Duckling Newsletter 11/9/15

Friday 11th September 2015 Welcome to the Ducklings!

This is our fortnightly newsletter about life in our class.

It is our main form of communication about life in the Ducklings and all you need to know. We will pass on information about homework, learning in class, trips, dates to remember and anything else we feel you need to know.

PLEASE, PLEASE take time to read it and find out about everything we do.

The newsletter will be emailed out to you, unless you have specifically asked to receive a paper copy. A text will be sent to you each time a newsletter has been sent to you.

Please inform us if you are having trouble receiving or reading the emails. Thank you.

We will also pass on day to day information informally at “Meet and Greet” and “Goodbye” time when you drop off and pick up your children. This is also a time for you to let us know of anything that you feel is important.

Our Week Hurray! We have all completed our first full week at big school. Haven’t we done well?

We are all extremely proud of how settled they all are. Everyone is very happy during the day and making friends and finding out about our new routines.

We are all doing really well with putting our belongings in the right places and making sure we read our names on our things.

At lunch and snack times the children are practising washing their hands, lining up and using their manners. We insist on the children using please, thank you and asking to leave the table. Maybe some of them are trying this at home too?

Our Teachers Mrs Catterall and Mrs Lees have some time out of class each week to plan, prepare and assess. Mrs Lees will be out of class each Tuesday morning and Mrs Wills will teach the Green Ducklings. Mrs Catterall will be out of class on Wednesdays and Mr Vaughan will teach the Yellow Ducklings. Both classes have met these teachers this week.

Our Learning We are “Getting to know each other and our Class”.

We are learning each other’s names and how to recognise, read and write our own names.

Everyone has been choosing to learn in all the different areas around the classroom and playground and learning how to tidy up and put away the resources carefully. We use our tidy up music to remind us what time it is. We are learning how to be independent by putting our own things away, collecting our belongings at the end of the day, tidying away resources, clearing our snack things, keeping our baskets tidy, buttering our toast, using our knives, forks and spoons at lunchtime and putting on our own coats, puddle suits, shoes and wellies. This will be ongoing throughout the year but perhaps you could help by encouraging your child to do things for themselves at home too.

An independent child is an independent learner!

Talk Homework Clap, stamp or tap your name or the names of members of your family.

Practise reading and writing your name and find other words that start with that letter.

Practise counting objects at home; toys, books, plates, stairs, trees, paces, people, rooms, etc.

Other Homework Practise putting on and taking off your coat, especially if the sleeves are inside out!

See how many items of your uniform you can take on and off by yourself.

Take a photograph of you wearing your favourite shoes for our shoe shop display. Ask a grown up to write down for you why they are your favourite, for e.g. ‘My football boots are my favourite shoes because they help kick the ball.’

Reminders Please could all children have a named pair of wellies and a puddle suit in school, thank you. We love to learn and explore outdoors, whatever the weather!

It helps us a great deal if each child could carry a spare change of socks/tights and underwear in their book bags in case of ‘accidents.’ Spare school trousers or a skirt maybe useful too, if your child is someone that tends to get ‘messy’ outdoors!

Please could every child have a school book bag or another suitable sized bag for carrying their reading books and important letters in. They only need one bag.

It is particularly important that all items of clothing, shoes and belongings are clearly named.

Wishes Please send in any remaining ‘leaves’ with your child’s wishes on, ready for our display.

Please see your child’s class teacher if you need a sheet!

News from Home We have a display wall in our home corner for children to bring in and share any important news and achievements from home, such as a swimming certificate or a new addition to the family! We will make a copy for the display and send the originals home.

This will be on going throughout the year! Thank you.

Healthy School We are a healthy school, so please send in healthy snacks only for snack time, such as fruit, vegetables, bread sticks, crackers, etc.

Water only please in their drinks bottles.

Milk Quite a few children have been asking for milk that are not signed up to the milk scheme. If your child is interested please look on the Cool Milk website or call in at the school office and ask for more details on how to register. All children receive free milk until the term that they turn five, but they still need to be registered.

PE Tuesday is our PE day, please remove all earrings or cover them with plasters, before coming to school.

School Car Park A polite reminder that the school car park is for staff only and not for dropping off and picking up children, so that we can ensure that the children are kept safe. Thank you.

Diary Dates Wednesday 21st October – Parents’ Talk about Phonics, Reading and Writing in the school hall 9.00-9.45am Friday 23rd October – Autumn Open Afternoon for parents, grandparents and carers in the Ducklings’ classrooms School closes for half-term at 3.30pm Can you help?

We are going to have a shoe shop in our role play area. Have you any old shoes or shoe boxes that you no longer need? Please send in any other items that you think may be of use to us.

Thank you!

Would you like to come and help in the Ducklings’ class?

We would welcome help with reading, gardening, welly walks, creative activities or whatever your special talents or interests may be. You could be a regular helper or just help occasionally whenever you can.

Please see your child’s class teacher if you are interested.

STARS OF THE WEEK Each Friday we will choose some children who are our stars of the week. This can be for an academic achievement or for remembering our values such as sharing, friendship, etc.

We are all stars this week for settling in so well!