Class newsletters autumn 2015

Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to Reception and a new and exciting year of learning. We want your child’s first experience of full time school to be an enjoyable and rewarding one and this first half term is vitally important in achieving this aim. We have been really pleased with how well the children have settled into school and we have enjoyed getting to know them over the past couple of weeks.

This term our topics will be ‘Ourselves’, ‘Autumn’ and ‘Festivals’. The children will be looking at how they have changed since being a baby, making self-portraits, sequencing events and talking about their families; looking at the changes Autumn brings, exploring colour and texture, Bonfire Night and other celebrations. Children are always welcome to bring items from home that will fit with our current topic to share with the class.

PE will be on a Wednesday morning. Please make sure that you have a named PE kit in school. These get sent home each half term for a wash and need to be returned the first week after a break.

In the coming weeks the children will all have a school reading book which we will change twice a week on a Monday and Thursday. However please make sure book bags come into school daily for us to send home any letters or messages (any letters being returned to school should be unpacked in the morning and placed in the yellow basket). They will also be bringing home their home/school communication book to record any exciting events, activities and information from home.

As we will be using our newly extended outside area, which Mr Suggett has worked hard on over the summer (a huge thanks to him and Miss Brown for this) we will be out as much as possible. As the weather is never predictable, please send your child to school with a waterproof coat each day. You will begin to see this area take its shape over the next term as we are developing it. Please keep your eyes open for requests for any resources you can help us with from home.

In Reception, like the rest of the school, we will be following the Golden Rules and we have sent home a copy of these rules for you to share with your child. We will be encouraging the development of these rules daily through all our activities helping your child become a well-rounded, confident individual who is able to work well with peers, in small groups and as part of a team. To celebrate your child’s good behaviour and academic successes children can now earn class dojo points. You will have already received a letter regarding these and how you can go online to celebrate your child’s achievements with them.

On a Friday afternoon we will be introducing our new creative enrichment afternoon (which we will be piloting for the rest of the school). This time was previously known as Golden Time. This will involve the whole class working together or as two smaller groups, taking part in a range of new and exciting activities. These are designed to celebrate and build on your child’s EYFS learning, and will develop the important skills of teamwork, practical problem solving, investigation, creative thinking, exploring and making, and understanding our world.

Our Friday Creative Enrichment afternoons will allow us to focus on one of these specific areas and extend them further by building upon the children’s own excitement and any interests they have shown during the week or topic. We will send out further information in a separate letter nearer the time.

Please do not hesitate to talk to us about any concerns you may have and/or further information you think we may need to know from home.

We look forward to working together with you over the coming year, Many thanks, Miss Gower-Jones, Mrs Rourke and Mrs Chillingworth

Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) At school…

This term we will be focusing on providing a smooth start to school life. We will be encouraging the children to become confident within school routines and activities. We will be developing our own class rules and learning to successfully work and communicate within a classroom environment. We will also be supporting the children to develop their friendships and their own self-confidence within class. We will be talking about ourselves, talking about what we are good at and setting personal goals.

At home…

Children can practise a skill they are good at e.g. throwing a ball, singing a song or tying shoelaces and record it together in their home school book as text, a picture or photograph or video clip to send into school.

Literacy At school…

At home…

Maths At School…

We will use practical games and activities to promote counting skills, the recognition of numbers and adding and subtracting. We will also be describing and naming shapes, sorting objects and creating patterns.

At home…

Count objects e.g. plates on the table, cars in your street and stairs up to bed etc. Encourage children to use money in shops. Look for numbers and shapes and help children name them. Share number nursery rhymes. Encourage your child to access the VLE educational games and activities on the Recep-

Throughout this term we will be developing the children’s confidence to speak clearly and listen well in small groups, large groups and whole class sessions. We will be talking about ourselves, our families and describing events.

We will be building our vocabulary to describe interesting objects and artefacts.

At home…

Children can choose a picture, photograph or object to bring into school to share with the

Understanding of the World At school…

This term we will be exploring a variety of fiction and non-fiction books (information books) based on our different topics. We will also be looking at rhyming words and will be playing a variety of rhyming games. We will be sharing books, practising our letter sounds and writing a range of different things including lists, labels, letters, stories and fact files.

Children can share their school reading book as well as library books and stories from home with an adult. Encourage children to practise their letter sounds and add any new developments and successes to the home school book. Play I spy games using letter sounds. Encourage your child

Communication and Language (C&L) At school…

Reception Autumn Term 2015

We will be looking at changes in ourselves and the environment around us.

We will discover how we have changed since being a baby and changes occurring at autumn. We will be investigating our senses and how they help us. We will be looking at Birthday celebrations and celebrations from other cultures and religions. We will be using I Pads and cameras to capture our experiences.

At home…

Children can collect photographs of themselves and family members to discover how they have changed. Collect images and ob-

Expressive Arts and Design At School…

Your child’s creative development is very much part of everyday activities within our topic. The children are encouraged to sing and create music frequently. We offer the children as many different creative experiences as possible- both working with an adult and on their own. We will be using paint, collage and pastels to create Autumn pictures as well as a range of textures and scented materials to create ‘feely’ and ‘smelly’ pictures. We will be exploring the sounds of instruments and singing songs.

Physical Development (PD) At school..

We will be using a range of equipment including scissors, paintbrushes and pencils. We will be moving and travelling in different ways and throwing and catching. We will also be learning about our bodies and about the importance of exercise and healthy eating.

At home…

Children can practise holding their pencil correctly, use scissors to cut paper

Dear Parents and Carers, We trust you all had a lovely summer break and we wish to welcome you to Year 1. Year 1 is action packed with many exciting and interesting activities and the Autumn term is no exception.

In Literacy this term we will be starting with a non-fiction focus on labels, lists and captions. We will then move on to reading and writing stories with familiar settings. There will be a continuing focus on writing sentences and using phonetic strategies to read and write unfamiliar words. Later on in the term we will be focusing on poetry, where the children will be reading and writing poems about their senses. The children will also take part in weekly guided reading sessions, as well as daily phonics lessons.

In Numeracy, counting skills are ongoing from Reception. The children will then develop their understanding of addition and subtraction and number bonds to 10 and 20. Shape and space, weight, handling data and time are our main practical mathematical activities. Please continue to practise number work at home with your child on a regular basis.

Our Creative Learning Journey for the Autumn Term will be Marvellous Me. In Science the children will be learning all about their senses, their bodies and what people need to stay alive. Music and Art have many stimulating and creative activities in store for the children, including drawing self-portraits and making 3D sculptures using clay.

The children will be involved in Dance, Gymnastics and Games in P.E. Full P.E. kits are needed in school on Monday and Wednesday. Reading books will be changed weekly, however, there is a basket in which your child can put their reading record book if they need it changing more frequently. Listening to your child read regularly is vitally important, as is signing their reading record to say that they have read their book.

If your child has something particularly exciting that they would like to share with the class, we will be doing Show and Tell on Monday. This may be special family news, Photos/souvenirs from an exciting day out or event. Certificates of achievements from swimming lessons etc. can be brought into school for presentation in the Celebration Assembly on Friday.

Children are allowed to bring a toy into school on a Friday for Golden Time, however, please ensure it is clearly marked with their name. Please do not allow your child to bring a toy that is very precious to them or has lots of small parts.

If you have any concerns or worries about this year or your child, please do not hesitate to come and have a chat with us in the morning or after school. The classroom door is always open!

Mrs Morgan and Mrs Shepherd

Dear Parents/Carers

Welcome back to school for Year 2 and I hope that you all had an enjoyable summer holiday.

You’ll be pleased to know that the children have returned with a positive attitude and are looking forward to an exciting year ahead.

Our Creative Learning Journey this half term is “Dangerous Dinosaurs.” We shall be linking this to our Literacy work and fact finding about the different creatures. Our role play area is being developed as a Dinosaur Museum. We will also be further developing their phonic, spelling, vocabulary and speaking and listening skills. As part of their learning, we are now introducing the correct grammatical terminology which includes, nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs.

Number skills will always include a mix of number, place value, addition and subtraction skills.

In other areas of maths, they will also be focusing on shape, space and measure. It is important that your child practises these topics at home whenever possible by accessing the Mathletics activities.

The children will read in a guided reading group once a week. Please continue to read at home with your child every evening for 10 minutes, asking questions about the text to help them to develop their understanding. Their own reading books will be changed weekly. Please sign their reading record to say that they have read their book.

Spellings and Homework will be given out on a Wednesday. Homework must be returned on the following Monday and will usually be a piece of work linked to the work we have been doing in class or may be some activities on Mathletics. The spellings will be tested the following week.

Please ensure that your child has a full P.E. kit in school at all times, with a set of warmer clothing, (joggers and a top) for colder days when we do outdoor games.—our P.E. days are Wednesday and Friday. Children are not allowed to wear jewellery during P.E. and earings must be removed or covered with plasters or medical tape.

Should you have any queries or questions, then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your kind support.

Mrs Vernon

Autumn Term - Year 3 Dear Parents,

I hope that you have had an enjoyable summer holiday and welcome back to an exciting, action packed new year. You’ll be pleased to know that all the children have settled into the juniors quickly and are looking forward to what’s in store this term.

Our topic this term is based around the question ‘What lies

beneath?’ We will

research different creatures under the sea as well as creating our own in DT. Later in the term, we will be finding out about the Titanic. In science we will be learning about food chains and carrying out a range of experiments linked to the floating and sinking. In History we will learn about why the Titanic sank. Art, Music and P.E prove to be very interesting this term with some creative work in store. In R.E. we will be learning all about Harvest.

All of our Literacy this term will based around the under the sea theme, including writing traditional tales set under the sea. There will be opportunities to write in different genres, including fiction and non-fiction. There will also be activities that will develop speaking and listening, grammar, spelling and vocabulary skills.

Developing our understanding of place value is our main focus of the first half term, including investigating the properties of number. Later in the term we will be developing our written and

mental methods for addition and subtraction. Through problem solving and

open ended investigations we will be developing our breadth of understanding in these areas.

P.E will involve Games, Dance, Gymnastics and Drama. Full P.E kits must be in school on Thursdays and Fridays. Please remember that no jewellery must be worn during P.E. If your child is asthmatic and needs an inhaler in school please let me know.

Throughout the year we will be developing the children’s reading skills. It is still very important that you continue to listen to your child read every night. Please sign in your child’s Reading Record Book when they have completed their book. Books will be changed on a Tuesday and Thursday. Children will also have the opportunity to take a library book home.

Spellings and times tables will be given out on a Friday and need to be learnt for the following Thursday. Homework will also be given out on a Friday and needs to be returned on the Monday for marking. There will also be a Maths homework sent home on a Tuesday, which needs to be completed by Thursday. Year 3 will begin swimming lessons in the summer term. Any earrings will have to be removed, so therefore please avoid getting your child’s ears pierced near the time.

If you have any concerns or worries about your child please do not hesitate to contact myself or Mrs Hargreaves before or after school.

Thank you for your continued support.

Miss Allen and Mrs Hargreaves

Welcome to Year 4

Dear Parents and Carers, I hope you have all had an enjoyable summer and that everyone is looking forward to an exciting new term in Year 4.

‘What lies beneath?’

This half term our Creative Learning Journey topic is focused on the oceans of the world. We will be learning about food chains and webs, making a magnetic fishing game and creating some under the sea artwork. In science we will be planning and carrying out an investigation linked to our work about the Titanic. In RE, we will be learning about the Harvest festival.

Numeracy

To begin Year 4 we will focus on number and place value. We will then move on to calculations, using both mental and written methods for the four number operations. Towards the end of the term we will begin working on shape and measure.

PE Arrangements Children will need their P.E. kits in school every Monday for their lesson in school.

Please remember children are not to wear earrings for PE and please make sure everything is named so that things don't get lost. We cannot return items unless we have a name and it makes it so much easier for your child to collect their belongings.

A separate letter has been sent home about swimming arrangements, but please ensure their swimming kit is in school on a Thursday.

Homework Arrangements Children will be set Numeracy and Literacy homework each week. Numeracy will be given out on a Tuesday and due back on a Thursday. Literacy will be given out on a Friday and due back on a Monday.

Spellings and Times Tables will be handed out on a Friday to be tested on a Thursday.

Reading Children will be heard during Guided Reading each week. Children should continue to read at home to enable them to progress through the reading scheme. Reading books will be changed any day during the week. If your child has finished their book, please sign their reading record so that it can be changed.

If you have any concerns or want to pass on any information to me please don’t hesitate to contact me before or after school!

Thank you for your continued support, Yours sincerely, Mrs Clayton-Brown and Mrs Hargreaves

Dear Parents and Carers, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to you and your child as they enter Upper Key Stage Two! This letter will identify several ‘housekeeping’ issues, outline some of the areas of learning as well as identifying ways in which you can help support your child’s learning and accelerate their progress.

Our topic for the term is ‘The Amazing Adventures of Adolphus Tips’, providing us with an interesting lead in to World War II. This will be delivered in a cross-curricular style incorporating literacy, science, maths, art and music. Children would benefit from reading any books you have on World War Two, visiting the library, talking to relatives who may have experienced the war or using the internet to further their knowledge and understanding.

P.E. will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Please keep kit in school at all times). Children should be able to remove any earrings they may have and hair must be tied back at all times. Please feel free to send a track suit or similar for the cold months ahead, in addition to the Bolshaw P.E. T-shirt.

Within PSHE (personal, social and health education) and SEAL (social and emotional aspects of learning) we will focus on new beginnings. We will also be looking at developing a ‘growth mindset’ in order to develop perseverance, resilience and a ‘can do’ attitude.

A homework timetable is being sent home with this letter, glued into the front of the purple homework books. All children will also have their own homework diary, to help them organise their time, in addition to a reading record which should be signed/ initialled ideally each day, but at least weekly, to show that children have read at home. Even though children are generally fluent readers by Year Five, it is still of great benefit if they can read to you regularly, to discuss plot development and characters as well as to discuss new vocabulary. Homework may at times be set on the VLE so please let me know if this causes any difficulties. Please keep an eye on Mathletics –passwords have recently been reissued to the children - in order that children keep on top of tasks that have been set. This is also an excellent tool for developing mental dexterity within maths, by playing online, even if all teacher set tasks have been completed.

If all children could bring in water bottles with safety lids that can be kept on the table, this does help minimise disruption to lessons.

Class Dojo is up and running! If you have not already done so, please sign up for weekly emails reporting on your child’s points. Please let me know if you require another copy of the parent sign in sheet. This will be used as the main communication tool between home and school as it is extremely straightforward to access If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to speak to me on the playground, at the upcoming drop in or at Parent and Carers’ Evenings, dates of which can be found on the latest school newsletter.

Year Five is a crucial year in your child’s education and we will endeavour to work in partnership you to make it as stimulating, challenging and enjoyable as possible for your child. Thank you for your continued support.

Yours faithfully, Miss H. Thackeray

Dear Parents and Carers, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to you and your child as they enter their final year of primary school!

This is a crucial year for your child and I look forward to working with you to making it as successful as possible, as well as creating many special memories, over the next year.

Communication between home and school this year is particularly important. To that end, I am available on Class Dojo, (please see the accompanying letter) as well as being on the playground near the gate, each morning. Also, please follow the Class Story on Class Dojo for an insight into life in the Year Six classroom. Thank you to those of you who are already viewing this regularly and ‘liking’ what you see!

Our topic for the term is ‘The Amazing Adventures of Adolphus Tips’, providing us with an interesting lead in to World War II. This will be delivered in a cross-curricular style incorporating literacy, science, maths, art and music.

Children would benefit from reading any books you have on World War Two, visiting the library, talking to relatives who may have experienced the war or using the internet to further their knowledge and understanding. We also have an upcoming trip to the Imperial War Museum on the 24th September – a letter will follow shortly.

P.E. will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays/Fridays. (Please keep kit in school at all times). Children should be able to remove any earrings they may have and hair must be tied back at all times. Please feel free to send a track suit or similar for the cold months ahead, in addition to the Bolshaw P.E. T-shirt.

Within PSHE (personal, social and health education) and SEAL (social and emotional aspects of learning) we will focus on new beginnings. We will also be looking at further developing the children’s growth mindset as this has already had a positive effect on their attitude to learning.

A homework timetable is being sent home with this letter, glued into the front of the purple homework books. All children will also have their own homework diary, to help them organise their time, in addition to a reading record which should be signed/ initialled ideally each day, but at least weekly, to show that children have read at home.

Even though children are generally fluent readers by Year Six, it is still of great benefit if they can read to you regularly, to discuss plot development and characters as well as to discuss new vocabulary. Homework may at times be set on the VLE so please let me know if this causes any difficulties. Please keep an eye on Mathletics –passwords can be reissued to the children if necessary - in order that children keep on top of tasks that have been set. This is also an excellent tool for developing mental dexterity within maths, by playing online, even if all teacher set tasks have been completed.

If all children could bring in water bottles with safety lids that can be kept on the table, this does help minimise disruption to lessons.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to speak to me on the playground, at the upcoming drop in or at Parent and Carers’ Evenings, the dates of which can be found on the latest school newsletter.

Year Six is a crucial year in your child’s education and we will endeavour to work in partnership you to make it as stimulating, challenging and enjoyable as possible for your child. Thank you for your continued support.

Yours faithfully, Mrs G. Walsh