Oak Class

Welcome to Oak Class' information and blog page. Here you will find general class information and see what we have been up to in our learning

Class teacher: Miss MacKinnon

Support Staff: Mrs Bennett and Miss McKenna

PE Days:

PE will be on Friday

PE kit is: pair of black or navy shorts or joggers, a plain white t-shirt and a pair of pumps or trainers for going outside. Black or navy zipped hoodies can also be worn in cold weather. Children can wear their PE kit all day on PE days if they wish - please note they are not permitted to wear other sports clothes.

Swimming:

Swimming will be on Tuesday.

Please make sure your child has a Swimming kit in school on these days. We will be leaving for swimming at 9:40.

Homework:

Homework will be available on Google Classrooms and a paper copy will also be sent home. Please choose a task off the homework grid each week and submit via google classrooms or it can be brought in on paper.

Spellings:

Children have all been provided with a spelling level. Children need to practise these at home and bring in their ticket when they are confident they can get all right. Once they have been tested and got all correct, children can move onto the next colour before then moving up at level.

Reading and Times Tables:

Our school expectation is that your child reads at least three times a week at home to an adult. This needs to be recorded in your child's reading record and signed by an adult. This record needs to be brought into school every day. We will check this on a Monday and children achieve a reading sticker on their bookmark. Once their bookmark is full they will receive a brand new book to keep as a prize If your child has finished their reading book, please bring it in on any day to be changed.

Your child will also have access and passwords to Times Table Rockstars and Purple Mash. Their usernames and passwords will be put in their Reading Record Books.

Contact us:

If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to speak to us. You can catch us most mornings before school or wait to speak to us after the children have been released to parents/carers at home time. Alternatively, you can contact us via our class email address:

oak@newmoston.manchester.sch.uk

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Our class ambassadors:

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In class we are reading....

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What a busy few weeks we have had! Here are some on the things we have been up to in Oak class:

Odd Socks day for Anti Bullying week

Parent's reading morning

Spelling champions

Art - mixing colours

Book Buddy

Oakley has been away on many adventures and shared some books with Carter, Ella W and Llewellyn.

Welcome back!

The children have settled straight back into their learning this week and have continued to amaze me.

Maths

This week we consolidated our learning on subtraction. Even the challenging concepts children have shown a great understanding of. We will now apply this next week to area and perimeter.

Pumpkin competition

Tuesday saw children carrying in some great pumpkins - there were some very creative ideas!

Spelling Champions

This week saw a lot of children asking to be tested on their spellings.

Congratulations to Tyler, Ella S, Reggie, Frankie, Ella M, Rosy, Lottie, Emily and Carter.

Book Buddy

From this week, I will be selecting a child to bring home our new book buddy that we have name Oakley. Every child will have the opportunity to take Oakley home over the week and add something to our reading journal.

This week Demi has been picked to take Oakley home with her.

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Autumn 1 Half term celebrations

Birthdays

Happy birthday to Tyler and Serayah who both had their birthdays this half term

Pen Licence

Congratulations to Seryah, Carter, Lottie, Isla, Reggie and Belle for earning their silver award in handwriting meaning they get to use a pen in all their learning.

Swimming

Everyone achieved their starfish certificate this half term which is the basics of water safety. Lots of children also passed their 5m, 10m and 25m lengths. Amazing effort everyone!

See you on Tuesday 29th October!

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English

This week we created our own versions of the Sound Collector based around the noises we hear in the classroom. We then individually performed these to Ms McKenna - who was super impressed by our oracy skills!

Music

We watched an online performance of BlankFace on zoom. We were introduced to some musical instruments we'd never seen before having a go at drumming on our laps.

Parent Showcase

Thank you to all the the parents, grandparents and siblings that attended our mummification of oranges activity. It was great to see so many of you and how you all really got into the activity. Some children seemed to enjoy the messiness and getting covered in orange "guts".

Keep an eye out for when we are back as to how the mummification process is going.

Spelling champions!

Well done to Ella W, Carter, Rosy and Robyn for passing their spellings this week.

English

This week, we finished our biography on Roald Dahl. We have learnt so many fact about Roald Dahl and found out he was so much more than just an author. Reggie, Kaiden and Ella S all went to show Mrs Mitchell their completed writing today.

Maths

We moved onto our next block of learning: addition and subtraction. We focused this week on adding up to 4 digit numbers with one exchange in it.

We continued to improve our sewing skills. Moving onto making our final pieces our pencil cases. Keep an eye out for these in a shop near you!

This week we focused on our balance. Practising one legged balancing whilst doing some very careful movement.

Well done to Rosy, Emily, Belle and Ivy for their amazing balancing skills!

Spelling champions!

Well done to Marnie, Isla and Rosy for all passing their spellings this week.

We continued to on our different movements and our personal space.

Handwriting

We have been working really hard on our handwriting in Oak class and complete handwriting lessons every day. Miss MacKinnon is super impressed with our focus during these lessons.

Music

We practised our glockenspiel skills we made up words using the notes then played the words on the glocks.

Science

We investigated different food labels in science to help us identify if our food choices are healthy or unhealthy. This linked to our previous learning where we had designed our own healthy meals which included a range of foods to ensure our bodies got everything thing it needed to stay healthy.

Attendance Hero

Well done to Robyn who received the attendance hero award from Mrs Kelly-Rimmer.

Class reward

We filled our pompom jar this week and earned 30 minutes arts and craft time.

Spelling challenge

This week we started our new spelling challenge. Each Friday, any child who has brought in their spelling raffle ticket will have the opportunity to be tested on their spellings. If children get all their spellings right they will receive a certificate and move onto the next group of spellings.

Congratulations Serayah for passing her level 6 bronze today!

Today, we were introduced to the Rock Steady company. Tim introduced us to many types of instruments before forming his own KS2 rock band (features Miss MacKinnon)!

Children have come home with a letter introducing the company and how children can create or join their very own band and learn a new instrument.

English - we have started writing our character descriptions of Fantastic Mr Fox. The children have been concentrating on using adjectives and similes to make their writing more exciting and descriptive.

Maths - we have continued exploring numbers up to 1000. We have looked at all the different ways we can represent a number and created some very bright posters to help us.

DT - we looked at the history of the zip to help us understand more about our pencil case designs

PE - we looked at different personal movements.

Summer 2 - Week 1

A Lovely First Week Back

This week was a wonderful first week back, filled with exciting learning activities and impressive performances by the class. Here's a look at what we accomplished:

English: The Coming of The Iron Man
We kicked off our English lessons with a captivating poem called "The Coming of The Iron Man." The children were fully engaged as we read the poem together, delving into its rich language and unique features. They then partnered up to practice reading aloud, enhancing their fluency and confidence.

The highlight of the week was when the class performed their own dramatic interpretations of the poem. Each performance was unique and brought the poem to life in creative ways. I'm sure you'll agree, they did an amazing job!

Maths: Times Table Preparation
In Maths, our focus was on honing our times table skills in preparation for the Times Table check. The class worked diligently, and their hard work paid off. They demonstrated fantastic progress and a solid understanding of their times tables. It's clear they are well on their way to mastering this essential skill.

Overall, it was a productive and enjoyable week back at school. The class's enthusiasm and effort were truly inspiring. I look forward to seeing their continued growth and achievements in the weeks to come!

This half term our main topic is "Does it always rain in the rainforest?." In science, we are learning about 'Plants.'

We will be using 'The Iron Man' as part of our English lessons and Whole Class Reading to support us with our learning.

Please take a look at our Topic Plan.

Year 4 Multiplication Check information.

MTC parents meeting presentation.pptx

Spring Term: Week 5

A big thank you to all the parents who joined us for reading morning! We're thrilled to see the significant progress our children have made this term through their hard work. And what better way to wrap up the term than with a disco!

Enjoy your break!!

Spring Term: Week 3 and 4

Oak Class had a hands-on two weeks! We conducted an experiment to test if temperature affected water evaporation. Recording our findings daily for a week, we documented any changes.

In English, we kicked off our non-chronological report on African animals. Students shared their knowledge, discussed its importance, and picked animals to research, linking their choices to our class novel, "The Butterfly Lion."

In Design and Technology, we built a sturdy paper chair for baby bear. We focused on stability and strength.

Additionally, we assisted eco warriors with litter picking around the school, helping to keep our environment clean.

To cap it off, we celebrated World Maths Day by making timetable flowers in a fun and creative activity.

Spring Term: Week 2

Oak class have put in tremendous effort this week completing assessments, and I'm thrilled with their results.

On Thursday, March 7th, we celebrated World Book Day with the theme 'Break the Rules!' It was a delightful occasion filled with fun activities. Additionally, we had the privilege of participating in a Zoom call with Michael Morpurgo, the author of our current class book, "The Butterfly Lion." During the call, he read chapters from the book and engaged with the children by answering their questions. It was an enriching experience for all involved.

This half term our main topic is "The Mayan Civilisation." We will be learning about: What life was like at the height of the Mayan Civilisation. In science, we are learning about 'States of Matter.'

We will be continuing using 'The Butterfly Lion' as part of our English lessons and Whole Class Reading to support us with our learning.

Please take a look at our Topic Plan.

Spring Term: Week 1

Welcome back!

It has been a remarkably busy week for us all. In our English sessions, we have been diligently refining our skills in the art of formal letter writing, focusing particularly on crafting persuasive letters.

History: We've embarked on a fascinating exploration of the Mayan civilization. We're delving into their rich legacy of impressive pyramids, intricate calendar systems, and vibrant cultural traditions. It's been an enlightening and captivating journey so far.

Science: We've begun our study of the states of matter, diving into the distinct properties of solids, liquids, and gases.

Autumn 2: Week 7

Merry Christmas from Oak Class!

Autumn 2: Week 6

We have had a fun-filled week!

Not only do we have budding crafters on our hands, but some future chefs!

Oak class practised their culinary skills this week and made a very tasty salad and salad dressing. All children enjoyed cutting up the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber but there were some tears when it came to the onions!

I would also like to say a big THANK YOU to all those who made it to our craft morning and helped to make some beautiful Diwali wall hangings.

Autumn 2: Week 5

This week we held our Parent Progress Evening, thank you to all those who attended. It was a pleasure to share with you how well your children have been doing and I hope you all managed to sample the delicious food from our new dinner menu.

Oak class have had fun this week designing their own salad dish and are looking forward to making them next week. Keep your eyes peeled!

Autumn 2: Week 4

Oak class had a busy week as it was assessment week! All children worked really hard and should be extremely proud of themselves. Children's progress will be shared with you on Pupil Progress Evening.

Even though we were very busy we had time to invite our parents in for a reading morning, it was a great success and hopefully you will all join us again soon for our craft morning!

Autumn 2: Week 3

This week we have had lots of fun!

We celebrated Children In Need by dressing up or should I say dressing down in our PJ's!! All the children participated in lots of fun activities and helped to raise money for an important cause.

Oak class had early access to the book fair and made a wish list of all the different books they would like to read. I purchased a few books myself, all Christmas themed as it is nearly December!

And we have a budding chef on our hands, Phoebe made some delicious Coconut Barfi (an Indian dessert) and kindly shared it with the teachers. They really did taste incredible!!

Autumn 2: Week 2

This week has been a very busy week!

Oak class tried their hand at being electricians and were tasked with building a simple circuit incorporating both a light bulb and switch.

In D&T we looked at all the different ways you can cook an egg - scrambled, poached and fried and wrote instructions for each.

We have also been learning about Remembrance Day and making our own poppies!

Autumn Term 2 - Week 1

We had a fantastic first week back! Our new topic is India and to introduce the topic and excite the children we had an Indian dancing lesson with the fabulous Mr Howard.

This term we will be making our own side salads in DT, Oak class could not wait to start the subject and participated in a taste challenge. Every child ate lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers (so don’t be fooled parents, they do like their vegetables!) However the onion did not go down too well and we had a very fragrant classroom for the rest of the day!

On Friday, the JLT held their very first assembly of the year and discussed with the school the different ways we can cut our Carbon Footprint both at home and in school.

Will you take part in the challenge?

To cut your Carbon Footprint you can:

Ditch the drive - Have a nice relaxing walk to and from school
Go meat free for a day
Donate something you no longer need
Substitute 4 baths for 4 showers (and save in your water bill 😛)

Week 6 and 7

This week was amazing, several children in Oak class have made fantastic progress in swimming and can now swim without armbands or a noodle! This is a fantastic achievement as some children were reluctant to get in the swimming pool when lessons first started.

The highlight of the week was definitely watching Michael Rosen perform a poem called "Chocolate Cake." Oak class had never heard it before and it blew them away! They felt so inspired that they wrote their own poem about their favourite food.

Our topic on The Romans has come to and end and we have learnt so much! We now know what the Romans did for Britain and how they changed our country for the better.

Week 5

This week in Oak class we have been showcasing our creative side. We have created our very own mosaic art, keep a look out for the finished pieces next week.
In English we have started to look at Instructional texts and the different features needed. To help aid understanding we followed instructions to make origami butterflies!

Week 3 and Week 4

All the children have enjoyed their swimming lessons with lots of children moving on to the next phases and no longer needing armbands or floats, myself and Mrs Parr are so proud of the progress they are making.

In art we are continuing with the Roman theme and have been looking at mosaics. This week we will be using wooden printing blocks to further enhance our artwork, I can’t wait to post the final results. Keep your eyes peeled!!

Week 1 and Week 2

Oak class has had an amazing start to year 4! Everyone has settled in well and are enjoying the work we have been doing so far.

In science we are learning about light, this week we have identified various sources of natural and artificial light.

Our history lessons have been filled with interesting facts about the Roman Empire and how they conquered Britain!

Our class book is the infamous ‘Twits’ by Roald Dahl. All the class have been enjoying generating their own expanded noun phrases about his ‘dirty, disgusting beard.’

Welcome to Oak Class

2023 – 2024

Hello everybody and welcome to Oak Class!

Oak class is a Year 4 class. In the class this year there will be myself, Miss Walker (Class teacher) and Mrs Parr (TA).

PE:

P.E will be on a Friday.

Please make sure your child has a PE Kit in school. This needs to be a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and a pair of pumps or trainers for going outside.

P.E kits can be left in school and taken home at the end of the half term for a wash.

Swimming

Swimming will be every Tuesday.

Year 4 children will need to bring a swimming kit every Tuesday.

Girls: Full piece swimming costume, swimming hat, towel.

Boys: Swimming trunks (not loose), towel.

Earrings are not allowed to be worn, please make sure they have been removed.

Homework:

Homework will be set on Google Classrooms as in previous years.

Reading:

We expect your child to read at least three times a week at home to an adult. This needs to be recorded in your child's reading record and signed by an adult. This record needs to be brought into school every day. We will check this on a Monday. Children will earn stickers for their bookmarks if they read 3 times each week. Once their bookmark is full, they are able to choose a book to keep.

Book Changes:

Book changes will happen every Monday.

Spellings:

Children will receive 10 spellings each week and will be tested the following week. Spellings will be given out on a Thursday, with the spelling test being the following Thursday. Scores will be sent home for you to see how your child has done.

Other:

Children will need to bring a water bottle (containing only water) to school and it would be great if all clothes and coats can be clearly labelled.

My door is always open and I am only a phone call away. If you have any concerns or anything you want to chat about, please do so.

Here is to a great year and new adventures!

Miss Walker :)

Archive 2022-23

Rocks!

Last week, as part of our learning about rocks, we used chocolate to make the three types of rocks, igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.

Melted chocolate was used as ‘lava’ to create the igneous rock. Layers of different types of chocolate made the sedimentary rock and then we applied heat and pressure to this rock to create the metamorphic rock.

Volcanoes

We really enjoyed making our volcanoes this week and loved watching them erupt. Thank-you for watching them erupt with us.

Pan pipes

This week in Science, we have found patterns between the pitch of a sound and the features of the object that produces it.

To do this, we have made pan pipes and discovered that the longer the straw, the slower the vibrations, therefore the pitch of the sound was lower and the shorter the straw, the faster the vibrations, therefore the pitch of the sound was higher.

Ancient Egyptian Shaduf Design and Technology

To conclude our topic about Ancient Egyptians, we have made our own model of a ‘shaduf’. A shaduf is a hand operated device used for lifting water.

We designed our own based on examples given, we selected the materials that we thought would best work for it then we built, tested and evaluated them.

Ancient Egypt Hook

Last week we were visited by Nick Credible from Dan Tastic Education who came in to talk to us all about Ancient Egypt. We were able to look at some Ancient Egyptian artefacts, shake hands with a Khopesh (sword) and even mummified one of our friends. We learnt a lot and had a fantastic time.

Please find below the knowledge organiser for our topic which will show you what we will be learning about and key information.

Knowledge Organiser Ancient Egypt.pdf

Welcome to Oak Class 2022-2023

What a fantastic first week we had!

The children have settled in extremely well to their first week in Year 4.

We started our topic of the Ancient Egyptians by showing what we already know and linking our English topic of instructional writing by mummifying oranges which we found fantastically gross. Have a look at our pictures to see how we did it and look out for our Big Writes of our instructions next week.

Archive 2021-2022

Observational drawings of flowers

Swimming today was a little different! The children have been learning about water safety and part of that was practising swimming in clothes!

Jubilee Art

🌈Rainbow Day at New Moston Primary School 🌈

🌈We celebrated International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia with a Rainbow Day 🌈

The children dressed up in all the colours of the rainbow.

This super reader recieved his reading award today. Well done for reading avidly at home and completing your bookmark:)

Our new topic question is: Does it always rain in the rainforest?

We will be exploring the different layers of the rainforest, the climate and plants and animals that live in rainforests. Please find a copy of our knowledge organiser for this half term below which further explains what we are going to be learning about.

Knowledge organiser - The Rainforest

Reading morning! We love sharing a book:)

World Maths Day 23/3/22

Today is World Maths Day.

Below are some ideas of activities you can do at home with your child.

We hope you enjoy doing some of them.

world-maths-day-ideas-for-home-learning.pdf

Sylvia Pankhurst recruited Oak Class to join the Suffragette rally! We protested for right for women to vote!

DEEDS NOT WORDS

We also learnt about key people in the Suffragette movement including the leader Emmeline Pankhurst.

World Book Day 2022! Dress as an adjective:)

Our topic for this half term is all about 'The Suffragettes'.

Please find a copy of our knowledge organiser below which explains what we will be learning about:)

The Suffragettes

The Suffragettes

In Oak class we have been participating in our schools weekly mile challenge! What a great way to help us keep fit and healthy

The children had a very enjoyable day, as they were introduced to our new topic for this half term through a chocolate tasting session. They each got to taste a range of different chocolates and had to describe them by considering their taste, texture and appearance. They then had to give them an overall score out of 10. Some chocolates went down better than others - what do you think we thought of the dark chocolate?