Poem of the Week – Conkers!
This is our focus poem (song) this week…
Conkers!
Conkers! I’m collecting conkers,
I’m trying hard to find the biggest and the best.
Conkers! Lots of lovely conkers,
I want a conker that is better than the rest.
Under the chestnut tree,
There waits for me,
A sight so marvellous to behold.
Amidst the autumn leaves,
It gleams at me,
A conker, beautiful and bold.
Conkers! I’m collecting conkers,
I’m trying hard to find the biggest and the best.
Conkers! Lots of lovely conkers,
I want a conker that is better than the rest.
It’s a part of this song.
Help at home by listening and practising it at home.
Living and Learning: Me and My Community week
This week is Me and My Community week. The children will learn about what a community is and what communities they are a part of. There will be learning, visitors and activities linked to this learning.
Monday
We started our themed week with reading our new poem of the week: I am special. We’ll come back to this each day!
We were visited by the NHS MindMate team who delivered a workshop about self-esteem and self regulation. The children drew shields that represented themselves and they worked on some self regulation techniques too.
We finished the day with discussing our Moortown Primary School and how we’re all part of this community together.
We’re a happy and healthy place to learn because…
- we play together
- we’re kind and respectful
- we ask for help
- we eat healthy food and drink water
- we’re active during the day.
Tuesday
This day, the children worked on finding things that make them special.
I am special because I am unique.
I am special because I’m good at drawing.
I am special because I look different to my friends.
This links directly to our poem of the week…
Help at home by practising this poem and coming up with different reasons as to why you’re special!
Wednesday
Year 1 went in small groups to walk around Moortown Park with Pat. This was to share more about our school and our community.
We shared different communities that we are a part of and crossed the yarn over the circle to see that we are all connected through these communities.
We had a visitor from DAHIT to teach the children about the deaf and hearing-impaired community. The children learnt some British Sign Language too.
Thursday
We voted for our new school charity – Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.
Friday
The children came to school dressed in something that is part of their identity.
What a fab week!
Reading during Me and My Community week
A quick message to say that Year 1 won’t have done group reading this week because of our busy schedule for Me and My Community Week.
There won’t be a new book on Collins Hub until next week.
Thank you!
PE: gymnastics
This half term’s PE focus is gymnastics.
Gymnastics has great benefits such as building strength and mobility and developing balance and coordination.
The first few lessons focused on travel and movement. How many different ways can we travel from one place to another?
Can you travel like a snake or a worm?
Can you travel like a kangaroo?
Can you travel using both your hands and feet?
Help at home by practising balancing on one leg. This will be a target for us later in the unit.
History: innovations
After learning about what innovations there were after the Great Fire of London, it was the children’s turn to come up with their own ideas!
Improvements and innovations that we have from the GFoL:
- houses being built from brick or stone
- houses being built further apart
- rooves not always made of straw
- stronger and more organised fire brigade
Innovations that buildings and houses have today that keep us safe:
- water sprinklers
- smoke and fire detectors
- security cameras
- door bells that connect to phones
- burglar alarms
Have a look to see what the children came up with…
Writing: nouns and adjectives
Year 1 have learnt about nouns and adjectives over the last couple of weeks.
A noun is a person, place, thing or idea.
An adjectives adds information to the noun.
We found nouns in the classroom, in our class novel and also spotted that some nouns have capital letters! These are called proper nouns like Moortown Primary School.
Adjectives can tell you more
About a noun and that’s for sure
Ad-jec-tives
We spent our lesson today deciding which adjectives were best to describe
Boxton the rat from our class novel. Tomorrow, we’ll use these to write
sentences about Boxton.
Science: seasonal changes in Autumn
On Friday, Year 1 explored the seasonal changes going from Summer into Autumn. The children went out into our green space and made observations.
The leaves are changing colour.
The leaves are falling off the trees.
It’s cold.
It’s darker in the mornings.
Over half term, help at home by going on a walk and finding more examples of Autumn; conkers, leaves, frosty mornings.
We’ll learn about each season as the year goes on and compare them to Autumn.
Half term football opportunity
Here’s a new football venture starting locally during half term.
Numbots
Numbots is a really great tool for supporting your child’s number fact knowledge.
Your child’s login details have been stuck inside the front cover of their reading record.
Once you login, choose your avatar and name and then work to help find a robot’s missing parts. To collect these parts, your child has to complete the levels on Numbots.
You can work through the levels on the story part of the game.
The challenge area has specific activities that you can focus on.
Help at home by supporting your child to access Numbots daily for 5-10 minutes. Getting your child started on the story section will support the learning we’re doing in school. There’ll be certificates for who’s been on and making the most progress!
Living & Learning: Me and my community week 2 November
Our next whole school themed week, based around identity, diversity and community, will be taking place from Monday 2nd November. This is the first of two themed weeks in the year. In our ‘Me and My Community’ week, children will learn about what it means to belong to a community, from family to national or even international communities. Importantly, our children will also learn to respect and celebrate different communities.
Active travel in the community
We encourage children to get out in the community in an active way on their way to and from school. By walking/scooting/biking to school, families will be keeping our community safer and healthier by reducing congestion at the school gate. Maybe even pick up a piece of litter on the way. Even by parking further away from school your child could then travel the final part of their journey by foot, bike or scooter.
Email us ([email protected]) a picture of your active travel, maybe by a landmark in our community on your route to school, for the chance to win one of three vouchers. Entries to be submitted by 4pm on Thursday 5th November.
New school charity
At the end of the themed week, classes will have the chance to discuss our charity shortlist and the Junior Leadership Team will have the final vote for which charity they would like our school to support, replacing our current charity, Martin House Hospice.
Identity day
Friday 6th November will be a non-uniform Identity Day. Children are invited to dress in clothing that represents part of their identity, for example uniform from a club they attend, a team they are part of or support or traditional dress to represent their heritage. There is no donation or contribution required for this day.
SAVE THE DATE PTA coffee morning Friday 6th November 9-10am
As part of the week, we welcome all parents and carers to an informal coffee morning to meet other members of our school community including representatives from the PTA. A whole school community Wake up Shake up will follow at 9:50am in the main playground.
Can you help?
Maybe you speak another language and you would be happy to speak to children about this or you would like to share about your own family culture and heritage. If so, please contact the office to pass on your details. Also, do you have any local community links that may support our week?