WELCOME TO GREEN SHOOTS (2024–25)
THE TEAM
Teachers
Mrs Lynette Howell
Mrs Sarah Woodcock
Teaching Assistants
Miss Leia Judd
Miss Rebecca Sullivan
Mrs Jo Ward
DROP OFF & COLLECTION
The team will be there to guide you on the first morning.
Drop Off
Between 8.00am and 8.25am at the Green Shoots white classroom door. Breakfast club drop off (separately bookable and payable) is from 7.30am at the dining hall. Children are taken from breakfast club to Green Shoots by a member of staff at 8.00am.
Collection
When collecting at 12.00pm or 1.00pm, please access the school via the red side gate on Chart Lane and wait by the wooden EY Play Area gate along the walkway. When collecting at 3.30pm or after, use any entrance to the school and then head to the Green Shoots classroom. Children with siblings can stay until 4.00pm in sibling late care. Extended day (separately bookable and payable) is available until 6.00pm daily and is located in the Kindergarten classrooms.
THE SCHOOL DAY
7.30 am Breakfast club (optional)
8.00 am Early care (optional) – held in Green Shoots and Kindergarten
8.25 am Bell rings and the morning session begins 12 noon Morning session ends
12.00 – 1.00 pm Lunch session
1.00 pm Afternoon session begins
3.30 pm
3.30 – 4.00 pm
3.30 – 6.00 pm
Afternoon session ends
Sibling late care provision (optional) – For Lower School pupils with siblings in Upper School
Extended day provision (optional)
ROUTINES
We will ask you to set a password that can be used if your child is being collected by someone we do not recognise.
The children can bring a special comforter or teddy at the beginning of their time in Green Shoots if they need to. It is best if other toys stay at home.
When you drop your child off in the mornings, we recommend a quick goodbye – ‘drop and go’ helps them to settle into the day more quickly.
If you need to access the school outside of drop off and collection times, please do so via the school’s main entrance and the office staff will be happy to help.
TO BE LEFT AT SCHOOL
The following items should be kept at school:
• Wellies
• Waterproof trousers
• Change of clothes in a drawstring bag
LUNCH
A hot meal is served in the Green Shoots classroom if your child stays for lunch. A three-week rolling menu is available to view on the Parent Portal and in the weekly Bulletin.
UNIFORM, BELONGINGS & SNACKS
WHAT TO WEAR
Our uniform suppliers can provide all items needed for Green Shoots but many things can also be purchased elsewhere, if preferred. From our uniform suppliers:
• Red sweatshirt with school logo
• Red striped summer dress
• Red RSM logo sun hat
• RSM logo drawstring bag (in House colours)
From anywhere:
• White short-sleeve polo shirt
Please remember tonameeverything!
• Cycling shorts (optional for under the summer dress)
• Waterproof jacket
• Navy jersey/cotton leggings/jogging bottoms (winter)
• Navy shorts (summer)
• Closed-toe shoes
WHAT TO BRING
Each day your child will need to bring a rucksack to carry:
• A named water bottle filled with still water.
• Snacks should be in a named small container (or two snack boxes if staying all day). Snacks should be fruit or snack bar/breadsticks – no chocolate or sweets and, as we are a nut-free school, no nuts or sesame (including houmous). Milk is provided free until the term your child turns five so do let us know if you do not want your child to have it.
• A hat – woolly hat in winter, sun hat in summer.
TOILETING & NAPS
If your child is in pull ups – please provide a packet with their name written on the packaging. Staff will ask you for more when they run out.
If in pants – we need several pairs of pants, socks, leggings, vests and tops in case of accidents. These should go in a drawstring bag and be left on their pegs during term time.
Naps – let us know if your child still has a nap and if so, for how long. We are very happy to settle them with their own blanket and/or dummy, if needed.
HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
The Home/School Communication Book is the best way to keep in touch with us on a day-to-day basis. You can let us know if your child has had a bad night or if there has been a change in routine at home. You can also use it to notify us of any changes to collection arrangements.
Of course, we are very happy to have a brief chat with you at drop off. If you would like to talk for longer, you can make an appointment via the school office. We have an open-door policy and always want you to feel you can talk to us if needed. Mrs Selkirk is also available by phone or in person.
The school office email is: office@reigatestmarys.org and phone number 01737 244 880.
A Parents’ Evening will take place in the Autumn and Spring terms when there will be an opportunity to talk formally to the Green Shoots team about your child’s progress. You will receive a written report in the Summer term.
Tapestry is an online record of your child’s experiences, development and learning journey at RSM. Teachers regularly upload photos and comments about your child’s growth and development which you can view online via a unique password.
GETTING GREEN SHOOTS READY
Some things to do in the summer holidays:
• Encourage toilet independence
• Familiarise with toilet/potty
• Encourage to tell parents when they have done a wee/poo in pull ups
• Wear pull ups and not nappies so they become used to pulling up and down for themselves
Things to practise:
• Taking off a coat and, if possible, putting it back on
• Washing and drying hands
• Taking off and putting on shoes (Velcro – no laces)
• Trying to wipe own nose
• Drinking from an open cup without spilling
• Saying please and thank you
• Sharing – encourage to take turns at board games
• Sitting down at a table when eating
• Feeding themselves using a spoon and fork or knife and fork
• Walking, not being carried (so they can walk across the playground themselves)
• Carrying their own rucksack
• Walking up and down stairs, holding a rail
“Talk with them about rhymes, stories, numbers and shapes within everyday experiences.”
TOPICS
Each term there are exciting topics:
AUTUMN TERM – Sing a Rainbow SPRING TERM – It is good to be me – ourselves, our homes, our families and family celebrations SUMMER TERM – Jolly Journeys/Beside the Seaside
The teachers often talk to the children about the characteristics of effective learning as part of the Growth Mindset approach:
• Have-a-go Hippo – Showing a ‘can-do’ attitude even if the activity is tricky. Persevering and not being put off by the fear of failure.
• Busy Bee – Focusing on an activity without being distracted. Choosing activities independently depending on interests and fascinations.
• Choosing Chimp – Making choices and deciding independently how to approach a new activity. Thinking of different ways of doing things when faced with a challenge.
USEFUL INFORMATION
THE PARENT PORTAL – Curriculum jigsaw maps, Lower School weekly sheets, menus and school reports are uploaded here. It can be accessed via the school website and new parents receive a log-in before the beginning of term.
THE WEEKLY BULLETIN – This is in the form of an email and has a message from the Headmaster, a round-up of school news from the previous week and school notices. It is issued each week during term time. You will automatically receive this when you join.
PRINTED CALENDAR – You will receive a copy in your child’s bag in the first week of term.
VIRTUAL YEAR GROUP UPDATES – Once a term there will be a collective update from class teachers and members of the senior leadership team. This will take place via Microsoft Teams and provides an opportunity for teachers to talk about the children’s learning and activities and for parents to ask general questions.
INFORMATION EVENINGS – We run a Curriculum Evening early in the Autumn term and Mrs Selkirk runs phonics sessions throughout the year.
THE SCHOOL WEBSITE www.reigatestmarys.org
SCHOOLSBUDDY APP
Has details and takes bookings for:
• Breakfast club and after-school care
• Events
• Holiday clubs run by Reigate St Mary’s Details and a log-in will be sent to you during the summer holidays.
FAMILY
EVENTS
We hope to see you at our family events throughout the year. These include:
• A Christmas Singalong
• Grandparents’ Morning
• Family Breakfast
• An Open Classroom
• Sports Event and Teddy Bears’ Picnic
SOCIAL MEDIA – Follow the school’s Instagram and Facebook accounts to see lots of the fun activities that take place on a day-to-day basis. ReigateStMarys rsmprepschool
FOSMA EVENTS
Please keep an eye on the Bulletin
