Autumn 1st Half Term 2016
Curriculum Newsletter -Tyneham Class
Welcome to you all, both children and parents. We hope you have all had a very good summer
holiday and are ready for a fun-packed, but very busy Autumn Term. We are thrilled by the
way all the children are beginning to settle into Tyneham Class.
Over the half term we will be getting to know each other, exploring the classroom and its resources; learning the school routines and how to play and learn together in our new class.
During this time we will also be covering the following topics:
‘Ourselves and Our Families’ 5th – 23rd September
The children will be thinking about themselves, identifying their features and talking about the things they like to do. They will consider their own families and answer the question ‘What is a family?’ There will be lots of opportunity for role play, outside exploration and art activities. We hope that during this time the children will get to know each other well and become a ‘class family’. Please could you send a photograph of your child and their family into school for us to talk about together during this time.
‘Dinosaur Roar!’ –26th September -21st October
During this topic we hope to have lots of fun reading and listening to stories, dressing up, creating our own dinosaurs and finding out some fun facts about them.We will make dinosaur footprints, forests, eggs, and even dinosaur egg cakes. If your child has any dinosaur books they would like to bring in for us to share, we would love to see them. We will begin this topic with a trip to the Dinosaur museum in Dorchester on Wednesday 28th September. Pleasesee attached letter, and return the permission slip.
During the visit the children will explore and will be able to see skeletons and reconstructions
of dinosaurs. They will begin to understand how ‘we’ know about dinosaurs and will take part in
hands on activities. On our return to school, the children will use both the internet and books
to find out facts, which we hope to share with to you on Wednesday 19th October at our
Sharing Assembly (2.30pm in Tyneham Classroom)
The topics cover skills from many areas in the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) curriculum. However, subjects which are not specifically covered in the topics such as Numeracy, R.E and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) will be taught in separate lessons.
Phonics is taught daily. The children will begin to learn to recognise and write letters, and learn
the sounds they make. They will be bringing home cards with the sounds we have learnt this week
topractise at home. These will be added to each week as we learn more sounds. It would be
helpful if these could be kept in their reading bags (in the zip pouch) so that we are able to add
to them each week. We would also like to invite you to a Literacy Workshop on Monday 19th
September at 2.30pm to explain how Phonics and Reading is taught in school and to give you the opportunity to see some of the activities in action.
We have a ‘travelling bear’ that will go home with a child each week on a Friday evening, his name is Pete. He will have an addressed postcard with him for the children to record the adventures that they have together and post back to school. Please could you post it back to school by Wednesday so that it has time to arrive and return Pete on Friday.
P.E will be taught twice a week – usually this will be on Tuesday and Thursday. However, please ensure that your child has their P.E kit in school at all times. Shorts, t-shirt and plimsolls are essential but it may be advisable to send jogging bottoms for outside sessions in colder weather.
We would like to have the children playing and learning outside as much as possible all year round. In order for this to happen we will be issuing all children with a set of school waterproofs they can wear for outdoor play which will be kept on their peg. They will however require a (cheap) pair of wellington boots that can also be kept in school to go with them. Please could these be sent into school as soon as the weather starts to change…. Hopefully not too soon!! Thank you.
Just a reminder that Tyneham Class children will be able to come into school to start their ‘table top’ activities at 8.45am when we open the school doors. We ask that children remain outside on the playground with their belongings until this time to allow us sufficient time to prepare for the activities that day. However if you need to speak to me privately before that time please do come in or alternatively phone the office and I will be happy to talk to you – I am usually here from 8.00am.
Homework
The children will bring home a Maths game each week; these will be changed on a Monday. It would be very useful if you could fill in therecord book, to let us know how your child (and you!) coped with the games or to let us know if anything is missing / lost from the pack.
All children will have brought home a library book this week for you to look at together. They will have the opportunity to change their books each Tuesday.
The children have also brought home a reading scheme book (with no words), which they can share with you, talk about the characters and learn to tell stories from the pictures. We encourage children to change their books twice a week, at this stage, so if you would like to change their books, then they can be handedin with their reading record book on any morning (in the silver box).
Diary Dates
- Literacy Workshop for parents Monday19th September…please join us.
- Trip to Dorchester Museum Wednesday 27th September.
- D.T Day Tuesday 4th October –Children will need to wear old play clothes on that day. Come in and help if you can!
- Parent’s Evenings – 18th and 19th October.
- Join us for our sharing assembly on Wednesday 19th October (2.30pm).
I hope that this newsletter gives you an overview of what your child will be experiencing in school this half term but if you would like any more information about the curriculum, please do not hesitate to speak to either one of us.
Thank you for your support.
Mrs Brown and Mrs Bennett
(The Tyneham Team)