Dear Class 1 Parents,
Firstly, a very warm welcome to Class 1. We are delighted that you have chosen Blackboys C of E school and look forward to getting to know you and your families better. We are pleased to welcome back our Y1 children and hope that you have had a wonderful summer and are ready for an exciting year ahead.
In Class 1, Mrs Booth teaches the class from Monday to Wednesday, with Mrs Nobes teaching Thursday and Friday. We also have a super a higher-level teaching assistant Miss Butler.
As it is the beginning of the academic year, and for many members of our class the start of their Primary schooling, we feel that it is essential that we spend the first few weeks of this term getting to know your children as individuals, as well as helping them to get to know one another. We will be encouraging them to share with us their likes, dislikes, their interests, as well as identifying their strengths and areas for development with regard to the curriculum. This information will then be used to inform and personalise our future planning. In addition to this, we will also be spending time helping your children to learn about new routines, expectations, the school Christian Values and the Characteristics of Effective Learning. These key skills are all crucial for all children to learn as they will help support them throughout their school life.
Our theme for Term 1 will be ‘Into the Castle’ which will lead fluidly into our Term 2 theme Fire and Dragons’. A copy of our medium-term planning grid can be found on the school website.
Our year 1 pupils will naturally start the year 1 curriculum straight away and they are already enjoying rising to the challenges of year 1.
Literacy
Children will be developing their vocabulary through role-play, drama, speaking and listening activities. We will focus on several different fiction and non-fiction texts to base our literacy work on, including:
Into the Castle:
Into the Castle
Cinderella
100 Facts Knights and castles
Rapunzal
Fire and Dragons:
Zog
The Egg
Dragons
...as well as many others!
Our writing focus for Reception children (YR) will be for them to gain confidence in their phonics to write simple words independently and for Year 1 children (Y1) to hold and write sentences independently, using capital letters and full stops.
Mathematics
Through the use of practical maths sessions, in which we will promote the use of a wide range of concrete apparatus, the children will be covering the following objectives:
Your child will also be given a log in for an online maths learning platform called ‘Numbots’. Your child is encouraged to use this as regularly as possible at home to help develop their maths skills.
Computing
In computing we will be using the iPads to create digital pictures related to our theme.
RE
In term 1 in RE, we will be exploring why the word God is so important to Christians. In term 2 we will be turning our thoughts to Christmas and the Nativity play.
Forest School
In Class 1, pupils are extremely privileged to be having Forest School sessions every other Monday afternoon. These will be run by a qualified forest school leader and former Blackboys’ parent; Mrs Lydia Godfrey. She is very skilled in this area and has been delivering Forest School lessons for us for a number of years now. In addition to Mrs Godfrey, Mrs Harper (TA) will also be attending these sessions. Please be aware that additional parents will also be required in order for these sessions to run. If you are interested in helping please speak to a member of the Class 1 team or write your name on the rota and sign-up sheet displayed on the external classroom door.
For Forest School your child will need the following items. Please ensure that your child brings the following items into school on your child’s set Monday (a forest school calendar will be made available).
Wellington boots
Long sleeved top
Trousers (not jeans)
Waterproof coat
Waterproof trousers (if possible)
Please be aware that the children will go out whatever the weather and can sometimes get wet and muddy so do not send them with their best clothes.
Phonics
We use a phonic scheme called ‘Monster Phonics’. The children in reception and year 1 will be introduced to all the different letter sounds through a hook of a monster. The children will also learn to recognise common exception and High frequency words during the sessions. The sessions will then be followed up by Monster Phonic Reading books or other phonic decodable books, which will be sent home for your child to read with you. A phonics workshop will be held on Friday 27th September at either 9am at Blackboys School Hall or 2:40pm at Framfield Memorial Hall (Both presentations are the same, so please chose the time that suits you), which will give you more details about how we teach phonics in school and how you can support your child at home.
Reading
Science
In Science we will be naming different materials and thinking about their properties and purposes. We will be observing and investigating the best materials for the curtains in a castle or house.
History
In History we will be learning about the parts of a castle, their purposes, how they have changed over time and who lived in them. To support this learning we be looking at local castles and their history. We will be visiting Lewes Castle towards the end of term 1 to participate in some exciting workshops. A letter will be sent out shortly giving you more information.
Art
In Art we will be focusing on drawing and mark making. We will be exploring make making and line; working and experimenting with different materials to create an observational drawing for harvest. In the second half of term, we will be focusing on painting and mix media. Exploring colour mixing through paint play, using a range of tools to paint on different surfaces and crating paintings inspired by Clarice Cliff and Jasper Johns.
Design & Technology
In term 2 we will be doing DT. We will be learning about what makes a strong structure. We will have the opportunity to design and build a castle tower.
PE
We have two PE sessions a week. These take place on a Tuesday and Friday. Please ensure your child has their full PE kit (fully named) in school for each session. Whenever possible this session will take place outside so please feel free to also include jogging bottoms, a sweatshirt and trainers for this session to help keep them warm. Please ensure your child’s PE kit is clearly labelled and named.
Homework
PE Home Learning
Every Friday a grey rucksack will be sent home with two members of the class. In the bag is a variety of PE equipment for your child to use at home. There are also some activity cards for extra ideas. Please return the bag and its contents on Thursdays. Over the course of the year every child will have at least one turn at using the bag.
Year 1 Homework
This year, homework in Year 1 will be Maths and English, and it will greatly help your child if you can get them into a routine of completing the work each week and hand in the orange book into be marked. There will be a Maths sheet with a selection of questions related to the sorts of learning your child will have been doing in school, and a Common Exception Words sheet. Homework books will be given out on a Friday and need to be handed in on a Thursday morning.
Reminders
Uniform
At Blackboys we pride ourselves on making sure that our children take pride in their appearance as well as in their behaviour and learning. Thank you for ensuring that your child is looking clean and smart for school each day. We do ask that you double check that your child’s uniform, including coat/lunch box, is clearly labelled with their name.
Water Bottles
Staying hydrated is very important for learning. The brain needs a considerable amount of water each day to function effectively. Therefore, we encourage the children to drink water at regular intervals. To aid us with this please send a named bottle of water for your child to drink in class. Children are able to drink from the water fountain but having a water bottle in the classroom is a lot easier.
Parent Helpers
If you (or a Grandparent) can spare any time each week to come and listen to the children read we would be extremely appreciative as it is most beneficial to the children’s reading development. Please let me know if this is something you would be able to do - we can be flexible with days and times.
Class 1 Outside Classroom
Please may we ask that when you are waiting to pick up your children from school, it would be appreciated if younger children would not play with or on the equipment in Class 1’s outside area. This distracts the children already in the class and it takes a long time to re-organise ready for learning the following day. We are excited about our new woodwork area outside that we will be introducing the children to this year. The children will supervised using the area to help them development their design skills and using the tools.
Finally, if you ever have any queries or questions, please do not hesitate to email us at:
sbooth@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk
jnobes@blackboys.e-sussex.sch.uk
Very Best Wishes,
Mrs Booth, Mrs Nobes and the Class 1 team
