Spring 2nd  2024

Dear Parents and Carers, 

This half term our topic is Dinosaurs. We will continue our learning through the use of non-fiction texts about lots of different dinosaurs. Including the T-Rex, Triceratops and Pterodactyl, amongst others. We will look at their features and compare them to each other. Moving on from that we will look at a series of fiction books including Dylan’s Amazing Dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Drip and A Dinosaur Called Tiny and Dinosaurs’ Day Out.
We will be creating our own dinosaur using clay, then glazing and firing it in the kiln. Of course, we will need to name them too!
The children are doing very well with their phonics homework and I appreciate your continued support with this, alongside their reading. We are well underway now to securing our phase 3 sounds and it is great to see their confidence grow as they are beginning to apply their knowledge of sounds in both reading and writing.
In maths the children are continuing to enjoy the challenges White Rose provides them with. We will continue to find number bonds, consider what one more is and one less as well as halving numbers and doubling numbers. Our theme this half term is titled ‘Building 9 and 10’ (Please look at the White Rose link to see more). We will be using language relating to addition and subtraction as well as jumping along our number lines. In our environment we will be looking at shapes, similarities and differences around us, and times of the day.
We are now all able to write each letter of the alphabet (as well as every diagraph and trigraph) with growing confidence, starting on the line and thinking carefully about the size and formation.
In PHONICS these are the letters / sounds (in technical terms graphemes and phonemes!) we will be learning this half term. Follow the link to Little Wandle to learn more….

For parents | Letters and Sounds (littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk)
Remember to help your child with our wonderful cursive handwriting style too!  Always starting on the line…..!
As always, please send your child with a small, named snack that they can eat at morning play time, along with a water bottle that they will have access to throughout the day. School lunch menus will be sent out throughout the year as choices change. Please choose a dinner button in the morning from outside the classroom. This will tell us what your child will have to eat that day.
I am looking forward to the next half term and the adventures, successes and experiences it’ll bring. I will ensure that your child continues to flourish and reach their full potential.  Rest assured that myself and the team are always on hand to answer any questions, or simply to provide that reassurance you may need.
Things to remember.……….
Reading books are changed each week, on the same day (your child’s book will have a sticker on indicating their reading day). Please record in the homework diary each time your child reads – a signature will suffice if you do not wish to write a comment. If books haven’t been read, we will not change them. Please, aim to read every day with your child (and read each book several times), it is the biggest and most valuable thing you can do to support their academic development at this stage.
Library Books will be changed every Monday (these books are for you to read to your child)
Free Choice reading books will be outside class every day at drop off and pick up, for you to swap as often as you and your child please.
Homework books are collected every Wednesday (a box for collection is left outside Reception door in the morning). Homework is marked and a new piece is given and sent home the next day – Thursday.
PE and Welly Walk are on a Friday with Mrs Bailey and Mrs Rowley – wellies stay in school on the welly stand outside Rec door. PE kits stay in school and are sent home every term to be washed. (No outdoor kits needed for Rec yet! I will let you know later on in the year if and when Mrs Bailey would like trainers brought in)
The children are also allocated a house group. Red Birtles team, Yellow Chelford team, Blue Henbury team and  Green Alderley team. Siblings throughout the school will be in the same house. Children work collaboratively throughout the week to earn house points for good effort, kindness to others etc. They put a coloured plastic counter in the ‘house point box’ when they have gained a ‘point’. The winning house at the end of each week will be announced in Friday’s whole school assembly. A running total is also kept, with the final house winners receiving their coloured ribbons on the trophy!
Celebration Assembly– every Friday. Children can bring in any awards they achieved outside of school. (Only on a Friday.) For example – Rainbows, Beavers, swimming, dance, football etc… These will be awarded to your child by Mrs Edwards during whole school assembly, your child will bring their certificate/medal/trophy home again on Friday.
Parent Helpers– parents and grandparents are always HUGELY appreciated here in Reception. If you’d like to come in and help on an ad-hoc basis or routinely for as little or long as you want, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thank you for your continued support.

Mrs A. Byrne.

Reception Class Teacher

 

 

 


 

Meet the Team