Spring 2015 Newsletter Year 1

Downsell Primary School, Downsell Road, Leyton E15 2BS

Dear Parents/Carers,
We would like to extend a warm welcome to you at the start of the Spring
Term 2015 at Downsell Primary School. As you will appreciate, we
endeavour to make your childs year as enjoyable as possible and we will
continue to give them a great deal of support and encouragement to reach
their goals.
Year 1 teaching staff:
Class 4 Miss Rahman, Class 5 Miss Reyford, Class 6 Miss Khatun
Year 1 support staff:
TAs: Miss Okiyi, Mrs Pereira, Miss Guvercintasi
Learning Mentors: Mrs Britton (Senior Mentor) and Mrs Williams
KS1 Phase Leader: Miss French
Punctuality & Attendance
May we take this opportunity to remind you that school starts at 8:55am
and finishes at 3:20pm. Please can you make sure that your child is
punctual and attends school regularly. If your child is absent from school,
please telephone the school on 020 8556 0103, giving a reason for their
absence or provide a note when they return to school. May we remind you
to inform the school office if your contact details have changed.
Physical Education
PE takes place every week (Tuesday Class 4, Wednesday Class 5,
Thursday Class 6). Children must remember to bring their PE kit which
includes:
Navy blue or black shorts or tracksuit bottoms
Plain white T-shirt
Plimsolls or trainers
Please ensure that all of your childs clothing is named (including their
school uniform) and placed in a bag. It is not possible (for health and
safety reasons) to take part in PE whilst wearing a school uniform and
shoes.

www.downsellprimary.org

Year 1 Newsletter: Spring 2015

Curriculum
Numeracy Maths Makes Sense (arithmetic, geometry, data
and measure). This is a consistent approach to teaching
maths with high expectations for all.
Literacy A range of written, spoken and drama based
activities will be carried out relating to Narrative texts,
Non-fiction texts and poetry. Comprehension skills and
Phonics and spelling.
Science Everyday materials. Plants. During both of these
units, the children will plan and carry out investigations.
RE Islam: Muslim beliefs. Christianity: Special occasions
Baptism and naming.
Geography Passport to the World: Food.
History Neil Armstrong
Art Investigating materials. Observational drawing.
DT Model making. Eat more fruit and vegetables.
PE Hockey. Dance.
ICT Image collecting. Recording recipes.
Music The long and short of it: exploring duration.
Our topics for this term are: Reach for the stars and Food,
Glorious Food.
Behaviour & Rewards
Good behaviour and work is rewarded through the House Point
System, which is in place for the whole school. Unacceptable
behaviour will not be tolerated at any time. This will be recorded on
a referral slip. If your child receives three of these within a week,
a letter will be sent home and you will be asked to come to school to
discuss your childs behaviour. Hard work and good behaviour will be
celebrated and acknowledged using a variety of reward systems
(house points, stickers, certificates, prizes). Please encourage your
child to try their best throughout this year.
Reading/Library Books
Reading books are changed regularly. Your child should be reading
at home for 5-10 minutes every evening. Please write comments in
the reading record books concerning your childs reading. Some
questions you may wish to think about: Were they reading
fluently? Was the reading well paced? Is your child
understanding the text? Can they read all of the words?

www.downsellprimary.org

Year 1 Newsletter: Spring 2015

Autumn Newsletter Year 6

Please ensure all books are kept in your childs bag and that they
are returned to school on the required day. Library books must be
returned on time and we would like to remind you that damaged
books will incur a fine.
Homework
Well done to all the children who regularly complete and return
their homework. This term, homework will continue to be given
every Friday. It should be completed and returned by the following
week. Homework is issued as a means of consolidating and
reinforcing the work covered during the week in class. It is an ideal
opportunity for parents to work with their child at home. It would
be beneficial if you encourage your child to complete and hand in
their homework on a regular basis.
Healthy Schools
We would like remind parents that we are a healthy school and that
your child is encouraged to eat healthily at lunchtime. If your child
is bringing a packed lunch, please ensure that it reflects a healthy
meal. Please could parents ensure that the school office is aware of
any serious allergies that your child may have, as our school is now a
Nut Allergy Aware environment.
And finally
We look forward to your co-operation and continued commitment to
your childs education. Parents Evening will be held on Thursday
19th March, 2014. However, if you have any concerns, no matter
how big or small, please feel free to make an appointment to see
your childs teacher.

Yours sincerely,

Miss Rahman

Miss Reyford

www.downsellprimary.org

Miss Khatun