Year 1 weekly news 12.5.23

In such a short amount of time you have completed lots of learning this week and even had an exciting trip to the moss.

In English, we continued our adventures with Mr Grinling and the pesky seagulls. This time, those mischievous birds were targeting his dinner! You all planned and wrote your own stories about the lighthouse keeper's dinner, showing great independence and creativity. It was wonderful to see how you used capital letters for names, included full stops, and used adjectives to bring your stories to life. The stories you wrote were absolutely amazing, and each one of you should feel incredibly proud of your achievements. Next week, we will focus on editing and refining these stories to make them even better. Well done, everyone!

During our phonics lessons this week, we worked together as a whole class to reinforce our phonics skills. We dedicated time to reviewing all of our sounds and ensuring we are confident with them. Additionally, we focused on expanding our reading abilities by tackling longer words. To challenge ourselves further, we delved into reading nonsense words that contain consonant clusters.

In maths, our exploration of multiplication continued. We progressed by learning how to add equal groups, starting with practical activities using numicon. You all did a brilliant job with this hands-on approach! Afterwards, we applied our understanding by answering power maths questions related to equal groups. Building upon this knowledge, we delved into the concept of arrays. We discovered how arrays can assist us in multiplication, understanding the significance of columns and rows. Well done, everyone!

In our final My Happy Mind lesson, we wrapped up our journey of exploring the inner workings of our minds and well-being. Throughout the year, we have gained a deeper understanding of how our brains function and how to nurture our own happiness. During our recap session, we reflected on the habits we have developed and which ones we use the most. Do we practice happy breathing? Do we actively listen? Do we embrace an attitude of gratitude? We discussed how we are actively focusing on having a happier mind. It was sad to hear that this was our last My Happy Mind lesson, as you have all thoroughly enjoyed the experience of delving deeper into our own minds and well-being.

In art, we had not just one but two exciting lessons this week! In the first lesson, we learnt the art of adding different textures to our artwork and then painting over them. You all demonstrated great creativity as you used tissue paper to form fluffy clouds and incorporated sand to bring the beach to life, which was then painted in a lovely yellow hue. Additionally, you added gold-painted shells onto the beach, giving it a special touch. To create the movement of the sea, you skillfully used string to create waves. Building upon your artistic skills inspired by Maud Lewis, you embarked on creating your own seaside painting. This week, you completed the background, and in the upcoming session, we will focus on the final layering. I am truly amazed by the level of talent and artistic expression you have shown throughout this week. Well done, everyone!

Last Tuesday, we had an exciting adventure as we visited the moss. For all the details about our trip and what we experienced, please refer to our previous newsletter. Our visit to the moss served as an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into our courageous advocacy of the Woodland Trust. It also provided inspiration for our ongoing science lessons focused on plants. During our time at the moss, you had the chance to explore and observe the different types of plants in their natural habitat. You took the initiative to write and draw sketches of the plants you encountered, enhancing your understanding of their characteristics. Furthermore, you learnt about the distinctions between garden plants and wildflowers, recognizing their unique qualities. As part of our moss adventure, you also created a tree fact file, highlighting your favorite tree from the trip. All of this learning contributes to our collective efforts in achieving the Platinum Tree Green Award. Well done, everyone, for actively engaging in this experience. We can't wait to share it with you on Friday.

Homework has been sent out for this week. I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I will see you on Monday for our first full week in a long time.

Miss Haynes