Hi, my name is Miss Eccles, and I am the Year 1 Teacher for Hummingbirds. I am thrilled to be teaching at St John's CE Primary School and to be part of the Year 1's journey of learning.

I have a passion for fostering a love of learning in young minds, with a background in Early Childhood Education and a dedication to helping children reach their full potential.

In Hummingbirds, I look forward to a year full of growth, fun and memorable learning experiences. I love teaching maths and I have a huge passion for story telling. I enjoy nothing more than ending the day with a story and becoming lost in the world of books. Outside of teaching, I enjoy reading, cooking, hiking, spending time with family and friends. 

Other staff supporting Hummingbirds:

Miss Reilly is our teaching assistant. Miss O teaches on Tuesday afternoons.

 

Year 1 Timetable

 

Term 4

 

In English this term, we will be basing our writing around our topic 'Where we live'. Some of the stories we will explore include Jaspers Beanstalk, The Tiny Seed and Sam plants a Sunflower. The children will learn how to write clear, simple sentences using capital letters at the start and full stops at the end. We will explore nouns so we can name people, places and things in our stories. We will also practise using conjunctions like “and” and “because” to join our ideas together and make our sentences even better. 

 

                                 

Reading - Your child will be bringing home a reading book every day so please bring their book bag daily to keep the books safe. Please try to spend 10 minutes each day listening to your child read as it really does have a positive impact on their progress. Remember to sign your child’s reading record book when they have read to you, these needs to be brought into school each day to be checked. The children will be able to change their reading book every Tuesday and Friday. This will give your child the chance to become more confident by re-reading the same book several times.

 

Your child's Spelling Shed login is stuck at the front of their reading record. Assignments are set once a week, so please keep practising as it really makes a difference to your child's progress! Thank you! 

Phonics – The children will continue to learn their sounds in set 1, 2 & 3 and use the sounds they know to help with their writing.

Please see some useful websites below, to support your children's phonics at home. YouTube is great for Read, Write, Inc (RWI) phonics videos and Miss Phonics has some great lessons to watch.  https://www.youtube.com/@MissPhonics/videos 

Games: https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ 

 

 

 

In Maths this term, we will continue to build our confidence with numbers up to 50. We will learn about place value, understanding tens and ones, and use this knowledge to help with addition and subtraction. We will practise solving number problems using practical resources and fun activities to make learning stick. We will also explore measurement, comparing and measuring mass and volume, as well as height and length. We are very excited that we are now starting problem-solving as part of our 'Fantastic Friday'.

 

Your child's Numbot login details are stuck in the front of their Reading Record book.

In RE this term we will be focusing on the big question 'Why does Easter Matter to Christians'. We will learn about the events of Holy Week, including Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. We will discover how Easter is a time when Christians remember that Jesus died and came back to life, and that this gives them hope and joy. Through stories, discussion, art and reflection, we will begin to understand why Easter matters to Christians and why it is such an important celebration in the Christian faith.

 

In Science we are learning all about Materials. We will be able to identify the different materials and what they are used for. We will ask scientific questions and have the opportunity to take part in scientific investigations, where we will make predictions first, complete a test and then compare results.

 

In Year 1 Geography, we explore our local area by learning about Canterbury and Herne Bay. The children discover what makes each place special, from the beautiful Canterbury Cathedral to the seaside and pier in Herne Bay. We will look at maps, photographs and key landmarks to help us understand where we live and how places can be similar and different. Through walks, discussions and simple map work, the children will begin to develop their knowledge of their local environment and build important geographical skills.

 

   

Outdoor learning is every alternate Wednesday and you will receive a text beforehand so appropriate clothing can be brought in. PE is every Tuesday afternoon.

Please do not hesitate to talk to us if you have any concerns so that any problems can be sorted quickly.  

 

Be ready for learning! In Hummingbirds, your child will need to have these items in school: 

Key Stage One (Years 1 and 2) 

• Book bag (no rucksacks please) 

• PE kit (to be worn on PE day) 

• Water bottle (no squash or juice) 

• Lunchbox (if not having school meal) 

• Wellington boots (to leave in school) 

• Coat (weather appropriate) 

We encourage children to not bring other items into school, as we do not have space to store them, and it can cause upset if things are lost or damaged. 

 

Learning at home for Hummingbirds Class: 

Children are expected to read every night for at least 10 minutes.  Reading records should be signed by an adult and brought back to school each day to be checked by a member of staff. Your child will take home 2 books each day – a banded book, and a phonics book.  These will be changed on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Spelling Shed and Numbots can be accessed from home using the logins provided on the inside of your child's reading record. 

 

School Uniform Checklist:

Please label ALL items of clothing and shoes clearly with your child’s name. This helps even our younger children to take responsibility for and look after their uniform. 

Reminders

In the morning, please drop your children off at the gates and leave any important messages with staff on the playground. We start our day's learning as soon as the children arrive, so teachers are not available to speak with parents and carers at the start of the day; after school is best.

Last term saw some incredible learning take place, including exploring the properties of materials, Problem-solving Friday and a fun trip to the Beaney Museum to look at toys from the past.

Highlights from Term 3 :