What a fantastic week we have had in Primary 1 celebrating Book Week and exploring creativity, music and movement!

📚 Book Week Activities

This week was all about books and reading! The children loved taking part in paired reading with our P7 buddies, sharing stories and practising their reading skills together.

We also joined in with Author’s Live and an Illustrator Draw Along, which inspired the children to think about how books are written and illustrated. Everyone got creative and even made their own book tokens to celebrate their favourite books.

We made Book Day bunting and helped to update our class library, arranging books and thinking about our favourites. Of course, we also had time for Drop Everything and Read, which gave everyone a quiet moment to enjoy reading a story of their choice.

🗺️ Learning About Scotland

In Social Studies, we explored a map of Scotland. The children learned about different cities and discovered where Inverness is located. We discussed that Inverness is known as the Highland capital and the children enjoyed finding it on the map and linking it to our local area.

🎵 Music Room Visit

We had a special visit to the music room to learn about Scottish music. The children listened to traditional instruments and had a go at exploring rhythms and sounds. It was a fun way to connect our learning about Scotland to music and culture.

🏐 PE

This week, we practised our ball skills, including rolling, throwing and aiming. The children worked on coordination, teamwork and control, building confidence in their abilities.

We have had a busy and exciting week in Primary 1, full of creativity, reflection and reading!

🧧 Chinese New Year

This week, we learned about and celebrated Chinese New Year. The children learned about the traditions, symbols and stories associated with this festival. We explored the animals of the Chinese zodiac and talked about how families celebrate together around the world.

🏮 Art – Chinese Lanterns

The children made Chinese lanterns to decorate our classroom and take home to celebrate. They carefully folded, cut and decorated their lanterns, practising fine motor skills, creativity and concentration. The lanterns look fantastic – be sure to ask why they are red and yellow!

🌱 My Place – Reflecting on Mental Health

As part of our ongoing learning from Children’s Mental Health Week, we spent time thinking about ‘My Place’ reflecting on what we have learned about feelings, mindfulness and taking care of our minds. The children shared thoughtful ideas about where there safe place would be and what would be there.

📚 Reading Assessments

This week, Miss Shepherd carried out reading assessments. Everyone worked really hard to show their reading skills, blend sounds and recognise common words. Remember to keep reading at home daily everyone!

We have had another busy and fun week in Primary 1!

📝 A Note from Miss Shepherd

First, a quick apology as there are no photos this week due to my absence. However, I made sure to send in lots of fun plans for the teachers who were taking care of P1S and I am so proud of all the good reports from the week.

I also have a little ask of parents/guardians - if your child is feeling unwell, please keep them at home when it is appropriate to do so and please follow the 48-hour sickness policy. Germs are spreading considerably at the moment, so we are focusing on handwashing and personal hygiene in school to keep everyone safe and healthy. Thank you!

🔤 Literacy – Phonics & Common Words

This week P1 practised the f sound and the j sound. The children found words that begin with these sounds in the classroom and enjoyed learning to form them correctly.

P1 also practised writing common words and using them in simple sentences. The children are becoming more confident at recognising and writing these words independently — fantastic progress!

🐟 Rainbow Fish Story & Art

P1 read the lovely story of The Rainbow Fish and discussed the messages about sharing and kindness.

The children then created their own Rainbow Fish art, using bright colours of oil pastels and glitter to make shiny scales. Each fish was unique. The children also tore strips of paper to create seaweed. This was a fun way to explore creativity while linking to important social lessons.

💰 Numeracy – Money

In Numeracy, we have been learning about coins, recognising coins up to £2. The children practised identifying coins, their value and ordering them.

🎵 Scottish Songs

As part of our Scottish topic, we have been enjoying some fun Scottish songs. Check them out at home!

• Heid, Shooders, Knaps and Taes
  Watch here

• Three Craws
  Watch here

• Ye cannae shove yer granny aff a bus
  Watch here

The children had lots of fun singing, moving and learning about Scottish culture through music!

We have had an exciting week in Primary 1, full of creativity, movement and learning new skills!

🕺 Highland Ballers Visit

We were thrilled to welcome Highland Ballers for a special taster session this week! The children enjoyed moving to the music, trying out some traditional Scottish dance steps and learning how to work together in rhythm. It was a fantastic way to develop coordination, listening skills and teamwork.

🏴 Designing Our Own Tartan

As part of our Scottish topic, the children have been designing their own tartan patterns. We talked about how tartans are made of different colours and patterns and how different clans have unique tartans.

The children used careful planning to create colourful, repeating designs, practising their fine motor skills, pattern recognition and creativity. Their tartans are bright, bold and full of imagination!

✏️ Literacy – Independent Writing

In Literacy, we have been working on independent writing. The children practised writing CVC words and extending their learning to write simple sentences.

They focused on using finger spaces, neat handwriting and sounding out words, building confidence and independence in their writing. It’s wonderful to see them applying what they’ve learned in phonics to create their own sentences.

It has been so lovely to be back together again this week! The classroom has been full of smiles, laughter and busy learning.

I’d like to extend another thank you for all the lovely messages and generous cards and gifts – it is present enough to be the P1S teacher.

🦔 Fine Motor Hedgehogs & Maths Learning

This week we created adorable fine motor hedgehogs. The children carefully added spikes using small materials to strengthen their finger muscles and improve pencil control.

We linked this to our Numeracy learning by counting the spikes, then adding one more to find a new total or removing one to make one less. The children are becoming much more confident with the language of more and less and understanding how numbers change.

❄️ Snow Days & Staying Safe

With the colder weather and snowy days, we took time to talk about winter safety. We discussed how to stay safe in icy conditions, the importance of warm clothing and how to be careful near roads and pavements.

The children shared their own experiences of playing in the snow and showed good understanding of how to keep themselves safe during cold weather.

🧸 Learning Through Play

We have enjoyed lots of play opportunities this week, giving the children time to reconnect with friends and settle back into routines. Through play, they have been developing their communication skills, imagination, cooperation and problem-solving.

It has been wonderful to see such positive friendships and teamwork.

🎶 Danny Go Fun!

We also had lots of energy-filled fun with Danny Go! The children loved joining in with the music and movement activities. It was a great way to keep active, build coordination and have fun together.