Blackfell Primary School

New Beginnings!

A big welcome back to everyone! All of the children have settled into their new class really well. We listened to the story 'The Cautious Caterpillar' to help us understand that change is good. We talked about who our friends are, what we are good at, what we are proud of and what things we want to get better at. We also used the characters from the story to make puppets and retold the story in groups. We are now ready to spread our wings in Year 1 and excited to learn lots of new things.

Representing Numbers!

Year 1 have identified and represented numbers as objects, pictures and within a number line. We carried out a variety of carousel activities. The children were given statements to find amounts more than, less than or equal to a given number. They have also been introduced to number lines where they counted forwards and backwards, identified numbers, experimented with more or less and counted on from a given number. Year 1 really enjoyed using number lines and they are looking forward to learning more about them. Here are some of our photographs to show you what we have learnt. Well done!

Number bonds to ten!

This week we are beginning to understand how adding two groups of numbers that always equal ten are called number bonds. We listened well to Mrs Reeves as she demonstrated how to do this. We learned some of the language involved in addition and how to represent the signs eg: add and equals. We then used the coloured squares on our worksheet to help us generate our numbers. Some of us used our fingers or two different coloured cubes to find our total amount. We then created our own number bonds to ten as an extension of our learning and we did really well showing a good understanding of number bonds to ten. We are so proud of you all!

D.I.S.C.O

Year 1 had a great time at the disco. They all looked so smart in their party clothes and couldn't wait to sing and dance to some of their favourite songs with their friends. They also enjoyed going along to the tuck shop and chatting to friends while they ate their treats. They can't wait for the next disco!

Maths Symbols!

We have been identifying mathematical symbols. We had some number sentences with missing symbols and we used our knowledge of add and subtract to fill in the gaps. We found out that if the last number is bigger we use add and if it is smaller we use subtract. Well done everyone! You are working hard to solve addition and subtraction problems!

Repeating Patterns!

We have been making repeating patterns using three simple shapes. We continued a pattern on a whiteboard and discussed what shapes we had used and how our pattern had repeated itself. We then moved on to using paint and 3D shapes in groups to create a repeating pattern and understood the pattern was 2D using the side of a 3D shape. We chose shapes of our choice to do this. We discussed what our repeating pattern was going to be using shapes and colour then worked as a team to create it. We then moved around the other tables in a carousel to see if we could work out which repeating pattern other groups had started and tried to continue them which was a bit of a challenge. Some of us noticed that the colours had to be the same, the position of the shape in the pattern and even that the patterns ran vertically as well as horizontally in order for the pattern to repeat properly. After we had completed this task we made our own repeating patterns choosing different shapes and colours. We had such an exciting maths lesson discovering all about repeating patterns and how they work!

Charanga! Finding a pulse!

We have enjoyed learning a new song called 'Hey you' in our music lesson. We have been finding the pulse and the beat of four using different body parts to tap out the rhythms. We have also listened carefully to 'words' and 'phrases' that were spoken by Mrs Stockman and we had to repeat them and clap out the correct amount of syllables. We used a variety of actions to do this and thought it was great fun! We can't wait to introduce some instruments in our next session!

Reading and writing numbers to 20!

We have been developing our number skills by generating numbers and making arrangements using mathematical equipment and our fingers in pairs to show we understand how to represent numbers beyond ten. We  found numbers on the number line and then wrote the numbers in words and digits to help us understand how numbers can be represented in both ways. Well done Year 1! You are working really hard!

Christmas Cards!

Year 1 were so excited to learn how they were going to make their Christmas cards. They couldn't wait to use their new found sewing skills again. They carefully used a needle and wool to create the lines on the background first by using the opposite holes on the card. Then they chose a second shade of green wool and selected a hole on one side then moved diagonally to the next hole to create the top layer adding beads to look like baubles. After it was stuck onto card and they added a star and a pot. Next they worked hard to cut and decorate the pop up insert and finally wrote a message to send to their families. What a great job Year 1! 

Butterfly Art!

We have been continuing to develop our creative skills using paint and other materials. We discussed in class how best to display our interest and enthusiasm of reading. We decided to create butterflies as the wings of the butterflies are the focus of our title in our reading area. We

used our hands to create the wings and later decorated them using a variety of materials. Each one is individual and we will look at them to remind us that...Reading gives you wings! I'm sure year 1 will fly with their reading skills this year! Well done everyone!

Church Visit!

To enable to understand more about our R.E lessons in class. We visited our local church at Oxclose. We were greeted by Cannon Hopper on our arrival and we sat down ready to listen and learn more about the features of a church, what they are used for and who uses them. Cannon Hopper told us some history about the church first then told us to help us learn about God and what he does we were going to sing some songs. We listened to the songs and enjoyed singing along with him and copying the actions to help us understand. Inbetween each song there was time for us to ask some questions. Cannon Hopper couldn't believe the standard of questions being asked from Year 1 children, he was very impressed. He also commented on how well behaved they all were. Year 1 had a very good informative afternoon and can't wait to see Cannon Hopper again back in school to sing some more songs in their R.E lessons in the future. Well done Year 1 you are an absolute credit to your school.

Primary and Secondary colours!

In art we have been learning which colours are primary colours and how to mix them to find out which secondary colours they make. We found out that red and yellow make orange, blue and red make purple and blue and yellow make green. We displayed our understanding of this by making a colour sentence on paper. We then demonstrated our colour mixing skills further by painting a colour wheel and understood that the primary coloured sections we painted were then represented in the gaps by the secondary colours that the primary colours had created. We all enjoyed taking part in our colour mixing experimentation afternoon! Great colour mixing knowledge year 1!

Decorating decorations

We finished our delightful decorations this week. We used a variety of materials to create our designs. We had great fun making them look like our Christmas characters and they all turned out really well. 

We are shape detectives!

We have been so busy learning the names of 2D shapes and their properties. We have extended our mathematical language to enable us to describe them and discuss  their similarities and differences in more detail. To further our knowledge we had a range of 2D shapes on our tables along with two hoops. We had to work as a team to find as many different ways to sort them and explain why. The children really enjoyed this practical lesson and came up with some really good problem solving ideas. Well done year 1! You are great shape sorters!

Anti-Bullying Week!

 As part of ‘Anti-Bullying’ week Year 1 have taken part in a range of activities to help them to understand what Anti-Bullying means. This has helped them to develop their personal, social emotional and communication skills. First they took part in a P.E lesson and played games which involved working as a team. Then as part of a circle time activity they held a teddy bear and spoke about how he could help his friends on a teddy bears picnic. They showed their understanding by drawing a picture of how his actions showed he was being a good friend. Next they designed some odd socks to show how we are all different but equal in being treated the same. They also listened well to each other during a class discussion looking at a range of pictures then deciding if the act they could see was a friendly gesture or not. They got together with their team to sort the pictures out and place them under correct headings. Finally they made a friendship bracelet for someone who is special to them and discussed why they had chosen that person. They have all enjoyed each and everyone of the activities and this has shone through in the way they have all helped each other throughout the week! The message was fully understood that we are all ‘different’ and ‘unique’ and how we show ‘RESPECT’ by listening to each other’s opinions. We understand the message that ‘Anti-Bullying week’ was promoting which was … 

‘CHANGE STARTS WITH US!’

Geography-Human and Physical Features!

We went on a walk around our local village to identify it's human and physical features. We used these features to help us describe our village. We thought about the differences between human and physical features and the different settlements you could find them. We listed our ideas on our clipboards. It was fun to get out of the classroom and explore the village we live in.

Colourful Calendars!

Year 1 have combined all the art skills and knowledge they have learnt throughout this unit of art and created a beautiful calendar for their loved ones. The calendars were made by creating a wash using lighter shades of blue which was painted onto card to make the background. A silhouette of a tree was cut out and stuck on in the style of the artist they have been learning about. The children then created circles of different sizes by drawing around circular objects. They then cut them out using a variety of complimenting colours and layered them on top of each other. Each one was in sequence of the seasonal changes that occur. The final art work was based around the work of Wassily Kandinsky. The children really enjoyed creating their calendars and are looking forward to giving them to their families. Well done Year 1! Your families will be as proud of you as we are!

Science-Materials!

We have started our science topic... Materials! We talked about different materials and their properties in class then went outside with flash cards to help guide us on our material hunt around the yard. We then talked about the many different types of materials we had found and discussed their similarities and differences. We really enjoyed our first science lesson and can't wait to find out more about materials! Well done Year 1!

One More Please!

We have been continuing to develop our number skills this week using numicon to help us to find one more than a given number to ten. Some of us were able to find one more than a given number to twenty. We also practised finding one more than using number lines by moving forwards up the number line and using our fingers to add one more. Great counting year 1!

The Great Flood!

We have been learning about the biblical story Noah's Ark. We enjoyed watching a short film and learned how God told Noah to build an enormous ark. It had to be big enough to fit his family inside and two of every living animal on the earth. The flood would last 40 days and 40 nights and destroy everything. We then had to use pictures to order the story and some of us wrote a sentence to describe what was happening in each picture. Some of the children were able to use some good language to retell the story in their own words showing how well they understood the sequence of events! Well done everyone!

Delightful Decorations

Year 1 have been learning all about decorations in DT. We have researched, explored and investigated a range of decorations to find out what they are made from, how they hang on a tree, what shape and colour they are. We then had a go at cutting and sewing a running stitch on a piece of fabric. Once we had developed these skills we then designed our own decoration and then had a go at making it. It was a little tricky but we all did it. In our next lesson we are going to decorate them to match our design. 

Stick Man!

We have been listening to the story of Stick Man. We then talked about what was happening in some of the scenes from the story. We worked in groups to act out the scene we were given then performed it to the class and we freeze framed the most important part of the scene. Look at us performing our roles!

Sequencing Stick Man!

After listening to the story of Stick Man and acting out the scenes we had to use  the pictures to order the events of the  story. We then wrote a sentence to explain what was happening in each scene using our phonic knowledge. Well done year 1! You are all using some good language to extend your story telling skills! We are so proud of you all!

3D Shape Hunt!

We have been finding out about the names of 3D shapes and their properties. We went on a shape hunt around the class to find as many different objects  that represent 3D shapes as we could. We found out that many everyday objects are 3D shapes or have characteristics of them. We located lots of them and identified and matched them to their 3D shape names. Look at some of the everyday objects we found! We couldn't believe how many 3D shapes are all around us in our classroom! Great shape hunting year 1!

Representing Numbers to 20!

We have been representing numbers to 20 using a range of mathematical equipment. First we counted forwards to 20 and then counted back from 20 using a number line to help us as a starter to our lesson. We were then given some tasks to challenge our understanding of numbers and how to represent them. Some of us worked individually and some as a team to identify numbers then represent them in different ways using a range of equipment. We used numicon, compare bears, cubes, pom poms and dominoes. We used dice and number cards to determine the number we had to represent. Some of us recognised double numbers too and how many more we needed to add on to represent the number on the cards or dice. To extend knowledge of number we talked about how many groups of ten we had and how many ones we had to add to make teen numbers. It was tricky at first then using our hands in a class discussion we are now beginning to understand how to make  teen numbers. Well done year 1! You really worked hard in a practical maths lesson!