Welcome to Year One

Oliver Jeffers Class

Who is Oliver Jeffers

• He was born in Australia in 1977.

• He is a Northern Irish artist, Illustrator and writer.

• He now lives in Brooklyn.

• He wrote his first book ‘How to Catch a Star’ in 2004

• Lost and Found the animation has won more than 40 international awards,including a BAFTA for Best animation in 2009.

• As a freelance illustrator he has worked for clients such as Orange UK,Sony PSP, RCA Records, Starbucks, United Airlines, Newsweek, Wired, IrishTimes, The Guardian, Creative Review, New York Times, Kinder and TheTelegraph

Meet the staff – about us!

Teacher:

• Miss Alison Kirby

Morning TA:

Mrs Jane Driscoll

Other Year 1 TAs:

Mrs Heather Brown (pm) & Mrs Kirsty Yarrow (am/pm)

TLAs

Mrs Gill Barton (am)

Miss Kirby• I’ve been teaching since 2003. Before that I worked in a

Building Society and I have also worked at Stansted Airport.

• This is my 14th year at RAB.

• My first teaching job was in an infant school in Harlow. I worked there for 2 years teaching a mixed year R/1 class.

• I am part of the English team and Computing team.

• I have lived in Bishop’s Stortford since I was 6 years old.

• In my spare time I love to swim, read and bake (not ‘Great British Bake Off’ standard though!). I have just started gardening and this year have grown beans, broccoli and courgettes as well and many different flowers.

P.E. KitP.E. days for 1OJ –Monday and FridayBUT PE kit should be in school EVERYday

Reading

It is important that the children read daily at home.• The children will have free access to high quality books from

our classroom book area that they may bring home to share with you.

• They will be able to bring home a traditional ‘reading book’ each day plus a picture book of their choice – it may be fiction or non-fiction. We will remind them daily & multiple times of day too!

• It is incredibly important that the children read daily, whether out loud to you, or quietly to themselves. Even if they don’t read out loud to you, do please discuss with them what they have been reading and ask them questions about it. They or you need to record this reading in their diary each day.

• We will also visit the school library each week for the children to select another book to share with you (day to be confirmed)

HomeworkSet: Friday Due: Wednesday

1 piece per week which may be English, Maths or Theme related

All homework to be completed in pencil in their homework book unless otherwise stated.

Parent/adult helpersWe’d like to encourage you to be involved if you can

and we – and the children – really enjoy having their

adults in school to help with all kinds of activities.

These include

- Listening to readers

- Practical activities

- Trips

(PLEASE NOTE: DBS Check

is necessary – Please contact

Wendy in the school office).

RAB PTA

• We have a very active PTA who raise £1000s each year - £18,500 last academic year alone.

• It is led by a small committee, BUT they could not do all they do without parent involvement

• PTA welcome meeting & AGM - 9-10.30am Friday 27th September in the Butler Room - ALL welcome

• First event – PTA Inflatable Afternoon Friday 20th September 3.30-6pm

Senior Leadership TeamIf you have any concerns about your child or their

education...

1) Class teacher – always your first port of call. Please give them time to

investigate & act upon your question/concern

2) Phase Leader – (EYFS – Mrs Izzy Aiken, Yr1&2 – Mrs Jo Cooper, Yr

3&4 – Liz Cobbold, Yr5&6 – Ben Parke)

3) Deputy Head – Mrs Cooper (KS1) Karen Scott (KS2)

4) Executive Headteacher – Mrs Emma Vincent

Please note: any SEN concerns should also come through the class teacher initially, though you may then be referred to Mrs Sarah Spaxman (Deputy Head - SENDCo and Inclusion)

Contact and Communication

• The class teacher is your first port of call for any issues or questions regarding your child.

• It isn’t always practical for us to talk to parents at the beginning of the school day, but we are always happy to give you a call to discuss any issues or questions you might have, arrange to meet you after school or reply to emails.

• You can email the office admin address and your message will be forwarded to us and we will always get back to you:

admin@rab.academy

• Following our review of the parent questionnaires, rather than Class Assemblies, we will be trialling other opportunities for parents to share in the children’s learning.

• At least once a term, there will be the opportunity for parents / carers to come into school.

• This may be at various different times:– At the end of a topic unit to share outcomes and experiences

– As part of a parent workshop

– Open afternoons

• We will let you know when these will be asap to enable you to make arrangements to join us.

• We are hoping to invite parents this half-term to a Dinosaur museum that we will create. This will be on 16th October at 3pm

Opportunities to come into Year 1

Long, Long, Ago• Our first theme in Year 1.• Exciting news an egg has been laid in the classroom. We don’t

know what it is at the moment! Who knows it might hatch. • We will use a variety of picture books to support the theme both

fiction and non-fiction including ‘Mad about Dinosaurs’ by Giles Andrae ‘How to grow a Dinosaur’ by Caryl Hart and ‘Dinosaur facts’ a Dorling Kindersly book.

• In history, we will be introducing the idea of the past. This is a world that was real but no longer exists. Children will be making timelines and finding out about Dinosaurs.

• The children will continue to do PE with Mr Smith weekly, as well as PSHE with Mrs Larkin and RE with Mrs Channell on a Monday afternoon

• Upcoming theme for the second part of the half term: City Scape

Curriculum Structure

• For our foundation subjects, we began last year ‘blocking’ our teaching and learning. This proved very successful and we will be continuing with this structure this year.

• Autumn Term 1

Knowledge Organisers

• This year we are trialling the use of Knowledge Organisers which are a one page summary of the key knowledge and vocabulary that the children will need to have about a particular subject or topic. We will be using them in Science and History this term.

• A copy will be sent home so that you can share in what the children will be learning.

• There may be homework tasks linked to this.

Any questions?