Year 1 News 

Reading

This fortnight in Reading, Year 1 students have been learning how to retell stories and make inferences. They have been practising how to retell a story in the correct order, including the beginning, middle, and end. Students have been focusing on identifying the characters, setting, and main events to make sure their retells include all the important details. Retelling helps students understand what they read and improves their oral language and comprehension skills.

They have also started learning how to make inferences, using the clues in the story and their own thinking to understand what is not directly said in the text. Students have been encouraged to think like detectives by looking for clues in the pictures and words to figure out how a character might be feeling.

“Retelling a story means remembering the important parts of the story. We remember the beginning, middle, end, characters and setting.”- Darcie 1A 

“Inference questions are different from retrieval questions. You have to think about the answer because it is not shown.”- Aman 1A 

“An example of inference is when the story says ‘Her heart was beating fast’, it could mean she’s nervous.”- Hafsa 1A

Writing

This fortnight in writing, students are learning about verbs and how they show action in sentences. They have been exploring how verbs can change to show past tense and how to use the progressive tense to describe ongoing actions. Students are also revising their understanding of nouns and verbs, making sure to include capital letters and full stops in their writing. They have begun using adverbs to add more description and detail to their sentences, helping to make their writing more interesting and engaging for the reader.

“Verbs are doing words. Like ‘I can play catch’.”- Sophia 1A“We played verb charades. My action was walking.”- Daniel 1A

Maths 

This fortnight in Year 1, students have been learning all about measurement! They explored how to measure objects using informal units, such as unifix, bundle sticks, hands, and pencils.

The students have been busy measuring different items around the classroom, from books and tables to their own shoes! They learned that measurements can be different depending on the tool used, and that it’s important to use the same unit when comparing lengths.

Through hands-on activities, students practised describing and comparing objects using words like longer, shorter, taller, and wider. They enjoyed working together to find out which objects were the longest or shortest and recording their results.

Inquiry

During Inquiry this week, our Year 1 students have embarked on an exciting journey of discovery, exploring the fascinating life cycle of humans. They’ve been learning about the incredible changes we undergo from infancy to adulthood, gaining a deeper understanding of growth and development. Through engaging activities and discussions, the students are beginning to appreciate the different stages of life and how we change over time. 

“When I was a baby, I did lots of crying and I couldn’t walk” - Lucas 1C

Social and Emotional Learning

This week in Social and Emotional learning students have focused on building key skills. They have explored what it means to be responsible with their toys and understanding the importance of respecting shared resources. Students also discussed the concept of personal space and the reasons behind keeping our hands to ourselves, promoting a safe and comfortable environment for everyone! They dived into the power of kindness and encouraged students to focus on their own actions and how they can positively impact their peers around them. 

“I drew a picture of my favourite toy monkey and how to play nicely with it.” - Hussain 1C

“I show kindness by sharing my pencils.” - Mishal 1C 

Special Event

This fortnight in Year 1, the students had their swimming lessons and had such a fun time in the water! They learnt important skills like floating, kicking, and putting their faces in the water.

Over the two weeks, the students worked on becoming more independent swimmers by practising their coordination, strength, and water safety. Swimming has helped them grow stronger, build confidence, and learn how to work together. Most of all, the students had a wonderful time while learning these important life skills!

“I liked playing the fruit salad and polo game.” - Helena 1A

“I feel like I’ve gotten better and more confident. Before I wasn’t kicking but now I am.”- Nayat 1A