Dear Parents and Carers

A warm welcome to all of you. It has been wonderful getting to know your children, they have enjoyed exploring their new learning environment. Starting school is a very important moment for you and your child and it has been a delight welcoming you to Preston Primary.

Your little ones have had a very busy time settling into their new school, learning new routines and developing new friendships. We have been so impressed with their eagerness to participate in new activities and the atmosphere in the classroom has been happy and calm.

We are thoroughly looking forward to working alongside you all this year. 

As a staff we have spent time discussing what makes Preston Primary unique. We have distilled our long list down to three things.

We are constantly striving to be innovative in our curriculum ideas and design. This ensures a fun, exciting curriculum.

We believe a values based approach to education helps every child become the best person that they can.

We see our role as developing the characters of the children of Preston, to enable them to face the challenges of the future.

It was their first full week at school and the children have been very busy and engaged in their learning. It has been a week of ‘first time’ experiences.

We started Read Write Inc this week and the children met Fred the frog. We have learnt the sounds m, a, s. The children are bringing home a booklet of sounds for them to use at home. They can practise their letter formation by using the phrase for each sound. For example, when they write the sound a they say ‘round the apple down the leaf’. The phrases are written in the booklet. Please do not rush through all the sounds, focus on the sounds we have learnt that week which will be detailed in the newsletter. On Seesaw, we will post official videos from Read Write Inc so your child can watch the speed sound lesson and recap the sounds learnt that week. More details will be sent out about our Read Write Inc programme over the coming weeks.

The children had their first trip to the library this week. They will visit the library every Monday to change their books. It is a chance for the children to independently choose a book and share it at home with you. We would like to hear about all the other wonderful books you share at home by detailing them in the reading log stuck in the red home school link book. More information can be found on the Seesaw activity assigned to your child’s journal this week.

We had our first PE session today and the children listened very well to the instructions. They were taking turns and running in and out of the cones trying to avoid one another, they had lots of fun. To support your child please encourage them to try and dress and undress themselves at home. Encourage them to button their shirt and notice that their school jumper has a school logo on the front, and their trousers may have a zip which goes at the front. We are always there to help your child but it is important to encourage their independence and try things for themselves. They did very well today, we are very proud of them. 

We introduced the choosing board for the first time this week. The children have a period of time in the day called ‘Choosing My Learning’. They choose an activity and put their name by the corresponding icon. This system promotes independence, turn taking and personal challenge, skills that they will use throughout life. We value children learning through play as it enables children to explore their thinking and curiosity.

We are starting to learn our school values. In Foundation we learn them in dinosaur form! Each dinosaur has a special name and we talk about how we can demonstrate that particular value in our learning and everyday life. In the first few weeks we introduce Explorasaurus as he helps the children to confidently explore the new learning environment and try new activities.

“I am Explorasaurus. I am very curious and like to use my senses to find things out. I can play with things I know but I also like to try new activities. I am brave and like exciting challenges and think that I can achieve everything.”

British Value - This half term, in our Class Assemblies, we are learning about the British Value of Individual Liberty. In Puffins and Penguins, we talk about ourselves, our abilities and the choices we make.

My Special Box

If you have not already, we would love your child to bring in a decorated box of their favourite things (photos or objects) for them to share with the rest of the class as part of our circle time. This activity helps your child to settle at school and feel more confident, they enjoy sharing special things from home. It takes us a few weeks to get through the boxes so please be patient. More information can be found on a Seesaw post but please do not hesitate to ask any questions.

Consent Forms

Next week, you will receive by hard copy in the book bags, some information and a consent form regarding an NHS scheme called ‘The Brush Bus’, along with an online learning journal Consent Form. Please return the completed forms in book bags by the end of next week, Friday 18^th September.

Messages

• We have children in school with peanut and kiwi allergies. We request that these products are not brought in to school.
• Please can you send your child in with named wellies, waterproof suit and PE kit by Tuesday 15^th September, these will be kept on their peg. The children are looking forward to their first trip to the woodland camp next week. Thank you to those who have already done this.
• Please ensure you order your child’s lunch via the Aspens website by 9am each day. You are able to pre-order meals weeks in advance. Please order via the website, this is the link:   https://select.aspens-services.com/  Further information is available on our school website.
• The playground gates will be closed at 9.10am. If you arrive at school after this time you will need to bring your child to the school office.

Home learning options

• Draw a picture of your family and write your name on it.
• Take a photo of you doing something independently (i.e. putting your shoes on).
• Write your name trying to use the correct letter formation.
• Think of words that start with the sound m, a, s, and take photos of the items.

Upload your photos on to your Seesaw journal and then you could use the microphone button to record your voice telling us about your work.

Dates to remember

Wednesday 23^rd September – Tempest Photography in school to take individual photographs.

Half term starts Monday 26^th October

Return to school on Monday 9^th November

From Mrs Bastin, Mrs Clague and the Foundation Stage Team