What a fantastic start to the year it has been in Gorillas Class! The children have settled brilliantly into Year 3, quickly learning the routine of the day and showing high expectations. We’ve already packed so much into our first half term together.

In English, we began the year by diving into the much-loved story of Paddington. The children thoroughly enjoyed the story and explored the key events of his journey. This inspired us to plan and write our very own adventure stories, imagining what might happen if Paddington found himself in a brand-new setting. The children showed great creativity and enthusiasm in their writing, as well as progressing with their pre-cursive handwriting.

In maths, we have been developing a strong understanding of place value, using practical resources and visual representations to help us understand the value of each digit in a number. We then moved on to addition and subtraction, exploring different methods to solve calculations, including column method and using base ten. A key focus has been on renaming (exchanging), and the children have worked hard to master this skill.

Our history topic this half term has been all about the Stone Age. We’ve explored the three key periods: the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic, and discussed how life changed over time. A highlight was our very own archaeological dig, where we unearthed exciting artefacts, including a model of the Red Lady of Paviland! Stone Age Day was a brilliant success too – from cave painting to hunting games, the children really immersed themselves in life as a Stone Age child.

We are looking forward to another exciting and busy half term in Gorillas Class continuing our learning journey together!

In English, we will be reading the classic novel Stig of the Dump by Clive King. We will be exploring the themes, characters, and setting in depth, which will then inspire us to write our own stories based on the book. The children will be developing their descriptive writing skills and focusing on using paragraphs and a range of sentence types to make their writing engaging and exciting.

In maths, we’ll be continuing our work on addition and subtraction, with a focus on renaming and solving problems in different contexts. Later in the term, we will be moving on to multiplication and division. The children will be learning to use arrays, number lines, and mental strategies to help build a strong understanding of these operations.

Our new geography topic will take us around the world as we learn all about volcanoes. We’ll be discovering how and why volcanoes erupt, exploring the structure of the Earth, and focusing on Mount Etna in Italy.

It’s set to be a fantastic half term filled with curiosity, creativity, and lots of new learning!

Updates, letters and work will be shared via your child's SeeSaw account. Details of how to access this can be found in the back of your child's reading record. We also have a class Twitter page, please follow us: @WoodleaRhinos

Homework will be set on a Wednesday to be completed by the following Wednesday. It will be set online, through SeeSaw. Homework Club will take place on a Wednesday after school until 4:15pm, where children will have the opportunity to access iPads and staff support. In addition, children must read at least 4 times per week and this should be a combination of books and Reading Plus. Books will go home on a Friday to be returned by the following Friday with reading records signed by an adult.