Letter formation guide
When teaching the children a new sound, we sing a ditty to support their letter formation. You can use the Letter Formation guide for support when writing with your child at home. This guide is also useful for supporting your child to write their name.
For example:
- s – slither down the snake.
- a – around the apple and down the leaf.
- t – down the tower, across the tower.
Scholes Library Visit
Yesterday, we visited Scholes library. The children chose a book each which is due back after half term. Look out for a message from us to remind you.
We would like to say a tremendous (our word of the week) thank you to the parents and grandparents that helped us walk to the library.
Reading meeting
Thank you to those who came to the reading meeting yesterday. We hope you found the evening informative and have lots of ideas on how to be involved in your child’s reading journey. When teaching phonics we teach the children the pure sounds e.g. ‘sss’ not ‘suh’.
If you didn’t attend the meeting, your child will be bringing their reading book home tonight. It’s in a reading wallet which your child needs to bring to school every day. Please keep your child’s reading wallet separate to your child’s book bag. Your child will be expected to put the reading wallet in a box (just like their book bags) every morning. The contents expected to be bought into school everyday are labelled on the wallet.
Most importantly – have fun reading!
What are these bricks my child keeps talking about?
This week, we’ve introduced your child to challenges. Challenging activities are around the classroom for your child to complete to earn a brick. The aim is to get a tower of bricks taller than five. Challenges include the learning we’re focusing on throughout the week – for example, writing our name. Ask your child what challenges they’ve done this week.
We talked about who had more and who had fewer bricks. If your child’s tower was more than five, your child will come home with a certificate!
Exploring Autumn
Last week, the children began to collect conkers and we have been using them in the classroom to support our learning.
This inspired us to go on an Autumn walk around school looking for signs of Autumn. The children noticed the leaves on the trees were beginning to change colour and some have already started to fall from the trees. We have apple, pear and horse chestnut trees in our foundation garden where we have observed the apples, pears and conkers growing and falling from the trees. We also found blackberries growing on a bush. We talked about the weather and how it is starting to change for Autumn.
- “It’s really windy and cold.”
- “When it’s winter, flowers die because it’s really cold and there’s no sun. Then when it’s summer they come back to life.”
The children learnt a song about Autumn (sung to the tune of ‘London Bridge is Falling Down’)
Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down. Autumn leaves are falling down, see them falling.
Yellow, orange, red and brown, red and brown, red and brown. Yellow, orange, red and brown, see them falling.
Home – link:
Please fill a bag with Autumn treasures that you and your child can collect together. This could be from your local park or woods and can include colourful leaves, conkers, pine cones or anything else relating to Autumn. Please bring your Autumn treasure into school to share with us.
Junk modelling request
The children love to make models out of recyclable materials. It’s a great opportunity for them to be creative and use their imagination.
Please can you collect and bring in any recyclable materials for our junk modelling area.
Library and PE
Today, we went to the school library for the first time. We’ll be visiting the library every Wednesday. Your child will be issued with a book which needs to be returned every week. If your child wishes to keep the book for longer, that’s fine, but please note that a new book will not be issued without the return of the old one. If your child loses their school library book, we’ll ask for a donation towards replacing this book.
We’ve also had our first PE lesson. This half term your child will not be getting changed for PE. They’ll be talking their socks/tights and shoes off for PE in the hall. To help your child with this please practise at home.
A fantastic start to school!
We have had an exciting few days welcoming everyone on their first few days of school!
We are very proud of how the Foundation 2 children have settled in and adapted to all the changes in their lives. They have been learning how to listen in larger groups, take turns and have formed new friendships and relationships with adults. Their independence and confidence is increasing on a daily basis!
They have been exploring all the new areas, activities, toys and resources in Foundation 2. We are following the children’s interests and adapting our provision accordingly. This has included pirates, dolls, cars and dinosaurs so far. Please let us know if your children have any particular interests that we can share at school too.
You can add to ‘our interests’ board any interests your child may have. We will use this information to plan for your child’s classroom environment. We love to read their favourite stories, so if they would like to bring in a book to share, they are more than welcome.
Photo time!
On Monday, a photographer will be taking class photos for the Yorkshire Evening Post.
A letter will be sent home with the opportunity to pre-order the newspaper.
Welcome to Foundation!
We’ve been very busy getting the classroom and outdoor environment ready today. We’re excited for your child to see their new classroom environment in the next few weeks.
Miss Morris (Foundation 1) has been busy gardening and digging up some vegetables we have grown.
Mrs Beesley (Foundation 1) has been busy in the water area!
Mrs Long (Foundation 1) has been on the bikes!
Miss Backhouse (Foundation 1) has been with the dinosaurs!
Mrs Myers (Foundation 2) has been working hard trimming the den!
Mrs Flynn (Foundation 2) and Toffee have been on the slide!
Miss Daniels (Foundation 2) has been digging in the sand tray!
Miss Eckersley (Foundation 2) and Treacle have been busy in the mud kitchen!
We’re looking forward to welcoming some children into Foundation 2 tomorrow.