Cygnus2017-2018: A super first week back

The children have done really on their return to school. Thank you for dropping them outside the class. What a busy half term everyone has had. I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to them share their holiday news and then encouraging everyone to have a go at recording a simple sentence. We did our first holiday news writing and the children were encouraged to think of sounds they could use in their words. For some it was the initial sound and for others who were more confident, we encouraged them to think abut other sounds within that word. To support this I ask the children to sound the word using robot talk and actions... they should be able to explain this to you. An example of a word where more sounds could be used is "went". For many children they can here w.e.t and I am delighted with this at this stage as we are celebrating having a go and resilience and not whether it is right or wrong. Like wise whilst promoting our specific script in handwriting lessons we celebrate everything during independent or supported writing. It was also the first time where our sound cards were used as a prompt to support writing. In time, children will naturally use these as part of writing support. Diary or news writing will become a weekly focus from now although there will be other writing opportunities throughout the week.

You can really see the difference in pencil control and ability to write names independently. We do write our names regularly throughout the week and for some children who are finding it more difficult, they will be given daily opportunities to practise. Our expectation of children completing or having a go at table top supported and unsupported learning increases this term as we gradually introduce a little more structure into the day. Children are rarely expected to sit at the table for a prolonged period of time unless they have made a choice not to have a go. In these situations we continue to encourage as well as using language such as "once you have done....then you can play/ choose".

Well done to keeping on learning the tricky words. Remember these are words that are learned by sight and not usually sounded out although I appreciate many can be sounded. However, we will only move children forward if they can confidently say the word. I am awarding certificates after each set of tricky words as well as for completing the home learning. I thought it would be lovely to celebrate their learning in our school celebration assembly on a Monday. With the reading books can I remind you to look at the ideas in the back for supporting reading. Key stage 1 is very keen to ensure children are reading in greater depth rather than skimming through the book in a race to get it changed.

We are continuing with phase 2 phonics and this will be the last week at this stage before progressing to phase 3. I will be assessing children next week to look at their learning and whilst everyone will progress to phase 3 we will start to differentiate groups depending on need and some children may revisit phase 2. You will see that I sent an I spy sheet home as part of home learning. Remember it is the sound that is made and not the letter name that you are using. I have sent links in previous blogs about how to sound the letters out although I am confident you will have been told by now as your children are very confident.

In number, we continued to order numbers 1-20 as well as saying 1 more and 1 less than a given amount. We have been learning to write our numbers especially ensuring that the orientation is correct. We have also been identifying 2d shapes and talking about their properties. For example a square has 4 sides the same size and 4 corners whereas a rectangle has 4 sides; 2 long and 2 short. A circle has 1 continuous curved side and no corners.

In art we have been cutting out pieces of cardboard skeleton and using split pins to join together. Whilst an arty subject, it covered physical development with the cutting skills and technology in using split pins. We have continuous access to colouring using crayons and coloured pencils as this really develops strength in fingers.

The whole school were introduced to our new behaviour support and there is shared language across the school. We talk in terms of warm fuzzy feelings and cold prickly feelings as well as encouraging children to turn choices round. There is a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the most positive warm fuzzy feeling and 5 being a visit to the Head Teacher and a phone call home. On Tuesday Cygnus developed a class charter or behaviours that constituted each level. There are times where children will be encouraged t reflect on their choice in our reflection area and hopefully turn choices round. If not there will be further opportunity to turn choices round in another Key stage 1 class. Mrs McCann and I are just trying to find a date to present to all parents throughout the school but having seen it in action across other schools we were most impressed and already children are starting to think about choices.

Mrs Dix is teaching the class on a Thursday morning whilst I have my release time. She is encouraging the children to look carefully at different birds and have a go at recreating birds using Plasticine. Children are also labelling different parts of the bird.

Our new topic and story for this term is The Jolly Postman leading into The Jolly Christmas Postman. Our role play area is now a post office but if you have any items that enhance this area please do send them in. Travel agents and post offices often become suspicious of teachers as we help ourselves to anything that we can. Every week we will be visiting a different part of the story and this will lead our learning for the week. The first house to be visited belongs to the Three Bears. I will talk about our lovely learning next weekend.

We have started rehearsing our Christmas songs for the Nativity. As ever it is a wonderful script and the songs very engaging. To keep disruption to a minimum Cygnus children are all going to be angels. A costume letter and further information will be sent out very soon but I always like to keep things simple and straight forward for you.

Here are the photos that you really want to see. I have to say that your children are just about the happiest children in class that you can imagine. The smiles in the photos really do represent what you usually see in class even if Mrs Bq is having to go rrrrrrrrrrrr (ask the children what I mean by this).