Willow (Year 1/2)
Class Teachers: Miss Oatey and Mrs Goodman
Teaching Assistants: Miss Udell
Dear Parents/Carers,
A very warm welcome back, we hope you have all had a lovely Christmas Break. We will be kicking off with our exciting new topic ‘What is a monarch and where do they live?’. Our topic this term will focus on the role of a monarch today and what it looked like in the past. We will also be investigating whether Trowbridge had a castle and what it was used for. We have attached a copy of our topic web and knowledge organiser so you can see what your child will be learning about in each curriculum area.
term 3 knowledge organiser.pdf
We really encourage children to find and bring in any books or information they can find relating to the topic.
This term we also welcome Mrs Goodman to the Willow team, she will be teaching Willow Class on a Thursday and a Friday and is looking forward to getting to know you and your children.
Just a few reminders for this term:
Our P.E sessions are being held on Thursday. Please make sure your child has a P.E kit in school on this day (t-shirt, shorts/tracksuit bottoms and daps/trainers). P.E kit should be labelled clearly with your child’s name, as should all school uniform and book bags. Could you also ensure book bags are checked regularly for letters etc.
Reading:
We will continue to read with your child weekly. It is important that you hear your child read at least four times a week and comment in their Reading Records.
As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. When you help your child learn to read, you are opening the door to a world of books and learning. Reading aloud to children is the best way to get them interested in reading. Before long they will grow to love stories and books. Eventually they will want to read on their own.
With the help of parents, children can learn how to read and can practise reading until they can read for their own enjoyment. Then they will have a whole world of information and knowledge at their fingertips!
If your child previously took home PM books, we have now got an exciting new range of books called ‘Readerful’. These books are aimed at developing fluency and enjoyment of reading. As this is a different publisher the levels are not the same (i.e. a Level 7 readerful book is not the same as a level 7 PM book). We will inform you what level your child is on in their reading record. We will change these fortnightly and will assess their reading level termly. If you require additional reading material we recommend visiting Trowbridge library.
Some children will continue to take a Phonics book home. These books will contain sounds your child still needs to practise as identified in a recent phonics assessment. These will be changed weekly.
Children also develop their reading and comprehension skills during our English lessons. We aim to provide a rich variety of texts for children to promote love for reading. Our class texts this term are “George and the Dragon” and “The Queen’s Knickers”.
Homework
We will continue to set termly homework challenges via Dojo. This will contain a mix of English, Maths & creative tasks. Children are expected to complete at least one (or as many) of the tasks each term. All work will be celebrated at end-of-term showcases!
Just a few other general reminders for the year ahead:
1) Children will need to bring in their own water bottle to drink from throughout the day.
2) Please ensure your child brings in a waterproof coat each day.
3) KS1 children are offered a piece of fruit or raw vegetable (funded by the Government) as a healthy snack, promoting commitment to healthy living. However, if your child would prefer to bring their own snack please feel free to do so! (fruit or vegetables only please)
4) We have Celebration Assembly on Friday afternoon at 2:40pm which is a time to celebrate the learning and achievements of the week. The champion learner will get the privilege of taking Millie home for the weekend to look after. Please make sure she is back in school on the Monday so we can give her a full wash and groom!
5) Please ensure all uniform is clearly labelled with your child’s name. Last term, we had several unlabelled garments left in the cloakroom.
If you have any further questions about the year ahead please do not hesitate in speaking to us either before/after school. or alternatively emailing willow@bellefield.wilts.sch.uk.
We really look forward to teaching your child this year!
Kind Regards,
Miss Oatey Mrs Goodman Miss Udell
(Class Teacher Mon-Weds) (Class Teacher Thurs-Fri) (Teaching Assistants)
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