Welcome to Year 4: Silver Birch

I am glad to welcome you back following the glorious summer holiday and to bring to your attention important notices for the upcoming school year.

First of all, as a new member of the Firbeck staff, I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself! My name is David Edwards and I will be your child’s teacher this academic year. Having taught at another local primary school over the last seven year I have forged good relationships with the community and wish to continue to do so in my new role at Firbeck Academy.

Year 4 are very lucky to have three outstanding support staff working in our classroom: Kelly Littlewood, Seema Dhiri and Tracey Spence.

PE will take place every Monday and Thursday. Please ensure that children have their PE kits in school on all days as PE sessions may take place during none scheduled days. PE kits consist of black shorts, a white top (no logo please), suitable trainers or pumps and all jewellery must be removed. Children should have a pair of plain black jogging bottoms or leggings and a fleece for our outdoor sessions.

As a whole school, we will be injecting a high dose of fun and enthusiasm in our creative curriculum this year. Our first topic in based all around ‘The Circus’ and our curriculum map is attached to provide you with a brief outline of some of the subjects and activities we will be covering in the run up to Christmas.

Year 4 children will be given a piece of Maths and English homework every Friday. The expectation is these tasks will be completed over the weekend and returned to school on Monday morning. In addition, Year 4 Spellings will be sent home each Monday and a test will be carried out the following Monday. Please assist you child to learning these age-related spellings since spelling is a big priority in Primary assessments. Maths homework will be directly linked to the work covered that week so the children should be familiar with the area of maths. A crucial part of our daily maths work will be learning all of the times tables up to 12x12. Please encourage times table practice at home too!

I would also like to take this opportunity to reinforce the importance of children reading for at least 20 minutes every evening. Reading is vital for your child’s success and it helps enormously in their writing. Either myself or another adult in the class will be reading with your child weekly and we will be rewarding those children who read five or more times a week at home every half term.

In order for us to monitor and inform you on reading, homework tasks and school events, each child has been issued with a personal planner. It is an easy and effective way for us to communicate. Please sign the Home/School agreement. Please check your child’s planner on

a daily basis.

Children must look after their planners because if they lose/damage them, a new one will be issued at a cost of £3.

Our whole school Behaviour and Reward Systems this academic year are are as follows:

In order to help children behave positively around school, we are following a ‘Traffic Light’ Behaviour System. Children who are having a perfect day are ‘green’. Children can also now move up the behaviour chart by having an Amazing Day, an Extraordinary Day or for exceptional kindness or work with be awarded a Golden VIP Day which involves a number of exciting privileges. Please ask your child for more information! When a child misbehaves they are given a verbal warning followed by a move on the ‘yellow’, if the inappropriate behaviour persists, children are given 10 minutes time out. Failing to turn it around when back in class, children will miss a playtime. After four warnings, if the child continues to misbehave, they are moved to ‘red’ and will involve a phone call home.

The Reward System is based on earning ‘Firbeck Pounds’. Children will be issued a ‘Firbeck Pound’ by any member of staff when they exhibit excellent behaviour and excellent work. Children can buy rewards from their class ‘Rewards Menu’. The rewards given range from extra football time to choosing their own lesson. Costs do vary!

As a reminder, the school will be opening its doors at 8:50 in the morning for children to enter the building. Morning break is at 10:50-11:05 so please can you either provide your child with a mid-morning snack or money for toast/drink.

If you have any further questions or worries, please do not hesitate to contact me. You can catch me at the end of the day, as I dismiss your child, if you would like to have a word face to face.