Dear Parents,
Welcome to the Autumn term of 2021! Last year certainly was a strange year, but we are ready to have a fabulous new term, with lots of great things lined up.
The daily routines of last year, in order to keep everybody as healthy and safe as possible, have relaxed a little for the new term. We now have the tables arranged in groups to give us a working space that is easier to use, and the classroom has a more spacious feel. Regular handwashing – a heathy practice introduced during Covid – will remain to help fight regular coughs and colds.
In Class 3, as usual, you will find myself and Mrs Lupton as staff members, with Mrs Blackley joining us on alternate Thursdays too.
All routines and arrangements will be as follows:
- Literacy homework will be given out on a Monday and needs to be completed and handed in by Wednesday morning; Maths given out on Wednesday and completed/handed in Friday (leaving your weekends usually free of school work)
- PE will usually be Tuesday, but children need their kit in school all the time;
- Spellings will be given out on a Monday for a test on a Friday – it is much easier for the children if they do a little bit every night rather than cram on a Thursday night, sentences and definitions will continue to be completed in class;
- Times tables will be tested on a Friday. This skill is also vitally important;
- Rowan’s football is on Tuesdays, with swimming taking place at James Street pool on Friday within school times. Please make sure that your child has a swimming costume, towel, goggles and a plastic bag to put a wet costume in. Children will be allowed to bring a hair brush in too, but please don’t send them in with any snacks.
The curriculum: This term’s topic is all about Ancient Civilisations: The Shang Dynasty.
- RE: we will follow Cumbria Diocese’s recommended syllabus to cover how Christians demonstrate justice in their lives, and all about the Prince of Peace. We are hopeful that we can share Harvest again this year together, and will celebrate the story of Christmas.
- Science: Humans including animals to look at systems in our bodies;
- PE: football, swimming and any other events that may occur, such as wheelchair basketball planned for this half term;
- Geography: the physical and human Geography of China, including rivers, mountains and the biomes of the region;
- History: a study of the period of the Shang Dynasty;
- Music: Music express- ‘Stars, Hide Your Fires; performing together;
- Art and DT: reproducing artefacts from the Shang Dynasty, Cherry Blossom scrolls, Structures including Pagodas ;
- Literacy: a wide range of texts, including a study of ancient Mongolia, retelling, recount, instructional writing, comprehension skills;
- Maths: place value, numbers, addition and subtraction strategies, multiplication and division, problem solving, co-ordinates;
- PSHE: using Scarf materials to study and discuss friends and relationships;
- ICT: Programming using Scratch 3.0 to create a game;
- French: with Mrs Sweetman, basic language, numbers, geography of France;
Assessments: We will conduct our usual end-of-term assessments before the Christmas break.
PE Kit: The footwear for Rowan’s will be used on the field and therefore cannot be used for PE in the hall or on the new rubberised surface. They either need two pairs of trainers/pumps in school or one pair of trainers and one pair of boots. They would also benefit from a couple of pairs of socks so they don’t need to wear the same wet ones.
Residential: We are in the process of finalising details for a week long residential visit in the Summer term at Dukeshouse Wood, Hexham. Details will follow later;
Reading: I would like the children to read every night (including weekends). However, I appreciate this can be difficult, so a minimum of twice a week recorded in the reading records would be beneficial. If you do hear your child read (a delightful experience) please do sign their reading records.
Equipment: All stationary children require for their daily tasks is provided by school. We are a large class with space at a premium, so please can children only bring into school items they are required to, including reading books and records daily, spelling records and spelling activity books, and Friday test books for spelling and times-table tests on Fridays. Please check book bags as letters still often remain in there for several weeks!
Spares, wellies and bottles: Thank you to all parents for providing children with the above items at the start of term, we have now 100% of children fully equipped. Water bottles are still required to travel home after school, and return refreshed the next morning. Please do make sure that spares are waterproof trousers, and not just a set of joggers or tracksuit trousers going over the top of school uniform.
Finally, my email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please do keep in touch. I check my emails daily.
Yours Sincerely,
Mark Harrison
