Weekly News! 9.1.26
What a fantastic first week back Year 1 have had! Take a look at what we have been up too…😊
Maths
This week we looked at time! On Monday, we helped sequence a range of events from morning to evening. We then used our vocabulary, first, next, after, then and last, to discuss how to make a jam sandwich. We then used the instructions we created to make a real jam sandwich! Take a look at our wonderful sequencing!
Later in the week we looked at o’clock and learnt how to tell the time. We had to work with our learning partner to choose a time, we then made this time on the clock. We had to remember that the longer hand is the minute hand and the shorter hand is the hour hand, we were so amazing at this!
Next week we will be looking at number and place value!
Fact of the week
Each week we will have a fact of the week. We will learn the addition fact(s) and the related subtraction fact(s). This week we are looking at…
9+1 = 10
1+ 9 = 10
Read, Write Inc.
The children have shown brilliant energy and focus this week as we revisited previously taught sounds and continued strengthening their phonetic reading skills. Through our Read Write Inc. (RWI) sessions, we’ve been paying special attention to identifying “special friends”, groups of letters that work together to make a single sound. This RWI method really supports children in recognising patterns, tackling longer words with more confidence, and developing smoother, more fluent reading.
The children have also been practising Fred Talk, blending, segmenting, reading green words, and beginning to remember some of our red (tricky) words. It’s been lovely to see how quickly they’re applying these strategies during both reading and writing activities.
You can help at home by exploring these skills alongside your child. Try spotting special friends in everyday words, saying the sounds together, and blending them to read the whole word. Simple, regular practice like this reinforces what we’re doing in school and gives your child an extra boost.
In addition to our phonics learning, we’ve also been refining our handwriting. The children are becoming more aware of when to use capital letters, how to form their letters carefully, and where to place full stops to complete a sentence. Their growing confidence and steady progress in both reading and writing have been wonderful to see!
Reading
Every week the children will bring home two books in their reading folders, one being a RWI home book. Children are expected to try and read this three times during the week to ensure they are building on their reading fluency. The RWI home books will be changed, by an adult, every Monday.
The other book (with the coloured sticker) should be changed independently by the child themselves, first thing in the morning is a great time to do this! These books can be changed as regularly as needed.
Please encourage children to place their reading folders in the trays, so we can read with your children and ensure books get changed. Thank you for your support with this.
Please listen to your child read as much as possible at home and record this in their reading records. Every week, one child from each class will receive a reading certificate in an assembly. Children will also get a certificate for every 20 times they read so it is important that the reading record gets signed every time they read at home.
If you have any questions, please speak to your child’s class teacher.
Home Learning
This week we would love for you to bring in cakes on Friday to help support and raise money for the Guide Dog Charity. Please if you make any cakes at home, could you list the ingredients. These will then be sold at the end of the day to the school.
PSHE
This term, the children learnt about courage through our topic Champion of Courage. The children learnt about Ade Adepitan. They explored what courage means and why Ade is courageous, learning about his disability and how he did not give up on his goals. The children discussed challenges people may face, the importance of equality and inclusion, and how courage can have a positive impact on others. They also reflected on their own lives, identifying personal goals and how being courageous can help them try new things, overcome difficulties, and support one another with kindness and respect.
Additional Information
Forest school is now on a Thursday afternoon, please can children bring in wellington boots for this and if they wish to play on the field they would also need wellingtons. Their wellingtons are kept in their locker and can get muddy so please provide a suitable bag for these to be put into their locker.
PE is on a Tuesday afternoon please can children wear a plain white t-shirt, or our new Chilton PE t-shirts, black or navy bottoms and a plain black or blue sweatshirt.
Read at 3! This is where we would love to invite you into our classrooms and read with your child for the full 15 minutes. This will happen every Friday there after this term.
Please can we ask your child has their name in their coats, cardigans, jumpers etc.
Guide Dog visit
On Friday 16th January, Year 1 will be welcoming a special visit from The Guide Dogs Charity. To help support this wonderful cause, we are hoping to raise as much money as possible.
To do this, Year 1 will be having a non-uniform day on Friday 16th January. We kindly ask that children bring in a small donation on the day.
We will also be holding a cake sale. If you are able to help, we would really appreciate any cake donations (with ingredients clearly listed). Children are also welcome to bring some money to purchase cakes on the day.
Thank you very much for your continued support. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher.
Key dates
Monday 5th January – Everyone back to School at usual time
Wednesday 7th January – Year 4 swimming to begin
Thursday 15th January – Reception September 2026 application closes
Friday 6th February – NSPCC number day (Reception and KS1 children to come in dressed in number themed clothes/KS2 to come in dressed as a Times Table Rock Star)
Friday 6th February – KS2 Countdown assembly at 9am (parents of year group house winners to be invited) Tuesday 10th February – Tuesday 10th February - Safer internet day
Friday 13th February – Non-school uniform day
Friday 13th February - Chilton Fundraisers Winter Disco
Friday 13th February – Last day of term. School finishes at usual time