We have an exciting time ahead with this half term’s topic ‘Our Place in Space’. The children have been finding out about our solar system and have made up rhymes to remember the order of the planets. They have imagined that they are Neil Armstrong and written postcards from the moon! In Literacy they have been reading stories set in imaginary worlds and are really excited about writing their own fantasy stories next week. In Maths we have been concentrating on place value and in Science our topic is ‘Light and Dark’. We will be using our artistic skills to make planet mobiles and lots of our work will be space themed.

We will teach the children country dancing this term and are hoping to take them to a country dancing festival in Tillingham in June. We have also been thinking about our school trip and we will keep you posted as soon as a decision has been made!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who give up their valuable time to help in class, and as always we welcome parents and carers into the classroom to help with various activities.  

Kind regards

The Year 1 Team

Mrs Search, Mrs Scott, Mrs Diaz, Mrs Fowler and Mrs Barclay

In Science we have spent some time working on circuits, and finding out the equipment we need to make a simple circuit. Once the children mastered this, they made models that had either a motor to provide their model with a rotating part, of a light bulb/LED to light up a certain part of their model. Take a look at some of the pictures below.

In ICT the children have created some fantastic games using a program called Scratch. They used it to develop their own version of a ball + paddle ‘pong’ type game, and over the past few weeks they have developed them from basic games with basic backgrounds and objects into games with different variables like ‘Score’ and ‘Speed’. Again, some pictures are below!

Over the break, the children have been told they can produce a mini-project on a topic/interest of their choice. They can produce their findings in any way they like, and we look forward to seeing what they come back with!

On a final note Mrs Southcombe would like to say a thank you to everyone for their kind thoughts and wishes as she reaches the end of a long teaching career. Her last year group have been fantastic. Good luck in the Summer Term East Anglia.GEDC0078

Burnham-on-Crouch Primary School is OPEN today.  In the interests of the safety of all of our children and families, please do not drive into Dunkirk Road unless absolutely necessary.

Children are welcome to wear any warm clothes today along with boots or wellies.  Craig has worked hard all weekend to clear the school grounds so that the children can go outside and enjoy the weather!

Safer Journeys to School

The school run has long been cited as an example of what many see as an unnecessary car journey and one that adds hugely to pollution and traffic problems in towns and residential areas. At this school, the sheer volume of traffic in a narrow road, coupled with the small minority of parents who park dangerously or illegally seriously compromises the safety of our children and families. Whilst some parents would argue that the car is their only means of getting their children to school many parents around the country have formed an environmentally friendly alternative, a ‘Walking Bus’ This is a scheme that enables children to travel to school safely as part of a supervised group, whilst helping to cut down on the congestion and pollution problems caused by cars doing the same journey.

A Walking Bus is a group of children who meet at a pre-arranged point or are picked up en route and walk to school under the supervision of an appropriate number of adults.

We are investigating the possibility of setting up such a scheme at Burnham-on-Crouch Primary School but to do so we need to find out how many parents would be interested in using it. We also need to secure the commitment of a group of parents and carers who would be willing to run it with support and guidance from the school.

Could you please complete the slip sent home last week and return it to the school or email us at admin@burnham-on-crouch.essex.sch.uk by Friday 3rd February to indicate the level of need and support for this initiative.

Thank you.

Norfolk Class

I am writing to let you know that Mrs Southcombe will be retiring from Burnham-on-Crouch Primary School at the end of the Spring Term. It had been her intention to delay her retirement until the end of the academic year but she has now decided to bring those plans forward. Mrs Southcombe has been a teacher at this school for over 20 years and she will be greatly missed.

Mrs Champion will be returning from her secondment at Perryfields Infant School after the Easter holidays and will take over as Classteacher in Norfolk Class for the Summer Term.

I am sure that you will all join me in welcoming Mrs Champion back to Burnham-on-Crouch Primary School and wishing Mrs Southcombe a long, happy and relaxing retirement.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Nicky Tothill
Headteacher

This term looks to be very busy in the Foundation Stage with our two main topics being Winter and People Who Help Us.

Communication, Language and Literacy.

In this area, we will be learning how to retell stories in the correct sequence and using imaginative and descriptive words in our writing.

During our visits to the school library, we will be learning how to use a dictionary and enjoying non fiction books to help us research our topics.

Wordbooks are now coming home for the children to practise reading keywords. These words are individual to each child, and regular practice will help ensure they reach their full potential.

Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy.

As with phonics, writing and reading, numeracy is differentiated into four groups to cater for the children’s individual needs. This term, the children will be experiencing lots of practical activities to develop their understanding about measuring, position, 2D and 3D shapes and coin recognition.

We will be learning how to record a number sentence and writing our numbers correctly.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World.

Linking to our winter topic, we will be investigating ice and how and why it can change. For our People who help us topic, we have invited people from the local community to come and visit us.

We will be celebrating the festival of Chinese New Year with a visitor who will be sharing Chinese customs, dances and artefacts. This will be developed in the classroom by locating China on a map, making lanterns, lucky bags, masks and dragons alongside the opportunity to try a variety of Chinese food.

We will also continue to visit the ICT suite weekly to develop topic work, keyboard skills and mouse control.

Physical Development.

The children will continue to swim weekly, with two P.E sessions a week. This term, the children are concentrating on gymnastics and dance.

Creative Development

We will be making clay snowmen and using a variety of media to design collages. We are still very lucky to have Mrs Batchelor-Walsh, a specialist music teacher, to visit us once a week. The children will be learning a variety of songs from around the world.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

We will be thinking about what makes a good friend and why they are special to us. We will also be discussing our individual qualities and what makes us unique.

Welcome back to Middle school! Rumour has it the Aztecs are coming, and we are getting prepared! The children have began their work on this topic, and have enjoyed learning about who the Aztecs actually were, where they were from, and also some of the Aztec Gods. Over the rest of this half term, the children will be finding more out about them. 

Needless to say, Maths and Literacy will continue. For Maths, there is going to be an even bigger push on securing times table facts, so any help that can be given at home practising times tables and playing times table games will be greatly appreciated! In Literacy, presentation of work is a key area to be looked at, quality as well as quantity being addressed. 

In Science, we have begun to look at Friction and forces. The children will be experimenting with and experiencing different types of forces, how to measure force, and how friction can result in a greater force being required at times! 

As you are aware, middle school children are currently taking part in FA skills football sessions on Tuesdays outside, so trainers are a must.

Ormiston Rivers Academy )formally St Peter’s High School) is inviting all parents and community members to come along to their Open Evening to find out more about what the new academy has to offer.

The Open Evening is on Tuesday 27th September 2011 between 6.00pm and 9.00pm

Ms Costello, the Principal of the Academy, will be speaking between 7pm and 8pm. 

We hope that you will go along and see the changes for yourself even if you already have children at the school or have been to view the school before.  It really is a very different school and this years’ GCSE results were significantly improved with 52% pupils acheiving 5 A* to Cs including English and Maths.

http://www.ormistonriversacademy.co.uk/