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Year 1

Thank you

Dear Year 1 Parents, Children and families

Thank you so very much for spoiling us with such wonderful and generous gifts. We are so grateful for your thoughtfulness and kindness. We hope you have a lovely Summer with your families. Enjoy the time together.

Lots of love

Mrs Eardley, Miss Kirsopp, Mrs Kemp and Mrs O'Shea

A few months ago, we started working on our outside area again and with the help of a team of parents, we managed to clear an area with a view to turfing it. A group of managers from Tesco in Witham very kindly offered to paint our new fencing and the shed. Thanks to the generous donation of B&Q vouchers from the Siggerys, we were able to buy the turf along with a few pretty cushions. The turf was laid a few weeks ago thanks to Mr Fyfe and Mr Eardley and it has been lovingly nurtured and watered ever since. This weekend, Mr Eardley and I spent some time putting two sails up for a bit more protection from the weather, and we were finally able to make the grass area look pretty with the cushions, tidy up the Blue House, fix the stage and the Mud Kitchen and create a water play area. I could hardly sleep with excitement, wondering what the children would make of it all. The proof is in the photos below; they loved spending time reading their school readers to each other on the comfy cushions in the lovely sunshine. The Blue House still needs a bit of work: I would like to replace the carpet inside it as a bit of damp has crept in, and it needs a general clean inside and a lick of paint on the inside and the outside. If you could spare a bit of time to help with this, please let me know.

Our outdoor area!

Phonics practise. We have been working really hard on phonics. Please spend time with your child getting them to sound out and say the words on the page. They will have received a page like (or similar to) the ones pictured below.

Half term 'homework': Wow! That half term went by in a flash and we are half way through the Summer Term! We have been busy bees in Year 1 this half term. I sent home a letter on Thursday about some Bee ideas for half term.

Help required ... Again!

Our outside area needs some TLC again. Following a harsh winter, it needs a bit of love and attention. If any of our parents are willing to help with a bit of painting and gardening, I would be most grateful. We are hoping to lay turf on the newly created area in in the next couple of weeks. I also have big plans for a woodwork bench so the children can do some more making and building (which they LOVE to do) so if anyone has any expertise in this area, please do let me know.

Phonics: Tips and advice

Please watch the video clip through the link below for tips and advice on how to pronounce the phonemes and graphemes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYx1CyDMZSc

Homework

There has been great excitement in year 1 this week at the prospect of 'Homework'. Thank you for encouraging your child to do this homework. Hopefully it is an enjoyable exercise. Remember to have it back to school by: Wednesday, 16th May.

Early next week, we will be sending home a 'Sound Mat' with a note attached. I will also put some tips and advice on this web page so please do have a look. Please do come in and ask if anything is unclear. Thank you in advance for your help.

Learning about birds and enjoying the sunshine.

Summer Term 2018

Focus Children week beginning 30th April 2018: Aaron, Charlotte, James S, Zachary. Please check your child's book bag for their focus form, complete it and return it to school by Monday. This will be the last round of Focus Children this year as we focus on Phonics Screening, Maths Mastery and preparing for Year 2!

Homework: Please continue to listen to your child read daily. This is so important & can earn them challenge stars! There will be a slight increase in the amount of homework set this term. This is to prepare them (and you!) for Year 2. Please check this class page regularly for updates.

May 2018- Class Assembly - The Ugly Duckling

Summer Term Overview Year 1

Summer Term overview.docx

RE Letter to Parents/Carers

Happy Easter

Easter letter to parents.docx

Reminder about PE kit

Please remember to send your child's PE kit back to school on Monday. We have PE on a Monday afternoon so we will need PE kits for the first day.

Trainers & a carrier bag for transporting muddy trainers home for cleaning.
Plimsoles - please check that these are the correct size for your child.
Socks
Black PE shorts and a white PE T-shirt.
Black tracksuit bottoms and a green or school issue tracksuit top.

Thank so much to our volunteers for the excellent clearing and tidying of our outside area. It's a work in progress ... but we are so excited!

Important Information for the start of Spring Term 2018

Overview - Autumn Term 2nd half

Autumn Term overview 2nd half.docx

We are very busy in year 1! We are rehearsing for our Christmas production, we have celebrated one of our Saints, Saint Andrew, we have continued with our Space theme and we have started getting the glitter and the decorations out for Christmas!

Christmas Production - please have a look in your child's book bag for a note regarding roles/ costumes for the Christmas production.
PE Kits - It's the same message again, but please do take the time to ensure that your child has the correct kit. It is cold outside, but PE continues and children who do not have the appropriate kit end up missing out. Each of the children has been given a little note to bring home with a reminder of what your child needs to have at school for PE: a pair of black shorts, a white t-shirt, socks, plimsoles, trainers (to use outdoors), tracksuit bottoms (black) and a tracksuit top (school issue). Please also send in a plastic carrier bag for muddy trainers!
Homework - Phonics cards: Well done to those children (and parents!) who have been tested this week. Please remind your child to ask to be tested if they are ready. Keep working hard at learning these high frequency words. A number of Challenge Stars have been awarded so far!
Focus children - details will follow during the week next week about the focus children for the last week of term.