Year 1

Year 1

Welcome to Year 1

I am Mrs Oliver and I will be the class teacher in Year 1 this year. Miss Wood is our class TA and we also have Miss Shenton, Miss Porter and Miss Mulla supporting within our classroom.

We are looking forward to getting to know our new Year 1 children and starting on an exciting year of learning.

Try not to worry if your child feels a little anxious about the move into Year 1. We will spend lots of time listening, nurturing and offering lots of reassurance to help your child to settle in and feel at ease. We will continue to use play in our learning throughout the coming weeks and months.

Reading

Reading at home plays an important part in developing the skills of a young reader and we encourage you to help in the progression of your child's reading skills by hearing them read at home daily if possible, but if not at least three times a week. We aim to change books in class on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Occasionally there may be changes to our routine that makes it difficult for that to happen; don't worry about this as it builds up fluency to reread books at this age.

When you have listened to your child read, if you could record it in the reading record book, along with any comments on how they read, this will help us when changing reading books. Reading books should be brought into school daily in the plastic wallet provided by school, and a school book bag or school back pack. Please avoid putting drink bottles in bags with books, as leakages can occur and spoil our lovely books.

We have lots of lovely new books for KS1 children to read. They are matched to the children's phonic phase, so that reading levels match closely to each child's most recent phonics learning.

Children receive extra Dojo points, stickers and prizes as incentives for their home reading.

Homework

Homework will be given at the beginning of a half term in the form of a homework grid, stuck in your child's homework book. The homework matches the learning taking place in each half term and is set in a range of practical and written activities. If you aim to do one of the activities each week, then your child will have experienced around six in each half term. Homework books can be brought in and checked on a Wednesday or Thursday and they will be given back out again on a Friday. We encourage you to become involved in supporting your child with their homework.

P.E.

P.E. will be taught on a Friday afternoon by Mr Ellison. Children can come to school in their PE t-shirt and shorts and they may wear plain black or grey joggers in the colder months. There are long sleeved, 1/4 zipped P.E. tops available from Grays should you wish your child to wear something more substantial in the colder months. Alternatively, children may wear their school jumper / cardigan over their short sleeved P.E. t-shirt. Hoodies are not permitted. Children can come in black trainers or school shoes and change into their pumps in school. Named pumps should be kept in school in named PE bags.

Swimming

Your child will swim at Johnsons on alternate Tuesday afternoons. One half of the class will swim on the first week, and the other half on the second week. Your child will need appropriate swimwear (one piece swimming suit / trunks) and a towel. If your child has long hair he / she will also need a swimming hat. They need to be brought into school on the morning that your child swims (we don't have much corridor space so we can't keep them in the days running up to your child's swimming session).

Year 1 children really enjoy the swimming sessions. It would really help them if they can practice fully drying and dressing themselves at home, in order to make the process as easy as possible for them after swimming.

Please don't worry if your child hasn't had much experience in the water. They will quickly be grouped according to their experience and competence and will be supported accordingly.

Children who are swimming on a Tuesday may come to school in their PE kits to make changing slightly for them. Those not swimming should come to school in their full school uniform.

Forest School

Forest school will take place on alternate Monday mornings (from Monday 11th September) for Year 1 children. They will need to come dressed in suitable outdoor clothing on these mornings (bringing a coat with a hood and wellies), bringing their school uniform to change into at the end of the session. It is really important that children come equipped with their uniform to change into, so that they are in clean and dry clothes ready for their afternoon learning.

Uniform

Just a reminder at the start of the school year, that all items of uniform must be labelled with your child's full name in order to avoid misplaced items. Children do, at times, need to take their jumpers off in class, and clothing can quickly become lost or mixed up if it isn't labelled. Without named items of clothing it becomes really difficult to match missing items to their owners.

Please be aware that jewellry isn't allowed in school. We advise that ear piercing is saved for the summer holidays so that they can heal before the start of the new school year.

Class Dojo

We will continue to use Class Dojo in Year 1 this year. Your child's Dojo account has now been passed up from Reception to Year 1. We will communicate predominantly through Dojo, and will also add photographs of your child's work throughout the year. If you haven't already, you will be able to download the app to your digital device, and like and comment on your child's work. If you would like to connect an additional parent to Dojo, please let me know, however, we are unable to connect anybody other than parents.

Please note that Dojo messages will only be received during the hours of 8am and 5pm, so please don't worry if you don't receive an immediate response.

Purple Mash

We use Purple Mash in school to support learning in computing, and across other areas of the curriculum. Your child will bring home their Purple Mash login details in their reading record and homework books. They can access Purple Mash at home by following the link bellow and using their individual login details.