Welcome to Year 1!
Class Teacher: Mr Whaite
Teaching Assistants: Mrs Chapman & Miss Fox
Things to remember…
Children will bring home two reading books from school each week that will match their current phonic knowledge. One of the books will be the text they have been covering during guided reading lessons in the previous week and the other will be a new text but 90% of the words will be known or phonically decodable for your child. At St Anne’s we believe the purpose for reading at home should be to build a love of reading in our children and to encourage reading for pleasure so please spend some time listening to them read and ask questions about the book. Children can also complete a reading journal entry on one of their reading books, a book from home or a library book every 2 weeks. Spellings are sent home on a Friday (posted onto Class Dojo) for a test the following Friday and will match the sounds being covered in Phonics lessons that week. 1 piece of maths homework will also be sent home every Friday and is due back in school the following Thursday.
Phonics is a big focus in year 1 as we prepare for the phonics screening check towards the end of the school year. You can really support your child at home with their phonics by regularly reading with them at home. At St Anne’s we follow the Monster Phonics systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) scheme and parents of pupils in EYFS and KS1 will be provided with parent logins for the Monster Phonics website to access phonics games and activities so they can further support their child at home.
What will we be doing this school year?
Term 1
Our topics this term will first be “Enchanted Woodland” followed by “Childhood” in the second half term.
The Enchanted Woodland – If you go down to the woods today you’re in for a BIG surprise. Foxes, mice, snakes and beady eyed owls in the swaying tree tops. Beneath the leaves are tiny footprints – animal or imp? You decide. Deciduous or evergreen? Can you match a leaf to its tree? Can you match a petal to its flower? On our school trip we will head down to the woods and build a den, stick by stick and branch by branch. Or we could make a teeny tiny home for a woodland fairy. At last, it’s time to rest by the woodland fire, listening to stories and toasting our sweet, gooey marshmallows. Yum, yum.
Childhood – This project teaches children about everyday life and families today and explore changes within living memory by making comparisons between their childhood and a typical childhood in the 1950s. They will use real artefacts and a range of different primary and secondary sources to carry out their historical enquiry. In art, children learn about the concept of the portrait and how the collage technique can be used to make a portrait whilst in DT the children complete a textiles project to design, make and evaluate their own traditional Christmas tree decoration.
Term 2
Our Topics this term will be Superheroes followed by Paws, Claws and Whiskers.
Superheroes – Help children explore the power of good deeds. Children develop their control, balance and travelling skills and understand the importance of teamwork in PE. Children also learn about real life superheroes from the past during our history enquiry and the importance of superfoods to help maintain a healthy mind and body in our DT cooking and nutrition project!
Paws, Claws and Whiskers – Soft fur, sharp claws and twitching whiskers. What’s your favourite animal? One that meows? One that barks? Or maybe one that scurries or slithers? From pets at home to animals in the zoo, let’s find out what animals like to eat and where they like to sleep. Do you know how to look after a rabbit? A cat? Or even a snake? Find out how the elephant got his trunk and how the rhinoceros got his leathery skin. Perhaps you know how the dog got his waggy tail? Can you make a food chain to show who eats who? Who is a herbivore and who is a carnivore? When a gaggle of mysterious pets arrive at the local pet shop, it’s up to you to take care of them. Feed them, clean them and discover their daily needs. After all that work, curl up and take a cat nap.
Term 3
Our Topic this term will be Bright Lights, Big City followed by Splendid Skies.
Bright Lights, Big City – This project teaches children about the physical and human characteristics of the United Kingdom, including a detailed exploration of the characteristics and features of the capital city, London.
Splendid Skies – Imagine floating high above land and sea on a bed of clouds, silently sweeping by on a billowing breeze, what would our local area look like from above? Back down to earth, let’s take a walk outdoors. But what should we wear? Wellington boots? A sun hat? Maybe a warm coat? How do we know what the weather will be like today? Make a weather station to find out more about the weather in your area. What weather do you prefer? Sunshine, snow, storms or showers? Get your wellies on and let’s go!
Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions and we look forward to a fun filled and productive year in Year 1!