October 2024
Oak Class have settled really well during their first term at school and it has been a pleasure to welcome 16 new families into the Winterbourne Earls School Community. This term has been mainly about feeling settled, safe, getting to know new routines and learning what starting at ‘big school’ is all about. The children have enjoyed making new friends and also spending time with their Year 6 Buddies. They really enjoyed making Harvest pictures together and show-cased these at our Harvest Festival Service at St Michael’s Church at the beginning of October.
As we’ve neared the end of their first term in school, there is a real sense of the children gelling as a class. Staff working within our Foundation Stage 2 class have loved hearing the developing conversations between the children who are learning the skills involved in turn taking, caring for one another and responding to our school values as well as an appreciation of ‘…each one doing their part and growing in love.
There is plenty to look forward to during the term ahead, including Wellie Walks around the local community, Bonfire Celebrations and Remembrance as well as Christmas Nativity Services and a Maths Workshop for Parents (date to be decided). So make sure the children are well rested over the half term break; they will certainly need recharged batteries!
August 2024
I expect there is a lot of nervous energy buzzing around in your households now that the Summer Holidays are drawing to a close. We too are anticipating the start of the new academic year and are very much looking forward to your children starting in Oak class; their first day being Tuesday 3rd September.
As mentioned in the talk given on the Induction Evening (I know, it seems a lot time ago!), please bring your children around to the back of the school and make your way to the Reception Garden Gate (there will be parents who have done it all before with their first children so just follow their lead) where a member of the Oak Class Team will be there ready to greet your children. We have arranged staggered start times so that your children aren't overwhelmed. Mrs Hyde in the office will have sent you a message with the start time for the first day. Please refer to this message by way of a reminder.
We strongly encourage you to leave your children at the gate so that they can make their own way in. It is fairly unusual for children to be upset but of course, if there is any unhappiness, it may be that we ask you to come into the garden to settle your child if we both think this would help. You know your child best, a quick departure might be what has worked well at Nursery and we can be on hand to facilitate this should the need arise.
Collection time for Tuesday and Wednesday during the first week will be 11.50am from the same place that you dropped your children off. It will take us some time to get to know you all and which child matches with which parents to please bear with us for the first couple of weeks and the process of dismissing your children will become quicker, we promise! For Thursday and Friday of the first week, collection will be at 1pm to enable the children to stay for lunch and from the following Monday, the children will be full time unless we have had a conversation to the contrary.
If there is anything at all that you are unsure about, please email the office (this will be manned from Monday 2nd September by Mrs Hyde and Mrs Comlay) until we have set the Seesaw App up and running for you to use by way of correspondence. This should be made possible within the first week and log in instructions will be sent home via your children.
In the meantime, please enjoy the rest of the holidays and take some time to have a look at the Parent Planner which is produced at the beginning of each term to enable you to see a little part of what your children will be learning about.
With best wishes,
The Oak Class Team
(Mrs Woodfine, Mrs Truckle, Mrs Tattersall and Mrs Natt)
Phonics and Early Reading Parents Workshop
Please come along to our first Parent Workshop of the Year.
Tuesday 10th September at 2.30pm in the Reception Classroom. One adult per household please due to limited space.