Year 1 

Happy New Year to all our wonderful year 1 families! We have had a fantastic start to the year and have immersed ourselves in our exciting new topics. When we came into the classroom, we were surprised to see some unusual snowy footprints… we had a great time predicting who they belonged to… the Yeti. This led us to our new story, Yeti and the Bird. Since then we have been busy getting to know the story in preparation for writing our own first person narrative next week. In science we have also worked on our predicting and investigation skills through exploring different everyday materials. We applied our learning to spot different objects that are made from glass, metal, plastic, wood and fabric all around our classroom. In maths, we have looked at our numbers 10 - 20 and the composition of each number. We explored how they are made of tens and ones using different manipulatives, such as Numicon, diennes, tens frames and counters and number beads. In computing, we have reviewed our learning on E-safety and how to use the internet safely. We learnt a song to help us remember: ‘Before we tap and click, we must stop and think and tell a grownup’. We have had a wonderful start to our new art topic and been introduced to Henri Mattise, a famous French artist. He uses collage to create abstract art, he says it is like ‘painting with scissors'. We will be using his artwork as an inspiration for our own collaging. We have been learning all about the four countries and their capital cities in the United Kingdom. We enjoyed identifying their different flags as well as using globes and atlas to locate them.

  

   

w/b 6.01.25

Keywords: tens, ones, twenty, materials, fabric, glass, metal, plastics, wood, collage, Henri Mattise, sequence, question marks, question words, United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Sounds: ure, tion, ear, ire

 

w/b 13.01.25

Keywords: first person, captions, one more, one less, estimate, number lines, collage, London, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff, object, material, technology.

Sounds: ie, au, tious/cious, ue

 

Messages: 

• Please ensure your child brings their reading folders in with their reading record, books and homework books on Mondays. 
• The reading record should be signed by an adult five times. 
• All hair needs to be tied up - not half up and half down, it needs tying completely back. 
• Please ensure your child has a book bag - we cannot safely house rucksacks due to our limited space.

 

Dates: 

22nd January: Open classroom 

3rd and 4th February at 3.30pm Phonics Screening information talk in Diamond class for all year 1 grownups - please attend one of the sessions

31st January: International day - children can wear their own clothes that represent where they are from. 

Trip to Richmond museum - please provide your child with a packed lunch and comfortable shoes to walk in. 

Diamond class: 6th February 

Amber: 7th February 

Sunstone: 12th February

 

 

Year 2

Year 2 launched into the new year with boundless energy and enthusiasm! In English, we’ve been immersing ourselves in our class text, The Dragon Machine, and using our imaginations to craft a non-chronological guide on how to care for a dragon. The children have written creatively about the dragon’s favourite activities, from chasing butterflies and leaping on water lilies to causing mischief with cats. Along the way, they’ve practised using commas to list the ingredients in the dragon’s favourite dishes (fruit platters, tangy sandwiches, and super soup). To add depth to their writing, they’ve used the conjunction ‘because’ to explain where dragons might be found and why. In Maths, we’ve embarked on an exciting exploration of shapes. The children have been learning to identify and name 2D and 3D shapes, counting their sides and vertices, and testing for lines of symmetry. In Science, our inquiry into microhabitats has led to hands-on experimentation. The children set up a test to determine the preferred microhabitat of woodlice, discovering that they thrive in dark, moist conditions—an insight inspired by ‘choice chambers’. Our geography lessons have also sparked curiosity and creativity. The children have added detail to maps of our local area, marking key landmarks such as the River Thames and The Vineyard School. They’ve posed fascinating questions, like 'Why is there a hill in Richmond?' and 'Where did Richmond get its name?'. Their passion for learning makes them perfect candidates for Miss Gibson’s Geography Photography Competition, where they can capture our local area for a new display board. 

With such a strong and inspiring start, Year 2 is set for an outstanding year ahead!

   

                      

w/b 13/01/23

Spelling rule: adding -ing to a word ending in -y with a consonant before it

Keywords: physical and human features, key, goal, microhabitat, vertices, sides, symmetry 

Maths facts: composition of numbers within 20 (e.g. 18 can be made with 11 and 7). 

Literacy focus: irregular plurals

 

w/b 20/01/23

Spelling rule: adding -ing, -ed, -er, -est, and -y to words ending in -e with a consonant before it

Keywords: building, semi-detached, detached, terraced, apartments, bungalows, polar, money, pounds and pence

Maths facts: composition of numbers within 20 (e.g. 18 can be made with 11 and 7). 

Literacy focus: prepositions

 

Messages: (include all key dates for the two week period)

• Junk modelling on 20th January (please see correspondence sent out on 15/01/25) 

• Reading workshop 22nd January @ 2.45-3.15

• International day 31st January, info TBC

• Snack time: please bring a healthy fruit/vegetable based snack for morning play. If you are unsure, please contact your teacher.