CLASS 1 ARCHIVE

Our new children have settled into school beautifully and have been working hard. Our Year 1 children have been setting a good example for our Reception children and have been taking their monitor roles very seriously.

This half term the children have been learning about autumn. They have participated in lots of creative activities.

They have been cooking baked apples.

We went on a walk and looked for signs that autumn is here.

They used some of the things they found to decorate autumn hats. They then wore them when they led an assembly about autumn.

They have been learning about fruits and seeds.

They have been learning about letters, reading and writing. They have been participating in activities that have helped to develop their fine motor control.

The children have been enjoying their P.E. lessons outside.

In their maths lessons the children have been learning about numbers, patterns and weight.

They have been using the computers in the ICT suite.

They have also visited the local church, where they were greeted by members of the PCC. They were shown around the church, allowed to play on the organ and were given squash and a cookie.

They have enjoyed playing with the different toys in the classroom and outside in our play area.

We have been very busy.

In P.E. we have enjoyed country dancing.

We have also been using the large climbing apparatus.

We have been learning how to control our bodies so that we can run faster.

We have been learning how to throw different P.E. equipment.

We have been using the large parachute.

We have been thinking about the weather. We used watering cans and umbrellas to listen to the sounds that the water made.

We made clay snowmen.

We made our home corner into an igloo.

We have been learning how to use a range of computer programmes and how to control programmable toys such as these Bee Bots.

We have been enjoying yoga lessons after school.

We have been learning about Space. We have been using lots of different construction equipment to make rockets, shuttles, launch pads and planets.

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We have been writing our own space adventures.

We have had new doors fitted in our classroom. When the weather is nice we can open them up and it is like having one large classroom. We have been doing lots of fun activities outside.

We have been also learning about India. We were lucky enough to have two visitors who spoke to the children about what it is like living in India. They learnt about Indian food, landmarks, clothing and culture.

We have been learning about where our food comes from. We looked at examples of fruit that had come from other countries and we then used it to make a delicious fruit salad.

The children have been looking closely at plants and flowers and making some observational paintings.

We have had some special experiences organised to help celebrate our school’s 200th anniversary. The Bishop of Bath and Wells visited our school.

An RAF rescue helicopter flew over our school and hovered over our field. It was very noisy but we all loved it!

The Archdeacon of Taunton came and blessed our new gates.

We spent a week learning about what life was like during Victorian times. We went to a Victorian school and we sat at tables that were very different to the tables that we have in our classroom. The boys and girls had many lessons separately. The girls practised their handwriting and made lavender bags. The boys had a science lesson and made candles. They even sat separately when eating their lunches and at playtime.

Class 1 were invited to visit Enmore Church. We walked sensibly along the road and we were greeted at the church by members of the Parish Church Council. They showed us around the building which was decorated for the Harvest Festival.

We listened to the organ being played. We were taught the words to a harvest song and we then sang along with the organ.

It was very loud!!

We have also visited Forest School where we have had lots of fun and learnt some new skills

The children really enjoyed the Café stop!!

We have also been enjoying activities at school

Here are some of our class displays.

Autumn 2009

Class1 have enjoyed the topic ‘All About Me’ this first half term. The children have been learning each others names and making friends. They have enjoyed looking at pictures of each other, taken when they were a baby, and learning about how they have changed. The children have been discussing their feelings and discussing things that make them feel that way.

Lots of time has been spent on learning how to use the classroom and playground. The children have enjoyed exploring and playing with the different toys within the classroom and have made some fantastic models with the construction equipment.

The children have been learning the sounds that different letters make and they have been writing those letters on a range of different surfaces and using a number of different materials.

The children have been learning to recognise and order their numbers and have participated in a range of practical activities that have developed this skill.

We try to allow the children time outdoors as often as we can and they all enjoy using the bikes and scooters on the empty playground during lesson time.

During our P.E. sessions the children have been learning how to move safely within the hall space, playing games and using the large, colourful parachute.

Mrs Green visits our classroom twice a week and she teaches the children French and Music. In their music lessons the children have been exploring different ways of making everyday objects and instruments produce different sounds.

In addition to their lessons linked to the topic, the children have been learning about the features and characteristics of Autumn. They have made a large autumnal display.

At the beginning of each academic year the children from Class1 and Goathurst Playgroup visit the local church. We were welcomed by the Rector and members of the PCC who showed the children the different places in the church, gave us a wonderful demonstration on how the organ works and then gave the children a drink and chocolate brownie. All of the children had a really lovely time.

Spring 2010

Our reception children have now been with us a whole term and in that time they have been incredibly busy. Our Year 1 children have been fantastic, taking their role of showing the younger children how to behave within the classroom and where all the resources and activities are kept, very seriously.

Our children have been busy learning the sounds that letters make and using this knowledge to read and write simple words.

To keep things interesting, the children used different media to practise their letter formation. This has included water and paintbrushes, play dough, paint, white boards and pens, the computer smart board, and even shaving foam.

The year 1 children have been busy writing more complex sentences, remembering to use finger spaces and punctuation.

The children have been listening to lots of stories and learning about story structure and language. To support this we took the children to the Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton where the children watched The Gruffalo. We all thought it was fantastic.

The children have been learning to read, write and understand the value of numbers to 10. They have participated in lots of fun games that have helped to secure this knowledge.

They have also been learning about shape, patterns and weight. Many of these mathematical activities have been linked to other creative parts of the curriculum. This helps to keep the learning fun and meaningful.

The children have been learning about the light and the dark. They have been looking at different sources of light and they have explored which items can be seen in the dark. They have been using torches under the dark table to see different items such as shiny objects, dull materials and reflectors.

With the approach to Christmas the children have worked hard on creating some lovely Christmas decorations. They have used a range of techniques and materials to create some lovely pieces of work. They used curled strips of paper to make calendars with holly pictures on.

They made Christmas jewel biscuits.

They made Christmas mobiles from bread. The shape was cut out and the bread was left to go stale and hard. The children then painted and decorated them.

The children made models of candles and Christmas cards. They used their fingers and cut potatoes to create lovely robin pictures.

During the last week of term the children watched a pantomime; Sleeping Beauty, performed by a visiting theatre group. They attended a church service lead by Class 5 and they enjoyed a Christmas party. They made their own party hats, played traditional party games and ate lots of food.

At the end of the party Father Christmas paid the children a visit.

Our PTA have also been working hard and they organised a school disco and a children’s shopping afternoon. They created some lovely stalls from which the children purchaced items to give to their families for Christmas. The children in Class 5 then helped them to gift wrap their purchases.

On the last day of term the whole school gathered together in the hall to sing carols around the Christmas tree. The children had an opportunity to show their musical talents to the rest of the school. The Key Stage 1 children sang some songs from their nativity play which they had performed during the previous week, the recorder groups played some of the festive songs they had learnt, and the children carried on the tradition of wearing silly hats and performing the song The Twelve Days of Christmas.