Weekly update15th December 2014

 

Well can you believe we have reached the end of our very first term...and what a packed one it was too!

As our Christmas preparations draw to a close, I am sure you are all gearing up at home and that the Christmas excitement is making everyone smile at home!

This week’s blog is to let you know what is happening during this week and also, we have included a few festive sites to keep everyone occupied whilst the cleaning fairies organise the housework for the big day!

Monday

Dust off those party frocks and best clothes, as Monday sees our fantastic Christmas party! The children have worked really hard all term, so now is the chance for them to let their hair down and boogie the afternoon away. The children will be allowed to come to school ALL DAY in their own clothes, complete with hair gel, glitter and perfume!

 

Santa’s elves have been very busy wrapping all the gifts for the children AND organising all the party food. The Elf’s and Pixies have been fantastic this week, making sure that all the children will have a great time – a huge thank you!

 

Friday

 

The last day of term, sees a real treat. Our Christmas Carol Service, led by Years 5/6 will be held in the hall at 9.15am.

 

The afternoon sees the Parent’s Panto. It is always a really fantastic production and a fitting end to the year. All the children, (and staff) leave the hall in festive mood, ready to start our preparations at home.

 

Festive Fun

 

Lots of the children enjoy using the websites given on the blog every week. All of the sites, links and activities on the site are used in class to support our learning, but every now and again, we include sites which are ‘just for fun’.

 

 

 

http://www.emailsanta.com/

 Write a letter to Santa and see the reply appear before your very eyes!

 

 http://www.northpole.com/

 A real favourite of mine! The disco dancing Santa is fabulous!

 

 http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/

 A very interesting site, explaining all about the customs and traditions of Christmas.

 

 http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/meaning.htm

 I loved this story! Maybe one for Christmas Eve?

 

 http://www.star28.net/snow.html?msg=they

This made me giggle! Get the penguin to write your name in the snow. What about trying this to help with the spelling of those tricky words?

 

 http://www.learn-ict.org.uk/resources/rudolph/rudolph.htm

 Rudolf is missing! Read this lovely interactive story with your child. A great way of developing those comprehension skills.

 

 http://www.funranch.com/games/tree/index.htm

 Decorate the online Christmas tree

 

 http://www.kented.org.uk/ngfl/games/snowman_v4.html

 Build your very own snowman...without getting your hands cold!

 

 http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/winter/

 Some great ideas for Christmas crafts to do at home, using all those empty boxes.

 

 http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/ Christmas crafts

 

http://www.nevada.edu/~blake/Christmas.carols.html

Why not sing through some of these traditional Christmas Carols in preparation for Friday’s service?

 

 http://www.kidzone.ws/math/christmas/index.htm

 Although these are based on American ‘grades’, some of these Christmas themed Maths worksheets are still really useful.

 

 http://christmas.iboard.co.uk/

 Lots of Christmas online activities to try. I really like the writing ideas, which use a framework and a word bank to help. Why not print some off to bring in to show?

 

On behalf of all the staff, we wish you a very happy, peaceful and holy Christmas. We hope that Santa brings you everything you ask for and that we all return safe and happy in the New Year. School starts again at 8.45am on 6th January 2015.

Merry Christmas!!!

Love from

The Key Stage One team.  XX

Weekly update 8th December 2014

Information

Hello and welcome to another week of busy activities. We would like to thank the children for their excellent production of the Christmas play “The Very Hopeless Camel!”. We are so proud of the children and now that they thoroughly enjoyed their performances. We definitely have a few budding actors and actresses among them!

 

We had our Christmas Fair on Friday which was a great success. Thank you to everyone who turned up and supported the school.

 

This week we will be assessing the children on their reading, writing, numeracy and phonics. Some assessments have already taken place and will be continuing throughout the week.

Notices

Monday 8^th December 2014 is the children’s Christmas dinner.

 

Friday 12^th December 2014 is the Advent Service in school. Details on the school newsletter)

 

Maths

This week the children will be having a numeracy test which will test all of the areas covered so far in this half term so this week we will be have a revision week to revisit some of the topics that we have covered so far this term.

 

 Below is a list of some of the topics that the children will be tested on:

 

·       Use every day language to describe 2D and 3D shapes – what the shape are called and how many sides and corners shapes have.

 

·       Odds and evens – can they identify odds and evens numbers up to 100.

 

·       Counting reliably up to 30 and above.

 

·       Reading and writing numbers up to 100.

 

·       Understanding the operation of + and – and use related vocabulary.

 

·       To know pairs to 10 and build up to pairs to 100.

 

·       To recognise coins and their values – to be able to add up amounts and find totals.

 

·       To read the time to the hour/half hour on an analogue clock.

 

·       Start to recognise multiples of 2,5 and 10.

 

 http://www.saintambrosebarlow.wigan.sch.uk/Infant_activities/daysofweek1.htm

 http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/seasons.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5enDRrWyXaw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPzIbbvoiMA

http://www.ictgames.com/Y1shape.html

http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/memory.html

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_114_g_2_t_3.html

http://www.coppschool.lancsngfl.ac.uk/Classwork/Classwork/flashaids/sorting_2d_shapes.swf

http://mathematics.hellam.net/maths2000/shapes.swf

http://www.interactivestuff.org/match/maker.phtml?featured=1&id=31

https://hwb.wales.gov.uk/cms/hwbcontent/Shared%20Documents/vtc/ngfl/maths/greg_morgan_symmetry/index.htm

http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/maths/activities/year3/symmetry/shape_game.asp

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/maths/calamity.shtml

English

In English this week we are continuing with ‘The Nativity Story.’ The children will be writing about the main events. The children will also be making their own nativity scene and retelling the story in small groups using their drama skills. This is a lovely time of year and the children will enjoy learning all about this special time.

Talk to your child about the nativity story and encourage them to think of the order of the story. What were the main events of the story?

Have a go at some fun online literacy games.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/literacy/

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy.html

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks1literacy.html

Topic

This week the children will learn about why letters were so important during the war.

We will talk about what they would miss the most about being away from home and then relate this to World War I and discuss what they think a soldier would miss about home.

Whole class discussion will be based on how the troops communicated with their friends and family – either by writing a letter or sending a postcard. Soldiers wrote lots of letters back to their friends and family, telling them about events and what was happening.

We will read three examples of actual letters written by three soldiers during the war and discuss their content. How the soldiers must have felt at the time and how the recipient must have felt reading the letters.

In pairs they will be tasked to write their own letter to a friend or family member as if they were a soldier fighting in the war.

Interesting fact – did you know that pigeons were also used during the war. About 500,000 pigeons were regularly dropped into enemy lines by parachute, and then sent back with messages.

 

 

Come and See

This week we continue with the topic of Waiting. This topic covers the theme of Advent and what we need to do to prepare for the coming of Jesus on Christmas Day.

 

Thank you for your continued support- and have a great week! Not many ‘sleeps’ now until Santa comes!!

The Key Stage 1 team.

 

Weekly update 1st December 2014

Information

Welcome to another busy week. The children have been very  busy this week with their final rehearsals of the Christmas play “The Very Hopeless Camel”. They are really enjoying the songs and you might know most of the tunes yourself by now! The children are excited about performing their play to everybody and we hope that you all join in with the singing.

 

If there are any costumes that have not been handed in yet please have them in on Monday morning at the very latest as we have our dress rehearsal in front of the school and local nurseries on Monday afternoon.

 

This week we will be revisiting the concepts taught over this half term ready for assessment week next week.

Maths

Next week the children will be having a numeracy test which will test all of the areas covered so far in this half term so this week we will be have a revision week to revisit some of the topics that we have covered so far this term.

 

 Below is a list of some of the topics that the children will be tested on:

 

·       Use every day language to describe 2D and 3D shapes – what the shape are called and how many sides and corners shapes have.

 

·       Odds and evens – can they identify odds and evens numbers up to 100.

 

·       Counting reliably up to 30 and above.

 

·       Reading and writing numbers up to 100.

 

·       Understanding the operation of + and – and use related vocabulary.

 

·       To know pairs to 10 and build up to pairs to 100.

 

·       To recognise coins and their values – to be able to add up amounts and find totals.

 

·       To read the time to the hour/half hour on an analogue clock.

 

·       Start to recognise multiples of 2,5 and 10.

 

 http://www.saintambrosebarlow.wigan.sch.uk/Infant_activities/daysofweek1.htm

 http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/seasons.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5enDRrWyXaw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPzIbbvoiMA

http://www.ictgames.com/Y1shape.html

http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/memory.html

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/frames_asid_114_g_2_t_3.html

http://www.coppschool.lancsngfl.ac.uk/Classwork/Classwork/flashaids/sorting_2d_shapes.swf

http://mathematics.hellam.net/maths2000/shapes.swf

http://www.interactivestuff.org/match/maker.phtml?featured=1&id=31

https://hwb.wales.gov.uk/cms/hwbcontent/Shared%20Documents/vtc/ngfl/maths/greg_morgan_symmetry/index.htm

http://www.innovationslearning.co.uk/subjects/maths/activities/year3/symmetry/shape_game.asp

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/maths/calamity.shtml

English

In English this week we are reading ‘The Nativity Story.’ The children will learn about the birth of Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas. We will sequence the story and be writing about the main events. The children will also be making their own nativity scene and retelling the story in small groups using their drama skills. This is a lovely time of year and the children will enjoy learning all about this special time.

Talk to your child about the nativity story and encourage them to think of the order of the story. What were the main events of the story?

Have a go at some fun online literacy games.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/literacy/

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy.html

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks1literacy.html

Topic

This week the children will learn about home life during WW1.  We will be looking at photography in detail and discussing what we can see, how the mothers may be feeling, what the children may be doing and what kind of jobs needed to be done around the house.  The children will use their observation skills to make inferences about the past.

We will also discover the differences between the rich and the poor families during WW1 and how significantly their lives differed.

Interesting fact – did you know that before WW1 began, women often worked as servants and cleaners. Once a woman married she was expected to give up work and to become a housewife. Her role was to look after the children and to cook and clean the family home. However, as men left to fight in the war, women had to take on jobs outside the home. Many women went to work in munitions factories making explosive 'shells' for big guns. Others went to work on farms in the countryside as Land Girls or in hospitals as nurses. As the war went on, women took on more and more men's jobs.

 

 

 

Come and See

This week we begin our final topic of 2014 with the subject of Waiting. This topic covers the theme of Advent and what we need to do to prepare for the coming of Jesus on Christmas Day.

 

Thank you for your continued support- and have a great week!

The Key Stage 1 team.

 

Weekly update 24th November 2014

Information

Hello and welcome to another busy week in school.

 

The children have been working really hard over the past week to practice their Christmas Play and an equal amount of effort will be put in over the coming week!! You are all in for a great treat when you come to see it!

Please could you send in costumes on THURSDAY 27^th NOVEMBER so that we can check that the children have everything they need for the dress rehearsal on Monday. Please could you put them in a bag with the child’s name on. Thank you.

It’s nearly time for the Christmas Party and letters will be going out asking for money to provide the goodies for the party. Please could you check in your child’s bag.

Also the weather is getting chilly so please could you make sure that the children have a warm coat, gloves and hat as we will still be going outside at playtime for fresh air and exercise.

This Thursday 27^th is also the Key Stage 1 disco from 6 – 7:30pm.

 

Maths

The children will be continuing with money and its values.

 

 Year1’s will be recognising coins of different values; order coins according to their value and exchanging coins for 10p and 1p coins; find totals of sets of coins.

 

 Year 2’s will be finding totals of sets of coins: relate to adding three or more numbers and paying an exact sum using smaller coins up to £2.

 

 Please practise playing shops at home as money can be a difficult concept for children to understand. The best way to learn and develop skills with money is to go shopping and use real life experiences to help your child to grasp this concept fully.

 

 Some websites to help:-

 

 http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/moneynew.html

 

 http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/maths/counting_with_money/index.htm

 

 http://www.wmnet.org.uk/wmnet/custom/files_uploaded/uploaded_resources/853/Postsortingv3.swf

 

 http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/movecoins.swf

 

 http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/online/coincards.swf

 

 http://www.ictgames.com/moneysplat.html

 

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/dynamo/den/snap/index.htm

 

 http://mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/resource/91/fewest_coins#

 

http://www.ictgames.com/moneypayer.html

 

 http://www.ictgames.com/moneypayer50p.html

 

English

This week we will be continuing to look at non-fiction books and focusing on researching an animal. The children will become ‘experts’ on their chosen animal in order to design and write their own mini non-fiction book or report. The research can begin at home prior to the lessons in school.

Have a go at some fun online literacy games.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks1/literacy/

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy.html

http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks1literacy.html

 

Topic

This week the children will learn about school life during WW1.  We will be looking at photography in detail and discussing what we can see, how the children may be feeling, what they might be learning, how the teacher might be feeling, we will look at the children’s clothing and so on.  The children will use their observation skills to make inferences about the past.

We will also learn about the different type of school rules and how strict the teachers and headmasters were. A short video clip will help the children to gain a better understanding of school life during WW1: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/29030558

Interesting fact – did you know that if children were lazy or rude or broke school rules, the teacher might hit them on the hand with a wooden cane. In Scotland and in parts of northern England, teachers used a leather strap called a 'tawse' instead.  The cane and tawse were finally banned in most schools in 1986, but it took until 1998 for every private, fee-paying school to stop using them.

 

 

Thank you for your continued support- and have a great week!

The Key Stage 1 team.