Year 1: Blog items
Children in Need 2024, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 15th Nov 2024 @ 4:10pm
Today, we supported 'Children in Need'. The children wore stripes, spots, bright colours or Children in Need themed clothes in their support of the charity. We have learned why we raise money and where our money goes. The children had Pudsey Bear themed activities this afternoon, a cake sale and of course, the famous colouring competition. The entries for the colouring competition were amazing, well done to all those that entered. A very special well done to the winner in Year 1JS, whose design was very creative! On a day where we're all wearing Pudsey clothes, Lucca's Pudsey was wearing an 'Our Lady's' uniform! Lucca won a giant art set to continue his passion for art at home. Thanks as always for your continued support, we're looking forward to hearing the total money raised for Children in Need.
Anti-bullying week, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 15th Nov 2024 @ 4:01pm
Well done to all the Year 1 children for supporting anti-bullying week. This year's theme is 'Respect'. We have talked about how we should respect others by being kind and using kind words. The children have been wearing odd socks all week to celebrate all our differences and have decorated 'kindness socks' to show ways that we can be respectful to others. Great work Year 1!
Remembrance Day, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 13th Nov 2024 @ 12:57pm
Year 1 have been remembering the soldiers, past and present, and all the other people and animals that have helped, supported and defended our country. Barney brought in a photograph of his Uncle and his medals to show us. We talked about the bravery of the soldiers, and had a discussion about the army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force and how they protect the land, sea and air. We watched a CBeebies video that showed us how all were affected by the wars, and how the first flowers to grow on the fields were poppies. We then coloured in some poppies, cut them out and displayed them in wreaths. The children worked in teams to make their wreaths and we displayed them in our classroom window in time for Remembrance Day. On 11.11.24, at 11am, we observed the 2 minute silence. The children were very respectful and we finished with a prayer.
Birkenhead Park Trip, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 6th Nov 2024 @ 5:22pm
Year 1 went to Birkenhead Park this afternoon to look for signs of Autumn. The children used maps drawn by the Year 6 children in Geography to help find our way to the park safely. We met with the Park Ranger, Hannah, who showed us some of the signs of Autumn. The children looked at the leaves, examined sycamore seeds and collected some other items to bring back to school. They found out that the seeds from a sycamore tree are shaped like helicopters, so they fly further from the parent tree. This helps them to get more light, water and space to grow. We then made our way further down the path, where we saw lots of colourful trees. The children saw red, brown, yellow and orange leaves. The children then had the opportunity to feed the ducks and watch the squirrels. Some of the pigeons were accidentally fed too! After that, we visited the boathouse, where the children learned of its history. They heard about how Joseph Paxton designed the park and was also an inspiration to many other park designers, including those that designed Central Park in New York! We passed the Swiss bridge on the way back and had a look at the colourful design. This will help with our Design Technology work this half term. The children enjoyed their afternoon exploring the park and linked lots of our previous learning to their visit today. Well done Year 1!
Month of the Rosary, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 24th Oct 2024 @ 12:38am
The month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. It's a special time devoted to praying the Rosary. The children have been learning how Rosary beads are used when praying, to bring us closer to Jesus. Each group of beads represent different parts of the Rosary prayer. We passed around the beads so that the children could look more closely at them. We practised the 'Our Father' prayer and the children were given the opportunity to cut out a bead of their own. We then placed them in a prayer circle, making our own Rosary bead string. The children said their own prayers as they placed down each bead and we finished by singing and signing a version of the 'Hail Mary' prayer.
Geography Field Trip, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 24th Oct 2024 @ 12:19am
In Geography this term, the children have been learning all about our town, Birkenhead. We have been learning why postcodes are important and using maps to study the areas in and around our school. We have discussed different ways of travelling to school and mapped out dangers to pedestrians like railway lines, rivers and roads. We then learned that there are different types of housing, such as detached, terraced, semi-detached and flats. We discovered through location and observational skills that Birkenhead housing is mostly made up of terraced houses and flats and discussed why. The children loved finding the different types of houses on a map of our local area. We then discussed what amenities a town should have i.e. shops, places of worship, parks etc. Yesterday, the children went for a short walk to find out what the area around our school has to offer. They followed a route on a map, and stopped by different checkpoints to observe the different types of shops, factories, houses and other places available in the area. They used their knowledge of the local dangers to help them to stay safe near the roads and even recalled our Science work when they spotted some stinging nettles on their route! The children posted some postcards that they had made at the start of the topic in the local post box. Some have 1st class stamps and some have 2nd class stamps. They are excited to see them return back to the school, after watching videos of how our post is sorted. We made a prediction, guessing which postcards will return first. We returned back to school and filled in an obervation sheet to show our findings. The children were very polite and very observant on our field trip- they were a credit to the school. Well done Year 1 Geographers!
A great start to Year 1!, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 12th Sep 2024 @ 10:14pm
Y1 have had an excellent start to the year. We played lots of games to get to know our friends, teachers and classrooms. We've explored Maths and English resources, made seed bombs, made s'mores lollipops, experimented with colour mixing, painted butterflies, sketched a portrait of ourselves and made 'First day in Year 1' memory photo frames... all in the first 3 days! It has been lovely getting to know all of the children and we can't wait to see where our learning journey takes us in Year 1 this school year! 😊
Year 1 trip - July 2024 The Beach!, by Mrs Harris
Date: 14th Jul 2024 @ 5:44pm
Wow! What an amazing day Year 1 has had! We began the day at Church Farm, Thurstaston where we took a tractor ride around the farm to see some of the crops that Farmer Paul and his team had planted. We saw thousands of Christmas trees and pumpkins starting to grow! From the top of the farm, we could see the River Dee and Wales in the distance. We then fed the sheep before seeing donkeys, reindeer, pigs and ducks. The final stop on our tractor ride took us to feed the alpacas. Next, we petted the small animals. We were really lucky to pet some of the newest arrivals at the farm- baby bunnies. After that, we washed our hands and ate our lunch in the conservatory. We had some free time to enjoy the park, see the meerkats and goats, become lost in a maze, fly down a zip wire, slide on a toboggan slide, ride go karts and much more! As if that wasn't enough, we then got back onto the bus and drove to New Brighton beach where we spent the afternoon playing on the sand. The children made fabulous sandcastles, drew in the sand, made collages out of natural materials, collected shells and played with frisbees. This trip was an excellent way of consolidating all of our learning this year. The children recalled our work on lighthouses, the RNLI, seasons, weather, the coast, Art work based on Andy Goldsworthy, Victorian seaside history, Geography work focused on the Wirral, food and farming and much more! The children really impressed us with their knowledge and we had the best day. What a great way to end the school year! Thanks so much to all the parents, Sisters, Aunties and school Governors that supported our trip, it really is appreciated.
Year 1 trip - July 2024 (part 1), by Mrs Harris
Date: 14th Jul 2024 @ 4:54pm
Wow! What an amazing day Year 1 has had! We began the day at Church Farm, Thurstaston where we took a tractor ride around the farm to see some of the crops that Farmer Paul and his team had planted. We saw thousands of Christmas trees and pumpkins starting to grow! From the top of the farm, we could see the River Dee and Wales in the distance. We then fed the sheep before seeing donkeys, reindeer, pigs and ducks. The final stop on our tractor ride took us to feed the alpacas. Next, we petted the small animals. We were really lucky to pet some of the newest arrivals at the farm- baby bunnies. After that, we washed our hands and ate our lunch in the conservatory. We had some free time to enjoy the park, see the meerkats and goats, become lost in a maze, fly down a zip wire, slide on a toboggan slide, ride go karts and much more! As if that wasn't enough, we then got back onto the bus and drove to New Brighton beach where we spent the afternoon playing on the sand. The children made fabulous sandcastles, drew in the sand, made collages out of natural materials, collected shells and played with frisbees. This trip was an excellent way of consolidating all of our learning this year. The children recalled our work on lighthouses, the RNLI, seasons, weather, the coast, Art work based on Andy Goldsworthy, Victorian seaside history, Geography work focused on the Wirral, food and farming and much more! The children really impressed us with their knowledge and we had the best day. What a great way to end the school year! Thanks so much to all the parents, Sisters, Aunties and school Governors that supported our trip, it really is appreciated.
Seasonal changes, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 9th Jul 2024 @ 10:27pm
In Science this term, the children have looked at seasonal changes. Last week we looked closely at the signs of Summer. We had a lovely time exploring the signs of Summer in the Presbytery garden. The children saw bees, other insects, an apple tree, berries, daisies, rhododendrons, honeysuckles, Buddleia and many other blooming flowers. They spent some time sketching and labelling what they saw to use in their Science work this week.
Victorian Seaside Day, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 9th Jul 2024 @ 10:01pm
This term, Year 1 have been learning all about Victorians at the seaside. We looked at favourite past-times and what the Victorians would have enjoyed eating as a treat. Some things were very similar to what we enjoy today, such as Fish and Chips and ice cream. However, the ice cream was served in a very different way in the past. Sometimes it was served as a slice of ice cream wrapped in a piece of paper- this was called a 'Hokey Pokey'. When served in a small conical shaped glass, it was called a 'Penny Lick'. The children chose how they would like their ice cream to be served today and were surprisingly good at eating both ways- not a drop of ice cream was wasted! We made a traditional bathing machine for the children to role play with. Shaped like a beach hut with wheels, they were used by the Victorians to get changed into their bathing suits. They were then pulled into the water by horses so that the Victorians could be lowered into the water to swim. The children used their imaginations to jump back in time and take the train to the seaside during the Victorian era. As well as eating Hokey Pokeys and Penny Licks, they explored a range of Victorian past-times to immerse themselves into the life of a Victorian. The children changed into Victorian style bathing costumes, listened to bandstand music, watched a Punch and Judy show and collected shells on a pretend beach. They made crafts and role played strolling along a promenade and riding a donkey. They also entertained us with their own Punch and Judy shows. We've had a great day all round! We hope that the children will use their experiences to write a seaside postcard in their English work this week.
Mini Vinnies Pledges, by Mrs Harris
Date: 5th Jul 2024 @ 10:22pm
Mini Vinnies meet every Thursday. We are working together to help others.
Last Thursday, we made some pledges:
• We pledge to be kind to other
• To help others in need in any way we can
• To be good friends and to care for God's world
Mini Vinnies Donation, by Mrs Harris
Date: 5th Jul 2024 @ 10:19pm
Good news alert!!
Luna and Willow decided (themselves!!!) to design, make and sell bracelets to their family and friends 🧡
This wonderfully kind initiative was to raise funds for Mini Vinnies 🙌
They raised an astounding £42.44 from their sale, which is absolutely fantastic!!!! Mini Vinnies will use this generous donation to purchase toiletry bags for the homeless
Thank you Luna and Willow ❤️❤️❤️
Sunshine Room, by Mrs Harris
Date: 2nd May 2024 @ 9:56pm
Children had a great time in the Sunshine Room 🌞 ☀️ 💛
Year 1 and 2 Outdoor Ball Games Club, by Mrs Harris
Date: 22nd Apr 2024 @ 11:24pm
Year 1 and 2 had fun at outdoor ball games club
We practised throwing, catching and team work skills
Lenten Trail, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 8th Mar 2024 @ 12:36am
All classes have visited Church over the last couple of weeks to follow the Lenten Trail. It was Year 1's turn yesterday. We walked around four stations, all supporting the children to understand the meaning of Lent and how we can pray, fast and give on the run up to Easter. The children learned how Jesus resisted temptation in the desert and how we should try to give up something for Lent to remember how Jesus gave his life for us on Earth. The children talked about how they give to charity- helping others less fortunate than ourselves. They suggested that giving away their own toys and old clothes would help charities raise money for others. They also had lots of suggestions for helping the homeless. Lots of children decided that they would like to give up sweets and treats for Lent, whilst others decided that they would try to be more kind and helpful to their families and others. We're really proud of how they are becoming great followers of Jesus and learning to follow the right path this Lent.
World Book Day, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 8th Mar 2024 @ 12:24am
Year 1 have been celebrating World Book Day throughout this week. We have had a number of online author workshops, some reading stories and others have been teaching us how to illustrate. We have met Bernard Menzah, the author of Kwame's Magic Quest; Liz Pichon, author and illustrator of the Tom Gates books and also joined in with a draw along session with the author, Raahat Kaduji. Today, the children have been excitedly drawing themselves in their costumes- They all looked amazing! They have created shoe box story settings using collage materials, read lots of stories, made bag tags and completed World Book Day puzzles and colouring sheets. What a day! We hope to complete our story setting shoe boxes tomorrow so that we can use them as inspiration for our seaside setting description. Here's a sneak peek of them so far...
Pinch Pots Inspired by Alice Ballard, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 8th Mar 2024 @ 12:03am
Last half term, the children explored a famous sculptor called Alice Ballard. We looked at how she is inspired by nature and her preference of blues and greens to decorate her work. Influenced by our English text, 'The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch', the children took to designing their own sea themed pinch pots. They first rehearsed with sculpture using playdough, creating waves with the clay tools. They then modelled a pot with clay and decorated with various clay tools. The final step was to paint. We hope you love your little trinket dishes as much as the children did. Well done Year 1!
Hoylake Lifeboat Station, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 7th Mar 2024 @ 11:50pm
We had a fantastic trip last week to Hoylake Lifeboat Station. The children learned all about the hard work of the RNLI and how lifeboats have changed from the past to the present. The Hoylake Lifeboat Station celebrated 200 years of dedicated service last Monday 4th March. Each lifeboat class is named after a River and the one that they house in Hoylake is a Shannon Class. We were surprised to learn that a Shannon lifeboat costs £2.4 million! We also saw their hovercraft and experienced life in the the crew rooms, where we saw where the selfless volunteers dress in their all weather suits and can look out over the River Mersey. We had a great time and thanked them for their service to the community and for giving their time to teach us all about horse power and engines! We found out that the 200 year celebration flotilla of lifeboats was actually interrupted last Monday, by a mud rescue operation. This just goes to show how important the RNLI's role is in saving lives.
Lenten Trail 2024, by Mrs Harris
Date: 29th Feb 2024 @ 4:00pm
Over the next week, F2-Y6 will visit church to participate in the Lenten Trail. All of our families are invited to visit the trail after Mass on each Sunday throughout Lent.
Enterprise Day 2024 - how we spent our hard earned profit 📈, by Mrs Harris
Date: 10th Feb 2024 @ 6:58pm
Year 3 raised a total of £43.75 during our enterprise afternoon! The children decided to buy books and stationery. Each class now has a set of 8 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' books and a stacking pencil each.
From planning to making, advertising to selling, the children had a great time building their enterprise skills, which I'm sure will help them in the future.
Thank you to all the children in OLSE for supporting Year 3!
Sunshine Room 🌞, by Mrs Harris
Date: 10th Feb 2024 @ 6:52pm
Messy play and music in the Sunshine 🌞 room ☺️☺️☺️
Y1 Enterprise Day, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 6th Feb 2024 @ 11:28am
Year 1 chose to sell keychains on Enterprise Day. We spent all week carefully threading colourful beads onto thread to make them. We made more than 250! Some had clips, some had keyrings, some had letters and others had shaped beads. We even made some especially for the teachers! They all looked amazing! We set up our stall in the hall and put up posters to advertise, then the selling began. Each child had a go of either setting up or selling their keychains. They worked so hard and made over £75! Well done Year 1!
Hi-Impact Robot Carousel Workshop, by Mrs Schultz
Date: 6th Feb 2024 @ 11:10am
Last Friday, Year 1 explored robots with a computing workshop. The children had a go at coding with the iPads. They used special jigsaw pieces to tell their character how to move around a maze. They also used different coloured mats to make a track for a robot car to follow. Through exploration, they had to figure out how each colour mat affected the movement of the car-- i.e. left, right, full turn, go and stop. The next group used a coding app to program a character. The final group were really excited to use an app to program a rolling robot- we had lots of squeals and laughs when the robot came spinning in their direction! Each child had the opportunity to explore all four stations over the course of the session. What a fabulous afternoon for all!
Enterprise Day Marketing Videos and Posters, by Mrs Harris
Date: 1st Feb 2024 @ 9:46pm
The children had a wonderful time during the preparation for Enterprise Day 2024!
Their entrepreneurial skills were certainly put to the test and they all did so well.
Modern life means our young people need to be resilient, innovative and not afraid to experiment - all important for entrepreneurs.
We are using Enterprise Day to develop a range of skills in our pupils. These skills include:- team work, financial literacy, organising and planning, using initiative, negotiation, taking risks, creativity and innovation.
A key part of enterprise is the making of goods, followed by the marketing and selling of these goods.
Take a look at our presentation / marketing videos and see what you like the look of 😊
