Hello all!

I thought it was about time that Miss G had a bit of company on the blog so I thoght I would write a quick note! As some of you know this is my 1st teaching post and I would like to say it has been great to work with all the kids in reception! They have made my 1st fews weeks very pleasurable (if a little exhausting) and I am looking forward to a good 'run-in' to Christmas. They have all been progressing really well & I would like to say please use the phonics sheets that Miss G has taken her time to upload onto the blog, it really does help when the kids practise at home!!
Speak Soon,
Mr Mills

Science

This week we will be starting our Ourselves Science topic and if you have a spare minute or two there are some internet games which your children may enjoy playing. Please only play Family Farm or Abracadabra at the moment and I will let you know about the others as we cover them in class. Thanks.

http://www.educationcity.com/content/activity.php?bbtn=L2Zyb250L2lzZXQxL21hcC8/bHZsPTFfM18xXzFfMSZydGU9&id=529&mi=MV8zXzFfMV8x&v=1

http://www.educationcity.com/content/activity.php?bbtn=L2Zyb250L2lzZXQxL21hcC8/bHZsPTFfM18xXzFfMSZydGU9&id=531&mi=MV8zXzFfMV8x&v=1

Our first week back

I hope that you have enjoyed your week off and are ready for a huge 8 week build up to the Christmas holidays. The children were really settled yesterday and came in with lots of tales to tell about their holidays which was brilliant.

This week in our Numeracy (number work) we will be looking at representing and reading data on pictograms and tally charts. Please ask your child what they have been drawing these about and what they have learnt.

In Literacy we are using visualisations to show the children how they can use each of the areas of provision. A visualisation is a special learning story where we take the children on a virtual journey to learn different things. This week they have met a special friend of mine Professor Know-it-all and he is encouraging them to read, write, and use our equipment nicely.

Harvest Assembly

I have received a few comments - both from the blog and through discussions about the harvest assembly so thank you. I appreciate that it is difficult to see the children at the moment but we are trying to remedy this as the PTA (Friends of Methley) have been saving to buy the school a new stage which fingers crossed will be in place for our Nativity performance before Christmas.

Homework

Please do not worry if your child was away on Friday they will be able to pick up the homework sheet from school when they return.

Homework

Yes it's true 6 weeks into big grown up school and we have given them homework. I hope that it will not be too testing for the holidays and as part of our Investors in Pupils work it will allow us to learn a little bit more about each other (I will be doing it too!).

Have a fab holiday and remember a nice early night will help us all be in a better mood on the Monday we return. Thank you for all of your comments (hint hint) and co-operation this term. I hope that your children have enjoyed it as much as I have.

You'll probably wish you had never asked now!

Phonics for parents

Here is a little more information about phonemes, etc but please tell me if you would like more. Would anybody be interested if I ran a "Phonics for Parents" class one afternoon or after school? I am more than willing to do things like this so please let me know what you would like and when so that I can see what can be organised.

Phonics

Please continue to look at these each week with your child / children as it does show in the progress that they are making. One parent of mine has printed them out and sticks them into an exercise book for her child to look at and write the letters - great idea!

Phonics

I was asked last night at the Curriculum Evening for more information regarding phonics and the terminology. I am still trying to find a complete list of phonemes for you.

Old Newspapers

I know - I'm always after something! Well this time I'm asking if you can please bring in your old newspaper which can be used to protect the tables in our creative areas. Thanks again.

Harvest Assembly

A great big thank you to all of the parents / grandparents / aunts / uncles and friends who came to our harvest assembly this morning. We hope that you now know how to make some lovely soup, all about fluffy cauliflowers and how to recognise a dingle dangle scarecrow. I know that the children thoroughly enjoyed the singing especially will such a huge audience. Thank you also for the donations towards the Jane Tomlinson appeal - we will keep you posted about this.

Harvest Donations

We usually ask for donations of some sort around Harvest which is forwarded to a worthy cause and this year is no different although we have left it quite late to inform you (apologies for this). It has been suggested that this year we ask if you would be so kind as to send a financial contribution in a sealed envelope marked "Harvest donation" which will be sent to the Jane Tomlinson Cancer Appeal which I am sure you will all agree is a fitting tribute to a lady who was an inspiration to us all and who recently lost her brave fight against cancer.

School Photographs

Please remember that your child will have their photograph taken on Wednesday 17th October. The photographers will arrive at 8.15 am for family shots and each child will have an individual photo taken during the day.

Phonics week 6

Here is your homework for this week. Happy learning!

Curriculum Evening Number 2

Please do not feel that the upcoming Curriculum Evening will repeat things that we have already told you. This is more of an opportunity to see what happens throughout the school and how subjects are introduced and built upon for example how numeracy is taught using number lines, how scientific enquiry skills are introduced and used, what is big writing and how it is used.

There will be opportunity to attend 2 sessions during the evening which you will sign up for at the introduction (so come early to get in there first!).

Hope to see you there.

Harvest Assembly

We will be holding a Harvest Celebration Assembly on Tuesday 16th October at 9.15am during which we will sing you a few of the songs we have been learning this half term and share some pictures. This assembly will be shared with year 1 and 2 and will last about half an hour or so. We would love it if you could join us.

Helpers!

Only me again! Just to say that please don't be shy and wait for an invitation - helpers are always very welcome and it doesn't need to be every week so that you feel tied just let us a day or so before that you would like to pop in.

I look forward to seeing some of you soon! Miss G

Curriculum Evening!

A huge thank you to everybody who came and the feedback that we've received. Please do tell us what we are doing well as well as things that you would like us to do better or more often!

If you would like to blog but feel a little nervous or want to ask something you can be anonymous or if you put "do not publish" on the top I will reply without putting your comment onto the blog.

Thanks, Miss G

ps I don't feel quite as lonely now!

Phonics

I hope this works because I'm using a different computer (home computer problems!)

Miss G

Curriculum Evening

Please remember that tomorrow evening is curriculum evening. This is an important evening for us to pass on information to you about what is and will be happening in school. We look forward to seeing you there.

Tights

As winter is rushing towards us we have noticed that a number of girls are now beginning to wear tights for school. We would request that if possible girls wear trousers for Thursdays which is PE day for reception until they are confident that they can put their own tights on. Thank you.