Year 4 Weekly News 17.10.25

Happy Friday, Year 4!

We have had another busy week.

In our penultimate forest school session, we channelled our inner Vikings! Using natural materials we found in the forest area, we designed and created our very own Viking longboats, learning some fascinating facts about how they were built and used. After that, we put our survival skills to the test by building shelters and even lighting our own small fires with support. Of course, no Forest School session would be complete without toasting marshmallows – a delicious reward for all your hard work. We ended the session by working together to tidy up the area, showing great teamwork and respect for nature.

In maths, we explored two very different, but equally exciting, number systems! First, we learnt how to count in negative numbers, understanding how they work and where we see them in real life, like temperatures and bank balances. Then, we travelled back in time to learn about Roman numerals. You quickly got the hang of how the Romans used letters to represent numbers, and we had fun cracking codes and practising writing our own. Great work, Year 4!

We dived into words with the “zhuh” sound at the end during our spelling lessons this week. This included words like measure, treasure, and pleasure in our spelling lessons this week. We learnt that this sound is often spelled with –sure and looked at how to add suffixes like –ed and –ing by dropping the ‘e’. Plus, we discovered a new word – enclosure! Spelling has never sounded so relaxing!

In our Book Club lessons, we kicked off our new reading unit with the powerful Viking-themed poem To Asgard by Rachel Piercey. We explored the meaning behind the poem’s words and discovered how rhyme and rhythm help bring the gods of Norse mythology to life. We learned that some rhymes didn’t quite match and were instead examples of assonance – a new term for us! It was exciting to hear and spot the repeating refrains, and we had fun performing the poem together to practise reading with fluency and expression.

In RE, we continued learning about the story of Transfiguration. We remembered lots from our previous lesson which was fantastic. We then tried empathising with how the Peter, John and James felt whilst writing a diary entry about these incredible events.

In D.T this week, we brought our frames to life by adding cladding to give texture and style. Using materials like tissue paper, card, and art straws, we considered how to attach them carefully without compromising the structure. It was amazing to see how different materials created such varied effects (some cosy, some dramatic, some futuristic)!

In PE this week, we continued developing our football skills through a range of fun and focused passing games. These helped us practise key skills such as accurate passing, quick decision-making, spatial awareness, and effective communication with teammates. Everyone worked hard to improve their control and teamwork. With Coach Beth, we built on our striking skills, focusing on improving our hand-eye coordination, timing, and accuracy. Great effort all round!

In History, we learned about the dramatic Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. We discovered how King Harold of England defeated the Viking king Harald Hardrada, ending Viking hopes of ruling England. Although the Vikings showed strength, this defeat meant their invasions had come to an end. We also compared the events at Stamford Bridge to the upcoming Battle of Hastings. It was a fascinating look at the fall of Viking power in England.

In French, we recapped the names of pets in French and then we wrapped things up with a lively game of French pet bingo, helping us practise the new words while having lots of fun. Great listening and speaking, everyone!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend,

Miss Pennance