We have had a jam-packed second half of our Autumn Term. Time flies when you are having fun; it has certainly flown by for all of us in Year 4. 

We have continued with our ‘Don’t Lose Your Head’ theme, focusing on the Stuart period. Our Year 4 super-sleuths used a range of evidence to investigate personalities and events in Stuart times. There was never a dull moment! Researching the lives of Stuart monarchs and leaders, revealed many of their curious qualities. The children were amused to discover that Charles II was the ‘King of Bling’ and shocked to find out that Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas! The children had a fantastic time on our trip to Llancaiach Fawr. They ‘stepped back in time’ to 1645 and found out about the lives of servants and children during the Stuart period. They enjoyed learning about medicine and health in Stuart Britain. They were particularly amused by the fact that even children drank ale because the water was so dirty at this time.

The Great Fire of London

Samuel Pepys (a Morfo) challenged our resourceful history detectives to investigate The Great Fire of London. They wrote detailed newspaper reports, which included eyewitness accounts and successfully answered the who, what, when, where, why and how questions posed about the fire. Before half term, the children tapped into their creative sides to make Tudor/ Stuart-style houses. We used these to recreate our own St. Julian’s Primary School Pudding Lane. Then Mr Jones set fire to the houses! Whilst our houses were not real, we were able to see how quickly the fire spread and empathise with the people who lost their homes at that time.

S.T.E.M.

For STEM we have continued learning about how our bodies work and took part in a hands-on investigation about what happens to food as it travels through the digestive system. The children found this extremely entertaining.  During our ‘Discover & Do’ afternoon, we investigated, explored, and drew on our knowledge about organs, the skeleton, and teeth through a range of activities. We also enjoyed using our new class microscopes and have been busy examining many everyday items.

Forest School

Collaboration was key in our Forest School activities this term! We used compasses to determine directions North, South, East and West.  It was so much fun navigating our way around our Forest School area.

Christmas

We have spent the latter part of the term making Christmas cards, enjoying Christmas challenges and learning lines and songs for our Christmas Concert ‘Sheik, Rattle and Roll’. The performances were fantastic. Such brilliant acting, dancing and singing! We hope you enjoyed watching it and are as proud of your children as we are.

We wish you all a happy Christmas and New Year. Enjoy your break and stay safe and well.