OAK CLASS SPRING TERM JANUARY 2017A very warm welcome to Adam, our new member of Oak Class. We

have had a wonderful start to the new year. The children are showing perseverance and enthusiasm in all they do. We are especially proud of their willingness to encourage and support each other with kindness.

Our school theme this term is the Living World. Oak Class will be developing an awareness of the past by looking at the changes within living memory. Our topic this term is The Jungle Book.

What are the children going to be learning this term?

In Literacy:Year 1 will continue strengthening their writing skills, remembering their adjectives, punctuation and finger spaces, and extending their sentences to make them even better.Year 2 will be encouraged to enjoy their writing, using adjectives, adverbs and connectives to make their writing more exciting.Both year groups are engaging with Talk for Writing, giving us a deeper understanding of literature and the importance of grammar.Reading confidently, and with enjoyment, will continue to be one of the main focuses this term.

Oak Class is enthusiastic about our Guided Reading. In small groups, the children share a book together, discuss good strategies for reading, and participate in activities related to what they are reading. We are also progressing in our daily Phonics, applying what we learn to our reading and writing.

In Maths, building on last term’s lessons:Year 1 will be learning to complete number sequences; count in 2s, 5s and 10s; read and write numbers and number-words up to 50; solve calculations using addition and subtraction, measure objects and recognise shapes.Year 2 will be learning to order numbers; double and halve; use money to strengthen their understanding of place value; read and write numbers and number-words up to 100; solve calculations using multiplication and division; describe and name 2-D and 3-D shapes.In Science, we will be learning more about the living world around us, with our focus on plants and trees. In IT we will be programming b-bots and learning about algorithms and Word.In PE/ Games, children will continue their development of their skills and coordination by taking part in indoor and outdoor games. PE this year will be on a Monday and a Thursday afternoon.

In Art / D&T, the children will be creating Henry Rousseau inspired art. Mysterious tigers have already appeared through palm leaves, this week!

In Music, Oak Class will be exploring Rainforest rhythms. Year 2 will also be learning a program of wonderful songs in preparation for our Witney Partnership concert in March.

In RE, the children will be looking at the clothes religious leaders wear and customs in their religion.

In PSHCE, Oak Class will continue to grow in our understanding of the 5 R’s.

The children will receive new library books on a Tuesday afternoon. We unfortunately cannot give new books unless the previous ones are returned. The children love spending time sharing books in the library. Please take time to encourage this enjoyment of reading at home.

We will read their class reading books with them and change their books once a week. If you actively show your children that you enjoy reading, they will aspire to do the same!

Thank you for supplying your children with a water bottle. It is vital that they have access to a drink throughout the day. Please also ensure your children have a pair of wellies which can be kept at school. It would also be very useful if they had a pair of waterproof trousers and a coat with a hood. It is important that children have the opportunity to explore outside at this young age and they need to be properly dressed to do so.

Please support your children at home with maths activities (especially number bonds to 10), and reading and writing, as this helps to build their confidence. Please ask if you would like some ideas for activities

Remember, please, if your child is being collected by somebody different to usual, that it is written into the going home book.

If there is anything that you wish to discuss with me, please don’t hesitate to either discuss it immediately or arrange a mutually suitable time.If your child has any allergies or special dietary requirements, or medical conditions, such as asthma, please do let me know as soon as possible.

Our very best wishes,Mrs Wordsworth andMrs Burridge