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This week's Star writer was chosen for her use of great openers, WOW words and punctuation. Well done!
Read an extract of her writing below:
Last summer, I went to London with my mum and my sister Jai. I was petrified of the London bridge. I went in a taxi and I saw Buckingham Palace as well as the maze of the Queen’s garden. I also took a picture with…BIG BEN!
We have all been settling into Nursery over the past few weeks. We have made lots of new friends and we enjoy playing with lots of new toys.
Enjoy having a look at all the exciting things we have been up to.
The children have been busy this week turning their designs into reality.
They were creating t-shirts using fabric pens, materials, buttons and lots more. The children experienced using needle and thread and glue guns.
The children are looking forward to trying them on when they are finished and strutting their stuff :)
It was great fun to see the children take part in 'odd sock day' to show that's it's okay to be different. Check out Y5/6 class photo-it was a stinky 5 minutes!
On Wednesday the 13th of September 25 children from Artigarvan had the opportunity to go and watch the Ireland v West Indies match in Stormont. Unfortunately the match was cancelled due to the weather. However the children enjoyed the experience and met some of the Ireland players.
This term we are learning all about food, farming, fair trade and rainforests.
We will be finding out about what makes a balanced diet, where our food comes from, what fair trade is and our impact on rainforests.
Your children have been sent home a folder with phonics information. Please read this carefully. Year 1 sound sheets are optional for now, for Year 2 they are compulsory. All folders should be returned on a Friday morning to enable preparation for the following week.
Please contact us if you require any further information.
Year 1
The children can change their library books with Anne in class on Wednesdays. This is a great opportunity for you to read with your child and talk about the books they choose.
Year 2
The children can change their library books with Anne in class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is a special treat for our Year 2 children as we know how much they love to read!
Welcome back!
We hope you have had an enjoyable break and are feeling refreshed as we begin our new school year. Newsletters will be sent home termly, giving you a brief overview of what is happening in class and providing you with extra- curricular information too.
Our topic for Term 1 is called ‘Off we go to school!’ We will begin by settling into our new class and learning new routines. As the Term progresses the children will be reflecting on how our school has changed over the years. This is where we need your help! Please send in any photos you may have of past pupils who attended our school, these may even be of yourselves! Using these photos, we will create a display, asking the children to sort the images into past or present. We really need your help for this so don’t be shy!
Phonics will be taught daily through short interactive sessions. There will be a parent’s information evening during the term to familiarise the teaching of phonics and what you can do at home to assist. I intend to send home help sheets to reinforce our classroom learning at home as this is vital to ensure your child has a secure knowledge of phonics. Year 1 children will begin to learn the sounds S, A, T, P, I, N; Year 2 children will revise these sounds in Term 1 and be introduced to new sounds when ready.
In addition to sounds, your child will be learning keywords, which will be learnt upon sight. This will increase their sight vocabulary and enable them to read at a greater pace as their reading strategies progress. More information will be available on this when necessary however we would greatly appreciate your help by reinforcing these words at home for a short time each day after school.
Numeracy- Within the Foundation Stage Curriculum (Years 1 & 2) the children are required to sort items into a variety of ways, this could be according to their colour, shape, size or name. This could be done at home using, dried pasta, stones, outdoor natural materials or even sock! Counting will be reinforced beginning with numbers 0-10, progressing onto 11-15 and finally 16-20. Counting rhymes and songs are great to ensure your child is confident with their numbers. Try starting in different places, not always with 0. You could even play number ping-pong, making it as fun as possible!
Writing- In Term 1 the children will be practicing and perfecting their name writing skills. During play, your child will be engaging in activities to develop the muscles in their hands and to encourage drawing and mark-making. This will assist with your child choosing their dominant hand to write with and as they become more independent, they will be able to develop their pencil grip, beginning to correctly form letters and numbers.
Our class Physical Development session is still to be confirmed. Please ensure that your child has a clearly named P.E. kit in school at all times. We hope that your child will be able to dress themselves, please consider tights and laced school shoes for school uniform on these particular days.
Despite our weather, we aim to make the most of our fantastic outdoor facilities at school. Please ensure that your child brings a coat to school each day. You are welcome to provide clearly named wellies or a waterproof suit for your child to wear if you wish.
During September Year 1 children will be collected after they have had their lunch at 1pm. Please wait outside of the school gates until the children have returned to their classes after their lunchtime break. Year 2 children will be collected at 2pm. Collection points for all children will be on the bottom playground. We ask the children to remain with the staff until we have seen the person who is there to collect your child. If your child’s collection arrangements change, please notify Sandra of this in the office. Thank you in advance for your patience during this busy time.
Allergies
We remain a nut and egg-free school due to serious allergies. Please consider this when providing snacks or packed lunches in school and on trips.
Healthy eating
Healthy lunchboxes and snacks are encouraged throughout our school. If you would like assistance with this, please visit …….. for ideas and support. Children are encouraged to bring personal water bottles to school which can be refilled when required. During break time your child can bring a healthy snack from home. Alternatively, a healthy snack can be bought from our canteen with options such as fruit, scones or pancakes. If your child prefers skinless fruit or for it to be sliced, please prepare this in advance at home. School milk is available for your child at a small cost. Please ensure you have notified our classroom staff if your child is taking milk. A letter will be sent home containing information regarding payments.
Money
If your child is bringing money to school we recommend it is sent in sealed, labelled envelopes or wallets.
Thank you for your cooperation, and I look forward to a fun and successful year at school!
Please do not hesitate to contact me via the office if you would like additional information.
Mrs Kane
Year 1 & 2 class teacher
