then used our findings to match each rock to a suitable use, considering how its properties make it useful for different purposes. This helped us understand how rocks are used in everyday life and why their characteristics are important.

Our PE days are Monday and Wednesday. 

Our value this term is Generosity.