Welcome to the Year 3 Class Page!

I am very happy to be back in Year 3 with such a positive, hard working class!

Please visit this page as the year progresses for updates, and to find out a little more about what we have been learning about in class.

I am always happy to speak with parents about any queries or issues. Please see me at the start or end of the day for a quick chat or to arrange a longer appointment. 

Many Thanks

Mr Cutler

Update 28.6.19

This week we have continued our work on 'Quest.' The children loved the exciting conclusion to the story and we will use this as an inspiration for some story writing. 

We have also taken our end of year arithmetic tests. I have been blown away by the amazing results of the children. I am so proud of the progress that you have all made this year. 

Niamh's father Mr Beaumont, who is a local councillor, also kindly took the time to come and see us on Friday. Following on from our work on democracy, he explained how the parish council works and answered questions about issues in the local area. 

Update 21.6.19

Maths this week has all been about fractions. We refreshed the things that we have already learnt and did some additional trickier reasoning problems. The children did some great work today on equivalent fractions. 

We have continued to learn all about the Stone Age. We found out about how important fire was, and also made some arrowheads out of clay. 

In literacy we started to read the sequel to one of our favourite texts this year. 'Journey' told the tale of a young girl with a magic crayon. 'Quest' continues the story and takes it to new dramatic heights! We have really enjoyed it so far!

Update 7.6.19

This week we have started our new class book entitled Stone Age Boy. It is a very interesting book that looks at what happens to a boy from the present who has an accident and mysteriously ends up in the Stone Age. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will be looking at life in the Stone Age and why people in the Iron Age settled in Barwick. 

We had a very exciting visit this week from Councillor Matthew Robinson. He came to collect our persuasive letters that we wrote last half-term in conjunction with our study of Ancient Greek democracy. Councillor Robinson was very impressed with the questions and comments from the children. 

Update 24.5.19

What a wonderful day! Today the school was open to all parents and relatives to visit our class museums. Mulberry class was full of people eager to learn all about the wonderful things we have found out about Ancient Greece. It was fantastic to hear so many lovely comments about the work we have done, and also to see how knowledgeable and confident  the children were when discussing their learning. It was the perfect end to an excellent half-term!

Update 17.5.19

This week, our maths work has focused on time. We looked at the different units of time including the number of days in each month. We used this rhyme to remember them:

30 days has September, 

April, June and November, 

All the rest have 31 except for February that's clear. 

It has 28 or 29 in each leap year!

We also did a lot of work on calculating time intervals. 

In literacy, we began a unit on persuasive letter writing. This was inspired by our work on the Ancient Greeks who experimented with democracy in Athens. 

We also completed our Greek pottery. Photos of the process can be seen below. 

Update 10.5.19

This week, we have learnt more about the Ancient Greeks. We focused on the original Olympic Games and the events that took place during them. We wrote some amazing newspaper reports about a chariot race. The reports were inspired the chariot race scene in Ben-Hur. 

In Maths lessons, we focused on solving problems. We looked at our approaches to problem solving and how we go about making appropriate calculations. 

In other news, we performed an amazing rap for Chef Noodles!

Update 26.4.19

This week we officially launched our topic on the Ancient Greeks. On Tuesday we had a very exciting lesson where we learned about the tactics that made the Ancient Greeks so successful at defending themselves against foreign invaders. We reenacted a battle using the phalanx which was the name of one of the main tactics that they used. Pictures of this lesson can be seen below. 

Our literacy lessons have followed up on our work on Theseus and the Minotaur. We have also moved on to look at Jason and the Golden Fleece. 

In maths lessons we have focused on multiplication and division of larger numbers. 

Update 18.4.19

Welcome back to the Summer term everybody!

This week, our literacy lessons have concentrated on Greek Myths. We studied Theseus and the Minotaur in great detail. We acted out and freeze framed different parts of the fight between Theseus and the Minotaur. You can see pictures from this activity below. 

In maths, we looked at the relationship between tenths as a fraction and tenths as a decimal. We will continue to touch upon this for the rest of the year. 

Happy Easter everybody. 

Update 29.3.19

We have reached the end of term! Once again thank you to all Mulberry parents for your support since the start of the year. 

This week we have completed several assessments. I am incredibly proud of how hard the children worked to apply everything they have been taught so far. 

In literacy we completed our Mr Men/ Little Miss stories. We also worked on some interesting kenning style poems about different things in nature. 

In maths we continued to look at time. In particular, we focused on the 24 hour clock and word problems associated with time. 

Update 22.3.19

This week, the single most exciting event in the history of mankind happened (or so you would think!). Our normal bus to swimming was out of service, so we were given a double-decker to ride on instead! This was our last  swimming session until Thursday 18th April. 

We have had lots of fun with Shakespeare week. We got into groups and performed the first part of Macbeth. I was very impressed with the children's witch voices and use of body language to enhance the meaning of the scene. 

In maths, the class have been very successful at telling the time. We have worked on calculating time differences and will move on to the 24 hour clock next week. 

There are some pictures from our fun P.E. lesson with Mr P below. 

Update 15.3.19

This week has been science week! We have had lots of fun doing a wide variety of activities. On Monday, we looked at the science behind paper aeroplanes and the forces involved in keeping them in the air. 

On Wednesday, we created a scale model of the solar system in the school. The only way we could fit it in the school was if we made the sun have a diameter of 1cm!

Finally, on Friday, we looked at the water cycle and observed an experiment to demonstrate how rain is formed. 

Photos of all the activities can be seen below. 

Update 8.3.19

First of all, thank you to all of the Mulberry parents and children for their kind words on my return from knee surgery. Unfortunately, my recovery took longer than expected, but I believe the children were in good hands with Mr Brightwell at the helm. 

World Book Day was a fantastic success. The children looked amazing in all of their Mr Men/ Little Miss outfits. We enjoyed looking at the features of these stories for some work later in the half-term. 

In science we have started an experiment to see what happens to 2 plants over the next few weeks. The plants are the same type, but one has had its leaves removed. To make the experiment fair, we are giving each plant the same amount of water and light. What do you think will happen to the plant that doesn't have leaves?

Mr Cutler

Update 15.2.19

We are halfway through the year!

The Mulberry machine has continued to roll this week! 

Our main focus this week has been writing our 500 word stories. Following the completion of our work on 'Storm', we have written a series of spooky stories, so watch out judges!

We have worked on shape in our maths lessons. We identified right angles, acute angles and obtuse angles. We used a series of silly voices to help us to remember which was which!

We also concluded our music unit in style! We performed a version of Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, using drums, glockenspiels and our beautiful voices!

I look forward to seeing you all again after my operation. 

Mr Cutler

Update 8.2.19

This week, we have enjoyed a very interesting and inspiring presentation from Major Allchin of the Salvation Army. He discussed with the children the sacrifices that he has made in order to do the work that he does. We were very inspired by his tales of the numerous people that he has helped all around the world. 

Our P.E. lesson this week was particularly fun. As the hall was being used for something else, we couldn't do our usual dance lesson this week, so instead we had a game of whole class dodgeball! Everybody loved getting involved in the different versions that Mr P had for us. 

Maths this week has been all about money. We have particularly focused on our mental calculations and our understanding of decimals. 

In Literacy lessons we have begun to read a new text. 'Storm' is a spooky book all about a girl that has to venture out of her house in the middle of some terrible weather. Next week we will find out the identity of the mystery horse rider!

Update 1.2.19

In Mulberry class this week, we have worked to consolidate our calculation knowledge. The class have worked incredibly hard to secure their ability to make column additions and subtractions, as well as use grid method to multiply larger amounts. The class have done so well with this work that most children have moved on to applying these methods to a range of contexts and greater depth problems. 

In Literacy, we have created some amazing comics! The children took great pride in using fronted adverbials within their work to show where, when or how the action was happening. We also had lots of fun in science. We acted out the process that a living fish becomes a fossil. The children really enjoyed pretending to be dead fish! 

Update 25.1.19

This week, we have delved into the world of comic books! We looked at the features of the Phoenix comics that the school receives each week. On Friday, we planned each part of our comics ready for them to be created next week. We are aiming to use some interesting fronted adverbials in our writing.

Our maths work this week has been fantastic!Early in the week, we focused on measuring, comparing and calculating weight. We then moved on to refreshing our knowledge of column addition. I am pleased to report that the whole class impressed me with their ability to use this important skill. 

Update 18.1.19

This week we have been concentrating on being rock stars! Times table rock stars that is! On Thursday we had a fantastic launch day for our involvement in this fabulous website. All the children dressed up in their finest rock clothes! It was also an excuse for Mr Cutler and Mrs Gall to wear... their standard clothes! We are rock and roll all of the time! :) 

As well as working on their fluency skills, the class also did some fantastic work with fractions. We looked at how to find equivalent fractions, as well as how to find fractions of amounts. 

Our literacy work has continued to focus on 'The Rocketeer.' The children did some fantastic drama work to focus on what the characters feel throughout the video. They then created diary entries to show this. 

Happy New Year! Update 11.1.19

We have hit the ground running in Mulberry class this week! 

The maths focus has been very exciting. On Monday we returned to find that Maths Man had left us lots of clues to break a code. We solved them all to reveal that a special maths art day had been planned. This was a fantastic day with a great variety of activities that allowed children to use their maths skills whilst creating art. Later in the week, we also enjoyed a quiz that saw children of mixed ages work together to answer a variety of questions. 

The pictures below show the fun we had on outdoor maths day. We used leaves to find fractions of amounts. 

In literacy we have begun an exciting project on a cartoon version of 'The Rocketeer.' The children have worked very hard to produce descriptions of settings that use a variety of senses. 

Update 14.12.18

This week, we have done a lot of testing to help measure the progress that the children have made this year. Although this can be a tricky week, the whole class have worked really hard, and have produced fantastic results. 

That's not all of the work we have done though! Our adverts were very creative in the different ways they aimed to persuade the potential buyer of our own invention: Hovershoes! We also had a very interesting and informative visit from West Yorkshire Police. They discussed what hate crimes are and put forward a positive message about the importance of treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

This will be my last website update of the calendar year. May I take this opportunity to wish all of the children, parents and other family members associated with Mulberry class a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. Enjoy the time off!

Mr Cutler

Update 7.12.18

This week, our literacy work has focused on persuasive adverts. We looked at a range of adverts and identified the persuasive elements in each. Next week, we will create our own adverts for an invention that we made up. 

In Numeracy, we have worked on measures. In particular we have focused on length and capacity. We looked at how decimals are often used to help show when something is not a complete unit. 

Our cross-stitch calendars are coming along very nicely! The children have all worked very hard to produce beautiful designs. 

Update 30.11.18

This week, we have worked really hard on creating some amazing stories! I have been extremely impressed with the fantastic imagination shown by all of the class. I look forward to marking them this weekend!

Our Maths lessons have focused on telling the time. The class have done really well telling the time from analogue clocks, including those that display Roman numerals. Websites such as https://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/116/telling-the-time can help maintain practise of this, as well as frequently telling the time at home. 

Also this week, we were treated to an amazing drama workshop. In 45 minutes, the class were able to create a fantastic play. You can see photos from the workshop below. 

Update 23.11.18

This week we have completed our class book 'Journey.' We all loved the adventure involved and the beautiful pictures. We are now working on creating similar stories that incorporate elements such as the magic crayon. 

In maths lessons, we have focused on securing our written calculation skills and how to apply these to a range of increasingly complicated word problems. Children should continue to log on to Prodigy maths as the objectives are set to mirror what we are doing in class. This will provide extra practise and aid fluency. 

In science, we have continued to look at magnets. In the lesson today, we observed how magnets have poles that can attract or repel each other. 

Update 16.11.18

What another fantastic week in Mulberry class! Thank you to the parents who came along to the open morning. I hope you got a flavour of how we operate in some of our lessons. 

In maths this week, we have worked on multiplying larger numbers by using grid method. 

In literacy, we have continued our work on the book 'Journey.' Lucy has just been taken prisoner by the evil general and his gang! We have worked on how to use speech marks in our writing, as well as how to use 'show me, don't tell me' description. 

In science, we have worked on the properties of magnets. For our first lesson, the children were given lots of magnets and asked to record what they found out with minimal input. This lead to some fantastic insights and questions that we shall address over the rest of the half-term. 

Update 9.11.18

We have hit the ground running after the half-term break! 

In literacy, we have focused on our new class text entitled 'Journey.' It is a wonderful picture book that is full of adventure. A picture from it can be seen below.

In maths lessons, we have focused on division and multiplication. We have begun to multiply 2 digit numbers by single digit numbers. For parents unfamiliar with 'grid method' an explanation can be found on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTxql8_dXec

Our P.E. lessons this half-term will focus on gymnastics. Our first lesson with Mr P this week was a lot of fun as you will see from the photos below!

Update 19.10.18

This week, our literacy work has focused on diary writing. We imagined that we were workers in a Victorian factory on a day when one of the nippers had an accident! The children worked incredibly hard to write some fantastic diary entries. Well done!

Our numeracy work has continued to focus on calculation. This week we have learnt how to subtract 3 digit numbers using column method. We then applied this new learning to a variety of word problems.

Don't forget to bring your bikes on Monday!

Update 12.10.18

This week we have been writing some fantastic fiction! Our work on Ottoline and the Yellow Cat culminated in the creation of our own stories featuring the characters we know so well by now. 

In numeracy lessons we have been getting to grips with using column addition. Lots of the class have been using their skills to uplevel their characters on Prodigy maths. 

Also this week, we have had very important lessons on how to scoot to school safely. Pictures of this are below. 

Update 5.10.18

This week we have been getting to grips with some of our Year 3 writing objectives. We have had lots of fun walking around acting out adverbs and looking for ways to use prepositions. 

Our numeracy work has focused on calculation. We have looked at ways to add and subtract by using calculation rather than counting. 

In other subjects, we conducted an interesting science experiment to test the reflectiveness of different materials. See below for some pictures. There are also some pictures of our music lesson this week. The funny faces you can see are of the children warming themselves up to sing!

Update 28.9.18

We have had another exciting week in Mulberry class!

On Wednesday we travelled to Saltaire for a school trip. We looked around Salt's Mill to see the artwork of David Hockney who we have been studying this half-term. We also looked at a lot of artifacts from the history of the former textile factory. After eating our packed lunches in the beautiful Victoria Hall, we continued on to the URC church where we met our Victorian tour guides. They gave us a very colourful account of what life was like in Victorian Saltaire, all the while remaining in character of people of that time. They then took the class on a tour of the town where we looked at how Titus Salt constructed houses and facilities for all of the workers of his factory. Over the next few weeks we will evaluate the evidence we have gathered so we can decide if Titus Salt was a hero or a villain!

Also this week we have continued our work on Ottoline and the Yellow Cat. In maths this week we have concentrated on analysing data from different types of graphs, tables and charts. 

Update 21.9.18 

What a whirlwind of a first week! We have worked very hard, first and foremost, to establish our classroom routines and work on our positive mental attitudes!

In literacy, we have been studying Ottoline and the Yellow Cat. We have written character descriptions and retold a part of the story in our English books. To help plan this piece of writing, we had a drama lesson where the class all pretended to be characters from the book. It was a lot of fun!

In maths, we  have concentrated on strategies to improve our times tables and worked on how to calculate the perimeter of rectilinear shapes. I was impressed with how accurate the class were with their measurements and their singing of the perimeter song! Parents- ask your child to give you a rendition!

Welcome to Year 3!

This week has been full of fun and excitement. The children have been using drama techniques to explore personality and we have been thinking about who we want to be this year. We have also talked about how we want Mulberry Class to look when people visit.

We will be doing PE on Tuesday afternoons and swimming on Thursday mornings after break. Thank you for returning swimming slips. This coming week, Roald Dahl Day coincides with our swimming day so please ensure children have costumes that are easily removed! We also ask if face paint could be avoided. Thank you.

Reading books will be changed as and when needed. Please write a comment at home in your child's reading diary when you think they are ready for a new book.

Mrs Durbin

Well done to Year 3 for another fantastic week!

All of the children have worked incredibly hard again this week and I have thoroughly enjoyed my two weeks. Everyone was very pleased to see Mr Cutler on Wednesday when he dropped in to see us and it was lovely to meet Bethany Rose. I know Mr Cutler is excited about returning next week and the children are ready to wow him with their super work.

Just a few reminders for the weekend; the children should have brought their new homework books home with them tonight. Inside is the new homework pyramid, next week's spellings and the optional homework that Mr Cutler discussed with the class on Wednesday. Remember, homework should be handed in on Wednesdays and spelling tests will be done on Fridays.

Have a great weekend!

Mrs Durbin