We hope that you had a lovely Summer break. Welcome to the Autumn term where we look forward to the continuing partnerships between home and school.
Reading
Our goal is to create confident, fluent, independent readers. We prioritise reading at Latchmere School and have very carefully chosen the texts your child will study this term. We focus on word reading to develop fluency and encourage the whole class to join in through strategies such as choral reading (the whole class read together) and echo reading (the teacher models the reading and the class echo back). We also have the Latchmere Reading skills. These are based on comprehension skills such as retrieval, inference, summarising, making links, prediction and vocabulary.
In Year 3, we will be studying When We Lived in Uncle’s Hat, The Magic Box, The Mousehole Cat and The Stone Age Boy.
Maths
Our curriculum is based on the White Rose Maths programme. This research-based initiative ensures that the skills and concepts children taught are fully embedded before moving on. The children are taught strategies such as bar modelling and have plenty of opportunities to use ‘manipulatives’ such as counters and dienes all the way through the school.
This term we will be focusing on addition and subtraction, place value and multiplication and division.
Children should also use the TimesTables Rockstars program to increase their quick recall of multiplication and related division facts.
Curriculum Highlights
This term, we will be learning about life in the Stone Age, Bronze Age and the Iron Age for our history learning. In Science, we will focus on rocks, soils and magnets.
You can find out more information about the Autumn term learning by looking at the overviews and programmes of study on the website.
Thank you in advance for all of your support in the year ahead,
Kind regards,
The Year 3 Team
Joanna Mann – Year Group Lead
Key Dates
Get To Know You
Our ‘Get To Know You’ meeting will be held on Thursday 12th September at 10am in the Drama Hall. This will give you an opportunity to meet the Year 3 team, be given information about class routines, the curriculum and the school year. You will also have the chance to ask the teachers questions.
Class Assembly Dates
Money – Thursday 3rd April 2025
Kahlo – Thursday 1st May 2025
Simone – Thursday 8th May 2025
Updates and reminders
Please note the P.E. days for all Year 3 pupils. Children will need to attend school dressed in PE kit on their PE days.
Monet – Monday (Indoor PE) and Thursday (Outdoor PE).
Simone - Tuesday (Indoor PE) and Thursday (Outdoor PE).
Kahlo – Tuesday (Indoor PE) and Thursday (Outdoor PE).
Please ensure that for outdoor PE, children are wearing weather appropriate kit such as jogging bottoms (blue, grey, black) as the weather turns colder.
Morning Routine
Year 3 children will access the school via the KS2 gate and will be met in the playground by their class teacher at 8.50am. The staff will take them in the classroom and there will be a starter activity waiting for them.
Pencil case
Below is a list of resources that we would like the children to have for autumn term in a small pencil case. If you do not have these items, or cannot purchase them, please do not worry as we will be able to provide them.
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2 x HB pencils
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a ruler
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a pencil sharpener
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an eraser
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2 x whiteboard pen
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a red pen
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child-friendly scissors
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a glue stick (Pritt Sticks are much better for long term use)
Home Learning
In Year 3, children will receive a home learning grid at the start of every term. This will include a range of activities to complete. The activities are optional. However, we do encourage the children to complete as many as they can.
Once they have competed an activity we would be delighted for them to bring their finished work into school so that they can share it with the class. The home learning grid for Autumn is attached to this letter.
The children have access to ‘Century’ www.century.tech. Century allows children to independently learn at home. It personalises content, questions and pathways for every learner and identifies gaps in their knowledge. We will provide your child with their log in.
Our first spelling quiz will be on Thursday 12th September and you will receive the spelling homework on the 9th September. Spelling lists will go home on a Monday. The spelling quiz will take place on a Thursday.
Please remember to send your child’s reading journal and book to school every day.
Class Representatives
If you would like to be a class rep, your class teacher will be very pleased to hear from you. Each class normally has two or three class reps that will take the lead in communication and organising events.
Snacks
Please send your child with a healthy (nut-free) snack for them to have during morning play, e.g. fresh fruit, rice cakes, dried fruit such as raisins/cranberries, malt loaf, plain digestive or rich tea biscuits. Please ensure your child comes to school with a named water bottle.
Medication
Please ensure that the school office has any relevant medication and that this medication is up-to-date.
Trips
We have arranged a school trip to Butser Ancient Farm on Friday 15 November 2024. Details about the trip will be sent home closer to the time.
Year 3 will take also part in an Egyptian Workshop in Spring Term and a Roman Workshop in Summer Term.
Swimming
Year 3 will be taking part in swimming lessons in autumn term. Please speak to your class reps if you are able to help out! We will need two parent helpers each week for the swimming lessons to take place.
Monday afternoon – Kahlo swimming lessons.
Tuesday afternoon – Monet swimming lessons.
Thursday afternoon – Simone swimming lessons.