Red Class - Class teacher Mrs Lambert

& Mrs Charalambous

Welcome back to the second half of the Autumn term and what a busy half term it is!  The children have all coped very well with the transition into school; we hope you feel the same way.

The focus for our learning this half-term will be:

Seasons:

• An opportunity to explore our surroundings and notice the change sin our environment as autumn moves into winter.  What differences can we see?   How does the weather change?  What happens to the trees and plants?  What is different about what we wear?
• Finding out about winter - short days, long nights, changes in our environment.

Celebrations

• Fireworks/Bonfire Night - learning the story of Guy Fawkes and how to keep safe on Bonfire night.  Lots of opportunities for creative activities - firework pictures etc.
• Hanukah - Finding out about the Jewish festival and how it compares to Christmas.
• Christmas - Learning the Christmas story, preparations for Christmas - Advent, Christmas lists and cards, preparing for our Christmas production.

We will also focus on some familiar stories, like "We're going on a Bear Hunt".

Phonics

We will be continuing to introduce six new letter sounds every two weeks.  Copies of these will be sent home - please practice these with you child for a few minutes each day - thank you.

Reading

Children will have the opportunity to change their books each morning if they want to.  Please continue to share your child's reading book with them each day - thank you.

PE/Dance

PE - using small equipment skills (balls, bean bags, quoits) and team games will be the focus for this half-term on Thursday afternoon.  Dance will be on a Monday afternoon.  PE kits can remain in school and be taken home for washing at the end of each half-term.  Please make sure your child has a named pair of shorts and t-shirt to change into.

Achievements slips

Thank you to those parents who have fille din the achievements slips for your child - it is a great way to find out about their accomplishments outside school.  Extra copies of the slips are available in the classroom should you need them.  The achievement box is on the windoesill in the classroom, next to the painting easel.

Cooking

We are very luck to have Jo Beecroft (Joshua's mummy) halping in the classroom every Thursday afternoon.  She has very kindly offered to cook with the children.  The children will be making fairy cakes this half-term.  A group of children will cook with Jo every two weeks - we hope all children will have the opportunity to make cakes this term, however the activity may run into January.

Assemblies

The children are now attending whole school assemblies.  On a Friday afternoon, it is the "star awards" assembly, when two children from each class will receive a certificate in recognition of the efforts for the week.

Christmas Production

We have already started learning the songs for our Foundation/KS1 Christmas production "Born in a Barn".  The performances will take place in the week beginning 7th December.

Should you have any quesries or concerns, please feel free to discuss them with us.  The end of the day is better as we have more time.

Roz Lambert, Jackie Charalambous and Rachel Lewis.

In the first half-term, we went on an Autumn walk around the school.

We looked at some of the autumn colours of the leaves.

Mrs Lambert showed us a big leaf, and we collected our own leaves.

We made leaf rubbings withour own leaves.

 (Updated 17.11.2009, LMM)