Welcome to Class 1
Go to the photo galleries to see some photographs of when Larry Achike visited Heathwood!
Class 1 News
Spring term 2010 curriculum leaflet
Dear Parents,
Welcome to Class 1. We hope that your child is looking forward to their time in Class 1. I am thoroughly looking forward to the year and watching the children grow and develop.
With this letter is a curriculum leaflet detailing some of the learning and themes that are to be covered in this first term. In addition, here are a few pieces of information for your interest.
Reading at Home
Developing reading skills is obviously a key objective within the Year 1 curriculum. As a school and class team we have set a target of hearing each child in the class read three or more times a week. In addition there will be opportunities for the children to read and look at books at other regular, daily intervals. Nevertheless, it is also vital that you share books and listen to your children read at home regularly to provide further practice. Please sign in the reading diary when you have heard your child read and provide a positive comment about the reading. Whilst listening to your child read please ensure that your child sounds out and blends together the words that he/she is reading. Also, encourage discussion of what is being read and of the pictures in the book. Discussion of what you read is imperative as it will develop your child's understanding of what he/she is reading. Reading should be a fun and enjoyable activity. We will provide reading books for you to read with your child and the children will also have the opportunity to choose a school library book each week. However, do not feel that you need to restrict your child's reading material to these books, please take your child to the library and enjoy the wealth of additional reading material that they have to offer.
Homework
In my letter before the summer I highlighted the homework expectations in year 1, however for your information I provide this information again. Homework in Class 1 will be very informal and will consist of topic related activities. These will generally be of a discussion nature and will not require a great deal of ‘formal' written recording. For example, I may ask the children to discuss with you the types of toys you played with when you were children when we investigate toys in the past. These types of discussion will then be used within our own class discussions of topics. At all times I will inform you of any such learning I have asked the children to complete. In addition number games are a good way of practising basic number skills and can be easily played at home. Playing a shopping game or any form of dice game is a good way to practise simple addition and subtraction skills as well as counting skills. If you are unsure or would like some advice as to the types of games that you could play please do not hesitate to ask me.
Topics
All topics are detailed on the curriculum leaflet. A main topic which will continue throughout this year centres on our class bear called Barnaby and his travels. We shall be observing and learning about the places that he has been. Thank you to all those parents who completed the summer holiday homework (we got lots of postcards!). I am sure we will have some lovely discussions about where your bears went on their holiday (if you have any more project work at home please bring into school as soon as possible). If you are going anywhere during the year (abroad or within this country - holiday or day trip) and you have room for Barnaby in your luggage, please let me know. If you do take Barnaby anywhere please could you send a postcard back to the class from Barnaby from your destination and/or take a photograph of your child and Barnaby (possibly in front of a town sign) at your destination. In doing so, back in class we can investigate and learn about lots of different places in this country and across the world.
PE
PE in Class 1 will take place on a Tuesday afternoon and Friday morning. Please ensure that PE kit is in school at all times as there may be occasions where we do similar activities requiring a PE kit at other times during the week. We may go outside for some PE, so if possible could you include some tracksuit bottoms (or similar) within their kit bag.
Parental Support
I would like to encourage and welcome parents to come into the classroom. If you have a spare hour, morning or afternoon and would like to help within the classroom please let me know. In addition, if you have any particular gardening skills and are willing to help us continue to develop our garden area please let me know.
School website
Please continue to look on the school website (www.heathwoodlower.com). There is a Class 1 page which I will update as regularly as possible and download lots of pictures so that you can see what your children are doing in class. I will also be putting my regular Class 1 News documents on this page.
Finally...
Two things to end on. As I asked before the holidays, could you please wait for your children directly outside the classroom (opposite our Class 1 letters) so that we can see that your children reach the correct parent/carer safely at the end of the day. In addition, if for any reason you are not picking your child up at the end of the day please remember to fill in a permission slip stating who will be picking up your child at the end of the day. If your child is picked up by a child minder or different relative on a regular basis could you please let me know at your earliest convenience so that I am aware of the people that will be picking your child up.
There will be a parents evening before half term to discuss how your child has settled into the class. However, if you have queries, concerns or questions please come and see me in class before or after school.
Thank you,
Paul Dicker
(Class 1)
