Trevithick Class Newsletter – January 2016
Welcome back! I hope you have had a lovely holiday and are ready for the busy term ahead.
SEAL: SEAL stands for Social and emotional aspects of Learning. Our theme for this half term is ‘Going for Goals’. Talk to your child about something they would like to achieve in school this term e.g. to write their name, to get changed independently etc. Discuss how they can work towards their goal.
Reading and Homework: All the children have a book to share with you and it is important that they read EVERY night. This term I will be changing their reading books once a week, however it is important that they bring their book-bag to school everyday. Please make a comment in your child’s reading record as this helps me assess their progress. During a recent ‘Reading record’ check it was noted that a significant number of children are not reading on a regular basis. It is important that all children practise their reading at home in order to make good progress. Please continue to read and learn the key words.
We are also going to learn about toys, machines and vehicles and read the book ‘The Snail and the Whale’. If you have an old toy please could we borrow it for our museum – we promise to look after it – thank you!
WOW Moments: Attached is a sheet for you to record observations of your child at home. It can be used to help build a picture of your child’s development or any other significant information you wish to share with us. I have included some previous ‘WOW moments’ so you can see what kind of information might be relevant.
‘Ollie used my lap top to write the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.’
‘Joe sang Cornish songs to his Daddy at home.’
‘Emily used a knife to butter her own toast this morning.’
‘Ben amazed us by riding his bike without stabilisers for the first time.’
We are also continuing to use the ‘Tapestry’ online Learning Journey please contribute to this and we will share their successes in class.
| Area of the Curriculum | Activities for home learning |
| Literacy
Big Books we will be sharing in class
Dogger by Shirley Hughes The Snail and the Whale (Julia Donaldson) |
Practise forming the letters and sounds u,l,f,b,ai,j correctly. Look for things around your home that begin/contain each sound. Encourage your child to write or draw a picture of the things they find. Play ‘eye spy’ using the sounds. Read other books by Julia Donaldson and Shirley Hughes. Ask a grandparent or family friend about their favourite toy – record what they say to share with the class. |
| Maths | Continue to practice addition and subtraction sums encouraging your child to use their fingers to work them out. Look around your home for 3d and 2d shapes – record how many of each shape you find. Play lots of board games which support the development of counting skills. Use a pack of cards to sort and sequence numbers etc. Use money to make different totals e.g. how many ways can you make 5p, 10p etc. |
Toys: As part of our topic on Toys we will be creating a museum of old toys. If you have an old toy please send it in. Tell your child about it (where you got it, how old it is etc) so that they can share this information with the class and write a simple label. I promise that all toys will be well looked after and returned to their owners at the end of the topic.
Phonics: The Letters and Sounds we are learning this half term are u, l, f b, ai, j. Practise forming these letters and recognising these sounds in reading books. As part of our continuing learning of phonics the children are expected to read nonsense words. We now have a ‘Silly word’ wall in the classroom to develop the children’s ability to blend and segment words. Any questions, please ask! We will be holding a Phonics workshop on Monday 25th January (3.30-4.30). Please come along to see why we teach phonics, the new approach to teaching letters and sounds and more information about the Y1 phonics screening.
HELPING YOUR CHILD TO LEARN
- Share books and read with your child every day.
- Get them to school on time.
- Encourage your child to be independent; dressing, toileting and eating
- Practise maths together (counting, recognising and writing numbers 0 – 20)
- Share the sounds your child has learnt each week.
- Contribute to your child’s learning journey. Use WOW Moments or update Tapestry.
- Discuss, explore and question with your child whilst out and about.
- Come along to school events like parents evenings. This lets you know what is going on and lets your child know that you are supporting them.
P.E: P.E will be on a Friday morning. It is essential that your child has a P.E kit (black shorts and white t-shirt). Please ensure that your child’s name is written clearly in all uniform.
Round Up: All offers of support for reading practise with the children in Trevithick Class would be gratefully received – please let me know if you are able to give up some of your time. A huge thank you to all the parents who have kindly volunteered already, your support is very much appreciated.
Important Dates:
Parents to lunch – Monday 18th Jan 11.45am
Phonics Workshop – 3.30 – 4.30pm
Parent’s Evening – Feb/March 2016 (dates to follow)
Key Worker Groups
| Nadia Lampier | Kerri Green | Lizzie White/Samuel Barnes |
| Sennen | Bodhi | Poppy |
| Henry | Essie | Ellie |
| Skye | Lebron | Aidan |
| Ethan | Sienna | Alfie |
| Isabel | Lauryn | Eli |
| Lexi | Meg | Willow |
| Ruby | Isla | Michael |
| Jack | Summer | James |
| Judah | Skylah | Logan |
| Cory | Gida | Jacob |
| Molly | Lowenna |
Please feel free to share information, concerns or ‘wow’ moments with your child’s key worker. All information gets passed onto me and enables me to plan a curriculum that is child centered based upon their needs and interests.
Thank you for your continued support,