Cedar Class 2025 - 2026
Welcome to Cedar Class!
'Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it'
Proverbs 22:6
"The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon"
Psalm 29:5
A note from Miss Pinn
We are delighted to welcome you to our Class Page and hope it offers a helpful, informative and enjoyable glimpse into life in Cedar Class.
Children join us in Cedar Class as joyful, curious and inquisitive five-year-olds, full of wonder and beginning to grow in faith, kindness and love through their early experiences of Catholic education. By the time they leave us at the age of seven to begin their journey in Oak Class, they are confident, compassionate, resilient, independent and faith-filled young learners, ready to flourish in the next stage of their education.
CEDAR CLASS P.E. WILL TAKE PLACE EVERY MONDAY AND FRIDAY.
Children need to bring their PE kits to school on these days please.
Summer 2
Please see the tabs at the top of this page for must do homework, could do homework and key information for parents.
In Cedar, I ask that you aim to read at home with your child at least four times a week. This does not mean that every book needs to be read cover to cover three times per week. Here are a few things to note:
- Reading at home should be a pleasure, not a chore! If a book feels too tricky, tell Miss Pinn.
- A few pages is plenty! Do not feel pressured to read a whole book each time you sit together.
- Reading your book mrore than once is brilliant to support your child's fluency and comprehension.
- Ask lots of questions, this will help to develop your child’s comprehension! Use the colourful question mat to help you with this.
- Don’t forget to sign Reading Journals! Each signature is worth FIVE HOUSE POINTS!
Phonics
These are all of the sounds and their corresponding rhymes that your children will learn as part of their Year 1 journey. These sounds are the key to both reading and writing!
Look out for any of these sounds when you are reading and writing with your child at home and use the rhymes to help them form their letters or remember which 'special friends' work together to make a new sound. Please find all the sounds in the Parent Key Information Tab.
High Frequency and Common Exception Words
These are the words that children need to practice reading 'on sight'. This means that children need to see the words, recognise the shape and remember what it says. This is either because phonics rules cannot be applied to these words or because they appear so frequently that we want children to be able to recognise them quickly, to develop their fluency. Please see a copy of the Year 1 and 2 words in the Parent Key Information Tab.
Useful Websites
Phonics Screening Test | Monster Phonics
RE
In RE, we learned about Pentecost and the Holy Spirit. We explored the story of how the apostles experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit as a strong rushing wind and saw flames appear above their heads, after which they were able to speak in different languages. To help us understand this, we created our own fans and flame headbands to represent these powerful symbols.
We also explored how Pentecost is celebrated around the world, focusing on traditions in Rome and Germany. In Rome, we learned that thousands of rose petals are dropped through the roof of the Pantheon to symbolise the Holy Spirit. In Germany, Pentecost is known as the “Green Holiday,” where homes—and even cows—are decorated with greenery.
Inspired by these traditions, we designed and created our own Pentecost decorations, drawing on ideas from both Italian and German celebrations.
PHOTOS
English - Little Red
In English, pupils explored the text Little Red and chose one of three animals: the lynx, bear or wolf. Working collaboratively in groups, they first shared what they already knew about their chosen animal before carrying out further research to deepen their understanding.
Using their findings, the children then wrote a diary entry in role as their animal, describing what life was like in the “good old days,” as referenced in the book.
PHOTOS
World Book Day
In Cedar class, we absolutely love reading — and a bit of fancy dress too! From extreme reading adventures on the playground to amazing costumes, our children have been celebrating the joy of reading for pleasure and sharing stories with friends.
It was wonderful to see the children so engaged in their books, relaxing in the sunshine and enjoying reading together with their friends. The playground was filled with smiles, laughter and lots of enthusiastic readers, making it a lovely celebration of our love for books and stories.
PHOTOS
History - Toys
In History, we have been learning about toys. The children brought in their favourite toys from home and compared their features with toys from the past, exploring how they have changed over time.
To complete the unit, we created a classroom toy museum, showcasing historical toys and writing labels to describe the materials they may have been made from and how they would have worked. We especially enjoyed seeing a photograph of an old, straw-stuffed teddy bear shared by Amber and George’s family, who is 70 years old, and comparing it to modern-day teddies.
Science Week
British Science Week gave pupils the opportunity to explore and investigate through a range of practical, hands-on activities. The children enjoyed asking questions, testing ideas and developing their problem-solving skills while working collaboratively. We loved having the extended time to explore scientific questions in greater depth and encourage curiosity and creativity.
How Do Birds Build Their Nests?
Pupils became young engineers and ornithologists as they designed and built their own bird nests using natural materials. Working collaboratively, the children explored which materials would create the strongest and most weatherproof nests before testing their creations against wind and rain. This activity encouraged problem-solving, resilience and teamwork while helping pupils understand how birds protect their young.
What Does Great Teamwork Look Like?
Pupils took part in a teamwork challenge where groups recreated an image using one shared pen held with clothes pegs. The activity highlighted the importance of communication, cooperation and listening skills, helping children understand how collaboration plays an important role in STEAM learning.
PHOTOS
Why are we called Cedar Class?
We have looked in the Bible and found where Cedar trees are mentioned in the Bible.
Psalm 29:5:
"The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon."
We discussed the meaning of this passage not being literal but instead it is expressing how strong, powerful and important God is.
We then looked at some photos of Cedar trees and a branch from a real Cedar tree. We drew our own Cedar tree, mixed primary colours to make the correct shade of green and used forks to paint them. They will be going up on display in the hall so keep an eye out for your child's painting next time you're in school!
PHOTOS
English
Our text for English this half term is titled Look Up. So, it only seemed right that we started off by actually looking up! We decided to go around school and describe what we could see when we looked up, then we wrote about we had seen.
PHOTOS
PE - Outdoor Adventure Activities
We have loved our first PE unit! We've learnt the compass points: North, South, East and West and used these to follow the directions to find the pirate treasure. Everyone demonstrated great teamwork skills, well done Class 2.
PHOTOS
Please do not hesitate to approach me if you have any questions at all at our classroom door, by calling the school office on 01254812543 or by emailing parents@smrc.lancs.sch.uk.
God bless,
Miss Pinn