Welcome to Beech Class

.  We hope that you and your family had great summer.

This letter contains important information about life in Beech Class, curriculum content and other school activities for the Autumn Term. It is also available on the school website (which we update as much as possible with news, photos etc…) 

Curriculum Content

Literacy:

Writing: We begin the term by thinking about stories in different settings.  After that we will look at instructions.  The children will work in groups to create their own presentations on the computer.  We will also investigate and make poems with patterns.  After half term, we will study different stories by the same author: Mairi Hedderwick.  These are the Katie Morag series of books.  The children will look at the features of the books and then create their own.  We will continue ‘Big Writing’ where the children write independently after discussing ideas for a piece of writing.  It is a fun session where we fill the room with candles and fairy lights, listen to classical music and use ‘special’ pencils.

Reading: Now that the children are in Year 2 they will take part in guided, group and shared reading lessons at least once a day.  As the children become more fluent, they will focus on comprehension skills.  In addition to this, if children need extra help with their reading they will be given individual support.

Mathematics: Counting and number sequences, place value, + and – strategies, money and real life problems (in our Robot Factory), length, time, shape and space, data handling.

We have a large focus on DT this term as the children have a Robot Factory in their role play area.  They will use it to look at the processes involved in DT and also make robots with axles and wheels. We will link in Science by studying materials and electricity.  We will need lots boxes, of various sizes, for our robots so please send in any empty ones that you have at home.  (We also need any old video cases.) 

Geography: Contrasting Localities – comparing Woodcote to the Isle of Coll, the inspiration for the Isle of Struay in Mairi Hedderwick’s Katie Morag books;

Music:  Sounds (linked to Science) and singing Harvest songs;

PSHE: New beginnings, including class rules, routines and safety;

RE:  Harvest (see the Newsletter for details of our Harvest Festival), Prayer, Ramadan, Eid and Diwali.

Trips

We have organised two trips for Beech Class this term.  We will be visiting the Oxfordshire Museum and the Science Museum.  These trips have been arranged to enhance work that we will be doing in the classroom.  Next week, we will send a separate letter home with more details.

Homework

Homework will start this week.  You should help your child to complete their homework without giving them the answers.  We will mark your child’s work when it is returned to school.  Homework will be given out on FRIDAYS and should be handed in by the following WEDNESDAY. It will usually follow up on work completed in class so that you know what the children have been learning that week.  Spellings will usually be tested on Wednesdays but will not start until next week.  Children will not receive homework before holidays, but are welcome to take books home.

Reading

Your child will be given a reading book to take home next Monday after assessments have been carried out this week.  You will be able to change books as often as you would like.   If you are not able to get into school, there is a box for your child to put their book folder in so that their book is changed that day.  You will receive a letter explaining the process for changing books more fully.

Friday Mornings

We will open the doors to Beech Class at 8:40 on Friday mornings so that you can visit the classroom with your child and look at work, displays or even play in the robot factory!  On all other mornings Mrs Fletcher will be on the playground to greet children and parents.

PE

Beech Class will have their PE lessons on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  However, please ensure that the PE kit is brought into school on Monday and left in school during the week, in case we need to change our PE days, due to bad weather.  We aim to hold our PE lessons outside as much as possible. Please ensure your child has the following kit in school:  shorts, leggings/tracksuit bottoms (if desired for outdoor PE in the winter), T-shirt, trainers/plimsolls. 

In addition, Beech Class will be swimming on Fridays.  A separate letter will be sent home in relation to this.

School Uniform and PE kit

Please make sure your child's name is clearly marked on all their clothing. Children often leave clothing around the school and if they are not named the owner cannot be identified!   They are welcome to bring in a water bottle to keep on their table during the day, which should be labelled too.

In addition, children do not need their own pencil cases in Beech Class.  We would appreciate it if they did not bring them to school, as they take up lots of space on the tables and cause problems with items in them being misplaced. 

Class Rewards

In addition to the school’s system of team points, children in Beech Class can earn other rewards for good behaviour, effort and work, which are given out in Celebration each week.  Children who have won particular awards will be displayed in the class.  Every week we will choose a ‘Star of the Week’.  If your child is chosen, they will be given a trophy to take home for the weekend.  Please make sure that it is returned on the Monday/Tuesday of the next week.

Class Timetable

Finally, as you will already know, Mrs Fletcher has taken on the role of Acting Headteacher.  This role entails time out of the classroom to deal with whole school matters.  The Beech Class timetable has been arranged to make sure that there is as little impact on the class as possible.    Mrs Bodeker (our PE coordinator) will be taking the children swimming on Fridays, as would be normal, and she will be also teaching their PE lessons on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Mrs Wise, our Higher Level Teaching Assistant, will be taking the class on Thursday afternoons (Mrs Fletcher’s usual Planning, Preparation and Assessment time) and Friday afternoons for Celebration and Goldentime.  She will also take the class for certain procedural activities, such as collecting in homework, spelling tests, practising handwriting etc… (All of these activities are planned by Mrs Fletcher.)

Therefore, a typical week would look like this:

In addition, Mrs Fletcher will be on the playground every morning and at the end of each day.   Therefore, Mrs Wise will let the children go at the classroom door but please see Mrs Fletcher should you have any questions or concerns. 

There will be a Parents’ Evening soon where you will be able to find out more about Beech Class and how your child is doing (keep looking at the Newsletter to find out when).

Thank you for your support. 

Yours sincerely,

The Beech Class Team