The children have found out about the protective clothes they wear, the equipment they use and the different ways they help us. They have been making split pin firefighters, cutting paper clothes out for firefighters and looking closely at photographs of firefighters doing their job. We have also watched clips showing a day in the life of a firefighter, learning that they need to stay fit and healthy to be able to do their job well. We have also covered fire safety and calling 999 in an emergency to get help. The children drew pictures to show all the ways firefighters help us and then explained their ideas, we added these to their literacy books.

This week in maths, we have been exploring different ways to make 10 using tens frames. Using coloured cubes, the children found as many different ways to make 10 and then recorded these in their maths books. We have also been working on forming numbers correctly.

The children have continued to work hard in their phonic lessons and are starting to apply the sounds they have learnt to write words with three sounds in. They have been segmenting words and listening carefully to hear the order of each of the sounds. This is building the children's confidence to start writing sentences in the next few weeks.

The children continue to explore the classroom and this week have been interested in using the 2D shapes to make patterns and pictures. Using a book made by the previous Form 1 children, they have been copying the patterns and then extending them to make their own. We have photographed these and added them to the book and the children are getting more and more creative with the use of shapes, exploring how these can tessellate to make new shapes.

We have taken advantage of the autumn sunshine this week and spent the afternoon learning outside on the paddock. The children went on a colour hunt, gathering natural materials to create a colour wheel. The children found many beautiful leaves that reflected the season and we then shared a book about autumn and the changes that occur. The children then used the leaves to create their own leaf minibeasts by glueing them to paper and using black pen to add legs, antennae and creating patterns on the leaves. They look really effective and the children were delighted to see they had been displayed in the classroom the following day.

The children have had lots of fun playing in the water tray with coloured water this week, pouring and filling different sized containers. Adding water to the sand, the children have pretended to mix cement and build walls using the wooden blocks in the tough tray.

It has been another fun-filled and busy week in Form 1!