Our Daily Poem on Internet Safety
Our Year One class has been enthusiastically practising a daily poem themed around Internet Safety Day. The children love reciting the poem each day, growing more confident and expressive as the week progresses. By the end of the week, they proudly recite it more independently!
Daily poem practice enhances reading fluency, builds vocabulary and boosts memory skills.
Help at Home Tips:
- Read the poem together at home.
- Discuss new words and their meanings.
- Practice with fun voices to boost expression!
Multi-sports at Wetherby High School
We’re really proud of how Year 4 represented St James’ on their trip to Wetherby High School this afternoon.
The children took part in a circuit of sporting challenges using skills they have learned in their PE lessons as well as learning new skills.
The day finished with a variety of relay races. The teamwork was incredible and was matched by heart-warming team spirit displayed by children cheering on their teammates.
Year 4, you are amazing sports people! We are super proud of you!
Warm Spaces
Each term, children are invited to Warm Spaces at St James’ Church Hall, Wetherby. Today our children from Year 5 and 6, enjoyed chatting to the ladies and gentlemen about what they are doing in school. The children also enjoyed listening to school tales from long ago.
Our children, as always, where superb ambassadors for our school.
Leeds Rugby
We have had a wonderful afternoon with coaches from Leeds Rugby. We took part in a variety of games and activities, working well as a team.
It was lovely to see the children moving, competing and enjoying themselves during the activities. I have said it before, but we have some very talented sportspeople in our class.
Help at home – ask you child what skills they learnt today? Could you reenact some games at home? Find the closest rugby team to you.
Living and Learning – Internet Safety Day
This year’s theme is ‘Too Good to Be True? Protecting Yourself and Others from Online Scams.’
Last week, we had a fantastic visit from D-side Dave, who taught us three essential rules for staying safe online. We were so impressed by how confidently the children remembered them:
1️⃣ Always ask permission from a grown-up before going online.
2️⃣ Only talk to people you know and trust.
3️⃣ Stick to websites and apps that are right for you.
In our first session we read the story Chicken Clicking (This is a YouTube link. Top tip for watching YouTube with your child: go to the settings cog along the play bar and turn off autoplay – this avoids an inappropriate clip coming up automatically, and helps to discourage your child from passively watching clip after clip). As we read the story, we discussed what wasn’t true—like how the fox was pretending to be someone else. We also discussed how Chicken Clicking didn’t follow the three online safety rules. The children then came up with questions for Chicken Clicking and took part in a hot-seating activity, where they asked a friend pretending to be the character a question they had written.
In our next session, we explored why we should never share personal information online. Details like your name, home address, or school can tell others who you are and where to find you, so it’s important to keep them private.
Help at home:
🔹 Can you remember the three rules for staying safe online?
🔹 Take the quiz to test your knowledge on protecting personal information!
Supertato
Our focus book this week has been Supertato by Sue Hendra.
Our new word of the week was: mischievous. A perfect word to describe the small, green villain in our story!
Phonics
Spring 1 week 5 has focused on reading longer words, by using the chunking method (segmenting and blending longer words one syllable at a time, i.e. “s-u-n, sun, s-e-t, set, sun, set, sunset”)
Ask your child to show you how they ‘chunk-it-up’
Living and Learning: I know the importance of consent (online and offline)
Consent – permission for something to happen/to agree to do something
Boundary – taking ownership of your own body/mind and setting limits
This week, Year 3 are looking into the importance of consent and boundaries, both online and offline. In our circle time, we are looking into a fantastic book about boundaries, and how you are the ruler of your own body and mind. We want all children to feel comfortable setting their own limits, and to also be respectful of the boundaries for other people. The children understand that boundaries for some people might be different and that we must respect that, even if our boundaries are not the same.
Next week, we will be looking into how boundaries and consent are important when online, too.
Help at home:
Talk with your child about setting boundaries and asking others for consent. Make sure your child is comfortable talking about, responding to and reporting anything that doesn’t make them feel happy and healthy.
Science – Habitats
In science, we’re biologists! We’re learning about animals and their habitats.
This week, we’ve learned about polar habitats and desert habitats, using secondary sources to conduct research and create some animal fact files.
Help at home by exploring some animal facts. The National Geographic Kids website is fantastic!
Reception parent/carer survey
At St James’ Primary School, we’re always keen to hear your views. We hope that you let us know any questions, comments and concerns (as well as causes for celebration!) whenever these crop up, but we like to gather the views more generally so we can keep reviewing and improving what we do.
This short survey is just for you to think about your child’s experiences in our Reception class. (There’s another annual survey at the end of the year for all parents/carers.) It’ll only take a few minutes or so. You’ve plenty of time to do this – the deadline is Friday 28 February 2025.
We can’t guarantee to meet the needs and wants of every parent / carer, but we do assure you that we consider all the points raised and aim to act on specific points that are raised by many, or a useful idea raised by just a few.
Previously, based on your feedback, for example, we alternated the days Stay and Learns were held – to give all parents an opportunity to attend.
Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. We’re looking forward to reading your views.
We’ve been reading ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. If you have this story at home then please enjoy reading it together. If not, you might want to listen to Cbeebies sharing it for their story time.
Construction Champions- Our building skills have been amazing this week, we’re thinking about what we want to make and then using it in our play after. Look at these car ramps, hotels and even a passenger ferry.
Mark making is such an important part of our learning in Nursery, we’ve been busy making marks in sand, painting, in our message centre and outside on the big whiteboard. We’re working really hard to hold our pencil comfortably so we have good control.
Help at home: We’re really enjoying our Nursery Rhymes, see if the children can perform you their favourite one. The Grand Old Duke of York, Baa Baa Black Sheep and 1,2,3,4,5 are the most requested.