Dragons, number bonds and a Paper bag Princess!

 Hi Year One families,

We had such an exciting week! The highlight was meeting Luna and Roger the dragons on Tuesday, we thoroughly enjoyed this experience and followed the visit up with our English focus on The Paper bag Princess (which just so happens to be one of Ms Evans' favourite stories!) We used the story to help us focus our learning on adjectives- writing descriptions, wanted posters, how to take care of a dragon and finished the week writing our own stories about what Elizabeth (the paper bag princess) did next. Ms Evans  and all the year one staff were very impressed by our writing. 

In Maths we continued our focus on adding number bonds to 20 and next week will be begin our focus on subtracting within number bonds to 20.

In science we went on a winter spotting walk focussing on evergreen and deciduous trees. Happily we spotted some signs of Spring to!

In Geography we continued our focus on maps and made maps of the area surrounding our homes showing symbols to denote local landmarks or community resources. 

Turning our attention to the week ahead. In English we will be recapping the fundamental skills we have been learning in Year One such as nouns, verbs adjectives, contractions and conjunctions. We will be using Room on the Broom as our theme.

URGENTLY we need children to bring in a small cardboard box such as a cup of soup or cereal bar box. We have had very few brought into school and we may not have enough spares for every child to make one.- PLEASE CAN THESE BE BROUGHT INTO SCHOOL ASAP! We will not have time to complete the DT project without them.

Here is some photos from our brilliant experience with Luna and Roger!

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if  you have anything you wish to discuss.

Ms Evans and the Year One team.

Maze Explorers: Setting Our Own Challenges

In Year One Computing this week, pupils took their Maze Explorers learning a step further by becoming challenge designers themselves, using the 2Go programming tool on Purple Mash.

The lesson began with a recap of key computing vocabulary, including algorithm, instruction, command, route and direction. Children reflected on their earlier experiences with 2Go, discussing how challenges became more difficult as algorithms grew longer and required more careful planning.

The main focus of the session was creativity and collaboration. Working in pairs, pupils created their own maze challenges for a partner to complete. They learned how to change and select background images while keeping the same challenge level, thinking carefully about where their partner would need to travel and how tricky the route should be. Once complete, challenges were saved and swapped, giving everyone the chance to try solving a classmate’s creation.

As children attempted each other’s challenges, there was lots of purposeful talk. Pupils explained their thinking, tested different routes and used debugging strategies when their first attempt didn’t work. 

The atmosphere was supportive and positive, with children offering feedback about what they enjoyed, what made the challenge tricky and how it could be improved.

By the end of the session, pupils could confidently say:

“I can change the background and save my own challenge.”

“I can try and solve challenges made by other children.”

It was fantastic to see Year One pupils showing independence, creativity and teamwork — not just following algorithms, but designing them for others to explore. True Maze Explorers in every sense!

Poetry, Hibernation and DT Request

 Hi Year One Families,

This week in English, the children have completed their focus text Julian is a Mermaid. They have written fantastic two-stanza poems inspired by flamingos and leopards, focusing on using ‘-ing’ words and writing in a repeating pattern. The children worked hard to make their poems rhythmic and descriptive, and we were delighted with the creativity they showed.

In Maths, we are continuing our focus on numbers to 20 and have begun working on addition within 20. The children are developing their understanding through practical resources, games and discussion, helping them to build confidence with early addition.

In Science, we have been learning about animals that hibernate. The children explored what hibernation is and learned about animals such as hedgehogs, bats and bees, discussing why hibernation helps animals survive the colder months.

DT Request:
Please could families send in a small box (approximately the size of a cup-a-soup box) early this week. We will be using these to create our DT project — a wacky racer!

The week ahead:

In Maths we will be exploring doubles and subtraction within 20. In Geography we will be continuing our study of maps, and will be learning how to find out important information such as landmarks on an aerial map.
Expect the unexpected as we head into an inspired writing week, full of imagination, creativity and surprises!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support, I leave you with some pictures from Forest School on Wednesday.

Ms Evans and the Year One team.