Welcome to Chimpanzee Class!
Welcome to our class page. We are a wonderful Year 1 class and our teacher is Miss Nadin. Our amazing teaching assistants are Mrs White, Mrs Wilkins, Mrs Leese, Mrs Salt, Miss Haywood and Miss Hawkins who support us at different times during the week. Every other Tuesday, we are very lucky as we get taught by Mrs Robinson during Miss Nadin's PPA (Planning, Preperation and Assessment) time.
We hope you enjoy seeing all of the fantastic things that we do in Chimpanzee Class.
Alongside our Class Page, we also share information and updates on Class Dojo. Please make sure you are connected on there so that you can see what we have been getting up to. Please feel free to send me a message on Class Dojo or via my school email which you will see below.
znadin@dovedale.derbyshire.sch.uk
Please see the Powerpoint below for information about Year 1!
Our Targets 
Reading
Your child will receive a reading diary and a wallet containing 2 books. The first book is a black and white ‘storybook’ – this will be a copy of the book your child has learned to read in their Read, Write Inc phonics group. They will know this book and should be able to read it fluently – this is their book where they can show off their great reading skills to you! The second book is a ‘Book Bag Book’ – this book will be matched to your child’s phonics knowledge. Although they will not have read this book in school, they should be able to read it quite easily. This book enables your child to apply their phonic skills independently and for this reason, this is the book we encourage you to focus on at home.
Soon the children will be receiving a third book. This will be a book to share together at home. We promote a love of books and reading at school and would like to encourage this at home. We do not expect children to be able to read the sharing book themselves, but we do expect them to enjoy listening to it, learning from it and talking to you about it!
In order for our phonics teaching to work effectively, it is essential that all books are returned to school. After hearing your child read at home, or sharing a book together, please make sure all books go straight back into their reading wallet / bag so they are always readily available at school. Depending on their phonics group, children will be given new reading books every 3 to 5 days.
Please note:
- Some black and white storybooks have a space for the child's name. Please leave this blank as these are not personal copies, and will be re-used.
Finally, a reminder that we ask for you to hear your child read at least 3 times each week. Please sign your child’s reading diary after each read and include any comments you would like to make. If your child has read at least 3 times each week their name will get entered into our Reading Raffle!
Spellings
Your child will receive weekly spellings to learn at home. Please encourage your child to practise their spellings so that they are ready for their weekly spelling test. The spelling test will take place every Friday.
At the start of the year, the children will receive log in details for a website/app called Spelling Shed (linked below). Spelling Shed is used across the school and it allows the children to practise their weekly spellings in a fun way. The children love using Spelling Shed.
Please see the link below for other fun ways to practise spellings at home.
PE
Our PE Days for Summer 1 are as follows:
Indoor PE - Every Tuesday afternoon
Outdoor PE - Forest School - every Wednesday afternoon. Children need to bring a change of clothes with them in a named carrier bag.
The PE kit should include:
A plain red t-shirt (with or without the school logo)
A plain black sports jacket/zip-up jacket
Plain black or navy joggers or shorts (weather dependent)
Trainers or plimsoles.
Key Dates for the Diary
- Wednesday 17th April - Parents' Evening
- Monday 6th May - Off school for May Day Bank Holiday
- Thursday 23rd May - Last Day of Summer 1
- Friday 24th May - Inset Day
Please find information below on our learning during the first half of the summer term.
Maths - The children will start off this half term with the 'Length and Height' knowledge block. Children will use the vocabulary 'longer, shorter and taller'. Children will then measure items using non-standard measurements and standard measurements. We will then move onto the 'Mass and Volume' learning block. Children will use the language heavier and lighter and full and empty . They will use balance scales to measure and compare mass. They will measure and compare volume and capacity. Towards the end of the half term, children will explore the Multiplication and Division learning block. Children will count in 2s, 5s and 10s (this is something you might want to start practising with them at home). They will make equal groups, arrays and doubles. They will also start sharing.
English - This half term we will be exploring a range of Traditional Tales and considering their particular characteristics. We will become really familiar with some key stories through reading, retelling, writing and comparing. We will have fun exploring the main characters and their possible thoughts and feelings through drama and hot seating. We will also be looking at alternative versions of the same story, such as cultural adaptions and 'twisted tales' from alternative perspectives. I wonder what your child's favourite traditional tale will be?
Indoor PE - Our indoor PE this term is 'throwing and catching'. We will be improving and perfecting our throwing and catching skills. We will be learning to determine when to use an underarm or overarm throw to improve our accuracy, throwing to a target and playing team games to incorporate our skills.
Outdoor PE - Our outdoor PE this half term will be replaced by Forest School sessions with Miss Barrett - our forest school leader. 'Forest School' takes place within our wonderful school grounds and offers a child-initiated approach, where children can learn through self-directed play and exploration. The children will be given the opportunity to develop their curiosity, self-esteem, creativity, empathy, communication skills, knowledge of the natural environment and ability to assess risk. They will have the opportunity to understand, learn and respect the natural world around them.
You can find out more about Forest School in the Forest School section, under the children's tab.
Science - This term, children will explore the knowledge block: 'Animals Including Humans'. We will focus this half term on animals and then follow with humans in the second part of the summer term. Children will be identifying and naming a variety of common animals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, and comparing and sorting animals based on these groups. We will be describing and comparing the structure of a variety of common animals, using vocabulary such as claw, hoof, paw, flipper, antlers, horn, tusks, skin, fur, feathers, scales, wings, beak, gills, fin and tentacles. Finally, children will also be learning about different animal diets, enabling them to identify whether an animal is a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore. They will then use this knowledge in an exciting investigation in which they will need to determine an animal's diet through dissecting its poo! (Don't worry - not real poo of course - shh!)
RE (Religious Education) - Our key question that we will explore in our RE lessons this term is 'What does it mean to belong to a faith community?'. They will explore what belonging means and how it makes them feel, they will recognise different Christian symbols which signify belonging and will retell a Christian story about belonging. The children will then look at Islamic symbols that signify belonging and will retell a story about belonging within the religion of Islam.
PSCHE (Personal, Social, Citizenship and Health Education) -
The learning block that the children will be exploring this half term is Relationships. The children will identify people who are special to them, recognise what makes a good friend and they will explain how people should be treated. They will be able to recognise that our behaviour can affect others and will understand what it fair and unfair, kind and unkind and what is right and wrong. Throughout this learning block the children will get to develop their understanding of what it means to listen to other people and play/ work cooperatively and will get the opportunity to offer constructive support and feedback to others.
To further develop the children’s knowledge, understanding and skills within this learning block, the children will also receive 3 standalone lessons on Relationships/Growing Up. These lessons fall under the title of Growing and Caring for Ourselves. Within these lessons the children will learn the following: understand that we are all different but can still be friends, know that we can be friends with people who are different to us, discuss how children grow and change, understand that babies need care and support, know that older children can do more by themselves, explore different types of families and who to ask for help, identify who can help when families make us feel unhappy or unsafe, know there are different types of families and know which people we can ask for help. You will get more information about the context of these lessons on Class Dojo towards the end of this half term.
History - This half term our knowledge block will follow on from 'The History of Flight' last half term, and this time focus in particular on the Moon Landings. We will be exploring a range of primary and secondary sources to find answers to given questions to build up our knowledge, such as when the moon landings took place, who went, what the rocket was called and what the astronauts took with them. We will spend time learning about Neil Armstrong and his life, and also take part in some drama activities such as hot-seating to explore how the astronauts may have felt being the first men on the moon. The children will explore this knowledge block through the themes of 'technological advancement', 'societal and cultural changes' and 'legacy' - some of the threads that link with all history knowledge blocks throughout school.
Music - Our learning block for this half term is based on 'having fun with improvisation'. We will look at the social theme of ‘Music Is a Friend, Guide and Support’ through exploring the question: 'What Songs Can We Sing to Help Us Through the Day?’. This Unit of Work celebrates a wide range of musical styles. The clearly sequenced lessons support the key areas of the English Model Music Curriculum; Listening, Singing, Playing Composing and Performing. Children will practise these skills using the songs: Getting Dressed, Dress Up, Brush Our Teeth, Get Ready, Up And Down and Star Light, Star Bright.
Computing - Our learning block for this term is 'Creating Media - Digital Writing'. Within this unit, children will develop their understanding of the various aspects of using a computer to create and manipulate text. They will become more familiar with using a keyboard and mouse to enter and remove text. The children will also consider how to change the look of their text, such as font, size and colour and will be able to justify their reasoning in making these changes. Finally, we will consider the differences between using a computer to create text, and writing text on paper. Children will be able to explain which method they prefer and explain their reasoning for choosing this.
Every Wednesday's assembly will focus on Online Safety to enable children to stay safe growing up in this digitally-rich world!
