Bernadette Soubirous was born in Lourdes, France to Francois and Louise Casterot who were very poor. She was the oldest of six children but was frail and often sick. On Thursday, February 11, 1859, around the time of her First Communion, Bernadette was sent with her younger sister and a friend to gather firewood. And this is the story she had to tell, which was taken from a letter she wrote:
"I had gone down one day with two other girls to the bank of the river Gave when suddenly I heard a kind of rustling sound. I turned my head toward the field by the side of the river, but the trees seemed quite still and the noise was evidently not from them. Then I looked up and caught sight of the cave where I saw a lady wearing a lovely white dress with a bright belt. On top of each of her feet was a pale yellow rose, the same colour as her rosary beads. At this I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was seeing things, and I put my hands into the fold of my dress where my rosary was. I wanted to make the sign of the cross, but for the life of me I couldn't manage it, and my hand just fell down. Then the lady made the sign of the cross herself, and at the second attempt I managed to do the same, though my hands were trembling. Then I began to say the rosary while the lady let her beads clip through her fingers, without moving her lips. When I stopped saying the Hail Mary, she immediately vanished."
The beautiful lady who appeared to Bernadette above a rosebush in the grotto of Massabielle was God's Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. She appeared to Bernadette eighteen times and spoke with her. She told Bernadette that she should pray for sinners and do penance. The Lady also told her to have a chapel built there in her honor. Many people did not believe Bernadette when she spoke of her vision. She had to suffer very much. But one day Our Lady told Bernadette to dig in the mud. As she did, a spring of water began to flow. The next day it continued to grow larger and larger. Many miracles happened when people began to use this water. When Bernadette was older, she became a sister. She was always very humble and did not want to be praised. She did not want to receive special treatment just because she had actually seen the Blessed Virgin. Although her own health was poor, she helped care for the sick and elderly sisters. She died in 1879 at the age of thirty-six. Her last words were: "Holy Mary, pray for me, a poor sinner."
WORLD BOOK DAY 2026
THINKING SKILLS
We continue to use De Bono’s Thinking Hats, Habits of Mind and a variety of Thinking Maps to develop the children’s thinking skills. Regular reference is made during lessons to Edward De Bono’s Thinking Hats, Habits of Mind and Thinking Maps. Ask your child to tell you about which one/s they have used in class today!
We have discussed the rules that we feel will help the children to learn and work in a happy and positive environment. The children have also discussed the importance of having rules and how they can keep us all safe. Additionally, the rules reflect the ethos and mission statement of St. Mary’s school. These are displayed in our classroom. The school’s rewards and sanctions for good and bad behaviour have also been discussed with the children and displayed in the classroom.
Spellings, X Tables, Literacy, Numeracy, Mental Maths and Handwriting homework will be given every Wednesday to be handed in on Monday of the next week. Your child can hand in their homework earlier if they wish. The purpose of the homework is to reinforce learning that has taken place in class. It is also an opportunity for you to see what your child is learning. Each week the work will be explained and we will discuss any questions that they may have. The weekly spelling test will take place during the week to allow your child to practise the spelling pattern that they have focused on in lessons. Please ensure your child has practised and learnt their spellings during the week. Other homework may also be given relating to either RE, Science or history if required.
Now that the children are moving into KS2, a greater emphasis will be placed on being more independent and responsible. Your child’s homework is therefore an opportunity for them to take responsibility themselves; ensuring homework is always completed and handed in on time.
READING
At present your child will still be bringing home a school reading book. Please ensure that your child reads every night in order to develop fluency. Reading records are provided for date, book and comments to be added by an adult. Please ensure that the reading records are signed each time your child is listened to read. Also, if you could spend a little time talking about the text and asking questions to encourage your child to really think about what they have read. This will greatly help their comprehension skills. Evidence shows that good readers are also good spellers and good writers. Reading records will be checked by the class teachers every Monday and we will expect to see five adult signatures showing that you have heard your child read.
Topics to be covered this term:
-
Summer 1 – White Rose – Fractions B, Money, Time
-
Summer 2 – White Rose- Shape, statistics
In addition: daily multiplication tables practice and weekly mental maths test
Following the New Curriculum
Following the New Curriculum
Including
Fiction and Creative Writing
-
Film into Literacy
-
Poetry
-
Stories from imaginary worlds
Non-fiction
-
Information texts
-
Persuasive writing
-
Report writing (including newspaper reports)
Several of these areas will be linked to our History topic, The Romans.
In addition: weekly spellings tests, guided reading, creative writing, grammar work and handwriting practice.
Year 3 Science: Growing Our Knowledge of Plants
This term, our Year 3 children are diving deep into the fascinating world of plants! Building on what they learned in Key Stage 1, the children are transitioning from simply naming common plants to understanding exactly how they function, grow, and reproduce.
In line with the UK National Curriculum statutory requirements, our young scientists will be exploring four core learning objectives:
Plant Parts and Their Functions
Children will learn to identify and describe the functions of different parts of flowering plants, specifically focusing on the roots, stem/trunk, leaves, and flowers. They will discover how roots anchor the plant and drink water, how the stem provides support, and how leaves absorb sunlight to make food.
What Plants Need to Thrive
The class will explore the requirements of plants for life and growth. Through hands-on investigations, they will look at how the need for air, light, water, nutrients from the soil, and room to grow varies from one unique plant to another.
Water Transportation
To see science in action, pupils will investigate the way in which water is transported within plants. This is often a favourite in the classroom, as children use coloured water to visibly track how moisture travels from the roots, up through the stem, and out to the leaves.
The Life Cycle of Flowering Plants
Children will explore the part that flowers play in the life cycle of flowering plants. They will learn complex biological processes broken down into accessible concepts, including:
-
Pollination (how pollen is moved by wind or insects)
-
Seed formation (how seeds are created)
-
Seed dispersal (how seeds travel via animals, water, or wind to find a new place to grow)
Alongside this knowledge, the children are developing vital Working Scientifically skills. They will learn how to set up fair tests, make careful observations over time, record data, and use scientific evidence to explain their findings.
Uncovering the Secrets of Ancient Egypt
Step back in time with us as Year 3 journeys thousands of years into the past to explore one of the world's most remarkable early civilisations!
In line with the UK National Curriculum History Programme of Study, our Key Stage 2 pupils will be engaging in a complete depth study of Ancient Egypt. They will learn how, when and where this powerful society appeared, tracing its vast achievements and comparing it against what they already know about early British history.
Through this unit, our young historians will explore five core areas:
Chronology and Geography
Children will master using historical timelines. They will map out when the first civilisations appeared and discover the vital importance of geography. Pupils will learn why the River Nile was the lifeblood of Ancient Egypt—providing the water, transport and rich soil needed to farm and thrive in the desert.
Pharaohs and Everyday Life
The class will look at the rigid social structures of Egyptian society. From the ultimate power of legendary rulers like Tutankhamun and Cleopatra, to the daily routines, jobs, and leisure activities of farmers, craftsmen, and scribes.
Hieroglyphics and Communications
Our pupils will unravel the complex writing system of the ancients. They will study hieroglyphics, looking at how communication has changed over time and trying their hand at deciphering and writing scripts just like ancient Egyptian scribes.
Gods and the Afterlife
Ancient Egyptian belief systems are always a classroom favourite! Children will dive into their polytheistic religion, learning about powerful gods like Anubis and Osiris. They will explore their unique perspectives on death, including the detailed biological and ritual steps of mummification
.
Historical Enquiry and Evidence
A vital part of the curriculum involves how we know what we know. Children will step into the shoes of famous archaeologists like Howard Carter. They will examine primary sources, photographs, and surviving artefacts to discover how historians’ piece together the puzzles of the past.
Gymnastics- Unit 1 Flight
The children will be creating longer gymnastics sequences to perform to an audience. The children will learn a wide range of actions and explore more difficult ways to perform.
Gymnastics- Unit 2 Bridges
The children will use skills and abilities individually, in combination and in sequence, with the aim of showing as much control and precision as possible. The children will arrange apparatus responsibly, without direct supervision. The children will perform their work for an audience. The children will also watch performances and begin to make simple judgements against a set of criteria, suggesting ways that work could be improved.
The children will be extending their vocabulary this term, enabling them to talk particularly about: members of the family, parts of the body; the weather; vocabulary connected with school work and the curriculum.
Year 3 Religious Education: Creation and Covenant
This term, our Year 3 children are exploring how God reveals Himself through the world and the sacred promises He makes to His people. Following Branch 1 (Creation and Covenant) of the new RE Directory (RED), pupils will discover what it means to be stewards of the Earth and explore God's historic agreements with humanity.
This term the children will be learning about how to:
This term the children will be covering three units of coding work:
-
Starter unit
-
Sequencing and Animation
-
Conditional Events
The children will be building up their knowledge of how computer programming works.
They will be experimenting ways of programming commands to make bubbles pop on the screen
And make an alien move up and down.
Art- Roman Art:
The children will be practising their sketching skills using different sketching pencils to draw out images of Roman scenes. The children will be using clay to create Roman pots and glass tiles to create a mosaic design. The children will use Roman artefacts to create realistic drawings.
Art- A Journey Through Space
The children will be focusing on looking at different artists who have been influenced by the theme of space. They will be looking at the styles used and the colours and tones to help create the desired effect.
D&T-
Constructing a Castle- The children will explore designs of existing castles and spend time planning out their own castle design. They will be provided with a range of equipment and tools to create their own castle which the Roman soldiers would have used.
Electronic Charm-The children will look at some examples of smart wearables. They need to suggest a feature from the Micro:bit that is suitable for an eCharm.
Then they will write a program that initiates a flashing LED panel, or another pattern, on the Micro:bit when a button is pressed. They will need to identify errors, if testing is unsuccessful, by comparing their code to a correct example. They will explain the basic functionality of their finished program. Children will need to suggest key features for a pouch, with some consideration for the overall theme and the user. They will use a template when cutting and assembling a pouch, with some support and describe what is meant by ‘point of sale display’ with an example.
PSHE/ CITIZENSHIP & RSE EDUCATION:
Information from the Ten Ten Resources:
LKS2 Module Three: Created to Live in Community explores the individual’s relationship with the wider world. Here we explore how human beings are relational by nature and are called to love others in the wider community through service, through dialogue and through working for the Common Good:
Unit 1 – Religious Understanding explores in greater detail the community aspect of the Trinity and encourages children to think about what the Trinity means to them and how as they were made in God’s image, they too are created to live in community.
In Unit 2 – Living in the Wider World, children will learn some of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching from Together For The Common Good, which will help them to live in communities in the way God intends. Teaching includes the common good, the human person, social relationships and stewardship.
MUSIC:
UNIT NAMES:
-
Just three notes
-
Samba with Sérgio
-
Fly with the stars (class percussion)
Focus: Pitch (notes C-D-E), crotchet, quaver, semiquaver, crotchet rest, rhythm patterns, structure, score, dot notation, samba, carnival, fanfare, call-and-response, beat, percussion, music and community, minor and major chords (A minor, C major)
We look forward to working in partnership with you and your child this year. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to discuss anything.
Thank you in advance for your support,
Mrs Falzone