Maple Class Autumn Newsletter 2019
Firstly I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all and I hope the settling in process for you and your child is comfortable and worry free.
Over the course of the first two weeks we will be focussing on settling your child in, supporting your child in building relationships with peers and gathering observational evidence to enable us to build an accurate and up to date baseline of your child’s development.
We will be encouraging children to investigate both indoors and outdoors as they play and it would be best advice to ensure your child has a jacket and cap with them each day to enable this, whatever the weather throws at us.
Your child will bring home a book to share with you over the next two weeks. Although some of these books may contain text it is intended that your child is not encouraged to focus on that at this stage. Please look at the book together and encourage your child to talk about what they think is happening using the pictures as prompts. You can then question your child, encouraging them to find the answers in the pictures. The yellow reading record book is intended to be used to record how your child has got on with the book.
Children will be taking part in Monster Phonics activities each morning and coming together again for maths and literacy activities, as well as having lots of opportunities to play. Each week we will send home a letter explaining the phonics learning, which also offers advice about how to assist your child in remembering and learning these new sounds. They will also bring home things that they have made in phonics during the week. Each child will have a Monster Phonics wallet in their bag. Books will also be sent home along with a reading record book. Please write down the date when you let your child read to you and a short comment detailing how they got on is useful. Books will be changed when completed.
May I remind you that there is a choice of fruit available each day, free of charge, and so we will assist your child with finding something they like or indeed trying something new. Children also have access to a water fountain at all times. Children do not need a flask of water. At lunch we provide water to all children, including children with a packed lunch.
If your child is not eligible for free school milk (if they have turned five years of age) this can also be purchased. Application forms were in the home pack which was given to you before the summer and are also available from the office and payment and paperwork are sent directly to the dairy by you. Please note that the week that your child turns five years old the free milk stops.
Your child’s progress will be recorded from their very first day in school on an electronic learning journal called Tapestry. This will be updated each time a new observation is carried out. Parents have access to the system and can also add their own comments and observations from home. I have emailed activation codes to all parents of new children in order for you to access and begin to use the system. If you experience any difficulties or have not received the activation code , please look first in your junk mail and then contact Mrs Spencer or Mrs Brown.
Please can I ask that you do not give your child items such as toys or books from home to bring into school unless this has been arranged as part of a show and tell activity, in which case you will have been notified by text.
Unless notified otherwise, every Wednesday after school, there will be a drop in session which you can sign up for if you wish to discuss your child’s progress and development. There will be four slots available every week and the form to sign up for a session is located on the notice board to your right immediately inside the Maple class side door entry. If you require assistance locating the board, please ask a member of staff.
We also hold a reading café once a term for parents to join the children and enjoy books and reading together. Refreshments and biscuits are available and there are opportunities to listen to children reading, learn about the phonics programme, share books with the children and listen to the class story.
The dates for these events are as follows:
24th September 2019
19th November 2019
28th January 2020
10th March 2020
19th May 2020
30th June 2020
Each café session begins at 2.15 and runs until the end of the school day.
Lastly, can you please ensure that your child brings in their green reading bag every day. We will place items for home in this bag such as letters, books and your child’s pictures and work. If school books are lost at home there will be a replacement fee charged of £5.00.
If you have any questions or queries about this letter please call in to the office or see Mrs Spencer at the end of the day for clarification.