Living and Learning: Me and my community week
This week has been very busy in Year 1! We have been working all week learning about our identity and our community!
On Tuesday two Police Community Support Officers came into the classroom to talk to us about staying safe using fireworks and sparklers. We listened really well and even found out you should put your sparkler in a carrot!!
On Wednesday, as well as our amazing class assembly (Well done everyone!), we also had a visit from the RNIB. They brought along a guide dog with them and we learnt all about the job of a guide dog.
On Thursday, teacher for the deaf came to visit to talk to us all about how we can help deaf adults and children understand us more clearly. We learn some sign language too.
We have had an amazing week learning all about how we are the same and how we are different. It has all been topped off by everyone showing off their identity today! Amazing work everyone!
Welcome back
This week, we’ve been busy learning about autumn festivals: Halloween, Bonfire Night and Diwali.
Here are some snapshots of what activities we did to support our learning…
We designed and created rockets.
We explored moving in different ways like fireworks.
We made Diya lamps at the playdough table.
We made Rangoli patterns with rice.
We created our own potions and had a go at writing a list of ingredients.
My potion will turn you into…
AT – a runaway pumpkin with two legs and three arms.
FM – a rocket.
MB – a witch.
LN – a rat.
LC – jelly.
FM – a rainbow.
We created some amazing Mehendi patterns!
On Tuesday, two police officers came to visit us and shared some important information about how we can stay safe on Bonfire Night.
Later in the week, we made safety posters and reflected on the things we know.
HB – Stand back from the fireworks.
AT – Barney could wear a safety jacket.
FM – Always stay away from fireworks.
LN – When holding a sparkler, keep it away from you.
SS – Wear gloves when holding a sparkler.
AP – Keep pets indoors.
This week, we continued to practise our counting skills. We reinforced our understanding of cardinality – that the last number in the count tells us ‘how many’ things there are altogether in a set of objects. We looked at 5 as a quantity by linking the number itself to the 5 fingers on one hand. We explored representing numbers to 5 using both our fingers and the Hungarian number pattern (die pattern).
We collected 5 objects with a partner.
Can you collect 5 objects that are all the same?
…5 that are the same but different colours?
… 5 that are different sizes?
By using these key representations it has helped us understand the ‘fiveness’ of 5.
On Thursday, we enjoyed our first gymnastics session with two gymnastic coaches. We showed great resilience and determination.
Click here to watch this week’s poem.
Reminders!
- Early Maths Zoom – Monday 14 November at 6pm
We will talk about how you can support your child to become a confident mathematician. A Zoom invite will be emailed to you next week. - If your child has their ears pierced, please make sure their earrings are removed on PE days.
- PE is on a Monday and Thursday this half-term.
- Marvellous Maths stay and learn sessions – Wednesday 16 & Thursday 17 November. Please return your slip by Friday 11 November.
Home-Link Challenge
If you’re going to a bonfire this weekend, have a safe and happy time!
See you on Monday.
Community week
What a fantastic week we have had learning about different communities, respecting ourselves and others and knowing everyone is different, special and unique.
Vocabulary
This week, during our themed community week, we have read lots books about respecting and celebrating everyone and different communities. In these books, we read some words which we wanted to explore and find out more about. We have used the iPads to find definitions of words on the online dictionary. We also used the online thesaurus to find synonyms and antonyms for each word. Ask your child what a synonym is and what an antonym is.
Living and Learning: Me and My Community week
We’ve enjoyed lots of learning about identity, diversity and community so far in our themed week.
What is a community?
- A group of people that live in a particular area
- A group of people who are similar in some way or have similar interests
Did you know our class is made up of lots of different ethnicities and look at all the languages we can speak. It’s been great to hear some of the children share these languages with the class.
When thinking about our own identity, this video gave us lots to discuss about what makes us, us?
There are lots of different aspects of our life that make us who we are. We are all UNIQUE.
Which members of the class do you think these might be?
We read and performed these identity themed poems. Ask your child to read them to you with prosody.
Our first visitors of the week were our local PCSOs. They told us about their role in the community to keep people safe and they also reminded us of some important safety advice for bonfire night.
Some of the class have been keeping active in our community on their journeys to school. Send your photos to school by Friday to be part of this competition.
We’re looking forward to more visitors and learning throughout the week and Identity Day on Friday.
Gymnastics
This half term, Year 2 have two great gymnastics coaches teaching their PE lessons on a Thursday.
Today, we have practiced rolling, balancing, stretching and jumping.
The PTA needs you..
Do you want to make a difference to our school community?
Are you able to give some, time, skills or ideas?
Existing members of the Moortown Primary School Parent Teacher Association (PTA) are urgently looking for new parents to join. The PTA is a registered charity and they are looking for parents to take on the roles of three trustees; as well as these roles, they need enough people to help out so that organising and running the fundraising events is shared between more people.
They would like to invite you to join the PTA before the AGM on Tuesday 15 November. If you are interested in joining the PTA, please contact the school office and they will put you in touch with the right people.
A brilliant first half term!
Well done everybody! We have all had a tremendous first half term in Year One and we should all be very proud of ourselves! We have got to grips with lots of new routines and worked really hard on our learning! I am sure that the children will be feeling really tired after these 7 weeks and they will be happy for a rest.
We have learnt all about the Great Fire of London in History, habitats in Science, three little pigs in English, new graphemes in Phonics and all about numbers 1-10 in Maths.
Over half term it really important to keep reading as much as possible so please keep logging on to the e-books platform.
Year 1 Class Assembly
Our class assembly is on Wednesday 2nd November at 2.40pm. Your child should have been given some words to practise over the holidays so we can be ready for when we get back! Can I also ask that you practise the song ‘London’s Burning’ with your child over the holidays. There is a link to it here.
Thank you for all the support over this past half term and I look forward to seeing you again in November!
Fantastic first half-term!
I can’t believe we’re at the end of our first half-term in Reception! Over the past seven weeks we’ve laughed, explored, created and achieved so many amazing things. Have fun reflecting with your child whilst watching this video.
Reminders
- Monday 31 October – Training day – school closed
- PE will be on a Monday and Thursday next half-term.
- Now the weather is getting colder, please ensure your child comes to school wearing warm coat.
- Don’t forget to write a comment in your child’s reading records.
Finally…
Thank you to all who attended the parent-teacher meetings this week. If you have any other questions or concerns, please email or chat to me at the end of the day.
I hope you all have a happy and healthy half-term break. Make sure you recharge your batteries ready for another busy half-term. As always, don’t forget to send me lots of photos of what you get up to.
See you on Tuesday 01 November.
Living and Learning: Democracy – our new Junior Leaders!
Congratulations to Jemima and Henry L who were voted by the class to become our new Year 2 members of the Junior Leadership Team.
We are sure they will do a great job!
Well done to all the children who prepared a speech and shared this with the class. We hope you will try again next year!
We’d also like to say a big well done to Aaniyah and Ralph who have been our fantastic junior leaders. We are sure they will help out our new leaders.