Willow - Year 1
Thursday 6th February
Hello everyone!
In English this week, Willow class have been busy putting together the final elements of their Alien stories. We will be finishing off by getting the children to decide upon a inviting title for their story and thinking about how to include illustrations that enhance the story and help explain what is happening - just like the fictions books we read in class.
We are excited to think that we may be holding the first manuscript of a future 'award winning' author!
In Maths we have been solving number problems to twenty on a number line. We have learned a new word 'commutative' to explain how the two numbers in an addition sum can be alternated and will still equate to the same total. This has helped us to remember that we can start to count on from the biggest number when completing our number sentences.
We have also been using our number bonds to ten to help calculate addition sums with numbers up to 20. It has been quite a difficult concept for the children to understand - we have been looking for similarities and differences to help identify patterns within the numbers. For example...
6+2=8
16+2=18
We have therefore been consolidating our understanding of the number bonds to ten using lots of concrete materials to help with this. We made fact families, working systematically to identify all of the bonds that make up a particular number, for example...
7+0=7
6+1=7
5+2=7
4+3=7
3+4=7
2+5=7
1+6=7
0+7=7
We found all the commutative numbers as we did so too!
It would be really great if you could practise these number bonds to ten at home too. The 'Top Marks' maths site has some good games that will help with this...
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/number-facts/number-fact-families
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Flash.aspx?f=WaystoMake
In Science we carried out a practical experiment to find out what would be the best material to use for a pair of curtains. We learned some new vocabulary 'transparent' and 'opaque' and shone our torches through different materials to see which blocked out the light the best. We discovered that black card and tin foil were opaque but thought they might prove tricky to pull across a window as curtains. The children decided the dark fabric would be the most ideal material to use and now know never to buy cling film curtains!
In History we have learning about the race into space and ordering the events that happened as the world began to investigate space travel.
We found out how fruit flies, a monkey and some dogs were sent into space long before any humans made it there. We placed the events on a timeline and watched some fascinating videos of how astronauts brush their teeth in space and how they make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich using rather a lot of velcro to hold items down and stop them floating away in the zero gravity environment. We even saw how 'Tim Peake' played ping pong with a large droplet of water and some special hydrophobic bats!
We have really enjoyed sharing the children's space books and models, they have been a lovely way of engaging the children in this fascinating subject. We also loved the newspaper copy from the Daily Telegraph on July 21st 1969 when details of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's moon landing were first reported.
Thank you so much - please keep them coming in!
And finally, in PSHE today we listened to (and acted out) the story of Pauli the Penguin who set off on a well-deserved holiday having tended to his penguin egg for such a long time!
The journey was not easy, there were many hurdles to overcome (icy-rain, snow storm, hungry seals and melting ice) before he finally made it to the sea resort where the fish were plentiful!
We likened this story to a learning journey of our own, that might be tough, have challenges along the way and may take a long time but discussed how the rewards at the end would be well worth the effort. We talked about our feelings along the way and how we can help each other with words of encouragement and kindness when things get tough. It was super to hear the children come up with such lovely examples of how to support each other such as we acted it out.
"Let me help!"
"Don't give up - you can do it!"
"Don't worry it will get easier!"
As the story ended we heard… " Well done me - I feel proud of myself"
FANTASTIC!
Friday 31st Jan
This term seems to be flying away with us - where does the time go?
In English our focus story Beegu has become our writing inspiration. We have imagined and drawn our own Alien and then identified and labelled its features. We have been learning about noun phrases and been thinking about what adjectives we can use to describe our aliens.
We have challenged the children to write their own alien adventure story and these are progressing nicely.
They have been learning to write using a three-stage process of draft/edit/final copy.
This started with a character description aimed at getting all the fabulous ideas down on paper without worrying about spelling or punctuation (and using their noun phrases to make the aliens sound more interesting). Then they learnt to edit and go back to check the content to see if it made sense, had capital letters, full-stops, finger spaces and the correct spelling of words and lastly they wrote up the final copy in their best handwriting.
The story starter has been written too and we will be progressing to the adventure and story ending in the coming days.
In maths we have been developing our knowledge of numbers to 20. We know know how the teen numbers are made up of one lot of ten and some single ones and used ten frames, Numicon counters and cubes to make the concepts easier to understand.
We have been counting forward and backwards and looking at what numbers are the smallest and greatest using games to practise and consolidate our understanding on number tracks and lines. We have also been using the terms greater than, less than and equal to and learning the symbols that represent them.
3>1 1<3 3 = •••
We have been using the symbols to make number sentences and discovered the arrow always points to the smaller number.
We have begun to use the written words for numbers in our problem solving challenges too and the children are learning to read questions/listen carefully to what they are being asked to do.
Such a lot of learning - no wonder they can be tired and grumpy when they get home!
In PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education) we have been looking at 'Dreams and Goals'.
The children made a treasure box each and have been thinking about what they have already been successful at. They then chose a 'gold coin' and proudly wrote out a special achievement to place in their treasure box.
We then discussed how some of our goals may take time and perseverance to achieve and how breaking them down into smaller steps will make them seem more achievable. We used the analogy of making a jam sandwich to note what the 'steps to success' might be. We will continue to reflect and celebrate successes with more gold coins as the term goes on.
In Art this term we are looking at 'Paint and Mixed Media'
We started with the three primary colours and mixed them together to make secondary colours.
We used playdough first and then moved on to mixing with paint.
We investigated how different quantities of paint could alter the shades of colour we made.
We also managed to make a lot of brown!
We looked at the work of artist and sculptor Jasper Johns.
Many pieces of his artwork feature numbers and letters and it is thought this enabled him to focus on exploring other elements of the painting process such as colour and brush strokes.
We applied our knowledge of colour mixing paints to make our own ‘Jasper Johns’ inspired painting
Friday 10th Jan
The children have made a great start to the new term.
In English we started off our new 'Aliens and space' topic.
We read the story of Beegu and thought about where she may have come from.
We looked at how the character was introduced, where she has crash landed
and where all the noises were coming from.
We discussed who the big ones and little ones might be, how they made her feel and looked for clues
in the words and illustrations that would help us decide.
We also wondered what language Beegu spoke and although some of the words she spoke
could not be understood on earth, we discovered that she was able to communicate how she was feeling through her body language and expressions.
We thought about what we liked and disliked about the story and were pleased that Beegu
eventually made it back home to her mother.
In science we looked at the process of melting and freezing and tried to solve the problem of how
to release the sea creatures from the frozen water.
We tried putting the pots on a radiator.
Wrapping them in warm items such as hats and gloves.
Standing the pots in hot water.
Placing the pots outside in the warm sunshine.
Some ideas worked better than others…
We also carried out some experiments on floating and sinking. We made some predictions about what we thought might happen and then tested out our theories.
We discovered that some did both depending on which way they were put into the water!
Wednesday 8th Jan 2025
Welcome back to the new term!
Thank you to those of you who were able to make it to the art/DT show and the KS2 concert on Wednesday - it was lovely to showcase the children's amazing work and see the progression through the year groups.
Here are a few photos for those of you who could not be there.
Wednesday 18th Dec
With just two more days left until the Christmas holiday begins, we have kept ourselves busy finishing off this term's projects.
In geography we have been looking at aerial maps and have been outside taking part in some fieldwork as we thought about what the playground might look like from a bird's eye perspective. We used the compasses to find North before plotting the layout and adding in symbols that represented the features we could see in the area. We used a map key to explain what each of the symbols meant so that anyone could use our maps to find their way around.
We then thought about four of these areas and rated them as to how they made us feel ahead of a final design activity we have planned. We look forward to finding out what improvements the children would like to see!
We had a fabulous Christmas lunch on Tuesday and would like to say a huge 'thank you' to the kitchen staff who organised the wonderful feast.
We had time for a few photos before we started but once the food was ready, it was all hands on deck as the adults all 'waited' on the children. Although, sadly there are no food photos, I can vouch that it was very delicious!
In Science this term we have been investigating materials and their properties. We have been looking at similarities and differences between the materials such as whether they are shiny or dull, hard or soft, rough or smooth etc. Today we went a material treasure hunt to find items made of plastic, wood, glass, fabric, metal and rock. The 'health and safety' officer was glad we had trouble finding items made of glass, although some thought they had managed to find some, as a few of us were wearing glasses! After some investigation and further discussion we discovered that glasses are not actually made of glass, it is a special type of plastic - which we all agreed is much safer that having real glass next to your eyes.
We were all a little sad that the KS2 concert has had to be postponed and were looking forward to sharing our now completed puppets. The children made a super effort to match their designs, we think they did an amazing job and are very proud of them!
We hope you will be able to come and see them in January instead but here is a sneak review!
We hope the children are ready to 'party' at the Christmas event tomorrow - it should be a fun afternoon!
Thursday 12th December
What a fabulous and exciting week this has been with our dress rehearsal and long awaited for Nativity performance. Thank you all so much for taking the time to come and see the children shine. It is a very brave thing to do, standing up on stage and performing in front of so many people.
We were very proud of each and every one of them.
We have a few photos of the children in their costumes - the joy is evident on their faces!
Elsewhere we have been busy with this terms D&T project - puppets. The designs have been made, the joining techniques assessed and templates attached and cut out. We discovered that cutting out felt is no mean feat!
The children all showed great determination and resilience as they battled with the scissors and snipped their way around the template - twice!
We will (hopefully) have them all complete for next Wednesday's D&T showcase - it runs from 6-7pm in the dining hall and is then followed by the KS2 Christmas Music concert in the main hall.
Please come and join us for a festive evening of fun!
Friday 6th December
Well what a busy week we have had!
The Nativity practises have kept us occupied all week, we are now singing the songs in our sleep and are very much looking forward to sharing the performance with you all next Tuesday - all are welcome to join!
In our classroom, the Christmas tree has now been decorated, the tinsel is up and the sparkly lights are flashing...
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" - as the song says!
We have started the Christmas countdown with our Willow class advent calendar and each day someone will be chosen to take home a little chocolate treat - luckily there are 24 spaces in our calendar, just enough for everyone to have one - although some will have to be a little more patient than others!
We had another lovely encounter with Reverend Richard on Wednesday when he came in to tell us all about Christingle celebrations. We made a Christingle of our very own and learned the significance of each of the items we used and what they represented to people of the Christian faith.
Thank you so much to the Reverend and his special helpers Wendy and Gay - we all enjoyed the special treats!
We have enjoyed our competitive sports sessions and worked in our House teams to try and earn points at a different selection of teams games. We remembered to try our best, cheer on our friends and have lots of fun in the process.
In English we have been learning how to write formal letters and have been writing to Percy the Park Keeper to ask for help solving a problem. We drafted out a letter first, looking at the different aspects that are needed such as the addresses, formal names like Mr/Mrs and signing off with Yours sincerely. Once we had edited our letters, we wrote them out in our neatest writing - we will be sharing the letters with each other next week and self-evaluating our work using a special checklist to make sure we have included everything we need - fabulous work Willow class!
In maths we have been finishing off our module on addition and subtraction within 10 and have been using a variety of tools and equipment to help us calculate the answers to number problems, including part/whole models, number tracks, number lines, bar models, ten frames and all manner of concrete materials that help consolidate and embed the understanding of numbers and the patterns within them.
Next week we will start our Geometry module and will be looking at 2D and 3D shapes.
Happy weekend everyone!
Monday 2nd December
The start of our Christmas celebrations started today in school when we all made our way down to St Mary's church for our annual Christmas service. The reverend Richard put on a wonderful service for us - we particularly loved his Innkeeper performance - complete with stable door!
The children got to practise their Christmas song 'Bethlehem Boogie' and were treated to a special chocolate coin from the church to celebrate advent.
Thank you to the parent/grandparents who helped out on the walk to the church.
Thursday 14th November
This week we had great fun acting out our 'One Snowy Night' story.
We imagined ourselves as the animals in 'Percy the Park Keeper's park' who were caught out in the winter snow and went in search of warmth and shelter in Percy's home.
Of course, we wanted to make the experience as realistic as possible so brought in some special 'snow' and ice props before removing our shoes and socks and trudging across the 'snowy park' to the park keeper's hut.
We definitely began to understand how the animals might have felt on that snowy night!
Percy was very understanding and let us in and we huddled together one by one under the covers. It was quite a squeeze and there was a bit of a scare when we heard a scratching noise coming from the floorboards...but luckily it was only mole! We finished off the fun with some delicious hot chocolate and biscuits as just reward for all our hard work.
It made our day when we heard one of the children say..."this is the best day ever!"
For the rest of this week, we have been finding out how to write character descriptions and were able to put all our story knowledge to good use in this process. We thought up some wonderful descriptive ideas in draft form and will be editing them tomorrow as we look to make improvements to our sentences by checking they make sense and have capital letters and full stops where needed. We are even trying to add some adjectives to make our descriptions even more exciting - well done Willow class - we are very proud of your efforts!
In Geography this term we will be finding out where in the world we are and looking at what our world looks like from an aerial map. This week, we used 'Google Earth' to take a look at the earth from afar and then gradually started to zoom in closer and closer. It was fascinating looking at the different land masses and seas and we had great fun trying to identify what we were looking at. We managed to find the UK and discovered where England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales were before zooming right in to eventually find Long Crendon and our school. We identified lots of different features from around the school and manage to label them on our maps. We had a little extra time at the end of the lesson and went in search of different areas around the world to see how they were the same or different. We visited the Ukraine, Florida, Australia, France and Antarctica - although sadly we couldn't see any penguins!
If you have the time, it is definitely worth taking a look at home.
Thursday 7th November
Willow class have made a fabulous start to the new term and are settling back our class routines
with great enthusiasm.
In English this week we started our new topic book - One Snowy Night by Mick Butterworth.
We have been discussing the story structure and identifying all the characters that appeared at Percy the Park Keeper's door on that snowy night. We then made a story map of the book, thinking about what happened first, next, then, after that and finally to explain what happened. We are looking forward to acting out the story (with a few extra props) to make the story come alive. Look out for the next week's blog to see what happens!
In Phonics we have been learning the tricky words 'water and where' and have been discussing the technicalities of when to use Mr, Mrs and Ms when addressing different people. We also talked about 'Miss and Master' although we discovered they are not tricky and can be sounded out. We have also been learning some alternate ways of writing the digraph 'oa'. We looked at the split digraph o-e and ow. We noticed that oa grapheme is usually found in the middle of words where as the ow and o-e are mainly found at the end of words. This information will help us decide which spelling to use when we are writing.
In Maths we have been building on our knowledge of fact families by looking at number bonds up to 10. We have been finding out how to work systematically to ensure we do not miss any out and spotted some patterns in the numbers as we did so. We have been developing our independence in problem solving and have been using a range of different manipulatives to help us work out the answers, such as ten frames and part/whole models with counters from our 'maths shop'.