Every few weeks the children will be invited into a battle where they can challenge other children in KS1! Home learning next week will be to complete a transition booklet and a maths mystery. We will also include some optional Summer activity booklets but would like you to have a well earned break!

The Secret of Black Rock is a great book for any KS1 class

Our school has done so well so far with the Virtual School Games, all year groups have won an event, our year 1's and 2's were named Berkshire County Champions for last week's Enduro challenge, which is AMAZING! There are a range of differentiated sheets and your Year 1 / Year 2 class can also use the punctuated template to help. Reread for my 4 months old daughter. I love this story though she may be too young to understand. I just continue to read to her to introduce her stories and books. Erin loves to lie on the jetty, looking for the weirdest fish in the sea the weirder, the better! And she knows the best ones must be further out, where her mum won't let her go . . .There are only 2 weeks left of the Virtual School Games. We as a school have done so well, so elt's finish on a high and keep breaking our record for number of children taking part, and see if we can finish with some more medals! The Ascot and Maidenhead School Sports Partnership organise and run various tournaments and festivals throughout the year for our children. Due to the current situation, they have launched a 'Virtual school games'. At the moment, these are aimed more at KS2 children, however they are looking to organise activities for KS1 children, which hopefully will be out soon. As soon as they are, we will let you know!

The Secret of Black Rock by Joe Todd Stanton The Secret of Black Rock by Joe Todd Stanton

The gentle environmental message takes on a kind of magic in Todd-Stanton’s pictures of Erin suspended in the ocean among incandescent jellyfish or facing down a monstrous, weaponised fishing fleet in the moonlight. A young artist to watch. The resource highlights a typical day and allows for discussions and text reflections with your class. The resource includes many words from the Year 2 spelling lists and involves your Ks1 children correcting the spelling errors. There is much to like about Erin Pike (the story's protagonist); she's a gutsy young seafarer with a huge heart and she resolutely stands up for what she believes in. I also liked the fact that instead of a fisherman father, it is her seafaring mother who she takes to the sea with, so kudos to Joe Todd-Stanton for challenging the gender stereotype.

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It is crucial that not only are your Year 1 and Year 2 kids exploded to new vocabulary, but that they also develop an understanding of the word and how it can be used. I never knew children’s picture books can be such fantastic read until I read this book! I love it when the main character is brave, curious, and can think up clever ideas. I like that Erin takes action to doing what she believes is right when others believe in the worst. My son loves this story because Erin choose to save rather than destroy. Another reason this book is great for kids is because it has a “subtle message about environmentally-friendly practices and the importance of protecting coral reefs.” I highly recommend everyone to read this book, either for yourself, for your kids, or have your kids read it. It’s definitely a re-read for my son and I and we have already read it 3 times! To write with a good level of consistency, meaning all letters are positioned on the line and are the same size as each other.