Class Newsletter: Term 3
Miss Fuller and P1F
Dear Parent/Carer,
I hope you find the following information useful. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Learning in Term 2:
In term 2 we learned all about Space on the run up to British Astronaut, Tim Peake, blasting off to the International Space Station. We learned about the Solar System and the planets within it, how do the sun, moon and Earth link together, why do we have day and night and seasons and what is a star.
Space enabled the children to be very creative and they developed a range of skills in Science, Literacy and English, Mathematics, Technologies and Health and Wellbeing. The children listened to a variety of Space related stories including “Aliens Love Underpants” . They created their own aliens, wrote stories about their alien and described space and learned to construct questions to pose to an alien. A mysterious alien even visited the classroom which gave the children the opportunity to ask the questions they had written to the alien.
General Information:
Please continue to check your child’s school clothes to make sure their name is on ALL items of clothing.
Please help your child to bring their red folder to school every day. Reading books, reading records and tricky word/sound envelopes should be kept in these folders everyday also. Please take out any newsletters or work which has been sent home to stop the folders being too full.
Your child is allowed to bring in a water bottle which should have plain water in it to drink in class at suitable times.
Homework is sent home on a Monday and should be returned completed for the Thursday of that week. Please note the children should be doing one Maths tasks and one Literacy task each week unless otherwise stated. Reading homework is given on a Monday and a Wednesday and reading books should be returned to school each day in the red folder. Thank you for your co-operation.
Our class Blog will continue to be updated regularly so check here to see what the class have been up to.
Learning focus this term:
Jan- Feb
Through our learning context, Scotland, we will be learning about:
- Scots dialect – we will be able to say some Scottish words, count in Scots and sing some Scottish songs
- Where Scotland and Alloa are on a map
- Discuss the similarities and differences between mainland Scotland and the islands and identify physical features of Scotland
Feb-Apr
Throughout the learning context, Fairyland, each week will focus on a particular fairytale investigating its structure, characters and setting in relation to the children’s lives. Opportunities for literacy, numeracy and leadership will stem from each story as well as the following activities:
Dragon’s introduction letter
- Letter writing
- Make dragon (coop group task)
Jack and the Beanstalk
- Measuring
- Planting beans
- Information Handling – bar graph
Rapunzel
- Measure problem solving – Rapunzel’s hair
- Plant herbs/ cress
Three Bears
- Comparison of size and volume
- Porridge – making/tasting
Gingerbread Man
- Make gingerbread men
- Timed races
Ugly Duckling
- Everyone has unique physical characters and talents
- Baby animals
Enormous Turnip
- Drama activities
- Weight
Core Skills learning focus:
- This term we are continuing to focus on developing independence and responsibility. The children should come to school prepared like Learning Larry and should be able to organise their own belongings at the beginning and end of the day. We will also be encouraging the children to think about the presentation of their work and to encourage perseverance and to give things a go.
- Children will also be looking closely at the right to be protected and accepted and the right to be heard and express an opinion, through the Rights Respecting Schools characters Protected Paul and Heard Hazel.
Core Literacy:
- We will continue to learn the sound digraphs and revise previously taught sounds.
- Tricky words will be taught and used in class. These words will be sent home for practise in the envelope inside your child’s red folder.
- We will use a fictional character called Hamish the Highland Cow as a stimulus for writing during our Scotland topic. Different things will happen to Hamish as our topic progresses and the children will write about these.
- The children will continue to focus on using capital letters, finger spaces and full stops in their writing. Some children will begin using a connective to join 2 sentences together.
Core Numeracy:
- The children will learn new Maths vocabulary related to addition and subtraction and will be able to recognise the Mathematical signs for the processes.
- The children will be able to complete addition sums using a variety of resources to support them, such as cubes for counting and number lines to use for ‘counting on’.
- Number formation and recognition will continue to be revised throughout this term.
- Subtraction will be introduced and the children will be able to explain the difference between addition and subtraction.
HEALTH AND WELLBEING ACROSS THE SCHOOL:
As a Health Promoting school we actively encourage and teach our children to make healthy choices, to enable them to become healthy, active and emotionally resilient young people of the future.
Morning Snack
We encourage children to bring one small healthy snack like fruit or raisins for morning break.
Breakfast Club: 8.30am – 8.50am
It is fantastic that our Breakfast Club is becoming increasingly popular as the year progresses. Please ensure that children arrive NO LATER THAN 8.45am as the kitchen stops serving at 8.50am. This allows for staff to help children get organised for school. Many thanks.
Cycling and Scootering
Although we actively encourage children to cycle and scooter to school, it is important that children ‘walk’ their bicycle or scooter in the playground for the safety of other children and parents in the playground. Please ensure that children are wearing safety helmets too!
Many thanks
Miss Fuller
Class Newsletter: Term 3
Miss Fuller and P1F
