Year 1 - Week 2 - 14.9.18
Year 1 Key Information
Reading:
Reading assessments are currently being completed. This always seems to take longer than we would like, however please bear with us, it should mean that the level of book given to your child is what they require to succeed and achieve. For some children it may seem as though they have been issued with a book that is lower than they were on previously, however, this is based on their comprehension as well as their reading ability. We also find that some children tend to drop over the summer holidays as they are having so much fun being active. Once books are issued, they can be changed as often as required and we remind children daily to hand in any finished books. We recommend that children are reading at home 3 times a week minimum. This needs to be with a parent, especially at this stage, regardless of how fluent they are.
Key Words:
Your child has now been issued with their new key words. This is based on where they are now. We have revisited and adapted to meet their needs. It is really important that the children practise these on a regular basis to ensure that they can read them fluently without sounding out. We will continue to go through these with your child in school.
Home Learning:
All children have a new Home Learning book that they were given this week. It included their first piece of homework for this term. Homework will be set on a Wednesday. I would be grateful if it could be returned to school on a Tuesday.
Classroom Help
We are very grateful to have some wonderful helpers who come in to assist with changing books, key words and reading with the children etc. If you are interested in coming in to help, please let me know. All helpers are required to complete a DBS check.
PE:
PE will take place on a Thursday afternoon, however we would appreciate it if PE kits could be in school every day in case of any changes or extra sporting activities.
Transition from Year R to Year 1
The children have coped so incredibly well with the transition so far. I know there have been some wobbles, but as soon as they are in school and into their routine, they cope fantastically. This transition is by far the most difficult in a primary school as the expectations and routine is so different from what they are used to. We ensure that we break them in slowly and carefully, however it is always going to be a shock to the system. In order to get them to reach where they should be at the end of the year, we need to start getting them used to routine as soon as possible. With this in mind, we use a ‘beach’ system for behaviour management. This has been tried and tested over many years in Year 1 and has proven to be incredibly successful. Whenever a child listens carefully, is kind and helpful, follows the Golden Rules or tries hard, we move them up a beach. Moving up a beach is rewarded by giving the child stickers and house points that contribute to the whole school system. When a child does not show these attributes, there is a possibility that they can move down a beach. This decision is not taken lightly and children are given one or two warnings before moving down. If they unfortunately move down to the bottom beach (two beaches below where they should be), they lose Golden Time. If a child moves down a beach, they are able to move back up again as soon as they show the correct behaviour. We try to encourage the children to show positive behaviours as quickly as possible, with the aim of moving them up within the hour or by the end of the day.
As a reward system, we also have a marble jar. Children can earn marbles for good behaviour. When we have a pre-selected number in the pot, we have a treat, chosen by the class for a whole afternoon. This could be anything from a film, to art, or sports in the field.
On a final note…
If you have any queries or concerns please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can arrange a mutually convenient time to discuss. I have an open door policy and would much rather deal with issues before they develop. If you would like to arrange a meeting at any point, please contact the office with some convenient times and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If there is a delay at the moment, please accept my apologies, as my email is currently undergoing maintenance. A message will always reach me via the office, or alternatively, please do not hesitate to catch me at the gate at the end of the day.
Thank you
Mrs Lindsey