Year Four March Newsletter
www.holyfamily-ps.org.uk

Dear Parents,
                    Some important dates for your diaries - First Penance is on Tuesday 23rd March at 7.30pm and First Communion is on Saturday 15th May at 11.00am. The ‘Do This In Memory Of Me’ programme of preparation for the sacraments will continue for year four at 10.30 mass on Sunday 21st March, Sunday 18th April and Sunday 2nd May.
Tuesday 16th March is ‘Green Day’. Pupils are asked to wear something green and bring in £1.00. The winner will receive an Easter egg.
School is closed for pupils on Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th march.
School will finish on Thursday 1st April at 11.00 am for Easter and reopen on  Monday 12th April for all pupils.
This is an outline of the areas to be covered in March.

Numeracy
In our mental maths we will continue to reinforce and use the 10, 5, 2, 3 and 4 times tables as well as revision of addition/ subtraction facts to 20.
 In Shape and Space pupils will name, recognise and learn about the properties of 3D and 2D shapes including the number of faces, edges and corners as well as finding examples of these shapes in the environment. They will look for lines of symmetry in shapes, letters of the alphabet and pictures. Spatial awareness using right and left turns and angles will be covered.
In Handling Data we will revise bar graphs and the use of timetables and charts to retrieve information. Pupils will sort for 2 criteria using a Carroll, Tree and Venn diagram.
Assessment units for Key Stage One assessment will be completed in Handling Data.

Language and Literacy
In reading our research and activities will continue on the topic of Journeys and Transport. This will include shared, guided and independent reading using novels, reading books and reference materials about journeys and transport as well as using a big book to study authorial techniques. A Reading Assessment Unit will be completed.
Writing activities will include a First Penance Card, A Postcard from Abroad, A Fantasy Journey, an Assessment Unit and a sequencing activity of The Easter story. We cover where, were and wear, compound words and punctuation revision. Spelling is based on the Prim-Ed spelling programme.

 World Around Us
The pupils will continue their topic on Journeys. Pupils will look at journeys in Northern Ireland/Ireland/UK/Europe and beyond.  We will consider reasons for the journey, places of interest, including natural/manmade features. We cover the transport used in journeys, changes in transport, famous journeys – eg. Christopher Colombus, First Moon Landing and jobs associated with travel.

Religious Education
We follow the Alive O 4 programme and this month we cover Being a Bully, Being Selfish, the story of St Patrick, Reconciliation Rite and The Easter Story. Children have been given a copy of all the prayers needed for First Penance. Please refer to these each night as it is an important part of their preparation for the Sacrament of First Penance.

P.D.M.U
We will talk about ways in which we can show love to others, how we can sometimes hurt others and the need to say sorry.  Through our journeys topic we will look at how we can keep safe on our way to school.

The Arts
In Music pupils will learn their hymns for First Penance as well as Irish songs for our St Patricks Day celebrations.
In Art the pupils will design an eco – code poster, they will make 3 dimensional models of vehicles using junk material, they will design and create 2 dimensional shape pictures and they will paint symmetrical pictures.

Physical Education
This term P4B will continue to have after-schools P.E on Thursdays 3-4pm with Ronan Devlin.
In P.E we will continue with games concentrating on the skills of kicking a large ball using punt kicking, passing and receiving a ball and to develop decision making in part invasion Games.

The year 4 teachers-
Ms Diamond P4A, Mrs Dillon P4B and Mrs McDermott P4C.