Year 1 & 2 Newsletter 24/02/2025

Spring Term:
​When do I? Where do I?

​Dear Parents and Carers,
​
Welcome back! We hope you all had an enjoyable and restful break!
 
Last half term, we worked incredibly hard across the curriculum! Our clever clogs have continued to work their socks off and we are so pleased with the work they are producing and the enthusiasm they are showing in their own learning.
 
When do I? Where do I?
The children have been working hard and have already produced some fantastic work. This term there is a history and geography focus right across school. With the title of our quest being 'When do I? Where do I?
 
We are stepping into the shoes of historians and geographers to explore and learn about the past, present and area around us. The children have taken on the role of Junior Government Ministers. Year 1 have looked at areas of education and how schools have changed over time. Year 2 have looked at areas of transport and how these have changed.
 
Reading
As always, reading is a very important part of learning at Norbury Hall. We encourage children to develop their reading skills and want to inspire their own reading for pleasure. Every classroom has a reading area for our children to enjoy and an adult in school will hear them read each week. To benefit your child, we are asking children to read at home at least three times a week and for this to be recorded in their reading records.

This will be checked daily, during the school day. We are also encouraging the use of our online reading platform, Bug Club for the children to read a range of books and develop their understanding of what they have read.
 
Book Fortnight
For the next two weeks, we will take part in a whole school Book Fortnight. We will starting the fortnight with the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
 
This year, our theme is food poverty and hunger. Each year group will look at a range of age appropriate books to help develop an understanding of the importance of eating a balance diet to keep healthy, why food is important and how we can re-use and re purpose food items.
 
Read dating
We would like the children to bring in their favourite book from home, into school to share with their peers. Please ensure the book is clearly labelled with your child's name and class. Children will have the opportunity to share their book and discuss why and what it is they enjoy about their book. Please see the grid below for the date when your child will need their book in for read dating.

Home Learning Competition
For home learning, we would like to ask the children to create their own book character from a repurposed or unused healthy piece of fruit or vegetable. Also, we would like the children to write a label for their book character telling us who their character is and also display their name and class on it.

A fruit box will be available on the KS1 playground for families to help themselves to a piece of fruit or veg to use. Once the competition is over, the fruit and vegetables will be put into our school composter, which will then in turn be used to grow more items in school.
 
Entries are due in on Monday 3rd March.
 
Reading Den
As in previous years, our Library will be transformed into a magical reading den. All children across the school, will get the chance to reading in the den with their class, across the fortnight. This years den will be The Buckets house frin Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Once chil dren step inside they will be transported to the inside of the chocolate factory.
 
Design Technology
Alongside our reading focus, each year group will be looking at an aspect of Design Technology (cooking and nutrition).
 
Year 1 will be investigating different fruits and vegetables. This will lead to the children designing and making their own fruit kebabs in school.
 
Year 2 will be investigating different vegetables and how they can be cooked. This will lead to the children designing and making a roasted vegetable pizza.

​Please speak to your childs class teacher if you have any concerns about allergies whilst cooking. Please see the grid at the bottom of the Newsletter for key dates for Book Fortnight for Year 1 and 2.

Mrs Turner
KS1 Phase Leader

Key Dates:
Monday 24th February 2025
Book Fortnight begins
Tuesday 4th March
Parent Teacher meetings
Wednesday 5th March
Dress up day for World Book Day
Thursday 6th March
Parent Teacher meetings
Friday 11th April
School closes for the Easter Break