Welcome to Year 1! We are sorry we can’t meet you all as we normally would but we’re sure you will understand under current circumstances that this is the best we can do for now, make sure you read through the text to then watch our lovely class videos! There are 3 teachers and 3 teaching assistants in Year 1:
Chalk Farm – Brian (teacher) Ibadete (teaching assistant)
Manor House – Jenni (teacher) Christina (teaching assistant)
Swiss Cottage – Henry (teacher) Jo (teaching assistant)
Communication
Now more than ever, it is vital that the school office has current and up-to-date contact details (phone numbers and email addresses). Please contact them if your details have changed.
Normally, we pride ourselves on our open door policy, but unfortunately current circumstances make this very difficult. Instead, if you need to speak to your child’s class teacher, you can either contact the office and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Alternatively, you could email us using the following email addresses:
Thank you for your cooperation so far during drop off and pick-up times whilst the school has been trialling different pick up systems. It is crucial that you are punctual for these times of the day.
Drop off 8.55am – Enter the school via Park Road at Entrance 3 (near the school car park). Please then make your way to the Infant Playground Zone 5 where your children will come to line up with their class adults. Once your child has lined up, please make your way out to avoid congestion in playground.
Pick up 3.25pm – You will collect your child from the same area (zone 5). We have now decided not to use the ball court area as a waiting area. There will be a sign up for each class on the fence outside the ball court for each group of parents to wait by. Please stay behind the climbing equipment in the green area. The reason for this is to keep a suitable distance between the children and adults. The class teacher will be close by for you to request your child. Your patience in this process will be greatly appreciated, as we are still trying to get to know all parents
General Class Housekeeping
Here is some vital information
Water bottles – Please ensure your child brings in a full water bottle everyday with their name on it as the communal fountains are not in use for now. We will refill throughout the day if needed. The children are encouraged to be responsible for looking after the own water bottle during playtime and lunchtime.
Packed lunch – Please be aware that all Year 1 children are eligible for Free School Meals. However, if you choose to provide your children with a packed lunch, may we remind you that only healthy meals and snacks are allowed. On Fridays, children are allowed a different type of snack such as a packet of crisps or a biscuit bar. Food containing nuts must be avoided due to allergies.
PE – We will start to introduce PE in Year 1 in the upcoming weeks. On your child’s designated PE day, they must come to school already wearing clothes suitable for PE. This could be a t-shirt and leggings or shorts (jogging bottoms weather dependent). They also need to wear suitable trainers on that day. Please see below for your child’s PE day:
Manor House – Tuesday
Swiss Cottage – Friday
Chalk Farm – Thursday
Home Learning:
Purple Mash – Your child will soon be given login details for a school-based online learning resource called Purple Mash. We will use this both in school and for home learning opportunities. We will regularly upload new activities for you and your child to do. To find these, please login using your child’s username and password, then click on the red tick icon called 2Dos. These activities are not compulsory, but we feel that they extend children’s learning and open a dialogue to help you to find out what your child has been learning about in school.
Reading – Please try to fit in 15 minutes of reading time at home with your child daily. This includes a mixture of you modelling reading to them, them reading to you, and some joint reading.
Spellings and learning key words – Each Monday we will send home a spelling list. Please practise these with your child over the week. Every Friday, we will set a Spelling Test ‘2Do’ on Purple Mash for your child to complete at home over the weekend if possible. If you do not have access to Purple Mash, please test your child on their spellings over the weekend.
Curriculum
This year we are planning a Recovery Curriculum, which covers two main aspects:
the physical and mental wellbeing of your child, and them as a learner.
to recover learning lost and introduce new learning experiences.
Please see the ‘curriculum’ tab on the school website to find out lots of information about the Year 1 curriculum and subjects for learning. You can also see the Curriculum Map at the bottom of this page. In addition to this, we will do daily phonics and daily guided reading sessions.
Each half term we will have a new topic which most learning will be linked to. This half term our topic is Family Footsteps.
Reading
Guided Reading books:
Each week your children will receive a guided reading book. This is a book that is at your child’s personal reading ability and they should read it to you. This book will be sent home every Friday.
The guided reading book must then be returned on a Tuesday. It is very important that guided reading books are returned promptly on a Tuesday as they will then be quarantined before being sent out again. Please ask your class teachers if you have any questions.
Book Corner Books:
Children are encouraged to take books from our class book corners and are able to take these books home. Please ensure these books are returned so that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the books in our book corners.
This year, when a book is returned, the children will place the book in a ‘quarantine box’ kept in the classroom. All books will be quarantined for a minimum of 48 hours over the weekend before they are returned to the book corner.
Throughout the year, we use be using our teacher assessments to plan next steps for learning and recover learning lost due to COVID-19.
In June 2021, there will be a Phonics Screening for all Year 1 children which will form us and their future teacher of their phonic awareness and understanding.
Parents Evening
The first parents’ evening is scheduled for November. Here you will be able to meet with your child’s class teacher to discuss how your little one is settling into the year. The school is considering how this meeting can be safely managed, and will keep you informed of the exact dates and details nearer the time. We look forward to meeting with you individually!
Year Group Specific
Good to Be Green: In Year 1, we introduce the whole school behaviour approach called Good to Be Green. This system allows children to feel rewarded for good learning behaviour, and also monitor and self-reflect on behaviours that may have a negative impact on their learning. The children seem to be very excited about the Good to Be Green charts in our classrooms!
Story time is something the school does a lot with your children, so we really encourage you to keep reading books at home. Children can also listen to stories online, which can help support them in their daily reading:
Last year for World Book Day, Rob Biddulph, an author and illustrator, visited Bounds Green and did an amazing workshop for our key stage one children. He is doing really amazing online art activities for children. Click the link below:
