Mulberry Class Settling Back into School: A Fantastic Start to Our Year 1 Learning Journey

Welcome back to school, everyone!

Mulberry Class has made an incredible start to the new academic year and we are excited to share all the fantastic things we've been up to so far. From diving into delightful stories to mastering new skills and embracing daily physical activity, it's been a fun and engaging start for us all.

Diving into Stories: From The Day the Crayons Quit to The Little Red Hen

Our literary journey began with the exciting tale of The Day the Crayons Quit. We used this story to not only spark our imaginations but also to help us understand different perspectives and the importance of expressing our feelings.  We had a lot of fun discussing the crayons' problems and finding out about how they were resolved.

Now, we've transitioned to exploring The Little Red Hen. We are exploring the many characters and the features of fiction texts. We're enjoying identifying the main characters, understanding their roles in the story, and discussing the moral lessons embedded within the tale. 

Skip2BFit: Energising Our Days

In addition to our literacy adventures, we've been bouncing with energy through our Skip2BFit sessions. Learning to skip has been so much fun for not only year 1 but the whole school! Each day, we’re having fun developing our coordination and physical fitness. It’s incredible to see how our stamina and skipping skills are improving and it's become a highlight of our daily routine.

Maths Magic: Place Value and Subitising

In maths, we’ve been exploring the concept of place value and practicing our subitising skills. Understanding place value helps us grasp the importance of how numbers are structured.  We are now able to recognise the number of objects in a group without counting them individually. It’s fantastic to see how these skills are coming together and boosting our confidence in mathematics.

Settling into Year 1: Looking Ahead

We are delighted with how well Mulberry Class has settled into Year 1. Our days are filled with excitement and curiosity as we embrace new learning opportunities and experiences. As we continue our journey through this school year, we’re excited about exploring new topics, engaging in more fun activities, and growing together as a class. 

At Central, we believe that children's emotional health is just as important as their academic development. In school, we have been focusing on two effective tools that can help children’s wellbeing: Zones of Regulation and Brain Breaks. These two tools can support not only their mental health but their focus, behaviour and learning. By working together, we can create an environment where children feel emotionally secure, engaged, and ready to learn. Their wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do!

Zones of regulation:

Blue Zone – When children feel sad, tired, or unmotivated. They may be slow to react or find it difficult to focus.

Green Zone – This is the ideal zone for learning. Children in the green zone feel happy, calm, focused, and ready to engage with their tasks.

Yellow Zone – When students are feeling a little too excited, anxious, or frustrated. Their energy levels are high, but their control may be slipping.

Red Zone – This zone represents intense emotions like anger, out-of-control excitement, or distress. Students in the red zone may struggle to express themselves or react impulsively.

Helping children identify their current zone will help them with strategies to shift back into the green zone and empowers them to take charge of their emotional wellbeing. At home and at school, it is important to regularly discuss these zones, so that children learn that all emotions are valid and that they have the tools to regulate their reactions in healthy ways.

Brain Breaks

In addition to understanding and managing emotions, giving children time for brain breaks during the day is key to supporting their mental wellbeing and helping them stay focused. A brain break is a short mental pause that allows students to recharge, release stress, and refresh their thinking. Research shows that taking just a few minutes away from focused tasks can boost productivity, enhance creativity, and reduce anxiety.

Here are some of the brain breaks we incorporate into the school day:

• Movement Breaks: Activities like jumping jacks, dancing, or even a quick stretch help release energy and improve concentration.

• Mindful Breathing: Practicing deep breathing exercises or guided imagery helps calm the mind and reduce stress.

• Sensory Breaks: Engaging the senses—like playing with tactile objects or listening to nature sounds—can help students refocus and feel more grounded.

• Short Games or Puzzles: A quick, fun challenge, like a riddle or brain teaser, can stimulate mental agility while giving students a brief distraction from intense academic work.

How to help at home

Here are some ways you can reinforce these strategies with your child at home:

1. Use Zones Language: Encourage your child to identify which zone they’re in during different moments of the day. Ask questions like, "How are you feeling right now? What zone do you think you’re in?"

2. Offer Tools for Regulation: Suggest strategies to help them shift zones when needed, such as a breathing exercise, movement activity, or even some quiet time to reset.

3. Incorporate Brain Breaks: During homework time, make sure your child takes short breaks to stretch or move around every 20-30 minutes. This helps them return to their work feeling refreshed and ready to focus.

This week's writers of the week are Emilia (Chestnut), Chloe (Oak), Anaya (Willow) and Anika (Walnut). 

In Year 6, we have been writing setting descriptions, using Revolting Rhymes as our inspiration, and have been trying to include a range of interesting vocabulary, expanded noun phrases and figurative language. 

In Year 5, we have been using Cloud Tea Monkeys as our inspiration for writing character descriptions. We have been trying to include a range of expanded noun phrases and vary their clauses.