Google Services
Search
Search
Translate
Translate
Year 4 - Hickory Class
Tudor Day!
Year 4 enjoyed a wonderful day where they experienced life as a Tudor! The children participated in many activities including sewing Tudor roses, archery and writing their name in calligraphy. The afternoon was spent at a royal banquet where they indulged in Tudor food and learnt how to dance like a Tudor!
Constructing simple circuits in Science
This week, the children have been learning how electricity flows through a pathway called a circuit. To help their understanding, they were tasked with a challenge to get the light bulb in their circuit to light. They loved constructing the circuits and figuring out why things would or wouldn’t work. We even managed to get the buzzers out to create a wonderful, yet very annoying, noise.
Understanding Agape
For our RE this term, we are exploring how Christians show agape so today we discussed what love means to the children including who or what they love. We then created a wonderful window display showing all the ways we can follow agape and show love to others!
The Tudors
Today we began our History topic- The Tudors! We recreated the War of the Roses and Henry and Richard battled it out in the classroom- of course with Henry winning and becoming Henry VII. The children then wrote a piece of work and drew some beautiful Tudor roses!
Welcome back Hickory!
I hope you had a fantastic Easter break filled with laughter and joy. It's wonderful to see each and every one of your smiling faces back in the classroom, ready to dive into new adventures and learning experiences together. Let's make this term one to remember, filled with curiosity, growth, and fun. Get ready to explore, discover, and create amazing memories together!
I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful Easter break and enjoy time in the sunshine (hopefully!) with friends and family. Thank you for all your hard work this term. Our next term together will be my last one but I can't wait to see you all after the break for more fun and learning! Have a lovely 2 weeks off!
Love Mrs Chambers
Treasure Island!
Words cannot express how unbelievably proud we are of all the children for their performance of 'Treasure Island' this term. They have worked so hard learning lines and song lyrics and their hard work paid off with some outstanding performances! Thank you so much for all your support in learning lines and finding costumes. Well done to all of Year 4!
Sound Investigations
In science this week we have been exploring sounds by following experiment instructions. There were 4 experiments to investigate: a spoon sound maker, 2 glass sound makers and a string telephone! The children loved investigating the sound they could make with all of these!
SCARF Workshop
On Wednesday, we participated in an engaging SCARF workshop as part of our PSHE curriculum. The session focused on key topics, including how to stay safe in different situations, the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and an in-depth look at the different systems within our body and how they function. Through interactive discussions and activities, we explored ways to make safe and responsible choices, such as looking after our mental and physical well-being, understanding the impact of diet and exercise, and recognising how our bodies work to keep us healthy.
Mother's Day Biscuits
To celebrate our wonderful mothers and all the hard work they do for us, the children made biscuits, baked them and designed a label for the front of their bags. I think they looked amazing and I hope all of the mums were happy!
DT- Pavilion structures
For our DT this term, the children have been creating their own 3D structures using paper straws. They were then tasked with creating cladding for the outside which they also go tot design and colour.
Preston Secondary School Science Visit
We had a great visit from Preston Secondary who taught us about what a doctor's job is. They brought along some reflex sticks and stethoscopes so that we could have a go at looking after each other!
Somerset Cricket Foundation Session
We were extremely lucky to have Sean from Somerset Cricket run a session with our class today. We learned so much about batting, fielding and how to get a wicket. The class had so much fun despite it being a little chilly out! Thank you so much to the cricket foundation for providing an amazing session!
Step into the NHS day.
Today, we joined a live day where we learned all about different job roles within the NHS. They introduced a competition where the children can enter and win some amazing prizes! They were very inspired to perhaps have a job in the NHS when they are older.
Advertising our innovative inventions
To support our science week, we created adverts to try and sell our inventions! The children were fantastic at coming up with slogans and jingles to sell their product. The children entered ‘Dragon’s Den’ and tried to get money invested in their product! Their posters were informative and engaging.
Science Fair 2025
We are so proud of our Hickory class members for entering the Science Fair! They all did a wonderful job!
Science Fair 2025
The school science fair buzzed with excitement as young minds proudly showcased their innovative projects. Colourful posters adorned the walls, displaying hypotheses, experiments, and results. From homemade volcanoes erupting with vinegar and baking soda to meticulously designed body parts, the fair was a testament to creativity and scientific curiosity. Enthusiastic students eagerly explained their projects to parents, teachers, and fellow classmates, sparking discussions and fostering a love for discovery.
Thank you to all the participants!
Play rehearsals!
We had our first try on of costumes this afternoon and they all looked amazing! Thank you so much to all the parents for their support in getting costumes for the children- without you, we would have no show! The children are getting excited as our first performance to the 'Golden Oldies' is in 2 weeks. A ticket letter went home today so please ensure those come back in time for show week!
Branston’s potatoes visit
We were very lucky to have Jayne from Branston’s potatoes visit us on our world book day. She told the children all about her job and what they do there. The children asked some wonderful questions and then Jayne read the book ‘Supertato’.
World Book Day 2025
Glastonbury Abbey Trip
What an absolutely FANTASTIC trip we have had today! Once the fog had cleared, the sun was beaming for us all day and the children were impeccably behaved- even the staff at the Abbey commented on how polite, calm and engaged they were. We started the day with a tour of the abbey, learning all about the history behind it and how the Vikings impacted the abbey. We then went on to meet a Viking who even let us hold his axe! After lunch, we head down to become monks and learn all about taking the vow in Viking times. What a simply wonderful day we all had!
Year 3/4 Disco
History- Beginning the Vikings
We have begun our Vikings topic for this term! The children wrote things that they know about Vikings and things that they would like to know throughout this topic. We then learned all about how they invaded and why. The children (and myself!) are very much looking forward to our Viking trip on Wednesday!
DT- Pavilion structures
For DT this term, the children are learning all about structures. This will enable them to develop the skills to build their own mini pavilions. This week, the children learned the best way to structure a building by using spaghetti and play doh to create 3D shapes.
HALF TERM HOMEWORK
With our play fast approaching, the children will not be going home with homework for half term. We are asking that the children please learn their lines and song lyrics for the play. As well as this, please could they continue to practice their timestables as our Government test will be taking place soon.
Thank you again for your support. Have a lovely half term!
Fife lessons continued
We continued our fife lessons this week with the learning of a short sequence, switching between pitches a and b. Mrs Chambers was thrilled when their warm up music was one of her favourite Disney songs.
Dua and Keyaan- Taj Mahal presentation
Dua and Keyaan were set a 4 week research task in which they had to explore the Seven Wonders of the World. Their task was to choose one of the seven wonders and do a deep-dive research into that topic. They chose the Taj Mahal as we had been learning about India in Geography. This week, they then presented their findings to the class and did a simply wonderful job of teaching the class all about this amazing wonder of the world. They even included a quiz to test the children's listening skills!
Art- painting still life
To finish our topic this term, the children have been applying their new sketching and painting skills by completing a still life picture. They chose 4 objects from the classroom, sketched them into their books and then, using different shades, painted the objects. They worked so hard and the end results looked amazing!
Music- Fife lessons
This week, the children began their fife lessons! They learned all about the different cords they could play and they did a wonderful job for their first lesson!
Azzie- The Gillian Award
We are VERY proud of Azzie who has won 'The Gillian Award' for her performances in the Torbay dance festival. Azzie has an incredible passion for dance and we are so pleased she shares her achievements with us!
MBE- Mr Conway
We were extremely lucky to have a visitor this week, Mr Conway, who is our lovely Esme's grandad. He was awarded an MBE and came to show us pictures of him receiving the award and even allowed the children to touch and wear the medal.
Science- Changing states of matter
To support our understanding of the three states of matter, the children made rice crispy cakes! When making them, they observed how, when heat is applied, you can change a solid to a liquid. After mixing in the rice crispies, they were then able to observe how the liquid can cool and become a solid once more. We discussed how this was called a reversible change and it was able to change back and forth.
Wessex Water Workshop
We were very lucky to have Wessex Water worker, Tim, come and do a workshop with the children about the water cycle. They learned all about how the water cycle works, how water is treated to make it clean and what not to put down the toilet! The children had a go at ‘flushing’ a fake toilet and discovered what would happen to certain items. Who knew that flushable wipes aren’t flushable! They learned a new word of the day too, disintegrated, and even observed toilet paper do just that.
RE- Debating 'Adam and Eve'
The children were set the task of a moral ‘debate’ and were spilt into two teams to compete. The teams were divided into ‘Adam and Eve were wrong for eating the forbidden fruit’ and ‘Adam and Eve were right to eat the forbidden fruit’. The children planned their points, and a very heated debate began with some excellent evidence being shared amongst the class! It ended in a tie draw!
World Religion Day
For our celebration of world religions, Hickory class made paper chain people and, on each, drew a person from a different religion. Then on the back, they wrote all about that religion. We have displayed them in our window so that we can celebrate the diversity we have in our school.
Art- 3D with shades and tints
Developing on from last week’s shades and tints lessons, the children have been painting an apple in 3D using red, black and white paint.
Maths- Data handling (Excel)
To help further the children's understanding of data, we linked with our computing topic of data logging. The children learned how to fill out a frequency table on Excel and then inserted a bar chart to their spreadsheet. They even managed to change colour and style of the bar chart!
Art topic- Light and Dark
To begin our Art topic for this term, we experimented with tints and shades. The children chose 3 colours and changed the shades of them by adding black and white paint.
India Workshop
In the Year 4 Indian workshop, students explored the rich tapestry of India's culture and traditions. They participated in engaging activities like learning traditional dances, creating colourful rangoli art, and playing instruments. The classroom buzzed with excitement as children immersed themselves in the vibrant sights and sounds of India. Guided by enthusiastic teacher, the workshop provided a fun and educational experience, leaving lasting memories of cultural discovery for all who attended.
Workshop dancing
Workshop dancing
Danger, Hazard or Risk?
During our PSHE lesson today, we explored the concepts of dangers, hazards, and risks. The children were presented with various situations and tasked with classifying each one. They demonstrated excellent understanding and skill in identifying them accurately.
Hickory's New Year's Resolutions
To kick start our new year, the children have been thinking about what their 2025 will look like! They all made New Year's resolutions for something at home and at school. I did read about lots of tidy bedrooms so let's hope they keep up with that!
Happy new year to all of you! I hope you have had the most wonderful break and spent some well deserved time relaxing and enjoying time with friends and family. I have missed you during our break and I can't wait to see all your smiling faces on Tuesday when we get back to school. Be ready for a fun-filled term, ready to learn lots and make some amazing memories! I can't wait to see what this term has in store for us!
See you soon,
Mrs Chambers
Thank you, Hickory class, for your hard work this term and for making me proud every single day! I hope you all have a magical Christmas filled with joy and quality time with your family. I’m looking forward to seeing you in the New Year and hearing all about your amazing holiday. Stay safe and happy!
Love Mrs Chambers
Friday- Christmas Week
To end our festivities, we had a class Christmas party! We played games and danced the morning away enjoying lots of sweets as prizes. After our weekly cup assembly, we held a Christmas quiz with a mixture of picture rounds, spot the differences and some celebs with hats over their faces! Well done to our winners! The afternoon consisted of some chill out time watching a movie and munching on delicious popcorn. Thank you all for a wonderful Christmas week!
Thursday- Christmas Week
Today we wrote thank you letters to the PTA for funding the Panto trip which included some great pictures of the beanstalk! We then got out all our amazing board games from the cupboard and it became very competitive, especially Uno! After break, we had our wonderful church service with Reverend David and the children read and sang beautifully throughout. In the afternoon, we had a very special visitor who gave our class some wonderful gifts!
Jack and the Beanstalk 2024!
Wow, wow and wow! What an amazing time we had at the Panto this year! The children were as ever extremely well behaved, screamed as loud as possible and danced their hearts out! Thank you so much to the PTA for funding this wonderful outing.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Tuesday- Christmas Week
Today’s crafts and games were very busy indeed! We began the morning rotating with 4 activities. We made our 2025 calendars, bookmarks and painted stain glass decorations. We also made some paper chains which the children decided to connect altogether and make one GIANT paper chain! In the afternoon, they put their creativity to use by creating their own Christmas related board games and enjoyed playing them. I think we are all very excited for what tomorrow will bring!
Monday- Christmas Week!
To begin our festivities this week, we rotated around 4 different activities in the morning. We made gingerbread houses out a malted milks, icing, jelly tots and sprinkles. We decorated wreaths, wooden ornaments and made ourselves into angels for our Christmas cards. In the afternoon, after having played bingo, we had a very competitive game of class pictionary! The children then enjoyed hot chocolate whilst watching the Gruffalo. We can't wait to see what's in store tomorrow!
Podcasts
This half-term in computing, we have been exploring different podcasts. The children began by brainstorming and writing their own scripts, focusing on engaging content, structure, and clear communication. They then moved on to the technical side, where they learned the basics of recording, editing, and fine-tuning their audio. Throughout this process, they experimented with tools to enhance sound quality, add music or sound effects, and create professional-sounding results.
Outdoor learning
The children have had an amazing term with outdoor learning enhancing their Science lessons! To end our learning, we made Christmas leaf wreaths using wire, leaves and ribbon. The children were happy with how they turned out!
Christmas Dinner Day
Hickory class had a wonderful time enjoying their delicious Christmas dinner!
Teeth Experiment
This week in science, we continued our study of teeth by writing our first scientific experiment write-up. We focused on defining our aims, making predictions, identifying variables, and ensuring the test was fair. For the experiment, we placed six eggs in different liquids to observe their effects, replicating how these liquids might impact our teeth.
FESTIVE HELICOPTER VISIT
The children were overjoyed as Father Christmas made an action-packed entrance, arriving by helicopter! Excitement filled the air as the helicopter circled and landed on the playing field. Santa, accompanied by his trusty elf, jumped out to greet the children and collect their letters. After spreading festive cheer, they climbed back aboard and were whisked away in the aircraft. It was a magical and unforgettable experience for everyone!
Outdoor learning
The children have been really enjoying their outdoor learning this term which has linked perfectly with our Science topic! This week, we spoke about the habitats of insects and we made bug hotels for the children to put in their gardens.
Egyptian mummification
We learned all about the process of mummification in our History lesson today and in true Hickory Class style, we mummified a child! Poor Eric was the Pharaoh that we decided to mummify! The children loved learning all about the process and even helped wrap Eric. They then wrote some fantastic instructions and designed their own death masks.
A big thanks from Pudsey!
We had a wonderful surprise from Pudsey today! He came in to thank all the children for their hard work in raising money for Children in Need!
RSPCA workshop
This week, the children participated in a workshop ran by Alex from the RSPCA. The learned all about the animals they look after, the work the charity does and how they can look after hedgehogs. We even had an assembly with Alex too! Our favourite part was making clay hedgehogs with spaghetti for spikes!
Science- understanding the digestive system.
Following on from last week’s lesson, we did a revolting experiment to help secure our knowledge of each part of the digestive system. The children were disgusted when squashing the banana and biscuit and it got even worse when we added some water. The tights were then used as the oesophagus and stomach. For both of the intestines, we squeezed the tights to allow the liquid to be absorbed into the body. The children found the last part the best as we cut off the end of the tights and made it seem as though we were going to the toilet!
Ancient Egypt Workshop
Today the children took part in an Ancient Egypt workshop where they learned so much about Egypt! They took part in bread making with dates, painting scarab beetles and became archaeologists digging for artefacts in the sand. They were incredibly well behaved and even got to dress up as Egyptians!
Music- Looking in the mirror
Jewish Dance Workshop
For Interfaith week, the children participated in a Jewish dance workshop. They learned a routine of a traditional Jewish wedding dance. They did a wonderful job!
Remembrance Service
Our school participated in a meaningful Remembrance Day service to honor those who served and sacrificed for our freedom. Students, staff, and community members gathered for a solemn ceremony, observing a moment of silence and listening to thoughtful readings and reflections. Poems were read, and the Last Post was played, creating a space for reflection on the courage and resilience of past generations. Through this service, students gained a deeper understanding of history, empathy, and the importance of remembrance in our daily lives.
Cross Country
Year 4 recently took part in an exciting cross-country event, showcasing their resilience and determination. Despite the challenging course, every student gave their best effort, cheering each other on and pushing through to the finish line. It was wonderful to see the students supporting one another and celebrating each runner's achievement.
Thursday's Child Led Collective Worship
This week it was Nyah, Emmett, Evie and Olivia's turn to run our collective worship. Their reasoning behind their choice this week was that they found links between the bible story and the information we had been learning about in RE for Hinduism. It was brilliant that they could make those links.
Diwali Day
Today, we had a wonderful Diwali celebration filled with a variety of activities. The students enthusiastically coloured festive designs, crafted clay Diyas, and created beautiful bracelets and lanterns. We enjoyed traditional dancing and singing, and the children took great pride in making colourful rangoli patterns using chalk. To conclude our festivities, we held a vibrant parade, carrying lights and visiting other classrooms to share the Diwali spirit. It was a joyful and engaging day that brought everyone together in celebration!
Printing Artwork
Last week, the children designed and made foam printing and today they got to paint them and print them onto paper! They have loved art with Miss Hatfield this term!
Team building PE lessons
The children have had a wonderful term of PE with Mrs Atkin! They have been team building and learning all about directions using compasses.
Thursday's Child Led Collective Worship
This week it was Edward, Jacob, Thomas and Azzie’s turn to run our collective worship. They did a retelling of the story that Mrs Hodgson told us about in our assembly this week.
Carymoor
Year 4 recently visited Carymoor, which perfectly ties in with our science topic on living things and their habitats. The children had a fantastic time learning about the environment and the impact of not recycling. They enjoyed activities like pond dipping and creating mini-beasts out of clay. It was a wonderful day, and the children's excellent behavior made it even more enjoyable!
Diwali day preparation
To prepare for Diwali day on Friday, the children have made their tea light holders! These will be dried over the course of the week ready to then paint on Friday.
Learn with the Lords
We were delighted that we had an opportunity to have a live lesson from a Baroness who is part of the Houses of Parliament. We asked lots of questions and learned so much about the House of Lords and House of Commons.
Thursday's Child Led Collective Worship
This week it was Eric, Keyaan, Teddy, Phoebe and Haydn’s turn to run our collective worship. They did a wonderful job!
Volcanoes continued!
After allowing our volcanoes to dry, the children have been painting them this week. They look spectacular and the children (and myself) are VERY excited to erupt them next week!
Maths- Telling the time using analogue clocks
For our Maths lesson, we spent a long time going back over how to show times on an analogue clock. The children showed good knowledge and we were able to look into how we show and read time to the nearest minute.
Art- Scratch art projects
After finishing their crayon colouring, the children painted over them in black paint. This week they have been scratching off the paint to reveal artwork underneath!
Volcanoes!
Linking with our geography, we have finally started creating our volcanoes! The children really enjoyed creating the structure and using papier-mâché to stick it all together. Next week, we will be painting them and I can tell they are going to look amazing!
Thursday's Child Led Collective Worship
This week, it was Tyler, Grace, Rosie and Dylan's turn for our collective worship session. The parable they chose this week linked to our Christian value of 'Love' just like we studied on Tuesday's collective worship. The children in this group did a wonderful job of performing and reading aloud to the class. We also really enjoyed singing 'Our God' as their chosen prayer.
Their prayer goes as follows:
Thank you Lord for loving us so much that you will come and search for us when we are lost. Help us to remember how much you love us and to trust in you. Amen.
Measuring lengths
In maths this week, we have been learning to convert between centimetres and metres. Alongside this, we were estimating and measuring different lengths around the classroom.
Thursday's Child Led Collective Worship
This week, it was Millie, Esme, Zayn and Daisy's turn to lead our collective worship. They chose to tell us about 'Noah's Ark' as we have been learning about different animals in our Science topic 'Living things'. They performed the bible story beautifully, opened up a discussion about it and even chose a song for the class to perform. Their prayer went as follows:
Dear God, Thank you for all the animals and pets in the world and help us to look after them and care for them. Thank you for the rivers and streams that are full of beautiful fish. Thank you to Noah who saved all the animals.
Amen
Tennis Workshop
We had James join us to do a tennis workshop this week! The children showed off their skills and learned lots about controlling the ball! They will be ready for Wimbledon in no time!
Harvest Festival 2024
We celebrated our harvest festival this week! The children brought in some donations for the Lord's larder and we displayed them at the front of the assembly. We sang some hymns and read some poems and prayers. Rev. David also shared a bible story about the harvest. What a wonderful harvest assembly!
National Poetry Day!
Happy faces greet each day with cheer,
Imaginations soaring far and near.
Curious minds eager to explore,
Knowledge growing, always wanting more.
Outstanding teamwork, hand in hand,
Ready to learn and understand.
Year 4, where friendships bloom!
European day of languages
We have throughly enjoyed celebrating European day of languages in Year 4 today! We spent the morning learning different poems in other languages and some of the children shared some words in their language. In the morning, we also joined a live lesson all learning how to say some phrases in Spanish including 'My name is' and 'Where I come from'. The children did well learning how to say them and even write them too!
Maths- Shapes and Kandinsky
This week, we linked our maths work of shape to our art week artist, Kandinsky. The children have learned all about polygons and the 2D shapes that Kandinsky was inspired by. They have designed and created their own piece of work including finishing their pictures using felt tips pens and pencils.
Owl Visit
Thank you very much to the PTA for organising the visit from the owls. We loved meeting and learning about all the different types of owls. We even got to stroke one of the largest owls in the world - the Great Horned Owl.
French- Jacques a dit!
For French this week, the children have been learning how to play ‘Simon says’ but using French vocabulary​​​​​. They enjoyed playing as a class and then playing in small groups with particular children chosen as ‘Jacques’.
Thursday afternoon
During our planning afternoon, the children enjoyed Art and PE with Miss Hatfield and Mrs Atkin. You can see all the amazing skills they learned during PE including how to work together as a team. In Art, they used charcoal to draw objects and I think you'll agree they did an amazing job!
Youth Mental Health Day
Thomas, our digital leader, did a wonderful job of reading 'Control your scroll' to the class today. Youth Mental Health Day gave us lots of ideas and tips on how to help better our mental health, including taking a break from screens! We then made posters to display around the school with information about how others could benefit from less screen time. We found that listening to our favourite songs helped us a lot so we created a playlist we could use at school.
Science tree classification
For this week's Science lesson, we took a walk around the school to gather data on how we could classify the different types of tree. The children made a tally on each tree and then we drew a bar chart to represent the data.
Performing our playscripts
The children wrote amazing playscripts all about the BFG this week. They included some wonderful adverbs and remembered how to structure their scripts using stage directions. In groups, they then chose one to perform and did so in front of the whole class!
Classification of animals
We have been learning about different ways to groups animals and the characteristics of these. The children were given an animal and had to group themselves into the correct classification.
Year 4 multiplication
As the children have their multiplication check this year, we have been spending a lot of time practicing our timestables. The test consists of 25 questions and only 6 seconds to answer each one. To help with this, the children get to engage in timestables activities on a Friday morning.
WELCOME TO YEAR 4 HICKORY CLASS!
I hope you have all had a wonderful summer break and are excited to come back to school- I know I am! I know that some of you may be getting those back to school wobbles but you have nothing to be worried about. We are going to have an amazing year together and I can't wait to see all your smiling faces on the playground. Please don't forget to bring in your PE kits!
Be ready to learn, work hard and have lots of fun!
Mrs Chambers