Amethyst, Diamond & Emerald Blog - 26th January 2024

 Happy Friday everybody! Time really is flying in Key Stage 1 and all the children have been working so hard in all areas of our project! We have continued to look at the genre of traditional tales in English this week, in the shape of "The Three Billy Goats Gruff", and looking at all aspects of number and place value in Maths!

Message From Miss Harvey

Buy books, change lives

Want to support our school?

Buy books through LoveReading and LoveReading4Kids and we get  25% of the cover price to buy more books!

 

The LoveReading family — LoveReading, LoveReading4Kids and

LoveReading4Schools — exists because reading matters, and books change lives.

We know that reading for pleasure, and improving reading standards, has a huge

impact on our children’s wellbeing, academic achievements, and future success.

Alongside that, we also know that the current funding crisis has resulted in

devastating cuts to budgets in our schools, which is why LoveReading is redressing

that shortfall through creating an online bookstore with social purpose.

 

 

How it works:

● When you buy any book from LoveReading or LoveReading4Kids, 25% of the

cover price will be given to a school of your choice, such as us!

● Book prices are competitive with at least 10% off the RRP

● After you’ve searched for the books you’d like to buy (after reading reviews

and accessing opening extracts of highly recommended titles), at checkout,

you’ll be able to search for your school, by adding your school name or

postcode, and you allocate that money to us. It will even tell you how much

your purchase has donated to us!

● We can then spend our allocated funds on LoveReading4Kids to get more

books in our classrooms and library.

 

LoveReading has a huge selection of books for all ages, across all genres, at

competitive prices, so make LoveReading and LoveReading4Kids your go-to

bookshops to give our school the chance to access more books.

 

Sounds like a win-win situation - you get great books, while we get funds for great

books to encourage even more reading for pleasure in our children.

Like we said at the start, reading matters and books change lives - buying books

through LoveReading will ensure that continues to happen for students at our

school, and future generations.

Thank you for your ongoing support!

www.lovereading.co.uk

www.lovereading4kids.co.uk

Maths Homework

This week, we would like you to look at pages 32 & 33.

For Year 1's this focuses on multiplying. The first step in confidence with the times tables is practising counting on in different steps e.g. 2, 4, 6, 8 etc or 10, 20, 30. Grouping objects such as socks or gloves is a good way of showing this in practical terms. Regular practising of counting on in multiples of different numbers will also help - maybe count the steps upstairs but in 10's or 2's instead of 1's?

For Year 2's this also focuses on multiplying. Remember, practicing little and often at times tables facts will help your child gain confidence in this area. We talk about this in class as "squeezing the orange" - the more effort you put in, the more juice you get out!

Both year groups can enhance their knowledge of multiples of different amounts through the game below:

Coconut Multiples Game

The interactive number square below is really good to "paint" the multiples and explore the patterns that they make too:

Paint The Squares

Don't forget to keep up all your fantastic efforts with your reading at home - it will make a huge impact on your child's reading development. Keep using the range of questions we have discussed previously as well!

If you have any issues or questions, please, please come and see us at the end of the day - we would love to see you!

Have a relaxing weekend!

Love & joy

Mr Jude, Mrs Yuille & Miss Smith

Amethyst, Diamond & Emerald Blog - 19th January 2024

 Happy Friday everybody! We find ourselves in very exciting times as a number of new things are being introduced to our school. Our re-vamped newsletter this week sees the inclusions of photos of what each class has been doing during the week. We are excited to be able to share this with you!

Thank you for the boxes already sent in for our castle construction - if you have any more small boxes, tubes, egg boxes we would love to have them!

Reading Comprehension Homework

Thank you everybody for a great start to our reading comprehension homework. Remember we are working sequentially through the book 1 piece each week, so this week just do the next page!

Maths Homework

This week, we would like you to look at pages 30 & 31.

For Year 1's this focuses on adding and subtracting. The ability to switch between these different operations is very important for the children, so take particular care to look at the sign when solving these calculations to decide which approach to use!

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/addition-and-subtraction

For Year 2's this again focuses on times tables and their related facts. All that we mentioned last week holds true for this week too. Just like reading or riding a bike, practicing little and often at times tables facts will help your child gain confidence in this area.

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/number-facts/number-fact-families

Don't forget to keep up all your fantastic efforts with your reading at home - it will make a huge impact on your child's reading development. Keep using the range of questions we have discussed previously as well!

If you have any issues or questions, please, please come and see us at the end of the day. Just come down the steps to see us!

We hope you enjoy seeing what we have been up to this week in the newsletter. Have a super weekend!

Best wishes

Mr Jude, Mrs Yuille & Miss Smith

Amethyst, Diamond & Emerald Blog - Friday 12th January 2024

 Happy Friday everybody and a very Happy New Year to you all! It has been lovely to have welcomed all the children back and we have begun work on our new project for the Spring Term - "The Quest" where we will be exploring the areas of knights and castles!

Reading Comprehension Homework Book

Your child will be coming home with a comprehension homework book this week! Just like with the maths homework book, we ask that you complete one page (double page where the task is spread across 2 pages) and bring the book back to school by Wednesday.

In the blog from 24th November (scroll down to remind yourself of this blog) we spoke in depth about all the key skills involved in comprehension and how reading is more than just mechanically reading the words on the page. The activities in these homework books will help develop these skills. Again, please come and see us if you require further advice on this area.

Castle Construction

As part of our project on "The Quest" we will be creating our own model castle. We have boxes that make up the main "body" of the castle but if you could send in any small boxes (mini-cereal box size at the most please), cardboard tubes or any interestingly shaped packaging we would warmly welcome these. Please send these in with your child from next week onwards.

Maths Homework

This week, we would like you to look at pages 28 & 29.

For Year 1's this focuses on subtraction. As with all the different operations in maths, as much practice as possible is key in learning the approaches to solving these calculations. Try number lines, try concrete objects - toys, pencils, spaghetti - anything!

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/addition-and-subtraction

For Year 2's this focuses on times tables. All Year 2 children are expected to know their 2, 5 and 10 times tables by the end of this academic year. This also includes the related division facts, so if we know that 4 x 2 = 8 will also know:

2 x 4 = 8

8 ÷ 4 = 2

8 ÷ 2 = 4

The more eagle-eyed of you will realise that this is just the same as addition and subtraction being the inverse of each other and, yes, we can represent it on a triangle!

And again, the game below is good for reinforcing this idea:

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/number-facts/number-fact-families

Don't forget to keep up all your fantastic efforts with your reading at home - it will make a huge impact on your child's reading development. Keep using the range of questions we have discussed previously as well!

If you have any issues or questions, please, please come and see us at the end of the day. Just come down the steps to see us!

Have a great weekend!

Much love

Mr Jude, Mrs Yuille & Miss Smith

Amethyst, Diamond & Emerald Blog - Friday 15th December 2023

 Happy Friday, everybody! What an exciting week it has been for everyone in Key Stage 1 - we have performed our Christmas Production of "A Builder's Christmas" to the whole school on Tuesday and all the parents on Wednesday and Thursday. We are all so very proud of everybody - it has been tricky with a lot of illness floating around but all the children stepped up and did a fantastic job - WELL DONE!

Half Term Homework

We will not be sending home the homework books this week or during the holidays - have a break and enjoy any new presents you get! It would be useful, however, if you keep up the reading, little and often, to ensure your child's continuing progress in this very important area. 

Although we are all here until Wednesday next week, we would like to use this opportunity to wish you all an amazing Christmas and a peaceful New Year. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday 8th January!

Much love

Mr Jude, Mrs Yuille & Miss Smith

Amethyst, Diamond & Emerald Blog - Friday 8th December 2023

 Happy Friday everybody! There is an expectant hush over Key Stage 1 today as we have all but finished our rehearsals of our Christmas Production. The children have worked hard and done so well in learning their lines, the songs, the musical instruments and how to put a performance together. They are all very much looking forward to sharing this with you next week!

Christmas Jumper Day

All the children looked amazing in their Christmas Jumpers on Thursday and we have raised money that will continue to sponsor Thoko and her local community in Malawi. 

Its amazing to think that from such a small act on our behalf, we can make such a big difference for the young people who live such a long way away but share our right to an education. Thank you all so much!

Maths Homework

This week, we would like you to look at pages 26 & 27.

For Year 1's this focuses on addition. As with all the different operations in maths, as much practice as possible is key in learning the approaches to solving these calculations. Try number lines, try concrete objects - toys, pencils, spaghetti - anything!

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/addition-and-subtraction

For Year 2's this focuses on how addition and subtraction are the inverse of each other and we can use this to check our calculations. So if we work out that 14 + 12 = 26 we also know (without needing to work out) that:

12 + 14 = 26

26 - 14 = 12

26 - 12 = 14

In class we look at this as a triangle to show the relationship between these 3 numbers:

The game below is good for reinforcing this idea:

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/number-facts/number-fact-families

Don't forget to keep up all your fantastic efforts with your reading at home - it will make a huge impact on your child's reading development. Keep using the range of questions we have discussed previously as well!

If you have any issues or questions, please, please come and see us at the end of the day. Just come down the steps to see us!

Looking forward to seeing you all next week!

Yours in anticipation,

Mr Jude, Mrs Yuille & Miss Smith

Amethyst, Diamond & Emerald Blog - Friday 1st December 2023

 Happy Friday everybody and oh my goodness, it's December already! Things are getting close to our Christmas Production so we wanted to share some of the arrangements that relate to this.

Christmas Production Programmes

Our Christmas Production will be on Wednesday 13th December at 2:30pm and Thursday 14th December at 9:30am. Entry to these performances will be with the show's programmes which you can get at the office on Monday 4th December from 2:45pm and Tuesday 5th December from 8:45am. Programmes are limited to 2 per family and you can get 2 for either day or, if you prefer, 1 programme for each day. Please bring these programmes on the day of the performance to help keep entry quick and simple. We are all very excited to see you there!

Christmas Jumper Day

Our Christmas Jumper Day is Thursday 7th December. On this day, the children can wear their fabulous festive jumpers and donate £1 which goes to our continued sponsorship of Thoko in Malawi. The charity Action Aid use this money to ensure that Thoko and the other children in her community enjoy their right to an education just like all of us at Down Hall. (Articles 28 & 29)

The children will also need their Christmas jumper for our performances (Tuesday to the rest of the school and Wednesday and Thursday to parents) so consequently will not bring their jumper home on Thursday but keep them in school until the following Thursday.

Please be mindful, therefore, on Thursday when you send your child to school about what they are wearing underneath their jumper to ensure that they won't be too cold when they come home. If the children could bring in a plastic bag with their name on it then this would be extremely helpful in keeping everything organised too!

Maths Homework

This week, we would like you to look at pages 24 & 25.

For Year 1's this focuses on the signs we use in addition and subtraction calculations. Knowing the names for these signs is very important as is the fact that there are different words for each sign e.g. -, take away, subtract, minus. There are lots of fun games at the site below to further support your child's confidence with these operations.

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/addition-and-subtraction

For Year 2's this focuses on subtraction of 2 two-digit numbers. We use the same approach as outlined last week for using lines and dots to represent the tens and ones but this time we make the first amount and cross out the second amount:

If we do not have enough ones to take away, then we exchange a ten for ten ones first:

Don't forget to keep up all your fantastic efforts with your reading at home - it will make a huge impact on your child's reading development. Keep using the range of questions we discussed last week too!

If you have any issues or questions, please, please come and see us at the end of the day. Just come down the steps to see us!

Have a lovely weekend!

Best wishes

Mr Jude, Mrs Yuille & Miss Smith

Amethyst, Diamond & Emerald Blog - Friday 24th November 2023

Happy Friday everybody - we hope you have had a really good week. Things have begun to get a bit more Christmassy here as we have started going into the hall to practice our Christmas Production - just over 2 more weeks until showtime! We have kept busy back in the classroom, however, looking at different Victorian toys and how they were played with!

Upcoming Events

A few notes for your diary for things coming up soon - more details will be on the newsletter as we get nearer to the time so keep a look out!

• 7th December - Christmas Jumper Day
• 8th December - PTA Movie Night

Maths Homework

This week, we would like you to look at pages 22 & 23.

For Year 1's this focuses on number bonds to 20. This continues to build on last week's number bonds to 10. We can apply the knowledge that 6 + 4 = 10 to help us know that 16 + 4 = 20. It is good to reinforce how we can spot patterns to help find all the number bonds to 20. Below is an app to explore these bonds by selecting a 10 frame or a 20 frame and then putting the blue and orange aliens in them. You can then use the key pad function at the side to enter your calculations.

https://www.coolmath4kids.com/manipulatives/ten-frame

For Year 2's this focuses on addition of 2 two-digit numbers. When we do this we do partition the number into tens and ones but then represent these by lines for the tens and dots for the ones. This is a progression from actually using the tens and ones apparatus from Year 1. See below for how we set this out to help support the solving of the calculations:

Reading Skills

Every week we encourage you to keep up all your reading at home as this makes such a huge difference. We wanted to spend a little time this week speaking more about reading skills because as the children move through Key Stage 1, particularly in Year 2, it becomes less about "Can you read this?" and more about "Do you understand this?"

Understanding what they have read (or comprehension) is vital for the children as they progress through Year 2 and we support this through our VIPERS reading skills. This stands for:

Vocabulary    Infer    Predict    Explain    Retrieve    Sequence

You can explore these ideas with your child after reading using some of the following question prompts:

Vocabulary - have a good range of vocabulary in order to understand the text

• What does the word _____ mean in this sentence?
• Find a word that means _____ on this page.

Infer - understanding reached through reasoning about what you have read

• Why was _____ feeling _____?
• Why did _____ happen?

Predict - what you think will happen based on what you have read

• What do you think will happen next?
• How will this character's action affect what will happen next?

Explain - what your thoughts and opinions are about the book

• Who is your favourite character? Why?
• Would you like to live in this setting? Why?

Retrieve - discuss the characters, events and setting of the story

• Who did _____?
• Where did _____?

Sequence - order the key events in the story

• Here are 5 events from the story - number these 1-5
• What happened after _____?

We hope this helps you discuss the books your child reads at home as the more they practice these skills the more fluent in comprehension they will become.

If you have any issues or questions, please, please come and see us at the end of the day. Just come down the steps to see us!

Have a superb weekend!

Much love

Mr Jude, Mrs Yuille & Miss Smith