Happy New Year!

I would like to begin by wishing you all and your families a Happy New Year and many thanks for all your kind Christmas gifts and cards We have made a busy start to our first week back and it has been lovely to hear all the children’s news from the Christmas holiday.

The Feast Day of the Epiphany (6th January 2023)

On Friday we celebrated the feast day of the Epiphany by a whole school Mass held in Church…

The Epiphany, or Three Kings’ Day, is a Christian holiday that is observed on January 6. It is one of the three most important days, along with Christmas and Easter, in the Christian church. Epiphany celebrates three events: (1) the arrival of the Magi, or Three Wise Men, in Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus, (2) the baptism of Jesus, (3) Jesus’ first miracle.

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have begun our new topic ‘The Sacrament of Reconciliation’, we reflected on what it means to make right and wrong choices, and how choices can affect us and other people.

In English the children have been completing editing on their ‘Iron Man’ narratives, making improvements linked with their writing targets and producing their final draft.

In Maths the children have started a new topic on multiplication and division. This week we have been making comparisons between multiplication and division, producing statements including the less than, greater than and equals symbols.

In PE Year 3 have been developing their throwing and catching skills within our new topic on handball. This week we have focused particularly on the correct technique for bounce pass.

In Science, we have started our new topic ‘Rocks’ We begun this week by using small hand held microscopes to look carefully at a range of rocks. The children sketched their own copies of the rocks, labelling them to show features of each type.

WEDNESDAY WORD Please follow this link below to access the Gospel Readings for the forthcoming week, there are also some fun activities to complete, this is a fantastic family resource to share and celebrate with your child at home.

Wednesday Word

CLASS REMINDERS

• PE days are Tuesday and Thursday

• The children will have a spelling and times tables test on Monday 9th January

• Reading books and Reading Records to be brought in daily, Reading books changed when needed.

• TTRS login to be used to access Times Tables activities

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend

Mrs Parker

Jesus said 'I am the light of the world' John 8:12

Advent Reflection

Throughout Advent we would like to invite all children and families to join us in the school hall for a short Advent reflection led by Father Frank. 

This will be held every Tuesday morning at 8:20am and will begin from Tuesday 29th November, continuing until Tuesday 20th December 2022.

We do hope you can join us for this opportunity to gather as a faith community to reflect on the true value and meaning of Advent.

At Our Lady's we like to support our parents/carers in Online Safety matters. 

Keeping children and young people safe online is one of the biggest challenges facing society today and it is all of our responsibility to ensure that children are educated to make positive, informed choices when they are online.

With Christmas nearly here and perhaps with presents including new technology or related games being received, we thought we’d share some helpful advice in setting up appropriate parental controls. Parental controls can help to protect your child from seeing something that they shouldn’t – although it is important to emphasise that no system is effective all of the time so it is important to engage with your child and talk to them about their online life regularly.

We hope you find this Newsletter informative and helpful in promoting the positive use of technology to make the online world a better and safer place for us all.

Online Safety Newsletter December 2022

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have been reflecting further on the first Christmas story of the Nativity of Jesus. We have been exploring the importance of the Shepherds in the story and we have been considering some ways Christians can follow their example in showing their faith in God.

In English the children have been developing their use of vocabulary in describing characters from ‘The Snowman’ They were able to use their ideas to create their own Snowmen themed poems.

In Maths the children have been using a range of mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills to develop their own theme park, considering the cost of building the park and working out the profits from ticket sales.

In PE Year 3 have been using their throwing and catching skills to complete small-sided dodgeball and tag rugby games. We have also been focusing on the importance of team work whilst playing invasion games.

In Geography, the children have been

WEDNESDAY WORD Please follow this link below to access the Gospel Readings for the forthcoming week, there are also some fun activities to complete, this is a fantastic family resource to share and celebrate with your child at home.

Wednesday Word

KS2 ADVENT SERVICE

On Monday 19th December at 2pm, KS2 will be taking part in an Advent Service in Church. All families are invited to join us as we sing some traditional carols and listen to the Nativity story.

NON UNIFORM DAY - 20TH DECEMBER

Our Lady's PTA would like to invite all children to come to school on our last day of term - Tuesday 20th December in their Christmas clothes.

Children are welcome to wear their own clothes and include anything Christmassy they would like - for example Christmas jumper, Christmas dress, party dress or Christmas accessories.

Please don't buy anything special for the day, you can always be creative with decorations and tinsel at home to create your own accessory to wear with your own clothes!

There will be a £1 donation set up in Parentpay to raise money for PTA funds.

CLASS REMINDERS

• PE days are Tuesday and Thursday

• The children will have a spelling and times tables test on Monday 12th December as normal, there will be no test on 19th December.

• Reading books and Reading Records to be brought in daily, Reading books changed when needed.

• TTRS login to be used to access Times Tables activities

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend

Mrs Parker

'Rejoice in the Lord always' (Phillppians 4:4)

Advent Reflection

Throughout Advent we would like to invite all children and families to join us in the school hall for a short Advent reflection led by Father Frank. 

This will be held every Tuesday morning at 8:20am and will begin from Tuesday 29th November, continuing until Tuesday 20th December 2022.

We do hope you can join us for this opportunity to gather as a faith community to reflect on the true value and meaning of Advent.

At Our Lady's we like to support our parents/carers in Online Safety matters. 

Keeping children and young people safe online is one of the biggest challenges facing society today and it is all of our responsibility to ensure that children are educated to make positive, informed choices when they are online.

With Christmas nearly here and perhaps with presents including new technology or related games being received, we thought we’d share some helpful advice in setting up appropriate parental controls. Parental controls can help to protect your child from seeing something that they shouldn’t – although it is important to emphasise that no system is effective all of the time so it is important to engage with your child and talk to them about their online life regularly.

We hope you find this Newsletter informative and helpful in promoting the positive use of technology to make the online world a better and safer place for us all.

Online Safety Newsletter December 2022

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have been learning about the the first Christmas story of the Nativity of Jesus. We have been exploring the important messages for Christians and considering why this is such a special time in the church calendar.

In English the children have been continuing their work linked to the story ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes. This week we have started to write and edit our own pieces of narrative relating to the approach of the Iron Man.

In Maths the children have been continuing to explore the links between division and multiplication. They have been encouraged to use a range of maths resources to explain their own mathematical reasoning.

In PE Year 3 have been using their throwing and catching skills to complete small-sided dodgeball and tag rugby games. We have also been focusing on the importance of team work whilst playing invasion games.

In Science, we have reviewed our investigation to answer a scientific question based on our previous work of the human skeleton. ‘Can people with longer femurs jump further?’ The children were able to use the results from their experiment to draw conclusions and to support their own viewpoints.

WEDNESDAY WORD

Please follow this link below to access the Gospel Readings for the forthcoming week, there are also some fun activities to complete, this is a fantastic family resource to share and celebrate with your child at home.

Wednesday Word

KS2 ADVENT SERVICE

On Monday 19th December at 2pm, KS2 will be taking part in an Advent Service in Church. All families are invited to join us as we sing some traditional carols and listen to the Nativity story.

NON UNIFORM DAY - 20TH DECEMBER

Our Lady's PTA would like to invite all children to come to school on our last day of term - Tuesday 20th December in their Christmas clothes.

Children are welcome to wear their own clothes and include anything Christmassy they would like - for example Christmas jumper, Christmas dress, party dress or Christmas accessories.

Please don't buy anything special for the day, you can always be creative with decorations and tinsel at home to create your own accessory to wear with your own clothes!

There will be a £1 donation set up in Parentpay to raise money for PTA funds.

CLASS REMINDERS

• PE days are Tuesday and Thursday

• The children will have a spelling and times tables test on Monday 12th December as normal, there will be no test on 19th December.

• Reading books and Reading Records to be brought in daily, Reading books changed when needed.

• TTRS login to be used to access Times Tables activities

Award winners

Golden- Charlotte

Maths- Gabriel

Writing- Olivia

Well done to our award winners this week.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend,

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

A Prayer for the Second Sunday of Advent...

Advent Liturgies   

Throughout Advent we would like to invite all children and families to join us in the school hall for a short Advent liturgy led by Father Frank. 

This will be held every Tuesday morning at 8:20am and will begin from Tuesday 29th November, continuing until Tuesday 20th December 2022.

We do hope you can join us for this opportunity to gather as a faith community to reflect on the true value and meaning of Advent.

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have been learning about the symbolism of the Advent Wreath. We thought about some ways in which each candle supports Christians during the journey of Advent. and we discussed how we can try to show these messages in our own lives.

In English the children have been continuing their work linked to the story ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes. This week we have been starting to gather and plan our own ideas for a piece of narrative relating to the approach of the Iron Man.

In Maths the children have been using maths resources to show their understanding of dividing by 3, 4, 5 and finding remainders. We were able to discuss our mathematical thinking and explain some patterns that we noticed.

In PE Year 3 have been using their throwing and catching skills to complete small-sided dodgeball and tag rugby games.

In Science, we have completed an investigation to answer a scientific question based on our previous work of the human skeleton. ‘Can people with longer femurs jump further?’ We used tape measures and metre sticks to make some accurate measurements. The children were able to complete charts to record their results. Some of our results surprised us!

WEDNESDAY WORD

Please follow this link below to access the Gospel Readings for the forthcoming week, there are also some fun activities to complete, this is a fantastic family resource to share and celebrate with your child at home.

Wednesday Word

KS2 ADVENT SERVICE

On Monday 19th December at 2pm, KS2 will be taking part in an Advent Service in Church. All families are invited to join us as we sing some traditional carols and listen to the Nativity story.

CLASS REMINDERS

• PE days are Tuesday and Thursday

• Spelling and Times Table Homework is given out on Monday

• Spelling Test and Times Table Test - every Monday

• Reading books and Reading Records to be brought in daily, Reading books changed when needed.

• TTRS login to be used to access Times Tables activities

Award winners

Golden: Willow

Maths: Emily

Writing: Zachary

Well done to our award winners this week.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend,

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

'The Lord is coming! Let us wait for him!' Pope Francis

Advent Liturgies   

Throughout Advent we would like to invite all children and families to join us in the school hall for a short Advent liturgy led by Father Frank. 

This will be held every Tuesday morning at 8:20am and will begin from Tuesday 29th November, continuing until Tuesday 20th December 2022.

We do hope you can join us for this opportunity to gather as a faith community to reflect on the true value and meaning of Advent.

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have been learning about the bible story when Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth. We talked about the trust and faith that both Mary and Elizabeth showed. We thought about some ways Christians follow this example in their own lives’.

In English the children have been continuing their work linked to the story ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes. This week we have been using Thesaurus’ to enhance our choice of figurative language, which we will be using to create our own ‘Jennings’ style poetry based on the character of the Iron Man.

In Maths the children have been developing their abilities in problem solving and mathematical reasoning, by applying their knowledge of multiplication and division to a range of word problems. The children have been encouraged to use maths resources to support them in their learning.

In PE Year 3 have been using their throwing and catching skills to complete small-sided dodgeball and tag rugby games.

In Science, we have started to plan an investigation to answer a scientific question based on our previous work of the human skeleton. ‘Can people with longer femurs jump further?’ We discussed our predictions and some ways we could make sure it was a ‘fair test’, we also thought about the things we would need to measure. Next week we will complete our investigation and review our findings.

WEDNESDAY WORD

Please follow this link below to access the Gospel Readings for the forthcoming week, there are also some fun activities to complete, this is a fantastic family resource to share and celebrate with your child at home.

Wednesday Word

KS2 ADVENT SERVICE

On Monday 19th December at 2pm, KS2 will be taking part in an Advent Service in Church. All families are invited to join us as we sing some traditional carols and listen to the Nativity story.

CLASS REMINDERS

• PE days are Tuesday and Thursday

• Spelling and Times Table Homework is given out on Monday

• Spelling Test and Times Table Test - every Monday

• Reading books and Reading Records to be brought in daily, Reading books changed when needed.

• TTRS login to be used to access Times Tables activities

Award winners

Golden: Natalia

Maths: Leo

Writing: Matilda

Well done to our award winners this week.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend,

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Class email address: year3@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

'With God all things are possible' Matthew 19:26

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have been continuing to explore the bible story of the Angel Gabriel appearing to Mary to tell her that she would have baby Jesus. We talked about the trust that Mary showed in God and we looked at two artists impressions of this event, considering how each picture was similar and different.

In English the children have been continuing their work linked to the story ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes. This week we have been building our understanding and use of some of the more challenging vocabulary in the text. The children completed some dictionary work and then thought of opposite words.

In Maths the children have been developing their understanding of finding equal groups and linking this to multiplication and division. This week we have focused in particular on dividing and multiplying by 4, we have been using a doubling and halving method to help us find the answers more efficiently.

In PE Year 3 have been focusing on invasion games, in particular rugby and dodgeball, this week they have practised using a range of strategies to ensure they can pass the ball to their team with increased speed and accuracy,

In Computing, we have started our new topic exploring a programming tool, ‘Scratch’. The children had the opportunity to create their own sprite and backgrounds, they were able to programme their sprite to complete a range of simple instructions.

On Friday, we held a non-uniform day to raise money for the charity ‘Children in Need’. Well done and thank you to everyone for your support!

WEDNESDAY WORD

Please follow this link below to access the Gospel Readings for the forthcoming week, there are also some fun activities to complete, this is a fantastic family resource to share and celebrate with your child at home.

Wednesday Word

Award winners

Golden: Roma

Maths: William

Writing: Brooklyn

Well done to our award winners this week.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend,

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Class email address: year3@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

'Lest We Forget'

Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth. It was originally called “Armistice Day” to commemorate armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.—on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

This week the children have been reflecting on the importance of Remembrance Day, and on Friday the whole school gathered in the hall to take part in a liturgy led by Year 6, we also had a minute’s silence at 11am to mark our respect.

WEDNESDAY WORD

Please follow this link below to access the Gospel Readings for the forthcoming week, there are also some fun activities to complete, this is a fantastic family resource to share and celebrate with your child at home.

Wednesday Word

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have started our new topic ‘Mary, the Mother of God’. We began by exploring times when we have been chosen for important jobs, and how this made us feel. The children then explored the bible story of Angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, and we thought about the trust and faith Mary showed in God. The children produced their own comic style strips of the story and shared these with the class.

In English the children have been continuing their work linked to the story ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes. This week we have been exploring the use of description in the text to create an effective setting, the children then had the opportunity to plan and write their own descriptions of the cliff and waves.

In Maths the children have been developing their understanding of finding equal groups and linking this to multiplication and division. They have been thinking about the ways in which we might record multiplications and linking this to addition, eg 3x4 = 4+4+4

In Science, the children have produced their own fact files about skeletons, considering the key functions and jobs of a skeleton to protect the internal organs and to allow movement.

In PE Year 3 have been using throwing skills in rugby and dodgeball, they have also been considering the importance of working together as a team.

In Geography, we have started our new topic exploring Europe. This week we located Europe on a world map and labelled the seven continents. We also started to consider some facts about Europe, including some of the countries that make up the continent of Europe.

Award winners

Golden: Florence

Maths: Jackson

Writing: Gabriel

Well done to our award winners this week.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend,

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Class email address: year3@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

Welcome back after Half Term!

Welcome back to everyone in Year 3! We began our week with a whole school mass in church, to celebrate the feast day of ‘All Saints’. This is a day to remember the work of all the saints and to reflect on the ways in which we can aspire to follow their example.

HALF TERM PROJECT

A massive well done to all the children who completed the Half Term Project!

We were really amazed by your efforts, they look great on display in the classroom and have supported the children in their writing of their sea storm descriptions.

Have a look at the completed projects…

WEDNESDAY WORD

Please follow this link below to access the Gospel Readings for the forthcoming weeks, there are also some fun activities to complete, this is a fantastic family resource to share and celebrate with your child at home.

Wednesday Word

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have been reflecting on our class trip to church at the end of last half term to take part in our own pretend baptism with the help of Father Chris. It was a great way for the children to really understand the different parts of the baptism ceremony and to look at some of the key symbols of baptism, including the font and the paschal candle.

In English the children have been starting a new topic linked to the exciting story ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes. This week we have been exploring the illustrations from the book and making our own predictions and questions about the plot, characters and settings.

In Maths the children have been learning to make estimates and approximations before calculating addition and subtraction problems. We have been exploring the use of part whole models as a means to check calculations.

In Science, the children have enjoyed learning more about skeletons, we have been labelling the key parts of a skeleton and we have begun to think about the importance of skeletons for animals, including humans.

In PE Year 3 have started their new topics of rugby and dodgeball.

Award winners

Golden: Stephen

Maths: Oscar-James

Writing: Luna

Well done to our award winners this week.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend,

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Class email address: year3@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

'Aspire not to have more, but to be more' Oscar Romero

WEDNESDAY WORD

Please follow this link below to access the Gospel Readings for the forthcoming weeks, there are also some fun activities to complete, this is a fantastic family resource to share and celebrate with your child at home.

Wednesday Word

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have been continuing to think about the importance of the Baptismal promises and we have been considering the important role of the god parents. This week we have also been thinking about the message of Pope Francis to take care of the earth, our common home. We have been discussing some ways we can help to protect and look after our wonderful world.

In English the children have been editing and working with more independence to develop their ideas about describing the storm at the beginning of the Shakespeare play ‘Twelfth Night’. It is great to see the range of adjectives and expanded noun phrases that the children have used in their writing to create effect.

In Maths the children have been applying their knowledge of using the column method to add and subtract 2-digit and 3-digit numbers. They have continued to explore strategies of how to exchange across the tens and hundreds boundary.

In Science, the children have been expanding their learning about vertebrates and invertebrates. They have been considering ways in which we can classify animals into each group and they have been researching some key facts to extend their understanding of key features linked to each group.

In History, Year 3 have been continuing to develop their knowledge of Stone Age Britain, using skills of historical enquiry, the children have been exploring the discovery of Skara Brae, a Stone Age Village, dating back over 4000 years ago, found in the Orkney Islands.

Upcoming PTA Events…

• On Thursday 20th October there will be an own clothes day to raise funds for the work of our PTA, this will be a £1 per child donation, we thank you for your support of this

• On 4th November 6-7pm: The PTA are organising a KS2 Bonfire Night Disco. This will be £3 a ticket.

YEAR 3 CLASS MASS

On Thursday 20th October at 9.30am, Year 3 will be celebrating class mass at church. Please feel welcome to join us if you can.

HARVEST DONATIONS

Thank you for all your kind donations of tins so far, please keep bringing these in next week, we will be having a celebration assembly for the children in school on Thursday.

PARENTS’ MEETINGS:

Friday 21st October is ‘Parents’ meetings day, please login via the message sent to your email address to make an appointment, I look forward to meeting you all.

Award winners

Golden: Ellenie

Maths: Alexander

Writing: Laura

Well done to our award winners this week.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend,

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Class email address: year3@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

'Do small things with great love.' Mother Teresa

Our learning this week…

In RE, we have been thinking about the Baptismal promises and considering ways in which these are important for Christians. We have linked our understanding to some of the symbols used during the sacrament of Baptism and how these symbols are a clear sign for Christians that they are being called into God’s family,

In English the children have been continuing to explore the story of the Shakespeare play ‘Twelfth Night’, They have worked hard to develop their ideas about describing the storm at the beginning of the play, using a range of adjectives and expanded noun phrases to improve their writing.

In Maths the children have been developing their understanding of adding a 2-digit to a 3-digit numbers and have started to use the column method, exploring how we might cross the tens and hundreds boundary.

In Science, the children have been continuing to learn about the different types of skeletons of a variety of animals, this week we have been exploring vertebrates and invertebrates, looking at a range of x-ray images to sort animals skeletons into each category.

In History, Year 3 have been continuing to develop their knowledge of Stone Age Britain, using skills of historical enquiry, the children have been exploring the changes made to Stone Age houses up to the Iron Age. They have considered the types of materials early humans would have been able to use and have talked about some of the things we can learn about their way of life, making contrasts to our lives today.

Upcoming PTA Events…

• On Thursday 20th October there will be an own clothes day to raise funds for the work of our PTA, this will be a £1 per child donation, we thank you for your support of this

• On 4th November 6-7pm: The PTA are organising a KS2 Bonfire Night Disco. This will be £3 a ticket. More information will follow soon on how to purchase and collect tickets.

Award winners

Golden: Beaux

Maths: Olivia

Writing: Nevaeh

Well done to our award winners this week.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend,

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Class email address: year3@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace. -Psalm 29:11

Our learning this week…

In English the children have been exploring the story of the Shakespeare play ‘Twelfth Night’, They particularly enjoyed acting out some to the main characters in role play. It was great to see how much they have understood the plot of the story and they were able to express their own opinions about the actions of the characters in the play. We have also started to develop our ideas about describing the storm at the beginning of the play, we will continue to build on this next week.

In Maths the children have been developing their understanding of adding and subtracting multiples of 10 to 3-digit numbers, they were able to apply this knowledge to a range of word problems.

In Science, the children have been exploring the different types of skeletons of a variety of animals, discussing and explaining their own ideas about some of the advantages and disadvantages of each skeleton types.

In PE, the children have been creating their own dance sequences based on the Greek myth ‘Theseus and the Minotaur’ , they have been developing their skills in using a variety of travelling, steps and levels. They have enjoyed performing their sequences to the class.

TWELFTH NIGHT PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOL

On Wednesday afternoon the children had an amazing opportunity to watch a performance of the ‘Twelfth Night’ in the school hall, by the professional RSC actors who are performing at the Grand Theatre this week. It was lovely to see some of the Year 6 children as actors in the play, the children in Year 3 sat so beautifully during the play and they all enjoyed the afternoon. We were particularly proud to see the bunting we had made in class as part of the set! Watching the play will definitely inspire the children in our writing topic this half term.

REMINDERS

PE days are Tuesday and Thursday, children need to come to school in full school uniform and earrings need to be removed at home before coming to school. Thank you for your support of this.

Award winners

Golden: Matilda

Maths: Callum

Writing: Willow

And finally, wishing you all a peaceful and enjoyable weekend

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Class email address: year3@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

'Be still and know that I'm with you' Psalm 46:10

Our learning this week…

In English the children have been busy editing and finishing their own diary entries in role as a character from our class story, The Stone Age Boy. The children enjoyed the opportunity to read their finished pieces to each other. We have also started to explore the story of the Shakespeare play ‘Twelfth Night’, sharing ideas about the main characters and thinking of some interesting descriptions.

In Maths we have continued to learn about place value in numbers up to 1000, the children were able to use symbols to show numbers that are more than, less than or equals to. We have also been looking at counting in 50s and the children were able to apply their knowledge to some word problems.

In RE the children have been exploring the sacrament of Baptism, thinking about what happens during a baptism and why it is an important celebration for Christians.

In PE, the children have been creating their own dance sequences based on the Greek myth ‘King Midas’, they have been developing their skills in travelling using different pathways and including turns, jumps and gestures.

THE TWELFTH NIGHT

This week on Wednesday, the RSC are visiting school to perform the first encounters version of the Shakespeare play ‘Twelfth Night’. This is a fantastic opportunity for the children to experience live theatre and to support them in their understanding of the play. Very exciting!

REMINDERS

On Monday the photographer will be in school for school photos

PE days are Tuesday and Thursday, children need to come to school in full school uniform and earrings need to be removed at home before coming to school. Thank you for your support of this.

Award winners

Golden: Elsie

Maths: Charlotte

Writing: Natalia

And finally, wishing you all a peaceful and enjoyable weekend

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Class email address: year3@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk

'I can do all this through him who gives me strength.' (Philippians 4:13)

Throughout this week, the children have been lead in prayer and quiet contemplation on the passing of our nation’s Queen Elizabeth II. As the longest standing monarch in British History, the children have been able to share their own thoughts during this national time of sadness, reflecting on the life of such a unique and inspirational monarch.

Our learning this week…

In English the children have started to write their own diary entries in role as a character from our class story, The Stone Age Boy. They were able to use a range of expanded noun phrases to enhance their use of description.

In Maths we have continued to learn about place value in numbers up to 1000, the children were able to order larger numbers and have explored adding and taking away 1, 10 and 100.

In RE the children have been exploring the theme of belonging to a community and we have developed some of our own understanding of our school focus on ‘Care, Learn and Respect’

In PE, the children enjoyed developing their netball skills with the support of the Blackpool FC coaches.

Spellings, times tables and homework

As we are not in school on Monday, the children will be coming home with their spellings and homework on Tuesday 20th , this needs to be returned by the following Monday. Thank you for your continued support.

Award winners

Golden: Leo

Maths: Charlotte

Writing: Aibhin

And finally, wishing you all best wishes over the bank holiday weekend, as we continue to mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth II

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Welcome to Year 3!

I would like to begin by saying a massive well done to all the children in Year 3 this week, they have settled in well to being upstairs in their new classroom and it has been a pleasure getting to know them. On Thursday we went over to church to share a special mass for Our Lady’s birthday, this was a lovely whole school celebration and a great way to start our new school year.

Our learning this week…

In English the children have started to explore the story of The Stone Age Boy, they were able to develop their use of vocabulary to describe the main characters.

In Maths we have learnt started to learn about place value in numbers up to 1000, the children were able to use base 10 equipment to support their understanding.

In RE the children began their new topic by reflecting on the importance of family and shared examples of the times they have spent with their own families.

In Computing, the children enjoyed role playing the journey of a file through a network, considering the use of the server, network switch and wireless connector.

Spellings, times tables and homework

The children will be coming home with their spellings and homework on Monday 12th, this needs to be returned by the following Monday. So the first spellings and times tables tests will be on Monday 19th September.

Award winners

Golden: Eleena

Maths: Zachary

Writing: Emily

And finally, wishing you all a lovely weekend,

Mrs Parker, Miss Collins and Mrs Hodgekiss

Cherish every moment...

This week I met with Miss Whitehead to discuss the children’s transition in to Year 4. This coming Monday, Miss Whitehead will be spending the afternoon in Year 3 so that she can get to know the children a little bit more before September. During our discussions it really hit home for me just how much the children have progressed this year and just how much I am going to miss them! With just under two weeks to go until the end of the academic year, I am going to put all my energy in to cherishing each moment we have left together. Time has flown this year and that is because we have had such a wonderful time - your children really are amazing and I have had the best year with them.

Our learning this week…

In English the children have been learning about word families.

In Maths we have learnt started to learn about unit and non unit fractions.

In RE the children wrote a letter to God to say thank you for all of the blessings they have.

In History we looked at the Roman legacy.

We also all took part in a class spelling bee - well done to all of the children for taking part. Well done to Isaac, Lily and Oscar who took the top three spots - Isaac 1st, Oscar 2nd and Lily 3rd.

Spellings, times tables and homework

There will be no more spellings or times tables tests this term. There will also be no more homework!

Award winners

Golden: Dominic

No other awards were handed out this week.

Work coming home for the Summer…

In preparation for the end of term, please send in a strong bag (e.g. a bag for life) so that all work can be sent home on the last day of term before the summer holiday. Please label the bag with your child’s name. Thank you!

Summer Story Fair

A huge thank you to you all for your support at our summer fair on Friday. We raised just over £650 which is an amazing amount! We were blown away with the support we received. The PTA look forward to planning more events for the next academic year.

Dates for your diary

20th July

This is our last day in school - school closes at 2pm on this day.

Have a great weekend,

Miss Heim-Sarac

A busy week!

What a busy week we have had in Year 3! On Monday, we had our KS2 Sport’s Day and it was fantastic! The sun was shining, the children were beautifully behaved and we all had lots of fun. Thank you to you all for your support and for coming along to watch the children. After two years of restrictions, it was so lovely to welcome you all back in to the school grounds. All of the scores from across the KS2 classes have now been added up and we can now announce the KS2 winners:

1st place - Layton (500)

2nd place - Marton (473)

3rd place - Clifton (470)

4th place - Newton (469)

Well done to all four teams, there was not much in it at all!

On Wednesday, the children attended Mass for the feast of St Peter and St Paul. I am told the children behaved wonderfully and that they participated well. I couldn’t ask for more! Well done Year 3.

Our learning this week…

In English the children have been learning how to use adverbs effectively in their writing.

In Maths we have learnt about bar charts and how to interpret them.

In RE the children learnt about Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

In History we looked at Roman roads.

In Science we continued our learning on pollination and fertilisation.

Spellings and times tables

The spellings for next week’s test are: MATERIAL, MEDICINE, MENTION, MINUTE, NATURAL, NAUGHTY and NOTICE.

Your child will be tested on a mixture of the 3, 4 and 8 times tables next Friday.

Award winners

Golden: Teddy

Maths: James

Writing: No award this week.

Work coming home for the Summer…

In preparation for the end of term, please send in a strong bag (e.g. a bag for life) so that all work can be sent home on the last day of term before the summer holiday. Please label the bag with your child’s name. Thank you!

Dates for your diary

Summer Story Fair - Friday 8th July

The PTA have arranged a summer story fair on the 8th July, 3.30 - 5.30. Please come along and support - there will be lots of stalls and games. The PTA are raising funds to enable them to continue to support the children with resources, equipment and contributions to school trips. It promises to be a fun evening!

Have a great weekend,

Miss Heim-Sarac

We should consider those moments spent before the Blessed Sacrament as the happiest of our lives...

This week during our daily worships we have been taking part in meditations to practise being in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. The children were invited to practise responding to the miracle of Jesus by adoring, loving, thanking, asking and respecting Him. At our class Mass last week, we discussed the importance of showing our respect to Him through genuflecting towards the tabernacle. We have practiced doing this in class in preparation for the next time we visit church.

We have had a lovely week in Year 3 - the addition of the beautiful sunshine has put a big smile on all of our faces. I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to you all for your contributions today of chocolates and books for our Storytelling Fair on the 8th July. You are all very kind and we appreciate your generosity!

Our learning this week…

In English the children have been learning how to write sentences in the present perfect tense.

In Maths we have learnt about pictograms and how to create and interpret them.

In RE the children have started to create a booklet about our parish church.

In History we have started a project on Roman chariots.

In Art the children created a piece of Art in the style of Andy Warhol.

In Science we have started to learn about pollination and fertilisation.

In P.E. we have continued our Sport’s Day practice.

Spellings and times tables

The spellings for next week’s test are: EARLY, EARTH, EIGHT, EIGHTH, ENOUGH, EXERCISE and EXPERIENCE.

Your child will be tested on a mixture of the 3, 4 and 8 times tables next Friday.

Award winners

Golden: Olivia S

Maths: Henry

Writing: Peter

Dates for your diary

KS2 Sports Day - Monday 27th June

KS2 Sports Day will be held on the afternoon of Monday 27th June 1.30pm - 3pm. Parents will be invited to watch their child take part in our activities and races - this date is subject to the weather.

Storytelling Fair - Friday 8th July

This will take place after school (3.30pm - 5.30pm) - more details to follow nearer the time.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Miss Heim-Sarac

Week beginning 13th June...

It was lovely to be back with the class last week after my trip away with the Year 6 children. I had missed them very much! I received a glowing report off Mr Brisk who taught the children in my absence - he was very impressed with the children’s behaviour and their attitude to their learning. Well done everyone!

Last week we attended church for our Year 3 class Mass. Father Frank popped in to school a few days before to ask the children to consider a very important question before our Mass: what is prayer? On the day of our Mass the children gave Father some beautiful answers to this question including ‘a way of communicating with God’. Father Frank was very impressed; as was I. The class were impeccably behaved and I was very proud of them all.

Our learning last week…

In English the children wrote a non-chronological report on Boudicca.

In Maths the children took part in some times tables challenges.

In RE the children learnt about our parish church and what the special objects inside symbolise.

In History we have learnt about Roman entertainment including gladiators.

In PE the children have been practicing for Sports Day.

Spellings and times tables

The spellings for next week’s test are: INTEREST, ISLAND, KNOWLEDGE, LEARN, LENGTH and LIBRARY.

Your child will be tested on a mixture of the 3, 4 and 8 times tables next Friday.

Award winners

Golden: Elsie

Maths: Corben

Writing: Darcy

Dates for your diary

KS2 Sports Day - Monday 27th June

KS2 Sports Day will be held on the afternoon of Monday 27th June 1.30pm - 3pm Parents will be invited to watch their child take part in our activities and races - this date is subject to the weather.

Own clothes day - Friday 24th June

To take part in this own clothes day, the PTFA ask that the children contribute a used book (for a stall at the Storytelling fair) and some chocolates (for a chocolate tombola at the Storytelling fair) .

Storytelling Fair - Friday 8th July

This will take place after school (3.30pm - 5.30pm) - more details to follow nearer the time.

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend.

Miss Heim-Sarac

'God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer' - Mother Teresa

We have had a fantastic week in Year 3. I can’t believe that we break up for half term next Friday. Where does time go? These final weeks of this academic year are really flying by and I want to make sure that we cherish and enjoy every moment we can. I am so proud of all the children for the progress they have made this year - both academically and emotionally - and they continue to surprise me each day with their maturity and resilience.

In our daily worships this week we have spoken about the importance of listening to God. We discussed how we could do this - mainly through prayer and listening to the word of God through the Bible. However, we also discussed (and practiced!) the importance of being still and silent. It is during these moments that we can really tune in to our faith and what God is communicating with us.

As always, the children have done some brilliant learning this week. Here is some more information as to what they have been up to…

Maths: the children have learnt the written method of multiplying a 2 digit number by a 1 digit number.

English: we have finished innovating our story maps and completed an independent piece of writing based on this.

P.E: we have immersed ourselves in our new topic (dance) on the Iron Man. The children created two sequences this week around this and they were amazing! The children enjoyed performing these on the school field.

HRSE: the children learnt about the importance of respecting our bodies.

History: Boudicca was our focus this week - the children wrote some brilliant rallying speeches for Boudicca that she may have said to the Iceni tribe to persuade them to fight the Romans with her.

Science: we have started a new topic this week - Plants. The children learnt and labelled the different parts of a plant.

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee - Friday 20th May

On Friday 20th May Key Stage 2 will be holding a ‘Street Party’ on the KS2 Yard to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. On this day the children will be asked to wear red, white and blue clothes. We are asking parents for a contribution to PTFA funds of £1 for each child - please see the letter that came home yesterday from our PTFA. The rest of the afternoon will be spent engaged in playground games, craft and fun activities all relating to the Platinum Jubilee. Please keep your fingers crossed for lovely weather! Many thanks.

KS2 Sports Day - Monday 27th June

KS2 Sports Day will be held on the afternoon of Monday 27th June. Further details to follow. Parents will be invited to watch their child take part in our activities and races - this date is subject to the weather - but again look our for further details. Just wanted to give you advanced notice!

Spellings and times tables

The spellings for next week’s test are: THEREFORE, THOUGH, ALTHOUGH, THOUGHT, THROUGH and VARIOUS.

Your child will be tested on a mixture of the 3, 4 and 8 times tables next Friday.

Award winners

Golden - Harriet

Writing - Hallie

Maths - Ronnie

I hope you all have a lovely weekend,

Miss Heim-Sarac

Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done!

In our daily worships this week we have spoken about counting our blessings and we have been saying thank you to God for the blessings he has given us such as our families, friends, teachers and His love. We have spoken about how lucky we all are to have received these gifts and have discussed how we can show how grateful we are. Our daily worships help to strengthen our relationship with God and they keep us mindful of our choices and behaviour. I am always so proud of the children for how they conduct themselves during this time in our day, they are always respectful and play an active part in prayer. They are true disciples of Jesus!

As I mentioned last week, we received the special edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in to school last Friday. We spent some time this week decorating and annotating our dedicated section of the book. The children created some beautiful illustrations, 3D images and poems to go inside. This book will now pass on to the next school out of the 25 chosen in the UK for them to annotate their section. I am excited to hear about where it will eventually be displayed.

Here is our learning for this week…

Maths: we have been working on related multiplication and division facts.

English: the children have innovated a story ready for an independent write next week, and they have also been learning about determiners (a and an).

History: we have started to learn about the Iceni queen Boudicca and her rebellion against the Romans. The children acted out a conversation between Boudicca and her daughters to enable them to understand how they might have felt after the death of King Prasutagus.

Science: the children have created a playscript that they will then create shadow puppets for.

Spanish: we have continued our learning on masculine and feminine objects.

Spelling and times tables tests

As you know, each week the children have a spelling and times tables test on a Friday. Each week I have a fair few children telling me that they haven’t practised due to other commitments and activities. Whilst I understand how busy you all are, it is so important that the children find time to look at their spellings and tables ready for the test each week. I have explained to the children that they are old enough to take responsibility for this themselves and that they don’t necessarily need you to oversee this revision but they may just need some prompting. Thank you for your support on this.

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee - Friday 20th May

Key Stage 2 will be holding a ‘Street Party’, on the KS2 Yard, on FRIDAY 20TH MAY 2022 to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. On this day the children will be asked to wear red, white and blue clothes for the day. We are asking parents for a contribution to PTFA funds of £1 for each child. The rest of the afternoon will be spent engaged in playground games, craft and fun activities all relating to the Platinum Jubilee. Please keep your fingers crossed for lovely weather and keep an eye out for the PTFA letter which will be sent home soon with further details! Many thanks.

KS2 Sports Day-Monday 27th June

KS2 Sports Day will be held on the AFTERNOON of MONDAY 27th JUNE. Further details to follow. Parents will be invited to watch their child take part in our activities and races - this date is subject to the weather - but again look our for further details. Just wanted to give you advanced notice!

Blackpool Beating Bullying Bronze award

Further to the appointment of 8 new anti-bullying ambassadors in school, we are now working hard to achieve the Bronze award for Blackpool Beating Bullying. In order to achieve the relevant threshold, school needs to carry out surveys on different groups of people in school. There will be 4 surveys/questionnaires aimed at the following groups: 

• children - Year 3’s will complete theirs in class.

• parents - below is a link and we invite you to complete the survey.

• teachers

• governors

All questionnaires are on line and only live for 2 weeks from the 3rd May.

Here is the survey link for parents, we would very much appreciate it if you could complete the survey to enable us to make steps forward to receiving the Bronze award for school. Thank you for your support.

Parents/Carers-

https://forms.gle/TP2A4mnpJwBwmT6R6

Notices:

• PE days this half term are on MONDAYS and THURSDAYS.

• Times tables to be learnt for the test next Friday are the 3, 4 and 8 times tables. I will be testing the children on a mixture of these tables.

• Spellings to be learnt for next Friday are: SPECIAL, STRAIGHT, STRANGE, STRENGTH, SUPPOSE and SURPRISE.

Award winners:

• Golden Award: Hallie

• Maths Award: Henry

• Writing Award: Dominic

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Miss Heim-Sarac