We look forward to welcoming you back to the new term on Monday 2nd November. 

We hope you had a fantastic break and everybody is raring to go for a fun-filled term! 

We believe that working together with you, we can help your child reach their full potential in school. Please don't hesitate to come and introduce yourself and share with us any information, questions or queries you may have during your child's journey in Year One. 

We chose Marley as our class name because of Bob Marley.  He is remembered for his positive messages about peace, friendship, equality and kindness. Through his music and the way he lived his life, Bob Marley encouraged people to come together, respect one another and stand up for what they believe is right. These are values that are important to us in our classroom too. We want our class to be a place where everyone feels included, valued and listened to, where we look after one another and work together as a team. 

Don't forget to bring a notebook for your child to leave in their drawer at school and use to draw / write in when they come into the class, each day. They can also bring in a pencil case, if they wish, for mornings. This will give your child a chance to calmly transition from home to school and settle into their day. 

English

Learning to read is a life-long skill and a key thing your child will learn at our school. Everything else depends upon this skill, and so, at Bourton, we put as much energy into ensuring that every single child not only learns to read but learns to love reading!

Phonics is the key to unlocking reading and writing, and that is why we have chosen to use the Read Write Inc (RWI) phonics and writing scheme at our school. Children have daily RWI lessons, which includes an English lesson (made up of reading and writing) and a Phonics session (made up of sounds, words and spelling). Children are assessed termly to identify their progress. Please watch the Set 2 videos (at the bottom of this page) until your child knows all the sounds and can read words with these sounds in (children should know all these sounds by Christmas. Learning to read is a life-long skill and the most important thing your child will learn; we encourage you to embrace your child's journey with phonics, and have included Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3 sounds below:

          

Please get your child to watch the Set 2 sound videos (2 or 3 each week). They are available until 06.01.26 and will help your child to progress in their reading. 

Those who have completed the RWI scheme and have moved to the literacy groups will be using high quality texts to support both their reading and writing. .

Maths

All about Addition and Subtraction...

 

Our learning will focus on:

Developing their understanding of addition and subtraction using practical resources, pictures and number sentences to solve problems. The children will focus on addition and subtraction within 20, solving missing-number problems and adding three one-digit numbers. We will encourage the children to explain their mathematical thinking, use key vocabulary and develop confidence and independence when solving problems

Topic

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Things:

Our next topic is Ordinary People, Extraordinary Things. We will be learning about two inspirational women, Florence Nightingale and Rosa Parks, discovering how they helped to change the world and why they are remembered today. 

History

In History, the children will learn about significant people from the past and develop their understanding of chronology by placing key figures and events in the correct order. We will discover important facts about Florence Nightingale and Rosa Parks, exploring their achievements and why they are remembered today. The children will compare these inspirational women with Bourton Betty, identifying similarities and differences between life in the past and life today.

Design and Technology

In DT, we will investigate simple mechanisms and explore how they work to be able to make them. We will be making sliders, using a ruler to measure and glue/tape to join.

Religious Education (RE)

In RE, we will explore the Christian belief that Jesus is the Son of God and learn about his life and teachings. We will discover why Jesus is known as the Friend of the Friendless and consider how his teachings encourage forgiveness, peace and kindness. The children will also learn how Christians share the ‘Good News’ with others and reflect on how we can demonstrate kindness and forgiveness in our own lives.

We are looking forward to an exciting topic full of inspiring people, thoughtful discussions and creative learning opportunities. We can’t wait to see the children develop their historical understanding and discover how people from the past have helped shape the world we live in today!

PSHCE

We will be having weekly myHappymind sessions. myHappymind is all based around helping children to understand how their brain works and to support them in developing positive skills and habits to be their very best selves!

To further embed this learning, myHappymind has developed a Parent App. These resources can be accessed online on your computer, or through an app on your phone. The Parent App will support you as a parent in understanding what your child is learning, activities for you to do together at home, and also a Kids Zone featuring myHappymind Games plus much more!

To access these materials just go to https://myhappymind.org/parent-resources or scan the QR code to create your free account.

myHappymind Parent App Introduction - England & Wales

Important Class Information

PE Days: Wednesday Children need to bring their PE kit into school where they will get changed. If your child has their ears pierced, can they remove them if possible or bring tape to cover them for safety reasons.

Forest School: Friday Children need to bring in wellington boots and a suitable coat depending on the weather. 

Reading Books: Reading books will be changed on Mondays and Thursdays. We encourage pupils to read every night and to read the Phonics Read Write Inc books 3 times before they change them to consolidate their knowledge of the sounds and to build fluency and expression.

Break time snack: A fruit or vegetable snack is provided for your child.

If your child wishes to bring their own snack in for break time, please ensure it is a piece of fruit or vegetables. 

Additional information:

Please ensure that all school uniform is clearly labelled so that we can easily return misplaced items to their owner.

Children are able to access and drink water throughout the day; it is important that children bring in a refillable water bottle daily. 

Important dates: 

Monday 2nd November: Children return to school

Monday 2nd November: KS1 Amaze Day

Wednesday 4th November: First PE lesson.

Wednesday 4th November: Halloween Disco.

Wednesday 11th November: Remembrance Day.

WC 30th November: Last week of clubs.

12th/13th November: Christmas Bauble Workshop

Friday 13th November: Non-school uniform day for Type 1 diabetes.

Friday 4th December: Christmas panto.

Monday 7th December: Festive open afternoon 2-3 pm.

Thursday 10th December: Christmas Jumper Day

Monday 14th December: KS1 dress rehearsal 1:30 pm

Wednesday 16th December: KS1 Performance 1:30 pm