Autumn 2016

Dear Parents,

As promised here is a more comprehensive outline of the things you need to know this term.

The children seem very keen to take on the challenges that Year 6 brings and I am very much looking forward to this year as we have lots going on. Year 6 is a great year for the children for so many different reasons; I particularly enjoy watching them grow in confidence and self-esteem. Throughout the year they will be expected to become much more independent in preparation for the secondary system.

Topic

This term’s topic is Ancient Greece. The topic webis now posted on the website.

Homework

There will generally be weekly maths, literacy and/or topic tasks given to the children on a Wednesday. These should be completed in the children’s Learning Logs (unless I have told them otherwise)and will be expected back in school on Monday. Government guidelines suggest that children in Year 6 should be doing approximately 2 - 2½ hours of homework per week – this does include spellings, tables and reading! There is an expectation that children will complete set work to the best of their ability and hand it in on time. Usually the children have several days to complete a piece of work. If work is not completed, on a regular basis, the work will need to be done in school during free time. Of course I recognise that there will be times when life gets in the way so please just let me know if this has been the case.

It is still really important this year that the children continue to read and share books with an adult on a regular basis at home. This term I am trying something new in class. I have given each child their own reading book to read when in school. Last year I found it really difficult to keep a track of what was being read and I felt that some children were not choosing appropriate texts. This does not mean that children will no longer be able to choose books from the library, simply that these will be taken home rather than read in school. This is something I want to discuss further with you at our consultation evening later this term. Please don’t hesitate to email me or pop in if you would like to chat about this before we meet.

Mrs Duffy is co-ordinating spellings. There will be weekly spellings for the children to learn. These will be set and tested on a Friday

Stationery

It was lovely to see the fabulous array of stationery/pencil case goodies the children arrived with last week however I have spoken to them aboutequipment as I think we could have given W.H.Smithsarun for its money. Children have all been allocated a handwriting pen and pencil however these will not be replaced, if lost, this term. A maths set with a protractor would be useful but is not essential and a set of pencil crayons is also nice. It really helps if all items are named as it is very difficult to tell one handwriting pen from another! We have found that sharpie pens do the trick very nicely. Please note that novelty pens, rubbers and pencils, whilst they are great fun, can also prove to be a considerable distraction in the classroom, and should not be brought to school. We have also spoken about glue sticks. It is really useful if the children have their own but I have stressed that they are for their own personal use and should not be shared. There will be glue sticks available in class but it really cuts down on waiting time if they have their own. They have been asked not to share glue brought in from home as it can become very costly if one stick is shared across the table.

One last thing. Lots of the children have really funky coloured glue sticks. These are fine to use until they run out but the preference would be for clear glue.

PE

PE is timetabled for Tuesdays (optional session - swimming at the mo) and Thursdays. Competitive sport will continue every 3rd Friday, but the timetable is flexible and the weather is unpredictable, so it is worth keeping both indoor and outdoor kits in school at all times. Please ensure that the children have outdoor training gear that will keep them warm during the winter. The swimming pool will continue to be in use whilst the weather is suitable.

Teachers

This year we are very fortunate to have: Mrs Fleming, Mrs Moore, and Mrs Clissold supporting the children at various points throughout the week. Mrs Turner will continue to teach Music and Mrs Berrell will lead Forest Schools. I will be in school on a Monday am, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Mrs Duffy will be teaching on a Friday when I am not working.Having different teachers greatly assists the children with their transition into secondary education. Mrs Bowden will be returning to work after Christmas and we will be in touch to outline arrangements for the Spring term a bit nearer the time.

Contact

I am keen that the children become much more independent as the year goes on and hope that they will be able to come to me with any issue that needs resolving, or questions that need answering. Please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail:

or via the school office if there is something that your child is unable to communicate to me.

Please remember to look in the school newsletters and on the newwebsite for details of forthcoming events. Homework letters and other correspondence will also be posted on the website.

I would really appreciate it if you could return the following slip to me to confirm that you have received this letter. I hope I haven’t bombarded you with too much info.

Thanks

Sarah-Jane Jennings

------I confirm that I have received the letter outlining arrangements in Year 6.

Signed: Parent/guardian of