Moon Festival

The whole school looked fantastic in their Ao Dai whilst holding their beautiful lanterns. 

Squash Champion!

As many of you know, I have been competing in squash tournament after school. Saturday was a tough day because I had my semi-final match and if I was successful I would have to play the final just a few hours later.

Well, on Saturday morning I met my opponent Hung and started to play. Hung was a hard player but luckily I managed to just scrape a win. I won three games and he won two so that put me through into the final.

The final wasn't as tough as the semi-final and I comfortably beat my opponent three games to nil. I will bring in my trophy to show you all tomorrow.

Rain Rain Rain

I have noticed that it seems to be raining an awful lot recently. While I was on my bike on the way to school getting truly soaked I wondered if HCMC was the wettest place in Earth? Well after a little consideration I think it probably isn't but I don't actually know. The tricky question this week is to find out where the wettest and driest places are in Earth. Please try to find out how much rainfall there is in a year and these two locations.

Research skills are evolving!

Often the Internet is such a big and enormously complicated monster that it is too difficult to find just exactly the information we need.  Luckily everyone in Year 4 has now learned how to set the 'Advanced Search' settings when using Google to search. Remember at home to change the reading level to basic so that the results are more easily read. Even the basic level can be difficult to understand for Year 5 and 6 shildren, so don't feel that basic should be easy. 

I'm pleased to say that after improving their search skills the children managed to find some good volcano sites that they could read and understand. 

http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/mountains/volcanoes.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/natural_hazards/volcanoes_rev2.shtml

http://www.weatherwizkids.com/

Well done to Jamie for not only using Google well to search, but for also presenting her book so beautifully too!

Eco Thoughts

As I write this it is Sunday evening and I'm thinking about everything that Year 4 may achieve next week. For some reason my mind has turned to BISCAT and our recent assembly. So often I concern myself with Maths and English and all of the 'work' that has to be completed and I forget about all the other equally important learning that happens at school.

In assembly on Friday Ms Guvinder reminded us all about BISCAT and, fortunately for Year 4, we have already made a fun start to our community project. Another fortunate thing for 4T is that Hidemasa was given his green Eco ribbon. This means that Hidemasa is going to help us all, especially me, to be Eco friendly. I know that I often leave the lights and AC on in the classroom even though there is no one in the room. I have also seen many 4T members drinking water and using lots of plastic cups too.

So as well as thinking about all the important work that has to be done next week, I'm also going to be an Eco warrior - just like Hidemasa. Will you? 

How active is our planet?

The tricky question this week is slightly different. In IPC we have all been learning that we live on a very active planet and I was wondering if we could find evidence. For extra work this week I would like you to find a newspaper article that is written about a natural disaster that has happened since the start of Year 4. When you have found one,read it then write your own blog entry about it. Don't forget to include the link. When writing about the article you may want to think about the following; 

Where is the article set? 
What it is about? 
When did it take place?

Watch Our Writing Improve

Today everyone in Year 4 began planning in pairs their own fantasy story. What was different to the previous planning completed by BIS children is that this time everyone used a piece of software called 'WriteOnline'. WriteOnline is similar to Word in that it allows a person to write text but it is also quite different because it has features such as Word Bars and a text to speech function. Many children I ask to read a sentence after they have written it but will forget. WriteOnline will ready completed sentences and words to a child so they can listen back. Ms Alison and I are also a huge fan of the word bars too!

Separating Solids

Learning how to investigate can sometimes be tricky. Today all of 4T had to decide just what equipment to use in their Science investigations. Fantastically, everyone made really sensible and thoughtful decisions and were able to separate some mixtures. 

Will It Melt?

4T really enjoyed learning about which materials will melt. 

BISCAT 'Books n Blogs' Started - We're All On The Way!

Today Year 4 made the first bold steps on their journey to completing their BISCAT Silver 2 award. Throughout the year the children will be using their blogs to write down their thoughts and feelings of all their BISCAT journey. It started in the classroom today but may be set in future for homework. I look forward to reading all the exciting blog entries to come!

Guess The Settings

I was really pleased how everyone thought about characters and settings today. Everyone really tried hard to change how they acted when in the same setting but with a different atmosphere. After a quick class vote the children decided that Sam, Alex, Minh & Hui Jong were the best actors and so deserved their video on this blog. Can you guess the setting?

Tricky Question - Volcano Country

For the Tricky question this week I would like you find out the top three countries for having more volcanoes than any other. Write your answers in the comments box if you manage it. Don't forget to say where you found the information.

BBGV Fun Run

In a couple of weeks it will be the BBGV Fun Run. I'm sure you have all seen the t-shirt outside the office and are eager to sign up for the charity run. Both Ms Alison and I have signed up and will be there. We are hoping that many of Year 4 will be there too. In fact Ms Alison and I would be so proud if there were more Year 4 children from TX than any other year group in school! Do you want to run, blade or bike? If you do I will see you there. For more details about the fun run click here. I'm really looking forward to spotting as many friendly year four faces as I can.

Tricky Question - Dewey

During our Information Literacy session last week Ms Rachel asked us about the Dewey Decimal system. No one, not even I, knew who invented it or where it came from. The tricky question this week is to find this out.

Who invented the Dewey Decimal system?
Where did they come from and when did they invent it?

Please add your answer as a comment in the comments box.

Everybody Is A Learner - Even Me

So it's a new year and that means reflecting on last year and thinking about how you might improve this year. Well, after careful thought, I have decided that I would like to be better at Art. Luckily for me TX has the amazing Mr Pat this term and it has turned out to be the perfect opportunity for 4T and myself to improve our Art skills together.

Mr Pat has started teaching self portraits in both the Year 4 Classes. We first had to draw a self portrait without any help and then begin again but under the careful watch of Mr Pat. We have not finished yet but I think you can tell from my two pictures that the second me on the right is definitely better than my first portrait on the left. All that is missing is hair and ears. Both of which I eagerly look forward to learning how to draw next week. Thanks, for the excellent help Mr Pat!

Another Busy Week

This week has been a super busy week and once again I'm so very proud of all that 4T have learned. So many of the children have really listened to the objectives of my lessons and tried to complete all their activities as best they can.

 The Big Write talk homework help on Wednesday really inspired the children to write some interesting and varied story settings. It was clear that so many children had been thinking hard about which adjectives and it was great to read so many settings that showed excellent examples of VCOP. 

I think my most favourite part of the week was Earth layer research and modeling. It was the first time in the three years that I have been teaching Year 4 that I had taught that activity and it was such great fun! I eagerly await the blog posts from everyone in 4T next week. 

Journey To The Centre Of The Earth

For IPC today everyone in 4T took a journey to the centre of the earth. Everyone was amazed to learn how the Earth may be similar to an egg, and exactly what is inside our planet. Although the facts about the layers of Earth were amazing, everyone enjoyed making it more! All of 4T are going to blog a set of instructions of how to make such fantastic Earths. When they are done I will add a link into this post showing how. 

Thank You

All of the children in 4T are currently silently writing in their Big Write books and I know after this morning's parents session that the quality of writing will be much higher. I would like to say a big thank you to all the mums, dads and any other teacher/helpers that took time out of their busy day to come in a support the children in their writing. If all talk homework is completed like it was today I know the children are going to have an outstanding year!

First Learning Steps To Be Remembered!

Today was a historic day in Year 4. Gone are the days of not thinking about learning and having no time to reflect. Gone are the days of taking books home at the end of the year to be forgotten on a shelf and gather dust!

From today everyone in 4T will be able to wrap up their learning and send it to the cloud where it will dutifully follow them where ever they happen to be. They will be able access there learning wherever they are and begin to participate in an huge community of children from across the world all thinking and reflecting on their learning. Each child in 4T created their own blog and throughout the rest of the year they will be blogging all about what they have been learning. As the year progresses more and more of their own work and thoughts will be added.