13 January 2012

Dear Parent/Carer

First of all Linda and I would like to thank you so much for the lovely Christmas presents and cards you and your children gave us. All were very much appreciated.

Units of Inquiry for the term

For the first half of the term we are thinking about how we can express ourselves as individuals through creative media. We will listen to and perform different types of music, read poetry and stories and write our own and look at and learn about different artists’ work and produce our own and to learn and perform dance ready for the Shakespeare production later in the term. Children will also be encouraged to share any other creative talents they might have.
In the second half of the term we will be thinking about how the world works and that all living things go through a process of change with the subject focus being Science as we look at Growing Plants and the growth of humans and animals.

Literacy

This term we will be reading fiction and non-fiction books during shared reading sessions and guided reading and will be concentrating on building phonics skills, reading, writing sentences using simple sentence punctuation and developing speaking and listening.

Mathematics

We will continue to work on securing number facts including place value and ordering numbers, understanding shape, handling data and estimating and measuring.

Homework

Spellings will continue to be given out in your child’s Spelling Book either on Fridays or on Mondays and spelling tests will continue to be given on Fridays. The spelling tests are done at the back of the spelling books so you can check how your child did in the test. Do please check that your child’s spelling book is in his/her book bag every day but particularly at the end of the day on Mondays and the beginning of the day on Fridays.

Reading books will be changed on Tuesdays and Fridays if there is a comment in the reading record book to say that your child has finished the current book. Reading folders should be in school every day as we may listen to the children read any day of the week. Maths homework will be given out on Wednesdays and is to be returned as soon as it is completed.

P.E.

This term the children will continue to have Gymnastics on Mondays and Games will now be on Wednesdays as well as Dance on Tuesdays. Some children have been forgetting their P.E. kits regularly. It is really important that P.E. kits are in school on Monday and are taken home to be washed at the end of the week.

Dates for your diary

• Class Church Service – 9.02.12 & 23.03.12
• Class Assembly – 03.02.12
• Parents Evening – 7.02.12 & 08.02.12
• Shakespeare Production – 22.03.12

We will be visiting Kew Gardens at some point next half term; I am awaiting confirmation of dates at the moment.

Yours faithfully

Mrs Sheila Faucett       Mrs Linda Vaso
Year 1 Teacher      Year 1 Teaching Assistant