Year 1 - Butterfly Class - Mr Hancox and Mrs Slusarczyk

Friday 15th November 2024

 

P.E. Days

P.E. days will be Monday and Thursday for the new term; can children please come in wearing their P.E. kits on these days.  Long hair must be tied up and any watches, earrings or other jewellery removed.  Children should have shorts for P.E. sessions; for safety reasons, only children wearing shorts can be allowed to use the P.E. apparatus.  Children should also wear a hoodie and jogging bottoms in case of cooler weather.

 

Phonics Word Wall

We go through all the words on our Word Wall every day as part of our Phonics lesson.  The borders are colour-coded to indicate which book bands the words will appear in (Pink/Red, Yellow/Blue, Green/Orange), mirroring the order in which the different Phonics sounds and phases are taught.

Age-related expectation is that children should be reading Orange books by the end of Year 1, and should therefore be able to read, recognise and understand all the words down to the bottom of the board when they appear in a text.  They should also be able to start using them in their own writing, utilising the Word Wall in order to help them with their spellings.

You can watch a video of Mr Hancox guiding you through the Word Wall by clicking here.

 

Internet Safety and Parental Controls

There have been instances of children across a number of year groups discussing inappropriate Internet content they have viewed at home.  Please ensure that your Internet-linked devices at home are suitably supervised and protected using the parental controls available.  For advice on how to keep your child safe online, including the use of parental controls, click this link to the NSPCC website.  If you'd like to know how to set up parental controls specific to gaming - limiting game time, in-game communication or setting spending limits for instance - click on this link to the EA Games website.

 

Home Learning

English:  Make time to read with your child for approximately 5-10 minutes every day.  Children are encouraged to change their reading books regularly, however you can find extra reading material on the Oxford Owl website.  Our Library Day is every Tuesday, so children can also bring their library books back and exchange them for new ones then.

You don't need to record each daily reading session in your child's Reading Diary, but do make an entry at least two or three times a week; whenever they finish a book; or just to say that they enjoyed a particular story you've shared. 

​The Reading Diary also contains lists of our Phonics sounds, along with Learning Tools to compliment your child's reading, and get them thinking, talking and sharing their opinions about the books they've read.

At the front of the Reading Diary is a list of Non-Negotiables for Year 1 - these are learning targets we are hoping to achieve by the end of the year.  From time to time, specific targets will be selected that you can focus on at home, so please check the Non-Negotiables list for any notes or annotations that will help to focus your home learning.

At the back of the Reading Diary, there are also Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates for them to earn too, which are awarded upon completion of 5, 10 and 15 of the Learning Tools respectively.  House Points are also on offer to those children who earn their Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates.

Phonics:  Following the Smart Kids: The Code Phonics scheme, this week we've been focussing on the sounds aw (saw), ir (bird), wh (w - wheel) and ph (phone).  Look out for words containing these sounds in your daily reading and when you're out and about.  The Phonics Play website has some excellent free resources and games for extra practise, and there are some "Alien" word flashcards attached to the bottom of this page.  We also sing along to the Alphabet Song on the Super Movers website.

Handwriting:  We're teaching the children cursive letter formation, using the Teach Handwriting scheme of work.  The website, which includes animations featuring correct letter formation along with worksheets, can be accessed by clicking here.

Maths:  (20-30 minutes per week)  Following the White Rose Maths scheme, we're looking at addition and subtraction within 10?  Can your child split a group of objects into two parts and combine them again?  Can they tell you a number sentence that goes with their actions?  How many different ways (number bonds) can they find to make a particular number?

Number recognition is also important in Year 1, and the children frequently struggle to recognise the tricky teen numbers between 10 and 20.  I've attached some number recognition flashcards to the bottom of this page if you'd like to practise at home.  The 'Out and About' cards on our maths page also have some great ideas for exploring numbers in everyday situations.

History:  This term, we're learning about the history of toys since the 1960s.  Perhaps your child can find out which toys their parents or grandparents played with when they were growing up; are any of those toys still popular today?  They may even be able to dig out some old photos of their favourite toys to share with the class.

Personal P.E. Challenge:  How long can we balance on one leg?  Can we improve our times with practise?  What is our record time?

​Extreme Reading Challenge

For our reading wall display, we want to prove that Langrish children love to read anywhere and everywhere!  

What's the most unusual place your child has read a book.  Up a tree?  In a hammock?  On the beach?  Bouncing on a trampoline?  Email us a photograph of your child reading a book in an unusual place (nothing dangerous of course!) and we'll put it up in the 'Extreme Reading' display within our book corner.

I look forward to seeing the unusual places you've been reading your books!

 

This Week's Story Time Selection

We read a range of books in our daily story time.  This week, one of them was 'This is Me!' by George Webster and Tim Budgen.

It tells the story of George and his friends, and celebrates the fact that everybody is different and shines in their own unique way.

Ask your child what happened in the story.  Afterwards, we talked about our own unique talents.  What does your child think makes them 'glow'?  Maybe they could draw a picture to illustrate what they said.

 

This Week's Primary Picture News

​Primary Picture News is a child-friendly and age-appropriate look at fascinating events that are going on in the wider world.  This week, the children heard about the importance of Anti-Bullying Week.  Ask your child about this week's news story using some of the conversation starters above.  

 

A Taste of Our Learning

Week 10 - A trip into the past, meeting Mondrian and championing Children in Need

On Tuesday, we jumped onto a coach and headed down to the Gosport Museum and Art Gallery to travel back in time!

It was all to do with our history topic, which is all about how toys have changed within living memory.  First, we completed a chronological challenge, working out which toys our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents might have played with.  Then, the children took part in a series of hands-on tasks using toys from across the decades.  Finally, the children had some free time to play a range of games, both old and new.

Ask your child about our trip into the past.

We began our art unit on colour by learning all about the three primary colours through the work of Dutch artist Piet Mondrian.

After talking about which three colours were the primary colours (and why), we looked at a number of paintings by Mondrian which use simple blocks of primary colour alongside black and white lines and squares.  The children then had the opportunity to create their own Mondrian-inspired works, using only primary colours to fill their own grids.

Ask your child if they can name the three primary colours, and what they thought about the work of Piet Mondrian.

Alongside it being Anti-Bullying Week, on Friday the children voted to have a non-uniform day in aid of Children in Need!

Through their input via the School Council, the children decided they wanted to raise money for Pudsey by paying £1 to come in wearing their own clothes.  It was a fabulously fun way of raising money for an amazing cause, and throughout the day the children took part in a range of Pudsey-related activities and learnt about what Children in Need does to support a wide variety of child-focused charities.

What did your child most enjoy about supporting Children in Need this year?

Week 9 - A terrifying tale, awesome autumn and dastardly drama

In the wake of Halloween, the children dared to venture into the woods for a spooky story this week.

After reading 'A Dark, Dark Tale', the children then discovered a mysterious box in the copse, just like the one in the story - but what was inside?!

Inspired by the terrifying tale, the children then wrote their own versions, choosing their own repeating adjective and crafting intriguing narratives with a surprise ending.

Ask your child about their story.  Can they tell you what they wrote about and what happened at the end? 

Staying outside, in Science, our attention turned to our year-long study of the changing seasons.

Armed with pencils, clipboards and some suitably warm clothing, the children had to note down what they noticed about the school environment now that autumn was here, thinking about what they could see, hear, feel and smell.  Alongside the changing deciduous trees and dewy grass, we also found plenty of fungi and the distinctively autumnal smell of damp, rotting leaves.

Ask your child what they noted down, and how they think the environment will continue to change over the coming months.

On Friday, Perform came in to deliver a drama workshop about some crazy space aliens!

The children had to help a friendly green alien defeat the nefarious Cruel Commander, first by learning to be astronauts (after choosing some suitable astronaut names or course), then by pretending to be stars in order to steal his favourite snack - a tasty chocolate cake.  The children had a fantastically fun time taking part in this imaginative space adventure.

Ask your child about the workshop.  What was their favourite part of the intergalatic activity?

 

Week 8 - Wonderful wolves, careful construction and marvellous music

In English, we've been exploring the story of Little Red Riding Hood for the past few weeks.  We began by learning the story and creating a 'story map', using images to remind us of exactly what happened in this famous traditional tale.  We then spent some time using adjectives to describe the characters and setting of the story.  Imagine our surprise when the Big Bad Wolf was caught on camera in the copse, and asked to come into the classroom to explain how he'd changed his ways and become a vegetarian!  The children all wrote questions to ask the wolf, and made him feel very welcome indeed.

What was your child's question for the Big Good Wolf?

After weeks of research and planning, the children finally put their Design & Technology learning into action when they made their own models of playground equipment.

Using their plans to guide them, the children made their models using straws, lollipop sticks, blu-tac, tape, pipe cleaners and string, ensuring they were strong and sturdy enough to stand up by themselves.

The children loved making their models and, in the evaluation stage, even talked about what they'd change or improve next time around.

What can your child tell you about their model?

The children have been getting very hands-on in their music lessons, using a variety of instruments to explore the concepts of beat and rhythm.

Beginning with body percussion, the children worked on staying in time with the music, before moving onto percussion instruments which they played both as an accompaniment and on their own.

We also did some mindful drawing this week, where the children were encouraged to draw shapes and images suggested by a piece of music they were listening to.

What can your child tell you about their music lessons this term?

Week 7 - Super scientists, gentle gymnastics and awesome addition

It's not every day you get a letter from a mermaid, but this week, Year 1 received a request for their help: Marissa the Mermaid had lost some of the scales from her tail, and needed some material to cover the area while her new scales regrew.  The children decided which properties the material would have to possess (being waterproof, strong and flexible), and went about testing different materials to see which would be the most suitable for the job.  Obviously it had to be a fair test, so they also had to be scientific about how much water they used and how long they left the water in position.

Ask your child what conclusions they came to.

The children have been concentrating on strength, balance and fundamental movement skills in their gymnastics P.E. lessons.

This week, one of their tasks was to work in pairs to hold different positions and mirror their partners.  They were also challenged to think of as many different positions as possible, using different parts of the body to support and balance themselves, which really tested their core strength and stability.

Ask your child if they can demonstrate any of the gymnastic positions they remember from this week.

In Maths, we'll be looking at addition and subtraction within 10 over the next few weeks.

We began with addition, exploring the different ways in which numbers can be broken into two parts and added back together into a whole, demonstrating the concept practically using blocks and Numicon, as well as in written form using a part/whole model or bar model.

We've also looked at how you can systematically work out all the number bonds for any number, and how the commutative law can be utilised in addition too.

Can your child explain their knowledge of number bonds and the commutative law?

Week 6 - An amazing assembly, marvellous maps and exciting explorer time

Thank you to everybody who could make it along to our Harvest Festival Assembly on Friday.

The children did a fantastic job of sharing our assembly with their families and the rest of the school.  They recited poems, talked about what crops need in order to grow, explained sharing with others at harvest time is important, and even performed the story of The Enormous Turnip, before leading the whole school in a rendition of the harvest classic 'Cauliflowers Fluffy'.

I'm sure you'll agree, they all did an amazing job and should be very proud of themselves and their performance!

In Geography, we continued our look at the local area by exploring some maps.

Using an electronic map, we explored the roads and features of our local area.  The children then set about creating their own maps, including important landmarks they often pass on their way to school.  They even labelled the main roads, and included symbols and a key to show what they all represented (no prizes for guessing what the big yellow 'M' represents!)

Ask your child about their map.  What landmarks did they include?  Maybe they could draw a map of the area around your house.

We keep the children pretty busy in Year 1, but it's not all work, work, work!  We also make plenty of time for the children to play and explore on their own.

During Explorer Time, there's everything from jigsaws, drawing and colouring, to dressing up, LEGO, construction materials, cars and dinosaurs for the children to play with.

It's a wonderful opportunity for everybody to get creative, build their sharing and social skills, and - most importantly - to have some fun.

Ask your child about their favourite Explorer Time activities.

Week 5 - Staggering science, amazing acrostics and super structures

In Science, we were continuing our look at everyday materials and their properties by performing an experiment.

The children looked at some objects to see what materials they were made from, then made some predictions about which materials they thought would float or sink when they were dropped into water.

We then put the items into our water tank one by one and recorded the results, some of which surprised the children.

Ask your child about the experiment.  Which results did they correctly predict, and which results did they find surprising?

In English, we've been getting ready for next week's Harvest Assembly by writing some acrostic poems about harvest time.

First, we looked at how acrostic poems work, and learnt a little bit about the Harvest Festival to build up the vocabulary for our poem.

We then wrote and learnt a simple acrostic poem together as a class, which the children then rewrote and adapted to add in extra details and make their sentences more interesting.

Can your child tell you their acrostic poem?  Maybe you could write one together at home.

In Design & Technology, we were experimenting with different structures.

Having examined playground equipment the week before and noted which shapes made the strongest structures, the children were then challenged to fold a piece of paper into a shape that would stand up by itself and be strong enough to hold the weight of a pencil.  They came up with lots of different ways of doing it, and were further challenged to see how many pencils their structures could support.

Ask your child which shapes they found were the best ones for the task.  How many pencils did their structure support?

Week 4 - Fabulous Forest School, glorious gods and genius geography

This week saw our final Forest School session of 2024.  The children have had three fantastic weeks in the copse enjoying all the activities it has to offer, including bug-spotting, climbing trees, wood whittling, den building, making clay animal prints and whipping up some "delicious" concoctions in the mud kitchen.

They've loved the opportunity to be outside exploring (or just chilling out in the hammock!) and even learnt some songs about caterpillars and gorillas which they might like to share.

Ask your child what they got up to during our Forest School sessions.

Our first World Faith and Philosophy unit of the year was all about the concept of gods.

We began by looking at the Christian concept of a single God, asking the children what they thought God might look like (which always elicits some interesting answers!) before hearing some stories from the Bible.

Later, we explored the Hindu culture, where many different gods represent the different roles and aspects of a supreme being.

Can your child name any Hindu gods, or tell you why they think the concept of god is important to both Hindus and Christians?

Our Geography unit this term is all about our local area.

We began by learning that, at its heart, Geography is the study of people and places.  We then went on to explore the difference between 'human geography' (geographical features that are built by humans, such as towns, bridges and dams), and 'physical geography' (natural features such as hills, valleys and rivers).

Can your child give you some examples of human and physical geographical features?  Can you spot any when you're out and about?

Week 3 - Marvellous materials, cracking Christmas cards and a recreation ground recce

We began our new Science topic this week, looking at 'Everyday materials'.

The children explored a wide range of objects that had been placed around the room, all made from different materials with different properties.  The children were easily able to identify the materials - including wood, plastic, metal, fabric, rock and paper - and soon got used to describing them using scientific terminology such as 'hard', 'soft', 'flexible', 'transparent', 'waterproof', 'absorbent' and 'stretchy'.

Which common everyday materials can you see around you?  Can your child identify the material and describe some of its properties?

No, that wasn't a mistake in the heading!  Despite it still being September, we've been fabulously festive in Year 1 this week by creating some eye-catching Christmas cards.  With a backdrop of Christmas music to get us in the festive mood, the children finger-painted around stencils to create relief images of stars, reindeer and Christmas trees,

The children's Christmas cards will be coming home this week, giving you plenty of time to order cards, tags and other goodies featuring your child's design in time for Christmas.  Click here for more details from the Cauliflower Cards website.

 

Our Design & Technology unit this term is all about playgrounds, so there was really only one thing we could do this week to kick it all off - go to the one next door!

The children were tasked with examining the play equipment to see how it was made, what types of shapes made sturdy structures and, to tie in with our Science, which materials had been chosen as the best ones for the job.  Obviously, there was plenty of time for playing on the equipment as well!

Can your child tell you about their trip to the park?  What was their favourite piece of equipment?

Week  2 - Super sorting, crazy crocodiles and amazing algorithms

In Maths, we've begun our work on number and place value by sorting and counting groups of objects.  We talked about the different ways we could sort objects (by shape or colour for instance) and the children then had a number of challenges to complete using different objects around the classroom.

They've also been honing their number skills in other ways, from jigsaws and dot-to-dot puzzles to matching activities and cut-and-stick games.

Ask your child about their favourite maths activities this week?

Our first English story this year has been 'The Enormous Crocodile'.

It's been a great jumping off point to get the children used to writing in their English books and they've done an amazing job of getting used to all Year 1 English routines.  Not only have they used slips of paper to construct and write sentences, they also used drama and role-play to come up with a new ending for the story in which the eponymous crocodile - rather than being sizzled up like a sausage - is given a chance to change his ways and become a better crocodile.

Ask your child about their new ending for Roald Dahl's classic tale.

In Computing, the children programmed each other to create LEGO models this week.

Using only a few LEGO bricks, the children made a simple model, taking a clear photo at each step using the iPad.  This created a picture algorithm, and they then challenged a friend to follow the algorithm - one step at a time in the correct sequence - in order to create the same LEGO model they had made.  It was a great way of demonstrating what an algorithm is, and why it needs to include clear instructions in a specific sequence.

Maybe you could try this activity at home.  Can your child create a picture algorithm for you to follow?

Week 1 - Welcome Back!

We've had a busy first week back!  First, we created our Year 1 Class Charter based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).  After going through the Articles that were most appropriate for Year 1, the children chose the Rights they felt were most important to them and included them in our Class Charter.

These included the Right to be heard (Article 12), the Right to an education (Article 28), the Right to play and rest (Article 31), and the Right to nutritious food and clean water (Article 24).

Ask your child about the UNCRC.  Which Rights did they think were most important, and which Right did they draw a picture to illustrate?

As this week was all about settling in and setting expectations for the coming year, that also included learning about how to keep ourselves safe online.

The children heard the story of Smartie the Penguin and we talked about what to do if we ever see something online that makes us feel sad, scared or worried.  This message was backed up by a video featuring Jessie and Friends, and enabled us to create and sign our own Year 1 E-Safety Charter, which you can find alongside the Class Charter at the bottom of this page.

Can your child tell you how they can keep themselves safe online?