Wednesday 11th February

It is Health and Wellbeing Week this week. We have been writing about what makes us happy, having discussions around feelings and emotions, and we have read stories around friendships and making everyone feel included. We have also talked about the zones of regulation, which the children were brilliant at thinking and talking about. They know that all emotions are ok and how we can help ourselves get back to the 'green' (calm) zone. We revisit these topics often in class, but it has been useful to have a week dedicated to it. 

Here is some more information on Health and Wellbeing Week. 

We have also taken part in Safer Internet Day on Tuesday. We have discussed the different uses for voice assistants (A.I) and that, although helpful and fun, technology doesn't have feelings and emotions like we do. To support this, I have added a 2Do on Purple Mash for the children to have a go at over the half term holiday. 

Thank you for your support with learning spellings and making the most of Purple Mash. We have tested the children's spelling knowledge in class today. Please email me if you have any problems regarding spellings. AOconnell@victoriaparkinf.co.uk

We have continued our DT work and the children have enjoyed making a moving picture using a sliding mechanism. 

In Maths we have been working hard on numbers to 50. To support this at home please practise 

*counting in tens

*using tens and ones to make a number e.g. 3 tens and 3 ones is equal to....? (33)

I have added a maths game as a 2Do for extra practise if you would like it.

I hope you enjoy a well deserved break for half term and I will see you on Monday 23rd February. 

Mrs O'Connell x

Friday 6th February

Today in PE we were hard at work practising throwing a javelin. Have a look below at our amazingly talented javelin throwers.

Wednesday 4th February

This week we have finished our moving pictures using pivots and levers. We had fun designing, making, and improving our work. Can your child spot their pictures below? 

Here are some other photographs from the week, so you can see what the children enjoy doing once they have completed their work. 

Thank you for your support at home for the children's reading, phonics homework, and Purple Mash spellings. I will check the children's spellings in class next week.

We have continued our work in Maths on measure with some practical capacity work. I have set a quiz on Purple Mash about capacity if your child would like to do it and practise using their knowledge.

And finally, it is National Storytelling Week! The children have taken part in a Key Stage 1 session, and planned and written their own stories based on the book Journey. Well done! 

Here is a link if you'd like more information.

Have a brilliant rest of your week.

Mrs O'Connell X

Friday 30th January

This week we have enjoyed using the wordless book Journey by Aaron Becker for our work. We have written text for the story, and designed our own flying machines - the children had brilliant ideas! 

Here are some other photographs from the week. We have started using the balance scales to measure and compare mass. 

We have also enjoyed making dragons for our DT lessons, learning how to use pivot  mechanisms. 

Next week we will be assessing the children's phonic knowledge in their reading time but please continue to bring the reading folders in and to practise reading at home as much as possible. 

Thank you for your continued support, Mrs O'Connell x 

Thursday 22nd January.

This week we've been working hard in PE. For football, we were learning how to travel with a ball in different ways and directions, from side to side and dribbling with control. This sounds easier than it looks! See below to see how we did...

Friday 16th January

Thank you to everyone who persevered with the spellings homework on Purple Mash. We are hoping we have now worked out a way to set it so it can be practised multiple times and we are hoping it will be more successful next week! Let me know if you’re still having problems.

Mrs O'Connell x

Wednesday 14th January

Firstly well done to all families for practising spellings and for supporting children in their learning! They are small steps each week but they make a big difference.

An extra note for using Purple Mash - please only press the 'hand in' button when you child can confidently spell the words as Purple Mash thinks you have finished and won't let you access the quiz to practise again.

We have been working hard to learn how to double a number in maths. If you'd like to support this at home please practise doubling 1-10, as well as number pairs to 10 and 20 (e.g. 1+9, 11+9, 2+8, 12+8..)

As well as writing sentences using the book Up and Down, we have learnt about compound words. Some examples are below. Can you think of any more?

Things to remember this term:

Mondays - library day

Thursdays - spellings on Purple Mash due to be done by today

Thursdays - PE

Friday - PE

Friday - phonics homework sent home

Thank you for your continued support, 

Mrs O'Connell x

Monday 12th January

Thank you to everyone who has logged in to Purple Mash over the weekend. Today I have shown the children where to find the 2Dos, and if anyone has not logged in recently, I have glued your child's log in details in their reading record book.

Please help your child to have a go at the spelling quiz, and the test when they are ready and get back to me by email or in the playground if there are any problems at all. Setting spellings homework this way is new to me too, and I want to make the most of this resource.

I had set trial tasks over the previous term. I have reset these if you haven't had a go yet, please do. I will update the class page if any more tasks are set over the next few weeks.

Thank you, 

Mrs O'Connell x

Wednesday 7th January

What a great start to our term! We have had lots to talk about with regards to the weather this week! We are learning about the changing seasons, and what the different weather symbols mean, and we have made a rain gauge so we can measure the rainfall. The children are excited to check the measurement each day. Here is a video of a similar one. 

We have started our new topic Up, Up and Away! Our Year One Newsletter will give you an overview of our learning for the half term and some ideas of how you can help at home.

Homework and spellings

Our phonics and reading homework remain the same, thank you for all of your support so far!

We are now trialling spellings homework through Purple Mash. Starting tomorrow (Thursday 8th January), in your '2Do' tab, there will be a quiz (to practise the spellings as many times as you like) and also a test to complete when your child has learnt to spell the words.

It is really important that your child completes the test on Purple Mash, as new spellings will be added each week and we will also ask the children to write the words in class. At school we are continuously revisiting the words but we need your support at home. Please email me if you have any problems logging in.

This week we have read the book Up and Down by Oliver Jeffers. The children are practising writing sentences using 'and', as well as using the correct letter formation. We have also learnt to read question marks, and how to use adjectives to make our writing more interesting. 

We have also been working on our addition skills and practising number bonds to 10. We have been using our knowledge to find number bonds to 20. For example 6+4=10 so 16+4=20.

Have a great rest of the week. 

Mrs O'Connell x

aoconnell@victoriaparkinf.co.uk

Monday 5th January 2026

Happy New Year and a big welcome back 1C! Thank you again for your gifts at the end of last term, I hope you have all had a restful break.

This term, PE days will be Thursdays and Fridays.

Library day will continue to be Monday.

Mrs O'Connell x