Mrs Collins and Mrs Hughes Welcome to Year 1 Mrs Collins and Mrs Hughes

Class 3 Mrs Hughes - Teacher Miss Ladley- HLTA PPA time - Thursday Class 4 Mrs Collins - Teacher Miss Peace - TA PPA time - Friday

PE Our PE days will be: Class 3: Tuesday and Thursday Class 4: Monday and Wednesday Please make sure PE kits are kept in school for these days and are clearly named.

Tissues We kindly ask if you could donate a box of tissues that we can use throughout the year. Thank you!

Biscuits In Year 1 we will be doing writing cafe every week. This involves some lovely free writing accompanied by a tasty biscuit treat (just 1!) For this reason we would be grateful if you could contribute a packet of plain biscuits (no nuts) for us to share with the class. If your child has an allergy please bring a labelled packet of biscuits just for them.

Reading Children will have their reading books changed weekly. Please read a few pages with them regularly at home and note this in their home reading record. We also read with children once a week in school and will make comments in their reading diaries. Reading diaries can also be used for you to communicate with us. Reading to your child is just as important as listening to them read - bed time stories are key! Reading comes in all forms and reading sign posts, comics, shop names and cereal packets all builds your child as a reader. We will add to your child's sound books so look out for new alternative graphemes. Guided reading will also take place in school later in the year.

Mystery reader To further engage our young readers we have successfully had mystery reader sessions after afternoon play in year 1 over the last few years. This is an opportunity for parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles to come in and read to the class. Juts bring a favourite, and appropriate, book. We ask that you don’t tell your child if you are coming in - hence the title – as they love the suspense! Please let us know if you would like to be our mystery reader via email or quietly at the door.

Also please ensure any hats, coats, gloves etc are labelled. Jumpers and coats! As it gets colder please make sure your child's jumper / cardigan is with them and labelled. Also please ensure any hats, coats, gloves etc are labelled.

Spellings and Homework Spellings will be sent home in a spelling book on a Friday and tested on a Friday for class 3 and on a Monday for class 4. Please ensure spelling books are in school for the test. Spellings are relevant to the children’s writing and the tests are very low key. Homework will be given out on a Friday in the purple books. Please return to school by Thursday. Homework will not be marked. Homework will be maths based usually.

Handwriting Children will be introduced to continuous cursive handwriting throughout the course of year 1.

Wow vouchers! Please feel free to continue to send in wow vouchers to celebrate your children’s successes at home.

End of the day Your child's safety is paramount and with this in mind please ensure we know via the office or a written note who is collecting your child if different from the normal routine. It is difficult for us as teachers if your child is being picked up by another parent if we have had no communication about this. Please don't be offended but we will check if we are unsure.

mutually convenient time. Parent helpers We highly value parent support in school and if you feel able to give some time during the school day to help in the classroom please let us know by completing the sheet or by dropping in to discuss a mutually convenient time. At St James' parent helpers help in the opposite class to the one their child is in and help with a variety of activities from helping in the classroom and library sessions to classroom admin.

Play dough You can also help by rustling up batches of play dough for use in class 3 and 4. We can provide simple recipes for you and reimburse costs or provide basic ingredients. Playdough is great for all sorts of learning and for supporting the fine motor skills and hand strength that is still developing in year 1 children.

BLOGS Both of us have blogs which we update occasionally so keep an eye on them for photos of our learning and fun activities in school.

Milk If you would like your child to continue having milk in year 1 please see the office to add them to the milk list.

Thank you and we hope your children enjoy their time with us in Year 1