Welcome back to Summer Term 1!

Welcome back to everyone for the first half of Summer Term! We have got off to a great start where we introduced our new enquiry question: Is it a Bug's Life? We began by asking, are all animals the same and worked together to group animals that were the same.

In English, we have now written our own version of the traditional tale, The Enormous Turnip. The children have really enjoyed putting their ideas onto a story board in preparation to write our story as our 'best copy' next week. We have stories about colossal potatoes, enormous blueberries and huge carrots!

In maths, year 1 have been learning all about mass, weight, capacity and volume. They enjoyed weighing different things from around the classroom, learning which was heavier and lighter. Reception children have been exploring 3D shapes and patterns.

PE has been fun this week, especially as we have been able to get outside for our Ball Skills lesson. We also enjoyed our first yoga lesson on Friday, learning that Yoga originated from India, we therefore got into lots of monkey poses and recognised which muscles we were using to balance.

Our music lesson was a little different this week. We had a visit from the Polperro Wreckers. What a delight it was! Listening to a group of gentlemen sing songs all about where we live was a real treat and the children enjoyed talking about how important it was to appreciate different styles of music.

Our phonics lessons have also been a little different this week, the children enjoyed using ipads to explore twinklGO! on Friday, remember this is a resource that can be accessed at home and is updated regularly. Year 1s have been exploring 'alien'/fake words in preparation for our phonics assessments in June. It is important to keep up with daily reading and practising of sounds to ensure we are ready for this check!

Well done to our 'People of the Week' this week, all showing examples of our school values.  Emily, Felix and Evie G were recognised for this, this week. Well done!

We hope you enjoy a lovely weekend, especially now that the sun is shining!

See you on Monday for another fun-packed week of learning!

Mrs Taylor, Mrs G, Miss Colton, Mrs C and Miss Hodge.

Despite the weather, Penhallow have continued in their search for Spring and enjoyed a fun filled week of learning.

In maths, we have been partitioning tens and ones. The children have done brilliantly at recognising how many tens and ones make up numbers to 50.

In English, we have written up our instruction texts and we look forward to starting our traditional tale; The Enormous Turnip. We will be learning the story and then making our own version of the traditional tale. I hope the children will be able to think of lots of different vegetables that could be included in our new version of the tale.

This goes brilliantly with our PSHE topic of Healthy Me! This week, the children have been looking at what makes our bodies healthy, how important getting a good night sleep is and what to do if we are feeling unwell.

In science, we have discussed if a tree is a type of plant. We have looked at different deciduous and evergreen trees on our school grounds.

Well done to Penhallow's 'People of the Week' this week. Theo, Ida  and Casey have shown fantastic examples of our school values. Well done!

Keep up with the brilliant reading and accessing TwinklGo! for more activities.

We hope you enjoy a lovely weekend!

Mrs Taylor, Mrs G, Miss Colton, Mrs C and Miss Hodge.

A Fabulous Week, FULL of celebrations this week!

Penhallow have enjoyed a fabulous, fun filled week this week which started with a fantastic assembly from Reverend Richard all about Cornwall and how and why we celebrate St Piran's Day! The children loved learning more about why our Cornish flag looks like it does. 

In maths, the Year 1s have completed their topic of addition and subtraction within 20, doing brilliantly, especially when learning all about related facts and what the inverse operations are. The children loved standing at the front of the class to teach me what the opposite of addition was! We also loved learning all about the difference this week, comparing boys and girls in Year 1.

In English, we are writing our instruction texts, whilst planting a sunflower seed. This is a great opportunity to include all that we are learning in Year 1, we have included a question and sequencing words to list the important steps to plant a sunflower seed.

PE has been super fun this week, we are learning how to respect each other in games and work brilliantly as partners.

In Science, we made the most of getting outside for a spring time search for wild flowers, learning that wild flowers grow wherever their seed falls. This complimented our story of The Tiny Seed perfectly.

Talking of enjoying stories, on Thursday, we celebrated World Book Day by dressing up as our favourite book characters or wearing our pyjamas. We had a fantastic day! In the morning, Year 1 joined year 2 in Landaviddy and watched a digital event hosted by the author Helen Stephens. The children loved hearing her stories and seeing how she created her illustrations for her story books 'Smelly Peggy' and 'How to Hide a Lion'. The decorated spoons that the children bought in are just fabulous and we are looking forward to seeing them displayed in our school library!

Music was also thoroughly enjoyed on World Book Day where we sang a song all about books to celebrate! We added instruments for a beat and lots of fun was had!

Well done to our 'People of the Week' this week, Esme, Alfie and Emily, each showing fantastic examples of our school values. WOW, the children did so brilliantly in our practice lockdown today, I was so proud of each one of them. Well done also to Esme for achieving her 11 badge in 99 club this week and Iylah for achieving her 33 club badge!

We hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend and really hope Mums enjoy receiving their handmade treasures on Sunday (check bookbags if nothing arrives on your breakfast tray!!!) 

Mrs Taylor, Mrs G, Miss Colton, Mrs C and Miss Hodge.

A fabulous, 

first week back in Penhallow!

The first week back from our half-term break has been filled with fun and we have thoroughly enjoyed launching our new enquiry: What happens in spring?

We ventured out on our only dry afternoon to explore the garden on a nature walk in search for the first signs of spring. We have also been learning all about what makes a plant a plant? This will continue next week where in English we will finish our spring acrostic poems and begin learning how to write an instruction text telling us how to plant a seed.

In maths, both Reception and Year 1 have been working so hard. Reception have been focussing on one more or one less within 10 and Year 1s exploring number bonds to 20. It is so important that the Year 1s know their number bonds within 10 and to 10 before moving onto this point so please, if you have any spare time this weekend pop onto TwinklGo! where the children have plenty of options to practice these.

We had a great PE lesson this week where we played games to explore how exercise made us feel. It was so wonderful to see the children working together and congratulating each other for doing well. This also linked to our PSHE lesson where we discussed the importance of healthy choices!

We enjoyed a fabulous music lesson with Mrs Butlin this week where we were able to play the ukuleles and learn a song all about Cornwall.

Well done to Brody, Tommy and Evie D who were picked as our 'People of the Week' this week for showing fantastic examples of the school values. Also well done to Lowen for achieving his 11 club badge in 99 club this week!

I hope there is a break in the weather this weekend so that you can venture out to explore some of the signs that spring is on the way!

We look forward to seeing you on Monday for another fantastic week of learning!
Mrs Taylor, Mrs G, Mrs C and Miss Colton.

Penhallow 9.2.2024.

It has been a fantastic, final week of Spring Term 1. We have squeezed so much into these past five weeks and the teachers were busy at school on inset day preparing for the next half of Spring Term.

Our enquiry, What Happened in London a Long Time Ago? was finished brilliantly with a mini quiz and the children were able to bring home their master pieces, which have been created during our art and design and technology lessons. We hope you have enjoyed the children telling you about the 'process' which is always the best part, especially if the 'product' hasn't turned out exactly how they wanted!

It has been a busy classroom this week where the children have enjoyed taking part in active bursts that relate to Children's Mental Health Week that has been celebrated this week. Through daily exercise we were able to explore emotions and feelings discussing why it is important to speak to others about how we are feeling. In PE, we worked hard at being part of a successful team and thoroughly enjoyed our boat game and relay races!

As well as rounding up our topic, the children have also been given opportunities within the classroom to think about some celebrations coming up over half term. We discussed Chinese New Year and discovered what animal year we were born in, this year is the year of the dragon and children have been decorating masks, making paper chains and using their cutting skills to make fortune tellers. We also had a valentines creative table and enjoyed a fliptastic assembly with Reverend Richard who discussed Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday. Reverend Richard will be giving up crisps for Lent, will you be giving up anything this year?

Children have each gone home with a reading book and Twinkl Read it Together book, it is important that children keep up with their reading every day so please aim to read with your child for at least ten minutes each day, focussing especially on their phonics sounds and tricky words. Another important activity your child has come home with is a number bond activity. Reception should know their number bonds to 5 and Year 1s, number bonds to 5 and 10. This is important as we progress our maths journey into addition and subtraction. Remember there are some additional activities and extra reading opportunities on TwinklGo!
Codes for access:
Year R Phonics: ZW0753
Year R Maths: JX4293
Year 1 Phonics: ZX5318
Year 1 Maths: WB6095

We hope you enjoy a lovely half term and look forward to seeing all children back on Monday the 19th.

Mrs Taylor, Mrs G, Miss Colton and Mrs C.