Year 1/2 Topaz (2023/24)

Topaz Staff

Mrs Lawrence

I am Topaz Class teacher. I have worked at Homer for 16 years and I have been lucky to work across all year groups. My favourite lessons to teach are Maths (as I enjoy numbers and finding patterns) and PE (playing lots of different competitive sports). I live in Windsor with my husband, our 3 children and our dog Odie. Outside of school I enjoy walking my dog, watching my son play football and socialising with friends and family. I am very excited about this year and looking forward to getting to know all the children in Topaz. I am planning lots of activities to support and extend your learning in the classroom.

Miss Carlton

I am Topaz Class teaching assistant. I joined Homer when my own two sons were pupils here and I enjoyed it so much that I am still working here 18 years later! When I am not in school I spend lots of time with my friends, shopping or eating out. I am really looking forward to getting to know you all and having lots of fun together throughout the coming year.

Art - Creating Texture using different materials with paints.

Art - Experimenting with Primary Colours

Crazy Hair Day - March 2024

PE - Scatterball Competition

DT - Designing & Making a Moving Story Book

Olympic Champion Adrian Patrick Visit

World Book Day 2024

Geography Projects - The United Kingdom

Maths - Heights & Lengths (Measuring)

Oxford Science Museum Trip - Exploration Zone

Oxford Science Museum Trip - Young Explorers Workshop

Oxford Science Museum Trip - WOW to Wonder Show

Mental Health Awareness Week - Feb 2024

Art - Creating Storybooks with a moving character

Geography

This term in Topaz, we have been learning all about the weather in the UK. The children are really enjoying finding out about how the weather varies in different locations and using an atlas they have been identifying different locations around Great Britain. We recently made our own wind detectors so we could test how strong the wind is blowing. The children have also begun to use compasses in order to establish which direction the wind is travelling. We have been viewing the BBC weather map and keeping a weekly diary of our recent weather in Windsor. The children have made predications on what we expect the weather to be like next week. The children are really enthusastic - and many predicting snow!

Geography - Making Wind Detectors

Art - Experimenting and drawing with Charcoal

Art - Line drawing using chalk

Christmas Jumpers & Christmas Lunch

Christmas Craft Activities

Christmas Party Fun!

Reindeer Run for Thames Hospice

Christmas Stocking Artwork

Bethlehem Ballroom Christmas Play

Clay Tiles - Art & Design

Great Fire of London Projects

Maths - Subtraction

Remembrance Day Medals

Art - Experimenting and making different objects using clay.

Spooky Halloween Dress Up Day

Autumn Term 2023

What a super start to the term we have had in Topaz class with all children settling well. This term in Maths we have been learning about Place Value. We have been comparing and grouping numbers and recently moved on to addition and subtraction (finding two parts of the sum to create the whole number). We enjoy lots of practical maths work also creating shapes both 2D and 3D and making repeating patterns as well as using dominoes to create different numbers. In Literacy at the beginning of the term we created some poems using different seasons. We also looked at repeating poems and used London's Burning as our example. The children really enjoyed this and are really loving their learning about The Great Fire of London (Topic). We have been looking at how things were different back in 1666 compared to now. The children have asked lots of questions to further their understanding of how different London was back then. In Design Technology the children have been looking at 'Windmills' - how they work and then have designed, made and evaluated their own windmill using their designing, cutting and folding skills. (See pictures below). Science is proving to be very popular within Topaz class as the children are learning about Animal Safari, which includes all animals and their environments and habitats. The children are learning how different animals adapt to their environment around them and survive. They recently went on a 'bug hunt' and investigated microhabitats.

Topaz reading has been amazing so far this term and we have already achieved a 'mufti-day' as reward for all reading every night for 3 weeks. Please keep up this excellent reading as it really does make a big difference to the children's learning and love of books. Thank you to all the adults for their support with reading!