Summer Term 2022 

Welcome to the Summer Term everyone! This term promises to be as busy, if not busier, than the previous two terms.  In Beech our topic will have a history focus - 'The Mayans' - how and where they lived, architecture, culture, religion, food and the calendar. In science we shall be focused on 'Human, Animal and Plant Adaptations'.

English will continue to build upon our knowledge and understanding of 'SPaG' (Spelling, grammar and Punctuation), delve deeper into inference when working through comprehensions, as well as continuing our creative writing, report writing - factual and non-factual, letter writing, writing for various audiences via different media. We shall be exploring the wonderful world of poetry and some animation. Texts include - 'Giant' by K. Scott; 'Rainplayer'; 'Mayan Folktales'; 'Tuesday' - an illustration only book and, poetry following on from last term with Charles Causley. 

In Maths we will revisit Place Value and Arithmetic; focus on Mental Maths skills; as well as - 'Time and Measure'; 'Statistics - data and graphs; Geometry and Shape/Position and increasing knowledge and understanding of 'Fractions, Decimals and Percentages.' The pupils will be encouraged to work more independently with 'Problem solving and Reasoning.'

Computing this summer term will include increasing coding skills; using data and graphs; Internet Research; Word Processing and Graphics; Animation through Movie Making. The pupils will also have regular reminder sessions to help embed their understanding and application of 'internet Safety.'  RE will focus on 'The Gospel' and aspects of The Islamic Faith. In PSHE we continue to use HeartSmart and the unit this term is 'No way through isn't true.' We shall also focus on the Year 4 And Year 5 aspects of RSE (Relationships and Sex Education). Art and DT will have a cross-curricular theme with The Mayans - including making masks and constructing a Temple and cooking. In Music the pupils will be able to use instruments to compose using both graphic and standard notation with appropriate rhythmic notation. Ostinato and Pentatonic structures will be explored. They will look at how instruments developed - including keyboards. The composer Roderigo  and/or Da Falla. Singing will be through an end of year ks2 production. 

With the better weather we look forward to lots of PE which will include: Athletics, Cricket - taught by a South African Cricketer, Rounders/Baseball. 

So, here's to a lovely term where we can hopefully squeeze in a class trip. 

Miss Cox

Happy 2022 Everyone ! 

Happy New Year Beech Class. We have another busy term ahead  

In line with government requirements, we shall be putting weekly online lessons for those children to access should they be out of school and isolating with Covid. Ks2 expectations are 4 hours learning each day. Please see the icon 'Home Learning' to access each week's learning activities.

This term our topic is Geography-based and entitled ' Human Impact upon Global Coastal and River Environments'. This will no doubt create many discussions in-light of the recent COP26 but will also ignite your interest and amazement when discovering the mechanisms that create these features on our planet. Perhaps a trip to the seaside might also be possible.  

Maths this term will revisit Place Value and Arithmetic - building and embedding mental and written methods - as well as focusing on Fractions, Measures and Shape. White Rose will continue to be used this term. Times Tables will be a big focus this term with weekly tests and oral practises.  

In English, Spelling will continue to be tested each week and each year group words are in the spelling information page in Beech Class pages, Grammar and Punctuation will be taught within story writing and stand-alone sessions. Reading will focus on interpretation and inference with a strong emphasis on building comprehension skills through question and answer activities. Extended writing will focus on our texts for this term. These include; 'The Last Wild' by P Torday; 'White Dolphin' by G Lewis; 'One Plastic Bag' by M Pail and some poetry 'The Lost Words' by Morns and MacFalone.

As well as our main topic, in Science this term we shall be learning about 'Rocks and Fossils' and 'Electricity - resources and safety'. In RE we shall be looking at 'Incarnation' and also 'Salvation'. PSHE will feature sections from HeartSmart - 'Don't hold on to what is wrong' and 'Fake is a mistake'. In PE we shall be continuing to develop our skills in contact team games and will also be focusing on Dance.  Music, Art and Computing will feature a cross curricular approach with our main Topic and will include elements of composing, singing, performing and listening to classical composers - Mendelson as well as learning skills in sketching, scale, using water colours and artists including 'Hokusai'. Computing will continue with programming and using Word, but will also include using spreadsheets and informative animation. In DT we shall be cooking and constructing a barrage structure - we hope!

So here's to a great term: to friendship, to happiness, to caring and supporting and to doing your very best to make yourself proud. Together we can achieve.

Miss Cox 

Welcome back to school everyone!

Year 5 would like to give a warm welcome to Year 4. 

Here's to a fabulous year ahead in Beech Class 2021 - 2022 

This Autumn Term 2021 promises to be another exciting term as life begins to resume in a more normal way re Covid. I am really looking forward to working with Beech Class again as we work through Harvest Festival, Bonfire Night, Remembrance Day and of course Christmas where we might get to sing carols again!

In Class we shall be learning about The Shang Dynasty as our main topic. In English, our texts will reflect the Chinese Culture with books like 'The Firework Maker's Daughter' by Philip Pullman, 'Tales from china' by Cyril Birch and using Haiku Poetry. 

Combining Art and English, we shall also be looking at the book 'The Magic Paintbrush' by Julia Donaldson and Calligraphy writing through the Chinese Language. Combining English, Geography and DT, we shall be learning about where China is in the world and its global impact alongside more traditional ancient traditions by making shadow puppets and lanterns. 

In Maths, we shall be using the 'White Rose' Scheme and will begin refreshing and building upon our knowledge of Place Value and Number Bonds, as well as increasing our skills and understanding when using Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division. We shall be working through Practical and Problem Solving scenarios to increase our skills with Measure.

In Science, our topics are Forces and Materials and their Properties.  PSHE is taught through a scheme of work known as 'HeartSmart'  - Don't forget to let love in - which will include age appropriate RSE (Relations and Sex Education). In RE this term we shall be looking at 'Christianity'. 

Weekly Spelling, Times Tables and other subject information will be posted in the various sections below. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me -  Miss A Cox - via school admin. 

WELCOME BACK BEECH CLASS!

WE GOT THROUGH LOCKDOWN!

HERE'S TO ANOTHER NEW AND EXCITING YEAR AHEAD

2020 - 2021 as YEAR 4 AND 5 

This term we shall be concentrating on helping you feel safe and happy in school -reunited with your friends and supporting each other through parts of the curriculum you feel you might have become a little rusty with. We already know each other well and are great at looking out for one another. However, if you do feel concerned about something, tell a friend, tell a teacher or tell your parents - talking and sharing really does help your wellbeing and enables a positive learning environment. 

Our topics for this autumn term 2020 include: 'The Ancient Greeks' in history, The 'Circulatory System' in science, Christianity 'The People of God' in RE, 'Don't Rub it in, Rub it out!' in PSHE as well as looking at aspects of Greek life in our creative arts subjects. 

(Please see useful Curriculum Information on Beech's Webpage)  

In Maths, we shall be following aspects of 'The White Rose Scheme' to help identify gaps in the children's learning as a result of being away from school during lockdown. This will mean focusing upon  Place Value and Arithmetic through mental maths and Problem solving activities and embedding written methods. Times Tables will be given weekly and tested the following week. Please make use of Times Table Rockstars to help you.

(Please see useful information in the Maths Section of Beech's Webpage) 

In English, we shall be focusing on the Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG as we still call it in our class!) through various texts and poetry around our topic of The Greeks. Spellings will be given out weekly and tested the following week from the year 4 and year 5 curriculum. It is very important to maintain a strong focus upon high frequency spellings and to encourage the children to take responsibility for being proactive in identifying difficulties rather than ignoring them! 

(Please see useful information in the Literacy Section of Beech's Webpage) 

If there are any concerns or questions about the curriculum, or school life, then please contact school or my work email and I will endeavour to help clarify them. a.cox@binsted.hants.sch.uk

 Thank you

Miss Cox 

Welcome to Beech Class 2019 - 2020.  

We are a mixed year 3 and 4 class and there are 32 of us.

       We are a fun group who are enjoying learning about:    The Stone Age - Iron Age in history Autumn Term

          Rainforests - in Geography Spring Term    The Romans - in history and Living Things in science Summer Term

                                                 Beech Class and the Coronavirus Times 

    Well the lockdown continues but I hope Easter was a chance to spend some special time with your family. The following pages will provide information and resources to help your child and you the parents, with home-schooling in the new summer term. I will try to send a regular video and in the meantime all take care and enjoy the sunshine...

keep working Beech Class!    Miss Cox 

PS. Please send me your work and photos via My School Email. This is so I can upload it onto our Beech Class Page and you can see what your friends have been up to as well!  Don't forget you can send me emails and send emails

to your class mates using Purple Mash too.  Keep checking the class pages for additional resources and information

which I will post up for you Beech Class to help stay in touch.

Welcome to Beech Class

2018 - 2019

We are a year 3/4 class of 30 boys and girls. Our classroom is lovely and the newest in the school. We have lovely teachers too! Miss Cox is our class teacher and our support teachers are Mrs Nicklin and Mrs Robarts.

Beech Class having 'High Tea' on The Binsted Express!

We have been learning about Trains for our topic this term and decided to use some DT skills and learn how to make scones and cute sandwiches! We all had a lovely day, the sampling in the afternoon was the best!

Here are some photos of the event.

Summer Term 2019

This is always a busy term and filled with musical/acting performances and many sporting events. Beech Class are learning about 'Railways at home and Abroad' for their topic and in Science they are studying 'Plants.'

In June we shall be having a sleepover at school and we shall also be going on a class trip during this term.

Keep an eye on the webpages for more photos and pieces of the children's' work.

On Wednesday 12th June 2019 Beech Class had their class trip to London.

In the morning they visited the Transport Museum Depot in Acton and in the afternoon they visited Tate Britain.

It was originally going to be Tate Modern, but, There was a lot of police activity across London

and several of the major roads in the city centre had been blocked off!

Very inconvenient!

However, as luck would have it, having just passed Tate Britain, Miss Cox decided to visit this!

It was a lovely day and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Spring Term 2019

In Beech Class this term we shall be having a geography topic-based theme, learning about 'Europe' ; Purely coincidence re Brexit ! The children will be using digital and good old-fashioned resources - globe and atlases - to find out about Europe's position globally, as well as climates, trade, currency, languages and landscapes/land-uses.

This term we are also increasing our mathematical knowledge and understanding by further developing place value, arithmetic, shape and measure, fractions and increasing our understanding of time and statistics - graphs!

In English we are reading a book called 'The Secret Lake' and will be finding out about stories and poems from different European countries.

In Science this first half of term, we are learning about 'States of Matter' and the second half of the term, about; 'Rocks and fossils'. In RE the focus is from 'Understanding Christianity' and looking at 'People of God'. PSHE is via 'HeartSmart' - 'Too much selfie isn't healthy!'

In PE the children are developing their skills in orienteering and will also  be doing 'Dance' focus.

So lots to learn and enjoy over the coming weeks.

Beech Class Making Science!

On a gorgeous sunny, autumnal November day 2018, Year 3 and 4  had a lovely trip to Baylab Pharmaceuticals in Reading. They got the chance to be scientists for a day - wearing the obligatory white coat - and learnt how to make bath bombs and lip balm! 

The following photos reveal the science, as well as the excitement involved, in creating a product which the children were able to take home; complete with personalised choices of smells and colours. 

Spellings really can be fun!

A new year and a new approach towards learning our spellings!  Today the whole school had a fun spelling day.

Beech Class were looking at 'Contraction Words' and had fun doing a variety of activities to help remember them. They sang about the 5 vowels which the apostrophes replace and managed 3 different rhythms simultaneously - cool !

They did some lovely finger painting, made some  model contraction words out of clay, created words as stain-glass window affects, came up with some crazy mnemonics to help remember the words, and, had fun with a quick quiz!

All -in-all, a great time was enjoyed by all...even by Miss Cox and Mrs Nicklin!

Beech Class have been learning about Christianity this half term and have been looking at the concept of 'Holy'. What it means and what they recognise as a Holy image or symbol. Binsted is a Church of England School and so we were lucky to have a guest speaker who is a practising Catholic. This was extremely interesting for the children who find it difficult to comprehend that we are all Christians, despite following either Church of England or Catholic religion. Mr Taylor was faced with many questions from the children and he was able to help unravel any confusions that had arisen. Some questions:

Do Catholics speak different languages?

Do Catholics eat any special foods?

Do Catholics go to different churches?

Do they have vicars?

Do they follow Jesus?

Do they wear special clothes?

Many thanks to Mr Taylor for enlightening us all. 

Resilience and Inspiration

There are times when we all need to reflect and evaluate what we are doing and how things are going. Being resilient is not always easy but by developing skills which enable us all to keep going and always do our best are what make us the unique individuals we grow into.

Mindfulness is a great way of focusing the mind and de-cluttering helping re-energise our positivity. 

  It's good to talk                      Believe in yourself              There's always a way out

 https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/mindfulness-for-children-kids-activities/  

https://youngminds.org.uk/