Y3 - Otters | Kingfisher Primary School

Y3 - Otters

Otter Class

Otter Class is taught by Mr Green with Miss Darch as the Learning Support Assistant. Other staff members working with the class include Mr Frisby for Music on a Wednesday and Mr Bourne for PE on a Friday.

Mrs Worley and Mrs Ostridge also work with the class as support staff to our pupils.

Updates throughout the year can be found on both this Class Page and on our School Twitter page.

Storytelling Day

What an exciting and inspiring day we had in Otter Class for our very own Storytelling Day! The classroom was alive with creativity, imagination, and adventure as the children stepped into the shoes of real authors. Throughout the day, the children worked incredibly hard, studying the legendary tale of St George and the Dragon—but with a twist! Using their creativity and storytelling skills, they reimagined the classic story by introducing some very unlikely heroes and giving the ancient legend a brilliant modern makeover.

Otter Class brought the tale bang up to date while still capturing the spirit of bravery, adventure and doing what's right. The children used all they had learned about character, setting, and plot to craft stories that were both imaginative and full of heart. It was a proud moment to see every child become a true storyteller.

A real highlight of the day was a visit from Mark, our professional storyteller, who completely captivated us with tales from all around the world. Some of the stories he shared have been told for hundreds of years, passed down from generation to generation. Mark brought these ancient tales to life with his expressive voice, engaging actions, and brilliant sense of humour. We travelled from snowy mountain villages to bustling deserts, enchanted forests, and magical kingdoms—all without leaving our classroom!

The children were wide-eyed with wonder and full of questions, inspired not only by the stories themselves but by the rich tradition of storytelling as a way to connect, learn, and grow. It was a magical day of learning and laughter, and one that we’re sure the children will remember for a long time.

Otter Class – where every child is a storyteller in the making!

Anglo Saxon Gods

Otter Class in Year 3 have wrapped up their fascinating topic on the Anglo Saxons by diving into the world of Anglo Saxon Gods! The children had a brilliant time creating their own Saxon God Top Trump cards. They explored the Gods' families, discovered the sacred objects associated with each deity, and even compared them to their Norse and Roman equivalents. The classroom buzzed with excitement as they learned about Woden, Thunor, and Frigg, among others. The creative process of designing the cards allowed them to blend history with fun, making learning an adventure. The children’s enthusiasm was palpable as they shared their cards and stories with each other. This engaging activity not only enriched their understanding of Anglo-Saxon mythology but also fostered a sense of camaraderie and creativity. What a fantastic way to conclude their topic!

Visit to St James' Church

Year 3 had an absolutely fantastic trip to St James’ Church in Yeovil! From the moment we arrived, we were captivated by the stunning architecture and peaceful atmosphere. Vicar Sarah gave us a warm welcome and shared the fascinating history of the church, explaining how it has been a central part of Yeovil’s community for centuries.

The highlight of the visit was hearing the Easter story. Vicar Sarah told it in such an engaging way that the children were completely enthralled, hanging onto every word. They loved learning about the meaning of Easter and why it is such an important time for Christians.

We also explored the key features of the church, including the beautiful stained-glass windows, the impressive pulpit, and the huge font. It was a brilliant, eye-opening experience, and everyone left feeling inspired and full of new knowledge. What an unforgettable trip!

Knoll Nursing Home

Today, linking in with careers and the community, we had a visit from Jo and Sarah at Knoll Nursing home on Preston Road. Jo talked to us about the different rolls that are taken on in a nursing home and that the care of the patients is much more than just their physical needs. The children asked lots of amazing questions and it's always good to find out about people in our community. Thanks Jo and all at the Knoll.

World Book Day

Otter Class had an amazing time celebrating World Book Day! Everyone arrived in fantastic costumes, dressed as their favourite book characters. We had wizards, princesses, superheroes, and even a few talking animals! The completed some amazing work describing their characters, using brilliant adjectives and imagination. Mr Green even dressed up!

Later, we explored the artwork of Jeff Kinney, the author and illustrator of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Inspired by his simple yet expressive style, we had a go at drawing our own fun cartoon characters. The results were fantastic! It was a day full of creativity, laughter, and a shared love of books.

Pen-Napped

This week saw the theft of Mr Green's beloved pen. There were several suspects and a few clues that pointed to the culprits. Several notes were left and the pen would not be returned until the children all joined their writing. We had great fun (apart from Mr Green not having his pen) writing a newspaper report about the crime and our writing was good enough to see the safe return of the pen.

Pete the Poet

The children welcomed Pete the Poet today and had a great morning talking about equality and diversity. Pete worked with the children to turn their thoughts into stories and rhymes and challenged them to express them selves and use their imaginations. A great morning and the children loved it.

Rock Pool

Today, the children performed 'Rock Pool' and did an amazing job! It was a great ending to the half term and we were so proud to see all the children up on stage and giving it their all. The singing was great, parents did an amazing job with the costumes and Miss Darch, Mrs Ostridge and Mrs Worley did an amazing job with the set. Very proud all round.

A Visit from a Bee Keeper

Today, we had a visit from a local beekeeper called Marvin. Marvin came in to talk to the children all about the pollination process and the role that the bees play in it. He talks all about the bees and the ways in which they set up their hives and produce honey as a result of drinking the nectar during pollination. The children were fascinated to hear all about the bees and loved hearing about the different flowers and the effect that it has on the taste of the different honeys that he produces. It was a great afternoon all round. The children were fascinated.

Tasting Roman Food

Otter Class recently delved into the fascinating world of Roman cuisine as part of their history lessons. The children explored the types of food that Romans would have eaten and learned how these reflected their culture and lifestyle. To bring the learning to life, we organised a special Roman food tasting experience—a real treat for their taste buds!

The children had the chance to try a variety of foods inspired by Roman traditions. They sampled olives, baked their own bread, tasted Italian cheeses, and enjoyed some cured Italian meats. While the bread was favourite, the olives received mixed reviews, with many deciding that they might be an acquired taste! Nevertheless, it was wonderful to see everyone giving the new flavours a try and stepping out of their culinary comfort zones.

This activity not only expanded the children’s historical knowledge but also gave them an opportunity to engage their senses and experience history in a fun and memorable way.

Edward Hopper Sketches

This term, the children have been exploring the captivating work of Edward Hopper. They have delved into researching his art and thoughtfully comparing it to the styles of other artists, sharing their insights and opinions along the way. In addition to studying Hopper, the children have been honing their sketching techniques, focusing on pencil work to enhance their drawing skills. They have practised using line and shading to create realistic effects, applying these techniques to develop their own impressive sketches. For their final project, the children were challenged to create a winter scene, emphasising originality and mastery of shading. The results were truly outstanding, showcasing their creativity and growing artistic abilities.

Friction Mr Green's toy cars

In Science this term, we are looking at forces. We have talked about some of the different forces acting on an object and this week we looked at friction. We explored friction and how some surfaces offer more friction than others. We completed an investigation using some of Mr Green's favourite toy cars to see if changing the surface would alter the ability of the car to travel on the ramps. It was great fun!

Trip to the Museum

Today, we braved the snow and had a fantastic trip to the Museum in Taunton as part of our topic on the Romans. The children were able to handle Roman artefacts and learn about the importance of being a historian and interpreting the evidence. We also got to explore the museum and have a walk through the chronology of Somerset and see how it has changed since pre-historic times. The children loved finding out all of the amazing periods that have shaped the county we see today.

Family Learning - Viking Masks

Today, we have Darrell Wakelam in to make some Viking masks with the children and their families. We had a fantastic turnout and the masks were all amazing. It is always lovely to see the children working with their parents and a professional artist and the outcomes were brilliant.

Coding an instrument

This term, the children have been looking at coding and as part of their final project, they had to apply their skills to code a piano. Since the outset, I have been so impressed with their knowledge and they had great fun creating the different notes for their pianos.

Making Leaf Bowls in the style of Georgia O'Keeffe

In art this term, the children have been looking at the work of Georgia O'Keeffe. We have looked at how she used detail and nature to create amazing sculptures and pieces of work. Over the last few weeks, the children have been learning shaping techniques and planning their own leaf bowls. The result so far are amazing.

Careers Day

We had great fun on careers day talking about all of the different jobs that we would like to do when we grow up. It was lovely to see all of the different costumes and hear what the children had to say. During the week, we had been looking at Goldilocks. On Friday, we became CSI investigators and talked through how evidence is used to build a case. The children then looked at the evidence and built a case against Goldilocks. We also took some fingerprints too.

Visiting Author

As part of our drive on Reading here at Kingfisher, we have worked to get an author into school to visit the children. We were lucky this week to have a visit from Annelise Gray. Annelise has written a series of children's books about the adventures of Dido, a Roman girl who dreams of chariot racing. It was amazing to learn about chariots and the Romans as well as to become inspired by the journey to becoming a writer and the ins and outs of the writing process.

Making Water Bridges and Towers

Today, we split the class in half for outdoor learning. The children focused on teamwork in their groups. One group was tasked with making the tallest free standing tower and worked well to make it even taller than Mr Green! The other group worked with Miss Darch to make a water bridge focusing on the gradient needed. A great afternoon all round.

Learning to Code

Today, the children had their first experience with scratch 3. They became familiar with the basic controls and created algorithms to get their sprites to create sound from different events.

European Day of Languages

Celebrating the European Day of Languages as a class was an incredible experience! We had the chance to explore and appreciate different languages and cultures, especially focusing on German. The children really enjoyed trying all the different foods such as traditional German pretzels and sausages. They were so good!

In addition to the food, we also learned a lot of German. We practiced basic phrases like “Guten Tag” (Good day), and “Danke” (Thank you). Our teacher even introduced us to some fun German songs, and we tried to sing along, which was both hilarious and challenging! By the end of the day, we all felt a little more connected to Europe and excited about the variety of languages spoken across the continent.