Dear Parents,

I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and wish you a very happy new year. I am really looking forward to returning to Class One and have enjoyed seeing the children’s progress on the occasions I visited before Christmas. I will be available after school on Thursday 9th January until 4:30pm if there is anything you would like to discuss please feel free to call in for a chat and a catch up! If you wish to discuss anything at length please feel free to arrange an appointment with me via Miss Paynter.

Reading Books – We will be giving children a new reading book during the first week of this term. These books are from a new reading scheme and they will be linked to the phonic sounds your child is learning in school each week. Children will be given a new book each Monday and encourage to select a new book each day – if they have read at home. If your child has read at home please leave a comment in their reading record and remind them to change their book during the day.

Bedtime Stories – We have a lovely collection of new children’s books for you to borrow for bedtime reading with your children. I would like to invite you into class on a Monday at 3:00pm to select a book with your child to take home for a week. Each children will be encouraged to talk about the book they have read at home with you. This is to develop a love of reading and being read to. If your child attends after school club Mrs. Pink and club staff will help them to select a book to bring home.

PE – The children will be taught tennis by a professional tennis coach this term. This will take place on a Monday.

Spellings and homework – New homework has been added to homework books for this half term. This is not work which will be marked and it is up to the children if they want to show it to their friends in class. Children will be tested on their spellings on a Monday.

Snacks - Reminder we have a child in class with a nut allergy. Please do not allow children to bring anything into school containing nuts. Children are provided with school fruit. They should bring their water bottle into school each day – please ensure this is named.

I am sure that this half term will fly by in the same way as all the others. As always if you have any concerns or worries please do let me know. It is always easier to talk at the end of the day (when I have seen all the children back to their parents).

I can’t wait to start working with you all again!

Kind regards,

Miss Akrigg

Subject

Topics

English

Over the Spring term we will look at a different book each week or fortnight. Children will work on: repeating and writing a simple sentences modelled to them; separating words with spaces, e.g. using a finger spaces; starting to use full stops; recognising and writing from memory capital letters; Identifying and using question marks; using the joining word and to link words in sentences, e.g. I went to the park and I got an ice cream.

Phonics – we will teach a 20 minute phonic lesson daily. Children should read as much as possible at home with lots of talk about what they are reading to assist their comprehension.

Maths

In Maths children will be focusing on addition and subtraction to 20. This includes: Adding by counting on; finding & making number bonds; adding by making 10 subtraction; not crossing 10 subtraction; crossing 10 subtraction; related facts; comparing number sentences. Children will also continue to learn their number bonds to 10 this half term. Recalling addition to 10 mentally is a very important foundation for children in Mathematics – please feel free to test them at home (little and often!)

Science

In science children will learn about living things and their habitats. They will explore and compare the differences between things that are living, dead, and things that have never been alive; identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other; identify and name a variety of plants and animals in their habitats, including microhabitats; describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain, and identify and name different sources of food.

Topic

Topic this half term will be Geography based. Children will be learning all about Kenya. Children will use aerial photos, maps, plans and other sources of information to find out about a small area of a non-European country and to compare and contrast with Kildwick. Climate and weather will also be mentioned.

Art / DT

In Art and Design we will be looking at landscapes.

Music

For musical development we sing familiar and unfamiliar songs throughout the year.

P.E.

Children will continue to work on fine motor skills through handwriting and other activities available in the classroom and outdoor area which encourage them to work on smaller and more intricate movements in addition to their gross motor skills.

Children will be taught tennis by a professional tennis coach on a Monday. PLEASE ensure that ALL UNIFORM and PE KIT still has a label in and that they have not been washed off or fallen off during the first term!

R.E.

Children will be thinking about why people are special with a focus on Muslims.

P.S.H.C.E.

In PSHCE we will be thinking about relationships with others.

ICT 

Children will focus on using ICT. They will type a short piece of work which they will learn to edit and save.