Celebration certificates
The children have made a brilliant start to the year after such a long time away. I have been looking forward to this week for ages! All the children have settled and we feel like we know each other quite well already.
As we can’t have our usual celebration assembly on a Friday at the moment, I will be posting the certificate winners on here each week.
For great learning…
James – for super work in writing, starting to join letters.
For living and learning…
Lily – for showing friendship to your new classmates.
Welcome!
Welcome to all our F2 children!
Miss Marsden has been looking forward to this week for ages! It’s been lovely getting to know you and your interests. You all looked super smart in your new uniforms and shiny shoes! I wonder how long they will stay shiny for?
F2 have had a great first week at school! We’ve been busy painting, drawing, 
building train tracks, cooking in the role play area and making cakes at the playdough table.
Every morning, your child will come into school and be encouraged to do their daily jobs independently. They will hang up their coat, find their name, choose their lunch and vote for an end of day story. When you drop of your child, a member of staff will always be available for a quick chat.
This half-term is all about settling in. We will be getting to know each other and finding out about the children’s interests which will guide our learning this term. Our Parent Partners are key in this process, so we really encourage you to start sending photos of any ‘WOW’ moments or new interests your child has at home. Send them to stjameseyfs@speherefederation.org.
Things to remember…
- PE will be every Wednesday – your child should come to school in their PE kit. Our first PE session will be on Wednesday 30 September.
- A pair of school wellies is essential in Foundation! We go outside to play in all weather!
- Your child will need a labelled water bottle each day. Please ensure the bottle only contains water – no juice please!
- At the end of the day (3.00pm), please remember to stand opposite the foundation classroom.
- Don’t forget to encourage independence when your child is getting ready for school!
Have a lovely weekend!
First week back!
It has been fantastic being back at school with our whole class together again. Everybody has come back with a really positive and responsible attitude towards their learning and towards the new rules and routines we have in place. Here are some quotes from of a few children in the class about our first week back at school:
“At first, I felt confused because I wasn’t sure what school was going to be like, but after we were told the new rules I understood and felt better. I’ve enjoyed maths- we’ve been learning about numbers up to 10 million!” Mackenzie Y6
“The bubbles and timings of things seemed strange at first, but now I’m comfortable with it. I’ve enjoyed coming back and seeing my friends and teachers. In maths, we’ve been learning about greater than and less than.” Erin Y6
“This week, I’ve enjoyed reading because I like the book ‘After the Fall’ and we’ve done some research about the history of the nursery rhyme- Humpty Dumpty.” Joe Y5
As Joe mentions, we’ve been reading a book called ‘After the Fall’ by Dan Santat. It is a story about Humpty Dumpty and how he overcame his fear of heights and picked himself back up again. We asked lots of questions about the history of this character and the nursery rhyme; we found out some very interesting and surprising facts!
Supporting reading at home in Key Stage 1
Children will be bringing home a reading book this week. These will be changed once a week to minimise books moving between home and school.
Please return books to be changed on Wednesday. We will quarantine books before putting them back in the system.
The ‘practise phonics’ book (sticker on the front cover) is for children to work on their ‘sounding out’ of words.
Please comment on how your child copes with the books as it may take me a little time to adjust and match books to each child. Year 2s will gradually move away from phonics books and have more freedom to be ‘free readers’.
Children will also choose a library book each Friday.
Help me help your child by reading anything and everything you can. THANK YOU!
Own It app
Has you child got a mobile phone? If they have, do the have the Own It app from the BBC?
The Own It app helps children and young people take control of your online life. It gives them advice when they need it, in real-time as they type. It’s designed to help them make smart choices, feel more confident, and live their best life online.
The Own It app comes with a special keyboard. This can be used like any other keyboard, but it also gives users helpful tips and friendly advice as they write.
There’s also the ability to track how they feel and improve their wellbeing. There are plenty of gifs and emojis so users can express themselves.
The Own It keyboard and app is personal to the user. Everything your child types is kept completely private, and never leaves the Own It app on their phone.
PE days
Hopefully you have read the information in the Autumn for all – Key Info St James’, which also has a link to our uniform policy.
On the days your child has PE, they should come to school in their PE kit. (Track-suit bottoms instead of shorts would be good on colder days. Footwear : black/brown/grey/white flat shoes which are safe to run around in.)
Footwear on PE days could be children’s ‘school shoes’ which are often a ‘trainer’ style anyway, if you want to avoid having to buy 2 pairs of shoes.
Please find below the days each class has allocated PE times, which will be taught outdoors, except in extreme weather.
- Foundation (Miss Marsden) – Wednesday
- Year 1/2 (Miss Harker) – Thursday & Friday
- Year 3/4 (Mrs Welsby/Mrs Rowley) – Tuesday & Friday
- Year 5/6 (Miss Beatson/Mr Mills) – Tuesday & Friday
Class mascot named…
After all the votes have been counted, I can now reveal the name of our lovely dog will be… Slinky!
She is looking forward to having lots of adventures in our class. Have a lovely summer!
From Miss Harker
Slinky
Summer Time!
It’s the last day of school!
What a crazy school year it has been! We’re sad that we’ve been unable to finish the year together, but we hope that you’ve all enjoyed doing the home learning. Thank you, again, for all of your emails about your lovely home learning moments. Mrs Allen-Kelly and I have loved reading each and every one of them.
I am excited to welcome back the Foundation 1 children returning to us in September.
Thank you to all the Foundation 2 children for being an amazing class and I am sure you will be fab in Year 1. I will pop into your new classroom to say ‘hello’ and see how you’re all getting on.
I would like to wish all of Foundation a happy and healthy summer!
Miss Marsden
xxx
Story time! ‘Recipe For a Story’ by Ella Burfoot
Here is the final story time video of the school year!
Please click here to hear to story
It finishes with a little goodbye message from me.
I just want to add that I am so proud of all of you all and how you have coped with the school year taking such an unexpected turn.
I have loved every day of teaching at St James’ Primary School and will really miss seeing your smiling faces 😊 I will be keeping in touch to see how you are all getting on in your Reception year and Year One.
Have the BEST Summer break Superstars ✨
Mrs Allen-Kelly.
17 July 2020: Home learning
Good morning children. It’s Friday. It’s the last day of the summer term! Sadly, the year hasn’t ended in the way in which we would have loved. We’ve missed out on our usual treats and fun. Mrs Welsby and I are missing it as much as you but we will make up for it when we see you in September.
School Trip
A fun school trip just because! Today, head to Walt Disney World. Have fun looking around. Find your favourite ride or attraction and write a review. Why should someone go and visit it? What was the best bit? How could it be improved?
Reading
You all know how much I love a good musical – this one was my favourite as a child and I used to watch it nearly every day on repeat!
Sing along with this song. Read the words as you go.
So long, farewell (from the Sound of Music)
There’s a sad sort of clanging
From the clock in the hall
And the bells in the steeple, too
And up in the nursery
An absurd little bird
Is popping out to say coo-coo
(Coo-coo, coo-coo)
coo-coo Regretfully they tell us
coo-coo But firmly they compel us
coo-coo To say goodbye
To you
So long, farewell
Auf wiedersehen, goodnight
I hate to go and leave this pretty sight
So long, farewell
auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu
To you and you and you
So long, farewell
Au revoir, auf Wiedersehen
I’d like to stay
And taste my first champagne
Yes?
No!
So long, farewell
Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
I leave and heave
A sigh and say goodbye
Goodbye
I’m glad to go
I cannot tell a lie
I flit, I float
I fleetly flee, I fly
The sun has gone
To bed and so must I
So long, farewell
auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye
Now, write a list of any words that are new to you. Can you find out what they mean?