Rabbits' blog 4
Date: 3rd Oct 2024 @ 3:58pm
Thursday 3rd October
It's been a great week. We are really absorbing our timetable, behaviour and learning expectations and generally becoming Year 1. I'm proud of them. At lunch today (and we had such a giggle about the 'posh dogs' in register!) Mrs Bennink-Meyer and myself were only saying how quickly they are now taking on new things- getting their own drink and pudding independently. It's quite a manoevre balancing that tray of food to get a cup of water! We have also been pushing manners as well at lunchtime. They are always given choices (beans or peas/sweetcorn or salad etc, gravy? garlic bread?) and it is becoming much more automatic to add the 'please' onto their answer. I am also encouraging it in the classroom - if you are being given something by an adult, say thank you and if you want something from me, make me want to say yes by using your manners. Like I said, they are definitely getting into the habit.
In maths we are moving away from < > = and starting to look at number lines and Part Whole method. This is basically an alternative way of writing a number sentence. It helps to make the concept of the addition and subtraction make sense. There are some things that we need the children to know off by heart- all number bonds to 10, counting on and back in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s- over the course of this year but we always work on what it means and how to work it out, rather than just rote learning. (If only I'd learnt maths the way it is taught in primary now!) We spent a whole lesson (#NoPunIntended!) getting our 'whole' and dividing it up into parts, then putting it back again (in our hands). The main misconception to deal with is- tear that paper into 2 parts and they tear off 2 bits but that leaves 3 parts! We had great fun tearing paper and peeling satsumas. Try it at home with dinner: you have a whole fishfinger/chip/sandwich, cut it into 2 parts. How many parts have you got? Are they equal? (not important that they are/n't at this stage). I hope they'll be saying: I know this is the whole because it is all here with no parts taken out. If eating is a bit of a battleground, you could adapt it to: here is your whole .... You know it is the whole because it is all there with nothing taken out; now eat a part. Is it still the whole? (no) Now eat 2 parts... Love maths!
In English we have finished Meesha Makes Friends and did our final assessment/writeaway piece over the last 3 days. Finger spaces are coming out as the first thing to deal with but I love their resilient attitude towards putting pen to paper. Have they told you about the Green Pens yet? We are authors who edit and publish!
Harvest festival practices have taken over today a little as we aim to peak on Monday. We had our first run through of the whole event and even got the microphones working for the y2 narrators! I sincerely hope you see the joy in their singing (and dancing!) even when they are faced with all you grown ups- it will be quite daunting for them but I have faith in them and it is such a joyful occasion. At the end of the performance we will be taking them straight back to class. This is partly because it will be a nightmare trying to organise them if they run to you and partly because it could create a detachment issue and I'd really rather not have to peel them off you if we can avoid it! I'll be telling them to smile before the performance and wave and blow a kiss at the end after Rev Jim/Mrs Forrester have finished. Try not to engage with them too much during the performance, just sit back and enjoy and feel immensely proud. (I will do the same about 8pm with some birthday 'juice'!!)
Finally look out for the message about parent conferences (see dates for your diary) that is coming soon. I will also be sending home Cauliflower cards (what is it with cauliflowers right now?!) on Friday. You must submit your order online before you send in the form and completed Christmas card.
Time to plan some more wholes and parts!
Mrs H
