Festival of lights - Diwali

During our Festival of Lights Day, the Year 1 children enjoyed learning all about Diwali, the Hindu festival of light celebrated in Autumn. They discovered that Diwali is a joyful and meaningful celebration, filled with special traditions such as exchanging cards, creating artwork and sharing food.

The day began with the children making Diwali cards, followed by a special assembly led by Ranji Bhudia from the Shree Swaminarayan Temple. The children then explored how Diwali is celebrated through Rangoli designs, fireworks and traditional foods. They learned that Rangoli patterns are colourful designs created at the entrances of homes to bring good luck and welcome Goddess Lakshmi, and they enjoyed creating their own firework-inspired artwork using oil pastels.

The children also had the opportunity to taste traditional foods, including Mithai and Chevado, which was a real highlight of the day.

They listened to the important Diwali story of Rama and Sita and worked in groups to act it out. The children reflected thoughtfully on how light in the story represents hope, writing short sentences to share their understanding.

It was a wonderful day filled with celebration, creativity and learning, enjoyed by everyone involved.

Please click here to see some photos

A Star Performance from Year 1! 

Our Year 1 children truly blew us away with their wonderful Christmas nativity performance, Lights, Camel, Action!

From the very first song to the final bow, the children showcased fantastic singing, confident acting, and clear speaking, delivering their lines brilliantly. They performed with such confidence and enthusiasm, bringing the story to life and filling the hall with festive cheer.

It was clear how hard the children had worked, and they were absolutely thrilled with their performance, as were we! Their smiles, energy and teamwork made the show a joy to watch and a memorable experience for everyone who attended.

Well done, Year 1! You should be incredibly proud of yourselves – you were all superstars

Please click here to see some photos of  the show

Multicultural week

Year 1 have had a fantastic time celebrating all things India as part of our Multicultural Week!

We started the week by sharing the beautiful story We Are All Welcome by Alexandra Penfold. The children discussed the important message that no matter our background, everyone is welcome in our Hazelwood community.

From there, the children explored India in depth, locating it on a world map and discovering some of its famous landmarks and places. They fully immersed themselves in the culture by tasting delicious Indian food, practising energetic Bollywood dance moves, designing their own Indian flags, and learning about India’s national bird, the peacock, before creating their own colourful peacock artwork. The children also had the exciting opportunity to visit The Nest for a spot of cooking. They made Indian cupcakes with an Asian twist, adding cardamom and saffron to create a unique and aromatic flavour. They were absolutely delicious!

A highlight of the week was learning about Dr Ranj Singh, a doctor and television presenter with Indian heritage. The children were inspired by his achievements and the values he has shown throughout his career. This encouraged them to think about their own goals and dreams for the future.

It was an inspiring, vibrant, and joyful week, and the children have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of their learning journey through India!

Forest School

This half-term, the children have been busy enjoying their weekly Forest School sessions. Forest School is a place of wonder and exploration for the children. From ‘cooking’ in the mud kitchen, building and construction, getting creative with natural materials, and enjoying delicious Autumnal treats around the campfire, each session has been an exciting experience. They've learned essential skills, such as safely cooking around the campfire, and developed a deeper appreciation for the natural world.

Please click here to see some photos of Year 1 in action.

Author Jeanne Willis visits Year 1

Last week, Year 1 had the exciting opportunity to welcome Jeanne Willis, the author of Bog Baby. She began the day by introducing herself, sharing the enchanting story, which will be the focus of our English work over the coming weeks, and answering the children’s many thoughtful questions.

The magic continued as Jeanne visited each classroom to guide the children in creating their very own Bog Babies. Using clay, feathers, googly eyes, and other crafty materials, the children brought their creatures to life with great imagination. Afterwards, they explored the Forest School area to collect twigs, sticks, and leaves, building cosy little homes for their new Bog Babies.

It was a truly inspiring and memorable day, sparking creativity and joy in all our Year 1 children.

Click here to see some photos of the day.

Year 1’s First Week Back!

Year 1 have had a fantastic start to the new school year and have settled in brilliantly to their new routines.

In Maths, we explored sorting and counting objects, using different ways to group them. In English, we began our work on Beegu, a story about a lost alien, and talked about friendship and kindness.

Our RE lessons have continued our learning about Christianity, building on our learning from Reception, while in History, we started thinking about the past and present, and how things have changed over time.

It’s been a great first week full of learning and excitement!

Please click here to see some photos.