Welcome to Dosbarth Usk

The Year 3 team

Miss Cooper (Class Teacher)                       Mrs Adams (LSA)

Mr Norman (PPA Cover)

Communication

Schoop - 17699

Twitter - @StDavidsCiWPrm

Email - year3@stdavidsprm.cardiff.sch.uk 

Google classroom - tk5jfhr

If you have any questions or problems please do not hesitate to contact anyone in the year 3 team. We access the email daily to ensure we are easy to contact to solve any concerns.

Overview of the school day 

8.45- Children arrive and settle down to complete their Morning Activity / Register

9.15 – 9.30-Collective Worship 

9.30 – 10.15- Mathematics & Numeracy

10.15 – 10:30 -Snack / Break Time

10:30 – 12.00- Literacy, Language and communication

12.00 – 1.00-Lunch

1.00 – 1.30- Guided Group Reading

1.30 – 2.45-Missions (Topic/Science/RE/ICT)

2.45- Daily Mile

3.00- Daily Welsh/Languages Activities

3.15- Home Time

Key dates for Summer 1 

8th April – Return to School Christian Value Celebration Day Trust 

15th April – Year 6 Cycle Proficiency Week 

25th April – Mother Rose Assembly Trust 

26th April - Children’s Race for Life 

2nd May – Rags to Riches 

3rd May – INSET Day School Closed to Pupils

6th May – Bank Holiday 

13th - 17th May – Christian Aid Week 

13th – 22nd May – Welsh Government National Tests Block 

23rd May – Eucharist Pentecost 9.30am 

22nd May – Nursery and Reception Family Worship 9.30am & coffee morning 

24th May – End of term 

27th May – 31st May – Half Term

Classroom routine

Snack

Please bring a bottle of water to school daily, clearly labelled with your name. Healthy snacks can be purchased from the snack trolley (ordered via ParentPay) or brought in from home. 

PE

Please wear your PE kit to school on Thursdays. Children should wear black shorts, house colour or white t-shirt and trainers, labelled clearly with their name. They may also wear black jogging bottoms when completing activities outdoors. 

Uniform

Please ensure that all items of clothing are clearly labelled with your child's name

Current Learning: Around the World: Brazil

Our topic is Around the World: Brazil where we will explore the importance of new life experiences and the culture of another country. This topic has specific focus on Humanities, STEM and Expressive Arts 

Language Literacy and Communication - Non-Chronological reports and Persuasive writing

Humanities - Culture in Brazil

Maths and Numeracy - Time, currency and money 

Expressive arts - Lyrical dance about 'The rainforest'

Health and Wellbeing - Relationships, Trust and New life experiences

STEM - Animals and their habitats

Pupil voice- What animals live in different places? What music do they listen to? What instruments do they have? What foods do they have? What languages do they speak? What landmarks do they have? What is the capital of Brazil? How far is Cardiff to Brazil? What places are there in Brazil? What landmarks do they have? Why do animals live where they live? What will the rainforest look like now? Where could we visit?

Planning

Weekly planning will be available on Google classroom, so you can see what the children have been learning about that week. Please see the Inquiry planning document below for our topic 'Around the world: Brazil' 

Homework

Daily reading  (20 minutes)

Weekly homework – Numeracy / Literacy alternated each week. Usually based on something we have learned that week. Set on Friday, due in on Wednesday. Please submit via Google Classroom.

Termly homework – grid on website. Choose at least one activity to complete by the end of each term – to present to the class. 

The Four Purposes   

The four purposes are that all children and young people will be:

Ambitious, capable learners who are ready to learn throughout their lives.

Enterprising, creative contributors who are ready to play a full part in life and work.

Ethical, informed citizens who are ready to be citizens of Wales and the world.

Healthy, confident individuals who are ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society.

In Dosbarth Usk, we will support ourselves and each other in becoming Ambitious, Capable Learners; Enterprising, Creative Contributors; Ethical, informed citizens and Healthy, Confident Individuals. This will be achieved through collaboration and independent work both inside and outside our classroom.

Christian Value = Trust

This half term we will be focusing on trust as our christian value. 

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid." Psalm 56 Verse 3-4

Literacy

Read Write Inc is taught daily (Monday- Friday) across PS1 & 2. Children are grouped in according to their current ability. In each session we focus on identifying and learning Read Write Inc sounds; reading green and red words; and spelling green words.

Spellings

Children will complete spelling and grammar activities throughout the week as Early Morning Activities and during Literacy starters. These skills will be developed in work across the curriculum. 

Each week we will focus on different spelling patterns. These will be practised in class and brought home to practise for homework. 

We will not test children on spelling patterns weekly, but we will monitor and assess throughout the term.

Reading 

Children will read to an adult in school at least once a week

Guided Group Reading - daily

Importance of reading aloud regularly at home and at school (We recommend at least 20 minutes per day)

Scheme readers – Children will be given appropriate level book to read. We aim to change this once a week (every Friday). 

Oxford Owl E-Books are free to use - https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk

Mathematics

This term we will be focusing on 

• Addition and Subtraction 
• Place Value 
• Times tables 
• Time 
• Currency 
• Money 

Greater than and Less than song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4RiCfDvsGc

Times tables songs 

2X tables - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGWMPqh04o4

3X tables - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV0ZL2h8IRg

10X tables - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yxMJUHBslY

Welsh Language

In our Welsh language we will be looking at: 

• Animals 
• Pets and the Pet shop 
• Animals and where they live

We will be completing daily Helper Heddiew sessions for the children to enhance their oracy, written and reading skills in Welsh language.

Modern Foreign Languages - French

Continuous Language patterns 

• French Le corps (The Body)
• “J’ai un...” (I have a...) “Voici ...” (Here is my...) “Où est ...?” (Where is your...?)
• “J’ai les yeux bleus” (I have blue eyes) “J’ai les cheveux bruns” (I have brown hair) “Tu as...” (You have)

https://www.languagenut.com/en-gb/

Languagenut is a wonderful online tool where children can access resources to support the development of their new language. Each child will have their own log in details where they can gain points for activities completed. Languagenut will also give you the correct pronunciation of words and phrases.​​​​​​

Internet safety

At St David's we promote the use of 'SMART' rules daily, as we know how important it is to stay safe online.

Please encourage your children to use these 'SMART' rules at home too. 

For more information about supporting your child with using the internet safely, please click on the following link:

https://hwb.gov.wales/zones/online-safety/key-information/primary-learners

Jigsaw and PSHE

What is Jigsaw, the mindful approach to Health and Well-being, and how does it work?

Jigsaw is a whole-school approach and embodies a positive philosophy and creative teaching and learning activities to nurture children’s development as compassionate and well-rounded human beings as well as building their capacity to learn. Jigsaw is a comprehensive and completely original PSE programme for the whole primary school from ages 3-11.  The Jigsaw Programme also delivers Relationships and Sexuality Education. Ensuring it meets the requirements set out in the RSE Code for Phases 1 and 2. Life cycles and human reproduction will be taught in a sensitive manner, age related in all schools in Wales. This means that all learners must receive this education. There is no right to withdraw from RSE in the new curriculum.

Jigsaw has two main aims for all children:

• To build their capacity for learning

• To equip them for life

Jigsaw brings together PSE, Relationships and Sexuality Education, emotional literacy, mindfulness, social skills and spiritual development. It is designed to support a whole school approach, with all year groups working on the same theme (Puzzle) at the same time at their own stage of learning. There are six Puzzles (half-term units of work) and each year group is taught one lesson per week. All lessons are delivered in an age- and stage-appropriate way so that they meet children’s needs.

Healthy Snack 

Healthy snacks are provided at £2 per week which can be paid for half termly via parent pay or please provide one piece of fresh fruit or vegetable for your child's snack every day. We are a healthy eating school so only provide a healthy snack such as an apple, banana, carrot sticks, oranges etc. Please note that grapes need to be sliced longways. Children may bring a bottle of water with their name clearly labelled to school to drink. We are happy to refill their bottles for them during the day. We will provide milk daily to the children who want it.

We also have a weekly competition run by our Healthy Schools pupil voice group, where the children gain points for having a healthy snack and lunchbox. The class that gets the highest amount wins some extra play, so every snack counts!

101 experiences

As a school we have created a list of 101 experiences we believe all children should have the opportunity to explore. These are linked to the 4 purposes of the Curriculum for Wales. Once you have completed an experience, send a photo to Miss Cooper who will upload the experience to Seesaw. When you collect 5 of more experiences from each purpose you will be celebrated in our VIP assembly. Happy exploring!

Each time a child achieves 5 experiences from the same category, they will get a sticker which shows the religious character which symbolises the associated purpose from the Four Purposes of the new curriculum.

Active travel

As a school we are working hard to reduce our carbon footprint as part of our Eco schools awards. We record how we travel to school each day and gain badges and awards every month if we have met our target. Help us to travel safer and greener by walking, cycling or scooting to school! You could always park and stride or catch a bus.

Rights respecting school

Every half term we focus on different aspects of the UNRC rights of the child. This half term we will be focusing on Articles 24, 25, 27 and 33-36

Picture news 

During our worship time on Mondays, we have been learning about current news, topics and events. Then we have been exploring the key questions linked to these further in class. Here are some of the questions we have been discussing.

After School Clubs 

After school clubs run on a Monday afternoon 3:30-4:30.

Our current club for Dosbarth Usk is Messy Church, run by Miss Cooper. 

All clubs will run for a term and will change every term. If your child would like to take part in our after school club or be added to the waiting list please send an e-mail to clubs@stdavidsprm.cardiff.sch.uk

Useful links

By clicking below, you can access a range of resources to continue learning at home 

https://hwb.gov.wales - Hwb Collection of online tools provided to all schools in Wales by the Welsh Government

https://www.purplemash.com - award winning cross curricular website for  primary school children. It enables children to explore and enhance their knowledge in a fun and creative way.

https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk Use this link to help with Online Reading

Username- year3stdavids

Password - read

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/ - Great online games for curriculum areas

https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/levels/zbr9wmn - BBC Bitesize

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2literacy.html - Lots of online games linked to different areas of the curriculum

https://www.learn-welsh.net/welshgames - Online Welsh games

https://corbettmathsprimary.com/5-a-day/ - Corbett Maths - 5-a-day Challenges

https://whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/ - White Rose Maths - Reasoning Challenges