Term 1 Letter Owls

Welcome to Owls class

Welcome to you all. I hope the children have enjoyed their first few days at school. The children have settled in, and I am looking forward to the exciting term ahead. Below, I have outlined some of the things that will be happening/ things that we will be learning over the coming term. Our learning also follows the children’s interests, and after the home visits I definitely have some more ideas of things we will be learning about throughout the year!

Owls Class Team

Mrs West (Monday – Wednesday AM )

Mrs Fessey (HLTA) (Thursday and Friday AM )

Mrs Milverton/Mrs Fessey (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday PM)

Mrs Moore(HLTA) /Leap Active sports coaches (Wednesday PM)

Our Learning this Term

During the first few weeks of school we will be focussing on supporting the children in their transition to school. We will be exploring the environment, learning our new routines and supporting them to develop positive relationships with each other and the staff who will be supporting them on their journey.

Physical Development: Learning how to stay safe and healthy at school

Developing our gross and fine motor skills by taking part in daily activities in order to build muscle strength in preparation for writing.

Communication and Language: Talking about ourselves and why we are special, using talk to organise our play and engaging in story time, rhymes and songs.

Literacy: We will be listening to and talking about a range of stories such as ‘The Colour Monster Starts School’ and ‘All are Welcome’ by Alexandra Penfold. We will be starting our phonics learning (more information below) and exploring lots of mark-making opportunities.

Expressive Arts and Design: We will be exploring mark making with crayons, pens and chalk and investigating the marks and patterns made by different textures. 

Maths: Maths and Me – we will be completing measuring and counting activities linked in with being 4 or 5. We will then begin our teaching and learning using the Mastery in Maths programme.

Understanding the World: We will be thinking about the role of the people in our school, including the teachers, the cook etc. We will be talking about who is in our family and be able to describe the people who are familiar to us. We will be thinking about ourselves and how we have changed over time.

 

Baseline Assessment

During these first few weeks I will be completing some baseline assessments to get a clear picture of the children as they enter St Andrew’s.  These assessments will be completed as part of the compulsory National Baseline Assessments set out by the DFE and will be used to help inform planning in our first term.

Outdoor Learning

Every week we will be going outside for some of our learning activities around the school site. If children are yet to bring in their own pair of welly boots, please bring in a pair of named welly boots that can stay in school.

Book Bags

Please make sure that book bags come to school with your child every day. This ensures your child’s reading book is in school every day so we can read with them as much as possible and change their books. Their phonics cards will also be put in the reading wallet provided.   

Water Bottles

Please ensure that a named water bottle is brought into school every day. These will be stored in the classroom and sent home at the end of each day. Only fill with water. No squash, juice or fizzy drinks please.

Milk and Fruit

Until they are 5, all children who want it will be offered a carton of milk each day. Once children turn 5, they no longer qualify for free milk.

All children are offered a snack mid-morning in the form of a piece of fresh fruit.

 PE

PE days will be on a Monday and Wednesday beginning when the children are full-time.  On these days, children can come to school wearing their PE kit.  PE Kit consists of:

 Plain black shorts/leggings/joggers; a plain white T-shirt or blue T-shirt with or without the school logo; a black plain sweat top or school sweat top or school fleece; daps or trainers (trainers are preferable as most PE activities will be outdoors).

Phonics and Reading

This term we will begin to introduce the children to the new phonics program from Fisher Family Trust, a complete Systematic Synthetic phonics programme validated by the DFE. To begin with, we will introduce children to 3–4 new sounds (phonemes) a week. Once children have been taught the first 2 sets of sounds, they will begin to bring home reading books that include the sounds that they have learnt in school. They will also bring home a laminated copy of the sound so they can practise recognising and writing the sound at home. To begin with, the children will also bring home a book with no words, to encourage the children to use the pictures to tell their own story.

Junk Modelling

Please can you help to stock up our junk modelling area? Please could you collect some recycling to bring into school at any time to top up our junk modelling box – tubes, cereal boxes, bottle tops etc.

Family Photos

Please could you send in a few photos of your family/pets etc. I am hoping to make a photo album of pictures for children to look at. It is a great conversation starter. I can photocopy the photos you send in or, if you can email them to me, then I am happy to print them out.

In the next few weeks we will also be looking at how we have changed. If you have a baby or toddler photo – please could you also send this in (it will be returned). Alternatively, please send an email with the photo to Jacqueline.west2@sgmail.org.uk

Thank you,

Mrs West