Year 3

Details for a new after school football club for Y3 are below. There will be a session for the children who took part last half term on Friday 11th June which is to replace the one missed on the INSET day at the end of last half term.

Friday 16.07.21 

Wow! I cannot believe this is actually my final update. There are so many wishes and thoughts I would like to share with you about your amazing children. Firstly, what a phenomenal class to begin my teaching career and what a year to start! I cannot begin to imagine how challenging and difficult the world seems today, through the eyes of a seven/ eight year old. However, these children have been  beautiful, caring, kind and resilient at all times. I genuinely cannot imagine walking through those doors and not being able to greet my 30 cherubs! Moreover, I do not think I will ever forget my first ever class and the laughs, challenges and amazing memories we have made this year. We’ve become a family and I am full of dread at the thought of saying goodbye on Wednesday . I genuinely will miss every single one of them and hope to continue to hear about them from their lucky new teacher- Mr Fawcett. My biggest wish is for them to realise what amazing children they are; all unique and beautiful in their own special way. I hope they continue to flourish in their key stage two journey. Lastly, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the amazing support you have given me, as your children’s teacher, this year. I hope you all have an amazing summer and I hope we can all enjoy this time with our friends and family.

The Week Ahead …..

Monday is funday! Own clothes to be worn. Please ensure clothing is appropriate for the hot weather but also appropriate for plenty of activities and school. I would also recommend all day sun cream, as it is set to be a scorcher! Could children please bring in a carrier bag to take all their old books home. There are a few books that I need to keep to document learning but your child will know if this applies to them. 
 

Wednesday 

Last day…. I don’t think I want this day to come! We will be sharing memories, playing games and having a relaxed and calm day- I think we have all deserved it after the tremendous hard work we have completed this year. I have promised I will bring my Nintendo switch in and a few other games. There are a few children who are starting  to become quite good at blackjack so I think further practice is needed! This is also our diligent, witty midwife’s (Shae) last day.  Ask your children and they will confirm that Shae is the kindest, wisest and most supportive friend a child could ask for. He was an amazing support to all his peers during both stay at home durations, and I am almost positive he was the reason children attended most of the sessions! We are all going to miss him dearly and wish him the best of luck in his new school. How lucky they are! 
 

Shae- any more of this and I may have one of my …….. (inside joke!) 

Hope you have a lovely weekend and I will try and upload all your children’s recent pictures on the class page. Unfortunately, my laptop isn’t very friendly with the class IPad so it not the easiest of tasks! 
 

Miss Wood xx 

The two children who are winning this cup today have made all the staff in Melling immensely proud recently. They are diligent, driven and focused workers who show so much resilience in their learning! Before any child comes in, these children have often completed multiple pieces of work and are still ready and willing to give their further lesson with Miss Wood their all! Their dedication and motivation are infectious and they have made phenomenal progress across all their subjects in school. Both children have amazing presentation and are developing excellent procedural knowledge in maths.  Miss Wood does not know what she will do without her fascinating *twinnies* next year! Well done girls because you thoroughly deserve this cup today! 

Update 18.06.21

It's FRIDAY, FRIDAY, FRIDAY as we say in Year Three! We have had such a busy week and it seems to have flown over! We have now started swimming and the children were excellent representatives of Melling primary school, with their fantastic manners and excellent behaviour. Additionally, we enjoyed a pantomime performance- all in one day! We have sat a few papers this week and children will be assessed on a few key words next week. As always, this is just a chance for the children to show off what they have already learnt and help me identify where the gaps are and feed this back to their next teacher. Therefore, there will be no new spellings on Readiwriter. 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend and I hope your child enjoyed their first school swimming lesson!

Miss Wood and the Year Three team xx 

This young man adds joy to every room with his infectious smile! Not only does he show extraordinary manners, but the staff in Year Three have been so proud of his maturity during a difficult situation recently. He is a friend to all in class and never hesitates to help others in their work or when they are feeling down. He certainly entertains Miss Wood with his sophisticated humour! It is lovely to watch this boy interact with those in class and Miss Wood wants this boy to know that she does notice the way this child always includes everyone in their games and outdoor play. It has been a pleasure getting to know this little boy and I know he will continue to be the best friend a Melling child could ask for!

The final stretch....

I cannot believe that I am writing about our final half-term in Year Three! What a year! As we approach the final term, I often think of the first time I met your delightful cherubs in their autumn term in Year Two.  Their journey has been so rewarding to watch and I cannot believe the progress they have all made. I am looking forward to enjoying one last half-term with my wonderful class. 

Homework 

We are really giving it our all in Year Three to get through as much missed curriculum as possible. There are a lot of new skills taught in Year Three; therefore, we have really had our work cut out. It would be greatly appreciated if children were to continue accessing their homework platforms to encourage and consolidate further learning.  

Chester Zoo

We had a wonderful day at Chester Zoo and I will make sure I upload the pictures from our lovely day out. The children especially loved their big cat skulls! 

Missing Items 

A few items have gone missing from our classroom. A USB stick with a disney keyring, some precious stones and a fox skull today! I have spoken to the children but if you could check their bags and belongings to make sure it hasn't been taken by mistake, I would greatly appreciate it. 

I will be updating you further on this week with our next cup winner and our secret student (hopefully) ....

Miss Wood x 

Week ending 14.05.21

Happy Friday! I have decided to change the updates to fortnightly, so that I can create a better picture of what is going on in Year Three. As the weeks are flying by, I am becoming quite anxious about saying goodbye to my precious children but I am sure they will continue to flourish and look forward to hearing about how well they are doing in their further learning in upcoming years. It feels like yesterday I was first meeting them in Year Two!

Maths

We have now finished learning all about statistics and will be moving forward with Fractions. I particularly love fractions and we have already covered the Year Two objectives at the start of the year. Therefore, we will be truly prepared for further lessons.

English

After completing some gorgeous writing, we are now focusing on 'The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark'. The children are really enjoying learning about  Plop and we look forward to investigating this character further. A major focus in Year Three is vocabulary, so children are encouraged to scavenge for this up-level words at home and bring those in so they can be added to our working wall. 

Secret Student 

W/E 7.05.21 ........................... Mila! A fantastic secret student with beautiful manners. Who then nominated....................

W/E 14.05.21 Evie! Another absolute dream to teach with such a lovely and caring nature! 

Chester Zoo

Texts have been sent to all parents as a reminder of all the necessary details. A few general reminders are listed below;

Appropriate shoes- trainers are recommended. 

Extra snacks and packed lunch in a backpack.

All day sun cream before we leave and waterproof coat  (british weather!)

School uniform must be worn. 

No money as we will not be visiting gift shop (this could cause bubble issues and I do not want to waste any part of the day). 

I think that is it! 

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

Miss Wood x 

This student has made phenomenal progress in their resilience and behaviour recently. However, he has always been known to show kindness and empathy and is particularly sensitive and supportive to those around him who may rely on his fantastic math's skills! We could not imagine our class without you and we hope you continue to be the special and lovely little boy you are! 

Week ending 30.04.21

Happy bank holiday weekend! I hope all the children enjoy an extra day of rest this week as they certainly deserve it after all their hard work this week. We have also started the countdown to our trip to Chester Soo. Letters have gone home and I will post further details closer to the time. 

Maths 

We have finished the topic of money in Maths and will now look at statistics. The children are really looking forward to creating tables, pictograms and bar charts! This will be a quick topic and then we will be looking at fractions. As mentioned previously, we are accelerating through the curriculum at a comfortable pace but a lot of skills are brand new in Year Three. Therefore, it has taken longer than some other years to cover the curriculum as the children required more time and input to practice these news skills (column addition, subtraction, short multiplication, bus stop method). 

Literacy 

Within our literacy lessons, we have created peculiar animals and the children highlighted their spectacular imaginations! We also enjoyed playing rockstars in achieve and we have written some gorgeous and sensitive poetry in RE. 
 

Secret Student 

The week the secret student is .............. Astrid! Astrid was chosen by Rowan and she thoroughly deserved the title! She is an absolute dream to teach, always trying her best in all her work and is a true Melling friend. 
 

Homework

Mathletics was having some essential maintenance but that has now finished. Therefore, I would appreciate it if we could resume completing homework on Mathletics. The work has been set relation to money and children should try and achieve 500 mounts as a minimum each week. Every Monday,  the points are counted and children will receive and incentive if they have 500 points each on Readiwriter and Mathletics and have read at home three times. Please let me know if the issues with Mathletics persist. 
 

That’s all from me! Hope you have a lovely weekend! 
 

Miss Wood x 

Cullen Cup

This student has made what only can be described as phenomenal progress this school year. They have been so dedicated and are such an inspirational character within our classroom. I know that this child’s peers look up to them. In Year Three, we cannot think of a time this term that this child has not been totally dedicated and focused in her work. Not only is this child a focused mathematician, their most recent big write was absolutely beautiful and is now on its way to Ms Ainsworth-Brown! Although they might be caught pretending to read occasionally by their parents, they have a beautiful vocabulary and their knowledge of spellings is outstanding! Her sensitivity towards difficult discussions shows a maturity beyond her years. This little girl is definitely one to watch for the future and Miss Wood looks forward to meeting this student as an adult to see what they will achieve!

Week Ending 23.04.21

Wow! What a week! We have had a lovely week in Year Three. In literacy, we have been focusing on adventure stories and writing all about 'Grendel' the loveable rogue. We have also been focusing on  money in Mathematics- the children are looking forward to counting pocket money! We had a bit of a boost this week by finally being able to unveil the secret student who was..................................... Rowan! Rowan has worked super hard this week and has really impressed Miss Wood with his dedication to his work and his ability to show such amazing resilience. I hope he has a lovely weekend and enjoys his 'super supplies coupon!' 

Homework

There seems to be multiple issues with Mathletics, so homework will be set via Google Classrooms for the time being. Readiwriter should still be accessed in the usual way and points will be monitored for this. 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Miss Wood  x

Week Ending 16.04.21 

Welcome back! I am actually in disbelief that it has only been a week since we returned to school! In Year Three, we have been so unbelievably busy and got through so much work that it seems like we have been back for at least two weeks! The children have worked really hard this week and we have managed to finally finish multiplication and division within maths.It would be really beneficial if children continue to practice short multiplication method and bus stop method as often as possible to further consolidate these new skills.  Additionally, we have also managed to have enjoy some lovely literacy, RE, science and history lessons. 

The children seem to have come back after their Easter break and are super focused and engaged in their learning. Perhaps a two weeks rest if just what they needed! Throughout the term, we will now be moving on to money in maths.  We are looking at the book "Grendel- a cautionary tale about chocolate" in literacy and continuing with Rocks in Science.  Hopefully, the class newsletter will be published on the webpage by Monday. 

Homework

Over Easter I understand that the children needed some quality time with their families. Moving forward, children must ensure that they are earning at least 500 points each through Mathletics and Readiwriter. There will be the occasional piece of Google Classroom work. As there is a short time now to cover quite a lot of topic, it helps if children consolidate some of their learning at home. This additional work really does help your child practice the skills they are acquiring and I have noticed a huge change in some children's maths skills and I believe this has been aided by their support at home. 

Lastly, I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I cannot wait to enjoy the term ahead with my lovely class and see what the summer term will bring.....

Miss Wood x

** I am having issues with Readiwriter uploading spellings so I will upload the children's spellings at the top of the class page until I can resolve this issue**

Happy Easter 

Happy Easter to all our lovely families in Year Three! We made it! It has certainly been a term that I will remember. I really enjoyed speaking to you all at parents’ evening and thank you for all your lovely feedback; I hope you are proud of your little cherubs. We had an Easter assembly (via google meet) with all other classes and our leading lady, Ms Ainsworth- Brown, with the focus of hope. We are very hopeful at Melling that we can now look towards the future with hope, ensuring we do what is necessary until we can once again reunite with our loves ones. I am very proud of the resilience in my class and can honestly say that the children seem to have settled back into school with ease, and are excited about what the next term will bring. 
 

Secret Student

Last weeks secret student was..... Harriet! Well done Miss Ritchie for always being such a kind and supportive friend and a fantastic learner who thrives on feedback and is always applying that feedback to her next piece of work.  

Homework

You may have noticed that your child has brought a CGP book home with them. I have done this deliberately as an attempt to reduce the screen time needed for homework. Children are at various stages in these books; therefore, I would like children to attempt to complete at least four pages whilst they are off. I may have sent additional books home to a few children, could two pages also be completed as an alternate to Google Classroom English work. A huge focus in Year Three is maths reasoning problems. A few adults have requested support with this so I will load a few optional pieces of work on Google Classrooms. However, this is entirely optional! All children have been sent a new reading book home if needed. Don’t forget that Oxford owl is still set up, should your child finish their books and wish to read a few more. The log in details are at the top of the page.  
I will still be available via email incase you or your children need me. I am really excited and looking forward to coming back to a full term with your children. Thank you for my lovely eggs, chocolate and gifts to all the Year Three Team! You are too generous! 
 

Hope you all have a happy and safe Easter!
 

Miss Wood, Mrs Freeman and Miss Riley xx 

Red Nose Day 

Just a reminder that children are encouraged to come to school on Friday dressed in their own clothes (preferably red) or in their own superhero costume. I’m sure after 8 weeks of lockdown learning that a few parents would agree that all superheroes don’t wear costumes! Due to covid restrictions we will not be able to take cash donations but would encourage parents to donate directly to https://www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday/

. Charities have been impacted massively due to covid restrictions and we know our Melling adults always rise to the occasion when needed. 
Thank you , 
Miss Wood x

Weekly update 12.03.21

Welcome back! Here in Year Three, we have had a lovely week seeing all our friends again! All the staff in Year Three really did miss your children and it has been amazing to have them all back. I hope that they are all back into a routine and get some rest and relaxation after such a busy week! They have all been little superstars this week!

Secret Student 

This week's secret student is......... Shae! Shae is an incredible asset to our class and is always so helpful and caring. Thank you Shae! You are certainly a tough act to follow! 

Previous Secret Student Awards  

Alexander- Mr Paddington. He is just like the loveable bear and we all love him dearly in Year Three. 

Zechariah- Incredibly hard working throughout the stay at home learning and such beautiful manners too! 

Molly- A beautiful little lady with excellent manners and has also been a lockdown hero with her commitment to her work. 

Robyn- Miss Wood never has a dull moment with Robyn! Robyn has been super focused in all her work and has made all her teachers proud with her attitude towards her learning and always being there for other children who are struggling. 

The Week Ahead....

Next week, we will be assessing children's knowledge and going through some papers. The children in class are usually quite happy to complete some 'papers' and understand this is for me to distinguish where the gaps are, and ensure the intervention or future planning is informed by this. I understand there will be gaps; therefore, I need to ensure I have a thorough understanding of where they are. 

Homework

Thank you for your tremendous support thus far in your child's learning. Moving forward, to aid my efforts in trying to recover as much curriculum as possible for your child, can you please make sure your child is acquiring at least 500 points on Readiwriter and 500 points on Mathletics. There is also the optional element of practicing Times Table Rock Stars. Log ins are all in your child's book. Additionally, there will be one piece of work set each week on Google Classroom. Preferably, please complete online as this reduces resources. Spellings are also available for you to view as a post.  

Thank you for your amazing support as always! I look forward to speaking to you (virtually) at parents' evening. 

Miss Wood, Mrs Freeman and Miss Riley xx 

Reminder for World Book Day Thursday 4th March and Class Update 

World Book Day 4.03.21

Just a reminder that on Thursday, children are allowed to come dressed as a book character (virtually for those staying at home or in person for those key worker children). It doesn't have to anything expensive, it is surprising what you can do with an old dress (Boy in the Dress!). I know that a text went out a while ago but I know I have once had the unfortunate incident of not remembering own clothes day and my son still talks about it- ten years on! I have also updated the Webpage with the most recent newsletter.

Intervention and Return Back

A huge thank you from Mrs Freeman and I to those who have been engaging in the intervention. I can see that children are already making progress. However, we are happy to finally welcome your children back Monday and I am very excited! You have all done an amazing job becoming Year Three Melling teachers this half term, but I would like my children back! If your child feels unhappy or has any concerns about coming back- please contact me via the class email at y3.melling@schools.sefton.gov.uk 

Please be assured that we are doing everything we can to make our school safe and your children are with staff who love and care for them. 

Also, as mentioned previously, take a look at our school twitter to keep an eye on anything your children or the school may be up to through the week. 

I hope you and your families are well and a huge round of applause for the outstanding commitment from both you and your children for what I know has been a very difficult time. 

Miss Wood x

Half-term Update 

What a start to the year! I would like to start this update with a huge congratulations to all our new Year Three Melling teachers! This is certainly a challenging time for us all, but I believe that we are doing an absolutely amazing job of keeping our children safe and educated remotely. I am under no illusion that this is a joint effort and would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your support, lovely emails and engagement with the children's learning. We are now nearing the finish line- hopefully! Your children continue to impress me with their resilience, kindness and general dedication to their learning journey. I genuinely miss them all and I am anxiously awaiting news that they can return. They are my Melling children and I look forward to welcoming them back, when it is safe to do so. 

Homework 

No! I want all the children to spend this half-term away from screens as much as possible. We have all worked so hard and I think this should be rewarded with some rest, time with family and most importantly- some fun! 

Twitter

We are looking to engage as many parents as possible through our Twitter Feed. I understand social media and its complexities, yet I believe it is important to share all the beautiful and amazing things we are doing here at Melling Primary School. Ms Ainsworth-Brown and I have uploaded a lovely video message this morning to celebrate the end of a challenging half-term and welcome Ms Ainsworth-Brown back. We are delighted to have her back and will be forever grateful for Mrs Jones and Mrs Hargreaves for their support in leading the school during the last term. 

Secret Student 

A huge congratulations to ...... Izabella! Izabella has proved to be a truly amazing student over this past week and I am super proud of her outstanding attendance and dedicated attitude towards her online learning. Mrs Freeman has been singing your praises daily to Miss Wood! 

Finally, I wish you all a fantastic half term break and look forward to more adventures in the up and coming term....

Take care and keep safe, 

Miss Wood, Mrs Freeman and Miss Riley xx 

W/C 25.01.21

Good afternoon

 Unfortunately, I had an unexpected family bereavement last week and appreciate your patience and support over the past couple of days. This is something that was extremely difficult and although I was still in school and there for your children, I needed time to grieve and be with my family. I am still grieving and in shock, but I know that seeing all my lovely Year Three children is what will cheer me up and help get me through this difficult time. I am always here for your children and will return to all live sessions and google teaching (technology permitting) moving forward. Thank you again. 

Intervention 

We are going to start running live sessions for your children to support their reading and spellings. This will start from tomorrow. I will upload a schedule and I will ask for your children to log in at the allotted time. I know this is very hard, but this is an opportunity for teaching time with Mrs Freeman (once a week with me). I would ask that you try to manage timings as we are adhering to a schedule and must commence straight away at the given start times so that other children have equal access. This is for academic mentoring, so unlike the morning and afternoon sessions, I would appreciate children to be super focused (as they always are in school).  

Reading

Each week, we will be asking and updating children's home reads. Spellings will be assessed each week. We will conduct the test and I ask that adults mark and I will leave a spelling document open to submit scores. Please ensure that children are practicing their spellings on Readiwriter each week. 

Hope you all had a lovely weekend,

Miss Wood x 

W/C 18.01.21

Hello Teachers! 

I hope you and all my lovely children are well. I understood some of you might be daydreaming of half-term by now. We are all certainly playing our part in this battle against this terrible virus. I am looking forward to the day that I will be able to welcome all the children back to our classroom-where they belong! I hope you are now becoming more accustomed to Google Classroom. My typing skills are certainly becoming more fluent! 

Secret Student 

This week's secret student is................................... LEXIE! 

Fabulous Lexie! Lexie has worked super hard throughout this whole process, has shown excellent resilience and according to Mum- been a perfect secret student! I am very proud and I'm sure the rest of Year Three are too! Maybe an extra bike ride or treat meal is deserved! 

Next week's secret student- you have a tough act to follow! 

This week I have planned various activities, History, Art, Science and English and Mathematics. You may need to have some dark crayons and some large pieces of paper with sticky tape for history. I hope you all have a lovely week and remember by door is always open should you or your children need me. 

Please remind your children to submit work as I won't be able to access every document to check if they have been completed. 

Reminder: There will be no live sessions or check in on Tuesday afternoon. This is my planning and preparation time and I am also using this time to check in on my 'not so cooperative' student at home! Story time will be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and will be a pre recording. Unfortunately, I have started Matilda in school, so I am trying to accommodate the two requests. 

Miss Wood xx 

*Important Update*

Just to clarify that story time will not be live until next week.  I am waiting for the children to choose a book and then I will let you know the times and sessions for this story time. All other days I will be uploading a link to listen to or a video. I would also encourage children to log on to their Oxford Owl account and choose a book that matches their current level or any book of their choosing.  All afternoon sessions after the initial check in registration are loaded online first thing in the morning. Any issues or queries- please contact me via the school email. :) 

Thank you,

Miss Wood xx 

11.01.21 Update

Good evening! What a week! I feel like I am starting to feel the ground after such a manic and ever-changing week. I hope you and your children also finding a nice little routine of what works and adapting to 'our new normal'. Throughout my time at university, I never imagined I would be teaching my very first class like this, but I thank everyone for being so kind and understanding. We are very fortunate in Year Three that we have had experience of Google Classroom via homework for a number of weeks. I want to say a huge thank you for your dedication so far and can only ask that you continue in the same fashion for the remainder of this 'stay at home'. 

I am very conscious that the children in my class are only small. Therefore, I am trying to keep tasks simple and cover multiple areas of the curriculum. From what I have marked so far, they are doing amazing! Moreover,  I want to keep the momentum going and have decided to continue our class incentive of 'secret student'. I have shared the news with everyone who was logged into our afternoon session. Instead of me being able to gauge their behaviour throughout the week, I will email the chosen child's adult on the Friday morning. I must stress that this is during school hours! Secret student must show lovely manners, excellent listening skills, a can do attitude and always giving things a go! It is much more about dedication rather than levels of learning. However, as I say, we must be fair and measure this during the hours you are teacher. 

​​​​​​​I have now set the children up with Oxford Owl reading accounts. Through this, they will have full access to the RWI reading scheme we have in school, as we are not sending out any school books at the moment. 

Website https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/

The username is :mellingprimary3 

Password: Melling3

You should be able to find the colour that matches your child's current level. If children read this, or books for pleasure, please add to their reading log as this will be counted towards rewards. I will be attempting to upload some nice videos for children to watch and listen during the week. 

I have uploaded a vote for our next class read- purely for pleasure. Once I have the vote retuned I will purchase the book via Kindle so I can share on my screen whilst reading. I will let you know the book by the middle of the week and you may purchase this for your child if you wish. However, there is no pressure as I will be sharing it on screen. I am aiming to do this live for 15 minutes, three times a week from next week. For the time being, I will upload some videos for your children to enjoy at their own leisure. 

Live Sessions 

These sessions are more of a check-in for children. I will complete our 'rainbow scale' check, see if your children need me for anything in particular and then go through their tasks. If your children could remain on mute until I speak to them directly, I would really appreciate it as it means everyone can hear me (apologies for you having to listen to my voice). It was lovely to see their faces today and I can honestly say I am really missing them. Please keep me updated with any special moments, occasions and anything the children want to share via the class email. I had some lovely pictures already of puppies, paintings and other special moments. 

Enjoy your week ahead as a Melling Year Three teacher!

Miss Wood xx 

!!Stay at Home Update !!

Well... how things can change within a day! First of all, I hope you have all had a smooth day transitioning into home learning. The situation is ever-changing and I can totally appreciate that some of you may have concerns and confusion on how we can work together through this next period of home learning. I was really disappointed and sad to learn that I won't be able to see your lovely children every day, but we must play our part in slowing down the spread of this terrible virus. I am hopeful that with the arrival of a vaccine, we can now start to see the rainbow after the rain. This is hopefully a half term circuit breaker so we can soon get your children back where they belong, in school; moreover, more importantly back in the company of our loved ones. I am here for you and your families to support your children through these next few weeks. If there is anything I can do, please don't hesitate to contact me. As a parent, I can honestly understand the difficulties of home learning; however; this could also be a time to reconnect with our family and engage in some exciting 'home' adventures. Please tell your children I miss them already and look forward to seeing them 'virtually' next week. 

Google Classroom

All work will be uploaded daily at various times throughout the day., I am conscious of the amount of screen time your child may be having and would rather the tasks be completed at different intervals so that children are given adequate breaks. I also understand that adults may have their own work responsibilities. This is my suggested routine for the following week, while I prepare a more concrete method with some live sessions next week. If you have issues accessing Google Classrooms- please let school know immediately so we can provide paper-based learning. 

1. Readiwriter- practice the weekly spellings
2. Handwriting- practice writing some of your spellings on paper (no need to upload)
3. Sign on to Google Classrooms- look over feedback from previous day. 
4. English/Literacy- set task to be completed and submitted
5. Maths- Times table practice/ 4 a day. This will be set on alternate days as it would be in school. Tuesdays and Fridays are dedicated to Times Tables (Times Table Rockstars) and all other days you will be set 4 a day. If possible, I would recommend using TTRstars on all days for general practice.
6. Maths- Set piece of work to be completed and submitted online.
7. Topic/Science- These will be set at various points throughout the week for each afternoon. 
8. Homework- Matheltics, Readiwriter- 500 points each week please :) 

Although I will always make myself available to reply to any contact, it must be out of school hours as I am still teaching full time during each school day to children who are still attending school as key worker's children. I would also sincerely appreciate your patience with the marking and feedback as this may be late in the evening after I have finished teaching during the day. I will always aim to have this done the same evening to ensure your children can progress in their learning with feedback from their teacher. Your children are our priority here at Melling and we are 'being the best we can be' so that we can transition your families through this stay at home as easily as possible. My email is y3.melling@schools.sefton.gov.uk and please share your lovely children's achievements, messages or anything else they wish to send to their teacher. 

Stay safe and I hope to see you all soon :) 

Miss Wood xx 

W/C 4.01.21

Welcome back! We have had a lovely day back in Year Three today. It was lovely to be back with our friends and share all our lovely news and stories from Christmas. I want to start with sharing my sincere appreciation for the lovely presents I received from you all at Christmas. I was completely overwhelmed and shocked at how generous you all were. Your children’s happiness is the best present I have been given this Christmas. However, I did enjoy many luxurious baths, teas, chocolates, gingerbread snacks, decorated my tree with baubles and much more! The whole of the Year Three team were well and truly spoilt this year- thank you very much! I have also been asked to say a huge thank you from Mrs Cliffe and Miss Riley.

Staff Changes

We are sad to see Mrs Cliffe go but can do this with greater ease as she is staying as part of the Melling family. Mrs Cliffe is our new School Bursar and we wish her every success from her Year Three family! Additionally, we are delighted to welcome Mrs Freeman who will be our new learning support /teaching assistant and we will have her amazing support 4 days a week. Mrs Freeman has been at Melling for quite a while and will be a superb addition to Year Three. Welcome to the family Mrs Freeman! 
 

The Week Ahead

I appreciate what a difficult and strange period Christmas may have been for some families. The situation is ever changing and when we have new information regarding school, this will be communicated via the school directly (not via social media or groups). For now we are in school, safe and happy. I know how important your children’s safety is and trust me as their teacher, that this is my first priority too. We are increasing hand washing, socially distancing when possible and protecting the integrity of bubbles at all times. As mentioned previously, communication will be sent directly from school if the advice changes about schools openings. 
 

Homework

As I said before, I acknowledge that Christmas might have been a tad different this year. I also wanted to ensure that children were given endless opportunities to enjoy time with their families and cherish the joys of Christmas. Therefore, I did not set homework through the holidays. However, I am looking to pick this up now and spellings will resume with the words that were set the last week of term. Mathletics will be reset and children are encouraged to achieve 500 points on Readiwriter and Mathletics each  per week. Google Classrooms homework will be set on Friday and every Friday afterwards. If you have issues accessing these platforms, please let me know so I can provide alternate methods of learning. I would be disappointed for a child to miss out on learning if it can be prevented. Google Classroom will be available to distribute work should your child have to isolate. Furthermore, if there are any issues and you cannot access this platform, please let me know. That’s all from me for now- happy 2021 and I look forward to seeing out the year with my lovely cherubs! 
PS- Those children who received 100 attendance badges- can these be returned so I can put them on children’s reward caps. They were sent out in error. Apologies! 
 

Miss Wood xx 

Merry Christmas To All Our Fantastic Adults - Love From Y3 

Well.... we would like to dedicate this part of the class page to say a huge Merry Christmas to all our lovely adults from Year Three. There are a few technical issues (mainly sound) and I am extremely disappointed that a few children's lines cannot be heard. Please be assured that children thoroughly enjoyed themselves, impressed Mrs Ainsworth-Brown and brought tears to their proud teacher's eyes. Head onto google classrooms now to watch the full clip. I will also share the link to anyone who personally emails me. Obviously due to privacy issues, I have only uploaded the videos onto GC for now but will happily share the link with parents who request this. The children were truly magnificent and it is so rare for children at such a young age, with so little time, to pull off such a fantastic performance. Thank you very much for providing costumes, practising lines, songs and all your general support with this. 

The Year Three Team x 

The week ahead....

Good evening and I hope you have all had a lovely weekend. In Year Three, we had a particularly busy week last week with Christmas preparations underway and various activities going on. On Tuesday we were fortunate enough to enjoy a 'socially distanced' panto performance and we were able to spend the afternoon making special paintings! The remainder of the week was spent tackling fronted adverbials, column subtraction and then finished off with a big write about our London Landmarks. We were extremely busy and this was alongside our Christmas crafts! We were hoping to film our school play Friday but we agreed that we could do with an extra weekend to practice our songs and lines, so that we can deliver a truly magnificent performance and make our adults in Year Three super proud. This is why additional GC homework has not been set. Readiwriter and Mathletics is still being set. I have had a few emails regarding costumes, and we have tried to accommodate those children who have told us that they have not quite managed to come across costumes but please let me know by tomorrow afternoon if you are still struggling. Performance is all set for Tuesday, so fingers crossed we are ready! 

Tuesday 

Christmas performance to be performed. Please bring in costumes tomorrow for dress rehearsal. PE kits still to be worn on Tuesday, children will perform in the morning and have PE in the afternoon as normal. 

Thursday 

Christmas Parties in class. Own clothes to be worn and children are encouraged to bring in their own 'party snack' bag. You know your children and their preferences best! 

Friday 

Christmas movie day- although I will be providing popcorn and cordial, children are again permitted to bring in a small snack to enjoy the film. Children will not be having PE this day as our usual timetabled slot is Friday PM. Therefore, there is no requirement to wear PE kits. 

I look forward to seeing your lovely cherubs this week and STEPPING INTO CHRISTMAS!!! 

Any queries, please contact me via the class email. 

Miss Wood x 

Friday 11.12.20

I apologise about the miscommunication yesterday evening. It had come to my attention late last night that the hall would be out of use for most of our proposed PE slot. I attempted to get a quick message out but I understand that this has lead to confusion and apologise for this. Moving forward, all communication will come directly through the class page as it always has previously. 

Christmas Cards 

We are going to start with our Christmas crafts next week. Could children please bring in a used, A5 book with plenty of writing in please. Please be mindful of the sensitive eyes in Y3 as they are very keen investigators in my class! I am aware that children have donated quite a few books to our class library but they are too valuable to go towards card making. I will attempt to purchase a few myself from various charity shops if children are not able to find any unused books. Thankyou xx 

Friday 4th December

Here in Year Three, we have had a really busy week with plenty of different things going on. We started off the week with assessments and those have all been updated and marked. I am pleased with the progress the children have made and I am astonished at the effort from all of the children. It hasn't been easy to be off for so long and then transition into the juniors, but the children have been so resilient and have really shown that they are being 'the best that they can be'. Now.... your children might have you pestered with songs 'three wise men..123..' and I hope it makes it easier to know that these songs are circulating around Miss Wood's brain constantly! Everyone in my house is as equally fed up! I will publish the costume list on this class page. Please do not feel pressured to buy expensive costumes. If you cannot find a costume, please contact me via the class email. 

Secret Student 

I thought I would spice up Secret Student this week and choose two children. The two children were.......... Tilly and Geva!!!!

Both of these girls have really stood out lately. Both for their kind, caring natures and their dedication to their work. It is so rewarding for a teacher to see children work so hard with no visual incentive other than to make progress. Well done girls and enjoy your coupons! 

Leaf Winners

Bella- Beautiful singing during rehearsals 

Zac- Excellent effort in Maths 

Zechariah- Dedication to work 

Well done!! 

I am hoping to be ready by next Friday to publish our school play. The children are really excited and nervous, as am I! This is my first school nativity so it is very nerve wracking! No homework or reading please (obviously reading books for pleasure can continue) as we need to practice the songs and rehearse lines. 

Enjoy your first weekend out of lockdown with the children and please let me know if you have any questions surrounding costumes, lines or songs! School scripts and songs to come in every day next week please. 

Miss Wood and the Y3 Team xx 

This delightful little man brought the Cullen cup home to Year 3 this week. What an incredible young student this child is! Miss Wood immediately feels happy as soon as she notices this student enter the room, thinking about the excellent discussions she will have with this young man. Additionally, there has never been one single occasion when this child hasn't had their hand up to answer a question. His resilience is outstanding and he applies every single objective to his work. His contributions in class are both valuable and impressive.  He has such a vivid imagination that Miss Wood will often leave his writing until bedtime to mark, as it makes an excellent bedtime read! There could honestly be so many other beautiful things written but it would take up the entire class page. High standards of learning would be a huge understatement as Miss Wood believes it is more like awe-inspiring standards of learning. Miss Wood is so proud of this child and considers it a privilege to be part of his journey to success. The whole of the Year 3 team are in absolute agreement that he truly is a superstar! 

p.s. When this was read out in school, every student looked at this child- so clearly all the children realise what a superhero learner this child is! 

Friday 27th November 

What a week! I am absolutely delighted and proud to now confirm that I will be your children's teacher until the end of the school year. The thought of being able to continue our journey until the end of Year 3 is something I consider to be a privilege and a joy. I know I've written this before, but their happiness is everything to me and everyday I aim to 'be the best that I can be' because those children deserve it. They are an absolute dream class for my NQT year and although we have so much fun, we are making so much progress in our learning. Once again, I would like to say a huge thank you for the support you have all given me and continue to give me. I can now finally commit to all the future planning for your lovely cherubs for the remainder of the year. I am genuinely thrilled and excited for the year ahead! Now enough about me.....

We are going forward next week with some papers so I can assess what areas of the curriculum need to be addressed moving forward, but more importantly, I cannot wait to see how much progress the children have made since September. This week's homework will be set on google classroom but it needs to be completed on paper as it is that beautiful classic- column addition! Finally, an approach that we were taught within school! You can either upload the pictures of work or you can send the paper copies in school. On an additional side note, I am super impressed with how the students have coped with this new topic and I look forward to the children impressing their adults with their newly acquired skills! 

Secret Student 

This weeks secret student is........ Levi! Levi is a lovely little boy who is a kind soul and can always make Miss Wood giggle. He has a really resilient nature and always takes feedback onboard. 

Leaf Winners 

This weeks leaf winners were as follows;

Izabella- a real can do attitude in some challenging maths work

Aurora- An excellent teacher helper

Sebastian- excellent reasoning in maths (Sebastian will often complete worded questions that will take Miss Wood a while to solve). 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend and look forward to decorating our tree next week (Miss Wood will have to keep her presentation pest ways under control). 

Miss Wood and the Y3 team x 

Friday 20.11.20

Hello all!

I'd like to start with a thank you to all the adults in year three. My first parents' evening was such a lovely experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to discuss all the amazing accomplishments your children have made so far this year. They are an absolute credit to you and every day I come into work excited for the day ahead. It is an absolute privilege to teach them. Mrs Jones and Mrs Hargreaves visited our class this week and echo the same sentiments as me. They were impressed and overwhelmed at the high levels of behaviour and were pleased with the huge progress the children have made.

London's calling!

We have returned to our topic of London for our writing focus. We are accelerating towards our big write which will be focused on an information leaflet about London. The children are absolutely loving this Literacy topic and we have discovered so much about the beautiful, bustling city that is London. Thank you to parents who have sent in pictures as I will be adding those to our working wall. 

Homework 

I will be sending out paper-based homework for the next couple of weeks. The reason for this is because I need to assess children's writing and as you adults will know, google classroom is not the best mode of learning for this as it will auto correct grammar and spellings. The due date is next Friday and please let me know if there are any issues. Spellings will go out Monday if you have requested this. I also understand that family time is important at weekends so don't want to infringe on that with more screen time that will require one to one support. Spellings are on readiwriter on a Saturday and children are tested the following Friday. The minimum points expected is 500 per week and I run the reports from the Monday to the Sunday each week. Likewise, Mathletics points is 500 per week and is monitored from Monday to the following Sunday. 

Zoom

We had a lovely treat today when we were joined by Mrs Hughes, Miss Harriet and Benjamin via zoom. The children were so pleased to talk to their old "Miss" and Mrs Hughes couldn't believe how much they had grown! They certainly enjoyed seeing baby Benjamin and lovely Harriet. We look forward to seeing Mrs Hughes back in school soon. 

That's all from me this week. Once again, I can't thank you enough for the support you have all shown me since I officially started at Melling. I hope you and the children have a lovely weekend and maybe a cheeky 'maccie ds' or extra treat for parents evenings is due. 

Miss Wood and the team at Y3 xx

PE Kits W/C 16.11.20

For the next two weeks, children will have their additional PE lesson on a Monday instead of the Friday. Therefore, could children please come into school wearing PE kits and suitable bottoms (during these colder months) on Monday and Tuesday. This is for the next two weeks only. I’m aware that some adults may not access this class page so if you could pass the message to other parents or guardians, I would appreciate that. 

Hello Friday! 

We have had such an amazing, lovely week in year 3! One of my areas of specialism is diversity and it has been an amazing treat to have a whole week focus on this topic. It is sometimes difficult to plan lessons within this topic, but I had no issues in my mind as I have such a lovely bunch of cherubs. We started the week  having amazing discussions and debates regarding Kamala Harris. We discussed how inspiring Kamala Harris will be to all little girls watching; the first female vice president! We have also written some lovely speeches (inspired by the work of Dr Martin Luther King). Through science and DT, we have made shadow puppets that narrate the story of Diwali. Additionally, we have looked at Miss Wood's Dad's war medals and pictures from his 20 years in the marines. The children have written some beautiful letters to our war heros! Words do not to justice to the tremendous contributions your children have made this week; so much so that I am in the process of making a video that will show the  powerful message we have learnt- always choose kindness and celebrate our difference.

Books

Miss Wood is going to be in serious trouble with Mrs Cliffe! Books have not been sent out as they were behind the painting area for Pudsey bear! I apologise profusely and assure you that I will be thoroughly told off by Mrs Cliffe! Mrs Grainger has kindly offered to deliver some books to neighbours . I will take the remaining books home and if you require the book, I can deliver  those books personally. Just drop me an email. 

Homework

The children have been focusing a lot on google classrooms and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your fantastic joint effort with this platform. There is a few gaps in times tables at the moment, so I am giving children a Google classroom free week and asking that they focus on times tables- 5s, 10s, 2s, 4s, 3s. Test at random as this will give a greater fluency. 
 

Secret student 

Fantastic Bella! Bella is such a lovely child and is the perfect example of not needing a loud voice to be heard! This pick was actually Sebastain’s and he completely honoured the code of conduct of not revealing the secret! Bella is both a lovely friend and a serious hard worker. It’s a pleasure to teach this little lady and I hope she enjoys her night celebrating with her family! 

Thankyou

I would also like to take the time to thankyou for your amazing support this half term already. Children are continually bringing in additional work, topic books and extra pictures for Miss Wood! Your children are doing an amazing job and I look forward to feeding this back next week. Enjoy your weekend and give those lovely angels a big hug off me! Christmas is coming........

Readiwriter

I know a few children are having issues with readiwriter. I had edited and added the word sweetly as it wasn’t on the software and it seems to have caused some issues. I have now taken the word off . If children could practice this word using pencil and paper, and this will hopefully ensure the software is running smoothly for the other words! Points will not be counted this week for this platform in the spirit of fairness! Children are given a paper copy of these spellings in school and are also given their spellings as handwriting practice so that they are given lots of platforms to access these words. 
Thankyou,

Miss Wood x 

Friday 6th November 

Well... we’ve had a lovely week back in school. The children seem to mature and grow every week and I have really noticed a huge improvement in their independence. We always seem to be able to have lots of laughter but get through so much learning.

Congratulations!

Secret student this week is...... Sebastian! It was a not so secret student this week as Miss Wood slipped up and said his name! However, this was an easy fault as he is such an adorable child who presented such high standards of learning, manners and friendship! Congratulation Sebastian!  

Also, we have a new big brother in our class- Ryan! Congratulation to your family from all the Y3 team. She is beautiful! I know that Ryan will make the best big brother! 
 

Maths

We have now finished our recovery curriculum for Maths and will only revisit the year 2 curriculum at the start of each topic. Column addition and subtraction is coming your way!

English

We are working on creating an information leaflet about London. It ties very nicely with our last focus of Paddington bear and we are quite lucky to have had so many children who have visited London. Additionally, it has really benefited the class to have that living eye witness to ask questions . Having worked in primary school in London myself, I have told the children it is a totally different environment to that of Liverpool. I am hoping to arrange a zoom call with my contacts in the school and the children will be able to speak to children their own age to collect more details. I have asked the children to bring in pictures of their times in London or preferably send pictures to the class email so I can add those to our map on the working wall. 

 Also, we had lovely discussions this week about Guy Fawkes and the controversies that exist around celebrating his arrest. This would be challenging in some year three classes but the children managed brilliantly. 
 

Googleclassrooms 

Just a general reminder that work is now going through this platform. Please tell me if you are having issues or if the children are not able to access this platform. My door is always open and I would be disappointed if children are missing out on learning due to technical issues that are out of the adults’ control. I acknowledge that the circumstances are not easy at the moment and this may seem like another thing that is now added to your busy days, but this is going to get your child accustomed to a digital way of learning that is much more efficient and effective. If there is no way for us to resolve the issue, I will always make time to go through the homework with the children and it will be submitted within school time. 
 

Children in need

Newsletter is attached at the top of the class page.

That’s all from me now! Once again, I want to reiterate what amazing children you all have. I genuinely missed them over half term and we have had a superb opening week to this half term. I hope you have a lovely weekend and especially Ryan with his new job as big brother! 
Miss Wood and the Y3 team xx 

Spellings 

Just a quick update regarding spellings. I will assess children on a random selection of the spellings we have already learnt during the first half term. All these spellings are available on Readiwriter from previous weeks. Therefore, children should continue to practice previous weeks spellings. 

Mathletics

As a school, we are taking part in a numeracy challenge using Mathletics! It is time for year three to do what we do best and SHINE! I know the majority of children are using this platform well. However, we really need to boost these points and win it for Melling! I will set numerous tasks based on what we have learnt and this will continue for the next half term. 

Thanks again! 

Y3 Team x 

Happy Halloween! 

Well! We have had a fabulous day in year 3! I apologise in advance for your chocolate overloaded children.... we managed to make chocolate apples and have a fun party! This time of the year is especially hard for children as I know they always look forward to family gatherings, trick or treating and dressing up. A few of the children have told me they are having their own little stay at home parties with their own adults at home and I hope you have a lovely time. I know I always say this, but the children have been wonderful this half term. Coming back has been really hard for some children and equally staying at home was also difficult. I feel confident that the children have coped really well with this transition and my door is always open if you have any concerns. The class email is y3.melling@schools.sefton.gov.uk and managed by me personally.  I will contact you at the earliest opportunity. Obviously, I always aim for a phone call as this is the best form of communication and when I have access to your details in the school system. The health and wellbeing of the children in my class is my main concern, after their learning. A happy child makes a happy teacher! I look forward to moving forward with our curriculum in the next half term and I am super excited to celebrate Christmas with my very first class, as this is my FAVOURITE time of the year! 

Homework 

This weekend- have fun! Next week- work will be available on Readiwriter, Mathletics, times table rockstars and Google Classrooms. 

Black History Month 

I know there is a quite a lot of focus during October for black history. I acknowledge the importance of this but believe it needs be embedded further into our curriculum than just a 'tokenship' month. I will aim to introduce as much cultural diversity as possible within my classroom- at all times throughout the year. This week we focused on Rosa Parks and the children handled this topic with both sensitivity and extreme maturity.  Another example of how beautiful the children are in my class. Thank you for helping your children collect these facts. We have also looked at the book "We are all born free" and created our own rights for children- special video will follow shortly. I know this may seem alarming to some, perhaps too big of an issue for children to handle, but I can assure you these topics are delivered with sensitivity and respect to all children within my class. I have the belief that ignorance breeds in an environment that does not deliver the facts about the world- both what is happening today or in the past.  

Secret Student 

Secret student this week is........ Ryan! A patient and kind young gentleman who always brings a smile to the staff's faces in Year 3!

Leaf Winner 

Leaf winners this week were Robyn, Sophia and Shae! All for various things. Congratulations and enjoy your coupons! I have also give some coupons out for birthdays. 

I will upload some pictures of your mucky pups with their chocolate faces! I'm gutted as some haven''t turned out on the IPAD. Again, enjoy the half-term break and give those gorgeous children some cuddles from me. 

Miss Wood xx 

Apter Cup Winner 

This child embodies every single attribute of friendship. Not only is she an excellent friend, she motivates everyone around her to do their best. It is hard for Miss Wood, Mrs Cliffe and Miss Riley to think of a day when this child hasn’t borrowed a helping hand to those around her. Returning to school has been difficult for some children. However, this child has been a lovely friend for those who needed it. It shows a real strength of character when a child is able to elevate other people around them and ensure that everyone feels important and cared for in class. I am sure that this child has a future in teaching or nursing as she is a marvellous leader, always ensuring that all children are part of their team! Miss Wood wants this child to realise that she does notice all the hard work she does daily, not only in her learning, but guiding those around her and showing what a truly beautiful friend is. I hope you get to celebrate your cup win at home with your baby sister and Mum and Dad. 

Halloween Party! Thursday 22nd October 
 

I understand that a lot of the children will be disappointed not to celebrate Halloween traditionally this year. Therefore, in year three I have promised the children a fun afternoon making chocolate apples and special ‘witch potions’. It is also a special treat to celebrate all the fantastic behaviour and hard work we have showed this term! One little boy made me chuckle today when he said “my mum doesn’t believe it if it is not on the class page” so I thought it would be best to post it. If the children could bring in a bar of their preferred chocolate (I know some can be be very fussy with the whole Cadbury/ Galaxy/ Choceur debate) and we will be able to have a fun afternoon! Thank you. 
Miss Wood x 

It's Friday!

The weeks seem to be flying by now as we head towards half term! In year three we have had a fabulous week and have had plenty of laughter and fun in the process of learning!

I often forget that the children are just entering juniors as they are becoming so independent. They are truly a gorgeous class and I would just like to send a general message to all parents to communicate this. I feel it is so important to celebrate the high standards of behaviour, manners and learning within my classroom and it is becoming so challenging to imagine not seeing their faces for a whole week! 

Literacy

We continue to explore the adventures of the well-known and loved bear Paddington. We are planning our own comic strip version which will be accompanied by our new focus "speech marks"- remember 66 and 99 speech mark sandwiches children! I have sent plans home as homework; the children requested this so they could complete it with more detail and have time to create a good story. A copy of the plan has been put on google classroom- just incase some go missing or end up looking a bit messy with all their creative ideas! This is a plan, so please ask the children to not be too concerned about the presentation.  The example we went through as a class is also there if children require any support or ideas. I don't usually request children do homework at the weekend but if this could be done by Monday - I would really appreciate it! 

Secret Student

This week's secret student winner is....... Molly! Molly is a very determined little lady and is always the first to offer to help. So much so, that she is becoming Miss Wood's unofficial secretary. I hope you have a lovely weekend Molly! 

Leaf Winners

This week's leaf winners were Geva (gorgeous managers) and Shae (an excellent HR manager). Well deserved and a reminder that all personal attributes are celebrated within Melling. 

As mentioned before, I can imagine this is a difficult time for everyone and understand the difficulty of not being able to spend time with loves ones. If there is anything I can do to support your family -as your children's teacher -please let me know. I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I am hopeful we can come out of this together soon and get back to our family and friends. 

Miss Wood x 

Friday 9th October 

I cannot believe another week has gone by! In year 3 we are making excellent progress within all our subjects. Also, we had a special visit this week from Mrs Jones to let us know what a magnificent class we are, based on the time Mrs Jones spent in our classroom last week. Mrs Jones was so impressed with the behaviour and attitude towards learning in year three. It is lovely to hear such positive feedback and realise that I am rightly proud and boastful about the impressive children in my class. We have also had a lovely time this week, becoming both scientists and geographers. We are experimenting with materials to check suitability for a reflective school coat design, and looking at climate zones in geography. We were also able to uncover our secret student too! 

Secret Student 

I have decided to spice up our star of the week and replace this incentive with a 'secret student'. At the start of the week, I will choose a student. No-one, including the secret student, knows who this individual is. Myself and Mrs Cliffe are constantly looking and acknowledging signs of 'role model' behaviour from this student. If they are able to demonstrate these values, all week, they will be given the weekly award of 'secret student'. Additionally, I have explained to children that if they do not demonstrate positive behaviour, they will not be given an award at all and they will fail to identify the secret student.  

Secret Student Friday 9th October 

This week's 'secret student' award goes to ....... Aurora. This was a difficult one to keep a secret as most children guessed! It was hard not to acknowledge the perfect behaviour that is always present in Aurora and the children soon realised who it was!  

Last week's star of the week

We delayed giving out this award until Monday as we wanted to celebrate with Mrs Cliffe. Last week's star of the week was Mason. He has impeccable manners and is always a loyal friend. He rightly stands up for what is right, making him always trustworthy and kind. 

Leaf winners

I have pinched this idea off Mr Cleaver (I'm sure he will not mind). At various times during the week, I am blessed with excellent examples of learning, kindness and determination, that house points do not do justice. These examples will lead to children being awarded a leaf and a housepoint! These leaves are added to a class display that is our tree of growth. Once a week, I will enter all leaves into a raffle and the winner will win a class coupon. Children are loving this at the moment! This weeks winner was Alex. He received his leaf for outstanding work in his times tables. 

Google classrooms 

I am very pleased with the response to homework using this platform. A reminder that in the unfortunate event that your child is forced to isolate, work will be set using this platform. A huge thank you to parents who have utilised this mode of learning, when having to stay at home. Children will return to school without any disadvantage of missed learning. 

I hope my lovely children have a lovely weekend, and I also hope their adults get some much needed rest! I look forward to seeing a few lovely faces back next week. 

Miss Wood xx 

Courtesy cup

As soon as we found out in Year three, we were being given this cup to award this week, there was no doubt in my mind who would be receiving it. This boy brings an instant smile to Miss Wood and Mrs Cliffe’s face as soon as he enters the room in the morning. Since September, the effort and determination in this little man to succeed has been both incredible and inspiring to other children. He is an excellent friend and can always be relied on to give a helping hand. In melling, we pride ourselves on our excellent manners, making it really hard to decide on just one child. However, Miss Wood cannot think of one occasion when this child has not had perfect manners. Sometimes in a busy day in the classroom, it is the little things that get forgotten, like when you are given work from a teacher and you say thank you or holding a door open for an adult. These are the things that make us adults and other children feel happy. The teachers in year three want to let this boy know that we are always watching and he is an excellent role model and friend to the other children in the class. You have had an amazing start to Year 3 and although your family cannot be here, we know that they are very PROUD of you right now! Miss Wood did hear you saying to your partner in crime the other day ‘come on-we can do this’ and you certainly can!

Friday 3rd October

I understand this is a strange and worrying time for us all. Here at school, we have been very fortunate in Y3 to be able to continue our learning within the classroom. Please be aware that we are doing everything we can as a school to ensure this remains the case. Children are regularly washing their hands, keeping their distance and remaining in their class bubble at all times. We have been enjoying eating our lunches together and I am certain I never had such exciting lunches like the children have in my class! 

Literacy 

We have begun our huge focus on "a bear called Paddington" in literacy. We are rediscovering this well-loved bear and the children are already chuckling away at Paddington's antics! Homework this week will be to finish reading chapter one of this book- either with an adult or independently- and complete a short simple task on Googleclassrooms.

Maths 

We have continued our work on fractions but have now looked at fractions amounts which is a lot harder than simple fraction work! The children have done a marvellous job! We are now going forward with a year 3 Maths curriculum. We will approach this by starting each topic within maths at a year 2 entry level and then accelerating forward with year 3 objectives when we are ready. I have made this decision as I feel safe and secure that the children are ready for this. You and your children's work over stay at home has been successful! If you happen to have a pizza this weekend- ask your children what fraction of pizza they have eaten! 

Science and Topic

We have modelled light rays in science and looked at the principles of Dharma and Brahman in RE- learning both from religion and about religion! We love this topic of work. In our Friday Pe session, we have engaged in some dancing (watch out Britains got talent) and some none contact relay. 

Homework expectations have been updated below- please read for clarification. 

I hope all the amazing, brilliant children in Y3 have a lovely and relaxing weekend. Hopefully, we will soon be back with our extended families and friends. 

Miss Wood xx 

UPDATE TO HOMEWORK

Homework Expectations 

I realise there has been some confusion over homework expectations so I will clarify this. I have had to adjust some of the timings so that I can correctly assess children's interaction. 

Readiwriter

Spellings will be published on a Friday using this platform. This is a much more efficient mode of learning and puts words into context and looks at higher levels of learning (word classes etc.) Obviously we are trying to reduce the reliance of paper-based work during the 'new normal' at Melling. Children will be assessed on these spellings on a Friday. Additionally, children also receive an input from their class teacher regarding new spellings. 

Mathletics 

Children are set a variety of tasks using this platform. The minimum requirement is 500 points each week. This was previously set on a Friday but this causes confusion in assessing points. This will now be assessed from a Monday to the following Monday. There is no pressure to complete all the activities assigned, I just know how competitive my Year 3s are and they like to hold the record amount of points. This really helps children extend their learning beyond the classroom and consolidates some of their mathematical skills. 

Google Classrooms

One task will be set each week (usually topic/literacy based) which is compulsory. If your child follows the class stream, this will indicate which task is compulsory. I will indicate if it is homework and this will usually be set on a Friday or Saturday. I really do have a class of eager beavers so I sometimes set more than one for additional learning. This will also consolidate and extend their skills within their current focus of learning. Here is a short video which will be beneficial for help and guidance for adults- 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O-bHPybPRQ. 

Absence 

In the unfortunate event that your child is off, work will be set on Google classrooms. As you can appreciate, sometimes I will not know that children are absent until morning register. Therefore, I would really appreciate your patience and I will set the work we are doing in class on Google classroom, as soon as possible. 

Most children are really engaging with this platform and it keeps an open line of communication between your child and their teacher whilst they are absent. 

Thanks again for your understanding and support. I am a parent myself and can understand the pressure of home life but I am already impressed at how well children are engaging with online learning. This really does benefit your child and is much more engaging and interactive than paper based homework.

Please contact me if there are any issues. 

Miss Wood x 

Our Cullen Cup Winner!!!!!

What an amazing start to the year this child has had. Her quiet, gentle and infectious smile brighten Miss Wood’s day. Not only does she try her best in everything that she does, she is both calm and resilient when faced with challenges in her learning journey. This pupil is a valuable asset in any lesson and always participates. She has a warm and engaging personality towards her lessons, that is contagious to other children who she works with. We often know this child is trying very hard or thinking something through when she peers at Miss Wood over her glasses and gives her the ‘I wonder’ stare! This pupil’s confidence and ability to speak out loud during oracy since year 3 has been astonishing and this is a huge achievement for this child- who was a lot shyer and quieter in year 2. Her letters to her crayons was both magnificent and an enjoyable read! I do believe we may have a future author in year 3! Her love for adventure and all things Disney jumped out of the pages and she worked very hard on this piece of writing. She should be very proud and continue her journey in year 3 with the same love and excitement she has for her learning so far! With a can-do attitude and such a passion for learning- this girl will go far! I’m very sorry that Mum and Dad and her siblings couldn’t be here to watch her shine and receive the award she deserves. However, I know that they will be super proud and already know the superstar powers that this Disney princess possesses! There is not a member of staff in year 3 or Melling who would disagree that this girl deserves this cup today. Miss Wood is very proud of what you have achieved so far and is really excited to watch you grow this term! I’m sure one day I will be reading one of your future books and will remember what a superstar writer you were in my class!

Another fabulous week in Y3! 

We've had another week in Y3, making excellent progress in our work and making sure we have fun and laughter every day! I know this is going to sound repetitive but I am so lucky to have this class. The children work super hard and really are a fantastic bunch! This week we have been focusing on fantastic fractions and designing posters for the poor, lonely puppy from the short film 'the present'. They have also become explorers and truth seekers throughout core and topic work for light (science) and climate zones (geography). A few children have kindly borrowed Miss Wood some fantastic resources for their core and topic work. We are also continuing our work on Hinduism and looking at the journey of this religion- from its roots and through to where and how it is celebrated today. We really have been busy! I hope my hardworking and impressive class and adults have a fantastic weekend. 

Homework

Children will be set new work on Mathletics and Readiwriter on a Friday evening. Please make sure your children are collecting at least 500 points as this is having a huge impact on their learning. Well done to our 'bedazzling Bella' who achieved over 6000 points on Mathletics alone!!! Spellings will be on Readiwriter as they will help children with short and simple tasks to aid word understanding. Times tables rockstars has also been set and is being monitored continually. 

Google Classrooms 

Children have been set work on googleclassrooms and I would appreciate if this was completed by next Friday. The tasks are only short and snappy and will jut allow us to accelerate forward in our recovery curriculum. Your child should have received a log in during stay at home. Please contact me if you are having issues so that I am aware of this. I have reminded the children that it is not the job of our busy adults to remember to do homework! Izabella and Mila- accounts have been created and I will sit with the girls Monday and go through this with them. 

Star of the Week

A fantastic job Mila as you are our star of the week! Mila has been working extra hard on her fraction and word classes work this week. 

Missing Cardigan  

A cardigan has gone missing in class this week. I’ve waited a few days for it to be returned to our bubble but it doesn’t seem to be in school. I’m sure you are very busy at the moment but I would really appreciate it if you could check your children’s cardigans and check for Harriet’s name- just to make sure a child hasn’t took it home by mistake. 
Thank you!

Miss Wood xx 

Week 3 

Papers

This week in year 3 the children have been working super hard on their 'papers' for Maths, English and Spellings. I have highlighted the word 'papers' as I have fostered Mrs Hughes's approach of not incorporating the word 'tests' into my philosophy towards assessments. The papers will give me, as their teacher, a greater perception into what gaps may have appeared during stay at home and what areas of the curriculum still need to be given a greater focus before we move on to our Year three objectives. I know I am biased, but I have to say all the hard work you parents have made with your children during the spring and summer really shows and it is amazing to see how far children have developed during this time. 

However, it hasn't been all about papers this week and we have managed to explore our focus in R.E that is Hinduism and started exploring our work on Chrome books! The children are really loving R.E right now, and as one of my specialism areas, this is so rewarding to see! The children might have told you we struggled to connect to Wifi so we are going to continue this lesson next week! Children were given a sign in and password during stay at home for google classrooms. If your child is willing, you could log into google classrooms and start to become accustomed to this mode of learning. I have set some simple tasks, that are not too strenuous. We have also looked at some practical maths, particularly three digit partitioning (pictures to follow). The children are doing amazing with this topic of work! 

Homework

All children have been given log ins for both Mathletics and Readiwriter. They are now live and children have been set work on both platforms. Spellings lists will no longer be sent home paper-based. These are available on readiwriter. Should you have any issues, please send me an email to Y3.melling@schools.sefton.gov.uk (inbound only). 

Star of the Week

Well done to our star of the week- Zac! Zac has had an extremely focused and can-do attitude recently in Maths and his hard work is not going unnoticed! I will give Zac his class coupon next week. 

That is all from me! I hope Y3 and their adults have a lovely weekend and they certainly deserve some special treats this week for all their hard work! 

Miss Wood x 

Week 2 Update 

Wow! Just like that- another week at Melling is complete for our hardworking, fantastic Y3 children! 

We have had another amazing week in our classroom, with children working hard in all lessons. We also had some fun making masks, which children were able to take home. I know I have mentioned this a few times, but I am really impressed at how well-mannered and hardworking the children are in our classroom. The situation is ever-changing and I appreciate this is a hard time for us all, but the support from our parents and guardians is brilliant. Additionally, we have had another lovely addition to our year 3 family- Mila! Both girls have settled in really well and we could not imagine our class without them. 

Just a few reminders....

• Could children please bring a plastic bag into school so we can send all their hard work from the previous year home to share with adults. 
• Reading records are to be brought in each day so we can keep a record of weekly reads. Books only need to be returned when they are finished- teachers will use school copies of the books or children can read an additional book within their current level. 
• I have given children a book from my personal library to utilise in finishing off time and this is purely for their own pleasure and will not be assessed or monitored. Therefore, could all books from the previous year please be returned. This will allow other children to use those books within class (children can also bring in their own personal books to read from home- as long as these are deemed as suitable for the classroom).  
• Children are permitted to bring their own pencil case into school. As advised previously, please do not feel pressured as I have ensured all children have their own personal packs with everything that they might need. However, can we please ensure that these are small enough to be stored away in trays. Also, could children please sure they have their own disposable water bottle, pack of tissues and hand sanitiser (labelled as children are not always able to identify their own items in Y3!). 

Homework

Thank you very much for your patience. As I am new to Melling I have now been given access to all the online platforms that are used in KS2 at Melling. Children will receive log in details this week. Spellings have been sent home paper-based for this week. Moving forward, these will be published through the class page and will be available on Readiwriter. Children will receive log in details for the following; Readiwriter, Mathletics and Google classrooms. I will be working hard with the children to ensure they are accustomed to these platforms and are not relying on our busy adults. 

Thank-you again for your future cooperation and support. I promise future updates will not be so long! Hope you are having a fantastic weekend and I look forward to another fantastic week with my lovely Y3 children! 

Miss Wood x 

The week ahead.......

Firstly, I hope all the lovely children in Y3 have had a lovely and well-deserved rest this weekend! We have had a fantastic start to the year last week and I am very excited for the year ahead. I would also like to thank our children's parents and guardians for all your patience during this initial transition back into school, as you can imagine this is a new situation for us all and we are ensuring we are doing everything we can to keep our school safe. 

P.E

As previously mentioned, P.E will resume this week on Tuesdays and Fridays. Just a reminder that children need to wear P.E kits on those days (tracksuit bottoms or joggers are permitted during the winter months and during colder weather). 

Reading books

Reading books have gone home this week. Please do not be alarmed if your child has already read the book they have taken home. We are having an initial assessment to ensure we cover any gaps that may have appeared during lockdown. Please return the books only when they need changing - they will need to be quarantined before going back into the reading scheme.  No need to send reading books into school for children to use in the day, they will be heard read in school using school copies of books.  Reading records do need to be sent in on a daily basis so that we can keep count of home reads and record children's reading in school.  Please remember, children need to be reading at the very least 3 times a week - daily is ideal if possible. I know the children in Y3 love reading so this shouldn't be too much of a burden for the children! 

Homework

I have set a small task over the weekend to pinpoint our cultural demographic differences in the classroom- no pressure to dig deep but thought it would be a lovely way to celebrate the ancestral diversity in Y3. Moving forward, we are looking at evolving our homework system and will be investigating more productive ways to set homework in the coming week- further details to follow. Children are still able to access the online platforms they have used during lockdown. 

School Kit

Children are permitted to bring their own pencil cases but please do not feel pressured to go out and buy one. I have ensured that all children have individual packs with everything they may need. However, it is essential that children bring their own reusable water bottle into school and pack of tissues. 

Thanks again for your help and support and I look forward to working with you and your children in the year ahead.... 

Miss Wood x

Our first day back!

Wow! To say I am impressed at how well the children have managed getting back to our 'new normal' at Melling is an understatement! I would like to take this time to say a huge thank you to all our Y3 parents from the Y3 staff, for all your patience and understanding during these times. The children looked lovely in all their fresh uniforms and I cannot believe how much they've grown over the spring and summer! It was lovely to see all the children. I would also like to say a huge welcome to our new member of Y3- Izabella! 

Quick update regarding P.E!

P.E lessons will start again next week. I understand there has been some confusion so don't worry if children arrive in their kits tomorrow. If you are able to read this message and pass it on to other parents, children are not expected to arrive in P.E kits until next week, on the days we have P.E (Tuesday and Friday). 

I look forward to having more fun and exciting lessons with all the children tomorrow! 

Miss Wood x 

Welcome back!

Miss Wood, Mrs Cliffe and Miss Riley would like to welcome our new and fantastic Y3. The classroom is all set for tomorrow and all that we need now is our lovely, smiling children.  Don't worry if you have left some items in year 2 (P.E kits, pencil cases etc), Miss Wood has fetched those and they will be in your new  classroom.

Start time: 9:00am        Finish time: 3:20pm   

Drop off is by the playgroup gate and pick up at the same place. Miss Wood will be there to greet you on your first day.

P.E. days: Tuesday and Friday

Please come to school in your outdoor P.E. kit and a pair of trainers on those days. If the weather is cold and during winter months, tracksuit pants or joggers is permitted.