Welcome to Darwin Class 2013-2014

1. Welcome to Darwin Class 2013-2014 Class Teacher: Ms Jenny Betts Teaching Assistant: Miss Emily Lewis Additional Support: Mrs Alison Lydon

2. Welcome to Key Stage 1 • In Key Stage 1 your child will follow the National Curriculum. • Key Stage 1 is different from the Early Years Foundation Stage in that children will now follow a more structured program of study. • Topics are decided by the class teacher rather than child-led although there is still a strong emphasis on independent child centered learning. • Your child will undergo a process of transition in the Autumn Term 1 to give them time to make adjustments to their new environment.

3. Topics for 2013-2014 • Topics this year will be: • Autumn Term 1 – Tick Tock! Changes, me and my family, local history walks. • Autumn Term 2 – Fire, fire! The fire of London, festivals and celebrations. • Spring Term 1 – Rubbish! Recycling and the environment. • Spring Term 2 – The Big Red Bus. London landmarks and history. • Summer Term 1 – Snort, squeak, sniff, scratch! Pets and animals. • Summer Term 2 – Shiver me Timbers! Pirates and travelling the world.

4. Class Routines • Line up in playground and come into school independently. • Reading books will be changed on a daily basis when you write in the Home/School Book that it is finished. • It is your child’s responsibility to put their book in the green tray, if it needs changing. • PE kit in school at all times (including outdoor trainers) • Show and Tell is once every term. Toys are not to be brought in at other times unless specifically requested.

5. Home/School Books • Your child will have been given a Home/School Book which includes lots of additional information. • Please use this book to record when your child has read at home and when a reading book needs changing. • You can also use this book to let us know if your child is being picked up by someone else. • Home/School books will be checked every day by Mrs Lydon, Miss Lewis or Ms Betts. • Please check the Home/School Book regularly as it will be used to communicate important class messages.

6. Groups • English, Maths, Science and Guided Reading groups are used in Darwin Class. • Groups will be fluid depending on the topic being taught and children’s level of understanding from previous lessons. • Table Groups – Your child will have been allocated a Table Group and will remain in this group for the whole year. • Table groups are used for Early Morning Work and for non-core subjects. Each group also has the opportunity to earn the Table of the Week Award.

7. Table Groups • The Table Groups are: Foxes Badgers Owls Squirrels Your child’s Table Group can be found in the front of the Home/School Book.

8. Guided Reading/Reading at school • This year your child will take part in Guided Reading. • Guided Reading will take place once every week and will be recorded in the Home/School Book. • Your child will be part of a small group that will work with Ms Betts and will focus on developing comprehension and questioning skills. • In addition, your child will also read individually with an adult once every two weeks. • Groups may change depending on progress. • Some children may require additional support in the form of daily reading and Phonics sessions which will be provided as necessary.

9. Phonics • Phonics will continue to be an important part of your child’s learning in Darwin Class. • We will be building on the excellent start children have made in Nightingale Class. • In Darwin Class we do not follow any one particular phonics program but take an eclectic approach – picking the best bits! • Your child will also have the opportunity to earn the privilege of taking Billy the Bear home for the night if he spots them making an extra special effort! • The Year 1 Phonics Screening check will take place in June 2014. Sample materials are available to view on the Phonics Table. • In 2013, the pass rate for Year 1 children at Paulerspury was 83% which is well above the national average of 58%. The Year 2 re-take pass rate was 100%!

10. Homework • Homework expectations are that your child will: • read at least five times a week • learn their spellings – starting Friday 20th September • complete individual targets in the Weekend News book – starting Friday 4th October • practice Times Tables and Number Bonds • Also, research homework will sometimes be set for the holiday.

11. Reading at Home • Reading at home has a direct impact on your child’s progress. • It can take as little as 5 minutes per day to share and enjoy a book with your child. • Reading isn’t just about decoding the words! • Comprehension and understanding is just as important. Ask your child questions about what they have read, for example: What might happen next? • Comprehension is an important part of Key Stage 1 SATs (which your child will take at the end of Year 2).

12. Spellings • In Week 3 – Friday 20th September, your child will be allocated a Spelling Group – Pears, Apples or Oranges. These groups will be also change. • Each week your child will be given either 5, 8 or 10 spellings to learn. These spellings will be linked to our Phonics ‘Sounds of the Week’. • Spellings will be tested on Fridays (starting on Friday 27th September) and your child will have the opportunity to earn Reward Points for effort. • In addition to this children will also be expected to continue learning the High Frequency Words which can be found in the Home/School Book. • Spellings can also be found on our Class Page on the Paulerspury School website.

13. Weekend News Books • Your child will be given a Weekend News Book in Week 5 - Friday 4th October. • Each child will be given individual writing targets to practice at home. • This book should be handed in every Monday and will be returned to your child the following Friday. • Three or four children will be chosen each Monday to share their Weekend News with the class.

14. Times Table Challenge • Starting in Autumn Term 2, your child will begin to learn Times Tables. • Your child will be able to earn bronze, silver and gold certificates and work their way up the class times tables ladder! • Bronze certificate - to be able to count in 2s, 5s or 10s. • Silver certificate - to be able to say times tables in the right order. For example, 1 x 2 = 2, 2 x 2 = 4. • Gold certificate - to know times tables in any order. For example, 3 x 10 = 30, 8 x 10 = 80. • Your child will also be given the secret word for the Nessy program which is a fun way of practising times table skills.

15. Roy the Zebra • Every Friday, Roy the Zebra will be coming home with one of the children in Darwin Class. • Roy has his own book and likes to visit lots of different places. • Last year’s book is available for you to look at in Roy’s Corner. • If you child takes Roy home for the weekend then they do not have to complete their Weekend News Book for that weekend. • Make sure that Roy comes back to school on the Monday so that your child can share what they have been doing with the rest of the class!

16. Reward Cards • Your child will already have been given a Reward Card. • Reward Cards in Darwin Class are used to reward good work and children trying their best. • Your child will collect stickers for their Reward Points and when their card is full it will be presented to them in an Achievement Assembly. • Team Points will continue to be given for good behaviour, good manners and following class and school rules.

17. Follow Darwin Class • You can follow Darwin Class on Twitter: @DarwinClass • Also, take a look at our Class Page on the Paulerspury School Website http://www.paulerspuryceschool.ik.org/p_class4learning.ikml • These sites are updated on a weekly (sometimes daily basis) and include lots of photos and information on what we have been doing.

18. Questions? This PowerPoint Presentation is available to view on the Darwin Class Page on the Paulerspury School Website.

19. Look at what we have been doing already!