On Monday 18th November, children in Years 1, 3 and 5 will be taking part in a Diwali-themed Indian dance workshop. This RE workshop is closely linked to the Hindu festival of Diwali, celebrated each year as the Festival of Lights.

During the session, pupils will have the opportunity to learn traditional dances associated with Diwali and explore the ancient story of Rama and Sita. The workshop promises to be a wonderful celebration of Hindu religion, tradition, and the rich cultural heritage of India.

To cover the cost of the workshop we are asking for a donation of £3.00 per child, to be paid via your child’s Arbor account. Many thanks.

Exciting RE news! Years 1, 4 and 6 will each be taking part in an African Drumming workshop on Thursday the 2nd of October. This will be a fun way of linking their knowledge and developing an understanding about different global cultural practises and traditions. This is an important part of their overall RE learning journey. The workshop will also make a nice cross-curricular link to the Black History month which beings on 1st October.

To cover the cost of the workshop we are asking for a donation of £3.00 per child, to be paid via your child’s Arbor account. Many thanks.

After half term all Year 1 children across England will take part in the phonics screening check. Within the screening check the children will be asked to read 40 words, some of which will be real words and some will be pseudo/alien words. This screening check will take place during the week of June 9th on a 1:1 basis with either myself or Mrs Rank. There is no time limit to the phonics screening check but it should take no longer than 10 minutes. The children have been taught phonics daily and so preparation for this is already in place so please don’t worry about this. Here is a link to phonics play PhonicsPlay – Resources (www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources) where you can play Dragons Den, Buried treasure and Picnic on Pluto without subscribing. These games focus on real and pseudo words and will be a good way to practise at home in the run up to their screening check.

Please do get in contact with us if you have any questions as we will be happy to help.

Kind regards

Mrs Young

KS1 lead.

As part of this term’s cross-curriculum work we have arranged for Year 1 to visit Blists Hill Victorian Town Museum, Coalbrookdale on Friday 4^th April. We will be leaving school around 9.20am and returning approximately 3.00pm, in time for normal end of day release time.

The cost for this trip is £17.50, which includes entrance fees, workshops, transport and insurance. Payment should be made via your child’s Arbor account prior to the date of the trip please.

As Year 1 pupils are provided with free school meals as part of the Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme, a packed lunch will be provided for all pupils. Please click on the link below to select from the various menu options available. All packed lunches come with a packet of crisps, a flapjack/piece of shortbread and a piece of fruit.  Children should bring along their own water bottles.

https://forms.office.com/e/51Rh43Q4S4

If we haven’t received a completed packed lunch form for your child by close of play, Wednesday 2^nd April, we will assume they will be bringing one from home.

Children should wear their school uniform and sensible walking shoes for this trip and, as Blists Hill is an open air museum and the majority of our time will be spent outdoors, bring along a waterproof coat for possible cold/inclement weather.  No spending money is required.

In case of an emergency or medical incident during this event, please check that your contact details are up-to-date on Arbor prior to the trip. Thank you for your assistance.

Dear Parents/Carers,

As part of our religious education, we have arranged for Year 1, 3 and 5 pupils to take part in a Diwali Workshop at school on Monday 18^th November. The children will learn the origin and significance of India’s biggest and most important festival of the year, Diwali (also known as The Festival of Light), and how it is celebrated by Hindus. The workshop will include the children singing, dancing and dressing up in traditional Indian clothing.

As we have no other way of funding the workshop, we would be extremely grateful if parents could contribute £3.80 per child towards its cost. Payment is to be made via your child’s Arbor account prior to the date of the workshop please.

Kind regards,

Mrs Mukhopadhyay

RE lead

We have arranged for Year 1 to visit Theatre Severn on Thursday 17^th October  to see an afternoon performance of “The Smartest Giant in Town”, based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

They will be setting off around 12.15pm, following an early lunch, and will return to school around 3.00pm, in time for usual end of day collection.

The cost of the trip is £14.70, including transport costs and tickets.  Payment for this trip should be made via your child’s Arbor account prior to the date of the trip. We hope that everyone can contribute to the trip in some way.

Please note that this visit is covered by the Annual Consent Form for Trips/visits & Medical Information. Please notify the school immediately if there are any changes to your contact/emergency contact details or medical information.

We would like to invite you to join your child for a school lunch at 11.30am on Wednesday 17th July so that you can participate in the whole dining hall experience and sample our school meals for yourselves. Maximum of two visitors per child please.

If you are able to join us for lunch, please let us know by completing the attached link by Monday 15th July so the kitchen can ensure sufficient meals are prepared.

Please can you also pay for your Lunch on School Shop in Arbor- £3.15.

https://forms.office.com/e/TsaGZRY4iE

Thank you

Next week all Year 1 children across England will take part in the phonics screening check. Within the screening check the children will be asked to read 40 words, some of which will be real words and some will be pseudo words. The children may also refer to pseudo words as ‘alien’ words. This screening check will take place on a 1:1 basis with either myself or Miss Cox. There is no time limit to the phonics screening check but it should take no longer than 10 minutes. The children are taught phonics daily and so preparation for this is already in place so please don’t worry about this. Here is a link to phonics play PhonicsPlay – Resources (www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources) where you can play Dragons Den, Buried treasure and Picnic on Pluto without subscribing. These games focus on real and pseudo words and will be a good way to practise at home in the run up to next week.

Please do get in contact with us if you have any questions as we will be happy to help.

Kind regards

Mrs Young

KS1 and Reading Leader

Dear Parent/Guardians,

Year 1 Trip – Blists Hill Victorian Town Museum

As part of this term’s cross-curriculum work we have arranged for Year 1 to visit Blists Hill Victorian Town Museum, Coalbrookdale on Wednesday 13^th March. We will be leaving school at 9.15am and returning approximately 3.00pm, in time for normal home time.

The cost for this trip is £13.00, which includes transport costs, entrance fees, workshops and insurance. Payment should be made via your child’s Arbor account prior to the date of the trip please.

As Year 1 pupils are provided with free school meals as part of the Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme, a packed lunch will be provided for all pupils. Please click on the link below to select from the various menu options available. All packed lunches come with a piece of fruit, biscuit, packet of crisps.  Your child should bring their own water bottle.  If we haven’t received a completed packed lunch form for your child by close of play, Monday 11^th March, we will assume they will be bringing one from home.

https://forms.office.com/e/cHPte7wus7

Children should wear their school uniform and sensible walking shoes for this trip and, as Blists Hill is an open air museum and the majority of our time will be spent outdoors, bring along a waterproof coat for possible cold/inclement weather.  No spending money is required.

Please note that this visit is covered by the Consent Form for Trips/visits & Medical Information. Please notify the school immediately if there are any changes to your contact/emergency contact details or medical information.

Yours sincerely,

Jane Hilbert

Administration Manager

Dear Parents and Carers,

Year 1 Phonics Screening check

In June, all Year 1 children in England will take part in the phonics screening check. Within the screening check the children will be asked to read 40 words, some of which will be real words and some will be pseudo words. The children may also refer to pseudo words as ‘alien’ words. This screening check will take place on a 1:1 basis with either myself or Miss Cox. There is no time limit to the phonics screening check but it should take no longer than 10 minutes. The children are taught phonics daily and so preparation for this is already in place so please don’t worry about this.

Here is a link to phonics play PhonicsPlay – Resources (www.phonicsplay.co.uk/resources) where you can play Dragons Den, Buried treasure and Picnic on Pluto without subscribing. These games focus on real and pseudo words and will be a good way to practise at home too. We will be sending a copy of the flashcards home by the end of the week. Please continue to read with your child daily – even if it is just for 5-10 minutes – and then write a comment in the diary. This is a perfect way for you to help your child develop their reading skills and continue their reading journey to becoming fluent readers.

Helpful hints when reading:

Explore the text – Talk about the front cover; read the title; make predictions; read the blurb; discuss the illustrations. Who is the author?

Phonics check – Open up the book; discuss any digraphs the book aims to practise. Are there any non-decodable words? Talk about their meaning if necessary.

Pre-read – Read the book to your child then have them read it with you. Talk about what you’ve read.

Your child’s turn – Have your child read the book aloud to you. Ensure they apply reading behaviours accurately. Encourage silent blending where possible. Encourage fluency and expression when appropriate. Make your child aware of punctuation; encourage them to use it to improve pace and fluency.

Comprehension – Ask questions about the text to ensure your child has understood what they have read. What and when questions are fine, but aim for open ended questions too such as: why do you think …? How would you….?

Quizzes – Sometimes there is a quiz at the end of the book. Or you could make up your own. 

Follow up – Provide follow up activities suggested by the book that link to the themes and develop your child’s understanding.

Please do get in contact with us if you have any questions as we will be happy to help.

Kind regards

Mrs Young

KS1 and Reading Leader