Hello, my name is Miss Ward, and I am the proud teacher of Year 1 Woodpeckers! I have been teaching at St John's for four years now, and I am so happy to be part of the team. I love to promote children's creativity within their learning and enjoy helping children develop their key reading skills through phonics. My favourite things to do in my spare time include creating my own paintings and drawings, and travelling to see beautiful places.

We also have two wonderful teaching assistants working within our team - Miss Wilkins and Mr Logan! 

 

Weekly Timetable in Woodpecker Class:

 

Term 1 saw some incredible learning taking place! From a Tiger Who Came To Tea Picnic, Autumn Walks at Forest School, Creating Our Own Music On Chime Bars and Learning About Extreme Weather! The children thoroughly enjoyed it all. Thank you for your continued support of your child's learning. 

Have a look at some of our highlights from last term: 

Forest School Hunting For Signs of Autumn!

Learning about extreme weather and making our own Tornados!

Trying different foods in Science as part of our senses topic!

Having a Tiger Who Came To Tea- Tea Party!

TERM TWO

English:

In English this term, we will be basing our writing around our topic 'Shopping in the past and present' and learning more about what shopping was like in our Grandparents' time. We will be reading some fiction texts, such as ‘The Shopping Basket, ‘I'm a cook, and The Jolly Christmas Postman. We will be using our phonic knowledge to read and write words and simple sentences.  We will also be focusing on punctuating our writing and adding new, descriptive vocabulary to our sentences.

   

Reading:

Your child will be bringing home a reading book every day, so please bring a book bag to keep the books safe.  Please try to spend 10 minutes each day listening to your child read, as it really does have a positive impact on their progress.  Remember to sign your child’s reading book when they have read it to you. These need to be brought into school each day to be checked.

The children will be able to change their reading books every Monday and Thursday.  This will give your child the chance to become more confident by re-reading the same book several times.

Your child's spelling shed login is stuck at the front of their reading record. Assignments are set once a week so please keep practising as it really makes a difference to your child's progress! Thank you!

Maths:

In Maths, we will be adding and subtracting numbers within 10. We will be using manipulatives such as numicons, counters, ten frames and cubes to help us to solve addition and subtraction questions with more confidence. We will also learn how to use a number line, and how to use our knowledge of addition and subtraction to answer word problems.

Your child's numbot login is stuck at the front of their reading record. Please continue to practice this as much as possible to support your child's learning! Thank you.

 RE:

In RE this term, we will be focusing on ‘ the question ‘Why does Christmas matter to Christians? We will explore this by reading the Christmas Story, engaging in role play and discussing together the different Christmas Symbols seen at Christmas time and their meaning. 

Science and Topic:

This term in Science, we will be continuing to learn about ‘Animals including Humans’.  We will be able to identify the different categories of animals including omnivores, carnivores and herbivores, and talk about their food chains. We will ask scientific questions and have the opportunity to take part in scientific investigations.

Outdoor learning is every alternate Tuesday and you will receive a text beforehand so that appropriate clothing can be brought in. PE is every Wednesday morning.

Please do not hesitate to talk to us if you have any worries or concerns so that any problems can be sorted out quickly.

Be ready for learning! In Woodpecker class, your child will need to have these items in school: 

Key Stage One (Years 1 and 2) 

• Book bag (no rucksacks please) 

• PE kit (to be worn on PE day) 

• Water bottle (no squash or juice) 

• Lunchbox (if not having school meal) 

• Wellington boots (to leave school) 

• Coat (weather appropriate) 

Please don’t bring other items into school, as we do not have space to store them, and it can cause upset if things are lost or damaged. 

 

School Uniform Checklist:

Please label ALL items of clothing and shoes clearly with your child’s name. This helps even our younger children to take responsibility for and look after their uniform. 

 

Reminders

In the morning, please drop your children off at the gates and leave any important messages with staff on the playground. We start our day's learning as soon as the children arrive, so teachers are not available to speak with parents and carers at the start of the day; after school is best.

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!