We have been talking a great deal this week about the forgiveness of sins and how we must all repent and ask for forgiveness, as we all make mistakes. It is important that the children recognise we all make mistakes, but that these can be put right through saying sorry, meaning it and trying to be better. Throughout Lent all of Year 1 are trying to be better - this is the challenge we have set ourselves and I hope that you can see this in your own child. We are working particularly on our friendship skills and trying to make things right ourselves - this is hard as the children often think that they make things better by telling me - but I am encouraging the children to speak to each other when things go wrong, to see if they can reach a solution themselves. This is a work-in-progress, but we are all trying to be ‘‘better’.
English - we have continued on with our RWI lessons. During these sessions we all focus on phonics, reading, spelling and sentence development. We have also been working on our pre-cursive handwriting in which we focus on how to write our letters, starting on the line. We are continuing to work hard on our common exception words, reading them in class every day!
Maths - this week we have been working on two digit number, how to read them, how to write them in digits and words and how to show them using our ten frames and our tens and ones. It is really important that the children recognise each digit and the value it has in the number either a ten or a ones number.
RE - this week has been all Jesus and the time He spent in the desert. We have all written our own Lent promises on a foot to show that we are ‘walking towards Jesus’ over Lent.
Topic - this half term our topic theme is History focusing on toys. This week we looked at toys from the past, with a toy belonging to Mrs Debowska’s Mum, me and y daughter. Great fun was had by all!
Art - this week the children have been working on college with Mrs Debowska. .
A busy week….this week we also went to church on Wednesday to receive our ashes.
Many congratulations to this week’s winners…
Golden Award - Mia for being a caring member of our class and always thinking of others.
Writing Award - Teddie for his RE writing reflecting on why people of faith act in the way they do during Lent.
Maths Award - Seb for a super explanation of tens and ones and in our Place Value work this week.
General pieces of information
PE will be on Monday and Friday so please send the children into class in the PE kits on those days. No earrings can be worn for PE so please ensure that they are taken out at home.
Trainers - if your children is wearing trainers with laces for PE they must be able to tie them by themselves. This is a health and safety issue - please ensure your child can tie their laces before sending them in lace-up trainers.
Water bottles - all the children were given a new school bottle this week. This will come home each night to be cleaned and re-filled. Please only use the school bottles and ensure your child brings theirs each day. Lost water bottles can be replaced at the school office, but I am afraid you will have to pay for those. Year 1 have orange tops.
I will not be in class on a Thursday afternoon, as it is my release time. This will be covered by Mrs Debowska and Mrs McCooey and is also when the children will have Music with Mrs Watson.
Party Invitations - I am afraid that Mrs Debowska and I will not be able to give out party invitations in class. Please do not send your child into class with them for them to give out - it creates upset and fuss about something that takes place outside of school.Thank-you for your understanding with this matter.
Key Rings - please do not put key rings onto your child’s school bag, it create fuss in class and then upset if they are lost.
School bag - please continue to use the red book bag that your child was given in Reception, we don not have the room to store large bags. Many thanks for your help with this matter.
Homework Expectations - please see the Homework page for what I expect the children to do at home…..don’t worry, it’s mainly just reading!! HOMEWORK EXPECTATIONS - YEAR 1 — Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary
In Key Stage 1, children have common exception words to learn alongside their letters and sounds spellings. Common exception words are words in which the English spelling code works in an unusual or uncommon way. They are not words for which phonics 'doesn't work', but they may be exceptions to spelling rules, or words which use a particular combination of letters to represent sound patterns in a rare or unique way.
In Year 1 we are having a real PUSH on these words this term - to ensure that ALL children can read, write and spell correctly ALL of these words. They really do help support the flow of reading. You can really support your child at home by practicing these words. First of all, can they read them instantly? Not sounding them out, but just read them because they know them. Secondly, can they spell them? Thirdly, can they spell them correctly if they ar writing their own sentence and are not told how to spell the word? These are all things you can help with at home - just 5/10 minutes each day will really help.
I have included a link to the Top Marks web page with a few interactive games which might hep!
Many thanks for your help.
Words and Spelling, English Games for 5-7 Years - Topmarks
Spelling games: Common exception words (spellzone.com)
Little Bird Spelling || Practise spelling Common Exception Words (ictgames.com)
Just a few important dates coming up for you to know about….
Monday 17th March - Parents Meetings - please ensure you have made an appointment for us to meet. This is a great way to catch up mid-year to discuss your child’s progress.
Catholic Life of our school..
The following resources are a great way of keeping you all informed of our current liturgy themes and of the weekly Gospel scripture, with some activities that the children can complete at home. We hope you find these resources useful and that they help you to support prayer and worship in your own homes.
https://www.paperturn-view.com/wednesday-word/good-news?pid=MTA101634&v=163.4
I am delighted to announce that Our Lady’s are taking part in the Young Seasiders Blackpool Art Competition! Each teacher was asked to put forward two pieces of work from their class into the exhibition which will take place at Blackpool and the Fylde College from 4-28th March. From others pieces of work one KS1 and one KS2 winner which chosen. In Year 1 Henry and Alix’s work was selected to be in the exhibition! Please support them by going to see the exhibition - see flier on the link below for details.
Today we sadly said goodbye to our much loved Mrs Debowska. This is a very sad day for Year 1 and all of the Our Lady’s family. Mrs Debowksa has been with your children since they started school and I know that they are really going to miss her. We have had a lovely afternoon, playing and chatting with Mrs Debowska and we send her off on her next adventure with all our love and best wishes. Many, many thanks to Mrs Debowska for all that she has done at Our Lady’s and for all of her hard work…we are really going to miss her. So a few tears today….
Mrs Debowska has asked me to pass on her heartfelt thanks for all the kind words, cards and gifts she has received over the last week or so, and especially today….they have touched her heart. Many thanks.
And finally…have a lovely weekend. Mrs Hollingurst, Mrs Debowska and all the Year 1 team.
A few photos of our week…….