7.7.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Pinchas

We have had an exciting and busy week with our Jewish studies learning.

Hebrew reading – the children have been working hard on their relevant reading rules. We learnt the ‘Chataf vowels’, three vowels which are read quicker in a word.

Well done to the children who passed their Aleph Champ book this week.

**Please ensure your child’s Hebrew reading folder is in their bag on Tuesday, as we will be collecting in all the Aleph champ books for the holidays. **

Please hold on to the Aleph bet flashcards and vowels and keep using these over the summer break/ read from other Hebrew texts, in order to keep up your child’s Hebrew reading level.

General knowledge – we learnt that it is the 3 weeks now. The saddest time in the Jewish calendar and at this time, we are not allowed to do certain things – haircuts, weddings, live music and bar/bat mitzvahs.

We also completed our Kashrut project, learning about Kosher eggs. We had a fabulous time learning how to check eggs for blood spots.

Parashat Pinchas – In this week’s Parsha portion we learnt that Moshe asks Hashem to appoint a new leader. Hashem chooses Yehoshua, because he is a good person and therefore a good leader to take Bnei Yisrael into Eretz Yisrael. Yehoshua was one of the spies who didn’t bring back bad reports about Eretz Yisrael, and this was his reward.

Middah of the week: Being a leader.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

Week 5,  7.7.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

I cannot believe that we have completed our last full week of Year 1! The children were spectacular in their end of year performance and they found it very special to be able to show you what they had been working so hard on. 

In English, the children reviewed their knowledge of Non-Chronological Report writing. They used this to plan and begin writing a report all about life in Year 1. In phonics, the children have been reviewing all previously taught graphemes.

In maths, the children revised 2D and 3D shapes. They went over the names and features of each shape and created repeated patterns with them.

In geography, the children completed their maps of the local area by adding colour and including map symbols on a key. 

In art, the children created lovely watercolour paintings. They also used crayons to create outlines that stood out from the watercolour paint. 

Please note:

• There is no homework this week. 
• The children’s reading books must be collected in before the summer holidays. Therefore, they will not receive a new reading book next week. Please ensure any books you have at home are returned to school by Wednesday morning.
• The children will start to take some of their work books home from Monday. Please send in strong carrier bags on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so that we will be able to send a few things home each day. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team  

Week 4,   30.6.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had another busy week in Year 1. 

In English, the children learnt about the importance of writing a final draft. They wrote a final draft of their traditional tales. The children then learnt about the features of Free Verse Poetry, including how they don’t rhyme but can include poetic features such as repetition and starting new lines when you choose to. The children read and performed the Free Verse Poem ‘There’s Nothing Like a Dog’, using expression in their voices. They then wrote their own Free Verse Poems. In phonics, the children have been reviewing all previously taught graphemes.

In maths, the children learnt about volume and mass. They began by using scales to compare the mass of two objects, then moved on to measuring the mass of an object in cubes by counting how many cubes it took to balance the scales. The children then learnt about volume and capacity. They started by comparing the volume of water in containers with the same capacity. They then learnt to measure the capacity of different containers by counting how many cups of water it took to fill them. The children discovered that they had to consider both the width and height of the container to be able to estimate its capacity accurately. Finally, the children compared the capacity of different containers. 

In geography, the children created their own maps of the local area. They thought carefully about how to draw their maps to scale. They learnt how to include a key and use map symbols to label their maps. 

In art, the children used the plans they created last week to create their paper products. The children collaborated beautifully during this lesson, for example by holding things in place whilst their friends stuck or cut things out. It was wonderful to see and the children have clearly learnt some design and technology skills from other projects they have completed this year.  

Please Note:

• Next week, it will be the end of Year Show. The children do not need to wear any special clothes for this - please send them in wearing their normal school uniform. 
• I have uploaded the children’s lines and song onto Google Classroom. Please help them to memorise their parts! Thank you in advance for your help with this. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and The Year 1 Team

30.6.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Chukat-Balak.

We have had a wonderful week of learning.

Hebrew reading – The children have each been working at their own levels through the various vowels and reading rules.

Well done to all the children who have moved on to the next Aleph Champ book! Please keep supporting your child with their Hebrew reading as often as possible.

General Knowledge – We have continued our work on Kashrut, focusing on Kosher birds. We know a bird is Kosher because the Torah tells us, it also cannot be a bird of prey. We looked at different examples of kosher and non-kosher birds and review

Parasha- Parashat Chukat-Balak. Hashem gives Bnei Yisrael different kinds of laws that they have to keep. For some of these laws, we understand the reasons (not hurting each other). For some of these laws, Hashem gives us the reasons (eating matzah on Pesach). For some of these laws, no reason is given (eating Kasher)

King Balak wants to weaken Beneh Yisrael so that he can beat them. He invites Bilaam, a prophet, to curse Bnei Yisrael, because he knows and understands the power of words. Bilaam tries to curse Bnei Yisrael three times and only succeeds in blessing them - the third time with Ma Tovu.

Middah of the week:  the power of words.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

Week 3,    23.6.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

This week has simply zoomed by! This morning, the children met their new Year 2 teaching team; Miss Mansoor, the class teacher and Mrs Sassoon, the class teaching assistant. I really can’t believe we have reached this point of the summer term! Before the children met their new teachers, they reflected on all they have achieved during their time in Year 1 and began to prepare for the changes they will experience as they move up to Year 2. 

The children also had a special class reward time, as a prize for filling up their gem jar. We had a class party with ice cream and games. It was lovely to see the children having so much fun whilst celebrating all their hard work.

In English, the children were given the opportunity to read out the traditional tales they had written to the class. This exercise is a wonderful way for them to improve their speaking and listening skills, whilst giving the children practise at offering positive feedback on each other’s work. The children were extremely proud of their stories. Year 1 then reimagined the ending of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Finally, they learnt about the suffix ‘er’ and how it changes the meaning of a verb, turning the action into the person or thing doing the action.  For example, ‘read’ becomes ‘reader’. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative grapheme:

The children then reviewed all previously taught alternative graphemes. 

In maths, the children revisited the topic Multiplication and Division. This included making arrays to understand the concept of having multiple ‘lots of’ a number. For example, this array shows three rows of four:

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The total of this array is 12. The children learnt the skills required for dividing by making equal groups in two different ways: sharing, when you start with a total number of cubes and share between a set number of groups to see how many cubes will end up in each group; and grouping, when you start with a total number of cubes and find out how many groups of a certain number you can make. Finally, they learnt to comprehend and solve multiplication and division word problems. 

In science, the children learnt about trees. They learnt about the parts of a tree and the differences between deciduous and evergreen trees. The children worked hard to identify and name a range of trees. 

In geography, the children learnt about the human and physical features of rural areas. I was able to ask a friend of mine to send us a video of his house and local area in the countryside. The children were very excited to watch the personalised tour of the country roads, fields and gardens. They learnt a lot from the videos and were then able to make fantastic comparisons between urban and rural areas, sorting different geographical features into a venn diagram. I have attached the videos sent to us by my kind friend James, and hope you enjoy watching them at home too. 

In art, the children planned and designed a product that they will create out of paper. They had some creative ideas about the products they have chosen to create and thought practically about the materials they will need to ensure their design is successful. 

Please note:

• Once again many perishable pencil case items are running out. Please ensure your child has some money available in their bag in order to replace their equipment from the school shop. 
• We are really pleased to invite you to hear about our exciting and innovative computing and coding curriculum. Please join us for an interactive showcase on Monday 26th,Tuesday 27th or Wednesday 28th June, in which Ms Vinokur will show you what the children have been doing in computing classes this year. You will have the opportunity to engage with some of the robots, programs and devices that we use to develop their computational thinking and technology skills. Please sign up using this link

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

23.6.23 Jewish Studies - Parashat Korach

Hebrew reading – the children are working hard reviewing the Hebrew vowels and working on blending them at their own levels.

Well done to the children who passed onto the next colour level! Keep up the great work!

Parasha – Korach

Korach is jealous that Moshe and Aharon have been chosen to be the leaders of Beneh Yisrael. He feels that he should have been a leader as well. Some people agree with Korach, and his followers cause a big argument and a quarrel among Beneh Yisrael. Hashem is angry with Korach and his followers for causing the argument. Hashem punishes them by making them disappear completely. The Beneh Yisrael continue to complain, Hashem is angry and puts them through a test to show that he has chosen Moshe and Aharon as leaders. The leader of each Shevet has to bring a stick. The one whose stick blossoms is the one who has been chosen to lead. Aharon’s stick is the one which blossom.

Middah of the week: Not to argue.

Song – Lets be friends.

Let’s be friends, make amends,

Now’s the time to say I’m sorry.

Let’s be friends, make amends,

Please say you’ll forgive me.

Shake my hand and Ill shake yours x3

And we’ll be friends forever.

General knowledge - We learnt about the signs of a kosher fish and some examples of them.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

Week 2,   16.6.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

What a week it has been! From Sports Day to taking our whole school photo, there have been plenty of opportunities to get together as a whole school community. It was really wonderful to have so many parents with us on Sports Day, supporting and celebrating your children and their classmate’s achievements. 

The children have worked extremely hard in English all week to complete their traditional tales. They extended their initial ideas by including adjectives and exciting story language to each section of their stories. As a result, the children have produced their own detailed, creative and exciting traditional tales. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes:

In maths, the children continued learning about quarters. They learnt to find a quarter of a shape or object themselves by drawing lines using a ruler. They then learnt to recognise and find a quarter of a quantity. They made a quantity by counting out the correct number of counters. Once they had the whole number made out of counters, they shared them equally between four groups and counted how many were in one of the groups to find a quarter. 

In science, the children learnt to tell the difference between garden and wild plants. They learnt how to record data by using a tally chart. Then, they went out to the park to identify different wild plants. They predicted which wild plant they would see the most and then kept a tally of how many times they saw different wild plants, such as clover and daisies. Finally, the children compared their results to their initial predictions. 

In geography, the children learnt about human and physical geographical features. They were excellent at identifying which features had been created by humans (human features) and which had been created by nature (physical features). They then explored Google Maps to look around our local area and wrote lists of the human and physical features they could identify. 

In art, the children created frames for the stained glass window art they had created last week. The children used their cutting skills to carefully cut out their frames.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

16.6.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Shelach Lecha

Parashat Shelach Lecha - A member of each tribe is chosen to go to Eretz Canaan to spy out the Land so that Bnei Yisrael can prepare to enter it. They return and report that the Land is very beautiful but the people are giants. They bring back huge grapes as proof. They also report that they live in strong castles. Ten of the Meraglim frighten Bnei Yisrael by saying that they will never be strong enough to conquer the Land. Yehoshua and Calev, the other two, say that with Hashem’s help they will be able to conquer it. Bnei Yisrael do not listen to Yehoshua and Calev because they do not have enough trust in Hashem. Bnei Yisrael are severely punished by not being allowed to enter Eretz Cana’an for another forty years. We need to trust our parents and teachers because they know what is good for us.

General knowledge – we learnt about the two signs of a kosher animal – split hooves and chews the cud. We learnt about different examples of animals that are kosher/non-kosher and even learnt about the kashrut status of a giraffe!

Hebrew reading – The children are working hard within school reviewing the sounds of all the Hebrew vowels and working at their appropriate levels within school.

Please ensure you are supporting your child with their Hebrew reading homework each day, to help them further progress and reinforce the work we are doing in school.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and lovely weekend ahead,

Ms Rose

9.6.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Beha’alotcha

Hebrew reading – this week we have been reviewing all our vowels through doing ‘karate vowels’. We have now completed learning all the vowels and are now working on class according to our various Aleph champ levels.

Please kindly support your child with completing their reading homework, 5 minutes a day, every day. This will really help support them with becoming more fluid and accurate readers.

Parasha - Aharon is given the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah in the Mishkan. (The ner tamid over the aron kodesh reminds us of this.) We learnt about the many ways in which we light lights for mitzvot e.g. for Shabbat and Yom Tov/ Havdalah /Chanukah/bedikat chametz and how we make these Mitzvot special.

Middah of the week: The mitzvah of lighting lights.

General knowledge: This week we learnt about the Bracha of ‘Al netilat yadayim’ and the occasions we say it – in the morning and before washing for bread.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

Week 1,   9.6.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had a lovely and hot week back at school! 

In English, the children began to plan their own traditional tales. First, they created and wrote descriptions for a main character. Then they chose a villain, a setting and a moral for their stories. They learnt about the structure of a traditional tale and the five sections they must include: introducing their main character, the main character going on an adventure, the main character making a mistake, the villain trying to defeat the main character and the main character having a happy ending and learning a lesson. They then planned the plot of their stories into these sections. Finally, the children began writing their stories in further detail. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative grapheme:

Please ensure you are revising the flashcards with the graphemes and tricky words. 

 In maths, the children revisited money and how to recognise the different coins. They then used their counting in 2s, 5s and 10s skills to count and work out different values of money. The children learnt how to use their rulers to measure in centimetres. Finally, they were introduced to quarters. They learnt to recognise a shape that had been split into quarters by recognising that it had been split into four equal parts. 

In science, the children finally had the weather to test out the sun shades they made last half term. The children had some thoughtful conversations about the shade that they had provided and evaluated the materials and designs they had used. Many of the children made excellent suggestions of how they could make their sun shades more effective if they were to make one again. The children then began their new science topic, Plants. They discussed what they knew about plants already and then investigated the question ‘Do all plants have the same parts?’’. They read about plant parts from a non-fiction book and labelled the parts on a tomato plant. They agreed that there are some parts that not every plant shares, such as flowers and fruit. The children then sorted pictures of different plants into two groups.

For humanities this half term, the children will be learning about the geography topic Our Local Area - Comparing Urban and Rural. They began by exploring a map of our local area, Hampstead Garden Suburb. They used Google Earth to look around using a bird’s eye view map. They learnt about different map symbols and the landmarks they represent. The children were excited to see how many symbols they could find using Google Earth. 

In art, the children continued their Paper Art topic. They used tissue paper to create art in the style of a painted glass window. The children came up with their own designs and explored how holding the semi-transparent tissue paper allowed some light to travel through it. 

Please note:

• The weather is getting much warmer and the children are being reminded to drink regularly throughout the day. Please ensure they bring a water bottle to school every day.
• Please continue to send in extra coins in case your child needs to replace an item in their pencil case. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

Week 6    25.5.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had a lovely last few days together this week. 

It was truly special to have so many parents join us for the Shavuot learning this morning. A huge thank you to everyone who was able to come!

In English, the children continued learning about the traditional tale Little Red Riding Hood. They used their plans to write a description of the Forest setting. Then, they created a story map to help them remember the story Little Red Riding Hood. They created actions to help them remember each sentence in the story. Finally, they retold the story of Little Red Riding Hood in their own words. 

In phonics, the children revised the following graphemes:

Please ensure you are revising the flashcards with the graphemes and tricky words. Your child will have received some additional books to read over the holidays. 

In maths, the children revisited addition and subtraction to 20. They tackled some new problems involving adding by counting on, subtracting by counting back and recognising related facts. 

In science, the children learnt about summer weather. They discussed some of the dangers of hot, sunny weather and how they could stay safe in the sun. The children were then tasked with the challenge of creating a sun shade to protect one of the classroom teddies. They had to consider which material would provide the best shade and explored how they could make their sun shades stand up on their own. Many of the children demonstrated their resilience during this hands-on task. Unfortunately, the sun went in before we could test the children’s sun shades, however we will find a time to do this when the children return after the half term!

WIshing you all a fantastic break and a Shavuot Sameach, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

19.5.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Bamidbar.

This week we have been learning all about Shavuot.

We learnt about the Minhagim (customs) of Shavuot; milky foods, flowers, staying up learning Torah and the Story of Megillat Reut, which we learnt about.

In this week’s Parasha we learnt that Hashem tells Moshe to count the men of Beneh Yisrael who are twenty years and over so that if they have to fight, they will know how many soldiers there are. Hashem tells Beneh Yisrael that when they camp around the Mishkan and go on their journeys, it must be in a special order which they must always keep to. Beneh Yisrael follow Hashem’s instructions.

Middah of the week: Following instructions

Well done to all the children who passed their Aleph champ books this week - keep up the great work!

Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

Week 5   19.5.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

It has been an exciting week in Year 1!

This week, the children took part in a First Aid session. This taught them many processes and practical skills to help each other in the case of minor or more major injuries, including applying plasters and what to ask someone who has bumped their head. When learning about what to say on the phone if you have to ring for an ambulance, the children were taught how important it is to give their address. If your child does not know your house number and street name, it would be worth helping them to learn this.

In English, the children have continued learning about Traditional Tales. They listened to the story Little Red Riding Hood and identified which features of a Traditional Tales it included. They wrote questions to ask the characters from the story. Then, they used the drama technique hot-seating to act as the character being questioned and come up with their response. This technique encourages the children to infer the character’s thoughts and feelings in greater depth. They then planned a description of the forest setting by thinking about the things they could see, feel, hear and smell in the forest. 

In phonics, the children revised the following graphemes:

Please ensure you are revising the flashcards with the graphemes and tricky words.

In maths, the children have been working hard on the place value of numbers to 100. They have compared 2-digit numbers with the same amount of tens, for example: 55 and 52. They understood that you only needed to look at the ones column to compare these numbers. They then moved on to comparing any two 2-digit numbers, such as 24 and 61. They used dienes blocks to represent these numbers and recognised that in these cases, you must compare the tens columns and not the ones. 

In science, the children continued to learn about the seasons Spring and Summer by learning about the wind. They considered the impact of this type of weather on nature and humans. The children made their own wind socks as part of an investigation ‘Does the wind blow in the same direction every day?’. They used their own wind socks to observe and record the wind’s direction, which they measured using a compass. 

In history, the children learnt about the Wright brothers and how they invented the first aeroplane, Flyer 1, in 1903. They made insightful observations about the design of Flyer 1, including how it was significantly more dangerous than modern aeroplanes. They learnt how it was the first glider to use an engine and that it could only fly for 12 seconds. The children then imagined that they were news reporters, reporting on this historic event. They wrote wonderful news reports including many facts that they had learnt. Next week, they will all get to read out and perform their news reports to go onto the blog. 

In art, the children learnt about drawing and imitating a given painting. They first practised observing as many details as they could, noting the size and colour of each item they observed. Then, they worked hard to copy the painting as closely as they could. The children were resilient during this task and many children demonstrated their lovely middot by encouraging and complimenting their friends. 

 The children rounded off their week with a special reward time for filling up their gem jar. They requested to listen to their favourite story, The Book With No Pictures, by B.J Novak. It was lovely to see the children laugh and relax by listening to an old favourite of theirs.

Please note:

• As the half term nears its end, many children need to replace items in their pencil cases. Please send in money for them to buy these items from the school shop.  

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

Week 4   12.5.23

Week 4   12.5.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had another busy week in Year 1! 

On Wednesday, the children enjoyed a fantastic workshop about solar and renewable energy. They had the opportunity to see first-hand how water and solar panels could be used to power remote controlled cars, wind turbines and more! They also had the chance to plant seeds and create homes for minibeasts to help look after nature. 

In English, the children began learning about Traditional Tales. They explored a range of books from this genre, and then created spider diagrams of the features of Traditional Tales, including story starters such as ‘once upon a time’ and common themes such as magic and good versus evil. The children also spent time brushing up on their use of capital letters and full stops. They were given two sentences with no punctuation and had to identify where the two missing capital letters and full stops should go in each example. 

In phonics, the children revised the following graphemes:

Please ensure you are revising the flashcards with the graphemes and tricky words.

In maths, the children have been learning about the place value of numbers to 100. They partitioned 2-digit numbers into tens and ones. For example, for the number 45, 40 is a part and 5 is a part. The children labelled numbers on number lines and then used their place value knowledge to solve problems that required them to estimate on number lines. Finally, the children worked hard to find one more and one less than numbers to 100. 

In history, the children learnt about the invention of cars. They made some wonderful observations about the similarities and differences between old and modern cars, and wrote sentences about their observations.

In art, the children learnt about sculptures and how they could use paper in different ways to create paper sculptures. They were extremely creative and used many different techniques to bend, twist, fold and manipulate paper to create their sculptures. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

12.5.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Behar Bechukotai

Hebrew reading – This week we went over our vowels – cholam (וֹ - makes the sound ‘o’ like in the word hot) and chirik ( . – makes sound ‘i’ like in the word fish.)

Please ensure you are reading with your child regularly from their Hebrew reading book and signing their progress at home. Please note, there will be no 1:1 reading support next week as Miss Goodkin will be on the residential trip.

Chagim - Lag B'Omer – On Monday night and Tuesday we celebrated Lag B'Omer.

Lag B’Omer is a special day of friendship and celebration.  Rabbi Akiva had many students, but they were not careful in their friendship with one another, and they became ill.  On Lag B’Omer the illness stopped so we celebrate Lag B’Omer to remember how important friendship is.

We each made friendship flowers and wrote something nice about our classmates. We also enjoyed our Lag B'Omer ice cream treat!

Parasha – We have a special rest day every seven days called Shabbat. The land in Eretz Yisrael has a special rest year every seven years called Shemittah. Farmers are busy working on the land, growing food for us to eat. During the Shemittah year not only does the land have a rest but farmers have a rest so that they can spend more time with their families and learn Torah, just as we do every Shabbat.

Middah of the week – Mitzvah of Shemittah.

Wishing you all a lovely Shabbat,

Ms Rose

Week 3    5.5.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

This week has simply flown by! The children have both worked hard and taken part in some wonderful learning experiences this week. 

On Wednesday, Year 1 went on our trip to the London Transport Museum. The children took part in a workshop called ‘Platform Promenade’, during which they were led around the museum to find out about how transport in London has changed since 1800. The children then had plenty of time to explore the exhibitions and vehicle models further. They also had a wonderful time in the museum play area. The trip was a fantastic way to bring our history topic to life! 

In English, the children learnt about the coronation by taking part in an exciting drama workshop run by Perform. The children were thrilled to visit the EYU for this session. The Nursery and Reception children had kindly made the Year 1 children a coronation cupcake each as an extra treat! It was very special to see the Year 1 children spend time with their younger siblings, friends and previous teachers. 

The children have revised key maths skills this week, including counting in 2s, 5s and 10s, finding one more or one less than numbers to 100 and knowing which numbers are odd and even. 

This week, the children revised some of the tricky word spellings. These words can be found under the spelling practice section of the Year 1 blog. 

Please note:

We are pleased to inform you that on Wednesday 10th May the children will be participating in a fun and exciting environmental workshop where they will learn about renewable energy, environmental issues and biodiversity. Please could children bring materials for building bug houses on Tuesday or Wednesday. Ideally dried leaves, twigs, corks, string, pine cones or anything that is natural and small to create warm, dry spaces for wildlife. Thank you in advance!

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

5.5.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Emor

Hebrew reading – This week we reviewed our respective reading rules and reminded ourselves of sounding the word in our head and then reading the whole word aloud.

Well done to the children who have moved onto the next Aleph Champ book!

Coronation – We learnt that there is a special Tefillah said in Shul on Shabbat morning, especially for the Royal family. We also discussed the importance of the King and how we are very lucky to have a king so respectful of the Jewish people. Wishing a very big Mazal tov to King Charles on his coronation!

Parasha – Parashat Emor

This week we missed out on our Parasha lesson due to the children being out at the EYU, but I am attaching a summary, should you wish to talk about it with the family.

In this week’s Parasha we learn about Shabbat and the different Chagim (festivals), as well as what we do on each of them. There are different symbols associated with each of the festivals e.g. Pesach – Matzot; Shavuot – Sefer Torah;  Rosh Hashanah – Shofar; Yom Kippur - non leather shoes, Sukkot - Succah and Arba ‘ah Minim.

Nowadays we celebrate the very same Chagim as Beneh Yisrael celebrated in the Midbar and Am Yisrael celebrated during the time of the Bet Mikdash in the very same way. 

Middah of the week – we keep the Chagim the same way as the Jewish people did long ago.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

Week 2     28.4.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had yet another exciting week of learning and celebrations in Year 1! The children had a fantastic time celebrating Yom Haatzmaut on Wednesday through a range of immersive activities including an Israeli dancing lesson, making a beautiful dove craft and designing their own Semel (emblem) to represent themselves - to name just a few!. It was truly special to see the children showing their love for Israel throughout the day. 

In English, the children finished planning and writing their explanation texts about the Semel. The children wrote down the facts they knew about the symbols on the Semel and what they each represent, making sure that they included the features of an explanation text. 

In phonics, the children revised the following graphemes:

Please ensure you are revising the flashcards with the graphemes and tricky words 

In maths, the children revisited telling time to the hour and learnt how to tell the time to the half hour. They learnt that not only must the minute hand be pointing towards the bottom of the analogue clock face (on the large number 6), but the hour hand must also be halfway between the hour it has gone past, and the hour it will be on next. The children drew the hands onto clock faces and solved problems involving time, including ordering times from earliest to latest. 

In history, the children learnt about the inventions of trains and how they were first used to transport coal before they were used to transport people. They learnt that the first steam trains did not have a roof on them and how the invention of trains changed people’s lives. They looked closely at pictures and videos of Victorian trains and learnt about the difference between first class, second class and third class carriages. They then imagined that they were a Victorian child going on their first ever train journey and wrote a diary entry to describe their experiences. 

In art, the children learnt how to weave a placemat using paper. They created their own looms out of a piece of card and wove different strips of card through their looms to create their own patterns. The children were extremely persistent with this task and as a result, managed to create some wonderful woven placemats. These will be laminated and sent home in the coming week for the children to use at home! 

 Please note:

• Many children need to replace items in their pencil cases. Please send in coins in their bags for them to purchase these items (50p each) from the school shop. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

28.4.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Acharei Mot – Kedoshim.

This week in JS we have been preparing for Yom Ha’atzmaut. We have been learning to read and sing the Hatikvah and have been doing lots of fun activities surrounding it.

We also looked at the key features of the Semel of Yerushalim and learnt about the Magen David – the shield of David and made our own shield/semel.

In Parasha we learnt about keeping Kosher. We looked at some of the different Kosher symbols we have on our foods to show us the item is Kosher. Please encourage your child to have a look at home for the Kosher symbols on foods. If the item is finished, please send it in on Tuesday, for them to show the class. Alternatively, please take a photo of them with their finds!

Mitzvah of the week – Keeping Kosher.

Song of the week: Uptown, downtown all around the town,

It's Kosher all day long,

and we will never ever ever mix milk and meat together,

so join us and sing the Kosher song lalalala.

Well done to all the children who have passed onto their next Aleph Champ book! Keep up the great work!

Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

Week 1     21.4.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

It has been an exciting and busy first week of the Summer term! It was wonderful to see all of the children back on Tuesday and to hear about how much they enjoyed celebrating Pesach over the holiday. 

In English this week, the children learnt about the features of an explanation text, including a question title, short introduction, sections organised in a logical order, using facts to explain and including a picture. They read an example explanation text called ‘How is Chocolate Made’ to identify these features in context. The children then began to plan an explanation text of their own, with a special link to their Ivrit learning about the Semel (Israeli emblem). They began to plan the different sections they would need to include in their explanation text, ‘What is the Semel?’. 

This term in Phonics there will be a focus on revising the phase 3 and 5 graphemes and blending them accurately in both real and nonsense (or ‘alien’) words. For example, recognising ‘oa’ in both ‘soap’ and ‘floam’. This week, the children revised the following graphemes:

 
In maths, the children learnt about describing turns using the vocabulary quarter turn, half turn, three quarter turn, full turn, clockwise and anti-clockwise. They also learnt about describing position using the vocabulary left, right, above, below, on top, at the bottom, between, forwards and backwards. 

The children returned to the topic ‘Seasons’ in Science, with a focus on spring and summer. We went out to the park to observe signs of spring and the children were able to identify many, including new plants such as blossom and daffodils growing, in addition to their being warmer, sunnier weather. We then discussed the impact of having more sunlight and noticed that the sun being out means shadows are formed. The children returned to the classroom to explore the question ‘How are shadows formed?’, using torches to investigate. They learnt about different light sources, and how they each create shadows if the light is blocked by an object. 

In history, the children were introduced to their new history topic ‘Travel and Transport’ by going to the airport (otherwise known as the Year 1 classroom). They had their boarding passes checked and took their seats on the aeroplane, ready to travel to the past. The children shared facts that they already knew about different modes of transport and wrote questions about the information they would like to find out during this topic. 

In art, the children began learning about the topic ‘Paper Art’. They began by naming and exploring different kinds of paper, such as newspaper, card and tissue paper. They then ordered five different kinds of paper from thinnest to thickest, and investigated which paper was easiest to scrunch up or tear. After this, the children used the different types of paper to create a colourful collage with a contrasting black border. 

The children had a wonderful time back at Forest School. They learnt about Earth Day and how we each have a role to play in taking care of our planet. Many of the children chose to make wonderful recycled crafts out of milk cartons. All of the adults present during our session noted how independent the children have become! This half term, the children will be having one PE session each week as they engage in many physical activities during Forest School. This is to ensure that the children have time to access all of the other areas of the curriculum for this half term. 

Please note: 

• Several children need a back-to-school pencil case top up. Please all send your children in with money in order for them to replace their equipment when they run out or get misplaced. Each item costs 50p from the school shop. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

21^st April 2023 – Parashat Tazriah-Metzora

Chodesh Tov!

We had a lovely week sharing the exciting things we did over Pesach and at Seder night.

We learnt about counting the Omer from the second night of Pesach until Shavuot. We discussed the things we cannot do during the Omer and made our own Omer wall chart in the class room. (see picture below)

In this week’s Parashah we learnt about the importance of speaking nicely to one another. In the times of the Jewish people living in the desert. If someone spoke Lashon Hara (badly about someone else) they would get white patches on their skin called tzara’at. That person would then have to leave the camp until the tzara’at disappeared. This gave the person time to reflect and think about their actions.

Middah of the week- Not speaking Lashon Hara.

Next week we will be doing some work about Israel. If your child has ever visited the Kottel in Jerusalem, it would be lovely if you can email me a picture for us to share with the class.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

Week 6    29.3.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

The children have had a wonderful last few days of term. 

On Monday, Year 1 went on their visit to the Barbican to listen to the Orchestral Olympics performance by the London Symphony Orchestra. They listened to pieces of classical music by a range of famous composers and had the chance to sing along to some of the songs being performed on stage. 

The children took part in the lower school model seder on Tuesday, led by Ms Rose. This was a wonderful opportunity for them to learn about and experience each stage of Seder Night. They played exciting games, and sang the songs and brachot they had been learning in the build up to Pesach. 

In English, the children added to the Haggadahs they had been writing in their Jewish Studies lessons. They wrote about the story of Pesach for the Magid section. 

In Phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

The children have been assigned four ebooks and have been given additional books for the holiday. Please continue to read through the flashcards in your child’s reading folder each time that you read with your child. 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a Pesach Sameach. 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

Week 5     24.3.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

The children have had another busy week of learning and there is a feeling of growing excitement as Pesach draws closer! 

In English, the children learnt about nonsense poems. They explored the poems On the Ning Nang Nong by Spike Milligan, Too Many Daves by Dr Suess and The Sneezles by A. A. Milne. The children identified general features of poetry within these nonsense poems, such as repetition, rhyming couplets or patterns and having short lines. They then learnt that nonsense poems often include made-up words and don’t have to make complete sense. The children thought of some very creative made-up words of their own and wrote some brilliant nonsense poems. The children learnt to perform the poem On The Ning Nang Nong using actions. Please watch the video above to see them in action! 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

Please continue to read through the flashcards in your child’s reading folder each time that you read with your child. 

There is a new section on this blog page called ‘Spelling Practice Ideas’. This section contains guidance that will support your child with learning the key spelling words for Year 1. This information has also been uploaded onto the Year 1 Google Classroom page, alongside a list of the ‘Tricky Words,’ the children are expected to read by sight and use in their writing by the end of Year 1. We practise both reading and writing these words in school and this is something you could do at home as a means of supporting your child. You could do this using the spelling practice ideas that were mentioned above. In addition, each week I will upload a list of the graphemes the children learnt in phonics (as I have always), with further examples of words that have those graphemes in them. These will be there as a resource for you to look at with your child at home, should you choose to. 

In maths, the children learnt to recognise and name the 2D and 3D shapes. They explored their features and learnt to describe the shapes according to their features. For example, by saying that a square has four sides of the same length and a cube has six square faces. They learnt to identify 3D shapes as shapes that could either stack or roll. They sorted the shapes in different ways and learnt to identify and create repeated patterns using different shapes. 

In science, the children learnt about what makes something a living thing. They then learnt that living things all required a habitat to live in. They learnt that habitats must provide a living thing with food, shelter and enough safety for their young to survive. The children designed their own creatures and a habitat for it to live in. They had to consider several factors, including what food their creature could find in their habitat and whether their creature needed any adaptations to survive in their habitat. 

In history, the children compared two versions of the same toy, one being from the past and one in its modern day version. They wrote sentences to describe the similarities and differences between the different versions of the toys. 

In art, the children used clay to create their own stamps to be used for printing. This was an opportunity for them to show persistence, as they found that they had to persevere in order to shape the clay the way they wanted it to look. They then used carving tools to carve out patterns for them to see when they used their stamps to print. 

As I’m sure all of our parents know by now, Miss Fisch will be leaving Year 1 at the end of this term and we will be joined by Miss Simon instead. The children were told this news during a circle time this week, during which they had the chance to discuss their feelings and ask questions to both Miss Fisch and Miss Simon. Although of course, they will miss Miss Fisch greatly, they were excited to know that Miss Simon will be joining us after half term as she is already a friendly and familiar face to them. 

Please Note:

• On Monday, we will be going on our school trip. Please check the trip letter carefully for the full details about the bags, snacks and lunch that they will need to bring with them. Boys will need to wear their Kerem caps on the trip.
• It has been lovely seeing the children become more familiar with coins as they have been visiting the shop. Please continue to send in extra change for the children to use when they run out of their pencil case equipment. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

24.3.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Vayikra.

This week we have been learning all about Pesach and creating our beautiful Haggadot.

We have learnt about the stages of the Seder and what we do at each step and been practising all the songs surrounding the Seder night.

Please be in touch with me via email if your child will be leaving school earlier than Tuesday, as I will be sending them home with their Haggadot then.

I will be uploading to Google classroom some fun additional things you can print at home for your child to complete, should you wish.

Please continue reading with your child over the Pesach break.

Wishing you a Chag Sameach & Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

Week 4    17.3.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

It has been a busy week in Year 1! 

In English, the children finished writing their Purim reports. They really impressed me with how many facts they remembered about the different customs and Mitzvot that we do on Purim. They also learnt about the prefix ‘un’ and how it affects the meaning of adjectives and verbs. For example, when fair becomes unfair, or when zip becomes unzip. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

The children have all been given a fresh set of flashcards with sounds and tricky words on for them to revise. These flashcards have been specifically chosen as the ones that your child would most benefit from having regular practice with. Please read through these flashcards before each time that you read with your child. This quick, regular practice is extremely beneficial. Many thanks in advance for your support with this. 

In maths, the children learnt all about making equal groups.They have learnt to group, which means starting with a total and seeing how many groups of a number they can make. For example, if my total is 10, how many groups of 2 can I make? They also learnt to share, which means starting with a total and sharing that total into a set amount of groups. For example, if I have 10 cubes and I share them between 2 children, how many cubes does each child get? These skills are the building blocks to formal multiplication and division. 

In science, the children learnt about animal diets. They learnt about carnivores, herbivores and omnivores and sorted animals into these categories. 

In history, the children learnt to order toys onto a timeline, according to the decade they were made in. They needed to understand the way we refer to each decade (for example, the sixties or the nineties) and they really impressed me with how they understood this concept. They enjoyed discovering which decades popular toys were invented in before ordering them onto their timelines. 

 In art, the children continued learning about printing. This week, they used fruit and vegetables as stamps to print with. They explored different styles of fruit stamping and each made choices about the patterns and colours they wanted to use. They each had a piece of orange, kiwi and onion to print with. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

17.3.23 Parashat Vayakhel Pekudei

Chagim - This week we have been busy getting ready for Pesach and are excited to have begun making a Haggadah.

We learnt that we have 2 nights of Seder outside of Israel and only 1 seder if living in Israel. Pesach lasts for 8 days (but 7 in Israel!)

We spent time looking at different Chametz examples and how we have to get our food for Pesach from a Kosher shop to make sure it is Kosher for Pesach.

We have learnt that there are 14 stages of the Seder and been learning a song to remember them.

Parasha – Bnei Yisrael contribute to the building of the Mishkan. And its contents. They give their most treasured possessions.

This week we complete Sefer Shemot – book 2.

Hebrew Reading – When there is a sh’va (:) in the middle of a word it is silent. We stop at it and only sound the letter.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom

Ms Rose

Week 3   10.3.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had another lovely week in Year 1! 

The children had a wonderful time celebrating Purim on Tuesday! It was lovely to see so many family members join us for the Megillah reading. Thank you for sending in the Mishloach Manot for the children and Tzedakah. Year 1 had a great time playing ‘pass the Mishloach Manot’!

The children also took part in an e-safety workshop on Friday. They learned some important tips for staying safe when using the internet, such as never sharing any passwords or personal information and telling an adult if they see anything that makes them feel worried. 

In English, the children learnt all about Non-Chronological reports. They learnt about the features of a report and practised writing factual sentences. They then organised all of the facts they know about Purim into a plan, to ensure their reports have different sections. They began writing their reports about Purim by writing a short introduction. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

In maths, the children continued learning about finding half of quantities. They looked at groups of objects and found ways to draw lines to make sure they shared the objects into two equal groups to find half. They then learnt about arrays. An array in maths is an arrangement of objects, numbers or pictures in columns or rows. For example: 

There are 3 rows with 3 apples in each row, and 3 columns with 3 apples in each column.

The children learnt to write the repeated addition number sentences for different arrays. This would be both 3 + 3 + 3 = 9 and 3 + 3 + 3 = 9 for the example array. The children also began to make links to multiplication using arrays. This array also shows that 3 x 3 = 9. 

In science, the children learnt about the different animal groups: mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish. The children had an interesting discussion about how humans are mammals, discussing the similarities and differences between us and other mammals. They explored the life cycle of humans and how our bodies change over time. Finally, the children learnt about and labelled the body parts of different animals. 

In history, the children learnt about four main ways that toys have changed over time: changes to technology, the introduction of safety rules, changes in materials used and changes in attitudes towards the toys that boys and girls should be allowed to play with. The children wrote about these changes and considered which change they thought was the most important. 

In art, the children continued to learn about stamping. This week, they made a square stamp and used it to create their own array ‘buildings’. They were careful to make sure that they printed their squares in neat rows and columns.  The children applied their knowledge of repeated addition and wrote down number sentences for the arrays they had created. 

Please note:

Many children need to replace items in their pencil cases. Please send in spare 50p or £1 coins in your child’s bag and show them where to find them, so that they have them on hand when things get lost or run out at school. Many thanks for your support with this!

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

Week 2   3.3.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had a busy week in Year 1. The children have had a lot of fun learning about Purim. They were also visited by an Israeli theatre company and enjoyed watching the interactive show. 

In English the children learnt about poetry and some features of poetry writing, such as repetition and rhyming couplets. We read the poem ‘The Star’ by Jane Taylor and used this to help them understand rhyming couplets. The children also wrote some imaginative stories about a magical present in their first creative writing lesson. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

In maths, the children learnt how to find half of shapes and quantities. They practised using their rulers carefully to draw lines to split shapes in half. They had to think carefully and try to find different ways to shade shapes, such as a rectangle, in half. They also used counters to help them share a quantity in half. 

In science, the children began learning about the topic ‘Our Bodies’. We conducted a whole class investigation to find out whether there is a connection between the length of our feet and the length of our hands. The children agreed that in order to find out whether the children with the longest feet also had the longest hands, they would all need to measure their hands and feet carefully. The children used their rulers to measure in centimetres, taking care to measure accurately. We then collected and wrote down all of the children’s measurements in a table. This made it easier to organise and analyse the data. The children used the data in the table to stand in order of their foot length, from greatest to smallest. They then reorganised themselves according to their hand length, from greatest to smallest. We discovered that there was some link between hand and foot length as some children did have both the longest hands and feet in the class. However, some children found that they did not have a connection between the length of their hands and feet.

In history, the children learnt all about Victorian toys. They started by looking at a timeline of toys according to different generations, going back to the Victorian toys. They explored the similarities and differences between modern and Victorian toys, including the materials they were made from. Finally, they sorted different toys into a venn diagram to show whether it was from modern times, Victorian times or both.  

In art, the children learnt about Andy Warhol and how he used screen printing to create his famous artworks. They looked at different examples of his work using repeated patterns and then created their own stamps to print with, by cutting shapes out of cardboard. They used paint and the stamps they created to paint their own pop-art style paintings with repeated patterns and bright colours. 

Please note:

Many children need to replace items in their pencil cases. Please send in spare 50p or £1 coins in your child’s bag and show them where to find them, so that they have them on hand when things get lost or run out at school. Many thanks for your support with this!

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

Week 1         24.2.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

What a special week it has been for Year 1!

Much of the week was spent putting the finishing touches on the children’s wonderful Chagigat Siddur performance. I am sure that those of you who were able to join us would all agree that their hard work really paid off! Each child’s performance radiated with joy, passion for davening and a love of Hashem. It has been incredibly touching to see the children use their new and beautifully decorated siddurim in school with such pride and Kevanah. 

We took many lovely family photos after the children’s performance and these pictures will be emailed out to you over the next week. 

Back in class, the children learnt about turning singular nouns into plural nouns in English. They learnt to use the suffixes ‘s’ and ‘es’ to do this. The children also wrote sentences using the conjunction ‘because’ to extend their sentences by explaining their reasoning. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

In maths, the children spent the week learning to identify and understand the value of British currency. They children explored the different coins and notes and made some detailed observations to help them identify and tell apart the different forms of money. The children learnt the difference between pounds and pence and how to read and write the symbols for them: ‘p’ and ‘£’. The children explored different problems relating to money, including ordering from smallest to greatest and adding up combinations of coins. 

The children began learning the topic ‘Toys’ in history. We started by looking at and describing modern toys that children were familiar with. The children then wrote sentences using adjectives to describe different modern toys. This will enable them to make comparisons between modern toys and toys from different periods of history throughout this topic. 

Please note:

• We no longer have Forest School on Thursdays for this half term (Spring 2).
• The children still have their PE lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so must come into school wearing their PE kits on those days. 
• There is an updated timetable for this half term under the ‘useful information’ section of our blog page.
• From now, the children will be going up to the Library every Tuesday afternoon. They will be able to take out one library book each week. Your child will only be able to return their library books and borrow a new one on Tuesdays, so please send in library books to be returned on Tuesdays only (or they will be asked to keep their book in their tray until the next Tuesday). There is no official time limit on how long children can take out library books for, so they do not have to be back in the following Tuesday if you have not finished the book (especially if it is a chapter book). If they do not return a book, they will not be able to take a new one out. It is important to mention that Library books are not the same as their reading books and therefore, they may choose a book they are unable to read themselves, but are interested in or would like to have read to them by somebody at home. We encourage the children to explore a range of books and to make their own choices about the texts that they read as these things are fundamental for developing a love of reading for pleasure. Please help us by distinguishing between library books and the children’s home reading books. We hope you enjoy reading the library books to or with your children and thank you in advance for helping them to access and enjoy a wider range of texts.  

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

24.2.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Terumah.

Wow – what an unbelievably special week! The children shone at their Chagigat HaSiddur on Thursday morning. They practised very hard in the lessons this week and their hard work paid off.

I am sure you can all agree that they made everyone very proud.

Mazal tov year 1 on your Siddurim!

Parasha - Hashem tells Moshe to tell Bnei Yisrael to build a Mishkan -a holy building like a big Shul which Bnei Yisrael can come into, to feel close to Hashem.

A Shul today reminds us of the Mishkan.

Bnei Yisrael are asked to bring gifts for the building of the Mishkan. They willingly give their treasured possessions of gold, silver, precious jewels, fur, linen, oil, and spices so that the Mishkan will be beautiful.

Middah of the week: Doing a mitzvah in the nicest possible way.

Shabbat Shalom,

Ms Rose

10.2.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Yitro

Chagigat HaSiddur

This week we have been practicing for the Chagigat HaSiddur. We are all very excited for the special day. Please keep reviewing your child’s lines and make sure they know them perfectly by the time we return from the half term break.

Please note that during the week after half term, all our lessons will be focused on practising for the Chagigah. Children will still be read with by Miss Goodkin 1:1, but this will not be done in the usual format of writing in their diaries and taking out their folders.

Looking forward to sharing this special event with you all.

Parasha – We learnt that the Bnei Yisrael receive the Aseret Hadibrot (10 commandments). Some of them are; Keeping Shabbat, Listening to our parents, not stealing and only serving Hashem.

We talked about different rules we have at home/school and that rules are important to keep us safe, as well as to help us know what to do.

Song – Hashem gave us the 10 commandments, the 10 commandments the 10 commandments x2

And this is what they say – listen to your Mum and Dad and do what they say, have a nice rest on the Shabbat day, don’t take other people’s things away – its all in the 10 commandments.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and a lovely break!

Ms Rose

Week 6    10.2.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had a really exciting and busy final week of the half term! 

The children had a wonderful time exploring Kew Gardens on Monday. They enjoyed looking at all of the interesting plants and spotting signs of spring, such as buds and new shoots growing. They were extremely brave and climbed up to walk along the treetop walkway! In the afternoon, the children took part in a workshop called ‘Colours and Seasons at Kew’. They observed the colours in the flowers they could see and used pastel colours to draw these flowers. 

The trip was a lovely way to commence children’s mental health week. Back at school, the children took part in some other wellbeing activities throughout the week, such as an art activity drawing the things that help them to feel calm and an assembly about calming music. 

In English, the children planned and wrote their own set of instructions for ‘How to Make a Disgusting Sandwich’. They thought of some very creative (and very disgusting!) ingredients which they then wrote down in a list using bullet points. They used numbers and time conjunctions to order each step of their instructions and included imperative verbs to clearly explain what to do. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

In maths, the children learnt about a clock face and the roles of the hour and minute hands on a clock. They explored how the hands travel clockwise and how we use am and pm to tell apart the time in the morning and afternoon. The children learnt that at the start of a new hour, the minute hand is always pointing at the number 12. The hour hand points to the number of the hour. The children used little clocks to position the hands into different times, such as 10 o’clock. They then matched digital clocks to analogue clock faces and drew the hands on the analogue clocks themselves. 

In geography, the children learnt some facts about Kenyan culture. They took part in a quiz to help them recap all that they have learnt about Kenya and life on a Safari this half term.

The children have been working extremely hard on memorising their lines and songs for Chagigat Siddur! It would be wonderful if they were able to spare a few moments to practise their lines over the holidays. We are all looking forward to welcoming you in to watch the children perform the week we return to school!

I hope you all have a wonderful half term break. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

3.2.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Beshalach

This week we have been extremely busy preparing for the Chagigat HaSiddur. A folder was sent home today with the items for decorating and your child’s line to learn.

If you haven’t managed to send over your child’s Hebrew name please kindly send this to me via email asap.

Please kindly return the decorated Siddur by Thursday 9^th February. Please do try and keep the decorations a surprise for your child.

Hebrew reading - This week we learnt the ‘sh’va’ vowel. ( : ) This makes the sound ‘e’ in the word the. A new vowel flashcard has been sent home to use for practising.

Please encourage your child to read as often as possible from their Aleph Champ book – the school ask that every child reads 5 minutes a day every day.

Parasha – Bnei Yisrael leave Egypt but they do not know where they are going. Hashem leads them with a column of cloud by day and a column of fire at night. They reach the Yam Suf and cannot cross it. Bnei Yisrael see the Egyptians chasing after them and they cry to Moshe. A brave man leads them through the Yam Suf and the Egyptians drown in the sea. Bnei Yisrael are grateful to Hashem for saving them and they sing Shirat Hayam. Miriam and the women sing with their tambourines which they have brought with them out of Egypt. 

Middah of the week – Trusting in Hashem and our parents.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom

Ms Rose

Week 5      3.2.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We had a lovely week in Year 1. 

In English, the children learnt about writing instructions. They learnt about imperative verbs and used these to write command sentences. They also used time conjunctions to sequence their instructions. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

In maths, the children continued learning about the place value of numbers to 50. They sequenced numbers on number lines and learnt about estimating on a number line. The children used the hundred square to help them find one more and one less than a chosen number.

In science, the children sorted different materials according to their properties, using a venn diagram.

In geography, the children learnt about the four main points on a compass. They labelled their own compasses and then used these to navigate around a map of a safari. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team  

Week 4      27.1.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had another busy week in Year 1!

On Friday, the children listened to a special assembly about road safety, run by the Barnet Road Safety Team. They really enjoyed watching the presentation and singing the song to remember how to ‘Stop, Look and Listen’.

The children had a special reward time in the library after filling up their gem jar. They enjoyed exploring a range of different books and having time to relax whilst reading. Each child has gone home with a library book. They will need to bring their library books in to be returned next Friday, 3rd February. 

In English, the children finished exploring the story Beegu by Alexis Deacon. They wrote their own ending for the story, before reading the real story ending. They imagined they were Beegu, sending a postcard to her friends on Earth. Finally, they used the drama technique of a ‘conscience alley’ to each imagine they were the teacher character, coming up with thoughts from her perspective. They used these thoughts to write a diary entry from her point of view, retelling the events of the story from a different perspective. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

In maths, the children learnt all about place value to 50. They recapped how to count up and down in tens, using different equipment to represent each number. They applied their knowledge of tens and ones to two digit numbers that were greater than 20. For example, recognising that the number 38 has three tens and eight ones. Finally, they used part-whole models to partition two digit numbers into tens and ones. For example, 72 can be partitioned into 70 and 2. 

The children had an exciting Ivrit lesson where they made Hebrew letters out of pretzel sticks. 

In science, the children conducted an experiment to find out which material was the most waterproof. They tested paper, paper towels, plastic and hessian fabric. The children agreed that we should keep the experiment fair by squeezing the same number of drops onto each material. They then measured the drops that fell through and recorded the results. Finally, the children analysed their results and ordered the materials from most to least waterproof. 

Please note:

• Many of the children have missing items or items that have run out in their pencil cases (particularly their white board pens - it’s that time in the term!). Please ask your child if they need any coins to replace their things from the school shop. Many thanks in advance!

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

Week 3      20.1.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

The children have had a wonderful time celebrating book week in school this week. On Monday, they impressed by dressing up as their favourite book characters. We were also joined by Mr Marciano in the afternoon. He talked to the children about what it was like to write and publish his picture book. The children loved listening to the story and imagining all of the delicious treats it described. They asked Mr Marciano some curious questions about being an author! 

On Tuesday, the children were joined by Pippa Goodhart, author of the You Choose picture books and the Winnie and Wilbur series. They had a fantastic story time with her and got the chance to explore some of the other books she had written. 

On Wednesday, the children enjoyed a book tasting session, where they got to explore and review different types and genres of books. This included picture books, poetry books, chapter books and non-fiction information books. They also had a story time from one of the adults around the school. 

On Friday, the children had a ‘house read’ with all of the children in their house teams. It was lovely to see the children interacting with other children from around the school. 

In English, the children continued to explore the story ‘Beegu’ by Alexis Deacon, as part of our contemporary fiction text. The children used adjectives to describe the settings they had created for Beegu’s home planet. They learnt to write invitations to Beegu, asking her to play with them. They also used their drama skills to get into the role of Beegu, in order to infer her thoughts. 

In phonics, the children learnt the following alternative graphemes (ways to write down and spell) a sound that they were already familiar with:

In maths, the children learnt about doubles of numbers and how they could use this knowledge to solve near doubles sums, a useful mental strategy. We then moved onto subtraction methods, including subtracting by using number bond knowledge (eg. if we know 6 - 4 = 2, we know 16 - 4 = 12), subtracting by counting back, and subtracting by finding the difference. 

In science, the children investigated whether classroom objects were bendy or not. They recorded their results in addition to the materials each object was made from. After this, the children were given the extra challenge of ordering the objects from most to least bendy. 

In geography, the children learnt all about the different animals on Safari. They found out about their diets, and discovered which animals were herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. They then explored the landscape and habitats found on a Safari. They read clues that helped them decide where to place an animal on their map of a Safari.

The children had fun in the frost during Forest School. They loved exploring how the forest had changed during the freezing temperatures, including how the puddles had formed sheets of ice and how frost had dusted the leaves and grass. They also learnt about the Chinese New Year and the different animals that it celebrates. 

Should the weather be this cold again next week, we would encourage you to send your children in wearing multiple layers of socks and a hat, scarf and gloves. The children are also very welcome to wear extra base layers such as thermals and leggings - we will help them to change out of these when we return to school. It really does get chilly when we are out there for an hour and half! The children are also allowed to use disposable hand warmers during Forest School. 

Please note that children should come into school already wearing their Forest School things. This really helps us to get organised and out of school on time for our session! If your child has a club or group before school, please consider whether they could already be wearing at least some of their Forest School clothing. Many thanks in advance for your support with this.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

Week 2     13.1.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

It was great to have our first full week of the Spring term!

In English, the children enjoyed exploring a new story called Beegu by Alexis Deacon. The children were first introduced to the character Beegu (a small, yellow alien) through a picture. They had fun thinking about who she could be and predicting what the story might be about. We then explored the first few pages of the story, in which Beegu tries to ask some rabbits, trees and leaves for help using her alien language to talk. The children used their drama skills to imagine they were Beegu and to explore her thoughts and feelings in the role. They thought about where she might have come from, and each planned a setting description for Beegu’s home. 

In phonics, the children revisited the phase 5 sounds and phase 3 and 4 tricky words. 

In maths, the children revisited place value and addition within 20. This included comparing numbers using the greater than (>), less than (<) and equal to (=) symbols. They used equipment such as bead strings to help them to add by counting on. The children then recapped their number bonds to 10, using them to make links to and reinforce their understanding of the number bonds to 20. Finally, the children learnt about finding the double of a number. 

In science, the children learnt about the properties of materials, learning some new vocabulary such as ‘opaque’, ‘transparent’ and ‘absorbent’. Each child was given a property and then went on a classroom hunt to find objects and materials with the property they were given. They then wrote some wonderful sentences describing the properties of different materials. 

The children began learning a new geography topic this week, ‘Going on Safari’. This topic will see them learn all about a safari in Kenya. They learnt that Kenya is a country in the continent of Africa. The children learnt about the seven different continents and the five oceans, identifying them on a world map. They then labelled their own maps with the continent and ocean names. 

In PSHE, the children have been learning about a star character called Sebby. Sebby fell from the sky into our school and the children have been helping him to talk about feelings. This week’s session focused on the shy feeling. The children gave wonderfully thoughtful suggestions for how they could help Sebby to feel less shy. They played a game that helped them to find out fun facts about each other and agreed that getting to know each other better is an effective way to feel less shy around new people. 

The children are all very excited to celebrate book week next week (as am I)! 

Here is some information to take note of:

• Monday 16th January is World Book Day - the children can dress up as their favourite book character.
• Monday 16th January is also the deadline for the ‘ story scene in a box’ competition. Children can bring in their scenes and they will be displayed in the foyer ready to be judged!
• Some of the children need to replace equipment in their pencil cases. Please ask your child if they need to replace anything and send them in with coins to buy their new equipment at the school shop.  

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

6.1.23 Jewish Studies – Parashat Vayechi

Welcome back to everyone from the holidays! It is so lovely seeing all the children back in school and to hear about the different ways (and places) they celebrated the festival of Chanukah.

Well done to all the children who kept up their Hebrew reading over the break! I am so proud of you!!

On Friday, during Tefillah the children were very excited to get their hands on a real Siddur. We started sharing a Siddur with children in Year 2, to help us get used to the Siddurim they will be receiving after Half term at the Chagigat Siddur.

This week we learnt about the Parasha of Vayechi. The children learnt that this is the last Parashah in the Sefer (book) of Beraishit. We learnt the special words that are said in shul on Shabbat after completing Sefer Beraishit– ‘Chazak chazak v’nitchazek’.

Yaakov is proud of the way his grandchildren are growing up so that he blesses them saying ‘Hamalach Hagoel.’ When Yaakov blesses Ephraim and Menasheh, he crosses his hands so that Ephraim the younger one is blessed with the right hand and Menasheh with the left hand. Nowadays when boys are blessed on a Friday night the words of Yaakov are used to bless them -'Yesimcha Elokim K'Ephraim v'chiMnasheh -- that they should grow up following the good examples of Ephraim and Menasheh.  Girls are blessed with the words 'Yesimech Elokim K'Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel v'Leah, that they should grow up to follow the good examples of the Imahot.

Middah of the week - following good examples.

Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom!

Ms Rose

Week 1     6.1.23

Dear Parents and Friends, 

It was lovely to see so many enthusiastic faces back at school on Wednesday. The Year 1 children have done well to adjust back to our school routines in the short time that we have been back this week! 

In English this week, the children learnt how to write an informal letter. This included learning how to address a letter with ‘Dear ______,’ and how to sign off with ‘From ____’ or ‘Love from ______’. We discussed the purpose of letters and how they are a useful form of communication. The children agreed that in a letter it is important to write about your own personal experiences using the First Person (I, me, we). Similarly, it is important to include questions for the person you are writing to, to show you are interested in them. 

In phonics, the children reviewed some of the phase 5 sounds. In handwriting, the children learnt how to form the lead-in and lead-out for the letter o. 

In maths, the children revised their place value knowledge. This included representing two digit numbers to 20 and understanding tens and ones. The children also learnt how to read the numbers to 20 as words, noting down tricky spellings (such as eighteen and fourteen). 

In science, this term the children will be learning about the topic Materials. Our first lesson began with a discussion about what the children already knew about materials. This discussion led the class to realise that everything around them is made out of different materials and they were then able to identify different materials simply from looking at pictures. The children then went on a classroom scavenger hunt for different materials - they had a great eye for detail!

It was lovely to be back at Forest School on Thursday! The children had a wonderful time playing team-building games and manipulating different materials, such as wood and clay, during their session.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom, 

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

Dear Parents and Friends,

Wishing you all a Happy Chanukah and a wonderful holiday!

From Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team

Week 8     9.12.22

Dear Parents and Friends, 

We have had a jam-packed week in Year 1! The children have enjoyed learning about Chanukah and preparing for the end of term show. They can’t wait for you to see how much effort they are putting into their performance! They also had a wonderful time on Wednesday, when they went on their first school trip to watch ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ at the Little Angel Theatre. 

In English this week, the children learnt how to write a recount to retell an experience. We looked at an example text and used this to identify how to include the writing features we learnt about last week: writing in the first person; writing in the past tense using ‘ed’; and using time conjunctions. The children then planned and wrote their own recount, about the experience they had on their school trip to the theatre. 

In phonics, the children revised all of the phase 5 sounds that they learnt this term.

In maths, the children learnt about measurement, relating to length and height. They compared the lengths of different objects using the language ‘shorter’, ‘longer’ or ‘same length’. Similarly, they compared the heights of different objects using the language ‘shorter’, ‘taller’ and ‘same height’. The children explored how to use different non-standard units of measurement, for example measuring the lengths of objects in cubes, rulers or pens.

In science, the children considered the changes they had noticed in the weather and in their surroundings due to Winter. They drew pictures of a deciduous tree in the winter and wrote sentences describing them.

In art, the children drew self-portraits. They had half of a picture to look at in order to observe their features, and then they had to draw the other half of their face. Coincidentally, Mrs Collier had given me an identical piece of artwork that the children had completed in Reception. I had kept them safe and was finally able to send them home with the children. It was really interesting for the children to look at their artwork from Reception and see how their drawing skills had improved. 

The children had their first world religion lesson this week. The religion we will learn about throughout Year 1 is Buddhism. The children enjoyed learning about Siddhartha Guatama and how he left his luxurious life to become ‘The Enlightened One’ (Buddha) and help others. They also learnt that Buddhists celebrate the festival of Wesak in honour of Buddha’s birthday at the time of the full moon each May. The children had some really heartwarming and thought-provoking discussions about how we can respect other religions and how true riches come from helping and being kind to others. 

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom,

Miss Nathan and the Year 1 Team 

9.12.22 Jewish Studies – Parashat Vayishlach

Hebrew reading - this week our focus was on the Tzeirei and yood sound ֵי which makes the sound 'ay' . Eg בֵּי – ‘bay’.

Please keep practising the letter flashcards each week and use the vowel cards to encourage blending too.

Chanukah – we have been enjoying learning all about Chanukah. We reviewed the Chanukah story, enjoyed acting it out and learnt a song about the brave Macabim – I hope you enjoy the video uploaded!

We also learnt that we have 3 Brachot to say before lighting the Chanukiah on the 1^st night of Chanukah, but on all other nights we say 2.

We enjoyed making a craft for Chanukah and look forward to bringing them home next week!

Tefillah – we have been learning the meaning of the Shema and have been putting actions to it, to help with our understanding. We have enjoyed discussing all about the Mezuzot in our houses and which rooms should not have a Mezuza on them (bathroom and toilet.)

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom!
 

Ms Rose