What a fantastic first week back,
It has been a real pleasure to see the children return with such enthusiasm, curiosity and readiness to learn.
In Art, the children have been exploring the creative technique of texture rubbing. They have enjoyed investigating a range of surfaces both in the classroom and outdoors, using crayons and paper to capture different patterns and textures. This activity has encouraged the children to look more closely at their environment, while developing their descriptive language as they talked about how different textures feel and appear.
In STEM, the children have been exploring the properties of different materials. They have been learning how to describe materials using appropriate vocabulary and have begun working scientifically by recording their findings in simple results tables.
In Phonics, the children have been learning the sounds /l/ and /s/, while also revisiting previously taught sounds through sentence dictation. This supports both their reading and writing, helping them to build confidence and accuracy.
In Writing, the children are very excited to begin their new writing project on memoirs. They have been busy brainstorming their own memories and thinking carefully about the different types of experiences they can write about. We have discussed how memories can be happy, funny or even a little sad and how they can be shared with others through writing. The children are beginning to understand how to recall and sequence events from their own lives. Follow the link to support children at home: KS1 – Memoir Books – Genre Booklet
In Maths, the children are developing their understanding of numbers between 20 and 50. They have been engaging in fun chanting games such as “I count, you count”, which support them in counting from different starting points alongside their peers. We have also been using half-hundred squares to help children visualise numbers and count forwards with confidence. A key focus has been recognising when to move to the next row after reaching a multiple of ten. Also, Children are learning to count more efficiently by using tens and ones. They are using practical resources such as counters, cubes and straws to group objects into tens and ones, helping them understand that ten ones make one ten. Follow the link to support children at home: Y1 Summer Block 3 SOL1 Count from 20 to 50 Y1 Summer Block 3 SOL3 Count by making groups of tens
Key Messages:
Phonics books: please make sure these are returned on 01.05.26. The phonics books relate to the spellings we have been learning in class so please use them for any spelling practice alongside the reading. Please make sure you return books on the day. You will incur a £5 fine if this isn’t returned. Your child will be given their new phonics book once the old one is returned.
OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) we are incredibly grateful for your continued support. If you are planning a spring clear-out, we would greatly appreciate any donations to help enrich our outdoor play environment. We are currently in need of items such as picnic blankets, pieces of wooden planks, old strollers, garden water butts, helmets, buckets and old electronics.
Forest School: Please ensure that your child comes to school with appropriate clothing for their Forest School sessions, including weather-suitable outdoor wear and sturdy footwear ( wellies at school)
Class days are as follows:
- Dragonflies: Tuesday
- Butterflies: Monday
- Bumblebees: Thursday
PE Summer 1: This half term, PE lessons will be replaced by Forest School sessions and Theatre Dance. These experiences will continue to deliver the same core physical education curriculum objectives in a more creative and outdoor-focused way.