Upcoming: Easter Egg Competition!

Just a quick reminder that our annual Rise Park Easter Egg competition is happening on Thursday 24th March. Children in Key Stage 2 are asked to bring an 'egg-themed' entry, rather than an Easter Garden or Bonnet! We look forward to seeing your egg-cellent entries!

Sport Relief 2016!

It's that time again - time for us to dig out our sports kits and jog on! Your children should have brought home a letter and sponsorship form this week for the mile-run that they will be attempting on Friday 18th March. They have been practising for this run all year, on a weekly basis, and are looking forward to seeing how far they can run on the day! We would like the children to raise as much money as possible through sponsorship, all of which will be donated to good causes through the Sport Relief charity.

As well as the mile run, the children will also be taking part in a dance-off in the Key Stage 2 hall. They will be dancing along to this years Sport Relief single, which is available to view on YouTube. If the children would like to practise their moves ahead of next Friday, please help them find the video at home. Dig out those dancing shoes, kids!

We won't be asking for a donation for Sport Relief, and your children are allowed to come out of uniform but they must wear sports clothing or kit. This must also be suitable for them to run in - so don't come wearing ice-skates!

Parents Evening - Thank You

It was fantastic to meet with so many parents and carers at the Spring Parents Evenings. We hope that you enjoyed looking through your child's books and seeing what we have been up to this year! Hopefully you also have some more ideas about how to support your child outside of school, but as always, if you need any further help or guidance, please don't be afraid to speak to a member of the Year 4 staff at the end of the day.

Autumn Term

Welcome back to Year 4 and the Autumn Term!

Mrs. Nicholson and Mr. Shadbolt are really looking forward to sharing lots of exciting learning opportunities with the children this term. We have topics on the Tudors in History, Electricity in Science, Orienteering in PE and many others.

Mr. Hull began the Wider Opportunities music programme with the children this week, and everyone was really thrilled with the chance to pick up a guitar and strum the afternoon away. This is a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn a new instrument, and show off some hidden talents. There will be performances throughout the year that parents can attend so that they can share in their child's musical achievements.

Mr. Grey is working with us once again on a Tuesday morning, and has introduced a school-wide "Rise Park Marathon" scheme that everyone is taking part in. The children are very keen to walk, jog or run one complete mile (in laps) of the school playing field. Please make sure that your child has the appropriate P.E. kit in school at all times, because they will be asked to practise for the Marathon at regular intervals in the week.

Finally, may we remind you that the children have now been set their half-termly homework project on The Tudors. We have asked the children to research an aspect of Tudor life or history and present it in whatever way they see fit; this could be a PowerPoint, an artefact, a cooked dish... whatever their imagination can conceive! We look forward to seeing what your children can produce when this project is due in after half-term break.

Spring Term

Hi Year Four Bloggers!

Wow!  Last half term was such a busy one with lots of exciting events that happened! 

Mr Gray has joined us for PE on a Friday and last half term taught the children about the Haka which they really enjoyed.  The lessons resulted in the children teaching the rest of Key Stage Two how to perform a Haka in an assembly.  Why don't you show your skills at home?  This half term the children are being taught striking skills and ho to put them into practice in game situations - remember your outdoor kits as these lessons are outside!

Enterprise week was a really exciting week and gave the opportunity for the children to work with their siblings and other children across the school.  In Year Four we thought about future careers and became architects for the week.  The children were lucky enough to use a new programme in the ICT suite called 'Sketch Up' which enabled them to design buildings electronically.  Other activities also included; building pyramids out of spaghetti and marshmallows and putting their design ideas into a prototype which was then pitched in a 'Dragons Den' style.

Guitars continues to be a popular and successful aspect of our curriculum and we are working towards a performance at the end of the year.

Thank you to those children that represented Rise Park at the Bigwood Sports Hall Competition.  We came a proud 4th and the children were a credit to the school.

This half term continues to be busy, with World Book Day this week and Comic Relief next Friday.  We are also potentially planning some out of school visits - some local and others further afield.  More details to follow in the near future.

The new Commando Joe is settling in well and is bringing the inflatable into school on Thursday 26th March.  The children that have had 100% punctuality in March will be given the opportunity to have a go on it.  Remember to be on time every day and line up on the playground at 8.55am!!!

The homework project this half term is linked to the Enterprise week we had last half term.  We would like the children to create an Easter egg hunt for a budget of £10.00.  They need to plan the hunt, the costings and the logistics of the event.  The pan can be written, drawn, presented in a Powerpoint or a 3D model.  The children must include a break down of the costs.  The project is due in by Monday 30th March please. The children will be given the opportunity to share what they have done.

May we take this opportunity to remind you that the Easter egg competition is also at the end of that week and will take place on Thursday 2nd April.

We are looking forward to meeting you all at Parent's Evening next week - please request an appointment if you haven't done so already.

Finally, we would like to take the opportunity to point you in the direction of the Blog link we have with the Columbian school.  Please click on the attached link.
http://lasvidascompartidascmmv.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/quiero-ser-i-want-to-be-en-rise-park.html

Autumn Term 2

Hello Bloggers!!

It was an extremely eventful time last half term with so many successes to share!  We enjoyed Harvest Festival, learning about 'The Humble Apple' - a cross curricular topic, including learning about Sir Issac Newton and the discovery of gravity and the life cycle of an apple tree.  We also created our own Apple logo and learnt a song which we performed in assembly.

Eco-week was such a fun time in school especially as we got the opportunity to meet our Columbian visitors and open the Spanish library.  We were filmed by Notts TV and were on their news too!  We learnt all about the Dominican Republic and Cuba, including the differences in climate and landscape and writing a green monster story in our English lesson.

As well as these exciting events we also completed a safety questionnaire which had very positive results.  We were asked what keeps us safe at school, home and on the Internet and were able to offer lots of ideas.  Please see the website for a more detailed breakdown of the answers.

We really enjoyed our time with Commando Joe and he taught us some valuable lessons on fitness, fun and discipline.

This half term has already seen us design, make and evaluate a light up firework!  We used kitchen rolls, tissue paper and a battery operated circuit to create our colourful fireworks and then showed them in assembly. 

Thank you very much for the fantastic donations to Operation Christmas Child.  This year we managed to fill 13 boxes in Year Four! 

We are really looking forward to Friday and joining in the fun dressing up for Children In Need.  Remember the theme is 'Be Your Hero' so it's always nice to see people dressing up as a family member or someone they look up to.

Guitars with Mr Hull is still continuing this half term and we are thoroughly enjoying it!  We are learning new notes and chords and putting them together to create some great songs.

The Christmas Production this year is called 'Christmas is Forever' and is based on a James Bond theme.  We don't want to give too much away but the children will be learning the songs to the performance soon and we will be in touch with regards to costumes. 

WELCOME BACK!!

The Year Four team would like to welcome you back to the new term.  We are all looking forward to teaching the children and working closely with you over the next year.

The newsletter for the year group will be following shortly which will give you an overview of the events happening in the next term.

We are looking forward to starting guitar lessons with Mr Hull.  This is a fantastic opportunity for the children to learn or further develop a skill and it is free for this year!!

We are extremely pleased with how well the children have settled over the first few days and hope that they continue with a positive, hard-working attitude.

The homework project for this half term will be based on the Tudors.  We will be asking the children to research an area of the Tudor period and present it to the rest of the class.  More details will follow with the children next week.

If you have any questions or would like to speak to one of the Year Four team please do not hesitate to catch us at the door or ring if easier!

Summer update!

What a marvellous yet busy start to our 'Healthy Lifestyles' week!!  Both Year 4 classes have enjoyed a taster session of Karate this afternoon.  A leaflet will be sent home later in the week for anyone interested
in attending sessions over at the Community Centre - keep a look out for it!

Super healthy smoothies will be available to Year 4 on Wednesday.  Simply bring in 50p and buy one
at break time for a different morning healthy snack.

Homework Project for this term - you should have received a note giving details of our research project linked to produce we are attempting to grow in school.  Projects need to be handed in no later than Tuesday 3rd June.

Commando Joe Thursday - make sure you are here on time to take part in the playground warm-up sessions   at 8.55 am with Commando Joe!  Lucky Year 4 will also get another opportunity on a Thursday to work with him playing a range of team building games. Do make sure full outdoor P.E. kit is in school at all time please as now the weather is improving we hope to get outside a lot more.  Children who have full attendance during the term will get the chance to go on the huge inflatable!!

Newstead Abbey Camp will soon be upon us.  Please check your list and make sure you're ready and prepared for the excitement to come!

Guitar performance coming soon!  The children will have the opportunity to perform in front of the school showcasing their talents on 17th July.  This will be a wonderful finale to their very hard work and effort throughout the year.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY!

Monday 2nd June - INSET Day
Friday 27th June - Summer Fair
Wednesday 16th July @ 1.30pm - KS2 sports day
Thursday 24th July - Last day of term

New year, new start, new goals!

A happy new year to you all and we hope you have had a positive start. The children have settled well into the new term and we are keen for them to continue on this positive drive! The Spring term is a vital time for the children to be trying their best and working hard to achieve their potential. We will be challenging them everyday in the classroom and encouraging them to meet these challenges with a positive attitude! Hopefully by now you have received the newsletter and are up to date with the activities that will be happening this term in Year 4. Please see the 'Upcoming Activities' section if you require any further information. We are very much looking forward to working with Miss Green in our PE lessons on a Friday and are certain that the children will benefit greatly from working with an outstanding PE specialist - a real treat! Finally, the children have all been thinking hard about a new personal target for this half term. Please ask your child what they have decided on and what they are going to do to ensure they achieve it. The class budget (for each class) for the Autumn has been rolled over to this term as the children decided they would like to save the money and spend it at the end of the year!

Children in Need On Friday 15th November we will be trying to raise as much money as possible for the charity Children in Need. The theme this year is ‘Be a Hero.’ We would love to see the children dressed up as either their favourite superhero or maybe someone they look up to or admire. Please send in between 50p and £1 if your child is dressing up. We’re also planning to fill a giant Pudsey Bear with loose change so if you have any spare coins then dig them out and send them in – thank you for your support with this. OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Once again we will be filling shoeboxes for the charity Samaritan’s Purse. Your child has now brought home a letter – please browse it and see if you are able to help by sending in anything listed on the leaflet or a cash donation. We appreciate this is an expensive time of year so are most grateful for any support you can give.

Latest update

Mr Stink arrives in 4B and 4N!! Wow!! We're so lucky to have Bigwood School visiting us every Monday afternoon for the next 4 weeks. They're reading the hilarious book 'Mr Stink' and we're very busy working on activities linked to it. HOMEWORK - Each week we will be asked to complete various tasks linked to Mr Stink and bring the booklet we have been given back into school for the next session on a Monday afternoon. Investors in Pupils Each half term the children are set targets. Why not ask your child about their target and how they think they're going to reach it. Is there anything they could be doing at home to work towards their target? Each term the classes are given a budget of £30 which they can then decide how to spend. We will be talking together about how to spend this money either at the end of each term or save it until the end of the year. Christmas Play This year we will be performing 'The Button Box.' Year 4 will be taking the parts of 'sailors' and we'll be in touch shortly about any costumes that will be needed.

Welcome to our Year Four update!

What a busy few weeks it has been – already we have managed a visit to the E-Learning centre over at Top Valley where we used an amazing ICT programme called Grid Magic!  This was linked to our Tudor topic and the children produced images based on portraits of well known Tudors.  Watch this space for photos coming soon..!

Our Wider Opportunities programme is well under way with Mr Hull steering us all in the right direction!  We are very much looking forward to showcasing our talents later on in the year.  Meanwhile, we are working hard to learn the basics such as remembering the rhyme for the order of the notes on the guitars – Elephants And Donkeys Grow Big Ears (EADGBE)!

Thank you is the theme of our Harvest this year; the children have performed a wonderful Harvest poem to the rest of the school, with both Year Four classes working together.

Finally, just a quick reminder about our Tudor homework project!  The children need to research an aspect of the Tudor’s and present it in an interesting way.  This could be in the form of a poster, a PowerPoint presentation, an artefact or anything you would enjoy making – use your imagination and have fun!   The Tudor’s is a wide topic so we suggest you may want to narrow it down.  For example, you may want to research clothes, food, Henry VIII, Shakespeare, explorers, the list is endless!  The project is due in by Monday 14^th October and the children will be able to present them during that week.

Summer Homework

This half term we are asking the children to prepare a lesson.
What hobby/skill/talent can they share with the other children?

The children will need to create a short lesson plan, resourse it and then teach. It's as simple as that!

More information to follow.

Healthy Eating at School

On a serious note, at Rise Park Primary, we are proud of our reputation as a 'Heathy School' and of our Healthy School Accreditations. Unfortunately, in recent times we have seen an increase in unhealthy snacks at break times and unsuitable lunches provided for some children.

Examples of what we have seen in lunch boxes:
- Family sized crisp packets.
- Multi-pack of penguin bars.
- Fizzy drinks
- Cinema sized bags of skittles/malteasers.


I'm sure you all agree that the above examples are disappointing and not appropriate to have in school. Like you, we want the best for the children and for them to grow up healthy, making good lifestyle choices. It is therefore important that together home and school set good examples to the children. Treats are fine, a chocolate lunch is not! Thank you for your support with this issue.

Summer Topic – Ancient Egypt

Our Summer Term topic is Ancient Egypt. We will be looking at the life of the Egyptian people, mummification, Gods, pharaohs and art work. Any research done at home will really benefit the children.

 

 

Healthy Lifestyles Club

Fifteen Year 4 children will soon take part in the Government funded Healthy Lifestyles Club. This will run throughout the Summer Term on Monday afternoons and will focus on healthy eating, sporting activities, fun games and making good lifestyle choices.

Mr Stink

         
                               Year 4 Read the final chapters of Mr Stink with Bigwood Pupils

                                                            Preforming the final chapters

A big thank you to all the revolting parents/carers who helped with the recent stinky Mr Stink project homework poohy activities. It turned out to be a great smelly read which all the disgusting children enjoyed. We would also like to thank rotten Bigwood School for organising the pongy tasks, putrid booklets and the forthcoming pungent ‘Movie Day’.  Whiffy popcorn at the ready!

Year 4’s First Gig

Before Easter we joined the Year 5 guitarist and performed our first concert in front of the rest of the school. We were very excited and nervous but managed to strum out some cool tunes including ‘Tequilla’ and ‘Let’s Dance’.

Indian Rangoli Wall Art

As part of our Indian geography topic, Year 4 created Rangoli style wall hangings. After designing the pattern, we created a stamp on card using thick string. Then we carefully painted the block Rangoli before stamping the material.  We are looking forward to seeing them hung up.

Newstead Abbey Camping

Year 4 have been invited to camp overnight at Newstead Abbey on 23/24^th May. It will be the first time that Rise Park has taken part in this adventure. Activities will include climbing, team building activities and camp fire games. Let’s all look forward to sleeping under the stars and being at one with nature.