This week
The children have managed well with the longer days and have enjoyed the free play in the afternoon. In the mornings, we have started some phonics sessions and are carrying out our baseline assessments.
Please see this link for more information about the statutory government assessments that we have to carry out in the first six weeks of term:
Next week
We will start some structured activities during the afternoons over the next few weeks. By half term, we will be visiting the library on Monday, doing music on Tuesday and reading with our buddies on Wednesdays. Mrs Blakeley teaches the class on a Friday afternoon, as I have allocated admin time.
Notices
Please can all children have a waterproof coat in school everyday. This can be a stay at school pac-a-mac type coat if you do not want to bring in one backwards and forwards The children are outside for 20 minutes in the morning and up to an hour at lunchtime and we do go outside in the rain! Thanks.
Toileting accidents
These are very normal in the first few weeks of Reception, even if children are managing well at home. They get so busy that they forget to ask! As this is so frequent, we do not always tell you unless we have a particular concern. We will use spare underwear from their book bags or PE bags and use the PE kit as spares, so it is really helpful to have these things in school please.
First Aid
The children do have frequent accidents at school on the playground and in the classroom environment! If children bump their head and we are concerned, they will be given a letter to go home and a bumped head sticker telling people to monitor them carefully. If children have a more serious bump, we do sometimes call home to let you know and on occasion, we do ask for them to be collected so they can be monitored more closely.
Family photos
The children enjoy seeing their family photos up on our family wall. There are still some families who haven’t sent in a photo. Please email me one or send in a paper copy so that our wall can be complete.
Tiredness
It is really normal for children to be exhausted and for their behaviour to change at home in the first few weeks of school. They are functioning at their highest level at school, learning and taking in so many new things and new ways of doing things, that they cannot keep this up when they get home. You are the people they love the most and feel secure with and they can express how they feel when they get home. It can be a difficult transition, but the best thing is to keep to routines, have a good bedtime structure and show acceptance and love even when that seems impossible!
It does improve and settle down over time.
Many thanks for all your support,
Have a lovely weekend with your families,
Alice Greening
