YEAR 3

Hello everyone! What a whirlwind of a term it's been in Year 3. We’ve scaled mountains, counted coins, designed incredible toys, and become expert map readers. Get ready for a glimpse into all the exciting learning that’s taken place!

Our mathematical minds have been working overtime as we've dived deep into the world of money. We started by revisiting the basics: recognising coins and notes, understanding their values, and learning how to count them accurately. It’s been fantastic to see how confident the children have become in identifying different denominations and calculating totals. We then took our knowledge to the next level, tackling real-life scenarios involving adding and subtracting money. These practical problems have helped us understand how money works in our everyday lives. We’ve also been busy solving word problems, which have challenged us to think logically and apply our money skills. We’ve learned to break down complex questions into smaller, manageable steps, and to use our understanding of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to find the answers. 

In English, we embarked on a thrilling adventure to the top of the world – Mount Everest! But we didn’t just read about it; we became intrepid explorers ourselves, creating detailed and informative leaflets to guide others on their own imaginary ascent. We began by researching the incredible facts about Mount Everest: its towering height, the challenging climate, and the brave climbers who have attempted to reach its summit. We learned about the different stages of the climb, the equipment needed, and the dangers that climbers face. Then, we put our creative hats on and started designing our leaflets. We focused on clear and concise writing, using headings, subheadings, and bullet points to organise our information. We also included eye-catching illustrations and diagrams to make our leaflets visually appealing. The children have shown fantastic attention to detail, and their leaflets are packed with fascinating facts and helpful tips for anyone planning a climb. They’ve covered everything from packing the right gear to staying safe at high altitudes. We’re so proud of their hard work and their ability to communicate complex information in a clear and engaging way. 

Our DT lessons have been filled with excitement and innovation as we explored the fascinating world of pneumatics. We learned about how air pressure can be used to create movement, and we put this knowledge to the test by designing and building our own pneumatic toys. Our main materials were simple: balloons and paper plates. But with a bit of ingenuity and some clever construction, we transformed these everyday items into amazing moving creations. We started by experimenting with balloons, learning how to inflate them and control the flow of air. Then, we began designing our toys. Some children created playful penguins that waddled across the table, while others built leaping frogs and flapping birds. The process involved careful planning, precise cutting, and a lot of trial and error. We learned about the importance of designing and testing our creations, making adjustments as needed to improve their performance. It was a fantastic opportunity to develop our problem-solving skills and to work collaboratively as a team. The children have been incredibly enthusiastic about this project, and their pneumatic toys are a testament to their creativity and perseverance.

Our geography lessons have taken us on an exciting journey around our very own school grounds. We’ve been learning about maps and how they help us navigate and understand our surroundings. We started by discussing the different types of maps and the symbols used to represent features like buildings, trees, and paths. We then put our newfound knowledge to the test by creating our own maps of the school grounds. We worked in groups to explore different areas of the school, carefully observing and recording the features we found. We used compasses to determine directions. We then used our observations to create detailed maps, complete with a key to explain the symbols we used. This fieldwork experience has helped us develop our map-reading skills and our ability to observe and record information accurately. We’ve also learned about the importance of teamwork and communication, as we worked together to create our maps. The children have shown a real enthusiasm for geography, and they’ve enjoyed exploring their school environment in a whole new way. We hope they’ll continue to use their map-reading skills to explore the world around them!

It’s been a truly remarkable term, filled with learning, laughter, and lots of amazing achievements. We’re incredibly proud of all the children in Year 3, and we look forward to seeing what exciting adventures await them in the next term! Happy Easter :)

Children are expected to complete the following: 

• At least 5 reads in their reading diary each week 

• Century is here! A piece of maths and English homework will be set every Thursday with a due date of the following Monday. The homework will appear at the bottom under 'assignments'. The pathway at the top is suggested additional work that can be worked through as and when but is not an expectation to be completed. 

• Times table rock stars does not have to be completed daily, but it is encouraged to practise as much as possible.

Children are not expected to do Century and Times Table Rockstars every evening at home, but little and often is ideal! Thank you for your support :)

Please note, the inside of the reading diaries have changed. There are dates on each page and a 'homework' section on the left hand side but please ignore these. Please see the image below of how to insert the reads into the new reading diaries.