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Year 1

Welcome to Year 1!

Our topic for the Spring term is 'Explorers'

Please download and view the topic web at the bottom of the page for more information.

Welcome Booklet 2024

Welcome Booklet Year 1 2024.pdf

Showbie

Showbie is a program which allows children to upload, save and share their work in class and at home whilst also receiving interactive feedback from their teacher. Everyone will be given a Showbie username and password and it is available on iPads, tablets and computers. We will be using this regularly within lessons and for homework each week.

Showbie has proven to be a valuable communication tool during the enforced school closure in order for children, parents/carers and teachers to keep in touch. The Showbie App includes a range of features which have been utilisied by all:

Messaging communication
Sharing / Uploading work
Instant feedback
Voice Notes
Video Uploads
Class Discussions (Key Stage 2)

Walford will continue to use Showbie as a clear channel of communication between home and school.

I will continue to set and mark homework via the Showbie App on a weekly basis. Extra (optional) learning activities will be provided where appropriate in order to consolidate learning in school. Showbie will be used as the new home-school link for reading. Every child will have a reading folder in their assignments where all reading and comments can be recorded on a nightly basis.

There will also be a general communication folder where any important messages can be shared with class teachers. Class teachers will endeavour to respond to these messages as soon as possible. It is important to remember that children will also be able to see this, so anything of a sensitive nature should be dealt with via telephone or email.

As a result of these changes, your child will no longer bring home a Communication Green Book (KS1).

Showbie will be used for you to record any learning that you complete at home, including:

reading
spelling practise
Education City
Oxford Owl eBooks / RWI Bookshelf

I will check Showbie every day to see what you have been doing. Our aim is to be paperless, therefore most written communication will be via Showbie or the school email system.

Reading books:
Reading books will be changed weekly. Please could you aim to read with your child every day, even for just 5 to 10 minutes! Every little bit of reading practise will help your child develop their reading skills- not just word recognition or sound blending techniques, but their comprehension of the text they are reading. The children will be given a level for their comprehension skills so, as well as hearing them read every day, asking questions to check their understanding of the text is really helpful too! The children will be heard read weekly in their guided reading groups with Miss Weyman or their RWI group leader, as well as individually. Some information about early-reading is available at the bottom of the page.

Empowering English - RWI / Grammar Hammer / Big Write:
In Year 1, RWI phonics sessions will run alongside English lessons where children will be taught about different text types and genres as well as spelling and grammar rules. Some PowerPoints of all the ‘Green and Red Words’ are contained at the bottom of the page to help your child build their confidence in essential High Frequency Words should you wish to do a little extra practice.

The English focus for the Spring term is fantasy worlds and fairy tales (fiction), instructions and information texts (non-fiction) and rhyming poems (poetry).

Marvellous Maths:
In Maths we will be working on our rapid recall of number facts and looking at the symbols +, - and = when adding and subtracting numbers. The children will begin to use representations such as the part, part whole model and bar model when recording. We will also be working on solving word problems and counting in 2s, 5s and 10s. This term we will also learn more about 2D and 3D shapes.

Sensational Science:
In the Spring term, we will cover the topic ‘materials’ and we will continue our work on 'seasonal changes' - focusing on Winter and Spring.

Pacey PE:
This term we will be working on multi-skills, basic movements and team games.

Hair-Raising History:

As part of our history work, we will be looking at famous explorers and why they are important figures in history. We will use pictures to help us find out about the past.

Globe-Trotting Geography:

In Geography, we will be learning about the weather and exploring the four compass points. We will investigate if the weather is the same in all parts of the UK.

Connected Computing

In Computing this term we will begin to look at coding and what it is. We will be entering simple code blocks into the Blu-bots and learning how to run and debug a simple algorithm.

Awesome Art

In Art, we will be learning about the primary colours and investigating colour mixing.

Dynamic DT

In DT, we will be exploring moving books (levers, flaps, pull tabs) and designing our own moving pictures.

Helpful Homework:
Homework will be set each week. This will be set via Showbie on Thursday every week and should be completed by following Monday morning. Paper copies will be provided where necessary and a pack containing useful resources such as a sound chart, number line and word mats with be given to your child at the start of the year for use at home. Also, please remember that for anyone wishing to do a little extra homework, Oxford Owl and Phonics Play are accessible via the Internet, passwords can be found in Showbie.

You can also find useful learning resources on BBC Bitesize: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/this-terms-topics

For photographs of class and school activities, please click on 'CHILDREN' and then 'GALLERY'. There are also lots of videos on Walford TV. Also, remember to keep checking Twitter: @WalfordSchool for regular updates too.

Please feel free to come and see me about anything you may need help with. I am happy to meet with you and discuss any comments, questions or concerns you may have about our topic, the work covered in class or your child's progress. Please let the office know if you are not receiving updates from the website and would like them. Email updates and newsletters will remind you of useful information and future events such as class assemblies, trips and parents’ evenings etc. if you provide your email address.

Best wishes,
Miss Weyman

AUTUMN TERM DATES

Wednesday, 4th September – Start of the Autumn Term

Friday, 25th October - INSET DAY

Monday 28th October - Friday, 1st November - Half Term Break

Monday 4th November – Return to school

Friday, 20th December - End of Autumn Term