First day back

First day back

Well what a fantastic first day back in school we have had today! After seeing lots of nervous faces this morning it
was nice to see lots of happy faces at the end of the day. 

Patents I will post on our class blog regularly. It maybe homework, information about our topic, photos of the 
children working or it may be just a reminder. Please keep an eye on this page for information but please don't
hesitate to pop in to see me if you want to ask anything. 

Below is a break down of what we will be studying this half term. We are starting this fortnight with a short study
on the country of Australia, it's history, landmarks and it's animal population.  Please feel free to bring in any
information or artefacts relating to this country or help your child do some research work on this area. Our theme
for the remainder of the half term will then be 'Happiness'.   The project has a personal and social focus and
teaches the children about the importance of happiness, healthy and well-being and celebrations. 

Today your child will have come home will a serious of letters informing you of the day to day running of our class,
a permission letter with regards to taking our guinea pigs home and a letter about our WOW start event for our
Happiness Topic. 

Please come and speak to me though if you have any questions or concerns. 

Diolch

Mrs Howells

Language, Literacy and Communication Skills

ü  Write simple sentences about what is happening in photographs of themselves and why they felt happy.

ü  Listen to what makes others happy.

ü  Think about and collect other words that mean happy.

ü  Read and retell stories with happy endings.  Discuss why endings were happy.

ü  Read and discuss stories where characters do right and wrong and how this impacts on others.

ü  Make a list of ‘Happy Do’s’ for the week.

ü  Write about times when they felt unhappy and explain why.  How did somebody or how could somebody
 help them?  How can they stop others feeling unhappy in school?

ü  Write a prayer for happiness for themselves and their families for school or for the world.

ü  Sequence and act out stories with happy endings.  Take on different roles when performing.

Personal and Social Development, Well-Being and Cultural Diversity

ü  Talk about things that make the children happy.

ü  Talk about and remember significant family or community events that made them and others happy such as a wedding, christening or a birthday party.

ü  Listen to what makes others happy.

ü  Explore what is right and wrong and how behaving in a right or wrong way makes them feel. Explain why 
and when they have felt sad. Make notes about happy and sad.

ü  Use circle time to talk about their own special qualities that make others happy to know.

Mathematical Development

ü  Interview other children and adults in the school to find out what makes them happy. Count totals and 
record as a block graph.

ü  Reading and Writing Numbers to 100 and beyond.

ü  Comparing and Ordering Numbers.

ü  Counting on and back in from given numbers in different amounts.

Creative Development

ü  Make observational drawings of their own faces when happy.  Take digital photographs of themselves 
and others doing things that make them happy. Create a scrap book or class washing line of happy pictures.

ü  Listen to and sing along to songs on the theme of happiness.

ü  Learn and sing a range of songs and practise using various tuned and unturned instruments.

ü  Use individual photographs to make a photographic montage and add other words for happy using ICT.

ü  Look at what people need to be happy as they grow.  Make time lines individually and as a class.

Knowledge & Understanding of the World

ü  Develop an understanding of how the environment can affect their happiness and well-being. Make a
 plan of their favourite place and label what is there. Make a map or plan of an imagined place and 
describe what it would be like and what features of it would make them happy.

ü  Learn about keeping safe and happy in a range of familiar environments including school and home.

ü  Learn that being healthy is a big factor in being healthy. Learn the names of the different 
parts of the body and find out how to look after these through exercise and healthy eating.

Welsh Language Development

ü  Children role play characters from stories which have happy endings and use the phrases: Beth ydy 
dy enw di? Faint ydy dy oed di? Sut wyt ti? Beth wyt t’n hoffi wneud? Beth wyt ti’n gwisgo? 
Ble rwyt ti’n byw?

ü  Produce ‘Who am I?’ books practising the above phrases

ü  Role play in our ‘Church’ role play area using the above

phrases

ü  Read simple welsh books based on happy endings e.g. Mamgu Morgan.