Wivelsfield Primary School
South Road, Wivelsfield Green, RH17 7QN
Telephone: 01444 471393
Headteacher: Mrs H Smith BA Hons NPQH
Friday 12th January 2018
RabbitsSpring Newsletter
Dear Parents and Carers,
A very warm welcome back to all in the Penguins class, I hope you had a great Christmas holiday. We all have had a fantastic break and are now ready for what will be a busy and enjoyable term. I would like to thank you on behalf of myself, Mrs Martin, Mrs Murtagh, Mrs Verney and Mrs Shorter for your kind gifts, vouchers and cards which we are most grateful for.
Topics
In term 3 we will be exploring the topic of ‘Ice’. Through this topic the children will discover the North and South Poles and find out the physical and human geography of these locations, the animals and life form that can survive in the extreme conditions. We will explore this topic through usinga variety of art techniques and materials. We will discover facts about the historical explorer Ernest Shackleton and his adventures.
Our Stunning Start is ‘Poles Apart’ this will be an art attack focusing on the Northern and Southern Lights.
Our Marvellous Middle – Tuesday 30th January from 2pm to 3pm – DT Workshop ‘Float or Sink!’ – you are invited to work alongside your child to build a floating structure.
Our Fabulous Finish will be a visit from the Arctic explorerJan Meek.
We have attached our curriculum map for ‘Ice’ term 3 and hope it will aid you to understand what we are doing at school.
This will lead into our term 4 topic ‘Pioneering People’ where we will continue our trip through history to discover facts about Florence Nightingale, Edith Cavell and Grace Darling.
Our Stunning Start is creating collaborative collages of our selected ‘Pioneering People’.
Our Marvellous Middle will be a lantern making workshop.
Our Fabulous Finish will be a fabulous fact finding detective hunt.
In Science we willexplore a range of materials and identify the properties through experiments linked to our topics. The children will discover facts about the use and suitability of a variety of everyday materials for particular uses. We will also discover how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed.
School Website
Please keep logging onto our school web page and keep an eye on our class page for updates and photographs sharing what we are doing at school.
Routines
The children have mastered coming into school independently; please leave any messages on the Infant gate or feel free to catch me at the end of the school day.
Children change their reading book as they enter the classroom in the morning, so please arrive in good time so this task is completed before the start of the day at 8.55.
There are a few timetable changes so please help to ensure your child is always equipped and ready in school.
PE will be on Monday and Thursday afternoons, so please ensure your child has their kit in school on these days. Please check that your child’s plimsolls fit and that everything is named! Make sure your child also has suitable outdoor PE clothing. Thank you.
Show and Tell will continue to be on a Tuesday – I have re-attachedthe timetable; please ensure your child is ready for their turn.
Library time will be on a Tuesday morning,when children will choose a book to bring home for a week. This book will be of your child’s choice so please enjoy it together and return it the following week so a new book can be selected.
Reading
The children must have their book bags and reading books in school every day. These are collected in every morning even if they do not need to change. We have daily Guided Reading sessions and reading opportunities most afternoons so therefore it is crucial for reading books to be here daily. Please write your comments in the reading record and any other messages that need my attention.
Spellings
Spellings continue to be tested on a Friday – please ensure the red spelling book is at school. Any mistakes will be recorded in the back of the book for your reference. New spellings will also be sent home on the Friday in preparation for the following week. Children must practise their spellings at home. The writing should be in pencilusing the “look, say, cover, write, check” method on the first page, on the adjoining page children should write a short sentence per spelling to ensure they can use it in the correct context. In case the spellings do not arrive home the lists will be displayed in the classroom so please check if your child is absent on a Friday.
Homework
Homework folders and books have now been distributed with the first piece of homework. Homework will be sent home on a Thursday and needs to be handed in by the following Tuesday (earlier if preferred). The homework consists of a handwriting task and a maths or comprehension task. Please help your child complete these tasks on time.
Water Bottles
We encourage the children to drink water throughout the day and would like you to send them with a named water bottle on a daily basis.
Help!
Many hands are hugely beneficial and I thank those of you who offer your time to help out in class. If you are available before school to check books, read with children or help generally in class please let me know!
Dates:
Thurs4th Jan – Term 3
Fri 19th Jan – Forest School – group A
Fri 26th Jan – Forest School – group A
Tues 30th Jan – Marvellous Middle ‘Float or Sink’ workshop
Fri 2nd Feb – Forest School – group B
Tues 6th Feb – Parents Evening 1 – 3.45 - 6.45
Thurs 8th Feb – Parents Evening 2 – 5.00 – 8.00
Fri 9th Feb – Forest School – group B
Mon 12th – Fri 16th Feb – Half Term
Tues6thMarch – World Book Day
Fri 23rdMarch – Rabbits class assembly
Fri 30th March – Friday 14th April – Easter holidays
Mon 16th April – Term 5
If you have any concerns, please come in and see me after school.
Thank you for your support,
Mrs Kinsella