Orca

Years 3 and 4

Teacher -  Mrs Mayo

Welcome to Orca Class 2025/26

 

 

Orca 2025-2026

For our Buddhism morning, we looked at why it is important for Buddhists to meditate. Then we had a go at this ourselves.
We also made our own Mala bracelets, which Buddhists use to support their meditation.

The run up to Christmas was a very busy time for Orca class and it was great to see how much fun was had by both the children and adults.

In our Christmas workshop, we made Christmas tree decorations using lollipop sticks, paint and loads of glitter! It was great to have so many adults coming in to class to share their learning. 

We had a special visitor, it was great to receive some gifts from Father Christmas!

We had great fun, dancing and playing games at our Christmas party!

It was fantastic seeing all of the Orca children getting into the Christmas spirit.

In our DT lessons, we looked at how levers and pulleys worked. Then we made pinball machines showing our learning. To make our pinball machines, we designed them, made them and then evaluated them.

We had great fun playing our finished pinball machines!

In art, we created our own Mexican inspired sculptures. We looked at how to join the clay and make sure that it was secure. We also used a variety of different tools to help create patterns and shapes. 

The most challenging part of the lesson was trying to create the texture of the cactus spikes.

Orca 2024-2025

Healthy Me Morning – Get Active! 💪🧠💤
This half term, Orca Class focused on the importance of being active as part of our Healthy Me Morning. We learned how staying active helps keep our minds, bodies, relationships, and sleep healthy for a happy life. The children explored different activities and sorted them into healthy and unhealthy choices. Then, using their creativity and teamwork, they designed their very own ‘Get Active’ course filled with fun exercises and movement challenges — and of course, we had a great time testing it out together outside!

 

In Art, we’ve been learning all about printing! We explored the work of two inspiring artists—Kate Watkins and William Morris—and looked at how they used pattern, shape, and nature in their designs. The children experimented with a variety of printing and stamping techniques, then created their own artwork inspired by a blend of both styles. A fantastic way to explore texture, creativity, and artistic expression!

 

 

We’ve kicked off our new Science topic: Kingdom Animalia!

To introduce the idea of classification, we started by working together as a class to create a flow chart to sort different types of leaves based on their features. Then, in teams, we put our sorting skills to the test by creating our own flow charts to classify sweets! A fun and hands-on way to understand how scientists group living things — with some tasty teamwork along the way!

We had a fantastic day at the Trinity Park School Farm and Country Fair! The children explored lots of exciting areas that taught us all about local agriculture and rural communities. From watching sheep shearing and meeting fox hounds and gun dogs, to enjoying the carrot show, food tent, and a bumpy tractor ride — there was so much to see and do. A fun-filled, hands-on day of learning in the great outdoors!

  

What Does Eternal Life Mean to Christians? ✨⛪
In RE, we’ve been exploring the big question: What does eternal life mean to Christians? This lesson focused on Christian beliefs about the afterlife and heaven. We discussed what heaven might be like, based on Christian teachings, and the children used their imagination to create their own visions of heaven inspired by what they had learned. A reflective and creative session that encouraged deep thinking and meaningful discussion.

In DT, we’ve been linking our learning to our Ancient Romans topic by exploring how aqueducts were designed to transport water. The children designed and built their own H-shaped wooden structures to support a pipe, just like a real Roman aqueduct! Throughout the unit, they developed their woodworking and design skills—measuring, sawing, assembling, and testing their creations to see if water could flow through successfully. A brilliant mix of history, creativity, and engineering!

Today we explored the fascinating religion of Hinduism. We learned aout some of the most important Hindu festivals, such as Diwali, Festival of Lights, and Holi, Festival of Colours. We also discovered more about Hindu gods and goddesses, and how each one represents different values and qualities, like wisdom, strength, and kindness. Inspired by the bright colours and beautiful patterns often seen in Hindu celebrations and art, we created our own colourful representations of Hindu deities using pattern, symbolism and imagination.

We had a fantastic time celebrating our Superheroes of Reading! This year, we thought about the real-life heroes in our lives and the book characters who inspire us with their bravery, kindness, and determination. The children loved creating their own superhero capes, sharing their favourite stories, and dressing up as reading role models. A day full of imagination, creativity, and the joy of books!

In Science, we’ve been busy exploring electricity!

The children have been learning how to build simple circuits, use different components like bulbs, buzzers and switches, and even how to draw circuit diagrams accurately. They've been experimenting with ways to improve their circuits and discovering how different components can create different effects. Lots of bright ideas and brilliant teamwork!

In our RE morning, we explored the religion of Sikhism. We began by researching what is important to Sikhs and learnt about their key beliefs, such as equality, kindness, and helping others. We then focused on the 5 K’s - five symbols that many Sikhs wear to show their faith and values. These are Kesh, Kara, Kanga, Kachera and Kirpan. To celebrate what we learnt, we created our own mini books to explain and illustrate the 5 K’s, showing what they mean and why they are important in Sikhism.

     

In RE, we have been exploring how different religions show commitment—not just to their faith, but also to their communities and the wider world. The children took part in a fun team challenge, where they had to work together to solve problems and support one another. Through this, we learnt just how important teamwork, kindness, and helping others are—values shared by many religions around the world!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We recently welcomed our class parents for a Book Look! This special event gave parents the chance to explore all the amazing work their children have been doing across the term.

From creative writing to science experiments, maths challenges to art masterpieces, the children were so proud to share their achievements and explain their learning journeys. Thank you to all the parents who joined us—it was a wonderful way to celebrate the hard work and creativity of our Year 3 and 4 learners! 🌟

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In RE ,we’ve been exploring how people can change for the better. We learnt that both inside and outside of religion, people can recognise when they’ve done something wrong, make it right, and grow into kinder, more thoughtful versions of themselves. We talked about forgiveness, second chances, and the power of learning from our mistakes. It’s been an inspiring and reflective week!

This term in Art, we've been stepping back in time to the Stone Age! The children explored how early humans created their iconic cave paintings.

We started by experimenting with color mixing and adding textures like sand and salt to our paint to replicate the look of ancient cave walls. Then, we used charcoal to create bold, striking drawings of animals, handprints, and symbols, just like Stone Age artists might have done. The children showed incredible creativity and really brought history to life through their artwork! 🪨✨

In Science, we've been investigating the pH levels of everyday household items to discover whether they are acidic, neutral, or alkaline. Using an indicator solution and a homemade red cabbage indicator, the children tested various substances like lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda, and soap.

The red cabbage experiment was especially exciting as we watched the colors change—turning pink, green, or purple depending on the pH. It was a fantastic way to see chemistry in action and learn about the science hidden in our homes! 🌈

For Science Week, we hosted a fantastic Learning Café with our class parents! Together, we explored the science of parachutes, learning about how size and material can affect air resistance and flight.

Parents and children teamed up to design and create their own parachutes using different materials and sizes. Then came the exciting part—testing them to see which designs worked best! It was a wonderful hands-on experience filled with curiosity, creativity, and teamwork. A big thank you to all the parents who joined in the fun! 🌟

This term in Science, we've been learning all about pH levels and how they help us understand whether substances are acidic, neutral, or alkaline. The children were fascinated to see how we can test the pH of different solutions using indicators.

We also conducted an exciting experiment: the electrolysis of water! The class observed how electricity can split water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. It was amazing to see science in action and understand more about the properties of water. The children asked brilliant questions and showed fantastic curiosity—future scientists in the making! 🚀