St Clare's Class 2023-2024
Welcome to St Clare's Class page
The Year 1 (St Clare's Class) Team are Mr Fishman and Mrs Judd.
Updated 25.4.24
For our 5th outdoor learning this year the children braved the early morning rain and put on their raincoats to be at one with nature! We started in the same way as we always do by greeting nature and describing how we feel about the day ahead. We then collected and sorted sticks that we would use later in the day.
After that we gathered together to discuss the different seasons and the children then went on a 'Spring Hunt' to find signs that we are in a new season. After playtime the children were then challenged to use natural materials to design a game, inspired by the character of Noi in our class novel 'The Storm Whale'. The children then had to teach each other how to play their games.
After lunch the children then used sticks that we collected earlier to make Noi's house whilst the other children planted tomato seeds.
It was another fabulous day and fun was had by all!
Updated 19.4.24
A Stunning Start to our new topic - Flight
To launch our new topic of flight, the children made their very own bubble wands! Using simply two plastic straws and some string, the children worked together to make a structure that would then be used outside to make bubbles! After everyone had made their wand the children had so much using their bubble wands to create some rather marvelous bubbles.
We all enjoyed watching them fly way...
Updated 19.4.24
Thank you so much to these children who have gone to 'infinity and beyond' and completed these projects at home over the holidays as an introduction to our new topic of flight.
The projects included two hot air balloons (one even made out of paper mache), an airport visit and an airport made out of Lego!
Thank you adults for your help and support!
Remember, you can complete these projects at any time during this term.
You will find the sheet of suggested activities HERE
Updated 15.4.24
I hope you and your families have had a wonderful and restful break over the Easter holidays and wishing you all a very warm welcome back to school!
It's hard to believe we are now starting our final term together, how fast the time has flown!
Please click HERE for an overview of all the wonderful learning planned for the Summer Term.
Updated 28.3.24
In our final week of the Spring term the children have been real busy!!
This week they took part in many fun Easter-themed activities including an Easter egg hunt, making some delicious chocolate nests and the Big Lent Walk in which the children walked reverently and thought about those children who may be less fortunate.
We would like to take this opportunity to send you all Easter blessings and best wishes for the holiday.
From Mr Fishman and Mrs Judd
Updated 27.3.24
NEW TERM, NEW PROJECTS!
To 'launch' our new topic of flight for the Summer term, please click HERE for a wide range of different project ideas that you can complete with your child throughout the Easter holidays.
I look forward to seeing all the different creations and some fantastic flying machines :-)
Updated 19.3.24
This week the children continued their learning about measure growing their learning from non-standard measures such a blocks to the formal unit of measurement of centimetres. They were introduced to a ruler and learnt how to use one, making sure to measure from the bottom of the objects.
They then had fun using their ruler to measure different objects in the classroom.
Updated 14.3.24
Exploring Food Chains
As part of our science learning, this week the children in Year 1 learnt all about food chains, acting out how different animals eat each other to show how living things depend on each other for food.
The children had to act out a living thing, starting with a plant and ending with an animal showing how the energy is transferred between them.
I wonder if child can tell you what living thing they were pretending to be and who they were eaten by?
Updated 8.3.24
Children throughout the school yesterday celebrated World Book Day in true style!
The day started with a whole school assembly with a costume parade to see each others amazing costumes! This was then followed by some in class activities including a drama activity in which we acted out our favorite story 'I want my hat back'.
After playtime the children enjoyed reading a story with a friend in a specially made cozy 'book nook' in school and they then heard the story of Mr Jeremy Fisher!
Finally, the children enjoyed a well earned cup of hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows and a biscuit.
Updated 29.2.24
Palm Sunday Procession
As part of our learning about Holy Week, the children in Year 1 this week learnt that after wandering the desert for 40 days (Lent), Jesus then returned to Jerusalem and rode through the streets on a donkey.
The children then made their own palm crosses (branches) and decorated them with the same chants that Jesus would have heard as he rode through the streets of Jerusalem including: 'Hosanna', 'praise to the King', 'welcome to Jerusalem.' The children then went into the playground and formed two lines into a procession as they each enjoyed walking through the procession as the crowd cheered and roared!
Updated 23.2.24
For this half term's outdoor learning the children had a science focus as we explored our outside area. As always, we started the day by greeting nature and collecting different types of stick. After that, we learnt about the difference between evergreen and deciduous trees and then we went to identify them we have in our playground. Next, we learnt about the circumference of a tree and worked in pairs to use string to measure around the width to find out which tree was the oldest.
After lunch we applied our knowledge of forces to see which parts of our apparatus needed a push or a pull. Finally, we used collected sticks from the morning to try and make a boat that floats! We then loved using straws to race each other.
It was another great day for all!
Updated 9.2.24
Half Term Projects - Part 2!
Here are some suggested activities that you can do with your child over the half term.
All children have been given a paper copy of this in school today or you can download an electronic version HERE
Updated 6.2.24
Telescope Making
Year 1 have been loved their class story this half term, 'Look Up' by Nathan Bryon. The children have enjoyed learning about meteors, the first African American woman in space : Mae Jemison and above all the importance of appreciating the world around us by not 'looking down.'
To celebrate the end of this story the children made their very own telescopes, inspired by the one that main character Rocket uses in the story. The children loved using their design and technology skills to attach some rolled card into a cup and then decorated it with stars. The children then became the experts and even wrote instructions on how they made it.
I hope the children are forevermore inspired by this story and enjoy using their telescopes at home!
Updated 2.2.24
This week the children in Year 1 embraced their utmost kindness and generosity and brought in toys from home to donate to a charity close to the school's heart.
As part of our Catholic Social Teaching principles, the children learnt a valuable lesson in how it feels to donate to those people who are less fortunate than we are which echoed the very nature of 'love thy neighbour'.
There was a wonderful spiritual atmosphere in the class as the children spoke about the toys they brought in and why they 'once loved it...'
Many thanks to the adults who helped their child choose their toy.
Updated 26.1.24
Updated 26.1.24
It's been another jam-packed week of learning in Year 1!
This week the children learnt about estimating being a 'clever guess' in their maths lessons as they worked as a whole class to place numbers on a giant number line before they completed this task independently .
In English the children loved dressing up as Rocket from our class story to help infer how she is feeling in the story.
The children also had fun painting their clay mini beasts from last week's outdoor learning whilst also using the skills they have learnt in art to make a 3D sculpture of a spider! Finally, in science the children explored the different properties of materials to see if they would bend, twist, stretch or squash.
Updated 19.1.24
For our third Outdoor Learning of the year, this time the children in Year 1 embraced their artistic flair and expressed their creativity. We started the day as always by greeting nature with our 'war paint' on and shared how we were feeling for the day ahead. It was a unanimous feeling of excitement and joy!
The first task was to collect sticks and sort them into the three different sizes: spaghetti, pencils and sausages. We then used the 'sausages' to make 'journey sticks' by learning how to tie a knot and attaching different natural objects found in our nature area to the stick.
After playtime followed a discussion on minibeasts and the different shapes of them before the children were shown how to shape
and mold different pieces of clay together and then adding 'spaghetti' for legs and leaves for arms.
In the afternoon, the children then had a chance to make a 'sticky bookmark' and try painting their names using unconventional materials.
Finally, we ended the day with some songs, stories and of course some delicious hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. It was a really wonderful day and the children loved taking their learning outside the classroom.
A massive thank you to both Mrs Judd and Miss Watkinson for all their help and support today in making the day so much fun for the children!
Updated 12.1.24
This week children across the school took part in some activities to launch "Our City, Our World," Brighton and Hove's Climate
Change, Sustainability and Environmental Education Programme.
When the children came into the classroom they saw a 'small world' of the Polar caps including the animals that live there.
During the day we took notice of watching the ice melt and what happens to the animals. The children were very sad to see how the
melting ice meant that the animals were losing their homes.
9am 1pm
We also had a 'blind' tasting session in which the children each had 2 nuggets, one being chicken and one being plant based.
The children enjoyed both nuggets and some of them preferred the plant based one!
Updated 5.1.24
A 'mysterious' and stunning start to our new topic
Today the children in Year 1 came back after lunch to find a surprising lump of ice in the classroom! After breaking it apart we found a hidden message from 'Sakari', an Inuit from the Arctic. She asked the children to help her make an igloo because her hands were tired and cold.
The children then learnt a little bit about igloos and watched a video of a real one being made before having fun making their own one out of a paper bowel and cotton wool.
Updated 4.1.24
Spring Term Curriculum Overview
Please click HERE for an overview of all our learning taking place for this new term.
If you would like a paper copy of this please ask myself or the school office.
Updated 4.1.24
Many thanks to the children who went above and beyond during the Christmas holidays and created these phenomenal igloos! The children used different skills in making their igloo including paper mache and clay!
These projects will continue for the whole of this term and I look forward to seeing many more projects over the coming weeks.
Updated 15.12.23
Wishing you all a wonderful break and a happy and healthy new year!
From the Year 1 team,
Mr Fishman, Mrs Judd and Miss Watkinson
Updated 15.12.23
Introducing our new topic - 'Poles Apart' with some optional projects!
Here are some suggested activities that you can do with your child over the Christmas holidays.
All children have been given a paper copy of this in school today or you can download an electronic version HERE
Updated 13.12.23
For our second outdoor learning of the school year the children in Year 1 teamed up with Year 2 to have their outdoor learning day together. We started - as always - by donning our tribal face paint and greeting nature. The children then learnt all about foraging and gathered natural resources from outside to decorate the outline of a bauble or star that they made in class.
After lunch the children explored their senses by playing a guessing game with their partner to use their senses of touch and smell to try and guess what the other child had given them.
Finally, to end the day we sat in a circle and sang some Christmas songs whilst enjoying a delicious cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows!
Yummy :-)
Updated 8.12.23
Honoring Mary
The children in Year 1 have been learning about all Mary, the mother of Jesus and how special and important she is.
We looked at some pictures of Mary from all over the world and discussed how she is honored through prayer, flowers, candles and a special Pilgrimage. The children spent all week making their very own candle holders in the colours of blue and white that represent Mary in the United Kingdom.
We all then went on a mini Pilgrimage through the school to our very own Mary statue where we recited the Hail Mary and had some time for silent prayer.
Updated 1.12.23
Using a number line to subtract
This week the children learnt how to use a number line to subtract.
We made a success criteria as a class to help us remember the steps to get the right answer:
A. Circle the biggest number
B. Draw the jumps
C. Circle the number you land on
D. Complete the number sentence
The children worked co-operatively using whiteboards to practise this skill.
Updated 23.11.23
Exploring and Investigating Light
This week the children in Year 1 have been learning all about light and the different types of light sources in the world around us. After we had identified both natural and manmade light sources, we then had a really fun class experiment to investigate how light travels, by making some shadow puppets.
The children loved seeing how their puppet blocked out the light from the torch to create a shadow behind it.
I wonder what shadows you can create at home using only just your hands!?
Updated 17.11.23
God sent us Jesus because He loves us
Continuing our learning about the Prophecy and Promise of the birth of Jesus, this week the children in Year 1 learnt to retell the story of when Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem.
The children used role play figures to help them act out the story and then made a card showing baby Jesus in His manger, using their hand print as a stable and tissue paper for the hay. They then wrote 'To welcome you baby Jesus' on their card.
Here are some wondering questions you may want to discuss with your child to deepen their understanding of the story:
I wonder why Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem?
I wonder why all the rooms in Bethlehem were full?
I wonder if it was cold in the stable?
I wonder how much God loves me?
I wonder if I can come and see Jesus?
Updated 9.11.23
Gymnastics
This week the children continued their learning of gymnastics by learning how to form different shapes with their bodies. The children learnt how to develop their agility, balance and coordination in making these shapes whilst also watching each other to provide support and encouragement. It has been wonderful to watch the children's core strength grow and improve over the past few weeks.
Updated 2.11.23
Many thanks to all of the children who went above and beyond in their learning over half term and created some wonderful projects in relation to our topic of toys, these projects are now proudly on display in our classroom. There is still time to complete these projects and can be brought into school at any time.
Here are some close-ups of the children and their projects:
Updated 18.10.23
Half Term Projects
To complement our learning about toys, here is a list of suggested projects that you can complete with your child over the Half term holiday.
Have fun and be creative! I can't wait to see what you all create!
The children will be sent home with this leaflet tomorrow or you can download an electronic copy of it now by clicking HERE
Updated 17.10.23
As part of our learning in RE about the creation of the world, this week the children learnt about a special prayer called the Nicene Creed. We focused on the first few lines and had a class discussion about what the words meant, especially what in the world is 'invisible.'
To follow this up, the children then made a zigzag book and illustrated the first few lines.
This term we have also learnt another special prayer called the Our Father - given to us by Jesus himself. The children have loved learning this prayer as a song, using actions to help them remember some of the tricky words.
Here is the video link if you'd like to sing it with your child at home :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i70XoA2ZxYQ
Updated 5.10.23
In acknowledgement of Black History Month in the UK, today the children in Year 1 learnt about the incredible heroism of Rosa Parks.
To help the children understand segregation, a 'bus' was made in the classroom with each child given a ticket to board. Little did they know, however, that the children had been segregated into boys and girls, with the boys forced to sit at the back of the bus and the girls at the front. This then led onto a great discussion about fair and equal rights. This activity was repeated but using height and hair length to determine where the children sat.
After this activity, the children then learnt about segregation during the 1900's when black people had to sit at the back of buses and how Rosa Parks famously stood up for what she believed in.
Updated 6.10.23
Year 1 Visit the Hove Toy Museum!
Today, the children in Year 1 visited the Hove Toy Museum as part of their learning about toys. The children traveled there in the school mini bus or a private taxi (which was a new experience for some!) and then enjoyed a special lesson where they learnt about the history of the museum, the Vallance family that lived there and saw some old toys that were used by the family on the property where the museum now stands.
The highlight of the day was definitely getting to play with lots of different olden toys that children played with a long time ago. After that we had a little look at some more toys in the Wizard's Attic before ending the day with some lunch in the sunshine.
Updated 5.10.23
Today the children in Year 1 had their first outdoor learning day of the school year and what a fun and busy day it was!
We started the day by using sticks to tap together and greeted nature! Then the children put on their science hats and were challenged to collect items of different textures, including shiny, scratchy and smooth. They then sorted those items into the different groups and discussed the different types of leaves around us.
After playtime they put on their art hats and looked at some pieces of 'transient art' by Andy Goldsworthy. The children then worked in groups to create their own versions of transient art inspired by the images they looked at.
After lunch they played some team building games before putting on their history hats for the final activity. The children looked at some old pull toys and recognised that they were made from wood and string. They were then given the chance to make their own pully toy using similar materials.
The ended with some yummy hot chocolate whilst singing some songs.
Updated 10.11.22
Gymnastics
This week the children continued their learning of gymnastics by learning how to form different shapes with their bodies.
The children learnt how to develop their agility, balance and coordination in making these shapes whilst also watching each other to provide support and encouragement. They also used apparatus to strengthen their gross motor skills and coordination.
Updated 21.9.23
This week the children in Year 1 had a hands on maths activity to understand the difference between 'more, fewer and the same'
They were given cards with these words and had to use multilink cubes to match the right words. The children enjoyed using the cubes to consolidate their learning of these mathematical words and built upon their vocabulary in this curriculum area.
Updated 15.9.23
Dear adults,
It gives me great pleasure to confirm that the Year 1 school trip to the Hove Toy Museum has now been booked and the children will be visiting on Friday 6th October 2023
Children will be given this letter today with all the information, however if you would like to download a copy yourself please click HERE
Please note that there is a payment of £6 for the trip that can be made using Parent Pay.
Please return completed consent forms to either myself or to the school office as soon as possible.
With thanks,
Mr Fishman
Updated 12.9.23
The Creation Story
This week the children in Year 1 have been learning to retell the Creation Story, understanding that it is a very special story to show us how much God loves us. The children first heard an extract from the bible (Genesis 1:1 1-4, 24-26) and we spoke about the different things that God made. We then used small world characters to retell this story, placing the right objects on the right days. The children loved using the small world to retell the story and were amazed at just how many things God created.
Updated 8.9.23
"If you go down to the woods today...."
Today the children in Year 1 had a stunning start to their new topic of toys with a Teddy Bears' Picnic!
We started off by sitting in a circle and each child introduced their special teddy bear that they had bought in from home. The children spoke about who bought the teddy for them them, why they are special and how it makes them feel. It was unanimous amongst the whole class that their bears made all them feel safe and cozy.
After that, they learnt the famous Teddy Bears' Picnic Song and we then played 'musical (bears) statues' and 'Mr Bear's Honey Pot' which tested the children's listening and concentration skills whilst having fun!
Finally we enjoyed some delicious treats for our picnic.
It was indeed a wonderful afternoon and the picnic was enjoyed by all.
Thank you to all the adults who brought in some food to share - it was an overwhelming amount of food and the children were all most grateful!
Updated 8.9.23
Please join me after school this Monday 11th September 2023 in the Year 1 classroom shortly after 3pm.
This is your chance to see your child's classroom and ask me any questions. I will be discussing the Year 1 expectations, PE Days, reading diaries, Dojos, school trips and will be handing out curriculum overviews for learning in the Autumn term.
If you are not able to make it please click HERE for an electronic copy
I very much look forward to seeing you all on Monday.
Mr Fishman
Updated 4.9.22
Teddy Bear's Picnic - Friday 8th September 2023
To introduce a stunning start to our first topic 'toys' the children have been asked to bring in their favourite cuddly toy.
A letter was sent home today with your child but for an electronic copy of the letter handed out please click HERE
Updated 4.9.23
Class Information
PE
PE will be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
It is crucial for health and safety that your child has a full PE kit in school at all times.
PE kits are available for purchase from the school office.
PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILD'S NAME IS WRITTEN IN ALL CLOTHING!
Reading Diaries
Reading diaries have been handed out along with a book specifically selected for your child. The book will be one they are familiar with and have read in class. Your job - as the listener - will be to simply support them and guide them through reading this familiar text to promote their fluency and speed of reading.
As a friendly reminder, you must try to read with your child at least three times every week and then write comments in their reading record on how you felt the reading went.
Was your child able to read all words accurately?
Did they segment and blend the sounds properly?
Were there any tricky or new words?
Could your child recall what they read?
Were they able to relate to the characters in the story?
These diaries will be collected in and checked on a regular basis.
Updated 4.9.23
Dear children, parents and carers,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you and your child to St Clare's Class and to a new school year. I feel honoured to be your child's teacher this academic year and please be assured that I will do my very best to ensure they are safe and happy at all times.
Please do not hesitate to catch me before or after school if you have any questions, concerns or problems about your child's learning. Check this web page regularly for updates from inside the classroom!
I look forward to meeting you all and getting to know you better over the coming year.
Take care and stay safe,
Mr Fishman and the Year 1 team