Reception

Welcome Evening

2015

Introductions to staff

Sign in, data collection and consent forms

Timetables and routines

Groupings

Some little reminders to help us in school;-•Keep Wed/Fri toys small, name if possible, not ‘special’ toys/no balls thankyou.•Please, Please, Please empty reading packets every night•Please, Please, Please name jumpers, cardigans and coats and everything on Forest School days.

•Make sure that school always has one up-to-date mobile phone number so you can receive texts.•Letters will be e-mailed, so please make sure we have an e-mail address too.

•Birthdays – we are happy to give out invitations if named with child’s full name. Please do not send in cake or sweets for the class. We celebrate with the class cake and Mrs Carr gives a small treat. They may also come in ‘own clothes’ in return for a £1 donation for charity.

•On own clothes days please name items which can be taken off such as hoodies and cardis. Save dressing-up clothes for treat days or themed days – we will let you know as and when.

•Remember to send snacks in with child’s name on. Avoid Tupperware boxes and Frubes etc. One snack each day – (a couple of small items in a named bag is fine.) Healthy snacks Monday – Thursday (no cakes, biscuits etc).

•Individual Parents’ Afternoons/Evenings will be soon for Reception - we can discuss how your child has settled in. To be confirmed

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Starting School• Your child’s behaviour may change from how they were in Pre-school. They may become quiet, or start to get in trouble when they have been very well behaved previously. This is quite normal and part of settling in. Your child is learning to be part of a much larger group, coping with new rules and a little more independence.

• Sometimes they may have toilet accidents in school, or wet the bed at night-time when they have been dry. This is quite normal.

• Behaviour management – Firm but fair. We will only contact you if we feel you need to know and we need your support. We do not tell you about every single misdemeanour. We do use lots of rewards such as stickers, class points & Chance cards

• Friends –try not pressure your child to name ‘friends’ this early. Many children are happy to play ‘alongside’ and are interacting with those around them. Some are happy to have some ‘on my own time’, just like most adults. However, do let us know if your child is indicating that they are unhappy. Eventually they will learn some names but it is quite normal not to have a ‘best’ friend for the whole of the year (or even longer).

• Please be very wary about how young children describe incidents – for example, they may say they have been ‘pushed’ on the yard, when usually they have been knocked over, or ‘kicked’ when they have been tripped-up by someone by accident.

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Things to be working on...

•Please practise pulling jumpers off the ‘Walmsley’ way, as well as pulling sleeves the right way out.

•We encourage the children to sit down to put trousers on, particularly boys dressing-up outfits – shoes need to be off for this!

•All children need to practise doing their own shoes, pulling sleeves the right way out and doing their buttons and zips.

•Practise dressing and undressing for PE – please wear ‘easy’ clothes on PE day which is Thursday – boys in polo shirts and elasticated trousers, girls in polo shirts and elasticated skirts or trousers (avoid pinafores please)

•Please practise toilet hygiene so that your child is independent.

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•Practise using a knife and fork properly – you can use cookie-dough or play-doh.

•Help your child to practise using scissors – remember thumb on top and cut with the inside of the crocodiles throat (the ‘v’ of the scissors).

•Practise cutting and using masking tape – hang it on the edge of a table or chair before you cut. Donations of masking tape are gladly received!

•Please send us in a continuous supply of SMALL, CLEAN ‘junk’ and craft items for the Creative area. (no shoeboxes/large cereal boxes/medical packaging/meat trays thanks)

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The ‘curriculum’We follow the ‘Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage’ as required by the government. Within this document are the ‘Learning and Development’ requirements. We use the non-statutory guidance recommended by the government which is called ‘Development Matters’. This gives us guidance as to what to look for in each area of learning as children develop from birth to five.

At the end of their year in reception we check achievement across the seven areas using the 17 ‘Early Learning Goals’. Children may be working at the expected level, below the expected level or they may be exceeding the expected levels. You will be told where your child is for each area in their written end of year report. At the moment we are completing the new statutory BASE line assessments.

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Assessment

We make regular assessments of children’s learning, and we use this information to plan next steps to meet their learning development needs. Assessment in the Foundation Stage takes the form of observations whilst the children do guided or independent activities, as well as focussed assessments as required. This involves both the class teachers and teaching assistants.

On-going formative assessment is at the heart of effective early years practice. We observe the children, look, listen and take notes and photographs. We analyse our observations and decide what they are telling us about the children. We then plan what to do next and think about how we can provide experiences and opportunities, including how to organise the learning environment. We will also ask you to contribute by asking you to tell us about your child’s learning.

Our observations help to inform us with our decisions about your child’s level of attainment at the end of the year.

Name......................................................

Date......... Observer................

PSE C&L PH L M U EA&D

P & E – engagementAL – motivationC & Th C - thinking

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Maths-Mathematics involves providing children with opportunities to develop and, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and measures. We can:-• build it into everyday activities •spot numbers everywhere, take every opportunities to count – try to order numbers, initially to 10 – help your child to get an imaginary number line in their head. We refer to the term ‘digit’ early on and will also start to talk about numbers to 100 as we notice them.• we start using the word ‘fewer’ straight away when referring to numbers of objects - e.g. ‘fewer’ sausages but ‘less’ mash.• spot shapes, talk about 2D and 3D shapes.• compare sizes, teach comparative language – longer/shorter, wider/narrower, heavier/lighter.• spot patterns.• talk about sharing – objects like sweets or things like mashed potato!

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Literacy – ‘English’

Speaking and listening – • portfolios are great to share in class. •Talk to your child properly as much as you can – really LISTEN !!• It can take 10 seconds for a child to respond to a question. Reading – •We will start learning letter sounds using ‘Jolly Phonics’ alongside the Government ‘Letters and Sounds’ document. •You can start ‘playing’ at blending the sounds together in little 3-sound words as soon as your child learns the first few sounds – e.g. S-a-t, t-i-n• Phonics book• Play ‘sound-talking’ games• Make up ‘gobbledegook’ or ‘alien’ words such as n-o-g, •Play ‘alliteration’- e.g. Silly Sam sits on a sausage etc•Poetry – children will start to bring home poems to learn ‘off by heart’ – please stick these in a scrapbook to share together frequently •Real love of reading. Not just about reading the words

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Writing –• formation is important – use a ‘crocodile’ grip for writing -also for wiping noses, opening crisp packets, holding a paint brush etc•Write in the air, in sand, shaving foam etc•Practise hand-strengthening activities such as wringing out cloths, squeezing dough, stress balls etc. ‘ Big arm-writing’ is great especially for boys – e.g. ‘Stars Wars ‘light-sabre’ writing!

Homework • Jolly Phonics initially(daily) + one other activity. • Sent home on a Thursday. Returned by the following Wednesday• Reading books from January, • Please do homework and send it in NAMED to support your child

– we are required to keep a record of returned homework Most of all you must always celebrate EFFORT

We will be doing a Parent’s evening about phonics and writing early in the new year

‘Topic’•We do not follow a set pattern of topics, we follow the children’s interests or react to exciting events – For example, the children often really enjoying talking about the rain, so we may do language work and paintings etc. •We do introduce some ideas as we know what is needed to be looked at over the year, but there is no set order.

•Understanding of the world covers many areas – •‘History’•‘Geography’ •Science’ •RE •Technology

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Learning Journeys

•These are a record of your child’s learning.

• PLEASE contribute to the Learning Journey by using the Magical Moments notes. If you don’t have any of our ‘post-its’ left, a scrap of paper will do. Childminders etc are welcome to contribute as well as family members.

•Make note of those ‘wow’ moments when your child says or does something linked with their learning in school.

Magical moments

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Child’s Name.........................................................Date..................

Written by..........................................................................................

Forest Schools

•Forest Schools form an important part of your child’s learning. The children will go out on a three week rota. They are encouraged to explore and play imaginatively, as well as learning about the natural world. We will give you some more details at the end of the slides later.

•Clothing

•Regular Volunteer for Tuesday afternoon?

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Walmsley Website•Google ‘Walmsley CE Primary School’ and its usually the top search result •http://www.walmsley.bolton.sch.uk/•You will find details of school letters, woodland dates, links to useful websites and class activities.•There is also a class blog.

Mrs Carr has asked us to remind Parents & Guardians that :-1. ‘Lates’ in a morning count towards your ‘unauthorised’ absences. 2. If your child has more than 20 unauthorised absences (each half-

day counts as one) then a penalty notice is issued and a fine of £60 is incurred per Parent and per child.

3. Holidays will not be authorised.4. Please inform us straight away of any changes to telephone

numbers and addresses as well as changes in living/family circumstances which may affect your child. The latter is confidential but we do need to know as soon as possible.

5. Teachers should be your first ‘port of call’ for any issues you wish to discuss.

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•There will be an extra class Parents meeting for reception Parents around half-term where we can discuss settling in etc.•There is another individual Parents meeting at the beginning of the Spring term – Jan/Feb

Worries or questions throughout the year.

•If we have any concerns we will contact you by phone (this could be in the evening) or have a word when we see you.

•If you have any concerns which can’t wait then contact us to arrange an appointment. We can be here at 8a.m. Or we can do early evenings too if you don’t pick your child up. We can also have a chat on the ‘phone if you wish.

•The same applies throughout the year, don’t worry at home, talk to us!

•Apologies now if we appear a little abrupt at the door if you want to talk or ask a question – we need to see 46 children in or out and keeping an eye on them is paramount. We may be able to answer you with a quick sentence but you may be asked to wait until all of the children are safely in or out of the classroom. Please bear with us at these busy times.

Above all we want your child to love to come to school – our aim is for your

children to have high self-esteem, be happy and have a lifelong love of learning.