Weekly News! 12.9.25
What a busy week we have had in Year 1 this week…
Maths
This week in maths, the children have shown exceptional enthusiasm as we delved deeper into the concepts of number and place value. We started by practising reading and writing numbers from 1 to 10 and have progressed to recognising and writing numbers up to 20 in numerals. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they match numbers with quantities, which is a crucial skill in developing their understanding of mathematics.
Additionally, we have been locating numbers on a number line and have engaged in identifying and representing these numbers using various objects and pictorial representations. The children have been working incredibly hard and their effort is commendable!
To further support their learning at home, I encourage you to engage with your child in number related activities. Simple tasks such as counting everyday objects, playing number games, or even using number cards can enhance their skills and reinforce what we are working on in class
Next week in we will be looking at our number bonds to 10!
Our fact of the week next week is… 1+2 = 3
Read, Write Inc.
This week in Read, Write Inc. The children have been putting in a tremendous amount of effort as we review our sounds and delve into phonetic reading. One of the key areas we've been focusing on is identifying our 'special friends' within words. This concept helps the children to break down words into manageable parts, making it easier for them to read accurately. At home you can support their learning by practising this approach together. Have fun exploring words, finding those special friends, saying the sounds, and reading the words out loud. Your involvement makes a significant difference and reinforces what we are doing in class.
In addition to phonics, we have also been concentrating on our handwriting skills. The children are learning the importance of using capital letters at the beginning of sentences and including full stops at the end.
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.
Our storytime book this week was The Gruffalo! Next week we will be exploring the Gruffalo's Child.
Storytime in Year 1 is a magical part of our day. We gather together to enjoy a story for pleasure, letting our imaginations come alive as we dive into exciting adventures, colourful characters and wonderful worlds. Sometimes we bring stories to life with props that make the tale even more fun, and we create story maps to help us remember what happens. We love to innovate, changing parts of the story to make it our own and we think carefully about questions that help us understand the text even better. Storytime is not just about reading, it’s about exploring, imagining, and sharing the joy of stories together.
Home Learning
This week for your Love 2 Learn we would love for you to talk to your child about why you live where you live.
Here are some question prompts which could be used… Why do we live where we live? Have we always lived in Ramsgate (Or elsewhere)? Where did your parents live at age 5-6 years? If they moved to Ramsgate, why did they move here? What keeps you, as a family, staying living in Ramsgate?
This links into our thematic learning and we will use our love 2 learn to show the class during our lessons next week. This can be displayed anyway you wish 😊
Please can Love 2 Learn books be returned each Wednesday.
Thematic
This week, we have embarked on an exciting new thematic topic in Year 1 titled "My Home, My Town." Throughout this unit, the children will delve into the concept of living memory, beginning with their own personal histories. They will reflect upon how they have changed since birth and will also explore their family histories, comparing their own experiences with those of their grandparents.
During our initial discussions, we explored what makes our home special, and I was thrilled to hear the children’s lively contributions. Highlights included our local harbour, the much-loved fish and chip shops (Mrs Winchcombe's personal favourite), the parks, and, of course, the beach and ice cream! We emphasized how our surroundings contribute to our unique community in Chilton.
As part of our learning, we have introduced new vocabulary such as 'past', 'present', and 'memory'. The children had fun sorting pictures of Ramsgate from the past and present into appropriate categories. This exercise sparked wonderful conversations about the changes they have experienced in their own lives, discussing aspects like their hair, body, and speech.
Looking ahead to next week, we are hoping to visit Nethercourt Park to observe and compare it to how it appeared in the past. The children will have the opportunity to identify similarities and differences, fostering a deeper understanding of the transformative nature of time. Furthermore, we will be sharing our "Love 2 Learn" books, which will hopefully be brimming with insights from families about why we live where we do.
I would like to remind you that on Wednesday, 24th September, at 1:45 pm, Year 1 will be exploring what Ramsgate was like in the past, alongside how life has evolved for our families over time. We believe it is vital for the children to appreciate the distinctions between past and present, understanding that experiences can vary across generations.
To enrich our students' learning experience, we warmly invite parents and grandparents to come into the school. If possible, please bring along any old photographs, toys, or objects from the past that may help the children visualise how things have changed. We will set up a “mini-museum” in the hall, where the items will be displayed, and children will be encouraged to roam, explore, and engage by asking questions. We will provide tea and coffee to make it a relaxed and enjoyable experience.
We look forward to creating special memories with the children and making history come to life for them. Thank you for your support, and we can't wait to see you on the 24th!
