Newsletter and Updates

4^th March, 2008

Dear Parents,

Half term seemed to come and go so quickly, it’s hard to believe we’re into the first week of March already! As you know our new topic is ‘Circus’. We had a fantastic Entry Point into the new unit with our circus day. Class 1 even had a new teacher (ok a clown!) for the morning. I have put some pictures of our day on the website in Class 1’s photos. They are not brilliant pictures I’m afraid as the hall was very dark. We did take a few photos afterwards outside in the light. The children are now very excited and enthusiastic about the rest of the topic. Within the next few weeks we are also expecting a visit from Silly Soapy!

Date for your diaries – Our class assembly will be on Friday 28th March.

Literacy

This term we will be looking at instructions including recipes and rhyming poetry. Big Writing is going really well and the children seem to love it. I have been very impressed with the quality of writing the children are doing during this time. Most weeks they ask for extra time to finish off! Please do have a look at your child’s writing portfolio during our next open morning.

Spellings

Many children are now learning the spellings for ‘tricky words’. These are the words that cannot be sounded out. I appreciate that some of these words are difficult but the children do just have to learn how to spell them. Please continue to practise spellings with your child and to go back over old ones with them. In school I am encouraging the children to use these spellings in their writing.

Numeracy

During this half term, work will continue on supporting the children in meeting the required year one key objectives from the National Numeracy Strategy. Objectives covered will include:

Understand the vocabulary of estimation, give a sensible estimate of a number of objects and check by counting (up to 30 objects).
To know seasons of the year.
To work out how to pay an amount by using smaller coins.
Count on in twos from zero, then one, and begin to recognise odd and even numbers to 10.
Solve simple problems involving mass or time.

IPC - Circus

In art, we’ll be:

Drawing faces and the expressions we can see on them

Looking at the work of artists who have painted pictures about life in the circus

In history, we’ll be:

Finding out how circuses used to be and about some of the people who made circuses famous
Finding out how circuses have changed over the years

In technology, we’ll be:

Finding out how to put up a tent
Planning and making tents for soft toys
Making juggling balls

In geography, we’ll be:

Drawing maps and plans to show how a circus might be set up
Using maps and atlases to find out about the countries some of the circus animals come from

In PE, we’ll be:

Trying to use juggling balls
Practising movements used in circus performances

In society, we’ll be:

Looking at how to stay safe in busy places

In music, we’ll be:

Listening to music about the circus
Composing and writing down rhythms and tunes that make us think about circus performers

In ICT, we’ll be:

Learning how to use the “Draw” toolbar in a word-processing Package
Drawing plans and adding labels to them

In international, we’ll be:

Finding out what different people think about using animals in circus performances

And Finally!

As we have our class assembly at the end of this month we will only be having one open morning this term. It seems a shame to show you the work we have been doing this term just before we share it with you in our assembly. Therefore, the next opening morning will be on Wednesday 2^nd April, after our class assembly.

Regards,

Miss S. Wallis

Class 1 Teacher