Welcome to Ash  and Oak Class!

September 2021

Welcome to our Early Years page

We hope that you will find this page useful.  It will have topic curriculum information, website links and presentation notes in addition to our Tapestry page where we will be sharing our weekly news.

Reminders

Please remember that long hair must be tied back at all times and elaborate hair accessories must not be worn.

ALL items of clothing must be clearly named.  Unnamed items are stored for a short period.  Please also ensure that your child has not brought home any items of clothing that do not belong to them. 

Please ensure snack and cooking money is paid up to date via ParentPay.

Once your child turns 5 they will stop receiving free milk the Monday of the week of their birthday.  You will need to sign up to the Cool Milk scheme in advance of this if you would like them to continue having milk. 

This Term's Learning

Our topic for this half term, alongside our Baseline Assessments, is Marvellous Me! and Autumn/Harvest.  After ensuring the children have spent some time settling in to the unit, learning our rules and routines, we will begin to have some topic themed whole class teacher inputs, small adult led activities and lots of independent play based activities.

Please find our topic web below.

PE

PE kit should be a plain white t shirt and navy or black shorts plus a navy or black tracksuit as the weather gets colder.  Outdoor trainers are also needed.  PE is on a Tuesday morning for both classes.  Children must come to school in their PE kit.  Children will not be permitted to take part if the correct clothing/footwear is not worn.  If you need any assistance please speak to a member of the team.

Useful Documents

[anything useful that you want parents to have]

Weekly Update

Week Ending Friday 1st October 2021

The children have had a settled and engaging week. We have had lots of fun making bubbles using brooms and washing up liquid outside, bubble science experiments using cooking oil, water and food colouring, bubble painting, bubble trucks and much more. They have also helped to keep the playground clear of the ever falling conkers by collecting them and sweeping up the shells.
On Thursday the children took part in their first Lower Phase Birthday assembly. These will take place weekly and children will be presented with a birthday card to celebrate.
Today the children came home with their first reading book, story and reading diary. As discussed at our stay and play sessions please read your story book to your child and encourage them to tell you a story using their wordless book.
When any form of reading is done at home please ensure there is a note made in the reading diary.
Finally we had a very important visitor in school today, Tedddddddyyyyyy. We are sure your children would have told you all about it! Teddy is our school dog who lives with the Preston family. He will be spending more and more time in school as the year progresses.
For next week we would love some family pictures from home to talk about with the children and any photos of you reading together.
Next week we will be learning all about Harvest; see if your child can sing our harvest song to you! On Thursday we will be hosting a reading and phonics meeting for parents at 2pm. The venue will be confirmed at the beginning of next week. Don’t forget to send your menu choices in for next week- we will be on Week 2. Please ensure they are named

Week Ending Friday 24th September 2021

WOW! What a busy first whole week of full time school! The children have again been amazing at coming into the unit independently, putting their things away, washing their hands and then settling to an activity.
This week the children have enjoyed using the large loose parts outdoors and role playing a busy restaurant in the mud kitchen as we've had some lovely weather. Inside the adults have been modelling how to use the resources in our different areas of the unit, getting into the play alongside the children and having conversations to help us build up a picture of their likes and dislikes in their play. Today we went for a walk onto the main school field, practising walking in pairs and staying in the line.
We also introduced the children to our class rules and the school behaviour Diamond. We talked about what makes our classroom a safe and happy place to be and learn, and the rewards and consequences for the behaviour choices we make. Attached is a presentation with more details about this. Please note that we have not yet started Diamond Time on a Friday afternoon, this will happen after half term, as will the THRIVE booklets.
You may have noticed a number of different adults working with the children this week. On a Tuesday morning, Mr Beavis comes to work with the children for PE. Currently, he is getting to know the children and we are carrying out our Physical Development baseline assessments through observations. Once this is complete we will begin formal teaching of PE. Tuesday afternoon, Mr Down and Mr Ward teach the children whilst Mrs Howitt and Mrs Preston are out of the classroom for their PPA time. This is the time which each class teacher is legally entitled to to plan, prepare and assess for the children. On a Wednesday Mrs Perry is Ash class teacher, and on a Thursday morning Mr Ward is Ash class teacher whilst Mrs Howitt has her leadership release time.
Please remember to return your child's menu choices Monday morning, and to send in book bags and water bottles each day.
Have a fantastic weekend, and as always please come forward with any queries either at drop off or via email to the school office.
The EYFS Team.

Week Ending Friday 17th September 2021

What a fantastic week we have had this week!  The children have settled so well; they are learning some of our routines, the adults names and each other’s names.  They are really great at tidying up!  We even went on a secret mission on Thursday around the school to introduce ourselves to some of the important adults in the school!  We are really looking forward to having the children together next week to stay all day!  We will be starting our baseline assessments, observing the children and also spending time sharing the children’s All About Me books, so if you haven’t sent that in yet please send it in on Monday. 

Here are a few reminders for next week ;
Drop off is 8.40-8.50am, via the main school gates.  Please follow the one way system around the school.
Bring a named water bottle each day, and a named raincoat.
Ensure you have returned your lunch choices by Monday morning at the latest, or send in a named packed lunch.  
Pay your snack and cooking money via ParentPay.
Pick up 3.10-3.20pm, via the main school gates.  Please follow the one way system.

Tapestry

As a school we have invested in Tapestry as a method of recording your child's learning and progress during their time in Early Years.  Staff will upload weekly observations of individuals or groups, linking this to the Early Years Curriculum areas and where appropriate age and stage the observation.  On the Early Years Page we will also send any notifications of events, reminders and requests.  Please note, that due to the nature of the Early Years Curriculum and that we follow the children's interests, some events may be planned at short notice.  We thank you in advance for your co operation and support with such events. 

We request that once you have read an observation, either your own child or the Early Years page, that you acknowledge this by 'liking' the observation.  This helps us to ensure that messages are getting out to parents.

Tapestry is a two way platform and we encourage you to add your own observations of your child's learning. 

Homework

'Homework' for our Early Years children at the beginning of the school year is based around reading.  Each week children will bring home a 'story picture book' which is for you to read together.  Spend time looking at the book together, talking about the pictures and simply reading 'to' your child.  Ask them questions about what you have read to them and ask them to make predictions about what might happen next.  They will also bring home a 'reading scheme' book.  This will usually have been shared in class with the teacher, and is wordless to begin with.  The purpose of this is to encourage and develop the children's story language.  With these two books will be a reading diary.  The adult who has read with your child in class will make a comment in the diary.  This will cover any strategies practised/used and tips for further reading.  

The expectation that you hear your child read at least three times a week, and write in the diary each time you do so.

The children will also begin to bring home lists of High Frequency and Tricky Words, which your child needs to learn to read by sight.

Please remember to attend our Reading and Phonics Meeting.

As the year progresses we will share examples of activities that you can do at home with your children linked to our learning in class.

Useful Websites