Hello, my name is Miss Ward, and I am the proud teacher of Year 1 Woodpeckers! I have been teaching at St John's for four years now, and I am so happy to be part of the team. I love to promote children's creativity within their learning and enjoy helping children develop their key reading skills through phonics. My favourite things to do in my spare time include creating my own paintings and drawings, and travelling to see beautiful places.

We also have two wonderful teaching assistants working within our team - Miss Wilkins and Mrs Archer. Miss Seaman teaches Woodpeckers on a Tuesday afternoon.

 

Weekly Timetable in Woodpecker Class:

Last term in Term 5  we saw some incredible learning taking place! The children designed their own structure in DT and made it using classroom materials. We had swings, slides and even monkey bars made! We saw some amazing descriptive writing and outstanding place value skills! The children were superstar scientists this term too, investigating different plants and how they grow. Well done Woodpeckers!

 

Have a look at some of our highlights from term 5:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TERM SIX

Important Dates:

- Phonics screen checks Week beginning 9th June.

Our topic this term is 'Our Wonderful World"

In topic this term we will be learning about the 7 continents and how to locate them on the map, as well as the 5 oceans and the equator. We will have our own 'passports' and each week will learn about a different continent. We will immerse ourselves into learning about their climate, culture, animals and how the continents are different from one another.

In English this term we will be looking at 'The Storm Whale' text and writing our own recounts of the story. We will also be writing our own non-fiction leaflets about animals who live on the continents we learn about. This term we will continue to practice holding a sentence, reading aloud to others and using capital letters and full stops in our writing. We will also have opportunities to write creatively and about our own experiences.

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           PHONICS SCREEN CHECK THIS TERM! 

Next week, all pupils will sit the Phonics Screen Check. They have been practising all year and have worked so hard. Please make sure you read your Read Write Inc. book every night to support this.  Good luck year 1!

To support at home:

- You can look online at 'Key Stage 1 Phonic Screening Check' and you will find practice papers to read through.

- The 'PhonicsPlay' game online is great for encouraging children to read a mix of real versus alien words, and it is very interactive.

- The 'SoundSayer' game online is another interactive game and children can practice the skill of 'Fred talk and blend'.

- RWI books are sent home daily-please note when these are being read in their reading diary so that stickers and prizes can be awarded.

 

Reading:

Your child will be bringing home a reading book every day, so please bring a book bag 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 book when they have read it to you. These need to be brought into school each day to be checked.

The children will be able to change their reading books every Monday and Thursday.  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 in 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!

Maths:

In Maths, we will be learning to tell the time.  The children will be telling the time to the hour and a half past the hour. The children will also be learning about money: finding the value of notes and coins and role-playing by buying things in our 'classroom shop'.  We will also be learning about the place value for numbers within 100.

To further support your children at home with their maths, you could practice adding and subtracting two-digit numbers and forming numbers the correct way round.

                                                                                                             RE:

 

      In RE, we will be focusing on the question ‘Who is Jewish and what do they believe?' 

 We will continue to learn about Judaism this term. We will learn about the Synagogue, Chanukkah and how Jewish people celebrate. We will explore this topic through role-play and stories.

Science:

This term we will be learning about trees. Your child will identify, sort and name a variety of trees by looking at their leaves. We will also learn about the differences between an evergreen tree and a deciduous tree.  We will also explore how to measure the age and height of a tree! Our learning will be outdoor-based, and they'll be lots of opportunities to explore forest school!

 

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

 

Be ready for learning! In Woodpecker class, 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 school) 

• Coat (weather appropriate) 

Please don’t 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. 

 

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.

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!