St Peter's Has Got Talent

Thursday 21st July

We had our much-anticipated final of St Peter's Has Got Talent today and what a treat it was! We were so impressed by all the performers, but special mention to Arthur, Aiva, Ciara, Bethany, Noah E, Seb and Julien who made Year 3 very proud.

Islam

Monday 18th July

To round up our RE learning from this year, the children have been busy producing some fantastic double-page spreads about Islam. They included knowledge from RE lessons as well as from our whole class reading text, Planet Omar. They should feel really proud of these as they all look great!

Printed Fabric

Wednesday 13th July

We revised the printing process before rolling our cardboard squares with paint. We then pressed our collograph blocks onto our dip-dyed fabric to create our desired pattern. They look fab!

Preparing to Print

Thursday 7th July

In Art today, the children created collograph blocks using pieces of cardboard which they will then use to print on their dip-dyed fabric. I was so impressed with the variety of patterns chosen. 

Water Transportation

Wednesday 22nd June

As part of our Plants topic in Science, we learned about how water is transported in plants. We placed a white flower in blue food colouring diluted with water and predicted what might happen. After an hour or two, we noticed that the petals had turned blue as the water and food colouring had been transported by the stem.

Fencing

Monday 20th June

This morning, the children had the opportunity to participate in a fencing workshop as part of National Sports Week. They practised blocking, lunging, correct footwork and the starting position. A huge thank you to Miss Honour for organising this. 

Biscuit Bear

W/c 13th June

We have really enjoyed starting our English unit about the book Biscuit Bear by Mini Grey. The children produced emotion graphs for the main characters to illustrate how their feelings change throughout the story. They then wrote diary entries detailing the events from the day.

Kew Gardens

Thursday 9th June

We had an 'amazing' day at Kew Gardens today. We spent some time exploring the glasshouses where we were able to see lots of plants that grow in tropical rainforests. The children got very warm in there and definitely noticed the climate changing as we stepped inside. We also had a pollination workshop where the children used paintbrushes to become 'human pollinators'! A huge thank you to the parent volunteers for making the trip possible.

Correspondence Problems

Wednesday 25th May

The children have been tackling some complicated correspondence problems in Maths this week. They have been reading each question carefully before adding information to their bar models. We spent two lessons on this and the children all felt much more confident after this! Well done everyone. 

1970s Dance

Tuesday 17th May

On Tuesday, we had a fantastic dance workshop in which we learned a routine to the song 'Boogie Wonderland' by Earth, Wind and Fire. We will be performing it as part of the Jubilee Celebrations next month on Friday 17th June. The children did so well and we will be practising lots over the next few weeks.

Climate Graphs

Tuesday 10th May

In Geography today, the children matched climate graphs up with their descriptions. We then constructed our own climate graphs for St Albans, showing the average temperature and rainfall for each month.

Staying Safe Online

Monday 9th May

In Computing, we have been learning how to use 2Email on Purple Mash. As our task today, the children had to email me a list of rules to help people stay safe when using email software. Some of their rules included:

• Never give out personal information
• Only email people you know, including friends and family
• Keep your password to yourself
• Don't send photos of yourself or others online
• If anything worries you, speak to an adult about it who can help

Regrouping for Multiplication

Wednesday 4th May

This week in Maths we've bene using the part-whole model to solve multiplication questions.

UK Climate

Tuesday 26th April

In Geography, we started our new topic by studying the climate of the UK. First, we identified the UK's climate as temperate, then we analysed the average temperature in January and July as well as rainfall. The children discussed how these varied in different parts of the UK using maps. We found that the South of the UK is typically warmer than the North because it is closer to the Equator. We also noticed that the West of the UK gets more rainfall than the East.

Sensory Garden

Wednesday 20th April

This morning, we had a chance to explore the sensory garden for the first time. We talked about it being a place of peace, calm and mindfulness.

The Odyssey

Friday 1st April

We all had a fantastic time at The Odyssey to watch Encanto on our last day of the Spring term. It has been a busy term - we have had our trip to the Cathedral, production of The Peace Child amongst lots of other exciting things. The cinema was a great way to end a fun term.

Experimenting with Conjunctions

Thursday 24th March

As part of our work about The Iron Man by Ted Hughes, we have been experimenting with conjunctions to extend our sentences. Today, the children were challenged to write sentences about Chapter 3 using conjunctions and were encouraged to use these at the beginning where possible.

Team Work

Monday 14th March

In PE with Mr Morgan, we have been working on our team work and problem solving skills. The children worked in groups to make their way across a 'river' using a only a few spots as islands along their way. Some groups were even challenged to do it without talking!

Shading Techniques

Thursday 10th March

Last week in Art, the children practised a range of techniques for shading including stippling, hatching and cross-hatching. We discussed how we could make shades darker by making marks closer together or over the top.

World Book Day

Thursday 3rd March

Cathedral Trip

Wednesday 2nd March

As part of our History and Geography topics about our local area, we took a trip to St Albans Cathedral. We used our map skills to find the grid reference for our school using Ordnance Survey maps and then practiced using a compass to find various information around the building. In the afternoon, we became monks and nuns and learnt how to produce illuminated lettering in the Scriptorium. The children represented St Peter's admirably and thoroughly enjoyed the day. A huge thank you to Mrs Bartlett, Mrs Doyle and our parent helpers for making the day possible. 

Escape Room: Forces and Magnets

Wednesday 23rd February

To finish our Science unit on forces and magnets, the children worked in groups to solve various clues relating to their learning. The clues included calculating how many items from a group were magnetic as well as predicting whether pairs of magnets would attract or repel based on the position of their poles. They had to work together to figure out the 6 digit code which would enable them to 'escape the room'. All of the children enjoyed the challenge and I was really impressed by their team work and problem solving skills. Congratulations to the winning group of Leanne, Noah O, Chloe, Thomas and Aiva!

Poetry Festival

Friday 11th February

A big congratulations to our Year 3 representatives for the Poetry Festival today. We are really looking forward to seeing all of the performances from across the school and will be cheering on Erin and Noah! 

Spreadsheets

Monday 7th February

In Computing, we have been learning about spreadsheets. We have explored creating pictures on spreadsheets by changing the colour of different cells and had a go at a treasure hunt using advanced mode. Below are some examples of the children's work.

Newspaper-Style Reports

Thursday 27th January

This week, we have started a new unit of work in English lessons focusing on newspaper-style reports. We have developed the skill of summarising, practised reading newspaper reports aloud using appropriate intonation and emphasis, and identified the features, such as headlines, photos with captions and a final paragraph mentioning the future. The children have also been distinguishing between fact and opinion as well as key and additional information. 

Investigating Friction

Wednesday 19th January

In Science, we learned about friction which acts on a moving object to slow it down. We made predictions about which materials would create the most and least friction acting on a toy car. The children worked in groups to investigate the friction created by carpet, bubble wrap, corrugated card, tin foil and a whiteboard. They had to lift up a board covered in each material one centimetre at a time until the toy car began to move.

Irregular and Irregular Polygons

Monday 17th January

This morning, the children worked in groups to sort polygons into various groups based on whether all the sides were the same length and all the internal angles were equal size. We then clarified the meaning of a regular polygon before labelling different shapes as either regular or irregular.

Chopping and Slicing

Thursday 13th January

As part of our DT unit this half term, the children practised the bridge and claw techniques of chopping and slicing sandwich ingredients. We talked about knife safety and food hygiene beforehand and then the children had a go themselves. They were extremely sensible and listened carefully to the adults in the room to ensure they kept themselves safe and successfully cut their ingredients. There were some great concentration faces!

Welcome Back and Pushes and Pulls

Thursday 13th January

It is great to be back at school after the holidays. The children have all come back ready to learn and we have really enjoyed our first week of the Spring term. 

In Science, we started our new topic of Forces and Magnets. We started by discussing what children already knew then moved on to learn about how a force can be a push or a pull which either starts or stops the movement of an object. 

The children created a freeze-frame of them exerting a force and we had to guess whether it was a push or pull. Can you have a go?

Biscuit Henge!

Tuesday 14th December

This afternoon, Year 3 worked very hard on their teamwork and resilience skills as they built their own versions of a stone monument using a variety of biscuits. 

"It was very difficult but when we got the hang of it, it got a bit easier. The most important part was having fun!" Thomas

"It was hard at first but when we worked together we solved it." Sophie

"All tables found it quite hard but after a bit of teamwork it got a lot easier." Otto

Winter Music Concert

Friday 10th December

This morning, we were treated to a festive music concert featuring performances from Year 5 ukuleles, orchestra and the infant and junior choirs. It was a great way to get into the festive spirit. Well done to all of the children who were involved but especially the Year 3s who represented the Junior choir so brilliantly.

Indoor PE

Monday 6th December

We had an impromptu indoor PE lesson this afternoon due to the weather. Luckily the children had a lovely time competing in relay races and learning the art of speed stacking.

Our Learning This Week

Thursday 2nd December

First of all, I hope everyone had a lovely long weekend and was able to relax and enjoy the extra couple of days. We got straight back into our learning on Tuesday and I have been impressed with the children's focus and motivation. In English, we are nearing the end of our unit of work based on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The children will be writing first person narratives based on Lucy's journey. In Maths, we've been using the bar model to solve addition and subtraction word problems and in our Science lesson, we explored the four processes involved in soil formation.

Fossils

Wednesday 24th November

Today in Science we learned about the three different types of fossils - chemical fossils, body fossils and trace fossils. Mrs Hill brought in a fossil of a footprint that she showed us last week which we were able to identify as a trace fossil. The children had a chance to create their own mould fossils by pressing a shell into a piece of clay. 

New Playground Equipment

Monday 22nd November

The highlight of our day today was definitely getting to try out the new playground equipment. We absolutely LOVED it and can't wait to use it again!

Children In Need

Friday 19th November

It was great to see all of the children in their pyjamas today to raise money for Children In Need. Thank you for all of the generous donations. 

KidZania

Thursday 18th November

Year 2 and 3 had a brilliant day at KidZania where the children were able to try their hand at a whole host of jobs including vets, firefighters, police officers and radio presenters! We would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all of the grown ups who came with for making the trip possible.

"I really loved taking care of the bunny and the dog," - Sasha

"The Just Dance was amazing and fun!" - Aiva

"My favourite thing was being a secret agent," - Arthur

"My favourite job was being a police officer. We got to walk around chanting and saluting the firefighters," - Lara

Odd Socks for Anti-Bullying Week - One Kind Word

Monday 15th November

It's been great to see so many of the children wearing odd socks today to raise awareness for anti-bullying week. The theme this year is 'One Kind Word'. We will be participating in a live lesson this morning to develop our understanding of the importance of kindness.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Wednesday 10th November

We started reading our new book in English today. Our task was to write expanded noun phrases about the wardrobe. Here are some that we came up with:

rectangular, oak wood doors that open when you pull the handle - Noah E

metal, round handles which open the door - Kayla

shiny, glimmering glass that sparkles in the sun - Arthur

patterned, classic legs that keep the wardrobe upright - Erin

RE

Wednesday 10th November

In RE yesterday, we discussed different ways of describing God. We talked about the fact that some people believe in a God whilst others do not. We also talked about different people believing in different Gods. The children drew a picture or symbol to represent what they thought of as God and then described them in a variety of ways.

First day back!

Monday 1st November

We had a fantastic first day back after half term today. The children got stuck straight into their learning with great enthusiasm. We have got lots to look forward to this half term including trips to the Odyssey and Kidzania which we are all excited about.

Please make sure your child brings their PE kit back into school if they haven't already.

Skeletons

Thursday 21st October

Over the last few weeks in Science, we have been learning about muscles and bones. We sorted animals based on their skeleton type (exoskeleton, endoskeleton and hydrostatic skeletons) and learned about the functions of a human skeleton. 

More Fancy Dress Pictures!

Friday 15th October

Printing with Colour and Texture

Thursday 14th October

Today we continued our unit of work on printing by exploring colour and texture. We used Lego bricks, corrugated paper, a football, cubes, cotton reels and polystyrene tiles to make different patterns in our sketch books.

Extreme Reading

Wednesday 13th October

Thank you for all of the contributions so far to our 'Extreme Reading' display. This is up in our spare classroom to inspire reading and show off some of the children's favourite (extreme!) reading spots! Mrs Walton will also be making a whole school display after half term. It is not too late to send in your photos to add to our wall.

Fancy Dress Day

Friday 8th October

Monoprinting

Thursday 7th October

We had a great time in Art today using lolly sticks to carve patterns into polystyrene tiles. We then used a roller to apply paint to our tile before printing into our Sketch Books. 

Happy Humans

Tuesday 5th October

Today we had our fourth session with Charlotte from Happy Humans. It has been so lovely to see the children's enjoyment and relaxation during these sessions grow since the beginning of September. Charlotte and I were particularly proud today as the children gave each other massages (with permission) whilst whispering positive affirmations to one another. We end each session with a guided meditation. 

'Think 100'

Monday 4th October

We are midway through a sequence of lessons focused on addition in Maths at the moment. As you have seen from the homework, we have mastered 'think 10' as a strategy and today we moved on to 'think 100'. Have a look at our brilliant work below!

How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth

Friday 1st October

We have started our next unit in English lessons this week, with a non-fiction focus on instructions. Our model text is How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth. So far, we have identified the features of instruction texts and started drawing our text maps.

Scooter Training

29th September

The children had a fantastic time at scooter training last week. Please enjoy looking at some of the photos of them practising their scootering on the MUGA.

Circus Skills

21st September

This morning, we were lucky enough to experience a circus skills workshop, where the children were encouraged to be resilient and give difficult things a go. I felt really proud watching all of the children try new things with a positive mindset, and of course have fun too! We tried plate spinning, walking on a tightrope, using diablos, balancing peacock feathers on our bodies, using stilts and more!

Basketball

20th September

The children have shown great improvement in their basketball skills already this term! We have been practising dribbling the ball at waist height, using the right amount of power to keep the ball at the right level.

Roller Printing

16th September

We began our first Art unit of work today. We experimented using different techniques with a roller. 

Happy Humans

W/c 13th September

We had our first Happy Humans session of Year 3 with Charlotte on Tuesday. We talked about how our bodies feel when we are excited and when we are calm. I was really impressed by how well most of the children were able to relax and enjoy the meditation at the end. We will have sessions with Charlotte every Tuesday afternoon until half term. 

Welcome to Year 3!

W/c 6th September

This week, we have started learning our newest model text - a diary entry based on the Stone Age. The children have already come up with some fantastic, memorable actions to help us remember the structure and language of the text. I wonder if they can perform it for you?