PIXIE CLASS
Dates to remember
June
11th– Phonics screening week 1.
18th– Phonics screening week 2
19th– Mobile library bus.
July
3rd– Transition day 1
4th– Transition day 2
9th– Sports day
10th-12th– Travelling National History museum visit.
13th– Summer Sizzler (5:30-8pm)
17th– Final mobile library service.
18th– End of year reports go out.
24th– Last day of term
Welcome back!
Welcome back everybody! I can’t believe I am writing the final newsletter of the academic year. I am so proud of all of the pixies and how they have matured and progressed over the course of the year and you should be too! Each one has worked so hard in each subject and their curiosity and hunger to learn is inspiring for all the adults in Pixie class.
This half term our topic is going to be DINOSAURS!. It is a whole school topic and we have lots of exciting things planned! We’re going to be writing factfiles of dinosaurs, making documentaries and news reports on the iPads. We’re going to make volcanos and learn about eruptions. We also have a special visitor coming from the National History Museum, how exciting!
If you have any helpful books at home that we could look at, please bring them in. We promise to look after them!
Reading Challenge in May
Please bring in completed reading challenge sheets so certificates can be made for the assembly! Hopefully you and your child have enjoyed reading every day and understand the importance of this!
Phonics Screening Check
Phonics screening checks begin next week (WC Mon 11th). If your child is absent for the week or misses their window due to absence they will sit the following week (WC Mon 18th).
The children have been working really hard at school, but we have not been pressuring them about it and they know exactly what to expect during the check. Please don’t make a big deal about it at home for the Pixies, they’re only 5 and 6 and should not be worried about it at all.
You may have noticed that your child has been practicing sounds rather than the usual reading they do at school. This may not always be noted in the reading diaries, but we try our best to remember. This is to help them with the phonics check. Each child is still reading at least once a week with an adult at school. After the check, reading activities will resume as normal. Please continue to read with your child as it really does make a difference.
If you have any questions/concerns regarding the check please see me.
Results for the check will be given out with the end of year reports.
Preparation for Year 2
As we are entering the final half term of the year, in preparation for year 2, please encourage your child to come in independently and put their things away by themselves. This will help your child adjust to the year 2 morning routine.
If you have any queries about this, please come and see me after school.
Homework Challenge
Thank you to those who took part in the reading challenge! I’ve had Pixies telling me they are filling it in everyday and enjoying their reading. This term the homework challenge is returning! Any certificates and/or prizes from the past two will be given out this week.
The homework challenge is attached. A copy will also be uploaded to the class page.
General Reminders
If you have any queries, concerns or questions, please come and see me after school.
Thank you,
Miss Sutton, Mrs. Sharpe & Mrs. Lester.
PIXIE CLASS
Dates to remember
April
16th – First day back
24th – Library bus at school
May
3rd – INSET day
7th – May Day (bank holiday)
25th – Last day of half-term
June
4th – First day back
Welcome back!
Welcome back everybody! I can’t believe we’re now in the final term, it has flown so quickly! I hope that everybody has had a wonderful Easter break and that lots of yummy eggs were eaten.
This half term our topic is going to be ‘Muck, Mess and Mixtures’. We’re going to be investigating what soap product makes the best bubbles and how to make toothpaste for an elephant. We’re going to make potions, learn about harmful liquids and how to stay safe and carry out lots of other experiments! Please make sure if your child has a lab coat for science lessons, that it is in school for this term.
Reading Challenge in May
For the month of May there will be a reading challenge for Pixie class. If your pixie reads every day all month then mark it on the May calendar page (attached). Please ask the children to sign the paper and then write comments in their reading diary.
If your child reads for every day of May they will get a certificate in the special mention assembly in front of the school!
Phonics Screening Check
With the phonics screening check approaching, please make sure you read with your child as much as possible. Encourage reading whether it’s books or on the iPad, TV, car number plates, shopping lists and everything else that can be read!
The PPT slides from the phonics screening session are uploaded to the Pixie class page if you would like to go through them again.
If you have any questions or worries about the check please come and see me any day after-school.
Homework Challenge
Thank you for all that has taken part in the homework challenges! Sadly, this half term there isn’t a homework challenge. Please feel free to send in photos or writing about anything you do outside of school and they can be displayed in the classroom.
Some ideas:
Milk at School
Please ask your child if they would like milk at school. They change their mind quite regularly and some of them are saying they no longer want their milk. If they still want their milk, you can arrange for them to have it by following the steps below.
If your child is over five:
1. Go to www.coolmilk.com/register.
2. Register your child.
2. Pay Cool Milk online.
3. Just pay before 5pm on Tuesday for your child’s milk to start the following week.
The cost is roughly £15 per term, or you can pay per half term or the whole school year too. If you are entitled to free school meals you qualify for free milk.
General Reminders
If you have any queries, concerns or questions, please come and see me after school.
Thank you,
Miss Sutton, Mrs. Sharpe & Mrs. Lester.
PIXIE CLASS
Welcome back! Welcome back everybody! We hope you have had a lovely half term holiday and are all ready to start the school routine once more. I can’t believe we’re half way through the year already. The pixies are making us all proud every day and I hope they do the same for you!
We’re all excited to start a fresh term with our new topic ‘The Enchanted Woodland’. This half term we will be learning about plants, animals, the environment and maps! If you have any books or interesting items at home that relate to our topic we would love it if we could look at them and share them with the Pixies – we promise to take care of them! |
Dates to remember
FEBRUARY
27th – Parents evening night 1
28th – Parents evening night 2
MARCH
1st – World Book Day
28th – Phonics Screening Check session 3:30pm
29th – Last day of term
30th – Good Friday
APRIL
16th – First day back
Reading at home
Thank you to all of the parents that read with their children regularly! You are superheroes! We understand it’s sometimes a stretch - especially when both you and your little pixie have had a long day working! But thank you for fitting it in - it does make such a difference to their learning and has had huge impacts on their progress.
Please carry on reading as much as possible with your child this term. It makes such a difference to their learning and their attitude to reading when they see the people they love the most enjoy reading with them.
As usual the reading diaries will be checked each Friday for comments and to update the reading chart. If your child has read 4 or more times in one week they will get a star on the chart. Any child with 5 or more stars when the half term has ended will win a special prize!
Teach your Monster to Read’ FREE app!
From the 26th of February to the 4th of March, the ‘Teach your Monster to Read’ app will be free to download on the AppStore and the Google Play Store. It was created by the Usborne Foundation.
If you’re struggling to get your child to read books at home why not give this app a try? It may make reading seem more fun! Please record in your child’s reading diary like usual if you use it - so it can count towards their stars.
Phonics Screening Check
As you may be aware, during year 1 all children across the country are expected to do a phonics screening check. This is an individual check that usually takes around 5-10 and happens in June (usually the first fortnight).
The check assesses children’s knowledge of the phonics they have learned during reception and year 1. It is designed to give teachers and parents information on how your child is progressing in phonics. It will help to identify whether your child needs additional support at this stage so that they do not fall behind in this vital early reading skill.
There will be an after-school session on the 28th March with information about the check and to give you an idea of what the children will be going through.
Homework Challenge
Thank you to all that has or have taken part in the homework challenge, the responses from all challenges has been amazing. Other teachers have commented on this too! Thank you for sharing an interest at home in your Pixie’s topic and inspiring them to learn more which also increases their curiosity of learning.
Our fourth homework challenge is attached and I look forward to the amazing pieces that I imagine will follow – whether they be 1 point or 5 points. Once again - thank you for inspiring your children by showing them that education is fun and something to be proud of!
General Reminders
If you have any queries, concerns or questions, please come and see me after school.
Thank you,
Miss Sutton, Mrs. Sharpe & Mrs. Lester.
PIXIE CLASS
Welcome back!
Welcome back everybody! We hope you have had a wonderful Christmas, a Happy New Year and have made lots of lovely memories. Myself, Mrs. Sharpe and Mrs. Lester would like to share our warmest gratitude for such thoughtful cards and Christmas gifts, we appreciate them very much, thank you!
We’re all excited to start a fresh term with our new topic ‘Towers, Tunnels and Turrets’. This term we will be learning about castles, battles, knights, princesses, dragons and too many more to list! If you have any books or interesting items at home that relate to our topic we would love it if we could look at them and share them with the Pixies – we promise to take care of them!
Dates to remember
JANUARY
8th – Leeds Royal Armouries trip
18th – School Disco
FEBRUARY
16th – Last day of term
26th – First day back
27th – Parents evening night 1
28th – Parents evening night 2
Reading
I am so proud of all of the Pixies for their fantastic reading, both at home and at school. You should be very proud of them too!
Please carry on reading as much as possible with your child this term. It makes such a difference to their learning and their attitude to reading when they see the people they love the most enjoy reading with them.
As usual the reading diaries will be checked each Friday for comments and to update the reading chart. If your child has read 4 or more times in one week they will get a star on the chart. Any child with 6 stars when the half term has ended will win a special prize!
Prizes from the last two half terms will go out this Friday.
Homework Challenge
What another amazing response to the latest homework challenge. It really is wonderful to see all the lovely work that you do together at home and the Pixies are so proud of their work too, they can’t wait to talk to the class about their work and answer questions from the other children.
Milk at School
Please ask your child if they would like milk at school. They change their mind quite regularly. If they happen to want it, you can arrange for them to have milk following the steps below.
If your child is over five:
1. Go to www.coolmilk.com/register.
2. Register your child.
2. Pay Cool Milk online.
3. Just pay before 5pm on Tuesday for your child’s milk to start the following week.
The cost is roughly £15 per term, or you can pay per half term or the whole school year too. If you are entitled to free school meals you qualify for free milk.
General Reminders
If you have any queries, concerns or questions, please come and see me after school.
Thank you,
Miss Sutton, Mrs. Sharpe & Mrs. Lester.
PIXIE CLASS
Welcome back! Welcome back everybody! We hope you have had a nice half-term holiday filled with fun! I would like to take this opportunity to say I am so pleased with how the Pixie’s have settled in to year 1. Mrs Sharpe, Mrs Lester and I are so proud of every single Pixie and we hope you are too! Over the next few weeks, we are learning about London and what it was like in the olden days and more excitingly, the Great Fire of London! After that it is Christmas Time and Nativity preparation! |
Dates to remember
NOVEMBER
1st – Harvest Festival - 10:45am
7-8th – Parent’s evening
14th – Flu vaccinations
24th – INSET day
DECEMBER
TBC – Nativity performance
7th – PTFA Winter Warmer 3:20-5:00pm
19th – Christmas Dinner/Christmas Jumper day
21st – Pantomime at school and last day of term.
22nd – INSET day
Reading
I would like to say a massive thank you to the parents that read with their children as much as possible, it makes such a difference to their learning and the progress they make at school. It also expands their vocabulary and deepens their imagination.
Please carry on reading as much as possible with your child this term! A reminder to please make comments about how your child has read in their reading diary and please keep asking questions about the story to improve their reading comprehension.
As usual the reading diaries will be checked each Friday for comments and to update the reading chart. If your child has read 4 or more times in one week they will get a star on the chart. Any child with 6 or more stars when the half term has ended will win a special prize!
Homework Challenge
I am still speechless with how overwhelming the response was from the first homework challenge! It is amazing to see all the work you do together at home! Our challenge wall was full up and I hope we can fill it again this term!
Instead of putting the homework into two different challenges I have put London and Christmas together. The first four weeks back we are covering London and the Great Fire and we will start our Christmas topic on the 27th November. Any London themed homework is still welcome after this date! J
Milk at School
A few of the Pixies have been telling me they would like milk. I have reminded them to let parents know if they want milk but I am not sure if they have. If you are wanting your child to have milk here is how you can set it up:
If your child is over five:
1. Go to www.coolmilk.com/register.
2. Register your child.
2. Pay Cool Milk online.
3. Just pay before 5pm on Tuesday for your child’s milk to start the following week.
The cost is roughly £15 per term, or you can pay per half term or the whole school year too. If you are entitled to free school meals you qualify for free milk.
General Reminders
If you have any queries, concerns or questions, please come and see me, either briefly before school starts or come and see me after school, my door is always open.
Thank you.
Miss Sutton, Mrs. Sharpe & Mrs. Lester.
Pixie Class Newsletter
Dear Pixie families,
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We are aiming to make the transition from reception to year one as smooth as possible. Play will still be a very important part of the Pixie’s learning however we will be slowly moving into a more formal learning environment which reflects the national curriculum as the year goes on.
Reading:
Reading in year one is more important than ever. Children are encouraged to read daily to prepare for the phonics screening check in June (more information will be given out closer to the time).
Children will be given a book to read at home along with a reading diary for you to fill in and return to school. When children can read the book easily then it will be swapped for another. Each week one child who has done fantastic reading will be the book worm of the week and can choose a prize!
I will check the reading diaries each Friday and if your Pixie has read more than 3 times that week (incl weekend) they will get a star on the reading chart. Any child with 4 or more stars when the half term has ended will win a book!
Behaviour
Behaviour ladder:
Now that your children are Pixies they will be using the behaviour system that is used all the way up to year 6. Each day the children all start on “Ready to Learn” and can move up the ladder for good behaviour and good work. However, they can also move down the ladder and face consequences of any wrong choices they may make. Children can move up and down throughout the day. At the end of the day, children will either lose or gain Dojo points or choose a prize (depending on where they are on the ladder).
Star of the day chair:
Each day a child will be chosen to sit in the newly revamped star of the day chair! Children can earn this reward by behaving well, doing good work, being a good friend and/or following the school rules. They will assist in special jobs all day, such as taking the register to the office with a friend of their choice and standing at the front of the line.
Pixie stars:
When the whole class are behaving well and following the school rules they can earn a pixie star to go in the class jar. Once the pixies have earned 10 pixie dusts they can have a treat of their choice (film and popcorn, playing games, ice lollies etc).
General Reminders
Dates to remember
OCTOBER
4th – Families are invited to come to school in the afternoon for a whole school arts event in the hall.
5th – Families of Pixie and Unicorn class are invited to school in the afternoon to make lighthouses.
6th – Macmillan coffee afternoon, any donations of cakes would be greatly appreciated!
20th – Families are invited to come to school for a fish and chips lunch, more information to follow. This is also the last day of the half term.
Finally, if you are interested in becoming a parent helper (listening to the children read or help with spellings) please let me know as soon as possible!
If you have any queries, concerns or questions, please come and see me, either briefly before school starts or come and see me after school, my door is always open.
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