Year 1 Maths: subtraction using play dough
Year 1 had so much fun in maths today using play dough to help them with subtraction. For example, for 8-2=6, they had to roll 8 balls of play dough as this is the whole, then squash 2 (a part) to find out how many were left over (6 as a part). They found this helpful as they could physically change the play dough and use it as a visual. Well done Year 1!
Year 1 Christmas Tree Decorating
Year 1 had such a fun time decorating our Christmas tree. They carefully picked two baubles each to put on the tree. We made sure we covered as many branches as possible from top to bottom. They absolutely loved doing this together and we are definitely feeling the Christmas Spirit. It also makes for a lovely Reading Corner.
Year 1 PE: Gymnastics
Yesterday, our children became Superhero Gymnasts. We discussed our favourite superheroes, such as Thor, Captain America and Spider-Man, and noticed that they use gymnastics to help people. We became superhero’s and created our own superhero gymnastics sequence. We started by travelling through flames using bunny hop, caterpillar crawl, bear crawl or frog jump. Then we had to roll under lasers using egg roll, pencil roll or rock and roll. Once we safely got through the lasers we did our superhero pose (a three-point balance) and then rolled back through the lasers. Year 1 really enjoyed this sequence, especially with our superhero action music in the background.
Year 1 Science: using our sense of taste
Today in Science, we used our sense of taste to identify, describe and rate different flavours. Firstly, we looked at each other’s tongues to spot the tiny bumps, which are our taste buds. Then, we discussed that foods have different flavours, such as sweet, spicy, bitter, sour and salty. Year 1 had to use their scientific skills to identify which flavour matched the food. They tried banana, lemon, dark chocolate, ginger biscuits and salted popcorn. They then rated the food out of 10 depending on how much they liked the flavour. It was great to see that all the children tried the foods, even if they knew that they didn’t like them. Well done Year 1!
Forest school club- Planting Trees
We have had a brilliant Forest School club tonight. We have been planting trees from the National Trust around the perimeter of school. Each child planted their own tree and then created their own name label for it containing the year the tree was planted and the class they are currently in.
Whole School Worship - The Importance of Trees
This week is National Tree Week and Mrs Ham introduced an exciting new tree-planting project that we will be undertaking as a school. Following on from Switch Off Fortnight, we will continue our Planet Protectors mission by planting trees on our school grounds and, of course, our fantastic children will be involved. To kick start the project, we had a discussion about why trees are amazing. The children gave some very thoughtful answers, such as “they give us oxygen”, “they take harmful carbon dioxide out of the air”, “they provide protection for animals”, “we love playing in the trees”, “we use trees to make things”. Mrs Ham also told us the story, The Man Who Planted Trees. It was about a shepherd who saw the barren land and wanted to improve it, so he started planting trees. He planted over 1000 acorns, and after many years, the landscape was filled with lush, green trees, rivers flowed and a town was built. We learned from this 100-year-old story that one person’s small act can make a huge difference. Just like in the Parable of the Talents, we learned that it’s important for us all to use what we’ve been given to make a positive impact on the world. We can’t wait to use the trees that have been donated to us by the National Trust to make a positive impact on our community.
Year 1 History: Putting Out The Great Fire of London
Today, we examined evidence, primary sources and artefacts to help us understand how the people of London tried to put out the fire in 1666. We learnt that Samuel Pepys wrote a diary and buried it with wine and cheese, which we still use today to understand the events of the fire. We also used pictures and artefacts, such as a leather bucket to understand ways the fire was put out. We did some role play using our buckets and filling it with water from the River Thames and throwing it onto the flames. When that didn’t work, we used a water pump to try and extinguish the flames, but that did not work either. We started to pull down houses with fire hooks to create a fire break, which did help stop the spread of the fire. Ultimately, the fire ended as the wind stopped blowing and the fire was contained. Year 1 really enjoyed stepping into the role of the people in London and understood how tricky it was to put the fire out without fire engines like today.
Meet Our Science Ambassadors
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we have expanded our Science Ambassadors and now have seven passionate representatives! For the first time ever, the role was open to both KS1 and KS2 students (previously KS2 only). We were overwhelmed by the incredible enthusiasm, receiving a huge number of applications from students explaining their passion and suitability for the role. The selection process was tough, but we have chosen our final seven. These enthusiastic leaders will be crucial in supporting our upcoming science initiatives; specifically, they will play a key role in the planning session with the Science Leader for British Science Week (BSW), where the team will focus on three key areas: determining the Big Idea by aligning the BSW theme with school goals; planning engaging Shows & Activities, including booking external providers, aiding teachers during practical lessons and assisting peers with scientific investigation to foster a culture of curiosity and learning across the school. We are so proud of them and look forward to Grace, Daisy, Jack, Harry, Elijah, Oliver and Minnie shining in their new role!
Year 1 Science: Sound and Hearing
In our Science today, we explored our sense of hearing. We understood that sound waves travel to our ears, which send a message to our brain for us to understand what we are hearing and where it is coming from. We demonstrated this by blindfolding one child and then shaking a Maraca and trying to follow the direction of the sound, which they were all very good at. We also talked about sounds that are quiet, loud, pleasant and unpleasant. We made sounds with different objects and described them.
Year 1 PSHE: Private Parts
In our PSHE lesson today, we discussed the importance of PANTS to keep our private parts safe and hidden from others. We watched the Pantosaurus song from NSPCC and identified the correct terminology for our private parts. We also discussed when someone may need to see our private parts, for example if they are hurt or sore, our parents and a doctor may need to check them. However, it is really important that if someone asks to see or feel our private parts without a good reason you should say no and tell a safe adult. Year 1 practiced a chant to remember these safety rules. We also designed our own underpants to help us remember to protect our private parts.
Year 1 Inter Faith Week
Year 1 have really enjoyed learning about Islam this week and what life is like as a Muslim. In our worship with Miss Kachwalla we learnt about the 5 pillars of Islam, she showed us her prayer mat and spoke about pilgrimages. Year 1 asked ‘how do Muslims celebrate Eid?’ which really excited them. They also asked ‘Why do you dress differently to us?’ which Miss Kachwala explained was about modesty. We also tried some traditional Muslim foods. The children really enjoyed honey on toast and melon, but they were not keen on dates, figs and olives.
Year 1 English: The Gruffalo Sensory Story
In Year 1, we have started looking at the story of The Gruffalo. I read the story as a sensory story so that the children were immersed. We had forest sounds in the background and a picture of the deep, dark woods from the story. As we met the characters, we took turns to pass around the characters on lolly sticks. We also had some food to pass around as we read the story, for example “owl ice cream”. The children can now act out the story in the Investigation Area.