Mrs Meyrick
Transition to Aldborough Primary School
This half term, the Class 1 Team will be making sure that the children are all comfortable and confident with school routines, working together to achieve our learning goals. Our learning will predominantly be led by the children’s interests so that they are engaged and excited throughout the year. To ensure the children are prepared for all aspects of their learning, they need to have the appropriate equipment, which includes a PE Kit and Forest School Kit for their weekly sessions. We also ask that the children bring their book bag in daily to support home-school communication.
English
Class 1 will be building on their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills through phonics and handwriting sessions as well as sharing a variety of story books including Elmer, Funny Bones, The Gruffalo and Goldilocks & the Three Bears. These books will help us to sequence and retell stories and well as make important links across the curriculum including our topic ‘Marvellous Me’. Throughout this half term, Class 1 will also explore a range of non-fiction texts to support our learning of the world around us.
Maths
This term, Class 1 will be expanding their understanding of number, recognising, counting and ordering through a variety of engaging activities. We will also be exploring mathematical patterns, identifying these inside and outside the classroom. The children will be encouraged to ‘think aloud’ using their speaking and listening skills to explain their mathematical reasoning and then begin to record in a variety of ways.
Topic: Marvellous Me
In our topic, the children will learn about what makes them different and that our differences are what make us special. The class will learn and share information about themselves and will discuss key events and people in their lives. We will make important links with science (the human body) as well as RE & PSED. The class will share lots of books to help support their learning in this topic.
Science
Linked with our topic, Class 1 will be learning about the human body and skeletons. Due to current circumstances, we will also discuss how germs can spread, the importance of personal hygiene and what we can do to help.
Art/D&T
The children will be given ample opportunities to be creative, with regular access to a variety of arts and crafts materials, including a permanent ‘loose parts’ station. We will be concentrating on key art skills such as cutting, sticking and using a range of different materials to create a desired effect. The children will experiment with colour and patterns as well as discussing proportions, especially focusing on drawing faces and bodies (self-portraits).
PE
This term, children will be provided with an introduction to PE, which will involve learning new skills such as balancing, movement, spatial awareness, coordination and control. They will be given opportunities to practice and develop these skills throughout their school week. Class 1 have a fantastic outdoor area to allow for this, as well as a weekly forest school session and playground equipment to support their skills progression even during breaks and lunches.
ENGLISH: We will start by reading, writing and performing firework poems then winter themed poems. This will help to build our bank of describing words linked to seasonal changes. After this we will create storymaps linked to Christmas stories (Little Robin Red Vest, Baboushka, Christmas nativity story) and will do some oral storytelling with actions. Year 1s will retell traditional stories, writing linked sentences, using capital letters and full stops correctly.
Speaking and listening skills will be developed during our performance in the KS1 Nativity at the end of term.
MATHS: We will begin by working on 2D shapes, naming and sorting them in different ways. We will be comparing the number of sides and vertices. After this we will move onto measuring work where we will measure and compare lengths. Year 1s will solve simple length problems, using addition and subtraction using numbers to 20.
SCIENCE: Seasonal changes/Use of everyday materials
HUMANITIES:
Questions to inspire our learning:
What does Autumn look like? What happens in the Winter? What does Christmas look like for me?
PE/GAMES: Gymnastics plus Dance
PSHE: Making Friends/Good Choices
Please ensure that your child has spare clothes (especially trousers). It really helps if they can confidently dress themselves to ensure that we maximise PE time.
Welcome to Class One’s (and Mr Barnard’s first as its teacher) newsletter for the 2018/19 academic year. Myself, Mrs Goldsmith and Mrs Meyrick have so many exciting learning journeys for you to complete this term I am unsure how I can fit it all in on our allocated space!!! But here goes.
Transition to Primary School: This half term we will be focusing on making sure our new children are comfortable and confident with school routines, working together to achieve the best possible learning. Our learning will be a play based, exploratory one based on the children’s interests to ensure they are engaged and excited by our fabulous school.
MATHS: Year 1 children will have focussed teaching sessions with Mrs Goldsmith in the mornings where they will be working on numbers to 10 and then using this knowledge within addition and subtraction problems. They will then move onto shape and patterns. We will be using our speaking and listening skills at all times to ensure we are able to explain our thinking and then record this in a variety of ways to show our understanding. Reception children will be expanding their knowledge of number, recognising, counting and ordering through a variety of hands on activities. We will be looking at patterns around us and what makes a number itself (The Threeness of three!)
ENGLISH: In our English lessons we will all be working from a variety of story books that include Ridiculous! Suddenly and The Gruffalo’s Child. We will be using these stories to help us sequence our stories. These books will help us explore the variety of sentence starters we can use in our own writing. Later in the term we will look at diaries and how a different style of writing can be used in these compared to stories. Our daily phonics lessons will support our reading and writing as well as help us improve our speaking and listening skills. Through frequent story sessions we will explore emotions, learn about the world around us and expand the children’s ever growing vocabulary.
SCIENCE: Mrs Cuthill will be leading our Science lessons in Class 1 this year. We will be looking at Forces using experiments to help support our learning through real experiences.
HUMANITIES: Our topic question will be ‘What Scares Me?’ and this will be supported by some fantastic artwork based around fireworks and night time as well as some cooking of spooky cookies later in the term. I am really looking forward to this year and watching all the children in Class 1 enjoy and engage with their learning journey with us. To help us to do this please ensure they bring their Group Reading books in on a Wednesday (Reception will start this after half term). Ensure that your child’s PE kit is in everyday and that an extra change of clothes is also left in their bags if required during the day. Thank you
TOPIC: In this final half term of the year Class 1 will be looking at animals. We start by looking at habitats around the world and how animals have adapted to live in them. We then move on to a more scientific look, exploring terms such as mammal and amphibians. Our DT work will come from this and we will make some insect houses for our outside area. We will also have some classroom visitors – watch this space for more details!
ENGLISH: The Reception English work will take its inspiration from the topic work and we will be looking at books such as Elmer the Elephant, Lost and Found and, of course, The Hungry Caterpillar. Our lessons in Year 1 will begin by focusing on newspaper reports with an alien theme! We will then move on to more story writing and exploring different ways of planning and building up story ideas. Later we will be finding out about different authors and creating our own author information pages.
MATHS: In Maths the Reception children will look at measuring using non-standard measures, addition and subtraction using numbers to 20, and numbers beyond. The Year 1 children will continue working on mass using mainly non-standard measures. Later in the term we will move on to money, where the children will learn to recognise and know the value of different coins and notes. They will also work on addition and subtraction word problems linked to money. Towards the end of term we will begin exploring multiplication and division.
PE/SPORT: We will be outside in PE, perfecting our athletics, ready for sports day. Please make sure your child has shorts, t shirt and trainers in school, as well as spare socks if your child wears tights.
Topic: This term our focus will be on living things. We start with our history topic, looking at how our Grandparents lived. This work was enhanced by our trip to Gressenhall Rural life museum. We will then move on to look at plants, categorising them and, of course, growing our own plants from seeds. Our Art work carry on from this and we will look at how to draw flowers and trees. Finally, with one eye on the Royal Wedding, we will look at some of the traditions around marriage and family celebrations.
English: Reception children will be looking at Cinderella, boosted by the visit from the Norwich Puppet theatre, Jack and the Beanstalk and The Scarecrow’s Wedding, and we will be helping the characters in the stories by writing instructions, lists and of course retelling the stories. Year 1 will continue their information and instruction writing before moving onto writing newspaper reports These will link to previous learning in history about Henry Blogg. Later we will return to story writing by building up ideas through ‘story mountains’.
Reading: Group reading is on Wednesdays. Please can all books be returned every week. As some Group Reading sets are incomplete we are no longer able to use them which is a shame.
Maths: Reception children will be looking at halving and doubling, shapes, money and measure. Counting objects at home (up to 20) is always useful, as well regularly reading and writing numbers. Year 1 children will be working on measures including length and mass, before moving onto learning about numbers to 100 and beyond. Later in term we will focus on developing addition and subtraction strategies and money.
PE: This continues to be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please remember to send children in with a sun hat and in hot weather apply sun cream before school. Thank you.
Our travelling theme continues with our new topic: Explorers. We will be finding out about different explorers, and go with them on their travels to India, Australia and even into space. We will be investigating how exploring has changed from life on the high seas with Captain Cook, to the modern day exploration of space on the International Space Station.
Science/DT: Our science this term will be all about our bodies and how to keep them healthy. We will also investigate how we find our way around the world using our senses. This will influence our DT work in which we will investigate and then design our own lunch boxes and how to keep food safe.
English/Reading: Phonics work will continue for both the Year 1’s and Reception children, and the Year 1 children will continue to have spelling tests on Friday. We do look at these in school, but please do take time to practise them with your children.
The Year 1 children will begin the half term with African stories. This will be linked to the Africa week and will focus on characters and settings. Later they will move onto non- fiction writing about insects. We hope to receive some information about mini beasts from the Woodland Trust in response to the letters we wrote last half term.
Maths: In maths the Reception children will be concentrating on number work, learning their numbers to 20, and adding and subtracting them. They will also be doubling and halving, as well as starting to group and share.
Y1 children will be exploring calculation strategies involving addition and subtraction. They will move onto numbers to fifty before starting work on fractions. Try to begin talking about halving and quartering pizzas!
Music/PE: All children will be putting tuned and percussion instruments to familiar songs. In PE we continue with the Dance unit and will also be working on our ball skills.
We’re looking forward to another busy half term.
Class One will be off on a journey around the world, stopping off in the rainforests of Brazil, the great cities of New York and Beijing, Timbuktu in Mali and not forgetting the great British seaside! We will look at the lives of people who live there and the features of their environments. This will also inform our art work, exploring art from around the world. Year 1 children will investigate this further during their trip to the Sainsbury’s Art Centre in Norwich.
We will also be thinking about how our bodies work which will be especially important for our PE this term which is based on Dance.
ENGLISH: In our Phonics Reception Children will move onto sounds with two letters. They will also be thinking about instructions and how to write them using our range of big books. The Year 1’s will continue with their range of sounds, including weekly spelling tests. Please ensure that your children practise their spellings each week because this really does help with their writing. Literacy lessons in Year 1 will be linked to a variety of story books including The Snail and the Whale, Dear Greenpeace and Handa’s Surprise. We will be learning more about writing formal and informal letters. In the coming weeks we will be focusing on information writing before moving onto work on instructions.
MATHS: The Reception children will be thinking about calendars and time, as well as becoming secure in their number knowledge, first with numbers to 10, then numbers to 15, including adding and subtracting. The Year 1 children will continue working on addition and subtraction within 20 including exploring calculation strategies and carrying out problem solving activities. This should provide them with a solid basis for their next steps of learning about numbers to 50. Later, work will focus on time and fractions.
If your child is in Reception, please do add your own entries to the Tapestry system, because this really does help us gain a wider knowledge of your child and their learning.
All children will need a PE kit, including clothing suitable for outside lessons. Having this, plus wellies in school, supports Outdoor Learning. Please do let us know if you have any questions or queries.
This half term Class One will be investigating Heroes and Villains, from Guy Fawkes to Father Christmas! We will be looking at some famous historical people from the local area, as well as having visits from some contemporary community heroes.
Maths: Reception children will be starting to look at shapes and measuring, as well as continuing with our numbers to 10. Year 1 children will continue to work on shape and pattern. Then they will focus on numbers to 20, and addition and subtraction within 20.
English: Reception children will be provided with a range of opportunities to develop their writing skills linked to our Heroes and Villains topic. Year 1 will be mainly focused on reading and writing poetry. The children will be learning about rhyme, rhythm and repetition.
Group reading is on Wednesdays. Please ensure your child completes their homework, and brings their books back, as this has a real impact on other groups.
Phonics: Reception children will be continuing with their good start and will be thinking about combining the letters to make simple words. The Year 1’s will continue to work through the sounds. Please practise the spellings with your child every week, as this really does help them with their writing.
Art: We will be exploring colour in Art, creating our own firework pictures.
PE: This continues on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and we will be brushing up on our ball skills as well as continuing gymnastics. It was great to see all of the children with their trainers. Please can you also ensure your child has some socks in their bag if they wear tights to school.
Thank you for your continued support and please let me know if there are any queries.
Welcome to Class 1! While Reception settle into school routines, Year 1s will enjoy Maths and English with Ms Goldsmith as well as continuing their excellent start to phonics. All children are set weekly spellings which will be tested on Fridays, so please practise these at home.
English: Reception children will start learning the letter sounds and start to write these down. Year 1 lessons will be linked to a variety of story books including Suddenly! and Can’t You Sleep Little Bear?. We will be learning about diary accounts and the type of language used in them. Also, we will look at reasons for events in stories before moving on to work on poetry.
Maths: Reception children start their maths journey by looking at patterns, and numbers to 10, including addition and subtraction.Year 1 children will begin by working on numbers to 10 and then move onto addition and subtraction problems within numbers to 10. Later work, will focus on shapes and patterns.
Our main topics for this term are Where I Live, investigating the local area, Materials, Autumn and Local Heroes as well as Christmas. We will have some trips out to support our learning. News to follow.
Music: On a Wednesday afternoon Mrs Cuthill will be teaching music and movement. We will be learning nursery rhymes, harvest songs and counting songs. Movement to music will focus on moving safely around the room, keeping healthy and raising our heart beat. It would be really helpful if your child has laces they are able tie these on their own and if girls did not wear tights on these days. Towards the end of the term we will be listening to the finale from The Firebird suite by Igor Stravinsky. We will respond to this through Dance, music and art.
Reminders: Please can you make sure that children have book bags, PE kits and wellies in school every day. It is useful if the PE kits could contain spare pants and socks, as well as tracksuit bottoms and a jumper in case your child needs to change clothes during the day.
Group Reading will take place on Wednesday morning, and if anyone can spare an hour on Wednesdays please let me know – sharing a book with a small group of children and is a really special time at Aldborough.
I am really looking forward to working with your children this year and getting to know them better.