Welcome back to the Spring Term and the start of a brand new year - Happy New Year to you all! We have welcomed in 2022 in class with a super start to the new term. The children have settled back into class, they all have new talk partners to work with and/or new places to sit and they are already working hard. This work has been all about the Three Wise Men and the gifts that they brought for Jesus - we have asked ourselves in class, what can we bring to the baby Jesus?

This week we have been learning…

English - we have got straight back into our RWI groups, focusing on phonics, reading, spelling and independent writing. In class we have re-focused all our efforts on our pre-cursive handwriting - some of the children are a bit rusty after the holidays so please practice this at home. Mrs Veasey has ensured that all the children have new books to bring home this week, so please continue to read at home at least 3 times a week, ideally every day, and write in your child’s reading record so Mrs V can add their stickers.

Maths - this week has been all about subtraction and ‘breaking apart’ a number to support this. We have used our part part whole models and counters to support this work, so we know that 5 can be made up of 3 and 2, which means that 5-3=2. We are applying this knowledge to our subtraction work and problem solving activities.

RE - we have been focusing on the Feast of the Epiphany and what gifts we can bring to the baby Jesus. The children know that all Jesus wants is their love and prayers and this week we have been offering ourselves and the best that we can be to Jesus in our morning prayers.

Science - this week we have started our new topic on Materials and their Properties, focusing on the difference between object and material. We have looked at lots of different objects and asked, what materials are they made from?

Topic -

All of the children have worked hard, but these are the pupils we are celebrating this week…

Golden Award - Finlay for his super behaviour for learning and excellent work in all subjects this week - a great start to the new term.

Writing Award - Artie for super independent writing in English lessons this week and for an improvement in his handwriting. Keep it up!

Maths Award - Willow for trying really hard to use her number line this week to work out subtraction questions - great work Willow!

STAR OF THE WEEK - special mention this week goes to Penny who sewed a wonderful Nativity Scene for class. Penny, we absolutely love it and we are so proud of you. Mrs Veasey and I will use this in class for years to come. Welcome done Penny!!! (Please look out for the picture at the end of the blog.)

School Uniform - Miss Haggerty has asked of of the teachers to talk to the pupils this week about the importance of looking smart and wearing the correct uniform. I must say that Year 1 always look smart, but here are just a few reminders - please see expectations of school uniform, which is in the school prospectus. This is sometime ALL staff are going to be picking up with the children this week, so this gives you a heads up.

No nail varnish can be work for school
Earrings must only be a plain stud
Please keep hair accessories small and to school colours - no big head bands with bows
On wet days I am more than happy for the children to bring wellies into school to ear at play times AS LONG as they are named and in a named bag that they can put on their peg. If the children have a spare pair they could even keep them at school for wet/snowy/icy days!!!

Unfortunately, we start the new school term very much still the grip of the covid pandemic. None of us want to see schools closing and remote learning back in place, so we must ALL play our part to keep one another safe. The new Omicron variant has symptoms that are very similar to the common cold - if your child is showing any cold symptoms PLEASE test them for covid using a lateral flow test and if in any doubt, please go for a PCR. I know the tests are hard to come by, but we must all do what we can to ensure this does not spread through school - we all know how quickly germs spread amongst small children and although they might not be badly affected, those around them may well be.

It may also be worth thinking about testing your child weekly EVEN if they DON’T have symptoms to enable us to ensure this doesn’t spread through our class and school

Many, many thanks for your continued support on this issue.