Year 1 News

From Joey, Year 1 teacher

Book Week Classroom Visit and Parade

Last Thursday morning, we welcomed families into Level Three to celebrate our Book Week achievements and displays. Students showcased their learning from James and the Giant Peach by creating imaginative displays, publishing news articles about major events, and innovating on the story. Through these activities, students strengthened their understanding of character traits, sentence types, and story structure by retelling and adapting the plot, characters, and language. Writing news articles also encouraged students to delve into details, make inferences, and consider the possible reactions and feelings of the characters.

The Book Parade was a wonderful celebration of creativity and the joy of reading. Students were inspired by the many characters they spotted and amazed at how their favourite book characters came to life. The uplifting atmosphere sparked excitement in Year One students, encouraging them to embark on their next literacy adventure. The day was filled with fun, engagement, and collaboration between students and teachers, making Book Week a memorable highlight.

Phonics Plus

Students have been reading and spelling both one-syllable and multisyllabic words featuring the grapheme–phoneme correspondences (GPCs) for the ‘oi’ and ‘oy’ sounds.

They also revisited previously introduced suffixes and compound words. Students continued to build their accuracy, fluency, and comprehension through reading passages and writing dictated sentences.

Wellbeing

Bully No Way Week provided valuable opportunities for students to raise awareness and develop strategies for facing challenging situations. This year’s theme, “Be bold. Be kind. Speak up,” encouraged thoughtful discussions and role-play scenarios where students practised standing up for themselves, supporting peers, and staying safe.

Students learnt to identify and define bullying behaviours, list their trusted adults, and reflect on the importance of kind behaviour and respectful language. A key message was that preventing bullying is everyone’s responsibility — it takes a community to be brave and address bullying, both inside and outside the school gates. These practices will continue to be embedded in our learning journey, helping to create a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment for every child.