Class 1 Newsletter Autumn Term 2021
Welcome back to school, it has been wonderful to return after some time away. I hope you had a relaxing summer and enjoyed plenty of family time. It has been lovely to meet and talk with many of you and I look forward to meeting more of you as the term progresses.
Class One have settled amazingly well back into class. They are slowly getting used to new school routines and have all demonstrated maturity and resilience. They have taken to whole school assemblies, school lunches in the hall with the rest of the school and playtimes shared with all year groups really well.
Class 1 are continuing with a strict cleansing routine washing hands or applying gel. I have been really impressed with their independence, eagerly coming into school themselves and putting their belongings carefully away on their pegs.
Class One will begin term by spending the first part of this term settling back into school and learning. Initially, there will be an emphasis of learning through play and the introduction of more structured forms of learning. Further into the term, once pupils settle, a more structured approach will be adopted.
Please see the table below showing Class One’s learning for this term.
English | In English, the focus will be developing confident independent readers, correct letter formation and simple sentence structure. This will be done through targeted phonics lessons and learning linked to the books – ‘Paper Dolls’, ‘Highway Rat‘, ‘Not Now Bernard’, Amazing Grace’ and ‘Dogger’. Pupils will focus on the predictive phrasing and repeating patterns and familiar settings within the texts. We shall also explore a short film ‘The Girl with the Yellow Bag’ and look to draw inspiration for setting descriptions and short narrative writing. Class 1 will also study the structure and purpose of lists, labels and signs alongside the story ‘Not a Stick’. |
Phonics | Initially pupils will repeat and review many of the letter sounds (phonemes) already taught in Reception. These include phase 3 phonemes which are /j/, /v/, /w/, /x/, /y/, /z/, /zz/, /qu/, /oo/, /ar/, /or/, /ur/, /ow/, /oi/, /ear/, /ch/, /sh/, /th/, /ng/, /ai/, /ee/, /igh/, /oa/, /air/, /ure/, /er/ and phase 4 cluster sounds such as /str/. Phonemes are single sounds and are made up of single or multiple letters. For example, the /f/ phoneme is a single lettered sound and /ee/ sound is a two lettered sound (diagraph). F-ee-t has 3 sounds. Later on in the first half term, pupils will be introduced to a new set of sounds know as phase 5 phonemes. For example, /oy/ for b – oy (boy). The key objective is to secure the current phonetical knowledge and then to increase it by introducing new sounds so that pupils develop into fluent, independent readers. |
Maths | In Maths, we will focus on counting within numbers 1-20, different representations of numbers, counting forwards and backwards and solving 1 more and 1 less. Later in the term, pupils will learn more about addition and subtraction within numbers 1-10, number bond relationships, fact family number sentences and geometric shapes. |
Science | Our science topic is the human body. We will focus on identifying and naming many body parts and linking some of these body parts to their 5 senses. Later on in the term, Class 1 will be studying the weather and our different seasons. |
Topic (Geography, History) | Our history topic is the Great Fire of London. We will explore how the fire started, what happened during the fire and what impact it had on the City of London and its inhabitants after the fire. Our Geography topic is hot and cold places. We shall be exploring key characteristics of hot and cold places, seasonal changes and associated weather patterns. |
RE | Our topic is ‘Special Me’. We will be looking at how we are special as individuals, who is special to us and why and what ways do our special people show us they care. |
Art and DT | In our art topic will be exploring hot and cold colours and experimenting with texture and patterns. During the Autumn term, Class 1 will have the opportunity to go to Forest school. Apart of these sessions will be completing forest sketches. |
Music | We will be looking at the song Hey You! It is written in an old school Hip Hop style. We will learn about the differences between pulse, rhythm and pitch. |
Computing | Class 1 will be looking at programmable toys. |
PSHE | We will explore the relationships and roles of different people in our lives and how we care for each other. |
Mental Health and Wellbeing | Class 1 will practice mindfulness techniques and focus on positive mental health such as identifying emotions, addressing worries and showing kindness and supporting others. |
PE | For this term, PE will be taught on Tuesday and Friday. Class 1 will focus on fundamental skills, such as movement and balance. They will also learn and enhance their ball skills. |
Reading
Within school, pupils will be reading with an adult at least every week. This is in addition to the regularly reading opportunities within phonics and English lessons specifically. Please encourage a love of reading by providing as many opportunities for your child to read to you, ideally this should be daily. Please use their reading diaries to record their reading at home and provide a comment where relevant as this helps us to support them further during school time. It is also really important that your child is read a variety of different stories. During school time, class 1 have a dedicated story time every day with a carefully chosen class text.
Reading books and your child’s reading diary will be issued next week. 1 to 2 reading books will be issued each time.
Your child will have opportunities during the week to change their reading book after they have read and enjoyed it. The opportunities to change reading books will be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If your child has finished reading their reading book, please encourage and support them to bring their completed reading book/s and reading diary into class on one of the abovementioned days whereby there will be a ‘Change Reading Book’ tray to put it in.
In addition to reading a new book, repeated reading is also very beneficial as this promotes reading fluency (reading with speed and expression) and good comprehension skills should you discuss the book with your child.
Please could their reading diaries be brought to school everyday so that staff can record and comment on their reading during individual and group reading at school. Thank you.
Homework
Weekly homework will consist of a small number of words (5-6 words initially) to learn. These words are linked to the sounds we study during the week in our daily phonics lessons. This will help your child to recognise and use these sounds more securely. I shall be using our Teams platform to post the weekly spellings. They will be posted on a Friday.
A short informal spelling quiz including these words will be conducted on Thursdays each week. This spelling quiz will be completed in a small blue spelling book. This book will be sent home on a Friday so that you can see how well your child has done and also to provide you with the new set of spellings for the next spelling quiz. The new spellings will be placed in the back of your child’s spelling book and of course on Teams.
Homework will also include a small Maths or English activity. Homework is set to provide further practice and to consolidate learning from the week.
Your child will be given an A4 blue book. This is their learning log book. The homework activity for each week will be placed in this book. It will be sent home on Fridays to complete. Please ensure their learning log book is returned by next Thursday so that next week’s homework can be added to it. You will see that it is a plain blue book. Should your child wish to decorate the covers of their learning log then they are more than welcome to!
PE
Please ensure your child comes to school in their school PE kit for the days they have PE. This half term, PE will be Tuesdays and Fridays.
Pick up
Thank you for being so patient and supportive during pick up times. I am working very hard to learn faces and names.
Please be advised on most afternoons at pick up, I am the only adult in class. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for me to come directly onto the playground to see and speak to you. Please do come a bit closer to the fence area to speak with me should you have any queries. I will try my best to answer at the classroom doorway or find a way to come onto the playground area.
Should you have any queries or specific questions that cannot be answered during drop off or pick up times, please do not hesitate to get in contact with me.
Finally, please do keep an eye on our Class 1 Teams space from time to time as I will post messages and share learning support materials to help support your child at home.
Mrs Abrahams and I are looking forward to getting to know all of you as the term progresses.
Kind regards
Mrs Carlisle