Crystal Class

Snacks and water

All children in Key Stage 1 are entitled to a free piece of fruit every day. Children do not need to bring any other snack. If they do wish to bring their own snack, please make sure it is healthy (no chocolate or sweets).

Your child will need to bring a water bottle to school every day. Water is the only drink allowed in the classrooms.

PE

PE is on a Monday morning. Please make sure that your child comes into school wearing a suitable PE kit and that all items are named.

PE kits should include:

• Dark blue/ black shorts (outdoor & indoor PE sessions)
• Black jogging trousers (outdoor PE sessions)
• Coloured t-shirt linked to children’s house team.
• Trainers (outdoor PE sessions)
• School Jumper

Uniform expectations

Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct school uniform and appropriate shoes (no trainers).

A polite reminder that children are only allowed to wear small, stud earrings and are not to wear nail varnish to school.

Please ensure all uniform is clearly named. 

Our Partnership with Parents

We value our links with parents and aim to keep you updated regularly on the children’s learning and key events, through Showbie, the school website and Facebook.

In Year 1 we no longer use Tapestry as a communication tool. Instead we use Showbie. Your child’s log in details can be found in their reading record. www.showbie.com

We will use Showbie to send messages to parents and occasional photos or videos. We will also upload important documents via this platform too such as letters or home learning tasks.

HOME LEARNING

Reading

Practice is the only thing that can help a child to improve their reading! Please listen to your child read as often as you can to increase both their fluency and confidence. Comprehension is also very important and children should be able to answer a variety of questions about what they have read. Please sign your child’s reading diary when you have read with them even if they have not finished the book yet. We change books on a Monday and ask that they bring their book in every day in case they need to read with an adult.

It is very important that your child’s individual reading book is kept in the zip lock wallet provided to ensure we keep them protected and in the best condition possible.

Every Friday your child will bring home a ‘Shared Reader’, which they have chosen from our class library and would like to share with you at home. By modelling your love of reading to them you will support your child to develop their own love of reading.  It is also simply a really lovely thing to do together!

Spellings

Each half term your child will be given a set of common exception words to learn to read and spell. Common exception words are words that do not make sense if we sound them out. They are words we just have to remember to read and write by sight. In Year 1 there are 45 words in total but we have broken these down into terms. Each term, the focus spellings can be found attached to your child’s reading record. Please help your child to read and spell these words each week. They will then be assessed on them during the last week of each half term.

We will also send home individual phonic sheets with sounds and words that your child is not secure in.

Maths

Throughout the term we will send home activities and practical ideas that you can complete with your child to consolidate learning covered in our maths lessons. These activities will be an opportunity for your child to practise and embed their knowledge.

Home Learning

Monday	Individual reading books sent home.
Friday	Shared reading book sent home
On occasion	English and Maths home learning linked to learning (focused on learning from week)

Phonics Screening Check

The Phonics Screening Check is a national requirement carried out on all pupils at the end of Year 1.

The purpose of the screening check is to ensure your child is on track for reading. These reading checks are carried out on a 1:1 basis and done so discretely in school. The children in Year 1 will be completing the check in the Summer term.

More information and dates about this will be given in the Spring and Summer Term.

Trips

We are currently working togeher to plan some trips and visitors throughout the year. We will inform you of these in due course. 

Parent Helpers!

We are always looking for volunteers to hear readers.   If you can offer any help in the classroom we would really appreciate it!