Owl Babies
This week our focus book has been Owl Babies by Martin Waddell.
We wrote messages from the baby owls in the Message Centre and made cosy houses for the owl babies in the Waste Innovation area. We rehearsed some phrases from the story and added actions to help us to remember them.
Our word of the week was: Swoop, the children have really enjoyed using this word during the week in their learning.
” mummy owl just swoops back home to the babies owls!”
“When you swoop you move down quickly!”
Help at Home: Tell your grown up at home about an animal that swoops.
Phonics
This week we have recapped all the Phase 2 phonemes. We also practiced reading words with ‘s’ at the end.
We’ve learnt all of the Phase 2 tricky words. Tricky words are tricky because we can’t sound them out- we just have to know them by sight.
Help at home: Practice reading the tricky words on the ‘Learn at Home’ sheets sent home each week.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite the poem each day. By saying the poem out load we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line.
this week our poem was Wise Old Owl
A wise old owl sat in an oak,
The more he heard, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke, the more he heard.
Why aren’t we all like that wise old bird?
Next week our focus book is The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allen Ahlberg and we will be learning about what happens to our post. To enhance your child’s learning experience, we will be writing and posting a postcard home. If you would like your child’s postcard to be posted through Royal Mail please provide a stamp in a named envelop by Thursday 14 December,
Reminders!
Please can all Nativity Costumes to be sent in by Tuesday 12 December, please let us know if you’re having problems as we have some spare items in school.
Reception will be making Christingles this week, please can we ask for a donation of one orange for each child. We are not joining school in church but we will have our own little class worship in school.
Don’t forget to attend a learning journey drop in. We look forward to sharing your child’s books.
Times- 8.45am-9.15am and 3.15pm-3.45pm (Tuesday and Thursday)
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman
Spring Attendance Competition
St James’ CE Primary is a happy and healthy place to be – and maybe even a lucky one, too!
Look out for our attendance competition next half term. All pupils with attendance of 96% or higher will be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 Love to Shop vouchers!
So… for the full Spring 1 half-term, Monday 08 January to Friday 09 February (five weeks), if your child reaches a good level of attendance – that’s 96% – their name will be entered into a prize draw. We’ll select one lucky winner on the last day of the half-term (Friday 09 February).
Remember, arriving late for school counts as an unauthorised absence. This affects a child’s overall attendance figure, and that might mean they lose out.
So far this term, 40 pupils have 100% attendance and 80 pupils have over 96% attendance – well done to the children and their families!
Night Monkey, Day Monkey
We have had another busy week in reception, our focus book this week has been Night Monkey, Day Monkey by Julia Donaldson and Lucy Richards.
We have talked a lot about the things we do during the day at school and those we do at night at home.
Our word of the week was: Nocturnal, the children have enjoyed exploring the different animals that are nocturnal and active at night.
“Foxes are nocturnal, they are awake at night!”
“Hedgehogs are night time animals”
Help At Home: Draw a nocturnal animal and label it.
We have also had so much fun exploring shadows, when the sun eventually can out! The children really enjoyed trying to stand on each others shadows, especially on Mrs Kendrew’s head! They even used objects to try to see the shadow shapes they made on the ground. Great work everyone!
Phonics
This week the children have focused on the diagraphs zz, qu and ch and the phoneme z. we have also looked at words with s added at the end like hats, sits.
We’ve also learnt the tricky words: go, no, to, into, his
Help at home: Today, your child has come home with a new ‘learn at home’ phonics sheet. The sheet links to all the phonemes we have covered this week. Please support your child by practising these at home.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite the poem each day. By saying the poem out load we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line.
this week our poem was Shoes
Before I jump into my bed,
Before I dim the light,
I put my shoes together,
So they can talk all night.
I’m sure they would be lonesome,
If I tossed one here or there,
So I put my shoes together,
For they are a friendly pair.
Maths
In Maths, we have begun to explore composition by focusing on the concept of ‘wholes’ and ‘parts’. The children have explored their own bodies and familiar toys to begin to understand that whole things are often made up of smaller parts and that a whole is, therefore, bigger than its parts. We have made whole faces by adding different parts of eyes, ears a mouth and a nose.
Help at home: Sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes to your grown up and tell them some of the parts you have on your body that make up the whole of you.
Next week our focus book is How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers and we will also be looking at the artist Claude Monet.
Thank you to those families who sent in recordings of the children singing their favourite nursery rhyme, they have been lovely to watch. Thank you also to those who came to the Maths Stay and Learn session, please do get in touch if you ever have any questions. stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
Reminders
We will be doing PE on Monday, please send your child to school wearing their PE kit and trainers and all jewellery removed. They will stay in their PE kit all day.
Stay and Learn Sessions
This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about the Early Years Curriculum and watch your child Learning in school.
Phonics Phase 3- 16.1.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
Early Writing- 05.02.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
World Book Day 07.03.24 -8.50am-9.20am
Learning Journey Drop In’s
An opportunity to “drop into” school and share your child’ learning journal with them.
Times- 8.45am-9.15am and 3.15pm-3.45pm (Tuesday and Thursday)
Week beginning 11.12.23
Week beginning 25.03.24
Week beginning 08.07.24
Have a lovely weekend!
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman
Children in Need
Thank you for all your support raising money for Children in Need.
We have raised £140 for the charity.
Binny’s Diwali
Binny’s Diwali
Welcome to Autumn 2! This half term our theme is light and dark.
We have covered so many important events and topics this week…
On Monday we spent the day learning about St James, we listened to the story about how Jesus chose James to be one of his special friends. James was a fisher man and Jesus told him to put down his net and follow him. James became a ‘fisher of men’ instead. The children had a few challenges to complete to help them with their understanding.
Bonfire Night
On Tuesday we talked about Bonfire night, the children enjoyed talking about their own experiences and how they celebrated at home or out and about. In the construction area the children were challenged to build a replica of the Houses of Parliament.
Diwali
We talked about the festival of light, called Diwali. Our focus book was Binny’s Diwali by Thrity Umrigar.
We also found out about the festival through watching cbeebies-My first festival and Jo Jo and Gran Gran. The children were challenged to make their own Mehndi patterns on the funky fingers table, make rockets in the Waste Innovation Workshop and Diya lamps in the Playdough Factory.
Our word of the week is: Festival
Remembrance Day
We talked about Remembrance Day and the meaning behind each poppy. Lots of children wore poppy items to school and could speak about the meaning.
On Friday we used all of your kind donations (thank you!) to create a penny trail. The children enjoyed starting the trail for the rest of the school to follow on.
Phonics
This week the children have focused on the diagraphs ff, ll, ss and the single phoneme j.
We’ve also learnt the tricky word; as
Tricky words are words that should be read by sight. We start by identifying which part of the word is ‘tricky’. In as, the ‘s’ is tricky because it makes the /z/ sound.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite the poem each day. By saying the poem out loud we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line.
This week our poem was Breezy Weather
Breezy weather. Freezy weather.
When the leaves fall, we all fall together.
Breezy weather. Freezy weather.
When the wind blows, we huddle together.
Maths
In Maths, we’ve been using our fingers to identify 5. We used the peas in a pod song-
‘Five little peas in a pea pod pressed,
One grew, two grew, so did all the rest.
They grew and they grew and they did not stop,
Until one day the pod went pop!’
Help at home phonics sheet
Today, your child has come home with a new ‘learn at home’ phonics sheet. The sheets link to all the phonemes we have covered this half term. Please support your child by practising these at home.
Help at home
Next week we’ll be celebrating World Nursery Rhyme Week. If you would like to, we’d love to share a recording of them telling their favourite nursery rhyme in class. Please send your emails to stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org
Reminders
We will be doing PE on Monday, so please send your child to school wearing their PE kit and trainers. They will stay in this all day.
Stay and Learn Sessions
Wednesday we have our Maths Stay and Learn session from 2.20pm-3.00pm
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman
Leaf Man
Thank you so much for the leaf donation, they really helped with our learning, we have had great fun reading the story ‘Leaf Man’ by Lois Ehlert, in the book autumn has come, the wind is blowing and Leaf Man is on the move. No one is sure where he is going, but ‘A Leaf Man’s got to go where the wind blows.’ Our word of the week was ‘seasons’ we have talked about the four seasons winter, spring, summer and autumn. We have really enjoyed learning about the season of autumn, when the leaves fall from the trees, when some small animals like hedgehogs are looking for food to store and some animals begin to hibernate like a door mouse.
Phonics
This week the children have recapped all the phonemes (the sound a letter makes) we have covered so far this term. We have focused closely on our blending, the skill that helps us with our reading and our tricky words the, is and I. Keep up the great work everyone!
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite the poem each day. By saying the poem out loud we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line.
This week our poem was Five Little Pumpkins
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one said, ‘Oo, it’s getting late.’
The second one said, ‘There are witches in the air.’
The third one said, ‘Well I don’t care.’
The fourth one said, ‘Let’s run, run, run.’
The fifth one said, ‘Let’s have some fun.’
But oooh went the wind, and out went the light,
And five little pumpkins tumbled out of sight.
Maths
This week we have been helping our teddies out. Polly Penguin and Susan starfish has been arguing! We have helped them by using and repeating the sentences
…has more than…
…has fewer than…
Help at home phonics sheet
Today, your child has come home with a new ‘learn at home’ phonics sheet. The sheets link to all the phonemes we have covered this half term. Please support your child by practising these at home.
Help at home
We are continuing to develop our model making area as a ‘Waste Innovation’ area so the children can show off their creative side. Some have already explored this area and have been so proud to place them in the ‘Gallery’ for their friends to see and then bring home. Please can we ask you to kindly continue to send in any donations to make it a continued success. Donations of the following would be greatly appreciated,
- Small boxes
- cereal boxes,
- yoghurt pots,
- tubes (no toilet roll tubes please),
- bottles,
- bottle tops.
- old keys,
- beads (from broken necklaces),
- buttons,
- wool,
- corks
- Anything that the children might find interesting.
Next week our book of the week is Potion Commotion, please can we ask for donations of plastic bottles we are going to be making our own potions, hopefully without the commotion!
Reminders
We will be doing PE on Monday, so please send your child to school wearing their PE kit and trainers. They will stay in this all day.
Stay and Learn Sessions
This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about the Early Years Curriculum and watch your child Learning in school.
Maths- 15.11.23 2.20pm-3.00pm
Phonics Phase 3- 16.1.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
Early Writing- 05.02.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
World Book Day 07.03.24 -8.50am-9.20am
Learning Journey Drop In’s
An opportunity to “drop into” school and share your child’ learning journal with them.
Times- 8.45am-9.15am and 3.15pm-3.45pm (Tuesday and Thursday)
Week beginning 11.12.23
Week beginning 25.03.24
Week beginning 08.07.24
Don’t forget to email your pictures from home stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org thank you, have a lovely weekend!
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman
Reading: Tom Palmer
This year, some children at school attended an online workshop with author Tom Palmer. Tom Palmer has been in touch to let us know about some local events he is attending in half term.
Message from Tom
For children and families – I am also coming to Leeds on Thursday 2 November 2023 :
* Farsley Book Festival – 10am-11am more here
https://trumanbooks.co.uk/event/flf-kids-day
* Chapel Allerton Library – 2pm
* Pudsey Community Hub and Library – 4pm
Henri’s Scissors
Henri’s Scissors
What a busy and fun filled week we have had! We have been learning about the artist Henri Matisse using the book Henri’s Scissors. Our word of the week was ‘artist’ we did a fantastic job telling other adults that ‘an artist is someone who paints or draws’. Great work everyone!
We have also spent some time making our own pieces of artwork in the style of Matisse’s The Snail, we talked about the different shapes and colours we could see.
On Tuesday afternoon we spent time with Jamie Knight, who showed us his amazing football skills! We had a great time and discovered we have some super football skills ourselves!
Phonics
This week the children have learnt the phonemes (the sound a letter makes) h, f, b and l. The children have been listening to and saying words that begin with these phonemes (the sound a letter makes). They have also been practicing writing the graphemes (the written letter). We have also learnt our new tricky word ‘the’ the tricky bits in this word is the ‘th’ and the ‘e’.
We also loved our grown ups coming to watch us on Thursday, it was so much fun sharing our learning with them.
Poetry Picnic
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite the poem each day. By saying the poem out loud we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line.
This week or poem was Leaves are Falling
Leaves are falling, leaves are falling,
One fell on my nose.
Leaves are falling, leaves are falling,
One fell on my toes.
Leaves are falling, leaves are falling,
One fell on my head.
Leaves are falling, leaves are falling,
Yellow, Orange, Red.
Maths
This week we have been building on our Subitising skills, when we can say the number without counting the objects. We also have continued working on our skills to say the number of sounds that we can hear when somebody claps or drums a beat, without needing to count.
Finally, we have looked closely at small quantities of up to 4 cubes and talked about how the quantity is still 4 even if we put the cubes together in different ways. Great work everyone!
Help at home phonics sheet
Today, your child has come home with a new ‘learn at home’ phonics sheet. The sheets link to our current learning in phonics and will be sent home each Friday. Please support your child by practising their new sounds and reading skills at home.
Help at home
We are developing our model making area and will be re-launching it as a ‘Waste Innovation’ area so the children can show off their creative side. To make this area work we would really like the usual donations of cereal boxes, yoghurt pots, tubes (no toilet roll tubes please), bottles, bottle tops. But to enhance it further we would also love any old keys, beads (from broken necklaces), buttons, wool, corks or fabric. Anything that the children might find interesting. All donations throughout the year would be greatly appreciated, and just think of the wonderful models the children can bring home!
Next week our book of the week is Leaf Man, please can we ask for some donations of leaves. We are going to be creating our own leaf pictures and making leaf rubbings, so the more leaves we get the better!
Reminders
We will be doing PE on Monday, so please send your child to school wearing their PE kit and trainers. They will stay in this all day.
Stay and Learn Sessions
This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about the Early Years Curriculum and watch your child Learning in school.
Maths- 15.11.23 2.20pm-3.00pm
Phonics Phase 3- 16.1.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
Early Writing- 05.02.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
World Book Day 07.03.24 -8.50am-9.20am
Learning Journey Drop In’s
An opportunity to “drop into” school and share your child’ learning journal with them.
Times- 8.45am-9.15am and 3.15pm-3.45pm (Tuesday and Thursday)
Week beginning 11.12.23
Week beginning 25.03.24
Week beginning 08.07.24
Don’t forget to email your pictures from home stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org thank you, have a lovely weekend!
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman
The Everywhere Bear
This week we have loved listening to our class story The Everywhere Bear by Julia Donaldson. We have enjoyed remembering all the different place he visited. We made some story maps to help us re-tell the story.
We even went on our own journey around school and found the slide! It was great fun having a little play on it! We have talked about maps and made some of our own.
“I’ve made a map of Wetherby, Mrs Kendrew you are the blue spot.’
‘I have made a treasure map!’
‘My map has a big hole; it goes all around the classroom!’
Phonics
This week the children have learnt the phonemes (the sound a letter makes) g, o, c and k. The children have been listening to and saying words that begin with these phonemes (the sound a letter makes). They have also been practicing writing the graphemes (the written letter). We have also learnt our new tricky word ‘is’ the tricky bit in this word is the ‘s’ phoneme because it sounds like a ‘z’.
You may choose to play an I Spy game at home using these new phonemes (the sound a letter makes).
Today we also visited the school library, the children really enjoyed picking a book to bring home. These books are our reading for pleasure books, we hope you enjoy reading them. Please can they be returned on Thursday with reading records so they can be changed and updated. Thank you.
Poetry Basket
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite the poem each day. By saying the poem out loud we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line.
This week or poem was Pointy Hat
A little old lady with a tall pointed hat,
Knocked on my door with a rat-a-tat-tat.
I peered through the window to see who was there,
And off on her broomstick she flew through the air.
Maths
This week we have been focussing on our counting skills – to find out ‘how many’ objects there are.
We have explored how all sorts of things can be counted, including sounds. By singing rhymes, we have enjoyed developing our knowledge of the counting sequence.
Help at home phonics sheet
Today, your child has come home with a new ‘learn at home’ phonics sheet. The sheets link to our current learning in phonics. Please support your child by practising their new sounds and reading skills at home.
Home-Link
Autumn is here and the children have enjoyed exploring acorns and conkers. If you have chance, go on an autumn walk and collect, draw or discuss all the signs of autumn. You may choose to collect items to bring into school or email pictures.
Reminders
We will be doing PE on Monday, so please send your child to school wearing their PE kit and trainers. They will stay in this all day. Please can we also remind every to only put water inside water bottles, thank you.
Stay and Learn Sessions
This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about the Early Years Curriculum and watch your child Learning in school.
Phonics Phase 2- 12.10.23- 8.50am-9.30am
Maths- 15.11.23 2.20pm-3.00pm
Phonics Phase 3- 16.1.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
Early Writing- 05.02.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
World Book Day 07.03.24 -8.50am-9.20am
Learning Journey Drop In’s
An opportunity to “drop into” school and share your child’ learning journal with them.
Times- 8.45am-9.15am and 3.15pm-3.45pm (Tuesday and Thursday)
Week beginning 11.12.23
Week beginning 25.03.24
Week beginning 08.07.24
Don’t forget to email your pictures from home stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org thank you, have a lovely weekend!
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman
The Big Book of Families
The children have had another fantastic week settling into Reception, they’ve really begun to make some lovely friendships and have continue to learn our daily routines. We’ve had lots of fun exploring and learning this week- we’re so proud of them!
A big Thank you to all the grown-ups who came to our ‘Welcome to Reception’ meeting on Wednesday. It was fantastic to see so many of you! Any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Phonics
This week the children have learnt the phonemes (the sounds a letter makes) i, n, m and d. The children have been listening to and saying words that begin with these phonemes. They have also been practicing writing the graphemes (the written letter).
Poetry Basket
Each week we will be learning a new poem. We will recite the poem each day. By saying the poem out loud we can focus on the sounds and rhythm of each word or line.
Our first poem is Chop Chop.
Chop, Chop, Choppity Chop.
Cut off the bottom and cut off the top.
What there is left, we put in the pot.
Chop, Chop, Choppity Chop.
I am sure your child will enjoy reciting and performing it for you, they have done so well learning it in school.
Super Subitising
This week we have been practicing our subitising skills. This means, we have been looking and saying how many objects we can see – without counting one by one! Ask your child how many spots they can see by subitising.
Families
Thank you so much for the family photos already sent in, the children have really enjoyed sharing their home experiences with their friends! We have been reading ‘The Big Book of Families’ where we have talked about how different families can look.
Help at home
Today, your child has come home with a ‘learn at home’ phonics sheet. The sheets link to our current learning in phonics and will be sent home each Friday. Please support your child by practising their new sounds and reading skills at home. Your child will also be coming home with their reading diary and information explaining how to log on to the ebook, your child’s personal log in details are stuck inside the front cover, under the dinosaur! They will be visiting the school library next week to pick a reading for pleasure book to bring home too.
Reminders
We will be doing PE on Monday, so please send your child to school wearing their PE kit and trainers. They will stay in this all day.
Stay and Learn Sessions
This is an opportunity for you to come into school to find out about the Early Years Curriculum and watch your child Learning in school.
Phonics Phase 2- 12.10.23- 8.50am-9.30am
Maths- 15.11.23 2.20pm-3.00pm
Phonics Phase 3- 16.1.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
Early Writing- 05.02.24 2.20pm-3.00pm
World Book Day 07.03.24 -8.50am-9.20am
Learning Journey Drop In’s
An opportunity to “drop into” school and share your child’ learning journal with them.
Times- 8.45am-9.15am and 3.15pm-3.45pm (Tuesday and Thursday)
Week beginning 11.12.23
Week beginning 25.03.24
Week beginning 08.07.24
Don’t forget to email your pictures from home stjameseyfs@spherefederation.org thank you, have a lovely weekend!
Mrs. Kendrew, Mrs. Rippon and Miss. Feldman