Week beginning 12th December 2016

We have all survived our first term in year one! We are really proud of how hard the children have all worked and how much they have achieved. We can't thank you enough for all of your help and support at home. This week we have been doing lots of Christmas themed activities which the children (and adults) have all thoroughly enjoyed. It was lovely to see so many parents at our open afternoon- the children really love showing off their work. We hope you all have a lovely, relaxing Christmas and we look forward to seeing you all back at school in the New Year on Thursday 5th January.

Week beginning 5.12.2016

This week the children have continued completing maths and phonic assessments. We haven't had time to read with all of the children but please continue to read regularly at home. In English we have been reading the Christmas Nativity. We have been sequencing the story, creating a story map and we will be doing some writing to retell the story of how baby Jesus was born. In maths we have been doing lots of number work- simple addition and subtraction and lots of counting. We hope to see you all next Wednesday afternoon for our Open Afternoon in the classrooms from 2pm-330pm. We will be asking all adults to leave the classroom for a short time just before 3pm so we can get all of the children ready to go home- we appreciate your co-operation with this. Dates for the diary- Christmas disco £2 a child - Tuesday 13th December in the school hall 5.45-7.15pm Christmas dinner - Wednesday 14th December (no school packed lunches or jacket potatoes available on this day) Open afternoon - Wednesday 14th December 2pm-330pm Christmas jumper day - Friday 16th December which is also the last day of term The post box is now in the school library- please remember to put to label each envelope for the correct class (Mrs Ellis - RE, Mrs Prophet HP)

Week beginning 28th November

This week the children have been very busy completing maths and reading assessments. We haven't had time to read with all of the children but pleas continue to read regularly at home. In English we have been doing lots of work around the story We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. The children have been acting out the story, writing a theater review after our trip and writing a wanted poster using adjectives to help us to catch the bear! We are extremely proud of how well behaved all of the children were- the theater even commented on how impressed they were with their behaviour. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and I am sure you have heard all about it! Dates for the diary- Christmas fair - this Friday 2nd December from 3pm Christmas disco £2 a child - Tuesday 13th December in the school hall 5.45-7.15pm Christmas dinner - Wednesday 14th December (no school packed lunches or jacket potatoes available on this day) Open afternoon - Wednesday 14th December 2pm-330pm Christmas jumper day - Friday 16th December which is also the last day of term The post box is now in the school library- please remember to put to label each envelope for the correct class (Mrs Ellis - RE, Mrs Prophet HP)

Week beginning 21.11.16

PLEASE NOTE THAT NEXT WEEK (WEEK BEGINNING 28.11.2016) WE WILL BE COMPLETING READING AND PHONIC CHECKS SO WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR YOUR CHILDREN READ. Thank to you all parents who were able to attend our parent teacher interviews. Please remember that the children need to read their school reading book at least three times a week and this should be recorded in their yellow reading records. Please also record any additional books they chose to read along side this. We are really pleased to see that the children are really enjoying their new homework books and we appreciate your support with this. We also appreciate your continued support with reading. This week in English we have continued to look at the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. We thought about what we would like to find at the top of the beanstalks which have grown inside the classrooms. We then introduced adjectives to describe what we saw. In maths we have been looking at money and recognising British coins and notes.We have played lots of games including money bingo, dominoes and pairs to help us to become familiar with the coins and notes. Dates for the diary: Christmas fair December 2nd after school.

Week beginning 14th November

This week in English we are reading the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. We have been reading different versions of the story and looking at the similarities and differences between them. We have been sequencing the events of the story and acting out the story. We will even be having a visit from a Giant who lives in the cupboard! In maths we have been looking at length. We compared things which are longer and shorter, measured the length of items using non-standard units of measurement and will practice measuring in centimeters using a ruler. For our pirates topic we will be learning about the famous explorer Christopher Columbus. The children really enjoyed visiting the library van again. The van will be visiting every four weeks so the children can chose their own books. If your child doesn't have a library card then please see a member of staff for a form. Dates for the diary: Tuesday 29th November - theater trip to see We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Friday 2nd December - Christmas Fair after school.

Week beginning 7.11.2016

This week in English we have continued to look at the story of The Gingerbread Man. We have been sequencing pictures from the story and writing simple sentences to go with these remembering capital letters, fingers spaces and full stops. We have also been learning about question marks. We have been asking and then writing different questions to find out more information about the Gingerbread man. In maths we have been learning about time. We have talked about the different ways we can measure time including years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds. We have also made a clock and talked about the different features. In D&T we will be making our pirate ship flags which we designed last week. On Monday the library van will be visiting in the morning so please send any books back and if you want your child to visit the van they must bring their library card in. If you would like a library card please see a member of staff for a form.

Week beginning 31st October

Thank you to all parents and adults that were able to attend our first reading event today. The children thoroughly enjoyed sharing their learning with you and we were extremely pleased with the number of adults who were able to attend. In English we have been reading different versions of The Gingerbread Man. We have been focusing on the beginning, middle and end of the story and looking at the similarities and differences between different versions of the story. We have talked about the different characters and whether they are good or bad and we have also acted out the story. In maths we have introduced subtraction and have been using the words subtract, take away, minus and less. We have used counting objects to solve simple problems and have even been recording our own number sentences (eg 7-2=5). In topic this week we will start our first D&T project where we will design and make our very own pirate flag. This half term in PE we are doing dance. Our regular PE days are Tuesday and Wednesday, please make sure your child has a PE kit in school for these days. If your child takes part in a sporting after school club please make sure they bring their PE kit back in to school or they can bring in an extra kit for their club. Dates for the diary: Individual photos are next Wednesday 9th November.

Week beginning 10th October

This week in English we have been reading the traditional tale Little Red Riding Hood. We have been retelling the story using drama and learning how to use an exclamation mark when talking and applying this to our writing. There are lots of different versions of Little Red Riding Hood so please share these with your children if you have any at home and talk about the similarities and differences. In maths we have been learning about a half being two equal parts of a whole. We have been halving shapes and recognising the symbol for half. Next week will be our first international week. We will be comparing our chosen country to where we live. We will also be talking about the UK so if you have visited any where in the UK recently please send us some photos in for your child to share.

Week beginning 3rd October

This week we have been on our Pirate trip to the Tide and Time museum in Great Yarmouth. The children had a brilliant time and were extremely well behaved. We met a real pirate who took us across the seas to steal treasure, Captain Smithe taught us about the role of the Navy and how to capture pirates and we went on a treasure hunt! In English we have continued to look at the book Superworm by Julia Donaldson. This week the children have been writing about their own superpowers and retelling the story using a story map. In maths we have been learning how to use the addition symbol by combining two sets of objects. We have also practised writing a simple number sentences. Dates for the diary: Thursday 13th October is our Christmas card exhibition. Please come along to have a look at the cards your children have designed for you between 3-4pm. You can order and pay for these on the night. If you are unable to make this time please speak to your class teacher.

Week beginning 26th September

This week we have been reading the story Superworm by Julia Donaldson. We have been retelling the story through drama and movement, making super hero capes for Superworm and practising writing some familiar parts from the story. In maths we have been focusing on recognising numbers and using a number line to help us identify numbers. In PE we have been focusing on throwing and catching and the children have been making up their own games to show off their skills. Don't forget our Year one trip is Wednesday 5th October. We will be visiting the Tide & Time Museum in Great Yarmouth- pirate dress can be worn and please remember to bring a packed lunch. Friday 7th October is also dress up as a pirate day.

Week beginning 19th Sept

This week we have continued working with The Gruffalo written by Julia Donaldson. We have been writing about our favourite part of the story and sequencing pictures. We have continued to talk about being safe online and have reminded the children to always ask before using the school laptops or Ipads and to tell an adult straight away if they see something that they are unsure of or something they do not like. In maths this week we have been learning about data collection. We found out what the most and least common eye colours were and made a human bar chart and then an ICT bar chart to show our findings. Our regular PE days are Tuesday and Wednesday- please make sure your child has a full PE kit in school at all times as this does sometimes change. If your child is taking part in an after school club please return it the following morning or send them in some extra clothes. Dates for the diary- Thursday 29th September is our Open Afternoon Wednesday 5th October Year 1 trip to Tide & Time Museum in Great Yarmouth (pirate dress can be worn) Friday 7th October dress up as a pirate

Week beginning 12th September

We are pleased to say that the children are all settling in well to year one. We have had a very busy first week and children have coped well with this. This week we have been reading The Gruffalo written by Julia Donaldson. We have been retelling the story by going on our very own Gruffalo hunt through the school woods, making character puppets and we will be writing about our favourite part of the story. We have been learning about the importance of staying safe online and have taught the children to always ask before ising the school laptops or Ipads and to tell an adult straight away if they see something that they are unsure of or something they do not like. Dates for the diary- Thursday 29th September is our Open Afternoon Wednesday 5th October Year 1 trip to Tide & Time Museum in Great Yarmouth (pirate dress can be worn) Friday 7th October dress up as a pirate

Welcome to Year One - week begininning 5th September

Welcome to year one! This week we have been settling in, getting to know your children and letting them get to know us. The children have enjoyed telling us tales about their summer holidays- it sounds like you have all had lots of fun! As this is the first week we have been revisiting the school and class rules, we have thought about working as part of a team and how to create a happy working environment. The children have also had the chance to explore the new reception outdoor area which they have thoroughly enjoyed. Please remember to bring a labelled water bottle in every day. We ask that this only contains water- the children are allowed a drink of juice of squash as part of their lunch but we ask that you please do not bring it into the classroom. Please can you check that all of your children's clothes are clearly labelled as this saves us lots of time when things get misplaced. We will be starting PE next week on Wednesday (our regular PE days will be Tuesday and Wednesday) so please have everything labelled by then. Please provide your child with plimsolls or trainers as we would like to go outside as much as possible while the weather is still nice. Our first school trip is Wednesday 5th October when we will be visiting the Time & Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth to experience a Pirate's Day Out (letter to follow). It would be great if the children could come dressed up as pirates for this trip. They can also wear their pirate fancy dress on Friday 7th October. We have our first Open Afternoon on Thursday 29th September- more details to follow. Our weekly blog will keep you updated on the topics covered in class and on any dates for your diary.

Week beginning 11.7.16

This week is sports and health week. Each day we will be trying a different fruit- so far they have all tried melon and pineapple. The children have been working really hard at a variety of different activities. On Monday they took part in Bollywood dancing, table tennis, speed stacking, cricket and athletics with Iona who is the Great British champion for under 23s in steeple chasing. Today they have been learning lots of different Olympic throwing events such as shot put, discus, hammer throw and javelin, tackling the bouncy castle obstacle course, playing parachute games and seeing how quickly they can tackle an obstacle course which includes hopping, jumping and balancing. The rest of the week we will involve practice for sports day, a special dance for the beginning of sports day and continuing to try new fruits. We will also be learning about how to keep out teeth clean and healthy this week. We look forward to seeing you on Friday morning for our sports morning.

Week beginning 27.6.16

This week is art week. We have been looking at the work of Beatriz Milhazes- a famous Brazilian artist. Her work is influenced by Brazilian landscapes, flowers, shape and colour. The children are all creating their own interpretation of her work using paint. They are also creating their own version of her work using 2paint on the computers, crayons, pencils and coloured paper. We are really impressed with how hard the children are working at their weekly spellings. We will carry this on until the end of term. This is great practice for when they start year 2 when they will have weekly spellings. We have noticed a significant drop in reading over the passed few weeks. Please make sure you are reading with your child at least three times a week and recording this in their yellow book. Our final Big Book Share in Wednesday 6th Juy at 9-920am. Please come along and share a book with your child. The children will be visiting their new teachers next week and we look forward to seeing you all at the Summer Fair and BBQ Friday 8th July from 5:30pm.

Week beginning 20.6.2016

This week the children have done a superb job, as I am sure will all agree, at our summer concert. The children have worked so hard and we are extremely proud of them. In maths we have been recapping on time, money and addition and subtraction. In English we have been working on comprehension and handwriting. We have also let the children have lots of rest time because they have been working so hard during the concerts. Next week we will begin our Art Week where we are looking at the work of Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes. The children will all be creating their own interpretation of her work. Thank you to everyone who has been able to come and see the concert this week.

Week beginning 13.6.206

This week the phonic checks have begun. Please keep practicing with your children with both their sounds and word reading. EGGSITING NEWS!Our incubators arrived last week and this morning our chick eggs arrived. They will incubate for 21 days and fingers crossed we will hatch all of our 14 eggs! If there are any families that would like to re-home the chicks please speak to either Mrs Ellis or Miss Tovell. In English this week we have been reading the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. This week we will be having a go at writing number names and days of the week and at the end of the week we will have a go at writing our own short diary of a caterpillar. In maths we will be doing lots of number work looking at one more than and one less than, using a hundred square and ordering numbers up to 100. This week we are also busy preparing for our concerts. We hope you can all attend- Mrs Ellis class Tuesday 21st am Miss Tovell class Monday 20th am

week beginning 6th June 2016

We are glad to see that the sun has decided to put in an appearance for the last half term of this year! This week is out last International Week of the year and we have been learning all about Brazil and Rio de Janeiro. The children have studied the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio and have used their art skills to create their own representation of this in clay and drawing. In Geography we have been comparing our homes in the UK with the Brazilian favela style building, including how much more compact Rio is as a city. Our English lesson have taken us to the Rainforest where we have learnt about the habitat and environment. The children have then created their own fact-sheet about and aspect of the Rainforest they found interesting. They have also been practicing their handwriting and spelling by writing sentences about Brazil. For maths the children have been on a tour of some of the places encountered between Norwich and Rio (Stopping at: Norwich, Paris, Dakar, the Atlantic Ocean and Rio) and have completed a maths challenge based on their learning this year at each stop. In music we have learnt about Samba bands and the children have been creating their own Samba music in preparation for Friday's carnival. We have also been fortunate enough to have two different dance workshops this week and the children will have all experienced Capoeira and Brazilian dance in their PE sessions by the end of the week. On Friday we will celebrate all of the hard work that has gone into their new learning with a Garrick Green Rio inspired carnival. The children are invited to wear bright clothes (but no fancy dress costumes please) on Friday and they will be creating head-dresses during the day. Can we remind everyone to ensure that their child has a full PE kit at school every day - we will be using the best of the kind weather to get outside and practise our sports day skills as often as possible, not just in our timetabled slots.

Week beginning 23.5.2016

We would just like to start by thanking all of the adults that were able to make it to the final year one reading event. The children had a great time and we hope you were impressed with both their reading and maths skills. Please remember that reading isn't just about books and there are a wide range of things out there for children to enjoy. This week in English we read the story Jaspers Beanstalk. We then planted our own (imaginary) seed and waited to see what grew. The children then independently wrote about what their seed grew into. We had jelly bean castles, beanstalks made of diamonds, chocolate houses and Egyptians! We were really impressed with the children's ideas and how imaginative they were. We were even more impressed with their writing! In maths we have been recapping on measuring- capacity, weight and length. After half term our phonics check will begin so please keep practising at home and continuing to read so the children are ready when they return from the half term break. Have a super half term.

Week beginning 16.5.2016

This week is English we have been reading the story of Boris the Bat. This is a fiction story however there are lots of facts about bats within the story. We talked about the different parts of the story which are fact and which are fiction. We then discussed what we would like to know about bats and then wrote our own questions. Using I pads and books we found the answers to our questions and created our own bat fact sheets. For homework this week the children will be asked to create their own fact sheet about their favourite animal. In maths we have revisited addition and subtraction using a number line. Please support this at home with lots of worded questions. For example- If I have ten cakes and eat 3- how many are left? (10 – 3 = 7) In topic work the children used their knowledge from the previous lesson to design a small garden chair which they will then make next week. We looked at the different materials we could use to make it and the best tools use. Please join us for our final year one reading event next week Thursday 26th May at 9am. Please were comfortable shoes and remember- reading isn’t just about books! Finally we want to thank you for your continued support with reading in preparation for the phonics tests which will begin after half term. We have been sending home lots of real and nonsense words for the children to practice.

Week beginning 9.5.2016

This week in English we have been on an adventure to Australia. We read the story 'The Diary of a Wombat' and then jetted off to explore some of the wonders of Australia. We jumped like kangaroos, walked on the beach and cooked on the BBQ. We have talked about verbs and been looking at 'ed' endings. In maths we have been learning about positional and directional language. For positional language we have been using clockwise, anti-clockwise, quarter, half, three quarter and whole turns, forwards, backwards, up, down, left and right. For directional language we have been using in, on, outside, inside, left, right, next to, beside, under, behind, above and below. In topic work we will be starting our last D&T project which will be designing and making a garden chair. Please continue to practise the phonics homework we will be sending home weekly. The phonics tests begin straight after half term. Our Year One reading event is Thursday 26th May at 9am. Please wear suitable shoes!

week beginning 03.05.2016

This week in English we have been focusing on comprehension in reading and practising our handwriting. In Maths we have been exploring the properites of 2D and 3D shape. This linked to our trip to the Cathedral where the children learnt about shape and symbols in the Christian religion. The children were all exceptionally well behaved and the tour guides said they were a credit to our school. Later this week we will be visiting St Margaret's Chruch in Old Catton to compare it to the Cathedral. Please come along to our Big Book Share next Monday at 230pm. Please remember that school still ends at 3pm so children cannot leave the school before then. Our Year One Reading event is coming up on Thursday 26th May at 9am. Class photos will be on May 23rd.

Week beginning 25th April 2016

This week we have been reading The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr. The children have been writing bulleted lists of their favourite foods, creating an alternative character to the Tiger and writing a list of food they would buy for their animal. We have introduced the use of a comma to separate items when writing a list as part of a sentence and the children have all written what Sophie had for tea in the story using commas. They have finished the week by creating their own version of the story and applying these skills when writing the list of what their animal ate. In maths we have been exploring sharing between 2 and 4 and the links to halves and quarters. The children have been learning that halving an amount, or an object, always means sharing between 2 and that quartering always means sharing between 4. In topic we have been learning about how animals are classified in Science. The children investigated all of the different ways we could sort different animals before learning about the main categories: insect, amphibian, mammal, reptile, bird, crustacean. They went on the make a zoo to show how they woud sort the animals based on their classifications. In PE we have continued with dance and the children are beginning to use the moves learnt to created their own short routines. Reminders/upcoming events: Next Monday is a bank holiday and the school will be closed. Next Wednesday is our Year trip to the Cathedral - please return your permission slip if you have not yet done so. Children will need to wear normal school uniform and bring a packed lunch from home.

week beginning 18th April 2016

In English this week we are revisiting adjectives through the book Tell Me A Dragon by Jackie Morris. The children have been describing different images of dragons from the book and elsewhere and as the week progresses they will design and write about their own dragon. We have had some lovely descriptions so far and look forward to seeing the end products. In maths we have begun to look at repeated addition and how this relates to forming 'lots of'. For example if you have 8 socks, there are 4 lots of 2 socks. We will be continuing this with 2s and 5s throughout the week. In topic we have been on a tree hunt. The children have used leaves to help them identify different trees in the schools grounds and decided whether they were deciduous or evergreen. A few reminders and notices for your diary: * The book fair will be at school this Thursday and Friday and next Monday and Tuesday * Road safety training takes place next Tuesday and Wednesday - please return permission slips before then to enable your child to take part * Year One trip to Norwich Cathedral on 4th May - all money and slips to be returned by 29th April

week beginning 11th April

This week we have revisited poetry and the children have been learning about the nonsense poem the Ning, Nang, Nong. We have explore rhyming pairs and have made our own changes to add even more nonsense to the poem! As the week progresses the children will be creating their own nonsense poems using everyday objects to create the rhyming string. In maths we have introduced Charlie Crocodile, who likes to eat numbers. The children have used this to help them identify the greatest number in a pair and to begin use the mathematical symbols < and > as well as =. This has also been a good opportunity for them to concentrate on their counting and number skills as we head into the final term of year one. This half term our topic is Our Garden and the children will be planting seeds to look after and observe over the next 6 weeks. Our PE days this term are Monday and Thursday, so please make sure your child has a full PE kit in school as well as hair bands and tape for ears if needed.

week beginning 21 March 2016

This week we have been reading The Day The Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. The children practised their debating skills to help them decide whether yellow crayon or orange crayon should be the sun. They then designed their own crayon and wrote about the things the crayon liked to do as well as the things that made it sad. They then applied all of their skills to their end of term assessment - we really enjoyed reading their stories! In maths we have been recapping counting in 2s, 5s and 10s and writing numbers. Have an good Easter and we will see you when school restarts on 11th April.

Week beginning 14th March 2016

This week we have been taking part in National Science Week. The children have been scientists this week and have been using the vocabulary:Investigate, Experiment and Observe to help them explore floating and sinking, electricity and air resistance. On Wednesday we had our year group trip to Strangers Hall where we learnt about building and artefacts from the past. Just a reminder that this Friday we will be supporting Sport Relief by walking the mile around Catton Park please join us if you can. Next Monday is the open afternoon from 1:30 3:30 - the children are very proud of what they have achieved this year and are looking forward to sharing their work with you.

Week beginning 7th March 2016

This week we have been learning a poem called Queue at the Zoo and looking at the rhyming patterns in this. We explored how the rhyme depends on how a word sounds rather than how it is spelt. The children have learnt the poem to help them perform it as if they were the children in the queue at the zoo. They have also continued working on handwriting, letter formation and spelling words in line with curriculum expectations. We have been completing end of term maths assessments so all children have been using all of the skills they have learnt so far this year to help them work out the problems. In PE with have continued with our multi-skills sessions, with a focus on agility this week. The children have been learning to move and change direction with accuracy speed. Just a reminder that next week's trip to Stranger's Hall is on Wednesday - please look out for the letter confirming final arrangements for this. Children will need a packed lunch and water bottle for the day.

Week beginning 29.02.2016

This week in English we have continued to look at the story of the Three Little Pigs. All of the children have thought about what happened next to the Three Little Pigs. We drew a story map using pictures and the children became authors by writing their ideas. In maths we have been exploring weight- how heavy or light things are and comparing objects. We learnt that big objects aren't always the heaviest and small objects aren't always the lightest. The children carried out an investigation to fill a carrier bag so that that heaviest objects were at the bottom and the lightest items at the top! In topic we have been looking at different materials and their uses. The children have been on a materials hunt and carried out experiments to see which materials could be used instead of bricks for walls and glass for windows. This Friday 4th is our BIG BOOK SHARE - please come along and share a book with your child. Parent teacher interviews are next week- please check with your class TA to confirm your date and time. Please remember we are limited to 10 minute slots. Dates for your diary: Monday 7th March - ET parent teacher interviews am and pm. RE parent teacher interviews pm. Thursday 10th March - RE parent teacher interviews am. Wednesday 16th March is our Year One trip to Strangers Hall - packed lunch is needed.

Week beginning 22.2.2016

This week in English we have been reading the story of the Three Little Pigs. We have been thinking about different ways to catch the wolf to stop him from blowing down the school- the children have had some great ideas! We have made WANTED posters and learnt about adjectives so the children could describe the Big Bad Wolf. This has also linked to our topic work where the children have been creating houses out of straws, wooden lollipop sticks and lego bricks to see which is the strongest. In maths this week we have been looking at number bonds (or pairs) to twenty and addition and subtraction. The children have all worked really hard at solving problems and recognising the different symbols. For our topic this week the children have created clay plaques of buildings. They used a range of tools to create different textures and patterns in the clay. Dates for your diary: Strangers Hall trip - Wednesday 16th March (All children will need a packed lunch) RE parent teacher interviews - Monday 7th pm and Thursday 10th am ET parent teacher interviews - Monday 7th am and pm BIG Book Share - Friday 4th 230-250pm

Week commencing 8th February

Ciao This week is International Week and the children are learning all about Italy. this week they will be learning about Michelangelo and trying out some of his art techniques; baking ciabatta and making gelato and building Rome in a day! We have also completed an activity about a day in the life of a child at Garrick Green and we will be contrasting our experiences with a school from Italy. On Friday the children will be writing about everything they have learnt about Italy this week as part of their half term writing assessments. We are sending home some counting homework to help the children develop their confidence in counting in 2s, 5s and 10s and would also ask you to read with them at least three times during the holiday. If your child would like more of a challenge, they can log into Education City and play some of the maths games on there.

week beginning 1st February 2016

This week in English we have been continuing with our story about the Frog Prince. The children have thought about how this story might be reported in more modern times and have looked at some of the different ways the news is reported. They have had a go at writing a news report and have recorded each other presenting the news using the iPads. In maths we have been revisiting measuring. The children have established that everything is measurable depending on the units used. We have introduced the standard unit centimetres and the children have been applying their prior knowledge of how to complete a fair measure to using rulers to measure objects within the classroom. This week's topic will be looking at different homes around the world and exploring the similarities and differences between them. Our next reading event is this Friday. It will take place in the hall from approximately 9:15 (or as soon as the children are all in and registered) to 10:15 - we hope to see you there.

Week commencing 25th January 2016

This week we have introduced the traditional tale The Frog Prince. The children have been retelling and sequencing the story and we have been asking the Frog questions. We have investigated what makes a good question and how to write a ? correctly. The children will be writing their questions for the frog before they report the story as a news presenter. In maths we have been learning how to use the number line to help solve an addition or subtraction calculation. The focus has been on applying the strategy successfully in order to prove the answer rather than just knowing the answer. In topic we are continuing our display of Church Street and will be looking at different types of buildings around the world next week. Just a reminder that the next Year One reading event is next Friday - 5th February 9:30-10:15 in the hall - we hope to see you there.

week commencing 18 January 2016

This week we have been continuing with our work on Hansel and Gretel. The children have designed their own gingerbread house and have practised writing how they would construct it using the time words: first, next, then and last. Later in the week they will be identifying the difference between questions and statements about the story. In maths we have started learning about capacity and looking at how much things contain. The children have been introduced to the language of: full, nearly full, half full, half empty, nearly empty and empty and will be experimenting this week with containers of different sizes to find what holds the most or least before measuring the capacity of different objects using standard units. In topic we have begun our whole class displays of Church Street and these be completed over the next few weeks - make sure you pop in to admire the children's artwork if you get the chance!

w/c 11 January 2016

This week we are starting our new English sequence all about Hansel and Gretel. The children have heard and discussed the story and have sequenced pictures for part of the story. This week they will also be setting their own trails out of the woods and writing a class version of the story, with each group writing a different part. In maths we are halving and quartering shapes and amounts. We are looking at how to identify half and quarter of regular and irregular shapes and we are beginning to solve worded problems involving halving and quartering. Thank you to everyone who has completed their topic homework - we will be using this on Friday to help the children create their own map of their route to school, identifying human and physical features along the way. A few dates for your diaries: The next Big Book Share is on Tuesday 19th January 9:00-9:20am Year One reading event 'reading is not just about books': 9:30 - 10:20am Parent/Teacher Interviews (sign up sheets will follow nearer the time): ET class - am: 7th March / evening 7th March RE class - am: 10th March / evening 7th March

week beginning 4th January 2015

Welcome back and Happy New Year! This week we are introducing poetry, with a focus on rhyming words. The children have been learning what makes a successful rhyme and identifying rhyming pairs in well-known nursery rhymes. We will also be rhyming names and everyday objects to help the children become used to the sound of the repetition of similar sounds in rhyme. In maths we are learning our number bonds to 10 and will be recording these as number sentences as the week progresses. As part of this we will also be concentrating on correct formation of numbers in our maths. Our topic for this term is Buildings and to introduce this the children will be walking around parts of Old Catton to observe the different buildings, and materials used in their construction, here. Our PE lessons will take place on Monday and Thursday afternoons, so please ensure that your child has a full PE kit at school, including hair bands or tape to cover earrings, if required. We will be covering games, and learning to play tri-golf this term.