Welcome to Reception!

Class Teacher: Ms Farrell

Teaching Assistant: Mrs Castle and Mrs Bentham

Dear parents 

We would like to welcome you and your children back to school after the christmas break and would also like to wish you a very happy new year! We look forward to working alongside you as always as your children continue on their educational journey. I am sure you will find this page useful over the coming months as it will be filled with upcoming events and activites that your children will be involved in.

If you require any further information that is not available on this page, please do not hesitate to get in touch and I will do my best to help.

In the files section you will find a curriculum map for each term to keep you updated with your child's learning. There will also be further information added as the year progresses.

In addition to this page, we also have a Home Learning Page which will be updated with homework to support your child. At the moment their homework will consist of the 'sound of the day' which we will have been looking at in our Phonics sessions. This will then be replaced with a reading book which again, will be linked to our phonics sessions. The book will be changed once a week but should be returned each day to allow reading opportunities which will allow them to flourish further. They will also receive a maths task to help cement their number knowledge helping them to become confident mathematicians.

P.E. 

The children will take part in a P.E. lesson once a week on a Thursday. On this day the children will be allowed to come into school wearing their kit. (Please ensure all items are labelled clearly)

Water:

Children are asked to bring a drink of water into school each day in a reuseabe plastic bottle as they are encouraged to drink plenty during the day. Please do not be concerned though if their bottle comes homes full again as we do tend to fill them up once empty.  They will be sent home each evening to be washed ready to be brought in the following day.

Money:

Thank you to those of you who have already sent in the voluntary £1 a week. This is greatly appreciated and is used to purchase extra snacks and resources to support their learning. Please ensure that any money sent into school is placed in an envelope with your child's name on.

Early Years Outdoor Area

Please support us in caring for our outdoor area by not letting children play with the equipment or run around in the garden area before and after school. Our outdoor environment is a key development priority here in our EYFS at St Thomas of Canterbury and we are working very hard to continue to develop it into a more enriching learning environment for our Nursery and Reception pupils.

Paperwork and money

Please ensure that all paperwork sent into school is clearly marked with your child's class and name. As you will be aware the majority of money paid to the school is paid via the school app but if an occassion arises where children will be asked to bring a small amount of money in, such as for charity of your voluntary contributions we ask that it is clearly labelled in an envelope.

Medical

Please let us know of any medical conditions that your child has. You will need to complete a medical form at the school office for any medicines that need to be administered in school. It is an important part of our safe guarding procedures that we are aware of any long-term medical conditions.

Class news

Please check out our Reception class page as it is updated regularly with our newsletters, class news and photographs to give you a glimpse into our busy school life!

Our newsletters can be read/downloaded from the 'News' section below.

Bits and bobs!

Labels - please ensure that all items of clothing and belongings are labelled clearly. (coats, ties, water bottle, PE clothing, wellington boots, book bags...) When we can't match children's belongings to them quickly they can become upset. 

Book bags - need to be in school every day to enable the children to carry their belongings to and from school. Please don't send any other bags into school as storage space in the classroom is very limited and it can be difficult for small children to carry lots of bags and coats in and out of the classroom each day.

Snacks - Children will be provided with a breaktime snack each day but we are aware that some children like to bring their own into school, therefore could we please ask that they bring in a healthy option.

Early Years Framework

Spring Term

Come and See

As we embark on a new year we will also be continuing our Come and See programme with a new topic - Celebrating. The children will be encouraged to talk about their own experiences and feelings about celebrations they have been a part of and how the celebrations were shared. We look forward to the children sharing these memories and experiences with their friends via tapestry.

Collective Worship - Each day we take part in a daily act of worship, either as a whole school or within the class. Please see the files section for the prayers we practise in school as you may wish to share these with your little ones at home.Thank you in advance for your support and I look forward to the term ahead with our little superstars!

The Early Years Team