Welcome to Finches class blog

Class teachers: Mrs Jensen and Miss Majer

Teaching Assistants: Mrs Meadwell and Mrs Jansauskiene. 

                                                                              Term 4

This term in Maths we have been learning about how to measure capactiy and volume. The children got very soggy, when measuring amounts of water using various different containers. We then compared this to using sand. 

                                                                Science-Growing plants

Year 1 have started to learn about plants. In our first lesson we labelled different parts and talked about their functions. We pulled apart the flowerheads to find the anthers. Some were very small!

Term 3 - Then and Now

Can you remember being small? Being a baby and learning to crawl? Do you recall a favourite toy, maybe a teddy bear or a best-loved book? Learn and find out about days before you were born, it’s called history and it’s all about the past. This term we will be looking at our we have changed and grown by completing our very own milestone timeline.

Memories are special … Let’s make some more!

Children will compare how toys have changed from the past to today. In Science we investigate materials, exploring their textures and characteristics. 

Our D&T project this term will be building a moving toy car, to do this we will look at wheels and axels and how they work.

English- We will be continuing with our Curious Quests, a different story per week. They will create and draw inventions for the characters of the story and then write sentences. We will be looking at adjectives and using and in a sentence. One of the stories will be ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’.

Maths- We will consolidate our addition and subtraction skills and begin to explore measures of length and height.

Continuous Provision-Numbots

Finches class have been really enjoying using the Ipads during our choosing time in the classroom. In particular, playing Numbots! All children have a log in which has been sent home and as part of our weekly Maths homework, we would love it if you had a go completing some of the levels! The children love comparing scores and trying to improve their top scores!

Online Safety 

On Tuesday 6th February we had a special assembly to make us more aware of some of the dangers online. Through a story, we learnt about what to do if we see something online that makes us feel uncomfortable or worried. We considered the adults we know who we can trust, both in school and out of school. We then made some posters to help other children know what to do.

Science - Materials

Finches have been investigating the properties of materials. 

We carried out an investigation to find out the quickest way to melt ice. We had some great ideas (Marcel though smashing the ice would be the quickest way!).

We were each given the same size piece of ice and the same amount of time to melt it. We found out the slowest ways to melt ice was to put it in a cold place (fridge), rub in salt and sugar. The quickest ways were to warm in our hands and put on the radiator!

Geography-weather reports

We have been investigating the weather! What changes do we notice? How do seasons effect the weather? What is your favourite kind of weather?

After watching BBC weather reports, we made our own, before recording them for seesaw. 

Art-Vincent Van Gogh

This term children have been looking at the work of Vincent Van Gogh. We spoke about what we liked about his work, and the special technique he used with his paints. Take a look at these brilliant pictures from our budding artists!!!

Term 2 - Wonderful Weather 

This term the children will be walking outdoors, exploring the weather and its effects. What weather do you prefer? Sunshine, snow, storms or showers?

Get your wellingtons on …. Let’s go!

The children will be observing changes across the four seasons and identifying seasonal and daily weather patterns in the UK. Our Geography will take us on a journey exploring the countries and capital cities that make up the UK. In Art we will be studying the artist Van Gogh. We will look at his famous painting 'Starry Night'. We will explore colour mixing and brush techniques to recreate his masterpiece. In preparation for Christmas we will be researching Christianity in RE, looking at artefacts and learning about the Christmas story. 

English-

We will be starting the Curious Quests in English this term which is a continuation of Drawing club from reception. The children will be exploring a different story per week. They will create and draw inventions for the characters of the story and then write sentences. We will be beginning to look at

adjectives and using and in a sentence.

Maths-

We will looking at addition, subtraction, fact families, tens and ones, 2D shape, 3D Shape

History

This term our History focus has been significant people who have helped others. Our superheros in disguise! Florence Nightingale played a very important part of British medicine history and changed the lives of others in an amazing way. We have been celebrating Florence and learning about the impact she had.

During our time in continuous provision, we have been role playing what it would have been like to have been treated in a hospital. 

Lost and Found

We have been reading the book Lost and Found. During our time in continuous provision we have been investigating what happens when penguins get frozen in ice! How can we rescue the penguins?! 

We have been practising our scissor skills by cutting out 2D shapes to create paper penguins and following instructions on 'how to draw a penguin.' 

Maths

Our Maths Magicians have been finding ways of making numbers to ten. We used the rekenreks to add together two amounts to make a total number. 

Term 1 - Superheroes! 

BOOM! ZAP! ZOOM! SMASH!

Year one will be dressing up as their favourite superheroes using their super powers to jump, crawl and balance through the different obstacles put in their way during our superhero day in Week 2! The children will also spend time learning about their bodies and their 5 senses. They will go back in time and look at a real life superhero called Florence Nightingale and how she changed hospitals for the better. Who is your real life superhero?