Welcome to Year 1 and the start of a new school year. Things are very different in school, but the children have coped with the changes to our usual routine very well and have made a very positive start to the new school year. Thank-you so much for following the social distancing rules at drop of and pick up times - it helps to keep us all safe in these challenging times. We ask that ALL parents/grandparents picking up and dropping off to wear a face covering when they come onto the school grounds in order to keep everyone safe. Many thanks.
This week I just wanted to mention a few organisational matters - usually in this blog I will tell you about what the children have learnt that week and anything I would like you to work on at home. I will also post the award winners for that week - Golden, Maths and Writing awards that are given out weekly. Obviously this will not be done in an awards assembly, as we cannot bring the whole school together, but will be given out in class. Please read the Welcome Letter attached to the end of this blog. Thanks.
This week we have focused on hand washing (now a key part of our day) handwriting and grouping and counting in Maths, along with getting used to our new classroom and getting to know each other. The children are sat in partners, in rows, so only two children are sat next to each other to reduce the risk of being face to face with each other. Things are far from ‘normal’ but we are doing our best and I am so proud of how the children have settled into their new environment this week - I know we are going to have a great year!
Please give us a little time where home reading is concerned. This week we have been carrying out reading assessments and now Mrs Veasey and I need to study them to see where the children are up too - it is a long time since they have had any formalised learning and so things may just need recapping for some children. We also need to work out a system where books can come home - we need to ensure these books are then cleaned or left for a week before they are sent home with another child. As you can imagine this is going to be tricky to organise - we need to balance what is best for the children’s education with what is safe for us all. In the meantime, can I please direct you to https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/ where there is a wealth of phonic information, but also FREE EBOOKS for you to read at home. Go to the BOOKS icon along the top band and choose either 4-5 OR 5-6 age range (which ever you feel best suits your child at the moment) and have a look at the books you can share at home from this site, along with your own books of course. Rest assured, the children will be reading books in school each day with an adult, once we have assessed each child.
Please keep checking thissite as it is going to be my main way of communicating with you - along with the year 1 email account (year1@our-lady.blackpool.sch.uk) - I will answer any emails sent within the hours of a school day as soon as I can. Thank-you.
I have added my usual Welcome to Year 1 letter to the bottom of this bold - with a few changes due to the circumstances we find ourselves in.
DON’T FORGET PE ON MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY - EARRINGS CANNOT BE WORN FOR PE, PLEASE REMOVE AT HOME - THANK-YOU.
Have a lovely weekend - I hope the children enjoy a well earned rest - they were all tired today!
Mrs Hollinghurst, Mrs Veasey & Miss Collins
