18.1.18 Sandymere Learning Update

Date: 18th Jan 2018 @ 9:59am

Hello

So this week we’ve begun a new book in English where we’ve been exploring just the front cover to make predictions about the story. The children came up with some fabulous ideas. We talked about how it is their ‘Individual Liberty’ to voice their own opinion and that it is OK that it might be different to someone else’s. SHOUT OUTs to Isla and Jack for their super contributions. All will be revealed next week when we read the whole story and find out what actually happens.

In maths we’ve been practising our reasoning skills. Mrs Snowdon came into class see the children in action and was very pleased to hear the children using reasoning language and their ability to consider different ways in which to solve a problem using a range of resources/strategies. A SHOUT OUT to Mya for her wonderful explanation of why 7 + 20 = 13 would not work. Well done!

We have made further inroads to our explorer’s topic and the children had a wonderful time being explorers and using an explorer’s backpack to role play exploring different settings such as caves, mountains and the jungle. They considered what they might see and hear in these settings and began to record some lovely sentences. We have also talked about staying safe whilst out on a mission and have written Explorer’s Rules. We made links with the British Value ‘Rule of Law’ and discussed the importance of obeying rules and why they are in place.

This week we began guided reading and three groups of children looked at the book Dougal’s Deep Sea Diary by Simon Bartram. They made predictions about the story and looked carefully at the cover for clues about characters. Your child will have a guided read sheet glued into their diary showing you what we have done this week. If your child did not complete a guided read this week then they will read 1:1 with an adult and have their guided read session next week. In order to work our way through the whole class there will be a two week rotation. Thank you so much to all the wonderful reading support from parents and carers. The raffle ticket box is filling up and the children are really excited to find out who will receive a prize on Friday. 

Also on Friday the children in Sandymere are going to vote for their worker of the week. There are quite a few contenders this week as some children are working so hard and engaging in all lessons. I can’t wait to find out who they vote for!

Phonics homework this week is to learn and practise trigraphs ure, air ear. There is an explanation on the sheet and I have also completed the first question for you as an example.

Don’t forget the phonics workshop on 29^th January (letters went home on Tuesday). Please do come along as we will be giving lots of valuable advice and support on the way phonics is taught in Year 1 at Over St John’s and it is a wonderful opportunity for you to ask questions too.

That’s all for this week.

Mrs Williamson