Welcome back to the start of a new academic year!
Staffing
This year the class will be taught by Mr Turner (Monday-Friday) and Miss Adams (Wednesday-Friday). When Miss Adams is in school the class will be split into year groups for maths and will be taught separately. Class 1/2 will be supported by Mrs Haydon and Mr Soley. They will be supporting the children in Read Write Inc., maths and other curriculum areas. They will also be responsible for taking small intervention groups. Mrs Patterson will continue to take the class every other Tuesday whilst I have my PPA (Planning, Preparation and Assessment time). Behaviour The school works alongside the Good to be Green rules. These rules should be followed at all times during the school day.
If a child is not following the rules they will be given a verbal warning. Should they continue to ignore the warning they will be issued with a yellow card. This card will be removed if they improve their behaviour. If the unwanted behaviour continues then the child will receive a red card and be sent to Mr Richards and will miss their break/lunchtime play. Class Dojo: The school will continue to use ClassDojo to celebrate the children’s achievements and provide feedback on how the children are getting on. We will also be using it as a method of communication. It will be used to relay simple whole class messages and can also be used to contact a teacher directly. If you haven’t signed up I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. If you are unsure feel free to contact me directly. Mantle of the Expert (MOE) This term our Mantle will be ‘Jungle Explorers’. The children will take on the role as experts and research the animals which live in these beautiful environments and delve deep into the stories and people who inhabit the jungles all over the world. This children will attempt to solve problems, ask questions, work collaboratively and express themselves creatively in a variety of different situations and tensions. We link Mantle with outdoors and are working together to build our own jungle hut. Each child’s contribution in Mantle is vital, their individual skills, ability to work in groups, a growing maturity and independence to get on with task in a set time for a ‘real’ purpose allows a whole range of learning strategies and opportunities to enhance their skills throughout the curriculum. Read Write Inc. (RWI) The phonics programme RWI will continue into Years 1 and 2. Children will work in small groups with a designated staff member and will access reading, writing and spellings daily. The sessions are fun and interactive and aim to make reading enjoyable and meaningful. Children are assessed continually and those that have finished the phonics program will move onto the Literacy and Language programme where the emphasis changes to writing in more depth with increased awareness of punctuation, spelling and grammar. This is in line with National Curriculum standards. Maths Maths is mainly taught in weekly focus blocks. These areas cover amongst others, addition, subtraction, multiplication (x2, x5, x 10 and beyond) and simple division (sharing). We look at fractions, co-ordinates, graphs, data, shapes, patterns, angles, directions, measurements, calculating amounts, pairs to 10, 20 and 100, counting to 100 and beyond, number recognition, place value, problem solving, questioning, method usage and understanding and using their developing skills. We will be paying particular attention to the mastery approach in mathematics. The lessons will focus mainly on reinforcing number to build competency. We will provide plenty of opportunities to build reasoning and problem solving elements into the sessions. When exploring these objectives we will use concrete objects to help the children understand what they are doing. They will build on this and start to create their own pictorial representations to reason and solve problems. Finally, children should be able to use this deeper understanding to move to an abstract approach using numbers and key concepts confidently. Year 2 children (and those more able) will also be working towards higher level mathematics, where they will use a range of skills, investigate problem solving with increased number and use their own knowledge to question and calculate strategies and methods. Numeracy skills will also be implemented through the Mantle so that it is increasingly purposeful and meaningful; it also aids development in skills and understanding creating a real context and gives us chance to fully observe their ability to use their skills independently. PE Just a polite reminder that P.E kit is a green t-shirt with green shorts and pumps. Trainers can be worn outside and tracksuits in school colours are useful as the weather gets colder. PE will be taught twice a week, every Monday afternoon and Thursday afternoon. Please ensure that your child’s PE kit is named – thank you. Spellings Each week the children will be given a selection of spellings to learn for the following week. The children will have spellings from the RWI spelling programme as well as age appropriate spellings. Spellings will be issued each Friday and spelling tests will take place on the following Thursday. The children will also be given a spelling sheet to take home which will help them practise on a daily basis. This is not compulsory but regular practise is encouraged. Reading The children are asked to take home a book each evening to share with you. If you listen to your child read or share a book with them please could you write it in their home school reading record. This record can also be used to write any notes or concerns in. I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. We strive to check reading records daily although this isn’t always possible. We will get back to you on any questions as soon as we can. Reading with your child each evening has a dramatic effect on their learning. It builds their confidence, understanding and their knowledge of sounds, helps them to blend words and builds on comprehension through asking questions about the story or the facts it provides. Please also be aware that reading covers many areas and can take shape in the form of comics, magazines, leaflets, newspapers and so much more. It also has an amazing knock on effect to their writing as they are able to ‘magpie’ (take) ideas and build them into their own thoughts for further development. At times children enjoy bringing home books that they simply enjoy and want to share with you. These may be ones that appear far too easy or ones that you can read to them instead. It is important that we appreciate these choices too as enjoyment of reading and sharing is paramount to building a love of books. The children will read at school during daily phonics sessions and we have renewed our subscription to eBooks on Bug Club, so you will still be able to access these books at home. The school’s Reading Rocket Challenge is to read at least four times a week which will lead to ClassDojo points and entry into the weekly prize draw during celebration assembly. To receive a ‘golden ticket’ the children will need to amass 4 reading rocket entries over a half term. The ‘golden ticket’ will give the child the opportunity to watch an age appropriate film based on a book at the end of the half term. Outdoors On Wednesday your child will need to bring outdoor clothes to wear that you do not mind getting dirty. On occasion your child may get very muddy as we often go out in all weathers. Please ensure that wellies are named and provide a spare pair of socks and pants as well as these often get very wet whilst splashing in puddles! Free flow (Year 1) On a Friday afternoon year 1 have a free flow child-initiated time with Reception. Children have the opportunity to choose any of the activities provided throughout 1/2, reception and the outside area. Homework The homework they will have will be: 1. Reading 2. Maths or English (Alternate weeks)* 3. Spellings A mathematical or literacy based homework will be sent home on Friday. The children need to complete and send it back to school by the following Thursday at the very latest please. *Maths and English homework will start after the first half term for year 2 children only. Class 1/2 Contact Times I will be available for a chat every day before school and free for a longer period after school on Tuesdays. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or queries. You can contact me through the ClassDojo app or email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or Miss Adams at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Many thanks, Mr Turner & Miss Adams |