English

As part of our English lessons, we wrote letters to the author and illustrator Paula Metcalf as we had been reading her book Mabel's Magical Garden. Today we received a letter from her with an illustration of a bear and she even sent us some signed copies of her books!

Rainbow Pride Day Monday 26th June 

Today we thought about things that make us proud to be ourselves! We looked at different types of families and discussed that they all have love and that means they're great. We discussed equality and respect and made some really lovely crafts and activities! 

Maths

In Maths we have been learning directional language such as forwards, backwards, left, right, half turn and quarter turn. We loved dancing and following the instructions to help us remember the directions.

Science

This week in Science we revised our knowledge of materials and used what we knew to complete a fair test. We thought about waterproof materials and made predictions based on our knowledge of the world around us. We then carried out a fair test by placing each item in the same amount of water for the same amount of time. We then recorded our results using a table. Here are some photos of the investigation in progress:

PSHE 17.5.23

Today we discussed who can help us in our school community, know when we need help and how to ask for it. We sorted the cards into people who help us in school and people who might help us outside school. The children also used different scenario cards to act out what had happened and who they can ask for help. 

9.5.23 - D.T. 

In D.T., we learnt how to use a range of kitchen utensils. We used peelers, graters and knives to prepare carrots, cabbage and onions and used then used spatulas to mix in the mayonnaise to create coleslaw. 

Cress Update

Wow, look at how much our cress has grown!

History 5.5.23

Today we recapped what we have learnt about monarchs and linked it to the Coronation of King Charles III. Did you know that the crown is 350 years old!

Flora and Fauna 28.4.23

Today we used pencils and pastels to create our own flora and fauna picture inspired by film extracts.

English 28.4.23

This week in English we have been looking at instructions. We have looked at the key features and planned and have written our own instructions for how to plant cress heads. We then followed the instructions to make our own cress head. We wonder how long it will take them to grow?

History 20.4.23

In history, we learnt about what a government is. We had three candidates who worked with their cabinets to create a new policy. We then voted for who we want to be the Prime Minister. We voted for Freddie's policy.

Policy 1 - I want to make sure everyone in the world is kind and looks after the world.

Policy 2 - I want to have toys out at play time.

Policy 3 - I think we should be able to wear our own clothes to school.

PSHE 19.4.23

In PSHE we looked at road safety. We talked about choosing a safe place to cross and talked about the rules to cross safely:

1 - Stop!

2 - Think

3 - Listen

4 - Look left and right

5 - Cross when it is safe and keep looking

6 - Walk to the other side

DT 28.3.23

Today the children followed their plans to make their healthy wraps. They peeled carrots, grated cheese and cut various vegetables. I can safely say that they all loved eating them and it was the quietest they had been all day! :-)

Computing 27.3.23

In computing, we learnt how to access the camera on the Chromebooks and then we made a film of ourselves talking about the farm.

Boydell's Farm

Bear's loved visiting Boydell's farm. We saw farmer Kylie milk the cow and some of us were brave enough to have a go too. We met sheep and fed Lawrence the Llama and the alpacas. After lunch we stroked the chicks, who were one day old! We also bottle fed the lambs and held the baby goats. A highlight of the trip of coming home at the top of the double decker bus!

P.S.H.E. 10.3.23

In P.S.H.E, we started our 'Healthy Me' topic. We discussed lots of different ways to keep healthy and designed our own posters.

World Book Day 2.3.23

Today we learnt all about Enid Blyton. The books she wrote and why she is such a well known author. We made our own faraway lands! Where would you magic chair take you?

Computing 21.2.23

Today, we learnt about touch typing. We used the touch typing dance mat to follow the instructions to find the keys on the home row. We learnt that each finger was responsible for certain keys and that we use either thumb for the space bar. Click on the link to practise at home https://www.dancemattypingguide.com/dance-mat-typing-level-1/stage-1/ 

Children's Mental Health Week 9.2.23

Today we talked about how important it is to look after our Mental Health and one of the ways you can do that is by connecting to others. We used the book 'Invisible String' to think about people we are connected to even if they are not with us any more. We discussed how if you start to feel lonely connecting with someone can make you feel better and your mind happy.

English 6.2.23

Last week, we wrote some super sentences based on Alien's Love Underpants. Today we went to Year 4 to share our stories with them. They also shared their work with us and gave us some top tips on how we can improve our writing.

DT 3.2.23

Today we planned and made our own rockets using junk modelling. We thought about what we learnt in science about the best materials to use and we thought about different ways to join materials.

Science 30.2.23

Today we conducted our planned experiment to see which materials burn the quickest. We discussed how to make it a fair test. Were our predictions correct? 

Now Press Play

We loved using the headphones as we got to take part in a Neil Armstrong virtual experience. We got to experience what it was like to be selected to be an astronaut and travel in a rocket in space.

PE 25.1.23

Today we used the apparatus for the first time! We travelled in different ways: high, low, over, under, across and through. We also included the actions we have learnt e.g. star, straddle, arch, pike.

RE 24.1.23

Today we talked about different symbols and why they are important. Can you guess what symbols we have made as a team?

RE 17.1.23

We shared our special objects with the class and talked about why they are important to us. 

11.1.23 PE 

We had our first gymnastic lesson today! The children learnt different movements which they then put into a sequence. Can you identify which photo is a: straddle, arch, star, dish, tuck, pike, front support and back support?

Christmas Parent Craft Event 13.12.22

Thank you to all those parents who came in to have fun making lots of different crafts with the children. 

7.12.22 - Geography

This week, we have learnt about the continent Antarctica. We looked at the climate and learnt about the animals that can be found there.

28.11.22 - House Dodgeball Competition

This week, Year 1 have taken part in a house dodgeball competition. Each house played eachother to gain points. The points will be combined with the rest the other year groups to work out the overall winning team. We had great fun competing. Here is what the children had to say:

Ava: “I threw the ball lots.”

Olly: “I keep running away from the balls.”

Zachary: “I really want the pink team to win.”

Mason: “I was running away to dodge the ball.”

Oliver: “I was trying to dodge the ball and also pass the ball to my friends.”

Cai: “I got the other team out by throwing the ball. I love dodgeball.”

Isla: “I enjoyed playing the game because I got to play with my friends on my team.”

Joselin: “It was really fun and I caught 2 balls.”

Freddie: “I enjoyed playing dodgeball.”

Ellie: “I avoided all the balls.”

“We won”-Sebastian M

“I am the best player at dodgeball”- Freddie P

“The game was good”- Alfie H

“I had so much fun.”- Ben G

“I felt it was lots of fun”- Maisie W

“I was throwing it really high”- Jack C

“I was really happy”- Zebedee

“I was happy I get didn’t get out”- Harper D

24.11.22 - Computing and Geography

Bears have loved learning about the different continents in Geography and today we went on an adventure around the world with the BeeBots. We inputted an algorithm (instruction) to make it travel to each continent.

Switch Off Fortnight - 21.11.22

Today is the start of Switch Off Fortnight so we talked about all the different ways we can save energy and how this will help our earth.

Odd Sock Day 14.11.22

Today we celebrated being unique and special! We talked about how different our socks were and why we had chosen them. We linked this to our work on celebrating differences and how we are all equal.

Each member of Butterfly class made a kindness pledge and thought about ways they can make a difference by being kind (ripple of kindness). 

Art 10.11.22

We learnt about Armistice Day and enjoyed creating poppies using different media.

Bee-Bots 8.11.22

Today we worked as a group to program Bee Bots to follow a series of directions. We started to use the vocabulary algorithms and debugging.

PSHE 2.11.22

These are the mirrors we made to remind us of how special and unique we all are!

DT 18.10.22

Using their plans from last week they made their healthy snack faces. They were yummy! 

Maths 10.10.22

This week we have been using the part, part whole model when breaking whole numbers into parts. 

Harvest Festival 3.10.22

Today we walked to Great Notley Church to celebrate harvest time and how lucky we are to have such a huge variety of different food available to us. We were reminded that Autumn is a special season and a time to be thankful. 

Science 26.9.22

This week we have been naming the different organs in our body and learning what they do.

'The brain helps you to think' - Ellie

'The lungs help you breathe' - Freddie

'Your heart helps your blood move' - Isla

'The liver cleans your blood' - Annabelle

'Intestines turn food into poo' - Charlie

'When you eat the food it goes to you stomach' - Anayah 

PSHE 20.9.22

This week we have been talking about our rights and responsibilities as a class member. We discussed how we all have the right to belong to a class, we all have the right to ask questions, we all have the right to learn and we all have the responsibility to help each other to learn. 

Life in the 1960's - 12.9.22

Mrs Ruth Hale, one of our school Governors, came in this afternoon to talk to us about what her life was like growing up. She explained to the children that she played board games as they didn't have computers or phones. If they wanted to watch a film they would have to go to the cinema. That her car had wood panels on it, didn't have seat belts and didn't have a radio. The TV's were very small and the pictures were black and white. At school they only had blackboards, a bottle of milk to drink each day and if they lived near to school they could go home for lunch. The classrooms were not very colourful and if she needed information for homework she would have to go to the library and look in books. 

 The children thought of questions they could ask about her school life during their English lesson in the morning.

Forest School 5.9.22

We loved our Forest School session this week!

Oscar - I loved swinging!

Elsie - I liked climbing the trees as there was a ladder.

Bow - I liked finding leaves with the spotter cards.

Evie - I liked looking for animals and playing on the swing.

Tamzyn and Lily - We liked swinging.