Fantastic Foundation!
I can’t believe it’s Friday again – this week has flown by! We’ve had another busy week. The children are really starting to come out of their shells.
A big well done to Harper, Kiara, Ronan, Isla and Emily for completing all of the rainbow challenges this week!
What have we been up to in Foundation this week?
We have continued our phase one learning in phonics. The children are great at hearing and saying initial sounds in words. On Thursday, we had some fun making different voice sounds. Take a look here!
Next week, we will be starting phase two. The children will learn the first four sounds: s, a, t, p. They will be bringing home a sound book to support their phonics learning at home.
In literacy, we’ve been rocking in our school shoes! The children have loved reading Pete the Cat. We used actions to help us remember and retell the story. They also created their own versions of the story. Next week, our focus story will be Leaf Man.
In maths, we’ve started learning about number one. The children have explored what one is. We’ve been on number one hunts, made one wonderful world and monsters that represent one. Next week, we’ll be continuing to look at number one.
On Wednesday, it was our first PE session! In foundation, we like to call PE movement play. We encourage physical activity in a child-led manner which will support their health, learning and wellbeing. The children had lots of fun travelling and moving in different ways.
Our Christian value this half-term is friendship. We have discussed what makes a good friend and sorted different scenarios into good and bad friend. Last Friday, we made a class friendship tree. The children came up with lots of different words that remind them of friendship.
F2 parents!
Your child will be starting their reading journey. Therefore, I will be posting a Reading and Phonics Presentation on Monday 05 October. The presentation will be on the Foundation Class News Page.
It will include key information about how we teach phonics in school and what you can do to help your child at home. Your child should have received a letter today about the presentation.
Home-Link Challenge
Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to all the Foundation parents. It’s a strange time at the moment and I am so grateful for all your support and patience during these uncertain times. Please do come and chat to me if you have any concerns or questions about your child. I am always happy to have a little chat.
Have a lovely weekend!
Another busy week in Foundation!
The children have definitely settled and are great at doing their morning jobs independently. This week we have welcomed our F1 children – F2 have been great role models!
What have we been up to in Foundation this week?
F2 have started their daily phonics sessions. This week we have listened for sounds in the environment, made rhyming ‘silly soups’ and used a puppet to support oral blending*.
In maths, we ordered birthday cards. The children worked out the missing cards and used one more and one less to explain their answers. We looked at the number zero and what it means. The children played a game using the home corner food to support their understanding of zero.
We have introduced the rainbow and star challenge sticks. Each week, there will be six rainbow challenges in the areas. The children will be encouraged to do the challenges and collect their sticks to make a rainbow. There will also be a star challenges underneath each challenge. These are to extend their learning and thinking.
Talk Time!
The children shared their something special. It was nice to see the children being respectful by listening carefully to their friends. They were super at asking and answering questions!
Reminders!
On Tuesday, it was the first day of Autumn. The cold, wet weather has definitely arrived! Please make sure your child wears a suitable coat!
Please bring in a ‘school’ pair of wellies.
PE will start next Wednesday – your child must come in their PE kit.
Please label everything! We have already had things go missing.
*A method used to help children learn to read by combining sounds to make a word.
Home-Link Challenge
Baby and Now
Find photos of past memories. Encourage them to talk about themselves as a baby and now. Compare what they could do then and now. Send a baby photo to Miss Marsden. We will use this reflective exercise as part of our ‘all about me’ mini topic this term.
stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
Bagel bar
On Monday, our bagel bar will be opening at 8.30am. You can bring your child to school for a breakfast bagel free of charge. This will be available Monday to Friday until March 2021.
This is part of a Covid response under the National School Breakfast Programme.
Our school has signed up to receive free healthy breakfast food as part of the Covid response offer, under the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), which is being delivered by the charities Family Action and Magic Breakfast.
Reception, Years 1 and 2 will enter through the main door at the office. Years 3-6 will enter school through the playground gate as normal. Please remember to follow social distancing guidelines when dropping off your child.
We look forward to welcoming lots of children to our bagel bar next week!
Well done!
Well done to the F2 children who did the home-link challenge! It was lovely to receive so many emails! We will be sharing all of the photos tomorrow afternoon.
All of your photos are now up on the parent notice board. Unfortunately, parents are unable to come into our classroom at the moment. I have taken a picture so you can see what we do with all the home-link challenges.
Teamwork!
On Friday afternoon, the F2 children worked cooperatively to create an amazing obstacle course.
The children planned and made decisions about how they were going to build a successful obstacle course.
They showed high levels of energy and fascination when building the obstacle course.
The children reviewed and changed some of the pieces when they realised it wasn’t working.
Fabulous Foundation
The children have had another fabulous week in Foundation!
We are really starting to get to know their interests and personalities.
They are all fantastic at following the school rules and classroom routines – I’m super impressed!
Here’s some highlights this week…
WAKE UP SHAKE UP!
Exploring in the water tray.
Our first lunch at school.
Using our senses to explore the classroom.
Next week, our first focus story is Pete the Cat – Rocking in my school shoes! The children will draw pictures of them rocking in their school shoes and come up with some actions to help us retell the story.
In maths, we’ll be introducing our first focus number which is zero and looking at other numbers that are significant to them e.g. their age, house number etc.
Home-Link Challenge
Welcome!
Welcome to all our F2 children!
Miss Marsden has been looking forward to this week for ages! It’s been lovely getting to know you and your interests. You all looked super smart in your new uniforms and shiny shoes! I wonder how long they will stay shiny for?
F2 have had a great first week at school! We’ve been busy painting, drawing, 
building train tracks, cooking in the role play area and making cakes at the playdough table.
Every morning, your child will come into school and be encouraged to do their daily jobs independently. They will hang up their coat, find their name, choose their lunch and vote for an end of day story. When you drop of your child, a member of staff will always be available for a quick chat.
This half-term is all about settling in. We will be getting to know each other and finding out about the children’s interests which will guide our learning this term. Our Parent Partners are key in this process, so we really encourage you to start sending photos of any ‘WOW’ moments or new interests your child has at home. Send them to stjameseyfs@speherefederation.org.
Things to remember…
- PE will be every Wednesday – your child should come to school in their PE kit. Our first PE session will be on Wednesday 30 September.
- A pair of school wellies is essential in Foundation! We go outside to play in all weather!
- Your child will need a labelled water bottle each day. Please ensure the bottle only contains water – no juice please!
- At the end of the day (3.00pm), please remember to stand opposite the foundation classroom.
- Don’t forget to encourage independence when your child is getting ready for school!
Have a lovely weekend!
PE days
Hopefully you have read the information in the Autumn for all – Key Info St James’, which also has a link to our uniform policy.
On the days your child has PE, they should come to school in their PE kit. (Track-suit bottoms instead of shorts would be good on colder days. Footwear : black/brown/grey/white flat shoes which are safe to run around in.)
Footwear on PE days could be children’s ‘school shoes’ which are often a ‘trainer’ style anyway, if you want to avoid having to buy 2 pairs of shoes.
Please find below the days each class has allocated PE times, which will be taught outdoors, except in extreme weather.
- Foundation (Miss Marsden) – Wednesday
- Year 1/2 (Miss Harker) – Thursday & Friday
- Year 3/4 (Mrs Welsby/Mrs Rowley) – Tuesday & Friday
- Year 5/6 (Miss Beatson/Mr Mills) – Tuesday & Friday
Summer Time!
It’s the last day of school!
What a crazy school year it has been! We’re sad that we’ve been unable to finish the year together, but we hope that you’ve all enjoyed doing the home learning. Thank you, again, for all of your emails about your lovely home learning moments. Mrs Allen-Kelly and I have loved reading each and every one of them.
I am excited to welcome back the Foundation 1 children returning to us in September.
Thank you to all the Foundation 2 children for being an amazing class and I am sure you will be fab in Year 1. I will pop into your new classroom to say ‘hello’ and see how you’re all getting on.
I would like to wish all of Foundation a happy and healthy summer!
Miss Marsden
xxx
Story time! ‘Recipe For a Story’ by Ella Burfoot
Here is the final story time video of the school year!
Please click here to hear to story
It finishes with a little goodbye message from me.
I just want to add that I am so proud of all of you all and how you have coped with the school year taking such an unexpected turn.
I have loved every day of teaching at St James’ Primary School and will really miss seeing your smiling faces 😊 I will be keeping in touch to see how you are all getting on in your Reception year and Year One.
Have the BEST Summer break Superstars ✨
Mrs Allen-Kelly.