Spring 2025
Year 1
Embedded Files
Happy New Year to you all!
Happy New Year to you all!
We had a great Autumn term in Year 1. The children worked very hard throughout and finished it on a high with their Christmas show! I am sure their effort will continue this term too.
Please remember you can email me with any concerns or to let me know anything you think is important for me to know about your child. My email is: emonk@thorngrove.herts.sch.uk . Feel free to speak to me after school or make an appointment if preferred. Our primary concern is that children are happy in school so please do let us know if they are experiencing any difficulties so that we can offer any support that they might need.
Uniform: The children have been looking after their belongings quite well. Please continue to support this by making sure everything is named, particularly bookbags, hats, gloves, scarves and jumpers/cardigans. There is a box full of unnamed jumpers and cardigans in the class as well as a large lost property box within the school. Please feel free to check these for any lost belongings.
Reading Ribbon Race: Please continue to read regularly with your child, and tick their reading ribbon. This can be ticked whenever they read to you or share reading of a book with you. Any book they read counts towards this, not just school books. The children are really enjoying our 'Reading Ribbon Race' and like to see which house team is winning the race every Monday. All teams who get past 80 ticks this half term will get an extra playtime (everyone got one last half term!). Orange team are very close to their second one! The children also collect a house point if they have 4 or more ticks on their ribbon on Monday morning. Please feel free to come into class after school to help your child to choose a book from our book corner, if they haven't changed their free choice books. They may take 2 books at a time if they wish. We still have quite a few over due books. If you have any at home could you please return these and they can be exchanged for new ones.
Thank you! Miss Monk
As readers and writers, we will continue our RWI lessons. When reading longer words , please encourage your child to put their hand over part of the word, and read the parts, before putting it together to make the word. We will continue to look at the suffixes ' ing' and 'ed'. If your child is struggling to read a word with one of these suffixes at the end, encourage them to cover the suffix and add it on once they have read the rest of the word.
As readers and writers, we will continue our RWI lessons. When reading longer words , please encourage your child to put their hand over part of the word, and read the parts, before putting it together to make the word. We will continue to look at the suffixes ' ing' and 'ed'. If your child is struggling to read a word with one of these suffixes at the end, encourage them to cover the suffix and add it on once they have read the rest of the word.
We are linking our handwriting practise with spelling of tricky words now. These words can't be 'Fred-Talked' so they should be spelt using letter names (like we say when we sing the alphabet). Practising spelling of your child's tricky words (the words which are on the 'Red Words' Page in their paper RWI books) can be done verbally whilst you walk to school, or on a car journey. There is no need for these to be written down. You can challenge your child by spelling a word incorrectly and ask them if they can spot the incorrect letter and then tell you how to spell the word correctly. In handwriting, we are focussing on ensuring our letters are sized appropriately and placed correctly on/under/within the lines. They can be tall (sun), sit in the middle (boat) or hang under the line (into the sea).
In your childs RWI folders there are some speed sound cards of the sounds your child has learned so far. Please can you practice these with your child. As an extra challenge, can they remember the phrase that goes with the sound (eg. show them 'ay' card, do they know the phrase is 'ay may I play'. These phrases have actions too that may help with this!
As mathematicians this half term, we are continuing to use part-whole models and bar models to support our learning of addition and subtraction, including solidifying our number bonds within 10 and then within 20. We will do this by learning that 20 is ’10 and some more’. This supports the children’s understanding of place value.
As mathematicians this half term, we are continuing to use part-whole models and bar models to support our learning of addition and subtraction, including solidifying our number bonds within 10 and then within 20. We will do this by learning that 20 is ’10 and some more’. This supports the children’s understanding of place value.
We will continue our learning of 3D shapes and then start to introduce them to measurement. This will include mass and volume, and length and height.
Later on in the term we will learn about place value up to 50.
We are trying to encourage the children to understand how important it is to know HOW to find an answer. Knowing number facts is vitally important, but there always comes a point when children do NOT know the answer. In this case, they need to understand HOW to work it out. This is how we structure our lessons in class; finding out how to solve something and then applying that knowledge to harder problems. Harder does not always mean 'bigger numbers'. A maths problem presented in a different way can often stump children. E.g. 1 more than 6 is ___, or 7 is 1 more than __ ,
Please continue to practise counting with your child regularly at home, forwards and backwards. We will start counting in 2s, 5, and 10's later in the year.
As scientists, our focus this term is ‘Everyday materials’. We will focus on distinguishing the object from the material with which it is made and will learn about the properties of materials such as bendy, rough, smooth, absorbent, waterproof, shiny and transparent. We will test materials for transparency and test materials to see if they will sink or float. We will learn about the season we are currently in, Winter. Then, later in the term we will investigate how Spring is developing in our school grounds.
As scientists, our focus this term is ‘Everyday materials’. We will focus on distinguishing the object from the material with which it is made and will learn about the properties of materials such as bendy, rough, smooth, absorbent, waterproof, shiny and transparent. We will test materials for transparency and test materials to see if they will sink or float. We will learn about the season we are currently in, Winter. Then, later in the term we will investigate how Spring is developing in our school grounds.
As computer scientists, we will be learning more about how to keep yourself safe online. We will also be programming using 'Scratch Jr.' After half term, we will create a multimedia eBook!
As computer scientists, we will be learning more about how to keep yourself safe online. We will also be programming using 'Scratch Jr.' After half term, we will create a multimedia eBook!
As geographers, we will learn about 'Weather and the Seasons'. We will be comparing the 4 seasons and thinking about how the weather afffects us in our daily lives. We will also be regularly looking at the weather forecasts and seeing how the weather and temperature changes over the coming months.
As geographers, we will learn about 'Weather and the Seasons'. We will be comparing the 4 seasons and thinking about how the weather afffects us in our daily lives. We will also be regularly looking at the weather forecasts and seeing how the weather and temperature changes over the coming months.
As historians, we will learn about the Wright brothers, and how their amazing invention changed the world. We are hoping to go on a school trip to Aerozone in Stansted after Easter (we are currently on the waiting list) where we will learn about the history of the airport. If we are able to get a slot, we will be travelling there by bus.
As historians, we will learn about the Wright brothers, and how their amazing invention changed the world. We are hoping to go on a school trip to Aerozone in Stansted after Easter (we are currently on the waiting list) where we will learn about the history of the airport. If we are able to get a slot, we will be travelling there by bus.
As artists, we will be exploring colour and will learn about how to make secondary colours using primary colours. The children will explore this using different media.
As artists, we will be exploring colour and will learn about how to make secondary colours using primary colours. The children will explore this using different media.
As designers, after half term, we will learn how to create sculptures like a windmill using paper. We will find out about different techniques to make the paper 3D.
As designers, after half term, we will learn how to create sculptures like a windmill using paper. We will find out about different techniques to make the paper 3D.
In Relationship and Health Education, we will be learning about ‘Keeping Myself Safe’. This includes sleep, who can help and our feelings. One of our lessons is called ‘Pants’. There will be more to follow on this nearer the time.
In Relationship and Health Education, we will be learning about ‘Keeping Myself Safe’. This includes sleep, who can help and our feelings. One of our lessons is called ‘Pants’. There will be more to follow on this nearer the time.
After half term we will focus on 'Rights and Resepct'.
As learners of religion, we will be changing our focus to Judaism and learning about the Mitzvot and why doing good deeds is important to Jewish people. We will also learn about prayer and worship, as well as learning about Chinese New Year and the Hindu festival of Holi. We will then continue to learn about Jesus' parables and worship within Christianity.
As learners of religion, we will be changing our focus to Judaism and learning about the Mitzvot and why doing good deeds is important to Jewish people. We will also learn about prayer and worship, as well as learning about Chinese New Year and the Hindu festival of Holi. We will then continue to learn about Jesus' parables and worship within Christianity.
As musicians, our topics will be 'Exploring sounds', where we willl learn about Tempo and Dynamics
As musicians, our topics will be 'Exploring sounds', where we willl learn about Tempo and Dynamics
We will also 'Learn to listen' and will try to combine Pulse, Rhythm & Pitch.
As athletes, in our outdoor PE sessions we will first continue learning about ball skills with our feet and focus on running. Indoors, we will continue our learning about moving and balancing on 'Body parts', and will begin to explore how we can use our body in different ways in our topic 'Wide, Narrow and Curled' . (We didn't finish last half term's learning as the stage got in the way!)
As athletes, in our outdoor PE sessions we will first continue learning about ball skills with our feet and focus on running. Indoors, we will continue our learning about moving and balancing on 'Body parts', and will begin to explore how we can use our body in different ways in our topic 'Wide, Narrow and Curled' . (We didn't finish last half term's learning as the stage got in the way!)
After half term we will move onto Dance by moving like a superhero, and jumping.
After half term we will move onto Dance by moving like a superhero, and jumping.
Our PE days this term will be Monday and Tuesday.
Our PE days this term will be Monday and Tuesday.
This term we will be focusing on the essential skills Aiming High, Creativity and Staying Positive. Click here for more information about Skills Builder.
Skills Builder has a resource platform dedicated to helping parents and carers to build their child’s essential skills at home: Skills Builder Homezone (skillsbuilder.org/homezone).
Forest School will be every Thursday afternoon. We will continue to use this time to support our Science/Geography learning and development of gross motor skills, as well as collaboraive learning with our classmates. Children will need their wellies, (named please!), and can wear their PE kit or old school uniform on that day. If you would like, your child can wear a PLAIN, blue/dark coloured t-shirt on that day. Thank you!
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