Hello Elms Class!
Happy New Year! I hope you had a lovely break and you are now well-rested and ready for an exciting term ahead!
Our topic for Spring term is 'What is it like to live in Australia?'.
In our literacy lessons, we will be focusing on the text 'Wombat Goes Walkabout' by Michael Morpurgo, which is a fictional text about a wombat in the Australian bush and introduces many different Australian animals. Wombat and the other animals find themselves in danger when a bush fire starts, but wombat has a plan on how he can save them all.
The other book we will also use in our literacy lessons is 'Rainbow Bird’, an Aboriginal folk tale from Northern Australia, by Eric Maddern.
Expectations
Reading
At Tansley Primary School, we expect children to read to an adult at least 4 times a week - please record when you have read with your child in their reading record. Children with 4 comments in their reading record will receive a raffle ticket and be entered into the Tansley Reading Raffle, which is drawn every half term, for a chance to win a prize!
Spellings
This year we will be using SpellingShed to help the children learn their spellings in an exciting way. Children are also asked to practice their weekly spellings at home in preparation for weekly spelling tests which will now take place on a Thursday morning. Your child will receive a paper copy of their spellings each week, which will be stuck into their reading record. Parents are welcome to use the paper copy of the spellings to support their child practice their weekly spellings, but we ask that children long into the Spelling Shed website twice weekly. Please go to the Spring term tab at the bottom of the page and follow the link to the homework page for more information on Spelling Shed.
Times Tables
Children should also access both Times Table Rockstars and Numberbots for a minimum of 15 minutes a week to practice their times tables (their login details can be found in the back of their reading records). A weekly times table check is completed in class on a Monday, in which the children have 5 minutes to answer 40 questions on the times table that they have been set. Having secure times tables knowledge is key as it assists children's fluency in all areas of mathematics. By the end of year 2 children are expected to know their 10, 2 & 5 times tables. By the end of Year 3 children are expected to know their 10, 2, 5, 3, 4 & 8 times tables.
Click the link below to find out more about TTRS and how it can support your child's learning:
Video Link: What is Times Tables Rock Stars? Parents and Carers Guide
Homework
At Tansley we expect children to complete compulsory homework which includes: reading 4x a week, spelling practice on spelling shed, TTRS and NumBots practice for a minimum of 15 minutes a week.
A homework grid is also provided, which children can choose tasks to complete. This is non-compulsory homework. We do not expect children to complete all tasks on the grid.
Please find all letters, homework, knowledge organisers and information you will need for this term in the Spring tab below.
If you have any questions or concerns you can contact me at the following school email address:
SLongden@tansley.derbyshire.sch.uk
Miss Longden