Year 1 w/b 26th September
Date: 29th Sep 2022 @ 5:50pm
Our focus in English this week has been on extended writing. Having learned the text map letter from Major Glad, by heart, using actions to help sequence the chronology of events the children were secure about knowing what to write. We imitated writing the letter over 3 days having shared a guided write altogether on the carpet first. We teach the children to say it, write it and check it reinforcing capital letters for start of sentences and names and full stops to finish a sentence. We have been very encouraged by the children’s resilience to write largely independently and at length over a sustained period of time. Finally, towards the end of the week we innovated our text map changing the mischief maker, feelings in the letter (linked to our work on synonyms) and what the soldiers were dropped between or from. Next week we will start to write our innovations.
In phonics we have reviewed ng and nk, writing words with these sounds in sentences and adding the suffixes -ing and -ed where appropriate. Monday’s spelling homework therefore will reflect this teaching and gives the children a further opportunity to embed their learning with you at home. Thank you again for your support encouraging your child to practise these at home and to use them in sentences with the common exception words of the week. Spelling homework should be handed in on Friday each week.
Year 1 are enjoying their work in Power maths. This week we working on comparing groups of numbers. This has included the language ‘fewer’ and ‘more’ and moving on to the use of symbols (< > and =) to compare. In our maths mastery sessions we continue to look at the ‘5’ within numbers and how to represent this speedily on our fingers, on a tens frame, a rekenrek or using dice digits.
In Collective worship, we have we have continued to look at the start of the Lord’s Prayer and the size of God’s love. We reflected on the ways we are loved and how we show love to others around us. Thank you to all those parents that contributed cakes for the MacMillan coffee morning today. We enjoyed some of the cakes that were left over in the late afternoon.
Within RE, we focused on the Christian belief of the creation. We compared views about how the world began, citing scientific beliefs in a large explosion with the accounts in Genesis in the Bible. We drew pictures to show our favourite parts of creation on the earth we live on now and then wrote about why the story of creation is so important to Christians. Perhaps this is a discussion you may like to further explore at home.
Mr Simmon’s forest school last Tuesday focused on the work of William Morris- an artist we are looking at in Art and Design. The class enjoyed making repeating patterns out of nature as well as experimenting with symmetry and their final pictures were just wonderful.
In science, we identified and named a variety of common deciduous and evergreen trees in our school grounds. We looked for clues that would identify deciduous trees by noticing that their leaves were changing colour and that some of their leaves were dropping to the floor. We gathered evidence from deciduous trees and took photographs of evergreen trees before we sketched some leaves. If you are out and about this weekend perhaps as a family, you could go on a tree hunt too and see if you can classify the trees you spot?
This week in PSHE, we have launched our My Happy Mind progamme. We have learned what our brain looks like and how it helps us. We also know the brain has 3 parts – Team HAP.
H- Hippocampus
A-Amygdala
P- Pre- frontal cortex
We enjoyed joining in with the ‘Happy Healthy Brain Song’ and reflected on our learning in our class journals.
In History we looked at three toys that belong to Mrs Lindersen, her daughter and her mum! We used the language ‘past’ and ‘present’ to ensure we understand that toys from history are toys that were payed with in the past. Next week we will look at popular toys from different decades. Thank you to those children who found out about their grandparent’s favourite toys from the past, when they were younger.
In PE we continue to build on our known dance moves and this week focused on creating a high, medium and low dance move in our dance circle. It was fantastic to see everyone have a go even if needed to ask for some help.
Our Art session this week involved looking at the work of William Morris. This linked to both our English text and our work in Forest School. We Observed and discussed a range of his work and spoke about our likes and dislikes ensuring everyone felt comfortable to share their views even if they were different to the views of others. We were fascinated by the symmetry in the prints especially as we modelled this using a mirror.
This week we have also enjoyed a visit to Harry’s farm to watch some ploughing. We were amazed by the number of tractors competing and the skills of the drivers. We were also lucky enough to have a ride on a large trailer pulled by a very powerful tractor and in all the beautiful autumn sunshine.
Next week marks the start of our harvest preparations. This year we will be supporting the Brereton food pantry (based at Revd Sandi’s vicarage) and Chance Changing Lives which is a homeless charity supporting families in Crewe and Nantwich. If possible, we are asking for donations of non-perishable goods and hygiene items which can be sent into school from next week. The Year 6 Ethos Council will help us launch our harvest giving for 2022 in Monday’s Collective Worship.
We shall also be holding a short Harvest Service for Parents and Grandparents of children in EYFS and Years 1 and 2, next Friday 7th October at 10am, at St Oswald’s Church. The children will be singing some harvest songs and each class will present something to the service. If you would like to walk down to the Church with us, we shall be leaving about 9.30am from school so please wait just outside school and it will be lovely to see you. Once in Church, the children will sit at the front and parents are invited to sit towards the back. We expect the service to last no longer than 30 minutes.
With many thanks as always,
Mrs Pulle and Mrs Lindersen
