Cygnet Class
Teacher: Mrs Gabrielle Manzi
TAs : Mrs Michelle Rose and Miss Heather Brannan
Welcome to Cygnet Class
Question: where can you…..?
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discover, explore, imagine
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build a pirate ship and sail across the Arctic ocean
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hunt for fossils, buried treasure or both
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escape the hot lava of an active volcano
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dig, plant, grow and cook
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travel to the moon in a homemade space ship
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paint everyday, if you want to
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dance freely, sing loudly
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become a scientist or superhero, mathematician or engineer
…and, of course, learn to read and write your first words…….
Answer: in Cygnet class! – where children explore what it is like to be grown-up, and where grown-ups remember what it was like to be a child.
Cygnet Class is where the youngest children begin their time with us. The children in this class are Reception and Year 1. In Cygnet Class there is a mixture of play based learning and more formal teacher led learning. A particular favourite of the week is the Welly Walk, where the children go off site around the village and local area learning about their surroundings. Children in Cygnet class have daily phonics lessons and lots and lots of stories. They have many opportunities to explore their learning through hands- on experiences.
Cygnet Curriculum Overview Year A 2023
Summer Term 2024
What will we be learning about this term?
We will all be learning how to read and write through our daily phonics and reading lessons. Reception will be learning new blends and common exception words in phase 4, with lots of practice in reading and writing. Year 1 will be learning all about alternative phonemes and graphemes in phase 5. Every child will have guided reading lessons and lots and lots of stories.
In our history topic this term we are finding out about Grace O’Malley – the Irish pirate queen who lived from 1530 – 1603. We will begin this topic with an exciting Pirate Day!
Yr 1 History Grace O’Malley Knowledge Organiser
In Geography we will explore why water is important. We will learn the names of the oceans and local rivers and we will learn about how we use water and how to save water! We will continue to look at maps and find different physical features.
In Science we will learn all about humans and other animals, including how we can keep ourselves healthy by eating healthy food, exercising, getting plenty of sleep and limiting screen time. We will also learn all about Summer and what happens in nature in the warmest time of the year.
In English we will be using Talk for Writing to explore the well known story of ‘The Three Little Pigs’. We will be learning how to write a super sentence and how to describe settings and characters using adjectives, powerful verbs and similes. We will also learn how to write a non-fiction information text – all about wolves.
In Maths year 1 will be using addition and subtraction to solve problems within 20. We will also be counting in 2s, 5s and 10s in preparation for multiplying and dividing in year 2. We will learn to tell the time (hour and half past) and we will learn how to describe different positions and directions in space.
Reception will be learning all about the composition of numbers to 10. We will explore patterns in number including odd and even numbers, doubles to double 5 and how to share numbers of objects into equal groups.
In Art we will be learning about printing and pattern. We will look at the work of the artist Terry Frost.
In Design Technology year 1 will be learning how to sew a puppet. Reception will be designing and making their own vehicle in their wood working lessons and sewing a bookmark.
In RE we will learn all about the Stories Jesus told. We will also explore The Creation story.
This term Mrs Goodwin will be taking the year one children for forest school every other Friday afternoon where they will learn about nature, creativity and well-being.
Don’t forget to send your child in with a named PE kit and wellington boots for wet welly walks. Children will also need a complete set of named spare clothes too, just in case of accidents! In the second half of term we will need a named swimming costume, towel and swimming hat for our swimming lessons.
Useful Documents and information:
Please find the powerpoint from Mrs Manzi’s presentation to parents about the Early Years Foundation Stage attached for you to look at at your leisure.
Here is the link to the Foundation Stage phonics presentation:
Phonics workshop REC Sept 2022
Here is the link to the handwriting website which has lots of ideas to help you support the development of gross and fine motor skills in preparation for handwriting. https://teachhandwriting.co.uk/parents.html
If you are having to self -isolate here are a few things you can do to support your child’s learning at home:
Maths
- Watch Number blocks together and talk about the maths you see
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/joinin/numberblocks-help-your-child-with-maths
- Play board games using a dice- this helps your child to practise subitising (seeing a number of objects without having to count them) and turn taking.
- Practise reading and writing numerals
- Count together – up to 100 and beyond
- Sing number songs like Five little Ducks (BBC School radio has lots of number rhymes)
- Make different patterns using everyday objects
- Talk about the shapes you see in the environment
- Cook together – follow a recipe and weigh the ingredients
- Teach them to tell the time – o’clock and half-past the hour
- Say the days of the week and months of the year together
English
- Sing lots of nursery rhymes (BBC School radio will help) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06kbsbz
- Read lots and lots of stories together
- Collect a few objects and make up stories together using the objects
- Practise writing the letters of the alphabet
- Support your child to practise writing their name
- Make shopping lists together – either writing or drawing the things you need
Also – please call into school if you can, and collect a handful of reading books for your child to read whilst they are off school.