Welcome to P1!

Our teachers are Mrs Logan, Mrs Henry and Mrs Elliott.

Our classroom assistants are Mrs Millar, Mrs McIlroy, Mrs McQuillan and Miss Todd. 

November - December   

We are really into the swing of things in P1 now! We can’t believe we will soon be starting the countdown to Christmas!   This will be a busy half term for your child as we commence Jolly Phonics, reading books and begin to practise for the Christmas Nativity…  

Jolly Phonics

Please give your child as much support as possible with Jolly Phonics. Knowing the sound each letter makes and being able to write it correctly is so important. Without learning these skills, your child will struggle with learning to read and write. Please check the newsletter for ideas and don’t forget to do the homeworks each night! 

Reading Books

The children will feel so “grown up” when they get their reading books. Don’t forget the importance of hearing your child read every night – but also continue to read some bedtime stories for enjoyment!  

Numeracy

We have been learning the numbers 1-5 and are ready to move on to 6-10. Please keep practising 1-5 at home. We have been thinking about 2D shapes – circle, triangle, square and rectangle. Why not have a look for these around your house?  

Christmas is coming!

It’s an exciting time of the year for the children!   Our Nativity this year is “Christmas Counts”. All children will be taking part – either as a character, in the band, or in the choir. All parents and family members are invited to the performances on either the 10th or 11th of December. Please plan to attend – it will help you get into the festive spirit!  

Why not write a letter to Santa at home – cutting toys out of catalogues is a great way of practising scissor skills!  

Please see the dates for the diary below.  

Sept – Oct

Ready for school!

Please ensure your child has the following items in school every day:

• Coat
• Lunch box with healthy morning snack, drink and packed lunch (if taking packed lunch in school)
• Homework folder (when homeworks commence). These are purchased directly via the school.

Is my name written clearly on all of my clothing?

Remember to check Seesaw regularly for updates!

We would appreciate it if you could send in the following items as soon as possible:

 - one large box of tissues

- one large glue stick

- one large bottle of handwashing soap with a pump top

Our Theme

Our theme this half-term is A Time to Rhyme. The children will be learning lots of familiar nursery rhymes and many lessons will be based on these.

You can help at home by sending in any nursery rhyme books, DVDs, costumes, puppets or any items mentioned in the nursery rhymes.

The nursery rhymes we will be learning are as follows:

- Baa Baa Black Sheep                                   - Wee Willie Winkie

- Humpty Dumpty                                         - Twinkle Twinkle 

- Hickory Dickory                                          - Hey Diddle Diddle

- Incy Wincy Spider

They will also discuss and become more familiar with their own daily routines, both in school and at home, for example, time to get up, time to go to school, time to play, time for bed etc. Why not help your child by identifying and emphasising these significant times in their day?

We love Literacy

Your child will be learning how to write their name. Practise this at home. Please refer to your handwriting sheet (given out in June) for further guidance. Remember – no capital letters except for the first letter!!

We will be teaching the children to hold their pencil correctly – using “froggy legs”. Ask your teacher if you’re unsure what this means!

Every day in P1 we have a story time. Why not continue this routine at bed time… time for a story! This will help your child improve their concentration and prepare for learning to read.

Mad about Maths

From now until Halloween, maths activities will include sorting, sequencing, counting 1-5, recognising the numbers 1-5, writing the numbers 1-5 and making sets of 1-5 items. These will be taught through practical, fun activities.

Encourage your child to count in practical, everyday situations, for example, setting the table – how many forks do we need? At the supermarket you could ask your child to get you ___ apples etc. How about sorting the laundry? Shirts in one pile, socks in another pile etc.

Dates for the Diary